Search results for "Chronic"
showing 10 items of 3309 documents
Serum hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA and response to alpha-interferon in anti-HCV positive chronic hepatitis
1992
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication was assessed before and during alpha-interferon (IFN) treatment in 22 anti-HCV positive patients with posttransfusion or sporadic chronic hepatitis (CH). Eleven patients were “responders” and 11 patients “non-responders” to IFN. Thirteen anti-HCV negative healthy subjects and five anti-HCV negative patients with autoimmune CH served as controls. Serum HCV-RNA was detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in all untreated anti-HCV positive patients but in none of the anti-HCV negative subjects. PCR primers from the 5′-non-coding (NC) region were more sensitive than primers from a non-structural (NS5) region in detecting HCV-RNA (21/22, 95% vs. 7/22, …
Endogenous levels of mRNA for IFNs and IFN-related genes in hepatic biopsies of chronic HCV-infected and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis patients.
2003
To investigate the intra-hepatic activation of the IFN system in patients affected by chronic HCV-infection in comparison with that observed in a non-infectious liver disease such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, we measured the liver steady state mRNA levels of interferon-alpha, interferon-beta and interferon-gamma as well as of IFN-related genes (IFNAR-1, STAT1alpha, PKR, 2-5 AS, IRF-1, ICE and IL-18). In HCV-infected subjects, possible correlations of these parameters with viral load and liver injury were also analyzed. Twenty-four chronic untreated HCV-infected subjects and seven patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis were enrolled in the study. Liver biopsies were graded accordin…
Phenotypical analysis and cytokine release of liver-infiltrating and peripheral blood T lymphocytes from patients with chronic hepatitis of different…
2008
Cytokines released by infiltrating T cells may contribute to the hepatic injury in chronic hepatitis. Therefore, we characterized peripheral blood- and liver-infiltrating T cells from patients with chronic hepatitis of different etiology and determined the T cell phenotypes and the cytokine release. Liver tissue and peripheral blood-derived T cells from patients with autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis predominantly expressed CD4-molecules and the alpha- and beta-chains of the T cell receptor (TCR). In chronic viral hepatitis B and C, liver- and blood-derived T cells were preferentially CD8+ T cells expressing the alpha beta TCR. Mitogenic stimulation with irradiated Daudi ly…
Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in chronic hepatitis C patients with normal or elevated aminotransferase before and after alpha-interfe…
2001
<i>Objectives:</i> Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) plays a fundamental role during liver inflammation. In fact, weak ICAM-1 expression is physiologically restricted to the endothelium of portal vessels and to sinusoidal lining cells, but it becomes markedly evident on sinusoidal lining cells and at the surface of hepatocytes during inflammatory liver diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the behaviour of soluble ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) in chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) patients with persistently normal aminotransferase in comparison with patients with CH-C and elevated aminotransferase, and its changes during α-interferon (IFN) therapy. Immunohistochemical localization…
Risk factors of ocular hypertension and glaucoma. The Casteldaccia Eye Study.
1994
A case-control study was planned as a part of the Casteldaccia Eye Study in order to investigate about risk factors of ocular hypertension and glaucoma. Cases were 44 subjects with glaucoma or intraocular pressure of 24 mm Hg or more. Controls were 220 subjects with intraocular pressure of 20 mm Hg or less and no signs of glaucoma. A number of environmental, behavioral, systemic and ocular variables were studied. Among the others we investigated the following: sunlight exposure, smoking, alcohol intake, pregnancies, systemic hypertension, diabetes, use of corticosteroids, refractive status, anterior chamber depth, lens nuclear sclerosis, iris color and texture. After univariate analysis the…
Impaired cellular immune responses in chronic renal failure: Evidence for a T cell defect
1986
Impaired cellular immune responses in chronic renal failure: Evidence for a T cell defect. Cellular immune responses in vitro were studied in 24 patients on chronic hemodialysis and 16 healthy volunteers with normal kidney function. Patients on maintenance hemodialysis had lymphopenia with diminished numbers of both T4 + and T8 + T-lymphocytes. The T4/T8 ratios were within the normal range. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) showed a diminished proliferative response upon stimulation with concanavalin A, phytohemagglutinin and poke weed mitogen. When cell surface antigens were used for stimulation (mixed lymphocyte culture) uremic lymphocytes also showed a lower proliferation rate. Although…
Aspirin Intolerance in Patients with Chronic Sinusitis
1999
Aspirin intolerance in patients with chronic sinusitis is often a cause of early recurrence of symptoms after surgical treatment. This study assesses 84 patients who were tested for acetylsalicylic acid intolerance after presenting with symptoms like chronic rhinosinusitis, sometimes bronchial asthma, coexisting allergies or a history of aspirin sensitivity. Nasal polyposis was found in a majority of cases, often recurrent after previous surgery. The levels of eicosanoids such as peptido-leukotrienes and prostaglandin E<sub>2</sub> were analyzed in isolated blood cells and compared with a healthy control group. Aspirin-intolerant patients showed elevated basal levels of peptido-…
Quality of Life and Stressors in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Depending on Treatment
2015
AbstractThis study evaluated health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a Spanish sample of chronic kidney disease patients (n= 90) undergoing different renal replacement therapies, considering the influence of treatment stressors, mood, anxiety and quality of sleep. While all patients had worse physical functioning than controls (p< .01), only those undergoing haemodialysis (HD) showed worse physical well-being, occupational functioning, spiritual fulfillment and more health interference with work (p< .05). They also obtained higher depression scores than renal transplant patients (TX) (p= .005). Those TX receiving the immunosuppressor sirolimus exhibited more cardiac/renal, cognitive…
Endocrine response after cervical manipulation and mobilization in people with chronic mechanical neck pain: a randomized controlled trial
2019
BACKGROUND: Most of the research on the effects of spinal manipulation on endocrine function has been done on healthy subjects and has yielded contradictory results. The potential role of cervical manual therapy intervention in order to induce changes in the endocrine system has not yet been investigated. AIM: The aim of this trial is to compare the effects on salivary cortisol levels and clinical outcomes of cervical manipulation versus cervical mobilization or sham manipulation in patients with chronic mechanical neck pain. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: University of Alcala de Henares: outpatient (referrals from office workers). POPULATION: A total of 83 patients with chro…
Immediate effects of active cranio-cervical flexion exercise versus passive mobilisation of the upper cervical spine on pain and performance on the c…
2014
This study compared the immediate effects of an assisted plus active cranio-cervical flexion exercise (exercise group) versus a passive mobilisation plus assisted cranio-cervical flexion (mobilisation group) on performance of the cranio-cervical flexion test (CCFT), cervical range of motion (ROM) and pain in patients with chronic neck pain. Eighteen volunteers with chronic idiopathic neck pain participated in the study and were randomised to one of the two intervention groups. Current level of pain, cervical ROM and pain perceived during movement, pressure pain threshold (PPT) and surface electromyography (EMG) during performance of the CCFT were measured before and immediately after the in…