HTLV-I and HIV-I antibody frequency in thalassemics and drug addicts in southeast Sicily.

HTLV-I (Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1) and HIV-1 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1) antibodies have been investigated in 702 sera samples from: 259 drug addicts nerve screened for HIV-1 (Group I), 43 drug addicts already identified as HIV-1 seropositive (Group II), 222 thalassemics (Group III) and 178 occasional blood donors (Group IV). The sera, collected from June 1984 to April 1989, were screened a first time with immunoenzymatic test and the samples proving positive were then confirmed by Western blot test. The seropositive frequency with Western blot for anti-HTLV I was 2.7% in Group I and 6.9% in Group II. Of the thalassemics, five of whom had been previously identified as seropositive for HIV-1, and of the blood donors, none proved to be seropositive for HTLV-I antibodies. With regard to HIV-1, a positive antibody response to the Western blot was found in 19.9% of the Group I subjects. Contemporaneous presence of HTLV-I and HIV-1 antibodies was found in five subjects.

[The clinical pictures of rotavirus infection in childhood. Studies on the admissions to the Clinica Pediatrica di Catania in 1984-1988]. / Quadri clinici dell'infezione da rotavirus in età pediatrica. Indagine sui ricoverati della Clinica Pediatrica di Catania negli anni 1984-1988.

The Authors carried out a Rotavirus investigation on the stools of 6057 children admitted in the Department of Pediatric and Pediatric Gastroenterology of Catania University, during the years 1984-1988. The stool samples of 264 children were found positive for Rotavirus. While 204 children presented gastrointestinal symptoms with diarrhoea, 12 had subclinical signs, 26 presented only respiratory symptoms and 22 had no clinical symptomatology. Moreover 122 children with diarrhoea had associated respiratory manifestations. In this study the authors punctualized that: 1) the most interested age was the first year of life; 2) there was no evidence in seasonal variations; 3) the respiratory tract was involved in high percentage of children (59.8%); 4) a transient lactase deficiency was supposed in every children with watery diarrhoea, but it was demonstrated only in 21 (10.3%).

[Prevalence of anti-LAV/HTLV III antibodies in groups at risk of infection and in donors blood in the province of Catania]. / Prevalenza di anticorpi anti-LAV/HTLV III in gruppi a rischio di infezione e in donatori di sangue nella provincia di Catania.

The prevalence of anti-LAV/HTLV III antibodies in serum samples of individuals at high risk for AIDS and of healthy individuals living in the province of Catania is reported. Serum samples were collected over the period 1983-86 from 220 drug addicts adults, 339 from multitransfused thalassemia patients, 71 from hemophiliacs, 22 from subjects of the hospital staff who had had contacts with positive subjects, 9 from family contacts of positive multitransfused thalassemics and 7270 from blood donors. Prevalence of antibodies among drug addicts was 14% and a positive subject was found as early as 1983. This result suggested that LAV/HTLV III was already present in Catania at that year. Among the thalassemics and the hemophiliacs the prevalence was 2.3% and 21% respectively. No positive subject was found among hospital staff nor among family contacts of positive thalassemic subjects. Three positive cases have been found among the blood donors and even though these are drug addicts, it is important to underline the necessity of a regular screening of the blood units to prevent LAV/HTLV III diffusion.