R. Stabilini

Quantitative determination of serum immunoglobulins by single radial; immunodiffusion pon cellulose acetate

Abstract A method for the quantitative determination of the three classes of serum immunoglobulins by single radial immunoglobulin on cellulose acetate strips is described. The antiserum is uniformly sprayed on the strip and 1 μ1 of antigenm is applied. The immunodiffusion is completed in 48 hr. This method is simple and the precipitate rings are clear and easily measurable.

Immunochemical quantitation of acute phase reactive proteins in myocardial infarction

Abstract This study reports the serial changes of the acute phase reactive proteins ( α 1 -antitrypsin, orosomucoid, haptoglobin, and β 1A -globulin) in the serum of 51 patients with myocardial infarction. All these proteins increased after myocardial infarction. Haptoglobin and orosomucoid showed the most pronounced changes. The normalization of the serum levels of these proteins is more rapid in the cases with favorable evolution. It is suggested that the normalization of these proteins might be an index that the healing of the infarcted area is accomplished.

Determination of seven serum proteins in alcoholic cirrhosis

Abstract Albumin, IgG, IgA, IgM, haptoglobin, orosomucoid and βlA-globulin were quantitatively determined in the serum of 38 patients with hepatic cirrhosis associated with alcoholism. An increase of IgG, IgM, and mainly of IgA, and a reduction of haptoglobin, orosomucoid and β1A-globulin were found. The linear correlation coefficients between these proteins for the group of the alcoholics were calculated and compared with those obtained between the same proteins in the group of the normals. The correlation coefficients between albumin and IgG, between IgA and IgM, and between albumin and βlA-globulin were significantly different for the two groups.

Acute phase proteins and healing of myocardial infarction

Abstract A marked increase in the concentration of orosomucoid and haptoglobin has been observed in sera from patients with myocardial infarction. Using an immunofluorescence technique it has been shown that orosomucoid and haptoglobin are entrapped within the infarcted area during a period of time between the third and the eighth day after the onset of chest pain. This period coincides with that during which the maximum serum increase of these proteins occurs. It is postulated that these glycoproteins represent building material for the healing process.

Enzymatic and immunochemical determination of plasminogen and plasmin in different physiological and pathological states.

Plasminogen and plasmin have been determined in the same plasma samples in normal subjects and in various physiological and pathological conditions (pregnancy, liver cirrhosis, untreated cancer, and myocardial infarction during treatment with streptokinase) by means of two different methods. These were an enzymatic assay and a new immunochemical assay based on radial immunodiffusion employing cellulose acetate strips. A significant correlation was found in normal subjects. However, in the other conditions marked discrepancies were observed in the results by the two methods. These findings might be related to variations in the functional activity of plasminogen and plasmin in disease.

Tauroursodeoxycholic acid for the treatment of chronic hepatitis: a multicentre dose-response study

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) improves the biochemical expression of chronic liver disease. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) was recently shown to have more favourable metabolic properties. We designed a multicenter, randomized, controlled study, aimed at assessing the efficacy of TUDCA for the treatment of chronic hepatitis. One hundred and fifty-five patients with chronic hepatitis were randomly assigned to receive TUDCA at the daily doses of 250, 500 and 1000 mg, or no treatment for 6 months. Aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) serum levels decreased with each dose of TUDCA compared with controls (P<0.001). The 1000 mg dose was followed by more marked improvement compared with 250 mg (P<0.05). A progressive improvement of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) with time (P<0.05) was found only with the two higher doses. TUDCA improves the biochemical expression of chronic hepatitis and daily doses of at least 500 mg are recommended.

Immunochemical quantitation of serum beta1A-globulin in health and disease.

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Lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase isoenzymes in normal and hypertrophic human heart.

Lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase activities and the distribution of their isoenzymes were determined in hypertrophic hearts of patients who had died of cardiac disease and in hearts of patients who had died without evidence of cardiac disease. The LDH total activity was found significantly reduced in hypertrophic hearts However, its isoenzymatic pattern did not show significant difference between each fraction, even though a certain shift towards the cationic fractions was noted. The ratio between the supernatant and mitochondria] fraction of the aspartate aminotransferase in hypertrophic hearts did not differ from normal.