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To investigate whether the association between insulin resistance (IR) and depressive symptoms is present already in young adult males. The association between IR and depression has been poorly studied, although the existence of a connection of Type II diabetes with depression is well established. We previously demonstrated at epidemiological level in two groups of men aged 31 years and 61 to 63 years that IR is linked with depressive symptoms.

Abstract: Assocation of low sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) level with the risk of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in men has previously been reported. A proline to alanine substitution in codon 12 of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma 2 (PPARγ2) gene has been shown to be related to high insulin sensitivity. The relationship of SHBG levels with the Pro12Ala polymorphism of PPARγ2 in men has not been previously studied. Therefore, we investigated the effect of the Pro12Ala polymorphism of PPARγ2 on SHBG levels in 202 young Finnish men. The range of SHBG was from 3.30 to 73 nmol/L (geometric mean=17.90; 95% Cl=16.62–19.25 nmol/L). Baseline SHBG levels tended to be lower in men who developed the MetS (n=11) compared to men who did not develop the MetS (n=169) (22.85 vs 17.26 nmol/L) on a high-caloric diet during their 6 mo military service. SHBG levels tended to be higher among the subjects with the Al12Ala genotype compared to subjects with the Pro12Pro or Pro12Ala genotypes of the PPARγ gene (27.7 vs 21.7 and 22.7 nmol/L). Among the carriers of the Pro12Pro genotype, those who developed the MetS (n=8) had significantly lower levels of SHBG compared to men who did not develop the MetS (n=93) (13.23 vs 24.22 nmol/L, p=0.027). Among the subjects who developed the MetS those with the Pro12Pro genotype (n=3) had significantly lower levels of SHBG compared to subjects with X12Ala (n=8) (13.23 vs 28 nmol/L, p=0.025). We conclude that the 12Ala allele of PPARγ2, may influence SHBG levels in young Finnish men.

Abstract: An increase of insulin resistance and a worsening of lipid profile during 6 mo of military service in young male Finnish population has previously been shown by us. The present study demonstrates unfavorable changes of serum adiponectin concentrations and their association with weight loss in these particular circumstances. Adiponectin in a range of 4.3–21.2 μg/mL was present in the serum samples and had a significant negative correlation with weight, body mass index, waist to hip ratio, and insulin. Fasting serum lipids and plasma insulin significantly increased and serum adiponectin levels significantly decreased during the military service. Even the subjects with a 5–10% decrease in body weight showed the same result. In cases with more than 10% weight reduction and a significant decrease of fasting insulin concentration, the total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly increased and adiponectin concentration tended to decreased. Only in severely obese cases (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) with more than 10% decrease in body mass index adiponectin levels tended to increase, although not statistically significantly. This study shows that serum adiponectin concentrations decreased during a 6 mo high-caloric diet in military service, and even a moderate weight reduction induced by high-energy expenditure in exercise during service did not increase its levels.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a major neurodevelopmental disability in childhood. An association between intrauterine infection and CP has been reported. We examined the relationship between inflammatory mediators in cord serum and CP in term and preterm children. Regional multicenter study was conducted on 19 CP children and 19 gestation-matched paired controls. CP children (n = 27) were further compared with controls of similar gestation at birth (n = 25). Serum levels of 78 protein mediators were analyzed. Eleven analytes correlated with the length of gestation both in cases and controls. In paired analysis, B-lymphocyte chemoattractant, ciliary neurotrophic factor, epidermal growth factor, interleukin (IL)–5, IL-12, IL-13, IL-15, macrophage migration inhibitory factor, monocyte chemoattractant protein–3, monokine induced by interferon γ, and tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand were higher in children with CP (p ≤ 0.05). Preterm infants with CP showed higher epidermal growth factor and lower levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IL-2, macrophage-derived chemokine, and pulmonary and activation-regulated chemokine than their paired controls. Inflammatory mediators and growth factors serve as a footprint of the fetal response to an insult manifesting after birth as a permanent brain damage. The cytokine patterns at birth differ between premature and term infants who develop CP.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a major neurodevelopmental disability in childhood. An association between intrauterine infection and CP has been reported. We examined the relationship between inflammatory mediators in cord serum and CP in term and preterm children. Regional multicenter study was conducted on 19 CP children and 19 gestation‐matched paired controls. CP children (n = 27) were further compared with controls of similar gestation at birth (n = 25). Serum levels of 78 protein mediators were analyzed. Eleven analytes correlated with the length of gestation both in cases and controls. In paired analysis, B‐lymphocyte chemoattractant, ciliary neurotrophic factor, epidermal growth factor, interleukin (IL)–5, IL‐12, IL‐13, IL‐15, macrophage migration inhibitory factor, monocyte chemoattractant protein–3, monokine induced by interferon γ, and tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis‐inducing ligand were higher in children with CP (p≤ 0.05). Preterm infants with CP showed higher epidermal growth factor and lower levels of granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor, IL‐2, macrophage‐derived chemokine, and pulmonary and activation‐regulated chemokine than their paired controls. Inflammatory mediators and growth factors serve as a footprint of the fetal response to an insult manifesting after birth as a permanent brain damage. The cytokine patterns at birth differ between premature and term infants who develop CP.

The association of androgenic alopecia AGA with insulin resistance, coronary artery disease and hypercholesterolemia has been previously reported in men, but no such association has been reported in women with female androgenic alopecia AGA. Female AGA has usually been linked with hyperandrogenism and hirsutism and, most recently, also with polycystic ovarian syndrome PCOS, even though epidemiological documentation of the latter association is scanty. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is quite common among Caucasian women, and its association with insulin resistance is well documented.

Persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is an established cause of cervical cancer, but the role of other sexually transmitted agents, most notably Chlamydia trachomatis, has not been well defined. The women participating in the population-based cervical cancer screening program in Västerbotten county of Northern Sweden were followed up for up to 26 years to identify 118 women who developed cervical cancer after having had a normal Pap smear (on average 5.6 years later; range 0.5 months–26 years). As controls, we selected another 118 women who were matched by birth cohort, time-point of sampling of the baseline normal smear and who had a normal smear at the time when the corresponding case was diagnosed with cancer. The Pap smears and cervical cancer biopsies were analyzed by PCR for C. trachomatis DNA and for HPV DNA. At baseline, C. trachomatis DNA was present in 8% of cases but not among any one of the controls. The relative risk for cervical cancer associated with past C. trachomatis infection, adjusted for concomitant HPV DNA positivity, was 17.1 (95% CI 2.6–∞).The presence of C. trachomatis and of HPV were not interrelated. Whereas C. trachomatis was primarily found in specimens taken many years before cancer diagnosis, HPV DNA was associated with a short lag time before cancer diagnosis. Whereas most women who were HPV DNA-positive in the prediagnostic smear were also positive for the same virus in the cervical cancer biopsy, none of the women were positive for C. trachomatis in both the prediagnostic smear and in the subsequent cervical cancer. In conclusion, a prior cervical C. trachomatis infection was associated with an increased risk for development of invasive cervical cancer. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A sensitive and reproducible real‐time PCR assay based on TaqMan technology was developed for the detection and quantitation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in serum, and compared with an “in‐house” qualitative PCR assay. HBV DNA was measured in 125 serum samples from 76 hepatitis B patients, consisting of 22 patients with an acute infection, 20 patients with a previous history of hepatitis B infection, and 34 patients with a chronic hepatitis B. Four patients with a chronic infection were treated with either an IFN‐alpha monotherapy or a combination of IFN‐alpha and lamivudine. Twenty‐nine sera from healthy individuals and non‐hepatitis B patients served as negative controls. The assay was validated by using a 10‐fold dilution series of the World Virological Quality Control (VQC) sample containing 3.73 × 107genome equivalents per ml. The detection limit for the real‐time PCR was 3.73 × 102genome equivalents per ml (geq/ml), while it was 3.73 × 103geq/ml for the in‐house PCR. The real‐time PCR assay had an 8‐logarithm dynamic range spanning from 102to 1010geq/ml. In clinical serum samples, the real‐time PCR and the in‐house PCR detected HBV DNA in 81% (101/125) and 66% (83/125) of samples, respectively. HBV DNA was not detected among the negative controls by either of these assays. In conclusion, real‐time PCR is a sensitive, specific, and a reproducible approach for the detection and quantitation of HBV DNA in clinical serum samples, useful also for monitoring the efficacy of antiviral treatment. J. Med. Virol. 65:250–256, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Objectives:To estimate the joint effects of infections with human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) and Chlamydia trachomatisand smoking on the risk of cervical cancer. To study whether the joint effects can be accounted for by misclassification in the HPV serology. Methods:A nested case–control study with incidence density sampling was conducted in three cohorts of 530,000 women, who donated serum samples to three Nordic serum banks in 1973–1994. The main outcome measure is the odds ratio (OR) of incidence rates of invasive cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) among those seropositive for HPV16 and/or C. trachomatisand/or with increased levels of cotinine in serum compared to those negative for all the three exposures. Results:Two hundred eight women with SCC and 624 matched controls were identified during a mean follow-up of 5 years through linkage to the national cancer registries. Exposure to past infections and smoking was defined by presence of specific IgG antibodies to HPV16 and C. trachomatisand increased levels of serum cotinine. Observed ORs were compared to OR = 20 for HPV16 and accounting the differences for by misclassification bias. OR = 20 was elected as a gold standard on the basis of other studies with PCR-based analyses and a follow-up design. Each of the three exposures was associated with an increased risk of SCC (OR = 5.4 for HPV16, 3.4 for C. trachomatisand 1.8 for cotinine). The interaction was antagonistic (observed OR = 2.5 among those positive for all three exposures as compared to OR = 33 expected on the basis of multiplicative single effects (p= 0.047)). The antagonism could not totally be accounted for by any credible combination of sensitivity and specificity of HPV16 serology. Conclusion:HPV16, C. trachomatis, and smoking are likely to be risk factors of SCC with strong antagonistic joint effect. Non-differential misclassification in serology for HPV16 could be ruled out (but only some types of differential) as an alternative explanation for the observed antagonism.

Cervical carcinoma is a sexually transmitted disease most strongly linked with human-papillomavirus (HPV) infection. We conducted a prospective sero-epidemiologic study to evaluate the role of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in the development of cervical carcinoma, with invasive cancer as an end point. A nested case-control study within a cohort of 530000 Nordic women was performed. Linking data files of 3 Nordic serum banks and the cancer registries of Finland, Norway and Sweden identified 182 women with invasive cervical carcinoma diagnosed during a mean follow-up of 5 years after serum sampling. The serum samples of the cases and matched cancer-free controls were analyzed for IgG antibodies to C. trachomatis, C. pneumoniae (a control microbe) and HPV types 16, 18 and 33, as well as for serum cotinine (an indicator of tobacco smoking). Serum antibodies to C. trachomatis were associated with an increased risk for cervical squamous-cell carcinoma (HPV- and smoking-adjusted OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.3–3.5). The association remained also after adjustment for smoking both in HPV16-seronegative and -seropositive cases (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.8–5.1; OR, 2.3, 95% CI, 0.8–7.0 respectively). No such association was found for C. pneumoniae. Our prospective study provides sero-epidemiologic evidence that infection with C. trachomatis confers an increased risk for subsequent development of invasive squamous-cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Int. J. Cancer 85:35–39, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 are the major risk factors for cervical carcinoma, whereas HPV types 6 and 11 cause benign genital lesions. We wanted to study the joint effect of simultaneous infections with the oncogenic and non-oncogenic HPV types on risk of subsequent development of cervical carcinoma. A cohort of 530,000 women who had donated blood samples to Nordic serum banks between 1973 and 1994 was followed up by linkage to national cancer registries. We identified 182 prospective cases with invasive cervical carcinoma and selected 538 matched controls at random. HPV 6, 11, 16, 18 and 33 seropositivity was used as a marker for the different HPV infections, and seropositivity for Chlamydia trachomatis and cotinine were used as markers for risk-taking sexual behavior and smoking respectively. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of cervical squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) was 2.2 for HPV6/11 among HPV16 seronegatives and 5.5 for HPV16 among HPV6/11 seronegatives. Assuming multiplicative joint effect, the expected OR for seropositivity to both HPV6/11 and HPV16 would have been 12, but the observed OR was 1.0. The antagonistic interaction was statistically significant (p = 0.001) and present also under deterministic considerations of possible misclassification bias. Antagonistic interactions were also detected for combinations of HPV16 and HPV18 and of HPV16 and HPV33. The results are in line with the concept that HPV-specific immunity protects against SCC and support primary prevention of SCC by vaccination against the HPVs. Int. J. Cancer 80:818–822, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Unlinked anonymous screening was optimized and used for a survey of HIV prevalence in Finland. In 1993, 66,170 serum samples, covering more than 99% of pregnant women in the country were tested in pools of 5 sera. The pools tested were coded but it was possible to trace the region from where the samples had been collected. A total of 5 positive samples were found corresponding to a prevalence of 1/13,000 (0.01%) which is in accordance with prevalence estimates from earlier serosurveys and the national HIV registry. Information from voluntary regional HIV-testing programmes for pregnant women indicated that probably at least 3 of these positive cases had been identified by voluntary testing. Nine commercial EIAs were evaluated to investigate the effect of pooling on sensitivity and specificity of anti-HIV detection. Only 3 EIAs detected all pools with known positive samples. Individual sera from repeatedly positive pools were tested using the same EIA and positive results were confirmed by Western blot. This algorithm saved more than 80% of the cost compared to the conventional test algorithm used in diagnostic laboratories. The savings were mainly due to the reduced number of primary and supplemental tests.

Congenital toxoplasmosis results from maternal primary infection during pregnancy. In our serologic screening study 42 of 16 733 pregnant women had findings suggestive of primary infection. Here we document the outcome of their offspring, 37 of 39 liveborn children. After 12 months postntally, serologically verified congenital toxoplamosis appeared in 4 children.

AbstractImmunity against Francisella tularensis in northern Finland was studied by antibody determination and by the lymphocyte blast transformation test previously shown to reliably demonstrate immunity to tularemia. Seven out of 1072 (0.7) Red Cross volunteer blood donors from the rural areas around Oulu had agglutinating antibodies with a titre of 80 or higher, and 5 (0.5) also had cell-mediated reactivity against F. tularensis. None of them was aware of ever having had tularemia, and only 1 recollected symptoms of tularemia-like illness 15 yr earlier. A high proportion of persons with low titres of antibodies to F. tularensis also had antibodies to Yersinia enterocolitica suggesting that the low titres are unspecific; none of the subjects with such low titres had a positive blast transformation test.

Objective. The relationship between stillbirths and infections during pregnancy.Methods, Antibodies to 13 different viruses and to Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Treponema pallidum, Toxoplasma gondii, and Chlamydia trachomatis, psittaci, and pneumoniae were studied from sera of 42 mothers with stillbirth and of matched case-control pregnancies.Results. Elevated antibody levels to Chlamydia trachomatis and human parvovirus B19 were observed in seven mothers with stillbirth as compared with one in matched case controls (p-0.03 and p<0.06, Fisher's exact one- and two-tailed p values). By a novel EIA test for C. trachomatis, based on synthetic polypeptide, 15 positive cases were detected in patients compared to seven in controls. Placental calcifications and fetal growth retardation appeared more often (p<0.001 and p<0.05, respectively) in the C. trachomatis- associated cases than in the others. There was no significant relation between stillbirth and the other antibodies.Conclusions. We suggest C. trachomatis as a hitherto unrecognized possible cause of stillbirths besides human parvovirus B19. A new EIA test for C. trachomatis, one covering all strains, is promising and makes the future assays more convenient, and may thus make it possible to reduce the rate of stillbirths.

Abstract31 subjects with tularemia recently or up to 11 years earlier were studied for cell-mediated immunity against Francisella tularensis using formalin-killed bacteria as antigen in the lymphocyte blast transformation test. Lymphocytes from all the subjects responded to F. tularensis antigen both in separated mononuclear cell and whole blood cultures, whereas lymphocytes from 12 controls responded not at all or only weakly to high antigen concentrations and only in separated mononuclear cell cultures. The strength of the response remained on the same level as in the cases of recent infection up to 11 years. There was no correlation between the lymphocyte responses and the serum antibodies agglutinating F. tularensis antigen. Purified protein derivative of tuberculin equally stimulated the cells from the tularemia and control subjects. The lymphocyte stimulation methods can be used to diagnose infections caused by F. tularensis and to measure cell-mediated immunity and resistance against such infections.

Congenital toxoplasmosis is a risk for fetus both in 'low' and 'high risk' areas. A cost-benefit analysis based on data from a Finnish prospective study (20.3% seropositivity of pregnant mothers and incidence of 2.4/1,000 seronegative pregnancies) and on Finnish cost data was performed to compare the no-screening and screening alternatives for primary toxoplasma infections during pregnancy. A maternal-feto transmission risk of 40%, effectiveness of treatment of 50%, and discount rate of 4% were used as other baseline probabilities. The calculations were carried out by decision analysis combined with sensitivity analysis.The total annual costs of congenital toxoplasmosis without screening amount to USS 128/pregnancy/year, and with systematic serological screening, US $ 95/pregnancy. Thus screening reduces the costs by 25%. The present value of net savings in Finland would be US $ 2.1 million every year. A one-way sensitivity analysis showed that screening together with health education is preferable to health education without screening if the incidence of maternal primary infections exceeds 1.1/1,000 and effectiveness of treatment is better than 22.1%.Screening for toxoplasma infections during pregnancy is economically worthwhile even in a country with a low incidence. A scheme of systematic screening for maternal primary toxoplasma infections combined with health education should be considered.

Objective. First, to study tobacco exposure among pregnant Finnish women in 1986 and 1990. Second, to study the objectively measured exposure in different socioeconomic classes and in different geographical regions. Third, to assess the value of serum thiocyanate concentrations in estimating fetal tobacco exposure.Design. Tobacco exposure was measured from maternal and umbilical serum samples by measuring the concentration of nicotine metabolite, cotinine. In addition, the concentrations of thiocyanate were measured from umbilical serum samples. The occupations of the mothers were obtained from the Finnish Birth Registry, and the area of residence from laboratory records.Setting. Finland.Subjects. 1323 infants born in late February-early March in 1991, 1263 mothers of these infants during antenatal visits in Autumn 1990, and 976 pregnant mothers during antenatal visits in Autumn 1986. The mothers and infants studied represented all newborn infants and their mothers during one week in one country.Measurements and main results. In 1986, 21.3% of Finnish mothers and in 1990 21.2% were exposed to tobacco. In 1986, exposed mothers were on average 1.4 (95% confidence interval 0.9-1.8) years younger than nonexposed mothers, and in 1990, exposed mothers were on average 1.6 years (95% confidence interval 1.1-2.3) younger than nonexposed mothers. 28.5% of mothers classified as unskilled workers were exposed, but only 9.1% of those classified as upper white-collar. There were no significant geographical differences in exposure. Although umbilical serum thiocyanate levels were always elevated in exposed infants, high serum thiocyanate concentrations were detected in infants not exposed to tobacco.Conclusions. More than 20% of pregnant Finnish mothers and their fetuses were exposed to tobacco in 1986 and 1990. Young women and women in low socioeconomic classes were the most seriously exposed. Measurement of serum thiocyanate concentrations did not yield reliable estimates of exposure.

The contrast sensitivity of 21 patients was measured using TV equipment (Wavetek 143 function generator and Sony PVM90CE video monitor) and the Vistech test 6–15 years after the acute stage of central serous retinopathy. In the majority of cases contrast sensitivity was lower in the affected eye. The difference between the affected and the fellow eye was statistically significant at 1 and 6 cycles/degree (c/d) but not at 19 c/d. In 13/21 cases (62%) the results of the Vistech test were consistent with those of the TV test. Contrast sensitivity did not correlate with the duration of the disease or with the ultimate clinical picture of the macula. At 6 c/d there was a statistically significant correlation between visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. If the visual acuity was less than 1.0, contrast sensitivity was decreased, but decreased contrast sensitivity was also observed in four eyes with normal visual acuity, indicating that the level of visual deficit may not be established by measurement of visual acuity alone.

Congenital toxoplasmosis may develop after maternal primary infection during pregnancy. Since toxoplasmosis in adults is usually asymptomatic, the only way to find the pregnancies at risk of acute toxoplasmosis (i.e. seronegative mothers) is to perform serological screening of all pregnant women. We studied toxoplasma-specific antibodies in 16733 pregnant women in the first, second, and third trimesters over an 18-month period in the Helsinki area, with a population of 820 700. The participation rate in our study was 90.2% of all pregnancies in the area. The overall prevalence of toxoplasma seropositivity was 20.3%. The incidence of primary infection was 2.4/1000 pregnancies at risk. Our data on incidence suggest an annual occurrence of 131 cases of primary toxoplasma infections during pregnancy in Finland. Primary toxoplasma infection appears to be a significant risk to the fetus even in countries where the prevalence of toxoplasma seropositivity is low. The feasibility of mass screening for toxoplasma infections during pregnancy should be considered in order to reduce the morbidity and mortality due to congenital toxoplasmosis.

The Pro12Ala polymorphism of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2 (PPARγ2)gene and adiponectin, a protein secreted from adipose tissue, have been associated with insulin sensitivity. The present study demonstrates that in Finnish servicemen who were on a high-caloric diet for 6 mo only subjects with the Ala 12 allele of PPARγ2had a significant increase in adiponectin levels with weight loss induced by heavy exercise. This study demonstrates an interaction of genetic and environmental factors in the regulation of serum adiponectin concentrations.

Serodiagnostic methods were evaluated in prenatal screening for primary Toxoplasma infections acquired during pregnancy in the Helsinki area. Altogether 44,181 sera were obtained consecutively during each trimester from 16,733 mothers. All IgG-containing samples were first examined by a sensitive µ-capture (IgM) ELISA, and positive results were reassessed by IgM immunoblotting and indirect IgM ELISA. An assay measuring the avidity of toxoplasma IgG was used for the first time under screening conditions. Patients suspected to have recent toxoplasmosis were reexamined by IgA ELISA and selectively by the differential agglutination assay (HS/AC test) and IgE ELISA; 16 women with diagnostic increases in IgG titer, 36 with IgM fulfilling strict specificity criteria, and 25 with IgG of low avidity were identified. The measurement of IgG avidity was a highly specific and sensitive method suitable for verification of acute primary Toxoplasma infections during pregnancy.

The association of seropositivity to human papillomavirus (HPV) capsids of types 11, 16, 18, or 33 with sexual behavior was investigated. Among 1002 women visiting family planning or youth clinics in Sweden, an age-matched subsample of 274 women stratified according to lifetime number of sex partners was analyzed. The proportion of HPV-16-seropositive subjects increased linearly at ∼4% per partner (P < .001), from 4% among those with 1 lifetime partner to 35% among those with >5 lifetime partners. Also, HPV-33 and HPV-18 seroprevalences were linearly dependent on the number of partners (P < .001, increase with 4% per partner, and P = .008, increase with ∼3% per partner, respectively), providing serologic confirmation that the important mode of transmission of HPV-16, -18, or -33 infection in women is sexual. HPV serology appears to be suitable as a marker of sexual behavior in populations.

The stability over time of serum IgG antibody levels to human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) was determined by comparing the HPV-16 capsid antibody levels in serial serum samples of an age-stratified random subsample of 1656 primiparous mothers resident in Helsinki who were followed until their second pregnancy, on average 29.5 months later. The correlation between the first and second pregnancy HPV-16 serum antibody levels of the same woman was high, even when > 4 years had elapsed between pregnancies (r = .822). Between negativity, indeterminate results, or quartiles of positivity, the predictive values for being classified in the same category on both occasions ranged between 42% and 91%. Correlation coefficients, predictive values, and κ coefficients between serial samples all were comparable with those of repeat analyses of the same sample, indicating that HPV capsid antibody levels are generally stable during several years of follow-up.

Sera from the mothers of all children from the greater Helsinki area who were treated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Children's Hospital (University of Helsinki) during a 22-month period were studied serologically, and antibody levels for mothers were compared with those for matched controls. IgM to Chlamydia trachomatis serotype GFK was detected more often in sera from mothers with children in the NICU than in that from controls; IgM was detected in sera from 39 of 264 mothers vs. 15 of 274 controls (P < .001; two-tailed test). The gestational age of children born to mothers in the IgM-seropositive group was 32.4 weeks whereas that of children born to mothers in the IgG/IgM-seronegative group was 34.3 weeks (all children were treated in the NICU). The frequency of signs of maternal infection (i.e., fever and vaginal discharge), the frequency of meconium-stained amniotic fluid, the frequency of chorioamnionitis, and the mortality rate were higher in the IgM-seropositive group than in the IgM-seronegative group; pneumonia, atelectasis, and pneumothorax occurred more frequently in the seronegative group. Thus, in terms of birth weight and perinatal infections, the outcome was better for children whose mothers did not have antibodies to C. trachomatis.