HLA-B*38:55Q: a new alternatively expressed allele identified in a three-generation Italian family.

The new allelic variant HLA-B*38:55Q differs from the closest related B*38:01:01 by one nucleotide substitution at position 373 in exon 3 (TGC>CGC). This results in a difference of one amino acid at residue 101 of the HLA-B heavy chain, from a neutral-polar Cys to a basic-polar Arg, thus impairing disulphide bridge formation in the alpha-2 domain. This alteration of the secondary structure probably affects the maturation of the heavy chain and the level of surface expression, making the HLA-B*38:55Q undetectable by standard serological typing.

A novel route to synthesize Freidinger lactams by micowave irradiation.

The incorporation of a Freidinger-like lactam structure into the backbone of peptides has been proven to be an useful strategy in the design of a variety of conformationally restricted targets. Several different strategies have been developed toward Freidinger lactams but no one resulted to be completely facile. Here, we report an efficient strategy that involves the iodo-derivatives in side chain of an appropriate amino acid used as electrophilic agent, and the standard solid phase peptide synthesis assisted by microwave irradiation. The methodology developed could be useful to perform Freidinger-like lactams with defined stereochemistry for routine use in solid phase peptide chemistry.

[The role of tetracycline in the retreatment after Helicobacter pylori eradication failure]. / Il ruolo della tetraciclina nel ritrattamento dopo fallita eradicazione dell'Helicobacter pylori.

BACKGROUND: To study the effect of second-line treatment with tetracycline (T) combination therapy in patients with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection after failure of triple one-week therapy with a proton pump inhibitor, omeprazole (O) with amoxycillin (A) and claritromycin (C) or metronidazole (M). METHODS: Three hundred twenty-five naive patients (146 males, 179 females, mean age 50, range 18-76), with H. pylori infection, were randomised to receive one-week triple therapy b.i.d. with O 20 mg; A 1 g; C 500 mg (OAC7 163 pts) or O 20 mg; A 1 g; M 500 mg (OAM7 162 pts). H. pylori status was determined before therapy by histology and 3 months after the end of treatment by C-13 urea breath test (UBT). When eradication did not occur, the patients were retreated with OTA7: O 20 mg b.i.d.; T 500 mg t.i.d. and A1 g b.i.d. for another week. H. pylori was assessed by C-13 UBT 3 months after the end of retreatment. Statistical analysis was done by c2 and Student t test. RESULTS: Three hundred and ten patients have completed the study with compliance >95%: 15 patients complained of side effects (diarrhea, nausea, urticaria, abdominal pain): 9 group OAC7, 6 group OAM7. After the first treatment h. pylori eradication were obtained in 124/154 (80.5%) (PP) OAC7 group and 123/156 (78.8%) (PP) OAM7 group (ns). 49/63 patients (77.7%) were negative after second-line treatment with OTA7 regimen. CONCLUSIONS: In personal experience the drug compliance was excellent. The rate of eradication after one-week therapy-omeprazole combined with A+C or with A+M-was satisfactory. The retreatment with tetracycline combination regimen cured 77.7% of patients: that seems to be a promising options, in clinical practice, after an eradication failure.

Fibronectin, cholesterol and triglycerides ascitic fluid concentration in the prediction of malignancy.

There have been few trials comparing the efficacy of determinations of cholesterol, fibronectin and triglycerides for diagnosis of malignant ascites. In this study we measured these in 200 ascitic fluids from 93 cirrhotic patients (Group A), 47 hepatocellular-carcinoma patients (Group B), 60 extra-hepatic tumour patients (Group C), 44 of them with malignant cells (Group Cpos) and 16 without (Group Cneg). Anova one-way and the Bonferroni test for multiple comparisons showed that fibronectin and cholesterol were significantly higher in the ascitic fluids of patients of group C than of groups A and B (mean +/- ESM) (Cholesterol in A: 27.2 +/- 2.8; in B 23.5 +/- 1.5; in C: 68.6 +/- 5.3 mg/dl. Fibronectin in A: 32.7 +/- 2.8; in B 31.3 +/- 2.6; in C 127.7 +/- 11.1 mg/l). Both were significantly higher in Group Cpos than in Group Cneg (Cholesterol in Cneg: 41.2 +/- 6.7; in Cpos: 78.6 +/- 6.2 mg/dl. Fibronectin in Cneg: 55.0 +/- 11.2; in Cpos 154 +/- 12.3 mg/dl). We found no differences between cirrhotic ascites and malignant ascites due to primary liver hepatocellular-carcinoma. No difference at all in triglycerides were detected. With the Receiver-Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, cholesterol had the best Youden Index (57%) at a cut-off of 32 mg/dl (sensitivity 78.3%, specificity 79.3% at this level); the best Youden Index (64%) for fibronectin had a cut-off of 60 mg/dl (sensitivity 65%, specificity 89.3%). Triglycerides appeared to be a great deal less effective as a diagnostic marker, with their best Youden Index (23%) at a cut-off 32 mg/dl (sensitivity 66.7%, specificity 56.4%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Lipid-metabolic and blood coagulation factors in chronic peripheral arteriopathies]. / Su alcuni fattori lipido-metabolici ed emocoagulativi nelle arteriopatie croniche periferiche.

The authors have tested serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, with the plasmatic levels of Antithrombin III and other parameters (Quick time, PTT, fibrinogenaemia and platelets) in patients affected by chronic obstructive arterious diseases in various stages including a group of patients affected by diabetes mellitus. The results show that there is a correlation between the behaviour of the parameter tested and the follow-up of the diseases, particularly for HDL and LDL cholesterol and Antithrombin III. The authors suggest the use of these tests for monitoring this kind of vascular peripheral diseases.