Guidelines for the laboratory diagnosis of genital herpes in eastern European countries.

These guidelines aim to provide comprehensive information about sexually transmitted herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection and its laboratory diagnosis in eastern European countries. They are primarily intended for professionals testing specimens from patients at a sexual healthcare clinic but may also be helpful for community-based screening programmes. In particular, the guidelines recommend: (i) either viral culture or validated and approved nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) as the tests of choice for symptomatic patients, which should be promoted for laboratory confirmation of HSV infection; (ii) if culture or NAATs are not available, antigen detection--a direct immunofluorescence test or enzyme immunoassay from samples from symptomatic patients--could be employed, but HSV type determination is of importance; (iii) only type-specific serology should be used for detecting asymptomatic individuals, testing pregnant women at risk of acquiring HSV infection close to delivery, men who have sex with men and people who are HIV positive; (iv) widespread screening for HSV antibodies should be discouraged; and (v) any non-validated diagnostic tests should be validated against a recommended, approved gold standard.

[Infection and bacterial colonization of urogenital system in pregnancy, its effect on the clinical course of pregnancy, fetus and newborn].

Colonization/infection of the genitals with Mycoplasma, group B Streptococci, and Chlamydia was studied in pregnant women. The course of gestation in women colonized with microorganisms was frequently aggravated by threatened spontaneous abortions, high incidence of hydramnion, late gestoses, pyelonephritis. For the newborns a reduced body mass and increased perinatal morbidity and mortality were characteristic.

[The optimization of the PCR for detecting cytomegalovirus in the urine of newborn infants].

A quantitative comparison of 4-primer PCR-diagnosticum potentials for detection of cytomegalovirus DNA in urine specimens in different methods for DNA isolation was carried out. Comparatively simple DNA isolation procedures were considered for express diagnosis in clinical conditions. A scheme of successive use of diagnostic preparations was proposed.

[Mycoplasma infections of the human genital tract].

It has been shown that genital Mycoplasma may cause local and generalized diseases particular in parturients and premature neonates. For better laboratory diagnosis of Mycoplasma-induced infections, it is necessary to organize the production of culture media and diagnostic kits.