Computer-assisted diagnosis of gastrointestinal helminths of domestic and experimental animals.

A 'user-friendly' interactive computer program written in BASIC with the objective of assisting the species identification of common gastrointestinal parasites of domestic and experimental animals is described. The computer program operates by prompting the user to select a morphological description from a set of presented descriptions that best fits the observed parasite. Depending on the user's response, the program presents another set of morphological descriptions from which the user must choose again, and so on, until the program concludes with the species of the parasite.

Decrease of acid phosphatase activity in murine peritoneal macrophages infected with Leishmania donovani.

The effect of infection with Leishmania donovani on the activity and isoenzyme composition of acid phosphatase within individual murine peritoneal macrophages maintained in vitro was studied. Concentrations of acid phosphatase activity and number of intracellular parasites were quantitated using a computer-assisted cytospectrophotometry system. Changes in the isoenzyme composition of macrophages during infection with L.

Serological markers of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis D virus infections in Greek adults with primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) has been linked etiologically to chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection by epidemiologic and molecular lines of evidence. Serologic evidence of HBV and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection was assessed in sera from 47 Greek patients with PHC. Radioimmunoassays for the detection of serological markers of HBV and HDV infections and molecular hybridization techniques for the detection of HBV DNA sequences were used.

Computerized diagnosis of gastrointestinal helminths of humans.

An interactive computer program written in BASIC with the objective of assisting the identification of species of common gastrointestinal parasites of humans is presented. The computer program acquires observational information needed for the identification of a parasite from the user. The user selects a description from a set of given descriptions that best fits the parasite observed.

Relationship between blood iron parameters and trichinellosis in swine.

Reduced levels of total iron binding capacity and unsaturated iron binding capacity were observed in the blood of trichinous and iron-injected trichinous pigs. No change was observed in their serum iron and saturation concentration levels. Also, reduced iron concentration levels were observed in the livers of trichinous pigs, while increased iron concentration levels were observed in the spleens of trichinous pigs and the livers and spleens of iron-injected pigs.

Effects of iron deficiency on viability of Trichinella spiralis larvae in vitro.

The importance of iron for survival of Trichinella spiralis larvae in vitro was examined. It was found that iron-deficient media drastically reduce the survival of this larva. Also, molting of the larvae was observed in the control media but not in the iron-deficient media.

Incidence and significance of hepatitis B and A virus serologic markers in Greek cirrhotic patients.

The incidence of serological markers of hepatitis B and A virus infection was studied by radioimmunoassay in 89 Greek cirrhotic patients. Controls consisted of 90 patients without liver disease. HBsAg was detected in 62 (69.

Alpha 1-antitrypsin levels and phenotypes and hepatitis B serology in liver cancer.

Serum levels of alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1 AT) were measured by radial immunodiffusion and phenotypes were determined by electrofocusing in acrylamide gel in 39 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) positive for serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), 41 patients with HCC negative for serum HBsAg, and 160 age- and sex-matched hospital controls. There was no difference between the control series and either of the two HCC groups with respect to alpha 1 AT phenotype pattern; also, there was no evidence of association between HCC and either the M2 allele or any of the alpha 1 AT deficiency phenotypes. However, HCC cases negative for HBsAg had significantly higher serum alpha 1 AT values (mean 665 +/- 26 mg 100 ml-1) than HCC cases positive for HBsAg (mean 571 +/- 23 mg 100 ml-1), who in turn, had significantly higher alpha 1 AT values than hospital controls (mean 434 +/- 13 mg 100 ml-1).

HBeAg/anti-HBe antigenic system in liver diseases in Greece.

HBeAg and anti-HBe were sought by RIA in the serum of 320 HBsAg-positive and 27 HBsAg-negative Greek patients with acute and chronic liver diseases. The incidence of HBeAg and anti-HBe in the group of 60 patients with acute hepatitis B was 23% and 77%, respectively. Among the 35 patients with chronic active hepatitis 6 (17%) were HBeAg-positive and 24 (69%) anti-HBe positive; among the 25 patients with chronic persistent hepatitis 3 (12%) were HBeAg-positive and 22 (88%) anti-HBe positive.

Carcinoembryonic antigen detection by immunocytochemical methods in carcinomas of the colon and stomach.

CEA was studied in paraffin sections from 50 cases of colonic and 50 cases of gastric adenocarcinoma using immunoperoxidase and immunofluorescence techniques. CEA was positive more frequently in colonic (86 per cent) than in stomach carcinoma (76 per cent). Immunoperoxidase was found to be the more sensitive technique for the detection of CEA in both organs.

Demonstration of alpha 1-antitrypsin in paraffin sections of hepatoma and cirrhosis.

Alpha 1-antitrypsin has been examined in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver specimens from Greek patients with cirrhosis (35 cases) and hepatoma (55 cases) by peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) method. Ring-like AAT globules were found in the non-neoplastic cells in 12% of the cases of hepatoma and in 11% of the cases of cirrhosis. Atypical globules were seen in neoplastic cells in 5.

Ulcerative colitis and sarcoidosis: a curious association-report of a case.

A case of ulcerative colitis associated with generalized sarcoidosis is reported, bringing to four the number of such cases reported. The association of these two disorders in the same patient is at least curious because altered immunologic mechanisms of different type are considered to be involved in the two diseases.

Alphafetoprotein levels of liver cancer patients and controls in a European population.

Serum alphafetoprotein (AFP) levels were determined by radioimmunoassay for 80 patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC), 40 with metastatic liver cancer (MLC), and 204 controls; all were Caucasians of Greek nationality. Among histologically confirmed PHC cases, 62% had more than 1000 International Units per millilitre (IU/ml) AFP. Only one case with MLC (3%) exceeded 1000 IU/ml AFP, but lower elevations were not uncommon (13%).

Postoperative pseudomembranous colitis associated with ampicillin therapy.

A case of pseudomembranous colitis in a 66-year-old subject is presented. The disease appeared on the fourth postoperative day following prostatectomy. On the first postoperative day ampicillin was administered intramuscularly (4 g/day).

Serum Gm system in liver cirrhosis and hepatoma.

Serum Gm polymorphism was studied in 69 patients with liver cirrhosis, in 64 with liver cirrhosis plus hepatoma, in 40 with hepatoma without evidence of cirrhosis, and in 256 controls. The distribution of Gm factors in liver patients differed from that in the control group, this difference apparently being due to the distribution in cirrhosis patients negative for HBsAg and anti-HBs. Furthermore, significantly more heterozygous Gm individuals were found in this group of patients than in the control group.

Detection of hepatitis B surface antigen in fixed tissues of patients with cirrhosis and hepatoma.

HBsAg has been sought by light microscopy in liver specimens from patients with cirrhosis (79 cases) and hepatoma (99 cases). The study was carried out on fixed material using orcein staining, immunoperoxidase technique and indirect immunofluorescence. HBsAg was detected in the serum by radio-immunoassay (RIA) using Ausria II-125 in 38 patients with cirrhosis and in 36 with hepatoma.

Serum trypsin inhibitory capacity and alpha 1-antitrypsin levels in liver cirrhosis and hepatoma.

alpha 1-Antitrypsin levels were measured in sera of 134 patients with cirrhosis and in 64 with cirrhosis and hepatoma. S-TIC was determined in 105 patients with cirrhosis and in 54 with cirrhosis and hepatoma. The mean alpha 1-at and S-TIC values in patients with cirrhosis were 369.

Serum gastrin concentrations in healthy males and females of various ages.

We measured, by the RIA method, the concentrations of serum gastrin in a fasting state in 80 healthy volunteers of both sexes (M = 43, F = 37) aged 15-81 years. We did not find significant differences in the mean values of gastrin among them and the correlation of gastrin with the ages was insignificant. Further study of various age groups (15-29, 30-59, greater than 60 years) in both sexes and of two more age groups (18-45, 46-71) in the females, did not disclose any significant differences either.

Serum gastrin concentrations in healthy people of the various ABO blood groups.

The concentrations of gastrin were measured by the RIA method in the sera of 121 healthy Greek volunteers of both sexes and of different ABO blood groups, aged 20--70 years. The determinations took place in a fasting state in all the individuals and 10 min and 40 min after a test meal in 42 of them. No significant differences were found in the mean concentrations of gastrin in the fasting state and after the meal between the various ABO groups.

Serum haptoglobin phenotypes and duodenal ulcer.

Serum haptoglobin phenotypes were studied in 100 Greek patients suffering from duodenal ulcer by vertical starch gel electrophoresis. A sample of 2026 healthy subjects served as control. No statistically significant differences were found in Hp phenotypes and gene frequencies between patients and healthy controls.