Cytokines and cytokine-related markers appear to be upregulated rather late in RA pathogenesis. In contrast, IgM rheumatoid factor and IgG anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide autoantibodies may precede the diagnosis of RA by up to two decades.

During or after puberty, EBV is transmitted to a major proportion of the population in an MS high-prevalence area. Together with our previous documentation of an association between late infection with EBV and an increased risk of developing MS, these data support a role of EBV infection in MS.

Objectives To estimate the incidence of human parvovirus B 19 among pregnant women before and during an epidemic, to elucidate possible sociodemographic and medical risk factors during pregnancy and to estimate the association between parvovirus B 19 infection and negative pregnancy outcome.Design Prospective study among pregnant women followed from their first antenatal visit before 24 full weeks of gestation until delivery.Setting Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Odense University Hospital, Denmark, November 1992 to February 1994.Methods 3596 pregnant women were invited to participate. The women were examined at first antenatal visit in the period from November 1992 to February 1994 and at delivery. The last delivery was in August 1994 and samples were thus collected before and during a large parvovirus B19 epidemic in Denmark January to September 1994. A blood sample for parvovirus B19 serology was taken at enrolment and from the umbilical cord at delivery. Three questionnaires were completed during 2nd and 3rd trimesters and a registration form at delivery. In total, 3 174 (87.6%) were enrolled and 79.5% completed the study. ResultsThe prevalence of B19 IgG seropositivity at the first antenatal visit before 24 full weeks of gestation was 66% . The cumulative prevalence proportion of acute parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy among IgG negative women was found to be 10.3% (IgM seropositivity andor IgG seroconversion). The IgG seroconversion incidence increased significantly from 1.0% to 13.5% among 932 seronegative pregnant women before and during the epidemic, respectively ( P c 0.001). Independent risk factors related to increased risk of B 19 infection during pregnancy, adjusted for other sociodemographic and medical factors, were: children at home (adjusted OR 2.1,95% CI 1.3-3.2); serious medical disease (adjusted OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.0-8.5); and a stressful job (adjusted OR 1-8, 95% CI 1 G3.3). Parvovirus B 19 IgM seropositivity was associated with events of late spontaneous abortions and stillbirths (crude OR 9.9; 95% CI 3.3-29.4). ConclusionBefore and during an epidemic of acute B19 infection incidences were measured among pregnant women to be 1.0% and 13.5%, respectively. Three factors, significantly increasing the risk of acute B 19, were identified as: having children at home; suffering from serious medical diseases; and having a stressful job. IgM positivity for parvovirus B19 was associated with negative outcome of pregnancy.

Detection of human and bovine rotavirus in stools is described using a double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with poly-styrene microtest plates as solid phase, immunoglobulin fraction of rabbit antiserum to rotavirus (human) as catching antibody, and the same reagent labelled with horseradish peroxidase as conjugate. The ELISA has been optimized with regard to simplicity, rapidity, sensitivity, and specificity. In a comparative study, stool specimens from 81 infants and children and 92 neonatal calves with diarrhoea were tested for rotavirus by ELISA, electron microscopy (EM), immunoelectro-osmophoresis (IEOP), and fluorescent antibody technique (FA). The relative sensitivity of the different assays for human and bovine rotavirus was: EM 68%, 76%; IEOP 80%, 76%; FA not determined, 85%; and ELISA 86%, 98%, respectively. Less than 1 ng of purified human rotavirus could be detected in ELISA, whereas 100 ng was the minimal amount detected by IEOP. It is concluded that the developed ELISA is a simple, rapid, reliable, and sensitive method for the diagnosis of human and bovine rotavirus infections.

A total of 276 sequential serum samples from 34 men with antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) followed up for two to seven years were analysed for HIV antigen and antibodies to the viral core and envelope proteins. Results were correlated with clinical outcome and CD4 T lymphocyte count. Both antigenaemia and the disappearance of antibodies to the core protein were associated with development of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS related complex and depletion of CD4 cells. Thus AIDS or AIDS related complex developed in eight out of 16 patients with antigenaemia compared with one out of 18 patients without antigenaemia. Low counts of CD4 cells (