[The monitoring role of otoacoustic emission and oxidative stress markers in the protective effects of antioxidant administration in noise-exposed subjects: a pilot study]. / Il ruolo del monitoraggio delle emissioni otoacustiche e dei marcatori dello stress ossidativo negli effetti protettivi dello somministrazione di antiossidanti in soggetti esposti al rumore: uno studio pilota.

The aims of this study is to assess how DPOAEs can discriminate normal subjects with a risk of damage induced by noise, the effectiveness of OAEs in monitoring the effect of Q-Ter, and the role of blood tests to monitor therapy. In the placebo group, the amplitude of DPOAEs was reduced 1 hour and 16 hours after exposure, the group treated with Q-Ter showed normal DPOAEs. This pilot study confirms that DPOAEs represent a sensitive test for monitoring the effects of noise in preclinical conditions and pharmacological treatment.

Tumor markers kinetic in malignant lung neoplasms.

BACKGROUND: No studies about correlation between post-operative half-life of tumor markers and prognosis in lung cancer exist in literature. The aim of our study was to determine the half-life of CEA, TPA, NSE and CYFRA 21-1 in postoperative period after surgery of bronchogenic carcinoma, and to correlate it with the prognosis and survival of the patients. METHODS: From March 1997 to March 1998, 35 patients with bronchogenic carcinoma were studied (29 males and 6 females, mean age 64.9 years, range 51-77 and 61.0 years, range 52-77 respectively). The mean follow-up for males was 125.70 days (from 30 to 198) after surgery and for females 125.79 days (from 30 to 180). CEA and NSE were tested by immunoenzymatic automated method, whereas TPA and CYFRA 21-1 were assayed by immunoradiometric techniques. For each patient both the dismission curve and the half-life of considered markers were calculated during follow-up. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found for preoperative values of TPA (p = 0.027) and CYFRA 21-1 (p = 0.025) between SqCLC and adenocarcinoma. The preoperative levels of markers were higher in patients who would develop a relapse, even if statistical significance was not reached. CEA half-life was of 1.4 days, while in patients with a history of relapse or metastatic spreading was 4.5 days. No differences were revealed concerning CYFRA 21-1 between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Seriate determination of some markers (CEA and TPA in particular) during postoperative follow-up after surgery for bronchogenic carcinomas can be a useful prognostic tool. Longer follow-up would provide additional informations in order to determine individual predictive threshold between poor and good prognosis.

Primary biliary cirrhosis: lung involvement.

Sub-clinical lung impairment, mostly represented by a reduced diffusion of alveolar gases, is a recognised complication of advanced primary biliary cirrhosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and type of pulmonary involvement in primary biliary cirrhosis and the relationship between lung function abnormalities and selected epidemiological and clinical variables. Sixty-one patients with different stages of primary biliary cirrhosis consecutively seen in our outpatient clinic were evaluated. The advancement of primary biliary cirrhosis was characterised by the histological stage, the presence of signs of portal hypertension and the Mayo Risk Score: a Cox regression model using serum bilirubin and albumin levels, prothrombin time, age and degree of oedema as selected variables. We measured static and dynamic lung volumes, by means of a spirometer, and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide. Rheumatological disorders were evaluated by an independent rheumatologist. No patient complained of respiratory symptoms. Airway obstruction was present in one patient. In 24 patients (39%) the alveolar diffusion capacity was reduced. We did not find any significant relationship between diffusing capacity and smoking habits, advancement of liver disease and concomitant Sjogren syndrome. Reduced diffusion capacity showed a significant correlation with the presence of complete or incomplete CREST syndrome (p < 0.01) and with the presence of circulating anti-centromere antibodies (p < 0.05). Alveolar diffusion capacity is frequently impaired in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, usually in the absence of clinical manifestations. These alterations mostly affect patients with concomitant CREST syndrome.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Collageno-vascular diseases and interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. An analysis of diagnostic tests]. / Malattie collageno-vascolari e fibrosi interstiziale polmonare. Una analisi dei tests diagnostici.

Collagenovascular diseases, particularly rheumatoid arthritis, LES and scleroderma frequently involve the lung. A group of 15 patients with collagen vasculopathies was analysed with a view to identifying the most suitable invasive and noninvasive tests for the diagnosis of the interstitial fibrosis of the lung that often accompanies such disorders. Among the noninvasive tests only the respiratory function tests (especially DLCO) are adequately sensitive, while chest X-rays, gallium scintigraphy of the lung and ACE are relatively unreliable. Bronchoalveolar lavage is often altered (though the intensity varies considerably) and transbronchial biopsy appears to be the ideal diagnostic examination.

[Pathological and clinical aspects of bronchial carcinoid tumor. The authors' own case reports]. / Aspetti patologici e clinici del tumore carcinoide bronchiale. Casistica personale.

Data (radiological, endoscopic, histological, clinical and surgical) are presented on 21 subjects with pulmonary carcinoid tumour encountered in the Turin University Chest Surgery Centre in 1980-1985. All patients were subjected to fibrobronchoscopy which revealed the tumour in 18 cases (14 were given multiple biopsies and in 4 cases samples could not be taken due to the patient's intolerance of the endoscopic manoeuvre). No appreciable bleeding occurred after any biopsy. Surgery was performed on all 21 patients (2 pneumonectomies, 7 bilobectomies, 12 lobectomies). There was 85.71% correspondence between pre and post-operative histological diagnosis.

[Parameters of cellular immunity in subjects with bronchial squamous cell tumors]. / Alcuni parametri dell'immunità cellulare in soggetti con neoplasia bronchiale a cellule squamouse.

We studied some cell mediated immunologic assay in a normal population and in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the bronchus. In cancer patients lymphocyte mitogen stimulation with PHA and PWM did not show any significant difference from normal population; PPD antigenic stimulation was lower in eight patients of ten. E-total rosette forming cells count was reduced, there was no difference in E-active rosette forming cells. Electrophoretic mobility of lymphocytes showed that a part of lymphocytes have a lower electrophoretic cell migration. Lymphocytes subpopulations isolated by E rosetting technique are different in cancer patients from subpopulations separated by electrophoresis; in controls similar subpopulations were obtained by the two methods. In cancer patients cell mediated immunity shows altered functions which is though not uniformly modified. We think that serum factors and cells with blocking action cause these effects rather than intrinsic changes of lymphocytes.