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R Cauda

Publications and source records attributed to R Cauda.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

[Behavior of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase in acute viral hepatitis].

The value of serum gamma-glutamyltransferase activity has been serially evaluated in 63 patients with acute viral hepatitis at four different periods of the disease (i.e. 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40 days from the onset of symptoms). The values of serum alanine-aminotransferase, serum alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin have been evaluated in the same patients at the same period of time. At the first determination the gamma-glutamyltransferase activity was high in acute viral hepatitis, independently from aetiology (A, B, non-A, non-B), although the single values recorded in acute viral hepatitis type non-A, non-B, were higher than those observed in the other types. This activity exhibited a monoesponential pattern of decrease in all types of acute viral hepatitis; and it was still found high in the recovery phase when the others biohumoral indices (alanine-aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin) reached a normal level. Therefore gamma-glutamyltransferase activity could be considered of importance in the follow-up of acute viral hepatitis patients, although strictly in conjunction with alanine-aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase determination.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1983

Incidence of antibodies against rabbit liver specific lipoprotein (RLSP) in chronic active hepatitis.

In chronic active hepatitis (CAH) evidence exists that circulating autoantibodies against liver specific lipoprotein (LSP) could play a role in the development of hepatocellular injury. We evaluated the presence of autoantibodies in CAH against LSP using rabbit LSP, as antigen in a radioimmunoprecipitation test. Fifty-one patients with histologically diagnosed CAH were investigated. Among these 16 were HBsAg+, 15 were HBsAg-/anti-HBc+, 10 were non-A, non-B, 10 were autoimmune CAH. Anti-LSP were detected in six of 16 (37%) HBsAg+ (mean titre of 1:198); four of 15 (33%) HBsAg-/anti-HBc+ (mean titre of 1:246); two of 10 (20%) non-A, non-B (mean titre of 1:185); seven of 10 (70%) autoimmune CAH (mean titre of 1:307). No correlation was evident between the titre of anti-LSP and the values of AST, bilirubin or IgG. The findings seem to be consistent with the following conclusions: (a) CAH patients develop an humoral immune response to determinants in LSP which are not species specific. This is further evidence that rabbit LSP could be considered a suitable alternative to the human preparation in evaluation of autoimmunity in CAH and (b) the different behaviour of anti-LSP in patients with viral CAH (B, non-A, non-B) in respect of patients with autoimmune CAH suggests a variable importance of these antibodies in the mechanism of ongoing liver cell injury according to the various types of CAH.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Direct and serum-induced lymphocytotoxicity against rabbit hepatocytes in chronic active hepatitis.

The direct and the serum-induced lymphocytotoxicity against cultured rabbit hepatocytes were evaluated in 25 patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH) (15 HBsAg+). Twelve out of fifteen HBsAg+ and nine out of ten HBsAg- patients have shown an increased cytotoxicity for rabbit hepatocytes. Moreover the sera of the same patients were able to induce a significant cytotoxicity in normal lymphocytes against rabbit hepatocytes. The addition of LSP was able to inhibit the cytotoxic reaction for rabbit hepatocytes in all cases with positive cytotoxic index. Indeed, the results we have obtained are the following. a) A significant lymphocytotoxicity for rabbit hepatocytes exists in patients with CAH, and this is unrelated to HBsAg status. b) A linear correlation ( r = 0.88; p less than 0.001) exists between the direct and the serum-induced lymphocytotoxicity in CAH hepatitis. c) The cytotoxicity to rabbit hepatocytes seems to be an antibody mediated process and the target antigen seems to be LSP.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Immune response to rabbit liver-specific lipoprotein in acute viral hepatitis.

A serial prospective study of cell-mediated immunity to rabbit liver-specific lipoprotein (RLSP) has been done in 26 patients with acute viral hepatitis (AH) (18 HBsAg+ and eight HBsAg-) using a lymphocyte transformation test. An increased stimulation index was recorded in 56% of HBsAg+ cases and in 63% of the HBsAg- group at the first determination within 2 weeks of presentation. A progressive return to normal values was observed during the course of the disease. In one patient, however, the stimulation index remained high at 6 months after presentation and liver biopsy showed the appearance of chronic active hepatitis. Results within the normal range of values were observed when a macromolecular kidney protein fraction was used as antigen: further evidence of an organ-specific component in RLSP preparation to which the immune response seems to be directed. These findings demonstrate the existence of a common and time-limited sensitization to RLSP in acute viral hepatitis irrespective of HBsAg status. It is suggested that RLSP may be a useful alternative to human LSP in evaluating immune reactions in liver diseases.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1979

[Hepatitis and drug addiction: clinical and immunological studies].

The association drug addiction-hepatitis has so increased in recent years to represent a social epidemiological and clinical problem all over the world. Although the clinical picture of hepatitis is already well defined in drug-abusers, it remains to be completely understood the mechanism responsible for the significant incidence of progression from acute to chronic hepatitis in this population. The viral infection, the drug itself, the drug contaminants, the immunological defects (cellular and/or humoral) may be considered as possible contributing factors to this event. For this reason the Authors have performed an immunological study either in a group of drug-abusers with acute and chronic hepatitis, or in a group of 82 "asymptomatic" drug addicts without a history of liver diseases. The results of this study are the following: - In all the drug-addicts considered there is a common contact with virus B. - There are significant alternations of the cellular and humoral immunity in drug-addicts with acute and chronic hepatitis. - In the "asymptomatic" group the humoral immunity is slightly altered (hyper IgM, circulating immunocomplexes), while normal the cellular response. All these findings are critically evaluated also in respect with the new immunopathological mechanisms of hepatitis B.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1979

Lymphocyte transformation test with rabbit liver specific lipoprotein (RLSP) in chronic active hepatitis.

Cellular sensitization to rabbit liver specific lipoprotein (RLSP) has been investigated using a lymphocyte transformation test in patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH). A stimulation index greater than 2 was recorded in twenty out of twenty-five cases (eight of ten HBsAg positive and twelve of fiteen HBsAg negative) while values were lower than 2 in all the normal subjects. These results confirm the finding of sensitization to LSP in chronic active hepatitis irrespective of HBsAg status and show that rabbit LSP can be used as an alternative to the human antigen in the lymphocyte transformation test, and is further evidence that this liver membrane lipoprotein has antigenic determinants which have species-cross-reactivity.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sonographic patterns of the gallbladder in acute viral hepatitis.

Ultrasound was used for a serial evaluation of gallbladder modifications in 61 patients with acute viral hepatitis during both the acute phase of the illness and recovery. Most of the patients studied within 7 days from the onset of symptoms and/or jaundice showed sonographic abnormalities of the gallbladder (increased wall thickness, reduced volume, abnormal bile content). A normal ultrasound pattern of the gallbladder was progressively restored during the clinical recovery in most of the patients. A statistical correlation was found between the gallbladder wall thickness and the alanine transferase index.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cell-mediated cytotoxicity to rabbit liver-specific lipoprotein in chronic active hepatitis.

Cell-mediated cytotoxicity to 51Cr-labelled avian red blood cells coated by rabbit liver-specific lipoprotein was evaluated in 27 patients with untreated chronic active hepatitis (11 were HBsAg-positive). A significantly increased cytotoxicity was recorded in 10 of the 11 patients with HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis and in 13 of the 16 HBsAg-negative patients. The addition of rabbit LSP to the test system reduced to normal the cytotoxicity index in all the positive cases. Moreover, in order to evaluate the organ-specificity of cytotoxicity to rabbit LSP-coated cells, we added to the test system a macromolecular kidney protein fraction which was unable to block the cytoxicity in any of the positive cases. In 12 selected cases, which had previously shown an increased cytotoxicity to rabbit LSP-coated red blood cells, the incubation of their lymphocytes at 37 degrees C for 30 min in a plastic Petri dish resulted in the abolition of cytotoxicity. Our findings seem to indicate that cell-mediated cytotoxicity to LSP can also be detected with an antigen, not prepared from human liver. This is a further evidence that patients with chronic active hepatitis develop an immunological reactivity to not species-specific antigenic determinants in LSP.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Diminished interferon gamma production may be the earliest indicator of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus.

The degree of clinical severity in human immunodeficiency virus infected patients, ranging from asymptomatic seropositive subjects to acquired immune deficiency syndrome, as well as in individuals at risk was assessed in relation to: (1) T-cell subset balance and expression of markers of T-cell activation; (2) natural killer activity; and (3) interferon gamma production. A decrease in the CD4/CD8 (helper/suppressor) ratio and an increase in the percentage of CD8+ (suppressor/cytotoxic) cells coexpressing markers of activation (HLA-DR or CD25) were closely correlated with the clinical severity of the human immunodeficiency virus infection. Natural killer activity was significantly impaired in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome and acquired immune deficiency syndrome-related complex but normal in asymptomatic seropositive individuals and subjects at risk. Interferon gamma production, either in response to mitogens or the antigens from infectious agents commonly affecting human immunodeficiency virus-positive individuals, was decreased in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immune deficiency syndrome-related complex, with lesser involvement in human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive subjects or individuals at risk. Four of the six persons in the last group seroconverted during the ten months subsequent to evaluation of their immune status. Since production of interferon gamma was diminished in these patients while other assays of immunity were normal, measurement of this lymphokine may be a useful determinant of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus.

AIDS-Related Complex↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Impairment of recent thymic emigrants in HCV infection.

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) often has a more favorable course in younger patients. Considering the involution of the thymic function with age, we investigated the output of recent thymic emigrants (RTE) in HCV patients. To evaluate RTE, we used a competitive quantitative PCR in order to determine the percentages of cells with cj-T cell receptor excision circles (TREC). This study was performed in 14 HCV patients at diagnosis and before any anti-HCV treatment. The results obtained in this group were compared to those obtained in a group of age-matched controls. We found that in the 14 HCV patients naive for anti-HCV treatment the mean percentage of cj-TREC was 3%. We could not detect a correlation between the percentages of cj-TREC and age or patients' viremia. In contrast, in the 26 age-matched controls mean percentage of cj-TREC was 5.6% (P=0.01). Our study describes a novel immune defect in HCV patients. Additional studies are needed to get further insight in the possible role of TREC defect in the pathogenesis and prognosis of the disease.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Old and new tools in the diagnosis of central venous catheter-related bloodstream infections: is there a role for brushing?

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are the third most common nosocomial infections. Catheters and other medical devices are the first exogenous causes of preventable infections in hospital. The estimated attributable mortality for catheter-associated BSI ranges from 1-35%, mainly depending on etiological agents and underlying disease. In considering this, it is necessary to reduce central venous catheter- (CVC)-related BSI prevalence and to obtain a rapid and accurate method for an early diagnosis. This review indicates the advantages and the disadvantages of old and new tools for the early diagnosis of CVC-related BSIs.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Meningococcal meningitis in Italy: 1887-1986].

We report the epidemiological data relative to meningococcal meningitis observed through a century, 1887-1986, in Italy. It is evident both from mortality and morbidity data that in Italy three epidemic peaks have occurred in 1915-1918, in 1939-1943 and in 1968-1972 respectively. The first two epidemic episodes are likely to be connected with the World Wars, the third one, recorded in other european and non european countries, probably reflects a pandemic recrudescence of the disease. The case fatality rate has shown periodic fluctuations connected with the epidemics and an average value of 10% until the sixties. Since then, the case fatality rate has stably decreased below that value. The seasonal distribution of the disease is similar both in the epidemic or non-epidemic period, with the higher incidence of cases between December and April and the lowest in August. There are no substantial differences in the regional distribution of the disease among the various regions of Italy. The distribution of cases, according to the different age-groups (0-14, 14-25, greater than 25 years old), indicates that the disease is more prevalent among the first group. However, in the last decade it is evident a trend of reduction among this group and a relative increase in other groups, in particular in subjects older than 25 years. In addition, meningococcal meningitis is prevalent among the males in the first two decades of life (less than 25 years old) while, afterward, there is an equal incidence both in males and females. The higher prevalence suggests a role of various close environmental contacts, such as the military service.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗