Multi-system coxsackievirus B-6 infection with findings suggestive of diabetes mellitus

A fatal case of Coxsackievirus B-6 (CBV-6) infection in a 4 1/2-year-old girl is reported. The disease was initially characterized by a severe meningoencephalitis and, successively, by the appearance of hyperglycaemia and glycosuria, concomitantly with complement-fixing-islet cell antibodies (CF-ICA) and ICA, diarrhoea, electrolyte disorders, arrhythmia and decrease of the IgG levels, suggesting a multi-system involvement. CBV-6 was identified by isolation from stool and cerebrospinal fluid and by detection of specific IgM antibodies.

Determination of vaccine-induced and naturally acquired class-specific mumps antibodies by two indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays

Paired sera from 46 vaccinees and 22 patients with clinically typical or atypical parotitis were tested for class-specific mumps antibodies by two different indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) procedures. Both ELISAs appeared suitable, specific and more sensitive than neutralization (NT) and complement-fixation (CF). However, the macro-ELISA (M-ELISA) method, using beads as antigen-coated solid phase, showed a higher sensitivity than micro-ELISA (m-ELISA), performed on microplates. Diagnostic rises in mumps IgG antibodies and mumps IgA antibodies were detected more frequently by M-ELISA, mostly in post-vaccination sera. In addition, higher mean OD values of mumps IgG, IgA and IgM antibodies were generally found by M-ELISA. Nevertheless, m-ELISA appeared more convenient for evaluating class-specific mumps antibodies in large-scale studies, since the procedure is simpler, more rapid and less expensive than that of M-ELISA. Conversely, M-ELISA may be considered the test of choice for detecting low class-specific antibody levels. However, the determination of class-specific mumps antibodies appeared as an essential tool for evaluating vaccine-induced or naturally acquired mumps immunity.

Arrhythmia or myocarditis: a novel clinical form of Legionella pneumophila infection in children without pneumonia

The possibility that L. pneumophila causes cardiac disorders without respiratory or pulmonary symptoms in childhood was investigated. Out of 20 children with cardiac troubles of unknown aetiology, three showed a four-fold antibody increase or fall in titre against L. pneumophila antigens by the IFA test. Two children, aged 7 months and 2.5 years, had self-limiting arrhythmia and a third, 10-year-old, was suffering from a severe myocarditis. There was no serologic evidence of concurrent infection by respiratory or coxsackie B viruses nor by M. pneumoniae. It is suggested that Legionella infection should be considered in cardiac diseases in childhood, even if pneumonia is lacking.

On the relationship between Machiavellianism and anxiety among Italian undergraduates

139 Italian undergraduates (61 men and 78 women) responded to the Italian version of the Christie's Mach IV scale and to the Italian version of the Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Positive correlations between Mach IV scores and both State Anxiety and Trait Anxiety scores were found for both sexes. The authors hypothesized that moderate anxiety may be associated with high Machiavellianism. Further implications of the findings were discussed.

Acoustic cues for the perception of place of articulation in aphasia

Two experiments assessed the abilities of aphasic patients and nonaphasic controls to perceive place of articulation in stop consonants. Experiment I explored labeling and discrimination of [ba, da, ga] continua varying in formant transitions with or without an appropriate burst onset appended to the transitions. Results showed general difficulty in perceiving place of articulation for the aphasic patients. Regardless of diagnostic category or auditory language comprehension score, discrimination ability was independent of labeling ability, and discrimination functions were similar to normals even in the context of failure to reliably label the stimuli. Further there was less variability in performance for stimuli with bursts than without bursts. Experiment II measured the effects of lengthening the formant transitions on perception of place of articulation in stop consonants and on the perception of auditory analogs to the speech stimuli. Lengthening the transitions failed to improve performance for either the speech or nonspeech stimuli, and in some cases, reduced performance level. No correlation was observed between the patient's ability to perceive the speech and nonspeech stimuli.

[Specific antibodies in children excreting cytomegalovirus]

Acute-and convalescent-phase sera from 22 children were examined by ELISA in comparison with a routine complement fixation (CF) test for detection of anti-CMV antibodies. All these subjects were excreting CMV from urine and/or saliva. The results showed that ELISA is more sensitive than CF test. Particularly ten children showed, by ELISA, anti-CMV antibody titers more agreeing with clinical-virological features. Generally, in other subjects the results of the two serological tests were similar. Three cases showed discordances both between the two methods and between serological data and clinical virological findings.

Acute cerebellar ataxia in pediatric legionellosis

Acute-phase and convalescent-phase sera of 66 children, aged 3 months to 12 years, with neurologic disorders of unknown etiology were tested against Legionella pneumophila polyvalent and monovalent antigens (groups 1 to 4). Three significant antibody titer increases were obtained, all in children with acute cerebellar ataxia. This neurologic syndrome was characterized by sudden onset of muscle hypotonia and inability to sit or walk, with no other specific neurologic or systemic symptoms. Persisting pharyngitis always preceded ataxia. Fever of short duration was still present. Gastrointestinal disturbance occurred in two of the three children. Abnormal laboratory findings were, not always simultaneously, high ESR and leukocytosis with lymphocytosis. CSF levels and electromyographic findings were normal in two of the children. Two children received oral betamethasone. Recovery was complete within seven to ten days without antibiotic treatment. These studies indicate the possible etiologic role of L pneumophila in acute cerebellar ataxia.

Prospective study of X-linked progressive muscular dystrophy in Campania

Within the Campania region of southern Italy a prospective study on X-linked progressive muscular dystrophy was conducted over a period of 12 years from 1969 to 1980, inclusive. The mean incidence rate was 21.7 per 100,000 male livebirths for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) cases and 3.2 per 100,000 male livebirths for Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) cases. The familial cases were 38.5% among the DMD patients and 50% among the BMD patients. Myocardial involvement appeared in DMD patients at about 6 years of age in a high percentage of cases and increased progressively until the last years of life, when cardiac damage occurred in 95% of cases. The percentage of myocardial involvement in BMD patients was very low before 13 years of age, but increased progressively until 20 years, when cardiac damage occurred in 80% of cases studied; severe cardiomyopathy did not occur before the age of 21. The data reported also include the effects of age on physical performance, serum creatine kinase activity and serum myoglobin levels, the types of cardiac damage, and the causes of death.