The nicotinic acid test in the evaluation of unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia.

In 42 young adults with Gilbert's syndrome and in 9 patients with inactive, well-compensated liver cirrhosis the peroral nicotinic acid test was performed. Of the 13 parameters tested, the groups differed significantly in the sum of total and unconjugated serum bilirubin concentrations, respectively, during the test; in the difference between the maximal and initial concentrations of total and unconjugated bilirubin; in the retention of total bilirubin at the third, fourth and fifth hour of the test; and in the size of the area under the curve of unconjugated bilirubin increase. However, due to considerable overlap, no single parameter could reliably differentiate among all persons with Gilbert's syndrome and cirrhotics. The nicotinic acid test is neither necessary for the diagnosis of Gilbert's syndrome nor can it reliably differentiate between this condition and severe organic liver disease. Yet, it does supply valuable information about the readiness of the organism to develop or enhance hyperbilirubinemia following a defined stimulus.

[Ultrasonic examination of the epigastrium in persons with Gilbert's syndrome]. / Ultrazvukové vysetrení nadbrisku u osob s Gilbertovým syndromem.

In 29 subjects with Gilbert's syndrome during ultrasonographic examination of the epigastrium in real time a significantly larger anteroposterior dimension of the right liver lobe (by cca 11%] was found. In the other investigated dimensions no significant deviations were found, not even a significantly higher echogeneity of the liver parenchyma. In two instances multiple cholecystolithiasis was detected. Sonography, a non-invasive method with a high yield, is an important link in the examination programme of subjects with Gilbert's syndrome.

[Protecting chickens against Marek's disease under laboratory conditions by the administration of Marvak, a Czechoslovak produced vaccine and vaccine imported from East Germany]. / Chránenost kurat proti Markove nemoci v laboratorních podmínkách po aplikaci cs. vakcíny MARVAK a vakcíny dovázené z NDR.

Laboratory trials were conducted to compare the efficiency of two vaccines against Marek's disease (MD) on the basis of the dynamics of post-vaccination viraemia and by means of a challenge test. Two groups of the HX-SL hybrid layers, each containing 40 birds, were vaccinated with the MARVAK cellular vaccine manufactured in Czechoslovakia (100 PFU per chick) or with the Insel Riems vaccine manufactured in the GDR (1000 PFU per chick). In weekly intervals, half the birds of each group were tested for post-vaccination viraemia and the other half, including 20 non-vaccinated birds, were infected by contact with the pathogenic virus of MD from the second day of age. The viraemia in the birds vaccinated with MARVAK culminated in the third week of age when it reached the average value of 25 PFU/10(7) leucocytes; later on, by the eighth week of age, it decreased to 0.62 PFU/10(7) leucocytes. The maximum number of viraemic chicks was found in the third and fourth week of age (80%); on an average it ranged from 60%. The average viraemia in the chickens treated with the vaccine from the GDR ranged from 1.6 to 3.6 PFU/10(7) leucocytes in the second to eighth week of age. A 100% positivity of the tested birds was found in the sixth week of age; it ranged around 70% on an average. In all the challenged groups of birds the precipitation antigen of Marek's disease was detected in feather follicles already 14 weeks from contact infection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)