Search results for "SEVERITY"
showing 10 items of 1287 documents
Prevention of Tungiasis and Tungiasis-Associated Morbidity Using the Plant-Based Repellent Zanzarin: A Randomized, Controlled Field Study in Rural Ma…
2013
Background Tungiasis, a parasitic skin disease caused by the female sand flea Tunga penetrans, is a prevalent condition in impoverished communities in the tropics. In this setting, the ectoparasitosis is associated with important morbidity. It causes disfigurement and mutilation of the feet. Feasible and effective treatment is not available. So far prevention is the only means to control tungiasis-associated morbidity. Methodology In two villages in Central Madagascar, we assessed the efficacy of the availability of closed shoes and the twice-daily application of a plant-based repellent active against sand fleas (Zanzarin) in comparison to a control group without intervention. The study pop…
The role of pain and functional impairment in the decision to recommend total joint replacement in hip and knee osteoarthritis: an international cros…
2011
Import JabRef | WosArea Orthopedics; Rheumatology; International audience; Objective: To assess the pain and functional disability levels corresponding to an indication for total joint replacement (TJR) in hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: Design: International cross-sectional study in 10 countries. Patients: Consecutive outpatients with definite hip or knee OA attending an orthopaedic outpatient clinic. Gold standard measure for recommendation for TJR: Surgeon's decision that TJR is justified. Outcome measures: Pain (ICOAP: intermittent and constant osteoarthritis pain, 0-100) and functional impairment (HOOS-PS/KOOS-PS: Hip/Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Physical fun…
Prevalence of ANGPTL3 and APOB gene mutations in subjects with combined hypolipidemia.
2012
Objective— Mutations of the ANGPTL3 gene have been associated with a novel form of primary hypobetalipoproteinemia, the combined hypolipidemia (cHLP), characterized by low total cholesterol and low HDL-cholesterol levels. The aim of this work is to define the role of ANGPTL3 gene as determinant of the combined hypolipidemia phenotype in 2 large cohorts of 913 among American and Italian subjects with primary hypobetalipoproteinemia (total cholesterol <5th percentile). Methods and Results— The combined hypolipidemia cut-offs were chosen according to total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol levels reported in the ANGPTL3 kindred described to date: total cholesterol levels, <2nd percentile …
Spectrum of mutations of the LPL gene identified in Italy in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia.
2015
Background: Monogenic hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) may result from mutations in some genes which impair the intravascular lipolysis of triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins mediated by the enzyme Lipoprotein lipase (LPL). Mutations in the LPL gene are the most frequent cause of monogenic HTG (familial chylomicronemia) with recessive transmission. Methods: The LPL gene was resequenced in 149 patients with severe HTG (TG>10mmol/L) and 106 patients with moderate HTG (TG>4.5 and <10mmol/L) referred to tertiary Lipid Clinics in Italy. Results: In the group of severe HTG, 26 patients (17.4%) were homozygotes, 9 patients (6%) were compound heterozygotes and 15 patients (10%) were simple heter…
Clinical importance of eosinophil count in nasal fluid in patients with allergic and non-allergic rhinitis
2009
Eosinophil count in nasal fluid (ECNF) was used to differentiate nasal pathologies. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and the area under the curve (AUC) were performed to evaluate the ECNF's accuracy in distinguishing allergic rhinitis (AR) from non-allergic rhinitis (NAR). We also evaluated the accuracy of ECNF in recognizing patients with mild and severe symptoms of rhinitis and patients with ineffective and effective clinical responses to antihistamines. 1,170 consecutive adult patients with a clinical history of rhinitis were studied. ECNF's median in AR was 6.0 and 2.0 in NAR and the best cut-off value was > 3.0, AUC = 0.75. ECNF's median in AR with mild nasal …
Safety of etanercept and methotrexate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis C virus infection: a multicenter randomized clinical trial.
2014
Objective.To evaluate the safety and efficacy of therapy with etanercept and methotrexate (MTX) in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and mild hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.Methods.In this prospective open study, 29 patients with active RA were randomly assigned to receive therapy with MTX alone, etanercept alone, or a combination of MTX and etanercept, and monitored up to 54 weeks. The primary endpoint was safety; secondary aims were efficacy as defined by the 44-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS44) and health assessment questionnaire (HAQ). Serum liver enzymes and HCV viral load were serially measured.Results.In the whole cohort, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) serum leve…
Pallidotomy improves quality of life in selected parkinsonian patients: an Italian report.
1998
Pallidotomy has recently been reconfirmed as effective for otherwise intractable symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Nonetheless almost every aspect of its performance requires choices which are not fully established and may vary between centers. These include: 1) patient selection; 2) choice of imaging modality, 3) choice of anatomic landmarks for targeting the lesion, 4) choice of method for physiologic confirmation of location, 5) choice of lesion size and shape. We present two cases of pallidotomy procedures in Parkinsonian patients that in our knowledge are the first reported in Italy. Our experience and a careful review of the literature led to the following choices: 1) selection of Park…
Assessing biomarkers in a real-world severe asthma study (ARIETTA)
2016
AbstractThe prognostic value of asthma biomarkers in routine clinical practice is not fully understood. ARIETTA (NCT02537691) is an ongoing, prospective, longitudinal, international, multicentre real-world study designed to assess the relationship between asthma biomarkers and disease-related health outcomes. The trial aims to enrol and follow for 52 weeks approximately 1200 severe asthma patients from approximately 160 sites in more than 20 countries. Severe asthmatics, treated with daily inhaled corticosteroid (≥500 μg of fluticasone propionate or equivalent) and at least 1 second controller medication are to be included. In this real-world study, patients will be treated according to the…
Effects of omalizumab in severe asthmatics across ages: A real life Italian experience
2016
Background This retrospective study aimed at evaluating long-term effects of Omalizumab in elderly asthmatics in a real-life setting. Methods 105 consecutive severe asthmatics (GINA step 4–5; mean FEV1% predicted:66 ± 15.7) treated with Omalizumab for at least 1 year (treatment mean duration 35.1 ± 21.7 months) were divided into 3 groups according to their age at Omalizumab treatment onset: 18–39, 40–64 and ≥ 65 years. Results Comorbidities, number of overweight/obese subjects and patients with late-onset asthma were more frequent among older people. A similar reduction of inhaled corticosteroids dosage and SABA on-demand therapy was observed in all groups during Omalizumab treatment; a sim…
Pain Perception and Stabilometric Parameters in People With Chronic Low Back Pain After a Pilates Exercise Program
2016
Various exercise interventions, such as Pilates exercises and traditional physical therapy methods, are employed to decrease low back pain (LBP). Nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP) is distinct from LBP, however, as the distribution of pain is restricted to the region between the costal margin and the inferior gluteal. The aim of our randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effects of a program of Pilates exercises on pain perception and stabilometric parameters in patients with NSLBP. Thirty-eight participants were randomly allocated, using a 1:1 scheme, to either the experimental group (EG) or control group (CG). The EG completed a 14-week program of Pilates exercises, performed thri…