Chronic viral hepatitis induced by hepatitis C but not hepatitis B virus infection correlates with increased liver angiogenesis.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections lead to cirrhosis and increase the risk for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Angiogenesis is an essential step in oncogenesis and contributes to tumor progression in adult organs; however, to what extent angiogenesis occurs in the liver during chronic viral hepatitis has not been studied. Ninety-nine matched patients affected by chronic hepatitis due to either HBV or HCV were studied together with 13 controls (5 patients were affected by familial hyperbilirubinemia with normal liver histology; 6 patients with stage II primary biliary cirrhosis; and 2 patients with pseudo inflammatory tumor). Microvessel density was assessed in liver biopsies by immunostaining using two different antibodies against endothelial cell antigens, QB-END/10 and Factor VIII. In addition, the liver homogenates and sera of HCV- or HBV-positive patients and controls were tested for their capacity to stimulate the migration and proliferation of freshly isolated human endothelial cells in vitro. Evidence of angiogenesis was significantly more frequent in HCV-positive patients compared with HBV-infected subjects or controls (74% vs. 39% vs. 8%) (chi2 = 20.78; P < .0001) (HCV+ vs. HBV+ vs. controls). The degree of microvessel density was also higher in HCV- than in HBV-positive patients or controls (chi2 = 12.28; P < .005). In addition, HCV-positive sera and liver homogenates stimulated a higher migration and proliferation of human endothelial cells in vitro compared with HBV-positive or control sera and liver homogenates. These observations indicate that angiogenesis is particularly linked to HCV infection, suggesting a possible contribution to HCV-related liver oncogenesis.

[A rare case of bilateral metastasis in the cerebellopontine angle]. / Su di una rara osservazione di metastasi bilaterale dell'angolo pontocerebellare.

A rare clinical and anatomopathological observation of bilateral pontocerebellar angle metastases due to gastric carcinoma is presented. The pathogenetic mechanism of this exceptional localization is proposed on the base of the literature data.

[Reye's syndrome and hemophagocytic histiocytosis in a 16-month-old boy: is there a possible common etiopathogenetic basis?]. / Sindrome di Reye ed istiocitosi emofagocitica in un bambino di 16 mesi: possibile una comune base eziopatogenetica?

The Authors report a case of Reye's syndrome associated with an hemophagocytic histiocytosis in a 16-month-old baby. The vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella administrated 15 days before the onset of symptoms is suggested as the etiologic factor of both diseases. The Authors believe that the vaccine, composed of alive viruses was responsible of immunodepression and, as a common viral infection, of Reye's syndrome and hemophagocytic histiocytosis in the child constitutionally predisposed.

[Induction of bacterial translocation in rats with minimal doses of endotoxin]. / Induzione della translocazione batterica nel ratto mediante dosi minime di endotossina.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a non lethal dose of intramuscular endotoxin in rats causes a physical disruption of the mucosal barrier and promotes the translocation of bacteria from gut to visceral organs. DESIGN: Prospective randomized trial. SETTING: Experimental laboratory university medical center. EXPERIMENTS: 60 male wistar rats, weighing 250 g. INTERVENTIONS: six hours and twenty-four hours after endotoxin (8 mg/kg) or saline (control group) given intramuscularly, rats were sacrificed and mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen and some segments of the ileum were removed. Lymph nodes and spleen were cultured for translocating bacteria while ileum segments were observed by light microscopy. RESULTS: Incidence of bacterial translocation increases from 6 hours (40% p < 0.05) to 24 hours (60%, p < 0.01) after endotoxin administration. Histologic evaluation of the ileum demonstrated that a mucosal injury occurred only at the 24 an hour and that it was characterized by an evident pronounced interstitial edema with focal breaks in the basal membranes of villous and glands. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that microorganisms and microbial products contained in the gut can cross the mucosal barrier and spread into other visceral organs also after a low dose of intramuscular endotoxin.

Cirrhosis associated with homozygous alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency in the adult: a case report.

A 34 year old woman admitted to the department of Gastroenterology of Florence hospital was diagnosed as suffering from liver cirrhosis with an alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (PiZZ phenotype). Liver biopsy showed the presence of intra-hepatocyte PAS-positive inclusions and the presence of alpha-1 antitrypsin was confirmed using the immunoperoxidase technique. No other organ appeared to be affected and respiratory function tests were within normal limits. The quantitative assay of alpha-1 antitrypsin was higher than values reported in the literature for PiZZ homozygotes. The authors report the case and discuss some aspects of this disease.

Trisomy 7p: association with several craniocerebral anomalies and spongy degeneration.

Partial trisomy 7p has been observed associated with particular anatomo-pathological findings. A newborn female with several congenital anomalies, whose chromosome constitution was: 46,XX,-14, + der (7;14) (7pter----7p11::14p11----14qter), is reported. The patient died at the age of 10 months, because of cardiac failure and autopsy was performed: the microscopic study showed spongy degeneration in the brain.

[Methodological specifications on the Todd method and preliminary results]. / Precisazioni metodologiche sul metodo di todd e risultati preliminari.

In order to measure the potentiality and kinetics tissue fibrinolysis we have modified Todd's histochemical method preparing at least six sections taken from same sample tissue, by infraoperatory biopsy, esponing them to a fibrin film at a constant concentration; we have also chosen to incubate the section at 10, 20, 30, 45, 60 min. The measurement of the areas of fibrin, of tissue and fibrinolysis, at the above mentioned times, has been effected at standard magnification (15 X) by an image analyser (Videoplan) scale 1:8. For each sample we suggest to elaborate an Index of the Potentiality of Fibrinolysis (formula; see text) and an Index of the Kinetics of the Fibrinolysis (formula; see text). Applying this method to two different groups of thyroid disease (struma and adenoma) we have not pointed out any statistically significant difference.

[Viscera larva migrans syndrome in children: description of a case]. / Sindrome da "visceral larva migrans' in età pediatrica: descrizione di un caso.

The AA describe a case of Larva Migrans Visceral syndrome in a two year-old boy in systemic form with negative outcome. The autoptic examination showed a "granulomatous hepatitis with marked component of eosinophil cells'. The presence of "eosinophil granuloma' in liver has led to the diagnosis of Visceral Larva Migrans Syndrome; other possible causes of Ipereosinophilous Syndrome have been excluded on the basis of anamnestic, clinic and laboratory data. The discovery in the medical history of frequent contacts with a dog which was affected by a serious toxocara canis infections, has led to the diagnosis of Larva Migrans Syndrome from Toxocara canis.