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Biomedical subjects

N Campo

Publications and source records attributed to N Campo.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Monoethylglycinexylidide formation measurement as a hepatic function test to assess severity of chronic liver disease.

OBJECTIVES: Monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) is the main lidocaine metabolite and its formation depends on liver microsomal activity. MEGX formation was studied in comparison with the histological score of chronic hepatitis and with the clinical score (Child-Pugh) of cirrhosis. Furthermore, we evaluated its ability to distinguish between the two liver diseases. METHODS: We studied 284 patients: 130 with chronic hepatitis (on the basis of the histological activity index, 45 had mild chronic hepatitis, 54 had moderate chronic hepatitis, and 31 had chronic hepatitis with cirrhosis) and 154 with cirrhosis (49 Child-Pugh's class A, 78 class B, and 27 class C). MEGX formation was evaluated 15, 30, and 60 min after lidocaine administration. RESULTS: MEGX formation showed a stepwise decline corresponding to worsened liver disease. MEGX values were related both to the histological score in chronic hepatitis and to the clinical score in cirrhosis. Significantly lower values were found in females < 50 yr of age than in males of the same age. The MEGX test showed great efficacy in discriminating between chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis compared with standard liver tests. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of MEGX formation proved to be a safe test, allowing us to show that functional subgroups can be identified both in chronic hepatitis and in cirrhosis. Thus, this test could integrate both the histological grading of chronic hepatitis and the clinical staging of cirrhosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Caffeine clearance in subjects with constitutional unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia.

To investigate the behaviour of caffeine (CAF) in patients with Gilbert's Syndrome (GS), a combined oral loading test of caffeine and chenodeoxycholic acid was performed in 14 healthy subjects and 71 patients with GS. Indocyanine green (ICG) kinetics was tested in 50 subjects with GS and in all control subjects. Fasting serum bile acids (SBA) and clearance after CDCA loading were within normal range in normal and GS subjects. No significant difference in levels either of bilirubin or of SBA was observed in GS cases with normal (52 cases, 488 +/- 63 ml/min) or impaired (19 cases, 338 +/- 30 ml/min) caffeine clearance. Eleven GS cases showed altered ICG clearance. No correlation was found between bilirubin and bile acids, CAF or ICG. Fasting SBA were normal even in cases of CAF or ICG altered kinetics, thus excluding structural damage in unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. CAF altered kinetics in 27% of GS cases may suggest multiple deficits in the hepatocellular metabolism, thus confirming the heterogeneity of this syndrome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Biochemical scores could reflect histological activity in chronic hepatitis C.

Eighty-one patients with HCV positive chronic active hepatitis (CAH) were studied to correlate, in multivariate regression analysis, liver tests with the histological activity index (HAI). The median HAI value (9.4) divided the patients into two groups; 44 under the 9.4 value (moderate CAH) and 37 above (severe CAH). Multiple regression improved the significance of nine biochemical parameters related to HAI in univariate analysis, and backward stepwise analysis identified the combination of alanine-aminotransferase (ALT), gammaglobulins (gamma GL), gammaglutamyl transpeptidase (gamma GT) and prolyl-hydroxylase (PH) as the best relationship with HAI (R = 0.520, p < 0.0001). A biochemical activity index (BAI) calculated as: 2.304 + ALT x 0.013 + gamma GL x 1.76 + gamma GT x 0.008 + PH x 0.012 showed the higher significant difference between moderate (7.7 +/- 1.3) and severe (12.2 +/- 2) CAH (p < 0.0001). These results suggest that this BAI could be a pointer for checking activity of chronic liver diseases.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Antiviral activity of amantadine in elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a worldwide problem of public health. Epidemiological studies have shown a significant higher prevalence of infection in the elderly. Amantadine is an antiviral agent active against the influenza A virus that has been used in cases of chronic hepatitis C. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the antiviral activity and the safety of amantadine (200 mg daily for 6 months) in elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C. METHODS: The study group consisted of 23 consecutive patients over 65 years suffering from chronic hepatitis C. Aminotransferase (ALT) levels were tested at baseline, at 15 days and then monthly until the end of therapy. HCV genotype was determined at baseline. A quantitative HCV-RNA measurement was performed at baseline, at 15 days and at the 1st, 3rd and 6th month of treatment. RESULTS: 13 males and 10 females were enrolled (mean age 70.1 +/- 3.4 years; range: 65-75). The mean ALT levels did not change significantly during therapy except in 1 patient subsequently returned normal. The HCV-RNA remained detectable in all patients, but a significant difference in response was observed in patients infected by genotype 1b. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm the antiviral activity of amantadine against HCV, mainly for genotype 1b with initial high viral load. No consistent effects on aminotransferases were observed.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hepatitis G virus infection in intravenous drug users with or without human immunodeficiency virus infection.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate the HGV infection prevalence in a group of intravenous drug users with or without human immunodeficiency virus coinfection. METHODOLOGY: We studied 57 patients (48 males and 9 females) who were either previous or still ongoing intravenous drug users. Thirty-seven patients were HIV+ve, 55 patients were anti-HCV+ve and 3 patients were HBsAg chronic carriers. Patient sera were tested for HGV-RNA, anti-E2, qualitative and quantitative HCV-RNA as well as for HCV genotypes. Moreover, the ALT level was checked in the serum sample of each patient. RESULTS: We found a high prevalence (35/57; 61.4%) of HGV infection in our patients. HGV-RNA was detected in 16 out of the 57 intravenous drug users (28%). In particular HGV-RNA was positive in 12 out of the 37 HIV+ve patients (32.4%) and in 4 out of the 20 HIV-ve patients (20%). Anti-E2 were detected in 19 out of the 57 patients (33.3%) with greater prevalence among HIV-ve subjects (12/20; 60%) compared to HIV+ve group (7/37; 18.9%). This resulting difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). All HGV-RNA+ve/anti-E2+ve patients were anti-HCV/HCV-RNA+ve and none of our patients were anti-E2+ve/HGV-RNA+ve at the same time. Significant differences were not found between HGV-RNA+ve and HGV-RNA-ve patients as far as clinical and virological data are concerned. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HGV infection in intravenous drug users proved to be high especially in the HIV+ve group. Moreover HGV was associated with HCV in all our cases. The actual clinical impact of HGV infection remains unclear since HGV does not seems to influence the biochemical, virological or histological alterations caused by HCV infection.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lidocaine elimination and monoethylglycinexylidide formation in patients with chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between plasma elimination of lidocaine and monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) formation, which is considered to be a quantitative liver function test. METHODOLOGY: The study included ten healthy subjects and 54 patients: 27 with chronic hepatitis and 27 with cirrhosis. Lidocaine and MEGX were measured at 0, 2, 5, 10, 15, 30 min and then every 30 min for 180 min using the TDX system. RESULTS: In cirrhotic patients, the lidocaine half-life of the slow decline phase of the plasma disappearance curve (beta-HL) and the lidocaine half-life of hepatic elimination from the second compartment (K20-HL) proved to be significantly abnormal, as did all parameters of MEGX formation. In chronic hepatitis, both the lidocaine kinetics and the MEGX formation parameters were within the normal range. In chronic hepatitis patients, MEGX formation (AUC 0-180) was significantly correlated to K20-HL (rs = -0.633, p < 0.001) and to the rapid decline phase of the plasma disappearance curve (alpha-HL, rs = -0.483, p < 0.05). In cirrhotic patients, MEGX was significantly correlated to K20-HL (rs = -0.423, p < 0.05) and to beta-HL (rs = -0.500, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These results show that in chronic active hepatitis, MEGX formation from lidocaine is maintained as a metabolic process, whereas it is altered in cirrhotic patients. The interrelationship between lidocaine elimination and MEGX formation were somewhat different in the two liver diseases.

Adolescent↗