cell membrane (PS exposure detected by Annexin V binding) events. This is the first time that fetal NRBCs in the maternal circulation have been examined for PS exposure. Our analysis also differs from a recent report made by Kolialexi et al. (13), who reported a high percentage of Annexin V-positive fetal cells in the maternal circulation, which were proposed to be of an apoptotic nature. A maj...

Black leg has been reported in a variety of animals, but is ofthe most importance in cattle and sheep. A20 days old Holsteindairy calf was examined because of anorexia and lameness from2 days ago. The calf was depressed, tachypneic, tachycardic, andhad a body temperature of 38.5ºC. Both hind limbs proximal tothe tarsal joint were markedly swollen, firm and painful. Nocrepitation was noted on pa...

Myostatin (GDF8) is a member of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) superfamily. The finding that animals with a knockout or mutation of the myostatin-encoding gene show increased muscle mass suggests that myostatin negatively regulates muscle growth. The study reported here was designed to investigate the effect of induction of maternal myostatin antibody on the growth performance a...

Maternal safety through pertussis vaccination and subsequent maternal-fetal-antibody transfer are well documented, but information on infant protection from pertussis by such antibodies and by subsequent vaccinations is scarce. Since mice are used extensively for maternal-vaccination studies, we adopted that model to narrow those gaps in our understanding of maternal pertussis immunization. Acc...

BACKGROUND Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important cause of lower respiratory tract disease in early life and a target for vaccine prevention. Data on the age-prevalence of RSV specific antibodies will inform on optimizing vaccine delivery. METHODS Archived plasma samples were randomly selected within age strata from 960 children less than 145 months of age admitted to Kilifi County...

The immune system of the newborn is immature, and therefore it is difficult to induce protective immunity by vaccination in the neonatal period. Immunization of mothers during pregnancy against infections caused by encapsulated bacteria could thus be particularly attractive, as infants do not respond to polysaccharide (PS) antigens. Transmission of maternal vaccine-specific antibodies and prote...

A study was carried out in a rural community in Kenya to compare the humoral and intestinal immunity provided by three doses of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) and two or three doses of enhanced-potency inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV). The immunization series was started at 8-12 weeks of age and the interval between doses was 2 months. In children with low levels of maternal antibodies (i.e....

Varicella (chickenpox) in pregnancy is unusual because most women of childbearing age are immune. It can, however, cause significant morbidity for the pregnant woman and in rare cases cause congenital varicella syndrome. The incidence of congenital varicella syndrome after maternal varicella during the first two trimesters is <1% across multiple cohort studies. Maternal infection in the third t...