No abstract

Serum IgA and secretory IgA (SIgA) were determined in 1,000 apparently healthy subjects; 274 were tonsillectomized. Four groups were identified in this study: (1) 0.3% of subjects had no serum IgA and SIgA; (2) 1.6% of subjects showed partial serum and SIgA deficiency; (3) 27.4% of individuals were tonsillectomized and had partial serum IgA deficiency but normal SIgA, and (4) 71.4% were normal, both with respect to serum IgA and SIgA. These results stress the relatively high incidence of IgA deficiency in the normal population and confirm the role of the tonsils in maintaining serum IgA levels.

The authors compare the diagnostic possibilities of fetal transabdominal echocardiography versus transvaginal echocardiography. A larger diagnostic capacity is verified in different gestation ages with transvaginal probe between the 11th and 14th week of gestation. The results are emphasized by colour Doppler.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess whether or not there was an association between a polycystic ovary (PCO) and fibrocystic breast disease based on ultrasound findings, both pelvic and mammographic. Design: Prospective case-control study. Population: Women aged between 18 and 30 years not using oral contraceptives attending the outpatient ultrasound clinic from January 1996 to December 1998. Main Outcome: Confirm the association between PCO and fibrocystic breast disease. Results: According to the ultrasound findings, women were allocated to three groups: 351 out of 456 showed normal-appearing ovaries (group A), 93 had polycystic-appearing ovaries/PCO (group B) and 12 had PCO syndrome (group C). In group A, 24 (6.83%) women showed breast pathology. In group B, there was an association between PCO and breast pathology in 53 (56.98%) women, while in group C it was noted in 11 out of 12 (91%). Conclusion: This study showed a significant association between PCO and benign pathology. This should encourage the performance of a screening breast sonography on women with PCO.

The replication of the human T lymphotropic retrovirus HTLV-III in persistently infected cells is relatively insensitive to the direct antiviral action of human interferon-alpha or -gamma (IFN-alpha or -gamma), showing only a two- to threefold reduction of HTLV-III, even though the host cells are very sensitive to IFN, as shown by vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-yield reduction assay (4-5 log reduction of VSV). However, IFN anticellular activity is strongly enhanced in the presence of normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells, suggesting a cell-mediated effect of IFNs.