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Biomedical subjects

O Schiraldi

Publications and source records attributed to O Schiraldi.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

[Sensitivity and specificity of 2 methods of determining surface antigen (HBsAg) in various forms of hepatitis B pathology].

A passive haemoagglutination method (rHA) was compared to a solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) in detecting hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in order to evaluate their sensitivity and specificity. The test was performed on sera from 297 subjects with acute and chronic hepatitis, 23 asymptomatic HBsAg-RIA positive carriers, 20 patients with infectious mononucleosis, 110 HBsAg RIA negative healthy persons; 30 sera positive for rheumatoid factor and/or autoantibody were also tested. Our data confirm that RIA is highly specific and rarely shows false negative results, depending on antibody excess, rHA shows less sensitivity than RIA in detecting HBsAg especially in sera of patients with acute hepatitis.

Carrier State↗
PubMed1980

[Non-A, non-B post-transfusion hepatitis. Serological survey of 85 patients with acute hepatitis following blood transfusion].

In a serological survey of 85 adult patients hospitalized for an episode of transfusion-associated hepatitis, 45 were reactive for hepatitis B surface antigen and therefore diagnosed as having hepatitis B. Forty HBsAg non reactive patients were examined for development of antibody to hepatitis A and B antigens, cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus. Three patients showed serologic evidence of hepatitis B and one for hepatitis A. None of the remaining 36 subjects developed serologic evidence of acute infection with the viruses tested during the study period, so that they were classified as having so-called NANB hepatitis. As reported in other studies, analysis of the incubation period showed that two subgroups of NANB hepatitis may be identified with short and long incubation period, so that it appears likely that at least two agents are implicated in NANB hepatitis. Our data confirm that also in our area a large proportion of transfusion-associated hepatitis is related to NANB agent(s) requiring additional measures for its prevention.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1980

HBeAg/anti-HBe system and cell-mediated immunity in patients with HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis.

Determinations of HBeAg, anti-HBe and cell-mediated immune response were carried out in 29 patients with HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis. Out of 29 patients with chronic active hepatitis B, 18 were found to be HBeAg positive, 7 anti-HBe positive, and 4 without detectable HBeAg/anti-HBe by radioimmunoassay. The presence of HBeAg in serum (n = 18) was associated with impaired lymphocyte response in 15 patients (83.3%, p less than 0.05). Out of these 15 patients 6 developed cirrhosis within a period of 6 months to 2 years. By contrast, this occurred in only 1 out of 8 HBeAg-negative patients (6 were anti-HBe positive) with normal lymphocyte function. Although HBeAg and depressed cellular immune response in chronic active hepatitis is not necessarily associated with a bad clinical and histological outcome of the disease, these data suggest that, in a number of cases, host cell-mediated immune response seems to be correlated with the presence of HBeAg and the outcome of chronic active hepatitis and, in this respect, HBeAg could assume the significance of a prognostic marker in hepatitis B virus infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

[Antinuclear antibody (anti-HBc) and liver pathology in acute and chronic virus B hepatitis].

HBsAg and anti-HBc, the antibody to core antigen of hepatitis B virion, were titrated by solid phase radioimmunoassay in 40 sera of HBsAg carriers with acute and chronic hepatitis and in 20 healthy subjects carrying anti-HBc alone or associated with anti-HBs. No correlation was found between HBsAg and anti-HBc titers in the single category of patients. In contrast, geometric mean titer of anti-HBc (ranging from 2(14) to 2(15)) of patients with chronic active hepatitis was significantly higher ( p = < 0.01) than that of patients with acute or chronic persistent hepatitis and healthy HBsAg carriers (ranging from 2(9) to 2(14)). Anti-HBc titer of 20 subjects without detectable HBsAg was less than 2(7). These data suggest that in subjects with persistent B virus infection, anti-HBc response is correlated with synthesis of viral genome rather than of surface antigens, so that a much higher titer of anti-HBc was detected only in patients with a more active liver disease.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1979

[Distribution of anti-HAV in a population sample from Puglia].

To investigate the prevalence and distribution of antibody to hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV), we tested by solid phase radioimmunoassay method 461 sera of selected people of Bari, according to age. In addiction, sera from cord blood of 11 newborns and their mothers at delivery were also investigated for anti-HAV. Taken together 64.4 per cent of subjects tested were found to be anti-HAV positive. The rate of antibody detection was strongly correlated with age. The prevalence were 4.5 per cent from 6 months to 3 years but gradually increased throughout childhood (from 35.6 to 80 per cent). Anti-HAV was detected in all cord blood samples from newborns whose mothers carried anti-HAV. These data suggest that circulation of hepatitis A virus in our area is very high, so that serological evidence of infection become evident in the majority of individuals during infancy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

[Serodiagnosis of acute hepatitis A].

Hepatitis A antibody (anti-HAV) was detected by specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) method in sera from 10 patients with acute icteric hepatitis. Anti-HAV was detectable in many subjects very early before the onset of jaundice, but the diagnosis of type A hepatitis in all patients was confirmed by the demonstration of seroconversion during convalescence. Since the initial antibody detected by RIA is predominantly IgM, while IgG specific anti-HAV appears later reaching peak levels within 1 to 2 months, we treated serum specimens of these patients with 2-mercaptoethanol (2ME) in order to differentiate acute-from convalescent-phase hepatitis A sera. Inactivation of IgM fraction with 2ME produced a significant reduction of anti-HAV titer only in acute-phase sera, so that this procedure may be used for early diagnosis of acute type A hepatitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1979

Persistence of e antigen as prognostic marker in acute hepatitis B.

Serial determinations of HBeAg and anti-HBe were made in sera of 155 selected patients with acute hepatitis B who were followed up for one to four years. In the early phase of hepatitis, HBeAg was present in 43 cases (27.7%) and anti-HBe in 12 cases (7.7%). Evaluation of the outcome of hepatitis showed that development of chronic hepatitis occurred in 11 out of 43 HBeAg positive patients, in 10 out of 100 HBeAg negative patients (P = less than 0.05) and in 2 out of 12 patients carrying anti-HBe. Nine out of 11 HBeAg positive chronic subjects showed persistent HBe antigenemia over two months, while the remaining 32 patients, who recovered completely, lost HBeAg within two to three weeks from the onset of the disease. These data suggest that the prognostic value of HBeAg in acute hepatitis patients may be taken into account when HBeAg persists in the serum and that anti-HBe does not invariably protect from the development of chronic hepatitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1979

Radioimmunoassay in the detection of the hepatitis B e antigen/antibody system in asymptomatic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen. Correlation with serum Dane particle associated DNA polymerase activity.

A radioimmunoassay for hepatitis e antigen (HBeAg) and antibody to e (anti-HBe) was developed and sera of 71 asymptomatic chronic carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), in 44 of whom liver biopsy was obtained, were tested. In addition, testing for Dane particle associated DNA polymerase activity was performed in all sera. HBeAg was detected in 14 subjects (19.7%) and anti-HBe in 46 (64.8%). The highest proportion of HBeAg positivity (40%) was found among carriers with histological evidence of chronic hepatitis, whereas anti-HBe was present in 80% of carriers with normal liver histology, in 58% of carriers with non-specific reactive hepatitis and in 60% of carriers with chronic liver lesions. DNA polymerase activity was present in 92.8% of sera positive for HBeAg, in 13% of sera positive for anti-HBe, and in 9% of sera negative for both markers. Our results demonstrate that not all HBsAg carriers reactive to HBeAg show evidence of chronic hepatitis nor, conversely, that anti-HBe is invariably associated with the healthy carrier state of HBsAg. Finally, circulating Dane particles, as revealed by the presence of serum specific DNA polymerase activity, may also be present in anti-HBe positive sera other than those of some HBsAg carriers lacking both HBeAg and anti-HBe.

Carrier State↗
PubMed1979

[Prognostic value of alpha-foetoprotein in fulminant hepatitis (author's transl)].

Serum concentrations of alpha-foetoprotein (AFP) were measured sequentially by radioimmunoassay in 32 patients with fulminant hepatitis and coma, 22 of whom died. Levels were significantly elevated in 100% of patients who survived and in 7 out of 22 patients (38.5%) who died (P = less than 0.005). In the survivors the rise of AFP levels was found early after the development of coma and subsequently in all serum samples obtained during acute phase of illness. In 2 of 7 fatal cases who had raised AFP levels and the more protracted illness, AFP levels fall after 6 days. The high levels of serum AFP observed in severe forms of hepatitis may represent active hepatocyte regeneration after extensive hepatic necrosis. Although the correlation between survival and serum concentration of AFP is not absolute, our finding indicate that the rise in serum of this protein in patients with massive hepatic necrosis may be considered a favorable prognostic sign.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

[Role of chronic HBsAg carriers in intrafamilial diffusion of hepatitis B virus infection].

To assess the hepatitis B virus infection risk to household contacts exposed to HBsAg-positive chronic carriers, 169 family members of 20 healthy carriers of HBsAg and of 12 with chronic hepatitis were followed up prospectively for two to five years. All family members are investigated for the presence of serum HBsAg/antiHBs system and for the presence of liver disease. Our results indicate that the family contacts of HBsAg carriers with evidence of chronic liver disease are at greater risk of exposure to HBV than the contacts of healthy carriers and that acquisition of HBsAg is more common among males than among females. Evidence of exposure to HBsAg is very frequent in young age with a striking rise between 10 and 20 years. On the contrary acquisition of anti-HBsAg is more common after 40 years of age. These data suggest that persistent circulation of HBV in a family of chronic HBsAg carrier increases the risk of infection in household contacts and that HBV is eliminated in a more infective form from the carriers with chronic liver disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Polymyositis accompanying coxsackie virus B2 infection.

A case of polymyositis in a 15 year old girl demonstrating the clinical course of an infectious disease is presented. The Coxsackie virus B2 was isolated from the stools, and serum antibodies were detected. Histologic examination of muscle showed signs of myositis. The patient was treated with cortisone and recovered completely. Possible viral etiology of the polymyositis is suggested.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Clustering of HBsAg in a family.

A study was performed on a family of 7 followed up over a 4-year period in which an outbreak of B-antigen-positive hepatitis occurred. Of the 5 male members who acquired HBsAg, 1 became a chronic asymptomatic carrier and 4 had episodes of acute icteric hepatitis during a 15-month period with development of histologically documented chronic hepatitis with persistent HBs antigenaemia in all. Of the 2 female members, 1 had an attack of acute HBsAg-positive hepatitis but recovered normally and cleared HBsAg from her serum, while the other was found to have anti-HBs with no evidence of liver disease. Serological and immunological studies carried out in all members of this family suggested that a sex-linked defect of T cell function itself could explain the differing host immune response to HBV infection in genetically related subjects.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1977

Trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole in the treatment of cholera. Comparison with tetracycline and chloramphenicol.

67 of the bacteriologically proved adult acute cholera patients have been examined in order to evaluate the efficacy of TM-SMX in comparison with tetracycline and chloramphenicol in the eradication of Vibrio cholerae from stools. Our results demonstrated that all three drugs sterilized the stools of all patients within 3 days with the exception of one case of TM-SMX's group, which had negative culture stools after 4 days. On the basis of our experience it can be emphasized that TM-SMX can support chloramphenicol and tetracycline in the antibacterial treatment of cholera with the advantage that the drug is efficacious with daily administrations.

Adult↗