Platelet aggregation and lipoprotein levels in a patient with familial hypercholesterolemia after selective LDL-apheresis.

Platelet aggregation was studied in a patient with familial hypercholesterolemia immediately after apheresis selective for low-density lipoprotein (LDL), a lipid-lowering procedure. This treatment reduced plasmatic levels of total and LDL-cholesterol, apo B, and triglyceride. Increased platelet aggregation was reduced immediately after the apheresis in whole blood as well as in platelet-rich plasma. However, aggregation in washed platelets remained unchanged after LDL-apheresis. In conclusion, in this patient reduction of LDL-cholesterol improved platelet function in the very short term.

The role of stress-related physical confinement in the pathogenesis of acute gastric hemorrhage after alcohol instillation in rats.

The combination of alcohol and stress have been considered producers of gastric hemorrhage both experimentally and in clinical observations. Since excessive alcohol intake often occurs in situations of severe emotional conflict and stress, it was decided to study the possible role of the latter in the etiology of gastric hemorrhage, up to now thought to be dependent only on alcohol. The study consists of 75 male Wistar rats divided into eight groups with seven to 14 animals each. They were submitted to fasting only, or to additional prolonged fasting, restraint-stress (physical confinement) for 17 hours and the oral administration of a single dose of 40% alcohol (1 ml/150 g of body weight). The stomachs were analyzed macroscopically and microscopically for the presence of gastric hemorrhage, and the following was observed; 1) only 10% of the rats submitted to a 25 hour fast either isolated or associated with 17 hours of physical confinement, demonstrated gastric hemorrhage; 2) after an eight hour fast, the administration of alcohol to the rats either sacrificed immediately or maintained for 17 hours, revealed gastric lesions in only 33.3% and 28.5% respectively, without significant statistical difference between the two groups (P > 0.05); 3) administration of alcohol prior to the 17 hour physical confinement revealed lesions in only 12.5% of the animals; 4) administration of alcohol to rats previously submitted to a 25 hour fast plus physical confinement for 17 hours, resulted in a significant number of hemorrhagic lesions (88.8%). This caused a statistical difference in the group compared to the others (P < 0.01). The results of this study led to the conclusion that stress (by prolonged physical confinement) was an important conditioning factor to the appearance of gastric hemorrhage when 40% alcohol was administered. It is possible that if the alcohol had been administered prior to the prolonged physical confinement its cytotoxic effect on the gastric mucosa might have been reduced.

[Frequency of blood donors with HIV antibodies in the Fundação Hemocentro de São Paulo]. / Freqüência de doadores portadores do anticorpo antivírus HIV na Fundação Hemocentro de São Paulo.

The frequency of "ELISA"-positive blood donors tested for HIV antibodies at Fundação Hemocentro de São Paulo was 0.45% (526/116,354). Of these positive donors 38 in 100 tested (0.38% were confirmed by Western blot, giving a projected frequency of truly positive HIV antibody and "ELISA"-positive) of 0.171%. The higher the absorbance in the "ELISA" test the bigger the probability of having a positive band (p24) in the Western blot.

[Etiopathogenesis of aplastic anemia and of the severe form treated with immunosuppression and bone marrow transplantation]. / Etiopatogênese da anemia aplástica e tratamento da forma severa com imunossupressão e transplante de medula óssea.

Aplastic anemia is a condition characterized by bone marrow hipoplasia and pancytopenia. Various etiologic agents are related to the acquired form of this disease but in many cases the causative agents remain obscure. Severe aplastic anemia has been treated by immunosuppression and allogeneic marrow transplantation.