Evolutionary-developmental perspectives on immune system interactions among the pregnant woman, placenta, and fetus, and responses to sexually transmitted infectious agents.

A balance has evolved over deep time between the various immune systems of the "triad" that is linked together for a short period: the pregnant woman, the fetus, and the placenta. This balance is affected by, and helps to determine, the immune responses to maternal infectious agents that may be transmitted to the fetus/infant transplacentally, intrapartum, or via breast milk. This review identifies newer evolutionary concepts and processes related particularly to the human placenta, innate and adaptive immune systems involved in tolerance, and in responses to sexually transmitted infectious (STI) agents that may be pathogenic to the fetus/infant at different gestational periods and in the first year of life.

Risk factors for incident herpes simplex type 2 virus infection among women attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic.

Objectives: To estimate the incidence of herpes simplex type 2 virus (HSV-2) infection, to identify risk factors for its acquisition, and to assess the protective effect of condoms.

Study Design: Prospective study of 293 HSV-2 seronegative women, aged 18 to 35 years, attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic in Alabama from 1992 to 1995.

Results: Incidence of HSV-2 infection was 20.

Prenatal exposure to maternal infections and epilepsy in childhood: a population-based cohort study.

Objective: We estimated the association between prenatal exposure to maternal infections and the subsequent risk for epilepsy in childhood.

Methods: We included 90,619 singletons who were born between September 1997 and June 2003 in the Danish National Birth Cohort and followed them up to December 2005. Information on maternal infections during pregnancy (cystitis, pyelonephritis, diarrhea, coughs lasting >1 week, vaginal yeast infection, genital herpes, venereal warts, and herpes labialis) was prospectively reported by mothers in 2 computer-assisted telephone interviews in early and midgestation; information on maternal cystitis and pyelonephritis during late period of pregnancy was also collected in a third interview after birth.

The possible role of transplacentally-acquired antibodies to infectious agents, with molecular mimicry to nervous system sialic acid epitopes, as causes of neuromental disorders: prevention and vaccine implications.

Proof of causality of most neuromental disorders (NMD's) is largely unavailable. Lessons from four-decade investigations of the epidemiology, immunology, pathogenesis, prevention and therapy of perinatal infectious agents, which invade directly the nervous system, have led us to propose a new indirect effect hypothesis: maternal transplacentally-acquired antibodies, to agents with epitope molecular mimicry with the developing nervous system, can cross the fetus/infant's blood-nervous system barriers to cause NMD's, clinically manifest years later. Further rationale is provided by relevant evolutionary/developmental (EVO-DEVO) considerations - applicable also to some vaccines.

Trends in herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 seroprevalence in the United States.

Context: Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 are common infections worldwide. Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is the cause of most genital herpes and is almost always sexually transmitted. In contrast, HSV-1 is usually transmitted during childhood via nonsexual contacts.

Neonatal HSV infection Part II: Obstetric considerations -- a tale of hospitals in two cities (Seattle and Atlanta, USA).

This article presents various aspects of maternal genital and neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 and HSV-2 infection for hospitals in two cities in the USA - Seattle and Atlanta - to serve as models for the different subpopulations within developed and developing countries. Reasons are given for the disparity between the increasing rates of genital HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections observed in several areas of the world and the general low rates of newborn herpes noted in sites other than some hospitals in Seattle, Atlanta, Cincinnati and Helsinki. A key reason for the disparity appears to be the continuing difficulty in diagnosing maternal genital herpes and neonatal herpes.

Neonatal HSV infection Part I: continuing challenges.

Neonatal herpes still presents diagnostic and management problems in view of continuing high mortality and morbidity rates, even though effective antiviral therapy is now available. This article, which reviews current knowledge and progress, provides practical guidelines for the diagnosis, management and treatment of neonatal herpes, based on the literature and decades of experience. It is advisable to focus at the local level on detecting maternal cervical infection, applying the available diagnostic tools and obtaining appropriate medical specialty consultations, as well as improving health worker and patient education about detecting and managing herpes simplex virus infections.

Cutting edge: antibody production to pneumococcal polysaccharides requires CD1 molecules and CD8+ T cells.

T cell involvement in Ab responses to thymus-independent type 2 Ags is an immunologic enigma. The identity of these cells and the mechanisms of their TCR engagement to carbohydrate molecules remain unknown. We measured IgG Ab production after immunization with pneumococcal polysaccharides in mice with disruptions in selected genes of the T cell pathway.

Helicobacter pylori prevalence among indigenous peoples of South America.

The seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori among secluded Indian populations of South America was determined to gain insight into the evolutionary history and possible transmission patterns of the organism. Serum samples obtained from 1024 donors in 22 different villages were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for immunoglobulin G antibodies, and the results were confirmed by Western blot. The overall seroprevalence was 92%: >80% of children tested positive by 3 years of age, the highest prevalence in populations studied to date.

Seroprevalence and coinfection with herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 in the United States, 1988-1994.

Seroprevalence of and coinfection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) in the United States were analyzed by use of data from a nationally representative survey (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III, 1988-1994). Evidence was explored for possible protection by prior HSV-1 infection against infection and clinical disease with HSV-2. Overall, 27.