Interleukin-2, soluble interleukin-2 receptor and tumor necrosis factor in sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2), soluble interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) have been measured in sera from 47 patients affected by classic rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The patients were divided into 4 groups as follows: group A, 18 patients with inactive disease; group B, 19 patients with active disease under treatment with non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) and second-line drugs; group C, 5 patients with active disease under treatment with NSAID and cyclosporine A (CSA) for at least 4 months; group D, 5 patients in the same condition as patients of group C, but treated with azathioprine (AZA) instead of CSA. IL-2 was undetectable in all patients except two, both characterized by active disease.

A waterborne outbreak of leptospirosis.

During the period from July 10-26, 1984, 33 cases of serologically confirmed leptospirosis occurred in a small town in central Italy. The fatality rate, including the deaths of two unconfirmed cases, was 8.6% (3 of 35).

Human leptospirosis in an area of central Italy: results from a serological survey.

The results of a serosurvey for leptospiral antibodies in a random sample of healthy subjects are reported. The study was carried out in an area where a waterborne outbreak of leptospirosis, due to leptospires of serogroup Australis, had occurred a month before. Sera were tested with the microagglutination technique.

Endocarditis due to Cardiobacterium hominis.

A case of subacute bacterial endocarditis was caused by Cardiobacterium hominis in a 55-year-old man who had a history of rheumatic fever. A survey of the literature showed few reports dealing with the isolation of these organisms from human sources. Microbiologically, the chief distinguishing features of C.