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Dive into the research topics where M Taccola is active.

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Featured researches published by M Taccola.


Respiration | 2003

Shuttle Walking Test and 6-Minute Walking Test Induce a Similar Cardiorespiratory Performance in Patients Recovering from an Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Barbara Vagaggini; M Taccola; S Severino; M Marcello; Sandra Antonelli; S Brogi; C. De Simone; A Giardina; Pier Luigi Paggiaro

Background: The incremental shuttle walking test (SWT) has recently been proposed as a more valid and reproducible alternative to the conventional 6-min walking test (6MWT) in the evaluation of exercise tolerance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Objective: To compare the cardiorespiratory performance obtained during two sessions of SWT with that obtained during two sessions of 6MWT. Methods: We examined 18 patients (forced expiratory volume in 1 s: 48 ± 14%) recovering from an acute exacerbation of COPD that had required hospitalization. In the same afternoon, each patient performed two SWT and two 6MWT, with an interval of at least 30 min between each test; the sequence of the tests was randomized. Results: Mean walking distance was greater in the second SWT test than in the first SWT. The changes from baseline in systolic blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and dyspnea Borg index at the end of the test were similar between the two 6MWT and the two SWT. There was a highly significant correlation between walking distances measured during SWT and during 6MWT (ρ: 0.85, p < 0.0005). Neither SWT nor 6MWT correlated with functional data of COPD. Conclusions: SWT, though being considered to be closer to a submaximal exercise test than 6MWT, does not induce a greater cardiorespiratory performance than 6MWT in patients recovering from acute exacerbation of COPD.


European Respiratory Journal | 1996

Effect of short-term NO2 exposure on induced sputum in normal, asthmatic and COPD subjects

Barbara Vagaggini; Pier Luigi Paggiaro; D Giannini; A Di Franco; Silvana Cianchetti; S Carnevali; M Taccola; Elena Bacci; L Bancalari; Fl Dente; Carlo Giuntini

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of short-term exposure to low levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) on airway inflammation. We studied seven normal, eight mild asthmatic and seven chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) subjects. All subjects were exposed to air or to 0.3 parts per million (ppm) NO2 for 1 h, with moderate intermittent exercise, on different days and in random order. Before and 2 h after exposure, symptom score and results of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were assessed. All subjects performed nasal lavage and hypertonic saline (HS) inhalation to collect sputum 2 h after both exposures. Asthmatic subjects had a higher percentage of eosinophils than normal and COPD subjects in HS-induced sputum after air (asthmatics: median 13 (range 0.4-37)%; normals: 0 (range 0-2)%; COPD 1.8 (range 0.1-19)%), whilst COPD patients showed a higher percentage of neutrophils than the two others groups. No significant differences in PFT values or percentages of inflammatory cells were observed in nasal lavage and in HS-induced sputum in normal, asthmatic and COPD subjects after NO2 exposure compared to air exposure, except for a mild decrease in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) 2 h after NO2 exposure in COPD patients. Symptom score showed a mild increase after NO2 exposure both in normal subjects and in COPD patients. We conclude that short-term exposure to 0.3 ppm nitrogen dioxide does not induce an early detectable acute inflammation in proximal airways of normal subjects or of patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.


Journal of Asthma | 2003

Analysis of sputum cell counts during spontaneous moderate exacerbations of asthma in comparison to the stable phase.

Antonella Di Franco; Maria Laura Bartoli; S Carnevali; Silvana Cianchetti; Elena Bacci; Federico L. Dente; D Giannini; M Taccola; Barbara Vagaggini; Pier Luigi Paggiaro

Background. Acute airway inflammation is considered to characterize asthma exacerbations, but its specific cellular pattern has not yet been completely evaluated. Aim. To evaluate the prevalence of sputum eosinophilia during acute asthma exacerbations of moderate severity, compared with a stable phase of the disease, and to assess the concordance between changes in pulmonary function and sputum eosinophilia in the period between exacerbation and post exacerbation. Methods. We compared sputum and blood inflammatory cell counts in 29 asthmatic subjects during a spontaneous moderate exacerbation of asthma (visit 1) with sputum and blood cell counts measured 4 weeks after the resolution of asthma exacerbation (visit 2). At visit 1, all subjects required an appropriate 1 week treatment with oral corticosteroids. Results. At visit 1, all subjects were able to collect spontaneous sputum, whereas at visit 2 sputum was induced by inhalation of hypertonic saline (NaCl 3, 4, and 5%, 10 minutes each) with β2-agonist pretreatment. Asthma exacerbation was accompanied by a significant increase in sputum eosinophil percentages compared with levels after exacerbation [25%(1–78) versus 4%(0–23), p<0.05). Only four subjects showed low sputum eosinophil percentages during exacerbation, and these showed no differences in main clinical findings with respect to subjects with sputum eosinophilia. At visit 2, the stability of asthma was assessed on the basis of PEF, FEV1, symptoms, and use of rescue β2-agonist. Asthma was defined as stable in 21 out of 29 subjects. Sputum eosinophil percentages fell significantly between visit 1 and visit 2 in both stable and unstable patients, but at visit 2 sputum eosinophil percentages were still high in subjects with unstable asthma. In patients who proved to be stable at visit 2, there was a significant correlation between the changes recorded in sputum eosinophil percentages and in FEV1 between the two visits (rho: 0.723, p<0.001). Conclusion. Sputum eosinophil but not neutrophil percentages increase in most asthmatic subjects during moderate exacerbation of asthma. Changes in the degree of airway eosinophilic inflammation are related to changes in the severity of airway obstruction during asthma exacerbation.


Allergy | 1997

Blood markers of early and late airway responses to allergen in asthmatic subjects. Relationship with functional findings.

L Bancalari; Fl Dente; Silvana Cianchetti; C Prontera; M Taccola; Elena Bacci; A Carletti; A Di Franco; D Giannini; Barbara Vagaggini; M Ferdeghini; Pier Luigi Paggiaro

We evaluated the relationship between blood markers of mast‐cell (plasma histamine and serum level of heat‐stable neutrophil chemotactic activity [NCA]) and eosinophil (serum eosinophil cationic protein [ECP]) activation during early airway response (EAR) and late airway response (LAR) to allergen inhalation in 24 asthmatic subjects. After EAR, 14 subjects showed significant LAR (FEV1 fall: 25%), while 10 subjects showed equivocal LAR (FEV1 fall: 15–20%). A significant increase from baseline value was observed in plasma histamine and in serum NCA during both EAR and LAR, while serum ECP significantly increased only during LAR. The sensitivity of different markers to detect significant FEV1 fall during EAR and LAR was low, except for NCA. Changes in blood mediators were similar in both groups with significant and equivocal LAR. There was a significant relationship between the increase in NCA during EAR and the severity of LAR. Stepwise regression between changes in different blood markers showed a significant relationship between histamine increase during EAR and ECP increase during LAR. Thus, serum NCA is a more sensitive marker of EAR and LAR than plasma histamine and serum ECP, and its increase during EAR seems predictive of the severity of the subsequent LAR.


Journal of Asthma | 2002

Quality evaluation of samples obtained by spontaneous or induced sputum: comparison between two methods of processing and relationship with clinical and functional findings

Ml Bartoli; Elena Bacci; S Carnevali; Silvana Cianchetti; Fl Dente; A Di Franco; D Giannini; M Taccola; Barbara Vagaggini; Pier Luigi Paggiaro

The aim of the study was to assess, on a large group of spontaneous or induced sputum samples, the difference in quality between slides processed by two different methods, and the relationship between quality assessment and some clinical and functional characteristics of the examined subjects. We examined 631 sputum samples obtained from 337 subjects with proven (n = 291) or suspected bronchial asthma. Of these, 467 samples were processed using the whole-sample method (Group I), while 164 samples were processed using the plug method (Group II). Salivary contamination, cell distribution on the slide, and cell borders were evaluated, and samples were classified as inadequate, adequate, or good. Inadequate samples were equally represented in both groups, while good samples were represented more in Group II. No significant difference in most clinical and functional findings was observed between the different quality categories of both groups. A higher proportion of inadequate samples was observed in Group I samples spontaneously collected. Mild intermittent asthmatics produced a better quality of slides in comparison with other groups of asthma severity. In conclusion, sputum quality partially depends on the different methods of sputum collection and/or processing, although the percentage of inadequate samples is similar for the two methods of processing. Sputum quality is only marginally affected by clinical and functional characteristics of asthma, or by asthma severity.


American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine | 2002

Ozone Exposure Increases Eosinophilic Airway Response Induced by Previous Allergen Challenge

Barbara Vagaggini; M Taccola; Silvana Cianchetti; S Carnevali; Maria Laura Bartoli; Elena Bacci; Federico L. Dente; Antonella Di Franco; D Giannini; Pier Luigi Paggiaro


American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine | 2001

Budesonide Reduces Neutrophilic but Not Functional Airway Response to Ozone in Mild Asthmatics

Barbara Vagaggini; M Taccola; Ilaria Conti; S Carnevali; Silvana Cianchetti; Maria Laura Bartoli; Elena Bacci; Federico L. Dente; Antonelia Di Franco; D Giannini; Pier Luigi Paggiaro


European Respiratory Journal | 1999

Airway inflammatory response to ozone in subjects with different asthma severity

Barbara Vagaggini; S Carnevali; P Macchioni; M Taccola; E Fornai; Elena Bacci; Ml Bartoli; Silvana Cianchetti; Fl Dente; A Di Franco; D Giannini; Pier Luigi Paggiaro


Respiratory Medicine | 2004

Clinical assessment of asthma severity partially corresponds to sputum eosinophilic airway inflammation

Ml Bartoli; Elena Bacci; S Carnevali; Silvana Cianchetti; Fl Dente; A Di Franco; D Giannini; M Taccola; Barbara Vagaggini; Pierluigi Paggiaro


Pulmonary Pharmacology & Therapeutics | 2001

Effects of Inhaled Corticosteroids on Cough Threshold in Patients with Bronchial Asthma

A Di Franco; Fl Dente; D Giannini; Barbara Vagaggini; Ilaria Conti; P Macchioni; L. Scuotri; M Taccola; Elena Bacci; Pier Luigi Paggiaro

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