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Biomedical subjects

V Laghi

Publications and source records attributed to V Laghi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Direct and serum-induced lymphocytotoxicity against rabbit hepatocytes in chronic active hepatitis.

The direct and the serum-induced lymphocytotoxicity against cultured rabbit hepatocytes were evaluated in 25 patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH) (15 HBsAg+). Twelve out of fifteen HBsAg+ and nine out of ten HBsAg- patients have shown an increased cytotoxicity for rabbit hepatocytes. Moreover the sera of the same patients were able to induce a significant cytotoxicity in normal lymphocytes against rabbit hepatocytes. The addition of LSP was able to inhibit the cytotoxic reaction for rabbit hepatocytes in all cases with positive cytotoxic index. Indeed, the results we have obtained are the following. a) A significant lymphocytotoxicity for rabbit hepatocytes exists in patients with CAH, and this is unrelated to HBsAg status. b) A linear correlation ( r = 0.88; p less than 0.001) exists between the direct and the serum-induced lymphocytotoxicity in CAH hepatitis. c) The cytotoxicity to rabbit hepatocytes seems to be an antibody mediated process and the target antigen seems to be LSP.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Immune response to rabbit liver-specific lipoprotein in acute viral hepatitis.

A serial prospective study of cell-mediated immunity to rabbit liver-specific lipoprotein (RLSP) has been done in 26 patients with acute viral hepatitis (AH) (18 HBsAg+ and eight HBsAg-) using a lymphocyte transformation test. An increased stimulation index was recorded in 56% of HBsAg+ cases and in 63% of the HBsAg- group at the first determination within 2 weeks of presentation. A progressive return to normal values was observed during the course of the disease. In one patient, however, the stimulation index remained high at 6 months after presentation and liver biopsy showed the appearance of chronic active hepatitis. Results within the normal range of values were observed when a macromolecular kidney protein fraction was used as antigen: further evidence of an organ-specific component in RLSP preparation to which the immune response seems to be directed. These findings demonstrate the existence of a common and time-limited sensitization to RLSP in acute viral hepatitis irrespective of HBsAg status. It is suggested that RLSP may be a useful alternative to human LSP in evaluating immune reactions in liver diseases.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1979

[Hepatitis and drug addiction: clinical and immunological studies].

The association drug addiction-hepatitis has so increased in recent years to represent a social epidemiological and clinical problem all over the world. Although the clinical picture of hepatitis is already well defined in drug-abusers, it remains to be completely understood the mechanism responsible for the significant incidence of progression from acute to chronic hepatitis in this population. The viral infection, the drug itself, the drug contaminants, the immunological defects (cellular and/or humoral) may be considered as possible contributing factors to this event. For this reason the Authors have performed an immunological study either in a group of drug-abusers with acute and chronic hepatitis, or in a group of 82 "asymptomatic" drug addicts without a history of liver diseases. The results of this study are the following: - In all the drug-addicts considered there is a common contact with virus B. - There are significant alternations of the cellular and humoral immunity in drug-addicts with acute and chronic hepatitis. - In the "asymptomatic" group the humoral immunity is slightly altered (hyper IgM, circulating immunocomplexes), while normal the cellular response. All these findings are critically evaluated also in respect with the new immunopathological mechanisms of hepatitis B.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1979

Lymphocyte transformation test with rabbit liver specific lipoprotein (RLSP) in chronic active hepatitis.

Cellular sensitization to rabbit liver specific lipoprotein (RLSP) has been investigated using a lymphocyte transformation test in patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH). A stimulation index greater than 2 was recorded in twenty out of twenty-five cases (eight of ten HBsAg positive and twelve of fiteen HBsAg negative) while values were lower than 2 in all the normal subjects. These results confirm the finding of sensitization to LSP in chronic active hepatitis irrespective of HBsAg status and show that rabbit LSP can be used as an alternative to the human antigen in the lymphocyte transformation test, and is further evidence that this liver membrane lipoprotein has antigenic determinants which have species-cross-reactivity.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

[Hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Clinical, epidemiological and differential immunological elements].

The Authors have already related in various papers the results of their research on humoral and cellular immunity in the course of viral hepatitis in relation to the behaviour of HBsAg determined with various methods and recently with the radio-immune assay. Since the high sensitivity of this latter technique consents a sufficiently precise differentiation of hepatitis into HBAg-positive (hepatitis B) and HBAg-negative (hepatitis A), the Authors have intended studying in this work the eventual clinical epidemiological and immunological differences between the two types of hepatitis, analyzing the results of their previous studies, extending the case data and gathering numerous other personal observations, clinical and laboratory, not yet published. The study was limited to 136 patients with viral hepatitis in wwhich the test for HBsAg was effected with RIA: of these 58 were HBAg+ and 78 HBAg-. Initially is discussed the incidence of two types of hepatitis in relation to age and sex and then the comparative incidence between them of the various routes of contagion. Particularly emphasized is the possibility of direct transmission of HBAg+ hepatitis, often responsible for infection within the family. The comparative determination of transaminases, bilirubin, immunoglobulins and complement has revealed some interesting variations in the behaviour of the two types of hepatitis. Instead, cellular immunity, studied by the rosette E technique, appeared depressed in the initial phase of sickness in both types of hepatitis. Space is dedicated to the behaviour of HBsAg in acute HBAg+ hepatitis in relation to the immunoglobulins and complement and in relation to the normalization of the transaminases and bilirubinemia. After a few brief observations on the frequent appearance of a joint symptomatology in the course of viral hepatitis, particularly in the HBAg+ form, the Authors report the data relative the evolution of the hepatitis cases examined. The percentage of a complete cure are about equal between hepatitis A and hepatitis B even recovery is significantly faster in the first type of hepatitis (HBAg-).

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cell-mediated cytotoxicity to rabbit liver-specific lipoprotein in chronic active hepatitis.

Cell-mediated cytotoxicity to 51Cr-labelled avian red blood cells coated by rabbit liver-specific lipoprotein was evaluated in 27 patients with untreated chronic active hepatitis (11 were HBsAg-positive). A significantly increased cytotoxicity was recorded in 10 of the 11 patients with HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis and in 13 of the 16 HBsAg-negative patients. The addition of rabbit LSP to the test system reduced to normal the cytotoxicity index in all the positive cases. Moreover, in order to evaluate the organ-specificity of cytotoxicity to rabbit LSP-coated cells, we added to the test system a macromolecular kidney protein fraction which was unable to block the cytoxicity in any of the positive cases. In 12 selected cases, which had previously shown an increased cytotoxicity to rabbit LSP-coated red blood cells, the incubation of their lymphocytes at 37 degrees C for 30 min in a plastic Petri dish resulted in the abolition of cytotoxicity. Our findings seem to indicate that cell-mediated cytotoxicity to LSP can also be detected with an antigen, not prepared from human liver. This is a further evidence that patients with chronic active hepatitis develop an immunological reactivity to not species-specific antigenic determinants in LSP.

Animals↗