[A comparative evaluation of tumor markers (TPA and CEA) in various malignant neoplasms at an advanced stage]. / Valutazione comparata di marcatori tumorali (TPA e CEA) in differenti neoplasie maligne in stadio avanzato.

Radioimmunology was used to measure serum levels of CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) in 108 patients with a variety of different advanced malignant neoplasms and in a control group of 60 healthy subjects. TPA proved more sensitive as a tumour marker than CEA, since increased TPA was found in 76% of the cancer cases compared to 42% for CEA. No significant increase in diagnostic sensitivity was obtained by using both markers rather than PTA alone.

[Serum ferritin levels in patients with hemolymphopathies and solid neoplasms in an advanced phase: a comparison with healthy subjects and liver cirrhosis patients]. / Livelli serici di ferritina in pazienti affetti da emolinfopatie e neoplasie solide in fase avanzata: confronto con soggetti sani e pazienti affetti da cirrosi epatica.

The immunoenzyme method was used to measure serum ferritin levels in 55 patients with haemolymphopathies and advanced solid tumours. Patients were divided into five groups according to tumour type. 50 healthy subjects and 12 patients with cirrhosis of the liver were also studied. In 76% of the cancer patients ferritin levels were significantly higher than in the control group of healthy subjects (p less than 0.01). Only 8 of the patients studied had primary or secondary liver tumours. None of the cancer patients showed clinical or blood chemical signs of current acute or chronic liver disease. Furthermore 13 of the cancer patients had severe anaemia and were given multiple transfusions during hospitalisation. All the groups studied showed a significant (p less than 0.01) increase in mean ferritinaemia levels compared to the healthy control groups. There was also a significant difference between the mean value encountered in the liver cancer and cirrhosis groups. Both groups also showed significantly higher levels than the control group. In contrast no significant differences were noted between the mean values encountered in the individual cancer groups by means of variance analysis.

[2 cases of metabolic acidosis during therapy of portosystemic encephalopathy with branched-chain amino acids]. / Due casi di acidosi metabolica in corso di terapia con soluzioni di aminoacidi a catena ramificata per encefalopatia porto-sistemica.

Two patients known to be suffering from liver cirrhosis were admitted to hospital in a state of coma. The apparent ineffectiveness of treatment with branched chain amino acids was found in reality to be due to the onset of metabolic acidosis. The suspension of treatment and balancing of the metabolic imbalance with an infusion of bicarbonate solutions led to lessening of the neurological symptomatology.

A pharmacokinetic and platelet function study of the combined administration of metoprolol and sulfinpyrazone to healthy volunteers.

In a double-blind study on healthy subjects who underwent three 3-week periods of treatment with metoprolol (M) + sulfinpyrazone (S), M + placebo, and S + placebo, pharmacokinetics and plasma levels of M were not affected by concurrent administration of S. Analysis of variance change-over demonstrated a significant difference between treatments only for serum uric acid levels. Analysis of post-treatment and baseline data within each treatment showed: decreased platelet count by M, lowered serum 6-keto PGF1 alpha by all three treatments, decreased serum TXB2 generation and arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation by S + M. No negative interaction between S + M was found.

Transcoronary platelet thromboxane A2 formation without platelet trapping in patients with coronary stenosis-effect of sulphinpyrazone treatment.

Platelet count, and plasma thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and circulating platelet aggregates (CPA) were determined in the coronary sinus (CS), aortic bulb (AO) and cubital vein (V) in 21 patients with stable angina and in 6 control subjects before and after atrial pacing (AP). TXB2 measurements were repeated before and after AP in 6 of the 21 angina patients after 15 days' sulphinpyrazone treatment. Platelet count and CPA ratio were similar in angina patients and controls at all three sampling sites and were unchanged at AP peak. In the controls, basal TXB2 values in CS, AO and V were not significantly different and were unchanged at AP peak. In the angina patients compared with the controls, basal TXB2 values in the AO, CS and V were not significantly different whereas the CS/AO TBX2 ratio was significantly higher; at AP-induced ischaemia, CS TXB2 was significantly increased and the CS/AO TXB2 ratio was increased. A weak but significant direct correlation was found between CS/AO TXB2 ratio and coronary score. Sulphinpyrazone treatment reduced CS TXB2 levels at rest and after AP, but not the ischaemic threshold at AP.