Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G Ruffato.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
In the present study fibrinogen was assayed by the immunonephelometric method in 19 patients afflicted with hepatocarcinoma and 24 patients afflicted with cirrhosis. The two groups were similar in age, sex and presence of HbsAg. The incidence of values above the norm was significantly greater in patients with hepatocarcinoma (p less than 0.05). Then, the concentration of fibrinogen was measured in all using two other immunological methods (Laurell and Mancini) and two coagulative methods (Clauss and Ratnoff). A dysfibrinogenemia (an excess of fibrinogen assayed by immunological methods to be greater than 100 mg/dl with respect to biological methods). is more frequent using the Nephelometer-Clauss (p less than 0.01) and Mancini-Clauss (p less than 0.01) methods in patients with hepatocarcinoma with respect to those with cirrhosis. The study of the kinetics of antifibrinogen antigen-antibody reaction failed to show differences between patients with hepatocarcinoma or cirrhosis and normal subjects.
Thirteen women and 2 men affected by Cushing's syndrome were investigated. The following parameters were used: plasma and urinary cortisol levels, factor VIII assay (antigen, activity and von Willebrand factor) together with other coagulative assays. Samples were taken before surgery or before medical and/or radiation therapy and every 30-50 days after treatment and continued for 11 months. Cortisol and factor VIII were increased before treatment and decreased slowly after treatment to become normal in 3-4 months. Other clotting tests did not show any significant changes. High plasma cortisol levels seem to stimulate the production of factor VIII. Patients with Cushing's syndrome often exhibit thromboembolic complications after surgery. The clotting abnormalities responsible for such complications may be due to increased factor VIII activities.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Prothrombin antigen concentration was evaluated by means of laser nephelometry in 10 patients on coumarin therapy, in 17 patients with cirrhosis of the liver, and in four patients with congenital hypo- or dysprothrombinemias. The average values obtained were 46.4, 37.7, and 35.6%, respectively, for anticoagulated, cirrhotic, and congenitally abnormal patients. These values correlated well with those obtained by means of electroimmunoassay (Laurell) and immunodiffusion (Mancini) methods. Similarly, satisfactory results were obtained in eight normal subjects. Multiple evaluations at different incubation times, also allowed the authors to construct kinetic curves of the interaction between antigen and antibody. However, an abnormal kinetic curve was demonstrated only for coumarin-treated patients.
14 heterozygote patients, belonging to three families with factor VII Padua defect were investigated. All patients were asymptomatic but presented a mild prolongation of prothrombin time. Factor VII activity varied between 45 and 61% of normal and no overlap was found with the homozygous or the normal populations. On the contrary, factor VII cross-reacting material was normal. A good negative correlation was found between factor VII level and prothrombin times. All patients came from the same valley of northeastern Italy. This valley, the Piave river valley, is not far from the valley where the factor X Friuli defect was found. The significance of this peculiar geographical distribution of the two abnormalities is unknown.
Laser nephelometry was used to characterize an abnormal antithrombin III (AT III Padua) in comparison with normal antithrombin. Heparinized (0.2 IU/ml) or non-heparinized AT III Padua plasma reacts with Laser nephelometry antithrombin III antiserum in a different way compared with pooled normal plasma. There is in fact a slower antigen-antibody reaction during the first 40-45 min both in AT III Padua heparinized and non-heparinized plasmas, compared with pooled normal plasma; then the kinetics overlap. On the contrary the concentrations of antithrombin III Padua in percent correlate well with those obtained by Mancini's and Laurell's methods. These data indicate that Laser nephelometry is suitable for AT III antigen determinations and may also supply useful information for the characterization of abnormal clotting factors.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.