In Serbia, in most cases, small family outbreaks of trichinellosis occur due to the consumption of untested infected meat from domestic pigs that are raised and slaughtered in the backyards of small ...individual farms. The aim of this study is to present data regarding 24 patients involved in two outbreaks that occurred in two neighbouring districts in Serbia during a closely related period of time in August 2014. The source of infection in the first outbreak was undercooked pork, while raw pork sausages caused the second outbreak. Meat samples and sausages were Trichinella spp. positive by artificial digestion. With the aim to obtain a second opinion and validate the serological findings discovered at the Public Health Institute Nis, all samples were sent to the National Reference Laboratory for Trichinellosis, INEP. Serodiagnosis showed that 21 persons were positive (87.5%) and three (12.5%) were negative for anti-Trichinella antibodies, while 15 patients fulfilled the trichinellosis case definition. Western blot analysis (using an epitope unique for the muscle larvae stage of the Trichinella genus) confirmed the diagnosis of trichinellosis in five patients. Six patients also had specific antibodies against Toxocara canis (T. canis). Due to the fact that in endemic foci in Serbia there is the presence of Trichinella spiralis and T. canis and that these two infections could be asymptomatic, we consider that trichinellosis cases were irrefutably proven. The dilemma about the existence of co-infection with T. canis remained open due to the lack of clinical findings.
Collaboration in comparative perspective Kalyvas, Stathis N.
European review of history = Revue européene d'histoire,
04/2008, Letnik:
15, Številka:
2
Journal Article
A randomised study was started in chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced soft tissue sarcomas who received either epirubicin 60 mg/m
2/24 h (total dose for cycle 180 mg/m
2) days 1, 2 and 3, ...(group A) or epirubicin 60 mg/m
2/24 h days 1, 2 and 3 and cisplatin 30 mg/m
2/24 h days 2, 3, 4 and 5 (group B). The maximal number of cycles foreseen in both groups was eight. Cardiotoxicity of the regimens was monitored by serial LVEF determinations. 106 patients entered this study, 50 (45 evaluable for activity) randomised to group A, and 56 (54 evaluable for activity) to group B. The groups were well balanced for age, sex, performance status and histological type. In group A, there was 1 complete response (CR) and 12 partial responses (PR), the overall response being 13/45 (29%); in group B, there were 7 CRs and 22 PRs, the overall response being 29/54 (54%). The difference between the overall response was statistically significant (
χ
2 = 6.19,
P < 0.025). The epirubicin-cisplatin regimen was found to be more toxic for platelets and more emetogenic, but cardiotoxicity, either acute or cumulative, was not found to be a major problem in both groups. However, a complete responder receiving a cumulative epirubicin dose of 1440 mg/m
2 died from congestive heart failure after a disease-free interval of 27 months. The high response in group B could be the result of the synergism between high-dose epirubicin and cisplatin in patients with advanced soft tissue sarcomas.
To improve the serodiagnosis of Lyme borreliosis (LB) the performances of four tests were evaluated. An indirect immunofluorescent assay based on Borrelia burgdorferi s.s. , enzyme‐linked ...immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on local isolates of Borrelia afzelii and B. burgdorferi s.s., and immunoblot (IB) of B. afzelii were prepared. The serum panels contained 214 serum samples: control group (n=120) and patients at different stages of LB (n=94). The specificity of IB was 96%, of in‐house ELISA 93%, and of IFA 89%. In early LB the sensitivity of IFA was 36%, ELISA 67%, and IB 93%. In late‐stage LB the sensitivity was: 72% for IFA, 80% for ELISA, and 94% for IB. Comparison of in‐house and Behring ELISA showed that the sensitivity of the serological assay could be increased when the test was based on local Borrelia strains. IgM and IgG antibodies from sera of patients with early and late LB most frequently demonstrated reactivity to OspC. The other significant proteins in early LB were: p39, p41 in IgM IB, and p83/100, p39, Osp17 in IgG IB; in late LB: p39, p41 in IgM IB, and p83/100, Osp17, p21 and p43 in IgG IB. Using IB based on local B. afzelii isolates improves the serodiagnosis of early LB in our geographical region.
Adsorption of antibodies against antigens expressed on the Candida albicans blastoconidia cell walls was standardized for the detection of antibodies to germ tubes by an indirect immunofluorescence ...test (IIFT). Sera from rabbits immunized with C. albicans bearing germ tubes, were diluted by two‐fold serial dilutions to obtain specimens 1 : 640–1 : 20 positive by IIFT. Different volumes of specimens were adsorbed with different amounts of whole, heat‐inactivated C. albicans blastoconidia. It was found that a 1 : 640 titre serum should be adsorbed at 30 μl by 50 mg cells, down to a 1 : 20 titre serum at 110 μl by 12.5 mg cells. Accurate detection of anti‐germ tube antibodies by IIFT depends on the semi‐quantitative relation between the positive titre of the specimen and the amount of blastoconidia used in adsorption.
Zusammenfassung. Die Adsorption von Antikörpern gegen Antigene der Blastokonidien‐Zellwand von Candida albicans zum Nachweis von Keimschlauch‐Antikörpern im indirekten Immunfluoreszenztest (IIFT) wurde standardisiert. Seren von Kaninchen, die mit C. albicans‐Keimschläuchen immunisiert waren, wurden seriell verdünnt, um Serumproben mit den IIFT‐Titerstufen 1 : 640 bis 1 : 20 zu erhalten, die mit unterschiedlichen Mengen ganzer, hitzeinaktivierter C. albicans‐Blastokonidien adsorbiert wurden. Serum mit Titer 1 : 640 muss zu 30 μl mit 50 mg, Serum mit Titer 1 : 20 muss zu 110 μl mit 12.5 mg Blastokonidien adorbiert werden. Der exakte Nachweis von Anti‐Keimschlauch‐Antikörpern im IIFT hängt vom semiquantitativen Verhältnis von Titerhöhe zur Blastokonidienmenge ab, die bei der Adsorption verwendet wird.
Background The most active chemotherapy regimens in UCNT were those combining anthracyclines (doxorubicin or epirubicin) and cisplatin. Our previous pilot study on 37 patients treated with the ...zorubicin-cisplatin combination with a RR of 67% and literature data about other anthracyclines such as epirubicin achieving a response rate of over 50% were the basis of this randomized study comparing efficacy and toxicity of the combination vs. zorubicin as monotherapy. Patients and methods A total of 80 patients entered the study. The diagnosis of UCNT was confirmed by two independent pathologists. All patients had their primary tumors in the nasopharynx. The patients were randomized in two groups: group A (zorubicin 325 mg/m2, day 1), and group B (zorubicin 250 mg/m2, day 1 and cisplatin 30 mg/m2 days 2–5). The inter-cycle interval was four weeks. The two groups were well balanced according to sex, age, stage Ho and TNM stage. Results Group A: 40 patients included, 34/40 evaluable for activity. Activity on evaluable patient basis: CR 4/34 (11.75%), PR 4/34, SD 14/34, PD 12/34, response rate 8/34 (23.5%); response rate on intent to treat basis 8/40 (20%). Toxicity: granulocytopenia grade 3–4 6/40, thrombocytopenia grade 3–4 2/40, no febrile neutropenias, nausea/vomiting any grade 3/40, cardiac toxicity any grade (rhythm) 3/40 other toxicities minor or absent. Group B: 40 patients included, 36/40 evaluable for activity. Activity on evaluable patient basis: CR 10/36 (27.78%), PR 17/36, SD 3/36, PD 6/36, response rate 27/36 (75%); response rate on intent to treat basis 27/40 (67.5%). Toxicity: granulocytopenia grade 3–4 10/40, thrombocytopenia grade 3/4 8/40, two febrile neutropenias, nausea/vomiting any grade 13/40, other toxicities mild or absent. Of the group of patients achieving a CR, four relapsed following 7, 11, 22 and 23 months, one was lost to follow-up, one died after six months from fulminant hepatitis B and eight are in complete remission lasting for 30+ to 66+ months. Following CR achievement none received any consolidation radiotherapy, and the projected five years of freedom from relapse for complete responders is about 60%. Conclusion Zorubicin is an effective drug in UCNT and its combination with cisplatin has a significant activity and an acceptable toxicity.
A study of cardioprotection with ICRF-187 (Cardioxane, Eurocetus) has been performed in 35 patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with the FDC regimen (5-fluorouracil 500 mg/m2 i.v., day 1; ...doxorubicin 50 mg/m2 i.v., day 1; cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2 i.v., day 1). All patients had one or more cardiac risk factors for doxorubicin cardiotoxicity including 24 who had previously received left-chest-wall irradiation. Cardioxane was applied at a dosage of 1000 mg/m2 as a 15-min infusion in Ringer lactate solution 30 min before doxorubicin administration. Cardiological monitoring included left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) determination by echocardiography before treatment and before each cycle following the cumulative doxorubicin dose of 200 mg/m2. Of the 35 patients, 34 were evaluable fore response, and the overall response rate was 19/34 (56%) with 3/34 complete responses and 16/34 partial responses. Statistical analysis of LVEF values in relation to increasing cumulative doxorubicin doses with Wilcoxon's test of equivalent pairs and Friedman's test has demonstrated that no cardiotoxicity was detected up to a cumulative doxorubicin dose of between 800 mg/m2 and 1000 mg/m2, except for 2 patients in whom a decrease of 20% in relation to the LVEF pretreatment level was demonstrated following a cumulative drug dose of 250 mg/m2. Thus Cardioxane provides an effective cardioprotection even in breast cancer patients with cardiac risk factors for doxorubicin cardiotoxicity treated with the FDC regimen.
159 patients with disseminated malignant melanoma entered the four arm randomized study. Arm A: Adriamycin ADM 40
mg/m
2 day 1, BCNU 120
mg/m
2 and Vincristin (VCR) 1.4
mg/m
2 day 2, DTIC 300
mg/m
2 ...days 3–6 and Procarbazine (PCB) 100
mg/m
2 days 1–10. Arm B: ADM 40
mg/m
2 day 1, BCNU 120
mg/m
2 and VCR 1.4
mg/m
2 day 2, DTIC 600
mg/m
2 days 3–6 and PCB 100
mg/m
2 days 1–10. Arm C: Vindesine 3
mg/m
2 day 1, Bleomycin 7
mg/m
2 days 1–4 and Cisplatin 30
mg/m
2 days 5–8. Arm D: BCND 120
mg/m
2 day 1, PCB 100
mg/m
2 days 1–10 and BCG scarification days 8 and 10. The number of evaluable/included patients in each arm was: 28/32 in arm A, 28/31 in arm B, 30/38 in arm C, 54/58 in arm D. Overall RR was 10.71% in arm A, 14.29% in arm B, 30% (6.67CR) in arm C, 12.96% in arm D. RR was statistically higher in arm C. Main toxicity for arm A and B was leukopenia. Thrombocytopenia increased with DTIC dose escalation in arm B. Nausea and vomiting were equal in arms A, B and C. Arm D was without any significant toxicity. Time to progression and median survival (MS) were similar for all groups, respectively: 2.97 months (MS
=
4) in arm A, 3.23 months (MS
=
4) in arm B, 2.93 months (MS
=
5) in arm C and 3.43 months (MS
=
4) in arm D. Results suggest that escalation of DTIC dose (arm B) does not improve RR, at the same time hematological toxicity increases. Deletion of DTIC (arm D) did not reduce RR. Combination with Cisplatin (arm D) seems to be more effective but without benefit regarding time to progression and survival.
The suitability of some wheat varieties used for the production of the rolled-in-dough,i.e. the content of proteins, total amino acids, cellulose, ash and humidity have been investigated. The ...following can be concluded: "Yugoslavia" variety gives the high quality flour for the rolled-in-dough; "Partizanka" and "Novosadska-rana 2" varieties show good characteristics as varieties-improvers for the production of the rolled-in-dough; "PKB-krupna" and "L-111" varieties do not satisfy the requirements for the production of the rolled-in-dough; combination of the "PKB" varieties obtained by selection and a certain amount of varieties-improvers can give a satisfactory quality of the rolled-in-dough if the level of technological indicators is achieved within the frame of the registered values in the two investigated harvests (this is emphasized because the wheat quality depends a great deal on the concrete agrotechnical and climate factors).
The suitability of some wheat varieties used for the production of the rolled-in-dough,i.e. the content of proteins, total amino acids, cellulose, ash and humidity have been investigated. The ...following can be concluded: "Yugoslavia" variety gives the high quality flour for the rolled-in-dough; "Partizanka" and "Novosadska-rana 2" varieties show good characteristics as varieties-improvers for the production of the rolled-in-dough; "PKB-krupna" and "L-111" varieties do not satisfy the requirements for the production of the rolled-in-dough; combination of the "PKB" varieties obtained by selection and a certain amount of varieties-improvers can give a satisfactory quality of the rolled-in-dough if the level of0966 technological indicators is achieved within the frame of the registered values in the two investigated harvests (this is emphasized because the wheat quality depends a great deal on the concrete agrotechnical and climate facto
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