Seronegative hepatitis C virus infection in patients with lymphoproliferative disorders.

It has been reported that hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA may be present in serum and/or lymphoid cells in the absence of specific circulating antibodies. The current study analysed seronegative HCV infection in patients with lymphoproliferative disorders. We studied 77 anti-HCV-negative patients (45 male and 32 female, mean age 54.8 ± 14.2 years) with various lymphoproliferative disorders. HCV-RNA was detected by RT-PCR in plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and bone marrow. Furthermore, the presence of viral nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) was determined in PBMC and bone marrow by immunostaining. HCV-RNA was detectable in at least one compartment in 27 (35.1%) patients. Viral RNA was found in bone marrow in 22 patients (28.6%), in PBMC in 13 (16.9%) and in plasma in 10 (13%) patients. In nine patients, evidence of infection was confined to the bone marrow compartment. Viral load in HCV-RNA-positive plasma ranged from 15 to 1.17 × 10(3) IU/mL. NS3 was detected in all but two HCV-RNA-positive bone marrow samples and in all but one HCV-RNA-positive PBMC samples. All 27 HCV-RNA-positive patients remained anti-HCV-negative when tested again after 6-12 months, but only four remained HCV-RNA positive. In conclusion, among patients with lymphoproliferative disorders, HCV can be present in plasma, PBMC and bone marrow despite the lack of circulating specific antibodies. Further studies are required to analyse the phenomenon of seronegative infection and to determine whether such patients are infectious.

Hepatitis C virus 5' untranslated region variability correlates with treatment outcome.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) variability affects viral-host interactions. We analysed HCV 5'untranslated region (5'UTR) in sera and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from chronic hepatitis C patients undergoing antiviral treatment. We studied 139 patients treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. The primary endpoint was a sustained virological response (SVR) defined as negative HCV RNA level 24 weeks after the end of therapy. 5'UTR was analysed by single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and sequencing. The pretreatment SSCP pattern in serum and PBMC differed in 26 (18.7%) patients. During therapy, the SSCP pattern remained stable in 65 (60.8%) patients, number of bands declined in 16 (15.0%), and in 18 (16.8%) patients, changes were qualified as 'shift' indicating change in band positions. In univariate analysis, there was a significant (P ≤ 0.05) positive association between SVR and pretreatment serum and PBMC dissimilarities, initial viral load <10(6) IU/mL, IL-28B CC genotype of the rs12979860 single nucleotide polymorphism and change in the SSCP band pattern (either 'shift' or decline) In multivariable analysis, only low initial viral load, IL-28B genotype, and changes in the SSCP band pattern were independent factors associated with SVR. In conclusion, stability of 5'UTR correlated with infection persistence, while changes correlated with SVR.

Post-harvest Salmonella spp. prevalence in turkey carcasses in processing plant in the northeast part of Poland.

Turkeys carcasses at selected point after slaughter on dressing line in poultry were sampled and analyzed for Salmonella. These slaughter turkeys came from the northeast part of Poland. The examinations were carried out in each month of 2009. Three hundred turkeys were selected at random from a commercial slaughter line, immediately after completing the cooling process. The percentage of these 300 turkeys from which Salmonella spp. were isolated was relatively high (8.3%; Salmonella positive results were observed in 25 cases). The lowest Salmonella spp. rate (1.3 %) for slaughter birds was found in the fourth quarter, and the highest contamination rate at 18.6% was found, in the third quarter. The serological types of Salmonella spp. isolated from the whole turkey carcasses were S. Saintpaul, S. Senftenberg, S. Anatum, S. Heidelberg, S. Hadar, S. Typhimurium and S. Infantis.

Neoplastic lesions in slaughter animals in Warminsko-Mazurskie voivodship (Poland) area during the years 2001-2007.

During the period of 7 years, 2001-2007, 110,273 heads of cattle and 3,055,654 heads of pigs were examined by veterinarians of the Polish Veterinary Inspection in Warminsko-Mazurskie voivodship. As a result of pre- and post-slaughter examination, 311 heads of cattle and 23 heads of pigs representing 0.279% and 0.00075% of the population respectively were considered unsuitable due to neoplastic lesions. The most frequently found lesions in cattle were fibroneuromas, neuromas and liposarcomas while in case of pigs those were various types of sarcomas, fibromas, cancers, nephromas and melanomas.

The effect of polyphosphates on streptococci isolated from mastitis cases.

The effect of 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.05, 0.6, 0.8 and 0.9% of polyphosphate mixture on 5 strains of Streptococcus agalactiae, 2 strains of Streptococcus dysgalactiae and 3 strains of Steptococcus uberis in blood agar in vitro and in milk was examined. It was found that the growth of all strains of the above mentioned bacteria was completely inhibited by 0.03% phosphate mixture in blood agar. In milk, however, the amount of polyphosphate mixture necessary for total inhibition was, from 0.6 to 0.9%, depending on the strain.

The legal requirements concerning transport of slaughter animals in Poland.

Conditions of trading and handling of animals during transportation are regulated by numerous norms which cover the humanitarian, sanitary, veterinary as well as technical and construction requirements to transportation means. Veterinary services play a particular role in trade of slaughter animals due to their controlling authority. They execute sanitary supervision over animal trading according to the regulations. Polish legislation related to the transport of animals is adjusted to the European Union standards.

Hepatitis C virus in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a chronically infected patient receiving liver graft from infected donor.

BACKGROUND: In hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive patients receiving HCV-positive liver allografts either the donor or recipient strain overtakes the other strain. Whether these changes are reflected in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-associated virus is unknown. METHODS: We analyzed by single-strand conformation polymorphism and sequencing HCV RNA from serum and PBMCs from a liver transplant recipient whose indigenous strain was replaced by the donor strain. RESULTS: Only the recipient strain was detectable in serum and PBMCs 3 and 5 days after transplantation; at day 7 and 8, a mixture of both was present in the PBMCs, but only recipient strain was detectable in serum. This coincided with the peak presence of donor DNA in recipient PBMCs. From day 14 on, HCV sequences in serum and PBMCs were indistinguishable. CONCLUSIONS: Overtake phenomenon in the setting of liver transplantation from infected donors to infected recipients is manifested in PBMCs. Cells released from infected graft carry donor HCV strain.

Changes in hepatitis C virus population in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells in chronically infected patients receiving liver graft from infected donors.

BACKGROUND: We have previously studied hepatitis C (HCV)-infected recipients of livers from HCV-infected donors and found that either the donor's strain or the recipient's strain predominate in serum. The current study was undertaken to determine whether these changes are complete and whether they are reflected in the population of virus associated with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). METHODS: We analyzed HCV ribonucleic acid from sequential serum and PBMC samples from 11 and 8 patients, respectively. The relatively stable NS5 region was chosen for analysis because it allowed for dependable identification of donor and recipient strains. Viral sequences were analyzed by direct sequencing and by sensitive strain-specific polymerase chain reaction assays. These assays were capable of detecting the minor sequence present at a concentration 1:104-10-7 below that of the major sequence. RESULTS: Five patients retained their original infecting strain; the donor strain was detected only transiently. In the remaining six patients, recipient strain was detected for the first few weeks, after which only the donor strain was consistently present. However, in one patient the second nondominant strain was detected from the background of the major strain on a single occasion 8 months after transplantation. All changes in serum were closely paralleled by those occurring in PBMCs. CONCLUSIONS: Viral population changes in the setting of liver transplantation from HCV-infected donors to HCV-infected recipients occur simultaneously in PBMCs and serum. The takeover of one strain by another in PBMC- and serum-derived viral populations seemed to be complete and long lasting.

Detection of hepatitis C virus replication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells after orthotopic liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: The presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) remains controversial. We determined the presence of the negative HCV RNA strand in PBMCs from a group of HCV-positive patients before and after liver transplantation. METHODS: Nine patients receiving orthotopic liver transplantation for end-stage HCV-related liver disease were studied. PBMCs were collected on the day of transplantation and 1 month later. The negative HCV RNA strand was detected by highly strand-specific Tth-based reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: All nine patients were positive for the presence of the HCV RNA-positive strand in serum and PBMCs both before and after transplantation. The presence of the negative HCV RNA strand was documented in three PBMC samples after transplantation but in none of the samples collected before transplantation. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that under circumstances of impaired immunity associated with pharmacological immunosuppression, HCV may be lymphotropic in vivo.

Hepatitis G virus coinfection in hepatitis C virus-infected liver transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we determined the prevalence of hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection in end-stage hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver disease and examined the influence of HGV coinfection on the outcome of liver transplantation. METHODS: HGV was detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Southern blotting in sera drawn from 159 patients who were known to be HCV infected before transplantation. Patients were followed up for a mean of 28.4 months after transplantation. RESULTS: Forty-one (25.3%) patients were HGV positive and the prevalence of HGV infection was similar for different HCV genotypes. Both HGV-positive and -negative groups had similar survival, recurrence rates, inflammatory activity scores, and degree of fibrosis at the time of recurrence. CONCLUSION: Infection with HGV is common in end-stage HCV-infected patients presenting for liver transplantation. It influences neither the outcome of liver transplantation nor the recurrence of hepatitis in the graft.

The role of bone scintigraphy in detecting child abuse.

This review of diagnostic imaging in cases of suspected child abuse characterizes the significant differences between bone scintigraphy and x-ray evaluation, describes the advantages and disadvantages of each modality, postulates on the specific mechanisms of injury that produce the characteristic scintigraphic findings, and emphasizes the influences that scintigraphic studies have on the medical, social, and legal aspects of child abuse. The major advantages of bone scintigraphy are its increased sensitivity (25% to 50%) in detecting evidence of soft tissue as well as bone trauma in child abuse. Furthermore, it is postulated that the specific mechanisms of inflicting the trauma relate to the patient's size and are characterized by bone scintigraphy. During fits of anger or frustration, the perpetrator of child abuse grasps the small infant or child by the thorax during the shaking activity. This produces characteristic rib injuries. The older and heavier child is more likely to be grabbed by the extremities, which produces periosteal injuries manifested as characteristic abnormal localizations in the diaphyses of the extremities. The roentgenograms of these injuries are frequently normal. The importance of bone scintigraphy is its complementary nature in defining and characterizing the extent and severity of trauma from child abuse. Such findings have direct bearing on the medical, social, and legal outcomes for the abused child. The quality of scintigraphic imaging is important, requiring the use of magnification techniques in the infant. The interpretation of the scintigraphic images depends on an understanding of the mechanisms by which the radionuclide localizes in bone. The same traumatic incident can lead to decreased, normal, or increased localization at the trauma site. Radionuclide scintigraphy is a complementary rather than competitive imaging modality to X-ray evaluation in the diagnosis and management of physical child abuse.

Cavitation in acute histoplasmosis.

Cavitary lung lesions in histoplasmosis are usually associated with the chronic form of the disease. This report describes a ten-year-old boy with the clinical and serologic pattern of acute Histoplasma capsulatum infection who had multiple cavitary lesions.

Amplification and fusion of long fragments of hepatitis C virus genome.

The 'long PCR' was used for amplification of hepatitis C virus (HCV) subgenomic fragments from liver. After testing several commercially available systems, it was found that Tth as the major enzyme is superior to using Taq. Employing a mixture of Tth and Vent polymerase (rTth polymerase, XL, Perkin Elmer) it was possible to amplify 4.6-kb and 9-kb fragments from biological samples containing as little as 10(2) and 10(4) viral copies, respectively. It was also demonstrated that 'long PCR' is useful for joining together large size amplification products.

MR of pediatric intracranial meningiomas.

PURPOSE: To assess MR and pathologic characteristics of childhood intracranial meningiomas, comparing the radiographic findings with those observed in adult intracranial meningiomas. METHODS: Clinical records, MR and CT scans, and histology of eight children with intracranial meningiomas presenting for a period of 7.5 years were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Boys equaled girls but predominated from ages 4 to 11 years. The ages ranged from 4 to 18 years. Two patients had radiation-induced meningiomas. Two children had multiple lesions; neither had neurofibromatosis. All solitary lesions were supratentorial. Other characteristics included: dural-based attachment (n = 6); large size (> 5 cm) (n = 4); cystic components (n = 3); and intraventricular location (n = 1). Histologic subtypes were: meningothelial (n = 4); transitional (n = 3); and fibroblastic (n = 1). Preoperative diagnoses of meningiomas were made in six cases based on overall imaging characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis of childhood intracranial meningiomas does not differ from that of adults radiographically, with the exception of larger tumor sizes.

Radiographic manifestations of congenital anomalies of the spine.

Although the foregoing review of embryologic development and congenital anomalies of the spine in infants and children is necessarily brief, the most commonly encountered abnormalities have been reviewed, and when possible, an attempt has been made to cite the stage of embryologic development at which the various abnormalities originate. As noted, congenital abnormalities of the spine are relatively uncommon but may be of profound clinical significance. During the past decade, the most significant developments in the diagnosis and treatment of these abnormalities have been ultrasonography, CT scanning, and MR imaging. In the neonate, the spinal cord and neural outflow can be evaluated by ultrasonography until the osseous elements begin to fuse. Thereafter, MR imaging is the procedure of choice because it permits evaluation of the spine and spinal cord in all planes of imaging and provides detailed evaluation of the effect of osseous abnormalities on neural structures. Finally, plain radiographs of the spine for evaluation of neonates who have any of a spectrum of sacral dimples are rarely helpful, and in the presence of significant cutaneous or subcutaneous abnormalities, ultrasonography is the preferred modality for evaluation.

Occurrence of Salmonella spp. in consumption eggs in Poland.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of Salmonellae on egg shells in markets in Olsztyn, Poland. An investigation carried out by the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station into cases of food poisoning caused in Poland by Salmonella spp. in recent years showed that the largest number of outbreaks is connected with consuming foods containing hens eggs which had not undergone heat treatment, such as mayonnaise, creams, ice-cream and other products. The world egg production amounts to 400 billion, in Poland it reaches the level of around 8 billion per year. A total of 1200 eggs were purchased in 40 local markets in Olsztyn were examined for the presence of Salmonella between June 1997 and December 1998. Salmonella was not found on the shell or inside the eggs. From this study it would appear that the incidence of Salmonellae on eggs from Olsztyn shops is very low.

Persistent respiratory failure due to low cervical cord infarction in newborn babies.

Perinatal infarction of the spinal cord is described in two premature babies who survived for several months. In both cases, there was bilateral, multisegmental infarction at the lower cervicothoracic arterial zone (inferior cervical sector), predominantly within the territory of the anterior spinal artery. Clinically, both infants had acute respiratory failure, diaphragmatic respiration, intercostal paralysis, bell-shaped deformity of the thorax, and bilateral arm paresis. Intubation and ventilator support were required for weeks. Eventual extubation was followed by recurrent respiratory failure, atelectasis, and pneumonia. At the level of the infarction, multiple, scattered scars were found in central, perimedullary, and intramedullary arteries, but not in their parent vessels. The etiology of the angiopathy was not determined. These cases demonstrate that discrete arterial infarction of the cord can occur in premature babies, and that such a lesion should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neonatal respiratory failure.

The clinical and radiological evaluation of absence of the corpus callosum.

A retrospective and prospective analysis of children with a diagnosis of complete absence of the corpus callosum (ACC) at the Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago over a 5-year period was performed. The diagnosis was based on the computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance (MR) images. From this material, 105 children with a diagnosis of ACC were analyzed on the basis of clinical symptomatology and radiological studies (CT, MR and ultrasound). Eighty-three percent of our children were symptomatic. The most common symptoms and signs were macrocephaly with hydrocephalus and seizures. MR was the best radiological imaging modality for evaluating children with ACC and associated brain anomalies. The most common associated brain anomalies with ACC in decreasing frequency in our children were: interhemispheric cyst with hydrocephalus, Dandy-Walker malformation, migrational disorders, absence of the inferior vermis, cephaloceles and lipoma of the interhemispheric fissure.

The MR evaluation of pachygyria and associated syndromes.

A retrospective study of 40 children with some form of pachygyria was performed at the Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. All 40 children had MR brain scans. We analyzed the MR findings, and correlated these findings with the clinical symptoms and course in all the children. We have autopsy findings in 15% these children. Based on our clinical, MR and autopsy findings, in conjunction with the medical literature, we found the following: (1) Pachygyria can occur as an isolated entity without an association with lissencephaly. The MR findings in these children consisted of a brain that demonstrated normal opercularization with either focal or diffuse areas of pachygyria without areas of agyria. These children live longer and have less severity of symptoms than the children with lissencephaly. (2) The MR findings in children with lissencephaly consisted of a brain that demonstrated abnormal opercularization with areas of total agyria or areas of agyria with pachygyria. (3) The MR findings in 25% of our children with polymicrogyria simulated pachygyria. The MR findings of the brain in these children consisted of a 'nubby' appearance to the outer surface of these abnormal gyri which resembled pachygyria but on histologic exam was polymicrogyria.

Effects of chondroitin sulphate on fluid and solute transport during peritoneal dialysis in rats.

The effect of chondroitin sulphate (CS) on peritoneal fluid and solute transport was studied in rats undergoing peritoneal dialysis. In the presence of CS, net ultrafiltration increased, while absorption of glucose and horseradish peroxidase from the peritoneal cavity decreased. Albumin, used instead of CS, did not modify either fluid or solute transport. In in vitro experiments on isolated rabbit mesentery, CS decreased transmembrane water flow induced by hydrostatic pressure, and its effect was not fully reversed 60 minutes after "wash-out" of this glycosaminoglycan. We postulate that the polyanionic CS molecules are trapped in the peritoneal interstitium, thus decreasing its hydraulic conductivity and permeability, which in turn increases net fluid removal during peritoneal dialysis because of its slower absorption from the peritoneal cavity.