[Efficacy of low-dose albendazole therapy in hydatic liver disease: a case report]. / Skutecznosc terapeutyczna malych dawek albendazolu w bablowicy watroby--opis przypadku.

Hydatid liver disease is the most common form of human echinococcosis in Poland. Epidemiological data show a rising number of cases recognised last years. It is probably because of easier availability of ultrasound examination and computed tomography in the diagnostic procedures. While surgery remains the only approach for a radical cure, the chemotherapy with albendazole has became a useful advance in the management of cystic echinococcosis for the problem patient (inoperable disease, widely disseminated cysts, high surgical risk, etc.). The authors describe a patient with hydatid liver disease successfully treated with albendazole as a alternative treatment to surgery. A cyclic treatment of 28 days with 2 week break in between for 9 months with low doses of albendazole (6 mg/kg) resulted in clinical improvement and involution of hepatic cysts.

[Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis invasions in north-eastern Poland]. / Inwazje echinococcus granulosus i Echinococcus multilocularis w pólnocno-wschodniej Polsce.

During the last 10 years 70 cases of echinococcosis were diagnosed in the Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical University School of Bialystok, of whom 63 were Echinococcus (E.) granulosus infections. The Urban population (70%) and women (60%) dominated among infected persons. Seven cases were due to E. multilocularis infection. A family and endemie focus of E. multilocularis human invasion has been identified.

Adverse reactions to tick-borne encephalitis vaccine: FSME-Immun.

Vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis with FSME-Immun vaccine was started in the Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical School of Bialystok, Poland, in 1992. No serious adverse reactions after vaccine administration were observed. Post-vaccine side effects were reported in 242 (11.3%) persons after the first dose (n = 2,135) and only in 14 patients (1.2%) after the second one (n = 1,183). These effects were mild and transitory. No relationship was observed between the frequency of adverse reactions, general or local, and the initial anti-TBE virus antibody titres or the age of the immunized individuals. Post-vaccine side effects were reported significantly more frequently among people not bitten by ticks.

Epidemiological and clinical aspects of acute hepatitis C in north-eastern Poland.

The availability of more reliable assays made infections caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV) emerging as an extremely common and insidiously progressive disease. Since 1993, in 51 out of 798 patients admitted to Department of Infectious Diseases with acute hepatitis, HCV was diagnosed as a causative agent. Seventy one percent of acute hepatitis C cases were hospital associated and city residents represented the majority of all cases. The epidemiological data and clinical course of acute hepatitis C was analysed and compared with acute hepatitis B. The frequency of acute hepatitis C increased during last 3 years in Bialystok region. The clinical course of acute hepatitis C was generally milder than acute hepatitis B, with lower aminotransferases activities and bilirubin level.

Morphologic changes of small intestine epithelium in the course of post-alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

Morphologic changes of the duodenal mucous membrane were studied in 50 patients (20 with post-alcoholic liver cirrhosis and 30 non-alcoholic with postinflammatory liver cirrhosis). The macroscopic condition of the duodenal mucous membrane was evaluated during endoscopic examination; evaluation of the histopathologic changes in the biopsy specimens of the duodenal mucous membrane was carried out according to the criteria of Whitehead et al. (Digestion, 13 (1975) 129). Endoscopic examinations showed changes of chronic inflammatory process of the duodenal mucous membrane in 60% of the patients in both groups. The microscopic studies did not show essential differences in the intensity of histopathological changes of the duodenal mucous membrane between both groups, i.e, alcohol is not a decisive factor evoking or intensifying pathological changes of the duodenum.

Antigenemia HBs and other serological markers of hepatitis B virus infection in patients with acute and chronic alcoholism.

Serological markers of hepatitis B virus infection were studied in a group of recently presenting alcoholic out-patients and compared with a group of long-stay in-patients suffering from chronic alcoholism. All markers of infection were increased in the chronic group and were thought to be related to admission to the Alcohol Unit. Although both groups had normal liver function tests, the patients with the longer alcohol history had evidence of two coexisting causes of liver disease and may, therefore, have a much poorer prognosis.

[Lipid values and immune parameters in the course of viral hepatitis in patients with alcohol abuse and without alcohol stress in anamnesis]. / Lipidwerte und Immunparameter im Verlauf der Virushepatitis bei Patienten mit Alkoholabusus und ohne Alkoholbelastung in der Anamnese.

The aim of the investigation was to estimate chosen parameters of fat balance and immunological reactivity in patients with virushepatitis and alcohol abuse (30 patients--I group), and without alcohol abuse in anamnesis (30 patients--II group). The investigations included the estimation of the presence of HBsAg in serum, the level of immunoglobulins IgG, IgA and IgM, the determination of T and B lymphocytes, the presence of organ-autoantibodies (SMA, ANA, AMA), the level of free fatty acids, triglycerides, full lipids, beta-lipoproteins and cholesterol in the blood serum. The rise in full lipids content in the blood serum, beta-lipoproteins, triglycerides, the increase of IgA level, the decrease of lymphocytes T percentage, more frequent confirmation of the presence of antimitochondrial autoantibodies were noted, especially in the group of patients with virushepatitis and alcohol abuse. Disturbances in fat balance remain in the convalescence period.

[Chronic alcoholism and infection with hepatitis B virus]. / Chronischer Alkoholismus und die Infektion mit dem Hepatitis-B-Virus.

The study Hepatitis-B-virus infection was performed in the population of chronic alcoholics (224 persons). Among this population the HBs-antigenemia was proved in 42%. The immunoglobulin dysproteinemia and coexistence of autoantibodies can indicate a symptomatic Hepatitis-B-virus infection.

[The evaluation of the inhibition of the macrophage migration inhibition test with the polysaccharid antigen "C" of Taenia saginata in human taeniasis (author's transl)]. / Untersuchungen über das Verhalten des Macrophagenmigrationshemmtestes mit dem Polysaccharidantigen "C" von Taenia saginata in der menschlichen Täniase.

The statistical analysis of results of the leukocyte migration inhibition test with polysaccharide antigen C of T. saginata in 49 patients with taeniasis and 20 healthy persons was performed. Examinations took place in two series: before medication (series I) and 7 days after treatment (series II). In the first series, a significant decrease in the migration index (0.42) was found in the patients' group as compared with that of the control group (0.92). In the second series, the migration index was subject to an increase (0.62) which, however, did not reach the value obtained in the control group. In both series, statistically significant differences in the indices of the test performed were observed between patients and the control group of healthy individuals. The results obtained in the present studies demonstrate that T. saginata invasion in human brings about the development of a cellular hypersensitivity reaction of delayed type which is revealed in the leukocyte migration inhibition test; the elimination of the parasite leads to an impairment of the effect of this reaction within a relatively short period.

[Dynamics of immunologic reactivity in the acute phase of virus hepatitis B]. / Zur Dynamik der immunologischen Reaktivität in der akuten Phase der Virushepatitis B.

In 15 patients with acute icteric viral hepatitis B the immunological reactivity was tested. The examinations were performed on the 1st, 7th, and 14th day of hospitalization. They consisted of the determination of the HBsAg and its antibodies in the serum, of the percentage of the B- and T-lymphocytes, of the lymphocyte transformation test under the influence of phytohaemagglutinin, of the lymphocyte migration inhibitory test when the HBsAg is present as well as of the determination of the IgG, IgA and the IgM-level. A decreased percentage of the T-lymphocytes, a decreased blastic transformation and an inhibition of the lymphocyte migration was proved. After a transient increase in the first and second examination the IgG-level returned to the normal in the third examination, whereas the IgM-level increased. Finally dynamics and importance of the cellular reactivity in the pathogenesis of viral hepatitis B are discussed.

[Examinations of the behaviour of immunoglobulins IgG, IgA, IgM in comparison to the immunoserological reactions in human chronic brucellosis (author's transl)]. / Untersuchunger der Immunoglobuline IgG, IgA und IgM im Vergleich zu immunserologischen Reaktionen bei der menschlichen, chronischen Brucellose

The authors determined the levels of the immunoglobulins IgG, IgA and IgM in the serum of 70 patients with chronical brucellosis which was diagnosed on the basis of epidemiological, clinical and laboratory examinations. The Ig-levels were compared with immunoserological reactions of brucellosis as Wright, Coombs, Burnet, complement fixation tests. A significant increase of immunoglobulin G without a positive correlation with the values of immunoserological reactions was found.