"Nephritic flares" are predictors of bad long-term renal outcome in lupus nephritis.

We retrospectively analyzed the courses of 70 patients with lupus nephritis followed for 5 to 30 years (median 127 months). Patients survival was 100% at 10 years and 86% at 20 years. The probability of not reaching the end point (persistent doubling of plasma creatinine) was 85% at 10 years and 72% at 20 years.

Extracapillary glomerulonephritis and renal amyloidosis.

We report three patients with well-documented renal amyloidosis who developed rapidly progressive renal failure. Renal biopsies from all three patients showed crescentic glomerulonephritis imposed on renal amyloidosis. All patients were treated with intravenous high-dose methylprednisolone pulses combined with immunosuppressive agents and oral corticosteroids.

Soluble transferrin receptor in the study of fetal erythropoietic activity.

In order to evaluate fetal erythropoiesis we measured red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum transferrin receptor (sTfR), and iron status parameters in fetuses undergoing percutaneous umbilical blood sampling, and in normal newborns at term. We found high levels of sTfR in fetuses and newborns as compared with normal adults (3,149 +/- 181 vs. 1,881 +/- 137 ng/ml, P < 0.

Sickle cell thalassemia in pregnancy: a case report.

A 31-year-old pregnant woman at 20 weeks' gestation was sent to our hospital for fever, anemia, and arthralgias. As she was known to be a double heterozygote for beta-thalassemia and hemoglobin S, a diagnosis of hemolytic anemia caused by sickled red cells vasocclusive crises was made. The patient was submitted to partial exchange transfusion (PET) with a complete recovery.

Cardiologic abnormalities in patients with long-term lupus nephritis.

To assess the cardiological status of patients with long-term lupus nephritis we evaluated 30 patients (mean age 43 +/- 11 years) with lupus nephritis lasting from at least 10 years (mean 15 +/- 5 years). At the time of cardiological evaluation the mean plasma creatinine was 132.6 +/- 11.

Reversible acute renal failure from gross haematuria due to glomerulonephritis: not only in IgA nephropathy and not associated with intratubular obstruction.

Seven patients with acute renal failure due to gross haematuria caused by glomerulonephritis are described. Gross haematuria lasting 4-40 days led to acute impairment of renal function of variable severity (peak plasma creatinine 1.3-12 mg/dl) and duration.

Renal replacement therapy in cryoglobulinaemic nephritis.

Seventeen patients with nephritis due to mixed cryoglobulinaemia were submitted to regular haemodialysis in 11 and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in six after 145 +/- 55 months from the onset of the disease. Four patients with very poor clinical conditions died within 6 months from the beginning of dialysis. The other 13 patients were followed for a mean period of 78.

Lupus membranous nephropathy: long-term outcome.

The follow-up of 42 patients affected by lupus membranous nephropathy (LMN) is reported and compared with that of 43 patients affected by diffuse proliferative lupus glomerulonephritis (DPGN), who were the object of a previous study. According to the WHO classification, the patients were subdivided into two groups: pure LMN (Va + Vb class) and LMN with superimposed proliferative lesions (Vc + Vd class). Antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) and lupus anticoagulant were tested in 23 subjects.

Red cell and plasma ferritin in a group of normal fetuses at different ages of gestation.

Plasma and cell ferritin were determined in 47 normal fetuses at different gestational ages in order to evaluate fetal iron status. Plasma ferritin shows an increase during pregnancy (17.7 micrograms/l-mean geometrical value of fetuses between 18 and 20 weeks; 56.

Clinical status of patients after 10 years of lupus nephritis.

Little information is available about the clinical status and outcome of patients with a long history of lupus nephritis. We have reviewed the dossiers of 25 patients (23 women and two men) who have been monitored by our Unit for more than 10 years after the diagnosis of lupus nephritis. At presentation the mean age was 28.

Chronic dialysis in patients with systemic amyloidosis: the experience in northern Italy.

The clinical outcome of 61 patients with renal amyloidosis treated with chronic dialysis was reviewed. Eighteen patients, 4 with primary or AL amyloidosis and 14 with reactive or AA amyloidosis, died within one month from starting treatment. The other 43 patients were treated with dialysis for 3 to 199 months and are the object of this study.

Hepatitis C virus testing in primary biliary cirrhosis.

We retrospectively investigated anti-HCV prevalence in a series of 160 consecutive patients with primary biliary cirrhosis who presented between 1980 and 1989. Of these, 19 (12%) were positive for anti-HCV by C-100 ELISA. Serum IgG levels were significantly higher in anti-HCV-positive patients and correlated to optical density values.

Antibodies to hepatitis C virus in primary biliary cirrhosis.

We investigated the prevalence of anti-HCV in 160 consecutive patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. By ELISA, 19 (12%) were positive, as compared to a 68% prevalence in 135 patients with chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis. Serum IgG levels were significantly higher in the anti-HCV positive group.

Effect of UVB plus tar therapy on serum levels of interleukin-2 receptors in patients with psoriasis.

Baseline serum levels of interleukin-2 receptor (IL2R) were measured in 65 patients with active psoriasis. IL2R levels in psoriatic patients were significantly higher than in healthy controls (582.4 +/- 289.

Soluble interleukin 2 receptor in lung cancer. An indirect marker of tumor activity?

Circulating levels of the soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL-2R) could provide an in vivo measure of the immunologic response to human tumors. We performed a total of 326 sIL-2R serum assays in 126 patients with lung cancer (67 at diagnosis, 59 during and after treatment), 112 patients with pulmonary benign diseases, and 63 voluntary healthy subjects. Patients with lung cancer had a median value of sIL-2R of 791 U/ml, which was superior to that of both controls (398 U/ml, p less than 0.

Periodic acid Schiff (PAS) positivity in fetal erythroblasts.

The smears of 26 fetal blood samples taken for prenatal diagnosis were stained for the PAS reaction. Twelve out of 26 cases were subsequently found to be normal and 14 were found to be affected by different abnormalities; 83.4% of normal cases and 92.

[The therapy of odontogenic abscesses. Pharmacological experimentation with lincomycin or amoxicillin].

A clinical and microbiological study was carried out to assess the therapeutic efficacy of two different antibiotics, lincomycin and amoxicillin, in the treatment of patients suffering from odontogenic abscesses. Microbiological analyses revealed that the majority of infections were supported by mixed aerobic and anaerobic bacterial flora. The assessment of clinical parameters clearly showed that patients receiving pharmacological treatment with lincomycin achieved a more rapid and efficacious recovery from disease in comparison to patients treated with amoxicillin.

[Methylprednisolone sodium succinate in the profile of respiratory complications after thoracic surgical intervention].

Methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MPSS) was compared in a randomized double blind study to placebo in the prevention of respiratory complications in 40 patients submitted to thoracic surgery. The results indicate that the patients who received MPSS showed a lower incidence of respiratory complications, adverse reactions, chest pain and metabolic acidosis.