Laboratory diagnosis and clinical significance of rubella in children with cancer

Abstract

SUMMARYVirus-specific antibody responses were studied in 12 children with cancer in whom rubella was diagnosed by seroconversion or a rising titre (>s fourfold) of haemagglutination inhibiting (HI) antibody. Our results confirmed the difficulties of making a diagnosis of rubella infection in immunocompromised children using criteria for interpreting antibody assays established in immunocompetent patients. Specific IgM antibody persisted for more than 2 months in 7 of 10 children with probable primary rubella, 3 of whom had high concentrations of such antibody 6, 7 and 11 months after the rash. Radial haemolysis and specific IgG, and IgG3 antibody responses were low in 4, 2, and 4 patients, respectively.

Diagnose und Therapie von Virusinfektionen bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit neoplastischen Erkrankungen

“…Eine generelle Therapieempfehlung außerhalb von Supportivmaßnahmen kann nicht gegeben werden. [121]. Jedoch sind auch Einzelfälle tödlich verlaufender ZNS-Infektionen berichtet worden [87,116].…”