Evolution of serum prealbumin following hemodialysis: effect of different dialysis membranes.

The effects of hemodialysis on the levels of serum prealbumin (pA) were studied on a crossover basis in 17 uncomplicated patients. Bicarbonate dialysate was used exclusively, and two different membranes, cuprophane and polysulfone, were compared. We aimed to prove the induction of an acute-phase response during the procedure.

External quality assessment programme for in vitro allergy tests: ISS/CNR scheme--the first one organized in Europe by government--and European scheme "Galileo".

Accordingly with the new tendency of employing Rast Units (RU) instead of Rast Classes (RC) in the specific-IgE testing field, is necessary that internal Quality Control (QC) and external Quality Assessment (QA) programmes take account of these RU. So far only few experiences of controlling and assessing the quality concerned with RU, have been carried out. In Italy, a National QA-scheme organised by the National Health Institute (ISS) and the National Research Council (CNR), which involves about 90 laboratories, is starting just now, and a commercial QA programme (Galileo), started in 1989, by now is the only one which helped valuate each laboratory's performance for specific-IgE assays.

Serum CA 19-9 and CA 50 antigens in hemodialysis patients.

Serum concentrations of monoclonal antibody-defined tumor markers CA 19-9 and CA 50 were measured in 64 uncomplicated hemodialysis patients (Group 1) and in 8 hemodialysis patients with cancer (Group 2) in comparison with corresponding CEA determinations. From our results in Group 1 patients it appears that both CA 19-9 and CA 50 maintained an excellent specificity in these patients. As to the sensitivity of these tests, our findings in Group 2 patients are comparable with those reported in patients with cancer and normal renal function.

Effect of ibopamine on the progression of chronic renal failure.

Persistent changes in the slope of the reciprocal of serum creatinine concentration against time after medical intervention are likely to reflect the influence of therapy on progression of chronic renal failure. This observation allowed us to demonstrate the ability of ibopamine, a new orally active dopamine-related drug, to improve renal function or at least to slow its deterioration in 20 patients studied over a period of 6 months. We also noted that the therapeutic response to the drug varied considerably according to the nature of the underlying nephropathy, with maximal benefit being observed in nonglomerular diseases.

Lack of evidence for the role of secondary hyperparathyroidism in the pathogenesis of uremic thrombocytopathy.

The possible relationship between platelet dysfunction and secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) in chronic renal failure was examined in 23 uremic patients on conservative therapy (group I) and in 27 patients on maintenance hemodialysis (group II). Platelet function was assessed by measuring the degree of aggregation in response to various concentrations of adenosine diphosphate. Secondary HPT was evaluated by means of serum biochemistry (parathyroid hormone, calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase) and radiographic examinations (x-ray films of the hand skeleton).

Serum alpha-1-acid glycoprotein in chronic renal failure.

We measured the serum concentration of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AAG) in 30 healthy subjects (controls), in 54 patients with various degrees of residual renal function (group I), and in 98 patients in the terminal phase of chronic renal failure (CRF) on both conservative and dialytic therapy (group II). A positive correlation between the logarithm of serum AAG and serum creatinine levels was found in group I. Serum AAG increased significantly when serum creatinine rose above 10 mg/dl.

[High levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in the serum of uremic patients under hemodialysis treatment].

The serum concentration of CEA was measured twice, at intervals of 3 months, in 40 uremic patients on maintenance hemodialysis. None of them had evidence of malignancy or of any other non-malignant condition known to affect serum CEA. 111 normal adults acted as controls.

[Antibiotic treatment of lung disease in cystic fibrosis].

Patients suffering from chronic lung infections are a major problems in therapy of cystic fibrosis (CF). Resistance frequently occurs with great rapidity among isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonal aeruginosa. The rational for the use of frequent antibiotics (reduction of bacterial count), and the principle to follow while using antibiotics in CF patients are discussed.

[Utilisation of Olivetti P 652 calculator system for RIA evaluation (author's transl)].

The AA. take into consideration the utilisation of the Olivetti calculator system including the following hardware: P 652 basic unit microcomputer; paper tape reader LN 20; Editor 4 ST typewriter, for RIA evaluation. For this purpose they have compiled a series of generalized programmes that utilise for the calculation of the standard curve, the logit transform fitted by using a linear regression or a cubic regression and the sigmoidal linear logarithmic curve calculated by cubic regression.