Puncture injuries from discarded syringes continue to increase and testing these syringes for viral markers of HIV, HBV and HCV infection is now frequently requested. Workers in forensic medicine also regularly deal with potentially infected material. A simulation study was carried out. Syringes (with attached needles) and cotton gauze were contaminated with HIV, HBV and HCV infected blood or serum and tested at intervals over five weeks. Sensitive ELISA techniques, giving a result within three hours, were used to detect viral antibodies (HIV, HCV) or antigens (HBV). Blood residues inside the syringes and on the gauze gave positive results for viral markers throughout the period of study; the needle-tips gave intermittently positive reactions. It was concluded that standard ELISAs for detecting markers of HIV, HBV and HCV could provide valuable guidance on potential infection hazards of material being examined in a forensic situation.

Blood↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A new procedure for gangliosidic N-acetylneuraminic acid analysis in serum.

In this paper a method is presented which is suitable for the extraction, purification and analysis of serum gangliosides. The advantage in comparison with other previously published procedures is the complete extraction of sialoglycolipids without contamination of sialoglycoproteins and/or sialoglycopeptides. The method could be used as a second-level test for the diagnosis and follow-up of cancer patients, and also could be potentially used for pharmaco-kinetic studies after ganglioside treatment.

Chloroform↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Absorption, distribution, excretion and metabolism of 4-carbomethoxythiazolidine chlorohydrate. Biochemical experimental study in the rat].

A biochemical-metabolic study has been conducted on TCM (4-carbomethoxythiazolidin hydrochloride) in rats, utilising a product traced with 14C. An in-vitro test has demonstrated that TCM is hydrolised by endogenous esterases to thiazolidincarboxylic acid, into the following decreasing order of activity: kidneys, lungs, plasma, liver, intestinal content and mucosa. Upon oral administration, TCM proved to have a good and rapid absorption and distribution level in the organs. In the beginning the liver and the kidneys have displayed higher concentrations with respect to the lungs; after 8 hours, however, the latter have displayed slightly lower concentrations than before, which were not very far from the liver's and kidneys'. TCM has been mainly eliminated through the urines (56.9% in 24 hours) and less through the feces (6.7% in the same period of time). By means of a thin-layer chromatography analysis and a mass-spectrometry it has been possible to study the metabolism of TCM. The results of both in-vitro and in-vivo tests have demonstrated that TCM is hydrolised to thiazolidin-carboxylic acid, which, in its turn, is transformed into cysteine. This last transformation does mainly occur in the liver, but significantly in the lungs as well. TCM is absorbed in part as such and in part as thiazolidincarboxylic acid. As no methyl-cysteinate has been traced, it has been assumed that the hydrolysis of the ester bond was a kinetically quicker event than the heterocycle opening.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Clinical and secretory evaluation of the use of cimetidine in peptic ulcer].

Cimetidine (an H2 receptor blocking agent) was used to treat 35 patients with gastroduodenal peptic ulcer. Endoscopic and secretory controls before and after the treatment showed that pain was reduced in all cases, that complete or partial re-epithelialisation occurred in 33/35, and that there was a significant reduction in basal and post-histamine acid secretion. Alkaline secretion was not significantly altered. Follow-up of the series is regarded as indispensable.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of some blood clotting parameters in relation to the administration of estroprogestins].

A number of blood clotting parameters have been determined in the plasma of 25 women who had not previously taken steroid contraceptives. After the administration of an oestroprogestinic association (ethynyloestradiol 0.05 mg + norgestrol 0.25 mg) for five cycles, the same subjects were controlled again for the determination of the same haematochemical parameters. The changes observed highlighted a marked increase in fibrinogenaemia and fibrinolysis, a slight rise in associated clotting factors II-VII-X, no change in the activity of antithrombin III and platelet aggregation.

Adolescent↗