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Biomedical subjects

R Naccarato

Publications and source records attributed to R Naccarato.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Actual role of pepsinogen group I in the study of upper gastrointestinal diseases.

The role of serum PG I in screening patients with chronic atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer, and in detecting peptic ulcer patients with high relapse risk, was ascertained in 276 subjects. Although not diagnostic per se, PG I was found to be under 20 micrograms/L in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis and in some gastric cancer or partially gastrectomized patients. In patients presenting with relapsing duodenal ulcer, PG I values were significantly higher than in the non-relapsing ones, but a satisfactory identification of all the duodenal ulcer patients with high relapse risk was not possible on this basis. Even the correlation between PG I and MAO was not accurate in every subject considered. These results suggest that the value of PG I is limited to assessing patients with upper gastrointestinal diseases in which a reduction of peptic secretion, and therefore of PG I in serum, is present.

Duodenal Ulcer↗
PubMed1983

Pepsinogen Group I radioimmunoassay and total serum pepsinogen colorimetric determination: a comparative study in normal subjects and in peptic ulcer patients.

Pepsinogens, proteolytic enzymes produced by peptic cells of the stomach and discharged into the gastric lumen as well as into the blood have been divided into two groups: PG-I, originating from chief cells, and PG-II, mainly from antrum peptic cells. Both total serum pepsinogen (s-Pg) and PG-I have been separately reported as being significantly increased in gastric (GU) and duodenal ulcer (DU) patients and related to maximal acid output. In order to ascertain the relationship between s-Pg measured by means of the colorimetric Uete method, and PG-I determined by RIA method, these were assayed in 72 control subjects, 35 GU and 95 DU patients. s-Pg was found to be significantly increased both in GU and DU patients in comparison with control subjects. Likewise PG-I was significantly enhanced in GU and DU patients as compared with controls. A significant direct correlation between s-Pg and PG-I was found in all the subjects studied (r = 0.732).

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Are biopsy forceps helpful in the endoscopic evaluation of ulcer diameter?

A hand-made papier-mâché stomach model with hollowed-out ulcers was employed for evaluating the accuracy in estimating ulcer diameters by means of endoscopy. The opened biopsy forceps were also used as a reference marker. Ten endoscopists with various degrees of experience were involved in the study. All the endoscopists underestimated the ulcer diameters; the use of the forceps, resulted in an improvement, in particular in the case of the comparatively inexperienced endoscopists. A stomach model may be helpful in the subjective assessment of the endoscopists' ability to estimate ulcer size.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1983

Is mild gastric epithelial dysplasia an indication for follow-up?

We evaluated the changes over 1-55 months in mild gastric epithelial dysplasia (a relatively frequent, but not widely studied histological lesion) in 20 patients (11 with benign gastric ulcer, eight with chronic gastritis, and one after Billroth 2 operation), in order to ascertain whether to follow-up such patients in the future. Regression of the lesion was documented in 13 (65%), and no change in six (30%). Progression from mild to moderate dysplasia occurred in only one patient (5%). As mild dysplasia regresses or remains unchanged in most patients, at least over the short-term, specific follow-up is probably unnecessary. Nevertheless, a rational program of monitoring the associated precancerous conditions is in order.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Urinary ribonuclease excretion in pancreatic disease.

Urinary ribonuclease output and indices of renal tubular integrity were evaluated in control subjects and patients with pancreatic cancer, chronic pancreatitis and extrapancreatic diseases. The aim of the study was to ascertain the contribution to such diagnoses of ribonuclease determination in urine, and the possible influence of tubular damage on the extent of ribonuclease excretion. Information from the ribonuclease assay in urine offered no advantage over that obtained by the same determination in serum; tubular damage may contribution in some cases to an elevated ribonuclease excretion.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Risk of hepatitis B virus infection following upper gastrointestinal endoscopy: a prospective study in an endemic area.

A prospective survey, comprising 623 consecutive upper gastrointestinal endoscopies (in 588 patients) was carried out simultaneously at two endoscopy centres of a Mediterranean country, without altering the routine procedures. Each patient was tested for HBsAg, and sera found to be HBsAg-positive were tested for HBeAg/antiHBe: 40/588 (7.1%) subjects were found to be HBsAg-positive and 6 of them were HBeAg-positive. Sera of the first 5 HBsAg-negative patients in whom the same endoscope and/or biopsy forceps were used after a HBsAg-positive subject, were tested for antiHBc to ascertain antecedent HBV immunity: 77/136 (56.6%) were found to be antiHBc-positive. Forty-eight out of the 59 individuals "at risk" lacking evidence of previous HBV infection were contacted 6 months after endoscopy: none reported symptoms of hepatitis; 40 of them had blood tests for HBsAg and antiHBc: none showed serum markers of HBV infection. It is therefore concluded that, in spite of the high number of HBsAg carriers among endoscopy candidates, the risk of HBV spread during upper G.I. endoscopy is very low, even in high prevalence areas.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Hepatitis B virus infection in homes for the aged.

A seroepidemiological study was carried out in three different institutions for the aged. Serological evidence of HBV infection and the HBsAg carrier rate were found to be significantly increased in all three institutions with respect to the control group (noninstitutionalized aged). Of the 24 HBsAg asymptomatic chronic carriers 62% were positive for HBeAg. Among 15 patients with acute viral hepatitis, none had a severe course and in three HBsAg was not cleared 4-18 months after transaminase levels became normal. During 12-18 months of followup, two asymptomatic seroconversions to HBsAg were observed. Although no single HBV transmission route was identified, the close cohabitation with this high number of HBsAg/HBeAg-positive asymptomatic subjects could lead to an increased risk of spread of HBV within such institutions. Failure to clear HBsAg and the mild, often subclinical, HBV infection observed in these subjects, may be due to immunological abnormalities present in the elderly.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

Hepatitis B virus infection in prisons. A seroepidemiological survey in prisoners and attending staff.

Prisoners and attending staff from six houses of detention were screened for serum HBsAg, anti HBs, antiHBc and transaminases. Both prisoners and warders showed an increased prevalence of HBV serum markers with respect to age- and sex-matched general population control groups. The HBsAg carrier rate was 6.7% in prisoners and 6.6% in staff. Sixty-five per cent of the HBsAg-positive subjects were antiHBe-positive. When the blood samples were taken, all the HBsAg-positive subjects were asymptomatic; transaminases were normal in 80% and only slightly elevated in 20%. Illicit drug abuse was found to be a relevant risk factor for HBV infection among prisoners under 35 yearts of age, but not in the older group, whereas no correlation emerged between presence of HBV serum markers and tattoos or admitted homosexuality. A high prevalance of HBV serum markers as also found among young warders who had been in service for a short time: most of them, however, come from areas of Italy with a particularly elevated HBV circulation. Although the results suggest that many of the HBV infections are not recently acquired within the institution, this survey confirms that prisons should be regarded as high risk areas for HBV infection, both for prisoners and warders.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Serum ferritin in pancreatic disease. An accurate test of malignancy?

Serum ferritin, described as increased in patients with pancreatic cancer, was studied in 109 subjects by an immunoradiometric technique in order to assess its reliability in detecting pancreatic malignancy. A significant increase of serum ferritin was found in pancreatic cancer as compared to controls (p less than 0.01), to calcifying (p less than 0.05), non-calcifying (p less than 0.05), and recurrent (p less than 0.01) chronic pancreatitis. Nevertheless, high levels of serum ferritin were found in 10 out of the 36 chronic pancreatitis patients and in 10 out of the 26 patients with non-pancreatic diseases, whilst values within the normal range were detected in 6 out of the 22 pancreatic cancer patients. These data suggest that serum ferritin, although frequently increased in pancreatic cancer, cannot be considered a marker of pancreatic malignancy.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

[Viral hepatitis B. Seroepidemiological study in Veneto].

Sera from 3160 subjects without overt liver disease were tested for the presence of HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc. This group corresponds to a 4%, sample of the population resident in Padova and the surrounding district, selected according to sex and age distribution (in 5 to 5 year classes). The overall prevalence of HBV infection was 23%. The prevalence of HBsAg+ subjects was 3.2% higher in males than in females (3.8% v.s. 2.7%). Children under 5 years of age showed the maximum HBsAg carrier rate (7.3%), which was found to decrease with advancing age. Prevalence of anti-HBs is similar in both sexes (M 15.8% v.s. F 14.2%) and increases with age. Anti-HBc without HBsAg or anti-HBs was found in 4.6%, higher in males than in females (5.8% v.s. 3.6%). These result stress the importance of anti-HBc detection in HBV seroepidemiological surveys and suggest that HBV transmission within the household (both vertical and horizontal) plays a relevant role in HBV spread in our population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Gastric epithelial dysplasia in relapsing and nonrelapsing gastric ulcer.

In 50 patients with benign gastric ulcer (eight relapsing, 42 nonrelapsing) the evolution of the edge and scar histological characteristics was studied with special regard to the pressure and modification of epithelial dysplasia. The patients were endoscopically followed-up; for 1 to 74 months. Dysplasia was present in 29% of observations made in active ulcer and in 19% of patients with scarring gastric ulcer. Severe dysplasia was found only in one case. During follow-up, regression of the dysplastic changes was documented in 64% of the cases, progression from mild to moderate dysplasia in 4%, while no change was recorded in 32%. Appearance of dysplasia or progression from mild to moderate was seen in 62% of the relapsing cases, as opposed to 14% of the nonrelapsing cases (p less than 0.005). Dysplastic changes, usually mild, are relatively frequent in the mucosa both at the edge and scar of gastric ulcer, but they tend to disappear with the healing of the ulcer. Appearance or progression in severity of dysplasia during follow-up are rare, but significantly more frequent in relapsing ulcers, which therefore require more careful follow-up.

Adult↗