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C Dive

Publications and source records attributed to C Dive.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Changes in size, subclass, and metabolic properties of serum immunoglobulin A in liver diseases and in other diseases with high serum immunoglobulin A.

We have studied the relative contributions of monomeric (m-) and polymeric IgA (p-IgA) and of IgA1 and IgA2 to total serum IgA in healthy adults and patients with liver disease (LD) or with other diseases and high serum IgA. Serum concentration of total secretory component (SC) was also determined. In addition, fractional catabolic rates (FCR) and synthetic rates for both m- and p-IgA were measured in nine controls and nine cirrhotics. Our results support four main conclusions: (a) In healthy adults, intravascular p-IgA contributes to only 4-22% (mean 12%) of serum IgA, because its FCR and synthetic rate are approximately two times higher and four times smaller, respectively, than those of intravascular m-IgA. (b) in LD, biliary obstruction does not result in a significant increase in serum p-IgA unlike in rats and rabbits, indicating that in humans the SC-dependent biliary transport of p-IgA plays a much less significant role in selective removal of p-IgA from plasma than in rats and rabbits. (c) In contrast to biliary obstruction, parenchymal LD results in a significant and preferential increase in serum p-IgA, which in cirrhotics correlates with a selective reduction of the p-IgA-FCR. This supports a role for the human liver in selective removal of p-IgA from plasma, but another mechanism than the SC-dependent biliary transport should be considered. (d) Total SC, p-IgA, and IgA2 in serum are unlinked parameters, not necessarily reflecting mucosal events. A marked increase in serum SC occurs almost selectively in LD. Although a shift to IgA2 is suggested in Crohn's disease and alcoholic cirrhosis, a shift to IgA1 frequently associated to a shift to p-IgA occurs in chronic active LD, primary Sicca, and connective tissue diseases.

Adult↗

Breath 14CO2 after intravenous administration of [14C]aminopyrine in liver diseases.

The determination of of 14CO2 in breath after oral administration of [14C]aminopyrine has been proposed as a quantitative liver function test. In order to shorten the procedure and avoid misinterpretations related to variable rates of intestinal absorption, the [14C]aminopyrine breath test (ABT) was performed after intravenous administration of [14C]aminopyrine in 21 controls and 89 patients with biopsy-proven liver disease. The specific activity of the first hour sample corrected for body weight (SA1) was the most discriminant expression of breath data. The SA1 value, expressed as the percentage of the administered dose, was 0.86 +/- 0.1% (mean +/- SD) in controls and significantly less in patients (0.46 +/- 0.31%). Low values were observed in patients with untreated chronic active hepatitis (0.16 +/- 0.13%), alcoholic cirrhosis (0.2 +/ 0.15%0, and untreated postnecrotic cirrhosis (0.47 +/- 0.17%). In contrast, normal values were obtained in chronic persistent hepatitis (0.86 +/- 0.13%) and 58% of noncirrhotic alcoholic liver diseases (0.83 +/- 0.27%). The results of duplicate studies were reproducible and SA1 correlated with other conventional liver function tests, including 45-min BSP retention. Among these, ABT was the most sensitive screening test for the presence of cirrhosis, especially in alcoholic patients, where it allowed a sharp distinction between cirrhotic and noncirrhotic cases. The results obtained in chronic hepatitis suggested that ABT may provide a reliable index of the activity of the disease. In our hands, intravenous ABT, performed over a 1-hr period, was a fast, sensitive, and discriminant liver function test.

Administration, Oral↗

Selective transport of polymeric immunoglobulin A in bile. Quantitative relationships of monomeric and polymeric immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin M, and other proteins in serum, bile, and saliva.

In 17 adults, serum, hepatic bile, and saliva samples were analyzed for their sedimentation profile of IgA and secretory component (SC), and for their concentrations of albumin, orosomucoid, transferrin, IgG, IgA, alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M), IgM, and SC. Polymeric IgA(p-IgA) averaged 13% (50-700 micrograms/ml) of total IgA in serum, 70% (43-88%) in bile, and 93% (74-98%) in saliva. Most of the p-IgA in bile sedimented with SC, which also occurred free (8-44%), and with IgM. In bile, albumin (155-1,485 micrograms/ml) was the predominant protein, followed by IgG (32-480 micrograms/ml), and total IgA (37-209 micrograms/ml). In saliva, p-IgA (72-902 micrograms/ml) predominated, followed by albumin (16-385 micrograms/ml) and IgG (9-178 micrograms/ml). Secretion-to-serum albumin-relative concentration ratios (S/S-ARCR = 1 for albumin) in bile averaged 22 for p-IgA, 1.91 for IgM, 1.28 for monomeric IgA (m-IgA), 0.70 for IgG, and 0.57 for alpha 2M, indicating for p-IgA, IgM, and to a lesser extent for m-IgA, a selective excretion into bile. In saliva, a 16-fold greater selective excretion of p-IgA (mean S/S-ARCR = 354) was found. Labeled m- and p-IgA were injected intravenously into five patients. Specific activities indicated that for p-IgA 50% was serum derived in bile, as compared with 2% in saliva, and to 85% for m-IgA in bile. In the patient with the highest excretion of 125I-p-IgA in bile, only 2.8% of the injected dose was recovered in bile within 24 h after injection. Compared with rats and rabbits, the serum-to-bile transport of p-IgA in humans is much smaller.

Bile↗

Serum IgM-bound secretory component (sIgM) in liver diseases: comparative molecular state of the secretory component in serum and bile.

The sera of 15 patients with liver disease and high serum concentrations of secretory component (SC) were analyzed by density gradient ultracentrifugation and radioimmunoassays for SC, IgA, and IgM to determine the molecular state of SC and IgA. Results in serum were compared to those obtained by simultaneous analysis of bile in five of the patients, and to those in serum and bile of a case of total IgA deficiency. Free SC was virtually not found in sera, although it was well represented in all bile, up to 88 and 97% of total bile SC in a case of complete biliary obstruction and in IgA deficiency, respectively. IgM-bound SC was found in all sera, amounting to 91% and 100% of total serum SC, respectively, in a case of acute hepatitis with a very high serum IgM concentration and in IgA deficiency. The proportions of SC bound to IgM and to polymeric IgA (p-IgA) in the sera correlated with their IgM/p-IgA molar ratio. This suggests that during liver disease, the hepatobiliary tissues could release free SC into the circulation, where it binds to p-IgA and IgM according to their respective concentrations and affinities for SC. The proportion of p-IgA in serum was not increased in four cases of biliary obstruction, in contrast to our cases of cirrhosis and acute hepatitis, indirectly supporting a minor transfer of p-IgA from blood to bile in humans, in contrast to rats and rabbits.

Acute Disease↗

Controlled trial of cimetidine in reflux esophagitis.

In an eight-week double-blind trial, the effectiveness of cimetidine (1.6 g/day) was compared to placebo in 34 patients with symptomatic esophagitis confirmed by endoscopy with biopsies and/or by acid infusion test. Patients treated with cimetidine had significantly less symptomatic days during the first six weeks and less symptomatic nights during the first two weeks, and they consumed less antacids during the whole trial period. Endoscopic evaluation of 17 patients on cimetidine and of 15 patients on placebo did not show any significant difference in severity and extent of esophageal lesions after eight weeks, but histological assessment of 16 patients on cimetidine and 13 patients on placebo showed a significant improvement after eight weeks of cimetidine (P < 0.025). These results show that cimetidine has a rapid effect on symptoms of reflux esophagitis and that, in some cases, it may reduce the esophageal lesions after eight weeks.

Administration, Oral↗

Circulating immune complexes and disease activity in Crohn's disease.

Circulating immune complexes were determined in 59 consecutive patients with Crohn's disease and 100 blood donors by a double method based on the inhibition of the agglutinating activity of CIq and/or rheumatoid factor on the IgG-coated polystyrene particles. In patients, the incidence of positive immune complexes was 63% and 61% at first testing, 85% and 78% at subsequent determinations; there was a good correlation between the inhibition titres of CIq and those of rheumatoid factor (p less than 0.001). In blood donors, the incidence was 22% and 14% at low titre. The incidence of immune complexes was the lowest (36%) in the group of resected patients without signs of relapse; repeat determinations showed absence of immune complexes three months postoperatively. In patients medically treated for primary disease or relapse, rheumatoid factor titre higher than 1/1 was less frequent than in medically untreated patients with active disease (p less than 0.01). A significantly higher concentration of serum alpha-1-antitrypsin and orosomucoid, and a significantly lower level of serum iron were found in patients with an IC titre exceeding 1/1; longitudinal studies showed in most cases a concordance between the evolution of immune complex titres, inflammatory parameters and clinical status.

Adolescent↗