Search results for "asma"
showing 10 items of 4204 documents
Dynamics of cytomegalovirus (CMV) plasma DNAemia in initial and recurrent episodes of active CMV infection in the allogeneic stem cell transplantatio…
2011
Preemptive antiviral therapy strategies for active cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection occurring in allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients should be optimized to avoid overtreatment. The current study was aimed at determining whether the analysis of the kinetics of CMV DNA load in plasma may provide useful information for the therapeutic management of active CMV infection in this setting. A total of 59 consecutive patients were included in the study, of which 40 (67.8%) developed 1 (n = 21) or more (n = 19) episodes of CMV DNAemia. The need for antiviral therapy for initial or secondary episodes of CMV DNAemia could not be predicted on the basis of the CMV DNA load value in the first plasma…
To do or not to do? plasma exchange and timing of steroid administration in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
2016
OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively analyze the effect of plasma exchange (PLEX; yes = PLEX+ , no = PLEX- ) and steroids administration timing (prophylactically [proST] or therapeutically [therST]) on the longitudinal clinical course of patients with natalizumab-related progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and full-blown immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (PML-IRIS). METHODS: Clinical and radiological data of 42 Italian patients with PML were analyzed. Patient's data are available until 12 months after PML diagnosis. PLEX and steroids treatment as time-dependent covariates were entered in: (1) a Cox model to investigate their impact on full-blown PML-IRIS latency; (2) an anal…
PAI-1 plasma levels in a general population without clinical evidence of atherosclerosis: relation to environmental and genetic determinants.
1998
Abstract —Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) plasma levels have been consistently related to a polymorphism (4G/5G) of the PAI-1 gene. The renin-angiotensin pathway plays a role in the regulation of PAI-1 plasma levels. An insertion ( I )/deletion ( D ) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been related to plasma and cellular ACE levels. In 1032 employees (446 men and 586 women; 22 to 66 years old) of a hospital in southern Italy, we investigated the association between PAI-1 4G/5G and the ACE I/D gene variants and plasma PAI-1 antigen levels. None of the individuals enrolled had clinical evidence of atherosclerosis. In univariate analysis, PAI-1 levels we…
Manifestation and ultrastructural typing of amyloid deposits in the heart
1983
Using light and electron microscopy, 65 cases of amyloid deposits in the heart were examined. Five different groups were distinguished: I. isolated atrial amyloidosis, II. senile cardiac amyloidosis, III. cardiac amyloid accompanying chronic infections and tumors, IV. cardiac amyloid accompanying plasma cell dyscrasia, V. idiopathic cardiac amyloidosis. Seen structurally, no principal differences in the precise localization of the amyloid deposits were found in any of the groups investigated. Amyloid is always deposited in the vicinity of cells with myocytic cell differentiation (i.e. the heart muscle cells, non-striated muscle cells of the vessels), whereby the relevant basement membranes …
Direct measurement of cell-free DNA from serially collected capillary plasma during incremental exercise
2014
To investigate the kinetics of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) due to exercise, we established a direct real-time PCR for the quantification of cfDNA from unpurified capillary plasma by amplification of a 90- and a 222-bp multilocus L1PA2 sequence. Twenty-six male athletes performed an incremental treadmill test. For cfDNA measurement, capillary samples were collected serially from the fingertip preexercise, during, and several times postexercise. Venous blood was drawn before and immediately after exercise to compare capillary and venous cfDNA values. To elucidate the strongest association of cfDNA accumulations with either cardiorespiratory or metabolic function during exercise, capillary cfDNA val…
A Bayesian Method for Predicting 5‐Fluorouracil Pharmacokinetic Parameters Following Short‐Term Infusion in Patients With Colorectal Cancer
2003
Abstract The objective of this study was to develop a population pharmacokinetic model and validate it using a Bayesian approach for predicting, a priori and a posteriori , the individual volume of distribution ( V d ) and clearance ( Cl ) of 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) given as short‐term intravenous infusion in weekly and multiple doses. Forty‐four patients were divided in group A (5‐FU weekly doses) including 27 patients with nonmetastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma treated with 450 mg/m 2 of 5‐FU, 1 day per week for 48 doses, plus oral levamisol (50 mg/8 h) for 3 days, every 15 days and group B (5‐FU multiple doses) including 17 patients with metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma, receiving 5‐F…
Bemiparin improves the total antioxidant status in plasma
2008
The aim of this work is to test the protective effect of bemiparin (3500 I.U., s.c.) against oxidative stress in plasma from healthy volunteers. We have evaluated the total antioxidant activity in plasma, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities, and oxidized glutathione and malondialdehyde levels, in two groups: treated (n=20) and control (n=15). Blood samples were collected at: basal, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 h. Total antioxidant activity and antioxidant enzymes activity were higher in the treated group at 2-6 h. However, oxidized glutathione and malondialdehyde levels were lower in the treated group at same times. The results suggest that bemiparin exerts an early beneficial e…
Body mass index as a determinant of clozapine plasma concentrations: A pharmacokinetic-based hypothesis
2021
Background: Knowledge regarding the impact of body composition measures on pharmacokinetics of antipsychotics is limited. Aims: Our aim was to investigate the impact of body weight and body mass index on clozapine pharmacokinetics using a therapeutic drug monitoring database. Methods: A large therapeutic drug monitoring dataset of clozapine plasma concentrations considering three patient subgroups was analysed: a control group (CLZ0, 20–30 kg/m2, n=266), a group with high body mass index (CLZhigh, body mass index ⩾30 kg/m2, n=162) and with low body mass index values (CLZlow, body mass index <20 kg/m2, n=27). Comparisons of plasma and dose-adjusted plasma concentrations (C/D) of clozapine…
Relationships between recall of perceived exertion and blood lactate concentration in a judo competition
2001
Relationships between perceived exertion and blood lactate have usually been studied in laboratory or training contexts but not in competition, the most important setting in which sports performance is evaluated. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between psychological and physiological indices of the physical effort in a competition setting, taking into account the duration of effort. For this, we employed two Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE and CR-10) and lactic acid plasma concentration as a biological marker of the effort performed. 13 male judo fighters who participated in a sports club competition provided capillary blood samples to assay lactate concentrat…
Development of a Rapid LC-MS/MS Method for the Determination of Emerging Fusarium mycotoxins Enniatins and Beauvericin in Human Biological Fluids
2015
A novel method for the simultaneous determination of enniatins A, A1, B and B1 and beauvericin, both in human urine and plasma samples, was developed and validated. The method consisted of a simple and easy pretreatment, specific for each matrix, followed by solid phase extraction (SPE) and detection by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with an electrospray ion source. The optimized SPE method was performed on graphitized carbon black cartridges after suitable dilution of the extracts, which allowed high mycotoxin absolute recoveries (76%–103%) and the removal of the major interferences from the matrix. The method was extensively evaluated for plasma and urine …