[The risk of tuberculous infection on the territory of Iaşi County in a 5-year period]

The authors study the infection risk (IR) in the Iaşi County, between 1983 and 1987, at the age of 6-7 years old, in relation to the evolution of tuberculosis incidence in children and to the bacillary incidence and prevalence. TR was maintained, in the period of study, at about 0.90%, thus corresponding to the bacillary incidence on the territory, on average of 39% inhabitants. Calculation of the contagiousness parameter of the contaminating sources showed that a source is infectious for about 13 children at 100,000 inhabitants. The findings above plead for the necessity of improving the county fighting program against tuberculosis.

[The efficacy of the intensive, short-duration chemotherapy of patients with cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis]

This study was carried out on 100 cases of cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis in patients eliminating tuberculosis bacilli, as noted at microscopic study. The treatment included four drugs (RHSZ) in 95 case, and 3 drugs in the remaining patients. All the treatments were tailored to individual needs. The duration of chemotherapy was of 6 months in 62 cases. It was prolonged to 9 months in 33 cases and to 12 months in 5 cases. In 81 patients the drugs were applied regularly. The results have demonstrated that at 6 months negative cultures were obtained in 98 patients although the excavations were closed in only 55 cases. At 9 months all the patients were negative but excavations were closed in only 71. Suppression of elimination of bacilli was achieved in 99 of the cases at 12 months, but the excavations were closed in only 92 of the patients. Ninety-nine patients were investigated after 2.5-3.0 years. Five of them were again positive, 94.5% were negative and the excavations were closed in 91.9%. The importance of the cavitary score is discussed with regard to the risk of renewed positivity, and an association is recommended of surgical collapsing and exeresis at the right time.

[A comparative study of plasma converting enzyme and renin in sarcoidosis]

The paper reports on a comparative study of the conversion enzyme and plasmatic renin performed on a group of 55 patients, with clinical diagnosis of sarcoidosis and other lung diseases. Whereas the conversion enzyme showed important increases in active sarcoidosis and a tendency to the normal state after treatment with corticoids, the activity of the plasmatic renin remained the same, both before and after corticotherapy. The result obtained prove the practical usefulness of the dosage test of the conversion enzyme, in agreement with the literature data. They also point to the possible participation of the pulmonary SRA in the vascular and local enzymatic-chemical imbalances, suggesting the possibility of associating the conversion enzyme inhibitors to the treatment of sarcoidosis with corticoids.

[Ultrastructural aspects in the development of the human heart. II. The endocrine cells of the embryonic heart]

Electronmicroscopic studies performed on atrial and ventricular tissue fragments from 9 human embryos, 8 to 15 weeks old, showed that in certain myocardiocytes, especially in the atrial ones, from the 10 weeks old embryos, there appear granules of secretion, very similar in morphology with those from adults, which had been demonstrated to contain the atrial natriuretic factor. The precocious appearance of this peptide represents a functional adaptation by which the embryo attempts at counterbalancing the actions of renin and angiotensin from the maternal circulation.

Ultrastructural differentiation of the glomerular mesangium from the human metanephros

In section of metanephros tissue obtained from 32 human embryos and fetuses, 8 to 24 weeks old, the mesangial cells differentiate beginning with the 12th week. Some of the cells from the central mass of the metanephros blastema showed endocytosis phenomena characteristic for the adult mesangial cells. In the 13th week the three cellular types from the renal corpuscle individualize, and from the 14th to the 16th week they acquired the adult morphological aspect.

[Ultrastructural aspects in the development of the human heart. I. The cytoskeleton and motility of human embryonic myocardiocytes]

Electron microscopic investigations performed on heart tissue fragments from 12 human embryos. 8 to 15 weeks of age, showed that at the age of 8 weeks the myocardiocytes are poorly differentiated cells: they contain microfilaments of actin and myosin inserted on the cytoplasmic aspect of plasmalemma, a smooth endoplasmic reticulin and mitochondria, accounting for the early contraction. Gap junctions appear among myocardiocytes, confirming the myogenic theory of heart contractions. Within 10 to 15 weeks, actin and myosin myofilaments organize in sarcomeres. Eberth disks appear and numerous mitoses are to be seen.

[The technical modalities of duodenojejunoplasty in large parietal defects of the duodenum]

The authors present two technical modalities for solving extensive defects of the duodenal wall which occurred during surgery for large duodenal ulcers, which in one case involved the entire anterior part of D1-D2. In another case the duodenal wall defect was due to tumoral invasion by cancer of the hepatic angle of the colon. The solution consisted in duodenoplasty with excluded intestinal loop in "Y", in the first case, and duodenoplasty on an omega loop associated with GEP in the second case.

[Variations in plasma angiotensin-converting enzyme and renin in sarcoidosis]

A comparative study of plasma angiotensin-converting enzyme and renin activity was carried out in 55 patients with sarcoidosis and other pulmonary diseases. The converting enzyme activity was significantly increased in active sarcoidosis, showing a tendency to return to normal values after corticoid treatment, while plasma renin activity remained unaltered both before and after corticotherapy. The obtained results confirm the usefulness of the converting enzyme measurements, as already shown by others. Attention is drawn on the possible involvement of the pulmonary renin-angiotensin system in the local vascular and enzymo-chemical alterations, suggesting the possibility of associating the converting enzyme inhibitors to the corticotherapy of sarcoidosis.