These results suggest that intraventricular bleeding may cause impairment of cerebrospinal fluid circulation but that the mass effect of clots distending the ventricle walls is the most important mechanism responsible for HVD. This model closely imitates several prominent features of human IVH and may therefore be a useful tool for preclinical assessment of the efficacy and safety of treatment with TPA.

Sepsis is a critical condition often caused by bacterial infection and associated with death and mortality. The prognosis of this disease depends on early diagnosis and proper treatment. Definite diagnosis of sepsis is positive blood culture and this test needs a long time to perform, so other biochemical parameters such as procalcitonin serum level has been introduced. To determine sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of procalcitonin serum level at first time and 72 h after admission and to compare it with blood culture test for diagnosis of sepsis. Blood sample for blood culture, prepheral blood smear at first time and procalcitonin serum level measuring by semi quantitative method at first and 72 h after admission were sampled. Nine patients had positive blood cultures. Peripheral blood smear was positive in 38 patients, (29 patients: gram stain positive, 6 patients: gram stain negative and 3 patients: both gram positive and gram negative). At first time 76.8% had positive procalcitonin (>0.5 ng mL −1 ) and after 72 h 65% of patients had positive procalcitonin. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of procalcitonin at the first time were 100, 16,16 and 100% and for procalcitonin after 72 h respectively were 75, 35, 15 and 90%. This study showed that sensitivity of procalcitonin serum level can be used for diagnosis of sepsis. Procalcitonin increased as severity of sepsis and this study suggests high serum level of procalcitonin after 72 h might indicate poor outcome.

The asthma-related environmental fungus A. alternata, with an effect on dendritic cells profile mediates TH2/TH17. Such immunodysregulation properties of causative environmental fungi may explain their strong relationship with human asthma and allergic diseases.

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Problem statement: The incidence of infectious diseases is increased in patients with chronic renal failure. Chronic renal failure severely influences the immune functions of the host. Approach: To evaluate the antitetanus immunity level in southern Iranian patients with end stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis and to find its association with sex, age, blood hemoglobin and serum albumin, duration of dialysis. This cross sectional study was carried out on a total of 52 patients, who were on hemodialysis and 52 age and sex matched healthy individuals with without any underlying renal disease as a control group. Individuals in the both groups receiving antitetanus toxoid vaccine or immunoglubins a year prior to the study were excluded. The serum antitetanus IgG antibody levels were measured by an ELISA method. Results: Tetanus protected individuals in the patients and the control groups were 34.6 and 63.30% respectively. Of the evaluating factors just hemodialysis duration found to affect on tetanus immunity. Conclusion: Tetanus protected individuals in the patients group were significantly less than tetanus protected individuals in the control group (p = 0.011). Hemodialysis duration has significant effect on antitetanus immunity level.