The newly described microorganism "Simkania Z" ("Z"), an obligate intracellular, penicillin-resistant microorganism most closely related to the chlamydiae, has been associated with adult community-acquired pneumonia. The possible involvement of "Z" in bronchiolitis in infants was examined in a prospective study of 239 infants with bronchiolitis and 78 controls. Other potential etiologic agents sought were respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, and cytomegalovirus. Evidence for the presence of "Z" in nasopharyngeal wash specimens (polymerase chain reaction and/or culture) was found in 25% of infants with bronchiolitis, while controls were all negative (P < .001). A serum IgA response to "Z" infection was detected by immunoperoxidase assay in 15% of infants with bronchiolitis versus 1.3% of controls (P < .001). Clinical findings were not different for infants with bronchiolitis associated with RSV alone, "Z" alone, or RSV and "Z" together. The high prevalence of "Z" in infants with bronchiolitis, often accompanied by an immune response, suggests a possible etiologic role of this agent in the disease.
A technique using indirect immunoperoxidase antibody to membrane antigen (IPAMA) was developed for detection of IgG antibody to varicella-zoster virus (VZV). The IPAMA technique utilizes glass slides with air-dried VZV-infected cells, which can be stored at -70 C and used for several months without loss of sensitivity. Antibody titers measured by the IPAMA technique were comparable to those measured by the technique using indirect fluorescent antibody to membrane antigen (IFAMA) for sera obtained from 63 medical students as well as sera from three patients with chicken pox and nine with herpes-zoster infection, and the sensitivity of the IPAMA was equal to that of the IFAMA technique. No cross-reactivity with antibodies to other herpesviruses was observed.
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