title: [Possibility of early diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis in chronic alcoholics determining the N-terminal peptide of type-III procollagen].
abstract: The authors examined the behaviour of sP-III-P and other parameters in 40 patients affected by alcoholic liver disease (20 of whom with steatosis, 10 with steatofibrosis, 10 with liver cirrhosis) and at the same time in a group of non drinking controls. The levels of sP-III-P appeared significantly increased in the patients with steato-fibrosis and even more so in those with liver cirrhosis, while in those with steatosis the increase was insignificant. The gamma-globulins showed similar behaviour while serum albumin appeared proportionally reduced in the cases in which sP-III-P and gamma-globulins showed a greater increase. The authors believe that the study of sP-III-P is valuable in the follow-up of patients with alcoholic liver disease and in particular in chronic alcoholism to reveal the presence of an increased fibrogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra di semeiotica medica III, Istituto di patologia medica e medicina mediterranea Università, Messina.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ricciardi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Restuccia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011347:Procollagen / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011347:Procollagen; C041876:procollagen Type III-N-terminal peptide
vernacular_title: Possibilità di diagnosi precoce di fibrosi epatica negli alcoolisti cronici mediante dosaggio del peptide N-terminale del procollagene tipo III.