Gun Carlström

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Abnormal Pregnancy. Serum and Urinary Findings Using Various Immunoassay Techniques

In the individual patient the severity of certain complications during pregnancy is difficult to appraise solely by clinical examination. Signs and symptoms may be misleading, the clinical picture equivocal, and correct treatment, accordingly, uncertain. Thus, during the first few months of pregnancy it is sometimes impossible to differentiate threatened from inevitable or incomplete abortion, and the diagnosis of missed abortion or of ectopic pregnancy may for a considerable period of time only be tentative. In the later stages of gestation a different group of complications may make the choice of therapy difficult. Toxzmia of pregnancy, diabetes, and Rh-immunization are cases in point. Most of these conditions, if serious, are associated with disturbances of placental function. The endocrinological acrivity of the placenta is one of its functions which has attracted particular attention. In general, the physiological significance of this activity is still poorly understood, yet its diagnostic value has become increasingly apparent. The endocrinological activity of the placenta exhibits two rather distinct phases. During the first the production of HCG, a protein hormone, dominates the picture. Considerable amounts of this

Cytomegalovirus infections in different groups of paediatric patients.

According to previously presented findings cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections frequently occur in the Swedish population (2). The high proportion of individuals found to carry antibodies against CMV corresponds well with findings from other geographical areas (10, 16, 19). The introduction of viral diagnostic procedures for CMV infections has been followed by a gradual delineation of the clinical picture of both congenital (5 , 9, 12, 14, 18, 21) and acquired (1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 20) CMV infections. However, many problems await further elucidation. The role of CMV as a pathogen in different clinical syndromes has not yet been completely explored, nor has the incidence of inapparent CMV infections and minor clinical illnesses with subtle or unspecific manifestations been thoroughly investigated. Because of observations of the persistence of infection and the reactivation of dormant virus, it is difficult to assess, both in acute and chronic cases, whether the disease is caused by a primary infection or a reactivation. Furthermore the mode of transmission of infection is yet not fully understood. The present investigation was undertaken in an attempt to elucidate some of these problems. Sero-epidemiological and virus isolation studies were carried out at Karolinska sjukhuset from 1963 through 1967 in different groups of children. MATERIAL AND METHODS

Measles vaccination. 3. Serologic responses to immunization with purified hemagglutinin.

Measles virus contains two main antigenically active structures, the hemagglutinin (HA) and the nucleoprotein, which can be separated by treatment with Tween 80 and ether [5 , 6, 101. This mild treatment does not destroy the immunogenic activity of the HA [lo, Norrby, unpublished]. Accumulated indirect evidence indicates that the HA is the virus antigen responsible for the stimulation to production of neutralizing antibodies [7]. Attempts were therefore made to isolate this antigen in a relatively pure state from a Tween SO and ether treated material and to test the immunogenic effect of such a product in human beings. For comparison a group of children immunized with the formalin-killed vaccine previously studied [4, 81 was also included in the field trial.

Viral Infections and Birth Defects

It is now 35 years since Gregg (7) first reported his momentous observation of a connexion between rubella during pregnancy and fetal maldevelopment. The past two decades have seen enormous advances in this and related fields, covering many infections in addition to rubella. The main purpose of this paper is to survey recent progress. It presupposes prior acquaintance with the subject. Consequently, I have omitted a general review of opinions concerning the mechanisms of adverse fetal effects, and instead proceed directly to some matters of current interest in various groups of viral infections.

Studies on the uropepsinogen excretion in prematurely born infants.

The rates of excretion of uropesinogen have been investigated in prematurely born and in full‐term infants in early infancy.