The epidemiology of primary biliary cirrhosis: immunological problems.

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) has received considerable attention as an autoimmune disease, where in addition to immunological mechanisms, environmental factors may have an important role. Therefore the epidemiological analysis of disease prevalence and progression in association with immunological studies has been one of the hot areas of PBC research during recent years. In this paper the epidemiological data on PBC and its immunological marker--anti-mitochondrial antibodies--have been presented from a comparative viewpoint.

IgA-antigliadin antibodies in patients with IgA nephropathy: the secondary phenomenon?

Circulating IgA-antigliadin antibodies (IgA-AGA) are often found in patients with IgA nephropathy (NP). IgA-AGA are sensitive markers of an abnormal immune system reaction to gluten, seen particularly in patients with celiac disease. However, a lack of IgA-antireticulin and IgA-antiendomysium antibodies and often jejunal mucosal atrophy of patients with IgA NP suggest that most patients do not have latent celiac disease.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in Estonian patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Prevalence and diagnostic role.

Background/aims: In Estonia, the incidence of ulcerative colitis and especially Crohn's disease appears to be rare. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) are frequently found in ulcerative colitis but less frequently in Crohn's disease, their pathophysiological significance is still unclear.

Methodology: Fifty-nine serum samples from patients with ulcerative colitis, 17 with Crohn's disease, 25 with irritable bowel syndrome, and 86 healthy persons were studied.

Aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen and hyaluronan in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis: markers of fibrosis in primary biliary cirrhosis.

The aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) and hyaluronan have previously been studied in different liver diseases. The results of these studies are controversial. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between PIIINP and hyaluronan levels and the clinical, biochemical and histological features of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and its prognosis.

Clinical significance of different antinuclear antibodies patterns in the course of primary biliary cirrhosis.

Background/aims: The significance of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) patient is still controversial in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the clinical significance of ANA in PBC patients.

Materials And Methods: Sixty-nine patients with PBC were investigated.

Primary biliary cirrhosis in Estonia. With special reference to incidence, prevalence, clinical features, and outcome.

Background: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a liver disease of unknown etiology, whose occurrence varies greatly between different regions. For a long time there have been no published data about the incidence and prevalence of PBC from Eastern Europe countries.

Methods: The incidence and prevalence of PBC have been investigated in the Estonian population during the period 1973-92.

Risk of recurrence of gastric ulcer, chronic gastritis, and grade of Helicobacter pylori colonization. A long-term follow-up study of 25 patients.

Background: We describe here our observations on colonization of the gastric mucosa by Helicobacter pylori in a long-term follow-up of 25 patients with gastric ulcer (GU).

Methods: All patients were followed-up endoscopically for more than 10 years (mean, 16 years) and endoscopically verified to have GU in the angular or corpus area of the stomach. None had received treatment with H2 blockers or omeprazole or had undergone any maintenance therapy or surgery.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for the determination of IgG, IgA, and IgM autoantibodies to pyruvate dehydrogenase in primary biliary cirrhosis.

Autoantibodies to the recently described mitochondrial autoantigen, pyruvate dehydrogenase, have been shown to be specific for primary biliary cirrhosis. In the present study we describe enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to detect antibodies of IgG, IgA, and IgM classes reactive with pyruvate dehydrogenase. These assays showed high sensitivity (95%) and specificity (100%) for primary biliary cirrhosis when evaluated in 28 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, 59 disease controls, and 214 healthy persons.

Grade of Helicobacter pylori colonisation, chronic gastritis and relative risks of contracting high gastric ulcers: a seven-year follow-up.

A series of 38 patients with high gastric ulcer (GU) was examined twice a seven-year interval. One-third of the patients had an active ulcer at the second examination. Chronic gastritis was evaluated, and the level of Helicobacter pylori (HP) colonisation assessed semiquantitatively.

Autoimmune reactions to gastric mucosa in chronic gastritis: a review.

The main results of two-decade co-operation between Tartu University, Estonia, and the University of Helsinki, Oulu and Tampere in Finland on immunology of chronic gastritis are presented. These results include data on cell-mediated and humoral immunity to autoantigens from gastric antrum and corpus mucosa in chronic gastritis, gastric ulcer, gastric carcinoma and other gastric diseases, as well as in random samples from two populations.

[Experience in the diagnosis and treatment of primary biliary liver cirrhosis].

Altogether 31 cases of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) were diagnosed over the period of 1972-1985. All the patients were women (an average age of 51.6).

Seven-year follow-up study of chronic gastritis in gastric ulcer patients.

The course of chronic gastritis in the antrum and body was followed up for 7 years in 112 patients with gastric ulcer (GU). As controls served 155 subjects collected at random from the same geographical area. At the start of the study (first examination) there was a slight predominance of antrum gastritis in the series, but during the follow-up period (second examination at 4 years (61 out of 112 patients) and third examination at 7 years (39 out of 112 patients] a distinct body gastritis gradually predominated in GU patients.

[Reactions of humoral and cellular immunity in peptic ulcer in relation to the condition of the gastric mucosa].

A total of 160 persons including 50 patients with duodenal ulcer (DU) and 38 with gastric ulcer (GU) were examined for antibodies to the parietal cells of the stomach (PCA) and cell cellular immunity responses to autologous antigen from the gastric mucosa. It was shown that both PCA of the stomach and cell immunity responses in patients with GU and DU occurred in an insignificant number of cases. No differences were revealed in the humoral and cellular immunity in GU and DU persons with and without concomitant gastritis or in the stage of exacerbation and ulcer cicatrization.

Gastric ulcer, gastritis and gastric carcinoma.

The results of an endoscopic study of the incidence of gastritis and gastric cancer in gastric ulcer in a series of 112 patients 1 to 4 years (mean 2.6 years) after the initial examination are presented. Chronic antral gastritis was found in 48 % of cases and was mainly atrophic.

Immunology of chronic gastritis.

65 patients with chronic gastritis and 12 controls with normal gastric mucosa were studied for cell-mediated immunity by the means of the lymphocyte blasttransformation and leukocyte migration inhibition tests. In these patients parietal cell antibodies were determined by the indirect immunofluorescence test as well. In 22 patients who had eigher isolated fundal gastritis, isolated antral gastritis or pangastritis cellular immune reactions to fundal or/and antral mucosal antigen extracts were revealed, whereas only 8 had parietal cell antibodies in their sera.