Bollettino dell'Istituto sieroterapico milanese最新文献

A prospective study of the immunogenicity, safety and persistence of antibodies induced by the DNA-recombinant anti-hepatitis B vaccine Engerix B was conducted in a risk group as health care workers. 115 health care workers were randomly allocated into two groups. Immunization was carried out according to a 0-1-6 month vaccination schedule in one group and to a 0-1-2-12 month schedule in the other group. Results indicate that the DNA-recombinant anti-hepatitis B vaccine is well tolerated and highly immunogenic. Reactogenicity to the vaccine was low in incidence and mild in severity with no significant difference appearing between the study groups.

Prevalence of HBV markers (HbsAg, anti-Hbs, anti-HBc) was retrospectively estimated in 204 adolescents (12-20 years old) of the Bambino Gesù Hospital (174 patients of orthopaedic department and 30 student nurses). HBsAg carrier rate was 3.4% (all healthy, none HBeAg positive) and prevalence of HBV marker (at least one positive) was 13.2%. Male sex, residence in the south of Italy or Italian islands, being inpatients, past surgical procedures and past hepatitis showed higher prevalences, but never significantly; anti-HBc prevalence was significantly higher in patients with a previous surgical procedure with transfusions. Future vaccinations should take into account the substantial HBV infection rate occurred as early as in adolescence.

The behaviour of some serological aspects of autoimmunity was studied in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by determining the incidence and levels of serum IgM, IgG and IgA rheumatoid factors (RF) and of circulating immune-complexes (IC) in 67 patients suffering from ulcerative colitis (UC) and 53 from Crohn's disease (CD). Sera from 40 young healthy subjects were included as controls. RF were detected by an enzyme linked immuno-assay (ELISA) and IC by the CIC-conglutinin and the CIC-C1q assays. ELISA detected a higher incidence of IgM RF in both UC and CD groups than the routine agglutination tests, although the mean levels were non significantly higher than in controls. Mean IgG RF levels were significantly above normal in UC and CD patients, the latter showing a greater incidence of elevated values and higher mean levels. IgA RF were significantly elevated only in CD patients; mean values for the UC group were within the normal range. The CIC-conglutinin test did not detect a significant incidence or high mean levels of IC and the CIC-C1q assay turned up a sizeable number of positive samples only in the CD group. Although still only preliminary, these overall findings suggest that RF activity is somehow present in patients with IBD. The greater prevalence of IC in CD patients, together with the patterns of IgG and IgA RF support the concept that this disease possibly involves autoimmune phenomena more than ulcerative colitis.

In 1989, the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers was studied by Elisa in 421 healthy teen-agers, 17-19 year old, in Udine, Friuli. The prevalence of any HBV marker was 2.4%, with a male predominance (3.8% vs. 0.5%). The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was 0.5% (2/421); both subjects were anti-Hbc IgM negative, with AST/ALT values in the normal levels, and males. The prevalence of any HBV marker was not associated with largest family size, nor with lowest father's years of schooling. These findings suggest a very low exposure to HBV infection in such area.

The humoral immune reactivity was studied in patients affected by gastro-intestinal cancer. The number of peripheral B lymphocytes, the concentration of serum immunoglobulins (Ig) and of C3 complement factor and the frequency of circulating immuno complexes (CIC) did not significantly differ between patients and age-matched controls, while the C4 factor level was significantly increased. The frequency of serum monoclonal components (M-components) was higher in the patients than in the elderly subjects. Moreover the results concerning the "in vitro" functional response of patient B lymphocytes showed a significant decrease of the proliferative responses to Staphylococcus Aureus Cowan I (SAC) and a significant increase of the IgG and IgM synthesis by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in unstimulated and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) stimulated cultures. The meaning of these results, taken together with those reported by others, is discussed.

Beta 2-microglobulin level has been evaluated in 183 male intravenous drug users and 50 apparently healthy blood donors. The aim of the study was to assess the possible association between high values of the peptide and both HIV infection and disease progression in intravenous drug users. Beta 2-microglobulin values were found significantly higher in AIDS patients and other symptomatic subjects than in asymptomatic, both seropositive and seronegative, intravenous drug users. Among asymptomatic drug users, no significant difference in the values was found.

Peripheral blood cells with the HNK-1 phenotype were studied in HIV infected patients of which 28 with Asymptomatic Infection (AI), 64 with Persistent Generalized Lymphoadenopathy (PGL), 9 with AIDS Related Complex (ARC), and 12 with AIDS. Eight normal subjects served as controls. Two-color immunofluorescence by flow cytometry analysis showed in all of them a significant increase of the mean percentage of HNK+T3- lymphocytes (greater than 20%) as compared to controls (6%). Only in AI the mean absolute count was significantly higher (776/cmm) than control's one (152/cmm). Percentages and absolute counts of HNK+T3- lymphocytes were similar to normal ones. In AI and PGL HNK+T3+ cells correlated directly with T8 lymphocytes and inversely with T4 cells and T4/T8 ratio. These results indirectly suggests that HNK+T3+ cells represent a subset of suppressor/cytotoxic lymphocytes. The results in ARC and AIDS were somewhat equivocal and deserve further study in larger samples. No correlation was found between HNK+T3+ and HNK+T3- cells. The expansion of HNK+T3+ cells was parallel to that one of T8 lymphocytes expressing CD8 antigen at high surface density which were previously reported as having cytotoxic activity. Follow-up studies of the HNK cell peripheral pattern will clarify if it can be regarded as an early predictor of clinical outcome.

The authors evaluated the levels of a mucinous-like carcinoma antigen (M.C.A.) in the serum of 105 follow-up patients with breast carcinoma by means of an enzyme immunoassay. The negative/positive cut-off level determined in a group of healthy women was 13.2 U/ml. 80 patients turned out to be free disease, while 25 patients showed relapse or metastasis. High levels of MCA were observed in 72.0% of the patients with renewal of the neoplastic disease as well as in 12.5% of the free disease subjects. The EIA method appeared to have a good specificity (87.5%) and a fair test efficiency (83.8%). On the contrary, its sensitivity (72.0%) and its predictive value (64.3%) were not completely satisfactory. Therefore we think the matter needs to be studied more deeply and so does the case-report.

The authors refer on Salmonella species isolated from carriers, in USL 13 country, during the period of five years 1984-1988 in the microbiological laboratories of S.M.P. USL 13. N. 1240 Salmonella strains were isolated. N. 62 serotypes have been recognized of which about 77% were of the groups B, C1, E1. The trial shows a high positivity of more rare serotypes especially in summer period.

The following effects of Aspergillus terreus alcoholic extract are investigated: antiblastic and antiviral effect, and the ability of modification of interferon production and lymphocyte blastic transformation. In particular the extract showed more evident antiproliferative effect on transformed or EBV immortalised cells and lower effect on normal cells. Moreover doses from 12.5 +/- micrograms/ml depressed significatively the in vitro interferon production and lymphocyte blastic transformation induced by PHA on human cells. Mengo and Semliki Forest viruses replication was reduced, although temporarily, in the presence of 50 +/- micrograms/ml of the extract. Eventually the study of some fractions separated on chromatographic column demonstrated the contemporary presence of fractions able to inhibit or stimulate K-562 erythroleukemic cells replication.