[The evaluation of the measurement of serum fibronectin in pulmonary tuberculosis]. / Consideratiuni privind valoarea dozarii fibronectinei serice în tuberculoza pulmonara.

The investigation was carried out in 125 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in different stages of evolution. The treatment was that granted, used in triple and/or quadruple scheme twice a week. In the greatest part of the patients the concentration of serum fibronectine (sFN) was followed in its dynamics. A reasonable increase (statistical average) of the sFN was found in the patients with tuberculosis (tbc), active at the first treatment. The values regressed slowly, parallel to the favourable evolution under treatment. In the chronic forms, values situated at the normal or at the inferior limit were recorded. They were probably due to the sum of factors often met in these patients: protein-caloric malnutrition, chronic alcoholism with afferent hepatopathies, nonspecific chronic bronchial suppurations. No significant correlation of the sFN concentration was noticed in relation to the radiologic extension of the lesions, to the structure of the chemotherapeutic regimen, or to age. There exists a large variability of the sFN concentration in tbc, both at the beginning and during chemotherapy. The sFN level is not enough for the assessment of the disease stage or evolution; for increasing its informational value, the concentration of the immune circulatory complexes (ICC) and the lymphocytic subsets T were investigated.

[The current situation of mycobacterial chemoresistance and its implications for antitubercular treatment]. / Situatia actuala a chimiorezistentei micobacteriene si implicatiile acesteia asupra tratamentului antituberculos.

The data in the present paper consider, for a longer period, the secondary and the initial drug resistance in pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The paper studies mainly the period of the last 9 years (1979-1987) in comparison with a previous period of 6 years (1973-1978). The 2,194 antibiograms performed for 7 common tuberculostatics show an increase, in the last years, of the general resistance of the germs from 24.3% to 36%. The increase of the resistance is noticed to all the tuberculostatics, but mainly to Rifampicin, from 14.8% to 49.3% and to streptomycin, from 22.7% to 44.8%. An important increase is found, at present, mainly in the drug resistance of germs in the extrapulmonary specimens (lymph nodes 28.5% and CSF 40%) to streptomycin and INH.

[Aspects of dysmicrobism in the isolation of Koch bacilli and its pathological implications]. / Aspecte ale dismicrobismului în cursul izolarilor de bacili Koch si implicatii privind patologia.

The results are presented, of a follow-up over several years concerning the changes which occurred in the products sampled from tuberculous patients, with regard to the ecologic balance between Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and other mycobacteria and fungi under the influences of chemical drugs and antibiotics. Thus atypical mycobacteria have been recorded, in a proportion of 1.07% (and in some periods as high as 2.52%). Other species were also identified, classified according to morphological and chemical characteristics. These species are included in a synoptic scheme used in laboratories which are concerned with the isolation of mycobacteria. At present different species of mycobacteria can be isolated on the same culture medium, as appears also from the results of the authors of this study. Beside manifestations of dysmicrobism another fact was also demonstrated, namely the frequent isolation of fungi in patients undergoing anti-tuberculous therapy, or secondary to the anti-tuberculous treatment. This has permitted, on the basis of the authors' cases to confirm some pulmonary mycoses according to generally accepted rigorous laboratory techniques. The present study stresses the new pathologic phenomena interrelated with tuberculosis. These data expand the knowledge of laboratory techniques and methods, and improve cooperation between laboratories and clinical units involved in the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary affections.

[Importance of Australia antigen in bronchopulmonary diseases]. / Importanta antigenului Australia în afectiunile bronhopulmonare.

Australia antigen (HB Ag) was determined by electroimmunodiffusion in 327 patients with various bronchopulmonary diseases admitted to the Clinic of Pneumophthisiology. Of the total cases investigated 19 (5.8%) presented a positive HB Ag titer. It is considered that the incidence of positive HB Ag cases in the Clinic does not reflect the frequency of the disease in the general population, bearing in mind the selection of the cases in the Clinic. Determination of the HB Ag is of importance for detecting active or latent infections with hepatitis virus type B, requiring follow up and isolation of the patients as well rigurous disinfection.