Pretreatment variables that could predict the response of chronic hepatitis C to interferon alfa treatment have not been fully assessed. Eighteen baseline variables were evaluated in a series of 100 consecutive patients treated with a 12 month course of interferon alfa. For the purposes of this study, response was defined as the return to normal of aminotransferase activities before the third month of treatment.Seventy per cent of the patients responded to treatment. Six variables were associated with an increased likelihood of response assessed by univariate analysis. With stepwise multiple regression analysis assessment, however, only three variables remained independently predictive of response: low y glutamyltransferase (yGT) activities (p<0.001), absence of obesity (p=0.005), and absence of cirrhosis (p=0-01). The response rate in patients with yGT activities <066 iikat/l (n=55) was 78% and 60% in patients with values >066 ikat/l (n=45) (p=.0048). Response was attained in 75% of non-obese patients (n=80), compared with only 50% of obese patients (n=20) (p=003). Finally, 80% of patients without cirrhosis (n=76) responded, while among those with cirrhosis (n=24) the response rate was only 37% (p<0001). All 23 patients without cirrhosis, <40 years old, and with yGT activities <0-66 tkat/l responded to treatment, while only 28-5% of 14 patients with cirrhosis, >40 years old, and with yGT activities >0 66 pkat/l responded to interferon affa (p<0-001).Those findings may be useful when evaluating interferon alfa trials and it is suggested that this treatment should be applied early in the course of chronic hepatitis C.

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RationaleGiven that the diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is given at an increasingly less-symptomatic phase, and the literature data on the cardiovascular risk of patients with normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism (NPHPT) are controversial, the coronary calcium score (CCS), which is correlated with coronary artery disease, may be useful for clarifying the association between cardiovascular risk and NPHPT.ObjectiveThis research aims to describe the CCS and the clinical and laboratory variables of patients with NPHPT compared with a control group and to verify the presence of an association between NPHPT and CCS.Study population and methodsA questionnaire on anthropometric data (weight, height, waist circumference, and blood pressure) was used, laboratory examinations (estimations of glucose, glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c], total cholesterol [TC] and its fractions, triglycerides, creatinine, calcium, parathyroid hormone, and 25-OH vitamin D) were conducted, and computerized tomography was carried out to measure the CCS in 13 patients diagnosed with NPHPT and 16 controls.ResultsThere was no association between NPHPT and altered CCS (odds ratio [OR]: 0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.05–1.26; p=0.095). Differences between the case and control groups were found in terms of body mass index (BMI) (26.97 kg/m2 vs 31.53 kg/m2, respectively; p=0.044), HbA1c (5.59% vs 6.62%; p=0.000), and TC (188.07 mg/dL vs 220.64 mg/dL; p=0.088). After adjustment for potential confounders, no statistical significance was observed for the association between changes in CCS and presence of NPHPT (adjusted OR: 1.64; 95% CI: 0.1–26.43; p=0.726).ConclusionNo association was found between the CCS and the presence of NPHPT.

Summary ― The efficacy of injecting antibodies raised against turkey prolactin to prevent the expression of incubation behaviour has been investigated in turkey hens. Medium white turkey hens (n = 15 x 2) were injected three times weekly for 4 consecutive weeks starting on week 5 of egg production. The hens were injected im with a volume of 1 mL per injection for the 1 st week and 0.5 mL thereafter, of normal rabbit serum or serum containing antibodies raised against turkey prolactin (Gu6men6 et al, 1994a

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