[Normal hematologic parameters]. / Parâmetros hematológicos normais.

Hematological studies by several Brazilian and other Latin-American authors who give parameters considered as normal for different populations have been reviewed. Results showed significant differences, due to social, environmental and nutritional factors as well as to different methodological procedures and also to age, sex, race, occupation and other individual characteristics. Three Brazilian studies were selected in the light of the wide variety of parameters included. Ranges are presented as a demonstration of the variations in such samples, presumably considered "normal" by the respective authors presumably "normal". One of the purposes of the present study is to establish the basis for future investigation into the effects of industrialization on the ranges of the hematological parameters of individuals taken to be normal.

Increased levels of eosinophil-derived PAF-acether activity in a patient with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome.

We describe a patient with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (IHS) having PAF-acether activity corresponding to 4 X 10(-11) M/10(6) eosinophils as determined by standard aggregation curves prepared with purified PAF-acether. These data suggest that the increased PAF-acether content in patients with IHS may play a role in the development of thrombotic phenomena through platelet activation.

Viabilidade de sangue conservado em recipientes de varias procedencias. / Viability of blood stored in recipients of different sources

Os autores estudaram os sangues contidos em recipientes de plastico e de vidro de cinco procedencias diferentes, utilizando para isto as determinacoes de 2-3-difosfoglicerato (2-3-DPG), adenosina trifosfato eritrocitaria (ATP), hemoglobina (Hb), latico desidrogenase (LDH), sodio e potassio plasmaticos, e pressao parcial sanguinea do oxigenio e do dioxido de carbono e pH sanguineo. Quanto ao 2-3-DPG e ATP, hemoglobina e LDH plasmatica e pH, houve paralelismo, mas houve leves diferencas nos demais parametros entre as diversas procedencias

EBV infections in Brazil III-Infectious mononucleosis.

Adotando criterios hematologicos e sorologicos bem definidos para o diagnostico de mononucleose infecciosa com anticorpos heterofilos presentes, foram estudados retrospectivamente, em relacao a distribuicao etaria, sazonal e de sexo, todos os pacientes (87 no total) que se apresentaram com este diagnostico em tres instituicoes medicas da cidade de Sao Paulo, durante o periodo de estudo.Analisando os resultados obtidos, concluem os Autores que em Sao Paulo, onde a infeccao pelo virus de Epstein-Barr (VEB) se da principalmente nos primeiros anos de vida, a distribuicao etaria desta doenca seria diferente da encontrada em populacoes de paises desenvolvidos, pois a porcentagem de casos observados no grupo etario de 6-10 anos (28,7%) aproximou-se bastante da porcentagem de casos observados no grupo etario de 16 a 20 anos (34,5%) e alem disso 55,l% do total de casos tinha menos de 16 anos de idade. A analise de pacientes por mes de diagnostico nao mostrou nenhuma distribuicao sazonal caracteristica, nao tendo tambem sido notada nenhuma diferenca quanto ao sexo. Alem disso, ficou mais uma vez comprovada a limitacao da dosagem de anticorpos IgG anti-capside do VEB para o diagnostico de infeccoes agudas por este virus

[Progressive antithrombin activity in blood of pregnant women and neonates in the first four days of life (author's transl)]. / Atividade antitrombínica progressiva no sangue de gestantes e de recém-nascidos a termo nos primeiros dias de vida.

Progressive antighrombin activity was assayed in 45 term infants in the first four days of life, in 20 cord blood specimens and in the blood of 20 pregnant women (at term). In the term infants a positive correlation was shown between progressive antithrombin and postnatal age. No correlation could be demonstrated with sex, ethnic group or type of delivery. Maternal antithrombin activity was shown to be moderately decreased, maternal values being closely related to cord blood values.

Epstein-Barr virus infections in Brazil. II. Hodgkin's disease.

Sixty-seven cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD) occurring in São Paulo, Brazil, were studied. Males with HD predominated over females 2.3 to 1. Sixty-six percent of the cases occurred in patients under 30 years of age, 31.7% under 20 years of age, and only 7.5% after 50 years of age. Lymphocyte predominance and mixed cellularity histologic types were most common in patients less than 15 years old, and nodular sclerosis was most common in the 15- to 19-year-old group. Sera from all patients had antibody to the viral capsid antigen (VCA) of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The geometric mean titer (GMT) of VCA antibody with the use of Jijoye cells as antigen was 1:162, and 31.3% of patients had titers of 1:320 or more; in controls, the GMT was 1:67 and 3.8% had titers of 1:320 or more. Similar results were obtained when EB-3 cells were used as antigen. The highest titers occurred in males, in mixed cellularity and lymphocyte depletion forms, and in stage 2 of illness. EBV-specific IgM antibody and heterophile antibody levels were not elevated, but 20.5% of the HD patients had antibody to the early antigen of EBV present in their sera. Antibody levels for herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, rubella, measles, parainfluenza viruses, and papovavirus were not significantly elevated over those in matched controls.