Pan-Filovirus Serum Neutralizing Antibodies in a Subset of Congolese Ebolavirus Infection Survivors

One year after a Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) outbreak occurred in the Boende Health Zone of the Democratic Republic of the Congo during 2014, we sought to determine the breadth of immune response against diverse filoviruses including EBOV, Bundibugyo (BDBV), Sudan (SUDV), and Marburg (MARV) viruses. After assessing the 15 survivors, 5 individuals demonstrated some degree of reactivity to multiple ebolavirus species and, in some instances, Marburg virus. All 5 of these survivors had immunoreactivity to EBOV glycoprotein (GP) and EBOV VP40, and 4 had reactivity to EBOV nucleoprotein (NP). Three of these survivors showed serologic responses to the 3 species of ebolavirus GPs tested (EBOV, BDBV, SUDV). All 5 samples also exhibited ability to neutralize EBOV using live virus, in a plaque reduction neutralization test. Remarkably, 3 of these EBOV survivors had plasma antibody responses to MARV GP. In pseudovirus neutralization assays, serum antibodies from a subset of these survivors also neutralized EBOV, BDBV, SUDV, and Taï Forest virus as well as MARV. Collectively, these findings suggest that some survivors of naturally acquired ebolavirus infection mount not only a pan-ebolavirus response, but also in less frequent cases, a pan-filovirus neutralizing response.

Simultaneous aortic and mitral valve replacement for lupus endocarditis: report of a case and review of the literature

Severe aortic and mitral valvular insufficiency developed in a 52-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosis after previous treatment with corticosteroids, splenectomy, and cyclophosphamide for immune thrombocytopenia and hemolytic anemia. After aggressive management of the thrombocytopenia, simultaneous prosthetic replacement of both valves was satisfactorily performed; pathologic examination revealed myxoid degeneration. The patient was doing well with excellent valve function 26 months after the operation. The relationship of steroid therapy to lupus valvulitis is reviewed.

Solitary intraparenchymal pulmonary plasmacytoma associated with production of an M-protein: report of a case

A case of a 40-year old man who underwent surgical extirpation of a solitary intraparenchymal pulmonary plasmacytoma is reported. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case associated with the production of an M-protien. The production of protein fell dramatically following removal of the tumor.