[Microbiological dosage of the antitumoral drugs (author's transl)]. / Il dosaggio microbiologico dei farmaci antitumorali.

The AA. give a complete list of now available microbiological methods to titrate chemo-cytostatic drugs in organic fluids. The described techniques are of particular interest for many reasons: they are easy, inexpensive and rapid; they are reproducible, very sensible and specific. The latter quality privileges the microbiological test in comparison with RIA methods. The introduction into clinical practice of chemotherapy routine monitoring will improve the handling of so active drugs as cytostatics and, toward a more rational treatment of the patients and a better definition of individual minimum active doses.

[Filaments of the "Candida albicans" in human serum (author's transl)]. / Sulla filamentizzazione di "Candida albicans" in siero umano.

A study on human serum activity on Candida albicans cells has been carried out. In smear microcultures the microcolonies morphogenesis and the thread formation in the presence of serum, as well as the reappearance of normal yeast cells after re-growth in normal nutrient agar has been assessed. The serum globulin-fraction appeared to have the greatest germ-tube inducing activity: an heat-sensitive quality that went lost after 30 minutes at 100 degrees C. The multiplying activity of the Candida cells was almost completely abolished in the presence of serum. Realying on these experimental findings the AA. suggest that a demaging factor may be present in sera, linked to the globulin protein fraction, that hinders the Candida cell-wall normal synthesis: hence follows the appearance of threads, mostly deprived of multiplying activity. A condition in some way akin to the well known filament inducing activity of penicillin on Gram-negative bacteria.

[Hepatitis B and non-B in our case reports of post-transfusional hepatitis]. / Epatiti "B" e "non B" nella nostra casistica di epatiti post-trasfusionali.

The Authors examined 52 patients with post-transfusional hepatitis admitted in the Insitute of Infectious Diseases in Perugia, from 1971 to 1977. 30 (57.7%) patients had "B" hepatitis, 22 (42.3%) "non B" hepatitis. The incidence of anti-HBs antibodies in the two groups of patients suggests that they are partially protective against "B" hepatitis. "B" and "non B" hepatitis resulted clinically different only in the incubation period, 95.6 days (mean) for "B" hepatitis and 62.1 days (mean) for the "non B" hepatitis.

[An electron microscopic study of liver cells in a case of chronic hepatitis HBsAg positive (author's transl)]. / Reperti al microscopio elettronico in un caso di epatite cronica HBsAg positivo.

Electron microscopic examination on liver tissues from one patient with chronic active hepatitis HBsAg positive is described. Spherical, virus-like particles of 220-230 A size were observed in the nucleus; in the cytoplasm only nonspecific changes were present.