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Biomedical subjects

A Ruibal

Publications and source records attributed to A Ruibal.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

CA 15.3 in nonmalignant liver diseases.

CA 15.3 is a recent tumor marker for a wide range of cancers that is usually used for monitoring breast carcinoma patients. This study was performed to evaluate CA 15.3 behaviour in 161 patients with benign diffuse hepatic diseases who underwent thorough clinical and biochemical evaluation. Abnormal serum levels of this antigen were found in 8.7% of the 161 patients, 11.6% of the 86 cirrhotics, and 5.3% of the 75 noncirrhotic patients. The correlation between CA 15.3 and certain parameters characteristic of liver diseases was checked. IgA showed the most relevant correlation (r = 0.39, p less than 0.00001) and in our series a normal level of IgA was practically determinant of normal CA 15.3 levels. Our results also support the role played by hepatocellular dysfunction in increasing levels of this antigen in spite of the low number of false-positive results. CA 15.3 can be used as a tumor marker in these patients at levels used for healthy subjects.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Preliminary study of alpha-fetoprotein in nonmalignant liver diseases. A clinico-biochemical evaluation.

This preliminary study was carried out to evaluate the behavior of AFP in 155 patients with benign diffuse liver diseases who underwent thorough clinical and laboratory evaluation. We found correlations between AFP and some clinical and biochemical parameters characteristic of liver diseases; serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT) proved the most relevant (r = 0.27 p = 0.0004) and most reliable marker to predict AFP levels. 22.6% of the patients as a whole, 25.6% of the 86 cirrhotics and 18.8% of the 69 non-cirrhotics, had increased levels of AFP. Patients with active liver disease as measured by increased GOT, had higher AFP levels than patients with quiescent liver diseases (p = 0.0048), suggesting that cytolysis and/or regeneration plays a role in the increase in AFP. Elevation of the cut-off level was necessary to improve the specificity of AFP as a tumor marker. In our series, the cut-off of 9 ng/ml was exceeded by only 10% of the patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serum prolactin levels in women with gross cystic breast disease.

Serum prolactin (PRL) concentrations at baseline and after TRH stimulation were determined in 15 healthy women and in 51 premenopausal patients suffering from Gross Cystic Breast Disease. All women were in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and patients were divided into three groups according to cyst type at presentation. Basal hormone levels were within the normal range in the control group and in the three cystic breast disease groups. The maximum PRL response to TRH stimulation was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in patients with type I cysts (low Na+/K+ intracystic ratio and apocrine epithelium) than in patients with type II cysts (high Na+/K+ intracystic ratio and flattened epithelium), type III cysts (intermediate Na+/K+ intracystic ratio and mixed epithelium) and in normal women. Serum PRL concentrations corresponding to samples obtained 60 and 90 minutes after stimulation remained higher in the first group of patients. These results led us to consider the existence of an altered central regulation of PRL secretion in patients with type I cysts at presentation.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of the behavior of carcinoembryonic antigen in cirrhotic patients.

Benign liver diseases are a cause of increased serum levels of CEA. We studied the behavior of CEA in 86 patients with liver cirrhosis who underwent extensive clinical and laboratory evaluation. We found abnormal CEA levels in 38.4% of the patients (28.6% Child's grade A, 40.6% Child's B, and 42.4% Child's C) with a mean of 4.75 ng/ml. Significant differences were found between patients and controls. There was a trend towards higher levels of CEA in more severe cirrhosis according to Child's classification, although this was not significant. We found significant correlations between CEA and some liver tests, including glycocholic acid (r = 0.264., p = 0.012), a marker of severity in liver diseases. The increase of CEA in these patients is probably due to alterations in its metabolic processing caused by hepatocellular dysfunction. Moderate elevations of serum CEA can be expected in cirrhotic patients independently of malignancy.

Adult↗