RESUMEN
It has been recently demonstrated that ecto-5'nucleotidase (5'NT) activity is significantly decreased in the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of homosexual men. This paper reports a study of PBL 5'NT activity in 38 hemophiliacs at risk for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The enzyme activity was correlated to the immunologic and virologic data. T-cell subset distribution was unbalanced and directly correlated with the cumulative amount of AHF infused. PBL 5'NT activity, however, was similar to that of healthy controls. 6 patients displayed serum antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but no decrease in PBL 5'NT activity. In conclusion, these data indicate that both heavily treated and seropositive as well as untreated hemophiliacs have normal PBL 5'NT activity. This striking dissimilarity between homosexual men and hemophiliacs suggests that some immunologic alterations leading to 5'NT deficiency occur in the former only.
Asunto(s)
Pruebas Enzimáticas Clínicas , Hemofilia A/inmunología , Homosexualidad , Linfocitos/enzimología , Nucleotidasas/sangre , 5'-Nucleotidasa , Síndrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida/inmunología , Síndrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida/transmisión , Adolescente , Adulto , Anticuerpos Antivirales/inmunología , Deltaretrovirus/inmunología , Factor VIII/administración & dosificación , Anticuerpos Anti-VIH , Hemofilia A/sangre , Hemofilia A/diagnóstico , Histocitoquímica , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Riesgo , Linfocitos T/clasificaciónAsunto(s)
Transfusión Sanguínea , Antígenos HLA/análisis , Trasplante de Riñón , Uremia/terapia , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Uremia/mortalidadAsunto(s)
Antígenos HLA/inmunología , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidad Clase II/inmunología , Linfocitos/inmunología , Diálisis Peritoneal Ambulatoria Continua/efectos adversos , Diálisis Peritoneal/efectos adversos , Peritonitis/etiología , Antígeno HLA-B8 , Antígeno HLA-DR3 , Humanos , Peritonitis/inmunologíaRESUMEN
22 patients with immune complex (IC) glomerulonephritis (GN) were treated with plasma exchange (PE), corticosteroids and immunosuppressors, in 4 cases also as a long treatment. We evaluated circulating IC and some neutrophils (PMN) functions such as phagocytosis, aggregation and platelet activating factor (PAF) release. In extracapillary GN improvement was observed in 3/9 patients, concomitantly with IC decrease: in 6/9 patients no renal amelioration occurred, despite IC decrease in two. In all Lupus Nephritis and mixed IgG/IgM cryoglobulinemia, IC were highly positive and the disappearance of IC in 5/6 Lupus Nephritis and 4/4 cryoglobulinemia heralded systemic and renal amelioration. PMN functions were hampered in acute Lupus Nephritis and mixed cryoglobulinemia, but constantly improved along with IC decrease and clinical amelioration. Thus in extracapillary GN the decrease of IC by PE may not eventuate in renal improvement. In Lupus Nephritis and cryoglobulinemia a better correlation exits between IC, PMN function and clinical course.
Asunto(s)
Glomerulonefritis/terapia , Enfermedades del Complejo Inmune/terapia , Intercambio Plasmático , Crioglobulinemia/complicaciones , Glomerulonefritis/complicaciones , Glomerulonefritis/inmunología , Glomerulonefritis/fisiopatología , Humanos , Enfermedades del Complejo Inmune/inmunología , Lupus Eritematoso Sistémico/complicaciones , Neutrófilos/fisiologíaAsunto(s)
Intercambio Plasmático , Púrpura Trombocitopénica Trombótica/terapia , Adolescente , Adulto , Femenino , HumanosAsunto(s)
Hemofilia A/terapia , Hepatitis Viral Humana/etiología , Reacción a la Transfusión , Anticuerpos Antivirales/análisis , Virus Defectuosos , Antígenos de la Hepatitis B/inmunología , Antígenos de Superficie de la Hepatitis B/análisis , Virus de Hepatitis , Antígenos de Hepatitis delta , HumanosRESUMEN
The prevalence of infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated delta (delta) agent was assessed in 277 treated hemophiliacs (primarily adolescents and adults) and 24 treated hemophilic children. Hemophiliacs who carry hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) are at high risk of delta infection. Antibody to delta (anti-delta) was found in 14 (49%) of 29 HBsAg-positive adult or adolescent hemophiliacs and four (25%) of 16 HBsAg-positive hemophilic children; it was identified in none of the patients without serologic evidence of exposure to HBV and only occasionally and in low titers in hemophiliacs convalescent from HBV infection. Either histologic or biochemical evidence of chronic hepatitis was found in 10 (56%) of 18 HBsAg-positive hemophiliacs with anti-delta. In two patients with anti-delta a potentially pathogenic role for delta was suggested by the intrahepatic expression of delta antigen, detected by immunofluorescence. It appears that delta infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease in hemophiliacs.
Asunto(s)
Portador Sano/inmunología , Hemofilia A/inmunología , Antígenos de Superficie de la Hepatitis B/inmunología , Hepatitis B/inmunología , Hepatopatías/complicaciones , Adolescente , Adulto , Niño , Preescolar , Enfermedad Crónica , Técnica del Anticuerpo Fluorescente , Hemofilia A/complicaciones , Hemofilia A/microbiología , Hepatitis B/complicaciones , Hepatitis B/microbiología , Humanos , Lactante , Hígado/inmunología , Hepatopatías/inmunología , Hepatopatías/microbiologíaRESUMEN
Genetic polymorphism of glycine-rich beta-glycoprotein (GBG) was studied in populations from northern and southern Italy, respectively. Gene frequencies were as follows: northern Italy (n = 431): GbS = 0.7675, GbF = 0.2049, GbS 0.7 = 0.0127, GbF1 = 0.0139; southern Italy (n = 161): GbS = 0.7050, GbF = 0.2360, GbS 0.7 = 0.0373, GbF1 = 0.0217. Comparison of these two populations with the Swiss population revealed a significant drift in gene frequencies from north to south. A new GBG phenotype, supposedly heterozygous, with a slow migrating F band and a regular S band in agarose electrophoresis was observed.
Asunto(s)
Factor B del Complemento/genética , Precursores Enzimáticos/genética , Polimorfismo Genético , Frecuencia de los Genes , Humanos , Italia/etnología , Fenotipo , Suiza/etnologíaRESUMEN
The Authors report the results of a piece of research carried out on 95 pregnant women between 19 and 35, about the problem of mother-foetus transmission of infections caused by hepatitis viruses. The infection prevalence in the group of 95 mothers has resulted equal to the one reported in other surveys carried out in Italy. The results concerning the babies are incomplete because the lack of collaboration of their families. The Authors consider these data from an epidemiological point of view and they report the latest hypotheses as to the problem faced out and the possibilities of prophylactic interventions.
Asunto(s)
Hepatitis/transmisión , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo/transmisión , Adulto , Anticuerpos Antivirales/análisis , Femenino , Hepatitis/epidemiología , Antígenos de Superficie de la Hepatitis B/análisis , Hepatovirus/inmunología , Humanos , Italia , Intercambio Materno-Fetal , Embarazo , Complicaciones Infecciosas del Embarazo/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Sera of 1.843 blood donors married women of the Turin population have been checked against random lymphocytes samples of the same population according to NIH standard technique. Positive (with cytotoxic antibodies) and negative (without cytotoxic antibodies) women have been, separately, distributed in classes: A) events number classes and B) time classes. "A-type" distributions were dealing with number of deliveries and, separately, with total number of immunizing events (deliveries, abortions, received blood transfusions); "B-type" distributions were dealing with number of years passed from last delivery to bleeding and, separately, from last immunizing event to bleeding. Differences between positive and negative women distributions were not significant. Number of events and time elapsed after last event do not affect presence or absence of antibodies significantly. Genetic individual constitution seems to affect not only presence or absence of antibodies, but also the duration of response.
Asunto(s)
Sistema del Grupo Sanguíneo ABO , Suero Antilinfocítico/análisis , Donantes de Sangre , Proteínas del Sistema Complemento , Antígenos HLA/análisis , Isoanticuerpos/análisis , Aborto Espontáneo , Adulto , Factores de Edad , Transfusión Sanguínea , Parto Obstétrico , Femenino , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Paridad , Embarazo , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
To test the hypothesis that liver function is different in populations with inherited susceptibility to persistent Australia antigen (hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg]), Sardinians living in Turin, Italy, were compared with their native Turinese neighbors. The study was controlled for age, sex, place of birth, and presence or absence of persistent HBsAg. Slight differences in liver function were found in the Sardinians compared with the Turinese. Their values were in the direction of abnormality. Sardinians also had considerably higher serum gamma-globulin levels than the Turinese. The levels of alpha2-globulin by electrophoresis correlated with the presence of HBsAg.