[Prevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus in pregnant women of Catalonia]. / Prevalencia de anticuerpos frente a Toxoplasma gondii, virus de la rubéola, citomegalovirus y virus del herpes simple en las mujeres embarazadas de Cataluña.

A seroepidemiological survey was carried out to evaluate the prevalence of antibodies against toxoplasma, rubella virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV) and herpes simplex virus in pregnant women from Catalonia during 1985. The study was carried out in a representative sample of the pregnant women cared for in public and private hospitals from Catalonia, which was selected in maternal clinics by random sampling. Antibody measurements were carried out with the following techniques: toxoplasma, IFI (positive values greater than or equal to 1:10); rubella virus, Iha (greater than or equal to 1:10); CMV and herpes simplex virus, CF (greater than or equal to 1:10). 50.21% of pregnant women had antibodies against toxoplasma, 97.48% against rubella virus, 73.31% against CMV, and 80.93% against herpes simplex virus. The presence of antibodies against CMV and herpes simplex virus were significantly associated ( less than 0.00001). The demographic and socioeconomic variables associated with the prevalence of antibodies were analyzed, and they were compared with other results from the literature.

Seroepidemiology of rubella in pregnant females in Catalonia (Spain).

The seroepidemiological study carried out on a random sample of pregnant females aged between 15 and 45 in Catalonia (Spain) showed that the prevalence of antibodies found in the survey (97.5 +/- 2) varies from that shown by studies performed in continental areas of Europe and North America in the pre-vaccination era (80-90%) and is similar to that currently found in certain continental areas of Asia and Africa (about 95%) where the prevalence of the virus seems to be very high, and in certain industrialized countries which have implemented effective vaccination programmes (95-97%). Although 28.8% of the females surveyed stated that they had been vaccinated against rubella, it has not been possible to find any statistically significant differences as regards the prevalence of antibodies between vaccinated and nonvaccinated females. This suggests that the high prevalence of anti-rubella antibodies shown by the survey is due not so much to the existence of effective vaccination programmes as to the fact that the wild virus is extremely widespread among the Catalonian population, similar to certain continental areas of Asia and Africa.

Incidence of enteroinvasive Escherichia coli in Spain. A 14-month prospective study.

Between February 1984 and May 1985, a prospective study was performed in patients with acute enteritis to determine the incidence of enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (ECEI) in our environment. Eight hundred and forty-three strains of E. coli were studied by agglutination with antisera for serogroups O28ac, 029, 0112, 0124, 0136, 0144, 0152 and 0164. Eleven strains were found to pertain to one or another of these serogroups: 6 to 029, 2 to 0124, 2 to 0164 and 1 to 0143. Of these, only the two corresponding to 0124 invaded HeLa cells and had a positive Sereny test. These strain were lysine decarboxylase and lactose negative and did not produce gas. In 125 strains that did not belong to any of the enteroinvasise serogroups indicated, but had been isolated from patients with febrile enteritis in which no other enteropathogen could be isolated (32 strains), or had metabolic characteristics of enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (93) strains, the Sereny test and invasion of HeLa cells were studied. In every case, both tests were negative.

The accuracy of medical certifications of cancer deaths and of cancer diagnosis in the municipal area of Barcelona in 1979.

Death certificates containing a diagnosis of cancer concerning residents of the municipal area of Barcelona were matched against their clinical records to assess the accuracy of medical certifications of cancer death. Out of 2,945 cancer deaths, medical records were available in 1,557 (53%). Both documents were in agreement in 81% of the cases. Information on quality of cancer diagnosis was collected by considering the best evidence available derived from the techniques used. Histology of the primary was present in 67% of the cases. Histology of a metastatic deposit or positive cytology was the best evidence in 10% and other techniques -clinical, X-Ray or laboratory tests- were the best method used in 23%.

Cancer mortality in Barcelona 1960-1978.

Cancer mortality rates specific for sex and site for the 1960-1978 period are presented. The population covered is the municipal area of Barcelona. Rates have been adjusted taking as the standard population the Spanish census of 1970. Leading sites for males are lung, stomach and large intestine. Breast, large intestine and stomach are leading causes of death for females. Secular trends follow the general picture of the western industrial countries.

[Pneumonia due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Clinicoradiological study of 28 cases (author's transl)]. / Neumonías por Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Análisis clinicorradiológico de 28 casos.

Pneumonia due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae may present at any age after age five. The clinical picture varies from an acute febrile illness to a prolonged disease with affected general state and little pulmonary involvement. The radiological picture is varied but the alveolar pattern predominates, making the differential diagnosis with the bacterial pneumonias difficult. However, in the presence of an interstitial or mixed pattern, especially if generalized, pneumonia due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae must be suspected. This radiological picture is particularly frequent in elderly patients, often affected by other diseases able to induce immunodepression. In such patients the radiology and the unspecific clinical picture frequently cause diagnostic delays. The presence of a pneumonia with multisystem involvement (blood, nervous system, joints, etc.) should suggest the possibility of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections.

A review of infections with Mycoplasma pneumoniae in children, emphasizing their frequency, association with viral infections, nonspecific clinical aspects, diagnostic data, and extrapulmonary possible manifestations is presented. This work was based on 320 analyses made in a period of 3 years. 15 of those analyses were serologically positive for M. pneumoniae, and 10 of them were also serologically positive for virus.

Antigenic characterization of intermediate adenovirus 14-11 strains associated with upper respiratory illness in a military camp.

An unusual variant of adenovirus (AV) 11 was isolated from throat and rectal swabs from six persons with upper respiratory illness in a Spanish military camp in March 1969. The same strain was serologically related to the upper respiratory illness of seven other men among 25 sample cases studied in detail. After strain purification, the virus was grouped as an AV by standard biological tests; it possessed the usual titers of group-specific hexon antigen but only low hemagglutinin titers (1:4 to 1:8) with erythrocytes from selected rhesus monkeys. The virus gave little reaction in hemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests with antisera to AV 1 through 35, but was neutralized to homologous titers by AV 11 antiserum. Reciprocally, rabbit and guinea pig antisera to the isolates possessed high HI antibody titers to prototype AV 14 and high serum neutralization (SN) antibody titers to prototype AV 11. On this basis, the variants were classified as AV 14-11 intermediates. Sequential serum specimens from the patients with and without positive cultures showed diagnostic rises in HI and SN antibody levels to the AV 14-11 intermediate and to prototype AV 11, but little response to AV 14.