Prevalence of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1- and 2- Specific Antibodies among the Acute,Recurrent, and Provoked Types of Female Genital Herpes

Sixty-eight sera from the acute, recurrent, and provoked types of female genital herpes were compared for the seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 by immunodot assay using HSV glycoprotein G. In the HSV-1-isolated patients, no HSV-2 antibodies were detected, whereas in the HSV-2-isolated patients, HSV-1 seroprevalence was 9% for the acute type, 89% for the provoked type (P< 0.005), and 55% for the recurrent type (P<0.05). The natural history of female genital herpes and the possible protective role of pre-existing antibodies in preventing the acquisition or clinical manifestation of a subsequent HSV infection are discussed.     

Pregnancy outcomes of rare autosomal trisomies results in non‐invasive prenatal screening: clinical follow‐up data from a single tertiary centre

This study was performed to assess the association between detection of rare autosomal trisomies (RATs) by non‐invasive prenatal screening (NIPS) and adverse pregnancy outcomes. We retrospectively analyzed women with high‐risk RATs results from January 2014 to December 2020. The women''s clinical information was collected, and their pregnancy outcomes were compared with those of women with low‐risk results. In total, 151 (0.24%) RATs results were reported among 62,752 NIPS examinations. Sixty‐five women chose to undergo amniocentesis for confirmation, which revealed 3 cases of true fetal mosaicism for RATs and a positive predictive value of 4.6% (3/65). Among the 139 women with available outcomes, 26 (18.7%) had a preterm birth, 10 (7.2%) underwent pregnancy termination because of fetal defects and 5 (3.6%) had miscarriages. Interestingly, compared with the control group, pregnancies in which NIPS revealed trisomy 16 (T16), T22, T9 and T2 were at higher risk of adverse outcomes, including preterm birth, miscarriage and ultrasound abnormalities. However, the risk of adverse outcomes was comparable between the control group and pregnancies with positive results of T7, T3, T8 and T20. In summary, the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes was higher in women with specific RATs‐positive NIPS results. Pregnancies with T16, T22, T9 and T2 results, even if false‐positive, should be considered high‐risk pregnancies.     

Occupational Injury Risk Assessment Using Injury Severity Odds Ratios: Male Falls from Heights in the Danish Construction Industry, 1993-1999

To allow for an improved targeted approach to occupational injury research and prevention, detailed risk analyses of fatal, serious, and minor occupational injuries were completed with a focus on male falls from heights in construction. Reported lost-time injuries in Denmark (1993 to 1999) were analyzed for proportions, relative rates, and an injury severity odds ratio to assess relative hazards and reporting. Different types of injury risks, such as elevation falls through surfaces, were identified by contrasting fatal, serious and minor injuries. Trade-specific analyses provided evidence that the carpentry-trade group merits increased attention, as this group has excessively high proportions, rates and hazards for falls from heights, compared to the entire construction industry. Age-specific analyses of workers aged 20 to 59 revealed that the rates of serious-injury falls from heights increase with increasing age. This relationship was inverted for elevation fall injuries from roof surfaces. A focus on construction and falls from heights is necessary not only in terms of fatal injuries, but also for serious injuries. The use of an injury severity odds ratio to assess relative hazards and reporting is a useful supplement to proportions and injury rates in contributing to more precise targeting of subgroups for primary injury prevention.