Isabel W. Smith

The incidence of Herpesvirus hominis antibody in the population.

INTRODUCTION For a number of years the results of Buddingh, Schrum, Lanier & Guidry (1953) in New Orleans, U.S.A. have been quoted in the textbooks as showing that 90 % of the population over the age of 15 have neutralizing antibody to Herpesvirus hominis. The most complete British survey, reported by Holzel, Feldman, Tobin & Harper (1953), using a complement-fixation technique, showed a similar high incidence of antibody (86 %) in the same age groups. These findings have been supported by many other surveys, although it has become apparent that the socio-economic background of the individuals in such a survey has an important influence on the detected incidence of antibody (Zinsser & Tang, 1929; Andrewes & Carmichael, 1930; Weyer, 1932; Burnet & Williams, 1939; Anderson & Hamilton, 1949; Hayward, 1949; Buddingh et al. 1953; Holzel et al. 1953; Coetzee, 1955; Dascomb, Adair & Rogers, 1955; Halonen, 1955; MacCallum, 1959; Stern, Elek, Millar & Anderson, 1959; Yoshino et al. 1962; Taglieri & Tresca, 1964; Kibrick & Gooding, 1965; Rodrigues & Carvalho, 1965; Becker, 1966). In view of the suggestion of Yoshino et al. (1962) that a change in age distribution of antibody had occurred in Japan and as a period of 12 years had elapsed since the Holzel et al. (1953) report, it was thought worth while to determine the present incidence of both neutralizing and complement-fixing antibody in two populations in this country.

Flagellation and motility in Aerobacter cloacae and Escherichia coli.

By the use of the electron microscope, flagella were shown to be present in all of the 11 motile strains of Aerobacter cloacae and 9 motile strains of Escherichia coli, and to be absent from a non-motile strain of Aerobacter cloacae and from all of 7 non-motile strains of Escherichia coli. These findings support the traditional view that flagella are organs of bacterial locomotion. Growth of Escherichia coli strains in synthetic liquid media resulted in the production of immobile flagella, whereas the addition of phenol to the medium resulted in a loss of motility due to te inhibition of the production of the flagella.

Chlamydia trachomatis infection in sexually active women with no known sexual contacts with urethritis.

During the period from March 1985 to March 1986, 216 consecutive patients with vaginal symptoms were screened for cervical infection with Chlamydia trachomatis and other sexually transmitted organisms. Eleven (5%) yielded C. trachomatis without a history of recent contact with males with urethritis.

Chlamydia trachomatis infection of the cervix: the need for a diagnostic service.

Chlamydia trachomatis was isolated from the cervix in 20.4 per cent (104/511) of women attending a department of genito-urinary medicine. Isolation rates ranged from 43.3 per cent in women with gonorrhoea to 4.2 per cent in women with no STD and who required no treatment. There was no association between the presence of chlamydia in the cervix and any symptom complex. Although high isolation rates were also noted in women with signs of cervicitis and in women whose partners had non-gonococcal urethritis, the accuracy of such clinical and epidemiological criteria in predicting cervical infection was low. In the absence of a screening service the chlamydial infection of 81 women (those who were not NGU contacts) would have been undiagnosed and untreated. The need for a screening service is discussed.

The influence of cell type on the production of filaments by herpes simplex virus type 2

Abstract The production of filaments by herpes simplex virus type 2 was studied in BHK, Vero and HEp-2 cell lines and human embryonic and adult cell strains. It was found that filaments were only produced in the cell lines. Possible explanations are discussed and the literature covering the production of filaments, tubules and stacked lamellae by members of the herpes group is reviewed.