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PubMed1978

[Classification of mental disorders of neuro-infectious origin].

The report contains a clinical analysis and the results of a paraclinical study of 4894 patients with mental disorders of different etiology. The following 4 types of development were distinguished: abortive, periodical, remittent, continuous. The authors propose a structure of neuropsychic disorders and the main groups of psychopathological syndrome and their frequency. Some criteria for the differential diagnosis of this group of disorders is outlined.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Maternal mortality at the Queen Elizabeth Central Teaching Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.

BACKGROUND: Maternal mortality in Malawi continues to increase despite the global SMI and national safe motherhood programme's efforts to reduce it. OBJECTIVES: To identify the social, demographic and reproductive profiles of women suffering a maternal death, the main immediate causes and the operational factors. DESIGN: A retrospective descriptive survey. SETTING: The Gogo-Chatinkha Maternity Unit, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi, from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2000. SUBJECTS: All women who suffered a maternal death in the unit. RESULTS: There were a total of 204 maternal deaths and 19,859 live births, giving a Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 1027.2/100,000 live births. Their ages ranged from 16 to 40 years. Adolescents comprised 20.6%, while the majority, (56.4%), were aged 15 - 24 years. Almost half of the group, (43.4%), were para 1 and less, with a range of 0 to 12. The top five causes of death were puerperal sepsis, (29.4%); postabortal complications, (23.5%); other infectious conditions, (20.1%); obstetric haemorrhage, (10.6%), and eclampsia, (6.4%). Some of the identified operational factors included delay in accessing and receiving emergency obstetric care, poor quality services, HIV infection/ AIDS and unsafe induced abortion following unwanted pregnancy. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Most of the causes and operational factors for maternal deaths are easily avoidable. The country needs to make more commitment and investments necessary to mitigate these deaths.

Abortion, Illegal↗

PubMed2004

An investigation into the causes of low calving percentage in communally grazed cattle in Jericho, North West Province.

The communal grazing system is generally understood to have a low input, low output type of management. However, the actual inputs and outputs of the farmers are not well known and the farmers are often unaware of their problems. Although the causes of low calving percentage are well understood in commercial beef farming enterprises in South Africa, the same is not true for communal farming systems. The aim of this study was to determine the reproductive performance of beef cattle on a communal farming system in Jericho, North West Province. Ten farmers from five villages with a total of 265 cows and 13 bulls were purposively selected. The selection criteria were that each farmer had to have a minimum of 10 breeding cows and a bull and be willing to participate in the study. This was followed by a 12-month longitudinal study with monthly herd visits where cows were examined rectally and bulls (n = 13) were subjected to a single breeding soundness evaluation. The calving percentage was found to be 37.7%. This is lower than the recorded percentages for commercial beef cattle on extensive grazing. The factors playing a role in low calving percentage were ranked using field data. From this it appeared that failure of cows to become pregnant was the main cause of poor calving percentage as opposed of loss of calves through abortion or resorption. Sub-fertility of the bulls was found to be of great significance and it is proposed that this be included in extension messages and that bulls be fertility tested routinely. Poor body condition score of cows, mainly caused by poor management, was also considered to play a major role in reducing pregnancy rates. Infectious diseases like trichomonosis, campylobacteriosis and brucellosis played a much leser role than anticipated.

Abortion, Veterinary↗

PubMed2002

Adeno-associated virus DNA in human gestational trophoblastic disease.

Previous studies had shown a correlation between infection with the human adeno-associated virus (AAV) and spontaneous abortion in early pregnancy. Furthermore, AAV DNA had been detected in cells of the human trophoblast lines, Jeg-3, JAr, and BeWo, in cells of the human amnion line, FL, and in trophoblasts from amnion fluids. Infectious AAV virions could be isolated from amnion fluids. To further analyse AAV infection during pregnancy, we tested material from Gestational Trophoblastic Disease for the presence of AAV DNA. With 63 tissue samples from patients from Brazil, including 49 hydatiform moles and 14 choriocarcinomas, nested PCR was performed to detect the presence of AAV DNA. In addition, 15 samples from spontaneous abortions were analysed. AAV DNA was found in 43 samples (28/49 hydatiform moles, 4/14 choriocarcinomas, 11/15 miscarriage material). These findings confirm AAV infection of embryo-derived tissue in humans and further suggest a role of AAV in miscarriage and trophoblastic disease.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

PubMed1995

Alteration of pulmonary macrophage function by respiratory syncytial virus infection in vitro.

Alveolar macrophages (AL) are the first line of defense against inhaled pathogens and are exposed to virus during the course of a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. Interference of virus with alveolar macrophage functions may contribute to the risk of acquiring secondary bacterial infections during or after respiratory tract infections with RSV or other viral agents. We studied whether murine AL get infected with RSV and whether they support viral replication in vitro. In addition, the effects of RSV on microbicidal and on immunoregulatory functions were examined. Only a subpopulation of AL expressed viral F proteins after exposure of these cells to RSV. Infected AL released only small amounts of infectious virus into the supernatant. The extent of virus replication in AL seemed to be dependent in part on the amount of IFN induced by the virus, as has been demonstrated by infection of lung tissue macrophages and AL in vitro. In general, RSV infection of pulmonary macrophages appeared to be abortive. Nevertheless, release of reactive oxygen intermediates, phagocytosis, and killing of protozoa were reduced in RSV-infected AL in comparison to noninfected AL. In contrast, RSV stimulated secretion of TNF-alpha, IL-1, and IL-6 in an infectious-dose dependent manner. Along with the increased cytokine release, accessory functions of AL were increased after RSV exposure. Thus, exposure of AL to RSV appeared to stimulate their immunoregulatory functions, whereas the microbicidal activity of these cells seemed to be severely diminished.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Human cytomegalovirus replicates abortively in polymorphonuclear leukocytes after transfer from infected endothelial cells via transient microfusion events.

Using a recently developed model for in vitro generation of pp65-positive polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs), we demonstrated that PMNLs from immunocompetent subjects may harbor both infectious human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and viral products (pp65, p72, DNA, and immediate-early [IE] and pp67 late mRNAs) as early as 60 min after coculture with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) or human embryonic lung fibroblasts (HELF) infected with a clinical HCMV isolate (VR6110) or other wild-type strains. The number of PMNLs positive for each viral parameter increased with coculture time. Using HELF infected with laboratory-adapted HCMV strains, only very small amounts of viral DNA and IE and late mRNAs were detected in PMNLs. A cellular mRNA, the vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 mRNA, which is abundantly present in both infected and uninfected HUVEC, was detected in much larger amounts in PMNLs cocultured with VR6110-infected cells than in controls. Coculture of PMNLs with VR6110-infected permissive cells in the presence or absence of RNA, protein, and viral DNA synthesis inhibitors showed that only IE genes were transcribed in PMNLs during coculture. Synthesis of IE transcripts in PMNLs was also supported by the finding that only the copy number of IE mRNA (and not the DNA or the pp67 mRNA) per infected PMNL increased markedly with time, and the pp67 to IE mRNA copy number ratio changed from greater than 10 in infected HUVEC to less than 1 in cocultured PMNLs. Fluorescent probe transfer experiments and electron microscopy studies indicated that transfer of infectious virus and viral products from infected cells to PMNLs is likely to be mediated by microfusion events induced by wild-type strains only. In addition, HCMV pp65 and p72 were both shown to localize in the nucleus of the same PMNLs by double immunostaining. Two different mechanisms may explain the virus presence in PMNLs: (i) one major mechanism consists of transitory microfusion events (induced by wild-type strains only) of HUVEC or HELF and PMNLs with transfer of viable virus and biologically active viral material to PMNLs; and (ii) one minor mechanism, i.e., endocytosis, occurs with both wild-type and laboratory strains and leads to the acquisition of very small amounts of viral nucleic acids. In conclusion, HCMV replicates abortively in PMNLs, and wild-type strains and their products (as well as cellular metabolites and fluorescent dyes) are transferred to PMNLs, thus providing evidence for a potential mechanism of HCMV dissemination in vivo.

Cell Fusion↗

PubMed1991

Inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-alpha transcription by Epstein-Barr virus.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), which is produced mainly by monocyte/macrophage cells, has diverse physiological functions on lymphoid cells. Moreover, it has been shown that TNF-alpha exhibits antiviral activities. Here we report that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a B lymphotropic human herpes virus that interacts intimately with the immune system, exerts a strong inhibitory effect on TNF-alpha production by lipopolysaccharide-treated peripheral blood leukocytes as well as by monocytic cell lines, HL-60 and U-937. Flow cytometric analysis following staining with OKB7 monoclonal antibody showed that about 20% of cells from these monocytic lines express the CR2 antigen. Direct binding of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled EBV indicated that the virus binds to approximately 22% of cells of both monocytic lines. However, no virus-specific antigens were detected in the infected cells by immunofluorescence, suggesting that the infection was of the abortive type. The use of UV- or heat-inactivated EBV and inhibitory effect on TNF-alpha synthesis. These results suggest that infectious virus is necessary to obtain such an inhibitory effect. Analysis of TNF-alpha mRNA by polymerase chain reaction amplification indicated that the EBV suppressive effect is manifested at the transcriptional level. In contrast, EBV did not inhibit interleukin 1 mRNA production by these cells. These results indicate that EBV interacts directly with monocytes/macrophages to exert its immunomodulatory effect.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed1989

Replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 in differentiated human promyelocytic HL-60 cells.

The capability of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), strain Angelotti (ANG), to replicate in human promyelocytic HL-60 cells treated with 1,2-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was examined. Virus titrations and infectious center assays revealed that HSV-1 ANG replicated in nontreated HL-60 cells and in HL-60 cells treated with TPA. An abortive infection was observed in DMSO-stimulated HL-60 cells. Viral DNA synthesis was detected in nontreated and TPA-treated cells, but not in DMSO-treated cells. Analysis of HSV-1 transcripts revealed that albeit the differences in pretreatment, HL-60 cells synthesized viral immediate-early (ICP4) and early (tk and pol) RNAs, whereas a late viral transcript (gC) was almost exclusively detected in nontreated and TPA-treated HL-60 cells. In line with these observations were the results obtained from studies on viral protein synthesis. The immediate-early protein ICP4 was found in all three cell types. Early (pol), delayed-early (gB), as well as late proteins (VP 5, gC) were identified in nontreated and TPA-treated cells, but only in reduced amounts in DMSO-treated cells. These data suggest a translational block of HSV replication in DMSO-treated HL-60 cells at the level of early gene expression.

Blotting, Northern↗

PubMed1966

Interaction of a simian papovavirus and adenoviruses. I. Induction of adenovirus tumor antigen during abortive infection of simian cells.

Feldman, Lawrence A. (Baylor University College of Medicine, Houston, Tex.), Janet S. Butel, and Fred Rapp. Interaction of a simian papovavirus and adenoviruses. I. Induction of adenovirus tumor antigen during abortive infection of simian cells. J. Bacteriol. 91:813-818. 1966.-Adenovirus types 2, 7, and 12 undergo an abortive growth cycle in green monkey kidney cells; they induce the formation of adenovirus tumor antigen, but synthesis of adeno capsid antigen and infectious adenovirus was observed only when cultures were concomitantly infected with a simian papovavirus (SV40). Several other viruses, including herpes simplex and measles which replicate in monkey cells, and rabbit papilloma and human wart papovaviruses which do not, failed to stimulate adenovirus replication in the monkey cells. Adenovirus tumor antigen was detected 8 to 10 hr postinfection by immunofluorescent techniques. The antigen induced by adenovirus types 2 and 7 appeared as intranuclear masses; adenovirus type 12 tumor antigen also appeared as cytoplasmic and nuclear flecks. Sera from hamsters bearing tumors induced by adenovirus type 12 cross-reacted with tumor antigens induced by types 2 and 7 but not with antigens induced by SV40.

Adenoviridae↗

PubMed2003

Differences between endocarditis with true negative blood cultures and those with previous antibiotic treatment.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: High morbidity and mortality are attributed to patients with culture-negative endocarditis. The main reason for negative blood culture in infectious endocarditis (IE) is administration of antibiotics before sample withdrawal. The study aim was to determine any difference in prognosis between patients with 'aborted' culture-negative endocarditis (A-CNE) and those with true culture-negative endocarditis (T-CNE). METHODS: A total of 107 patients with a diagnosis of IE was studied retrospectively. Diagnosis was confirmed pathologically during surgery, at post-mortem examination, or by fulfillment of Duke's criteria. Twenty patients (18.7%) had negative-culture endocarditis and comprised the study population. Of these patients, 14 (70%) had received previous antibiotic therapy (A-CNE), and six (30%) were considered T-CNE cases. In-hospital outcome and clinical characteristics were compared between both patient groups. The main end-point was death or need for surgical repair of the heart valves during hospitalization. RESULTS: There were no significant inter-group differences with respect to mean age, gender distribution, and other clinical characteristics. The composite endpoint of death or surgical repair occurred more frequently in T-CNE patients (100% versus 64%, p = 0.0394). Anatomic complications also occurred more frequently in T-CNE patients, but the difference was statistically not significant. CONCLUSION: Among patients with IE and a negative blood culture, those without previous antibiotic therapy (T-CNE) have the worse prognosis.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Women's health: an alternative perspective for choosing interventions.

This paper outlines the health problems of mothers, discusses the links between maternal health and child health, and emphasizes the need to focus attention more clearly on the problems of women and the interventions that might help them as a way to improve both maternal and child health. The special problems of girls and women in the developing world--including maternity care, abortion, and maternal mortality and morbidity--and the ways in which these problems affect mothers and their children, are examined. Nutritional morbidity and infectious morbidity are described in terms of their effects on maternal and infant health, including low birth weight. It is shown how the cultural, social, and economic factors that affect women and children interact with their health problems. Recommendations are made to: reexamine well established interventions to determine if new program designs might improve long-term results; conduct research on the efficacy of retraining health personnel; broaden and improve service delivery; reassess the cost-effectiveness of highly targeted interventions; reexamine the locus of certain interventions; and emphasize long-term as well as short-term results. Attention should be given to women's health not only during pregnancy, but throughout the life cycle.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Anticardiolipin antibodies in patients with infectious diseases.

IgG or IgM anticardiolipin antibodies were present in the sera of 67% of 33 patients with Hansen's disease, in 53% of 30 patients with tuberculosis and in 50% of 16 patients with endocarditis. Despite the high frequency of these antibodies, no patient had a history of thrombosis or abortion. Anti-denatured DNA antibodies were tested in patients with tuberculosis and patients with Hansen's disease. Only in the latter group did we observe a statistically significant association between anticardiolipin and anti-denatured DNA antibodies. Anticardiolipin binding activity, however, could not be inhibited by preincubation of sera with a variable concentration of denatured DNA. These data suggest that: a) Anticardiolipin antibodies in infectious diseases do not necessarily participate in the pathogenesis of thrombotic or obstetric complications; b) Anti-denatured DNA and anticardiolipin antibodies in the population studied do not have a cross-reaction.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Toxicologic problems in food animals affecting reproduction.

Because a significant number of toxins affect food animal reproduction, the investigating clinician should be aware of their presence and action. If the clinician is confronted with infertility and abortions, the biotoxins, plant estrogens, nitrates, fescue, and selenium-accumulating plants should be considered. The region of the country will limit the considerations. Outbreaks of congenital defects should prompt the clinician to check for the presence and consumption of the teratogenic plants found in the region. Investigation of toxins affecting food animal reproduction always should be done in the total context of infectious and management causes. Proper understanding of suspected toxins is necessary for correct interpretation of toxins affecting reproduction.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗

PubMed2006

Fusobacterium necrophorum determined as abortifacient in sheep by laser capture microdissection and fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) has been extensively used for identification of individual microbial cells within their natural environment. The present work describes the identification of Fusobacterium necrophorum in formalin-fixed tissue samples from three sets of ovine twins aborted at late pregnancy by a technique that combines laser capture microdissection (LCM) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (LCM-FISH). Cultural bacteriological examination had failed to identify an infectious agent but by histological examination, large colonies of bacteria associated with tissue inflammation were seen. In situ hybridization visualized the bacteria in the tissue samples and micro-colonies closely associated with lesions were isolated by LCM. PCR-amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA gene from the microdissected bacteria identified the organisms as Fusobacterium necrophorum. A rRNA-targeting oligonucleotide probe specific for F. necrophorum was used in a FISH assay. In situ hybridization showed a high density of F. necrophorum in all examined tissue sections. Simultaneous probing with a general bacterial probe EUB338 and the specific probe for F. necrophorum showed that no other bacteria could be detected in the tissue sections. We therefore conclude that F. necrophorum was the likely cause of abortion in these sheep.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

PubMed1983

The clinical management of repeated early pregnancy wastage.

A rational systematic evaluation is essential to the management of a couple with repeated early pregnancy wastage. Psychologic support in the form of frequent discussions and sympathetic counseling are crucial to the successful evaluation and treatment of the anxious couple. A prompt and orderly evaluation will relieve anxiety. When no etiologic factor is identified, a 60% to 80% fetal salvage rate may be expected. Once a patient conceives, serial ultrasonography, beta-hCG determination, and estradiol determination may be useful in detecting the stage of the embryonic death if subsequent abortion occurs. A karyotypic analysis of the products of conception should be performed if fetal loss occurs.

Abortion, Habitual↗

PubMed1975

Differences between laboratory strains of Epstein-Barr virus based on immortalization, abortive infection and interference.

Biological activities of extracellular Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) from two laboratory strains, namely P3J-HR-1 (P-H) from Burkitt's lymphoma and B95-8 (B95) from infectious mononucleosis, were compared. Virus stocks from both sources contained approximately the same number of virions. Virus from the P-H line induced early antigen in six non-producer EBV-genome carrier cell lines; virus from B95 did not induce early antigen. Extracellular virus from B95 regularly caused lymphocytes from human umbilical cords to form continuous lines (immortalization); P-H virus did not cause primary cultures of human lymphocytes to grow continuously. B95 virus stimulated DNA synthesis, as determined by the rate of incorporation of 3H-thymidine into acid-insoluble material; P-H virus did not stimulate DNA synthesis. Pretreatment of lymphocytes with undiluted P-H virus inhibited immortalization and stimulation of DNA synthesis by B95 virus. The inhibitory properties of the P-H virus were sedimented at 100 000 g and inactivated by heat and UV irradiation; interference by the P-H virus was neutralized by human serum with antibody to EBV and not by antibody-negative human serum. The hypothesis most consistent with these results is that the P-H virus is defective in gene(s) needed for initiation of immortalization. We speculate that the absence of this gene allows early antigen to be expressed upon superinfection of non-producer cell lines. The availability of two laboratory strains of two laboratory strains of EBV that differ in biological behaviour provides starting material for analysis of the mechanism of lymphocyte immortalization by EBV and of virus structural differences that affect immortalization.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Suspected red maple (Acer rubrum) toxicosis with abortion in two Percheron mares.

Horses develop severe and often fatal hemolytic anemia after ingesting dried leaves from red maple (Acer rubrum) trees. Toxicosis appears related to an unknown oxidant present in the dried or wilted leaves. This case report describes 2 horses that aborted and developed fatal hemolytic anemia after consuming wilted leaves from red maple (Acer rubrum). While an absolute diagnosis was not confirmed due to lack of proper antemortem and postmortem examinations, red maple toxicosis appeared a reasonable diagnosis based on clinical signs and laboratory findings. Other differentials include equine infectious anemia, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, piroplasmosis, leptospirosis, ehrlichiosis, and other plant or chemical sources of oxidants (onion, garlic, kale, phenothiazines).

Abortion, Veterinary↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Septic abortion associated with Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus infection: case report and review of the literature.

In contrast to the situation in cattle, goat and sheep, Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus only rarely causes disease in humans. While a major inducer of septic abortion in animals, only a minority of clinical infections in humans are found during pregnancy. Eleven cases have so far been described in pregnant women. Clinical symptomatology is usually mild during gestation but often leads to premature labor. Here we present a multigravida with positive cultures for C. fetus who went into septic shock. She completely recovered after delivery of a C. fetus-infected fetus at 18 weeks' gestation and treatment with a combination of cephazolin and gentamicin. C. fetus infections should be suspected in patients with intensive contact with (infected) cattle or after intake of unpasteurized dairy products.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗