Objective. Because treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists may increase the risk of tuberculosis (TB), and because knowledge of the risk of TB in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) not treated with biologics is scarce and of uncertain generalizability to low-risk populations, this study sought to determine the risk of TB among Swedish patients with RA.Methods. Using data from Swedish nationwide and population-based registers and data from an ongoing monitoring program of TNF antagonists, the rela- Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) plays a major role in host defense against tuberculosis (TB) (1). The frequencies of TB in phase III trials of TNF antagonists (infliximab [2] and adalimumab [3]) have suggested that treatment with TNF antagonists (infliximab in particu-

Background. The incidence and severity of invasive group A streptococcal infection demonstrate great variability over time, which at least, in part, seems to be related to group A streptococcal type distribution among the human population.Methods. An enhanced surveillance study of invasive group A streptococcal infection (746 isolates) was performed in Sweden from April 2002 through December 2004. Noninvasive isolates from either the throat or skin (773 isolates) were collected in parallel for comparison. Clinical and epidemiological data were obtained from 88% of patients with invasive disease and were related to isolate characteristics, including T type, emm sequence type, and the presence of 9 superantigen genes, as well as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern comparisons of selected isolates.Results. The annual incidence was 3.0 cases per 100,000 population. Among the patients with invasive disease, 11% developed streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, and 9.5% developed necrotizing fasciitis. The overall casefatality rate was 14.5%, and 39% of the patients with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome died ( ). The T3/ P ! .001 13/B3264 cluster accounted for 33% of invasive and 25% of noninvasive isolates. Among this most prevalent type cluster, emm types 89 and 81 dominated. Combined results from pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, emm typing, and superantigen gene profiling identified subgroups within specific emm types that are significantly more prone to cause invasive disease than were other isolates of the same type.Conclusions. This study revealed a changing epidemiology of invasive group A streptococcal infection in Sweden, with emergence of new emm types that were previously not described. The results also suggest that some clones may be particularly prone to cause invasive disease.

BackgroundBoth chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and tuberculosis (TB) primarily affect the lungs and are major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. COPD and TB have common risk factors such as smoking, low socioeconomic status and dysregulation of host defence functions. COPD is a prevalent co-morbid condition, especially in elderly with TB but in contrast to other diseases known to increase the risk of TB, relatively little is known about the specific relationship and impact from COPD on TB-incidence and mortality.Methods and FindingsAll individuals ≥40 years of age, discharged with a diagnosis of COPD from Swedish hospitals 1987–2003 were identified in the Swedish Inpatient Register (n = 115,867). Records were linked to the Swedish Tuberculosis Register 1989–2007 and the relative risk of active TB in patients with COPD compared to control subjects randomly selected from the general population (matched for sex, year of birth and county of residence) was estimated using Cox regression. The analyses were stratified by year of birth, sex and county of residence and adjusted for immigration status, socioeconomic status (SES) and inpatient co-morbidities previously known to increase the risk of TB. COPD patients had a three-fold increased hazard ratio (HR) of developing active TB (HR 3.0 (95% confidence interval 2.4 to 4.0)) that was mainly dependent on an increased risk of pulmonary TB. In addition, logistic regression estimates showed that COPD patients who developed active TB had a two-fold increased risk of death from all causes within first year after the TB diagnosis compared to the general population control subjects with TB (OR 2.2, 95% confidence interval 1.2 to 4.1).ConclusionsThis population-based study comprised of a large number of COPD patients shows that these patients have an increased risk of developing active TB compared to the general population. The results raise concerns that the increasing global burden of COPD will increase the incidence of active TB. The underlying contributory factors need to be disentangled in further studies.

The nationwide incidence of group A streptococcal bacteremia in Sweden was 1.8 per 100,000 population in 1987. During the winter season 1988-1989, the reported cases rate doubled and then declined to the previous level. The peak was due to a type T1/M1 Streptococcus pyogenes strain associated with an increased case fatality rate (33% vs. 15% for other T types). The highest incidence rates were found in the age groups less than 12 months and greater than 70 years. Among a sample of 79 patients hospitalized in November or December 1988, a portal of entry, mainly cutaneous, was recognized in 89% of the patients and concomitant conditions in 67%. Among the clinical findings were signs of skin or soft tissue infection (41%), local or generalized pain (41%), vomiting or diarrhea (24%), cough (18%), and upper respiratory tract symptoms (12%). A fatal outcome was associated with high age, lower respiratory tract or unknown focus, leukopenia on admission, start of antibiotic therapy greater than 6 h after the patient's initial contact with a physician, and a rapid clinical course including multiple organ failure. Renewed awareness of the many facets of fulminant streptococcal infection represents one approach to minimize the case fatality rate.

No abstract