PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R Benages

Publications and source records attributed to R Benages.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

[Prevalence and clinical significance of autoantibodies in chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon alfa].

Autoantibodies against non organ-specific may be induced by IFN treatment in HCV liver chronic disease. In order to assess this issue and its clinical significance, 44 patients with chronic hepatitis C (anti HCV and RNA-HCV +) treated with IFN were evaluated. In 13 patients (29.5%) the following autoantibodies were detected during the treatment: AAML (5), AAN (9), ALK-M (4). Only in the A-LKM + patients there was a slight increase in aminotransferases with a reappearance of the viremia. Moreover 2 of these patients showed a flare of their liver disease without systemic findings. During the follow up (28) months one of the patients normalized the aminotransferases with clearance of serum HCV RNA. There were no statistical differences in the sustained response rate between patients with (2/13) or without (4/31) autoantibodies. The development of AAN, AAML and ALKM at low titer during IFN treatment in CH-C is without clinical relevance. However, ALKM detection is occasionally associated with the "breakthrough" phenomenon with HCV eradication, suggesting an immuno-modulatory activity of IFN.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1991

[Calcification of the portal vein associated with hepatocarcinoma].

We report a patient with alcoholic cirrhosis presenting with ascites, jaundice and malaise. Linear calcifications on the portal area were seen in the plain film of the abdomen. Computed tomography confirmed the presence of calcification of the portal vein wall and discovered lesions highly suggestive of diffuse multinodular hepatocarcinoma. We emphasize the rarity of portal vein calcification in patients with portal hypertension secondary to hepatic cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma.

Aged↗