UNLABELLED: The correlations between the severity of hepatic lesions, age, gender, HBV co-infection and negativisation of HCV-RNA from serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) after treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) were analysed. 41 children (11 F/ 30 M), aged 5-16 years (mean 10 +/- 2.8), were treated with IFN-alpha and ribavirin for 12 months. Sustained negativisation of HCV-RNA from serum was achieved in 25 patients (61%), in 3 (7%) it reappeared after treatment, and in 13 (32%) it was ineffective. Clearance of HCV did not correlate with age (p = 0.65), sex (p = 0.13), past HBV infection (n = 22 anti-HBc +) (p = 0.24), maximum pre-treatment ALT activity (p = 0.06), grade of inflammation (p = 0.33) or stage of fibrosis (p = 0.9) in liver biopsy. It was achieved in 6/16 children previously resistant to IFN-a monotherapy and in 19/25 naive (p = 0.017). HCV-RNA was detected in PBMC in 9/24 (37%) seronegative children and in 1/21 (5%) in comparative group of seronegative adults; p = 0.004. Persistence of HCV-RNA in PBMC after combined treatment occurred in 5/10 (50%) patients resistant to previous IFN-alpha monotherapy, 6/35 (20%) of them cleared HCV from PBMC (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Age and gender, infection route, history of HBV infection or severity of histopathologic liver lesions had no influence on the efficacy of treatment with IFN-alpha and ribavirin. Clearance of HCV from serum and from PBMC occurs less frequently in patients previously resistant to IFN-alpha. Children with CHC require longitudinal observation after successful antiviral treatment as in 37% of those considered to be free from the virus by ordinary measures, HCV-RNA was found in PBMC.

Adolescent↗

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[Usefulness of determining hepatic clearance of Tc-HEPIDA in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of chronic diseases of the liver parenchyma].

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Adolescent↗

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[Epidemiologic-clinical analysis of purulent meningitis in adults: material from the Clinic of Infectious Diseases AM in Lodz in the years 1990-1991].

Authors have presented 81 cases of bacterial meningitis in adult patients (pts) treated in the Clinic for Infectious Diseases in the years 1990-1991. The aim of the study was the clinical and epidemiological analysis of the bacterial meningitis. Clinical symptoms, time between first symptoms and onset of hospitalisation and treatment, coexisting diseases and their influence on the course of the disease were considered in the analysis. The aetiological agent was found in 21% of cases. In the study group 75.3% were pts 26-65 years old. 77.8% were male pts. In 65.4% pts delay in hospitalisation and therapy exceeded 24 hours, 41.9% was longer than 48 hours. 18% of pts were afebrile. In the study group only 34.6% of pts were free of coexisting diseases.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Treatment outcome of purulent meningitis in adults from material of the Clinic of Infectious Diseases AM in Lodz in the years 1990-1991].

81 patients (pts) with bacterial meningitis hospitalised in the Clinic for Infectious Diseases in the years 1990-1991 were treated according to two therapeutic schedules. First: young pts (under 40 years), without coexisting diseases obtained Penicillin G and aminoglycoside and/or synthetic penicillin. Second: pts over 40 years old with coexisting diseases or cases of recurrent meningitis were treated with third-generation cephalosporins and aminoglycoside and/or synthetic penicillin. The mortality was 16% in the study group. 11 of 13 pts with coexisting diseases died. Neurologic sequelae were found in 23% of pts. The complete recovery was obtained in 34% of pts, more often (35.9%) in a group treated with third--generation cephalosporins comparing to 29.4% with other antibiotic therapy.

Adolescent↗