[Arrhythmias in the mitral valve prolapse syndrome]. / Studio delle aritmie nella sindrome del prolasso della mitrale.

Possible connections have been investigated between PVc (premature ventricular contractions) and echocardiographic patterns in 23 patients affected by MVPS. Pansystolic prolapse has been found in 12 cases and mid-systolic prolapse in 11. A correlation has been found between significant ventricular arrhythmias (50 PVc/24 h) and mid-systolic prolapse. These findings suggest the mechanical origin of cardiac rhythm disorders.

Psychosocial moderators of quality of life in irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a chronic disorder with symptoms that range in intensity from mild and infrequent to severe and continuous. Similarly the impact of IBS on Quality of Life (QOL) measures can range from very small to disabling. In a very simple model one might expect a change in symptom intensity or frequency to be reflected in a similar change in QOL. However, a variety of other factors may alter this straightforward and unidirectional relationship between symptomatic treatment and QOL improvement. This paper presents several classes of these potential moderator variables in QOL outcome in IBS, as well as specific models of symptom, moderator, QOL relationships that can be investigated in future research. An illustrative example of a regression approach to analysis of psychosocial moderator variables indicates both psychosocial measures, and symptom severity, independently contribute to the prediction of QOL in IBS.

[Study of the regional contraction of the left ventricle in normal subjects using a two-dimensional echocardiographic technic]. / Studio della contrazione regionale del ventricolo sinistro nel soggetto normale con tecnica ecocardiografica bidimensionale.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate normal left ventricular regional wall motion pattern in order to answer the two following questions: does wall motion change at different levels of the left ventricle from the base to the apex? does wall motion change among different segments at the same level? Seventy-two normal subjects were submitted to a cross sectional echocardiographic examination and the tape recordings were analyzed by a computerized system. Parasternal short axis views at mitral valve and papillary muscles level were chosen and divided by the computer in 16 areas which were fitted to a more anatomical division, i.e. interventricular septum, anterior, lateral, posterior-lateral, inferior-posterior and inferior walls. From each segment, fractional area changes were obtained. Statistical analyses were carried out by the two way analysis of variance and two paired t test. Wall motion pattern of the normal left ventricle is not uniform either at different levels or among segments at the same level: we conclude that regional wall motion differences of the left ventricle are not necessarily due to abnormal conditions, but might be a normal left ventricular pattern.

Prostacyclin effect on cardiovascular system in man evaluated by echocardiography.

This was an echocardiographic study of the cardiovascular effects of prostacyclin (PGI2) infused intravenously to human volunteers at the rate of 20 ng . kg-1 . min-1 for 10 minutes. The following parameters were recorded in the steady state, at one-minute intervals throughout infusion and the ensuing recovery period: systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure (SBP, DBP, MBP); heart rate (HR); left ventricle end-diastolic (EDD) and end-systolic diameter (ESD); stroke volume index (SVI); cardiac index (CI); peripheral vascular resistance (PVR); left ventricle fractional shortening (FS) and ejection fraction (EF). We detected a progressive reduction of MBP without any HR modification. MBP reduction was associated with a reduction of PVR and a parallel rise of CI and SVI. There was also an increase of FS and EF reflecting a reduced ESD. We conclude that PGI2 infused in man at the rate stated above causes hypotension reflecting an arterial vasodilating effect; a lack of heart rate reflex response to afterload reduction (probably a nerve-mediated effect of PGI2); and no venous vasodilation, judging from the absence of any change in end-diastolic diameter.

[Distribution of serum Australia antigen (HBs) in a group of Apulian blood donors according to sex and age]. / Distribuzione per gruppi di eta' e sesso dell'antigenemia Australia (HBs) in un gruppo di donatori di sangue pugliesi

3183 sera from healthy adults, volunteer blood donors (18-65-year aged) have been tested by a commercial ria (ausria II Abbott), for detection of HBsAg. The frequency of Australia antigen wsa found to be 5.2% (168/3183) in all sera, 6.3% in male and 3.5% in female donors, with differences statistically significant (p less than 0.01). In male donors, the prevalence was highest in the first half of the life (18-40 years)(7.0%) than in the second half (41-65 years) (3.7%), and the difference was also statistiically significant (p less than 0.05). In female donors the HBs Ag frequency was 4.2% and 2.2% repectively for the first and the second half of the life, but the difference was not statistically significant. Possible epidemiological significances were discussed.