[Possibilities of evaluation of the risk of tubercular infection in children and adolescents]

Two indicators are of primary importance in the assessing the tuberculous endemia in a determined area: the prevalence of bacilliferic sources, especially of those that have been confirmed by bacteriological examinations (bacterioscopy), and the annual incidence of the tuberculous infection (the real infection risk). Possibilities are described, and examples provided, for approximation of the incidence of the tuberculous infection through: a) conversion index; b) the ratio between the prevalence of the tuberculous infection and the median tested age; c) the Styble-Meijer-Sutherland logarithmic ecuation; d) the nomogram variant with tables B and C established by Styblo-Meijer-Sutherland; e) the R. Narain graphic methods. For those countries in which BCG vaccination is practiced on an extensive scale the authors suggest the incidence risk indice could also be calculated, for supra-infection, which can be correlated and completed by the incidence (risk) of infection.

[Treatment of duodenal stress ulcer by means of chemical sclerosis of the gastric mucosa induced with a 60 percent glucose solution (results after 1--5 years)]

Sclerosing of the gastric mucosa with a 60% fresh sterile solution of glucose was applied in 60 selected patients with chronic conflictual duodenal ulcers, hyperacidic gastritis by vagal neurogenic hyper-reactivity, associated with ischaemic gastropathy developed on an sympathico-adrenergic background. The immediate operatory results were good. The late results (between 1 and 5 years) were as follows: the clinical, radiological and metabolic results were good in 57 patients. Gastric chemical analysis, the values of the hourly basal output remained high in 16,6% of the patients, and those of acidity stimulated by histamine administration remained high in 13,3% of the patients. No peptic recidive was recorded. Unsatisfactory late results were noted in 3 patients (of which forced indication of the method in one patient and non-association of drainage in two patients).

[Strictly supervised antitubercular chemotherapy in district and plant medical dispensaries in the city of Craiova]

The mode of administration of chemotherapy is evaluated, in conditions of integration, and under strict supervision, in tuberculosis patients in 12 medical dispensaries and in 6 enterprise dispensaries from Craiova over a period of one year. A total of 88,54 +/- 17,99 per cent of the number of programmed doses was administered in the territorial medical dispensary, as compared with 81,9 +/- 21,3 per cent in the tuberculosis dispensary. In enterprise dispensaries 97,69 +/- 16,17 per cent of the doses was given effectively, as compared with 78,17 +/- 29,39 per cent of doses given to the same patients in the tuberculosis dispensary. During the sick-leave 92,14 +/- 9,19 per cent of the doses were given, in the medical territorial dispensary as against 86,98 +/- 17,58 per cent in the tuberculosis dispensary. The difference is not significant. After reinsertion 77,53 +/- 24,84 per cent of the programmed doses were administered in the tuberculosis dispensary, 88,2 +/- 19,84 per cent in the territorial medical dispensary and 97,12 +/- 5,66 per cent in the enterprise dispensary. The differences were not significant. The authors conclude that administration of anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy can be perfectly well carried out in integrated conditions in the urban environment, especially in interprise medical units, after reinsertion. The phtysiologist should make a periodical survey in these units in view of securing a strict administration of the treatment regimens.

[Aspects of tuberculosis prevention in the industrial environment]

The dynamics were studied of the tuberculous endemy in a limited area of the Cluj-Napoca District over a period of 5--16 years. An industrial environment was considered in comparison with a non-industrial one in the vicinity. The results show a marked decrease in the incidence of tuberculosis in the industrial environment (from 710 0/0000 in 1961 to 102 3/0000 in 1976), but, at the same time, it was demonstrated that morbidity due to tuberculosis is higher as compared with the non-industrial area (318 0/0000 as compared with 49 0/0000). The importance is discussed, of some particular factors of the industrial environment, such as pneumoconioses -- of which the most important are those due to silica -- which are significant risk factors for tuberculosis. A close cooperation is recommended, between enterprise physicians and pneumophtysiologists working in territorial polyclinics.

Infectious lymphocytes in lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus carrier mice

The infectivity of blood and lymphoid organs of mice persistently infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus was found to be predominantly associated with lymphocytes and both T and B cells were infectious. A hypothesis is presented in which it is assumed that lymphocytes in carrier mice are infected via their LCM virus-specific antigen receptors, thereby leading to their antigen-triggered clonal expansion followed by infection and functional inactivation.

[Risk factors and high-risk groups in the prevention of tuberculosis]

Starting from the premise that in the methodology of tuberculosis control priority should be given to the higher risk groups, the authors tried to identify such groups and list them in the order of their priority within the district of a dispensary serving a population of about 400,000 inhabitants. On comparing the results of the detection of risk factors among the population in general with that per endangered groups it was found that the former presented a decrease (from 1.09 to 0.44 per thousand) and the latter an increase (from 0.91 to 1.5 per thousand). The 126 747 examinations for risk factors revealed a succesive increase in the detection indices as follows: 0.76 per thousand among students, 1.36 per thousand in silicogen risk enterprises, 2.07 per thousand among the workers on building sites, 2.22 per thousand among diabetics, 2.76 per thousand among contacts, 2.85 per thousand among hyperergic subjects, 3.89 per thousand among former patients no longer on the files, 4.17 per thousand among alcoholics and patients under psychical treatment, 6.01 per thousand among patients with minimal lesions and 6.82 thousand among those with sequelae.

Cytochemical demonstration of folic acid in normal and leukemic granulocytes

By means of an original cytochemical method, folic acid was demonstrated "in situ" in peripheral white blood cells in acute and chronic granulocytic leukemia. In control blood smears folic acid-relevant granules were found predominantly in the nuclei of neutrophils and basophils. Eosinophils were found positive for folic acid reaction both in nuclei and cytoplasm. In leukemic undifferentiated cells, less marked in acute than in chronic granulocytic leukemia, the cytoplasms contained a great quantity of folate. Nuclei were fewer or nonreactive. Therefore the cytochemical localization may be related to the degree of the white cells differentiation.

[Risk factors in infection and development of tuberculosis in students]

A study was carried out in 266 571 students, examined during the 1952--1974 interval, on a series of risk factors of infection and morbidity from tuberculosis with regard to certain epidemiological, immunobiologic and peristasis parameters. In the interval studied, morbidity from tuberculosis fell sharply from 923 per 100,000 in 1952 to 83 per 100,000 in 1974. The highest proportion of infection occured in the first three years at the university, particularly among meidcal students. The risk of infection of alergic subjects with an intradermoreaction greater than 15 mm in diameter, was approximately twice that the hypo- or normoergic subjects and the proportion of vaccinates who contracted the disease three times smaller than that of the non-vaccinated subjects.

Infectious lymphocytes in mice persistently infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus

During persistent infection of mice with the lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus approximately 3% of leukocytes were found to contain viral antigen and to produce infectious virus. Morphologically, infected cells were shown not to be lymphoblasts and their numbers were not reduced by removal of mononuclear phagocytes. We conclude that in LCM virus carrier mice true lymphocytes participate in the infectious process.

[Non-culturable Koch bacilli during antitubercular chemotherapy]

The authors have performed 58435 microscopic examinations, of which 3813 were positive, and found 209 (5,48%) cases of non-cultivable Koch bacilli. The major bacteriological, clinico-evolutive and therapeutical aspects are examined. Most of the cases showing a syndrome of positive homogenate with a negative culture were rather recent ones (an evolution of less than 2 years in 73,68% of the total) and the highest frequency was found in those in which the treatment was in its first year. No direct relationship could be demonstrated between the number of germs (the Gaffky scale) and the frequency of the syndrome. The factors influencing the occurrence and the development of the syndrome are: the structure of the lesions, the method of bacteriologic examination, the therapy applied, and a certain immunologic reactivity. According to the authors the significance of this syndrome is positive in most of the cases, indicating a regression that has not been completed. The most reasonable attitude is a differentiated one, depending on each case, integrating the data obtained by the bacteriological examination in the therapeutic and evolutive clinico-radiologic context.

Serial study of the urinary metabolites in newborn children

Study on 24-hour, 30- and 60-day urine collected from 1500 newborn infants pointed out in some cases an abnormal excretion of some of the 40 urinary metabolites investigated. The analysis of urinary metabolites allows to detect a relation between abnormal excretion of urine metabolites and various types of "inborn errors of metabolism".