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Biomedical subjects

G Castellano

Publications and source records attributed to G Castellano.

102 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Hepatic injury in the toxic epidemic syndrome caused by ingestion of adulterated cooking oil (Spain, 1981).

We describe the clinico-pathological characteristics of hepatic injury associated with the toxic-epidemic syndrome caused by the consumption of adulterated rapeseed oil. Of 842 toxic-epidemic syndrome patients admitted to our hospital between May, 1981, and January, 1982, 24.1% showed signs of liver involvement which was more frequent in women and in the fourth decade of life. No statistical significance was found in relation to alcohol consumption, treatment with potentially hepatotoxic antibiotics, or adult respiratory distress syndrome. Most (91.6%) patients with hepatic injury were asymptomatic; jaundice or abdominal pain was rarely noted. One patient died of acute liver failure following Budd-Chiari syndrome. Serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity was raised in all cases, alkaline phosphatase in 94.6%, and less frequently lactate dehydrogenase (80%), SGPT (84.7%), and SGOT (76%). Serum total bilirubin was usually normal (89.2%). The histologic lesion was similar to drug-induced cholestatic hepatitis. Lamellar inclusions, canalicular injury, giant mitochondria, and hyperplasia of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum were seen by electron microscopy. Ultrastructural signs of cholestasis were common (78.9%). The pathogenesis of this lesion is unknown; however, because of similarities with chlorpromazine-induced cholestatic hepatitis, we suggest that a combination of hypersensitivity and intrinsic hepatoxicity is a possible mechanism.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nodular regenerative hyperplasia of the liver associated with the toxic oil syndrome: report of five cases.

Nodular regenerative hyperplasia of the liver developed in five patients who had the toxic oil syndrome caused by ingestion of adulterated cooking oil. This hepatic complication was detected from 19 to 37 months (mean-2.5 years) after the onset of the toxic oil syndrome. Nodular regenerative hyperplasia was asymptomatic, although all patients had persistently abnormal liver function. Hepatomegaly was present in four cases, mild jaundice in three and signs of portal hypertension in two. Pathogenesis of nodular regenerative hyperplasia in toxic oil syndrome is unknown, but probably microcirculatory disturbances within the liver might have played a role. Fibrosis in Zone 3, sinusoidal dilatation and occasionally intralobular hemorrhage were seen in three cases; in one of them, characteristic lesions of veno-occlusive disease were also present. In another case, endarteritis changes of hepatic arterioles were evident.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Twelve-month interferon-alpha therapy induces a similar sustained response in anti-HBe-positive and HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We compared the response to interferon-alpha 2a in 35 patients with antibody to HBeAg (anti-HBe) and 20 patients with HBeAg in serum, and histological features of chronic hepatitis B. METHODOLOGY: Patients were treated with 4.5-6 MU of interferon-alpha 2a, three times a week for 12 months, and followed for 30.8 +/- 13.5 additional months. RESULTS: All of them had elevated serum levels of aminotransferases and positive test for hepatitis B virus-DNA in serum. Patients with anti-HBe-positive chronic hepatitis were older and had higher serum aminotransferase levels than HBeAg-positive patients, but no differences were seen between both groups with respect to sex, history of acute hepatitis, mode of transmission of the infection or histological appearance before interferon therapy. Serum levels of alanine transaminase became normal and hepatitis B virus-DNA undetectable by PCR at the end of therapy in 25 (71%) of anti-HBe-positive patients and in 10 (50%) of HBeAg-positive patients (P > 0.05). Although 10 (29%) of the anti-HBe-positive and none of the HBeAg-positive patients relapsed, no significant difference was seen in the rate of sustained response (43% vs. 50%, respectively). The histological improvement was similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicated that biochemical, virological and histological response to 12-month interferon-alpha 2a therapy was similar in patients with anti-HBe antibody than in patients with the classical HBeAg-positive of chronic hepatitis B.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Diagnostic role of BAL in pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis].

From 1982-90, 3721 fiber bronchoscopies were performed for the diagnostics of diffused alveolar-septal pathologies; BAL was performed in 400 cases. Alveolar pulmonary microlithiasis was diagnosed in 6 patients, and two of them were related. The staging and the evolution of the pathology were evaluated as follows: chest x-ray in various projections, calcemia, lung function tests, fiber bronchoscopy with analysis of BAL and quantitative evaluation of macrophagic and lympho-monocytic elements and in percentage of calcosferitics. Four patients were treated with therapeutic BAL in the lungs with normal saline, and the cytological results and the percentage of calcosferitics were monitored for 24 months.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ovarian function after therapy for Hodgkin's disease.

Ovarian function has been evaluated in 10 women in fertile age, free of disease, who underwent therapy for Hodgkin's disease. Women were divided into groups according to their age at the time of the diagnosis and therapy used. In the group of 6 women treated with chemotherapy alone or associated with sovradiaphragmatic roentgentherapy, 4 (66%) are regularly menstruating and 2 (33%) have become amenorrheic; while among the 4 women treated with TNI or inverted Y, 3 (75%) have become amenorrheic and 1 (25%) is regularly menstruating. 7 women were younger than 30 at the time of the diagnosis: 5 (72%) are regularly menstruating and 2 (28%) have become amenorrheic; while in the group older than 30 at the time of the diagnosis all 3 (100%) have become amenorrheic. These results show that, at present, it is not possible to predict the preservation or the renewal of the ovarian function after therapy for Hodgkin's disease; only taking in account all elements such as age, ovarian function prior to therapy and kind of treatment is it possible to propose a prognostic hypothesis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Systemic amyloidosis associated with common variable hypogammaglobulinemia and intestinal lymphoid nodular hyperplasia].

Common variable hypogammaglobulinemia syndrome with lymphoid nodular hyperplasia of the intestine forms part of the so-called hypogammaglobulinemic enteropathies. It is characterized by decreased serum immunoglobulins, recurrent respiratory tract infections and chronic diarrhea. The development of systemic amyloidosis is infrequent, but it can be explained by the multiple infections in this setting. The case of a 47-years old woman with hypogammaglobulinemic enteropathy, who developed systemic amyloidosis is presented. It was manifested as a nephrotic syndrome. The previously published reports include 12 cases of common variable hypogammaglobulinemia with systemic amyloidosis. Half of them presented nephrotic syndrome as a manifestation of their amyloidosis. It is important to keep in mind this complication in these patients' follow-up in order to increase the doses of gammaglobulin. That is the way to compensate their additional losses because of the nephrotic syndrome that they usually develop.

Agammaglobulinemia↗