The dual task-cost of standing balance affects quality of life in mildly disabled MS people

The aim of this study was to explore the correlations between the dual-task cost (DTC) of standing balance and quality of life (QoL) in mildly disabled patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). In this cross-sectional study, patients affected by MS with an expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score of 3.0 or less and without an overt balance impairment were tested by means of static posturography under eyes-opened (single-task condition) and while performing the Stroop word-color test (dual-task condition), to estimate the DTC of standing balance. The self-reported 54-item MS quality of life questionnaire (MSQoL-54) was also administered to obtain a MS-specific assessment of health-related QoL. Among the 120 screened patients, 75 (53 women, 22 men) were tested. Although there was no impact of the DTC of standing balance on the physical and mental composite scores of MSQoL-54, patients who had a greater DTC of standing balance scored worse on role limitations due to physical problems (p = 0.007) and social function (p < 0.001), irrespective of demographic and other clinical characteristics including walking performance and cognitive status. However, the EDSS step and fatigue also contributed to reduced scores in these two QoL domains (p-values < 0.01). In conclusion, the phenomenon of cognitive-motor interference, investigated as DTC of standing balance, may affect specific QoL domains even in mildly disabled patients with MS and in the absence of an overt balance dysfunction.     

Total lymphocyte count and femoral bone mineral density in postmenopausal women

In vitro studies showed that several cytokines produced by the immune system can play a relevant role in modulating bone turnover, thus affecting the health of bone tissue. Our aim was to evaluate the association between total lymphocyte count (TLC) and femoral bone mineral density (BMD) in a sample of postmenopausal women. We studied 114 out of 124 consecutive, caucasian, home-dwelling, apparently healthy postmenopausal women referred for osteodensitometry by general practitioners. Femoral BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at five sites. A significant positive correlation (p 0.001) was observed between TLC and BMD (T score) measured the five sites: total proximal femur (r = 0.45), trochanter (r = 0.43), intertrochanteric region (r = 0.38), femoral neck (r = 0.49), and Wards triangle (r = 0.42). With a linear multiple regression model, TLC adjusted for age, weight, height, body mass index, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate showed a significant association with femoral BMD assessed at each of the five sites. The R² values ranged from 0.33 with BMD measured at Wards triangle to 0.51 with BMD measured at the trochanter. The significance of the association between TLC and BMD ranged from P 0.001 with BMD measured at the femoral neck to P 0.05 with BMD measured at the intertrochanteric area. The results were similar when BMD was expressed as either a Z score (in the 110 of the 114 women aged 84 years or younger) or as absolute values. Our data show a positive association between TLC and femoral BMD in a sample of apparently healthy, postmenopausal women, supporting the view of a close connection between the immune system and bone tissue.     

Effects of replacing oxitropium with tiotropium on pulmonary function in patients with COPD: a randomized study

BACKGROUND: Inhaled bronchodilators are first line drugs in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Tiotropium bromide is a recently introduced long-acting anticholinergic agent able to reduce dyspnoea and COPD exacerbations and to improve pulmonary function and quality of life. We designed a study to compare the short-term efficacy of tiotropium bromide with that of oxitropium bromide in improving pulmonary function in patients with COPD. METHODS: Eighty patients were randomized either to continue oxitropium 800 mcg/day or to receive tiotropium 18 mcg/day. Seventy-six (39 in the tiotropium and 37 in the oxitropium group) completed the study. Plethysmography was performed at baseline and after 72 h in all patients. The changes in functional parameters in the two groups were compared by the Mann-Whitney U-test. RESULTS: There were no differences between the two groups regarding age (72.5 vs. 74.2 years), male/female ratio (25/14 vs. 23/14) and pulmonary function at baseline. The changes in spirometric parameters were significantly greater in tiotropium- than in oxitropium-treated patients: mean forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV(1)) increased significantly by 15% vs. 3% (P=0.017), mean FVC by 10.5% vs. 2.2% (P=0.044), and FEF 25, 50, and 75 by 34% vs. 14% (P<0.05), 33% vs. 7% (P<0.05), and 50% vs. 6% (P<0.0001), respectively; mean FRC and RV decreased nonsignificantly by 7.5% and 10% with tiotropium vs. 4.3% and 6.5% with oxitropium, respectively. CONCLUSION: The replacement of oxitropium with tiotropium significantly increases pulmonary function in patients with COPD. The improvement involves also small airways that have not been investigated thus far.     

Adrenal incidentaloma: a new cause of the metabolic syndrome?

A number of patients with adrenal incidentaloma are exposed to a slight degree of cortisol excess resulting from functional autonomy of the adrenal mass (usually a cortical adenoma). At present, there are only scant data on the unwanted effects of this endocrine condition referred to as subclinical Cushing's syndrome. The aim of the present study was to look for some features of the metabolic syndrome in patients with incidental adrenal adenoma. Forty-one patients (9 men and 32 women) bearing adrenal incidentaloma with typical computed tomography features of cortical adenoma were studied. For both patients and controls, exclusion criteria were age equal to 70 yr or greater, previous history of fasting hyperglycemia, or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), severe hypertension, current use of medication or concomitant relevant illnesses, and body mass index (BMI) equal to 30 kg/m(2) or greater. Forty-one patients with euthyroid multinodular goiter accurately matched for sex, age, and BMI served for a 1:1 case-control analysis. The study design included an oral glucose tolerance test (75 g) and an endocrine workup aimed at the study of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Age and BMI were fully comparable between patients (54.0 +/- 10.7 yr, 23.8 +/- 2.4 kg/m(2)) and controls (52.2 +/- 11.6 yr, 23.5 +/- 2.8 kg/m(2)). Fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels were not different between the two groups (4.96 +/- 0.61 mmol/liter vs. 4.88 +/- 0.58 mmol/liter; 67 +/- 34 pmol/liter vs. 59 +/- 32 pmol/liter), but the 2-h postchallenge glucose was significantly higher in patients than in controls (7.43 +/- 2.49 mmol/liter vs. 6.10 plus minus 1.44 mmol/liter, P = 0.01). Fifteen patients (36%) reached the World Health Organization criteria for IGT and two other patients (5%) reached those for diabetes, and 14% of the controls qualified for IGT (P = 0.01). No difference in the lipid pattern was seen between the two groups, but either systolic or diastolic blood pressure were higher in patients (135.4 +/- 15.5 mm Hg vs. 125.0 +/- 15.6 mm Hg, P = 0.003; 82.9 +/- 9.1 mm Hg vs. 75.3 +/- 6.6 mm Hg, P < 0.0001). We calculated the whole-body insulin sensitivity index derived from the oral glucose tolerance test that was significantly reduced in the patients (4.3 +/- 1.7 vs. 5.7 +/- 2.5, P = 0.01). In a multiple regression analysis, 2-h glucose was associated with BMI and midnight cortisol values (r(2) = 0.36, P = 0.002). The comparison of the patients with nonfunctioning adenoma (n = 29) with those with subclinical Cushing's syndrome (n = 12) yielded significant differences as to 2-h glucose and triglyceride levels, which were significantly higher in the second group (7.02 +/- 1.76 mmol/liter vs. 8.72 +/- 3.17 mmol/liter, P = 0.03; 1.06 +/- 0.4 mmol/liter vs. 1.73 +/- 0.96 mmol/liter, P = 0.002), but the insulin sensitivity index was conversely reduced (5.2 +/- 1.4 vs. 2.9 +/- 1.2, P < 0.0001). In conclusion, many patients with incidental adrenal adenoma display altered glucose tolerance, that may be explained by reduced insulin sensitivity, and increased blood pressure levels in comparison with carefully age- and BMI-matched controls. The slight hypercortisolism observed in some such patients may significantly contribute to this state of insulin resistance. Midnight serum cortisol appears as a sensitive marker of the metabolic effects of subclinical Cushing's syndrome.     

Muscle mass and functional recovery in men with hip fracture

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between muscle mass and functional recovery in men after hip fracture. DESIGN: We investigated 27 of 33 men admitted consecutively to a rehabilitation hospital after hip fracture. For each patient, we also studied two control women, matched for age and fracture type. Lean mass (LM) was assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) 21.9 +/- 7.5 (mean +/- SD) days after fracture occurrence in the 27 men (22.8 +/- 7.2 days in the 54 control women). Appendicular LM (aLM) was calculated as the sum of LM in arms and legs. Functional recovery was assessed using Barthel index scores. Barthel index efficiency was calculated as the change in the Barthel index score after rehabilitation divided by the length of stay in hospital. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, height, fat mass, Barthel index scores at admission, and time between fracture occurrence and DXA assessment, aLM was significantly associated with Barthel index scores after rehabilitation (r = 0.480; P = 0.013) and Barthel index efficiency (r = 0.633; P = 0.001) in the 27 men. Conversely, in the 54 control women, no significant associations were found between aLM and the functional scores. CONCLUSIONS: LM assessed after hip fracture is significantly associated with the functional outcome in men.     

Multiple myeloma: reduced plasma cell contamination in peripheral blood progenitor cell collections performed after repeated high-dose chemotherapy courses

The possibility of reducing tumour cell contamination by cytotoxic drug courses prior to peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) collection was evaluated in two consecutives groups of multiple myeloma (MM) patient candidates for autograft. All patients were at disease onset and received two VAD (vincristine, doxorubicin and dexamethasone) courses as initial debulking. In the first group (44 patients), mobilization and harvest were performed ‘upfront’, after a single cyclophosphamide (CY) administration of 4 g/m²; in the second group (17 patients), PBPC were collected at the end of a high-dose sequential chemotherapy programme, including: CY 5 g/m², etoposide (VP16) 2 g/m², a chemotherapy-free interval with three courses of high-dose dexamethasone, a final mobilizing CY at 7 g/m². G-CSF was given following each high-dose cytotoxic drug. Cytofluorimetric analysis was performed to quantify progenitors (CD34⁺ cells) and plasma cells, identified by the high CD38 expression and/or CD38 and CD138 coexpression. Large amounts of PBPC were collected in either group (median harvested CD34⁺/kg: 15.8 × 10⁶ and 13.4 × 10⁶, respectively; P = 0.9). Circulating plasma cells were significantly higher in patients mobilized ‘upfront’ compared to those who received the high-dose sequence (median peak values of CD38^bright/μl: 39 and 10, respectively; P = 0.02); a similar difference was observed in the amount of con-taminating plasma cells in the harvest products (median CD38^bright/kg: 7.4 × 10⁶ and 1.3 × 10⁶, respectively; P = 0.02). The results demonstrate that an in vivo purging approach is feasible in myeloma patients through repeated high-dose chemotherapy courses; this may provide less-contaminated material suitable for further in vitro purging procedures.     

Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection among intravenous drug users

Background/Aims: The clinico-pathologic features of hepatitis C virus infection intravenous drug users are different from those found in other hepatitis C virus-infected patients. Our airm was to test whether specific viral variants circulate within this particular patient population.Methods: We studied the distribution of hepatitis C virus genotypes in 90 drug addicts and 484 controls, according to the method described by Okamoto.Results: Hepatitis C virus type 1a and 3a infections were more frequent among intravenous drug users than in 125 age-matched controls (48.8% and 21.1% vs 17.6% and 11.2%), accounting for the majority of infections in intravenous drug users. Analysis of hepatitis C virus genotypes according to age showed that, in the general population, hepatitis C virus types 1a and 3a were more prevalent among patients younger than 40 years of age than in older individual (17.6% and 11.2% vs. 1.4% and 0.6%).Conclusions: These findings suggest that hepatitis C virus types 1a and 3a were recently introduced in Italy, presumably via needle-sharing among intravenous drug users, and from this reservoir they are extending to the general population, particularly among younger subjects.     

Olfactory mucosa histological findings in laryngectomees

After total laryngectomy, the patients often report immediate and marked olfactory deficit. The aim of this study was to determine whether hyposmia in laryngectomees reflects olfactory epithelial damage. Ten laryngectomized patients and ten rhinologically normal subjects were subjected to olfactory testing, after which histological examination of biopsied olfactory mucosa was performed. Olfactory testing in laryngectomees revealed a marked reduction in odor perception. Histological examination of olfactory mucosa specimens showed that in laryngectomees some neuroepithelial structural features were comparable with those found in normal subjects. However, additional signs of damage were also observed, consisting mainly of various degrees of epithelial degeneration, above and beyond those that are characteristic of physiological epithelium turnover. These different degenerative features consisted of severe damage to the neuroepithelium, culminating in complete topical loss. Bowman's glands were also observed to be involved in the degenerative process. Laryngectomy-induced hyposmia seems to be correlated with the almost complete loss of nasal airflow due to the disconnection between the upper and lower airways, which prevents odor molecules from reaching the olfactory area, together with degenerative phenomena, which affect the neuroepithelium, and consequent failure in neurosensorial performance.