Poliomyelitis outbreak in Natal/KwaZulu, South Africa, 1987-1988. 1. Epidemiology.

An epidemic of type 1 poliomyelitis occurred in Natal/KwaZulu in the eastern part of South Africa between December 1987 and November 1988. 412 poliomyelitis cases were reported, of whom 74% were younger than 5 years. The case-fatality rate was 8%. It is suggested that massive floods, experienced in the area 2 months earlier, triggered the outbreak.     

Effect of diltiazem on silent myocardial ischemia]

Thirty-four patients with coronary heart disease who had silent myocardiac ischemic episodes as evidenced by long-term ECG monitoring were examined. Silent ST-segment elevations and depressions were encountered 2.7- and 4.9-fold as compared to manifest ones. The fact that the CHD patients had silent ST-segment depressions and/or prolonged high-amplitude silent ST-segment elevations suggests a grave severity of abnormal myocardial processes. There was a reduction in the number, duration of silent ST-segment elevations and depression episodes and in the amplitude of silent ST-segment depressions. This may indirectly indicate that the agent affects predominantly coronary blood flow and coronary vascular tone.     

Characteristics of pollinosis caused by Betula in patients from Ourense (Galicia, Spain).

A retrospective study was performed to describe the features of the pollinosis caused by Betula in the area of Ourense, Spain. The pollen count was carried out with a Lanzoni volumetric Hirts spore trap (1993-2000). The Betula pollen represented 5% over the annual total (annual mean quantity: 965 grains). It was present in the air from March to mid-May. The highest peaks took place in April (maximum values mean: 131 grains/m3). The medical records of 222 patients (mean age 25.66 years) diagnosed with pollinosis (1998-2000), who lived at less than 30 km. from the spore trap, were reviewed. In all of them, the skin-prick test (SPT) was carried out with pollen allergens. The percentages of positive SPT were: Lolium perenne, 91.89% (16.6% monosensitized); Plantago lanceolata, 71.17% (1.26% monosensitized); Betula alba, 41.89% (10.75% monosensitized); Platanus hybrida, 34.95%; Olea europea, 10.36%; and Parietaria judaica, 6.3%. The mean age of Betula monosensitized patients was 44.7 years. The majority of them had symptoms in March-April, 40% had asthma symptoms, 80% had lived in Central Europe, and 30% of them presented an oral allergy syndrome to fruits. There were 41.93% of the patients with positive SPT to Betula pollen who had asthma symptoms, in comparison with 23.25% of the patients with negative SPT to Betula (p = 0.0034). There were 20.28% of the patients with positive SPT to Betula pollen, who had lived in Central Europe, in comparison with 4.27% of the patients with negative SPT to Betula, p: 0.00049. The relative risk of sensitization was 2.05. CONCLUSIONS: Betula pollen was the second cause of clinical pollinosis in our patients, after grass, being responsible of the symptoms in the early spring, in a small number of the patients in their forties. The presence of asthma was higher in Betula sensitized patients, and the residence in Central Europe was a sensitization risk factor.     

Photochromic intensification of diaminobenzidine reaction product in the presence of tetrazolium salts: applications for intracellular labelling and immunohistochemistry.

The diaminobenzidine (DAB) reaction product can be greatly intensified by incubating the reacted tissue in either nitro blue tetrazolium or tetranitro blue tetrazolium and then exposing the tissue to strong light. Epi-illumination through a microscope objective enables the photochromic intensification to be carried out under direct visual control, with optimal intensification taking only 10-30 s through a 20x objective. Alternatively, the whole preparation can be intensified in a few minutes by passing it back and forth under a fibre light guide. The method can be used to intensify cells that have been labelled either by immunoperoxidase techniques or with intracellular tracers such as horseradish peroxidase and neurobiotin.     

The usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism]

Three cases with suspected pulmonary artery embolism are presented, in which transesophageal echocardiography showed a mass in the right pulmonary artery consistent with thrombus. The relevant diagnostic contributions of transesophageal echocardiography are discussed.