[Quality evaluation of audiometric findings on a sample of workers affected by probable nature of occupational hearing loss]

The aim of the study is to evaluate the quality of n. 335 audiometric tests received between 2006 and 2012 in support of n. 158 reports of suspected occupational hearing loss in the companies of the Biella area by comparison with the Recommendations for the prevention of risks from noise in accordance with Title VIII-Chapter II of Decree 09.04.2008 n. 81 posted on Piedmont Region Official Gazette Part I and II number 16 of 23 April 2009. Analysis of the results showed a partial improvement in the quality of audiometric tests between before and after the publication of these recommendations.

Differential subcellular distribution of glucose transporters GLUT1–6 and GLUT9 in human cancer: Ultrastructural localization of GLUT1 and GLUT5 in breast tumor tissues

It has been proposed that the enhanced metabolic activity of tumor cells is accompanied by an increased expression of facilitative hexose transporters (GLUTs). However, a previous immunohistochemical analysis of GLUT1 expression in 154 malignant human neoplasms failed to detect the GLUT1 isoform in 87 tumors. We used 146 normal human tissues and 215 tumor samples to reassess GLUT1 expression. A similar number of samples were used to compare the expression of GLUT2-6 and 9. The classical expression of GLUT1-5 in different normal human tissues was confirmed, however, we were unable to detect GLUT2 in human pancreatic islet cells. GLUT6 was principally detected in testis germinal cells and GLUT9 was localized in kidney, liver, heart, and adrenal. In tumor samples, GLUT1, 2, and 5 were the main transporters detected. GLUT1 was the most widely expressed transporter, however, 42% of the samples had very low-to-negative expression levels. GLUT2 was detected in 31% of the samples, being mainly expressed in breast, colon, and liver carcinoma. GLUT5 was detected in 27% of breast and colon adenocarcinoma, liver carcinoma, lymphomas, and testis seminoma samples. In situ RT-PCR and ultrastructural immunohistochemistry confirmed GLUT5 expression in breast cancer. GLUT6 and 9 are not clearly over-expressed in human cancer. The extensive expression of GLUT2 and 5 (glucose/fructose and fructose transporters, respectively) in malignant human tissues indicates that fructose may be a good energy substrate in tumor cells. Our functional data obtained in vitro in different tumor cells support this hypothesis. Additionally, these results suggest that fructose uptake could be used for positron emission tomography imaging and, may possibly represent a novel target for the development of therapeutic agents in different human cancers.

Measurement of the D(s)+ lifetime

A high statistics measurement of the D(s)+ lifetime from the Fermilab fixed-target FOCUS photoproduction experiment is presented. We describe the analysis of the two decay modes, D(s)+ --> phi(1020)pi+ and D(s)+ -->K*(892)0K+, used for the measurement. The measured lifetime is 507.4 +/- 5.5(stat) +/- 5.1(syst) fs using 8961 +/- 105 D(s)+ --> phi(1020)pi+ and 4680 +/- 90 D(s)+ --> K*(892)0K+ decays. This is a significant improvement over the present world average.

[Tobacco habits in a cohort of 4,135 adolescents attending high school in northern Italy. Results of a multicenter study]

Assuming that adolescence--a high risk age as far as this behavior is concerned--is the crucial stage for prevention procedures, we don't know much about Italian adolescents' tobacco related behaviors, regardless of the fact that tobacco smoking is one of the most relevant problems of Public Health. The goal of this research has been assessing, through a multicentric study using an anonymous questionnaire, how spread is this behavior among 4135 students attending high school in five different areas of Northern Italy. The research points out a remarkable spreading of the phenomenon and suggests to anticipate prevention procedures during compulsory education, taking in account gender features.

[Definition of a new temporal voice onset measurement]

The aim of this study was to define a new temporal measurement of voice onset. If in fact it has been established that voice onset contains perceptive information which the listening panel uses to evaluate dysphonia, up till now there has been no objective measurement of this. In order to be able to use instrumental measurement of voice onset, it was first necessary to arrivee at a definition of the limits of onset and end. In electronics, the method of "10%-90%" is used to calculate the rise time (onset) of any signal. It is possible to apply this method to the voice signal using the intensity curve. We have made such measurements on 240 examples of the sustained lal sound produced by 60 dysphonic subjects and 20 normals. The results have shown that measurement of the duration of onset was in the main relevant for the mild (G1) and moderate (G2) dysphonias. We have concluded that the "10%-90%" method allows definition of the contours of onset, and measurement of its duration in a reproducible and standardised way.

[Tolerability to terizidone (TZ) in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis in dialyzed patients]

Six dialysed patients affected by tuberculosis involving the respiratory apparatus were included in the study. Antimycobacterial treatment consisted of polychemiotherapeutic combinations using terizidone (TZ). The need to resort to this drug may be explained by the need to exclude normally used drugs (R/AMP, INH, SM) due to resistance, allergy or organ meiopragia. Five patients received terizidone at a dose of 600-900 mg/day for the entire course of treatment, whereas it was necessary to abandon treatment in one patient due to the onset of depressive symptoms which then rapidly regressed following the suspension of TZ therapy. The good level of tolerance demonstrated in the 5 remaining cases confirm the inclusion of this drug in the treatment of a limited number of cases of tuberculosis in dialysed patients.

[Contribution of the serum anti-mycobacterial IgG measurement to the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Personal cases]

Data of a transversal research on 36 suspected tuberculosis (tb) inpatients of St. Luigi Hospital are reported. Serum antimycobacterial antibodies Class IgG to A60 were measured by means of ELISA. Final diagnosis was tb in 19 subjects, while 9 had a tb history over different years. Sensitivity was 78.94% and specificity 75%. According to with other recent reports, our results are poorly discriminating. However, the test, if valued with other clinical data, can contribute to the ascertainment of tb.

[The current epidemiologic profile of the drug resistance of Koch's bacillus to antitubercular antibiotic chemicals]

The study was conducted on patients with initially diagnosed tuberculosis encountered in 1986-87. A series of 269 bacterial antibiograms performed on sputum [correction of excreate] and other materials was examined in order to ascertain the resistance of Koch's bacillus to R/AMP, INH, SM and EMB. Primary drug resistance was found in 64 cases (23.79% of the total) and was isolated in 32 (11.89%), multiple in the rest. The response to the individual antibiotics was a follows resistance to INH was isolated in 11 cases (4.08%), combined with resistance to other drugs in 27 (10.03%); resistance to SM was isolated in 13 cases (4.81%) multiple in 24 (8.92%); resistance to R/AMP was isolated in 4 cases (1.48%), multiple in 14 (5.2%); resistance to EMB was isolated in 4 (1.48%) multiple in 19 (7.06%). Comparison with earlier studies in the Turin area highlights that the incidence of TB, in decline up to 1979, significantly increased in the period considered.

The release of thromboxane B2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha following pulmonary embolism

It has been shown in animals that acute obstruction of pulmonary artery branches is followed by an early but shortly lived increase in blood levels of thromboxane B2 and a subsequent longer-lasting increase in blood levels of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha. Our study was conducted on twelve patients with acute pulmonary embolism. Nine were treated with urokinase; three could not be given thrombolytic or anticoagulant drugs due to bleeding peptic ulcer (2 cases) or recent cerebral hemorrhage (1 case). HPLC and RIA tests were performed on arterial blood samples at diagnosis and after 1, 6, 12 and 24 hours. Findings were compared with those in a control group of 6 healthy subjects. There was a difference in prostanoid behaviour between the untreated and urokinase treated patients. Among the former mean TxB2 was significantly raised at clinical onset and began to decline after 6-12 hours, approaching the mean level found among the controls after 24 hours. In contrast 6-keto-PGF1 alpha was raised after 1 hour and gradually declined thereafter. In the subjects treated with urokinase TxB2 was already close to the mean control level after 1 hour; 6-keto-PGF1 alpha had increased after 1 hour but had returned near the control level after 12. The behaviour of prostanoids appears to match the clinical course.

[Lung diseases associated with silicosis. Study of 618 cases]

Retrospective research has been carried out on the clinical reports of 618 cases of patients suffering from silicosis admitted to the S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital in 1973-1987 (1.4% of all pneumopathy admittances). A comparative evaluation of the five-year periods 1973-77, 1978-82, 1983-87 showed a steady reduction in the percentage of silicosis to total cases (from 1.62% to 1.55% and 1.16%). Among the 618 cases assessed, the following pneumopathies were associated with silicosis either alone or in combination: chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathy (89.4%), pulmonary tuberculosis (22.2%), bronchogenic carcinoma (8.4%), acute aspecific infections (26.1%), mycosis (0.6%), sarcoidosis (0.3%), other pneumopathies (1.1%). Comparison between the three five-year periods shows an increase in the frequency of the silicosis-carcinoma association and a fall in the silicosis-tuberculosis and silicosis-COLD associations.

Tuberculosis of the larynx. Today

Forty-one cases of laryngeal tuberculosis accounting for 0.79% of the TB cases observed in 1975-85 are examined. The M/F ratio was 9.2:1; the mean age 52 years 9 months. In all cases current or earlier tubercular lesions on the pulmonary parenchyma were also noted. The laryngeal sites affected were as follows, in order of frequency: true vocal cords, epiglottis, false cords and laryngeal ventricles, arytenoid and interarytenoid area, subglottic area. The patients were treated with R/AMP, INH, EMB or SM, EMB with satisfactory results. Two cases required exeresis of laryngeal lesions and 3 tracheotomy.

[Comparison of protective effects induced by the ultrasonic mist of nicardipine + fenoterol versus nicardipine + fenoterol + ipratropium bromide]

A comparison is presented of the protective effect of ultrasound mist induced by nicardipine + fenoterol and nicardipine + fenoterol + ipratropium bromide in a group of 11 patients with chronic bronchial asthma in a phase of relative clinical stability. The data collected show that the three-drug combination was more effective than the use of nicardipine and fenoterol.

[Blood copper levels in a group of patients with asbestosis]

Colorimetry was used to assay blood copper levels in 13 asbestosis patients (mean age 55.5) selected by excluding all cases with an evident clinical anamnesis of dietary imbalances or other significant pathologies. The results show increased blood copper in 11 out of 13 patients, the mean level in this group being significantly higher than that in a control group (p less than 0.01). The phenomenon, already described in other interstitial lung diseases, may well be attributable to enhanced reabsorption of the metal due to the intensified activity of a copper enzyme lysyl oxidase that is involved in collagen synthesis.

[Post-actinic pulmonary fibrosis. Longitudinal study of 279 cases]

The incidence and extent of postactinic pulmonary fibrosis was investigated in relation to the different types of radiation therapy. For this purpose, 131 patients treated with fast electron (for breast cancer) and 148 patients treated with TCT (for breast cancer and cancer of other nature) observed in the period 1976-1987 were followed up (from 13 months to 7 years). The frequency of postactinic fibrosis was much less in the first group of patients than the second (6.61% vs 18.99%); further, the functional damage in these patients proved less and developed in a less unfavourable way.

[Skin reactions with ubiquitous multiple antigens as a test of survival in patients with inoperable bronchogenic carcinoma]

Fifty-three patients suffering from inoperable, non-microcytoma, bronchogenic carcinoma in which a skin reaction with ubiquitous antigens (tetanus, diphtheria, streptococcus, tuberculin, proteus, tricophyton, candida) had been carried out were followed up to check on the possible relationship between skin reactivity and survival period. A significant correlation was found between the degree of positivity and duration of survival, with mean survival values greater than 69.1 weeks being observed in patients positive to five or more antigens. Among preliminary tests, it would therefore appear that skin reaction with ubiquitous may provide indications for predicting survival.

[Comparison of the bronchodilating activity of procaterol and nicardipine in chronic forms of bronchial asthma]

The bronchodilatory activity of one beta 2-stimulation (procaterol) and one calcium antagonist (nicardipine) both recently introduced was compared in a group of chronic asthmatics in the clinical remission phase. The experiment took the form of the randomised double blind administration of procaterol or nicardipine or a placebo twice a day for 15 days with spirometric tests being performed before, during and after the experiment. The results show that nicardipine does have a bronchodilatory effect though less than the beta 2-stimulant.

[Data on cellular subpopulations in bronchoalveolar lavage in silicosis and asbestosis patients. Case contribution]

Data on the cytology of BAL performed on 8 silicosis and 5 asbestosis patients with different degrees of radiological profusion and functional impairment are examined. The prevalently neutrophilic alveolitis reported in the literature in these forms of pneumoconiosis is confirmed, while differences were found between the percentage of lymphocyte subpopulations in the two diseases.

[Scintigraphic findings with a positive marker in generalized lymphadenopathy syndrome (L.A.S.)]

The behaviour of gallium scintigraphy in a group of 15 drug addicts suffering from LAS is examined. The examination was positive in 11 patients with no pleuro-pulmonary lesions that could be demonstrated by clinical or radiological examination. This is in line with similar observations in AIDS cases and may reflect the preactivation of monocytes and macrophages documented in HIV infection.

[Use of miocamycin in the acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathy. Case material contribution]

18 patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis were treated with 900 mg myomycin a day. The clinical parameters examined were the quantity and organoleptic characteristics of the expectoration, coughing, and body temperature. These parameters were studied immediately before and 7.14 and 21 days after the start of treatment. Myomycin was found to be satisfactorily effective with minimal toxicity and well tolerated.

[Radioscintigraphic correlation in interstitial pneumopathy. Case presentations]

Radiological and scintigraphic findings in 82 patients (58 male, 24 female) were compared. The patients were hospitalised in 1981-86 with sarcoidosis (43 cases), silicosis (26), asbestosis (9) extrinsic allergic alveolitis (3), lung disease caused by hard metals (1). Gallium scintigraphy was positive in 61 patients (74.39%). More precisely, the response was positive in 57 cases in both analogic and quantitative terms and in 4 only quantitatively. The radiological (radiography and stratigraphy) finding was significant in 42 of the 61 gallium-positive cases and negative in the remaining 19. In the 21 gallium-negative cases (25.61%) the radiological finding was significant in 9, negative in 12. The study confirms the real value of gallium scintigraphy in the diagnosis and follow-up of interstitial lung disease in line with views presented in the recent literature.

[Clinico-pathological aspects of farmer's lung. Review of the literature and personal cases]

Data are presented on 9 subjects with Farmer's lung encountered in 1981-85. In all cases dyspnea arose within several hours after exposure to the allergen and in 4 cases only a few minutes after exposure. The radiological picture was altered in 7 cases (6 miliary pictures and 1 case of medial and basal nodulation). In functional terms 6 restrictive and 3 mixed forms were identified. The specific bronchial provocation test was positive wherever it was performed. Bronchoalveolar lavage revealed predominantly lymphocytic alveolitis in the most recent cases. Transbronchial biopsy also revealed the presence of pulmonary granulomatosis in various stages of development. Finally skin tests were positive to various antigens in several cases while specific precipitin were found in all cases. These data are compared with reports in the literature.

[Blood chemical parameters in the monitoring of inoperable bronchogenic carcinoma]

Serum variations of 3 standard lung cancer markers (ferritin, carcinoembryonic antigen, gastrointestinal cancer antigen) were assessed in 27 patients with inoperable lung cancer diagnosed histologically and confirmed by cytology and/or histology. The study reveals that ferritin is the most sensitive marker.

[Possibilities of using cardioselective beta blocking agents in patients with chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathies]

The use of four cardioselective beta-blockers in a group of patients with chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathies was examined. Of the 4 drugs the only possible one for use in this patient category was atenolol which produced significant bronchial dilation after spray treatment, thus demonstrating the responsiveness of beta 2-receptors to pharmacological stimulus.

[Problems of pulmonary pathology in drug addicts]

The hospitalisation of a group of drug addicts with pulmonary diseases leads to an examination of the relationship between drug addiction and bronchopneumopathies in the light of experience and reported data. After a brief examination of cases, the most frequently observed forms of bronchopulmonary disease are reviewed together with differences in the clinical course of the diseases in drug-addicted and other patients.

[Tuberculosis in dialysis patients]

Seven cases of T.B. were observed in 300 patients subjected to dialysis in period 30.4.1977-30.1.1980. This frequency is much higher than that in the ordinary population. An account is given of the statistical and clinical aspects of this morbid associations. The way in which it can be treated is also discussed.

[Bipedal lymphography in mediastino-pulmonary sarcoidosis. Report concerning 9 cases]

The relevant literature is briefly reviewed and lymphographic data obtained from 9 patients admitted to the S. L. Gonzaga Hospital are examined. In all cases, the diagnosis of sarcoidosis had been given prior to lymphography and confirmed histologically. This small series helps to show the extent of lymph node lesions in sarcoidosis and the more commonly observed adenographic features.