Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E Kaklamani

Publications and source records attributed to E Kaklamani.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Hepatitis C virus infection in Greece and its role in chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) in Greece, to estimate its frequency in chronic liver disease and to explore the role of HCV infection in the aetiology of hepatocellular carcinoma. A series of 1034 patients with chronic liver disease of various aetioloigies and 299 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma allocated to two case-control studies was tested for anti-HCV. Twelve recent reports on HCV infection in Greece were reviewed and analyzed. The results of the present study indicate the existence of a large pool of HCV infection in Greece and an impressive spread of the virus in high-risk groups. Chronic HCV infection was found to account for 83.6% of patients with chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis parenterally transmitted, 56.5% of cases of sporadic community-acquired disease and for almost 1/4 of all patients with chronic liver disease. The relative risks for development of hepatocellular carcinoma of patients with chronic HCV infection was 6.3 in the first and 13.7 in the second case-control study, increasing to 20.0 and 18.7, respectively, when hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was positive. Serum HBV-DNA was positive and/or anti-HBc IgM levels were high in 12 of 15 (80%) patients with hepatocellular carcinoma positive only for HBsAg, and in 7 of 15 (47%) positive both for HBsAg and antibodies to HCV. The present data support the view that hepatitis B and C virus have an interacting role in the origin of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed1993

The effect of Mycoplasma arthritidis infection on the kinetics of colloidal carbon clearance in mice.

The activity of phagocytes from A/J mice was estimated by the carbon clearance test following injection of Mycoplasma arthritidis. Phagocytic activity was significantly depressed 12 h post-infection (P = 0.001) and returned to normal values at 24 h. For animals examined 2 and 7 days post-infection, the overall phagocytic activity increased significantly (P < 10(-4). Phagocytic activity gradually decreased and returned to that of the control group by the end of the fourth week. The relative weights of liver and spleen were significantly increased from the 2nd day post infection (P = 0.0028 and P = 0.0014 respectively) and remained increased until the end of the experiment. The early depressive effect on phagocytic activity may be related to superantigen activity with the production of mediators such as macrophage deactivating factor. The later expansion of the macrophage population might bring about the stimulation of autoreactive clones of T and B cells and be responsible for the chronic arthritis that developed in the mycoplasma treated mice.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Age at first establishment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma risk. A birth order study.

It is frequently assumed that the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma related to hepatitis B virus is higher when chronic hepatitis B virus infection is acquired early in life. This hypothesis has never been directly evaluated. However, firstborn and secondborn children are exposed to common infections after their school enrollment, whereas laterborn children are exposed much earlier, through their older siblings. The authors analyzed sibship size and birth order data from a large case-control study of patients admitted to Athens, Greece, hospitals between April 1976 and October 1984. The analyses included 185 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, 35 patients with metastatic liver cancer, and 432 other hospital controls. There was a tendency for cases of hepatocellular carcinoma to concentrate at higher birth orders. When the analysis was restricted to cases and controls who were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen, this tendency was even more notable. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that establishment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection at an early age increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma substantially more than does chronic infection with this virus established at a later age.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1992

Association between hepatitis C virus and hepatocellular carcinoma using assays based on structural and nonstructural hepatitis C virus peptides.

Stored sera from 181 Greek patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 35 patients with metastatic liver cancer, and 416 hospital controls with diagnoses other than malignant neoplasm or liver disease were examined with first and second generation hepatitis C virus (HCV) enzyme immunoassays as well as with five HCV supplemental assays based on structural and nonstructural HCV peptides. Second generation HCV enzyme immunoassays were more sensitive than first generation assays. However, both assays had suboptimal specificity using the standard reactivity criterion (absorbance of sample to cutoff greater than or equal to 1.0). Specificity was improved by centrifugation and by using a sample's optical density to cutoff ratio greater than or equal to 3.0 or supplemental assays; in this instance the prevalence of antibodies to HCV was 13.3% (24 of 181), 0 (0 of 35), and 1.4% (6 of 416) in HCC, metastatic liver cancer, and hospital controls, respectively. A similar estimation of prevalence of antibody to HCV in HCC (12.5% or 4 of 32) was obtained when the recombinant immunoblot assay, second generation, was used to screen a random sample of HCC patients. The relative risk linking HCV to HCC was estimated as 10.4 (95% confidence interval, 4.2-26.0; P less than 0.0001). These data suggest that the prevalence of antibodies to HCV in HCC using stored sera has been previously overestimated even though the evidence of a causal association of HCV with HCC persists.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed1991

Epidemiologic assessment of interactions of hepatitis-C virus with seromarkers of hepatitis-B and -D viruses, cirrhosis and tobacco smoking in hepatocellular carcinoma.

A recently introduced enzyme immunoassay procedure for antibodies against the hepatitis-C virus (HCV) was used to test samples from 185 cases with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 432 hospital controls. The anti-HCV results were examined in conjunction with previously reported data from this study concerning hepatitis-B virus (HBV) serology, hepatitis-D virus (HDV) antibodies, presence of cirrhosis and tobacco smoking. There was evidence for interaction between HBV and HCV in the causation of HCC: as previously reported, the rate ratio (RR) linking the presence of anti-HCV to HCC among subjects positive for hepatitis-B surface antigen (HBsAg) was substantially higher than the corresponding RR among those negative for this marker; furthermore, among HCC patients positive for HBsAg, a high proportion (33/61) of those who were positive for hepatitis-Be antigen (HBeAg) or its antibody were positive for anti-HCV, whereas among HBsAg-positive controls who were also positive for HBeAg or its antibody, none was positive for anti-HCV (0/18; p less than 10(-4)). The anti-HCV-related RR for HCC was also higher among HCC patients with cirrhosis than among those without evidence of co-existing cirrhosis (RR 11.4 vs. 4.4; p = 0.06). In addition, there was some evidence of interaction between tobacco smoking and HCV in the origin of HCC; after controlling for age, sex and HBsAg status, the RR for subjects positive for anti-HCV was 6.8 among smokers but only 3.2 among non-smokers (p = 0.26). By contrast, there was no suggestion of an interaction between anti-HCV and anti-HDV, in agreement with the presumed minimal role, if any, of HDV in HCC etiology. These results support the notion that HCV is involved in the etiology of HCC by advancing, through a chronic liver disease process, carcinogenesis initiated by other factors.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Hepatitis B and C viruses and their interaction in the origin of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Serum taken from patients in a case-control study in Athens, Greece, was used to examine the interactive roles of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the origin of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). An enzyme immunoassay for anti-HCV was used to test serum taken from 185 cases with HCC, 35 cases with metastatic liver cancer (MLC), and 432 hospital controls. Weakly positive anti-HCV results were more strongly related to MLC than to HCC, implying that these anti-HCV results are false positive. By contrast, strongly positive anti-HCV results were significantly related to HCC (relative risk [RR], 6.3), whereas no significant association was evident for MLC (RR, 0.6). The association of anti-HCV with HCC was substantially higher among subjects whose radioimmunoassay was positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (RR, 20.0) than among those whose radioimmunoassay was negative for this marker (RR, 4.8). These findings indicate that HCV infection has an interactive role in the origin of HCC.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

The effect of Mycoplasma arthritidis infection on the phagocytic activity of macrophages in rats and mice.

The phagocytic activity of mononuclear phagocytes of A/J mice and Wistar rats was estimated by the carbon clearance test following injection of Mycoplasma arthritidis. In mice, the overall phagocytic activity was significantly increased at the end of the first week (P less than 0.0001), but the increase was marginal by the third and fourth weeks after injection. A significant increase in the relative weight of liver and spleen was observed even when phagocytic activity had returned to levels similar to those of controls (P less than 0.001). In rats, the overall phagocytic activity was significantly increased until the fourth week (P less than 0.00001). There was not, however, an increase in the relative weight of liver and spleen as observed for the mice. The results are discussed in the context of factors contributing to the pathogenic mechanisms responsible for differences in the patterns of arthritis due to mycoplasma observed in mice and rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Klebsiella pneumoniae glycoprotein RU-41740 enhances resistance of mice against Mycoplasma arthritidis-induced arthritis.

The effect of a purified glycoprotein extract from Klebsiella pneumoniae with non-specific immunostimulating properties (RU 41740) on the development and course of mycoplasma arthritis was investigated. Male A/J mice aged 2-3 months were given RU-41740 either intraperitoneally (i.p.) or orally prior to injection with Mycoplasma arthritidis. RU-41740 injected i.p. at 0.1 mg kg-1 or given orally at 1 mg kg-1 prior to the infection and subsequently on alternate days enhanced the resistance of mice to mycoplasma arthritis (P less than 0.001). Doses of 1 mg kg-1 i.p. or 10 mg kg-1 orally did not modify the course of the arthritis significantly, probably due to immunosuppressive factors from monocytes. It is suggested that RU-41740 protects the mice by stimulating macrophages. This immunostimulant might prove useful in the treatment of mycoplasma diseases, especially in the immunocompromised host.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1989

A case-control study of cancer of endometrium in Athens.

Eighty-three women with invasive adenocarcinoma of the endometrium and 164 control women hospitalized for various orthopedic conditions were interviewed regarding demographic, reproductive, socio-economic and biomedical characteristics, including their use of tobacco, drugs and exogenous estrogens. The data were analyzed by modelling rate ratio (r) through multiple logistic regression. The main results were as follows: women with invasive adenocarcinoma of the endometrium had earlier menarche (r = 0.82 for every additional year; one-tailed p approx. 0.04), later menopause (r = 1.50 for a 5-year difference; one-tailed p approx. 0.004), and fewer live-born children (r = 0.86 for every additional child; one-tailed p approx. 0.08); they were also taller (r = 1.33 for a 5-cm difference; one-tailed p approx 0.03), whereas weight, adjusted for height, was not a statistically significant risk indicator (one-tailed p approx. 0.38). Regular use of combination oral contraceptives was associated with a reduced risk of endometrial cancer (r = 0.56), whereas intake of menopausal estrogens for more than 6 months was associated with an increased risk (r = 2.04); however, because of the low frequency of use of exogenous estrogen preparations in Greece, neither of these 2 results was statistically significant. Tobacco smoking was associated with a significantly reduced risk of endometrial cancer; smoking 15-20 cigarettes per day for 20 years was associated with a rate ratio of 0.49 (one-tailed p approx. 0.03). The protective effect of tobacco smoking was evident only among post-menopausal women. These results indicate that the risk profile of endometrial cancer is similar in high-risk and low-risk countries, and underline the importance of unopposed estrogenic stimulation in the pathogenesis of this cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Delta agent and the etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Sera from 87 patients with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and from 29 HBsAg-positive hospital controls were tested for delta (delta) antigen with an immunoenzymatic procedure and for anti-delta antibody, hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAg) and antibody to HBeAg (anti-HBe) by radioimmunoassay. All the sera, from both the HCC cases and the control patients, were negative for delta-antigen. Among the HCC cases 9 were positive for serum anti-delta (10%) whereas among the controls none was positive for this antibody (p = 0.067); the anti-delta-positive cases were found only among HCC patients negative for HBeAg. The lower prevalence of anti-delta among HBsAg-positive HCC patients, as compared to the corresponding prevalence among HBsAg-positive patients with chronic active hepatitis or cirrhosis (reported in the literature) indicates that the pathogenesis of HCC is frequently independent of the pathogenesis of the other HBsAg-positive common chronic liver diseases. By contrast, the higher prevalence of anti-delta among HBsAg-positive HCC cases than among HBsAg-positive controls may reflect the longer average duration of the carrier state in HCC patients (until integration is accomplished and the induction period completed). Serum HBeAg was higher among HBsAg-positive HCC patients with cirrhosis (23%) than among HBsAg-positive HCC patients without cirrhosis (6%) or HBsAg-positive controls (3%); thus, the conflicting results in the literature concerning the association of the HBeAg/anti-HBe system with HCC may be accounted for, in part, by the variable association of HCC with an underlying cirrhosis.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed1987

Hepatitis B virus, tobacco smoking and ethanol consumption in the etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking histories were obtained from 194 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 456 hospital controls, and the results were analysed in conjunction with the results of serological determinations of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs) and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) in all subjects, as well as the presence or absence of cirrhosis in HCC patients. The relative risk (RR) of HCC (and 95% confidence interval) among HBsAg-positive subjects was 13.7 (8.0-23.5), whereas the excess risk among antibody-positive subjects was small and statistically non-significant. In the presence of cirrhosis the RR for HBsAg-positive subjects was considerably higher (30.7 vs. 7.1 among HBsAg-positive subjects without cirrhosis) indicating that HBV may affect the development of HCC through at least two different and potentially multiplicative mechanisms (DNA integration and liver regeneration). Moderate ethanol consumption does not affect the risk of HCC, but there is a statistically significant and dose-dependent association between tobacco smoking and HBsAg-negative HCC. In most of the developed countries of Europe and North America, where the prevalence of HBsAg carrier state is very low and tobacco smoking very common, more cases of HCC may be due to tobacco smoking than to HBV, even though the RR for HCC is much higher among HBsAg carriers than among tobacco smokers.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus and normal subjects.

The presence of various antibodies in serum samples from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and from healthy subjects was investigated by ELISA, using a panel of natural antigens. Fifty-eight serum samples from 58 healthy women and 50 serum samples from 30 patients with active SLE were tested with 9 natural antigens (ds-DNA, actin, tubulin, thyroglobulin, myosin, myoglobin, human transferrin, human interferon a and BSA FV). It was found that the proportion of positive sera from healthy women at a dilution of 1/20 was almost the same as that of lupus sera at a dilution of 1/150 for nearly all antigens, while at a dilution of 1/150 the proportion of positive sera from patients with SLE was significantly higher for nearly all antigens. In lupus sera a high degree of correlation was observed between titers of anti-DNA and titers of the other antibodies. One hundred eighty-eight serum samples from 53 SLE patients, taken during exacerbation and remission of the disease were tested with ds-DNA, actin and tubulin. Antibodies (IgG) to ds-DNA actin and tubulin were found in the majority of serum samples taken during the active phase of the disease. On the other hand, very few serum samples taken during remission were found to be positive. A high degree of correlation was found between the OD of anti-actin/anti-ds-DNA (r = 0.769) and anti-tubulin/anti-ds-DNA (r = 0.829). In a competitive enzyme immunoassay for DNA, actin, tubulin, myosin and thyroglobulin, a high degree of inhibition was observed with the homologous antigens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Actins↗
PubMed1986

Enhanced phagocytosis of mononuclear phagocytes in pregnancy.

The phagocytic activity of peripheral blood mononuclear phagocytes for Staphylococcus epidermis of healthy non-pregnant and pregnant women throughout pregnancy was examined in relation to gestational age. The study included 30 healthy non-pregnant women and 90 healthy pregnant women equally distributed across the three trimesters. Two variables were investigated: the number of mononuclear cells in phagocytosis and the average number of bacteria per monocyte in phagocytosis. As pregnancy progressed a gradual and significant increase was found in the number of monocytes in phagocytosis and a significantly higher proportion of macrophages with six or more bacteria per phagocyte.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Hepatitis b surface antigen and alphafetoprotein levels in the serum of healthy women.

Serum alphafetoprotein (AFP) levels were determined by radioimmunoassay in 24 prostitutes and 16 other women positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), but clinically normal. For every positive woman an effort was made to choose 3 HBsAg-negative comparison women, matched for profession (prostitutes or other), age (+/- 2 years), and social class; however, in 5 instances matched triplets (rather than quadruplets) were formed. Among the 40 HBsAg-positive women 9 were AFP positive (23%), whereas among the 115 HBsAg-negative women 13 were AFP positive (11%). A matched analysis indicates that the difference is marginally significant (one-tailed p = 0.03). This finding is compatible with the view that the induction of AFP synthesis in apparently healthy HBsAg-positive individuals may be related with the oncogenic potential of the hepatitis B virus.

Blood Donors↗
PubMed1983

Effect of corynebacterium parvum in the induction and course of mycoplasma arthritis of mice.

The effect of the immunostimulant C. parvum on the establishment and course of mycoplasma arthritis of mice was investigated. Male Swiss albino mice were injected intra-venously with M. arthritidis culture and intraperitoneally with C. parvum. It was shown that mice immunostimulated with C. parvum were significantly protected against the establishment of arthritis if the mycoplasma was given 9 days after the immunostimulant. However, when the arthritis was established C. parvum had no effect on the course of the arthritis. A close association between mycoplasma arthritidis and synovial cells in proposed as a possible explanation of this observation.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Syphilis and gonorrhea; epidemiology update.

The epidemiologic patterns of venereal diseases (VD) in Greece were studied using data from the National Statistical Service, the University Hospital for VD and the special clinic for VD of the Ministry of Health, where prostitutes and homosexuals are examined. The main findings are as follows. Between 1962 and 1976 the frequency of both syphilis and gonorrhea declined among men as well as among women but the decline was more evident among women and among the older age groups (20+). Among men, the highest incidence is the age group 20-29 years, whereas among women the peak incidence is a little earlier. The rates for both syphilis and gonorrhea are higher in men than in women, higher in the greater Athens area than in the rest of Greece, and higher in single persons than in married one. There was a marked seasonal variation of VD with peak incidence at late summer. The decline of VD was also evident among prostitutes and male homosexuals with the exception of syphilis among uncontrolled prostitutes (increase) and male homosexuals (slight decrease).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Hepatitis B serology in Greek prostitutes: significance of the different serum markers.

One hundred and ninety-eight prostitutes (mean age 41.8 years) and 117 control women of low socio-economic class (mean age 43.8 years) were tested by solid-phase radioimmunoassay for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), its antibody (anti-HBs) and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). The prevalence of HBsAg was higher among prostitutes (11% v. 4%, P approximately 0.06). This difference was accounted for by the higher infection rate of prostitutes to hepatitis B virus (HBV) 97% v. 45%, P less than 10(-6)), since the proportion of HBsAg carriers among those infected was practically the same between the two groups (11% v. 9%). Among the previously infected prostitutes who did not become carriers the majority (75%) were positive for both anti-HBc and anti-HBs, whereas among control women about half (52%) were positive only for anti-HBc.

Adult↗