Chlamydia trachomatis infection in early neonatal period

BACKGROUND: The clinical characteristics of Chlamydia trachomatis respiratory tract infections in Japanese neonates were investigated. METHODS: Clinical, laboratory and microbiological characteristics of five infants with pneumonia due to C. trachomatis in early neonatal period were analyzed. RESULTS: Only C. trachomatis was identified in 4 infants. Both C. trachomatis and cytomegalovirus was identified in one. Wheezing, tachypnea and cyanosis were common in infants. Mothers of five infants had negative chlamydial EIAs at 20 weeks of gestation. CONCLUSIONS: We identified five cases of C. trachomatis respiratory tract infections in early neonatal period with the possibility of intrauterine infection. Targeted screening, early diagnosis, and effective treatment of perinatal and neonatal chlamydial infections seems to be necessar

Human cytomegalovirus infections in premature infants by breastfeeding

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common cause of congenital and perinatal infections. Understanding the epidemiology of CMV is a key element in development of strategies for prevention of infection in premature infants. Breast-fed infants are susceptible to CMV infection from breast milk. CMV was isolated more frequently from breast milk at more than one month after delivery than from colostrum or early breast milk. CMV particle shedding into milk whey have a more important role. Cytokines in serum and milk are related to the reactivation of CMV, which occurs locally in the mammary gland of the lactating mother after delivery. Premature infants with low concentration of serum antibodies can acquire CMV infection from the fresh breast milk containing the virus. Freezing breast milk may be protective for the preterm infant until the titer of CMV antibody increases. However clinical importance of CMV infection in premature infants by breast-feeding is still unclear. This minireview focuses on recent advances in the study of CMV infection in premature infants by breastfeeding

Glycyrrhizin therapy for viral infections

Glycyrrhizin (GL) was reported as the most active in inhibiting replication of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-associated coronavirus. Therapeutic effect of GL for liver dysfunction associated with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in immunocompetent individuals was evaluated. Liver dysfunction in 4 cases improved and CMV disappeared from urinary samples after administration of GL intravenously by the age of 12 months. GL treatment also should be applied for the patients with SARS. Key words: Glycyrrhizin, SARS, cytomegalovirus African Journal of Biotechnology Vol.2(10) 2003: 392-39

Prevalence of Bartonella infection among patients with fever

Bartonella henselae has been associated with an increasing spectrum of clinical syndromes including cat scratch disease. The prevalence of Bartonella infection among patients with unexplained fever in San Francisco was much greater than has previously been documented. However, out of 29 Japanese children with fever of unknown origin, only one had serum IgG antibody to B. henselae. Although general prevalences of serum antibodies to some infectious agents in healthy adults are higher than those of healthy children, the prevalence of B. henselae infections in Japanese population is not so high as expected. Key words: Bartonella henselae, cat scratch disease, fever of unknown origin. African Journal of Biotechnology Vol.2(10) 2003: 390-39

Chronological changes of incidence and prognosis of children with asymptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection in Sapporo, Japan

BACKGROUND: Chronological changes of the incidence of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and the longitudinal prognosis in children with asymptomatic congenital infection were investigated. METHODS: Congenital CMV infection, as demonstrated by isolation of the virus within the first week of life, was diagnosed in infants born in Sapporo, Japan, during the 26-year period between 1977 and 2002. RESULTS: Congenital infection was diagnosed in 37 (0.31%) of 11,938 infants. Thirty-two infants were (86.5%) asymptomatic and 5 (13.5%) were symptomatic at birth. CONCLUSIONS: Although a decrease in the total incidence of congenital CMV infection has been seen in recent years, screening of congenital infection at birth seems to be necessary to detect late-onset neurodevelopmental sequelae

Current problems of perinatal Chlamydia trachomatis infections

Chlamydia trachomatis has been recognized as a pathogen of trachoma, nongonococcal urethritis, salpingitis, endocervicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, inclusion conjunctivitis of neonates, follicular conjunctivitis of adults, infantile pneumonia and associated conditions. Chlamydial infections during pregnancy may also cause a variety of perinatal complications. Different antigenic strains of C. trachomatis from endocervical, nasopharyngeal and conjunctival origins have been associated with different clinical conditions. Control programs emphasizing early diagnosis, targeted screening, and effective treatment will lead to an eventual decline in the incidence of perinatal chlamydial infection. This review focuses on current problems of perinatal C. trachomatis infections in the aspects of microbiological and immunological pathogenesis

Bartonella henselae and Coxiella burnetii Infection and the Kawasaki Disease

It was reported that Bartonella henselae , B. quintana and Coxiella burnetii was not strongly associated with coronary artery disease but on the basis of geometric mean titer, C. burnetii infection might have a modest association with coronary artery disease. Serum antibodies to B. henselae from 14 patients with acute phase of Kawasaki disease were determined by the indirect fluorescence antibody assay. Serum antibodies to C. burnetii were also tried to detect. However, no positive results were obtained. I also examined 10 children and 10 pregnant women who had serum IgG antibody to B. henselae or to C. burnetii. No one showed abnormal findings of coronary artery. @JASE

Chlamydia trachomatis serovars of endemic trachoma had been predominantly existed in Japan?

In contrast to urogenital chlamydial infection, trachoma is a household disease that has disappeared in Japan as many parts of world because of improved living conditions and hygiene. However, chlamydial inclusion conjunctivitis is still not a rare disease in the outpatient clinics of general Japanese ophthalmologists. The serovars that we identified from Japanese infants and pregnant women were similar to those reported in other studies from non-trachoma-endemic areas and were thought to be mainly urogenital tract-origin. Once Japan was thought to be belong to an endemic area of trachoma as other Asian countries. Chlamydia trachomatis serovars of trachoma-endemic area had been really existed and predominantly associated with trachoma in Japan? @JASE