A trial with ribavirin in patients with AIDS or AIDS-related complex.

A therapeutic trial is described which concerns 6 patients with AIDS and 6 patients with ARC who were submitted to a 6 month course of Ribavirin. Ribavirin was administered orally as the following doses: 3.000 mg daily the first week, 2.

Absence of antinuclear antibodies in cryoprecipitates of patients with essential mixed or secondary non-lupoid cryoglobulinemia.

A panel of autoantibodies has been tested in serum samples and cryoprecipitates of 14 patients affected by essential mixed cryoglobulinemia (EMC) as well as in 12 subjects with secondary non-lupoid cryoglobulinemia (SC). Three out of 14 patients affected by EMC were ANA-positive (2 at 1:40 dilution and one at 1:80 dilution). Two out of 12 patients with SC were ANA-positive (both at 1:40 dilution).

Cryoglobulins and infectious diseases.

The relationship between infectious diseases due to various pathogenetic factors and cryoglobulin production mechanisms has been investigated. Cryoglobulins have been evidenced in infections caused by very heterogeneous pathogens, i.e.

Brachial paresis complicating acute non-A, non-B hepatitis.

We report a case of right arm paresis in a parenteral drug addict suffering from acute non-A, non-B hepatitis. His hepatic and neurological symptoms developed together with high level of circulating immune complexes, complement activation, and false VDRL positivity. Immunological abnormalities normalized with the resolution of acute hepatitis and improvement of paresis.