Bisphosphonate-associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaws: a Survey of the Level of Knowledge of Dentists about the Risks of Bisphosphonate Therapy.

Introduction: Bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaws (BAONJ) is a side effect of treatment with bisphosphonate (BP). Reports of this complication have increased recently.

Aim: To evaluate the level of knowledge of dentists from Plovdiv, Bulgaria, about possible complications of bisphosphonate therapy of patients in dental practice.

Immune response and immunologic memory in medical personnel vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccine.

Unlabelled: The occupation-related nature of Hepatitis B viral infection in medical personnel has been well documented in a lot of studies. The only reliable way of prevention of this infection is immunisation with hepatitis B vaccine.

Aim: To follow-up the primary immune response after immunisation with recombinant vaccine and its duration in adult immunocompetent subjects.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis A viral infection in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Introduction: Hepatitis A occurs throughout the world, albeit with different endemicity. The level of endemicity is determined for each country from the annual incidence rate and from the age-specific seroprevalence of anti-HAVt.

Aim: To assess the anti-HAVt seroprevalence in 180 people with no hepatitis A history.

Epidemiological, immunological and clinical characteristics of acute hepatitis C.

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to make a clinical and epidemiological and immunological characteristic of patients with acute hepatitis C infection (AHC).

Patients And Methods: The study included 178 patients with AHC; they were studied in terms of clinical course, biochemical constellations, T and B lymphocyte subpopulations, level of TNF-alpha in the blood serum, presence of autoantibodies, and the outcome of the disease in a five-year follow-up period.

Methods: anti-HCV (EIA), HCV-RNA (PCR), HCV genotyping; ALT, AST, AP, gamma-GT; ultrasonography and liver biopsy.

Immunological and microbiological investigations of patients with burn injuries.

Unlabelled: Susceptibility of patients with burn injuries to infections is associated with disturbances of the humoral and cell-mediated immunity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the dynamics of phagocytic indices and serum immunoglobulin levels in patients with burn injuries as there is a high risk of colonization and infection of the burn wound.

Patients And Methods: Between December 2004 and April 2005, we studied the dynamics of the following indices of the phagocytic system and humoral immunity of 30 burned patients: phagocytic index, phagocytic number, nitro blue tetrazolium chloride test, leukocyte number in the peripheral blood, the percentage of the neutrophilic leukocytes from the differential blood count, serum levels of immunoglobulins A, G and M and the percentage of lymphocytes.