[Immunological development in asymptomatic HIV infected children]

In HIV infected children, CD45+CD4+ T lymph. reconstitution has been related to efficient thymopoiesis. Because human thymus undergoes spontaneous involution at a relatively young age, institution of antiretroviral therapy early in the course of infection has been recommended. 12 HIV vertically infected children aged 4-8 years were investigated T-cell subsets for four years. 7 children were naive for therapy (group NT); 5 experienced nucleoside analogues only (group T). CD45RA+ and CD45RO+ CD4+ values were compared to predicted values of healthy children. The two groups showed similar clinical and immunological baseline characteristics (CDC class N-A). Mean VL at t0 was 4.26 log10 (SD 0.71) in gr. NT and 4.01 log10 (SD 0.57) in gr. T; median CD4 T lymph values were 27% in gr. NT and 23.5% in gr. T. Median CD45RA+ values were 62.8% in gr. NT and 71.3% in gr. T. No differences in VL, CD4+ T lymph., CD45RA+, CD45RO+ were found in between groups or within each group at each time evaluation. Median CD45RA+ values were not different from predicted values of healthy children. None of the children changed CDC class during the study period. Although the number of subjects was small, our study evidenced the possibility of a normal immunological development in HIV-1 vertically infected asymptomatic children naive for HAART during the first decade, even in the presence of significant viremia.

Infants vertically infected with hepatitis C: a long term longitudinal follow-up

HCV vertically acquired infection is asymptomatic and characterized by a high chronic infection rate; only 9% of HCV infected children shows spontaneous remission. As far as a mild course of the disease has been observed during childhood, we hypothesize that any eventual treatment intervention could be postpone until adolescent age.

Proposal of a step-wise follow-up for hepatitis C seropositive mothers and their infants

Mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis C virus can take place in utero, during labour or after birth. Rate of vertical transmission varies widely between surveys but is around 5-6%. Maternal risk factors which may condition perinatal transmission risk are HIV/HCV coinfection, drug use, viral load, viral genotype, type of delivery and breastfeeding. On the basis of recent data, we propose a step-wise follow-up for HCV seropositive mothers and their infants. This proposal might represent an important occasion to unify behaviors in different Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology Units.

[Sedation with magnetic resonance imaging in pediatric patients]

219 children (ASA I-II, age 30 days-12 yrs), underwent deep sedation with intravenous thiopental for magnetic resonance imaging in a hospital setting. Sedation strategies and monitoring are described. The procedure showed to be safe for the patients and cause low artefacts by movements.

A 1-year trial of lamivudine for chronic hepatitis B in children

We carried out a 1-year trial to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of lamivudine, an oral nucleoside analogue, in a small group of children with vertically acquired chronic hepatitis B. Patients were assessed for serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA at baseline and every 4 weeks thereafter, and for hepatitis B s antigen, hepatitis B e antigen and their antibodies every 12 weeks. Analysis of HBV mutation was undertaken at entry and on the occasion of the last positive control of HBV DNA. Lamivudine suppressed serum HBV DNA to undetectable levels in all treated patients within 24 weeks. Serum ALT levels returned to normal values within 36 weeks. Therapy was well tolerated, and although nausea and vomiting were reported in one child, it was not necessary to stop treatment. A new observation was that, contrary to previous data, seroconversion appeared to occur earlier in children with lower ALT levels at baseline.

[Bispectral index: clinical effectiveness and role in reducing anesthetic drug consumption]

A numeric value derived from bispectral analysis of EEG, the bispectral index (BIS), has been recently introduced as a monitor of the hypnotic component of anaesthesia. Application of BIS monitoring in anaesthesia appears extremely interesting to drugs titration and drugs economy, and in the evaluation of time for discharge in a one day surgery regimen. In this prospective study ASA I-II patients for Day-Surgery were enrolled in three groups: subaracnoid anaesthesia (SA), general anaesthesia (GA) with BIS and GA without BIS monitoring. At present 35 patients for DS operative hysteroscopy were enrolled. No significant differences were measured between the GA groups. A longer time of recovery was necessary in the SA group. A greater amount of anaesthetic in BIS group could be attributed to a better monitoring of sedation which prevents intraoperative awakening.

[Utilization of CoCl2 for karyological studies in teleosts]

This paper presents a simple method of increasing the number of mitoses in the kidney of fish. This method is based on the erythropoietic activity of CoCl2. The specimens of Ictalurus sp. were injected intraperitoneally with 2 mg CoCl2 per 100 g body weight. After 24 h the slides of kidney show a proliferation of erythroblasts. A large number of these cells are arrested in metaphase for karyotype preparations.

[Effect of DDT on hepatocytes in Ictalurus sp. and Carassius carassius]

During fifteen days low dosages of DDT on two different LC50-teleost fishes (Ictalarus sp. and Carassius carassius) were studied. Treatment with DDT, after three days, induces in Carassius hepatocytes a loss of glycogen granules, an increase of ergastoplasm, a mitochondrial swelling and wide cytoplasmic vacuoles. In Ictalurus there is no glycogen loss, but an increase of ergastoplasm and a great increase of lipidic inclusions are observed.

[Chromium and atherosclerosis]

The authors report numerous experimental and clinical studies relating deficiency of chromium in the organism and atherosclerosis. They hope new researches to compute the pool of chromium in the organism and the validity and possibility to utilize this oligoelement in prevention of atherosclerosis.