IMMUNOMODULATORY AND ANTIVIRAL EFFECTS OF NATURAL INTERLBURIN-2 IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC REPATITIS B

BACTERIAL INFECTIONS IN CIRRHOTIC PATIEXTS SUENITT'ED To SELECTIVE INTESTINAL DECOXTAMINATION WITH NORFUXACIN

&Tila. w.Vcael. J.Tratkiewict A. Ten's, C. Soriano~. Guamer, 14. Teixidb,

W.E Aulit .

De& IntZkv.

C. tindez. C. Villat-ueva, J. Such, J.w and F. Vilardell. Dept. of Gastrcenterclogy, Hospital Santa creu i sant PaI& Barcelona, Spain.

Ir&bruck, Austria Objective of this study was to investigate immunomodu!.atory and antiviral potential of natural Interleukin-2 (nIL-2; Fe.Biotest, Frankfurt)in chronic active hepatitis. Ten patients (all HBsAg and HBeAg positive) re- ceived escalating doses of nIL-2 S.C. three times at weekly intervals in a Phase I trial (30 000 IU, 100 000 IU, 300 000 IU and 1 Lit IU). Serum samples were taken be- fore and 2: 12! 24, 48 and 72 h after the first appllcatlcn of each dose level, Serum concentrations of various cytckines and their secondary messages (necpterin, beta- 2-microgl., CRP, IL-Z-R, 2'-5'-OA) were assayed with RIA's. In a Phase II trial the ten patients were treated with a biological active dose twice weekly over three months. None of the samples tested had cytckine levels above baselines: however, already at low atoxic nIL-2 doses changes in all sec- ondary messages could be chtained. Changes were most prominent in IL-2-R, reached the maximum 12-24 h after application, and were dose-dependent. No patient responded to nIL-2 with clearance of HBeAg; only marginal changes in HBV DNA were seen.

PORTAL VEIN THROMBOSIS-EXPERIENCE WITH COLOR-DOPPLER TECHNIQUE

D. Tomic, M. Savic. 0. Jankovic. R. Jesic TKrstic Clinic for Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Institute for Digestive Diseases, Belgrade. Yugoslavia.

Eight patients with vein thrombosis have been

old portal examined. A cause

for the portal thrombosis was detected in 7. This included liver cirrhosis 2, hematology disorders 2. diseases 1.

pancreatic abdominal injury 1 and meta-

static liver tumor 1. Clinical features included bleeding from esophageal varices in four patients and no characteristic or clinically helpful laboratory findinqs.In four patients thrombosis was confirmed on ~...__ _.. selective arterioqraphy with venous phase. Visualization as a dense hyper- echoqenic mass was performed by real-time sonoqraphy. Spectral Doppler sonoqraphy revealed slow velocities (0.06-0.11 m/s) in partial recanalised slight

thrombosis with acceleration beside thrombus.

Using a Color Doppler technique, thrombus has been seen as a defect in continuously colored vessel.Due to color (red or blue) direction of blood stream was recognized.

Selective intestinal decontamination with nor- floxacin (NFX) is userul to prevent ir.+ctions in cirrhotic patients at high risk. The z.ii~ of the study was to analyze the bacterial inSections deve- loped by Reese patients while receivir!g NFX. PATIm AND METHODS. Eighty-six hospitalized ci- rrhotic?, treated with NFX were studied: Group I (n=53). cirrhotics with escites and low ascitlc fluid total protein (AFTPI received oral NFX 400 mg daily thmugh the entire hospitalization, and Group II !n=33), cirrhotics ‘with gastrointestinal blee- ding (GB) received 400 mg bid dwin 7 days. RESULTS. Three patients frun Group $ presented 3 infections (5.6%) and 6 from Group II 7 infections (16%). mere were no infections due tc er.tembacte- ria, most being caused by Gram+ cocci. Antibiogram results are discussed. CCMXlJSIGiiS. 1) Tne incidence of infecrions in ci- rrhotics treated with NFX was higher in those with GE than in those with ascites and low AFF. 2) Most infections were caused by Gram+ cocci and entembacteria were not isolated. 3) iZ_i3irical an- ;;ibc;;eatment in these infectiors xust cover

S116