Search results for "Adolescent"
showing 10 items of 6718 documents
HCV genotypes in Sicily: is there any evidence of a shift?
2009
The distribution of HCV strains in any area is characterized by a relative prevalence of one genotype, and a number of less prevalent types. In some Western countries a change from the prevalent HCV genotype 1 to genotypes 3 and 4 has been reported in the last decade. In order to assess possible variations of the distribution of HCV genotypes in Sicily, a southern region of Italy, a hospital-based cohort, collected prospectively, of 3,209 subjects with chronic HCV infection was surveyed, comparing the distribution of HCV genotypes during two consecutive periods, from 1997 to 2002 and from 2003 to 2007, according to age and gender. The results show that genotype 1b, which has been historical…
Antibodies for strain 2117-like vesiviruses (caliciviruses) in humans
2015
The vesivirus strain 2117 has been identified as contaminant of bioreactors used for production of human drugs, due to possible contamination of the reagents used for cell cultivation. Using an ELISA assay, antibodies specific for 2117-like viruses were detected in 32/410 (7.8%) human sera, indicating exposure to these viruses.
[Cytomegalovirus infection in immunocompetent patients. Clinical and immunological considerations].
2012
Cytomegalovirus primary infection is considered dangerous for some kinds of patients: immunocompromised (HIV-infected and transplanted patients), newborns with congenital infection, and immunocompetent patients in critical condition. CMV infection is usually asymptomatic or only mildly symptomatic in immunocompetent hosts. We collected all cases of acute CMV infection that came to our attention during the period November 2009 - May 2011 to analyze their clinical features. Immunoenzymatic methods (ELISA) were used for the detection of specific IgM and IgG antibodies in every case. We observed 73 cases of acute CMV infection. The male-female ratio was 1.5/1. The average age was 36.4. All the …
[Mediterranean spotted fever in paediatric and adult patients: two clinical aspects of the same disease].
2012
Mediterranean Spotted Fever is an acute febrile disease caused by Rickettsia conorii and transmitted to humans by the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Nearly 400 cases are reported every year in Sicily, mainly from June to September. The aim of this study is to compare the clinical and laboratory features of two different groups of patients , one of adults and one of children. The analysis included all adult patients with MSF diagnosed at the Institute of Infectious Diseases, Paolo Giaccone University Polyclinic in Palermo, during the period January 2007- August 2010 and all the children diagnosed with MSF at the G. Di Cristina Children Hospital in Palermo during the period January …
HLA and killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors influence the natural course of CMV infection.
2014
Background. Natural killer (NK) cells provide a major defense against cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection through the interaction of their surface receptors, including the activating and inhibitory killer immunoglobulinlike receptors (KIRs), and human leukocyte antigens (HLA) class I molecules. This study assessed whether the KIR and HLA repertoire may influence the risk of developing symptomatic or asymptomatic disease after primary CMV infection in the immunocompetent host. Methods. Sixty immunocompetent patients with primary symptomatic CMV infection were genotyped for KIR and their HLA ligands, along with 60 subjects with a previous asymptomatic infection as controls. Results. The frequency…
Diagnostic accuracy of fecal elastase 1 assay in patients with pancreatic maldigestion or intestinal malabsorption: a collaborative study of the Ital…
2001
Several reports have indicated that fecal elastase-1 (EL-1) determination is a new, sensitive, and specific noninvasive pancreatic function test; however, very few patients with malabsorption due to small intestine diseases have been included in the previous studies. The aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of fecal EL-1 and fecal chymotrypsin (FCT) in distinguishing between pancreatic maldigestion and intestinal malabsorption. Three groups of subjects were studied: group A included 49 patients with known cystic fibrosis (25 males, median age 5 years); group B included 43 subjects with various small intestine diseases (17 males, median age 6 years); and group C included 4…
Polymorphisms of cyclo-oxygenases and 5-lipo-oxygenase-activating protein are associated with chronic spontaneous urticaria and urinary leukotriene E4
2011
The mechanisms of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) continue to be unknown. Our working hypothesis is that polymorphisms of cyclo-oxygenases and 5-lipo-oxygenase-activating protein may be involved in the pathways leading to CSU. We examined five candidate polymorphisms of cyclo-oxygenases 1 and 2 and of 5-lipo-oxygenase-activating protein in 109 controls and in 94 CSU patients from Northern Italy. We also examined the levels of urinary leukotriene E4 (LTE4) before and after challenge with ASA. A multiple regression model was found to show that COX-2 5'UTR T/G, COX-2 Exon 10 T/C, and FLAP -336 G/A polymorphisms were significantly associated with CSU, with the minor allele more represented …
A comparison between two different in vitro basophil activation tests for gluten- and cow's milk protein sensitivity in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS…
2013
Abstract Background: The diagnosis of food hypersensitivity (FH) in adult patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, beyond the immediate IgE-mediated clinical manifestations, is very often difficult. The aims of our study were to: 1) evaluate the frequency of FH in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)-like clinical presentation; and 2) compare the diagnostic accuracy of two different methods of in vitro basophil activation tests. Methods: Three hundred and five patients (235 females, age range 18–66 years) were included and underwent a diagnostic elimination diet and successive double-blind placebo-controlled (DBPC) challenges. Two different methods of in vitro basophil activation te…
Fibromyalgia severity according to age categories: results of a cross-sectional study from a large national database
2021
ObjectiveThe role of age in influencing the severity of fibromyalgia (FM) is still controversial. The aim of this study is to define the contribution of age in the severity of FM from data from a large national database.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included adult patients with FM diagnosed according to the 2010/2011 American College of Rheumatology criteria. Disease severity was assessed with the revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) and the modified Fibromyalgia Assessment Status (FAS 2019mod). Patients were grouped into five age categories (between 18-40 years, between 41- 50 years, between 51-60 years, between 61-70 years, and =71 years). Differences in disease severity b…
Sexual Inhibition and Sexual Excitation Scales in Men: Psychometric Properties of a Polish Adaptation.
2020
AbstractThe present study aimed to develop a Polish version of the Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scale (SIS/SES-PL) and explore its psychometric validity in a sample of 498 men aged between 18 and 55 years. We used exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to obtain the best model fit. Out of the 45 items in the original scale, 32 items with eight subscales and three higher-order factors: (sexual excitation [SES], sexual inhibition due to performance failure [SIS1], and sexual inhibition due to performance consequences [SIS2]) were included in the SIS/SES-PL. The SIS/SES-PL was found to have a good and satisfactory fit (comparative fit index = .87; Tucker–Lewis Index = .85; root me…