Immunological disorders of increased severity in children with AIDS associated with hepatitis B and C infections

Two groups of children were set up: children infected with HIV and hepatitis viruses and children infected with HIV, but not with hepatitis viruses, too. The immunological aspects investigated referred to the Ig serum value, the absolute number of T CD4 lymphocytes and the T CD4/T CD8 ratio. The subjects of the first group (in whom hepatitis markers were present) displayed increased IgA and IgM values at a higher rate than those of the second group (54.87% against 32%, 83.3% against 53%), as well as a lowering below 300/ml of the number of T CD4 lymphocytes (50% against 29.4%). On the other hand, increased IgG levels and values below 0.8 of the T CD4/T CD8 ratio were found at similar rates in the two groups of children (77.4% against 80% and 70.5% against 70% respectively). By means of the data obtained, the authors try to point out one of the ways by which hepatitis viruses, considered as a potential cofactor in the AIDS development, contribute to the course of this disease, namely by intensifying the immunological disorders.

Mathematical model for the AIDS epidemics evolution in Romania

The individuals are distributed in 9 risk groups (adults and children), in which an HIV transmission way is predominant. Taking into account a simplified graph of the HIV infection evolution, kinetic equations for the number of individuals from each risk group--situated in various stages of HIV infection--are written. The approximative solutions of these equations give us: the characteristic exponents of the temporal evolutions of the main and secondary local epidemics; the ratios Ci/Bi and Di/Bi of asymptomatically contaminated and dead (as consequence of AIDS) versus symptomatically contaminated; the onset of local epidemics in various risk groups; the relative amplitude of the secondary local epidemics versus the main local ones.

Mathematical model for the AIDS epidemic's evolution in Romania

The individuals are distributed in 9 risk groups (adults and children), in which an HIV transmission way is predominant. Taking into account a simplified graph of the HIV infection evolution, kinetic equations for the number of individuals from each risk group--situated in various stages of HIV infection--are written. The approximative solutions of these equations give us: the characteristic exponents of the temporal evolutions of the main and secondary local epidemics; the ratios Ci/Bi and Di/Bi of asymptomatically contaminated and dead (as consequence of AIDS)--versus symptomatically contaminated; the onset of local epidemics in various risk groups; the relative amplitude of the secondary local epidemics versus the main local ones.

Serum creatinine in patients with spinal cord injury

In a group of 18 male patients with spinal cord injury, we found serum creatinine to be within normal limits or only minimally elevated despite significant reduction in creatinine clearance. In 8 control subjects with serum creatinine between 1.0 and 1.5 mg/dL (88.4 and 132.6 mumol/L), the measured creatinine clearance was 66.4 +/- 28.2 mL/min. In contrast, in the 5 patients with spinal cord injury whose serum creatinine was in the same range, the measured creatinine clearance was only 31.0 +/- 19 mL/min. Urinary creatinine excretion was lower in patients with spinal cord injury than in the 18 male controls (653 mg/24 hr vs. 1505 mg/24 hr). The decreased urinary creatinine could not be explained by differences in age, sex, or body weight. We calculated the relationship of creatinine clearance (Ccr) and serum creatinine (Scr) in patients with spinal cord injury to be given by the equation Ccr (mL/min) = 45/Scr (mg/dL), r = 0.73. We recommend timed urine collections for creatinine to estimate creatinine clearance accurately for clinical evaluation of patients with spinal cord injury.

Effect of different doses of group-2 chromosomes on homoeologous pairing in intergeneric wheat hybrids

While an extra dose of chromosome 2A of common wheat, previously reported to carry a pairing promoter on its short arm, did not increase pairing between homoeologous chromosomes in F1 hybrids between common wheat cv. Chinese Spring (CS) and Aegilops variabilis, two doses of chromosome 2D or 2B caused a significant increase in homoeologous pairing. Evidently, chromosomes 2D and 2B carry a pairing promoter(s). Studies of F1 hybrids between aneuploids of CS, either deficient for chromosome 2D or having it in an extra dose, and Ae. variabilis, Ae. longissima, and Secale cereale supported the finding that this chromosome carries a pairing promoter. Using ditelosomic lines, the promoter was found to be located on the short arm of 2D (2DS). It was deduced that the promoter of 2B is also located on the homoeologous short arm, i.e., on 2BS. Evidence was obtained that the long arm of 2D may carry a suppressor(s) of pairing. Thus, the short arm of 2A, 2D, and 2B carries a pairing promoter(s), while the long arm of 2D and possibly of 2A and 2B carry a minor suppressor(s). The promoters are more potent than the suppressors and the overall effect of group-2 chromosomes is pairing promotion.Key words: wheat, homoeologous pairing, pairing promoter, pairing suppressor, intergeneric hybrid, meiosis.

[Indications for surgical treatment of urotuberculosis (author's transl)]

The importance of the finding of specific antibodies in urotuberculosis and its importance for surgical indications are emphasized. The various antibodies and their evaluation in the followup of urotuberculosis are described. Case reports are given to show the value of the immunology in tuberculosis for the surgical selection of patients.