ABSTRACT
The study describes a comparison between molecular hybridization using a non-radiolabeled, thymine-thymine (TT) dimerized synthetic oligonucleotide complementary DNA probe and electron microscopy for the detection of hepatitis E virus genome in bile. Spot hybridization with the TT dimerized probe was found to be more sensitive and specific compared to electron microscopy.
Subject(s)
Animals , Bile/microbiology , DNA, Complementary , DNA, Viral , Genome, Viral , Hepatitis E/microbiology , Hepatitis E virus/genetics , Microscopy, Electron/methods , Monkey Diseases/microbiology , Nucleic Acid Hybridization/methods , Oligonucleotide Probes , Pyrimidine Dimers , Sensitivity and Specificity , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Renal lesions in ten patients following Russell's viper bite were studied. Renal biopsies were available in six and autopsies in four patients. Autopsied tissues from two cases of traumatic death served as controls. Both qualitative and quantitative changes in the glomeruli, tubules, interstitium and blood vessels were evaluated. Tubular necrosis was detected in five, tubular degeneration in nine, glomerular changes in nine and interstitial changes in four cases. Generally tissues from expired cases had more severe and extensive renal lesions than those that survived.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Animals , Female , Humans , Kidney/pathology , Kidney Glomerulus/pathology , Kidney Tubules/pathology , Male , Middle Aged , Snake Bites/pathology , Snakes , Viper Venoms/toxicityABSTRACT
Twenty-two hospitalized HIV seropositive patients were studied prospectively between July 1991 and January 1992. The majority of the patients were intravenous drug users (IVDUs). Their age ranged from 20 to 38 years with a male preponderance of 12 to 1. Anemia, lymphopenia and thrombocytopenia were observed in 100%, 36% and 41%, respectively. The common pathogens like malaria parasites, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Entamoeba histolytica, Streptococcus and Salmonella were isolated/identified rather than opportunistic organisms.