Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023890 (cirrhosis)
 42,195 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

ATP-thymidine 5'-phosphotransferase (TK) is a cellular enzyme involved in DNA synthesis, activated during the G1/S phase of the cell cycle. Elevated TK serum levels can be found in cancer patients due to the active proliferation of tumor cells. TK serum activity was tested by a radioenzymatic technique (Prolifigen TK REA, Sangtec Medical, Sweden) based on the conversion of 125 I deoxyuridine to 125 I deoxyuridine monophosphate. A total of 181 patients were enrolled in this study: 133 lymphomas (Hodgkin, HL and Non-Hodgkin, NHL) 48 benign diseases including acute (n = 17) and chronic inflammatory diseases (n = 13), myocardial infarction (n = 11), liver cirrhosis (n = 2), renal failures (n = 2), and diabetes (n = 3). Lymphoma patients were classified according to the Ann Arbor staging system, and 103 NHL patients were classified according to the Working Formulation histologic grade (21 low, 72 intermediate, and 10 high grade lymphomas). The patients were treated with standard chemo-radiotherapeutic protocols according to the stage and the histologic grade; the evaluation of the response to the treatments and the follow-up were performed according to the serial examinations currently used in our Institute. Given a TK cut-off of 5 U/L, the diagnostic sensitivity of TK test at lymphoma presentation was 81.8% and 75.7% in HL and NHL patients, respectively. Values exceeding 50 U/L were found only in NHL patients. The overall sensitivity of TK resulted higher than that of LDH (16.7%), copper (42.6%), IgG (23.5%), IgM (26.8%) and IgA (9.8%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Thymidine kinase (TK) activity as a prognostic parameter of survival in lymphoma patients. 766 Aug 54

In patients with liver cirrhosis, there were many abnormalities in laboratory tests. Serum GOT, GPT and LDH were elevated due to the liver cell necrosis. The value of ICG tests reflected the decrease of effective hepatic blood flow and the increase of intrahepatic shunt flow. White blood cell counts and the number of platelet were decreased due to the hypersplenism. Serum albumin and cholineesterase levels were decreased more remarkably in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis than in patients with viral liver cirrhosis. Raised GOT and GPT levels were lower in aged patients than in young patients. Serial laboratory tests were important for the management of patients with liver cirrhosis.
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PMID:[Blood chemistry, hematology of patients with liver cirrhosis]. 811 9

Thirty-nine patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated with weekly alternating non-cross-resistant chemotherapy (CAMBO-VIP). We obtained a high response rate, and prolonged disease-free survival with side effects and complications of various severity were observed. Three patients were withdrawn from the study due to aggravation of liver cirrhosis, cerebral infarction, and poor tolerance. Thirty-six patients completed this 12-week intensive chemotherapy. The median treatment delay in all patients was 3 days (-4 to 29 days), and a delay of over 15 days was seen in 5 patients. The nadir of the neutrophil count was 0 to 2,100/microliters (median 140/microliters), and 15 patients were below 100/microliters. Two patients had pneumonia and 4 had herpes zoster infection. The platelet count nadir was 20,000 to 240,000/microliters (median 90,000/microliters). Ten patients were below 50,000/microliters, but none required platelet transfusion. Red cell transfusion was given in 6 patients. Elevation of transaminases was seen in 25 patients, but it was not serious except for a patient with liver cirrhosis. The elevation of serum LDH level and decrease of serum haptoglobin level seen shortly after completion of treatment seemed due to the increased blood cell destruction. Stomatitis was observed in 32 patients, 17 of whom showed more than grade 3 toxicity. Blister formation on palms and/or soles was noted in 6 patients. There was no treatment-related death observed.
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PMID:[A study of toxicities and complications observed in alternating non-cross-resistant chemotherapy (CAMBO-VIP) for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma]. 833 48

Toxic manifestations of digitalis are one of the most prevalent adverse drug reactions encountered in clinical practice. The estimated incidence is about 20% in hospitalized patients in the USA. The authors describe a rare case of myocardial "catecholamine necrosis" (anteroseptal myocardial infarction) during accidental digitalis intoxication. A male patient, 75 years old, suffering from cirrhosis and ascites, take on by mistake a tablet of digoxin 0.25 mg. four times at day for eleven days. He hadn't heart disease in the past. At the eleventh day the patient showed a deep tiredness and so he was submitted to a clinical examination and electrocardiogram. The ECG demonstrated an anteroseptal myocardial infarction in the second-third electrical stage. The patient was hospitalized. The successive examination revealed: very high plasma digitalis concentrations; an increase of the serum levels of CPK and LDH; a significant increase of plasmatic and urinary catecholamine levels which return to normal values after fifteen days; apical akinesia at the echocardiographic examination; no signs of residual myocardial ischemia to the echo-dypiridamole stress test; normal coronary artery to the coronary arteriography and absence of coronary artery spasm to the ergonovine test. Furthermore the abdominal echography and the abdominal computerized tomography didn't reveal surrenal disease but showed an important liver disease. The patient was free from other cardiac events in the follow-up. Generally, during the digitalis intoxication we observe various rhythm and conduction disturbances. Instead in this case no serious arrhythmias were registered and the main expression of the drug toxicity was an anteroseptal myocardial infarction with undamaged coronary artery. Also the usual extracardiac symptoms and signs of the digitalis intoxication were absent in this case. All these observations can be explained with the pathological increase of the cathecholamine levels, indirectly induced by digitalis; with the direct toxic effect of the drug at the myocardic level; with the contemporary absence of ionic disturbances; with the concomitant liver disease. The direct toxic effect of the digitalis produced an increase in calcium ions availability for the electromechanical coupling and an increase of the intramyocardial pressure; the increase of the adrenergic activity determined contemporary an increase in the oxygen consumption of the myocardial cells, a rise of vascular tone and coronary artery tone and a reduction of the duration of the diastole. All these factors provoked a "primary and secondary" ischemia which evolved toward a real "cathecholamine necrosis" and produced a myocardial infarction. This hypothesis explains the myocardial infarction in absence of injury at the coronary arteriography and without coronary spasm at the ergonovine test; moreover it explains the transient increase in cathecholamine plasma levels observed in the acute phases an normalized after fifteen days. The "cathecholamine necrosis" is an anatomical definition, nevertheless in our opinion it gives account of the rare clinical situation observed.
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PMID:[An unusual case of "catecholamine necrosis" caused by accidental digitalis poisoning]. 855 67

The authors describe a case of giant benign cystadenoma of the ovary in a 55 year old woman. The patient came to their observation complaining of severe abdominal pain which started right after she was treated with a paracentesis, because of the suspicion of cirrhosis with ascites. The authors briefly outline the two goals of the diagnostic strategy: the diagnosis of the disease and the diagnosis of the nature of the disease. They stress the utmost importance of ultrasound and computerized tomography scans in the diagnosis of disease. For the diagnosis of the nature of the disease the authors counted on Ca 125, CEA, LDH levels and on Ca 19.9 and ACE levels as well. The surgical management of abdominal mass, which is the only possible treatment, led to the removal of a 60 cm in diameter and 30 kg mucinous cystadenoma. After the viscera of the higher abdomen (liver and stomach) had been repositioned, a plastic closure of the enormously expanded anterior abdominal walls was performed.
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PMID:[Benign giant ovarian cystadenoma. Description of a clinical case]. 878 69

We previously reported that in vitro hypoxic condition enhanced VEGF level and its receptor expression in hepatic cancer cell line, HepG2. Transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization (TAE) therapy is one of the vasculo-occlusive and hypoxic challenges to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, we examined the level of VEGF in sera of patients with HCC who underwent TAE during the course of the treatment. Thirty-eight patients with HCC and hepatitis C virus-positive cirrhosis were studied. Peripheral blood samples were taken before and 1, 3 and 7 days after TAE with informed consent. The serum levels of VEGF as well as hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), another hepatic remodeling factor, were measured. The molar ratio (BTR) of serum branched chain amino acid (BCAA) to tyrosine (Tyr), the serum levels of AST, ALT and LDH were also examined. Although the level of AST, ALT and LDH reached the peak value within 1 day after TAE, VEGF level increased significantly 7 days later. On the other hand, there were no significant alterations in the levels of HGF and BTR during the course of TAE. Although the level of HGF was significantly correlated with the level of VEGF before TAE, this correlation was no more observed after TAE. These data collectively suggest that VEGF may be secreted in response to clinical hypoxic intervention, TAE, independent of HGF or altered amino acid metabolism. VEGF may play a role as a sensitive marker for tumor ischemia.
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PMID:Serum vascular endothelial growth factor in the course of transcatheter arterial embolization of hepatocellular carcinoma. 1033 62

A novel human DNA virus, TTvirus (TTV), was identified from a patient with posttransfusion hepatitis of unknown etiology. It is thought to be a new hepatitis virus, but the clinical significance of this virus is uncertain. We investigated the frequency of TTV viremia by PCR in 39 non-B, non-C hepatitis (NBNC) patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and clinical features of these patients. TTV viremia was detected in 20 (51.3%) of 39 NBNC hepatitis patients with HCC. Liver cirrhosis (LC) were found in 11 (55%) of 20 TTV-positive patients and 16 (84%) of 19 TTV-negative patients (p < 0.05). The levels of AST, LDH, LAP, gamma GTP in TTV-positive patients were significantly higher than those in TTV-negative patients (p < 0.05). (AST: 58 +/- 26 vs 42 +/- 23 IU/l, LDH: 468 +/- 127 vs 366 +/- 123 IU/l, LAP: 339 +/- 242 vs 206 +/- 80 IU/l, gamma GTP: 207 +/- 207 vs 105 +/- 107 IU/l) These results suggest clinical differences between TTV-positive and TTV-negative patients in NBNC hepatitis patients with HCC.
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PMID:[Detection of TT virus (TTV) in non-B, non-C hepatitis patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, and clinical features of these patients]. 1039 Oct

With an estimated annual incidence of about one million cases, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common neoplasms worldwide. Of all malignant diseases, it is the major cause of death in some regions of Africa and Asia. The pathogenic mechanisms responsible for HCC are not well defined, and therapeutic means, especially in inoperable HCCs, are still unsatisfactory and await improvement. In the quest for tumor antigens exploitable for gene therapy, we studied immune responses in the context of HCC. A cDNA library derived from a human HCC sample was screened using the SEREX approach. Nineteen distinct antigens reactive with autologous IgG were identified. Sequence analysis revealed three of the cDNA clones to code for hitherto unknown proteins and 16 known genes products. Proteins as diverse in function as LDH, albumin, and kinectin were found. Furthermore, proteins involved in the transcription/translation machinery had elicited an immune response in the autologous host. A panel of allogenic sera including sera from patients with hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, HCC, and other tumor entities, as well as sera from normal individuals, was used for frequency analysis of antibody responses. Whereas allogenic sera of HCC patients detected most antigens at a high percentage, control sera were rarely antibody-positive. The nature of the major fraction of antigens described here are linked to liver. Thus, our findings demonstrate not only the complexity of the humoral immune response against HCC, but may also offer new insight into mechanisms underlying transformation of the liver cell.
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PMID:Definition of tumor-associated antigens in hepatocellular carcinoma. 1075 Jun 67

An 11-year-old boy was diagnosed as having acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL, L1) in 1987 and underwent treatment with an ALL high-risk protocol (prednisolone, vincristine (VCR), daunorubicin, 1-asparaginase), which resulted in complete remission. In 1990 he developed chronic hepatitis C and received interferon therapy. In December 1994, ALL recurred, and the patient was treated with VCR. He subsequently developed severe hemolysis (Hb 12.5 g/dl-->6.8 g/dl) with increases of indirect bilirubin, AST, and LDH. Furthermore, symptoms resembling a syndrome of inappropriate secretion of ADH (SIADH) and DIC developed. Upon incubation of the patient's red blood cells with VCR in vitro, extreme deformity of the cells was observed. These findings suggested that splenomegaly, due to liver cirrhosis which had developed rapidly from chronic hepatitis C while the patient was in an immunosuppressed state induced by anticancer drugs, had trapped the deformed red blood cells and resulted in severe hemolysis. The patient died on the 165th day after admission due to liver failure.
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PMID:[Severe hemolysis and SIADH-like symptoms induced by vincristine in an ALL patient with liver cirrhosis]. 1119 45

Fas ligand (FasL) plays an important role in the regulation of apoptosis. Soluble FasL (sFasL) is produced by a cleavage of FasL from the cell surface by metalloproteinase. Whether or not sFasL exists or is elevated in the pleural effusion of different etiologies is unknown. The present study is designed to determine pleural effusion and serum sFasL levels under different clinical conditions, and ascertain if there exists a significant difference in the levels found in different clinical conditions, and whether this difference can be used as a tool for differential diagnosis. Soluble FasL levels in the pleural effusion and serum of 103 patients, including 37 with malignant pleural effusion, 24 with uncomplicated parapneumonic effusion, 8 with bacterial empyema, 16 with tuberculous pleurisy, and 18 with transudate effusion (8 with congestive heart failure and 10 with viral liver cirrhosis), were analyzed with ELISA assays. Pleural effusion from patients with bacterial empyema (median 79.4 pg/ml) and TB pleurisy (median 31.9 pg/ml) contained significantly higher amounts of sFasL than the pleural effusion from all other conditions studied (p <0.001). Viral liver cirrhosis had a significantly higher serum sFasL level (median 53.6 pg/ml, p = 0.025, when compared with other patients). Patients with congestive heart failure had the lowest serum sFasL levels when compared with other patients (p = 0.014). There was no significant correlation between pleural effusion sFasL levels and other parameters, such as effusion LDH, cell count, neutrophil, and lymphocyte percentage. In conclusion, soluble FasL is a useful marker for the differentiation of bacterial empyema and TB pleurisy from other disease entities. In addition, the elevation of serum sFasL levels in viral liver cirrhosis can also be used to differentiate cirrhosis from congestive heart failure, in which both effusions are transudate.
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PMID:Pleural effusion and serum soluble fas-ligand levels are elevated in different clinical conditions. 1210 54


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