[Computerized cardiotocographic assessment with the "8000 System". I. Construction of normal curves].

The construction of referral curves for the computerized ctg parameters may increase the clinical efficacy of the examinations in tracings of unfavourable interpretation. With the help of "System 8000" software, the longitudinal variation of computerized parameters fetal movements/hour, fetal movements in high and low variability, accelerations, length of high and low variability periods, mean range and value of short variability have been analyzed in a group of 12 low risk patients followed biweekly from the 24-26th week of gestation through term. While accelerations, minutes of low and high variability showed an absence of significative variation during pregnancy (F = 1.

[Telephone transmission of the cardiotocographic recording from the office to the obstetrical clinic].

The authors describe their experience in telephonic transmission of cardiographic recordings. With a Corometrics 116 and 410 unit installed in a remote facility, 61 CTG recordings were tele transmitted and received by a Toshiba personal computer. The comparison between original and transmitted CTG record was excellent and a very low percentage of signal loss during transmission (3.

Fluconazole, itraconazole and ketoconazole in-vitro activity. A comparative study.

We compared in-vitro activity of fluconazole, itraconazole and ketoconazole by evaluating their Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) for 100 fungal strains isolated from different biological specimens of ARC/AIDS patients. A semisolid agar medium was used: this method is suitable for testing molds and yeasts, and can be applied to all azole antifungal drugs. Fluconazole had higher MICs than two other tested drugs, especially for Candida krusei strains; however it never had a MIC higher than 40 mg/l.

[Proctocolectomy and mechanical ileo-anal anastomosis without mucosectomy].

The present study compared the outcome in a small series of patients (7 cases) who underwent total proctocolectomy without mucosal proctectomy and stapled ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, constructed at the apex of the anal transitional zone, with our previous experience (17 cases) in which the ileal pouch was anastomosed at the dentate line after mucosectomy. Though not statistically significant, our limited experience showed excellent clinical results with better continence and discriminating ability between gas and faeces in the former group. The resting anal pressure profile showed no chances in the postoperative period.

Interleukin-2, soluble interleukin-2 receptor and tumor necrosis factor in sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2), soluble interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) have been measured in sera from 47 patients affected by classic rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The patients were divided into 4 groups as follows: group A, 18 patients with inactive disease; group B, 19 patients with active disease under treatment with non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) and second-line drugs; group C, 5 patients with active disease under treatment with NSAID and cyclosporine A (CSA) for at least 4 months; group D, 5 patients in the same condition as patients of group C, but treated with azathioprine (AZA) instead of CSA. IL-2 was undetectable in all patients except two, both characterized by active disease.

[Spermatic-saphenous vein bypass in the treatment of essential varicocele].

A new technique for surgical treatment of idiopathic varicocele is described. This technique consists of internal spermatic vein ligature and its resection and microvascular anastomosis between proximal tract of the internal spermatic and saphenous vein. In this way a communication is established between a high regimen pressure with a lower one.

[Cardiovascular involvement and relative risk factors in systemic sclerosis. Personal contribution].

In systemic sclerosis (SS), cardiovascular commitment was recorded in an autopsy series, in widely different percentages, from 12 to 81%. On the other hand, clinical diagnosis of cardiopathy is made in far fewer cases. In addition, the coexistence of renal and/or pulmonary commitment makes difficult separation between primary and secondary heart damage.

Advanced epithelial ovarian cancer: no difference in survival rate between exploratory laparotomy and inadequate debulking surgery as treatment approach before chemotherapy.

In this study we have retrospectively evaluated 40 untreated patients with stage III-IV (FIGO) epithelial ovarian cancer. Sixteen patients had received, as initial treatment, inadequate surgical removal of the tumor with bulky residue (BR) of disease and 24 had had an exploratory laparotomy (EL) only. Subsequently, both groups received equivalent chemotherapy consisting of AC combination (adriamycin, cyclophosphamide) in 25 patients.

A computer-aided movement analysis system.

Interaction with biomechanical data concerning human movement analysis implies the adoption of various experimental equipments and the choice of suitable models, data processing, and graphical data restitution techniques. The integration of measurement setups with the associated experimental protocols and the relative software procedures constitutes a computer-aided movement analysis (CAMA) system. In the present paper such integration is mapped onto the causes that limit the clinical acceptance of movement analysis methods.

Reliable in vivo estimation of the instantaneous helical axis in human segmental movements.

The assessment of the experimental setup and of the data processing methods for the in vivo kinematic investigation of the human joints is described here. The relative movement of contiguous body segments, supposed rigid, is described by means of the instantaneous helical axis (IHA). Great attention has been paid to the stereophotogrammetric aspects and to the filtering and numerical differentiation procedures, in order to obtain reliable estimation of IHA parameters.

Teniposide (VM26) as second-line treatment for small cell lung cancer.

Twenty-six out of 53 patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) who relapsed or progressed following a first treatment (induction plus maintenance), were treated by a second-line chemotherapy consisting of: Teniposide (VM26), 60 mg/m2 i.v., days 1-5, every 3 weeks until further progression.

[Disinfection of toothbrushes. Experimental research].

Aim of the present paper is to verify in a vitro study, the possible disinfection of the toothbrushes with an UV instrument (Dentec 4000). The modifications in microbic concentration after a contamination with microbial suspension of oral cavity have been estimated.

[Decrease of blood lead in the Marche population, 1979-1989].

Blood lead concentration was measured from 1979 to 1989 in 1148 subjects (834 males and 314 females) living in Regione Marche of Italy. Blood concentration lowered in the time from 34.6 mcg/100ml in 1979 to 12.

Quantitative evaluation of morphological parameters for infiltrating ductal breast cancer prognosis.

The aim of our study was to determine the parameters intrinsic to ductal infiltrating carcinoma. 42 cases of about the same diameter (greater than 1.5 and less than 2.

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: our experience.

Although an incredible amount of time, work and money has been spent in the evaluation of the relative efficacy of anti-rheumatic drugs, no specific resolutive therapy is currently available for rheumatoid arthritis. In these authors' experience early rheumatoid arthritis should be treated with the most powerful non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (indomethacin) and the most tolerated disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (hydroxychloroquine) available. With respect to hydroxychloroquine, auranofin has a comparable efficacy, but the incidence of side effects is significantly higher than with hydroxychloroquine.

[Role of surgery in the treatment of pleural mesothelioma].

The authors present a review of the cases of pleural mesothelioma diagnosed and treated in the Institute of Special Surgical Pathology of the University of Ancona. They confirm the causative role of asbestos in the aetiology of this disease and indicate that the surgical approach is the best diagnostic means available via open biopsy and that the only curative procedure is pleuropneumonectomy. Such surgery, however, is confined to patients properly studied according to the scheme proposed by Butchart, namely stage I patients in excellent physical condition.

Use of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin in systemic lupus erythematosus: report of three cases.

Three patients with life-threatening manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), unresponsive to conventional high-dose corticosteroid and/or immunosuppressive therapy were treated with intravenous polyspecific IgG (IVIG). Following IVIG infusion, lupus encephalitis in the first patient quickly resolved and the impressive improvement of the clinical status was associated with a transient increase in C1q-binding activity. The daily infusion of IgG had to be suspended after three days in the second patient with encephalitis and nephritis, because the renal function rapidly deteriorated; subsequently, six plasma exchanges led to an almost complete recovery.

Echinogenic action of L-alpha-lysophosphatidylcholine in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a study on carrier detection.

The percentage of echinocytes induced after red cell treatment with L-alpha-lysophosphatidylcholine in the blood of 16 patients affected by Duchenne muscular dystropy (DMD) has been evaluated. Moreover, 15 mothers, 10 sisters, and 15 fathers were also included in the study. We found an increased level of echinocytes in dystrophic patients and in known and possible carriers.