Microbial air monitoring in operating theatres: experience at the University Hospital of Parma.

Background: Microbial air monitoring in operating theatres has been a subject of interest and debate. No generally accepted sampling methods and threshold values are available.

Aim: To assess microbial air contamination in empty and working conventionally ventilated operating theatres over a three-year period at the University Hospital of Parma, Italy.

Comparison of immunological reactivity to two major antigens of homologous and AD169 human cytomegalovirus strains during primary infection in renal transplant patients.

The IgG and IgM immunoblotting patterns for the major HCMV antigens p65 and p55/52 were studied in 5 renal transplant recipients during primary HCMV infections. Sequential sera from the 5 patients were tested in parallel with standardized antigens derived from the reference strain AD169 and from the patient'own isolates. The immunoblotting patterns differed from patient to patient as well as between strain AD169 and the patient's homologous isolates.