[Rehabilitation of the elderly alcoholic].

The Authors studied 99 over 60 years old alcohol abusers, in view of their enrollment in a programme of rehabilitation. They observed that the treatment was effective, but less than it was in younger alcoholics; however, if subjects are properly selected, the efficacy is similar. In conclusion, the Authors reaffirm the importance, in spite of the difficulty, of a precocious diagnosis of alcoholism in the elderly.

Gastric antioxidant, nitrites, and mucosal lipoperoxidation in chronic gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection.

We have evaluated gastric juice pH, nitrites and vitamin C levels, mucosal glutathione, and malondialdehyde, a marker of lipid peroxidation, in patients with chronic gastritis undergoing endoscopy. Patients had chronic gastritis with (n = 28) or without (n = 60) atrophy and/or concomitant Helicobacter pylori infection. Nineteen healthy subjects, without major macroscopic or histologic changes, were included as controls.

[Ultrasound guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma].

This retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of 244 sonographically guided fine- needle aspiration biopsy in 226 patients with ultrasonographically suspected hepatic malignant lesions. A final diagnosis of malignancy was established in 166 cases (73%) (145 hepatocellular carcinoma, 21 metastasis); benign lesions were aspirated in 60 cases (27%). The diagnostic sensitivity of this technique was 93%, with 100% specificity.

Determinants for the development of chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia in the stomach.

This study aimed to identify the factors associated with the development of gastric precancerous changes, in a prospective series of patients undergoing endoscopy. Risk factors and associated mucosal changes were evaluated in 134 endoscoped patients affected by chronic non-atrophic (n = 76) or atrophic gastritis (CAG) (n = 32), with or without intestinal metaplasia (IM), or lacking any major histological changes (n = 26). The following variables were taken into account: age, alcohol consumption, smoking habit, vitamin C intake (using a questionnaire), gastric juice vitamin C (HPLC on gastric juice samples obtained at endoscopy), H.

Iron storage, lipid peroxidation and glutathione turnover in chronic anti-HCV positive hepatitis.

Background/aims: Little is known about the pathogenesis of liver damage related to hepatitis C virus. The presence of steatosis or increased ferritin levels, and preliminary data on the relevance of iron as a prognostic factor prompted us to ascertain whether hepatitis C virus-related liver damage might be mediated by iron accumulation.

Methods: We evaluated the degree of hepatic inflammation and steatosis, serum ferritin, transferrin saturation and iron levels, tissue iron concentrations and iron index, liver glutathione and malondialdehyde in 33 males and 20 females with chronic hepatitis C virus- or hepatitis B virus-related hepatitis (42 + 11).