No abstract

Fifty-five ambulatory children with early culture-proven pertussis were treated for two weeks either with erythromycin ethylsuccinate (n = 28) (50-80 mg/kg/day in three doses during meals) or with co-trimoxazole (n = 27) (6-10 mg trimethoprim/kg/day in two doses after meals). After completion of treatment, all patients in the erythromycin group were culture-negative, while in the co-trimoxazole group one child was still culture-positive. In this case vomiting may have played a role. Both agents appear to be able to eradicate Bordetella pertussis from the nasopharynx of patients with early whooping cough.

Zusammenfassung: In einer Studie zur Toxoplasmoseserologie wurden Sera von 1000 Schwangeren untersucht Mit der Direktagglutination ergab sich eine durchschnittliche Durchseuchung von 33,8 % bei einer altersabhängigen Zunahme positiver Befunde von 28,0 % bei den 20-bis 24jährigen Frauen auf über 50 % ab dem 35. Lebensjahr. Aus den Daten errechnete sich eine jährliche Serokonversionsrate mit 0,84 % bzw. für die neun Monate der Gravidität mit 0,64% und das Risiko einer konnatalen Toxopiasmose mit 0,25%. Mit einem reversen IgM-Enzymimmunoassay, der das gereinigte toxoplasma-spezifische P-30-Antigen zur Antikörperdetektion verwendet, wurde bei 0,9 % der Schwangeren ein positiver und bei 1,4 % ein grenzwertiger JgM-Antikörperbefund erhoben. Im Vergleich mit einem weiteren reversen Summary:In a study on toxoplasma serology serum samples of 1000 pregnant women were examined. Using the direct agglutination test, the mean rate of positive results was determined at 33.8 % with an increasing incidence from 28 % for the age of 20-24 years up to more than 50 % over the age group of 35 years. From these data the yearly seroconversion rate was calculated at 0.84% or for the nine month of pregnancy at 0.64 % and the risk of congenital toxoplasmosis was estimated at 0.25%. Using a reverse Ig M enzyme immunoassay with a purified toxoplasma specific P-30 antigen for the detection of antibodies a positive test result could be found in 0.9 % and a borderline reaction in 1.4 % of the sera. In comparison to another reverse IgM-EIA, further an indirect IgM-EIA, the IgM-ISAGA and the IgM-IFTin the IgM-fraction separated by gelchromatography or after pretreatment with anti-IgG serum the sensitivity and specificity of the P-30 IgM-EIA were evaluated and the problems of the interpretation of positive IgM-test results in respect to the possible time of infection are discussed. Standardization of the technique for the IgM-tests is urgently required as presupposition for the application to pregnancy care programs.

No abstract

Poster presentations Background The laboratory diagnosis of syphilis is a crucial point in the diagnostic evaluation of the syphilis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the new commercial immunoblotting "recomLine Treponema" (Mikrogen Diagnostik, Germany) assay which includes two new recombinant antigens (Tp257 (Gpd) and Tp453) in addition to the four (Tp47, TmpA, Tp17, Tp15) shown in a previous version. Methods The presence of specific antibody response to T. pallidum was evaluated by comparing the immunoblotting test, that detects both IgG and IgM antibodies, with the "Syphilis TP" (Architect system, Germany) immunoassay, that detects the total T. pallidum specific antibody and routinely used in our Hospital for serological screening. The serum samples included in this study were obtained from 112 patients with suspect or clinical evidence of syphilis infection. Results Of the 112 samples analysed for specific T. pallidum antibody by "Syphilis TP" assay, 90 samples were detected positive, 8 negative, 10 borderline and 4 samples showed an not interpretable result. Of the 112 samples analysed for specific IgG and IgM antibodies by "recomLine Treponema" assay, 97 (86.61%) specimens resulted positive (100% were IgG positive and 16.49% were also IgM positive), 7 (6.25%) negative and 8 (7.14%) borderline (6 for the IgG and 2 for the IgM). Conclusion The comparison between the two test showed that the "recomLine Treponema" assay identified more positive sample, less negative and borderline samples and not interpretable results. This preliminary results underline that the "recomLine Treponema" (Mikrogen Diagnostik, Germany) test is clinically valid not only because it can be used as confirmatory test but also because it allows to discriminate between IgG and IgM antibodies. Future objectives of this study will be to validate the "recomLine Treponema" test on other groups of subjects and compare it with other serological tests. ComParing the PerformanCe CharaCteristiCs of Csf-trUst and Csf-VdrL for syPhiLis: a Cross-seCtionaL stUdy