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Brazilian purpuric fever is a rapidly fatal childhood disease associated with a clonal strain of Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius. We describe a conserved, surface-exposed epitope present on 95% of H. influenzae biogroup aegyptius isolates that are associated with Brazilian purpuric fever. This epitope, defined by reaction with the monoclonal antibody 8G3, is on or associated with the 48-kDa heat-modifiable P1 protein. The epitope is absent on strains of H. influenzae biogroup aegyptius that are not associated with Brazilian purpuric fever but is present on one strain of H. influenzae biotype II. None of 81 other Haemophilus strains tested reacted with 8G3. The sensitivity and specificity of the 8G3 monoclonal antibody in detecting Brazilian case-clone strains of H. influenzae biogroup aegyptius associated with Brazilian purpuric fever are 95 and 99%, respectively. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that the epitope is surface exposed, and N-terminal amino acid sequencing of an 8G3-reactive P1 protein from a strain of H. influenzae biogroup aegyptius showed 100% correlation with the published N-terminal amino acid sequence of a P1 protein of H. influenzae type b. The virulence of the organism in an infant rat model of bacteremia was not dependent on the expression of this epitope.

Chronicfatigue syndrome (CFS) refers to long-standing severe fatigue without substantial muscle weakness and without proven psychological or physical causes. This condition is also known as chronic fatigue immune deficiency syndrome (CFIDS). The prevalence of this condition is estimated to be somewhere between seven and 38 cases per 100,000, and women are 1.3-1.7 times more susceptible to it than men. Although chronic viral infection has been proposed as the etiology of this condition, this remains somewhat controversial. Other proposed but unproven etiologies include immunologic abnormalities, endocrine abnormalities, abnormal levels of neurotransmitters. inadequate cerebral circulation, and elevated levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme. Although this diagnostic category is a relatively recent one, a number of studies have been conducted on it in the People's Republic of China in terms of its treatment with acupuncture and its related adjunctive modalities. Four studies are included helow. Study 1. For instance, Wang Wei-hong et al. published an article titled, "A ClinicalAudit ofthe Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with Acupuncture Combined with Cupping." This article appeared in issue #8, 2001 o(Zhong Guo Zhen Jiu (Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion) on pages 481-482.Cohort description: There were 50 patients altogether in this study, all of whom were seen as out-patients at the Ju County Chinese Medical Hospital in Shandong. These 50 patients were randomly divided into a treatment and a comparison group of 25 patients each. In the treatment group, there were 18 males and seven females aged 19-52 years. The shortest duration of illness was eight months and the longest was five years. In the comparison group, there were 16 males and nine females aged 23-55 years. These patients had heen ill for from seven months to three years. The criteria for establishing a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome in this study were those established by the US Centers for Disease Control in 1991. These consisted of main and secondary symptoms combined with physical signs. The main symptoms included fatigue continuing for over six months. The fatigue was severe enough

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