Papers by Ludovico Magaudda
American Journal of Roentgenology, 2006
The purpose of this study was twofold: to determine whether asymptomatic distance runners exhibit... more The purpose of this study was twofold: to determine whether asymptomatic distance runners exhibit cortical tibial abnormalities on CT and to determine the diagnostic accuracy of CT in athletes with medial tibial stress syndrome. A cross-sectional study with high-resolution CT of both tibiae was performed on 41 subjects: 20 asymptomatic distance runners, 11 distance runners with unilateral or bilateral pain due to medial tibial stress syndrome (14 painful tibiae), and 10 volunteers not involved in a sport. The group was composed of 13 women and 28 men, ranging in age from 18 to 26 years. A total of 82 tibiae, 14 painful and 68 painless, were evaluated. On the basis of CT findings, tibiae were classified in three groups, and correlation between CT classification and symptoms was made. Among distance runners, the presence of CT abnormalities was found in 14 (100%) of 14 painful tibiae in patients with medial tibial stress syndrome and in 8 (16.6%) of 48 painless tibiae. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001, Fisher's exact test). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of CT in diagnosing medial tibial stress syndrome were 100%, 88.2%, 63.6%, 100%, and 90.2%, respectively. High-resolution CT has high diagnostic accuracy in depicting medial tibial stress syndrome. Cortical abnormalities can also be seen in some asymptomatic distance runners.
Seminars in Nephrology, 2004
Journal of Anatomy, 2007
The choice of medical imaging techniques, for the purpose of the present work aimed at studying t... more The choice of medical imaging techniques, for the purpose of the present work aimed at studying the anatomy of the knee, derives from the increasing use of images in diagnostics, research and teaching, and the subsequent importance that these methods are gaining within the scientific community. Medical systems using virtual reality techniques also offer a good alternative to traditional methods, and are considered among the most important tools in the areas of research and teaching. In our work we have shown some possible uses of three-dimensional imaging for the study of the morphology of the normal human knee, and its clinical applications. We used the direct volume rendering technique, and created a data set of images and animations to allow us to visualize the single structures of the human knee in three dimensions. Direct volume rendering makes use of specific algorithms to transform conventional two-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging sets of slices into see-through volume data set images. It is a technique which does not require the construction of intermediate geometric representations, and has the advantage of allowing the visualization of a single image of the full data set, using semi-transparent mapping. Digital images of human structures, and in particular of the knee, offer important information about anatomical structures and their relationships, and are of great value in the planning of surgical procedures. On this basis we studied seven volunteers with an average age of 25 years, who underwent magnetic resonance imaging. After elaboration of the data through post-processing, we analysed the structure of the knee in detail. The aim of our investigation was the three-dimensional image, in order to comprehend better the interactions between anatomical structures. We believe that these results, applied to living subjects, widen the frontiers in the areas of teaching, diagnostics, therapy and scientific research.
International Journal of Cardiology, 2009
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is one of the commonest causes of sudden cardiac death in young... more Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is one of the commonest causes of sudden cardiac death in young athletes. Over the last years, the Italian preparticipation screening programme strongly contributed to discriminate athletes showing borderline (grey-area) left ventricular hypertrophy or fulfilling precise diagnostic criteria for HCM, thanks to the framework of testing performed yearly before competitions. We present the case of a junior athlete in whom dramatic ECG changes suggestive for HCM became manifest during the last year training activity.
Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica, 2010
In the mature heart, the intercalated disc and costameres provide the cell-cell and cell-matrix j... more In the mature heart, the intercalated disc and costameres provide the cell-cell and cell-matrix junctions respectively. Intercalated disc is situated at the bipolar ends of the cardiomyocytes and the myofibrils are anchored at this structure. The costameres mediate integration with the extracellular matrix that covers individual cardiomyocytes laterally. Costameres are considered as "proteic machinery" that appears to comprise two protein complexes: the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC) and the vinculin-talin-integrin system. There are structural differences between atrial and ventricular myocytes, but there have been relatively few studies that have analyzed costameres and focal adhesion function in cardiac cells. Our previous study carried out only on atrial myocytes, demonstrated that the DGC and talin-vinculin-integrin complexes had a costameric distribution that, unlike skeletal muscle, it localized only on the I band. We performed a further immunohistochemical analysis extending also the evaluation to the normal human cardiac muscle fibers obtained from ventricle and interventricular septum, in order to define the distribution and the spatial relationship between the proteins of the two complexes also in the other heart districts. Immunoconfocal microscopy of cardiac tissue revealed the costameric distribution of DGC and of vinculin-talin-integrin system, the association of all tested proteins in intercalated disks, in disagreement with other Authors, and in T-tubule with irregular spokelike extensions penetrating toward the center of the cell. Moreover, our data showed that all tested proteins colocalize between each other.
Differentiation, 1979
... ALBERTO SALLEO a , GIUSEPPE ANASTASI b , GIUSEPPINA LA SPADA a , M. GABRIELLA DENARO a , GIUS... more ... ALBERTO SALLEO a , GIUSEPPE ANASTASI b , GIUSEPPINA LA SPADA a , M. GABRIELLA DENARO a , GIUSEPPINA FALZEA a and LUDOVICO MAGAUDDA b. ... This subject has been completely reviewed by Carlson [151. ...
Cells Tissues Organs, 2003
The vinculin-talin-integrin system and the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC) are two protein ... more The vinculin-talin-integrin system and the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC) are two protein systems with structural and signaling functions, allowing interaction between muscle fibers and extracellular matrix. Although numerous studies have been conducted on these systems, their localization and distribution patterns along the nonjunctional sarcolemma are not clear. On this basis, we carried out an indirect immunofluorescence study on the vastus lateralis muscle of human adults not affected by neuromuscular diseases to better define these patterns. Our results showed that all tested proteins of the two systems have a costameric distribution; all tested proteins of the two systems colocalize with each other (about 90-95% of the cases); only alpha-sarcoglycan in a few cases (about 6%) does not colocalize with other proteins; in about 9-10% of the cases, dystrophin and beta-dystroglycan colocalize partially with other proteins; all tested proteins can be localized in different fibers, both in the region of the sarcolemma over I or A bands. The colocalization between the vinculin-talin-integrin and DGC systems may imply their functional interaction involving the structural aspect, by providing a stronger adhesion between sarcolemma and extracellular matrix in well-defined regions of the muscle fiber. Besides, their colocalization may suggest the existence of a mechanism of mutual modulation of the transmitted signals. This reciprocal control may determine, in different conditions, the prevalence of one system over another with a consequent transmission of different messages to the sarcolemma-associated cytoskeleton.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 1996
... Maria R. Mondello · Ludovico Magaudda · Simona Pergolizzi · Agatino Santoro · Mario Vaccaro ·... more ... Maria R. Mondello · Ludovico Magaudda · Simona Pergolizzi · Agatino Santoro · Mario Vaccaro · Leandro Califano · Serafinella P. Cannavò · Biagio Guarneri ... and in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), the biopsies were infused with 12% and 18% saccharose and then frozen in liq ...
Archives of Dermatological Research, 1998
Psoriasis is a typical hyperproliferative epidermal disease whose aetiopathogenesis is still to b... more Psoriasis is a typical hyperproliferative epidermal disease whose aetiopathogenesis is still to be defined. One of the most likely hypotheses is that it has a neurogenic origin correlated with an altered release of some neuropeptides by sensitive cutaneous nerves via antidromic pathways. As there are conflicting reports about the existence of cutaneous nerve alterations in psoriasis, we carried out an immunolocalization study using the protein gene product 9.5 as a marker for neuronal structures observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy in order to determine the pattern of sensory nerves in psoriatic skin. The investigation was carried out on cutaneous biopsies taken from involved (mature and long-established lesions) and uninvolved skin of ten patients with extensive chronic plaque psoriasis. In uninvolved psoriatic skin a significant decrease in epidermal nerve fibres was found, a further decrease was observed in mature lesions and almost a complete lack of epidermal nerve fibres in long-established psoriatic lesions. The reduction in epidermal nerve fibres and the consequent loss of relationship between these nerve structures and the skin immunocompetent cells (antigen-presenting cells, Langerhans cells, keratinocytes) might be a factor of fundamental importance in the self-maintenance of the disease.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 1999
Our previous ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies, in vivo and in vitro, have shown im... more Our previous ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies, in vivo and in vitro, have shown important modifications of the basement membrane of psoriatic skin, which could play a key role in the alterations of keratinocyte adhesion, migration, proliferation and differentiation. In order to complete the morphological examination of all the structures in the dermoepidermal junction of psoriatic skin, we carried out a scanning electron microscopic study using biopsies taken from eight psoriatic patients. The biopsies were fixed in a mixture of 0.2% paraformaldehyde and 0.25% glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M cacodylate buffer at pH 7.4. The specimens were then frozen in liquid nitrogen and fractured following the natural cleavage planes and observed under a Jeol JSM-6301F field emission scanning electron microscope operating at 1.8-2.0 kV. The basal keratinocytes observed showed pore-like depressions on the lateral plasmalemma and villous-like projections in very dilated intercellular spaces. Moreover the basal cell plasma membrane was seen to rest on the papillary dermis without interposition of the lamina densa. The detachment of some keratinocytes enabled the examination of the lamina densa, which appeared slightly granular with numerous focal interruptions through which it was possible to observe the underlying collagen fibres. These findings, together with previously reported findings, support the hypothesis that in psoriasis molecular and structural alterations of the dermoepidermal junction are present, that could fundamentally alter the regulation of the cytomorphological processes and the normal functions of the basement membrane.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 1997
Recent studies support the presence of adherens junctions at the dermal-epidermal interface in ad... more Recent studies support the presence of adherens junctions at the dermal-epidermal interface in addition to hemidesmosomes. In this area the integrin/actin-containing cytoskeleton connection occurs by means of a complex of proteins called actin-associated proteins (talin, vinculin, α-actinin). As previous studies have demonstrated the presence in psoriatic lesions of marked alterations in both the basement membrane molecular composition and the polarized expression of integrins, we decided to determine whether alterations in the behaviour of the actin-associated proteins could be demonstrated. We thus undertook an immunolocalization study with monoclonal antibodies directed against talin, vinculin, and α-actinin in cutaneous biopsies taken from involved and uninvolved skin of 12 patients with extensive chronic plaque psoriasis. The findings showed an almost total lack of reaction against talin and vinculin in the basal layer and an increased positivity against the proteins in the suprabasal layers. Similar, though less marked, alterations were present in uninvolved psoriatic skin. These results, in agreement with those of previous studies, confirm serious alterations in the matrix protein/cytoskeleton connection system, and support the hypothesis that this condition may play a key role in the pathogenesis of the disease.
American Journal of Roentgenology, 2006
The purpose of this study was twofold: to determine whether asymptomatic distance runners exhibit... more The purpose of this study was twofold: to determine whether asymptomatic distance runners exhibit cortical tibial abnormalities on CT and to determine the diagnostic accuracy of CT in athletes with medial tibial stress syndrome. A cross-sectional study with high-resolution CT of both tibiae was performed on 41 subjects: 20 asymptomatic distance runners, 11 distance runners with unilateral or bilateral pain due to medial tibial stress syndrome (14 painful tibiae), and 10 volunteers not involved in a sport. The group was composed of 13 women and 28 men, ranging in age from 18 to 26 years. A total of 82 tibiae, 14 painful and 68 painless, were evaluated. On the basis of CT findings, tibiae were classified in three groups, and correlation between CT classification and symptoms was made. Among distance runners, the presence of CT abnormalities was found in 14 (100%) of 14 painful tibiae in patients with medial tibial stress syndrome and in 8 (16.6%) of 48 painless tibiae. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001, Fisher's exact test). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of CT in diagnosing medial tibial stress syndrome were 100%, 88.2%, 63.6%, 100%, and 90.2%, respectively. High-resolution CT has high diagnostic accuracy in depicting medial tibial stress syndrome. Cortical abnormalities can also be seen in some asymptomatic distance runners.
Pediatric Dermatology, 1995
We report the second infant of nonconsanguineous parents with epidermoiysis bullosa junctionaiis ... more We report the second infant of nonconsanguineous parents with epidermoiysis bullosa junctionaiis associated with urinary bladder exstrophy, epispadias, anteriorlzed anus, and biiateral inguinal hernias. The family history aiso included the death of a maternal cousin due to epidermolysis buliosa. Our diagnosis was based on eiectron microscopy and immunofluorescence evidence. This patient is reported because of the rarity of this constellation of findings.
Uploads
Papers by Ludovico Magaudda