The residual serological reactivity observed in patients cured of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) represents the major factor underlying the low efficiency of most anti-Leishmania serological approaches to assess posttherapeutic cure in VL. Herein, we have described a detuned flow cytometry-based methodology to detect anti-live (FC-ALPA-immunoglobulin G [IgG]) and anti-fixed (FC-AFPA-IgG) L. chagas...

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to retrospectively investigate and compare multidetector computed tomography findings of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-positive and -negative patients. METHODS Triphasic (arterial, portal venous, and delayed phases) dynamic multidetector computed tomography (CT) was performed in 83 patients with HCC, 48 of whom were HBV-po...

Here we describe the case of a 19-year-old woman with a poorly differentiated ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor and an elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein level. The patient presented with diffuse abdominal pain and bloating. Physical examination, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a right ovarian tumor that was histopathologically diagnosed as a poorly differentiated Sertoli-Leyd...

When retinoic acid-primed F9 cells are allowed to aggregate, they form embryoid bodies with an outer layer of (&agr;)-fetoprotein-producing visceral endoderm cells and an internal cavity. I show that maturation of the visceral endoderm is dependent on the size of F9 aggregates. Size fractionation of aggregates of retinoic acid-primed F9 cells on Percoll density gradients revealed that only aggr...

Aminotransferase levels do not always increase during acute hepatitis or during an acute flare-up of chronic hepatitis. Persistently increased levels of serum alpha-Fetoprotein in an adult with liver disease suggest not only the presence or progression of hepatocellular Carcinoma or its recurrence after hepatic resection or after other therapeutic approaches such as chemotherapy or chemoemboliz...

BACKGROUND Patients with a primary pure seminoma in the testis who have elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein are rare and should be treated as patients with nonseminomatous germ cell tumors. However, nonpalpable testicular tumors in this condition have never been reported. We describe a case of nonpalpable pure testicular seminoma with elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein presenting retroperitoneal met...