ADMINISTRATION OF INTERFERON TO AN INFANT WITH CONGENITAL RUBELLA SYNDROME INVOLVING PERSISTENT VIREMIA AND CUTANEOUS VASCULITIS

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Abstract
At 7 months of age a boy suffering from congenital rubella syndrome developed a reticulated erythematous cutaneous eruption. The histopathological picture was that of a vasculitis. Rubella virus was isolated from lens tissue, throat secretion and skin biopsy in addition to urine and blood (whole blood, leukocytes as well as plasma). High levels of rubella neutralizing activity was simultaneously demonstrable in serum. The late onset cutaneous vasculitis was postulated to be related to the presence of circulating antigen‐antibody complexes. At 14 months of age a therapeutic trial with partially purified human interferon was made. The patient received 3 × 106 units of interferon daily for 2 weeks. During this period a marked regression of the cutaneous symptoms occurred and complete healing was obtained within two months. Furthermore, the viremia disappeared. However, excretion of rubella virus in the urine continued even at the age of 22 months and serum anti‐rubella IgM activity was present as an indication of the persistent viral infection. These results indicate that the mechanism underlying the persistence of the congenital rubella infection is not exclusively a defect in the endogenous interferon response.