Value of inflammatory response and oxidative damage in the diagnosis of infections in severe alcoholic hepatitis.

Severe alcoholic hepatitis is the most lethal complication in alcohol dependent patients. The concurrence of infections in these patients is very frequent. Both produce a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), secondary to intense release of inflammatory cytokines, which can complicate the diagnosis.

Effects of selenium on liver and muscle contents and urinary excretion of zinc, copper, iron and manganese.

Selenium is a main component of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), a key antioxidant enzyme. Other elements, such as zinc, copper, manganese and iron, are also involved in the pathogenesis of oxidative damage as well as in other important metabolic pathways. The effects of selenium supplementation on the metabolism of these elements have yield controversial results .

Prognostic value of serum selenium levels in alcoholics.

In alcoholics, exposure of Kupffer cells to intestinal-borne Gram-negative bacteria increases free radical release, which may, in turn, enhance cytokine secretion, creating a positive feedback loop, which contributes to liver inflammation. Impaired antioxidant mechanisms further aggravates this scenario. Some trace elements, such as selenium, are main cofactors of antioxidant enzymes.

[Treatment of peripharyngeal abscesses by means of intra-oral puncture-aspiration and drainage].

Introduction: Parapharyngeal and retropharyngeal abscesses are life-threatening infections, with a much lower incidence since the advent of antibiotics. However, they still represent a considerable number of emergency visits to reference centres where they are managed with various protocols to improve both morbidity and mortality.

Patients And Method: Medical records of 25 consecutive patients at our institution (17 adults and 8 children) diagnosed and treated with the same protocol for peripharyngeal abscess were retrospectively reviewed.