A randomized, controlled study of thymosin-alpha1 therapy in patients with anti-HBe, HBV-DNA-positive chronic hepatitis B.

No consistently effective therapy is yet available for the treatment of chronic HBsAg, anti-HBe, HBV-DNA-positive hepatitis. A multicenter trial has shown that the response rates are not significantly different when patients with anti-HBe-positive hepatitis are treated with six-month course of thymosin-alpha1 or of interferon-alpha. However, since among these patients, interferon's real efficacy is still debated, with sustained biochemical response achieved in only a few of the treated patients, we conducted this controlled study to investigate the safety and efficacy of thymosin-alpha1 as compared with no treatment.

Dysarthria and cerebellar ataxia: late occurrence of severe neurotoxicity in a liver transplant recipient.

Neurological complications of cyclosporin (CyA) therapy are frequent, usually occurring within the 1st month after transplantation. Though leukoencephalopathy is one of them, it is rarely documented. Here we report the case of an anti-HCV-positive patient with cirrhosis who underwent liver transplantation and developed cyclosporin-induced leukoencephalopathy.

Factors in the development of a liver transplantation programme: experience of 100 consecutive transplantations in Milan's Niguarda Hospital.

From December 1985 to December 1990, 100 liver orthotopic transplantations (OLTX) were performed in 89 adults with cirrhosis and various other liver diseases; eight patients had two transplants and three of these had three transplants. Organ perfusion was done with Eurocollins in the first 30, then with UW solution. Immunosuppressants were a combination of cyclosporin A and steroids for the first 30 patients, and then a combination of antilymphocyte globulin, azathioprine, methylprednisolone and cyclosporin A.

gamma-Glutamyl-transpeptidase in diabetics: a case control study.

Several investigators have reported high levels of gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase (GGT) in the diabetic population. Therefore, we undertook a study to see the prevalence of 'isolated' high GGT in a large population of diabetics without chronic liver disease (CLD), as compared to an age- and sex-matched control group of non-diabetic subjects without CLD, and the role of extrahepatic factors in 'isolated' high GGT, as possible etiopathogenetic causes. We selected 351 diabetics with normal hepatologic screening, without echographic abnormalities of the hepatic parenchyma or the biliary tract.

Role of hepatitis B virus infection in chronic liver disease of diabetic patients: a case-control study.

In the literature there is no agreement on the prevalence of chronic liver disease (CLD) and the role of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in diabetics. We undertook an epidemiological case-control study of the prevalence of CLD and HBV infection in 394 diabetics and 265 healthy subjects from Seriate and Como. The results did not show any significant differences between: 1) the prevalence of CLD in the diabetic population and in controls (4.

Familial hypo-alpha-lipoproteinemia.

A familial syndrome with hypo-alpha-lipoproteinemia is described. The affected propositus and his relatives have low levels of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A, without any other lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities. Lipase activity and lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase activity are also normal.

Relationships between metabolic and hemostatic variables in uncomplicated diabetes.

Several metabolic (HbA1, HDL-C, triglycerides) and hemostatic (VIIIR: Ag, VIII:C, B-TG variables were investigated in 35 non-obese, insulin-dependent diabetics without clinically evident vascular complications. B-TG was high but did not correlate with other metabolic and hemostatic parameters, suggesting that elevated B-TG in diabetes might be an expression of in vitro platelet activation. VIIIR: Ag and the ratio of VIIIR: Ag to VIII: C were markedly increased.