Clinical manifestations of allergy and their relation to HIV infection.

In this retrospective study 141 HIV positive subjects were included. Allergy was studied by a specific questionnaire and the Phadia Top Test, an in vitro screening test for specific IgE. Both were related to the patients' history, clinical symptoms and the treatment used. Allergy was studied in reference to HIV negative controls and in relation to the clinical and biological subgroups of HIV patients. The statistical analysis (x 2 test) demonstrated a relationship between allergy and HIV infection and the clinical stage of AIDS-IKEL among patients with CD4 > 300 microliters, which may suggest that allergy contributes to the functional deficiency of these cells. We also demonstrated a high frequency of hypersensitivity reactions (75%) in HIV asymptomatic patients with CD4 < 300 microliters, which indicates that allergy could contribute to the early destruction of these cells. The allergic patients declared to be hypersensitive before contamination. Both mechanisms, functional deficiency and destruction of CD4 T-lymphocytes could be the result of the mediators, cytokines and enzymes released from the mast cells during IgE allergic reaction. Thus this study demonstrated that allergy could be a predisposing factor for the contamination and a polyvalent co-factor for the clinical and biologic evolution of HIV infection.

Antibodies to cytomegalovirus, Herpes simplex virus and Epstein-Barr virus in Greek blood donors.

An epidemiological study for detection of IgG and IgM antibodies against cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus and Herpes simplex virus was evaluated in a random population of apparently healthy Greek blood donors from which only HIV and HBV carriers were excluded. The prevalence of IgM antibodies was found to be relatively low at 4.4%, 6.1% and 7.7% respectively. The presence of these antibodies plays an important role when transfusing immunocompromised and transplanted subjects.

Fibrocystic disease of the breast and HLA antigens.

One hundred and ten patients with fibrocystic disease of the breast and 200 controls were HLA typed with a panel of 100 antisera for A and B locus. The main finding was the decreased frequency of BW35 antigen among patients compared to the controls. The difference remained significant in patients with the fibrous type of the disease and in patients of the nulliparous group. In addition the last group of patients showed a significant increase of All antigen.

Circulating autoantibodies in patients with fibrocystic disease of the breast.

Antinuclear, parietal-cell, smooth-muscle, mitochondrial, and adrenal antibodies were determined in the blood serum of 110 patients with fibrocystic disease of the breast and of 102 healthy blood donors by indirect immunofluorescence. Thirty-eight percent of the patients had detectable autoantibodies compared to 16% of the controls (P less than 0.001). Significant differences were found in the incidence of parietal-cell and smooth-muscle autoantibodies between the patients and controls. In addition, more than one autoantibody was detected in the serum of a significantly larger number of patients than controls. The findings indicate that an immunologic mechanism is involved in the pathogenesis of fibrocystic disease of the breast.

[Frequency of HLA antigens in Greek patients with open-angle glaucoma]. / Häufigkeit der HLA-Antigene bei griechischen Patienten mit Offenwinkel-Glaukom.

50 Greek patients with primary open-angle glaucoma were tissue-typed for a total of 29 HLA antigens (groups A and B). The results were compared with those of 200 control persons. A statistically significant difference at the level of p less than 0.05 was noted only with regard to the A2 antigen. These findings are in accordance with those of other authors who found no correlation between glaucoma simplex and the frequency of HLA antigens.

The distribution of HLA antigens and genes in the Greek population.

200 Greeks were typed by lymphocytotoxicity for 14 HLA-A and 18 HLA-B antigens with 120 sera. A high frequency of Bw35 and B5 antigen was apparent. The most remarkable disequilibria found were those between A2-B5 and A9-B18.