Bollettino dell'Istituto sieroterapico milanese最新文献

Aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of HIV-1 and CMV genomic sequences in myocardial tissue from autopsy of AIDS patients by in situ hybridization technique and to make a correlation with clinical and/or pathological signs of myocarditis. Seven patients out of 12 (58.3%) were positive for HIV-1 (6/7 patients with pathological signs of myocarditis and 1/5 without pathological abnormalities; p = 0.029). In situ hybridization for CMV was positive in 5/12 patients (41.7%) (3 with myocarditis and 2 without myocarditis); three clinically symptomatic cases were contemporary positive for HIV-1 and CMV. Our results seem to confirm emerging data about the presence of HIV-1 in myocardial tissue and about the possible role of HIV-1 in determining cardiac pathologies. Furthermore we suggest the hypothesis of an interaction of HIV-1 and CMV in latest of HIV infection.

Common features of chronic alcoholic liver disease are progressive hypoalbuminemia and liver fibrosis. The molecular mechanisms which account for these effects are still controversial. Therefore, in the present study we evaluated albumin and collagen gene expression in livers of alcohol abusers and patients with viral-induced liver disease. Albumin and pro-alpha 1 (I) collagen mRNA levels were determined in 30 patients who underwent diagnostic liver biopsy. Of 14 alcoholics, 7 had alcoholic hepatitis alone, while the other 7 had cirrhosis plus alcoholic hepatitis. Of 16 non-alcoholic patients with chronic viral infection, 6 had chronic active hepatitis and 10 cirrhosis plus chronic active hepatitis. Total RNA was extracted from a portion of each biopsy, hybridized with a human albumin or collagen cDNA clone and compared to 2 normal surgical specimens which served as controls. The Northern hybridization studies revealed that: despite the presence of inflammation and fibrosis, the albumin mRNA levels of alcoholics were similar to normal controls; these alcoholics had significantly higher levels of albumin mRNA than did patients with similar histological stages of disease due to viral infection; and all the categories of patients had markedly increased procollagen mRNA levels when compared to controls. Given these results it is tempting to speculate that alcohol may actually increase albumin mRNA content in man as it does in animals. Furthermore, the increased procollagen mRNA levels in fibrotic livers suggest that an increase in collagen synthesis may be a significant factor in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis.

We present a case of young male treated for a recurrence of Acute Non Lymphoid Leukemia who presented a colonization by C. krusei during prophylaxis with Fluconazole. The fever episode, which he developed while neutropenic, was resolved with the addition of Amphotericin B after the failure of empiric antibiotic therapy. No isolation was performed in blood cultures. A second cycle of antiblastic chemotherapy was needed because of the resistance shown to the first. Despite the prophylaxis with Fluconazole a stream of C. krusei grew in all the blood cultures collected while febrile. Amphotericin B administered did not control the fungemia. We discuss the resistance of C. krusei to Fluconazole.

In 1988, 3 intrafamilial cases of hepatitis A occurred in a little town in the nearby of Siena: shellfishes were probably responsible for the index case, close contacts for the two secondary cases, characterized by a very long incubation period (above 60 days). An inapparent infection was detected in one household contact. No other cases of hepatitis A have been observed in that area since the intrafamilial outbreak until now. A seroepidemiological survey was carried out in a group of persons living in the same area, and attending the same school or class-room of one of the secondary intrafamilial cases. 210 sera belonging to 105 teenagers were available; an IgG anti A test was performed on a double serum sample (before and after the outbreak): no seroconversion was observed. Our report underlines the hypoendemicity of hepatitis A infection in our country.

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Abortusovis is a major agent of abortion of the sheep and is firmly established, although at low prevalence, in Sicily. This paper describes the application rDNA gene restriction pattern fingerprinting to investigate relatedness among 7 serovar Abortusovis strains isolated at the "Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale" of Sicily and 29 isolates identified at the Southern Italy Centre of Enterobacteriaceae between 1981 and 1989. Although Abortusovis serovar has exhibited a remarkable degree of homogeneity, genomic DNA polymorphisms, that have emerged, suggest possible importation of bacterial clones from different geographic areas.

Observation was carried out of 44 patients affected with pulmonary pathology during the course of AIDS, each of whom presented a severe respiratory insufficiency, admitted to the Clinic of Infectious Diseases between May 1987 and March 1989. In the patients suffering from their first respiratory infection, a lower mortality rate was observed (11/28, 39.2%) compared with the patients suffering from a second or successive infection (10/16, 62.5%). In sixteen cases, the etiological agent was Pneumocystis carinii while in 14 subjects it was impossible to perform bronchoscopy due to particular conditions of the respiratory apparatus and diagnosis was made according to CDC clinical criteria. Several parameters were furthermore evaluated (age, duration of the symptoms prior to admittance, LDH, PaO2, WBC) as potential prognostic indices; at the conclusion of the study, no statistically significant differences were found, however, between the group of survivors and the deceased. For the specific anti PCP therapy, a great variety of drugs were administered; among them, first choice was given to cotrimoxazole. In particularly critical patients, methylprednisolone was added. In 21 patients, a mechanical respiratory aid (C-PAP) was applied with favourable results in 16 of them.

An immunological study has been performed in a group of 14 patients suffering from recurring vaginal candidiasis. Cellular immunity has been evaluated by skin test. Mononuclear cells of peripheral blood have been studied by a panel of monoclonal antibodies. Moreover granulocytes phagocytosis and NK activity have been determined. We observed a significant reduction of cellular immunity and phagocytosis comparing to the control group. This association may represent the basis of a compromised immunological response in patients with recurring vaginal candidiasis.

15,892 urinocultures belonging to out-patients admitted to Chieti ULSS 04, from January '85 to December '89 were studied. Among the examined samples, the positive urinocultures were 4255 (26.8%) with a prevalence in the female sex (78.6%). During the year E. coli was the most frequently identified organism (55.8%) without significant changes. 25.7% was the isolation percentage of Morganella-Proteus-Providencia (MPP). In order to plan a right antibiotic-therapy the resistance of isolates to 19 chemo-antibiotics, during five years, was evaluated and compared.

The eventuality that a particular emotional involvement could weigh heavily on a person's psychophysical welfare, assuming a complementary role in the appearance of clinically noticeable pathologies (infections, allergies, neoplasms) has been object of several hypotheses which have been confirmed in researches on animals. Our research, by examining an unavoidable and surely natural situation like that one of the birth of a brother for a first born, a particularly severe for what affectivity is concerned, had the aim to evidence if there were some biological expressions, able to quantitatively settle the eventual immune functions' alterations indicative of a preexistent equilibrium. With this purpose have been examined several biological expressions indicative of immune functions (B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, NK cells, lymphocyte transformation, chemotaxis, phagocytosis, C3 Complement fraction) in three first-born children with 2 to 3 years of age, whose mothers had in course a second pregnancy, during a period of about 20 months (from III pregnancy month to XIV month of age of the brother). The evolution of these immune functions evidence, during the whole period of observation, a non univocal performance. In the most of the cases was evidenced a variation towards diminution of the biological expression of some functions (lymphocyte transformation, T3 lymphocytes, T4 lymphocytes, T4/T8 rate, "E" Rosettes, chemotaxis and phagocytosis), while in the case of NK cells there were also variations towards augmentation. Particularly important were the variations towards diminution, that biological expressions as lymphocyte transformation and "E" Rosettes undergo. In two children the variations, towards diminution, showed themselves already before the birth of the brother. The variation of the T3 and T4 lymphocytes, of the T4/T8 rate, of chemotaxis and of phagocytosis were more limited. The values of the other examined biological expressions (T8, B7, C3) were in the normal range during the whole period of observation. Our results let us to attribute to emotional events, as in experimented model, the capacity to affect the biological expression that measures some immune functions, by depressing them in most of the cases, so in way to adulterate the immune equilibrium, and by setting the premises to upset the capability of immune defense in the examined persons. Our observations lead us to think that effectively, an event during which an important emotional state is induced, by upsetting the immune equilibrium, could more predispose a child (in this case the first born) to the action of pathogens.

Umbilical vein endothelial cells are known to be able to produce interleukins and colony stimulating factors. In the present work supernatant of human umbilical vein endothelial cell culture have been administered to neoplastic patients treated with chemotherapy to reduce the iatrogenic inhibition of hemopoiesis. While no undesired effect could be observed, neutrophil count was favourably influenced by endothelial cell supernatant administration. Such data can be considered useful in order to reduce collateral effect of antineoplastic therapy.