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A 30-year-old gravida 2 suffered from chickenpox in the 13th week of gestation. In the 38th week of gestation she delivered by caesarean section a baby with typical congenital varicella syndrome (CVS). In the serum of the newborn IgG antibodies but no IgM or IgA antibodies were found by VZV ELISA test (Enzygnost Behring). On the 2nd, 5th, 8th and 11th days of life, VZV DNA was detectable in the cerebrospinal fluid by PCR in elevated copy numbers as well as in the fluid of skin lesions on the 3rd day of life in higher copy numbers, on the 11th day of life it was still detectable in low copy numbers. In the EDTA blood samples taken on the 5th day of life VZV DNA was detectable in low copy numbers. The positive VZV DNA detection in skin lesions led to the conclusion that newborns with CVS and skin lesions should be considered as infectious until the time of crusting and isolated in nursery care.

© 2015 AGA Institute. Background & Aims DNA structural lesions are prevalent in sporadic colorectal cancer. Therefore, we proposed that gene variants that predispose to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) would be found in patients with familial colorectal carcinomas of an undefined genetic basis (UFCRC). Methods We collected primary T cells from 25 patients with UFCRC and matched patients without colorectal cancer (controls) and assayed for DSBs. We performed exome sequence analyses of germline DNA from 20 patients with UFCRC and 5 undiagnosed patients with polyposis. The prevalence of identified variants in genes linked to DNA integrity was compared with that of individuals without a family history of cancer. The effects of representative variants found to be associated with UFCRC was confirmed in functional assays with HCT116 cells. Results Primary T cells from most patients with UFCRC had increased levels of the DSB marker γ(phosphorylated)histone2AX (γH2AX) after treatment with DNA damaging agents, compared with T cells from controls (P

SUMMARY We examined the expression of the CD45RO antigen, which characterizes the antigen primed/memory phenotype of T lymphocytes, as a marker for congenital infection in blood samples of newborns and fetuses. CD45RO expression on T cells was determined by triple-colour fluorescence flow cytometry. In total 537 blood samples of newborns and infants up to an age of 3 months and 89 fetal blood samples from gestational weeks 19–31 were analysed. Of the newborns and infants, 74 had a clinically, serologically and/or antigenically evident infection, and four of the fetuses had a confirmed intra-uterine infection. In 35 infants with acute predominantly bacterial infections such as sepsis or pneumonia, 17 (48.6%) had elevated CD45RObright expression. In 39 infants with proven pre-, peri- or early post-natal infections with toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus (CMV), rubella, herpes simplex virus (HSV) or human herpes virus type 6 (HHV6), 25 (64.1%) exhibited enhanced CD45RObright expression. Three of four fetuses with confirmed intra-uterine infection (three with CMV, one with parvovirus B19) exhibited elevated CD45RObright expression. The specificity of the CD45RO assay for detecting microbial infections was 94.6% for newborns and infants up to 3 months and 90.6% for fetuses. It is concluded that elevated numbers of CD45RObright T cells in infants up to 3 months of age strongly suggest an infection. However, the sensitivity of the CD45RO assay is not sufficient to enable the test to be used as a general marker for prescreening infants to detect pre-, peri- or early post-natally acquired infections.

We present a case of intrauterine parvovirus B19 infection, diagnosed by detection of B19 DNA in the amniotic fluid obtained at 15 weeks of gestation for chromosome analysis in an asymptomatic pregnancy, causing hydrops fetalis 7 weeks later. Following intrauterine transfusion, rapid resolution of hydrops could be observed and a healthy boy was born at 38 weeks of gestation. The respective laboratory data obtained from the examination of the amniotic fluid and maternal, fetal, and neonatal blood offer interesting insights into the dynamics of maternal-fetal parvovirus B19 infection.

A multicentre study was undertaken to define novel assays with increased inter-assay concordance, sensitivity, specificity and predictive value for serological diagnosis of human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV-8) infection. A total of 562 sera from European and Ugandan human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected or uninfected individuals with or without Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and blood donors were examined under code by 18 different assays in seven European laboratories. Sera from KS patients and all non-KS sera found positive by at least 70%, 80%, or 90% of the assays were considered "true positive." The validity of the assays was then evaluated by univariate logistic regression analysis. Two immunofluorescence assays (IFA) for detection of antibodies against HHV-8 lytic (Rlyt) or latent (LLANA) antigens and two enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assays (ELISA) (M2, EK8.1) for detection of antibodies against HHV-8 structural proteins were found to be highly concordant, specific, and sensitive, with odds ratios that indicated a high predictive value. When used together, the two IFA (Rlyt-LLANA) showed the best combination of sensitivity (89.1%) and specificity (94.9%). The performance of these assays indicate that they may be used for the clinical management of individuals at risk of developing HHV-8 associated tumours such as allograft recipients.

We and others have recently shown that p16 can potently and specifically inhibit progression through the G1 phase of the replicative cycle in cells that express the retinoblastoma protein (pRB). However, none of these studies examined cell types in which p16 has been firmly implicated in tumorigenesis. We predicted that such cells would show sensitivity to p16 inhibition, perhaps conferred by proteins in addition to or other than pRB. Intragenic, inactivating mutations of p16 have been found at significant frequency in primary tumors derived from squamous epithelial cells of the esophagus (ESCC). We therefore examined p16 function in ESCC lines and in primary squamous epithelial cells cultured from mouse skin. We find that seven of eight ESCC lines tested are inhibited by p16 and fail to express the protein endogenously. The lone p16-resistant line expresses endogenous p16 but lacks functional pRB. Primary squamous epithelial cells are also inhibited by p16. These data suggest that squamous epithelial cells are generally sensitive to inhibition by a regulatory pathway that involves p16 and pRB, and that, by the time of establishment in culture, there is nearly universal inactivation of this pathway in ESCCs.

For the determination of regionally averaged fluxes and budgets of atmospheric trace constituents, the ultimate goal of the European Environment Research EUROTRAC, several ecosystems must be investigated, each representative of larger areas. One of the most wide-spread vegetation type is the coniferous forest, in which several compartments exist such as soil, trunk space, canopy and 'free' atmosphere above, which differ considerably in biology, chemistry and meteorology, but increase strongly by feedback processes caused by turbulent mixing and chemical reactions. To understand forest/atmosphere relations in detail, measurements are needed which provide concentrations, emission and deposition data of various chemical compounds as well as micrometeorological quantities. These measurements have to be carried out simultaneously in all storeys of a forest over extended periods and must be highly resolved with respect to time and space. In a first step detailed small-scale studies must be performed. This paper describes the scientific approach for integrated multi-disciplinary studies at Schachtenau, a research site in Central Europe's largest continuous forest, and presents first results from joint experiments.

Six virus laboratories from various parts of the German Federal Republic and West Berlin undertook investigations into polio-myelitis immunity in 1972. A total of 267 persons aged up to 20 years were investigated for neutralizing antibodies against the three types of polio virus. The study showed that from the fourth year of life approximately 70% of the persons investigated had antibodies against all three types of polio virus. In some younger children the equivalent values were considerably lower. After the fourth year of life there were only slight differences in the humoral immunity against the three polio virus types. There was no evidence that the immunity level had deteriorated up to the 20th year of life and thus there is no indication of the necessity for a repeat immunisation at a certain time. The investigation confirmed that three oral administrations of trivalent vaccine, as are now generally recommended as basic immunization in the German Federal Republic, result in a conversion rate of over 90% against each of the three virus types.

After the surgical removal of Peyer's patches (PP) in rats, the IgA-containing cells in the thoracic duct, mesenteric lymph nodes and lamina propria of the small intestine are decreased, as shown by immunohistology. The analysis of the immunoglobulin secretion in agar of single-cell suspensions confirmed these results. Using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 055B5 as antigen, it could be demonstrated that this reduction may be the result of an inadequate presentation of antigen and/or impaired migration of locally primed antigen (AG)-specific cells. The oral application of heat-inactivated Escherichia coli 055B5 to PP-deprived rats resulted almost exclusively in anti-LPS-secreting cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen, whereas in control animals these cells were distributed along the intestine. Therefore, in rats PP have an important function in the regulation of the intestinal immune responses.

The induction of oral tolerance after ingestion of antigen has been reported in several animal models. The precise mechanisms responsible for this unresponsiveness are not well understood. As some investigations have suggested a key role of Peyer's patches suppressor T cells, an animal model was developed in which the PP were surgically removed. Using this model, the influence of the PP on the induction of oral tolerance against SRBC was investigated. In order to induce tolerance, the rats were fed SRBC on four consecutive days. On Day 5 they were i.p. challenged by injection of SRBC, and 5 days later the number of immunoglobulin-secreting cells against SRBC was determined within the spleen. Using this protocol, the oral tolerance induction could be shown very clearly in control animals as well as in rats without PP. Therefore, tolerance induction is possible in the absence of PP-T cells. Other mechanisms must be responsible for the tolerance induction in this model.

Growing evidence supports a pathophysiological role for platelets during the manifestation of postischemic reperfusion injury; in the current study, we investigated the nature and the molecular determinants of platelet-endothelial cell interactions induced by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Platelet-endothelium and leukocyte-endothelium interactions after 1 hour of ischemia were monitored in vivo within mouse small intestine. By intravital fluorescence microscopy, we observed that platelets, like leukocytes, roll along or firmly adhere to postischemic microvascular endothelial cells. In contrast, few leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions were detected in sham-operated controls. Monoclonal antibodies against P-selectin significantly attenuated platelet rolling and adherence in response to I/R. To identify whether platelet or endothelial P-selectin plays the major role in mediating postischemic platelet-endothelial cell interactions, P-selectin-deficient or wild-type platelets were transfused into wild-type or P-selectin-deficient mice, respectively. Whereas platelets lacking P-selectin rolled along or adhered to postischemic wild-type endothelium, interactions between wild-type platelets with mutant endothelium were nearly absent, indicating that I/R-induced platelet-endothelium interactions are dependent on the expression of P-selectin by endothelial cells. Concomitantly, P-selectin expression in the intestinal microvasculature was enhanced in response to I/R, whereas no upregulation of P-selectin was observed on circulating platelets. In summary, we provide first in vivo evidence that platelets accumulate in the postischemic microvasculature early after reperfusion via P-selectin-ligand interactions. Platelet recruitment and subsequent activation might play an important role in the pathogenesis of I/R injury.