[Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C (anti HCV) in blood donors in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Its relation to ALT and anti HBC]. / Prevalência do anticorpo contra hepatite C (anti VHC) em doadores de sangue no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Sua relação com ALT e anti HBC.

UNLABELLED: We have studied 933 volunteer blood donors from May to July, 1990. After a interview and screening tests for syphilis, Chagas disease, malaria and HIV, they underwent an enzyme immunoassay for HBsAg, anti HBc and anti HCV antibodies. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) serum levels were determined by auto analyser. Most blood donors were male with mean age of 33 years (19-65). Anti HCV prevalence was 3.1% (29 from 933 blood donors). Among anti HCV+, blood donors, 44.8% (13/29) had ALT 40 UI/L, 31% (9/29) were anti HBc+ and 17.2% (5/29) had both surrogate markers simultaneously. From 109 donors with ALT 40 UI/L, 13 (11.9%) were anti HCV+, while among 153 anti HBc+ donors, the anti HCV was 5.8%. CONCLUSIONS: 1) we found a higher anti HCV prevalence among our blood donors than previous published reports from other countries; 2) our data show that surrogate assays do not adequately identify anti HCV blood donors, 41.4% of them would not have been excluded by anti HBc and ALT tests alone; 3) there were a correlation between anti HCV positivity with a sample to cutoff optical density ratio equal or greater than 4 and elevated ALT serum levels.

[Electrocardiographic changes in pancreatitis]. / Alterações eletrocardiográficas nas pancreatites.

Of 400 patients with acute, chronic or chronic relapsing pancreatitis surveyed in the present study, only 54 had had ECG in their files. Among these, 80% showed ECG alterations, mostly sinus tachycardia and diffuse disturbances of ventricular repolarization. The causes of these alterations are, as yet controversial. Some explanations for these alterations are hypovolemia, sepsis and acute inflammatory state. Other important findings in the patients were bundle branch block, not encountered either before the pancreatic crisis or after its resolution, nor was dielectric effect and lesion current observed in either the acute and chronic forms. The possibility of the presence of previous cardiopathy in patients with high alcoholic intake, Chagas' disease, high blood pressure or diabetes, which are quite likely in these patients, should be recalled as important factors: marked electrolytes disorders were not frequent and did not correlate with ECG findings. The aim of this study is to highlight the importance of ECG during systematic search in the follow-up of patients with pancreatitis, in order to better understand associated cardiac disorders and to improve diagnosis, prevention and treatment.

Triagem rapida da hemoglobina S em doadores. / Rapid test for hemoglobin S in blood donors

Uma populacao de 2730 doadores do Servico de Hemoterapia - HU - UFRJ - foi submetida ao Microteste da Mancha, proposto por Magalhaes e Arashiro (1,2) para a triagem da hemoglobina S, e os resultados foram de 2,23% para 1835 leucodermos: de 5,20 + para 526 faiodermos, de 7,55% para 342 melanodermos