Peculiarities of the virus-host cell relationship in a calf kidney cell line persistently infected with measles virus.

Persistent infection with measles virus established in a calf kidney cell line differed in some features from other measles virus carrier systems. After a variable life span, ranging from 50 to 1100 days, six of the chronically infected cell lines showed an evolution towards lytic infection. Only one of these lines, the K-2 cell line, exhibited marked morphological, growth and chromosomal alterations suggesting in vitro cellular transformation. The transformed K-2 cells released infectious measles virus with several modified biological parameters. Persistent infection was not due to the accumulation of thermosensitive mutants or defective particles. The role of the host-cell factor and of the selection of the virus population during its passage in RV cells are discussed.

[Abrikosov's tumor located in the breast]. / Tumoarea Abrikosov cu localizare mamara.

The paper reports on the clinical case of a mammary tumour, Abrikosov's tumour, a are histopathologic occurrence. Clinical, histopathologic and therapeutic aspects are revealed. This case enriches the literature data on this peculiar form of tumour with mammary location.

The benefits of using Sentinel WebDashboard in medicine: IT solution for monitoring and treatment of patient with liver cirrhosis.

The global assessment of the evolution of a disease in a certain geographical area or a specific domain is useful in the medical research for the preparation of practice guidelines/protocols used in the hospitals. Cirrhosis is one of the most common disorders seen today, occupying a significant place in the gastrointestinal pathology. The disease is the final stage of various affections in terms of etiology and morphology. The most frequent subjects treated on this topic are those related to the etiopathology and early diagnosis. Given the current interest in this matter and considering that UGS (upper gastrointestinal bleeding) in liver cirrhosis is a common complication and potentially fatal, the medical research found some very useful conducting retrospective studies in this area. The purpose of our study was to create an IT system implemented with Sentinel WebDashboard, which could increase the medical performances in diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of a disease. We tested our solution on a medical data set containing information about the patients with liver cirrhosis. The solution facilitates the access of the physicians to the databases containing complete information about the patients, offers the possibility to monitor the evaluation of their health and also aids physicians in optimizing the medical procedures and improve the diagnostic methods. It also offers the advantages of a web application: it does not require the installation on the client side, being accessible anytime, anywhere via a web browser, laptop, Smartphone or tablet.

Evaluation at patients with ventricular arrhythmias and coronary artery disease of myocardial revascularization effects.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to determine the relations between myocardial revascularization therapy--coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and coronary angioplasty (PTCA)--and ventricular potentially malignant arrhythmia (VPMA) (coupled VPC, VPC > 10/hour, NSVT--Morganroth classification), in patients (pts) with stable CAD. METHODS: 765 patients with stable angina and ventricular potentially malignant arrhythmia were evaluated angiochoronarographically, echographically, by programmed electrical stimulation (PES), standard ECG, Holter ECG, radiologically, and by stress test. From 765 patients with CAD and VPMA 169 pts. (22.9% of cases) were revascularized, 77 pts. (10.06% of cases) by CABG surgery and 82 pts. (10.71% of cases) by PTCA with or without stenting. RESULTS: From pts. with inducible sustained ventricular tachycardia by programmed electrical stimulation PES + (129 pts. 16.86% of cases), 19 pts. (2.5% of cases) were with CABG vs 9 pts. (1.17% of cases) with PTCA (p > 0.05). In 333 pts. with arrhythmogenic myocardic ischemia detected by Holter ECG/24 hours (Holter +) the distribution of myocardial revascularization was similar (40 pts., 5.22% of cases with CABG vs 46 pts., 6.01% of cases with PTCA) (p > 0.05). The study included 225 pts. with positive stress test, 45 pts. were revascularized, 18 pts. (2.35% of cases) with CABG and 27 pts. (3.52% of cases) with PTCA (p > 0.05). Revascularized pts. represent an increased percent with prior myocardial infarction in the subgroup with CABG vs. PTCA (39% of cases, p < 0.05 vs. 25% of cases, p < 0.05). Revascularized pts. presented similar distributions of VPMA in subgroups with CABG and PTCA. CONCLUSIONS: VPMA was not influenced by myocardial revascularization, CABG or PTCA, the incidence being similar (50.94% vs 47.2%; p < 0.05) with pts. drug treated.

Are systemic inflammatory profiles different in patients with COPD and metabolic syndrome as compared to those with COPD alone?

BACKGROUND: Metabolic Syndrome (MS) is frequent in patients with COPD, almost 50% of patients with COPD had one or more components of metabolic syndrome (MS). Moreover, it was demonstrated that BMI might be one of the determinants of COPD phenotype. Chronic comorbid diseases affect health outcomes in COPD, in fact, patients with COPD mainly die of non-respiratory disorders such as cardiovascular disease. Inflammation plays a key role in COPD and MS but we do not know the real inflammatory profile of these patients. A better understanding of the origin and consequences of systemic and local inflammation, and of potential therapies, will most likely lead to better care of patients with COPD. METHODS: We compared 64 consecutive, consenting smoker patients with COPD and MS (mean age: 62.7 +/- 0.7 years) with this serum inflammatory profile (hsCRP: 1.9 +/- 0.01 mg/dL, TNF-alpha: 6,4 +/- 0.1 pg/mL, adiponectin: 4.7 +/- 0.01 mg/L) versus 69 COPD smoker patients matched for age (mean age 61.4 +/- 0.4 years) with following serum inflammatory cytokine (CRP: 0.9 +/- 0.01 mg/dL, TNF-alpha: 3.9 pg/mL +/- 0.01, adiponectin: 9.3 +/- 0.01 mg/L). COPD and MS was diagnosed according to the GOLD criteria respectively IFD 2005 criteria. Data were expressed as mean +/- SE (standard error). Comparisons of parameters among the two groups were made by Student unpaired t test. The level of statistical significance was set as p < 0.05. RESULTS: Serum TNF-alpha and high-sensitivity CRP levels in patients with COPD and MS were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of COPD alone. Plasma adiponectin levels in patients with COPD were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in subjects with COPD and MS. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COPD and MS have a more exacerbated systemic inflammatory profile and a significantly reduced specific adipose response represented by adiponectin than patients with COPD alone. These results help us to better understand the inflammatory pattern in patients with COPD with metabolic disorders and permit us to sustain the regulatory role of adiponectin in metabolism balance. It is possible that this association between COPD and MS with a specific inflammatory pattern (high serum levels of CRP and TNF-a but with low plasma levels of adiponectin) to explain the high rate of death adjudicated as due to cardiovascular causes.

Contribution of the "Stefan S. Nicolau" Institute of Virology to the electron microscopic study of viruses.

The review reflects the concerns of researchers of the "Stefan S. Nicolau" Institute of Virology who used electron microscopy techniques with a view to visualizing morphological features of virus structure (influenza, adeno, hepatitis, herpes, cytomegalic, Aujeszky, rabies viruses, etc.) and different aspects of the virus - host cell relationships (Sendai virus/Hep2 cells, influenza and adenovirus/mouse lung, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis/human brain or cell cultures, Coxsackie and foot-and-mouth disease virus/myofibrils, Rubarth hepatitis virus/chick embryo liver cells, a.o.). Morphological aspects of normal or tumoral cells and the influence of chemical agents (actinomycin D, EDTA), viruses, bacteria or parasites have also been studied. Mention is made of several original techniques used to obtain electron microscopy preparations.

Effects of streptomycin on the cortical neurons in the cat.

Data concerning the effects of streptomycin application on the brain cortex are very scarce and nonconcordant, despite routine intra-thecal administration of this drug. Experiments peformed in 15 adult cats permitted us to observed that application of streptomycin sulphate on the brain cortex leads to a real cortical depression, demonstrated by the disappearance of spontaneous spikes, lack of cortical fast activity and lack of hippocampal theta activity. The direct cortical response disappears too and sometimes even the transmission towards the deep structures of neuronal activation induced by high intensity or repetitive stimuli. The depressing activity of streptomycin resembles to a spreading depression, with an effect limited only to the hemisphere where the drug is applied. The difference between our results and those of other authors can be explained by the different degree of purity of the streptomycin used in the experiments.

[Pathomorphologic features in several phlebopathies associated with virus, rickettsia, chlamydia, and mycoplasma infections]. / Aspects pathomorphologiques dans quelques phlébopathies associées à des infections chroniques à virus, à rickettsies, à chlamydies et à mycoplasmes.

Seventy-six venous specimens were examined by indirect immunofluorescence and histological techniques. 80.26% out of them gave negative I.F. reactions. The following causal agents were found on the I.F. positive preparations: Rickettsia burneti, Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, parainfluenza type 3 and adenoviruses, alone or associated. The most frequent lesion noted in I.F. positive specimens was of the inflammatory-dystrophic type. In I.F. negative preparations the dominant lesion was the hyalinosis of the tunica media.

Influence of organic solvents and pH on some characteristics of influenza virus A(H1N1). Note 2. Effect of pH on some spectral and structural characteristics of influenza virus A(H1N1).

Spectrophotometric determinations as regards absorption at 280 nm, 260 nm and 224-237 nm, emission at 280-350 nm and light scattering at 550 nm were performed with suspensions of influenza virus A/Brasil/11/78 (H1N1) over a pH range from 2 to 12. The results obtained proved that changes in spectral parameters were minimal in the pH range from 6 to 10, a fact which could be correlated both with the preservation of the intact virion structure (as visualized by electron microscopy) and with the domain of biological stability of influenza virus.

[The pathomorphological aspects of arteriopathies associated with viral and microbial infections]. / Quelques aspects de pathomorphologie des artériopathies associées à des infections à virus et inframicrobiennes.

Presence of Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Rickettsia burnetii, influenza type B, herpes and adenoviruses was detected by immunofluorescence in artery fragments collected from patients with arteriopathy. Pathohistological examination of the samples revealed inflammatory--lympho-histiocytic infiltration--and mostly dystrophic alterations. Arteriopathies were localised mostly at the pelvic limb level, especially on femoral artery. Their incidence was statistically significant.

Further data on experimental Creutzfeldt--Jakob disease (spongiform encephalopathy) in the guinea pig.

Intracerebral inoculation to guinea pigs of cerebrospinal fluid or brain suspensions from 6 patients with Creutzfeldt--Jakob disease was followed in 4 cases by the appearance, after a long incubation period, of a serially transmissible experimental disease. The disease was characterized by tremor, discrete ataxia and convulsions and led to a fatal outcome within several days. Microscopic lesions in the brain of guinea pigs with the experimental disease consisted in glial proliferation, spongiform change and vacuolation of neuron cytoplasm. Electron microscopy proved that the vacuoles were situated in the endoplasmic reticulum and in the cytoplasmic processes.

Electron microscopic observations concerning the action of some aromatic compounds on the morphology of Sendai virus.

The interaction between Sendai virus and some fluorescent aromatic compounds with reactive chemical groups ( a vinyl-sulfonic and an isocyano naphthalic acid derivative) leads to alterations of the surface and inner structure of virus corpuscles. The intensity of the changes depends on the type of reactive group. No such morphological changes were induced by 1-amino-2-anthraquinone-sulfonic acid, a compound whose interaction with the virus is exclusively of physical nature.

Investigations on the presence of papova virus in certain forms of human cancer. Note I. Renal tumors and melanomas.

Within the framework of their research concerns regarding the presence of papova viruses in the human population of Romania, as well as the relationship between these viruses and certain forms of human cancer, the authors undertook an electron microscopic study of 4 renal tumors and 6 melanomas. No viral particles could be made evident in any of the sections examined. Viral SV-40 antigen was detected by indirect immunofluorescence reaction in kidney sections from a nephrosis case considered as control.

[Features of the patho-morphology of arteriopathies associated with viral and infra-microbial infections]. / Quelques aspects de pathomorphologie des artériopathies associées à des infections à virus et inframicrobiennes.

Presence of Mycoplasma Chlamydia, Rickettsia burnetii, influenza type B, herpes and adenoviruses was detected by immunofluorescence in artery fragments collected from patients with arteriopathy. Pathohistological examination of the samples revealed inflammatory--lympho-histiocytic infiltration--and mostly dystrophic alterations. Arteriopathies were localised mostly at the pelvic limb level, especially on femoral artery. Their incidence was statistically significant.

Electron optic aspects of a murine cytomegalovirus strain grown in R1 mouse kidney cell cultures.

The electron microscopic study of a mouse kidney cell line (R1) infected with a murine cytomegalovirus strain isolated from a micromammal captured in the area of endemic Balkan nephropathy demonstrated the presence of multiple types of virus particles, in different phases of replication. Nucleocapsids with a partially or almost totally empty centre were predominant. The small number of particles with an electron-dense core and double envelope points to a low yield of mature infectant particles.

Electron optic aspects of sonically disintegrated influenza virus A(H1N1).

Purified influenza virus A(H1N1) was sonicated in a continuous flow Ultrasonics F600 device at 20 kHz, 600 W. Electron optic examination of samples collected at different time intervals revealed morphologic alterations of the virus particles, gradually increasing in intensity: detachment of surface components, disruption of the viral corpuscles and of their constitutive elements, appearance of ghosts and of clustered viral components different in size and orientation.