The effect of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel infusion long-term therapy on motor complications in advanced Parkinson's disease: a multicenter Romanian experience.

Chronic treatment with oral levodopa is associated with an increased frequency of motor complications in the late stages of Parkinson's disease (PD). Continuous administration of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG-Duodopa(®), Abbott Laboratories), which has been available in Romania since 2009, represents an option for treating patients with advanced PD. Our primary objective was to report changes in motor complications after initiation of LCIG therapy. The secondary objectives were as follows: to determine the impact of LCIG therapy on the daily levodopa dose variation before/and after LCIG, to collect patient self-assessments of quality of life (QoL), and to study the overall tolerability and safety of LCIG administration. A retrospective analysis (2009-2013) of LCIG therapy and the experience in nine neurology centers in Romania was performed. The impact of LCIG therapy was evaluated by analyzing changes in motor fluctuations, dyskinesia and the patients' QoL after initiating therapy. The safety of LCIG therapy was estimated by noting agent-related adverse events (AEs) and medical device-related AEs. In the 113 patients included, we observed a significant improvement in PD symptoms after initiation of LCIG therapy. The "on" period increased, with a mean value of 6.14 h, and the dyskinesia period was reduced, with a mean value of 29.4 %. The quantified non-motor symptoms subsided. The patients exhibited significant improvements in QoL scores. There were few AEs and few cases of LCIG therapy discontinuation. LCIG is an important and available therapeutic option for managing patients with advanced PD.

[Retroperitoneal appendicular abscess]. / Abcesul retroperitoneal de cauza apendiculara.

This article presents a 28 years old male patient case with a retroperitoneal collection of apendicular origin. After few comments about clinical and paraclinical aspects, the authors emphasise the particular aspects of differential diagnosis and surgical approach which, finally, lead to a full recovery of the patient.

Evaluation of a test device to assess X-ray phototimers.

This article describes the evaluation of a commercial device designed to assess the performance of phototimers on x-ray systems. The device consists of a digital readout meter that can be connected to a radiographic or mammographic test cassette. Results showed that the device provided reproducible results with different x-ray generators and processors. The device can be used in acceptance testing and routine quality control inspections, as well as to calibrate or adjust phototimers.

[Cellular electric potentials in experimental cardiac hypertrophy]. / Potentialele electrice celulare în hipertrofia cardiaca experimentala.

Myocardial hypertrophy is considered as an adaptive mechanism of the heart submitted to mechanical overload manifested by an increase of ventricular mass. For the study of the myocardial hypertrophy different experimental models were proposed although the transposition of the results in clinical conditions is difficult. In the adaptive mechanisms of the heart of great importance are the electro-mechanical interrelations. Mechanical alterations during cardiac hypertrophy are characterized by a reduced shortening velocity and an increase of the time to peak tension. They are due to the prolongation of action potential duration especially of its plateau and a decreased rate of repolarization because of the increase of the peak ICa and ICa density, and the slower inactivations of the maximal ICa. Abnormalities of the K+ currents IK1 and IK may contribute to the prolongation of action potential duration. The instability of Ca2+ transients in hypertrophic myocardium can cause the apparition of cardiac arrhythmias.

Prevalence of HBeAg and anti-HBe in blood donors with HBs antigenemia.

250 HBsAg-positive sera from apparently healthy blood donors were tested for HBeAg and anti-HBe by immunodiffusion(ID) and counterelectrophoresis(CEP). HBeAg was identified in 2.4% and anti-HBe in 34% of the sera. After serum concentration a larger rate of both HBeAg and anti-HBe could be detected by ID. There was no difference in sensitivity between ID and CEP techniques in the detection of the e-system. There was no correlation between HBeAg or anti-HBe and HBsAg subtypes. Generally sera containing HBeAg showed higher titers of HBsAg in complement fixation.

Prevalence of HBsAg and anti-HBs among delivering women.

A survey of 2,500 delivering women revealed a 7.6% incidence of past infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) (HBsAg or anti-HBs). Only 5.9% of the anti-HBs-positive mothers had a possible history of parenteral exposure to hepatitis B and none of the 55 HBsAg carriers had such a history. The findings suggest that HBV is endemic and that it is probably spread in part by nonparenteral means. The high rates of HBsAg and anti-HBs point to the possible preventive value of routine screenings for this system among pregnant women.

[Age related electrophysiological modifications in rat myocardium]. / Aspecte electrofiziologice miocardice legate de vârsta la sobolan.

During aging the electrical and mechanical phenomena of the heart are impaired. We studied the effect of aging using standard microelectrode technique on action potentials obtained in papillary muscle from 1, 3, 6 and 18 month old rats. The action potential of myocardial cells is significantly prolonged and changes resemble those observed during cardiac overload. The possible cause of the slower action potentials is the alteration of Ca2+ transients due to a reduced rate of Ca2+ sequestration by the sarcoplasmic reticulum associated with a possible alteration of K+ currents. These developmental changes are considered as an expression of adaptation of the heart with aging.

Serologic markers of hepatitis B and A infections in the healthy population.

The prevalence of the serologic markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and of antibodies to hepatitis A virus (HAV) were determined by radioimmunoassay in 200 healthy subjects. One hundred and seven persons (53.5%) were positive for at least one marker of HBV. The prevalence of each marker was: HBsAg - 9.0%, anti-HBs alone - 2.0%, anti-HBc alone - 2.5%, anti-HBs and anti-HBc - 29.0%, HBsAg and anti-HBc - 11.0%. Evidence of a previous infection with HAV was found in 155 persons (77.5%); three of them had anti-HAV type IgM. These findings indicate that in the area investigated HAV infection is endemic, and HBV infection has a trend towards endemicity.

Californium-252 dosimetry in phantoms of various dimensions.

By using a tissue-equivalent (TE) ionization chamber filled with TE gas and a magnesium ionization chamber filled with argon gas as the dosimeter pair for the twin-chamber method, the authors obtained the neutron and gamma-ray components of the radiation dose from californium 252 (252Cf). The distribution of dose components as a function of different phantom dimensions was determined. The effect of neutron absorption and scattering was evaluated, as well as the absorption and production of gamma rays in the phantom. The results can be used for improvement of 252 Cf dosimetry when using a body of finite dimensions.

Radiation exposure due to scatter in neonatal radiographic procedures.

Radiation exposure due to scatter from radiographic examinations in the neonatal nursery depends on a number of parameters, such as beam kilovoltage, beam size, and distance from the infant being radiographed. These exposures are much less than those encountered in adult portable radiography. It is shown that, if reasonable precautions are taken, exposure to personnel in the nursery should be well within permissible limits.

Distribution of hepatitis B virus subtypes in Romania.

The higher incidence of HB8Ag/ayw (71%) in sera collected from acute viral hepatitis cases, as well as from patients with chronic active hepatitis, healthy carriers and blood donors of 20 Romanian counties emphasizes the local prevalence of the ayw determinant in our country.