PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S Recchia

Publications and source records attributed to S Recchia.

48 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

Radioimmunoassay for the detection of HBeAg and anti-HBe.

We describe a solid-phase radioimmunoassay, based on the "sandwich" principle, using anti-HBe1/anti-HBe2 containing IgG precoated to polystirene beads as the solid-phase, and 125I-anti-HBE as labelled antibody for the detection of HBeAg and a two steps competitive procedure for the detection of anti-HBe. Comparison of titre obtained by ID and RIA or reference sera containing HBeAg and anti-HBe revealed that RIA is about 200 fold more sensitive than ID in detecting both HBeAg and anti-HBe. Moreover an increase in the detection rate of HBeAg from 5.9% (ID) to 15% (RIA) and of anti-HBe from 47.8% (ID) to 74.2% (RIA) and consequently a reduction of the frequency of negative samples for both HBeAg and anti-HBe from 46.3% (ID) to 10.8% (RIA) was determined by testing sera from HBsAg asymptomatic carriers. With regard to specificity, the frequency of presumptive HBeAg positive samples not confirmed was of 1 out of 29 (3.4%). Technical improvements of sensitivity and specificity of the described RIA are under development.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Dane particle-associated hepatitis B e antigen in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection and hepatitis B e antibody.

A commercial radioimmunoassay was adapted to detect serum Dane particle-associated HBeAg in patients whose sera contained homologous antibody. HBeAg was released from Dane particles with guanidine HCl. Dane particles were separated from anti-HBe by gel-filtration (Sepharose 4B) and ultracentrifugation of the eluate. Dane particle-HBeAg was tested in 45 HBsAg carriers with anti-HBe and was present in 8 (18%) carriers, all of whom had chronic liver disease. By contrast, HBeAg was not found in 10 carriers with normal liver histology. Serum or liver HBcAg was found in 6 of 8 patients with Dane particle-HBeAg. None of the carriers without Dane particle-HBeAg had other markers of hepatitis B virion synthesis. We conclude that Dane particle-HBeAg provides a sensitive index of active hepatitis B virus replication, a guide to the presence of chronic hepatitis in HBsAg carriers with anti-HBe, and a noninvasive method to follow infection in these patients.

Antibodies, Viral↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A histological study of hepatitis delta virus liver disease.

The histopathology of hepatitis delta virus disease was studied in carriers of HBsAg with chronic hepatitis delta antigen-positive hepatitis and in serial biopsies of patients with acute hepatitis delta virus hepatitis that progressed to chronicity. There was no histologic feature distinctive of hepatitis delta virus from other types of viral hepatitis. Biopsy specimens of patients with chronic disease exhibited portal and periportal inflammation with piecemeal necrosis, conforming to a picture of aggressive hepatitis often accompanied by cirrhosis. Characteristic was a marked intralobular infiltration by mononuclear cells and a degenerative eosinophilic change of the hepatocytic cytoplasms conducive to the formation of acidophilic bodies. Liver specimens from patients with hepatitis delta virus hepatitis exhibited aspects of focal, confluent and bridging necrosis. The disease progressed to chronicity irrespective of the original histological features. The expression of intrahepatic hepatitis delta antigen was reduced in the phase of the acute hepatitis but increased in parallel with the development of chronic active liver disease. In late-stage cirrhosis, expression of hepatitis delta antigen was usually low.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Percutaneous removal of biliary stones.

Since 1983 we have performed percutaneous treatment of biliary lithiasis in 97 patients. Previous retrograde endoscopic procedures were incomplete or infeasible in all patients. Immediate results were excellent resulting in complete resolution of lithiasis in 89 of 97 patients (92%). In 4 patients (4%) partial success was obtained (symptoms subsided although there were nonobstructing residual stones). Percutaneous treatment failed in 1 patient (1%). Three patients died. Complications occurred in 14 of 97 patients (14%) and mortality at 30 days was 3%. Long-term results were evaluated in 71 patients who had a least a 6-month follow-up (mean 31 months and range 6-78 months). Eight of 71 patients (11%) had recurrence of stones and 7 of these were successfully retreated transhepatically. Percutaneous removal of biliary stones is efficacious because it has a high cure rate, a low complication rate, and a mortality rate that compares favorably to that of surgery even though the patients are usually older and in poorer general condition.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The e antigen and antibody in the serum of patients with HBsAg-positive liver disease and in asymptomatic carriers.

Serum samples from 103 HBsAg positive and 69 negative patients were examined in Ouchterlony double diffusion in agarose for the presence of e antigen and anti-e antibody. e antigen was found in 66% of the cases of active chronic hepatitis, 18% of those of active cirrhosis, and 12% of those of acute hepatitis. Anti-e antibody was found only in asymptomatic chronic carriers; it occurred in 56% of HBsAg-positive individuals with normal livers at biopsy. No e reactivity was found in 6 subjects with inactive disease and in 3 with chronic persistent hepatitis. The e system seems a valuable diagnostic tool utilizing the presence of the antigen to differentiate patients with chronic progressive disease from healthy carriers who, in contrast, often have circulating anti-e antibodies; its clinical value, however, is at present limited by the low sensitivity of the technique used for antigen detection. A significant association between e antigen and the intrahepatic expression of the core determinant of the HB virus was observed inthis study, suggesting they have a similar role in pathogenicity and infectivity; the association between anti-e antibody and HBsAg appeared uncertain, HBsAg being present in the liver irrespective of e reactivity.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Endoscopic therapy of giant choledochal calculosis].

The paper reports the results of conventional endoscopic treatment in 100 consecutive cases of giant lithiasis of the common bile duct. A giant calculus is one whose dimensions exceed 2 cm. Endoscopic therapy proved successful in 73% of cases, with an 8% incidence of complications. The success of endoscopic treatment is related to the anatomical conditions of the biliary tract and the diameter of calculi. Mechanical lithotripsy has proved efficacious in all cases where it was used, whereas poor results were obtained using MTBE infusion through a naso-biliary tube. ESWL provided encouraging results. Cases which were not resolved using endoscopic methods were treated using intervention radiology or surgery, or both.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Early gastric cancer. Survival and prognostic factors in 95 consecutive cases].

In order to characterize prognostic factors and therapeutic strategies for EGC, we have studied 95 patients operated on from 1980 to 1988. EGC was limited to the mucosa in 36% and extended to the submucosa in 64% of the cases. Lymph nodes involvement was observed in 13 patients; in 12 of them EGC extended to the submucosa. Gastric resection was performed in 73 and total gastrectomy in 22 patients with a postoperative mortality of 6% and 16% respectively. During the follow-up 8 patients died for causes related to EGC, 8 for unrelated causes. The 5 years survival rate was 79, without differences according to site, type, size and histology of EGC, lymph nodes involvement, type of gastrectomy; only EGC limited to the mucosa was associated with a better survival experience (96% vs 70% of tumors extended to the submucosa p less than 0.05). The prognosis of EGC is good and a curative surgery may be accomplished, especially if the lesion is limited to the mucosa. In EGC extended to the submucosa an accurate lymphadenectomy may further improve the prognosis, while total gastrectomy--de principe--carries a higher postoperative mortality, without significant improvement of the long term prognosis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Role of surgery in the multidisciplinary treatment of lithiasis of the common bile duct].

The efficacy of surgery was evaluated in 32 patients with common bile duct stones. Twenty-two patients have not undergone a previous cholecystectomy. In 13 cases an endoscopic approach was attempted before surgery. In 13 patients biliary-intestinal anastomoses were performed for large stones or bile duct strictures. In 19 cases common bile exploration with biliary drainage insertion was performed for uncomplicated biliary stones. We had no mortality and morbidity was 9%. We conclude that surgery is the treatment of choice in patients with gallbladder in situ or in cases of endoscopic failure. Endoscopic sphincterectomy may be preferred in poor-risk patients.

Adult↗