Pavilio Piccioni - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Pavilio Piccioni

BMC Pulmonary Medicine, 2015

As part of an investigation into the respiratory health in children conducted in Torino, northwes... more As part of an investigation into the respiratory health in children conducted in Torino, northwestern Italy, our aim was to assess development in lung function from childhood to adolescence, and to assess changes or persistence of asthma symptoms on the change of lung function parameters. Furthermore, the observed lung function data were compared with the Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI) reference values. We conducted a longitudinal study, which lasted 7 years, composed by first survey of 4-5 year-old children in 2003 and a follow-up in 2010. Both surveys consisted in collecting information on health by standardized SIDRIA questionnaire and spirometry testing with FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC% and FEF25-75 measurements. 242 subjects successfully completed both surveys. In terms of asthma symptoms (AS = asthma attacks or wheezing in the previous 12 months), 191/242 were asymptomatic, 13 reported AS only in the first survey (early transient), 23 had AS only in the second survey (late onset), and 15 had AS in both surveys (persistent). Comparing the lung function parameters observed with the predicted by GLI only small differences were detected, except for FVC and FEF25-75, for which more than 5% of subjects had Z-score values beyond the Z-score normal limits. Furthermore, as well as did not significantly affect developmental changes in FVC and FEV1, the decrease in FEV1/FVC ratio was significantly higher in subjects with AS at the time of follow-up (late onset and persistent phenotypes) while the increase in FEF25-75 was significantly smaller in subjects with persistent AS (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.05). The GLI equations are valid in evaluating lung function during development, at least in terms of lung volume measurements. Findings also suggest that the FEF25-75 may be a useful tool for clinical and epidemiological studies of childhood asthma.

Monaldi archives for chest disease = Archivio Monaldi per le malattie del torace / Fondazione clinica del lavoro, IRCCS [and] Istituto di clinica tisiologica e malattie apparato respiratorio, Università di Napoli, Secondo ateneo, 2005

Asthma is a widespread chronic disorder in children and its prevalence has been on the increase i... more Asthma is a widespread chronic disorder in children and its prevalence has been on the increase in Europe. Only few studies have described the prevalence variation in respiratory symptoms in Italian regions. The aim of this study, conducted in Turin during the 1998/1999 school year, is to investigate the distribution of respiratory symptoms in a sample of Turin school children and to compare the obtained results with the findings of the SIDRIA study performed in 1994-95. The sample in study is composed of all the children attending to three elementary schools in Turin. All of the selected schools had already participated in the 94-95 ISAAC-SIDRIA study. A total of 448 pupils aged 6-10 years received a standardised questionnaire to be filled by parents. Response rate is higher than 97% in all the studies. In 1999 we found that the prevalence of wheezing in the past 12 months was 7.3%. The 13.3% of children had asthma at least once in life and the 5.3% reported an attack in the last y...

I N T R O D U C T I O N : Interpretation of the tuberculin skin test (TST) may be complicated by ... more I N T R O D U C T I O N : Interpretation of the tuberculin skin test (TST) may be complicated by prior bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination. The skin reaction to the vaccination interferes with the management of individuals who may be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. O B J E C T I V E : To discriminate between TST reactions due to infection and those due to vaccination in subjects with unknown BCG status. M E T H O D S : Among 60 200 subjects tested with 5TU PPD for screening purposes, 4987 contacts of infectious TB cases (Group A), 4962 BCG-vaccinated subjects (Group B) and 5000 subjects from the general population (Group C) were sampled. The frequencies of TST cut-off diameters were calculated for the three groups using a logistic regression model. The frequency of pos-itive subjects in each group and the sensitivity, specificity and predictive values were also computed by means of these cut-offs. R E S U L T S : The risk of being a contact versus BCGvaccinated increases 2.43-fold with every mm of TST diameter. The 11 mm cut-off point seems to be the best discriminating value. C O N C L U S I O N S : Using the traditional 10 mm cut-off, we can consider all vaccinated subjects with a positive TST to be infected. The TST remains a valuable tool for the evaluation of household contacts and suspected cases of tuberculosis in BCG-vaccinated subjects and in populations with high vaccination coverage. K E Y W O R D S : tuberculin test; BCG vaccine; TST

European Respiratory Journal, 2014

Respiratory Research, 2007

The aims of this study were to verify the feasibility of respiratory function tests and to assess... more The aims of this study were to verify the feasibility of respiratory function tests and to assess their validity in the diagnosis of respiratory disorders in young children.

Environmental Research, 2015

Air pollution and tobacco smoke can induce negative effects on the human health and often leads t... more Air pollution and tobacco smoke can induce negative effects on the human health and often leads to the formation of oxidative stress. The purpose of this study was to clarify the role of the urbanization degree and of passive exposure to tobacco smoke in the formation of oxidative stress. Thus, a group of non-smoking adolescents was recruited among those who live and attend school in areas with three different population densities. To each subject a spot of urine was collected to quantify 15-F2t isoprostane as a marker of oxidative stress and cotinine as a marker of passive exposure to tobacco smoke. Furthermore, respiratory functionality was also measured. Multiple linear regression analysis results showed a direct correlation (p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.0001) of 15-F2t isoprostane with both the urbanization and passive smoke. Lung function parameters proved significantly lower for the subjects living in the most populous city of Torino. This remarks the negative effect that urbanization has on the respiratory conditions. Lastly, lung functionality presented a low inverse correlation with 15-F2t isoprostane, suggesting an independent mechanism than that of the urban factor.

BMC Public Health, 2014

Background: Socioeconomic inequalities in smoking habits have stabilized in many Western countrie... more Background: Socioeconomic inequalities in smoking habits have stabilized in many Western countries. This study aimed at evaluating whether socioeconomic disparities in smoking habits are still enlarging in Italy and at comparing the impact of education and occupation. Methods: In the frame of the GEIRD study (Gene Environment Interactions in Respiratory Diseases) 10,494 subjects, randomly selected from the general population aged 20-44 years in seven Italian centres, answered a screening questionnaire between 2007 and 2010 (response percentage = 57.2%). In four centres a repeated cross-sectional survey was performed: smoking prevalence recorded in GEIRD was compared with prevalence recorded between 1998 and 2000 in the Italian Study of Asthma in Young Adults (ISAYA). Results: Current smoking was twice as prevalent in people with a primary/secondary school certificate (40-43%) compared with people with an academic degree (20%), and among unemployed and workmen (39%) compared with managers and clerks (20-22%). In multivariable analysis smoking habits were more affected by education level than by occupation. From the first to the second survey the prevalence of ever smokers markedly decreased among housewives, managers, businessmen and free-lancers, while ever smoking became even more common among unemployed (time-occupation interaction: p = 0.047). At variance, the increasing trend in smoking cessation was not modified by occupation. Conclusion: Smoking prevalence has declined in Italy during the last decade among the higher socioeconomic classes, but not among the lower. This enlarging socioeconomic inequality mainly reflects a different trend in smoking initiation.

Respiratory Medicine, 2008

Introduction: Exhaled nitric oxide (FE NO ) is a reliable non-invasive marker of airway inflammat... more Introduction: Exhaled nitric oxide (FE NO ) is a reliable non-invasive marker of airway inflammation. In 2003 FE NO chemiluminescence analyzer (NIOX Ò ; Aerocrine AB, Solna, Sweden) was approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration for monitoring asthma therapy. Recently, the same company developed a portable device using electrochemical sensors (NIOX-MINO Ò ; Aerocrine AB). The aim of our study was to compare NIOX-MINO Ò FE NO values to those obtained by NIOX Ò and to calculate a correction equation. Methods: Two adequate measurements obtained by NIOX Ò and NIOX-MINO Ò were recorded in 32 subjects (16 females, mean age 41 years). Results: FE NO values measured by NIOX-MINO Ò were systematically higher than those obtained by NIOX Ò (47.1 ppb, IC 95% 35.2e59.1 and 36.9 ppb, IC 95% 25.0e49.0, respectively). There was a significant correlation (r Z 0.998, p < 0.001) between FE NO measured by the two analyzers and the following conversion equation was calculated as: FE NO(NIOX Ò ) Z À1.656(SE Z 0.61) þ 0.808(SE Z 0.009) Â FE NO(NIOX-MINO Ò ) Discussion: FE NO values measured by the portable nitric oxide analyzer are reliable and strongly correlated with values obtained by the standard stationary device, with a systematic difference observed between the two instruments' values that can be described by the conversion equation we provided. This equation will help clinicians and researchers to compare data obtainable by the two analyzers. a v a i l a b l e a t w w w . s c i e n c e d i r e c t . c o m j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w . e l s e v i e r . c o m / l o c a t e / r m e d Respiratory Medicine (2008) 102, 1272e1275

Journal of Infection, 2014

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) contact tracing is a valid public health measure to control the spr... more Background: Tuberculosis (TB) contact tracing is a valid public health measure to control the spread of TB infection in low-burden settings. The aim of this study was to assess the yield of the Piedmont TB contact investigation program and to evaluate the role of its main determinants. Methods: The Piedmont TB notification systems were used to identify index TB cases. All cases were classified by contagiousness (sputum-smear-positive, AFBþ; culture-positive, CULTþ; other-than-defined). TB contacts were screened for active and latent TB infection by clinical manifestations and Tuberculin Skin Test (TST). Results: 833 index TB cases with at least one contact were identified; 4441 contacts were screened, and 3942 (82.8%) were evaluated. TB contacts aged 35 years, regular and household contacts had a higher probability of being evaluated; foreign-born TB contacts were the least traceable. Higher rates of TB infection were observed in contacts at 35 years of age or younger who also lived in the same household with index cases or exposed to AFBþ or CULTþ index cases. Conclusion: More efforts should be focused on young TB contacts, since they are likely to be new infections. An early identification and treatment of TB Infection in this group contributes to the prevention and control of TB transmission. The program should also be extended to the contacts of CULTþ cases.

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2014

Purpose of this study was to study the oxidative stress status through the urinary 15-F 2t -isopr... more Purpose of this study was to study the oxidative stress status through the urinary 15-F 2t -isoprostane (15-F 2t -isoP) among a group of 168 adolescents, differently exposed to passive tobacco smoke. Subjects were enrolled, with written informed consent, between two populations of students living and attending school in two areas with different levels of urbanization in Piedmont Region, North-Western Italy. A general linear model (GLM) analysis was performed to evaluate the role of air pollution, dependent from selected degree of urbanization and of passive exposure to tobacco smoke, quantified through cotinine, in the synthesis of 15-F 2t -isoP, measured with ELISA technique.

Science of The Total Environment, 2007

Toxicological potential of carbon monoxide (CO) on humans is well known. Nevertheless, CO is stil... more Toxicological potential of carbon monoxide (CO) on humans is well known. Nevertheless, CO is still considered as a useful marker to detect some environmental and occupational human risk factors typical of cities. The role played by traffic pollution, indoor air quality in offices and tobacco smoke on the expression of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb%) levels was investigated in a large group of traffic policemen in Torino city (North-Western Italy). At the end of the working shift, 228 policemen responded to a questionnaire, weight and height recorded, urine spot samples collected to measure cotinine as biomarker of tobacco smoke exposure, and an arterial blood sample was taken to measure COHb levels. Data of outdoor urban air-CO were collected and to each subject a "CO outdoor air measurement" was related to his/her COHb level. Considering the annual trend of air-CO pollution from 2002 to 2004, one can assume that a general improvement of air quality in Torino was evident. Taking into account the environments where policemen work (urban outdoor and indoor), and analyzing their COHb% content, the traffic-congested areas, and, in general, the outdoor urban environment were equally risky as offices. Furthermore, if compared to CO arising from trafficcongested areas or other outdoor environments, the traffic policemen in Torino city demonstrate COHb% levels largely due to smoking habits.