Coxiella burnetii(C. burneii)was first recognized as the agent of Q fever in 1937. Q fever is an acute self-limited febrile illness. However, it manifests with several clinical symptoms depending upon the organs that are involved. The association
of C.
burnetii with human neoplasia has been rarely reported.
We prospectively studied the 55 patients with fever of unknown origin, pneumonia, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, leukemia, lymphoma, and immunodeficiency and 14 persons who contacted the Q fever patients. The patient's sera were tested for
antibodies specific for C. burnetii, using indirct fluorescent antibody techniques (IFA).
1) We serologically confirmed 23 C. burnetii infection. The 23 children with Q fever ranged in age from 0 to 15 years, with mean age of 4 years 11 months. Seventeen were boys and 6 were girls.
2) Characteristic symptoms and signs were fever (9/12 cases), rash (8/14 cases), hepatosplenomegaly (8/8 cases)and lymphadenopathy (14/27 cases). Five cases among 14 asymptomatic cases who contacted Q fever patients showed positive IFA test. One
suffered from irregular uterine contraction, 4 weeks after contact with a Q fever patient.
3) There were no history of exposure to domestic animal carriers or contaminated dust, or drinking raw milk except one family. Three attending doctors and her father infected by a patient with Q fever. These suggested the person to person
transmission
of Q fever in a family and house staffs infected by a patient of Q fever.
4) Q fever (9 cases), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (2 cases), acute myelomonocytic leukemia (1 case), hairy cell leukemia (1case), Kawasaki disease (4 cases) and congenital dyserythropoietic anemia (1 case) showed positive IFA test.
5) Of 9 cases who suffered from lnly Q fever, 7 cases were confirmed hairy cell formation in their peripheral blood. One case was diagnosed as hairy cell leukemia after bone marrow study. Of 7 cases who showed hairy cells, all had hepatomegaly,
6
cases
had lymphedenopathy and 5 cases showed splenomegaly. All except 1 case who was not followed cured after treatment.
6) We treated Q fever patients with rifampin and/or ciprofloxacin, and/or tetracyclin (over 8 year-old of age)for 2-4 weeks. One 25 month-old patient with hairy cell leukemia was treated with rifampin, ciprofloxacin and tetracyclin for 4 weeks,
and
rifampin for 8 months. A pregnant patient was administered with rifampin, and treated with rifampin and ciprofloxacin after delivery. We gave rifampin in one nweborn baby.
In conclusion, we suggest that Q fever should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with FUO, hepatosplenomegaly and/or immunodeficiency.
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