Rate of infection of Ixodes ricinus ticks with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii, Borrelia afzelii and group VS116 in an endemic focus of Lyme disease in Italy.

A study to evaluate the natural rate of infection of Ixodes ricinus with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was carried out in an endemic focus of Lyme disease in the Trieste area in northern Italy. Two-hundred and twenty-seven ticks collected in ten different stations were tested individually for the presence of the spirochetes using polymerase chain reaction techniques able to identify both Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and the four genospecies (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii. Borrelia afzelii and group VS116). Multiple infection of individual ticks was found. The infection rate ranged from 0-70%. Infection of Ixodes ricinus with Borrelia burgdorferi group VS116 was found for the first time in Italy in both a high and a low endemic focus of Lyme disease.

Detection of HGE agent-like Ehrlichia in Ixodes ricinus ticks in northern Italy by PCR.

Little is known about the distribution of Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis (HGE) in Europe and even less is known in Italy, where no case of clinically documented HGE has been reported. In a previous study we reported the presence of Ehrlichia DNA in Ixodes ricinus ticks from Central Italy. By the use of an Ehrlichia-specific PCR we found that 24% of the ticks were positive. Furthermore, we demonstrated a simultaneous coinfection of the same tick by both, Borrelia burgdorferi and Ehrlichia phagocytophila. Since the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region (North-east of Italy) is endemic for Lyme borreliosis (LB) and the geographic distribution of HGE usually overlaps that of LB, we decided to carry out a survey concerning the presence of Ehrlichia spp. in a recreational area near Trieste where the presence of Lyme borreliosis and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ticks is well demonstrated. Ticks were analyzed in pools (because a low infection rate was expected): eleven samples out of 93 were found positive by Ehrlichia-PCR. Subsequent sequence analysis of some of the positive PCR products revealed a high homology with the HGE agent Ehrlichia (only one base substitution in almost 450 bp sequenced). These findings add new and interesting data on the Ehrlichia epidemiology in Italy. By now we have demonstrated the presence of two distinct granulocytic ehrlichiae in Italiyn ticks by the aid of a PCR-based analysis: Ehrlichia phagocytophila in Central Italy and an HGE-like Ehrlichia in the north-eastern Italy, in a region close to Slovenia where the first reported case of HGE in Europe occurred.

In vitro activity of rokitamycin, a new macrolide, against Borrelia burgdorferi.

The activity of rokitamycin, a new macrolide with a 16-member ring, was tested against Borrelia burgdorferi in vitro. The antibiotic had a lower MIC at which 50% of the isolates are inhibited than erythromycin, the parent 14-member macrolide, but the same MIC at which 50% of the isolates are inhibited as the other recent 14- and 15-member macrolides, like clarithromycin and azithromycin. The MBC was equal to the MIC at which 50% of the isolates are inhibited, so rokitamycin can be considered bactericidal against B. burgdorferi. The sensitivity of the Borrelia strains tested was not correlated with the particular species Burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii, and B. afzelii or with the number of subcultures of the isolates.

Haematology of Mystromys albicaudatus.

Haemograms were determined for 90 Mystromys, 3-24 months of age, to establish normal values and to evaluate the influence of age and gender. Males over 6 months of age had higher red blood cell counts, packed cell volumes and haemoglobin levels than females of the same age. The haemograms of females 3-5 months old resembled those of males. Age and gender did not cause detectable differences in leucocyte numbers in animals over 6 months old.

Varicella-like herpesvirus infections of nonhuman primates.

At least three distinct herpesviruses cause varicella like exanthematous diseases among nonhuman primates. Spontaneous epizootics have resulted in high morbidity and mortality rates among Cercopithecus aethiops, Erythrocebus patas and Macaca species in research colonies. Mild infections have been observed in infant chimpanzees and a gorilla. This group of diseases is of interest not only because they are a threat to primate colonies, but also because their pathologic similarity to progressive human varicella makes them a potentially valuable animal model of this disease. The nonhuman primate varicella-like exanthematous diseases are reviewed and compared to varicella in man.

Platelet factor 4 (PF4) and heparin released platelet factor 4 (HR-PF4) in diabetes mellitus. Effect of the duration of the disease.

Several investigators have reported an altered platelet function in diabetes mellitus as measured by elevated levels of platelet specific proteins platelet factor 4 (PF4) and B-thromboglobulin (BTG). We studied 20 insulin dependent (IDD), 20 non insulin dependent (NIDD) diabetic males without overt clinical symptoms of cardiovascular disorders and 30 normal controls. We evaluated PF4, BTG and heparin released platelet factor 4 (HR-PF4) as measured 2.5 minutes after a bolus injection of 5,000 I.U. of a commercial mucous heparin. The patients showed normal levels of both PF4 and BTG. Furthermore HR-PF4 failed to show statistically significant variation between patients and controls. However when the diabetics were divided on the basis of the duration of the disease, the IDD had an increased HR-PF4 mean level and the trend became statistically significant when diabetes existed more than 17 years (patients HR-PF4 149.1 ng/ml, range 17.3-194; controls HR-PF4 110.9 ng/ml range 50-160, less than p less than 0.05). NIDD failed to reveal the same pattern. Although the significance of HR-PF4 is unknown, insulin dependent diabetes mellitus after many years could cause a potentially dangerous, silent vascular damage with enhanced platelet vessel wall interaction as measured by an elevated HR-PF4.

Intraperitoneal pentobarbitone anaesthesia of Mystromys albicaudatus.

Anaesthesia trials with intraperitoneal (i.p.) pentobarbitone sodium in Mystromys albicaudatus indicated that the optimum dose is between 4 and 5 mg/100 g bodyweight. No differences were detected in duration of anaesthesia associated with sex or time of day.

Causes of death of infant rhesus and squirrel monkeys.

The necropsy records of 144 infant rhesus monkeys and 38 infant squirrel monkeys that died during a 2-year period at the Delta Regional Primate Research Center were reviewed for causes of deaths and other clinically important findings. Bronchopneumonia, enteric diseases, and Streptococcus pneumoniae infections were the most frequent causes of death in infant rhesus monkeys. Trauma was the most frequent cause of death in squirrel monkeys less than 1 month old and bronchopneumonia was the most frequent cause of death in older squirrel monkey infants.

The presence of retinopathy in patients with secondary diabetes following pancreatectomy or chronic pancreatitis.

The incidence of diabetic retinopathy was evaluated by means of fluorescein angiography in 54 patients with diabetes secondary to chronic pancreatitis or to pancreatectomy. Thirty-one percent of the patients had background retinopathy; none had proliferative retinopathy. The percentage of patients with retinopathy was the same in groups with or without a family history of diabetes. There was no correlation between the degree of metabolic control, the levels of C-peptide, glucagon, growth hormone, and the presence of retinopathy. Retinopathy was correlated with the duration of diabetes. In conclusion, diabetes caused by pancreatitis or pancreatectomy has a significant prevalence of retinopathy, which has more benign characteristics and slower evolution than the retinopathy in patients with primary diabetes.

Plasma kallikrein activity in human diabetes mellitus.

It has recently been observed that administration of bradykinin to diabetic patients improves peripheral glucose utilization. To verify whether there is an alteration of the kallikrein-kinin system in human diabetes, plasma kallikrein activity was measured in 47 diabetic patients and in 20 control subjects. In diabetics plasma kallikrein activity was significantly higher than in controls: 1.04 +/- 0.04 U/ml (p less than 0.001). Although they do not refute the hypothesis that there is an alteration of the kallikrein-kinin system in diabetes mellitus, these findings do not support such a hypothesis either. Increased synthesis of plasma kallikrein activity may be due to increased synthesis of carbohydrate-protein compounds in diabetes mellitus.

[Correlation of metabolic and hemorrheological parameters in diabetes and hyperlipidemia]. / Correlazioni fra parametri metabolici ed emoreologici nel diabete e nelle iperlipidemie.

Blood viscosity, plasma viscosity and erythrocyte filterability were studied in 46 diabetic and in 24 hyperlipidemic patients and were compared with those of a group of normal controls; 35 diabetics were type I (IDDM, 13 of whom complication-free and 22 with micro- and macroangiopathy), 11 diabetics were type II (NIDDM, 5 of whom complication-free and 6 with micro- and macroangiopathy). Erythrocyte filterability was lower in type I and II diabetes than in controls, and was also lower in diabetics with vascular complications than in complication-free patients. Erythrocyte filterability inversely correlated with HbA1c and with plasma uric acid levels. The hyperlipidemic group included 6 type IIa, 6 type IIb, 8 type IV and 4 type V patients. All hyperlipidemic patients were examined before and during diet and drug therapy. In all the hyperlipidemic patients blood viscosity inversely correlated with HDL-cholesterol, while plasma viscosity directly correlated with plasma uric acid. All these findings suggest that some hemorheological factors can play a role in the onset and progression of vascular complications of diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemias, and that the hemorheological changes correlate with the severity of the metabolic abnormalities.

Contact phase of blood coagulation in diabetes mellitus.

The first phase of the intrinsic coagulation system was studied in twenty-six diabetic outpatients. The parameters tested were kallicrein, prekallicrein, factor XI and factor XII activities. Kallicrein and factor XI showed significantly elevated activities as compared with a normal control group (P less than 0.05 and less than 0.001, respectively). Factor XI and factor XII levels were higher in non-insulin dependent than in insulin dependent diabetics. We found that the kallicrein-prekallicrein system was activated in our diabetic patients and that such activation could probably be secondary to lesions of the vascular endothelium present in long-term diabetics. No correlation was found between glycaemia and activity levels of this system. Our data represent another demonstration of the existence of a hypercoagulable state in diabetes mellitus.

Lymphocyte subpopulations in insulin-dependent diabetics with and without serum islet-cell autoantibodies.

The lymphocyte subpopulations of 26 insulin-dependent diabetics were studied. Thirteen of them had persistent pancreatic islet-cell serum antibodies (ICA) (mean (+/- SD) duration of diabetes 11 +/- 8 years). The others were ICA-negative (mean duration of diabetes 10 +/- 8 years). The mean fasting blood glucose in the week before the lymphocyte count was 1..37 +/- 0.45 g/l (two specimens for every patient). As controls 19 healthy volunteers, sex and age matched, were investigated. The T-lymphocyte count was no different in diabetics compared to controls. B-cells were significantly raised (p less than 0.01) in the ICA-positive group, when tested with anti-human gammaglobulin sera (IgG + IgA + IgM), anti-human IgM, while no difference was observed between ICA-negative patients and normal subjects. IgA-bearing lymphocytes were equally raised in both diabetic groups (p less than 0.05). These data show an altered immunological balance in type IB (autoimmune) diabetes, characterized by an increased number of B-lymphocytes.

Plasma and urine free L-carnitine in human diabetes mellitus.

L-carnitine is essential for the transport of long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria and their oxidation. Recently, a relationship between plasma free fatty acids (FFA) and L-carnitine metabolism has been observed. Plasma free L-carnitine (FC), FFA, triglycerides, cholesterol, blood glucose concentration and daily excretion of FC were determined in 20 diabetic patients as well as in 18 control subjects. Both in male diabetics and in male controls, plasma FC was significantly higher than in females. Mean plasma FC was found to be significantly reduced in diabetics (21 +/- 2 vs 35 +/- 2 mumol/1 in non-diabetic subjects; p less than 0.005). Daily urinary excretion of FC was clearly lower in diabetic patients than in controls (172 +/- 34 vs 403 +/- 38 mumol/24 h; p less than 0.001). The reduced plasma FC in diabetes mellitus may be due to redistribution between circulating free and esterified carnitine and to increased utilization of FC for synthesis of acylcarnitine in tissues.

Serum lipids and apoprotein composition (%) of the very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) fraction in two groups of diabetic patients: effects of oral as compared to insulin therapy.

Forty-one diabetic patients (21 males and 20 females) were divided into two groups according to treatment. One group (n = 22) was treated with insulin and the other with oral therapy (tolbutamide) (n = 19). The two groups of patients were in a good metabolic control in that the glucose loss in the urine was less than 10 g/24 h. In these two groups we have evaluated total serum cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), VLDL TC/TG ratio and prevalence of 'double pre-beta lipoproteinemia'. For these parameters no significant differences have been found between the two groups. The results of our study suggest that, provided metabolic control is good, the VLDL metabolism does not seem to be affected by the type of treatment.