To assess the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in diabetes mellitus, a serological test used to detect antibodies to H. Pylori in patients with diabetes mellitus. Within six months, 45 insulin-dependent, 98 non-insulin-dependent, and a control group of 159 outpatients were enrolled in this study. The age adjusted seroprevalence rate of Helicobacter pylori were determined using a commercial anti-Helicobacter pylori IgC and IgA ELISA (Bio-Rad). The prevalence rates increased with age in all age groups until 60-70 years. In diabetic patients, the frequency of Helicobacter pylori infection was higher than control subjects in nearly all age groups, reaching significance in three age categories of NIDDM patients and in one age category in IDDM patients. This higher seroprevalence could not be explained by differences in socioeconomic status or use of antibiotics.

The procoagulant activity of virus-infected monocytes is TF-dependent. Although influenza infection did not generate a significant reduction in clotting time, the pronounced expression of IL-6 and IL-8 may induce local and/or systemic inflammatory reactions, which may be associated with plaque rupture and atherosclerosis. The lack of production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 may even accelerate these processes.

Summary.The antibody response and delayed type hypersensitivity reaction to commercially available trivalent influenza vaccine in 159 patients with diabetes mellitus was compared with response and reaction in 28 healthy volunteers. A correction for prevaccination titres was made. No differences were found between diabetic patients and control subjects with respect to antibody response to the three vaccine strains as measured by the difference between geometric mean titres of post-and prevaccination sera. In Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients the incidence of non-responders to two vaccine components was significantly increased (p< 0.05). The delayed type hypersensitivity reaction to influenza antigen was significantly decreased in patients with high concentrations of glycosylated haemoglobin (p<0.01). These findings suggest a role for impaired immune response in the increased influenza morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus. Implications for therapy and vaccination strategy are discussed.

During summer and fall, enterovirus infections are responsible for a considerable proportion of hospitalizations of young infants. We prospectively studied the incidence of enterovirus infections via real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in blood, feces, and cerebrospinal fluid samples from infants

Serum samples from 102 veterinarians and 191 pig farmers from the southern part of the Netherlands were investigated for antibodies against Brucella abortus, Leptospira spp, Streptococcus suis serotype II, Hantavirus (HV), and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). All samples were collected in 1993 and stored until this study was performed. The prevalence of antibodies against B.abortus in veterinarians (4.5%) was significantly higher (P = 0.01) than in pig farmers (0%). None of the veterinarians (0%) and only one pig farmer (0.5%) had antibodies against Leptospira spp. Furthermore, significantly (P = 0.015) more veterinarians (6%) than pig farmers (1%) had antibody titres against muramidase-released protein (MRP),a protein of pathogenic S. suis serotype II strains. None of the veterinarians and a total of 3 (1.6%) pig farmers had antibody titres against HV. The prevalence of antibodies against LCMV tended to be higher in pig farmers (2.6%) than in veterinarians (0%) (P = 0.10). It can be concluded that the prevalence of antibodies against the investigated zoonotic agents in veterinarians and pig farmers is low.