DNA containing an unmethylated CpG motif has a potent immunostimulatory effect on the vertebrate immune system. Because such CpG motifs are relatively common in bacterial DNA, but rare in mammalian animal and plant DNA, they may be an evolutionary adaptation augmenting innate immunity, most likely in response to pathogens that replicate within the host cells, such as viruses and intracellular bacteria. Microbial infection induces innate immunity by triggering pattern-recognition systems. The infected cells produce proinflammatory cytokines that directly combat microbial invaders and express costimulating surface molecules, which develop adaptive immunity by inducing distinct T cell differentiation. Bacterial DNA with unmethylated CpG-DNA stimulates vertebrate immature immune cells to induce maturation and to produce TNF-α as well as Th1-type cytokines, IL-12 and IFN-γ. Therefore, CpG-DNA functions as an adjuvant for regulating the initiation of Th1 differentiation. The roles of immunostimulatory CpG motifs in DNA vaccine developments and in therapeutic applications have been discussed.

Salmonella worthington is an emerging pathogen and has been implicated in a number of outbreaks of neonatal meningitis and septicemia. Over a period of 5 years, a total of 30 strains of this pathogen were isolated from blood and cerebrospinal fluid of neonates suffering from septicemia with or without meningitis. Most of these strains were resistant to the penicillin group of antibiotics, and many were resistant to cefotaxime. Sixty percent of the isolates were resistant to amikacin; 86% were resistant to chloramphenicol, and none were resistant to ciprofloxacin or norfloxacin. Parenteral fluoroquinolone should be included as part of antibiotic therapy in suspected cases of neonatal meningitis due to S. worthington.

Cases of zoonotic dirofilariasis infection, caused by Dirofilaria repens, occur widely throughout European, African, Middle Eastern, and Asian countries. The reports of this infection in humans in India are limited, and we herein report the case of a 23-year-old man who presented with subconjunctival swelling in the right eye with no local symptoms. A large nematode was visualized on examination and the intact worm was surgically removed. The parasite was identified as a male D. repens.

To investigate the correlation between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and acute myocardial infarction (AMI), a total of 101 serum specimens collected from patients with AMI admitted to the coronary care unit, Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital, and serum specimens collected from healthy blood donors (control group) were examined by using the micro-immunofluorescence test. C. pneumoniae antibody-positive cases were found in 52 (52%) patients, consisting of 30 males and 22 females, though no significant difference of prevalence rate was observed when compared with the rate in the control group. However, the level of IgG titers in patients was higher than that in the controls, and this finding may support an association between C. pneumoniae infection and AMI. Among patients with AMI, several cases were suspected to have current infections because of a fourfold or higher titer increase in IgG or titers in IgM antibody of 1:32 or 1:64. There is no significant correlation between serologic test results and diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyper cholesterol, a smoking habit, or the location of myocardial infarction among patients with AMI.

In Turkey, the immunization policy against diphtheria involves childhood vaccination, and no routine booster dose is administered after 12 years of age. Information about the immune status of the population is important to predict the potential for epidemics, several of which have occurred recently in neighboring countries. The aim of this study was to assess the immune status of different age groups in Turkey against diphtheria. A total of 497 blood samples were collected, and diphtheria antitoxin levels were measured by the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay method. Titers below 0.1 IU/ml were considered to show insufficient immunity. Overall, 35.8% of the population studied showed insufficient immunity against diphtheria. Immunity rates varied significantly among different age groups (P < 0.01). Protective immunity rates were highest in the 3- to 6-year age group (81.3%) and the over 60 age group (81.2%). In subjects between the ages of 10 and 59 the percentage of people with insufficient immunity was above 30%. The lowest immunity rate was observed in the 20- to 29-year age group. No significant difference was seen between males and females in terms of protective effect of vaccination. This study indicates that people between the ages of 10 and 59 are susceptible to diphtheria in our country. Therefore, revaccination of adults with tetanus-diphtheria toxoids at every opportunity (military service, pregnancy, admittance to emergency room) should be considered as an immunization policy.