Complete Nucleotide Sequence of Artichoke latent virus Shows it to be a Member of the Genus Macluravirus in the Family Potyviridae.

Complete genomic sequences of Artichoke latent virus (ArLV) have been obtained by classical or high-throughput sequencing for an ArLV isolate from Italy (ITBr05) and for two isolates from France (FR37 and FR50). The genome is 8,278 to 8,291 nucleotides long and has a genomic organization comparable with that of Chinese yam necrotic mosaic virus (CYNMV), the only macluravirus fully sequenced to date. The cleavage sites of the viral polyprotein have been tentatively identified by comparison with CYNMV, confirming that macluraviruses are characterized by the absence of a P1 protein, a shorter and N-terminally truncated coat protein (CP). Sequence comparisons firmly place ArLV within the genus Macluravirus, and confirm previous results suggesting that Ranunculus latent virus (RALV), a previously described Macluravirus sp., is very closely related to ArLV. Serological relationships and comparisons of the CP gene and of the partial RaLV sequence available all indicate that RaLV should not be considered as a distinct species but as a strain of ArLV. The results obtained also suggest that the spectrum of currently used ArLV-specific molecular hybridization or polymerase chain reaction detection assays should be improved to cover all isolates and strains in the ArLV species.

HTLV-I positive adult T-cell leukaemia-lymphoma: report of a typical case from Italy.

A case of acute adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATLL) was observed in northeast Italy, presenting with fever, lymphadenomegaly, splenomegaly, hypercalcemia and renal failure. Leukaemic cells were morphologically typical, expressed a T-cell CD4+ phenotype, did not display any helper functions, and grew in vitro under supply of exogenous interleukin-2. Antibodies to human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV-I) were found in the serum, and the virus was isolated from leukaemic cells. The family members who could be tested were seronegative. The patient had never travelled outside Italy, had never received blood transfusions and did not belong to any known categories at risk of viral disease transmission. Present knowledge of the epidemiology of HTLV-I infection warns that other cases of HTLV-I induced disease are expected to occur outside already recognised endemic areas. This case suggests that untraceable, presumably short-term exposures can also account for HTLV-I transmission.

[Silent myocardial infarct as a main manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus]. / Infarto miocardico silente come principale manifestazione di un lupus eritematoso sistemico.

Myocardial infarction has rarely been reported in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus but may develop late in the disease usually as a result of severe and accelerated atherosclerosis or coronary arteritis. A 32-year-old man with untreated and unrecognized systemic lupus erythematosus, in the absence of conventional coronary risk factors (except family predisposition) and definite extracardiac manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus had a silent myocardial infarction early in the course of the disease. A coronary arteriogram revealed multiple stenosis of the left anterior descending artery and critical stenosis of the right coronary artery. It is our belief that lupus vasculitis is a likely contributing factor in the development of obstructive coronary disease in this patient.

[Beta-blocking agents alone or combined with diuretics or alpha-adrenolytics in the treatment of essential arterial hypertension]. / I beta-bloccanti, da soli o associati con diuretici o alfalitici, nel trattamento dell'ipertensione arteriosa essenziale.

The Authors examine the antihypertensive effectiveness of the beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agents, according to their personal experience and a review of the bibliography. It is not cleared yet how these drugs reach their hypotensive effect. It is reasonable to assume however that several factors are involved: cardiac output, intravascular volume changes, plasma renin activity and peripheral resistance. Thirty patients suffering from essential hypertension not complicated by cardiac or renale failure were treated. Patients were allocated at random into one of three subsets of ten. In group A oxprenolol was given for 8 weeks and the dose was gradually increased up to 300 mgs daily. Oxprenolol was administered in combination with clortalidone in group B and with phentolamine in group C. A clinically satisfactory reduction in blood pressure was attained in no subset, despite the significant decrease of mean blood pressure. The blockade of beta-adrenergic receptors alone has proved to be less effective than the combined administration of oxprenolol and clortalidone or of oxprenolol and phentolamine. No differences were observed between the two combinations.

[Gamma glutamly transpeptidase in chronic anicteric hepatopathies]. / La gamma-glutamil-transpeptidasi nelle epatopatie cronich anitteriche

Serum levels of gammaGT were determined in 51 patients suffering from bioptically verified chronic anictereric liber disease. GammaGT proved to be much more sensitive than the other enzymes studied and presented a significant increase particularly in cases of steatosis and chronic "alcoholic" liver disease with a markedly steatosic character.