Search results for "Italy"
showing 10 items of 2893 documents
Gender differences in human immunodeficiency virus–related oral lesions: An Italian study
2001
Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between oral lesions and gender, age, CD4+ cell count, human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) viral load, antiretroviral therapy, and route of transmission in a group of HIV-infected (HIV+) persons from the Mediterranean region. Study Design: The participants in this study were HIV+ adults who sought dental care between January 1999 and June 1999 in the Department of Oral Medicine (University of Palermo, Italy). Results: One hundred thirty-six HIV+ adults came in for an initial oral examination. Their mean age was 35.2 years (SD ± 7.97), and 33% were women. Their mean CD4+ cell count was 325.3 × 106 /L (SD ± 2…
Latent Tuberculosis Infection among Healthcare Students and Postgraduates in a Mediterranean Italian Area: What Correlation with Work Exposure?
2019
Background: Tuberculosis screening is part of the standard protocol for evaluating the risk of infection in healthcare workers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among students attending various healthcare profession degree courses and postgraduate medical courses at the School of Medicine of the University of Palermo, Italy, and assess the possible professional origin of infection. Methods: In total, 2946 students (2082 undergraduates and 864 postgraduates) took part in a screening program for LTBI between January 2014 to April 2019 using the tuberculin skin test (TST). Students with a positive TST result underwent a Quantiferon-TB…
Pulsatile and steady 24-h blood pressure components as determinants of left ventricular mass in young and middle-aged essential hypertensives
2003
In order to explore the relations between left ventricular mass (LVM) and the pulsatile (pulse pressure) and steady (mean pressure) components of the blood pressure (BP) curve, 304 young and middle-aged essential hypertensive patients were studied by means of 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring and echocardiography. In the overall study population, both the BP components showed significant correlations with LVM. These correlations were unevenly distributed in the subgroups of subjects younger and in those older than 50 years. While in this latter subgroup, in multivariate analysis, both 24-h mean BP (24-MBP) (beta = 0.27; P = 0.008) and 24-h pulse pressure (24-h PP) (beta = 0.23; P = 0.02) were a…
Esophageal Motility Changes after Thyroidectomy; Possible Associations with Postoperative Voice and Swallowing Disorders: Preliminary Results
2013
Objective Swallowing and voice impairment are common after thyroidectomy. We evaluated short-term functional changes in esophageal motility in a series of patients who had undergone total thyroidectomy. Several studies have investigated these symptoms by means of interviews or questionnaires. Study Design Prospective study. Setting Academic research. Materials and Methods Thirty-six consenting patients were prospectively recruited. Eligibility criteria were thyroid volume ≤60 mL, benign disease, and age between 18 and 65 years. Exclusion criteria were previous neck surgery, severe thyroiditis, hyperthyroidism, and pre- or postoperative vocal cord palsy. Voice impairment score, swallowing im…
Urinary metabolites of histamine and leukotrienes before and after placebo-controlled challenge with ASA and food additives in chronic urticaria pati…
2002
Background: The recovery of mediator metabolites from urine has the potential to provide a rapid, safe, and easily available index of release of mediators. We aimed to determine urinary metabolites of both histamine and leukotrienes (LTs) in patients affected by chronic urticaria (CU). Methods: Twenty patients with CU were studied. They were selected on the basis of double-blind placebo-controlled challenge (DBPC) with acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) and food additives. Ten patients (group B) were negative to both challenges. Ten patients (group C) presented urticaria and/or the appearance of angioedema during or 24 h after challenge, with reactions to ASA (five patients) or food additives (fiv…
Management of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia in southern Italy: a retrospective analysis of the Sicilian-Calabrian Society of Urology (SSCU…
2002
<i>Introduction:</i> The availability of new pharmacological and surgical options is responsible for important changes in the management of symptomatic benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). The Sicilian-Calabrian Society of Urology performed a retrospective survey to assess the management of BPH in southern Italy in 1997 and 1998. <i>Patients and Methods:</i> A 3-page questionnaire was sent to the 36 urological units of these two regions. The real number of patients treated was required. The numbers were checked with data obtained from the Health Regional Offices. <i>Results:</i> Twenty-six urological units (72.3%) replied. Almost all patients underwent urin…
Prevalence, Incidence Estimation, Risk Factors and Characterization of Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome in Urological Hospital Outpat…
2007
Abstract: Purpose: We evaluated the prevalence and estimated the incidence and risk factors of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome in urological hospital outpatients in Italy. Materials and Methods: From January to June 2006 patients from 28 Italian urological centers who were between 25 and 50 years old with symptoms of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome were consecutively enrolled in this prospective epidemiological case-control study. A total of 152 subjects of similar age, race and area of origin who were investigated for infertile couples but were otherwise healthy served as controls. All subjects provided a medical history and underwent different symptom sco…
The clinical use of statistical permutation test methodology: a tool for identifying predictive variables of outcome.
2015
<b><i>Objectives:</i></b> To identify the predictive variables affecting the outcome after radical surgery for bladder cancer by a newer statistical methodology, i.e. nonparametric combination (NPC). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A multicenter study enrolled 1,312 patients who had undergone radical cystectomy for bladder cancer in 11 Italian oncological centers from January 1982 to December 2002. A statistical analysis<b> </b>of their medical history and diagnostic, pathological and postoperative variables was performed using a NPC test. The<b> </b>patients were included in a comprehensive database with medical history and cli…
The PFO anatomy evaluation as possible tool to stratify the associated risks and the benefits arising from the closure
2010
Aims According to the current guidelines, the patent foramen ovale (PFO) is still considered a qualitative factor and, as a consequence, its closure is recommended just on the basis of its ‘presence’. Methods and results In the year 2008, we evaluated 25 patients (mean age 62.7) with acute cerebrovascular event and 92 patients (mean age 27.3) suffering from migraine with aura. No PFO was reported in 79 patients. A venous-to-arterial circulation shunt had been shown in 38 patients (29 subjects with migraine and 9 subjects with prior stroke). According to the number of microbubbles arrived during the Valsava manoeuvre, we found: 25 small PFO, 6 moderate PFO, and 6 severe PFO. In the baseline …
Endothelial function and other biomarkers of cardiovascular risk in frequent consumers of street food.
2012
Summary Background & aims Street food (SF) is defined as out-of-home food consumption, and generally consists of energy dense meals rich in saturated fats, and poor in fibers, vitamins and anti-oxidants. Though SF consumption may have unfavorable metabolic and cardiovascular effects, its possible association with endothelial function has not been considered. Methods Participants were recruited among those who took part in a previous study of ours, done in Palermo, Italy, which investigated the association between consumption of SF and health in 1002 people. In that study, a score of SF consumption was obtained by categorizing each of ten foods consumed less than or more than once a month (0…