Transient hydrops fetalis associated with intrauterine cytomegalovirus infection: prenatal diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Intrauterine cytomegalovirus infection is usually unrecognized during pregnancy. However, in some cases, ultrasound abnormalities can be observed in association with cytomegalovirus infection. CASE: The prenatal diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection in a fetus with transient hydrops is reported. Fetal ascites was first recognized by routine ultrasound examination at 20 weeks' gestation. Hydrops fetalis was obvious at 23 weeks and completely resolved 1 week later. Cytomegalovirus was detected from amniotic fluid samples by centrifugal culture and direct immunofluorescent examination. The diagnosis of maternal primary infection could be established retrospectively by demonstrating immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM seroconversion on sequential sera. The pregnancy was electively terminated. Autopsy findings were consistent with fetal disseminated infection. CONCLUSION: Transient hydrops fetalis in association with intrauterine cytomegalovirus infection is infrequent. The resolution of hydrops fetalis could be explained by hepatic dysfunction of limited duration. Amniotic fluid culture is a reliable approach for diagnosing intrauterine cytomegalovirus infection, but does not predict the severity of the disease or the outcome of the pregnancy. The long-term clinical significance of intrauterine cytomegalovirus infection has to be established.

Rapid detection of human cytomegalovirus viraemia from small volumes of heparinized whole blood.

Rapid detection of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) from blood was performed in parallel using inoculation into human fibroblastic cells of both 500 microliters of whole blood and of buffy coat derived from 9.5 ml of blood. Of the 46 samples tested, 20 were positive for HCMV, 18 when the buffy coat was inoculated (90%) and 17 (85%) when whole blood was used. Fifteen samples were positive by both techniques. Four samples gave discordant results: in three cases, viraemia was detected only by buffy coat assay and in one case only by whole blood assay. These results suggest that HCMV isolation from blood should be performed by inoculating whole blood into cell cultures if only small blood volumes can be collected.

Cytomegalovirus antigenemia assay: therapeutic usefulness and biological significance.

The cytomegalovirus antigenemia test is based on immunocytochemical detection of HCMV early structural protein pp65 in the nuclei of polymorphonuclear blood leucocytes of patients with systemic infection. Specificity and sensitivity are > or = 90% and positivity correlates well with HCMV disease, allowing better monitoring than isolation from buffy coat of patients undergoing chemotherapy. Polymorphonuclear cells appear as a main site of initial HCMV infection and reactivation.

[Chlamydia trachomatis: risk factors in women in the Parisian region. Importance of smoking and cervical ectropion]. / Chlamydia trachomatis: facteurs de risque chez les femmes de la région parisienne. Importance du tabagisme et de l'ectropion cervical.

A study of chlamydial infection and its clinical correlates was undertaken collaboratively among french women attending sexually transmitted disease (STD, prenatal, and teen clinics (n = 148). A complete sexual and gynecologic history and pelvic exam was performed on all women. Endocervical and urethral cultures were obtained for C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae. Reason for visit included suspected STD in 97% of STD, 5% of prenatal and 17% of teen women. N. gonorrhoeae was isolated from STD clinic patients only (17%). C. trachomatis was found in 22% of teen, 17% of STD and 2% of prenatal clinic women. C. trachomatis was significantly associated with smoking, a history of urethral discharge in the male partner, and endocervical ectopy > 50% of total cervical surface.

[4 new cases of neuromyositis, one of them associated with HTLV-I infection]. / Quatre nouvelles observations de neuromyosites, dont un cas associé à une infection par HTLV-I.

Neuromyositis is a very rare type of polymyositis where, beside the usual muscular manifestations, there are signs of peripheral neuropathy which can be found at clinical, electromyographic and/or pathological examination. We have seen between 1983 and 1990 four cases of neuromyositis. The neurological disorder was an axonopathy in two cases which is usual in neuromyositis; in the other two cases, there was a polyradiculoneuritis which seems to be very rare in this syndrome. In the four patients the disease was particularly severe and unresponsive to treatment. One of our patients had HTLV-I infection diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction amplification and in situ hybridization, while the serological test was negative. To our knowledge only three cases of HTLV-I associated neuromyositis have been reported in the literature.

Comparison of MRC-5 and continuous cell lines for detection of cytomegalovirus in centrifugation cultures.

Continuous cell lines were assessed for use for rapid human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) detection procedures combining tissue culture, centrifugation, and immediate early antigen (IEA) immunostaining. Human cells (MRC-5 embryonic fibroblasts, U-373MG astrocytoma cells, differentiated teratocarcinoma (Tera-2) cells), murine cells (BALB/c-3T3 and Y-1 cells), BHK21 hamster cells, and mink lung (ML) cells were first inoculated with HCMV laboratory strain. IEA synthesizing cells were detected by immunoperoxidase assay using a monoclonal antibody. ML cells and differentiated Tera-2 cells exhibited more positive cells than MRC-5 cells. BHK21, and MRC-5 cells were equivalent in sensitivity whereas U-373MG, BALB/c-3T3, and Y-1 cells had only reduced IEA positive cells. When 63 urine specimens were inoculated onto MRC-5, ML and differentiated Tera-2 cells, 20 (31.7%) were positive in MRC-5 cells versus 18 (28.5%) in ML or Tera-2 cells. Moreover, greater numbers of infected cells were detected in MRC-5 cells than in these two cell lines. MRC-5 cells were superior for detection of HCMV in clinical samples by centrifugation cultures.

The effect of treatment with zidovudine with or without acyclovir on HIV p24 antigenaemia in patients with AIDS or AIDS-related complex.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate changes in serum HIV p24-antigen levels in a subset of patients who participated in a European/Australian double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of zidovudine (250 mg every 6 h) alone or in combination with acyclovir (800 mg every 6 h) in patients with AIDS, AIDS-related complex (ARC) or Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). DESIGN: Double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial of less than or equal to 6 months' therapy. SETTING: Samples were obtained from patients attending teaching hospital outpatient clinics in seven European countries and Australia. SUBJECTS: One hundred and ninety-seven HIV-infected patients (60 with AIDS and 137 with ARC or KS). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum HIV p24-antigen levels measured using the Abbott HIV solid-phase enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: Of 76 ARC/KS patients who were initially HIV p24-antigen-positive, one out of 25 randomized to placebo, eight out of 23 to zidovudine and 11 out of 28 to the zidovudine/acyclovir combination became antigen-negative. The proportion of patients who became antigen-negative was significantly higher in both the zidovudine group (P = 0.016) and the zidovudine/acyclovir group (P = 0.004), compared with the placebo group. There were no statistical differences between the zidovudine and the zidovudine/acyclovir groups. During the trial p24-antigen levels in the zidovudine-treated patients reached their minimum after 4-8 weeks of therapy, and tended to increase gradually thereafter. Disease progression occurred irrespective of whether p24-antigen levels declined during therapy. No association between p24-antigen responses to therapy and baseline disease stage, Karnofsky score or baseline CD4 cell count was detectable. CONCLUSION: Acyclovir does not potentiate the effect of zidovudine on p24-antigen levels. Change in antigen level in response to antiviral therapy needs further investigation before it is used as a surrogate marker for clinical efficacy of antiviral therapy.

Evaluation of a new chemiluminometric immunoassay, Magic Lite Chlamydia, for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis antigen from urogenital specimens.

The chemiluminometric sandwich immunoassay, Magic Lite Chlamydia by Ciba Corning (Medfield, MA), using one Chlamydia trachomatis-specific monoclonal antibody conjugated with acridinium ester and one polyclonal immobilized to magnetic particles, was compared to cell culture in 291 urogenital specimens from 92 men and 102 women tested both in the cervix and urethra. The proportion of patients with positive culture results ranged from 11.8% among the women to 15% among the men, using microculture plates and peroxidase-antiperoxidase staining procedure with genus-specific monoclonal antibody (Orthodiagnostics, Raritan, NJ). The chemiluminometric method for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis antigen showed an overall sensitivity of 72.4%, specificity of 97.7%, positive predictive value of 77.7%, and negative predictive value of 96.9%. A higher sensitivity of Magic Lite was found in clinical specimens yielding more than 10 inclusions by well in cell culture. The newly developed chemiluminometric test, easy to perform, had the same limits in terms of sensitivity and positive predictive value than the other widely-used existing tests for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis antigen from urogenital specimens.

Use of PCR amplification for diagnosis of HTLV-I infection after blood transfusion.

We studied the seroconversion to human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-I) in two immunocompromised patients after transfusions of cellular blood components. One patient produced IgM antibodies against the viral p19 protein 149 days post-transfusion (a serum on day 43 was negative). Both patients showed indeterminate Western-blots (IgG anti-p19 and anti-gp46 but no anti-p24). Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with two primer pairs (SK43/44 and SK54/56), we demonstrated HTLV-I infection prior to seroconversion. This infection was confirmed by Southern blot.

[Comparative study of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal lethal concentration (MLC) values for tetracycline, monocycline, erythromycin and rokitamycin against eleven strains of Chlamydia trachomatis]. / Etude comparative des concentrations minimales inhibitrices (CMI) et des concentrations minimales léthales (CML) de la tétracycline, de la minocycline, de l'érythromycine et de la rokitamycine sur onze souches de Chlamydia trachomatis.

We evaluated the efficacy of tetracycline, minocycline, erythromycin and rokitamycin (rikamycine, TMS-19Q) in controlling in vitro propagation of Chlamydia trachomatis in HeLa 229 cells. Ten recent clinical isolates of Chlamydia trachomatis and one fast-growing strain were tested with inocula of 100-1,000 inclusion forming units per well of a 96-wheel microculture plate. Chlamydia trachomatis inclusions were detected by an immunoperoxidase-antiperoxidase procedure (PAP), including a genus-specific monoclonal antibody. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) geometric means and ranges were respectively 0.128, 0.015-0.25 mg/l tetracycline, 0.001, less than or equal to 0.001-0.004 mg/l minocycline, 0.187, 0.031-0.5 mg/l erythromycin, and 0.005, less than or equal to 0.001-0.062 mg/l rokitamycin; minimal lethal concentration (MLC) geometric means and ranges were 6.79, 0.125-32 mg/l tetracycline, 0.225, 0.062-2 mg/l minocycline, 3.37, 1-32 mg/l erythromycin, and 0.112, 0.031-1 mg/l rokitamycin. Since rokitamycin appears to be the more bactericidal from the four antibiotics tested, clinical studies in sexually transmitted diseases are indicated.

The use of labeled fusion protein for detection of B19 parvovirus IgM antibodies by an immunocapture test.

A new anti-B19 IgM ELISA was developed taking advantage of antibody-capture with biotinylated fusion protein as antigen. Specificity was examined using serum IgM antibody positive for rubella, hepatitis B core antigen, cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus as well as with sera positive for rheumatoid factors or antinuclear antibodies. The specificity was found to be 96%. Of one hundred serum samples compared using the new ELISA or the standard MACRIA tests for the presence of B19 IgM, 88 gave the same results. Fifty-three were negative and 35 were positive. Six sera were ELISA-negative MACRIA-positive, and six MACRIA-negative ELISA-positive. Thus, the ELISA gave 90% agreement with MACRIA. In a clinical study with 725 sera from suspected B19 infections, 161 (22%) were found positive by ELISA. The positive sera were from patients suffering from arthritis (35%), rash (35%), acute or chronic erythroblastopenia (21%), pancytopenia (5%), vascular purpura (2%) and lymphadenopathy (2%). A series of serum specimens obtained from two-B19 infected individuals were also studied. The IgM antibody became undetectable after four months.

Prophylaxis of bacterial infections after bone marrow transplantation. A randomized prospective study comparing oral broad-spectrum nonabsorbable antibiotics (vancomycin-tobramycin-colistin) to absorbable antibiotics (ofloxacin-amoxicillin).

Bacterial infection is a common complication after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. It is related to the toxic effects of the conditioning regimen on mucosal surfaces, to bone marrow aplasia and to the prolonged lymphopenia with immune deficiency that lasts for several weeks after bone marrow transplantation. We have performed a prospective randomized study comparing two methods of prophylaxis. Group I (OA) received a combination of ofloxacin 400 mg/day and amoxicillin 20 g/day; group II (VTC) received the oral nonabsorbable antibiotics vancomycin 450 mg/day, tobramycin 450 mg/day and colistin 4.5.10(6) units daily, from day -15 to 15 days after discharge from laminar air flow (LAF) rooms. All patients were nursed in LAF rooms with a strict isolation procedure and sterile water and food. They were evaluated daily for clinical symptoms, and bacterial culture samples were taken from the throat, stools and blood twice weekly. Forty-four patients were randomized, 22 entered in group I (OA) and 22 in group II (VTC). There were no differences between the two groups in age (mean 33 years, range 11-54), sex, diagnosis and mean duration of agranulocytosis (21.8 days, range 10-49). Seven patients were excluded because of the selection of a resistant bacteria, 5 were in group I (OA), and 2 were in group II (VTC). The mean duration of fever was 9.2 +/- 7.1 days in group I (OA) and 13.7 +/- 6.8 days in group II (VTC; p = 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in graft-versus-host disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Prevalence of HIV-1, HIV-2 and HTLV-1 infections. Experience in a Parisian center for sexually transmitted diseases]. / Prévalence des infections par les VIH 1, VIH 2 et HTLV 1. Expérience d'un centre des maladies sexuellement transmissibles à Paris.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is, to a great extent, a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Its diffusion among the heterosexual population is still limited. STD treatment centres are particularly well organized to watch this diffusion. At the STD centre of the Saint-Louis hospital, Paris, we conducted a 6-week prospective study concerning the systematic detection of HIV-1 infection in 240 consecutive female out-patients in 1988, and in 504 male out-patients in 1989. The results obtained were as follow: 5/240 women (2.1 percent) and 19/504 men (3.8 percent) were seropositive for HIV-1. Out of these 24 subjects, 15 did not know they were seropositive. Predictive factors for seropositivity were male homosexuality, addiction to heroin and, in women, drug addicts as sex partners. Altogether, 23 of the 24 seropositive subjects had the classical risk factors for HIV-1 infection. None of the 744 subjects in this study were HIV-2 seropositive, and only 1 out of 504 men was HTLV-1 seropositive. We conclude that the prevalence of HIV-1 infection was high in our centre, and this prompts us to suggest that the serological test should be proposed to all out-patients and that patient's education and preventive measures should be organized by STD centres, even though the infection is still limited to patients at a particularly high risk (drug addicts, homosexuals, country of origin).

[Microbiological study of male genital ulcers. Apropos of 75 cases]. / Etude microbiologique des ulcérations génitales masculines. A propos de soixante-quinze cas.

Between November 1986 and June 1987, the microbial aetiology of genital ulcers was assessed in 75 male patients attending the Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) clinic in Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris. Evidence of Haemophilus ducreyi was found in 18 patients (24%), Herpes simplex virus in 19 (25.3%). Syphilis was diagnosed on the basis of dark field microscopy and/or positive serology test in 19 patients (25.3%). Lymphogranuloma venereum was not diagnosed in any patient. Primary pathogens were not identified from the remaining 19 (25.3%) men. Neisseria gonorrhoea was isolated in five patients, from the ulcer in three cases, from the urethra in two. Asymptomatic urethral carriage of Chlamydia trachomatis was culture proven in seven cases. The presence of IgM antibodies to C. trachomatis at a titre greater than 40 found in 17 patients was a indication of a current chlamydial infection. Three patients (4%) were discovered to be HIV-1 positive.

Development of an IgM antibody capture test using labelled fusion protein as antigen for diagnosis of B19 human parvovirus infections.

A new anti-B19 IgM ELISA was developed using the antibody-capture principle. Biotinylated fusion protein was used as antigen. The specificity of the test was analysed using sera IgM positive to rubella, hepatitis B core antigen, cytomegalovirus and Epstein Barr virus as well with sera positive for rheumatoid factors, antinuclear antibodies and with sera from normal blood donors. The specificity of the test was 96.18%. One hundred serum samples were tested by the new ELISA and the standard MACRIA tests for the presence of B19 IgM. Eighty-eight sera gave the same results with both tests. Fifty-three were negative and 35 were positive. Six sera were ELISA negative MACRIA positive and six MACRIA negative ELISA positive. In a clinical study with 725 sera from suspected B19 infections, 161 (22%) were recorded as positive by the ELISA test. The positive sera were from patients suffering from arthritis (35%), rash (35%), acute or chronic erythroblastopenia (21%), pancytopenia (5%), vascular purpura (2%) and lymphadenopathy (2%).

Opportunistic agents in bronchoalveolar lavage in 99 HIV seropositive patients.

During a ten month period, 117 fibreoptic bronchoscopies and bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) were performed in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients suspected of having opportunistic pulmonary infections. The BAL were classified into 3 groups, according to clinical manifestations related to HIV infection at the time of fibreoptic bronchoscopy: pre-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (n = 54), AIDS with Kaposi's sarcoma (n = 37), AIDS without Kaposi's sarcoma (n = 26). On chest X-ray, diffuse infiltrates were most common (54%), followed by normal X-rays (24%) and localized infiltrates (18%). Amongst the 117 BAL, 68 (58%) yielded at least one opportunistic agent. In 28 BAL performed for pulmonary signs or unexplained fever with normal chest X-rays, one or several opportunistic agents were isolated in 17 samples of BAL fluid. The most frequently identified opportunistic agents were Pneumocystis carinii (in 38% of BAL) and cytomegalovirus (35%); these were associated in 17% of BAL. There was no statistically significant difference in opportunistic agents among the 3 groups of BAL (pre-AIDS, AIDS with Kaposi's sarcoma, AIDS without Kaposi's sarcoma). In particular, cytomegalovirus was found in BAL with the same frequency in these 3 groups.