Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and dual HBV-hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection in apparently healthy persons.

The main aims of the present study were to evaluate the transfusional risk concerning HBV and HBV-HDV infections and the prevalence of viral serum markers in apparently healthy persons. Our study included 226 apparently healthy persons in whom we performed tests for HBV (HBsAg, HBsAb, HBcAb) and HDV (Delta Ab) serum markers, using the enzyme immunoassay. In 45 (19.9%) subjects we detected serum HBsAg. In the 181 HBsAg-negative apparently healthy persons, our tests detected HBsAb (31 subjects) and HBcAb (49 subjects). Thus, 125 (55.3%) of the 226 apparently healthy persons had serologic evidence of past HBV infections. Delta Ab were detected in 3 (1.3%) of our subjects. We must state that one of the three Delta Ab-positive apparently healthy persons tested negative for both HBsAg and HBcAb.

Researches on viral hepatitis markers correlated with pathomorphological and clinical aspects in chronic hepatitis.

A number of 112 patients hospitalized for chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis were investigated. According to the results of the pathomorphological examinations of liver biopsies, 29 (25.8%) were cases of persistent chronic hepatitis (PCH), 39 (34.8%) cases of active chronic hepatitis (ACH), and 44 (39.2%) cases of liver cirrhosis. The prevalence of the female sex was observed in PCH (61.6%) and ACH (64.7%) cases, whereas in liver cirrhosis the sex distribution was more balanced (53.3% patients were males). The patients' mean age ranged from 34 to 38 years in PCH cases, from 44 to 46 years in ACH cases and from 50 to 57 years in liver cirrhosis. The postviral cirrhosis was three times more frequent in the female sex (77%), while the alcoholic and mixed cirrhoses (of an associated alcoholic and viral etiology) were prevalent in males (63.2%, respectively 72.2%). Serological tests for detection of the serological markers of hepatitis viruses B (HBV), C (HCV) and Delta (HDV) were performed for the purpose of studying the correlations between the pathomorphological findings and the viral markers. Among the 39 patients with ACH, HBV markers were detected in 13 cases (33.3%), anti-HCV antibodies in 10 (25.6%), and associated HBV-HCV, respectively HBV-HDV infections in 9 (23%) cases (6, respectively 3 patients). In the remaining 7 cases (17.9%) of ACH, there were no serological markers in the three hepatitis viruses. Of the 29 patients with PCH, 17 cases (58.6%) displayed HBV markers, 4 (13.7%) anti-HCV antibodies, in one patient (3.4%) an associated HBV-HCV infection was present, and in 7 patients (24.1%) markers of none of the three hepatitis viruses could be identified. Of the 44 patients with liver cirrhosis, HBV markers were detected in 17 cases (38.6%), anti-HCV antibodies in 9 (20.4%) and associated HBV-HCV and, respectively, HBV-HDV infections in 11 cases (25%) (9, respectively 2 cases). In 7 (15.9%) of the 44 patients with cirrhosis, markers of none of the three hepatitis viruses could be identified.

[The evaluation of the measurement of serum fibronectin in pulmonary tuberculosis]. / Consideratiuni privind valoarea dozarii fibronectinei serice în tuberculoza pulmonara.

The investigation was carried out in 125 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in different stages of evolution. The treatment was that granted, used in triple and/or quadruple scheme twice a week. In the greatest part of the patients the concentration of serum fibronectine (sFN) was followed in its dynamics. A reasonable increase (statistical average) of the sFN was found in the patients with tuberculosis (tbc), active at the first treatment. The values regressed slowly, parallel to the favourable evolution under treatment. In the chronic forms, values situated at the normal or at the inferior limit were recorded. They were probably due to the sum of factors often met in these patients: protein-caloric malnutrition, chronic alcoholism with afferent hepatopathies, nonspecific chronic bronchial suppurations. No significant correlation of the sFN concentration was noticed in relation to the radiologic extension of the lesions, to the structure of the chemotherapeutic regimen, or to age. There exists a large variability of the sFN concentration in tbc, both at the beginning and during chemotherapy. The sFN level is not enough for the assessment of the disease stage or evolution; for increasing its informational value, the concentration of the immune circulatory complexes (ICC) and the lymphocytic subsets T were investigated.

[The current situation of mycobacterial chemoresistance and its implications for antitubercular treatment]. / Situatia actuala a chimiorezistentei micobacteriene si implicatiile acesteia asupra tratamentului antituberculos.

The data in the present paper consider, for a longer period, the secondary and the initial drug resistance in pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The paper studies mainly the period of the last 9 years (1979-1987) in comparison with a previous period of 6 years (1973-1978). The 2,194 antibiograms performed for 7 common tuberculostatics show an increase, in the last years, of the general resistance of the germs from 24.3% to 36%. The increase of the resistance is noticed to all the tuberculostatics, but mainly to Rifampicin, from 14.8% to 49.3% and to streptomycin, from 22.7% to 44.8%. An important increase is found, at present, mainly in the drug resistance of germs in the extrapulmonary specimens (lymph nodes 28.5% and CSF 40%) to streptomycin and INH.