Change in immunisation schedule and sudden infant death syndrome in Hungary.

Infant mortality in Hungary was higher than in other European countries; however, the reported incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has been lower than those for Western Europe and the United States. Childhood immunisation has been reported to be a protective factor for SIDS. In Britain, the change to an earlier immunisation schedule for diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus appeared to be associated with a shift in the age distribution of SIDS. In 1999, immunisation for Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was introduced for Hungarian infants at the age of 2 months. Data for total infant mortality and SIDS in Hungary were analysed between 1990 and 2002. Infection was the major cause of death among Hungarian infants followed by SIDS. Following introduction of Hib immunisation, there was a decrease in deaths due to meningitis from an average of 3.5% of all infant deaths between 1990 and 1998 to an average of 1% of all infant deaths between 1999 and 2002 (p=0.00). There was also a significant decrease in the proportion of SIDS in the age range > or =2 months from 48% in the earlier period to 39% after introduction of the vaccine (p=0.03). The decrease in SIDS might be due in part to decrease in unrecognised Hib infections or to induction of antibodies by the tetanus toxoid to which the Hib polysaccharide is conjugated that are cross reactive with bacterial toxins implicated in SIDS.

Studies on the cytotoxic effects of Propionibacterium acnes strains isolated from cornea.

Eukaryotic tissue culture appears to be a suitable model for measuring the bacterial cytotoxic effect. Propionibacterium acnes strains were isolated from corneal tissue removed by keratoplastic surgery from patients with corneal dystrophy or bullous keratopathy. The cytotoxic effect of the filtrates of 10 P. acnes strains were studied by means of measuring the decrease of the mitochondrial dehydrogenase activities of viable epithelial (HeLa) and fibroblastic (BHK-21) cell cultures. A time and concentration dependent, reversible cytotoxic effect was detected in both tissue types. The results also showed that strains of P. acnes are capable of surviving anaerobic conditions for as long as 8 months and suggest that production cytotoxic effects during the long persistence it may harm human tissue.