Long-term outcomes of congenital cytomegalovirus infection in Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Background: Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an important cause of neurological problems, particularly sensorineural hearing loss, but data on long-term sequelae and the impact of nonprimary maternal infection are limited. We report updated findings on childhood outcomes from 2 large prospective studies.

Methods: Pregnant women in Malmö, Sweden, and London, United Kingdom, were included between 1977 and 1986, and newborns were screened for CMV (virus culture of urine or saliva).

Report on a long-term study of maternal and congenital cytomegalovirus infection in Sweden. Review of prospective studies available in the literature.

This report summarizes knowledge accumulated in a long-term study of congenital and maternal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in Sweden. Some new findings are included. We considered diagnostic methods, sources of maternal infection (including occupational risks), roles of primary and secondary maternal infections, transmission to foetuses, incidence, symptoms and prognosis of established congenital infection and relative importance of such infection in infantile sensorineural deafness, microcephaly and type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Previous exposure to measles, mumps, and rubella--but not vaccination during adolescence--correlates to the prevalence of pancreatic and thyroid autoantibodies.

Objective: This study was designed to determine whether a relationship exists between previous exposure to measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) by natural infection or vaccination or by new immunization with MMR vaccine, and either the presence or levels of autoantibodies against thyroid cell and pancreatic beta-cell antigens.

Methods: Antibodies against MMR and autoantibodies against thyroglobulin, thyroid peroxidase, pancreas islet cells (ICA), islet cell surface, glutamic acid decarboxylase 65k autoantibodies, and insulin were studied before, and 3 months after, vaccination with combined MMR vaccine in 386 school children between 11 and 13 years of age.

Results: The vaccination changed neither the prevalence nor the level of autoantibodies.

Genetic parameters for the milk coagulation properties and prevalence of noncoagulating milk in Finnish dairy cows.

The genetic parameters were estimated for milk coagulation properties and milk production traits, and the prevalence of noncoagulating milk in the Finnish dairy cattle population was investigated. Data were included for 789 Finnish Ayrshire cows and 86 Finnish Friesian cows from 51 herds. The animal model used for estimation included fixed effects for parity, stage of lactation, breed, and herd.