[Pure primary carcinoid of the testis. Description of a case]. / Carcinoide primitivo puro del testicolo. Descrizione di un caso.

A case of primary pure carcinoid tumor of the testis which occurred in a 37 year male is reported. Symptoms suggestive of a carcinoid syndrome were not noted. The patient was treated by radical orchiectomy. The pathological specimen showed the morphological characteristics of carcinoid and no teratomatous components. Histochemically, the argyrophil reaction was positive. The immunohistochemical studies revealed positivity for chromogranin, S-100 and NSE. The patient remains symptom free and in good health conditions after 2 years from surgery.

Gaucher's disease associated with monoclonal gammapathy of undetermined significance: a case report.

We report a case of adult-type Gaucher's disease associated with monoclonal gammapathy of undetermined significance. Bone marrow infiltration by Gaucher's cells and spleen infiltration by Gaucher cells and plasma cells was observed on cytohistologic examination. Splenectomy induced complete recovery of cytopenias and a marked reduction of the monoclonal protein.

Lymphocytosis of large granular lymphocytes in splenectomized subjects.

Lymphocytosis of large granular lymphocytes (LGL) has been observed in 6 patients splenectomized for various pathological conditions. In all of them the LGL count was higher than 3.5 x 10(9)/l. No patient showed neutropenia nor suffered from rheumatoid arthritis. A surface markers heterogeneity was observed by immunophenotypic studies. A reversal of the CD4/CD8 ratio was observed in all patients, indicating that LGL are in the majority CD8+. Three patients showed the phenotype CD2+ CD3+ CD4- CD8+ indicating the T-lineage derivation of LGL; patient 6 showed a non-T non-B phenotype (CD2- CD3- CD4- CD8+/-). The percentage of lymphocytes presenting LGL-related markers (HNK-1, CD16, CD11b) was higher than that observed in normal subjects in 4 out of 5 examined patients. However, the percentage of cells bearing these markers was inferior to the LGL counts indicating that not all LGL express them. NK cytotoxic activity was similar to that of normal subjects in the three examined patients. Our data suggest that lymphocytosis of LGL in splenectomized subjects is a reactive process favoured by the asplenic state.

Thermolabile alloalbumin of slow type: a new variant?

A new variant of Alloalbumin, with electrophoretic mobility identical to CISMEL standard SO/BS, characterized by thermolability at 56 degrees C of its slow migration band is described in this paper. This thermolabile Alloalbumin was present in 5 out of 10 family members of the original propositus. The new Alloalbumin has been indicated BS/BG according to the CISMEL recommendations. Our observations indicates that Alloalbumins with the same electrophoretic mobility may differ in structural composition as evidentiated by the different behaviour of these Alloalbumins with respect to their thermostability.

[Bacteremia and specific antibody response. IgG and IgM specificity in the evaluation of positivity in blood cultures]. / Batteriemia e risposta anticorpale specifica. IgG e IgM specifiche nella valutazione della "positività" delle emocolture.

Specific serum IgG and IgM directed against blood culture isolated bacteria have been determined in patients with positive blood culture by the indirect immunofluorescence and passive hemagglutination methods in order to distinguish the true positive blood cultures due to bacteremia from those due to contamination. 45 (16%) out of 280 blood cultures examined during the period 1/1/1980-30/1/1981 gave positive isolations: 25 cases (55.5%) were due to gram-negative bacteria and the remaining 20 cases (44.5) to gram-positive bacteria: among these there were 9 cases (20% of the total positive blood cultures) with isolation of micrococci. No positive blood culture for anaerobic bacteria were observed during that time interval. 96% of patients from whose blood cultures gram-negative bacteria had been isolated showed high titres of serum specific antibodies with both the indirect immunofluorescence and the passive hemagglutination methods. Only 40% of the cases whose blood cultures gave isolation of gram-positive bacteria showed high titres of serum specific IgG. The remaining 60% that did not show presence of serum specific antibodies included 9 cases of positive blood culture for micrococci (well known as contaminants) and 2 cases for streptococcus (in two of these there had been a mixed flora isolation). Specific IgM antibodies at significant level were also present in 76% of patients with positive blood culture for gram-negative bacteria and in 40% of patients with positive blood culture for gram-positive bacteria. All patients whose cultures gave isolation of micrococci showed absence of specific IgM. The observed good correspondence between isolation of contaminant bacteria on one hand and the absence of serum specific antibodies on the other, and vice versa between isolation of pathogenic bacteria (either obligate or opportunistic) an one hand and the presence of high level of specific antibodies on the other suggests that the search of specific immune response in patients with positive blood culture might constitute a good criterion (in addition to the classical criteria) for distinguishing true positive blood cultures from contaminated blood cultures.

[Specific immune response in asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnancy]. / Risposta immunitaria specifica nella batteriuria asintomatica della gravidanza.

Specific antibodies against bacteria isolated from urine have been searched in the serum of pregnant women with asymptomatic bacteriuria, utilizing passive hemagglutination, direct agglutination and indirect immunofluorescence methods. Of the 475 examined women 35 (7.3%) showed positive urine culture; 88.5% of these women had an elevated specific antibody titer in their serum. Our studies support the hypothesis that asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnant women might represent a signal of latent urinary tract infection.