Serological diagnosis in human Yersinia infections.

Serological examinations revealed Y. enterocolitica 0:3 specific antibodies in 34% of 80 children affected by a yersiniosis epidemic at titres of 1/40-1/640 and in all sporadic Yersinia enteritis cases. Similarly, agglutinins were identified for Y. enterocolitica 0:3 and 0:9 in 3.4% of 430 appendectomized children hospitalized with painful syndrome in the right iliac fossa. In 10% of 101 patients hospitalized with arthritis and Reiter's syndrome antibodies to Y. enterocolitica 0:3 (8 cases) and Y. pseudotuberculosis (3 cases) were detected at titres of 1/80-1/640. Our results stress the importance of serological examinations in diagnosing human infections with Yersinia.

[The clinical and immunological correlations between the p24 antigenemia levels and those of anti-p24 antibodies in HIV-seropositive children]. / Corelatii clinice si imunologice între nivelurile antigenemiei p24 si cele ale anticorpilor anti-p24 la copii HIV seropozitivi.

The influence of HIV I p24 antigen immune complexing with anti-p24 antibodies of the assessment of their respective levels in HIV-positive sera was studied. ELISA tests were used for evaluating anti-p24 and p24 antigenemia, with or without acid dissociation. We have observed that: 1. p24 antigenemia usually coexisted with low anti-p24 levels, an inverse correlation between these two parameters being traced; acid dissociation increased the percentage of p24 positive sera, especially when anti-p24 titers are low; 2. on contrary, after acid dissociation, p24 Ag remain undetectable in 55.56% of patients presenting high titers and 29.41% of those with low levels of anti-p24; acid dissociation do not increase anti-p24 titers. Whereas the first group of observations suggests that p24 Ag and anti-p24 Ab may be involved in immune complexes, the second set indicates that p24 Ag and Ab were not inevitably linked in such complexes. So, they may be indicative for two distinct biological phenomena.

[Data on the use of serological tests for differentiation of exanthematous typhus primary infection from that of recurrences in native cases of Brill-Zinsser disease]. / Data aspura aplicarii testelor serologice de diferentiere a tifosului exantematic de primoîmbolnavire de cel de reîmbolnavire la cazuri autohtone de maladie Brill-Zinsser

A group of sera from autochtonous cases of Brill-Zinsser's disease, in the early acute phase, were examined by the tests of Murray et al. and Voronova, in the course of a study on the characteristics of the immune response in primary and secondary stimulation with Rickettsia prowazeki. The results obtained both with these sera and those of primary typhus cases from other countries, suggest the possibility of establishing a serologic diagnosis of Brill-Zinsser's disease, with certainty, by identifying the secondary nature of the disease according to the presence of antibodies type 7 S. The authors recommend complement fixation with increasing soluble R. prowazeki antigen concentrations as a method of electron for routine diagnosis.

Circulation of influenza virus A(H1N1) in Moldavia (Romania) during 1978-1982.

The influenza virus A(H1N1) subtype that reappeared after an absence of 20 years was incriminated as an etiological agent of acute respiratory disease outbreaks in Moldavia (Romania). There were three epidemics in the winter--spring of 1978, 1979, and 1982, that affected mostly school communities and young adults. In 1980-1981 the circulation of A(H1N1) virus was limited. In all the epidemics mentioned the A(H1N1) subtype caused mild influenza cases, with minimal complications and insignificant mortality.