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BioHepB is a recombinant, hepatitis B vaccine derived from a mammalian cell line and containing HBs as well as preS1 and preS2 antigens, in their glycosylated and non-glycosylated forms. The vaccine was administered intramuscularly to 18 children aged 5 months to 11 years at 0, 1 and 6 months. One hundred percent seroconversion and seroprotection rates were achieved after primary and secondary immunization with the 2.5 microg doses of BioHepB. Ten out of the 18 children (56%) responded with the appearance of anti-preS1 and/or anti-preS2 antibodies in circulation, when analyzed 1, 2, 6, 7 and 12 months after the initiation of vaccination. In comparison with the emergence of the anti-HBs response, early (month 2, after two injections) or late (month 7, after three injections) peak responses were noted for the kinetics of anti-preS1 and anti-preS2 production during the course of immunization, demonstrating that the anti-preS1 and anti-preS2 responses are differently regulated, compared with the anti-HBs response. At month 6, just prior to the final injection, BioHepB caused significantly higher anti-HBs responses (GMT) in preS1-reactive children than in children without preS1 antibodies (P<0.005). Moreover, a significantly higher, anti-HBs response in GMT was also noted for anti-preS2-reactive children compared with anti-preS2-negative children (P<0.05). These findings demonstrated that recognition of the preS epitopes contained in the experimental preS1/preS2/S vaccine is accompanied by a more rapid onset and pronounced antibody response to the S-gene-derived protein in healthy children.

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UNLABELLED: Magnesium deficiency has been reported in patients with classical coeliac disease. Classical coeliac disease has been recently very rare, but the frequency of the silent or latent form has increased. The aim of the study was to evaluate the magnesium status in patients with coeliac disease diagnosed according to ESPGAN criteria. 41 GFD(+) patients aged 6-18 years, who were on a gluten-free diet (GFD) for 2.8 to 17.3 years (mean 11 years); with normal villous structure and IgAEmA(-), and 32 GFD(-) patients aged 5-17 years, with villous atrophy and IgAEmA(+): 8--after 7/12-13/12 of gluten challenge, 4--with late onset of coeliac disease, 20--with silent coeliac disease. All of the children did not have any other disorders. Magnesium status was examined by using: an i.v. Mg-loading test (30 mmol/1.73 m2); Mg urinary excretion and Mg concentration in serum, erythrocytes, and in hair. Abnormal values in GFD(+) and GFD(-) patients were found in: Mg i.v. loading test (retention > 40%) in 20 vs 34%, serum Mg (< 0.7 mmol/l) in 7 vs 3%, erythrocytes Mg (< 1.8 mmol/l) in 20 vs 25%. The reversed statistically significant correlation was found between Mg retention and Mg urinary excretion (R = -0.293, p = 0.009). No other statistically significant correlations were found. CONCLUSION: The magnesium deficiency was present in all patients with classical coeliac disease, but only in 1/5 of patients with coeliac disease on a gluten-free diet and in 1/5 of patients with silent coeliac disease.

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OBJECTIVE: Microsurgical anatomy and relationships in the region of the superior orbital fissure and anterior part of the cavernous sinus were studied, with special attention to the venous structures. METHODS: Microanatomic dissections were performed in 24 specimens from human cadavers, fixed in formalin, with the aid of a microdrill and operating microscope. RESULTS: A protocol of dissection was developed, enabling plane-by-plane exposure of the cranial nerves passing from the cavernous sinus to the superior orbital fissure and farther, on disclosure of the junction between the ophthalmic veins and the anterior cavernous sinus space. The main draining vessel was the superior ophthalmic vein. The inferior ophthalmic vein was much thinner and it was identified in 91.7% of cases. These two vessels fused together to form a common venous confluence approximately 5 mm in length that entered the anterior cavernous sinus space in its anterior or anteroinferior aspect. The shape of this venous drain varied greatly, from that of a typical vein to that of a venous lake. The latter was characterized by a relatively narrow opening into the anterior cavernous sinus space and lacunar widening of the vessel in its central part. No case of a separate entrance of the superior and inferior ophthalmic veins into the anterior cavernous sinus space was encountered. The anterior cavernous sinus space was described as a slit-like venous chamber located in front of the anterior genu of the intracavernous segment of the internal carotid artery. The anteroposterior diameter of this space was 3.2 +/- 0.4 mm; it was filled with blood, and no venous structures inside this space were observed. CONCLUSION: The knowledge of the anatomic details described may be useful for elaborating surgical approaches to this region and for planning the treatment of carotid-cavernous fistulas.

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On the basis of the views of Lynne Reid 4 principal pathological mechanisms of pulmonary emphysema development are discussed. The clinical manifestations of the most frequent forms of emphysema characteristic of childhood are presented.

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Incontinentia pigmenti (IP) is an X-linked dominant disease, usually lethal to males. IP belongs to rare diseases involving skin pathological findings, together with neurological and ophthalmological disorders. We here report a two-year old girl with typical symptoms of the IP. A hitherto unreported feature is partial deletion of short arms of one of the chromosomes 15, found in the girl and in her mother. Using an automatic chromosome picture analyzer, a densitometric analysis of the aberration was carried out, in order to determine the break point and to compare the normal and deleted chromosomes.

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A 30-month-old boy with severe psychomotor retardation and numerous developmental anomalies, such as small trigonocephalic head, craniofacial anomalies, malformations of fingers with hypoplastic thumbs, anomalies of urogenital organs and imperforate anus, is presented. Cytogenetic studies of peripheral blood lymphocytes with differential staining of chromosomes revealed 46,XY,r13 karyotype. The correlation between clinical features and the observed chromosome aberration is discussed. Hitherto unreported developmental brain anomalies with partial exhibited skeletal abnormalities, some not reported previously.

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Partial trisomy of the long arm of the chromosome 17 was found in a male infant with severe psychomotor retardation and numerous developmental anomalies. Differential staining with GTG, QFQ and CBG methods revealed an excess of genetic material on the short arm of chromosome 14, which was preliminarily identified as the distal part of chromosome 17q. Using an automatic picture analyser, chromosome break points were found in the 17q12 and 14p12 bands. The patient's karyotype was identified as 46,XY,t(14;17) (14qter----14p12:17q12----17qter).

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Prolonged peridural blockade with trimekain used in 1000 cardiosurgical patients is shown to be an effective prophylactic measure against postoperative complications. This method should not be widely used in patients with blood circulation insufficiency.

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