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Biomedical subjects

M Chiaramonte

Publications and source records attributed to M Chiaramonte.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Sodium retention in chronic liver disease: lack of a natriuretic factor?

An acute volume expansion in water diuresis has been induced in 8 patients with liver cirrhosis and in 8 normal subjects, taken as controls. A two hour postinfusion urine sample has been utilized to obtain the urine fraction with natriuretic activity. This activity was assayed in 16 rats. Our results confirm a significantly lower natriuretic activity of cirrhotic urine fractions than those of controls.

Animals↗

Detection, by three techniques, of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and determination of HBsAg and anti-HBs titres in patients with chronic liver disease.

The sensitivities of three technqiues used to detect serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were compared in 411 patients with various types of chronic liver disease. Counterimmunoelectrophoresis proved an unreliable test. Two haemagglutination technqiues were slightly less sensitive than radioimmunoassay but were more rapidly performed. Less sensitive techniques were particularly unreliable in active liver disease where HBsAg titres were low. HBsAg was detected in patients with chronic persistent hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, chronic active liver disease with or without cirrhosis, and primary liver cell carcinoma. Forty-six of the 68 (68%) HBsAg positive subjects were males coming from outside the United Kingdom. The HBsAg titres in 13 subjects with chronic persistent hepatitis were significantly higher (P less than 0-001) than those in 43 subjects with chronic active liver disease. Corticosteroid therapy did not alter the HBsAg titre significantly. None of the 28 HBsAg positive subjects studied serially for up to two years cleared HBsAg from the serum. Anti-HBs was examined by passive haemagglutination and found in 35 subjects, 26 of whom had no evidence of liver disease, 80% came from abroad. Anti-HBs was believed to be of epidemiological rather than of pathological importance.

Antibodies↗

Comparison between bolus injection and infusion of secretin and pancreozymin in the diagnosis of chronic pancreatic disease (one hour test).

There is no agreement in the literature as regards the carrying out of the Secretin-Pancreozymin test in order to achieve the greatest accuracy in the diagnosis of pancreatic insufficiency. In this study the results obtained by bolus i.v. injection of Secretin and Pancreozymin GIH are compared with those obtained by i.v. infusion of the hormones. The test - always prolonged for one hour - was done in 125 subjects, divided into two groups matched for sex, age and pancreatic or digestive disease. Volume, pH, bicarbonates, calcium and amylase were measured in the juice collected. The results showed that bolus i.v. injection of Secretin and Pancreozymin has greater diagnostic sensitivity (94%) than the infusion method (84%). If infusion is used, it is necessary to protract the test for more than one hour.

Adult↗

Immunological study of HB-AG carriers.

The serum immunoglobulin levels, the presence of circulating autoantibodies, the number of peripheral "atypical" lymphocytes and the number of DNA and RNA synthesizing mononuclear cells were studied in a group of "healthy" HB-Ag (australia Antigen) carriers and in a group of healthy HB-Ag negative control subjects. In the HB-Ag carriers, in spite of the persistent antigenaemia, all these immunological findings were normal (as in the control subjects).

Autoantibodies↗

Baseline seroepidemiology of hepatitis A virus infection among children and teenagers in Italy.

During the period from May 1987 through November 1989, the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis A virus infection (anti-HAV) was assayed by the ELISA method in the serum samples of 5,507 (54% males, 46% females) apparently healthy subjects three to 19 years old in Italy. Subjects were selected by a systematic cluster sampling in five different geographical areas of Italy. The overall prevalence of anti-HAV was 9.5%; it increased from 2.3% among children three to five-years-old to 16.3% in teenagers 17 to 19 years old (p less than 0.001). A slight preponderance of females was observed (10% versus 9.1%), but the difference was not statistically significant. The prevalence was significantly higher in Southern Italy than in Northern Italy (27.4% versus 4.8%; p less than 0.01). The prevalence of anti-HAV was inversely related to the fathers' years of schooling (O.R. 3.3; 95% C.I. = 2.5-4.2) and positively related to the family size (O.R. 2.4; 95% C.I. = 1.9-3.1). These findings indicate that, today, exposure to HAV infection at a young age in Italy is very low. However, sociodemographic factors are still important determinants in the spread of this infection.

Adolescent↗

Low prevalence of anti-HCV antibody among Italian children.

The seroprevalence of anti-HCV antibody was studied among 2,749 children and teenagers (1,438 males and 1,311 females) living in Italy. Anti-HCV antibody testing was positive by both EIA and RIBA in ten (0.36%) subjects. The positivity rate increased with age, ranging from 0 among children less than 6 years of age to 0.8% among those aged 17-19 years chi 2 linear regression = 0.038). Anti-HCV prevalence ranged from 0.2% in northeastern regions and in Apulia to 0.6% in Sicily and Sardinia (p > 0.005), and no difference was seen between males (0.35%, C.I. 95%: 0.04-0.66) and females (0.38%, C.I. 95%: 0.04-0.66) (Fisher's exact test = 0.565). From these data it appears that in Italy HCV infection is an uncommon event during childhood.

Adolescent↗