Effect of hepatitis C antibody screening in blood donors on post-transfusion hepatitis in Taiwan

A national screening programme for antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV) in blood donors in Taiwan began in July 1992 using a second-generation immunoassay. To study the impact of this screening on post-transfusion hepatitis in Taiwan, a prospective study on post-transfusion hepatitis, that was started in 1987, was continued. As of June 1994, 245 patients who received a blood transfusion after July 1992 had completed a follow-up period for more than 6 months post-transfusion. Of them, seven (2.8%) recipients developed acute post-transfusion hepatitis. The hepatitis in six cases could not be attributed to infection by hepatitis A, B, C, D, E viruses or cytomegalovirus (CMV) or Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The remaining patient seroconverted to both IgG and IgM anti-CMV. All seven patients recovered in 6 months without development of chronicity, and the mean peak alanine aminotransferase level was lower compared with that of the cases before anti-HCV screening (i.e. pre-July 1992). These results indicate that the current anti-HCV screening has effectively interrupted HCV transmission through blood transfusion in Taiwan.     

巨噬细胞杀伤白色念珠菌作用的探讨

本研究经杀菌试验和免疫后保护力试验探讨小鼠巨噬细胞在抗白色念珠菌感染中的作用,结果表明白色念珠菌酵母形体对巨噬细胞杀伤作用的抵抗力及对小鼠的毒力均较菌丝形体强。小鼠体内不同部位巨噬细胞杀伤白色念珠菌的作用不同,脾脏巨噬细胞作用大于腹腔残存巨噬细胞。经白色念珠菌活菌静脉免疫后脾巨噬细胞杀白色念珠菌作用增强,但其对再感染的抵抗力不增强。     

HCV的检测方法

从发现丙型肝炎病毒以来 ,丙肝的检测技术发展迅速 ,灵敏度和特异性都有明显的提高 ,方法学在不断改进完善。笔者就近年来丙型肝炎的实验室检测方法作简要的综述     

Papillitis and vasculitis of the arteria spinalis anterior as complications of hepatitis C reinfection after liver transplantation

It is well known that hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related chronic liver disease may be associated with various immunological disorders including mixed cryoglobulinemia, which is accompanied by cutaneous vasculitis, arthralgias, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, and neuropathy in association with cryoprecipitable immune complexes in serum. We describe here the first case of central nervous system HCV infection with evidence of the virus in the cerebrospinal fluid in association with cryoglobulinemia in a patient who developed recurrent episodes of papillitis and vasculitis of the arteria spinalis anterior after liver transplantation. Received: 3 September 1996 Received after revision: 13 November 1996 Accepted: 6 December 1996     

Changes in Neutrophil Oxidative Potential in Patients Undergoing Cardiopulmonary Bypass with Polypropylene Hollow Fiber Oxygenators

Neutrophil oxidative metabolism, C3d and beta 2 microglobulin levels, were assessed in nine consecutive patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery with polypropylene hollow fiber oxygenators for open cardiac operations. Generation of oxygen free radicals by neutrophils was measured as luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence after stimulation with opsonized Zymosan and phorbol myristate acetate. A significant increase in light emission was detected by using both of the chemiluminescence stimulators. Moreover, a remarkable and significant increase in C3d levels was found already at 10 min. Conversely minimal changes in levels of beta 2 microglobulin were detected during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. These data suggest that the impact of the patient blood with the foreign surface of cardiopulmonary bypass results in activation of phagocyte cells with increased potential in oxygen consumption. These effects could be partially complement-mediated.     

Biochemical evidence for the involvement of central serotonergic neurotransmission in the action of the antidepressant drug Medifoxamine

Medifoxamine, an antidepressant agent which has an original chemical structure, has been shown through in vitro studies, utilising radioligand binding in tissue homogenates, to bind with moderately high affinity to 5-HT_1c and 5-HT₂ receptor subtypes and to 5-HT uptake sites (IC₅₀ 950, 980, and 1,500 nM, respectively). It has been shown to bind in vivo to rat brain 5-HT₂ receptors after acute treatment with high dose (50 mg/kg, i.e., 133.9 μmol/kg). After 14 days continuous treatment with low dose (20 mg/kg, 53.6 μmol/kg), a decrease in the capacity of [³H]-5-HT uptake and a dose-dependent down-regulation of 5-HT₂ receptors in rat cerebral cortex were observed. These results indicate that medifoxamine, which has been shown previously to act through dopaminergic systems, interacts also with central serotonergic neurotransmission and particularly with the 5-HT₂ receptors, which could contribute to its antidepressant effect.     

REPERFUSION FOLLOWING MYOCARDIAL ISCHAEMIA ENHANCES INOSITOL PHOSPHATE RELEASE IN THE ISOLATED PERFUSED RAT HEART

1. Global myocariial ischaemia (MI) for periods greater tan 5 min caused an inhibition of phosphatidylinositol specific phospholipase C (PtdIns-PLC) activity. 2. Two min reperfusion following a 20 min MI period, a time point associated with reperfusion-induced arrhythmias, resulted in an activation of PtdIns-PLC activity, dependent on endogenous noradrenaline and mediated via al-adrenoceptors. 3. This 2 min reperfusion response, in contrast to healthy myocardium, resulted in: (i) enhanced PtdIns-PLC activity; (ii) increased sensitivity to endogenous noradrenaline; (iii) rapid increases in inositol(1,4,5)trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3); and (iv) PLC hydrolysis primarily of PtdIns(4,5)P₂, such that the majority of InsP isomers derive from Ins(1,4,5)P₃. 4. Together, these data suggest a functional role for Ins(1,4,5)P3 under postischaemic reperfusion conditions, and provide a possible link between al-adrenoceptor stimulation of the PtdIns turnover pathway and reperfusion injury.     

原发性肝癌,肝硬化患者血清中丙肝病毒抗体的检测

应用国产ELISA试剂盒对157例肝癌、肝硬化病人血清中抗-HCV及HBV-M进行检测，101例肝癌10例抗-HCV阳性，阳性率为9．9％；56例肝硬化6例抗-HCV阳性，阳性率为10．7％；肝癌组抗HCV与HBsAg双阳性率79％（8／101），HBsAg阳性率为723％（73／101），明显高于HCV感染率，说明HBV仍是乙肝流行地区的主要相关因素。14例抗-HCV阳性（包括可疑阳性），肝癌外周血中8例（57．1％）HBsAg阳性，推测HCV可单独作用但更常与HBV形成混合感染参与慢性肝病的癌变过程。     

319例352眼眼外伤疗效观察

采用综合治疗，抗炎，散瞳，局部治疗与全身应用免疫抑制疗法，治疗３１９例３５２眼外伤获得了满意的疗效，眼球挫伤１０４例，眼球穿孔伤９３例，化学烧伤７１例，眼炸伤４６例。眼热烧伤５例，治疗包括及时清创胶粘或缝合，清除前房出血合理用皮质类固醇和免疫抑制剂等。眼球挫伤治愈率９７．１２％，穿透伤９３．１８％，热烧伤６６．６７％。３１９例眼外伤治愈率９４．６７％好转５．３３％，并对各种治疗方法进行了讨论。     

Detection of hepatocellular carcinoma after interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C: Clinical study of 26 cases

The clinical findings in 26 patients in whom hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was detected after the start of interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic hepatitis C were analysed. Histological study before IFN therapy showed that 34.6% of patients were categorized as stage 3 (septal fibrosis with architectural distortion; the 0–4 scale) and 80.8% demonstrated at least some evidence of septal fibrosis or more advanced features. The AFP levels examined before IFN therapy were more than 20 ng/mL in 13 patients (84.6% of those studied). One of 26 patients had a complete response to IFN therapy, while six of 26 patients had only a partial response. HCC was detected within 1 year after the start of IFN therapy in 76.9% of patients. Thus, the possibility of the early occurrence of HCC or its existence at the time of therapy should be seriously considered when IFN therapy is contemplated. Patients with stage 3 or 3–4 histology may already have a small undetectable HCC before IFN therapy. Thus, for this reason, every patient treated with IFN should be examined at short regular intervals for the development of HCC during and after IFN therapy.