[Acute voluntary poisoning with propafenone. A clinical case]. / Intossicazione volontaria acuta da propafenone. Caso clinico.

Propaphenone hydrochloride in an antiarrhythmic which belongs to class 1C. In recent years it has been widely used in clinical medicine, mainly in the treatment of hyperkinetic arrhythmia. Given the enormous quantity of the medication taken, the description of the case seemed opportune as well as that of the clinical manifestations and electrocardiographic modifications linked to the parmakinetic and electrophysiological characteristics.

Thymostimulin treatment in AIDS-related complex.

Thirty-four patients with AIDS-related complex (ARC) were treated for 6 months with thymostimulin, a thymic hormone. Clinical and immunological findings after a 1-year follow-up were compared with those in 24 age- and sex-matched controls receiving no immunotherapy. Statistical evaluation after 6 and 12 months showed significant differences in the two groups. The thymostimulin-treated group had higher leukocyte and lymphocyte counts, more positivity in intradermal tests with multiple recall antigens, and less lymphadenopathy and weight loss. The number of OKT3+ and OKT4+ lymphocytes decreased significantly in the control group, but did not change in the thymostimulin-treated patients. Finally, after 18 months of follow-up, no progression to AIDS was seen among the treated subjects, whereas 3 of the controls developed the disease. We conclude that thymostimulin, alone or in combination with antiviral drugs, may be helpful in the management of ARC patients.

[The behavior of lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) in acute viral hepatitis and post-hepatitis cirrhosis]. / Comportamento della LCAT nelle epatiti acute virali e nelle cirrosi postepatitiche.

The behaviour of LCAT was examined in acute viral hepatitis and post-hepatic cirrhosis. In the former case, the enzyme was also investigated during remissions. The influence of cholestasis on LCAT activity was evaluated. Depression was noted in cirrhosis and the acute stage of hepatitis, whereas enhanced values were observed during remissions. Depression of the enzyme by cholestasis is explained in a variety of ways.