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Biomedical subjects

Y Levo

Publications and source records attributed to Y Levo.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

Cryoglobulinemia in acute type-A hepatitis.

Serum cryoglobulins were detected in 18 of 19 patients with type-A, and six of eight with type-B hepatitis. The predominant immunoglobulin in the cryoprecipitates was polyclonal IgM. Patients with type-A hepatitis had a significantly higher mean serum level of cryoglobulins when compared to those with type-B (106.9 vs. 20.5 micrograms/ml). IgM anti-hepatitis-A virus activity was detected in all cryoprecipitates obtained from hepatitis-A patients. Cryoglobulinemia in these patients was transient, associated with disease activity and accompanied by a marked increase in serum level of IgM. These findings are compatible with a recent hypothesis, which predicts the appearance of cryoglobulins under circumstances of enhanced stimulation of B cells in the presence of defective clearance of desialylated glycoproteins by their specific liver receptors.

Cryoglobulinemia↗
PubMed1982

Insect-sting allergy in Israel: immunotherapy with pure venoms.

Demographic, atopic and other clinical characteristics of 25 patients with insect-sting allergy are reported. All patients were skin tested by pure venoms (PVs) or whole body extracts obtained from bees and several vespids. PVs were found to be extremely useful and highly superior to whole body extracts in the diagnosis of insect allergy. Immunotherapy was indicated in 15 patients, 12 of whom completed a 12-wk PV desensitization course. Immunization was associated with minimal side effects and proved to be highly effective against a live-insect challenge.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Serum amyloid P-component as a marker of liver disease.

The P-component of amyloid is a normal serum protein designated SAP. In view of recent in vivo experiments that suggested a possible role for the liver in the synthesis of SAP, we decided to evaluate the usefulness of its serum level as a marker of liver involvement. The study included 198 healthy adults, 154 patients with liver diseases, and 27 HBsAg carriers. Normal serum level of SAP was 66.12 micrograms/ml for males and 57.17 micrograms/ml for females. Patients with liver disease had a significantly decreased level of SAP. The mean serum level of SAP in cirrhosis was 30.15 in chronic active hepatitis--37.16 and in acute hepatitis--44.86 micrograms/ml. Asymptomatic HBsAg carriers had a normal SAP level (mean 65.48 micrograms/ml). Thirty-two patients with acute hepatitis were tested during the acute stage of the disease and after complete recovery. In all but three patients, a significant increase in SAP level, from a mean of 35.8 to 58.48 micrograms/ml, was observed. These results suggest a close correlation between serum levels of SAP and the degree of disease activity and hepatic impairment in patients with liver diseases, especially in those with acute hepatitis. Repeat determinations of SAP in patients with liver diseases could possibly help in their routine management.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Fever in multiple myeloma.

Tumor-associated fever is a rare manifestation of multiple myeloma (MM). Two patients with MM are described, in whom this disease was associated with a fulminant course and resistance to therapy. The patients had none of the currently recognized "poor prognostic factors" of MM. Thus it is suggested that tumor-associated fever should be considered to be an indicator of poor prognosis in MM.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Cryoglobulins in patients with acute hepatitis and inflammatory bowel disease.

Serum cryoglobulins were detected in the majority of patients with liver disease, and in all patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Their incidence in acute hepatitis was similar to that in chronic active hepatitis or cirrhosis. All patients had serum cryoglobulins in the range of 5-76 micrograms/ml, except for a subgroup of patients with acute non-B hepatitis, who had much higher levels. The predominant immunoglobulin in the cryoprecipitates was IgMK. The significance of these results is discussed and possible mechanisms for the high prevalence of cryoglobulins in liver and inflammatory bowel diseases are suggested.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1982

Histocompatibility antigens and cell-mediated immunity in carriers of hepatitis B virus; a study of a family.

The cause of the HBsAg carrier state is unknown, and environmental genetic and immunologic factors have been implicated. Herein, a family is described in which the carrier state was associated with the HLA-A28BW15 haplotype and with impaired cell mediated immunity. The relevance of the genetic marker in this family is uncertain. It could be associated with a genetic susceptibility to the virus or alternatively with inherited immunodeficiency. According to the first possibility the impaired immunity could be secondary to the persistent viral infection. According to the second one the acquisition of the carrier state could result from the inherited immune defect.

Carrier State↗
PubMed1981

Immunological evaluation of asymptomatic carriers of hepatitis B virus.

The immune system of 69 asymptomatic HBsAg carriers with normal liver function tests was evaluated. B cell function, as documented by serum immunoglobulin levels, number of mouse rosette-forming lymphocytes and lymphocyte reactivity to staphylococcal protein A, was intact. On the other hand, T cell function was markedly impaired. This was manifested by a significant decrease in E rosette-forming lymphocytes, an increase in stable rosette-forming cells and decreased reactivity to phytohaemagglutinin and concanavalin A. These data rule out the possibility that the immunological aberrations associated with hepatitis B infection are secondary to liver injury. The abnormal immune state either precedes the viral infection, thus predisposing to the acquisition of a carrier state or, alternatively, is a direct result of the infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Serum IgE levels in patients with liver disease.

Serum IgE level was determined in patients with chronic and acute liver diseases. In the latter it was correlated with that of other immunoglobulin classes and with disease activity. IgE level was found to be within normal range in patients with chronic active hepatitis and in those with non-alcoholic cirrhosis, as well as in asymptomatic HBsAg carriers. In contrast, the prevalence of patients with high serum IgE level was significantly increased during the active stage of both type A an type B hepatitis. Serum concentration of IgE decreased to normal following complete recovery from the disease. The increase in serum IgE level during type A hepatitis was accompanied by a very marked increase in IgM level while that of IgG remained unchanged. The changes in the pattern of serum immunoglobulins during acute hepatitis might be attributed to selective depletion of suppressor T-cells.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1981

Bee venom immunotherapy: clinical and immunologic observations.

In the present study the authors evaluated the usefulness of pure venom (PV) in the diagnosis and prevention of bee allergy in a group of 25 patients. In addition, they followed changes in specific IgE and IgG serum levels during the course of immunotherapy. They found excellent correlation between the clinical history and skin test reactivity to PV. The RAST values correlated well with skin test but were somewhat less specific. They used a rather moderate schedule of desensitization by which a 100 mcg maintenance dose was attained by the 11th week. This schedule resulted in minimal side effects and was extremely effective. None of the live insect challenged patients had major reactions. Successful immunization was not associated by a decrease in specific IgE level. In contrast, most patients exhibited an increase in specific serum IgG levels. An increase in IgG level did not prove to be an absolute indication of successful immunization.

Bee Venoms↗
PubMed1980

Nature of cryoglobulinaemia.

Cryoimmunoglobulins seem to differ from non-cryoimmunoglobulins in not having carbohydrate groups, most probably sialic acid residues. It is proposed that cryoimmunoglobulinaemia is a physiological event and that desialylated immunoglobulins are a normal byproduct of the immune system. The rise in serum levels of cryoimmunoglobulins is either a pre-secretory event which follows enhanced stimulation of B lymphocytes or a post-secretory event secondary to the generation of serum neuraminidase-like activity by invading microorganisms or their products. It is also proposed that the liver is the main organ which removes cryoimmunoglobulins from the serum. The removal is mediated by specific hepatocellular receptors for desialylated glycoprotein. Clinical or subclinical liver diseases are therefore commonly associated with significantly increased levels of serum cryoglobulins.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed1980

Demonstration of amyloid in murine and human secondary amyloidosis by the immunoperoxidase technique.

A specific rabbit anti-murine amyloid A protein (anti-AA) has been used in the immunoperoxidase (IP) technique for the detection of amyloid in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded, tissue obtained from amyloidotic mice and a post-mortem kidney specimen from a patient with amyloidosis secondary to osteomyelitis. Amyloidosis was induced in five out of 20 white mice by weekly intraperitoneal injections of complete Freund's adjuvant. Amyloid deposits were clearly demonstrated both by the Congo Red and by the IP techniques. The antibody against murine AA was found to be cross-reactive with human AA. These preliminary results suggest that the IP technique with the use of specific antibodies against the different amyloid proteins might be extremely useful for the histological dianosis and classification of amyloidosis.

Amyloid↗
PubMed1980

Mixed cryoglobulinemia: clinical aspects and long-term follow-up of 40 patients.

The clinical course of 40 patients with significant quantities of mixed cryoglobulins, but without lymphoproliferative, collagen-vascular or chronic infectious diseases, is presented. These cases comprise 51.3 percent of all mixed and 31.7 percent of all types of cryoglobulins evaluated by us over the period 1960--1978. A characteristic clinical syndrome, consisting of recurrent palpable purpura (100 percent), polyarthralgias (72.5 percent) and renal disease (55 percent), was seen. Biopsy specimens of skin lesions showed cutaneous vasculitis, and half had immune reactants in vessel walls. Seventy percent of patients had evidence of hepatic dysfunction, often subclinical, and more than 60 percent of those tested had serologic evidence of prior infection with hepatitis B virus. Hepatic lesions ranged from minimal triaditis to chronic active hepatitis and/or cirrhosis. All 22 patients in whom clinical renal disease developed had significant proteinuria; 63.6 percent had diastolic hypertension, 77.3 percent edema, 45.5 percent renal failure and 22.7 percent were nephrotic. Glomerular disease associated with deposition of immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin M and complement, often with coexistent renal arteritis, was confirmed pathologically in 15 cases. All cryoglobulins had rheumatoid factor activity and consisted of IgM and polyclonal IgG; five also contained IgA. Thirteen had a monoclonal IgM kappa component. Serum protein electrophoresis was unremarkable or showed diffuse hyperglobulinemia. Striking depression of early complement components was noted but did not correlate well with the cryoprotein concentration, renal involvement or clinical course. Follow-up for periods up to 21 years from onset of symptoms revealed that renal involvement has a deleterious effect on prognosis. Postmorten examinations of nine patients demonstrated widespread vasculitis in addition to renal involvement. Preterminal infection was found in eight.

Cryoglobulins↗