Human immunodeficiency virus infection related to blood transfusion service.

The prevalence of transmissible viruses, human immunodeficiency (HIV) and hepatitis B (HBV) in blood donors, recipients and blood bank staff in a Calcutta (eastern India) based blood bank and transfusion centre has been studied from 1987-93. HIV seropositivity of blood donors was of recent emergence and was low. Recipients of blood and blood components frequently i.

Hepatitis B vaccination and the rate of seroconversion in high risk contacts.

Twenty-seven employees of a blood transfusion centre, Calcutta were vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccine (recombinant DNA technology), 20 micrograms/1 ml intramuscularly on 0, 8, 32 weeks interval. The seroconversion rate at 8, 32, 40 weeks were 29.6%, 55.

Immunosurveillance of transfusion dependent thalassaemia and hepatitis B vaccination.

The study evaluates the probable alteration of the immune system in multitransfused thalassaemics and the modification of their immune response following administration of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine. B-thalassaemics (n = 50) and EB-thalassaemics (n = 30) who received multiple blood transfusion for the chronic anaemic status had significant iron overload. They had high prevalence for hepatitis B carrier state and almost all were exposed to hepatitis B virus during the course of transfusion as shown by the positivity of hepatitis B virus markers.

Relationship between macrophage colony-stimulating factor production by uterine epithelial cells and accumulation and distribution of macrophages in the uterus of pregnant mice.

Estrogen and progesterone induce production of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1) by uterine epithelial cells, and CSF-1 is produced in the uterus during pregnancy in mice. CSF-1 is a lineage-specific stimulator of macrophage proliferation, chemotaxis, and function. High concentrations of macrophages accumulate in the uterus during pregnancy.

Expression of interleukin 1, interleukin 6 and tumour necrosis factor alpha in mouse uterus during the peri-implantation period of pregnancy.

Interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) are expressed in the mouse uterus on days 1-3 of pregnancy. Cytokine production is temporally associated with the post-mating intrauterine acute inflammatory response. In this study, IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-alpha were detected in the uterus of pregnant mice from day 3 to day 9, using northern blotting, bioassays and immunocytochemistry.

Sero-surveillance of transmissible hepatitis B & C viruses in asymptomatic HIV infection in haemophilics.

In a group of 37 haemophilics, 9 (24.3%) were seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), while 9 (24.3%) and 10 (27%) were positive for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) respectively.

Macrophage colony stimulating factor controls macrophage recruitment to the cycling mouse uterus.

Progesterone and estrogen induce uterine epithelial cells to produce macrophage colony stimulating factor (CSF-1), and mouse uterine epithelial cells produce large amounts of CSF-1 during embryo development. The present study demonstrated that estrogen and progesterone each induce uterine CSF-1 gene transcription and translation detectable by Northern blotting and bioassay. Intrauterine CSF-1 production was greater in the presence of both estrogen and progesterone than following exposure to either hormone alone.

Detection of interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the uterus during the second half of pregnancy in the mouse.

This study demonstrated interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) in the mouse uterus during the second half of pregnancy (days 9-18). High concentrations of IL-1 alpha mRNA and bioactive IL-1 were detected between days 12-17. IL-1 bioactivity decreased to very low levels as pregnancy approached parturition.

Epidemiology of snake bite in the district of Burdwan, West Bengal.

An epidemiological field survey on snake bite was conducted on 26 randomly selected villages with a population of 18,892 in the district of Burdwan, West Bengal to assess the magnitude of the problem in a decade (1980-1989). Total number of snake bite, number of presumably poisonous snake bite and deaths due to snake bite poisoning were 307, 48 and 31 respectively. The death rate among snake bite victims was 10.

Interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha are produced in the mouse uterus during the estrous cycle and are induced by estrogen and progesterone.

The ovarian steroids, estrogen and progesterone, regulate cellular and molecular changes which occur in the uterus during the estrous cycle. Cycles of protein synthesis, cell proliferation and differentiation, and cell death are the direct results of changes in hormone concentration. To explore the possibility that cytokines, which stimulate proliferation and differentiation of numerous types of cells, might be associated with those cyclic changes, the production of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF alpha was examined in the mouse uterus.

Generation of cytotoxic immune responses against a rat glioma by in vivo priming and secondary in vitro stimulation with tumor cells.

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses to most antigens are generated by in vivo priming and secondary stimulation with antigen in vitro. The present studies were designed to determine whether that strategy could be used to stimulate development of CTL against brain tumors. Rats were primed with one of two tumors, RT2, an astrocytoma, or 9L, a gliosarcoma, and Corynebacterium parvum.

Expression of colony-stimulating factors and inflammatory cytokines in the uterus of CD1 mice during days 1 to 3 of pregnancy.

Morphological and immunohistochemical analyses have documented the development of an acute inflammatory response, marked by the early appearance of granulocytes and later infiltration of mononuclear cells, in the uterus immediately after mating in mice. The response peaked on Day 1 and subsided by Day 3. In the present study, RNAs for macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and for interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), IL-1 beta, interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were detected in uterine tissue on Day 1.

Prevalence of hepatitis C in transfusion dependent thalassaemics & haemophilics.

Seventy thalassaemics (B = 37, EB = 33) and 20 haemophilics (A = 18, B = 1, C = 1) were tested for antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) and markers for hepatitis B virus (HBV). The seropositivity for anti-HCV in thalassaemics and haemophilics was 14.3 and 25 per cent respectively.

Analysis of the number and distribution of macrophages, lymphocytes, and granulocytes in the mouse uterus from implantation through parturition.

The metrial gland and decidua basalis are uterine structures which, during pregnancy in mice and rats, contain bone marrow derived cells. The current study demonstrates that large numbers of bone marrow derived cells, identified by common leukocyte antigen (CLA) positivity, accumulate in the mesometrial uterus between days 6 and 10 and contribute significantly to the cellularity of both the metrial gland and the decidua basalis. The distribution of F4/80+ cells (macrophages) is similar, suggesting that CLA+ cells in the metrial gland and decidua basalis are macrophages.

Determination of the number and distribution of macrophages, lymphocytes, and granulocytes in the mouse uterus from mating through implantation.

The concentration and distribution of F4-80 positive cells (macrophages) and common leukocyte antigen (CLA) positive (bone marrow derived) cells were assessed in mouse uterus between days 1 and 8 of pregnancy. High numbers of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and lymphocytes were present on days 1 and 2, but not thereafter. Granulocytes were found both in the endometrium and within the luminal epithelium.

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in employees of a blood transfusion centre.

Blood bank staff, 8 out of 25 (32%) have been exposed to hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the prevalence of HBV markers in blood bank employees handling high risk subjects show hepatitis B surface antigen (n = 1), hepatitis B surface antibody (n = 7), hepatitis B core antibody (n = 6) and combined hepatitis B surface antibody and hepatitis B core antibody (n = 6) seropositivity but all are negative to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Serum alanine aminotransferase was raised in the employees than normal subjects and it is suggestive of sub-clinical hepatitis. The employees of blood bank should be trained for proper handling of test materials and must be periodically monitored for HBV and HIV.

Clinical experiences with vecuronium in children.

The neuromuscular blocking effects of vecuronium have been investigated clinically in children regarding its efficacy and safety. The drug is given either of the two doses--0.08 mg/kg body weight or 0.

Karyotype studies of patients with gonadal tumors.

Chromosomes from the peripheral blood of 10 patients with gonadal tumors were studied to detect any inherent chromosomal defect. Aneuploidy, breakages and loss of chromosome X were observed. In all cases the karyotype was compatible with the phenotype.

In vivo chloroquine resistant P. falciparum in Calcutta. A case report.

An in vivo chloroquine resistant P. falciparum malaria case is reported from Calcutta. The resistance level being R-1.

HIV, HBV and STD screening of high-risk subjects.

The seropositivity rate for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and sexually transmitted diseases (STO) were evaluated in high-risk subjects related to a blood transfusion centre in Eastern India. Paid donors showed a high seropositivity rate for HBV and STO and a recent emergence of HIV seropositivity. The multitransfused subjects of thalassaemia and haemophilia showed HBV seropositivity rates of 18% and 38% respectively but haemophiliacs receiving blood components showed in addition a seropositivity of 3% for HIV.

Effect of stress on the catecholamine content of the adrenal gland of intact and bursectomized chicks.

1. Bursa-intact and bursectomized chicks were exposed to cold-wet immobilization (CWI) stress for 1.5 min.

Influence of oestrogen and progesterone on macrophage distribution in the mouse uterus.

Macrophages are constituents of all normal connective tissue including the murine uterus. Macrophages have been identified previously in endometrium and myometrium of pregnant and non-pregnant murine uterus using antibodies against macrophages. In the current study immunohistochemical analysis of murine uterus demonstrated that there were not significant quantitative differences in uterine macrophages between the diestrous, pro-oestrous and oestrous stages.