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Objective: Immun response against pertussis can be induced by infection and/or vaccination and vaccine induced immunity is known to wane within the following decade. Our aim was to assess the pertussis immun response among adolescent girls in Edirne province in Turkey and to determine its relationship with some parameters.Material and Method: The serum sample collection, representing 12 to 17 years old adolescent girls was consisted of 359 subjects and was selected from school lists by systematic and random sampling which weighted by age, urban-rural residence strata proportional to the corresponding distributions in Edirne population. Pertussis immunity was determined by in-house ELISA method and anti-PT and anti-FHA antibody titers were measured quantitatively.Results: The overall ratio of having protective levels of antibody (Ͼ10 EU/ml) were 95,3% and 97,2% for anti-pertussis toxin and anti-filamentous hemagglutinin, respectively. The ratio of antibody in protective levels for anti-pertussis toxin and anti-filamentous hemagglutinin in 12 and 14 years age group were found as 94,1%; 97,0%; in 15 and 17 years age group 97,5% and 97,5%; in rural area 96,7%; 97,5%, in urban area 94,5%, 97,5%, respectively (pϾ0.05).Conclusion: The high ratio of having protective levels of antibodies might be an indicator of the previous infections that is a threat for infants who have not completed primary immunization. In this respect, adult immunization should be discussed. BRAIN DAMAGE OF EXTREMELY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS WITH HISTOPATHOLOGIC CHORIOAMNIONITIS DEPARTMENT OF ONCOLOGICAL AND SURGICAL SCIENCES-SECTION OF PATHOLOGY (ITALY)Background/aims: Neonatal cerebral white matter injury is the major precursor for neurological impairment and cerebral palsy. Chorioamnionitis has been associated with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. We evaluated the association between occurrence and pathological severity of histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) and brain damage in VLBW infants.Methods: A prospective histological study on 287 placentas was performed in preterm infants (Ͻ 32ϩ6 weeks gestation), consecutively admitted to III level NICU of Padua University from January 1999 to December 2004. Development of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) or PVL was related to the evidence of HCA and to chorioamnion inflammatory scores, according to Naeye et al.Results: Among the 287 NICU admitted preterm infants, 68 (23.6%) showed HCA, and 39/287 (13.5%) had brain damage, IVH or PVL. Brain damage was present in 15/68 (22%) of infants in the setting of HCA and in 24/219 (10.9%) of infants in the absence of HCA (pϽ0.05). HCA is also associated with a significantly increased frequency of PVL (5.8% vs 0.4%; pϽ 0.01), but failed to reveal any association with IVH (16.1% vs 10.5%; pϭ0.2). However, severe fetal HCA, stage II-III vs I and grade II-III vs I, were unrelated to brain damage. HCA infants were comparable to non-HCA infants in all selected demographics and clinical variables, except for increased vagina...

Results of this study suggest that cognitive dysfunction is quite prevalent in PSS patients without being associated with studied antibodies.

The aim of this research is to determine the seropositivity levels of tetanus vaccine according to age groups in Ankara province, to identify possible factors that could affect the immune status, and to make recommendations especially in people aged 50 years and older. This cross-sectional epidemiological study covers people over three years of age registered in the Family Medicine Information System. We received blood samples from 992 people and 968 of them were surveyed. Protective tetanus antibody levels were 80.5% in the age group of 3-5 years; 92.0% in the age group of 6-12 years; 94.3% in the age group of 13-20 years; 95.2% in the age group of 21-39 years; 84.4% in the age group of 40-49 years; 50 years and older were found to be 57.3%. Tetanus seropositivity decreased with age. It will be useful to increase the awareness of the importance of tetanus vaccine boosters for adults by giving trainings, to ensure booster vaccination against tetanus at intervals of 10 years and to consider obligatory tetanus vaccination if necessary for age group of 50 years and older.

Behcet's disease is a chronic multisystemic disease with remissions and relapses. Several studies have shown that immune mechanisms play an important role in the development of the disease. In order to assess the association of disease activity with IL-17A/F, IL-23, IL-12/23 (p40) and IL-35 expression, we aimed to investigate production of these cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from Behcet's patients and normal controls. Furthermore, we included Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) as disease control to evaluate the specificity of our data for immunopathogenesis of BD. Totally 15 active, 15 inactive Behcet's patients, 12 active and 12 inactive SLE patients and 12 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated, lymphocyte cultures were performed and IL-17A/F, IL-12/23 p(40), IL-23, IL-35 cytokine levels were measured by ELISA in culture supernatants in the presence or absence of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) on time-dependent manner. IL-17 A/F levels increased parallel to IL-23 levels in Behcet's and SLE patients. Compared to healthy controls, IL-17 A/F levels were higher in active Behcet's and SLE patients; on the contrary, levels of IL-35 were lower. IL-17A/F, IL-12/23 (p40) and IL-23 levels were detectable most frequently in active Behcet's patients followed by active SLE patients. Our results indicate that IL-17 A/F, IL-23 and IL-12/23 (p40) may play role in the immunopathogenesis of BD so as Th17 and Th1 cell responses. Since IL-35 levels were lower in active Behcet's patients compared to inactive patients and healthy controls, there may be a plasticity between Th17 and Treg cells according to the state of disease activity.