Subject(s)
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/epidemiology , Homosexuality , AIDS-Related Complex/epidemiology , AIDS-Related Complex/immunology , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/immunology , Epidemiologic Methods , Humans , Male , Ohio , Sexual Behavior , T-Lymphocytes/classification , T-Lymphocytes/immunology , TravelABSTRACT
Immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) using monoclonal antibody for colon cancer cell surface antigen (CA19-9) was compared with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) with regard to sensitivity and specificity in 730 patients. In the 341 patients who had no evidence of malignant disease, CA19-9 levels ranged between less than 1.5 to 49 U/ml. Specificity of CA19-9 at a cutoff of 20 U/ml was similar to that of CEA at a cutoff of 5.0 ng/ml; CA19-9 was more sensitive than CEA in pancreatic cancer, whereas CEA was more sensitive than CA19-9 in breast, colon, and gastric cancer. Of 17 patients with pancreatic cancer, 13 had elevated levels of CA19-9 (sensitivity, 76%), whereas only 8 had elevated levels of CEA (sensitivity, 47%) and 15 had elevated levels of either CEA or CA19-9 (sensitivity, 88%). These findings suggest that, like CEA, CA19-9 is detectable in nonmalignant diseases and is not specific for gastrointestinal tumors, and has higher sensitivity than CEA only in pancreatic cancer. However, further prospective studies are required to verify its value in the diagnosis and management of pancreatic cancer.
Subject(s)
Antigens, Neoplasm/analysis , Carcinoembryonic Antigen/analysis , Epitopes/analysis , Neoplasms/immunology , Antibodies, Monoclonal , Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate , Bile Duct Neoplasms/immunology , Breast Neoplasms/immunology , Colonic Neoplasms/immunology , Humans , Liver Neoplasms/immunology , Liver Neoplasms/secondary , Lymphatic Metastasis , Neoplasms/pathology , Pancreatic Neoplasms/immunology , Radioimmunoassay , Reagent Kits, Diagnostic , Rectal Neoplasms/immunology , Stomach Neoplasms/immunologyABSTRACT
Thirty patients suffering from peripheral vascular disease (stage-II according to Fontaine) were included in a double-blind study aimed at assessing the efficacy of a high-dose glycosaminoglycan (GAG) (Sulodexide) both in terms of laboratory parameters, such as lipid metabolism and blood coagulation components, and instrumental procedures (strain-gauge plethysmography). Compared with the fifteen control patients (treated with placebo), the fifteen patients treated with Sulodexide showed a significant decrease in blood triglycerides and fibrinogen as well as a significantly increased HDL-cholesterol, and positive instrumental changes: at the end of treatment Peak and Rest Flow values--and consequently also Winsor's index--were significantly increased only in patients treated with Sulodexide.
