[Osteoarthritis caused by Brucella melitensis: isolation of the microorganism from the synovial fluid]. / Osteoartrite da Brucella melitensis: isolamento del germe nel liquido sinoviale.

Brucellosis is an unusual disease in childhood but the organ manifestations are even more unusual. The Authors describe an osteoarthritis caused by Brucella melitensis, localized at the tarsal scaphoid in a three years old Calabrian child.

[Isolation frequency of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in the Patro distric from 1974 to 1986]. / Frequenza di isolamento di Escherichia coli enteropatogeni nel comprensorio pratese, dal 1974 al 1986.

In the Prato district in the years 1974-1986 the isolation frequency of serogropus of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli on 12,251 faeces samples pertinent to infantile diarrhoea has been studied. The research reveals a constant decrease in the isolation frequency of the serogroups considered. An hypothesis is quite difficult but this finding is taking world-wide consistency: furthermore some items are distinctive of the researched district and therefore quite interesting.

[Incidence of rotavirus in pediatric patients hospitalized with gastroenteric symptoms]. / Indagine sull'incidenza del rotavirus in pazienti pediatrici ospedalizzati con sintomatologia gastroenterica.

In winter, for four months from November 1986 to February 1987, in one hundred samples of stool from children admitted at Pediatric Department of Prato Civil Hospital with gastroenteric symptoms, was performed the research of rotavirus. This study revealed data strictly close to the ones reported in literature: 34% of children were found positive; from these, 55.9% were under one year old, 38.2% from one to five, and 5.9% from five to twelve. The symptoms were: diarrhoea in 94%, fever in 70.5%, vomit in 47% and respiratory disturbances in 32%. It is emphasized the utility of the research of rotavirus chiefly in children under one year, even if gastroenteric disease begins with respiratory symptoms.

[Complement. Evaluation of some complement fractions in patients affected by neoplasia undergoing chemotherapy (author's transl)]. / Il complemento. Valutazione di alcune sue frazioni in pazienti affetti da neoplasie sotto trattamento chemioterapico.

Serum complement levels (UE50, C3, C4, act. C3, C1q) were determined in 75 healthy subjects and 130 cancer patients undergoing treatment. The results were correlated with statistical analysis. The patients were divided into the following groups: a) with local tumor; b) with tumor in complete remission; c) with tumor in incomplete remission; d) stationary. Three blood samples were obtained over a period of about two months. All cancer patients had decreased UE50 levels and increased act. C3 levels compared to normal values, while C3, C4, and C1q were normal. C4 levels were not significant in any group of cancer patients, but act. C3 levels were significantly increased (as compared to those of the healthy subjects). UE50 levels appeared significantly decreased only in the group with complete remission, C3 levels were increased in incomplete remission patients and were variable in stationary patients. C1q values were always increased except in the complete remission group. The variability of complement levels was dependent on the stage of the disease and on the therapy: our results provide considerable support for this hypothesis. We found that complement activity was triggered through classic or alternative means caused by antigen-antibody complexes or inflammatory processes, according to the increase or decrease of the tumor mass.