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It is reported the possible relationship between the infection caused by viral agents of predominantly parenteral transmission, such as the hepatitis B virus (HBV), the hepatitis C virus (HCV), and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the sports practice. It was conducted a study of seroprevalence of the infection by HBV and HCV in Cuban high performance athletes. Only 1.3% of positivity to the HBV infection was found. This positivity is related to the sports discipline they practice and some considerations are made on this regard.

We present the results of the normalization of an IgM capture ELISA method for the diagnosis of type A viral hepatitis with reagents produced in the laboratory and its comparison with the "Diag-A-Hep" commercial ELISA. The results attained were: sensibility by 91%; specificity by 100%; and coincidence of the two systems by 97%. Results are discussed and their relationship with clinical symptoms and epidemiological characteristics is established. The results attained in 13 serum samples taken from patients seen during 2 acute viral hepatitis outbreaks agreed with clinical findings.

Fifty-six outbreaks of hepatitis A infection were studied in City of Havana between January and September, 1991. In 34 of these, the presence of the hepatitis A virus (HAV) was confirmed, either by the detection of specific serum IGM antibodies to the HAV or by the detection of the antigen in the feces of the subjects under study. Diagnosis was not made in some of the outbreaks due to the insufficient number of samples sent to the laboratory. Of the 453 blood serum samples under study, 126 were positive for IGM antibodies to HAV (27.8%): a there was a good correlation between the presence of this immunoglobulin and the levels attained by the alanyl aminotransferase enzyme (ALT). Only in 19 feces samples, of the 263 under study, was the HAV antigen detected, which accounted to 7.2%; it was demonstrated that this marker is not useful for the diagnosis of an outbreak of hepatitis A infection.

A study was conducted on 106 newborns, whose AgsHB positive mothers received active protection against hepatitis B (83 with the Cuban-produced Heberbiovac HB vaccine and 23 with the Engerix-B vaccine manufactured by S. Kline as control group, following the scheme 0, 1 and 2 months with the first dose administered in the first 12 hours after birth. Samples were taken to study virus B markers at birth (umbilical cord) after 30, 60, 90 and 180 days. Laboratory determinations were carried out by the ELISA technique with diagnostic kits from the firm Organon Tecknica. Ten or more IU/L of anti-HBs present in serum was considered as the lowest protective level. Children were classified according to the AgeHB present in mothers, AgsHB in the umbilical cord and the concentration of Ags HB in maternal serum. 100% of the children who received the control vaccine showed serological evidence of seroconversion to anti HBs with protective titres, and the values of the geometric mean of the titres of antibodies were statistically significant (p0.01) in all the extractions, favoring the Cuban vaccine. The efficacy of the two preparations used in this research work was 100%. This study makes it possible to report on a recombinant vaccine against hepatitis B (Heberbiovac HB) which represents the first vaccine of this type produced in Latin America, the efficacy of which was proved in the field trial.

A hundred schizophrenic patients admitted to the "10 de Octubre" Clinical-Surgical Teaching Hospital and 158 schizophrenic patients admitted to the Psychiatric Hospital, both in Havana, and 100 control healthy individuals who did not consume psychopharmacons were studied. They underwent intradermal tests with toxoplasmin. Differences in reactor percentages between patients and healthy individuals were statistically significative as it has been reported in the foreign medical literature. The highest percentage of reactors in the group admitted to the Psychiatric Hospital where most advanced schizophreniacs are found leads to the conclusion that the more severe the patient state the higher the frequency and intensity of test reactivity among patients. Other factors as the dwelling conditions, age and sex are analyzed.

Three hundred and ninety patients with suspected toxoplasmosis due to their contact with animales--they owned them, or work with them--are studied. The great significance of this way of acquiring the disease is stated. Every patient had a complement fixation test and an intradermal reaction test with toxoplasmine. An 85.2% positiveness to complement fixation, and a 64.1% to intradermal test were found among those patients who informed animal contact; a 70,6% positiveness to complement fixation, and a 56,2% to intradermal reaction was found in the patients who denied having any contact with animals. This showed both the importance of animal contact as well as other forms of transmission. The contacts were also studied, and the animals were classified according to J. Jira, the researcher: maximal, high, minimal and unreceptiveness to toxoplasma. The possibility of acquiring toxoplasmosis from other sources besides the close contact with animals must be taken into consideration.

Sixty five patients with an ophthalmoscopic diagnosis of chorioretinitis who, underwent complement fixation tests and intradermoreaction using Toxoplasma antigens were studied. 95,4% of them disclosed antibody titers with the former and 58,5% reactors were found with the latter. Sixty five individuals with neither backgrounds nor clinical symptoms of toxoplasmosis were used as control, and 27,7% of reactors in both tests were likewise found. The differences among results are highly statistically significant; this points out toxoplasmosis as an important cause of chorioretinitis in our patients. Complement fixation tests were more sensitive than intradermoreactions as well as specific as the latter. Results were correlated to age, sex and animal contacts.

Intradermal tests using toxoplasmin were performed among three hundred mentally handicapped patients admitted to the "10 de Octubre" Clinical-Surgical Teaching Hospital in Havana between 1976--1977 and 100 healthy subjects. A statistically significant difference between reactors among patients (54,7%) and reactors among healthy subjects (30,0%) was found. Results are compared to those from a similar paper performed in the Psychiatric Hospital of Havana in 1967. It is concluded that the higher the severity of affections the higher the percentage of reactors in the surveyed series.

One hundred mentally handicapped patients admitted to the 10 de octubre clinical-surgical teaching hospital in the Havana city, 100 patients admitted to the day hospital of such institution and 100 normal subjects were studied. The first two groups had different psychiatric diseases. They underwent toxoplasmin tests. The percentage of reactors increased from 30% among healthy subjects to 45,9% among the those attending the day hospital and to 60% among those admitted to wards; this is statistically significative. It is concluded that the higher the severity of the psychiatric disease, the poorer the hygienic habits and the higher the contact with the parasite phocuses.

All reports written in Cuba about toxoplasmosis (1913-58) are listed in chronological order, both those that have appeared in a publication and those which have been submitted to at a scientific meeting though they may still remain unpublished. Brief explanatory notes are commented upon each one and the place to find them are listed.

Fifty patients with manic-depressive psychosis, 120 neurotics and 100 healthy individuals were studied. They underwent the toxoplasmin intradermal test. The highest percentage of reactors was found among patients with manic-depressive psychosis (66,0%). Patients with depressive neurosis accounted for the highest number among neurotics (55,6%). The intensity of reaction was higher among patients with manic-depressive psychosis. Neurotic patients were compared to schizophrenic patients from a previous study conducted by one out of the authors. It is concluded that the percentage of reactors is higher among patients with depressive mental disorders, and also that this percentage increases with mental deterioration in patients.