Rosa Gershtein

Adult Pertussis Is Hazardous for the Newborn

We report 4 cases involving the likely transmission of pertussis from parents to newborns in a hospital setting. The adoption of proper infection control measures and targeted screening of parents may reduce the potential for such transmission.

Chlamydia trachomatis Infections in Female Soldiers, Israel

We examined the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in Israeli female soldiers. The prevalence was 3.2% among soldiers seeking medical care; rural residence was identified as a significant risk factor. Nevertheless, given the study design, recommending broad-scale screening of Israeli female soldiers may be premature.2

Matrix-Metalloproteinases (MMPS) in Astroglial Cells

The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been implicated as contributing factors in the pathogenesis of injury and inflammation of the central nervous system including diseases such as Alzheimer (Gottschall & Yu, 1995), Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE) (Gijbels et al., 1992; Norga et al., 1995; Rosenberg et al., 1996). MMP activity has been associated with degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), activation of leukocytes, their extravasation and tissue infiltration, breakdown of the blood brain barrier (BBB) as well as nerve demyelination (Romanic & Madri, 1994). The process of regeneration and glial-scar formation also depends upon modulation of the ECM by MMPs, thus enabling glial cells to migrate to damaged areas of the brain (McKeon et al., 1995).