INTRODUCTION The most frequent causes of adult-onset recurrent infections are human immunodeficiency virus infection, malignancy, and autoimmune diseases, while acquired non-surgical hyposplenism is rare. Although acquired asplenia/hyposplenism have been described in association with celiac disease and, less frequently, with autoimmune diseases such as Sjögren's syndrome, the manifestations in ...

A 19-year-old previously healthy Japanese man presented with septic shock and forehead ulcer. Three months earlier, he was treated with antibiotic and analgesics for fever and sore throat. Two days before, he noticed a small acne-like lesion on his forehead. This grew rapidly and thus he visited our department. On admission, he was in septic shock. His neck was stiff, with a small abscess on th...

Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, thereby involving the arachnoid, the pia and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). It is divided into viral and bacterial meningitis. For different reasons the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis is very important. The examination of CSF samples may provide information about causative microorganism. The sensivity of ...

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) has many biological actions which parallel those of IL-1, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, but its role in the pathogenesis of human disease is unknown. A specific radioreceptor competition assay capable of detecting LIF at concentrations above 1 ng/ml (45 pM) was developed. To identify disease states in which LIF might be involved, a cross-sectional survey...

Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) is considered an important mediator in the pathogenesis of septic shock or bacterial meningitis. Its activity is specifically modulated by IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) and IL-1 soluble receptor type II (IL-1sRII). We now describe the time-course of IL-1beta and these modulating agents in 59 patients with acute meningococcal infections, the prototype human disea...

Sir.?With reference to the report in your journal of March 1947 of a case of typhoid fever, complicated by Parkinsonism, I wish to draw your attention to the following points :? To me, the case looks one of typhoid with signs of meningeal irritation, the points in favour of the latter being 1. Muscular rigidity, 2. Positive ICernig's and Brudzinski's signs, and 3. C.S.F. findings, namely increa...

Groups of children (mean age, 31.4 months) with Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis, epiglottitis, or septic arthritis were tested for the presence and levels of bacteremia, capsular polyribophosphate (PRP) antigenemia, and development of specific antibody in serum after the onset of acute illness. Although bacteremia cleared promptly after antibiotic therapy, circulating PRP could be dete...

Neisseria meningitidis is an important cause of bacterial meningitis, particularly in infants over three months old and in teenagers. The relative importance of meningococcal disease over invasive Haemophilus influenzae disease has increased following the introduction ofHib capsular vaccines in 1990. In about one fifth of infections with Neisseria meningitidis the organism causes a predominantl...

Bite infections can contain a mix of anaerobes and aerobes from the patient's skin and the animal's oral cavity, including species of Pasteurella, Streptococcus, Fusobacterium, and Capnocytophaga. Domestic cat and dog bite wounds can produce substantial morbidity and often require specialised care techniques and specific antibiotic therapy. Bite wounds can be complicated by sepsis. Disseminated...

Infection with Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is considered an important public health problem. It is associated with: Neonatal sepsis, meningitis, pneumonia, neonatal death, septic abortion, chorioamnionitis, endometritis and other perinatal infections. The aim of this study was to determine the best screening strategy for GBS in pregnant women. For this a systematic review and meta-analysis were...