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Biomedical subjects

G Cavallini

Publications and source records attributed to G Cavallini.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Exocrine pancreatic function in chronic urticaria patients is normal.

25 patients with chronic urticaria suspected to be of 'alimentary origin', were studied for a quantitative or qualitative deficiency of pancreatic enzyme secretion. All showed a normal fecal chymotrypsin excretion and 23/25 a normal bentiromide (PABA) and pancreolauryl test. In 2 females the urinary PABA and pancreolauryl tests were borderline pathological. This does not support the hypothesis that a pancreatic deficiency (of the kind which could be identified with the methods used) is associated with chronic urticaria in patients in whom improvement of urticaria occurs under a hydric or low antigenic diet.

4-Aminobenzoic Acid↗
PubMed1988

Leukocyte adherence inhibition test in lung cancer immunodiagnostic detection.

The leukocyte adherence inhibition test (LAI) was used to study the cellular reactivity in 119 subjects: 48 were affected by lung cancer, 41 by non-malignant lung diseases, 10 by non-lung cancers and 20 were healthy volunteers. The LAI test is based on the observation that leukocytes do not adhere to glass when in the presence of an antigen against which a sensitization exists. Test selectivity was checked by the suppression technique: suppressed cells lose their competence to an antigen when incubated with it before testing. Peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) and bronchioloalveolar cells (BACs) were used. While controls showed no reactivity to lung cancer extracts, early cancer patients showed the highest reactivity and active cavitary tuberculosis patients gave false positive results. The blocking assay showed that patients with tuberculosis were sensitized to normal lung extracts. In lung cancer patients the blocking assay showed that a selective reactivity exists to cancer extracts derived from a histologically homologous cancer specimen.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1988

Fractional urinary clearance of immunoreactive lipase in chronic pancreatic disease.

Using an immunoenzymatic method, we studied lipase in the serum and urine of 23 controls, 22 chronic pancreatitis patients in symptomatic remission, and in 9 patients with proven pancreatic cancer. Serum and urine lipase and its fractional urinary clearance were compared with those of amylase and immunoreactive trypsin. Lipase immunoreactivity was detectable in the urine of 81.5% of the studied subjects (controls: 82%, chronic pancreatitis: 86%, pancreatic cancer: 66%); its output was higher than the upper limit of controls in 31.8% of chronic pancreatitis and in only 1 of pancreatic cancer, and it was significantly correlated with the urinary output of trypsin (r = 0.487, P less than 0.001), but not with that of amylase. A significant correlation was found between urinary output and serum levels for lipase, but not for trypsin or amylase. Fractional clearance of lipase was of the same magnitude as that of trypsin but only 0.1% that of amylase. 19% of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer showed a fractional clearance of lipase above the upper limit of controls, compared with 45% for trypsin and 3.2% for amylase. No difference in urinary clearance of the three enzymes was found between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. In conclusion, although of no diagnostic relevance in pain-free patients with chronic pancreatic disease, this measurement can provide information on the mechanisms of renal excretion of pancreatic enzymes.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Laboratory findings in acute mesenteric infarction.

A study on the preoperative data of 16 patients with acute mesenteric infarction and the comparison to the pre-operative data of two homogenous groups is reported. The first group includes 11 patients with intestinal necrosis from venous obstruction and the second group includes 10 patients, with mechanical bowel obstruction. From the statistical analysis of the obtained data and the review of current literature it seems possible to obtain a useful differential diagnosis.

Acidosis↗
PubMed1988

False positive diagnosis of bronchogenic carcinoma based on bronchoscopic brushing and sputum cytology. A surgical point of view.

The problem of false positive diagnosis of bronchogenic carcinoma based on bronchoscopic brushing and sputum cytology is analysed. 1071 patients were reviewed, 230 of whom underwent "radical" resection. Diagnoses obtained from bronchoscopic brushing, sputum cytology and microscopic examination of surgical specimens were compared. The statistical analysis of the obtained results showed that "false positives" should be thoroughly evaluated. The concept of cancer in situ and the hypothesis of a multi-step evolution of bronchogenic carcinoma are briefly discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

HLA molecule expression on chronic pancreatitis specimens: is there a role for autoimmunity? A preliminary study.

This study was prospectively carried out in order to clarify if an aberrant expression of HLA-DR molecules could take part in the pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis. Pancreatic specimens from 12 chronic pancreatitis patients and nine controls were examined. Strong HLA-DR expression was observed in 6/12 chronic pancreatitis patients and in 1/9 controls. Moreover, lymphocytic foci with large numbers of activated cells were found only in chronic pancreatitis. The four HLA-DR - patients had a marked increase of fibrous tissue with small portions of acinar tissue, whereas the six patients with strong positivity had the greatest dilatation and hyperplasia of the ducts. These findings are similar to those observed in immune diseases, such as thyroiditis and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), and suggest that autoimmune phenomena are involved in chronic pancreatitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Molecular size distribution of immunoreactive trypsin and renal tubular dysfunction: role in trypsin plasma-urine transfer.

In order to investigate the role of circulating free trypsinogen and renal tubular dysfunction in affecting trypsin plasma-urine transfer, serum immunoreactive trypsin (IRT), its urinary output, IRT molecular size distribution, filtrable immunoreactive trypsin, gamma-glutamyltransferase and alpha-glucosidase outputs were studied in 6 control subjects, 9 patients with pancreatic cancer and 15 with chronic pancreatitis. The majority of immunoreactivity was always eluted at a molecular weight of about 24,000 and might therefore be considered as free trypsinogen. Variable amounts of IRT at higher molecular weights, possibly represented by trypsin-inhibitor complexes, were also detected. Increasing IRT levels were generally accounted for by free trypsinogen, regardless of the nature of the disease. Unlike serum free trypsinogen levels, renal tubular damage, evaluated by means of the excretion of two high-molecular weight urinary enzymes, seems to play a prominent role in explaining trypsin plasma-urine transfer.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Detection and measurement of a cellular immune-reactivity towards polyester and polytetrafluoroethylene grafts. Leukocyte adherence inhibition test.

Several studies were performed on polyester (Dacron) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) vascular substitute thrombogenicity. However, to date, the host-graft interactions have yet to be studied from an immunological point of view. For this reason, 4 classes of 10 patients each (Class 1: Dacron-+PTFE-grafted patients, Class 2: Dacron-, Class 3: PTFE-, and Class 4: controls) were submitted to a cellular immune-reactivity test: leukocyte adherence inhibition (LAI), in which leukocytes fail to adhere to glass on contact with a sensitizing antigen. The following blood cell populations were used: total leukocytes (PBL), mononuclear cells (MNC), T and B lymphocytes. This research demonstrated that a T cellular immune-reactivity towards Dacron and PTFE respectively occurs in Dacron- and PTFE-grafted patients, and that this reactivity is greater in the case of Dacron. More studies are required to determine the immuno-competent system role in fabric prosthesis patency.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

A tool for transhepatic stenting.

A modified method for transhepatic tube stenting is presented. The use of a No. 25 gauge music wire (1.5 millimeters in diameter) allows for different surgical maneuvers to be performed without parenchymal splitting. This technique can also be used in a slightly dilated biliary tree.

Biliary Tract↗
PubMed1986

Prospective evaluation of the diagnostic efficacy of CA 19-9 assay as a marker for gastrointestinal cancers.

Levels of a new carbohydrate antigen, CA 19-9, which is a monosialoganglioside identified by a monoclonal antibody raised against colorectal carcinoma cells, were compared to conventional CEA assays in 615 sera from healthy controls, patients with benign gastrointestinal disorders, and patients with cancers of gastrointestinal or extragastrointestinal origin. Whereas CEA levels were higher in smokers, CA 19-9 values were independent of the smoking history. CA 19-9 was undetectable in lymphoma and myeloma patients, but some patients with extraintestinal epithelial cancers expressed this antigen in serum. For benign and malignant gastrointestinal diseases, CA 19-9 displayed higher sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values than CEA. CA 19-9 was elevated as frequently as CEA in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer, but in patients with localized disease, CA 19-9 was elevated more often than was CEA. In colorectal cancer, patients with and without metastases were detected at similar rates by both assays. It is concluded that CA 19-9 is a marker of epithelial cancers, does not vary with the smoking status, and is superior to CEA in detecting gastrointestinal malignancies, especially those arising from the pancreatic gland.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1986

Effect of carprofen and indomethacin on gastric function and the content of prostaglandins E2 and F2 alpha in human gastric juice.

The effect of indomethacin (2 X 50 mg daily) and carprofen (2 X 150 mg daily) on gastric secretion and the generation of prostaglandins PGE2 and PGF2 alpha in gastric juice, was investigated in a single blind cross-over study in eight healthy volunteers lasting one week. We observed no statistically significant change in basal and pentagastrin-stimulated gastric secretory parameters (outputs of gastric acid, N-acetyl-neuraminic acid and pepsin) before and after treatment with indomethacin and carprofen. However, an inhibitory effect was found on the output of PGE2 and PGF2 alpha after pentagastrin stimulation. While both drugs diminished the output of PGF2 alpha to a similar extent, carprofen exerted a markedly weaker inhibitory effect on the output of PGE2 than did indomethacin. It is suggested that the gastric tolerability of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is related to their inhibitory potency on PGE2 formation, in the sense that weak inhibitors of PGE2 cause less damage to the gastric mucosa than do strong inhibitors.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

CA 19-9 assay in differential diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma from inflammatory pancreatic diseases.

Levels of a new carbohydrate antigen CA 19-9, which is a monosialoganglioside identified by a monoclonal antibody raised against colorectal carcinoma cells, were compared to carcinoembryonic antigen and tissue polypeptide antigen assays in 250 sera from patients with different pancreatic diseases including acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer. All three tumoral markers were elevated at the onset of an acute pancreatic attack in a few patients. All but five patients with chronic pancreatitis displayed normal levels with each of the three markers; in two of these five cases an extraintestinal cancer was later discovered. CA 19-9 displayed higher sensitivity and predictive value of a negative result than the other two markers. The best operational characteristic of CA 19-9 was its high predictive value for a positive test which suggests a "ruling in" usage of it for pancreatic cancer diagnosis. CA 19-9 assay was of extreme value in disclosing both localized and metastatic pancreatic cancer while the other two markers were more often positive in the latter case. Of 71 cancer patients with positive markers, only four would have escaped a right diagnosis by assaying CA 19-9 alone.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1986

Anaplastic adenocarcinoma of the thyroid gland: a study of ten cases.

Anaplastic carcinoma of thyroid gland, while rare, is the most common cause of death from thyroid cancer. Ten cases from a teaching department of surgery have been reviewed, with two-year follow up. Steps in pathological behaviour and management of this lesion are discussed. From the review, it seems that the only logical option in the treatment of anaplastic carcinoma of thyroid gland, is total thyroidectomy.

Adenocarcinoma↗