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Biomedical subjects

A Solinas

Publications and source records attributed to A Solinas.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Expectation of impaired response to recombinant hepatitis B vaccination.

A controlled trial of hepatitis B vaccination with recombinant antigen was undertaken in 18 hemodialysed end-stage renal failure (ESRD) patients (P) and 16 members of our staff (controls, C). In order to identify expected nonresponders (NR), we monitored T lymphocyte (Tc) subsets, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), total leukocytes (WBC) and IgG. After 3 vaccine doses of 40 and 20 IU, respectively, for P and C, at 0, 1 and 6 months, 11 P(61.1%) and all C (100%) responded, as in previous reports [1-3]. The 7 NR presented lower CD4+ Tc fraction, compared to responders (R) and C (p less than 0.05), and higher monocyte (p less than 0.00001) and WBC (p less than 0.002) counts, with lower lymphocyte fraction (p less than 0.001), compared to R. We suggest that NR could represent a selected group of ESRD patients, screenable by these easily detectable features, probably markers of a specific immune dysfunction.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

A randomized controlled trial of interferon alfa-2b as therapy for chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis.

Eighty patients with chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis completed a randomized controlled trial of the therapeutic efficacy of recombinant interferon alfa-2b. Twenty-nine received 1 million units and 26 received 3 million units of interferon subcutaneously thrice weekly for 6 months, and 25 were controls. Normalization or a significant decrease of alanine aminotransferase values was obtained in 19/29 (66%) patients treated with 1 million units, in 18/26 (69%) patients treated with 3 million units and in one control patient (4%, p less than 0.05). However, when control patients were randomized after the initial 24 weeks to receive 1 or 3 million units of interferon for 48 weeks, 12/14 (86%) patients receiving 3 million units responded to therapy versus 3/11 patients receiving 1 million units (27%, p less than 0.05). After a 1 to 6 months follow-up period post treatment, an alanine aminotransferase relapse was observed in 18/30 (60%) responders to 3 million units and in 17/22 (77%) responders to 1 million units. Cirrhotic patients responded less than patients with non-cirrhotic disease (47 vs. 78%, p less than 0.05). Only responders treated with 3 million units significantly ameliorated their histologic picture (pre-therapy Knodell's index = 8.9, post-therapy = 6.0, p less than 0.05). The data confirm that treatment with interferon is of benefit in patients with chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Autoantibodies and response to alpha-interferon in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.

One hundred and fifteen patients with chronic type B, D and non-A, non-B hepatitis treated with recombinant alpha-interferon were tested for six different autoantibodies prior to or during therapy, and the course of treatment was compared in autoantibody-positive and -negative patients. Three out of 25 (12%) hepatitis B patients, 14 out of 30 (47%) hepatitis D patients and 19 out of 60 (32%) chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis carriers had baseline or post-therapy autoantibodies. The rate of response between patients with and without autoantibodies among B, D and non-A, non-B patients was, respectively, 67 vs. 79%, 23 vs. 25%, 70 vs. 61% (p = N.S.). No adverse reaction was observed in the 36 patients who had or developed nuclear, smooth muscle, parietal cells and thyroid autoantibodies during therapy. A patient with baseline antibodies against liver and kidney microsomes developed an icteric acute hepatitis at the fourth month of therapy, but five other patients with this reactivity responded to therapy uneventfully. The presence of autoantibodies before therapy or their induction following therapy is not a contraindication to the use of interferon in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Toxic epidermal necrolysis in a patient affected by mixed essential cryoglobulinemia.

A patient with mixed essential cryoglobulinemia and polysystemic involvement developed cutaneous lesions characterized by erythematopurpuric maculae and blisters over his entire body. Such lesions appeared during the course of treatment with prednisone and cyclophosphamide when penicillin was added to the therapeutic regimen. The diagnosis of drug-related toxic epidermal necrolysis was made on the basis of clinical history and histologic features. The possible relationship with the underlying immunologic aberration and the active immunosuppression is discussed.

Complement C4↗
PubMed1988

Lichen planus, chronic liver diseases, and immunologic involvement.

We report the clinical features of 62 consecutive patients with lichen planus observed in 18 months. The largest number of cases occurred between 50 and 70 years of age. Thirty-four patients had lichen planus only. In the remainder, lichen planus was associated with chronic liver diseases (16 cases), immune-related disorders (7 cases), and diabetes (5 cases). Mucous-erosive lichen planus was significantly more frequent in cases with lichen planus and other diseases. In all patients with liver diseases the histological features always showed a severe liver involvement. No relationship was observed between lichen planus and the etiology of the liver diseases. Females were more affected by immune-related disorders than males. The above data, together with the increased levels found of IgA, auto-antibodies, and cryoglobulins, even in cases with lichen planus only, suggest that lichen planus results from an immune imbalance, often associated with systemic involvement.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

alpha 2 Antiplasmin and disseminated intravascular coagulation in liver cirrhosis.

Subnormal concentrations of alpha 2 Antiplasmin (alpha 2 AP) in liver cirrhosis may be due to an impaired hepatic synthesis and/or to a fibrinolysis activation in disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). In order to clarify this problem, in 26 cirrhotic patients (15 compensated and 11 decompensated) alpha 2 AP plasma activity and plasma Fibrinopeptide A (FPA) were measured. Serum albumin, p-Cholinesterase (p-CHE), Fibrinogen and Fibrinogen Degradation Products (FDP) were also carried out. Our data show that alpha 2 AP and FPA were equally abnormal in compensated and decompensated cirrhosis. The significant negative correlation obtained between alpha 2 AP and FPA as well as the lack of correlation between alpha 2 AP and albumin, alpha 2 AP and p-CHE in both groups suggests that, in our patients, alpha 2 AP decrease may be due to a fibrinolysis activation induced by a DIC which appears chronic since Fibrinogen and FDP were normal. These findings are in agreement with the results obtained in the four subgroups a posteriori selected on the basis of FPA levels: alpha 2 AP in subgroups with high FPA was significantly different from controls while it did not differ in subgroups with normal FPA.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography study in Alagille's syndrome: first report.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography revealed the association between intra- and extra-hepatic biliary tree hypoplasia in an 8-year-old boy affected by Alagille's syndrome. The patient, in whom chronic cholestasis had been present from birth, presented characteristic facies, retarded growth, hepatomegaly, and splenomegaly. Chromosome studies were normal. HIDA Tc 99m appeared late in the gallbladder and emptied into the bowel after 3 h. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed marked and diffuse narrowing of the extrahepatic biliary ducts and uniform narrowing of the intrahepatic ducts with reduced arborization. Menghini needle biopsy revealed no interlobular ducts in the portal tracts. The last two techniques confirmed the clinical picture and made surgical diagnosis unnecessary. This is, as far as we know, the first time endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography has been used in the diagnosis of Alagille's syndrome.

Bile Ducts↗
PubMed1981

Growth hormone (GH) secretion in hepatic encephalopathy.

Elevated plasma concentrations and abnormal secretory patterns of GH have been found in patients with cirrhosis of the liver. Displacement of brain dopaminergic monoamines by false "neurotransmitters' produced in the gut has been postulated as a cause of encephalopathy. In this study basal GH plasma levels and their response to TRH and L-DOPA were determined in thirty-nine cirrhotic patients and fifteen controls. Eleven patients had evidence of encephalopathy (Group 1), twenty-eight did not (Group 2). Both basal levels and the mean peak response to TRH were significantly higher in the cirrhotic patients that in the controls (Group 3). Peak values were moderately, but not significantly, higher in Group 1 than in Group 2. The response to L-DOPA was considerably lower in the encephalopathic patients in comparison with the subjects of both Group 2 and Group 3. This finding is consistent with depletion of active "neurotransmitters' in CNS. Our data fail to demonstrate clearly whether the paradoxical response to TRH can also be related to these abnormalities of monoamine metabolism in cirrhotics.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

[Usefulness and limitations of determination of lactate dehydrogenase enzymes in the diagnosis of liver diseases].

Serum LDH isoenzyme electrophoretic pattern was evaluated in forty-four patients affected by acute or chronic liver diseases. Moreover, the correlation between LDH4, LDH5, and various parameters of liver function (particularly SGOT and SGPT) were examined. The authors believe that LDH4 and LDH5 are useful parameters for the differential diagnosis between chronic persistent hepatitis and chronic active hepatitis.

Adolescent↗