AIDS related information, attitudes and behaviours among Italian male young people.

In order to evaluate the AIDS related sources of information, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours among male young people it was filled in a multi-choice anonymous questionnaire by 2018 subjects, called for the first medical examination to Italian Navy and by 1348 recruits. The data from the latter group were used to make comparisons with our previous survey carried out in 1988. The most important sources of information on AIDS were mass media and school, on sexuality friends and family. AIDS awareness was greater among the high educated subjects and positively influenced by mass media and school as sources of information. In agreement with these data, knowledge was better about AIDS than about sexuality. Risk perception was positively influenced by the AIDS-related knowledge for called youth and a greater intolerance towards infected people was observed among the less educated and the less AIDS-aware subjects. On average 46% of the called up young men and 74% of recruits declared to be sexually active: among these, the mean age at the first sexual intercourse was 16, over 60% declared to have had multiple partners, over 30% unknown partners and over 30% didn't use condoms; 20% of called up and 38% of recruits indicated 2 or 3 risk behaviours. Factors determining sex-related risks were different according to the behaviour and the considered group. These results suggest that it is important for young people to be well informed about sex and AIDS before the beginning of sexual activity, if possible during compulsory school.

Serological reactivity and viral genotypes in hepatitis C virus infection.

Patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) were examined with four commercial HCV immunoblotting assays and for anti-GOR antibody to ascertain whether serological findings varied with the genotype of the infecting virus. The results indicate that patients infected with different HCV genotypes tend to show different immunoblotting profiles, mainly due to a low prevalence of antibodies to the viral region NS4 in patients infected with genotypes III and IV. Differences were more evident with second- than with third-generation assays. Patients infected with genotype IV exhibited a lower prevalence of anti-GOR antibody than patients infected with other genotypes.

HIV serology among Italian male military recruits at entrance and discharge.

To evaluate the usefulness of anti-HIV mass screenings, we examined 662 new military recruits and 1353 soldiers being discharged. None of the former and only one of the latter (0.07%) resulted seropositive on repeated ELISA and Western-blot. For comparison we also report the results of routine anti-HIV antibody testing in our diagnostic laboratory: the highest proportion of seropositive subjects was found among symptomatic patients (79%), followed by haemophiliac patients (31%), drug addicts (24%), sexual partners of seropositive subjects (21%), prisoners (5%) and homosexual men (5%). Health care personnel and prison guards were all negative. These data confirm that in Italy HIV infection is still relatively confined to the classic risk groups. While generalized screening during military service seems to be excessive, periodic sample surveys could be very useful to follow the evolution of HIV epidemiology.

Cost-benefit analysis of tetanus prophylaxis by a mathematical model.

A mathematical model has been developed which allows estimation of the epidemiological and economic effects of different tetanus vaccination strategies. The model was used to simulate the epidemiology of tetanus in Italy from 1955 to 1982, and then applied to a district of Tuscany by utilizing data obtained from a seroepidemiological survey carried out in the same area. For this district we simulated vaccination programmes designed to reach, within 1 or 10 years, coverages of 60 or 90% of the population aged over 10 years who had not been exposed to the neonatal vaccination programme. The most effective strategy, from both the epidemiological and economic point of view, seems to be 90% coverage reached in 1 year's time. Benefits would be increased by improving the reliability of vaccinal anamnesis.

[Urinary infections caused by non-typhoid Salmonella]. / Infezioni urinarie da salmonelle non tifoidi.

Between January 1986 and January 1989, 524 non-typhoid salmonella strains, of which 4 (0.8%) from urine, were isolated at the Microbiology Laboratory of Department of Biomedicine (University of Pisa). These strains were isolated from a man with systematic lupus erythematosus, from two little girls with structural defects of the lower urinary tract, and from a woman with ulcerous colitis. Except the last case, the others were associated with immunological or structural abnormalities that are thought to predispose to salmonella infections.

[Antitetanic immunity in a sample of the Tuscan population]. / Immunità antitetanica in un campione di popolazione Toscana.

In order to assess protection level against tetanus, the antitoxin titre was evaluated, by indirect haemagglutination test, in a sample, stratified by sex and age, of 805 subjects of three communes of Tuscany. On the whole the frequency of the serum protected is the 46.1% and it varies according to sex and age: under 20 years it is more than 90%, but it decreases in the successive ages, less in the male sex, probably owing to the vaccination made during the military service. The greatest percentage of immune subjects was observed in the most industrialized area. The less protected professional categories were pensioned people and housewives (25.8%). No differences of serum protection were found between those who practise or do not, recreative activities at the risk (sport, horticulture and gardening). No correlation was observed between the vaccinal anamnesis and the serological test.

[Pseudomonas aeruginosa: immunotypes and drug resistance]. / Pseudomonas aeruginosa: immunotipi e farmaco-resistenza.

Serotyping of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Fisher's schema has been used to study the prevalence of particular immunotypes among strains of P. aeruginosa obtained from clinical specimens. About 78% of the isolates were serotypable and about 22% were not. Immunotypes 2 and 6 turned out to be the most prevalent, whereas immunotypes 5 and 7 were the least frequent. Immunotypes 2, 5, 6 and 7 did not vary significantly as far as frequency in the various sources is concerned, with the exception of immunotype 2, which was significantly less frequent in isolates from the expectorated sputum. In such isolates immunotype 3 was significantly more frequent than in other sources, whereas immunotype 4 was significantly more frequent in isolates from the feces. It was next investigated whether a correlation exists between antibiotic susceptibility and particular immunotypes. A high percentage of the non-typable strains and of those belonging to immunotypes 2 and 6 proved to be resistant to the antimicrobial agents tested.

[Contribution to the serologic study of toxoplasmosis in pregnancy]. / Contributo allo studio sierologico della toxoplasmosi in gravidanza.

Toxoplasma antibodies in five women sera during the pregnancy were detected by direct agglutination and immunofluorescent tests both for IgG and IgM. The presence and the changes of the IgG and IgM titers are related to the abortion and/or foetal pathology. In order to prevent such a risk the authors suggest to test all the women before or early in the pregnancy for toxoplasma antibodies.

[Serological typing and antibiotic resistance in urinary "E. coli" (author's transl)]. / Tipizzazione sierologiga ed antibiotico-resistenza di "E. coli" urinari.

The distribution of the O-groups of E. coli isolated in rivers (Arno, Serchio) and other surface waters is compared with the distribution of those isolated in urinary tract infections. The "chi square" test indicates a good correlation between the observed and expected frequencies in these two distributions, for all the O-groups, but six. Two of these (08 and 019) are significantly more frequent in the waters than in urinary isolates and four (02, 01, 018 and 075) viceversa. The O-group 6 its the most frequent in both, however the observed frequency in urine is greater than the expected one as regards the frequency in water isolates. These results would confirm, with the mentioned exceptions, the prevalence theory. The different patterns of resistance to the antibiotics suggest us to research a possible correlation between the antibotic resistance and the most frequent isolated O-groups. But no evidence of such correlation is demonstrated.

[Relation between a rapid polyvalent test and single antistreptococcal tests]. / Relazione tra un test rapido polivalente e i singoli tests antistreptococcici.

ASO and Streptozyme tests have been comparatively tried on 11,200 sera. The former detected 11.96% positive and the latter 13.5%. The difference was due to a greater sensitivity of the Streptozyme test since the most of the Streptozyme positive and ASO negative sera resulted positive in one or more of the single antistreptococcal tests (SK, ADN, SJ, DNA). Only few of the sera which give rise to a positive Streptozyme reaction were otherwise negative and the positive result could be considered aspecific.

[Distribution of the O-group of "E coli" isolated in urinary tract infections (author's transl)]. / La distribuzione di frequenza di sierogruppi di "E coli" nelle infexioni urinarie.

The distribution of the O-groups of E. coli isolated in urinary tract infections by several italian and foreing Authors are reviewed and compared with the distribution obtained by us in the O-grouping of 300 strains isolated during 1976 in hospital and in surgery. Our results are similar to those of above-mentioned Authors. In fact O6, O75 and O2 groups are the most frequent; besides for the first time a considerable number of "enteritogenic" groups has been isolated and the most frequent of them was the O126. According to the results, the theory of specific pathogenicity could be supported by the high frequency of the O6, O75 and O2 groups; the presence of other groups could justify the theory of prevalence.

[The etiology of urinary tract infections]. / Contributo allo studio dell'etiologia delle infezioni delle vie urinarie.

The Authors have planned a program in order to file and elaborate with a computer the results of urine cultures. From 8.600 specimens, about 86% were negative or doubtful. The data obtained from 1201 positive cultures were processed in order to state the absolute and relative frequency of the bacterial species isolated and their distribution according to their genera, antibiotic resistence, month and sex. Among the most representative species the pattern of antibiotic resistence was surveyed. E. coli shows very high frequency (38%). The frequency of Pseudomonas increases while staphylococci frequency decreases as compared with the previous statements of various Authors. The analysis of the antibiotic sensitivity spectrum of 534 specimens shows that about 50% of E. coli strains are sensitive to 10, 11 and 12 antibiotics and their pattern of resistence involves no more than 9 antibiotics; on the contrary more than 60% of Pseudomonas and Proteus rettgeri are resistant to 10, 11 or 12 antibiotics and at any rate to no less than seven. Enterobacter and Proteus mirabilis present an intermediate pattern of resistence.

[Absorption of radiocobalt in Chlorella vulgaris]?1Assorbimento di radiocobalto in "Chlorella vulgaris".

The uptake, accumulation and loss of traces of radiocobalt present in the culture medium by a green alga, Chlorella vulgaris, were studied. The trace quantities of the radionuclide employed had no effect on the growth of the algal population. The uptake is related to the number of cells present and to the temperature of the culture medium; it is not affected by mitotic activity. The rate of the 60Co, uptake during algal growth is compared to the rate of uptake of other radioisotopes; 90Sr and, to some extent, 137Cs have the same rate of uptake as 60Co, whereas 90Y and 144Ce differ. Perhaps the radiocobalt in the cells undergoes a chelating process and consequently its loss to the outer environment is very slow. The involvement of a biological process, in addition to a physical one, is claimed in order to explain the possibility of an active concentration of the radioisotope (C.F.=170). Emphasis is laid on the possible danger of this concentration when a disposal system by dilution of industrial or nuclear waste is employed.

[Comparative study on various techniques for the identification of Australia antigen (author's transl)]. / Studio comparativo su varie tecniche per la determinazione dell'antigene Australia

The main, recently proposed, techniques for the identification of Australia antigen are reported (immuno-diffusion, complement fixation, latex agglutination, counterelectrophoresis, radioimmunological assay, inverse haemoagglutination). Following personal observations, the AA. indicate the more suitable methods in various practical circumstances.