ABSTRACT
Mosquitoes collected in northern Italy were screened for flavivirus RNA. Positive amplicons were sequenced and found most similar to insect flavivirus (ISF), Usutu virus (USUV) and surprisingly also to Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). The sequence (167 bp), obtained from one pool of Culex pipiens, was found identical to JEV strains from bats in China. Unfortunately additional sequence data or virus isolations were not obtained in this study. Confirmation of potential introduction of JEV to Italy and other European countries is urgently needed.
Subject(s)
Culex/virology , Encephalitis Virus, Japanese/isolation & purification , Insect Vectors/virology , RNA, Viral/genetics , Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis , Animals , China , Chiroptera/virology , Culex/genetics , Encephalitis Virus, Japanese/genetics , Italy , Sequence AnalysisABSTRACT
PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: To evaluate the pregnancy rate after laparoscopic treatment of endometriosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 47 infertile women undergoing laparoscopic treatment of endometriosis. RESULTS: rAFS stage was as follows: 11% of patients had Stage I, 11% Stage II, 53.3% Stage III and 24.4% Stage IV. The mean duration of follow-up was 48.5 +/- 18.44 months. The overall pregnancy rate was 64.4%. Eighteen out of 26 women (69%) became pregnant within six months after laparoscopy, 23% at 12 months, 11% within 24 months, and 11% after two years (p < 0.01). Adnexal adhesions and tubal status significantly affected the pregnancy rate. No differences were found regarding the stage of disease and the presence of ovarian endometriomas. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic treatment of endometriosis enhances fertility and the pregnancy rate is highest within the first six months after surgery. Adnexal adhesions and tubal conditions influence the reproductive outcome.
Subject(s)
Endometriosis/surgery , Infertility, Female/surgery , Laparoscopy , Pregnancy Rate , Adult , Endometriosis/pathology , Female , Humans , Pregnancy , Severity of Illness Index , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
In this study, we analyzed the phenotypic manifestations resulting from the interaction of heterozygous beta zero-thalassemia(beta zero-39 nonsense mutation) with the functional loss of three alpha-globin structural genes in six subjects, of whom four had the [-alpha/--]alpha-globin genotype and two the [--/alpha Th alpha] alpha-globin genotype. The beta-thalassemia defect was in all cases the nonsense mutation at codon 39. The nondeletion alpha-thalassemia alpha th was the initiation codon mutation (AUG----GUG) of the alpha-2 gene. In all these subjects hypochromia and microcytosis were more marked than in beta zero-thalassemia heterozygotes with a full complement of four alpha-globin genes. All but one had moderate anemia. The alpha:beta globin chain synthesis ratios were consistently decreased. No cases had Hb H on electrophoresis. Subjects with [--/alpha Th alpha] alpha-globin genotype had more severe thalassemia-like manifestations than those with [--/-alpha] alpha-globin genotype.
