Browsing by Author "Bujko, M. (6601957923)"

Asymptomatic genital Herpesvirus hominis (HVH) infection in a group of 100 pregnant women with normal and high risk pregnancy was examined. Vaginal and cervical HVH shedding was diagnosed by the method of immunofluorescence. The results of cervical and vaginal swabs taken from the same patients, showed that in both groups of pregnant women examined, the presence of HVH infection in the vagina and cervix was not always simultaneous. Asymptomatic vaginal HVH type 1 infection was found more often in high risk pregnancy, and the difference in reference to the normal pregnancy was statistically significant. Asymptomatic cervical infection was more caused of HVH type 2 both in normal and high risk pregnancy.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation between valine and glycine, representatives of essential and nonessential amino acids, in appropriate and small fetuses for gestational age with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Umbilical venous cord blood was obtained by cordocentesis at 22 to 29 weeks' gestation from 18 women (11 in appropriate for gestational age (AGA) -A, and 7 in small for gestational age (SGA) -B) fetuses with CMV infection. Plasma amino acids were measured with a Beckman M 121 amino acid analyzer. Maternal valine level was 136.0 mmol/l; fetal valine in AGA and SGA fetuses: 219 and 189 mmol/l, respectively. Fetomaternal valine ratio was significantly lower in the SGA group (1.39 mmol/l-SGA, 1.61 mmol/l AGA, t = -6.9 p < 0.001). The glycine level in maternal blood was 139.0 mmol/l; fetal in SGA and AGA fetuses 137 mmol/l and 176 mmol/l, respectively. The fetomaternal glycine ratio was also significantly lower in the SGA group than in AGA, 1.01 and 1.27, respectively (t = -2.96, p < 0.001). Valine/glycine maternal and fetal ratio did not show any difference between groups. In the congenital CMV infected fetuses with intrauterine growth retardation there were decreased valine and glycine levels compared to the congenitally CMV infected fetuses with normal intrauterine growth. There was a lower fetal concentration of these amino acids compared to the maternal level in SGA fetuses. A decreased glycine level compared to the valine level has also been found in congenitally CMV infected fetuses with intrauterine growth retardation.

A possible etiologic relationship between maternal asymptomatic genital HVH infection and pre-term labor was discussed on the base of the results of the investigation performed in this study. Latent HVH infection was diagnosed by the test of microneutralization. Asymptomatic HVH vaginal and cervical shedding was investigated by indirect immunofluorescence and cytologically. The incidence of latent HVH type 2 infection was higher in women with previous pre-term labor than in the control group. The difference appeared to be statistically significant. The comparison of HVH type 2 asymptomatic cervical infection of the examined and the control group shows that it lies on the boundary of statistical significance. It means that further research of the subject is needed including prospective virologic investigations with the aim of detecting active HVH infections at the time of pre-term labor. Concerning the increasing significance of genital HVH infections in our environment, it seems reasonable to aim diagnostic efforts at the determination of both latent and active HVH infections, in order to reduce the incidence of pre-term labor and the perinatal morbidity and mortality rates by use of appropriate preventive and therapeutic measures.

Factors affecting the fetal glucose level can be of maternal, placental or fetal origin. The level of fetal insulin during gestation is regulated by the potential of the endogenous fetal production on one hand, and on the other, by the factors (primarily glycaemia) that stimulate or inhibit its production. The aim of this paper was to analyze in which way and to what extent congenital infection with the cytomegalovirus disturbs the metabolism of fetal glucose and insulin. Umbilical venous cord blood was obtained by cordocentesis at 22 to 29 weeks gestation from 52 women referred to our clinic for fetal karyotyping and scatological analysis of fetal CMV infection. To determine the effect of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection on insulin and glucose fetal homeostasis, cordocentesis was performed in 18 patients (group A) with proven congenital CMV fetal infection. The control group (B) consisted of 34 patients in whom blood samples were taken for fetal karyotyping. Maternal and fetal glucose levels were 3.95 mmol/l and 3.15 mmol/l in group A and 4.00 and 3.62 mmol/l in group B, respectively. Maternal average insulin level in group A was 14.45 mU/ml and in fetuses 10.64 mU/ml, while in group B maternal and fetal insulin levels were 12.38 mU/ml and 15.35 mU/ml, respectively. Maternal/fetal (M/F) insulin ratio was 1.35 in group A and in group B, 0.84. Statistical analysis showed significantly lower glucose and insulin levels and also a higher maternal/fetal insulin ratio in fetuses affected by CMV infection (t = 1.4 p,0.001). Consequences of congenital CMV infection were fetal hypoglycaemia and hypoinsulinemia.

The level of passive neonate protection against against HSV depends on the transplacentally acquired neutralized HSV antibodies' titer. In this study we investigated the anti HSV antibodies' transplacental passage in a group of women who delivered vaginally and pregnant women who had cesarean section, with the aim of examining the influence of the mode of delivery on the level of passive immunity to HSV. Serologic examination was performed in a group of 102 women who delivered vaginally and 80 pregnant women who had cesarean section, using the test of microneutralization. The titer of anti HSV type 1 anti HSV type 2 antibodies in the mothers' and cord blood was determined and compared. The cord serum neutralizing HSV type 1 antibodies titer, was twice higher as compared to those in mothers blood in 60.7% of paired sera in te group of women who delivered vaginally. The cord serum anti HSV type 1 titers were twice as high as compared to those in mothers' blood only in 15.5% of paired sera in group of pregnant women who had cesarean section. In the cases when cesarean section was performed, our results showed the lack of anti HSV type 2 antibodies in 15% of cord sera, even though the mothers' sera were anti HSV type 2 positive. The results of this study point to the possibility that antibody transfer through the placenta is an active and selective process that depends also on the mode of delivery: there are lower levels of HSV neutralizing antibodies in the cord sera of infants whose mothers had cesarean section compared to those who delivered vaginally.

A study of one case of herpes simplex hepatitis in an adult woman is presented. The clinical feature and laboratory findings were typical for acute hepatitis in a febrile patient without herpetic mucocutaneous lesions. The evidence of high IgM antibody titer in serum against herpes simplex virus and confirmation of the herpes simplex virus hepatitis by immunofluorescent microscopy after liver biopsy helped us establish the diagnosis. After 3-months the patient recovered. © 1988 Springer-Verlag.