Chronic carrier state in mothers of infants with group B streptococcal infections.
Seven of eight women who had given birth to infants with early onset or intrauterine infection caused by group B streptococci remained carriers of the same serotype of group B streptococci up to 38 months after their pregnancy. In contrast, only 34 of 88 group B streptococci carriers who had given birth to healthy infants harbored the same serotype at the 34 months' follow-up (P = .009). Among the control subjects, 29 of 71 showed increased serum levels at followup of antibodies against the serotype isolated at delivery, a significantly higher proportion compared with the mothers of infected infants/fetuses. The results indicate that mothers of group B streptococci-infected infants are chronic urogenital carriers of group B streptococci without responding immunologically against the organism.
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000276:immunology; D014526:Urethritis / Q000382:microbiology; D002575:Uterine Cervicitis / Q000382:microbiology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial