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Biomedical subjects

A Ruibal

Publications and source records attributed to A Ruibal.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

CA 19-9 in non-neoplastic liver diseases. A clinical and laboratory study.

CA 19-9 is a tumor marker with frequent false-positive results in pancreatic and hepatobiliary diseases. This study was carried out to evaluate the behaviour of CA 19-9 in 159 patients with benign diffuse hepatic disease, 85 cirrhotics and 74 non-cirrhotics, who underwent a thorough clinical and laboratory evaluation. CA 19-9 was correlated with numerous clinical and biochemical features of liver diseases: bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase activity were the most reliable predictors of the CA 19-9 concentrations. There were abnormal concentrations of CA 19-9 in 34.6% of the 159 patients and in 47.1% of the 85 cirrhotics. Because of the large number of abnormal values and the high concentrations attained in some of them, the cut-off used in patients with diffuse hepatic disease needs to be set at more than twice the basal level, thus allows only 10% of false positives. Even higher values are required for cirrhotic or icteric patients. The results indicate that cholestasis plays an important role in causing the raised CA 19-9 in these patients, although there were also abnormal concentrations in normobilirubinemic patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Quantification and molecular analysis of cathepsin D in breast cyst fluids.

Cyst fluids from 55 premenopausal women with gross cystic breast disease were classified by K+/Na+ ratio: 19 with ratio over 1 (type I) and 36 with ratio less than 1 (type II). Immunoradiometric assay of cathepsin D in both types of cyst fluids revealed the presence of large amounts of this proteinase. The average concentration of cathepsin D in type I cyst fluids was 63.3 nmol/l, which was significantly higher than that corresponding to type II cyst fluids (35.1 nmol/l). Immunoprecipitation analysis of intracystic cathepsin D demonstrated that this protein was present as the 52 kD non-processed precursor form of the molecule. Since procathepsin D is a useful prognostic marker in breast carcinoma, we suggest that cyst fluid quantification of cathepsin D could aid to detect patients affecting of gross cystic disease with higher risk for developing breast cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

A clinical and laboratory evaluation of the behavior of tissue polypeptide antigen in liver cirrhosis.

Serum tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) was determined in 86 cirrhotic patients who underwent a thorough clinical and laboratory evaluation. Increased serum TPA levels were found in 87.2% of the patients (81% of Child's A, 81.3% of Child's B and 97% of Child's C) with very high levels in some cases. There were significant correlations between TPA and several clinical and biochemical tests, especially AST (r = 0.678, p < 0.000001), and this enzyme was the best predictor of TPA levels. Patients with abnormal AST had also significantly higher serum levels of TPA than those with normal AST in each of the Child's class (p < 0.01 for each). TPA values were found to be more frequently abnormal than AST ones in cirrhotics (p = 0.009) and could be used as indirect markers of activity in these patients. The underlying mechanism involved in the increase in TPA in cirrhosis was probably related to the cytolytic/regenerative activity of the liver. TPA cannot be used as a tumor marker in these patients.

Aspartate Aminotransferases↗
PubMed1992

Monitoring endometrial adenocarcinoma with a four tumor marker combination. CA 125, squamous cell carcinoma antigen, CA 19.9 and CA 15.3.

The combined value of four tumor markers, in the follow-up of endometrial adenocarcinoma, is analyzed. Cancer antigen 125 (CA 125), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC), carbohydrate antigen 19.9 (CA 19.9) and carbohydrate antigen 15.3 (CA 15.3) were used in 213 evaluations from 105 patients. Sensitivity as regards recurrence or progression of disease was 45% (CA 125), 9% (SCC), 51% (CA 19.9) and 21% (CA 15.3). Specificities as regards the 'no evidence of disease' ranged from 95% to 99%. Single tumor marker efficiency ranged from 90% for CA 125 to 84% for SCC (p = 0.08). With the two tumor marker combination sensitivity increased up to 77% achieved with CA 125-CA 19.9, but efficiency increased only slightly (92.0% for CA 125-SCC). In the best three tumor marker combination, a sensitivity of 85% was achieved (CA 125-CA 19.9-CA 15.3), and an efficiency of 92.2%. The simultaneous use of the four tumor markers did not improve assay results. The possibility of recurrence or progression of disease in some combinations was very low (4.6% when CA 125 and CA 19.9 negative, 3% when CA 125, CA 19.9 and CA 15.3 negative), a fact to be considered in order to avoid aggressive management in such cases. The tumor markers were of limited value for the prediction of recurrences. The suggestion of recurrence when the increase in tumor markers was the only finding was confirmed in only 7%, while confirmation was made in 100% when there was another pathological finding.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1992

CA 125 serum levels in patients with non-neoplastic liver diseases. A clinical and laboratory study.

CA 125 is a tumour marker usually used in the monitoring of ovarian carcinoma patients. This study was performed to evaluate the behaviour of CA 125 in 159 patients with benign diffuse hepatic diseases who underwent thorough clinical and laboratory evaluation. Abnormal serum levels of CA 125 were found in 40.3% of the 159 patients, 70.6% of the 85 cirrhotics and 5.4% of the 74 non-cirrhotics. There was a correlation between CA 125 and numerous biochemical parameters characteristic of liver diseases, the liver failure tests being the most relevant. Ascites was a determining factor of serum CA 125 levels (98.4% of the ascites patients and only 4.1% of the non-ascitic patients had abnormal levels), and CA 125 had excellent sensitivity, specificity, efficiency, predictive values and likelihood ratios to detect ascites. In the absence of ascites, liver dysfunction played a small but significant role in the increase of CA 125. In liver disease patients with ascites the threshold required to obtain only 10% of abnormal values was more than 50-fold the basal level. These findings invalidate CA 125 as a tumour marker in these patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Breast cancer-associated antigen CA 15.3 in liver cirrhosis.

The tumor marker CA 15.3 was studied in 85 patients with liver cirrhosis. Nine patients (10.6%) had abnormal levels of CA 15.3 with the highest values in cases of Child's C patients. However, Child's classes were not significantly associated with the level of the antigen. We found significant correlations with some laboratory tests, especially IgA. All patients with an elevated CA 15.3 value also had abnormal levels of IgA, and multivariate analysis showed that IgA was the only independent factor associated with CA 15.3. Although IgA is a marker of alcoholic liver disease, other markers of alcoholism were not associated with CA 15.3. Cytolysis and cholestasis were not significantly associated with the CA 15.3 level, but liver dysfunction seemed to be involved. Liver disease does not substantially limit the usefulness of CA 15.3 in the cancer patient who also has liver cirrhosis, since both the percentage of abnormal values and the elevation of the serum levels are moderate in cirrhotic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

GCDFP-70 protein in cyst fluid identified as albumin and used to classify cysts in women with breast gross cystic disease.

We used sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to study cyst fluids from women with breast gross cystic disease. The subjects could be classified into two categories according to the concentrations of protein GCDFP-70 in the cyst fluid: those with Type I cysts had a very low content of this protein; those with Type II cysts had very high concentrations. Analysis of the amino acid sequence of GCDFP-70 from both cyst fluid types confirmed that this protein is human plasma albumin. The average concentration of albumin found in Type I cyst fluids was 0.32 g/L and that corresponding to Type II was 10.16 g/L. Thus, albumin quantification from cyst fluids or analysis by either polyacrylamide or agarose gel electrophoresis provides a simple procedure for classifying these fluids, yielding results that correlate well with previous classifications based on other measurements such as sodium, potassium, and chloride concentrations. This albumin-based quantification method may improve the classification of breast cysts and might be useful in further studies on functional changes in the cysts and their relationship to breast cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Neuron-specific enolase concentrations in serum in benign liver diseases.

Neuron-specific enolase (EC 4.2.1.11; NSE), a glycolytic enzyme produced by neuronal and neuroendocrine cells, is used as a tumor marker of neuroendocrine cancers, especially small-cell lung cancer. We have evaluated the behavior of NSE in nonmalignant liver diseases in 161 patients who underwent a thorough clinical and biochemical evaluation. Nine of the 161 patients (5.6%)--three of the 86 cirrhotic patients (3.5%), and six of the 75 noncirrhotics (8%)--had abnormal concentrations of NSE. Of the numerous clinical and analytical factors considered, none correlated significantly with NSE. The low false-positive rate, similar to or even lower than for other benign diseases, and the absence of association with the numerous characteristics of liver diseases that we studied, support the lack of any substantial metabolism of NSE by the liver. Consequently, the coexistence of a benign liver disease does not limit the usefulness of this enzyme as a tumor marker.

Adolescent↗