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Biomedical subjects

G M Baldini

Publications and source records attributed to G M Baldini.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Management of plasmapheresis in Italy.

In Italy, under current legislation, blood collection and productive plasmapheresis are managed by the National Health Service, either directly or indirectly. Donation is voluntary and unpaid. The promotion of donation is addressed to the whole of the population and the organization of periodical donors in associations is encouraged. Donor selection aims at guaranteeing the utmost security of both donors and recipients. Selection procedures are specified by law. Private industries fractionate the source plasma into derivatives. The National Blood and Plasma Plan has an objective to reach an availability of 2,280,000 units of whole blood (i.e. 40 units/1,000 inhabitants) and of 800,000 1 of plasma/annum. At present, whole blood collection covers over 80% of national needs, while plasma production satisfies over 60% of national needs. Self sufficiency in blood and plasma has not so far been achieved. In 1994 the amount of apheresis plasma covers 30% of the amount necessary to achieve self sufficiency. In Italy the technology for plasma collection by apheresis is already adequate in order to reach the above-mentioned objective. On the other hand, in order to reach self-sufficiency, the number of donors undergoing apheresis procedures seems completely insufficient, thus indicating that the priority objective should be the recruitment of new plasma donors.

Humans↗
PubMed1989

Characterization of estrogen receptor from human liver.

Characterization of the estrogen receptor in cytosol from human male liver was undertaken to further understanding of the molecular basis of estrogen action in this tissue. By analysis of estrogen binding data of crude cytosol, saturable estrogen binding showed a Kd = 4.7 X 10(-10) M. High levels of nonsaturable binding were also detected. The estrogen-binding activities detected could be distinguished by their steroid specificity, hydrodynamic parameters, ionic properties, and sensitivity to proteolytic attack. Our findings also confirmed that the moderate-affinity estrogen binders found in rodent liver cannot be detected in human tissue. We concluded that the properties of estrogen receptor of human liver cytosol allow its separation from nonsaturable estrogen-binding components.

Centrifugation, Density Gradient↗
PubMed1988

Risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in Italy. Male sex, hepatitis B virus, non-A non-B infection, and alcohol.

To investigate risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Italy--a country with medium (south: 5% to 10%) to low (north: 1% to 2%) incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection--we studied 646 consecutive patients: 58 chronic active hepatitis (CAH), 428 cirrhosis, and 160 HCC, 49% from Southern and 51% from Northern Italy. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was positive in 41.4% of the CAH, in 23.1% of cirrhotic patients, and in 26.2% of HCC. In the latter, HBV DNA assay increased the number of subjects with active HBV infection by about 12%. Alcohol abuse was evenly distributed in all three categories of HBV markers. Males were preferentially affected. The HCC was superimposed on cirrhosis in more than 90% of patients. Our data suggest that, in our epidemiologic setting, different factors (HBV, non-A, non-B agents, alcohol) may cooperate in the development of HCC, mainly through their potential for causing cirrhosis.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ethanol-induced increase in cytosolic estrogen receptors in human male liver: a possible explanation for biochemical feminization in chronic liver disease due to alcohol.

The hepatic cytosolic estrogen receptor content was measured in liver samples from patients with normal livers and from patients with nonalcoholic cirrhosis, alcoholic cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis. The estrogen receptor content of normal liver was 5.2 +/- 3.5 fmoles per mg of cytosolic protein. Levels which were not significantly different from this were found in the samples from patients with nonalcoholic cirrhosis (2.1 +/- 2.0 fmoles per mg of cytosolic protein). The cytosolic estrogen receptor content in the livers of patients with alcoholic cirrhosis who were abstaining was 4.2 +/- 3.6 fmoles per mg of cytosolic protein, but it increased to 10.4 +/- 4.9 fmoles per mg of protein in the livers of patients with alcoholic cirrhosis who were drinking, to 17.3 +/- 8.7 fmoles per mg of protein in the livers of patients with alcoholic hepatitis with cirrhosis and to 22.7 +/- 15.7 fmoles per mg of protein in the livers of patients with alcoholic hepatitis without cirrhosis. Alcohol abuse appeared, therefore, to induce an increase in the estrogen receptor content of human liver, especially in patients who were drinking and had histological evidence of acute liver damage (alcoholic hepatitis). The increase in hepatic estrogen receptor which we have observed may be involved in the molecular mechanisms underlying the feminization of the liver in alcoholic males.

Aged↗