[Rubella epidemic of 1977 in Turin. Virological studies]. / L'epidemia di rosolia del 1977 a Torino. Ricerche virologiche.

During the outbreak of rubella in Turin in 1977, 1,041 newborns, whose mother's pregnancy coincided with the epidemic, were studied for the elimination of rubella virus through inoculation in primary cultures of African green monkey kidney cells. Additional 10 embryos or fetuses of therapeutic abortion from women with rubella early in pregnancy were studied through cultivation of material of abortion and inoculation in monkey cells. Only one strain was isolated, from the placenta of an embryo whose mother suffered rubella in the 2nd month of pregnancy. The hypothesis is proposed of a particularly benignity, from a teratogenic point of view, of the virus involved in the outbreak.

[Rubella epidemic in Piemonte in 1977: assay of specific antibodies in the umbilical cord blood and clinical follow-up (author's transl)]. / Epidemia di rosolia in Piemonte nel 1977: ricerca di anticorpi specifici nel sangue del cordone ombelicale di neonati e controllo clinico.

Following a rubella epidemic in 1977; 1,133 samples of umbilical cord blood and 532 samples of maternal blood were assayed for specific anti-rubella haemoagglutino-inhibiting antibodies and IgM. Clinical follow-up failed to show either any increase in number of malformations and of IgM values in the malformed, or variations of mean weight and of the number of small-for-date infants. In none out of 1.031 newborns the virus was isolated from the pharynx, urine and faeces. The Authors conclude that the epidemic may have been caused by a poorly virulent virus and/or the mothers were possibly already immunized by previous infections.

Arterial thrombosis of the arm in infant of diabetic mother.

A case of multiple arterial thromboses of the arm in the infant of a diabetic mother is reported. A hemocoagulative pattern of intravascular disseminated coagulation was present. Conservative thrombolytic treatment with Urokinase and Calciparin proved successful.

[Semi-automatic determination of blood lactate in the newborn infant of the insulin-dependent diabetic mother]. / Determinazione semiautomatica della lattatemia nel neonato di madre diabetica insulinodipendente.

Blood lactate levels were determined by Lactate Analyzer 640 Kontron in 5 infants of diabetic mothers with pregestational insulin-dependent-diabetes, class B-C-D White, BPSP negative, in strict glycemic control all along the pregnancy. In the mothers blood lactate was found in a normal range after-delivery. In the absence of complications, the neonate of diabetic mother did not show blood lactate changes above the normal range. As well as in the neonate of non diabetic mother, blood lactate increases were found only in concomitance with respiratory acidosis. In the cases with favourable course, lactate values above 2 mmol/l were normalized in the first 24 hours after the birth. The semiautomatic determination of blood lactate supplies a good prognostic evaluation of the association between metabolic and respiratory acidosis in the neonate and should therefore be routinely used in centers for management of diabetic pregnancy.

[Research on the rubella epidemic of 1973 in Turin. Virological data]. / Ricerche sull'epidemia di rosolia del 1973 a Torino. Dati virologici.

During the outbreak of rubella in Turin in 1973, 110 newborns, whose mother's pregnancy clash with the epidemic, were studied for the elimination of rubella virus. 708 samples were in total examined, through inoculation in primary cultures of African green monkey kidney (and study of the possible interference with ECHO-virus type 11), and partially in RK 13 and SIRC continuous cell lines. No strain of rubella virus was isolated, and the Authors conclude that the virus involved was particularly benign from a teratogenetic point of view.

[Signs of fetal immunology. Embryopathy caused by viruses: clinical and anatomopathological aspects. Determination of IgM and IgA in the umbilical cord blood of newborn infants in relation to intrauterine infections. Control clinical examination of infants with high levels of IgM and IgA at birth]. / Cenni di immunologia fetale. Embriopatia da virus: quadro clinico e anatomopatologico. Dosaggio delle IgM e IgA nel sangue del cordone ombelicale di neonati in relazione alle infezioni intrauterine. Esame clinico di controllo dei bambini con elevato tasso di IgM e IgA alla nascita.

The Authors report the results of IgM and IgA assays in blood of the umbilical cord of 1694 newborns during the period from October 1973 to July 1974 after a rubella epidemic occurred in Piedmont. 11.67% of the newborns showed a IgM value higher than 20 mg/100 ml; 0.88% gave values higher than 40 mg/100 ml. For 3.49% IgA values were higher than 3 mg/100 ml; in 0.89% cases it was higher than 6 mg/100 ml. These newborns with high levels of IgM and IgA have been observed: the Authors conclude that there is no correlation between high levels of IgM and IgA and prenatal infection.