Lung involvement in Sjögren's syndrome: a comparison between patients with primary and with secondary syndrome

Lung function was assessed in 20 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and in a group of patients with SS associated with a variety of connective tissue diseases. Signs of small airway disease and of altered diffusion capacity, together with chest x-ray features of mild interstitial involvement, were the most common findings in primary SS. On the whole, lung involvement was more frequent and severe in patients with the secondary form of the syndrome. In both primary and secondary SS lung function changes did not correlate with the other clinical and serological parameters, except for a more severe impairment of diffusion capacity in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon.

Plasma exchange in the treatment of lupus nephritis

Seven women with severe Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Nephritis were treated with Plasma Exchange, without any additional therapy with cytotoxic agents. All patients had failed to respond to high doses of corticosteroids and, in 3 cases, to 6-methylprednisolone pulses. In 4 patients the indication for plasma exchange treatment was a rapid deterioration of renal function, and in the others a need to better control symptoms without using toxic corticosteroid dosages. The total number of plasma exchange sessions ranged from 14 to 57 depending on the patient. After PE treatment, serum creatinine values significantly decreased in all 4 patients with rapidly developing, nephritis while in the others it remained unchanged. No major side effects were recorded and no relapse of renal disease occurred whenever Plasma Exchange treatment was gradually tapered or discontinued. These data suggest that prolonged Plasma Exchange treatment without the concomitant administration of cytotoxic agents may be effective in the treatment of steroid resistant severe lupus nephritis.

Circadian variations of serum myoglobin levels in normal subjects and patients with polymyositis

Circadian variations in myoglobin levels were determined in 18 normal volunteers and in 10 patients with active polymyositis. In all the controls and in 9 of the 10 patients, serum myoglobin concentrations were highest at 9 am, fell significantly during the day to reach a nadir between 6 and 12 pm, remained constant until midnight, and then rose again at 3 am. The percent differences between the highest and lowest values ranged from 21-66%. This pattern was observed in both untreated patients and patients receiving 6-methyl-prednisolone, which was given either in a single dose at 8 am or in divided doses (8 am and 8 pm). These data demonstrate that the time of sample collection must be taken into account when myoglobin levels are used as a marker of muscle damage.

Chronic myeloid leukemia in Waldenström's macroglobulinemia

Eighteen months after the occurrence of Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia developed in a 69-year-old woman. The coexistence of the two disorders was characterized by an initial reduction of paraproteinemia at the time that leukemia occurred, a long-lasting remission of the two disorders, and a final parallel increase of paraproteins and WBCs. Since leukemia occurred 15 months after the interruption of melphalan therapy, the potential mutagenic role of chemotherapy was considered irrelevant. Therefore, Waldenström's macroglobulinemia might favor the occurrence of chronic myeloid leukemia.

[Sero-epidemiological studies of the anti-rubella immunological status of a sample of the female population]

A retrospective study on the prevalence and distribution of haemoagglutination inhibiting rubella antibodies in a sample of 4493 women (3150 in pregnancy), showed a low percentage of vaccinated women ( 0.6%) and high share of negative sera (12.6%). The Authors carried on the analysis subdividing the data according to age of the women, their pregnancy's condition or quarter, their residence (Rome and out of Rome) and occupation (housewife and not). The Pearsonian chi-square showed a significant difference between the lower immunization of housewife group and that of non-housewife group. Moreover the seropositivity decreases according to aging.

[Determining levels of bacteria present in urine by means of a gauged loop (author's transl)]

The loop method permits determining of bacteriuria without the necessity for serial dilution, and with a precision greater than that of the dip inoculum test. Results indicate that the method allows us to establish the level of bacteria present in infected urine (approximately 10(5) germs/ml) quite precisely, and furnishes reliable evaluation of high levels. Due to the small quantity removed by the loop, the possible presence of strong concentrations of chemobiotics does not influence the results, as subinhibiting concentrations easily occur with diffusion.

[Salmonella isolated in the province of Macerata and their sensitivity to some common chemoantibiotics and to some of recent clinical introduction]

A study has been carried out in order to evaluate the sensitivity of a group of some 215 Salmonella strains identified in the triennium 1976-1978, in the district of Macerata (Italy), to 16 chemoantibiotics. The average percentage of sensitivity to chemoantibiotics, as a whole, vary from 100% (sisomycin) to 81% (furazolidone). The global sensitivity of different strains, of early diffusion and recent appearance in Italy, by MIC and MBC estimated, progressively increase as follow: A. wien, typhi, typhimurium, infantis, braenderup, paratyphi B, enteritidis, agona, panama.

[Seropositivity to toxoplasma in 3,455 women. Its role in abortion and evaluation of some probable risk factors (author's transl)]

A retrospective study on 3,455 women showed 60.8% of positive cases to Toxoplasma antibodies. The role in antibody occurrence of raw (or underdone) meat eating was statistically verified. Moreover the findings suggest that Toxoplasma infection may prove to be an significant aetiological factor for abortion.