Removal of mercury (II) from aqueous solution by activated carbon obtained from furfural.

The adsorption of Hg(II) from aqueous solution at 293 K by activated carbon obtained from furfural is studied. The carbon is prepared by polymerization of furfural following carbonization and activation of the obtained polymer material with water vapor at 800 degrees C. Adsorption studies of Hg(II) are carried out varying some conditions: treatment time, metal ion concentration, adsorbent amount and pH.

Clinical significance of antinuclear antibodies, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies and anticardiolipin antibodies in heroin abusers.

Background: Different autoantibodies and immunologic abnormalities have been described in heroin abusers positive for human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B surface antigen, or hepatitis C virus, as well as in addicts with negative viral markers.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of different autoantibodies in heroin addicts.

Methods: We studied 10 heroin addicts (8 males and 2 females aged 18-30 years) with a mean duration of heroin abuse of 46.

Lupus-specific kidney deposits of HSP90 are associated with altered IgG idiotypic interactions of anti-HSP90 autoantibodies.

Previous studies have shown that autoantibodies to heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) are elevated in a significant proportion of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are more likely to have renal disease and a low C3 level. Using samples from 24 patients, we searched for glomerular deposits of HSP90 in renal biopsy specimens from seven patients with lupus nephritis and 17 cases of glomerulonephritis from patients without SLE. Positive glomerular immunofluorescent staining for HSP90 was observed in six of seven cases of SLE and positive tubular staining in two of seven SLE patients.

[Laboratory diagnosis of hepatitis C].

Laboratory algorithm for the diagnosis of viral hepatitis C (HVC) is proposed. Blood sera are screened for antiHVC by third-generation EIA and PCR of HVC RNA. Positive result of PCR is diagnostically significant.

[Secondary systemic amyloidosis A combined with primary glomerulonephritis and systemic diseases].

Amyloidosis is characterized by organic dysfunction as a result of deposition of amyloid substance in the walls of the small blood vessels and extracellularly in different organs. The involvement of the kidneys in systemic amyloidoses AL and AA has irreversible evolution to renal failure. The object of the study was to determine the prevalence of the secondary (reactive) systemic amyloidosis AA in combination with primary glomerulonephritis (PGN) and lupus nephropathy (SLE) and to create diagnostic approach for its early detection.

Role of fibronectin in immune glomerulonephritis.

There is already a considerable amount of evidence suggesting that fibronectin (Fn) plays an important role in the pathogenic process in some forms of glomerulonephritis (GN). It has been postulated that Fn may participate in the progression or regression of glomerular diseases. The Fn is presented in the kidney as a normal component of the mesangium, and it is increased in the expanded mesangium in various forms of GN.

[Mesangial C3-glomerulonephritis].

12 patients with mesangial C3-glomerulonephritis, 7 women and 5 men, aged 16-42, mean age 29.7 years, were followed up for 1-18 years, mean time 5.7 years.

[Drug disease related to the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents].

A case is presented of a woman with drug disease related to the use of non-steroid antiinflammatory drugs. The disease was manifested by combined impairment of several organs and systems: arthralgia, febrility, anorexia, fibroscopic data for superficial gastritis, iron deficiency anemia, angiospastic syndrome, impairement of the liver and the kidneys. The renal lesions differed from the usual for such cases tubulointerstitial changes and a mild mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis without manifested clinical symptoms was found.

[Hypokalemic nephropathy from the chronic use of diuretics and laxatives].

The cases of two women with morphologically proved hypokalemic nephropathy related to chronic use of diuretics and purgatives are reported. The disease has been detected because of reduced urine quantity, increase of body mass and edema. The serum protein level is low.

Nephrotoxic effect of the specific brain serotonin depletor para-chlorophenylalanine.

Brain serotonin depletion induced by peripheral parachlorophenylalanine (pCPA) is frequently used to evaluate the role of the central serotoninergic system in the regulation of a number of physiological functions, including the secretion of renin by the kidney. We found that due to the treatments applied in the protocol used for the investigation of pCPA effect on renin and vasopressin secretion in rats (300 mg/kg i.p.

[Role of hepatitis B virus infection in chronic glomerulonephritis].

This study included 60 patients suffering from chronic glomerulonephritis (GN), confirmed by punch biopsy of the kidney. HBs antigen (Ag) was found in the sera of 5 patients, whereas anti-HBs and/or anti-HBc antibodies were found in 3 others. Of the 139 subjects carrying HBsAg or anti-HBc antibodies 117 suffered from chronic liver disease and 3 from chronic GN.

[Indirect immunofluorescence in bladder tumors].

Fourty three patients with transient-cell bladder carcinoma had complete investigations performed for determining maximal number of parameters characterizing the tumors--gross appearance (mode of growth and dissemination, size, multiplicity, localization, infiltration stage, differentiation grade), cytophotometric data (ploidy and proportion of cells in S-phase). In direct immunofluorescence was applied as diagnostic test for assessing the immune response of the organism to its own tumor. Information on the immune response was also obtained by determination of the IgA and IgG levels in the patients' sera.

["De novo" glomerulonephritis in the transplanted kidney].

A case of an 11-year-old boy is presented who had developed a severe nephrotic syndrome with massive edema, ascites, hydrothorax (protein loss with the urine up to 19 gr/24 h) 7 months after a successful kidney transplantation from a 16 years dead donor and a successfully treated crisis of transplant rejection by a good tissue compatibility. The needle renal biopsy revealed membranous glomerulonephritis I-II histological stage with data of rejection crisis by a basic disease of vesicoureteral refluxes and chronic pyelonephritis. Treatment with heparin, dipyridamole, human albumin, diuretics, sandimun and prednisolone led to a substantial improvement--mastered nephrotic syndrome, lowered to 1 g/24 h proteinuria and normal renal function.

[Echographic diagnosis of diffuse kidney diseases].

In 24 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis the echographic findings were compared with some basic parameters established by histomorphologic examinations. In the echographic examinations 4 degrees of echogenicity were used (Rosenfield, Hrisak). The conclusion is that there is no typical echographic image for the different morphologically defined renal diseases.

[Clinical, laboratory and morphological characteristics of mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis].

The mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) is the most frequent morphological type of primary glomerulonephritis and it was found in 42.7% of the patients studied. The MPGN is not a single nosologic entity which is proved by the immunofluorescent findings, clinical and laboratory characteristics.

[Acute interstitial nephritis following the use of gentamycin].

The authors describe a patient that developed acute interstitial nephritis after gentamycin administration. The disease progressed with general lassitude, subfebrile temperature, oliguria, and increased nitrogen bodies in blood. After a short oliguric stage, polyuria followed and the renal function was completely normalized one month after the onset of the disease.

[Cardiovascular changes among deceased patients with diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy among 9015 autopsied over the age of 14].

Out of 9015 necropsies of patients, over the age of 14, performed between January 1, 1967 and March 1, 1979 at a general hospital in Sofia, 729 of them (8,07%) proved to have diabetes as well. Renal complications were found in 315 of them (43,2%)--chronic pyelonephritis being most frequent (21,2% of all diabetics) followed by diabetic glomerulosclerosis (DG)--18,5 per cent of the diabetics and in 7,9 per cent--a combination of both complications. The authors studied only the patients with DG.

[Incidence of chronic glomerulonephritis and its hypertonic terminal-stage syndrome and the severity of the cardiovascular changes among 9015 autopsied patients over 14].

Chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) is responsible for 105 (1.16%) of all 9015 necropcies in a multi-specialized hospital but it occupies the third place after chronic pyelonephritis and diabetic glomerulosclerosis 9.20 per cent.

[Incidence and the degree of cardiovascular changes and causes of death in 717 patient who died of chronic pyelonephritis with and without arterial hypertension].

The authors examined 9015 necropsies, over the age of 14, in a general hospital for the period January 1, 1967 to March 1, 1979. They found that the chronic pyelonephritis (ChPN) was the most frequent renal diseases with a lethal end--62.83 per cent of the renal patients and 7.

[Hypertension incidence and its reflection in vascular and organic lesions in 9014 autopsies of subjects over 14 years of age].

The authors found arterial hypertension in 1943 (21,55%) of the deceased (males 17,7% and females 26,62%) out of 9015 necropsies performed on subjects over the age of 15, for the time period January 1, 1967-February 28, 1979 at a general hospital. According to etiology 59,18 per cent of them were with essential hypertension (hypertonic disease--HD) and 40,18 percent--with renal hypertension. The average duration of hypertension in those that had died of hypertonic disease, according to anamnestic data was 15,8 years.