Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C Fabris.
Serum prealbumin levels were determined in a sample of newborns suffering from infectious diseases of bacterial origin. The diagnostic and prognostic significance was assessed.
Epidemiological data on the congenital malformations detected in 8,723 newborns over a two year period are presented.
An investigation has been carried out on the use by parents during the first year of life of the booklet "Child health from birth to adolescence" published by the Region of Piedmont as part of a programme of preventive medicine of infancy and health education. The research was based on a questionnaire submitted to parents of 1,000 newborns, representative of the population of Turin. The results provide useful information about the development of the child and about the parent-child relationship and also on the utilisation and the utility of the booklet. The investigation also provided invaluable suggestions about modifications required in the booklet in the interests of regional programmes of preventive medicine in infancy.
The influence of salivary pH on the estimate of blood barbiturates obtained by measuring phenobarbital on saliva at newborn age.
Serum prealbumin standards for the first and sixth days of life have been determined by immunoprecipitation ascertained with kinetic nephelometry in two samples of healthy newborns, born at term and of normal weight.
This study was undertaken in order to ascertain the role of CA 19-9 in pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Therefore CA 19-9 was determined in the sera of 83 control subjects, 108 patients with pancreatic cancer, 112 with chronic pancreatitis and 126 with extrapancreatic diseases. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in detecting pancreatic cancer were: 75%, 86% and 61% respectively. The receiver-operating characteristic curves showed that CA 19-9 is able to well discriminate pancreatic cancer from controls; satisfactorily it differentiated pancreatic malignancy from chronic pancreatitis and other benign extrapancreatic diseases. Extrapancreatic neoplasms were not accurately separated. No difference was detected in CA 19-9 levels between pancreatic cancer patients with or without hepatic metastases. We can conclude that CA 19-9 is a test for pancreatic malignancy with a satisfactory sensitivity and specificity in respect of other pancreatic and extrapancreatic benign pathologies; the presence of hepatic metastases is only one of the factors which may increase its serum levels.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of vaginal delivery on both ACTH and catecholamines (DA, NE, E) secretion in the mother, the fetus (umbilical artery) and the newborn. Blood samples were obtained from 19 normal pregnant women and the corresponding umbilical cords, and from the newborns. Seventeen normal nonpregnant women, matched for age and parity, were also included in the study as "nonpregnant controls". The results demonstrate that in the mother, plasma catecholamines (CA) concentrations during labor and delivery are elevated above the values reported for normal nonpregnant women and there is a predominant E response. The concentrations of CA in umbilical arteries are very high compared to those in the corresponding mother and they fall rapidly after birth. Unlike that in the mother, the predominant CA response to parturition in the fetus and newborn infant is NE. The extraction rate of DA, NE and E from placenta is approximately 60%. The peripheral plasma levels of ACTH in pregnant women during labor are twice and 10 times as high as those observed in the corresponding umbilical arteries and in nonpregnant women respectively. At delivery they increase further. No significant differences are found between the values measured in the arterial cord blood and those in the venous cord blood and in the newborns. A way of explaining the prevalence of E and the higher ACTH/E ratio found in the mother in comparison with the fetus could be that in the mother the stress response to parturition is regulated mainly by the pituitary-adrenal axis, whereas in the fetus there is a prevalent stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.
In order to investigate the role of renal factors in affecting trypsinogen 1 metabolism and excretion in chronic pancreatic disease, serum immunoreactive trypsin (IRT), urinary IRT, gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), alpha-glucosidase (AGL) and RNase outputs and the molecular size distribution of serum and urine IRT were studied in 8 control subjects, 18 cases with pancreatic cancer, and 23 cases with chronic pancreatitis. Serum chromatography demonstrated that most immunoreactivity eluted as trypsinogen 1. Smaller amounts of immunoreactivity at higher molecular weights were also observed. Urine chromatography displayed both trypsinogen 1 and heavier molecular forms. An inverse linear correlation was noticed between creatinine clearance and serum trypsinogen 1 levels. Multiple regression analysis (urinary IRT output dependent and GGT, AGL, and RNase predictor variables) showed a significant linear correlation. RNase was found to be the most important parameter in explaining urinary IRT output. Mild variations in the glomerular function seem to be able to influence serum trypsinogen 1 levels. Urinary IRT excretion is principally explained by a disturbance in the tubular reabsorption of low molecular weight proteins, such as RNase.
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CA 19-9 and tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) were determined in the sera of 28 control subjects, 29 patients with pancreatic cancer, 26 with chronic pancreatitis and 62 with benign and malignant extra pancreatic diseases in order to compare their usefulness in diagnosing pancreatic cancer, to verify whether the combined assessment of the two indices could improve the results given by a single parameter and to speculate on the role of liver dysfunction in increasing their serum levels. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CA 19-9 and TPA in diagnosing pancreatic malignancy were: 76, 85 and 61% for CA 19-9 and 79, 52 and 32% for TPA. The receiver-operating characteristic curves showed that CA 19-9 and TPA similarly discriminate pancreatic cancer from controls and chronic pancreatitis, while CA 19-9 is more useful than TPA in differentiating pancreatic malignancy from benign and malignant extra pancreatic abdominal diseases. TPA did not seem to add further information as compared to CA 19-9 alone when both markers were combined. Liver dysfunction may contribute to increasing serum levels of both markers.
This study was undertaken in order to ascertain the behaviour of amylase and trypsin fractional clearances in chronic pancreatic disease and to speculate on the factors involved. Renal tubular function was also assessed in these patients. An increase of both clearances was found in a number of patients with pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis. Amylase urinary output seems to be mainly related to the circulating enzyme levels; urinary IRT is principally accounted for by a functional tubular impairment. Tubular damage was observed in a number of patients with chronic pancreatic disease. This was related to pancreatic inflammation in chronic pancreatitis and to several factors, among which jaundice and pancreatic damage, in pancreatic cancer.
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The clinical usefulness of tissue polypeptide antigen, galactosyltransferase II and pancreatic oncofetal antigen was evaluated in detecting pancreatic cancer and in differentiating this malignancy from chronic pancreatitis and other diseases (mainly of the liver and biliary tract) which may enter in differential diagnosis. TPA seems to be the most sensitive among these indices in detecting pancreatic cancer and appears to discriminate this malignancy quite satisfactorily from chronic pancreatitis. It is also frequently pathological in a number of other diseases and is influenced by the presence of liver dysfunction. GT II and POA do not grossly differ from TPA in specificity, but they appear to be less sensitive. Both are frequently pathological in hepato-biliary diseases. All these markers seem, therefore, to be of limited value in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
In order to assess the value of serum markers and simple clinical data in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, we studied 32 control subjects and 28 patients with pancreatic cancer, 26 with chronic pancreatitis, and 37 with extra-pancreatic diseases. CA 19-9 was found to be the best marker in detecting pancreatic cancer. Among the clinical data, presence and onset of pain attacks, age, and weight loss were selected as the most informative in assessing chronic pancreatic disease. Clinical data correctly classified 88.5% of chronic pancreatitis and 75.0% of pancreatic cancer; serum markers identified pancreatic tumor in 67.9% of the patients. The adjunct of serum markers to clinical data did not improve accuracy in diagnosing chronic pancreatic disease. Since clinical data and serum markers generally become positive at an advanced stage of the disease, early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is a goal still to be attained.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.