Vaccinated children get milder measles infection: a community study from Guinea-Bissau.

We studied the occurrence of measles in vaccinated children from an urban area of Guinea-Bissau where measles causes high mortality. Vaccinated children who developed measles required more-intense exposure to become infected (they had a higher ratio of secondary cases [infected in the house] to index cases [infected outside the house]), had a lower mortality among secondary cases, and were less infectious (they generated fewer secondary cases than did unvaccinated children with measles). The attack rate among vaccinated children was significantly higher in households in which someone died of measles.

High measles mortality in infancy related to intensity of exposure.

In a West African urban community, measles infection in infants was examined over 5 years (1979-1983). In the age group 0 to 11 months, measles mortality was higher among secondary cases (infected in the house) than among index cases (infected outside the house), and the proportion of secondary cases was significantly higher for this age group than for older children. Intensive exposure related to the social pattern of disease transmission may be important in explaining the high infant mortality observed with measles in developing countries.

Leucocyte migration inhibition in vitro with inhibitors of aspartic and sulphhydryl proteinases.

The human leucocyte migration in the leucocyte migration under agarose technique ( LMAT ) was investigated with specific inhibitors of aspartic, sulphhydryl , metallo- and serine proteinases. The general aspartic proteinase inhibitor pepstatin and the highly specific competitive cathepsin D inhibitor, N-gly-glu-gly-phe-leu-gly-D-phe-leu suppressed leucocyte migration at concentrations of 20-200 mumol/l and 30-59 mumol/l, respectively. The suphhydryl enzyme inactivator, N-ethylmaleimide suppressed leucocyte migration at concentrations of 100-200 mumol/l.

Rubella IgG antibody detection by ELISA using capillary blood samples collected on filter paper and in microtainer tubes.

Rubella IgG antibodies determined by ELISA of capillary blood samples collected on filter paper and in Microtainer tubes. The results correlated well to those found in tests of venous blood samples. Capillary blood samples can be collected with little inconvenience and by relatively untrained personel.

Comparison of the sensitivity of ELISA and the haemagglutination-inhibition test for routine diagnosis of rubella.

A total of 500 paired sera were tested for rubella antibodies by the rubella IgG ELISA and the haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test. Significant differences between the antibody level in the first and second samples of 417 serum pairs were not detected by either of the tests, whereas significant increases in 71 pairs were detected by both methods. A significant increase of the level in 12 serum pairs was demonstrated by the ELISA, but not by the HI test.