Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Picciotto.
The authors tested Victoria blue staining in intrahepatocytic HBs Ag detection and compared the results with those obtained by the following methods: direct immunofluorescence, orcein and peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP). Although PAP appears to be the best technique for diagnostic research, Victoria blue is a sound method for routine diagnosis in hepatology.
Liver biopsies were performed on 60 patients by means of percutaneous needle biopsy, and immediately after that procedure, during laparoscopy from the right and left liver lobes. The histological diagnoses obtained by examining the percutaneous biopsies were found to overlap with the final one that was based on an evaluation of all three liver biopsies. Moreover, highly significant correlation was found to exist between the scores of histological parameters of inflammation, fibrosis, necrosis, and steatosis.
Delta antigen was detected by means of direct immunofluorescence in the liver of 20 out of 118 chronic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Delta antigen was frequently found in young chronic HBsAg carriers with chronic active hepatitis. Positivity for anti-HBe occurred in almost all cases. A peculiar aspect of delta infection was a predominance in patients from Southern, rather than from Northern or Central Italy. Another interesting finding is the higher mean values of GOT and GPT in delta-positive patients compared with those in delta-negative patients. The follow-up of some patients confirmed that chronic delta hepatitis is a particularly progressive disease.
To assess the characteristics of chronic hepatitis in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers with intrahepatic delta antigen, the hepatic histologic findings of 137 patients were reviewed; 101 patients were followed for 2 to 6 years. The predominant liver disease was chronic active hepatitis in 93 patients or cirrhosis in 32; minor forms of chronic persistent or lobular hepatitis were seen in 12 patients. Eight of the 26 patients with an initial diagnosis of cirrhosis died during the follow-up period. Cirrhosis developed in 31 of 75 patients (41%) without nodular regeneration seen in the first biopsy specimen; 5 of these patients died. Treatment with prednisone or azathioprine did not induce histologic amelioration of delta hepatitis or prevent cirrhosis. Chronic HBsAg hepatitis with intrahepatic expression of the delta antigen is an active, progressive disease unresponsive to conventional immunosuppressive treatment.
"Laparobiopsies" were taken from the right and left liver lobe of 57 patients. Despite some minor discrepancies, the histologic diagnoses "overlapped" in most cases. Moreover, a highly significant correlation was detected between the scores of histologic parameters (inflammation, fibrosis, necrosis and steatosis) evaluated in the two series of biopsies.
The purpose of this review is to examine the diagnostic value of traditional and modern morphological examinations in various pancreatopathies, on the basis of a critical evaluation of the features, indications and limitations of each system. The multiplicity of techniques available today often creates a problem of choice. For this reason an attempt has been made to establish valid criteria for a more rational allocation of each system in the diagnosis of individual pancreatic diseases. Finally some blueprints for diagnostic methodology are proposed in respect of each pancreopathy, though it is emphasised that the sequence of tests laid down should always be guided by the dominant factors in the clinical picture.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonography (US) in various liver disease in comparison with laparoscopy is evaluated. The diagnostic reliability of CT and US is higher in localized than in widespread hepatic disorders. US is more valuable than CT in the diagnosis of diffuse hepatic lesions. The diagnostic accuracy is similar in localized lesions of neoplastic type. Laparoscopy is the most reliable tool in the diagnosis of widespread liver disease with the exception of fully developed cirrhosis or severe steatosis. In focal neoplastic disease CT and US can be dependably employed when the histological type of the cancer is not required.
Immunologic markers associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe, anti-HBc, anti-delta) were tested by radioimmunoassay of serum from chronic hepatitis patients. The corresponding liver biopsy samples were examined for the presence of HBsAg, HBcAg, and delta antigen in the cells by direct immunofluorescence and by electron microscopy. Seventy patients were selected for the presence of both circulating HBsAg and anti-HBc. Comparison of chronic persistent (CPH) and chronic active (CAH) hepatitis showed a significantly greater frequency of intracytoplasmic HBsAg in CPH, especially in the absence of intranuclear HBsAg, and a greater frequency of intranuclear delta antigen and/or circulating anti-delta in CAH. The delta/anti-delta system was almost systematically associated with serum anti-HBe. At variance with HBeAg/anti-HBe, delta/anti-delta found significantly more frequently in patients originating from Southern rather than from Northern or Central Italy. The prevalence of both these immunologic systems was related to the age of the patients.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The AA. have examined the toxic effects in rats liver caused by cyclophosphamide (12 mg/kg) chronic administration for 12 months. The toxicity for the liver is moderate and the lesions are not specific. The lesion are various histologic changes, lymphomonocytic infiltration of the peri-portal space, periportal fibrosis and interstitial haemorrhages. Similar lesions with lesser recurrence are also in not treated rats.
The AA. have studied the pathological effects on the pancreas of rats after chronic administration of azathioprine (AZA) in different doses. The most significant lesions are flattening of duct epitelium and the presence of protein plugs in the ducts. These pancreatic lesions are significantly more frequent in rate treated with higher doses than in controls and so are dose-dependent.
A mutagenic response was obtained in the Salmonella/microsome reversion test by preincubating sodium nitrite and cimetidine in human gastric juice from untreated individuals, or even by adding nitrite to gastric juice samples from patients receiving cimetidine. Both base-pair substitutions (strains TA1535 and TA100) and, though very weakly, also frameshift errors (TA1537, TA1538 and TA98) were induced by such reaction. Mutagenicity was not affected by S-9 mix containing rat liver homogenates, neither in the sense of activation nor of deactivation. The optimal reaction occurred at high equimolar concentrations of the two precursor compounds, under physiological pH and temperature conditions and within a short time of contact. Ascorbic acid was efficient in preventing the formation of mutagenic nitrosoderivative(s).
In order to determine the value of serum Gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase in the diagnosis of secondary hepatic malignancy, the variations of the serum measurement of different hepatic enzymes have been studied in 160 patients, 80 of which have hepatic metastases gamma GT showed an increase in 95% of the patients with metastases even if there has been a high percentage of false-positive results in the control patients and in those who were carriers of cancer without hepatic metastases. The Authors, after having briefly discussed the meaning of the false positivity rate, conclude that such an enzyme proves once to be a simple and sensitive test of secondary hepatic malignancy and that further studies will help to make it more specific.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The time of macular functional-recuperation after dazzling has been evaluated in 46 patients of both sexes with ages between 26 and 65, with chronic active hepatitis (CAH). Knowing that the macular recuperation time, even under physiological conditions, increases after the age of 40, we divided these subjects in two groups: under 40 years old (20 cases) and over 40 years old (26 cases). Patients with CAH show a noticeably increased frequency of pathological times especially in those over 40 years old. In this group the pathological cases are 96,15% compared to 60% found among those under 40. The reason for this behavior is only hypothetic. However, the importance of the results must be underlined, as during biological and clinical remission of chronic liver disease patients of working age hold jobs where weakness of mesopic vision could cause serious accidents of legal-medical interest.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.