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Biomedical subjects

M Casaril

Publications and source records attributed to M Casaril.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Catalase activity in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Liver catalase activity, one of the free-radical scavenger enzymes, has been measured in 22 normal subjects and compared with that of 13 patients suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma. The activity was estimated both in tumor tissue and in tumor-free tissue. A significant reduction of catalase activity was noted in tumor tissue (p less than 0.001) as well as in the adjacent tumor-free tissue (p less than 0.02). In patients with hepatoma, the serum iron level was lower than in normal (p less than 0.01) and was correlated with enzyme activity (r = 0.958). These findings suggest that in hepatocarcinoma the free radical scavenger system is impaired.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Reduction of liver glutathione peroxidase activity and deficiency of serum selenium in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Twelve adults with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 8 individuals with histologically normal liver, were measured for serum selenium concentration and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) of liver tissue. It was found a reduced serum selenium and liver GSH-Px in patients with HCC. Serum selenium concentration and the enzyme activity were positively correlated (p less than 0.01). The increased risk of carcinoma in selenium deficiency may be partially due to a reduced activity of GSH-Px, one of the most important scavenger enzymes of oxygen toxic radicals.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed1986

Plasma fibronectin in liver cirrhosis and its diagnostic value.

Plasma fibronectin (FN) has been measured by immunonephelometric method in 100 cirrhotic patients and compared with that of 77 normal subjects and with that of 57 patients suffering from liver disorders different from cirrhosis. Both, compensated and decompensated cirrhotics had lower plasma FN than controls (31.14 +/- 11.42 and 20.88 +/- 10.43 respectively vs 40.13 +/- 8.58 mg/dl; rho less than 0.02 and rho less than 0.001). FN in ascitic patients was lower than in non-ascitic (rho less than 0.001). These differences were not due to different weight or age of patients. It appears, therefore, that FN parallels in cirrhosis the grade of liver function impairment. No significant difference has been noted between plasma FN of patients with liver diseases different from cirrhosis and control subjects. In cirrhosis, a positive relation has been observed among FN and other parameters of liver function such as serum albumin, cholinesterase activity, fibrinogen and prothrombin time. Plasma FN has a low sensitivity but a high specificity and a good positive predictive value in distinguishing normals and patients with liver disorders different from cirrhosis. This diagnostic value is similar to that of serum albumin.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Severe impairment of antioxidant system in human hepatoma.

Catalase (CAT), glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity and reduced glutathione content (GSH) were measured in patients who had hepatocellular carcinoma, and values compared with those of normal liver and liver adjacent to neoplastic tissue. The results showed a remarkable reduction of CAT in tumor and corresponding tumor-free tissue (P less than 0.001 and P less than 0.02, respectively). All neoplastic samples had a significant lower activity of CAT than the corresponding adjacent tumor-free tissue (P less than 0.05). The GSH-Px activity of tumor tissue also was lower than normal (P less than 0.001) but similar to that of adjacent tissue. No correlation was noted between the two enzyme activities. Glutathione content was extremely low in tumor (P less than 0.001) and even in tumor-free tissue (P less than 0.05) when compared with normal liver. In all cases the content of GSH in neoplastic tissue was lower than that of the corresponding tumor-free tissue (P less than 0.05). Whereas in normal liver the activity of GSH-Px was positively correlated with the content of GSH, in the neoplastic tissue such a relationship disappeared. All these findings suggest that the antioxidant system of hepatocellular carcinoma cell is severely impaired.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Diagnostic and prognostic value of serum copper and plasma fibrinogen in hepatic carcinoma.

To investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of several biochemical tests in primary liver tumors, the authors studied 36 cases (4 cholangiocarcinomas and 32 hepatocellular carcinomas, 10 of which were associated with cirrhosis) and 47 cases of liver cirrhosis, all with morphologically proven diagnosis. Serum copper (SCu) and plasma fibrinogen (PF) appeared the most useful tests in differential diagnosis between tumors and cirrhosis. In liver tumors, mean SCu level was 200.50, standard deviation (SD) 47.17 micrograms/dl (121.40, SD 25.90 micrograms/dl in cirrhosis; P less than 0.001). PF level was 461.78, SD 151.25 mg/dl in tumors (275.30 SD, 124.40 mg/dl in cirrhosis; P less than 0.001). SCu had a good sensitivity (0.80) and a high specificity (0.92) at a cutoff value of 160 micrograms/dl; when the cutoff level was raised to 170 micrograms/dl, the specificity increased to 1, with a sensitivity of 0.77. The combination of SCu and PF improved the diagnostic value slightly. Moreover, with an estimated frequency of tumor in cirrhosis of 10%, SCu had a positive predictive value of 1 (cutoff, 170 micrograms/dl) and a negative predictive value of 0.97. In nine patients SCu levels decreased after surgical removal of tumor; five other patients, sequentially studied, showed an increase of SCu level that correlated with the progression of the disease. Finally, patients with longer survival had a lower SCu level. These findings suggest that SCu level may be used as a screening test for early detection of neoplastic degeneration, and it is correlated with the extension of tumor mass.

Adenoma, Bile Duct↗
PubMed1985

Decreased activity of liver glutathione peroxidase in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, one of the scavenger enzymes of oxygen active radicals, has been measured in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of 17 patients and the values compared with the activity of adjacent tumor-free tissue and with those of 30 histologically normal livers. The results demonstrate a reduced GSH-Px activity in neoplastic tissue (21.19 vs 33.74 U/g prot.; P less than 0.001). However, the adjacent tumor-free liver also had a reduced activity when compared with normal tissue (23.15 vs 33.74 U/g prot.; P less than 0.01), but this value did not differ from that of HCC tissue. These data suggest that HCC might develop in a GSH-Px-deficient condition.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Inhibition of erythrocyte glutathione-peroxidase by bromsulphalein.

42 different samples of human erythrocytes were tested for glutathione-peroxidase activity (GSH-Px) in an attempt to study the inhibitory effect of Bromsulphalein (BSP). The mean activity of the enzyme was 11.90 +/- 3.61 U/g Hb, with no significant difference between males and females. BSP was used at different concentrations from 1 to 45 mM and inhibited GSH-Px activity; the inhibition curve showed a sinusoidal pattern. The major effect was obtained at 30 mM BSP when almost 65% of the initial activity was inhibited. The inhibition of GSH-Px by BSP has also been confirmed using partially purified GSH-Px obtained from human erythrocytes, as well as purified bovine GSH-Px. Some difference was noted between males and females: females may be divided into two subgroups, one with a lower and a second with a higher level of GSH-Px. 1 mM BSP increased the activity in the first group, whereas it reduced the activity in the second group. The inhibition by BSP was positively correlated with the basal value of GSH-Px and this effect was particularly evident in females (r = 0.865; p less than 0.001). The possibility that GSH-Px may be inhibited by BSP would be of some importance considering the strategic role of GSH-Px in protecting the cell from oxidative attack.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

[Ataxia telangiectasia. Description of a case with multiple cerebral hemorrhages and liver cirrhosis].

Clinical history and morbid anatomy findings of a new case of ataxia-telangiectasia are reported. A 26 years old man, with overt signs of the disease since the age of 8, died for decompensated cirrhosis; in the last year he suffered for cerebral haemorrhage; post-mortem examination showed venous angiectasias in cerebral white matter that caused two macroscopical areas of haemorrhagic infarction and multiple pin-pointed haemorrhages. We suggest that longer survival of patients with A.T., due to better management of infectious complications, permits the appearance of vascular abnormality not only in skin and mucosae, but also in deep organs, generally protected from environmental damages.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Alternative pathway for complement activation triggered by human liver plasma membranes.

Liver plasma membranes (LPM) prepared from normal hepatocytes by centrifugation in sucrose discontinuous gradient, are capable of haemolysing PNH-like cells in the presence of complement or complement plus EGTA or MG2+ ions. In contrast, EDTA or Ca2+ ions inhibit the lysis. The total complement lytic activity is reduced by some 40% when fresh serum is incubated with LPM, whereas the total amount of C4 remains constant. The cross-immunoelectrophoresis studies of fresh serum incubated with LPM demonstrate the appearance of C3 breakdown products, which suggests the activation of the alternative complement pathway. In contrast, the sucrose test, which proceeds mainly through the classical complement pathway, is inhibited by LPM. The possible role of complement in liver disease is discussed.

Cell Membrane↗
PubMed1980

Glutathione-peroxidase and glutathione-reductase activities of normal and pathologic human liver: relationship with age.

Liver glutathione-peroxidase (L-GSH-Px) and glutathione-reductase (GSSG-Red) activities were measured in supernatants of liver tissues obtained from a total of 36 subjects. Sixteen of these patients had a functionally normal liver (control group), whereas of the remaining 20 patients, 10 were cirrhotic and 10 had a liver disease other than cirrhosis. The mean value of L-GSH-Px of the control group was 33.12 +/- 12.66 U/g protein, a value similar to that found in patients with liver disease. The L-GSH-Px of the control group was positively correlated with the age of the subjects (r = 0.620; p less than 0.02). In contrast, in patients with liver disease an opposite behaviour of the two parameters was noted (r = -0.497; p less than 0.05). L-GSH-Px activity tended to be higher in males than in females, whereas the erythrocyte glutathione-peroxidase (E-GSH-Px) of the same patients was higher in females, albeit not significantly. L-GSH-Px and E-GSH-Px were not correlated either in normal or in liver disease. The mean GSSG-Red of the control group was 40.63 +/- 11.10 U/g protein, which is not different from that of the group of liver patients. GSSG-Red was not correlated with L-GSH-Px or with the age of patients. In two patients with hepatoma, the GSH-Px activity of the cancer tissue was low and the GSSG-Red activity high.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fibronectin is related to prealbumin in plasma of decompensated cirrhotics.

In a group of 23 patients with advanced liver cirrhosis we have found a statistically significant positive correlation (r = 0.746; p less than 0.0001) between fibronectin and prealbumin levels measured in plasma by immunonephelometric methods and found significantly lower than in healthy controls (p less than 0.001). On the contrary, no correlation of fibronectin neither to albumin nor to the presence of an enlarged spleen was observed. Since the sensitivity of prealbumin as an index of liver function is believed to be higher than that of albumin, our results support the view that the decreased fibronectin in advanced cirrhotics is mainly due to their liver failure, an enlarged spleen playing only a minor role.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prognostic score in liver cirrhosis developed using the Cox's proportional hazard regression model.

In order to assess the prognostic value of clinical and laboratory variables in liver cirrhosis, 36 of these variables were statistically analyzed in 151 patients followed up for 8 years. The 'survival time' was taken as the reference variable. In a first step we analyzed by log-rank test and by Cox's proportional hazard regression model the data of 98 patients (study group), obtaining 7 prognostically significant variables (age, leukocytes, calcium, potassium, globulins, cholesterol and previous diagnosis). From the regression coefficients of these variables, a risk score was obtained for each patient. To validate the prognostic value of this score, we computed it, using the same coefficients obtained in the study group, in 53 subsequently examined patients (control group) showing that the prognostic score allows the classification of these patients in 3 risk classes with different observed survival times.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Role of iron load on fibrogenesis in chronic hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In chronic viral hepatitis, an enhanced iron load is related to lower response to interferon. Furthermore, iron, through the production of oxygen radicals, may stimulate hepatocyte necrosis and the activation of cells responsible for synthesis and deposition of extracellular matrix. We investigated the relationship between iron load, evaluated by serum assays, and liver fibrogenesis in chronic active viral hepatitis. METHODOLOGY: Serum iron, ferritin, transferrin saturation and serum markers of hepatic fibrogenesis (Laminin and the amino-terminal peptide of procollagen III-NPIIIP-) were assayed in 102 patients (47 females, 55 males, mean age 42.48 years) affected by chronic hepatitis C virus and in 81 healthy controls (47 males, 34 females). In hepatitis C virus patients (studied before alpha-interferon treatment) a semiquantitative score for portal inflammation, necrosis and fibrosis was applied to liver biopsy. RESULTS: Serum indices of iron load were higher in hepatitis C virus patients than in controls, and were higher in cirrhotic than in chronic hepatitis cases. Ferritin and serum iron were positively correlated with NPIIIP and laminin; moreover cases with ferritin levels over the normal limit for sex and age had higher levels of NPIIIP and laminin than cases with normal or poor iron status. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that even a mild increase of iron load stimulates hepatic fibrogenesis, probably adding oxygen free radical injury to the damage of viral infection.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Costal osteolytic lesions and multiple hepatic neoformations in a patient with inflammatory pseudotumor].

Inflammatory pseudotumor is a rare disease, that is regarded as a benign reactive inflammatory process, although its etiology and pathogenesis are still unknown. The liver is one of the organs most frequently involved, but inflammatory pseudotumors have been reported in many other sites in the body. Inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver presents as a solitary or, less frequently, multiple space-occupying lesion, which the common imaging techniques do not clearly distinguish from primitive or metastatic hepatic malignancies. Biopsy of the lesion is therefore necessary for diagnosis. The case of inflammatory pseudotumor described here presented with radiologic features of multiple solid space-occupying lesions in the liver, associated with multiple osteolytic lesions in the ribs. Such an association, very suggestive of malignancy, has not yet been reported for inflammatory pseudotumors. Optimum management of this disease has not yet been standardized. The majority of patients are treated by hepatic resection, although spontaneous regression has also been described. In our case, rapid improvement of both hepatic and costal lesions was observed, although the patient did not receive any specific treatment.

Aged↗