Determination of S-phenylmercapturic acid in urine as an indicator of exposure to benzene.

S-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA) was measured in urine from 145 subjects exposed to low benzene concentrations in the air (C(I), benzene). The 8-h, time-weighted exposure intensity of individual workers was monitored by means of charcoal tubes and subsequent gas-chromatographic analysis after desorption with CS2. S-PMA excretion level in urine was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

[Changes in serum levels of N-terminal procollagen type III propeptide as an index of postinfarction ventricular remodeling].

The levels of aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) can be used as an index of collagen breakdown. The aim of our study was to evaluate modifications in serum concentration of PIIINP (PIIINPs) in patients with a first episode of myocardial infarction. We examined 70 patients admitted at our Institution for acute myocardial infarction and 10 normal subjects.

Patient-ventilator interaction and inspiratory effort during pressure support ventilation in patients with different pathologies.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether pressure support ventilation (PSV) requires different diaphragmatic efforts and patient-ventilator matching, according to the underlying disease. Four groups of patients requiring PSV were studied: Group A, recovering from an episode of acute respiratory failure due to adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); Group B, with postsurgical complications; and two subsets of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, with "normal" static compliance of the respiratory system (Cst,rs) (Group C) or elevated Cst,rs (Group D). Ventilatory pattern, transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi), the pressure-time product of the diaphragm (PTPdi), static (PEEPi,stat) and dynamic intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEPi,dyn), Cst,rs and resistance of the total respiratory system (Rrs) were recorded.

Plasma hormone levels and haemodynamics in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with right heart failure and salt and water retention. The possible roles of haemodynamically active hormones in the early stages of COPD have not previously been described. Adrenaline, noradrenaline, renin activity, aldosterone, vasopressin, cortisol, growth hormone, prolactin and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were measured during right heart catheterization in mixed venous blood and in a peripheral artery, in the supine and standing position, in two groups of patients with COPD: Group A with arterial oxygen tension (Pa,O2) < 8.

Serum type I and type III procollagen peptide levels in sarcoidosis.

Type I and type III are the most abundant collagens in the lung. The aim of our study was to compare type I and III procollagen peptides in sera of sarcoid patients. Sixty eight patients with sarcoidosis were studied (19 with newly recognized disease, 7 with relapsing disease, 15 with chronic disease, and 27 in stable remission).

Relation between energy metabolism, glycolysis, noradrenaline release and duration of ischemia.

We studied the effect of 12-36 min of global ischemia followed by 36 min of reperfusion in Langendorff perfused rabbit hearts (n = 26). Metabolism was determined in terms of peak and total release of purines (adenosine, inosine, hypoxanthine), lactate and noradrenaline during reperfusion; and myocardial content of nucleotides (ATP, ADP, AMP), glycogen and noradrenaline at the end of reperfusion. An inverse relationship (r = -0.

Echo-Doppler evaluation of left ventricular impairment in chronic cor pulmonale.

The effects of acute right ventricular (RV) pressure and volume overloads on left ventricular (LV) filling are well known, while the significance of chronic RV pressure overload on LV function has been less studied. To evaluate the LV impairment, 30 patients with chronic cor pulmonale and pulmonary arterial hypertension secondary to chronic obstructive lung diseases (COLDs) were studied. All patients underwent respiratory tests and arterial blood gas assessment.

[Experience of an intermediate respiratory intensive therapy in the treatment of prolonged weaning from mechanical ventilation].

109 patients who suffered from an episode of acute respiratory failure, necessitated mechanical ventilation (MV) in a general Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and admitted to our Respiratory Intermediate Intensive Unit (RIIU), were retrospectively evaluated for outcome and weaning success. The patients, 69 +/- 9 years old, presented the following diseases: COLD (70%), cardiovascular (15%) and neuromuscular (15%). A relapse of underlying disease (62%), pneumonia (20%), thoraco-muscular pump failure (15%) and pulmonary embolism (3%) were the relapsing causes needing the ICU admission.

[Use of ultrasonography methods in the diagnosis of neurogenic paraosteoarthropathy in spinal cord injury].

To assess the role of the ultrasonic imaging evaluation of articular lesions suspected to be the initial presentation of heterotopic ossifications (HO), 59 consecutive injured patients were studied. 32 out of 59 patients showed clinical signs of local inflammation in one of the articular sites of the upper or lower limbs, sonographic scans proved to be diagnostic of HO in 7 out of those 32 patients before their radiographic findings. Serial sonographic examinations were performed utilizing a 7.

Cardiac and pleuropulmonary AL amyloid imaging with technetium-99m labelled aprotinin.

Antiproteases are known to be present in amyloid deposits. We evaluated the possibility of using an anti-serine protease (aprotinin) labelled with technetium-99m (TcA), usually employed as a cortical renal tracer, for the imaging of amyloid deposits. Because of the known high uptake of TcA by the kidneys, we limited our analysis to extra-abdominal amyloid localizations.

[The treatment of decubitus lesions].

The authors present a plan for pharmacological treatment of pressure sores in patients affected by neurological pathologies: cerebrovascular accidents, head injuries, spinal cord injuries. This plan is easily applicable to all pressure sores included between first and third degree of the Reuler and Cooney classification. Authors identified some drugs specifically usefull in different cutaneous lesion degrees.

Baroreflex sensitivity.

Baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) has rapidly gained considerable attention as a result of multiple experimental and clinical reports on its prognostic value after a myocardial infarction. This article reviews the several aspects related to the use and significance of BRS. The methodology of baroreflex testing in man is described.

H-reflex recovery curve and reciprocal inhibition of H-reflex of the upper limbs in patients with spasticity secondary to stroke.

The H-reflex recovery curve of the lower limb is considered a useful test for the diagnosis of spasticity, and recently the reciprocal inhibition of the H-reflex has proven to be abnormal in patients affected with spasticity. We studied the H-reflex recovery curve and the reciprocal inhibition of the H-reflex in the upper limb of a group of 33 patients with different degrees of spasticity secondary to stroke. Results were compared with those of 25 controls.

Validation of the surveillance system for new cases of tuberculosis in a province of northern Italy. Varese Tuberculosis Study Group.

In Italy tuberculosis (TB) surveillance is hampered by several problems (inconsistency of data and underreporting). A tuberculosis surveillance system was established in Varese Province (VSS) in 1992. The aim of the present study was, using VSS, to estimate: 1) coverage and validity of data collected by the national Compulsory Surveillance System (CSS); 2) validity of diagnosis and risk factors for tuberculosis; 3) tuberculosis incidence.

Flexible electrogoniometers: kinesiological advantages with respect to potentiometric goniometers.

Unlike conventional potentiometric goniometers, flexible electrogoniometers do not suffer from any alignment problems with respect to the joint axis. We hypothesized that flexible goniometers provide more valid measurements in that they avoid some biomechanical pitfalls. With both devices simultaneously we measured the movements of dorsal flexion of the ankle and flexion of the knee in three healthy subjects.

[Estimate of lung capillary pressure and identification of the "pseudonormal" transmitral flow pattern in patients with severe systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle].

Objectives: Aim of this study was to investigate whether Doppler-derived transmitral flow velocity variables would allow a reliable estimate of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and normal mitral flow velocity pattern, and would then predict the presence of a "pseudonormal" transmitral flow velocity profile.

Background: Abnormal relaxation and increased chamber stiffness have opposing effects on the left ventricular filling pattern. When both abnormalities are present at the same time, as often occurs in patients with systolic dysfunction, the mitral pattern may appear to be normal: in this case the ability of Doppler recording to assess diastolic function and predict left ventricular filling pressure may be significantly compromised.

[Parkinson syndrome induced by veralipride].

Veralipride, an antidopaminergic drug commonly prescribed to counteract postmenopausal symptoms, may cause reversible parkinsonism. A 49-year-old healthy woman reported a 5 month history of progressive slowing of voluntary movements, postural changes, e.g.

Heat shock protein 72 in cardiac and skeletal muscles during hypertension.

In order to elucidate the relationship between hypertension and hypertrophy in the production of heat shock proteins, we studied the induction of the HSP72 synthesis by the heart and gracilis muscles of normo (WKY) and hypertensive (SHR) rats subjected to hyperthermia (42 degrees C +/- 0.5 for 15 min). Two age groups were investigated in each strain: young (2 months, with developing cardiac hypertrophy) and old (18 months, with fully developed chronic cardiac hypertrophy).

Elevated static compliance of the total respiratory system: early predictor of weaning unsuccess in severed COPD patients mechanically ventilated.

Objective: To assess in a group of COPD patients mechanically ventilated for an episode of acute respiratory failure the respiratory mechanics with a simple and non invasive method at the bedside in order to evaluate if these parameters may be predictive of weaning failure or success.

Design: A prospective study.

Setting: Intensive care and intermediate intensive care units.

Sputum induction: a method to assess airway inflammation in asthma.

In recent studies, sputum cell counts have been used to examine the cell and molecular markers of airway inflammation. In this paper, we describe three different technical methods of analysing sputum samples: the first using smears, the second using cytocentrifugation after selection of a mucous plug, and the third using cytocentrifugation to analyse the entire sputum sample. These last two techniques have been used in a pilot study to compare the differential cell counts in sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL).

Doppler evaluations of left ventricular diastolic filling and pulmonary wedge pressure provide similar prognostic information in patients with systolic dysfunction after myocardial infarction.

Previous studies have demonstrated that in patients with various types of cardiac diseases and left ventricular dysfunction, left ventricular filling patterns assessed by Doppler of mitral flow are correlated to ventricular filling pressure, the prognostic value of which is well known. The current study was carried out to determine the prognostic importance of a noninvasive evaluation of left ventricular filling by Doppler of mitral flow in patients with systolic dysfunction after myocardial infarction and to compare its value with that of pulmonary wedge pressure. One hundred seven patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction < 40% were studied 3 to 12 weeks after myocardial infarction.

Left ventricular diastolic filling in diabetes mellitus with and without hypertension.

Left ventricular diastolic filling by Doppler echocardiography was investigated in 84 diabetic patients without evidence of heart disease and in 84 normotensive nondiabetic age- and sex-matched control subjects. Diabetic patients were subdivided into two groups on the basis of the presence of arterial hypertension. Group 1 comprised 41 normotensive diabetic patients (19 men, 22 women, mean age 63.

Age-response effectiveness of gallopamil for the treatment of myocardial exertional ischemia. A medium-term randomized cross-over double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

We evaluated the efficacy and safety of gallopamil 150 mg daily in middle-aged and elderly patients with stable exertional ischemia, using a medium-term randomized double-blind cross-over placebo-controlled trial. Twenty middle-aged patients (52.8 +/- 6 years; range 38-61 years) and 14 elderly patients (67.