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Biomedical subjects

G Giusti

Publications and source records attributed to G Giusti.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

Abnormal steroid sulfate in plasma of women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

Concentrations of numerous sulfate steroids were checked in the plasma of 10 women in normal pregnancy (NP), 21 women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and 10 pregnant women suffering from viral hepatitis with jaundice (VHP). A considerable increase in 5 alpha pregnane and 5 beta pregnane 3 alpha, 20 alpha diols, mono- and disulfates and in 5 alpha pregnane 3 beta, 20 alpha diols disulfates was observed only in ICP and not in VHP. This observation permits us to hypothesize that these hormone changes can have a causative role in the pathogenesis of ICP.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1978

Klinefelter's syndrome: a study of its hormonal plasma pattern.

Plasma testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), 17 beta-estradiol (E2), 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), androstenedione (delta), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS), 5-androstene-3 beta-17 beta-diol (A-diol) and cortisol (F) have been measured in a group of normal males and in a group of patients with Klinefelter's syndrome (KS) before and after hCG stimulation. Significantly lower baseline levels of T and DHT and significantly higher baseline levels of E2 were found in patients with KS. No significant differences were found between baseline levels of 17-OHP, delta, DHEA, DHEAS, A-diol, and F. After hCG stimulation between T, DHT, E2 and 17-OHP levels showed a significant increase in the two groups of subjects. The percentage variation of T and DHT, however, was much less important in Klinefeiter patients, while E2 and 17-OHP did not show a significantly different pattern from that of normal controls, hCG administration did not produce any significant variation of delta, DHEA, DHEAS, and F in the two groups of subjects, while A-diol levels increased significantly in normal subjects, but not in Klinefelter patients. Our data may be consistent with the hypothesis that testicular steroidogenesis in Klinefelter patients is impaired below the 21-C-steriod level not only at delta 4 but also at the delta 5 pathway.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Plasma androgens in women with hyperprolactinaemic amenorrhoea.

Cortisol, androstenedione, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHAS) and free dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) were measured in plasma of ten women affected by amenorrhoea with hyperprolactinaemia and eleven women affected by secondary hypothalamic amenorrhoea; twelve normal women at the second day of the menstrual cycle were used as controls. All subjects were hospitalized and 17-ketosteroids, 17OH-corticosteroids and total dehydroepiandrosterone were also measured in urine. Plasma DHAS was increased in all subjects affected by amenorrhoea with hyperprolactinaemia, while plasma DHA and urinary DHA were significantly increased in this group in comparison to other groups. Plasma cortisol, androstenedione and testosterone and urinary 17-oxosteroids and 17OH-corticosteroids were not significantly differnt in the three groups. In subjects affected by amenorrhoea with hyperprolactinaemia treated with bromocriptine a clear decrease of DHAS correlating with a decrease of plasma prolactin was observed. Since in wome DHAS sems to be almost exclusively secreted by the adrenal gland and most of the circulating DHA is dervied from adrenal secretion, these data suggest that human prolactin can stimulate DHAS production by the adrenal cortex.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed1977

Clearance of viable Calmette-Guèrin bacillus by the in vitro isolated and perfused rat liver.

Liver efficiency in clearing circulating BCG (Clamette-Guèrin bacillus) was studied using the isolated rat liver. Bacteria were added to the perfusate at a concentration of 1 X 10(6) cells/ml, and the medium was then sampled at subsequent intervals for 6 hours in 2 perfusions and for 1 hour in 7 perfusions. At the end of all perfusions, liver and bile samples were obtained and used for viable bacterial counts. For each perfusion the bactericidal activity which might have been exerted by serum present in the perfusate was also investigated. About 95% of BCG disappeared from the perfusate after 6 hours of perfusions, and 90% after 1 hour. Recovery of viable bacteria in the liver at 60 minutes averaged 80% of the inoculum. Recovery in bile was negligible. Control experiments indicated that extrahepatic factors in possible reduction of bacterial concentration in the perfusate did not interfere with hepatic removal, per se.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Treatment of chronic active hepatitis with either prednisolone or corticotrophin: a controlled trial.

A total of 54 patients hospitalized for chronic active hepatitis were randomly treated, 29 with prednisolone (maintenance dose 15 mg/day) and 25 with depot synthetic corticotrophin (maintenance dose 1 mg/week, i.m.) and were followed up for 6 to 24 months or longer. In this series, young males predominated, the incidence of serum HBsAg positivity approached 80% in both treatment and no patient had initial evidence of cirrhosis or had autoimmune associated diseases. With either drug SGOT levels showed a decrease during the initial 12 months of therapy (p less than 0.05); initial jaundice, when present, had disappeared by the 3rd month of treatment. With both treatments globulins and gamma-globulins decreased significantly after 12 to 24 months of therapy. Serum HBsAg persisted in all but two cases. Serum liver biopsies showed the following evolutions of histological activity: 12 cases (22%) improved to the "inactive phase" (8 with prednisolone and 4 with corticotrophin); 19 (35%) improved to a lesser extent (8 with prednisolone and 11 with corticotrophin); 17 (32%) remained unchanged (11 with prednisolone and 6 with corticotrophin); 6 (11%) worsened (2 with prednisolone and 4 with corticotrophin). Morphological features of cirrhosis appearently developed in 15 patients (8 treated with prednisolone and 7 with corticotrophin) of whom 7 achieved improvement of histological aggressiveness concurrently. Differences between treatments were not significant. Side effects suggesting drug discontinuation occurred only in 6 cases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Acute viral hepatitis in Italy. Results of a collaborative study.

The etiological and clinical aspects of viral hepatitis were evaluated by a retrospective survey of patients hospitalized in 1972, 1973 and 1974 in 12 specialized medical centers scattered throughout Italy. The data refer to 2788 patients suffering from acute viral hepatitis who were hospitalized during the initial 10 days of jaundice. The majority of patients (90%) had not been treated with steroids. For each case, the clinical and biochemical data were recorded, coded, computerized and statistically analyzed. In our patient population viral hepatitis was more frequent among younger patients. We observed a high frequency of HBsAg positive hepatitis (40.7%) which was seldom associated to a history of parenteral exposure and showed an irregular geographical distribution. HBsAg positive hepatitis was similarly distributed between males and females. It was more frequent in patients older than 30 (60%) than in children (18-23%) and younger patients (42%). In our series, the frequency of HBsAg hepatitis found in surgeons (81.8%) and nursing personnel (66.3%), but not in physicians (41.2%), was greater than that of the entire sample due to their exposure to blood.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Further observations on the properties of serum and tissue guanase from man and some animal species. Optimum pH and activation energy in the presence of 8-azaguanine.

The activation energy and the optimum pH of guanine deaminase in man, the rat, guinea pig and mouse were studied using 8-azaguanine as a substrate. The serum guanase in man and in all the animal species studied differs in activation energy from the guanase of the liver. In man, moreover, the serum guanase is also different from the brain and kidney enzyme. In the rat and guinea pig the brain enzyme has thermic activation energy different from the liver and kidney enzyme. The guanase of the serum and tissues of the guinea pig differs from the enzyme of the serum and tissues of man, rat and mouse for optimum pH.

Aminohydrolases↗
PubMed1976

A comparative study of the Bessey method and Hausamen method for serum alkaline phosphatase determination.

The methods of Bessey et al. and Hausamen et al. for serum alkaline phosphatase determination were compared. Determinations were carried out using sera from healthy blood donors and sera from patients suffering from different hepatobiliary diseases. A high reproducibility of values obtained using both methods was noted. The sensitivity of the method of Hausamen et al. is about four times greater than that of the method of Bessey et al., even though the former method employed a lower reaction temperature. A high degree of correlation exists between the two methods and the data reported indicate that both methods are completely valid.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Effects of fructose infusions in patients suffering from acute viral hepatitis.

Two groups of patients suffering from uncomplicated viral hepatitis were treated for seven consecutive days with intravenous infusions of fructose and glucose, respectively (1 gram per kilogram body weight per diem). Serum transaminases were determined daily as were total bilirubin and uric acid levels. No statistically significant variations in the values of these tests were observed between the two groups of patients. Serum lactic and pyruvic acid concentrations were also determined both before and after infusion during the first three days of treatment. Blood lactic and pyruvic acid levels were found to rise significantly after fructose infusion, but not after glucose infusion. These changes, however, were limited and did not affect the lactate/pyruvate ratio.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1975

[Hemostatic changes in the course of different chronic hepatopathies].

The following tests were performed in 15 cases of chronic aggressive hepatitis (CAH), 12 of cirrhosis, and 8 of other forms of chronic disease: liver function, thromboelastogram, prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), determination of factors I, II, V, X and XIII, euglobulin and FDP lysis, and platelet count, shape and agglutinability. At least one haemostasis alteration was observed in nearly every case, the most common being in the thromboelastogram, PTT, prothrombin, and platelet shape and agglutinability. Defects were most marked in cirrhosis and comparison with CAH was significant in the case of PT and factor V. Fibrinolysis was increased in 60% of the CAH group and rarely elsewhere. Haemorrhage was noted in 7 cases of cirrhosis and 1 of CAH. On each occasion, it was more dependent on the serious nature of the disease, rather than defective haemostasis.

Adult↗