Visceral leishmaniasis in a patient with acquired hypogammaglobulinemia.

A case of visceral leishmaniasis in a 26-year-old man with acquired IgA and IgG2 hypogammaglobulinemia, secondary to carbamazepine therapy given because of a previous head injury, is presented. The patient's clinical picture was otherwise typical, although hypogammaglobulinemia resulted in a delay in diagnosis, and response to therapy was excellent. This case is noteworthy because it is the first reported case of visceral leishmaniasis in a hypogammaglobulinemic patient and also because it is the fifth case of hypogammaglobulinemia due to carbamazepine reported worldwide.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among first-time and sporadic blood donors in Greece: 1991-1996.

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroprevalence among three major groups of sporadic voluntary blood donors in Greece was studied and compared to the seroprevalence in regular donors. These three groups share many characteristics with the general population. A 6-year retrospective seroepidemiological study was carried out (1991-1996).