Knockout of alpha6 beta1-integrin expression reverses the transformed phenotype of hepatocarcinoma cells.

Background & Aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma is a common complication in liver cirrhosis. The integrin alpha6 beta1, a receptor for the laminin family of extracellular matrix proteins, has been found to be overexpressed in hepatocarcinoma. In an effort to further characterize the involvement of alpha6 beta1-integrin in hepatocarcinoma progression and to study alpha6 beta1-mediated functions, a human hepatocarcinoma cell line, HepG2, that express high surface levels of alpha6 beta1 and uses only this integrin to mediate adhesion on laminin was identified.

[Role of the liver in the regulation of glucose metabolism in diabetes and chronic liver disease].

The liver plays a major role in the regulation of glucose metabolism: plasma glucose concentration is the result of peripheral glucose utilization and liver production. Several hormones, including insulin, glucagon, growth hormone, cortisol, and catecholamines contribute to the regulation of glucose metabolism by the liver. In this review, we examine hepatic glucose metabolism, in particular the actions of insulin and contrainsular hormones on glucose hepatic uptake and production in patients with diabetes or chronic liver disease.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of torasemide and furosemide in patients with diuretic resistant ascites.

Background/aim: To evaluate the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of furosemide and torasemide in patients with cirrhosis and diuretic resistant ascites.

Methods: Eighteen patients were randomly allocated to receive intravenous torasemide (40 mg) or furosemide (80 mg). The renal response to these drugs was assessed in baseline conditions and in the 24 h following drug administration together with plasma and urinary concentrations of furosemide, torasemide and its metabolites.

Thyroxine-binding globulin in elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

In order to evaluate the possible relevance of the increased serum levels of thyroxine binding globulin (TBG) in elderly patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), TBG and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were measured in 3 groups: (i) 14 healthy subjects (mean age: 74 +/- 2 years); (ii) 15 patients with cirrhosis of the liver (mean age: 70 +/- 1 years); (iii) 17 patients with cirrhosis and HCC (mean age: 71 +/- 1 years). Both TBG and AFP levels were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the patients with HCC, as compared to the healthy subjects or to the cirrhotic ones without HCC.

[Obesity: a multifactorial disorder with difficult long-term treatment].

Obesity is a social disease and amounts to a real medical problem. After considering its epidemiology, the authors discuss diagnostic methods, etiopathogenesis, clinical features, complications, and management of obesity. Special stress is laid upon particular problems concerning the causes of obesity which are often difficult to identify, and difficulties of long-term treatment.

[Osteoporosis. The recent findings on its etiopathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy. II. Therapy].

Management of osteoporosis has as yet a number of aspects that are not well understood and at times even contradictory, also in view of the fact that some physicians have their "personal therapeutic approach". While on the one hand, the US FDA recognizes calcium, estrogens and calcitonin as the sole remedies for osteoporosis, on the other a variety of drugs have been studied and are at present in use. Among the drugs considered are those apt to reduce bone resorption (calcium, vitamin D metabolites, estrogens, calcitonin, diphosphonates, and ipriflavone) and those favouring bone formation (fluorides, anabolic androgens, PTH and ipriflavone).

[Osteoporosis. Current advances in etiopathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy. I.--Etiopathogenesis and diagnosis].

Throughout life, bone is a tissue continuously remodelled with processes of bone formation followed by resorption. Osteoporosis, a social disease, is characterized by an unbalance of these processes with prevalence of resorption over neoformation. Numerous risk factors may cause or favour this disease.

Circadian variations of plasma somatostatin levels in healthy subjects.

The plasma levels of somatostatin-like immunoreactivity, growth hormone and insulin were measured using a RIA method in healthy volunteers every 4h during the day and every 2h at night, without waking the subjects. In the waking state the fluctuation of plasma somatostatin-like immunoreactivity level only occurred near to meal time. A marked episodic surge of plasma SLI (peak value, 127.

Estimate of prevalence of glucose intolerance in chronic liver disease. Degree of agreement among some diagnostic criteria.

In patients with chronic liver disease, the reliability of various criteria generally used to diagnose impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes was evaluated. Twenty-one patients with chronic persistent hepatitis, 68 patients with chronic active hepatitis and 57 patients with liver cirrhosis were studied. All subjects underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (75 g).