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Biomedical subjects

L Bianchi

Publications and source records attributed to L Bianchi.

At least 379 records · Page 21Linked to original sources
PubMed1976

Sanded nuclei in hepatitis B: eosinophilic inclusions in liver cell nuclei due to excess in hepatitis B core antigen formation.

In confirmation of earlier descriptions by Huang et al. (Huang S-N, Millman I, O'Connell A, Aronoff A, Gault H, Blumberg BS: Am J Pathol 67: 453, 1972) nuclear eosinophilic inclusions due to excess HBcAg particles have been identified in cases of chronic hepatitis B virus infection. As the euchromatin space of affected nuclei is "sanded" by numerous core particles with concomitant dissolution of the chromatin network, spiky, finely granular, and eosinophilic inclusions without a limiting membrane become visible in hematoxylin and eosin-stained paraffin sections. These HBcAg inclusions stain greyish pink with chromotrope aniline blue and are negative for orcein, the periodic acid-Schiff reaction, and the Feulgen reaction for DNA. Sanded nuclei were detected, although not always and only few in number, exclusively in HBAg-positive patients when a focal (as in chronic aggressive hepatitis) or a generalized core formation (as in immunosuppressed kidney transplant recipients) could be demonstrated by electron microscopy or immunofluorescence. Therefore, the positive finding of sanded nuclei in a persistent hepatitis B virus infection indicates an excessive core formation the extent of which should be verified by specific methods.

Cell Nucleus↗
PubMed1975

[Hepatitis in drug addicts (follow-up study with biopsies) (author's transl)].

Viral hepatitis, proven by biopsy in 44 patients known to be drug addicts or confirmed drug takers had serial clinical, biochemical and (half of them) biopsy studies between 1971 and 1974. At the time of the first biopsy the period of addicition averaged 28.8 months. 30 of the 44 patients had had jaundice. At the time of the last biopsy, 20 of the 44 had chronic persisting and three had chronic active hepatitis, i.e. more than half had a chronic form. A further 12 patients had "hippie" hepatitis, a special form of acute viral hepatitis with piecemeal necrosis, histological evidence of possible change to a chronic state. There was no case of complete healing during the period of observation. The high rate of chronic hepatitis is thought to be due to partially insufficient immune response. The clinical and even biochemical course in most of the patients was remarkably mild. Severe clinical forms are rare and were not observed at all in the described group. It would therefore, seem that the prognosis is generally good, in contrast to chronic hepatitis in non-addicts.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Pattern of core and surface expression in liver tissue reflects state of specific immune response in hepatitis B.

A series of 67 liver biopsies (20 kidney transplant recipients and 47 outpatients with hepatitis) was investigated for the presence of hepatitis B antigen core (HBc) and surface (HBs) components by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. The variable appearance of the core in liver cell nuclei and of the surface in the cytoplasm allowed the recognition of expression patterns which, together with histologic parameters, could be integrated into four reaction types of diagnostic and prognostic implications: Type I (Elimination Type). No components or only occasional expression of HBc; histologically, classic lobular hepatitis; clinically, acute, self-limited viral hepatitis. Type II (HBc Predominance, or Immunosuppression Type). Abundant core expression in each liver cell nucleus and moderate appearance of HBs; histologically, nonaggressive inflammation (nonspecific reactive or portal hepatitis); clinically, mild, chronic, persistent hepatitis in transplant patients. Type III (HBs Predominance, or Nonaggressive Type). Prominent HBs expression largely in the absence of HBc; histologically, nonaggressive inflammation (nonspecific reactive and portal hepatitis) or normal liver tissue, together with ground-glass hepatocytes in light microscopy, as a correlate of HBs-containing hepatocytes; clinically, hepatitis B antigen carrier, or chronic persistent hepatitis. Type IV (HBc+s Equivalence, or Aggressive Type). Spotty expression of both components, especially of core; histologically, periportal hepatitis; clinically, mainly corresponds to chronic aggressive hepatitis and to acute hepatitis with possible transition to chronicity. As a unifying concept for these types, it is suggested that immune responsiveness determines the reaction pattern, the key mechanism being immune elimination of affected cells. Between efficient elimination (type I) and effective immunosuppression (type II), a graded elimination insufficiency is found in chronic forms (types III and IV), explaining the persistence and probably also the aggressiveness of hepatitis B virus infection.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1975

Heart volume determination with phase synchronization in normal subjects and postinfarct patients.

The authors investigated the influence of the systole-and-dyastole cycle upon the cardiac volume measured radiologically with ECG phase synchronization in prone subjects. Measurements were made in 30 healthy subjects and 27 patients with a history of myocardial infarction, all of them ambulatory. As expected, the mean cardiac volume relative to body surface was greater in postinfarct patients than in normal subjects to a high degree of statistical significance. Conversely, the differences between end-systolic and end-diastolic cardiac volumes fell short of statistical significance both in healthy subjects and in postinfarct patients. Accordingly, radiological measurements of cardiac volume without phase synchronization seem justified in the functional evaluation of postinfarct patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

[Morphological characteristics and pattern of hepatitis B antigen expression in liver tissue in acute and chronic forms of hepatitis (author's transl)].

Immunofluorescent and electron microscopic methods allow the localization of hepatitis virus B-components at the cytologic and histologic level. The acute and chronic forms of viral hepatitis are re-evaluated in the light of these new findings. In HB-Ag-positive hepatitis four types of correlation between the expression pattern of HG-Ag components and different forms of hepatitis are recognized which are of diagnostic and prognostic relevance (elimination type, immunosuppression type, aggression type, and carrier type). The correlation between antigen expression, persistence of infection and type of inflammation seems to reflect the specific immune state towards the hepatitis B virus.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1975

[Core and surface antigen of the Dane particle in liver tissue - relation to different forms of hepatitis B (author's transl)].

The complete Dane particle consists of two serologically and morphologically different components: Core (HBc) and Surface (HBs). HBc is located almost exclusively in the liver cell nucleus and can be demonstrated by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, but not by light microscopy. HBs is located exclusively in the cytoplasm and can be demonstrated by immunofluorescence (IF) and, if present in excess, by electron an light microscopy (as ground-glass hepatocytes). The combined analysis with IF, electron and light microscopy of biopsy specimens taken from patients with different forms of hepatitis with and without immunosuppresive therapy allows recognition of at least four different reaction patterns: 1. Immunosuppression type (= HBc-predominance type), 2. Elimination type, 3. Aggressive type (= HBc+s equivalence type, 4. Carrier type (= HBs-predominance type). The patterns of HB-Antigen components are of prognostic value as to the clinical course of hepatitis. These findings strongly suggest that immune responsiveness determins the reaction pattern, the key mechanism being immune elimination of affected cells. In addition, these findings stress the role of the immune system in regard to the variability to the clinical course of hepatitis B, and shed light on morphological correlations.

Antibody Specificity↗