SUMMARY BackgroundExpected benefits of gluten-free diet (GFD) in coeliac patients include healing of small intestinal mucosa, but it remains unclear to what extent this benefit is achieved in adults.

Three monoclonal anti-T-cell antibodies, specifically directed against total T cells (OKT3), inducer-helper T cells (OKT4) and suppressor/cytotoxic T cells (OKT8), were used in this study to analyze peripheral T-cell subsets in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive and -negative chronic active hepatitis (CAH) patients. Results showed that a clear-cut difference exists in the distribution of peripheral T cells of these two groups of subjects. HBsAg-positive CAH patients had a numerical predominance of peripheral T lymphocytes expressing the characteristics of cytotoxic/suppressor T cells. In contrast, patients with "autoimmune" HBsAg-negative CAH exhibit a predominance of OKT4 cells, namely, the helper-inducer T-cell subset. In addition, high numbers of circulating double labeled cells (expressing both the OKT4 and the OKT8 xenoantigens) were detected in some of the HBsAg-positive and HBsAg-negative CAH patients studied.

Percent diastole (%D) was evaluated at rest and during effort (submaximal upright exercise) in 13 normal subjects and in 14 age-matched patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Systolic time intervals were also simultaneously recorded by using the thermistor pulse transducer. At rest, in both groups, a positive linear regression was found between %D and cycle length (RR) (%D = 19.1 + 0.044RR, r = 0.83 in normals; %D = 21.2 + 0.044RR, r = 0.88 in CAD). During effort, while in normals no correlation was found between %D and RR values, in CAD patients %D and RR were linearly related (%D = -12.81 + 0.087RR, r = 0.67). These results prove that diastolic time is differently affected by the exercise in the two examined groups and that in CAD patients an abnormal reduction of %D occurs during stress test.

Ceftizoxime, a new, semisynthetic, beta-lactamase-resistant cephalosporin, is not metabolized in man and is excreted almost entirely as the original active compound in the urine. The efficacy and safety of ceftizoxime were assessed in 80 patients with acute and chronic urinary infections, with and without associated pathological conditions, in comparison with cefotaxime. Two dosage schedules, 1 g or 0.5 g every 12 h, i.v. or i.m. for 10 days, were adopted according to the severity of each case and to separate randomization tables for each schedule; causal agents were all sensitive to both drugs in vitro. The overall results were excellent. Safety was excellent in almost all cases. In this trial ceftizoxime proved at least as effective and well tolerated as the reference antibiotic.