Lack of seroconversion in a health care worker after polymerase chain reaction-documented acute hepatitis C resulting from a needlestick injury.

We present a case of documented acute hepatitis C that occurred in a health care worker who sustained a needlestick injury while caring for an individual who was infected with both hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). According to the findings of third-generation serological assays performed during a follow-up of >1 year, the health care worker, who was treated with interferon-alpha (during weeks 2-6) and ribavirin (during weeks 5-9), did not develop antibodies against HCV, in spite of documentation of an HCV-specific T cell response.

[Pancreatic transplantation. Implantation of auto and allografts of the pancreas into the gastric wall of the diabetic rabbit (author's transl)]. / Transplantation pancréatique. Implantation d'auto et d'allogreffes pancréatiques dans la paroi gastrique du lapin diabétique.

The author's studied pancreatic autotransplants and allotransplants in the gastric submucosa of the rabbit after removal of the pancreas. Pancreatctomy causes severe diabetes with hyperkaliemic acidosis which is always fatal with 72 hours. Auto or allotransplantation cures the diabetes within two to three days, and maintains normal glucose balance for about 60 days. Early death after transplantation occurred when the graft was totally ineffective. After transplantation, the blood sugar rose progressively towards the 15th day, then suddenly and definetely at the time of necrosis of the graft towards the 15th or 21st day. The follow up in some transplanted animals exceeded two months. The interest of the procedure resides in the implantation of a large critical mass (25 to 30% of the pancreas ) in a well-vascularised area, drained by the portal system, and permitting the digestive tract elimination of the pancreatic necrosis whether of vascular or immune origin.