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Recent guidelines for dislipidaemias treatment in the prevention of cardiovascular disease

Andrea Poli
Istituto di Scienze Farmacologiche, Facoltà di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Milano

Biochimica Clinica: 2000; 24(1): 5-9 [Article in italian]

ABSTRACT. Three recent documents concerning blood lipids control in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, issued respectively in 1994 by the National Cholesterol Education Program, in 1998 by the International Task Force for the Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease, and in 1998 by the Second Joint Task Force of European and other Societies on Coronary Prevention, are discussed and comparatively evaluated, in order to highlight their similarities and operational divergencies. Substantial agreement is observed among the different recommendations, particularly in relation to the suggested approach of a global evaluation of single individual's risk as a basis for the adoption of a possible pharmacological treatment of lipidaemia.

Reference or ideal values for plasma lipids. Result from a 1999 survey among italian laboratories

Alberico L. Catapano*, Elena Tragni, Giovanni Galli, Simona Brambilla, Ugo Lippi, Carlo Franzini
*Istituto di Scienze Farmacologiche, Facoltà di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Milano

Biochimica Clinica: 2000; 24(1): 10-19 [Article in italian]

ABSTRACT. Results from clinical chemistry measurements in patients may be compared with either reference or ideal values. Such different sets of values have different characteristics and different interpretation meanings. Aiming at coronary heart disease risk assessment, plasma lipid results are best compared with ideal values, as suggested by international groups. We performed a survey, based on a simple questionnaire, to evaluate how the international recommendations were implemented in italian laboratories. We received a group of one hundred and eighty nine filled-out questionnaires and we statistically evaluated the results. As a whole, a considerable lack of uniformity in the reporting modes was observed, including reporting either reference or ideal values, or both. Also, the numerical values for both sets of comparison data varied within large ranges, and there was indirect but strong evidence that in many instances the reported reference limits resulted from a contamination of true reference with ideal (recommended) values. The results of this survey suggest the need for a strong educational intervention towards use of more uniform and scientifically correct reporting modes.

Cholesterolaemia in the population of different Italian Regions: results from a 1999 survey

Carlo Franzini*, Simona Brambilla, Paola Luraschi, Elena Tragni, Giovanni Galli, Alberico L. Catapano
Università degli Studi di Milano, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Istituto di Scienze Biomediche Ospedale L. Sacco

Biochimica Clinica: 2000; 24(1): 20-26 [Article in italian]

ABSTRACT. The aim of this work was to assess the frequency of serum cholesterol values exceeding stated decision limits in the Italian population, and to verify if differences in the serum cholesterol values distribution still exist among the Italian Regions. 13 laboratories form 10 Regions extracted from about 3000 to about 50000 cholesterol values from their information system, irrespectively of the physiopathological conditions of the individuals. A total of 125799 cholesterol were processed to yield the orginal frequency distributions (whole population and different Regions), from which a "gaussian portion" was extracted by applying the Batthacharya's approach. The following conclusions were drawn: about 51%, 43% and 17% of the total values are higher than, respectively, 190 mg/dL, 200 mg/dL and 240 mg/dL; such percentages are higher in the northern as compared to the southern Regions; the observed Region-specific distributions suggest the occurrence of a North to South negative gradient in the cholesterol values of the population; the need for the correct use of decision values (universally acceptable) instead of reference values (population-dependent) for risk evaluation has therefore to be stressed.

Immunomodulating action of oxygen

Anneo Violante
Cattedra di Analisi Cliniche, Facoltà di Scienze M.F.N, Università di Roma "La Sapienza"

Biochimica Clinica: 2000; 24(1): 27-31 [Article in italian]

ABSTRACT. The aim of this work was to study the influence of oxygen as a modulator of the immune response. This study was carried out with different methodological approaches. Cytofluorimetric measurements highlighted an increase of the lymphocytes T and of the subclasses Helper ands Suppressor. No influence was observed either on other cells or on the inteleukin-2 receptors.

Evaluation of a new gel-immunoprecipitation technique for the assessment of urinary proteins

Laura Arcangeli*, Luciano Marchetti, Viviana Peluso
*Azienda Ospedaliera G. Salvini, Laboratorio Analisi P.O. di Bollate, 20021 Bollate (MI)

Biochimica Clinica: 2000; 24(1): 32-34 [Article in italian]

ABSTRACT. A new technique for the assessment of proteinuria, based on gel-immunoprecipitation and visual assessment of six clinically significant proteins, as been made commercially available. The method has been evaluated by comparison with usual techniques, including immunofixation and quantitative immunonephelometric and immunoturbidimetric measurements, in a small number of urine samples, including cases of mixed and glomerular proteinuria, and microalbuminuria and Bence-Jones proteinuria as well. The results by the evaluated technique favourably compared with those obtained by means of the usual analytical approaches.

The use of cultured fibroblasts for the biochemical diagnosis of inherited metabolic diseases

Vanna Chigorno, Marina Pitto, Barbara Garavaglia
*Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Chimica e Biochimica Medica

Biochimica Clinica: 2000; 24(1): 35-42 [Article in italian]

ABSTRACT. The main advantages deriving from the use of cultured fibroblasts for the biochemical diagnosis of inherited metabolic diseases are delineated. Then sampling, culturing and propagation techniques are described. Fibroblasts can be frozen in liquid nitrogen and successively re-plated and cultured, without undergoing metabolic modifications, this making possible the execution of comparative metabolic studies on viable cells. Furthermore, the use of this cells for the biochemical diagnosis of two major families of inherited diseases, that is lysosomal storage disorders and mytochondrial disorders, is described and the specific techniques for their recognition, principally using radioactive substrates, are summarized. We finally describe a recently optimized approach for the diagnosis of a disorder characterized by the deficiency of a lysosomal protein carrier.

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