title: The continuous decrease in the number of SSPE annual cases ten years after compulsory anti-measles immunization.
abstract: The record of SSPE cases diagnosed immunochemically and serologically in our laboratory, standing for about 60% of the total new cases reported in our country, shows a significant decrease in the incidence in 1988-89 (from 5.21 new cases per year per million total population in 1987 to 1.82 cases in 1988). In 85% of the patients, SSPE onset occurred at the age of 10 years or more, suggesting the possibility of a primary measles infection before anti-measles immunization became compulsory. High serum and CSF anti-measles antibody titres in recently diagnosed patients show subclinical long-term courses. Further serologic tests for viruses inducing persistent infections (herpes viruses, AgHBs and HIV) do not show any difference when compared to a control group excepting an increased incidence of anti-cytomegalic titres.
authors.affiliation: "St. S. Nicolau" Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cernescu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Popescu-Tismana
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alaicescu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Popescu
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cajal
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000276:immunology*; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013344:Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D008458:Measles Vaccine