"Teaching capital"- a sociological analysis of medical educator portfolios for promotion.

Medical educator portfolios (MEP) are increasingly recognized as a tool for developing and documenting teaching performance in Health Professions Education. However, there is a need to better understand the complex interplay between institutional guidelines and how teachers decode those guidelines and assign value to teaching merits. To gain a deeper understanding of this dynamic, this study employed a sociological analysis to understand how medical educators aspiring to professorships use MEPs to display their teaching merits and how cultural capital is reflected in these artefacts. We collected 36 medical educator portfolios for promotion from a large research-intensive university and conducted a deductive content analysis using institutional guidelines that distinguished between mandatory (accounting for the total body of teaching conducted) and optional content (arguing for pedagogical choices and evidencing the quality, respectively). Our analysis showed that the portfolios primarily included quantifiable data about teaching activities, e.g., numbers of students, topics and classes taught. Notably, they often lacked evidence of quality and scholarship of teaching. Looking at these findings through a Bourdieusian lens revealed that teachers in this social field exchange objectified evidence of hours spent on teaching into teaching capital recognized by their institution. Our findings highlight how institutional guidelines for MEPs construct a pedagogical battlefield, where educators try to decode and exchange the "right" and recognized teaching capital. This indicates that MEPs reflect the norms and practices of the academic field more than individual teaching quality.

Physical activity in people with dementia attending farm-based dementia day care - a comparative actigraphy study.

BACKGROUND: Despite public focus on the importance of physical activity and findings showing the benefits of such activity, research has shown that people with dementia are less physically active and have more sedentary behaviour compared to others in similar age groups. In Norway, there is a focus on day care services as a means to allow people with dementia to experience social, physical and cultural activities. Farm based services have been highlighted as an innovative and customized day care service, but little research has been done on physical activity and such services. This study therefor aims to investigate the potential of farm-based day care services as services that can promote physical activity for people with dementia. METHODS: Actigraphy data from people with dementia attending farm-based day care services (n = 29) and people with dementia attending regular day care services (n = 107) was used to assess levels of physical activity in each group and to compare the two groups. RESULTS: People attending farm-based day care had significantly higher levels of moderate activity, approximately 23 min each day, compared with persons attending ordinary day care (p = 0.048). Time spent in sedentary or light activity were similar for both groups. For the group attending farm-based day care services, days at the service, were significantly associated with less time spent in sedentary activity (p = 0.012) and more time spent in light (p < 0.001) and moderate activity (p = 0.032), and in taking more steps (p = 0.005) compared to days not at the service. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that participants in farm-based day care for people with dementia have higher levels of physical activity compared to ordinary day care and that farm-based day care increases levels of physical activity for its attendees. Farm based day care services has the potential to help their participants reach or maintain recommended levels of physical activity. Further research is needed to investigate what facilitates this increase in activity and how such knowledge could be used in all types of day care services.

Clinical and molecular characterization of BRCA-associated breast cancer: results from the DBCG.

BACKGROUND: In breast cancer (BC) patients a cancer predisposing BRCA1/2 mutation is associated with adverse tumor characteristics, risk assessment and treatment allocation. We aimed to estimate overall- (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) according to tumor characteristics and treatment among women who within two years of definitive surgery for primary BC were shown to carry a mutation in BRCA1/2 . MATERIAL AND METHODS: From the clinical database of the Danish Breast Cancer Group we included 141 BRCA1 and 96 BRCA2 BC patients. Estrogen receptor and HER2 status were centrally reviewed on paraffin-embedded tumor tissue. Information on risk reducing surgery was obtained from the Danish Pathology and Patient Registries and included as time-dependent variables in Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Ten-year OS and DFS for BRCA1 BC patients were 78% (95% CI 69-85) and 74% (95% CI 64-81). Ten-year OS and DFS for BRCA2 BC were 88% (95% CI 78-94) and 84% (95% CI 74-91). BRCA1 BC patients as compared to BRCA2 BC patients had a higher risk of BC relapse or non-breast cancer within ten years of follow-up, independent of ER status (adjusted HR 2.78 95% CI 1.28-6.05, p = .01), but BRCA mutation was not associated with OS (adjusted HR 1.98, 95% CI 0.87-4.52, p = .10). In multivariate analysis, including both BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers, no chemotherapy was associated with a higher risk of death (adjusted OS HR 3.58, 95% CI 1.29-9.97, p = .01) and risk reducing contralateral mastectomy (RRCM) was associated with a significantly reduced risk of death (adjusted OS HR 0.42, 95% CI =0.21-0.84, p = .01). CONCLUSION: Difference in OS between BRCA1 and BRCA2 BC patients could be ascribed to tumor-biology. BRCA1 BC patients may have a shorter ten-year DFS than BRCA2 BC patients. Chemotherapy and risk reducing contralateral mastectomy reduce mortality for both BRCA1 and BRCA2 BC patients.

Hypermethylated DNA as a biomarker for colorectal cancer: a systematic review.

AIM: Improved methods for early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) are essential for increasing survival. Hypermethylated DNA in blood or stool has been proposed as a biomarker for CRC. Biochemical methods have improved in recent years, and several hypermethylated genes that are sensitive and specific for CRC have been proposed. Articles describing the use of hypermethylated promoter regions in blood or stool as biomarkers for CRC were systematically reviewed. METHOD: A systematic literature search was performed using the Medline, Web of Science and Embase databases. Studies were included if they analysed hypermethylated genes from stool or blood samples in correlation with CRC. Studies in languages other than English and those based on animal models or cell lines were excluded. RESULTS: The literature search yielded 74 articles, including 43 addressing blood samples and 31 addressing stool samples. In blood samples, hypermethylated ALX4, FBN2, HLTF, P16, TMEFF1 and VIM were associated with poor prognosis, hypermethylated APC, NEUROG1, RASSF1A, RASSF2A, SDC2, SEPT9, TAC1 and THBD were detected in early stage CRC and hypermethylated P16 and TFPI2 were associated with CRC recurrence. In stool samples, hypermethylated BMP3, PHACTR3, SFRP2, SPG20, TFPI2 and TMEFF2 were associated with early stage CRC. CONCLUSION: Hypermethylation of the promoters of specific genes measured in blood or stool samples could be used as a CRC biomarker and provide prognostic information. The majority of studies, however, include only a few patients with poorly defined control groups. Further studies are therefore needed before hypermethylated DNA can be widely applied as a clinical biomarker for CRC detection and prognosis.

Primary and repeated perineal stapled prolapse resection.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of the outcome after perineal stapled prolapse resection (PSPR) have included a limited number of patients with a short follow-up and high recurrence rates. The present study was designed to assess the initial results, complications, recurrence rate, and outcomes up to 4 years after PSPR, as well as the need for a repeated procedure. METHODS: Fifty-four consecutive patients with rectal prolapse (mean age 77.2 years, range 46-93 years; n = 3 men) were selected for PSPR between May 2009 and February 2015. Prolapse length was measured at baseline and after surgery. Patients were asked to grade intensity of symptoms as a satisfaction score of 1-10, 10 representing being symptom-free. RESULTS: The mean operation time was 45.3 min (SD = 17.5, range 25-95 min). The mean rectal prolapse length was reduced significantly from 9.5 cm (SD = 5.0, range 4-30 cm) to 1.2 cm (SD = 2.6, range 0-10 cm; p < 0.0001). Bleeding requiring surgical intervention occurred in two patients (3.7%). Postoperative satisfaction score increased from a mean of 2.2 (SD = 0.9) to a mean of 6.4 (SD = 2.8, p ≤ 0.0001). After a mean follow-up of 13.4 months (SD = 14.1), six patients with recurrence underwent a new PSPR and five patients underwent colostomy, mainly because of incontinence, resulting in a recurrence rate of 20.4%. There were no complications after redo PSPR, and after a median of 10-month follow-up (range 6-37), there were no recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: PSPR is a rather new surgical procedure for external rectal prolapse. Immediate complications are few and not serious. Although recurrences can be treated with a second PSPR, the operation may only be the best option for old and fragile patients with comorbidities and a short life expectancy.

ECEL1 mutation causes fetal arthrogryposis multiplex congenita.

Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) is a descriptor for the clinical finding of congenital fixation of multiple joints. We present a consanguineous healthy couple with two pregnancies described with AMC due to characteristic findings on ultrasonography of fixated knee extension and reduced fetal movement at the gestational age of 13 weeks + 2 days and 12 weeks + 4 days. Both pregnancies were terminated and postmortem examinations were performed. The postmortem examinations confirmed AMC and suggested a diagnosis of centronuclear myopathy (CNM) due to characteristic histological findings in muscle biopsies. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed on all four individuals and the outcome was filtered by application of multiple filtration parameters satisfying a recessive inheritance pattern. Only one gene, ECEL1, was predicted damaging and had previously been associated with neuromuscular disease or AMC. The variant found ECEL1 is a missense mutation in a highly conserved residue and was predicted pathogenic by prediction software. The finding expands the molecular basis of congenital contractures and the phenotypic spectrum of ECEL1 mutations. The histological pattern suggestive of CNM in the fetuses can expand the spectrum of genes causing CNM, as we propose that mutations in ECEL1 can cause CNM or a condition similar to this. Further investigation of this is needed and we advocate that future patients with similar clinical presentation or proven ECEL1 mutations are examined with muscle biopsy. Secondly, this study illustrates the great potential of the clinical application of WES in couples with recurrent abortions or stillborn neonates.

Long-term methimazole therapy in Graves' hyperthyroidism and adverse reactions: a Danish multicenter study.

Purpose: In this prospective multicenter study with patients newly diagnosed with Graves' hyperthyroidism (GH), we studied the timing and characteristics of adverse drug reactions in patients treated with anti-thyroid drugs (ATD) for up to 48 months. Methods: Patients with GH were treated with ATD until remission and hereafter with a low-dose regime to keep the patients in remission. The patients were followed with blood samples and recording of adverse events approximately every second month for the first 2 years and every third month for the following 2 years. Results: We included 208 patients and the patients were treated for a median of 22 (range: 0.5-49) months. Ten percent of the patients experienced adverse drug reactions and 75% of the cases occurred during the first 6 months. After 24 months, the methimazole dose was lowered to 5 mg/day, and after this time point, no further adverse drug reactions were recorded. Skin reactions were the most prominent reaction, comprising 68% of the registered reactions, and no hepatic and bonemarrow affection was recorded. Conclusion: With this study, we report the frequency, timing of occurrence, and characteristics of adverse drug reactions when treating GH with the ATD drug methimazole for up to 48 months. Long-term low-dose methimazole treatment can be a cost-effective and straightforward treatment option if adverse drug reactions such as severe hepatic and bone marrow affection are kept in mind.

Predictors of Initial and Sustained Remission in Patients Treated with Antithyroid Drugs for Graves' Hyperthyroidism: The RISG Study.

Purpose. To study predictors of attaining (part 1) and sustaining (part 2) remission in patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism (GH) treated with antithyroid drugs (ATD). Methods. In the prospective first part, the included patients were treated with ATD until a prespecified definition of remission (thyrotropin > 0.4 mU/L and TSH-receptor antibodies (TRAb) ≤ 1. 0 IU/L in a patient receiving a methimazole dose ≤ 5 mg/day, on two occasions two months apart) was met, or for 24 months. In the second part, patients attaining remission in part 1 were randomized to treatment or observation and followed until relapse or for 24 months. Results. 173 patients completed study 1 and 53% attained remission. TRAb and age were the only significant predictors of remission. Patients with baseline TRAb below vs above 10 IU/L attained remission in 63% compared to 39%, and 5 months priorly (p<0.001). In study 2, 96.4% of the patients randomized to treatment (n=33) sustained remission compared to 66% in the observation group (n=33). Treatment arm was the only significant parameter (p<0.001) of sustained remission. Conclusion. Baseline TRAb was prognostic for attaining remission in GH. Consecutive TRAb measurements during treatment were not worthwhile, but a single measurement after 6-8 months in patients with initial TRAb < 10 IU/L could substantially shorten the treatment period in a subgroup of patients. Only 3.6% of the patients in remission experienced relapse during follow-up when treated with a combination of fixed low dose methimazole and L-T4. ClinTrial.gov registration number is NCT00796913.

miR-151a induces partial EMT by regulating E-cadherin in NSCLC cells.

miR-151a and its host gene, focal adhesion kinase, FAK, are located in a region of chromosome 8q that is frequently amplified in solid tumors, including lung cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide and metastasis remains the major challenge in battling lung cancer mortality. Here, we demonstrate that miR-151a is overexpressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient specimens, as compared to healthy lung. In addition, miR-151a overexpression promotes proliferation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and induces tumor cell migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. Blocking miR-151a expression using anti-miR-151a approaches significantly reduced NCSLC cell proliferative and motility potential. Furthermore, we determined that miR-151a significantly regulates E-cadherin expression. Finally, functional rescue experiments determined that overexpression of E-cadherin in miR-151a NSCLC cell lines potently repressed miR-151a-induced partial EMT and cell migration of NSCLC cells. In conclusion, our findings suggest that miR-151a functions as an oncomiR in NSCLC by targeting E-cadherin mRNA and inducing proliferation, migration and partial EMT.

Frequent loss of imprinting of PEG1/MEST in invasive breast cancer.

The human PEG1 gene is a newly identified imprinted gene on 7q32. Genetic aberrations of this chromosomal region are often detected in invasive breast carcinomas. In this study, we show monoallelic PEG1 expression in normal breast tissue, indicating the presence of a functional imprint, and more importantly, we demonstrate loss of imprinting (LOI) in all of seven informative invasive breast carcinomas. In contrast to this, in one case of atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) found in residual breast, imprinting was maintained. This raises the possibility that aberrant imprinting of PEG1 may be involved in the progression from hyperplasia to invasive breast cancer.

New method for production of influenza A virus subtype specific antisera: employment of precipitate obtained by crossed immunoelectrophoretic techniques as antigen.

The crossed immunoelectrophoretic technique was employed for the production of subtype-specific influenza A virus antisera. Glycoprotein-containing precipitates were produced by this technique by using detergent solubilized influenza A virus glycoproteins as antigens in the first dimension gel and rabbit antisera against these antigens in the second dimension gel. By cutting these precipitates out of the gel and using them for the immunization of rabbits, antisera were produced which showed the presence of subtype-specific antibodies in haemagglutination inhibition and immunofluorescent antibody tests but no antibodies in neuraminidase inhibition tests.

Processing of N-linked oligosaccharides on the measles virus glycoproteins: importance for antigenicity and for production of infectious virus particles.

The envelope of measles virus (MV) particles contains two viral glycoproteins, the haemagglutinin (H) and the fusion (F) protein, which together induce the entry of MV into cells. In the present study, we investigated the role of oligosaccharide processing for the function and antigenicity of the MV glycoproteins by means of glycosidase inhibitors. Golgi alpha-mannosidase inhibitors (1-deoxymannojirimycin and swainsonine) prevented the oligosaccharides on the MV glycoproteins from obtaining Endo H resistance, but that did not appear to influence in vitro MV infections, indicating that conversion of oligosaccharide chains into the complex form was not required for the function of the MV glycoproteins. The alpha-glucosidase inhibitor castanospermine (CSP) quantitatively reduced the production of infectious MV particles in cells infected with both vaccine strain and wild-type MV. CSP reduced the detection of the MV F protein by certain monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that appeared to recognize nonlinear epitopes. CSP also inhibited syncytium formation in MV infected cells, but did not affect MV induced CD46 downregulation, suggesting that CSP primarily influenced the F protein. We propose that CSP induces aberrant folding of MV glycoproteins in a manner that influences their function and antigenicity.

Iscom immunization with synthetic peptides representing measles virus hemagglutinin.

Synthetic peptides representing the measles virus (MV) hemagglutinin (MVH) were incorporated into immunostimulating complexes (iscoms) and used for immunization of rabbits. Nine regions of MVH were selected on the basis of hydropathy and antigenicity profiles, by use of the known primary structure of MVH. Six linear and three branched types of peptides were synthesized and conjugated to palmitic acid before incorporation into the iscom structure. Five of the anti-peptide sera reacted by ELISA with the homologous peptide but did not react with MV in the native state, indicating that either the selected sites are not represented on the surface of MV, or they could be a conformational epitope. Human-anti MV and rabbit anti-MV did not react with the peptides.

Variations in urinary iodine excretion and thyroid function. A 1-year study in healthy men.

OBJECTIVE: The iodine intake level in a population is determined in cross-sectional studies. A fraction of samples with iodine content below a certain level, e.g. 25 microg/l, may suggest iodine deficiency in part of the population. However, urinary iodine varies considerably from day to day and the fraction of low samples caused by dispersion remains unsettled. DESIGN: A longitudinal study of 16 healthy men living in an area of mild to moderate iodine deficiency. METHODS: We measured urinary iodine and creatinine concentrations, and serum TSH, total thyroxine (T4), free T4 index and total tri-iodothyronine (T3) in samples collected monthly for 1 year. RESULTS: Average urinary iodine excretion was 57.0 microg/l (49.1 microg/24 h (corrected for creatinine excretion)) and varied from 29 to 81 microg/l (28 to 81 microg/24 h) between participants. Individual samples varied between 10 and 260 microg/l, and the variation around the mean was 2.4 times larger when calculated for the 180 individual samples compared with the 15 average annual values (1.7 times larger for estimated 24 h iodine excretion values). The fraction of individual samples below 25 microg/l was 6.7% (7.2% < 25 microg/24 h), whereas none of the participants had average iodine excretion below 25 microg/l or 25 microg/24 h. Participants with average annual iodine excretion below 50 microg/24 h had a negative correlation between iodine excretion and TSH, whereas a positive correlation was observed when average annual iodine excretion was above this level. CONCLUSIONS: Seven per cent of individual urine samples indicated severe iodine deficiency without this being present in the group studied. Dispersion was reduced by 24% when using estimated 24 h urinary iodine excretion rather than urinary iodine concentration. Participants with moderate iodine deficiency (average annual urinary iodine excretion 25-50 microg/24 h) showed clear signs of substrate deficiency for thyroid hormone synthesis while participants with mild iodine deficiency (50-100 microg/24 h) did not.

Child mortality related to seroconversion or lack of seroconversion after measles vaccination.

When blood samples were analyzed for seroconversion after measles vaccination, it was discovered that the vaccine had been ineffective for a certain period. During the 2 years between vaccination and the time of seroanalysis, nonseroconverters had a significantly higher mortality than seroconverters (P less than 0.05). The incidence of measles among nonseroconverters was 30% during the period. Between 9 months and 3 years of age, cumulative mortality was 15.1% for nonseroconverters and 4.5% for seroconverters. The difference in mortality was larger when high risk groups (twins, motherless children) were excluded from the analysis (P less than 0.01). The difference in mortality was particularly marked among children vaccinated in the age group 9 to 11 months. This as well as other community studies suggest that measles vaccination reduces child mortality from the age of vaccination by at least 30%.

Environmental iodine intake affects the type of nonmalignant thyroid disease.

The relationship between the iodine intake level of a population and the occurrence of thyroid diseases is U-shaped with an increase in risk from both low and high iodine intakes. Developmental brain disorders and endemic goiter caused by severe iodine deficiency may seriously deteriorate overall health status and economic performance of a population. Severe iodine deficiency with a median 24-hour urinary iodine excretion of the population below 25 microg needs immediate attention and correction. Less severe iodine deficiency with median urinary iodine excretion below 120 microg per 24 hours is associated with multinodular autonomous growth and function of the thyroid gland leading to goiter and hyperthyroidism in middle aged and elderly subjects. The lower the iodine intake, the earlier and more prominent are the abnormalities. At the other end of the spectrum, severely excessive iodine intake starting at median urinary iodine excretion levels around 800 microg per 24 hours is associated with a higher prevalence of thyroid hypofunction and goiter in children. A number of studies indicate that moderate and mild iodine excess (median urinary iodine >220 microg per 24 hours) are associated with a more frequent occurrence of hypothyroidism, especially in elderly subjects. The exact mechanism leading to this has not been clarified, and more studies are needed to define the limits of excessive iodine intake precisely. Due to the frequent occurrence of thyroid disorders, proper monitoring and control of the population iodine intake level is a cost-effective alternative to diagnosing, therapy and control of the many individual cases of thyroid diseases that might have been prevented.

Low incidence rate of overt hypothyroidism compared with hyperthyroidism in an area with moderately low iodine intake.

In areas with relatively high iodine intake, the incidence rate of hypothyroidism is several-fold higher than that of hyperthyroidism. Recently, we found a similarly high prevalence rate of subclinical hypothyroidism compared with hyperthyroidism in a high iodine intake area, while a relatively low prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism was observed in a low iodine intake area. In the present study we compared the incidence rate (newly diagnosed in primary care and at hospital) of overt hypothyroidism with that of hyperthyroidism in a well-defined geographical area in Jutland, Denmark, with an iodine intake around 60 microg/day. The number of personsxyears studied was 569,108. Data on hyperthyroidism have been published previously. The overall incidence of hypothyroidism was 13.5/100,000 per year (F/M 22.9/3.6), hyperthyroidism 38.7/100.000 per year (F/M 63.0/13.0). The incidence of hypothyroidism was steadily increasing with age up to 80/100,000 per year in subjects older than 70 years of age, but apart from congenital hypothyroidism it was lower than that of hyperthyroidism at all ages. The majority of patients (79%) was diagnosed to have spontaneous autoimmune hypothyroidism (16% with goiter, 84% with no thyroid visible or palpable). In conclusion, in an area with moderately low iodine intake, hypothyroidism was considerably less common than hyperthyroidism. This is in contrast to findings in high iodine intake areas. The iodine intake of an area seems to be of major importance for the pattern of thyroid disorders observed.

Thyroid disorders in mild iodine deficiency.

Comparative epidemiologic studies in areas with low and high iodine intake and controlled studies of iodine supplementation have demonstrated that the major consequence of mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency for the health of the population is an extraordinarily high occurrence of hyperthyroidism in elderly subjects, especially women, with risk of cardiac arrhythmias, osteoporosis, and muscle wasting. The hyperthyroidism is caused by autonomous nodular growth and function of the thyroid gland and it is accompanied by a high frequency of goiter. Pregnant women and small children are not immediately endangered but the consequences of severe iodine deficiency for brain development are grave and a considerable safety margin is advisable. Moreover, a shift toward less malignant types of thyroid cancer and a lower radiation dose to the thyroid in case of nuclear fallout support that mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency should be corrected. However, there is evidence that a high iodine intake may be associated with more autoimmune hypothyroidism, and that Graves' disease may manifest at a younger age and be more difficult to treat. Hence, the iodine intake should be brought to a level at which iodine deficiency disorders are avoided but not higher. Iodine supplementation programs should aim at relatively uniform iodine intake, avoiding deficient or excessive iodine intake in subpopulations. To adopt such a strategy, surveillance programs are needed.

Studies on manifestations of canine distemper virus infection in an urban dog population.

An upsurge of canine distemper was recognized at the beginning of 1991 in the urban dog population of the Copenhagen area. The outbreak had the characteristics of a virulent morbillivirus introduction in a partly immune population, where the disease primarily was manifested in young individuals. Testing of single serum samples for the presence of canine distemper virus (CDV) IgM antibodies using an IgM ELISA confirmed current and recent CDV infections in an urban dog population, where the use of attenuated CDV vaccines was widespread. In 49 out of 66 sera from clinical cases suspected of canine distemper we detected CDV IgM antibodies, as compared to the detection of viral antigen by indirect immunofluorescence in 27 of 65 specimens of conjunctival cells. The antigenic make-up of isolates from acute and subacute clinical cases was investigated with a panel of 51 monoclonal antibodies directed against CDV and the related phocine distemper virus. The isolates exhibited an homogeneous reaction pattern and shared overall antigenic characteristics of the CDV prototype. The majority of cases were diagnosed among unvaccinated dogs and individuals with unknown or obscure vaccination record. However, severe clinical cases were also diagnosed in vaccinated individuals.

Detection of IgM antibodies against canine distemper virus in dog and mink sera employing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of IgM antibodies against canine distemper virus (CDV) in canine and mink serum is described. The diagnostic potential of this technique was evaluated by analyzing sera from natural or experimental infections in dog and mink and negative control sera. These results were compared with results obtained in the developed CDV IgG ELISA and in the virus neutralization test. The IgM test, which requires only a single serum specimen, is a useful method for diagnosing current or recent CDV infections in dog and mink.