The CF and HI antibody titers to rubella and measles viruses, the CF titers to influenxa A, and the HI titers to parainfluenza 1, 2, and 3 were carried out on the sera of 20 patients with childhood polymyositis and their matched controls. The titers for measles, parainfluenxa 1, and influenza A were slightly higher for patients than for controls. The control group had antibody titers to rubella and parainfluenza 2 and 3 higher than or similar to those of patients. Strong patterns or significant differences for a given virus or virus group were not encountered.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Fetal damage caused by parvoviral infections.

The single-stranded DNA parvoviruses occur in humans and many species of animals. In general, they are species-specific and capable of producing disease at any stage of life. Parvoviruses have a requirement to replicate in cells in a permissive S-phase of DNA mitosis. The infections may be cytolytic to select cell groups resulting in specific developmental defects or may produce more generalized effects such as anemia, pancytopenia, or hemorrhage. The fetus is at particular risk for damage because of the vast number of cells in active mitosis. The teratogenic effects may be severe, often resulting in fetal death. Infections in childhood and adulthood are more frequently mild to subclinical. Some of the teratogenic effects recognized in animal species have been identified in humans. With increased knowledge of parvovirus effects in animals, more pathogenic effects may be related to human parvoviral disease. The need for vaccination, currently used annually in many domestic animal species, continues to be evaluated for humans.

Animals↗

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Neurologic disorders associated with AIDS retroviral infection.

Neurologic disease occurs frequently in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and a large body of literature now exists detailing the various infections, neoplasms, and other conditions that can affect the central nervous system (CNS) or the peripheral nervous system in children and adults with AIDS, persistent generalized lymphadenopathy, or (in some cases) only serologic evidence of retroviral infection. Although certain opportunistic infections (toxoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, and herpesviral infections) and CNS lymphomas often produce CNS disease in patients with AIDS, it is now clear that many cases of neurologic disease are caused by a group of disorders thought to be related to direct CNS infection by the AIDS retrovirus. Disease of the peripheral nervous system is also being increasingly recognized; some cases probably have an autoimmune basis.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

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Infectious diseases and immunizations.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Bacterial Infections↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Persistent measles infection of the central nervous system: subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

Measles can persist in the central nervous system and cause subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a progressive disease that is almost always fatal. The clinical findings of SSPE include behavioral changes, ataxia, seizures, and mental-motor deterioration that begins several years after natural infection with the virus. Measles antibody is found in the spinal fluid, and its presence is particularly useful in establishing the diagnosis. The mechanisms of pathogenesis of SSPE apparently involves the selection of clones of virus, which do not replicate to become complete virus particles. These "suppressed" viruses are able to multiply and spread from cell to cell. The immune system of the patient is unable to clear this infection. Several hypotheses are advanced to explain these events. Further studies are needed, however, to develop a complete understanding of the pathogenesis of these diseases. Fortunately, SSPE is disappearing in the United States. This apparently is related to the widespread use of measles vaccines and to the resulting low frequency of natural measles infections.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Late postpoliomyelitis muscular atrophy: clinical, virologic, and immunologic studies.

Seventeen relatively young patients, ages 31-65 years (average, 45) with prior poliomyelitis, who after a number of years of stability had experienced new neuromuscular symptoms, were studied. Seven patients had deterioration of functional capacity and then stabilization without new muscular weakness. The other 10 had late postpoliomyelitis muscular atrophy (late PPMA ) characterized by focal progressive muscle weakness, wasting, fasciculations, and muscle pains affecting previously spared muscles or muscles previously affected but recovered. Four patients with late PPMA had lymphorrhages or lymphocytic infiltrates in their biopsied muscle; three of three patients had oligoclonal IgG bands in their spinal fluid, and five had variable peripheral T lymphocyte-subset ratios. In one patient with late PPMA , antibodies to poliovirus were specifically elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid. Our findings indicate that new motor-neuron disease can occur in patients with prior poliomyelitis and that immunopathologic mechanisms may play a role.

Adult↗