Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E Villa

Publications and source records attributed to E Villa.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Detection of hepatitis B virus transcripts in patients with chronic liver disease.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) transcription was studied by Northern blot analysis on total cellular RNA purified from liver biopsies in 70 patients with chronic liver disease (24 HBsAg positive, 15 antiHBs and/or antiHBc positive, 31 HBV negative). No transcripts were found in the HBV negative and in the antiHBs and/or antiHBc positive patients. In the others, three major RNA species were identified: i. a 3.5 kb transcript corresponding to the RNA pregenome; ii. 2.4-2.1 kb transcript corresponding to the s and preS1 gene RNA; iii. lower molecular weight species. All three forms were present simultaneously only in patients with active viral replication, with a strict relation between the presence of the 3.5 kb RNA in the liver and serum HBV-DNA. In conclusion, Northern blot analysis can easily be performed to study viral replication and it can contribute to a better understanding of the molecular processes underlying HBV infection and leading to liver disease in man.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1989

Characterization of estrogen receptor from human liver.

Characterization of the estrogen receptor in cytosol from human male liver was undertaken to further understanding of the molecular basis of estrogen action in this tissue. By analysis of estrogen binding data of crude cytosol, saturable estrogen binding showed a Kd = 4.7 X 10(-10) M. High levels of nonsaturable binding were also detected. The estrogen-binding activities detected could be distinguished by their steroid specificity, hydrodynamic parameters, ionic properties, and sensitivity to proteolytic attack. Our findings also confirmed that the moderate-affinity estrogen binders found in rodent liver cannot be detected in human tissue. We concluded that the properties of estrogen receptor of human liver cytosol allow its separation from nonsaturable estrogen-binding components.

Centrifugation, Density Gradient↗
PubMed1989

Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid treatment on alanine aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase serum levels in patients with hypertransaminasemia. Results from a double-blind controlled trial.

The ability of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA, 600 mg/day) to lower alanine aminotransferase (ALT) blood levels in blood donors rejected for donation because of fluctuating hypertransaminasemia was evaluated in a randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial vs. placebo. All subjects with ALT values at least twice the normal upper limit in at least two out of three previous checks (the last one not more than 1 month previously) were admitted to the study. Checks were carried out 1, 2 and 3 months after the admission. 59 out of 65 patients completed the study. Although all patients were asked to abstain from alcohol, more than 50% of them in both groups had basal gamma-glutamyltransferase (gamma-GT) values higher than normal. After 1 month of treatment and throughout its duration, UDCA was effective in lowering ALT in all patients (30% decrease with respect to the basal value) and, especially, in lowering gamma-GT in those patients with elevated levels (50% decrease with respect to the basal value). This decrease was significantly different from the spontaneous 10% decrease of the ALT and gamma-GT levels observed in the placebo group. 3 months after suspension of therapy a rebound of both ALT and gamma-GT to values comparable to the basal ones or even higher was found only in UDCA-treated patients. We conclude that the short-term administration of UDCA is free of hepatotoxic effects and could be useful in lowering ALT and gamma-GT serum levels. The real significance of UDCA treatment in the natural history of chronic liver diseases deserves further investigation.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1988

Risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in Italy. Male sex, hepatitis B virus, non-A non-B infection, and alcohol.

To investigate risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Italy--a country with medium (south: 5% to 10%) to low (north: 1% to 2%) incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection--we studied 646 consecutive patients: 58 chronic active hepatitis (CAH), 428 cirrhosis, and 160 HCC, 49% from Southern and 51% from Northern Italy. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was positive in 41.4% of the CAH, in 23.1% of cirrhotic patients, and in 26.2% of HCC. In the latter, HBV DNA assay increased the number of subjects with active HBV infection by about 12%. Alcohol abuse was evenly distributed in all three categories of HBV markers. Males were preferentially affected. The HCC was superimposed on cirrhosis in more than 90% of patients. Our data suggest that, in our epidemiologic setting, different factors (HBV, non-A, non-B agents, alcohol) may cooperate in the development of HCC, mainly through their potential for causing cirrhosis.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1987

Endogenous peroxidase activity in human cutaneous and adenoidal mast cells.

We have studied peroxidase activity in human cutaneous and adenoidal mast cells using different methods, in order to determine the optimal technical conditions for its demonstration. In 1.25% glutaraldehyde-fixed cells, no peroxidase activity was seen. On the contrary, in tannic acid-aldehyde-fixed cells or in unfixed cells peroxidase activity was revealed independently of the DAB concentration or the incubation time in DAB medium. The reaction product was localized in perinuclear cisternae and endoplasmic reticulum. Granules were always unreactive with all techniques employed. Golgi apparatus was generally negative and only occasional cells exhibited one or two positive peripheral cisternae. This activity appears sensitive to fixation by glutaraldehyde and is inhibited by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (AMT) and by lack of H2O2 or DAB in the incubation medium, but not by potassium cyanide, sodium azide, or sodium pyruvate, at the concentrations used. The peroxidase activity described in this report is an endogenous peroxidase and is not related to uptake of exogenous peroxidase by mast cells. It can therefore be considered as an ultracytochemical marker of human mast cells.

Adenoids↗
PubMed1986

Fine needle percutaneous intratumoral chemotherapy under ultrasound guidance: a feasibility study.

To test the feasibility of fine needle (22 gauge) percutaneous intratumoral chemotherapy (PIC) under ultrasound guidance, a trial was conducted on 12 selected neoplastic patients with tumors not responsive to conventional treatments (5 adenocarcinomas of the pancreas, 1 hepatocellular carcinoma, 1 squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, 1 leiomyosarcoma of the hepatic hilum, 1 malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the ischiatic region, 2 liver and 1 peritoneal metastases). The drugs used were 5-fluorouracil, methotrexate and cyclophosphamide, according to the histotype. The doses given never exceeded the routine intravenous doses; 119 sessions of PIC were administered. There have been no significant local complications due to needle injury and drug toxicity or biochemical changes attributable to general toxicity. Partial or total pain control and stable disease or response to 60% was observed. This research has not been described previously to our knowledge.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1986

Multicenter trial on the efficacy of HBIG and vaccine in preventing perinatal hepatitis B. Final report.

In an attempt to interrupt perinatal transmission of hepatitis B, 92 infants born to HBsAg carrier mothers (49 to HBeAg-positive mothers, 30 to anti-HBe-positive with abnormally elevated ALT levels, and 13 to HBeAg/anti-HBe-negative mothers) received 0.5 ml/kg BW of HBIG at birth and at 1 month of age. Three IM injections of hepatitis B vaccine were given at 3, 4, and 9 months of life. All babies who were given the three doses of vaccine developed an active anti-HBs response: of these, 53 (62.3%) had antibody titers higher than 1,000 mIU/ml, 29 (34.2%) had levels between 100 and 1,000 mIU/ml, and the other three (3.5%) were below 100 mIU/ml. At the end of the 2-year follow-up, these three poor responders became anti-HBs negative, whereas the others still had antibody. All but three babies were protected by HBIG plus vaccine treatment. Two chronic HBV infections occurred within 6 months of life presumably because the babies were already infected when prophylaxis started. The third baby became an HBsAg carrier at 9 months of age in spite of a previous response to the vaccine. Simultaneous presence of HBsAg of y specificity and anti-HBs (anti-a) was still detectable at 24 months of age. The vaccine was well tolerated. Passive plus active immunization is an effective procedure for preventing perinatally transmitted HBV infection.

Carrier State↗
PubMed1986

Ultrastructural study of blood cells in toxic oil syndrome.

The toxic oil syndrome is a new multisystemic disease, linked to the consumption of denatured rapeseed oil, which occurred in Spain in 1981. The hematological symptoms, present in about all the patients since the beginning of this disease have been dominated by leukocytosis and eosinophilia. The ultrastructural study of circulating blood cells has shown the presence of multiple abnormal lipid vacuoles in the eosinophil series and less frequently in neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes, associated to a high phagocytic activity. Bone marrow cells contrasted by the absence of lipid vacuoles in any hemopoietic series, while phagocytic activity and cytoplasmic processes were abundant. Even though patients entered the chronic phase of the disease, the hematological symptoms have spontaneously corrected themselves.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1986

[Total body irradiation and bone marrow transplant].

Any malignancy, mainly hematological, may be sensitive (with complete remission) to high-dose chemo and/or radiotherapy. The dose of most antineoplastic agents is limited by the toxicity to the normal marrow. The availability of marrow for transplantation (allogenic, syngenic or autologous), and the capability of reconstituting hematopoietic function, makes it possible to administer chemoradiotherapy in supralethal doses in an effort to kill a greater fraction of the malignant cells. Total Body Irradiation is used both to eradicate the malignant cells and to suppress host immune reactivity enough to prevent rejection of allogenic marrow. The transplanted allogenic marrow can also exert an antitumor effect. A survey of radiobiological studies undertaken is presented and preliminary results of a series of patients treated with TBI at ISSR are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Presence of HBV DNA in spermatozoa: a possible vertical transmission of HBV via the germ line.

Using molecular hybridization we studied the presence and state of HBV DNA in sperm samples obtained from 17 patients with HBV infection (eight HBsAg chronic carrier, nine acute hepatitis B). Presence of HBV DNA was detected in three samples of seminal fluid from three patients with acute hepatitis. Restriction enzyme patterns of cellular DNA were consistent with presence of integrated HBV DNA sequences in spermatozoa from two of these three patients. The results indicate that HBV DNA may be present in the semen, at least during the acute phase of HBV infection. The presence of HBV DNA in seminal fluid confirms the possibility of venereal transmission. The presence of integrated sequences in spermatozoa suggests the possibility of true vertical transmission of HBV via the germ line.

DNA, Viral↗
PubMed1985

[Carcinoma of the rectum. Natural history and adjuvant radiotherapy. Analysis of 2 series of case reports].

Records of 135 patients with rectal carcinoma were reviewed and correlations between survival rate, extent of tumor and radiotherapy were investigated. The survival rate at 5 years was 16% for C Astler-Coller's stage patients and without metastases, but the prognosis was much less favorable for advanced tumors and/or subjects with distant metastases. Preliminary results of another series of patients treated with adjuvant radiotherapy are discussed.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1984

[Use of the computer in total parenteral nutrition. Our experience].

The Authors show their method to set up and to plan a T.P.N. for surgical patients. They emphasize how the introduction of the computer in the intensive therapy practice, not only helps the work of the medical corps and the hospital attendants, but it marks and plans again every day the components' dosages on the blood-metabolical alterations, daily checked on the patients. They are here showing their experiences since 1977, appraising in a critical way the directions and the results.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Gastrointestinal endoscopy and HBV infection: no evidence for a causal relationship. A prospective controlled study.

The importance of the different endoscopic procedures in the transmission of hepatitis B was investigated prospectively by following up for 6 months all HBV-negative patients endoscoped from April to October 1981. A group of patients admitted in the same period to our unit constituted the control group. Controls were obtained after 1, 3, and 6 months from endoscopy. Infection rate was 1% for the control group and 0.45% for the endoscopy group. The difference is not statistically significant. These results strongly support the view, already present on an uncontrolled basis in the literature, that transmission of hepatitis B is not associated with gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde↗