Search results for "BODIES"
showing 10 items of 2217 documents
HCV infection and oral lichen planus: a weak association when HCV is endemic.
2004
Oral lichen planus (OLP), an immune-mediated disorder, has been reported as an extra-hepatic manifestation of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, especially in HCV hyperendemic areas such as southern Europe and Japan. The aim of this study was to investigate from an epidemiological standpoint whether HCV infection is an important factor affecting the relative risk of OLP in a Mediterranean population or whether this relates to the degree of HCV endemicity. Two cohorts of OLP patients resident in two different regions of southern Italy (Campania and Sicily; n = 859) were evaluated for HCV infection status and categorized into five age classes to respective region-matched controls. No signific…
Cetuximab with irinotecan, folinic acid and 5-fluorouracil as first-line treatment in advanced gastroesophageal cancer: a prospective multi-center bi…
2011
Abstract Background Cetuximab plus irinotecan/folinic acid/5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (IF) was evaluated as first-line treatment of patients with advanced gastric cancer and gastroesophageal junction tumors. Preplanned analyses of the influence of tumor biomarkers on treatment outcome were carried out. Patients and methods Patients received weekly cetuximab (400 mg/m2 on day 1, subsequently 250 mg/m2) plus irinotecan (80 mg/m2) and a 24-hour continuous infusion of folinic acid (200 mg/m2) and 5-FU (1500 mg/m2) on days 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and 36 of a 50-day cycle, until progressive disease (PD). Results The most common grade 3/4 toxic effects in 49 patients were diarrhea (15%) and skin toxic effects…
Infliximab in the treatment of Crohn's disease: Predictors of response in an Italian multicentric open study
2005
Abstract Background. Almost 20% of patients with active Crohn's disease are refractory to conventional therapy. Infliximab is a treatment of proven efficacy in this group of patients and it is not clear which variables predict a good response. Aims. To evaluate the role of infliximab looking at the predictors of response in a large series of patients with Crohn's disease. Patients and methods. Five hundred and seventy-three patients with luminal refractory Crohn's disease (Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) > 220–400) (312 patients) or with fistulising disease (190 patients) or both of them (71 patients) were treated with a dose of 5 mg/kg in 12 Italian referral centres. The primary endp…
Immunosuppressive treatment in bilateral vestibulopathy with inner ear antibodies.
2005
Although vestibular recovery was observed after steroid treatment, it remains uncertain whether this improvement was spontaneous or due to medication. These data do not allow us to generally recommend corticosteroid treatment in patients with BVF and inner ear antibodies.A retrospective study was performed based on the observation of two patients with suspected autoimmune bilateral vestibular failure (BVF) with normal hearing and antilabyrinthine or nervous tissue-specific serum antibodies who showed vestibular recovery after corticosteroid treatment.Twelve patients with BVF and serum inner ear antibodies who had received imuunosuppressive treatment with corticosteroids were evaluated in te…
Salvage therapy with high-dose cytarabine and mitoxantrone in combination with all-trans retinoic acid and gemtuzumab ozogamicin in acute myeloid leu…
2015
Outcome of patients with primary refractory acute myeloid leukemia remains unsatisfactory. We conducted a prospective phase II clinical trial with gemtuzumab ozogamicin (3 mg/m(2) intravenously on day 1), all-trans retinoic acid (45 mg/m(2) orally on days 4-6 and 15 mg/m(2) orally on days 7-28), high-dose cytarabine (3 g/m(2)/12 h intravenously on days 1-3) and mitoxantrone (12 mg/m(2) intravenously on days 2-3) in 93 patients aged 18-60 years refractory to one cycle of induction therapy. Primary end point of the study was response to therapy; secondary end points included evaluation of toxicities, in particular, rate of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome after allogeneic hematopoietic cell tr…
Pepsinogen testing for evaluation of the success of Helicobacter pylori eradication at 4 weeks after completion of therapy.
2014
Background and objective: Pepsinogen levels in plasma are increased by inflammation in the gastric mucosa, including inflammation resulting from Helicobacter pylori infection. A decrease in pepsinogen II level has been suggested as a reliable marker to confirm the successful eradication of infection. The aim of our study was to evaluate the potential role of pepsinogens I and II, gastrin-17 and H. pylori antibodies in confirming successful eradication. Material and methods: Altogether 42 patients (25 women, 17 men), mean age 45 years (range 23–74), were enrolled. Pepsinogens I and II, gastrin-17 and H. pylori IgG antibodies were measured in plasma samples using an ELISA test (Biohit, Oyj., …
Incidence of HAV and HBV infections and vaccination rates in patients with autoimmune liver diseases.
2007
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) superinfection is associated with an increased mortality in patients with chronic liver diseases (CLD). Despite official recommendations, it was reported that the vaccination rate against HAV is low in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. To evaluate the situation in patients with autoimmune liver diseases, we conducted a retrospective cohort study.Susceptibility to HAV and HBV infections, course of HAV and HBV infections, vaccination rates against HAV and HBV, and efficacy of hepatitis A/B vaccines were evaluated by antibody testing in 225 patients with autoimmune liver diseases during 1,677 person-years.Susceptibility to HAV/HBV i…
Use of Biologics to Treat Relapsing and/or Refractory Eosinophilic Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis: Data From a European Collaborative Study.
2021
OBJECTIVE To describe the efficacy and safety of biologics for the treatment of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). METHODS A retrospective European collaborative study was conducted in patients with EGPA who received treatment with biologics for refractory and/or relapsing disease. RESULTS Among the 147 patients with EGPA included in the study, 63 received rituximab (RTX), 51 received mepolizumab (MEPO), and 33 received omalizumab (OMA). At the time of inclusion, the median Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS) was 8.5 (interquartile range [IQR] 5-13) in the RTX group, while the median BVAS in the OMA group was 2 (IQR 1-4.5) and the median BVAS in the MEPO group was…
Autoantibodies to the islet antigen ICA69 occur in IDDM and in rheumatoid arthritis.
1995
Islet cell antigen (ICA) 69 is a newly-recognized islet cell antigen to which autoantibodies have been observed in prediabetic relatives of patients with insulin-dependent-diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Here we extend the earlier analysis of ICA69 antibodies to patients with recent-onset IDDM and to patients with other immune-mediated diseases. ICA69 antibodies were determined by Western blot using an affinity purified recombinant fusion protein of ICA69 and maltose binding protein. ICA69 antibody quantities were determined as titres using a titration curve of a standard serum as reference. Mean logarithmic ICA69 antibody titres were 3.4 (+/- 1.4) in 99 patients with acute IDDM compared to 2.8 (…
Current practice of hepatitis C treatment in Southern Italy.
2010
Abstract Background Only a small proportion of subjects referring to hospitals for hepatitis C virus (HCV) positivity receives antiviral therapy. Aim To evaluate the rate of antiviral treatment and the causes for no treatment in HCV-RNA positive subjects seen in hospital settings. Patients and methods A prospective study enrolling over a 6-month period (February–July 2009) all consecutive anti-HCV positive subjects initially referred (naive patients) to 12 liver units in Southern Italy for HCV treatment. Results Out of 608 subjects evaluated, 74 (12.2%) had no detectable HCV-RNA in the serum and thus were excluded. Of the remaining 534 HCV-RNA positive subjects, 357 (66.9%) were not treated…