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Biomedical subjects

M Coltorti

Publications and source records attributed to M Coltorti.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Hepatitis C virus RNA in serum and liver histology in asymptomatic anti-HCV positive subjects.

This study was designed to evaluate serum HCV-RNA, liver histology, and RIBA-II pattern in asymptomatic anti-HCV positive subjects with persistently normal or slightly (i.e. < or = 1.5 times the upper limit of the normal range) elevated serum ALT levels. To this purpose, 22 asymptomatic anti-HCV positive subjects (11 men and 11 women, median age 40, range 21-70 years) underwent liver biopsy and determination of serum HCV-RNA. Positivity for anti-HCV was determined by ELISA-2 and by RIBA-II. Serum HCV-RNA was determined by PCR. Our data show that: 1) 9/22 symptom-free, anti-HCV positive subjects had histological features of chronic liver disease associated with ongoing HCV infection; 2) four subjects had no histological signs of chronic hepatitis and normal serum ALT levels despite positivity for serum HCV-RNA; 3) serum ALT levels did not discriminate HCV-RNA positive subjects with from those without chronic hepatitis; 4) in anti-HCV positive subjects with normal serum ALT levels, a positive RIBA-II pattern was not always predictive of HCV viraemia or chronic hepatitis while an indeterminate RIBA-II pattern was frequently associated with nonspecific liver changes or normal histology. In conclusion, based on these findings, "true" healthy carriers of HCV (i.e. subjects with normal serum ALT levels and no histological features of chronic hepatitis despite HCV viraemia) may exist.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in the household contacts of patients with HCV-related chronic liver disease.

It is still controversial whether the familial environment plays a role in the diffusion of HCV infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of anti-HCV positivity in the household contacts of patients with HCV-related chronic hepatitis. Nearly all the household contacts of 113 subjects with anti-HCV+ chronic hepatitis (100/113 spouses and 260/290 children) were investigated. Anti-HCV was determined by means of ELISA II and was confirmed by RIBA II. Anti-HCV positivity was found in 27% of the spouses and in 1.9% of the children. Prevalence of anti-HCV positivity in spouses correlated positively with the duration of the marital status. Seventeen/32 (53.1%) of anti-HCV-positive subjects were found to have chronic hepatitis. This study indicates that intrafamilial diffusion of HCV infection is mostly accounted for by horizontal, in particular spouse to spouse, transmission and that spouse to spouse transmission of HCV infection correlates positively with the duration of marital status.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The role of ranitidine infusion on glucose, insulin and C-peptide serum levels induced by oral glucose tolerance test in healthy subjects.

In 9 healthy subjects we evaluated the effect of a constant ranitidine infusion (100 mg) on glucose (mg/dl), insulin (microU/ml) and C-peptide (ng/ml) serum levels promoted by oral glucose tolerance test (75 g). Ranitidine significantly increased the area under concentration/time curves for glucose and insulin but not that of C-peptide. Our data indicate that ranitidine does not affect pancreatic insulin release nor peripheral glucose utilization and are consistent with the hypothesis that ranitidine influences the hepatic clearance of glucose and insulin both of which undergo high first-pass liver extraction.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The role of IgM anti-HBc in the etiologic diagnosis of HBsAg-positive acute and chronic hepatitis.

HBsAg, HBeAg, anti-HBc, anti-HBs, IgM anti-HAV, total and IgM anti-delta (RIA) and IgM anti-HBc (ELISA) have been determined on sera of 72 male patients with acute hepatitis (68 HBsAg positive and 4 anti-HBc-positive) at the onset of the disease and at 2, 4 and 6 months thereafter, and of 77 patients with HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis. The results indicate that testing for IgM anti-HBc in acute hepatitis is necessary to identify cases of hepatitis B even in the absence of positivity for HBsAg and/or HBeAg. HBsAg-positive cases, negative for IgM anti-HBc, were due to delta superinfection of chronic carriers of HBsAg. Recovery was always associated with negativity of IgM anti-HBc; IgM anti-HBc persistence was not found in all cases evolved to chronicity. In chronic hepatitis cases positivity for IgM anti-HBc was found only in 39% of the anti-delta-negative and only in 5.5% of the anti-delta-positive cases.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Phenotypic characterization of mononuclear cell infiltrate in chronic active hepatitis (CAH) of different etiology.

The morphologic characterization of portal and lobular infiltrates of chronic active hepatitis (CAH) was performed on liver biopsy sections from 18 patients: 6 HBsAg-positive/anti-delta-negative with tissue signs of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication, 6 HBsAg-positive/anti-delta-positive with tissue signs of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) replication, and 6 HBsAg-negative without clinical or serologic evidence of autoimmune disease. No statistically significant differences were found among all the three groups of patients studied. Results from the 6 HBsAg-negative cases with T4/T8 ratio greater than 1 confirm the differences reported between this type and autoimmune forms of CAH. The lack of statistically significant differences among patients with CAH of different etiology suggests that etiologic factors play a minor role in determining the characteristics of the inflammatory liver infiltrates.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Enterococcus lactic acid bacteria strain SF68 and lactulose in hepatic encephalopathy: a controlled study.

Forty cirrhotic patients with non-advanced hepatic encephalopathy were randomly allocated into groups which were given orally either two capsules three times daily of a preparation of Enterococcus lactic acid bacteria strain SF68 or 30 ml lactulose four times daily. The patients were evaluated over a 10-day course of treatment and for 10 days post-treatment. The Enterococcus SF68 preparation proved to be as effective as lactulose in lowering blood ammonia, and in improving mental state and psychometric performance. Moreover, the effects of Enterococcus SF68, contrary to that of lactulose, persisted longer after treatment withdrawal. Some patients reported diarrhoea and abdominal pain with lactulose. Lactulose is a standard therapy in the treatment of patients with hepatic encephalopathy. In this study, however, the use of the Enterococcus SF68 preparation was shown to offer advantages over lactulose in these patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

L-alanine plasma levels after oral loads in non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis: relationship with urea extraformation and ammoniogenesis.

In the post-absorptive stage L-alanine is the main source of alpha-amino-nitrogen reaching the liver as glucose precursor. This aminoacid has been used as a measure of urea synthesis capacity in several pathologic conditions, but it has not been employed sistematically in patients with liver cirrhosis. We tried to address this issue by evaluating: a) L-alanine plasma levels, b) urea extraformation (UE), and c) ammoniogenesis after oral L-alanine (0.25 and 0.50 g/kg b wt) in healthy control subjects and in patients with nonalcoholic compensated (Child-Pugh's A class) and decompensated (Child-Pugh's B and C) liver cirrhosis. L-alanine plasma levels after oral load were higher and lasted longer in cirrhotics as compared to controls. Furthermore, after L-alanine oral load, significantly higher ammonia plasma levels were observed in cirrhotics than in controls. Changes in the urea extraformation were comparable in cirrhotics and controls. Both delayed L-alanine elimination from plasma and L-alanine-induced hyperammoniemia were more evident in decompensated cirrhotics and related to L-alanine dose.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Early neuropsychological changes in patients with nonalcoholic liver cirrhosis].

The presence of latent encephalopathy was assessed by means of various psychodiagnostic tests in 24 non-alcoholic cirrhotics. Twenty-four subjects hospitalized for chronic extrahepatic conditions served as the control group. The following tests were utilized: 1) semistructured individual clinical interviews; 2) Rorschach test; 3) Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory; 4) Reitan's test; 5) spatial capability test (hand test); 6) reaction times to sound and light stimulation. Mood and behavioural modifications were frequently found in cirrhotics, probably as a consequence of the reaction to a chronic disease. Such abnormalities could, however, be differentiated from the early impairment of superior psychomotor functions which were present in nearly 50% of cirrhotics as latent encephalopathy. Results indicate that the use of the Reitan's test, can allow for a better management of cirrhotics even at non advanced stages of the disease and that more sophisticated tests failed to add further clues to diagnosis of latent encephalopathy.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A review of the studies on the clinical use of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) for the symptomatic treatment of intrahepatic cholestasis.

S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) proved to be effective in antagonizing bile secretion impairment induced by a wide range of hepatotoxins, including ethynylestradiol, taurolithocholate, chlorpromazine and alpha-naphthyl-isothiocyanate. The anticholestatic activity of SAMe may result from its role in the intermediate metabolism as this molecule is involved in transmethylation and transsulfuration reactions. Clinical experience, carried-out on more than 1,000 cholestatic patients, supports preclinical data. In particular, controlled clinical trials have documented that intravenous SAMe (800 mg/day) induced a significant decrease of biochemical parameters of cholestasis (serum total and conjugated bilirubin, serum total bile salts, and aminotransferases), as well as a significant improvement of pruritus in women with ICP compared with placebo. In addition, other studies provided the evidence that both parenteral (800 mg/day) and oral SAMe (1600 mg/day) significantly improves subjective (pruritus, fatigue, and general discomfort) and objective (serum total and conjugated bilirubin, and serum alkaline phosphatase) parameters of cholestasis in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis complicating chronic liver diseases compared with placebo. In all these trials, SAMe treatment has been well tolerated at the same extent as placebo. In conclusion, experimental and clinical investigations indicate that SAMe represents an effective and safe approach to the management of intrahepatic cholestasis.

Cholestasis, Intrahepatic↗