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Biomedical subjects

C Gluud

Publications and source records attributed to C Gluud.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

Circulating immune complexes and complement concentrations in patients with alcoholic liver disease.

A prospective evaluation of circulating immune complexes (CIC) and the activity of the complement system was undertaken in 53 alcoholic patients just before diagnostic liver biopsy. Circulating immune complexes were detected in 39% of patients with alcoholic steatosis (n = 26), 58% of patients with alcoholic hepatitis (n = 12), and 60% of patients with alcoholic cirrhosis (n = 15). No significant difference was found between the three group of patients. The activity of the complement system was within reference limits in the majority of patients and only slight differences were detected between the three groups. No significant differences were observed in liver biochemistry and complement concentrations in CIC-positive and CIC-negative patients. Detection of CIC in patients with alcoholic liver disease does not seem to be of any diagnostic value or play any pathogenic role. The high prevalence of CIC in these patients may be due to a depressing effect of ethanol on clearance of CIC or to increased immunological reactivity, or to both.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Hepatitis B and A virus antibodies in alcoholic steatosis and cirrhosis.

Sera from 74 alcoholics with cirrhosis and 63 alcoholics with steatosis were tested for antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen, to hepatitis B core antigen, and to hepatitis A virus by radioimmunoassay or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. No significant difference between the two groups of alcoholics could be found concerning the prevalence of these antibodies. The total group of patients had antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen or hepatitis B core antigen, or both, significantly (p less than 0.001) more often (26%) than sex- and age-matched controls (4%). No significant difference was found between patients and controls concerning the prevalence of antibody to hepatitis A virus (46% v 40%). In patients with cirrhosis, no correlation between wedged hepatic vein pressure or wedged-to-free hepatic vein pressure and any of the viral antibodies could be established. The present results suggest that hepatitis B virus does not play a major role in the progression of alcoholic liver disease, but longitudinal studies are needed to solve this problem. The reason for the increased prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B virus in these patients is unknown.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Plasma testosterone and androstenedione in insulin dependent patients at time of diagnosis and during the first year of insulin treatment.

Ten male patients and 6 female patients with newly diagnosed insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and significant ketosis were studied before and during the first year of insulin treatment. At onset plasma concentrations of testosterone and androstenedione were significantly (P less than 0.02) decreased in female patients when compared to healthy sex- and age-matched controls. Plasma concentrations of testosterone and androstenedione increased significantly (P less than 0.001 and P less than 0.05) in both sexes during insulin therapy. Plasma concentrations of testosterone were not significantly different from controls in both sexes after 4 days of insulin treatment and remained so during the first year of insulin treatment. Plasma concentrations of androstendeione were not significantly different from controls in both sexes after 4 days of insulin treatment, but increased to levels significantly raised in both males (P less than 0.001) and females (P less than 0.05) after 7 days and during the first year of insulin treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Traveller's hepatitis. Origin and characteristics of cases in Copenhagen 1976-1978.

This study concerns 105 patients with acute viral hepatitis, apparently contracted abroad. They comprised 27% of all cases of traveller's hepatitis notified in Denmark during 1976 to 1978. 88% were HBsAg-negative, probably type A hepatitis. 85% of the patients were aged 18-45 years. Two-thirds of all patients had been on individual journeys for more than 2 weeks, mainly in Africa or Southern Asia. Areas of risk for tourist group travellers (30 cases) were established to be Northern and Central Africa. The data support the present restricted use of immune serum globulin rather than general prophylaxis to all travellers.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1981

Gamma-glutamyltransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase as markers of alcohol consumption in out-patient alcoholics.

Serum activity of gamma-glutamyltransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase were determined in 316 patients attending an out-patients clinic for treatment of alcoholism. The activity of gamma-glutamyltransferase was raised in 34% and that of aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase in 18% and 7%. Neither the activity of gamma-glutamyltransferase, aspartate aminotransferase nor alkaline phosphatase showed any significant (P greater than 0.05) correlation with the history of alcohol consumption. The activities of gamma-glutamyltransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were raised significantly more often in patients with recent alcohol consumption than in patients who had abstained for more than 9 days. The concentration of alkaline phosphatase was not significantly (P greater than 0.05) different in these groups. The predictive value of raised and normal activities of gamma-glutamyltransferase, in deciding whether a patient had had recent alcohol consumption or not, was not superior to the predictive value of raised and normal activities of aspartate aminotransferase.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Pituitary-testicular function in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver.

In forty-two patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and without recent alcohol ingestion the pituitary-testicular function was studied in an effort to relate the endocrine abnormalities with the degree of liver cell dysfunction, evaluated on a quantitative basis. Compared with values in twenty-one healthy controls, we found significantly elevated serum oestrone, oestradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and prolactin (P less than 0.01). Serum dehydro-epiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate were significantly reduced in the cirrhotics (P less than 0.01), whereas serum testosterone was not significantly different from that in the controls. Raised levels of sex-hormone binding globulin were found in 71% (22/31) of the patients (median 8 x 10(-18) mol/l, range 3-17 x 10(-8) mol/l). The incidence of gynaecomastia (38%), cutaneous spiders (67%), testicular atrophy (24%) and reduced axillary hair (71%) was without significant relation to raised levels of sex-hormone binding globulin or progressively reduced liver function. In the presence of clinical or hormonal hypo-gonadism we found evidence of a state of primary hypogonadism together with an inadequate secretion of gonadotropins. The state of hyperoestrogenaemia and the concentration of gonadotropins were significantly correlated to the hepatic synthesis of coagulation factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Isolation of Mallory bodies and an attempt to demonstrate cell mediated immunity to Mallory body isolate in patients with alcoholic liver disease.

Mallory bodies were isolated from necropsy livers from patients with alcoholic hepatitis with and without cirrhosis with a Ficoll viscosity barrier. The purity of Mallory bodies in the isolate varied between 70 and 90%, estimated by counting Mallory bodies and non-Mallory body structures in haematoxylin-eosin stained smears. Electron microscopy confirmed the presence of Mallory bodies in the isolates. The Mallory body isolate was used as antigen in the agarose leucocyte migration inhibition test in order to test the cell-mediated immunity. No significant difference in leucocyte migration was found between controls and patients with alcoholic hepatitis, alcoholic steatosis, alcoholic cirrhosis and miscellaneous liver diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Short-term parenteral and peroral testosterone administration in men with alcoholic cirrhosis.

Serum concentrations of testosterone were measured in 24 male patients with alcoholic cirrhosis during testosterone administration. The purpose was to compare serum concentrations of testosterone during peroral with those during parenteral testosterone administration in these patients. Patients who were injected intramuscularly with a combination of short- and long-acting testosterone (Triolandren, 348 mg testosterone) had median peak values of serum testosterone of about 40 ng/ml, which fell to basal levels after a fortnight. During testosterone propionate injections (84 mg testosterone) every other day, rather constant serum concentrations with median values of about 30 ng/ml were reached after 4 days. Peroral testosterone administration (800 mg micronized free testosterone) each day also resulted in fairly constant serum concentrations after 4 days, and the median values were about 50 ng/ml. No side effects were observed.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1981

Autoantibodies, histocompatibility antigens and testosterone in males with alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

Titres and immunoglobulin classes of autoantibodies were examined in 69 male patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and the findings were related to particular human leucocyte antigens and serum concentration of testosterone. Both anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) and smooth muscle antibodies (SMA) were significantly more prevalent in patients with cirrhosis than in sex- and age-matched controls. Antimitochondrial antibodies and liver cell membrane antibody were found in 4% of the patients, and in none of the controls, but this difference was not significant. Patients with HLA-B8 and/or HLA-B12 had higher titres of ANA (n.s.) and SMA (P less than 0.05) than patients without these HLA antigens. Serum concentrations of testosterone were significantly lower in ANA-positive patients than in those negative (P less than 0.05), and a similar tendency was found in SMA-positive patients. With increasing titres of ANA the concentration of testosterone fell. Serum concentration of testosterone correlated inversely (P less than 0.05) with plasma immunoglobulin G and A. It is concluded that both genetic and hormonal factors may influence the humoral immune response in these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Human leucocyte antigens in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

No significant differences in the frequencies of HLA-B8, -B40, and other HLA-A, -B, and -C phenotypes were found among patients with histologically verified alcoholic cirrhosis compared with normal controls when the p values were multiplied by the number of comparisons. This was found both in the present study of 45 patients and in the combined data of this and three other similar studies. However, these findings do not rule out that alcoholic cirrhosis might be associated with HLA factors (for example. HLA-D/DR antigens) controlling immune responses.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prognostic value of Child-Turcotte criteria in medically treated cirrhosis.

The Child- Turcotte criteria (CTC) (based on serum bilirubin and albumin, ascites, neurological disorder and nutrition) are established prognostic factors in patients with cirrhosis having portacaval shunt surgery. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of CTC in conservatively treated cirrhosis. Patients (n = 245) with histologically verified cirrhosis from a control group of a controlled clinical trial were studied. Data at entry into the trial were used to classify patients according to CTC. Survival curves for up to 16 years were made, and survival rates were compared using the log-rank test. Survival decreased significantly with increasing degree of abnormality (A----B----C) of albumin (p less than 0.001), ascites (p less than 0.001), bilirubin (p = 0.02) and nutritional status (p = 0.03). Survival was insignificantly influenced by neurological status (p = 0.11) probably because none of the patients had hepatic coma at entry into the trial. The five variables in CTC were combined to a score. With increasing score, the median survival time decreased from 6.4 years (score 5) to 2 months (scores 12 or more). Furthermore, the mortality from hepatic failure, gastrointestinal bleeding or hepatocellular carcinoma increased significantly with increasing score. CTC provide valuable and easily obtainable prognostic information in cirrhosis. However, CTC are inferior to a prognostic index based on multivariate analysis of prognostic factors.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Correlation between liver morphology and portal pressure in alcoholic liver disease.

In 14 alcoholic patients, the degree of hepatic architectural destruction was graded (preserved architecture; nodules alternating with preserved architecture; totally destroyed architecture) and related to portal pressure. A positive correlation was found between the degree of architectural destruction and both wedged hepatic vein pressure (r = 0.72, p less than 0.01) and wedged-to-free hepatic vein pressure (r = 0.67, p less than 0.02). Degree of fatty change, fibrosis, inflammation, necrosis and occurrence of Mallory bodies showed no correlation with portal pressure. After morphometrical evaluation of liver biopsies, no significant correlation was found between mean hepatocyte volume or relative sinusoidal vascular volume and portal pressure. To test whether an increase in hepatocyte volume compresses the vascular structures and causes portal hypertension, the ratio of relative sinusoidal vascular volume to mean hepatocyte volume, which expresses the compression of the vascular structures exerted by enlargement of hepatocytes, was related to portal pressure. No significant correlation was found. Further, mean hepatocyte volume was not significantly correlated to relative sinusoidal vascular volume. The present findings are in accordance with the hypothesis that elevated hepatic vascular resistance and portal pressure in alcoholic liver disease are in part determined by the severity of the hepatic architectural destruction and subsequent distorsion and compression of the efferent vein system. Parenchymal changes, including changes in hepatocyte volume, seem to be of minor importance.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prognostic indicators in alcoholic cirrhotic men.

The relationships between portal pressure, liver function and clinical variables on one hand and development of variceal hemorrhage and death on the other were investigated in 58 men with newly diagnosed alcoholic cirrhosis. Portal pressure was determined during hepatic vein catheterization as wedged minus free hepatic vein pressure, and median pressure was 14 mm Hg (range = 3 to 26 mm Hg). Fourteen of 31 patients (45%) had esophageal varices at upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (the size being considered large in nine patients). During follow-up (median = 31 months; range = 2 to 51 months), 12 patients (21%) developed variceal hemorrhage. Applying Cox's regression analysis, information about previous variceal bleeding (p = 0.0046), large varices at endoscopy (p = 0.012), hepatic vein pressure gradient (p = 0.0056) and indocyanine green clearance (p = 0.038) all contained significant prognostic information regarding development of variceal hemorrhage, even when easily obtained variables with known prognostic information were included [modified Child-Turcotte's criteria and incapacitation index (a weighted sum of days without normal health)]. During follow-up, 17 patients (29%) died. Applying Cox's regression analysis, large varices at endoscopy (p = 0.012) and hepatic vein pressure gradient (p = 0.019) contained significant prognostic information regarding death, in addition to the information contained in the modified Child-Turcotte's criteria and incapacitation index. In conclusion, prediction of prognosis in alcoholic cirrhotic men may be significantly improved by information about size of esophageal varices and level of portal pressure.

Adult↗