Changes in serum fibrogenesis markers during interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis type C

K Ishibashi, T Kashiwagi, A Ito, Y Tanaka, M Nagasawa, T Toyama, S Ozaki, M Naito, M Azuma – 1 July 1996 – We serially measured the levels of serum N‐terminal peptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP), the 7S domain of type IV collagen (IV‐7S), and hyaluronate (HA) before (0 month), at the end (6 months), and 24 weeks after the end of interferon therapy (12 months) in patients with chronic hepatitis type C to estimate the effects of interferon alfa (IFN‐alpha) on serum levels of hepatic fibrogenesis markers.

Increased levels of soluble complement receptor 1 in serum of patients with liver diseases

S Sadallah, E Giostra, G Mentha, J A Schifferli – 1 July 1996 – Complement receptor type 1 (CR1) is an integral membrane protein of many hematopoietic cells and is found in a soluble form in plasma. Preliminary data have indicated that soluble complement receptor 1 (sCR1) levels in serum were increased in patients with cirrhosis. In this study, sCR1 was measured in patients with various liver diseases with a newly established enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

The ancestral hemochromatosis haplotype is associated with a severe phenotype expression in Italian patients

A Piperno, C Arosio, S Fargion, A Roetto, C Nicoli, D Girelli, L Sbaiz, P Gasparini, G Boari, M Sampietro, C Camaschella – 1 July 1996 – We evaluate the relation between genotype and phenotype in 47 Italian male patients with homozygous genetic hemochromatosis (GH). Phenotype evaluation was based on the ratio of amount of iron removed (IR) by phlebotomy and age (IR/age). Patients were divided in two classes of phenotype expression: class I included 26 patients with less severe iron overload (IR/age ≤0.33) and class II included 21 patients with a more marked one (IR/age >0.33).

Toxoplasma gondii pneumonitis in a liver transplant recipient: Implications for diagnosis

Nina Singh, Timothy Gayowski, Ignazio R. Marino – 1 July 1996 – Toxoplasma gondii pneumonia developed 27 days after retransplantation for chronic rejection in a liver transplant recipient receiving tacrolimus as primary immunosuppression. Trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole had been discontinued (due to cytopenia) before the onset of T gondii pneumonia. T gondii was isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid by growth in fibroblast cell culture routinely used for the isolation of viruses and detected in lung on autopsy.

Variable gene expression within human tyrosinemia type 1 liver may reflect region‐specific dysplasia

B A Haber, E Chuang, W Lee, R Taub – 1 July 1996 – Patients with hereditary tyrosinemia type 1 have a deficiency of fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH) and develop progressive hepatocellular dysfunction with a high risk of malignant transformation. Serum alpha‐fetoprotein levels are frequently elevated in these patients; therefore, this commonly used marker of tumorigenesis is inadequate. To date, no literature exists describing the hepatic gene alterations in patients with this disease.

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