Leptoconops bezzii (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) parasitizing tortoises Testudo graeca (Testudines: Testudinidae) in mountain ranges of Lebanon and western Syria.

Biting midges of the genus Leptoconops, subgenus Leptoconops (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) were repeatedly found parasitizing on spur-thighed tortoises Testudo graeca in western Syria and Lebanon. Collected females were assigned to the species L. bezzii according to their morphological characteristics. Tortoises parasitized by midges were observed throughout the daytime, under mild temperatures, and slight winds, in Mediterranean or stony steppe habitats. Intensity of the infestations ranged from a few specimens up to thousands of midges per tortoise. Midges infested predominantly the tortoises' carapax, finding their approach to the capillaries in the seams between the keratinized scutes. The vector potential of ceratopogonids is discussed.

[Changes in calcium metabolism after kidney transplantation]. / Változások a calcium anyagcserében vesetranszplantációt követóen.

Prospective study was performed to measure the changes in calcium metabolism after kidney transplantation. 139 recipients received calcium substitution (1st group) and 81 patients were treated with alfacalcidol (2nd group). Serum Ca, P, Mg, alkaline phosphatase (AP) and intact PTH levels were determined before transplantation and at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months thereafter in the two groups. Femoral and vertebral bone mineral density was measured with bone densitometer at the same period. The serum Ca level elevated and the serum P concentration decreased significantly in both group. The mean serum Mg and AP concentration changed in the normal range after the transplantation. The intact PTH level decreased significantly in both group at 2 years following transplantation. The intact PTH concentration changed from 17.1 pmol/l to 9.3 pmol/l in the 1st group, and it is decreased from 17.7 pmol/l to 7.9 pmol/l in the 2nd group. Bone densitometry showed osteoporosis in both group. At 12 months and at 24 months after kidney transplantation bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine was 90.8% and 86.9% in the 1st group and 85.3% and 81% in the 2nd group. At the same time BMD of the femoral region was 84.4% and 85.5% in the 1st group and 82.0% and 81.3% in the 2nd group. The BMD did not changed significantly in the 1st compared to the 2nd group. During this period osteonecrosis was diagnosed in 6 patients in the 1st group and in 9 cases in the 2nd group. In conclusion, the serum Ca and P levels were in the normal range after kidney transplantation. The alfacalcidol treatment significantly decreased the intact PTH concentration compared to the calcium substitution. Moderate osteopenia was observed in both groups after the transplantation, despite of the administration of alfacalcidol treatment.

Demonstration of increasing standard pH value of lacrimal fluid with increase of flow rate.

PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that pH value of human tears is affected by flow rate. METHODS: After stimulation with a drop of 70% alcohol into the ipsilateral nasal cavity tears from the left eyes of 30 healthy volunteers were collected with glass capillaries while flow rate of tear secretion was registered. The pCO(2), actual and standard pH were determined in the collected samples with the Astrup method: Standard pH is defined as the pH of the sample that has been equilibrated at 37 degrees C with a gas mixture having pCO(2)=40 mmHg. RESULTS: The flow rate correlated positively and significantly with both the standard pH value (r=0.503, p<0.01) and the pCO(2) (r=0.517, p<0.01) while there was no correlation between the actual pH and the flow rate. CONCLUSION: Loss of CO(2) from the sample is a cause of serious uncertainty in tear pH determination. A positive flow rate-pH relationship was found for human tears when the uncertainty was removed by determination of the standard pH.

[Clinical and biochemical parameters of patients with vascular stenosis in the lower extremities in the stage of intermittent claudication]. / Claudicatio intermittens stádiumában lévö alsó végtagi érszükületes betegek klinikai és biokémiai paraméterei.

Clinical and biochemical parameters obtained by complex investigation of 100 patients suffering from intermittent claudication are presented by the authors. After taking the family and case history, we examined the patients and took laboratory tests including several lipid components, blood clotting factors and parameters influencing blood viscosity. The severity of peripheral vascular disease was defined by ankle/arm ratio, carotid arteries were studied by duplex sonography, coronary circulation was examined by ECG, exercise ECG and Thallium-201 isotopic myocardium scintigraphy. In conjunction with lower extremity vascular disease internal carotid stenosis was diagnosed in 62% and coronary stenosis in 52% of cases examined. In 35% all three regions were affected. The degree of carotid stenosis showed a strong correlation to the severity of the claudication, while in case of the coronary disease there was no connection proved, in spite of its high prevalence. Among the risk factors smoking was present in 89%, hypercholesterolaemia in 84%, hypertension in 54%, diabetes mellitus in 13%, impaired glucose tolerance in 42% and positive family history in 39% of cases. Smoking and accumulation of the risk factors showed correlation to the severity of the lower extremity vessel stenosis, while hypertension and carbohydrate metabolism disturbances showed significant correlations to the degree of carotid stenosis. From different lipid parameters only the cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio showed significant correlation to the severity of the arteriosclerosis. The authors refer to intermittent claudication as the risk factor for carotid and coronary disease. They suggest the assessment of the cerebrovascular and cardiac risk in the patients. This way the optimal order of operative and/or non-operative therapy can be realized.

[Late results of transduodenal sphincterotomy and sphincteroplasty based on 18 years of experience (with special respect to the analysis of unsatisfactory results) (author's transl)]. / Spätergebnisse nach transduodenaler Sphincterotomie und Sphincterplastik aufgrund der Erfahrungen von 18 Jahren (uter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Analyse unbefriedigender Resultate).

In the course of 18 years the authors performed transduodenal sphincterotomy on 289 and sphincteroplasty on 87 patients. The operations were connected, in 295 cases with primary in 81 cases with repeated biliary surgery. Twenty of the patients (5.3%) died during the immediate postoperative period. However, on the grounds of autopsy data the death of only 10 patients (2.6%) can be attributed to the surgery of the sphincter. Out of the 356 surviving patients 270 were available for a follow-up study and were examined 1-11 years after the operation. Late results of the operation were found excellent or good in 89.6% of the patients. To clear up the unsatisfactory results clinical, laboratory, radiological, and endoscopic examinations were carried out. The unsatisfactory results can be explained by biliopancreatic (6.6%), organic extrabiliary (0.7%) and non-organic (1.5%) reasons. The authors emphasize the significance of endoscopic examinations following the surgery of the sphincter in the elucidation of the causes of unsatisfactory results.