Human cytomegalovirus infection in tumor cells of the nervous system is not detectable with standardized pathologico-virological diagnostics.

Background: Experimental findings have suggested that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection of tumor cells may exert oncomodulatory effects that enhance tumor malignancy. However, controversial findings have been published on the presence of HCMV in malignant tumors. Here, we present the first study that systematically investigates HCMV infection in human nervous system tumors by highly sensitive immunohistochemistry in correlation with the HCMV serostatus of the patients.

Durability of protective antibody titres is not enhanced by a two-dose schedule of an ASO3-adjuvanted pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine in adult HIV-1-infected patients.

The immune response after influenza vaccination is impaired in HIV-infected individuals and can be enhanced by a second dose. The durability of the antibody protection and its clinical benefit is not known. We investigated clinical symptoms and antibody titres against H1N1 influenza A following no dose, 1 dose, or 2 doses of an ASO3-adjuvanted H1N1 vaccine in HIV-infected patients.

Nephropathy in illicit drug abusers: a postmortem analysis.

Background: Illicit drug abuse is an independent risk factor for chronic kidney disease, but the pathogenic consequences of long-term exposure to illicit drugs and contaminants under unsterile conditions remains unclear.

Study Design: Case series.

Setting & Participants: All deceased persons (n 5 129) who underwent forensic autopsy because of suspected connection with illicit drug abuse between January 1, 2009, and April 30, 2011, in Frankfurt/Main, Germany.

Differential loss of humoral immunity against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella-zoster virus in children treated for cancer.

Background: Intensive chemotherapy in children with cancer results in long-term impairment of humoral immunity. Whereas most studies to date focused on children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), little data have been published on patients suffering from Hodgkin disease or from solid tumors. We therefore analyzed the loss of protective immunity (defined as immunity at the time of diagnosis and lack of immunity after completion of therapy) against vaccine-preventable diseases in children treated for various malignancies.

Immune response after a single dose of the 2010/11 trivalent, seasonal influenza vaccine in HIV-1-infected patients and healthy controls.

Background: Immune response rates following influenza vaccination are often lower in HIV-infected individuals. Low vitamin D levels were correlated with weak immune response in cancer patients and are known to be lower in HIV-infected patients.

Methods: Diagnostic study to determine immune response against the H1N1v component after a single, intramuscular dose of the 2010/11 seasonal, trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) in adult HIV-infected and healthy controls scheduled for influenza vaccination (ClinicalTrials.

Dissection of antibody specificities induced by yellow fever vaccination.

The live attenuated yellow fever (YF) vaccine has an excellent record of efficacy and one dose provides long-lasting immunity, which in many cases may last a lifetime. Vaccination stimulates strong innate and adaptive immune responses, and neutralizing antibodies are considered to be the major effectors that correlate with protection from disease. Similar to other flaviviruses, such antibodies are primarily induced by the viral envelope protein E, which consists of three distinct domains (DI, II, and III) and is presented at the surface of mature flavivirions in an icosahedral arrangement.

Low vitamin D serum concentration is associated with high levels of hepatitis B virus replication in chronically infected patients.

Unlabelled: Vitamin D is an important immune modulator that plays an emerging role in inflammatory and metabolic liver diseases, including infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV). In contrast, the relationship between vitamin D metabolism and chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is less well characterized. Therefore, we quantified 25(OH)D3 serum levels in a cohort of 203 treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and tested for their association with clinical parameters of CHB.

"Trivalent influenza vaccination of healthy adults 3 years after the onset of swine-origin H1N1 pandemic: restricted immunogenicity of the new A/H1N1v constituent?".

Influenza vaccination is advised annually to reduce the burden of influenza disease. For sufficient vaccine campaigns also a continuous adoption of influenza vaccines are necessary, due to particularly high genetic variability of influenza A virus. Therefore, we evaluate the effectiveness of the trivalent influenza vaccine 2010/2011, against influenza A (H1N1, H3N2) and influenza B.

Clinical utility of the ARCHITECT HCV Ag assay for early treatment monitoring in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 infection.

Background: Virologic response-monitoring is essential for determining therapy duration in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This is usually performed using highly sensitive HCV-RNA assays. However, HCV-RNA assays are time-consuming, expensive and require highly trained personnel.

[Measles: immunity and vaccination status in Greater Frankfurt on the Main].

Background And Objective: The elimination of measles is a goal of the WHO which has not been achieved in Europe yet. As measles is a vaccine-preventable disease and can be eliminated by immunization the Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) has updated the recommendation of measles vaccination. The goal of this study was to evaluate the immune status by serological testing and by raising immunisation status.

H1N1v at a seroepidemiological glance: is the nightmare over?

When the second wave of pandemic influenza A H1N1v 2009 (H1N1v) emerged in the winter of 2010/2011, public health authorities were afraid of dangerous implications and severe clinical courses again. As further H1N1v waves might appear, achievement of sufficient herd immunity is a matter of urgency. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies against H1N1v by hemagglutination-inhibition test (HI) after the second wave.

[Comparison of seasonal influenza vaccines: composition and properties].

The influenza virus isolation in embryonated chicken eggs was possible early in 1930er years and allowed the influenza vaccine production. Most influenza vaccines were derived from this, but actually new virus cell culture methods are established. For better tolerability, influenza vaccines include only antigen proportions (split- and subunit vaccines) but with the disadvantage of minor vaccine efficacy.

Hepatitis E: are psychiatric patients on special risk?

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is largely confined to travelers returning from endemic areas, but the number of autochthonous cases of acute HEV infections in developed countries is increasing. Reservoirs for HEV are surface water, wild boar meat, and raw or undercooked pork meat. Usually, hepatitis E is a self-limiting disease presenting with acute hepatitis as a major clinical symptom.

Nucleos(t)ide analogue treatment reduces apoptotic activity in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background: Reduction of necroinflammatory activity is a major goal of antiviral therapy of patients with chronic hepatitis B. Serum ALT does not detect all forms of cell death.

Objectives: To analyze dynamics of novel serum cell death markers for apoptosis and necrosis in association with virologic response to nucleos(t)ide (Nuc) analogue treatment.

Problems and challenges in the diagnosis of vertical infection with human cytomegalovirus (CMV): lessons from two accidental cases.

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is considered as the most common cause of congenital infection in humans and the overall burden for the public health system is rather high. About 1/10 of vertically infected newborns present or develop severe signs of cytomegalic inclusion disease (CID), with the classical triad of chorioretinitis, microcephaly and cerebral calcifications. However the most symptomatic cases are detected postnatal and methods of diagnostic virology raised the questions for the gold standard in laboratory screening.

Assessment of mumps virus-specific antibodies by different serological assays: which test correlates best with mumps immunity?

Mumps is one of the vaccine-preventable childhood diseases and it has not yet been eradicated in Germany. This raises the question as to whether the available mumps vaccines are effective enough to prevent mumps and which antibody test system allows the authentic assigning of mumps-specific immunity. In an attempt to answer this question, we analysed 227 sera samples from medical students of the University Hospital Frankfurt/Main, Germany, using different test systems: indirect immune fluorescence, neutralisation assay, routine ELISA and newly developed immunoassays, which contain the mumps nucleoprotein and the wild-type strain Enders ATCC VR106, respectively.

Limited prevalence of influenza A/H1N1v antibodies: footprints of the pandemic of 2010.

Background: The intention of our investigation was to determine the seroprevalence of H1N1v antibodies after a pandemic by the haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. We included the serum samples of adults who had not received vaccination against H1N1v. By means of serological footprints, the spread of infection can be investigated.

Do fewer cases of Kaposi's sarcoma in HIV-infected patients reflect a decrease in HHV8 seroprevalence?

Infection with human herpes virus 8 (HHV8) is associated with development of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS); therefore also known as KS-associated herpes virus. KS is closely associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and consequently HHV8 seroprevalence is higher in HIV-infected compared to HIV-negative patients. Currently, KS is rarely seen in clinical practice, which might be a consequence of an optimized anti-HIV treatment leading to an improved immunological status, or alternatively of a decrease in HHV8 prevalence.

Enhanced immune response after a second dose of an AS03-adjuvanted H1N1 influenza A vaccine in patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Seroconversion rates following influenza vaccination in patients with hematologic malignancies after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are known to be lower compared to healthy adults. The aim of our diagnostic study was to determine the rate of seroconversion after 1 or 2 doses of a novel split virion, inactivated, AS03-adjuvanted pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine (A/California/7/2009) in HSCT recipients (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01017172).

Significant increase in travel-associated dengue fever in Germany.

Increasing numbers of dengue fever (DF) cases reflect the increasing travel mobility together with the expanding geographical distribution of the vector Aedes aegypti. Compared with earlier surveys in Germany, higher incidences occur and correlate well with ongoing outbreaks. Therefore, we investigated 767 serum samples from 594 returning travellers with suspected DF between 2005 and 2010, which where sent from different hospitals in the drainage area Frankfurt/Main.

Revaccination of children after completion of standard chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: a pilot study comparing different schedules.

Given that a significant proportion of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) lose immune protection to tetanus, diphtheria, and poliomyelitis, revaccination is indicated after chemotherapy. Our randomized pilot study comparing different revaccination schedules suggests that children with ALL might be revaccinated with non-live vaccines as early as 3 months after chemotherapy.

Immune response after two doses of the novel split virion, adjuvanted pandemic H1N1 influenza A vaccine in HIV-1-infected patients.

Background: To determine the rate of seroconversion after 2 doses of a novel split virion, inactivated, adjuvanted pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine (A/California/7/2009) in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01017172).

Methods: Diagnostic study of adult HIV-1-infected patients scheduled for H1N1 influenza A vaccination.

[Varicella and herpes zoster. Part 2: therapy and prevention].

In Germany, five antiviral agents are approved for antiviral therapy in zoster patients (acyclovir, valacyclovir, famciclovir, brivudine, and foscarnet). They should be administered within 72 h after rash onset and can significantly shorten viral replication and reduce the complications. In 2004, the German Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) at the Robert Koch Institute suggested the active immunization against varicella with a live attenuated varicella vaccine (Oka strain) for all children and young persons.

Low rate of seroconversion after vaccination with a split virion, adjuvanted pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine in HIV-1-infected patients.

Objective: To determine rates of seroconversion after single vaccination with a novel split virion, inactivated, adjuvanted pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine (A/California/7/2009) in HIV-1-infected patients (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01017172).

Design: Single center diagnostic study.