J Dairy Sci, 1988 Nov, 71(11), 3112 - 9 Bovine vitamin A and beta-carotene intake and lactational status . 1 . Responsiveness of peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes to vitamin A and beta-carotene challenge in vitro; Tjoelker LW et al.; Dietary vitamin A and beta-carotene were assessed on their interaction with lactational status to influence neutrophil function in vitro . Cows were fed 1) 53,000 IU or 2) 213,000 IU vitamin A, or 3) 53,000 IU vitamin A plus 400 mg beta-carotene/cow per d from 6 wk before to 2 wk after dry off . Blood neutrophils were isolated the day of dry off and 2 wk after dry off and incubated with retinol, retinoic acid, or beta-carotene . Phagocytosis and kill of Staphylococcus aureus were measured . Across all treatments, kill was higher after dry off than before dry off . Phagocytosis tended to be lower after dry off than before in cows fed vitamin A only . In vitro, 10(-6) M beta-carotene stimulated phagocytosis after dry off and kill before dry off in cows fed vitamin A only . In general, retinol and retinoic acid suppressed phagocytosis but did not affect kill . Neutrophils from cows fed high amounts of vitamin A were more susceptible to in vitro suppression than those from cows fed adequate amounts of vitamin A . Therefore, vitamin A and beta-carotene supplementation interacts with lactational status to influence the responsiveness of bovine neutrophils to vitamin challenge in vitro. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1988 Nov, 270(1-2), 115 - 21 A new chromogenic assay for direct detection of staphylocoagulase; Bulanda M et al.; Tube test for detection of staphylococcal coagulase, despite of many disadvantages, is commonly used in clinical microbiology for identification of Staphylococcus aureus . In this paper a new chromogenic method for detection of the coagulase directly in staphylococcal cultures is described and evaluated on the basis of a comparison with the standard tube assay . The chromogenic assay appeared to be as sensitive as the tube test but results of the former one can be read in a few hours without any apparatus. J Burn Care Rehabil, 1988 Nov-Dec, 9(6), 613 - 5 Use of nonsterile gloves for routine noninvasive procedures in thermally injured patients; Sadowski DA et al.; A total of 26 boxes of gloves were analyzed to determine if using nonsterile gloves for routine noninvasive procedures was sufficient for thermally injured patients and if the risk of infection increased . All of the study boxes had some organism present on or in the used box; the most common type found was Staphylococcus aureus . Eleven of the 13 subjects (85%) had specific antibiotic-resistant strains of S . aureus present on cultures obtained from open wounds . Seven (64%) of these corresponded to the glove boxes assigned to that patient . The remaining four boxes of gloves had no S . aureus present . In all of the boxes of gloves that had positive S . aureus cultures, 100% of the resistant strains occurred after it was first cultured from the patient . As a result, nonsterile gloves can be used safely for routine non-invasive procedures in the thermally injured patient . It is imperative to avoid using a common box of gloves for two or more patients to prevent the transfer of organisms between patients. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1988 Nov, 269(3), 387 - 94 {In vitro bactericidal effects of ofloxacin on S . aureus}; Korting HC et al.; Two Staphylococcus aureus (S . aureus) strains with differing susceptibility to penicillin G as expressed by the minimum inhibitory concentration were exposed in vitro over a period of 8 h to the continuously changing concentrations of ofloxacin achieved in human serum and cantharides blister fluid (CBF) after the single oral application of 600 mg . In both strains bacterial density was rapidly, but not totally reduced: a reduction by 99 percent took no longer than about 1 and 1.5 h resp . facing the serum level profile and about 1.5 h facing the tissue level profile . The maximum reduction of staphylococcal density in percent (kn) amounted to 0.0007 and 0.0034 and to 0.0038 and 0.0047 resp . Thus not only the serum level profiles but also the skin tissue level profiles obtainable in man proved highly effective in vitro against S . aureus irrespective of the bacterial suspectibility against penicillin G . Therefore oral ofloxacin should prove useful in staphylococcal diseases especially in so far as cutaneous tissue is involved. Med Hypotheses, 1988 Nov, 27(3), 215 - 6 The role of oxygen in toxic shock syndrome; Mahoney JR Jr; The etiology of toxic shock syndrome (TSS) has been extensively investigated in recent years . It is generally accepted that the causative organism is Staphylococcus aureus . Certain strains of this bacterium produce one or more toxins which are thought to be responsible for the symptoms associated with TSS . There is no general agreement, however, as to why menstruating women who use tampons are of particular risk for developing this disease . More recently, TSS has also been associated with the use of absorbent contraceptive sponges . In this paper I will present evidence that the introduction of oxygen into the vaginal cavity during tampon insertion is responsible in part for the development of TSS . Furthermore, I will discuss several methods for the safe removal of this exogenous oxygen. J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1988 Nov, 41(11), 1602 - 16 Synthesis and biological activity of a new cephalosporin, BMY-28232 and its prodrug-type esters for oral use; Kamachi H et al.; The synthesis and structure-activity relationships of 7-{(Z)-2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-hydroxyiminoacetamido}-3-{( Z)-1- propenyl}-3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid (BMY-28232), its 3-alkenyl analogs (6 and 7) and O-substituted derivatives of the oxyimino moiety (10) are described, as well as the oral pharmacokinetics and in vivo activities of the 1-acetoxyethyl ester of BMY-28232 (BMY-28271) and its analogous esters (11) . The 3-alkenyl groups were introduced by the Wittig reaction of the ylide (2) prepared from the 3-chloromethyl cephem (1) to afford the Z (main) and E (minor) isomers regarding the 3-side chain . The O-substituted derivatives (10) were prepared by 7-N-acylation of the 7-amino cephem (4a) with the corresponding O-substituted side chain acids (8) . The prodrug esters (11) were prepared by esterification of BMY-28232 with an appropriate halide . BMY-28232 was the most active among the 3-alkenyl analogs tested against Gram-negative organisms and much more active than the O-substituted derivatives against Gram-positive bacteria . BMY-28271 showed good oral bioavailability (66%) and good in vivo efficacy in mice against infections of Staphylococcus aureus Smith (PD50, 0.68 mg/kg) and Escherichia coli Juhl (0.54 mg/kg). Contraception, 1988 Nov, 38(5), 573 - 8 Humoral immunity in oral contraceptive users . II . In vitro immunoglobulin production; Bisset LR et al.; The worldwide acceptance of steroid-based oral contraception makes it imperative that the effect of these agents on the immune system is understood . Nevertheless, information regarding the effect of steroid-based oral contraception on humoral immunoregulation is limited . In this report the in vitro production of IgG and IgM is measured following stimulation with either the T-dependent activator pokeweed mitogen (PWM) or the T-independent activator fixed/killed Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (StaCw) . No significant differences are observed between the in vitro IgG or IgM levels following stimulation with PWM or StaCw for females taking steroid-based oral contraceptives and females not taking steroid-based oral contraceptives . We conclude that humoral immunoregulation is unaltered in steroid-based oral contraceptive usersPIP: Production of IgG and IgM immunoglobulins in vitro by purified monocytes isolated from the blood of women taking oral contraceptives was assayed by the sensitive ELISA method . The subjects were taking pills containing ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel . Washed mononuclear cell suspensions containing no more than 5% polymorphonuclear cells were incubated 7 days with either formaldehyde-killed Staphylococcus aureus strain Cowan I or T-cell dependent pokeweed mitogen . No significant differences were observed in immunoglobulin production between pill users and controls . Am J Med, 1988 Nov, 85(5), 615 - 8 Clinical significance and pathogenesis of hyperbilirubinemia associated with Staphylococcus aureus septicemia; Quale JM et al.; PURPOSE: Our goal was to examine the clinical significance of hyperbilirubinemia in patients with Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis . In addition, preliminary data concerning the possible mechanism of cholestasis observed during S . aureus septicemia are presented . PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study had two parts: a clinical investigation and a laboratory investigation . In the former, patients with endocarditis were identified through chart review . Those with admission total serum bilirubin levels of 2.0 mg/dl or greater were considered to have hyperbilirubinemia . In the latter investigation, the hepatic storage capacity and transport maximum for sulfobromophthalein (BSP), an organic dye that is rapidly taken up and excreted by the liver, were determined by measuring the change in serum concentration and the corresponding hepatic removal rate at various BSP infusion rates . Measurements were conducted before and after the infusion of Escherichia coli-derived lipopolysaccharide in some rabbits, after the infusion of resuspended S . aureus in others, and after the infusion of lipoteichoic acid in the remainder . RESULTS: Eleven of 47 consecutive patients with S . aureus endocarditis were noted to have hyperbilirubinemia without clinical or laboratory evidence of hepatic bacterial infection . Compared with the remaining 36 patients, these 11 patients had a significantly lower mean platelet count and a higher serum creatinine level and white blood cell count . Although none of the 47 patients were hypotensive on admission, four of the 11 hyperbilirubinemic patients died of overwhelming sepsis, compared with two of the 36 remaining patients (p less than 0.05) . When one of the clinical isolates of S . aureus or lipoteichoic acid was infused into conscious rabbits, there was a marked decrease in the hepatic transport maximum and an increase in the relative hepatic storage capacity of sulfobromophthalein . Similar changes were noted following the administration of lipopolysaccharide . CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the presence of hyperbilirubinemia in patients with S . aureus sepsis may identify persons at high risk of dying from overwhelming sepsis . It further suggests that lipoteichoic acid may play an important role in causing defective hepatic excretory function that is responsible for hyperbilirubinemia. J Pediatr, 1988 Nov, 113(5), 826 - 30 Role of respiratory syncytial virus in early hospitalizations for respiratory distress of young infants with cystic fibrosis; Abman SH et al.; To determine the frequency of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as the cause of hospitalization for acute pulmonary exacerbations in young infants with cystic fibrosis (CF), and to assess the clinical effects of RSV infections, we prospectively followed 48 children with a diagnosis of CF after identification by newborn screening . At a mean follow-up age of 28.8 months (range 5 to 59), 18 infants (38%) had been hospitalized a total of 30 times for acute respiratory distress . At the time of admission, 18 infants (60%) were less than 12 months, 8 (27%) between 12 and 24 months, and 4 more than 2 years of age . The RSV was identified in seven hospitalized infants, as determined by fluorescent antibody, immunoassay, or culture . Before admission with RSV infection, one of the seven infants had chronic respiratory signs, none had Brasfield chest x-ray scores below 20, and a previous throat culture was positive for Staphylococcus aureus in one infant . Hospitalizations were prolonged (mean duration 22 days), and were characterized by significant morbidity, with three infants (43%) requiring mechanical ventilation and five infants (71%) requiring home oxygen therapy for persistent hypoxemia at discharge . At a mean follow-up age of 26 months, these infants more frequently have chronic respiratory signs (p less than 0.01) and lower chest radiograph scores (p less than 0.05) than other CF infants . These findings demonstrate that RSV is an important cause of early acute respiratory tract morbidity in young infants with CF, and suggest the need for studying new strategies to implement early and aggressive antiviral therapy in young infants with CF. Chest, 1988 Nov, 94(5), 1088 - 90 Osler's nodes on the dorsum of the foot; Watanakunakorn C; Osler's nodes developed on the dorsum of the left foot of a patient with enterococcal endocarditis and on the dorsum of the right foot of another patient with Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis . The lesions were erythematous, raised, and very painful, but they resolved completely . There was no evidence of other embolic phenomena at the time the Osler's node appeared. Plasmid, 1988 Nov, 20(3), 271 - 5 Nucleotide sequence of a staphylococcal plasmid gene, vgb, encoding a hydrolase inactivating the B components of virginiamycin-like antibiotics; Allignet J et al.; The nucleotide sequence of a 1883 bp fragment isolated from a resistance plasmid harbored by a Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolate and carrying the gene, vgb, encoding a hydrolase inactivating the B components of virginiamycin family has been determined . The sequence contains one open reading frame which extends from the ATG codon at nt 641 to a TGA codon at nt 1537 and which potentially codes for a protein of 33.035 Da . This value is in agreement with the apparent size (33 kDa) of the protein observed, in minicell extracts . Inactivation of the B components of the virginiamycin antibiotics as well as resistance to these antibiotics were expressed in a virginiamycin sensitive mutant of Escherichia coli recipient containing the gene on a high copy number plasmid. J Clin Immunol, 1988 Nov, 8(6), 513 - 20 Immunomodulation by indoleamines: serotonin and melatonin action on DNA and interferon-gamma synthesis by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells; Arzt ES et al.; Different concentrations of indoleamines, serotonin and melatonin, inhibited phytohemagglutinin stimulated DNA synthesis . Thus, 10(-3) to 10(-4) M of either indoleamine acted at the optimal phytohemagglutinin concentration, while 10(-3) to 10(-7) M acted at suboptimal phytohemagglutinin levels . The serotonin effect was reversed by the serotonergic S1-S2 receptor antagonist methysergide but not by the S2 antagonist ketanserin . This indicates that only the S1 receptor is involved in the inhibitory effect . Inhibition of lymphoproliferation by indoleamines was also exerted on pokeweed mitogen and protein A from Staphylococcus aureus stimulations . Serotonin and melatonin also inhibited phytohemagglutinin and protein A from Staphylococcus aureus induction of interferon-gamma synthesis . The initial uptake of Ca2+ was not affected by indoleamines, suggesting that it is not the mechanism of their inhibitory effects . As interferon-gamma induced tryptophan uptake by T lymphocyte- and macrophage-depleted populations, and tryptophan is the metabolic precursor of serotonin and melatonin, a new immunoregulatory circuit is postulated. Eur J Immunol, 1988 Nov, 18(11), 1699 - 704 Effect of recombinant human interleukin 4 on spontaneous in vitro human IgE synthesis; Yang XD et al.; Recombinant human interleukin 4 (IL 4) alone enhanced the spontaneous IgE synthesis in cultures of peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) from atopic patients as well as from nonatopic individuals, suggesting the existence of preactivated PBL sensitive for IL 4 . Preactivated cells were also obtained by stimulation with Staphylococcus aureus strain Cowan I (SAC) . However, co-stimulation of PBL by IL 4 with SAC or anti-IgM antibody and pokeweed mitogen did not result in an enhanced IgE synthesis . Optimal IL 4 concentrations for the induction of IgE synthesis coincided with optimal proliferative responses in PBL . The effect of IL 4 was not isotype specific, and in terms of protein even more IgG and IgM antibodies were formed . The effect of IL 4 on IgE synthesis was counteracted by very low concentrations of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), suggesting that both IL 4 and IFN-gamma might be decisive cytokines for the human in vitro IgE synthesis. Blood, 1988 Nov, 72(5), 1553 - 9 Diversity in inhibitory effects of IFN-gamma and IFN-alpha A on the induced DNA synthesis of a hairy cell leukemia B lymphocyte clone reflects the nature of the activating ligand; Mongini P et al.; A hairy cell leukemia population was used as a clonal model for studying the direct immunomodulatory effects of recombinant interferon-alpha A (rIFN-alpha A) and rIFN-gamma on human B-cell proliferation . The leukemic cell population KON was notably quiescent when incubated in medium alone but was induced to significant in vitro DNA synthesis when cultured with any of four activators of human B cells: anti-IgM antibody, Staphylococcus aureus cells (SAC), phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), or B-cell growth factor (BCGF) . While both rIFN-gamma and rIFN-alpha A exhibited suppressive effects on these responses, their inhibitory patterns were distinct and reciprocal . Thus, rIFN-gamma exclusively suppressed anti-IgM-and SAC-induced leukemic DNA synthesis, and rIFN-alpha A significantly suppressed only PMA- and BCGF-induced DNA synthesis . The effects of the rIFN preparations were ablated in the presence of IFN type-specific monoclonal antibodies . Kinetic analyses and pulsing studies revealed that inhibition was most notable when cells were exposed concomitantly to IFN and the activating ligand . That the diverse effects of IFN-gamma and IFN-alpha A are manifested on a single B-cell clone was confirmed by Southern blot analysis of restriction enzyme-digested KON cell DNA with a JH-specific probe . These studies suggest that the therapeutic potential of the two types of IFN may be influenced by the nature of the extracellular ligands in the leukemic mileau that promote leukemic clonal expansion. J Clin Microbiol, 1988 Nov, 26(11), 2391 - 4 Identification of Escherichia coli serotype O157 strains by using a monoclonal antibody; Perry MB et al.; The O157 antigenic determinant of Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7, an important bacterial pathogen, resides in the polysaccharide portion of its cellular lipopolysaccharide component which, from structural studies, was identified as a linear polymer of a repeating tetrasaccharide unit composed of D-glucose, L-fucose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose, and 4-acetamido-4,6-dideoxy-D-mannose residues (1:1:1:1) . Hybrid cells producing monoclonal antibodies against the E . coli O157 antigen were obtained by fusion of myeloma cells with lymphocytes from BALB/c mice immunized with killed E . coli O157:117 cells . Clones were selected for binding specificity with purified O polysaccharide . One monoclonal antibody used in direct slide agglutinations or in coagglutination reactions with Staphylococcus aureus Cowan 1 cells sensitized with the affinity column-purified antibody accurately detected all strains of E . coli O157 tested . This selected monoclonal antibody did not agglutinate E . coli strains such as E . coli O7 and E . coli O116 or other bacteria which are known to give positive agglutinations with conventional polyclonal E . coli antisera . These results indicate that the monoclonal antibody is a superior specific-typing reagent. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1988 Nov, 270(1-2), 76 - 82 Complex typing of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); Witte W et al.; To discriminate between methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from 5 nosocomial outbreaks and from sporadic nosocomial infections, the efficacy of a complex typing scheme by phage typing, biochemical typing, resistance phenotype, plasmid profiles, plasmid patterns and attribution of resistance determinants to the chromosome was studied . In addition to the International Basic Set and experimental phages 88-93, 10 experimental phages from the Public Health Laboratory Service, Colindale, London, were used for phage-typing . The 10 experimental phages from PHLS in particular, in combination with plasmid profiles and plasmid patterns, were of special discriminative value. Jpn J Antibiot, 1988 Nov, 41(11), 1758 - 73 {Studies on imipenem/cilastatin sodium in the perinatal period}; Cho N et al.; Pharmacokinetic, bacteriological and clinical studies of imipenem/cilastatin sodium (IPM/CS) were carried out in the perinatal period, and the results obtained are summarized as follows: Effects of IPM on bacterial growth curves of Staphylococcus aureus (sensitive and resistant strains) and Escherichia coli (sensitive strains) in amniotic fluid were determined . The bactericidal effects of IPM increased in amniotic fluid and remarkable increases against resistant strains were demonstrated . IPM and CS were detected promptly after intravenous drip infusion to pregnant women, and reached peak levels shortly after administration in maternal plasma . Placental penetration of IPM and CS to the fetus was favorable . After intravenous drip infusion of 500 mg/500 mg of IPM/CS, drug concentrations in the umbilical cord plasma and the amniotic fluid exceeded MICs against main pathogenic organisms . Clinically, IPM/CS was effective in the treatment of perinatal infections without any side effect . The above results demonstrated that IPM/CS is a clinically useful antibiotic for the prophylaxis and the treatment of perinatal infections. Circ Shock, 1988 Nov, 26(3), 257 - 65 Staphylococcus aureus-induced shock: a pathophysiologic study; Hinshaw LB et al.; The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of lethal intravenous infusions of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) in adult dogs . Animals were maintained under anesthesia for 6 hr and observed until death following the 1-hr infusions of SA organisms . Findings unique to SA administration compared to those with Escherichia coli were the absence of significant necrosis of the mucosal intestinal glands of the small and large intestines; widespread intravascular colonization of bacteria in lung, heart, kidney and adrenal tissues often associated with neutrophil sequestration, microabscess formation, and necrosis; relative constant blood pressure, fibrinogen, fibrin degradation products (FDP), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), blood (serum) urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, pH, and PO2, all of which remained relatively unchanged for 6 hr . Rapid early increases were observed in temperature, respiration rate, lactate, and hematocrit, while PCO2, platelet and white blood cell concentrations decreased . Results suggest unique qualitative differences in responses to Staphylococcal-induced shock compared to those caused by gram-negative bacteria. J Bacteriol, 1988 Nov, 170(11), 5337 - 43 Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of genes encoding a multiprotein complex involved in secretion of proteins from Staphylococcus aureus; Adler LA et al.; The genes encoding the multiprotein membrane-bound ribosomal protein (MBRP) complex (mrp genes), associated with membrane-bound ribosomes in Staphylococcus aureus, were cloned in Escherichia coli . All four components (molecular sizes 71, 60, 46, and 41 kilodaltons) of the MBRP complex were expressed from an 8.5-kilobase DNA fragment as judged by Western blot (immunoblot) analysis . The order of the individual genes within the cloned DNA fragment was determined by deletion mutagenesis and subcloning of various restriction fragments . Three RNAs, transcribed from the same DNA strand, were identified within the MBRP-coding region: one large RNA of approximately 5.9 kilobases, presumably coding for all four MBRP components, and two minor RNAs, coding for MBRP-71 and MBRP-60 . The two minor RNAs seemed to be transcribed from promoters within the large transcription unit . Attempts to make insertional inactivations of the mrp genes with an internal 600-base-pair DNA fragment of the MBRP-coding region as a target were unsuccessful, presumably because such insertions are lethal. J Clin Microbiol, 1988 Nov, 26(11), 2395 - 401 Immunoblots, antimicrobial resistance, and bacteriophage typing of oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Mulligan ME et al.; An immunoblotting system was developed for typing of oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus . Clinical isolates recovered during a 40-month period at a single institution were evaluated with this typing scheme . Results were compared with susceptibility patterns and with bacteriophage typing results for 100 clinical isolates and with plasmid fingerprints for 14 isolates . Immunoblotting was found to be a useful method with good reproducibility that distinguished seven major groups of patient isolates that were clinically and epidemiologically related . Susceptibility patterns showed specific correlations with other typing results but were inferior to immunoblotting and phage typing for differentiating major groups of organisms . Plasmid profiles failed to distinguish two major groups that were readily identified by immunoblots and phage typing . There was evidence of increasing antimicrobial resistance of endemic hospital strains . Immunoblotting correlated well with phage typing, offered an alternative method for typing isolates that could not be typed by phage typing, and was superior to susceptibility testing and plasmid profiles for distinguishing different groups of oxacillin-resistant S . aureus at our institution. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1988 Nov, (11), 16 - 8 {Isolation of strains of a new ecological variant of Staphylococcus aureus from asses}; Orzuev MI et al.; 47 coagulase-positive staphylococcal strains were isolated from the nasal smears of 175 healthy donkeys . In accordance with the schemes of Akatov--Devriese and Mayer-Witte--Akatov, 10.6% of the cultures were classified with the coagulase-positive species S . hyicus and 89.3%, with the species S . aureus . Out of S . aureus strains, 11.9% were found to have the characteristics of ecovar hominis, while 16.2% of the cultures could not be classified with definite ecovars . Most of the strains (71.4%) were found to differ from the known ecovars of S . aureus in their biological properties . For this reason, the above strains were classified with the new ecovar asinae . The authors propose to make the existing S . aureus identification scheme (the scheme of Mayer-Witte--Akatov) more complete by adding the tests for hyaluronidase and phosphatase. Eur J Immunol, 1988 Nov, 18(11), 1753 - 60 Functional interaction between B cell subpopulations defined by CD23 expression; Armitage RJ et al.; Using the CD23 monoclonal antibody (mAb) MHM6 and sheep anti-mouse Ig bound to magnetic beads we have obtained highly purified populations of MHM6+ and MHM6- tonsil B cells . We have found that the increased expression of MHM6 reactivity seen on B cells after activation results from up-regulation of antigen on cells already weakly positive and not from expression of new antigen on the previously negative population . The strong proliferative responses of MHM6+ cells seen in the presence of anti-IgM (alpha mu) and interleukin 4 (IL4) or the CDw40 mAb G28-5, and with Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (SAC), and to a lesser extent with the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), resemble that seen among unfractionated B cells . In contrast, the MHM6- population cultured alone responds only weakly to alpha mu + G28-5 or SAC and exhibits virtually no response to alpha mu + IL4 or TPA . With all these mitogenic stimuli, tritiated thymidine uptake by the MHM6- population is augmented three- to sixfold by the addition of mitomycin C (MC)-treated MHM6+ cells . Pretreatment of cells with anti-leukocyte functional antigen 1 mAb has little effect on the subsequent proliferation of the MHM6- population but shows cell contact to be critical for the proliferation of MHM6+ cells . Such pretreatment has revealed that the functional interaction observed between MHM6+ and MHM6- cells is dependent on both cell contact and the presence of an MHM6+ cell-derived soluble component . We have found that addition of soluble CD23, purified from Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cell line supernatant, increases the proliferative response of MHM6- tonsil B cells to mitogenic stimuli in the presence of inactivated MHM6+ cells but has no effect on proliferation when MHM6+ cells are absent . By way of contrast to normal B lymphocytes, we have examined functional responses of prolymphocytic leukemia (PLL) B cells . Although these cells, when freshly isolated, show comparable levels of CD23 expression to normal B cells, this expression is not increased upon activation . In addition, in contrast to normal B cells, the PLL MHM6- population cultured alone shows a strong proliferative response to various mitogenic stimuli, comparable to that of MHM6+ or unfractionated cells, and this response is not augmented by the addition of MC-treated MHM6+ cells . Thus, a novel functional interaction is described between normal, but not leukemic, B cell populations defined by their expression of CD23.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) J Vasc Surg, 1988 Nov, 8(5), 600 - 5 Prevention of vascular prosthetic infection with an antibiotic-bonded Dacron graft; Shue WB et al.; Surfactant-mediated antibiotic bonding was used in an animal model of aortic prosthetic infection . Control grafts, control plus parenteral oxacillin, and oxacillin-bonded Dacron grafts were challenged by local inoculation with Staphylococcus aureus . Ninety percent of controls, 80% of parenteral antibiotic recipients, and only 30% of antibiotic-bonded Dacron grafts became infected (p less than 0.01, p less than 0.03) . Antibiotic-bonded grafts were also superior in terms of suture line cultures and patency . In separate experiments in a subcutaneous pouch model, antibiotic bonding significantly improved the median infective dose of Dacron over that of controls and Dacron soaked in cephalosporin . These studies demonstrate that antibiotic-bonded Dacron implants are highly resistant to infection . A multicenter clinical trial is planned. Arch Dermatol, 1988 Nov, 124(11), 1691 - 700 Topical antibiotics in dermatology; Hirschmann JV; Topical antibiotics are safe and effective in certain conditions, primarily acne, rosacea, and nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus . They are useful in impetigo only when it is of limited extent . Their efficacy in other pyodermas is unclear, although mupirocin is probably effective in many cases . In "infected eczema" that does not require systemic therapy they seem to add little to what topical corticosteroids alone achieve . They are ineffective in reducing the incidence of significant infection with indwelling intravenous catheters . They are safe preparations, but extensive use, especially in closed populations, may encourage the emergence of resistant bacteria. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1988 Nov, 85(21), 8012 - 6 Ethylene-regulated expression of a tomato fruit ripening gene encoding a proteinase inhibitor I with a glutamic residue at the reactive site; Margossian LJ et al.; We report the isolation from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) of an ethylene-responsive member of the proteinase inhibitor gene family . DNA sequence analysis of a full-length cDNA clone indicates that the ethylene-responsive gene is distantly related to the tomato proteinase inhibitor I gene, having 53% sequence identity . The predicted amino acid sequence reveals 47% and 45% sequence identity with the tomato and potato proteinase inhibitor I polypeptides, respectively . Additionally, the ethylene-responsive inhibitor has evolved a completely different pattern of gene expression and inhibitory specificity than other members of the inhibitor I family . Gel blot hybridization experiments show that, unlike the tomato proteinase inhibitor I gene, it is not induced in wounded leaves . In contrast, it is activated by the plant hormone ethylene in leaves and during fruit ripening . Furthermore, the ethylene-responsive inhibitor exhibits a novel reactive site, having glutamic acid as the P1 residue . This suggests that the ethylene-responsive proteinase inhibitor does not react with chymotrypsin, as does proteinase inhibitor I, but that it reacts with proteolytic enzymes that cleave at glutamic residues, such as the Staphylococcus aureus V8 proteinase, for which no inhibitors are known . Finally, isolation and analysis of a genomic clone reveals that the ethylene-responsive proteinase inhibitor gene is tightly linked to another, yet unidentified, coordinately expressed gene . We discuss these results with regard to the function and evolution of proteinase inhibitor genes in tomato. Res Rep Health Eff Inst, 1988 Nov, (20), 1 - 38 Modulation of pulmonary defense mechanisms against viral and bacterial infections by acute exposures to nitrogen dioxide; Jakab GJ; The scientific literature suggests that ambient levels of nitrogen dioxide increase susceptibility to respiratory infections . However, this association has not been conclusively demonstrated . The epidemiologic data regarding this relationship are inconclusive because these studies have used parameters of "acute respiratory illness" that are not necessarily related to infectious episodes . Previous animal studies have used either mortality after bacterial infection with virulent bacteria or decreased rate of intrapulmonary killing of bacteria with low virulence . Studies using appropriate bacterial and viral challenge organisms, with morbidity as an endpoint, provide a better basis for extrapolation to humans . The investigations in animals suggest a relationship between nitrogen dioxide and increased susceptibility to respiratory infection, but studies in which functional parameters of host resistance to such infections have been used are few . The aim of this work was to determine the threshold level of acute nitrogen dioxide exposure that would induce increased susceptibility to, and increased severity of, viral and bacterial infections . Physiologic parameters of host resistance to respiratory infections were used as endpoints . A composite picture was developed of dose-response relationships between nitrogen dioxide and the impairment of a spectrum of defense parameters in the murine respiratory tract against viral and bacterial challenges . The salient findings of this study are as follows: (1) the intrapulmonary killing of Staphylococcus aureus was impaired at 5 ppm of nitrogen dioxide; (2) this effect was found at 2.5 ppm or less when nitrogen dioxide exposure was superimposed on lungs predisposed to lowered resistance through immunosuppression with corticosteroids; (3) the adverse effect of nitrogen dioxide occurred at lower concentrations when exposure followed bacterial challenge; and (4) during the course of murine Sendai virus infection, exposure to nitrogen dioxide for four hours per day did not alter the infection in the lungs, but rather it enhanced lung pathology . The implications of these findings are that the antibacterial defenses of the lungs are susceptible to the inhibiting effects of short acute exposures of lower concentrations of nitrogen dioxide when the lungs are predisposed by bacteria present or, even more so, by immunosuppression . The alveolar macrophage phagocytic system is the defense component of the lungs that is most susceptible to the adverse effects of nitrogen dioxide . The finding that nitrogen dioxide increases virus-associated lung damage suggests that the increased severity of the disease process results from the proliferation of the virus to high titers, rather than from alterations of the infective process. J Gen Microbiol, 1988 Nov, 134 ( Pt 11), 2857 - 66 Structural and evolutionary relationships of beta-lactamase transposons from Staphylococcus aureus; Gillespie MT et al.; A comparison of the beta-lactamase elements detected on three classes of large plasmids together with the chromosomes of penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus revealed substantial physical and genetic relatedness . In most cases, beta-lactamase production could be associated with the presence of a DNA segment of approximately 6.7 kb . Analysis showed that the plasmid-borne determinants constitute nearly identical transposons or transposon-like elements . An element indistinguishable from one of these, Tn4002, which is carried by the pSK1 family of plasmids in clinical isolates from Australian hospitals, was also identified on the staphylococcal chromosome and is implicated in an evolutionary cycle of transposition between chromosomal and extrachromosomal sites in Australian strains of multiresistant S . aureus. Biochem J, 1988 Nov 1, 255(3), 817 - 24 Characterization of the autophosphorylation of chicken gizzard caldesmon; Scott-Woo GC et al.; Caldesmon, an actin- and calmodulin-binding protein of smooth muscle, is a protein serine/threonine kinase capable of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent autophosphorylation {Scott-Woo & Walsh (1988) Biochem . J . 252, 463-472} . Phosphorylation nullifies the inhibitory effect of caldesmon on the actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activity of smooth-muscle myosin {Ngai & Walsh (1987) Biochem . J . 244, 417-425} . We have characterized the kinase activity of caldesmon of chicken gizzard smooth muscle . Autophosphorylation requires Ca2+/calmodulin, but is unaffected by other second messengers (Ca2+/phospholipid/diacylglycerol, cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP), and is inhibited by the calmodulin antagonists chlorpromazine and compound 48/80, with 50% inhibition at 39.8 microM and 12.0 ng/ml respectively . Half-maximal activation of autophosphorylation occurs at 60-80 nM-Ca2+ and 0.14 microM-calmodulin, and maximal activity at 0.14-0.18 microM-Ca2+ and 1 microM-calmodulin; activation is gradually lost at higher Ca2+ and calmodulin concentrations . Autophosphorylation is pH-dependent, with maximal activity over the range pH 7-9, and requires free Mg2+ in addition to the MgATP2- substrate . The Km for ATP is 15.6 +/- 4.1 microM (mean +/- S.D., n = 4), and kinase activity is inhibited by increasing ionic strength {half-maximal inhibition at I = 0.094 +/- 0.009 M (mean +/- S.D., n = 4)} . Autophosphorylation does not affect the rate of hydrolysis of caldesmon (free or bound to calmodulin) by alpha-chymotrypsin . However, a slight difference in peptides generated from phospho- and dephospho-forms of caldesmon is observed . The binding of phospho- or dephospho-caldesmon to F-actin protects the protein against chymotryptic digestion, but does not alter the pattern of peptide generation . Characterization of proteolytic fragments of caldesmon generated by alpha-chymotrypsin and Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease enables localization of the phosphorylation sites and the kinase active site within the caldesmon molecule. Mol Microbiol, 1988 Nov, 2(6), 709 - 17 Nucleotide sequence analysis of 2''-aminoglycoside nucleotidyl-transferase ANT(2'') from Tn4000: its relationship with AAD(3'') and impact on Tn21 evolution; Schmidt FR et al.; Aminoglycoside 2''-O-nucleotidyltransferase (AAD(2'')) mediates bacterial resistance to dibekacin, gentamicin, kanamycin, sisomicin and tobramycin . Its coding sequence, aadB, is part of Tn21-related transposon, Tn4000 . Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed the presence of an open reading frame capable of specifying a protein of 177 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 21,240 . The predicted amino acid sequence revealed up to 27% homology to that of three nucleotidyltransferases of type AAD(3''), which are widely distributed among Gram-negatives, and to the AAD(9) from Staphylococcus aureus transposon Tn554 . The regions flanking aadB suggest that its insertion into Tn21 arose from a site-specific recombination event adjacent to the aadA gene. J Virol, 1988 Nov, 62(11), 4303 - 6 Receptors for Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus: characterization by using rabbit antiviral antiserum; Rubio N et al.; An immunological assay was developed to characterize the binding of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus to BHK-21 cell receptors . After absorption of the virus and formaldehyde fixation, rabbit antibodies and Staphylococcus aureus protein A labeled with 125I formed a specific complex on the surfaces of the cells . The optimal multiplicity of infection in this system was 10 PFU per cell . The virus was internalized at 33 and 37 degrees C, but internalization did not take place at 25 or 4 degrees C . The binding was proportional to the number of cells and was significant within 30 s . Cell surface receptors were still active after fixation, and only intact viruses were bound, as demonstrated by the lack of binding of the purified, isolated virion proteins VP1, VP2, and VP3. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1988 Nov, (11), 85 - 9 {The specificity of erythrocyte staphylococcal diagnostic agents in relation to the presence of protein A in sensitin preparations}; Deriabin PN et al.; Protein A has been detected in Staphylococcus aureus muriatic extracts by means of the passive hemagglutination test and the passive hemagglutination inhibition test with IgG erythrocyte diagnosticum . The absence of perceptible amounts of protein A, capable of interaction with the Fc fragment of IgG, on the surface of erythrocyte diagnosticum obtained from S . aureus muriatic extract with the use of amidol has been proved by different methods . The use of antierythrocytic IgG antibody bridge has shown that protein A in S . aureus muriatic extract is bound with other species-specific antigens, in particular with teichoic acid. Res Vet Sci, 1988 Nov, 45(3), 353 - 9 Modulation of IgG subclass expression during antibody responses in sheep; Kerlin RL et al.; Experiments were undertaken to investigate IgG subclass expression during epitope-specific antibody responses in sheep . Animals were immunised with conjugates of bovine serum albumin-DNP (BSA-DNP), or killed Staphylococcus aureus-DNP (Sa-DNP) alone or with muramyl dipeptide (MDP), dextran sulphate (DXS), or staphylococcal exotoxins (toxin) . Sheep received two injections of the same preparation intracutaneously at six weeks interval . Total and IgG subclass-specific anti-DNP, and anti-carrier (BSA or S aureus) antibody levels were measured by ELISA in blood taken at weekly intervals before and after immunisation . Anti-DNP antibody levels in animals given Sa-DNP alone were considerably greater than in those immunised with BSA-DNP alone . Toxin suppressed antibody responses to DNP and both carriers; MDP suppressed anti-hapten antibody responses below the levels obtained with antigen alone . Neither toxin nor MDP significantly altered the IgG subclass profile of antibody to DNP bound to either carrier . DXS did not significantly change total levels of anti-DNP antibody measured in sheep given BSA-DNP or S aureus-DNP . However, DXS promoted IgG1 and suppressed IgG2 anti-DNP antibody responses during the secondary response to Sa-DNP but not to BSA-DNP. Infect Immun, 1988 Nov, 56(11), 2861 - 5 In vivo activation of neutrophil function in hamsters by recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor; Cohen AM et al.; The in vivo effect of Escherichia coli-derived recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on neutrophil function was studied in golden Syrian hamsters . Significant increases in superoxide generation and specific binding of N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine were observed in neutrophils isolated 4 h following a single subcutaneous injection of the factor (30 micrograms/kg) . However, phagocytotic activity was not significantly stimulated in hamsters treated with the factor . Recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor hastened the recovery of peripheral neutrophil counts in animals made leukopenic by prior treatment with cyclophosphamide . Beginning several hours after infection, resistance to lethal infection following intraperitoneal injection of Staphylococcus aureus was increased when neutropenic animals were treated daily with the factor . This protective effect was associated with increased peritoneal neutrophil counts and a decreased incidence of positive peritoneal bacterial cultures at 24 h after the start of treatment . These results suggest that recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor may be a useful adjunct in the treatment of bacterial infections in neutropenic patients. Ann Intern Med, 1988 Oct 15, 109(8), 619 - 24 Right-sided Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis in intravenous drug abusers: two-week combination therapy; Chambers HF et al.; STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of short-course combination regimens for selected cases of Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis in intravenous drug abusers . DESIGN: Open study of nafcillin and tobramycin or vancomycin and tobramycin administered for 2 weeks with no further therapy . SETTING: County hospital . PATIENTS: Consecutive sample of 53 intravenous drug abusers with relatively uncomplicated right-sided S . aureus endocarditis, defined by clinical and echocardiographic criteria, and without renal insufficiency, extrapulmonary metastatic infectious complications requiring prolonged therapy or surgery for cure, meningitis, methicillin-resistant organism, aortic or mitral valve involvement, or pregnancy . INTERVENTIONS: Nafcillin, 1.5 g intravenously every 4 hours, plus tobramycin, 1 mg/kg body weight intravenously every 8 hours, administered for 2 weeks . Vancomycin, 30 mg/kg per day intravenously, in two or three divided doses, was used instead of nafcillin for patients allergic to penicillin . MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Forty-seven of 50 patients (94%; 95% CI, 87 to 99+) treated with the nafcillin and tobramycin combination were cured . Only 1 of 3 patients treated with vancomycin plus tobramycin (33%, 95% CI, 2 to 86) was cured . CONCLUSIONS: Selected patients with S . aureus endocarditis can be treated safely and effectively with a 2-week course of nafcillin plus tobramycin . Only one of three patients treated with vancomycin plus tobramycin was cured, but three patients are too few to define with confidence the efficacy of this regimen. Eur J Biochem, 1988 Oct 15, 177(1), 125 - 33 Refolding of bacteriorhodopsin . Protease V8 fragmentation and chromophore reconstitution from proteolytic V8 fragments; Sigrist H et al.; Staphylococcus aureus protease V8 cleaves bacteriorhodopsin to two main fragments, V-1 and V-2 . Proteolytic digestion of the purple membrane integrated protein is carried out in the presence of limited amounts of sodium dodecyl sulfate (0.5 g detergent/g bacteriorhodopsin) . The fragment V-1 includes the arylisothiocyanate binding site (Lys41) . The V-2 fragment comprises the two C-terminal transmembrane segments of bacteriorhodopsin . Improved renaturation of bacteriorhodopsin and the ternary complex, reformed from its V8 proteolytic fragments, is attained by peptide extraction in chloroform/methanol/0.1 M ammonium acetate and subsequent incorporation into phospholipid/detergent micelles . In the presence of retinal, V8 fragments reform chromophoric ternary complexes . Light-adapted reconstituted chromophores absorb incident light at 560 nm . Protein secondary structures are partially conserved in the course of solvent extraction and are restored in the reconstituted system . Vesicles prepared from the reconstituted complexes show light-dependent proton translocation activity. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1988 Oct 14, 962(3), 308 - 16 Mode of action of tetrahydrolipstatin: a derivative of the naturally occurring lipase inhibitor lipstatin; Borgstrom B; Tetrahydrolipstatin is a specific lipase inhibitor derived from lipstatin, a lipid produced by Streptomyces toxytricini . In addition to pancreatic lipase, it is shown in the present study that tetrahydrolipstatin also inhibits human gastric lipase, carboxyl ester lipase (cholesterol esterase) of pancreatic origin and the closely related bile-salt-stimulated lipase of human milk . It does not inhibit the exocellular lipase from Rhizopus arrhizus or a lipase recently isolated from Staphylococcus aureus . In the presence of a water-insoluble substrate, such as tributyrin, the inhibition has the characteristics of an irreversible inactivation of the uncompetitive type, thus indicating that an enzyme.substrate.inhibitor complex is formed, which cannot undergo further reaction to yield the normal product . This reaction probably takes place at the aqueous/oil interface of the substrate . In aqueous solution, in the absence of substrate, the inhibition of carboxyl ester lipase by tetrahydrolipstatin has the characteristics of being reversible, and finally becomes of a temporary nature analogues to the trypsin-trypsin inhibitor system . It is suggested that an enzyme-inhibitor complex of an acyl-enzyme type is formed that is slowly hydrolysed, with water as the final acceptor, leaving an intact enzyme and an inactive form of the inhibitor . The enzyme thus consumes the inhibitor, which undergoes a chemical conversion, as indicated by a change in mobility in an appropriate thin-layer chromatographic system, indicating an increase in hydrophilicity . Evidence is presented that the reaction product is an acid and that the functional group of tetrahydrolipstatin is the beta-lactone reacting with the active site of the enzyme. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1988 Oct 12, 956(3), 224 - 31 Histone H1 structure probed by Staphylococcus aureus V8-proteinase; Bohm L et al.; Proteolytic digestion of calf thymus histone H1 with Staphylococcus aureus V8-proteinase under structuring conditions generates one major limit peptide P1 which consists of approx . 170 residues . Edman degradation establishes the N-terminal sequence as: Leu-Ile-Thr-Lys-Ala-Val-Ala-Ala-Ser-Lys . Chymotryptic fingerprinting shows that the C-terminal part of the H1 molecule is fully preserved . The peptide therefore comprises the residues H1 (42-210) . The Glu-41 cleavage is extremely unusual as it occurs in the structured G-domain which is known to be resistant to proteinases (Hartman, P . G., Chapman, G . E., Moss, T . and Bradbury, E . M . (1977) Eur . J . Biochem . 77, 45-71; Bohm, L., Sautiere, P., Cary, P . D . and Crane-Robinson, C . (1982) Biochem . J . 203, 577-582) . The V8-proteinase cleavage product H1 (42-210) shows only 20% folding as compared to 95-99% folding shown by the peptides H1 (34-121), H1 (31-210) and H1 (33-210) . Folding of the G-domain thus critically depends upon the presence of the eight residues 33-41 amongst which the Gly-Pro-Pro sequence at position 36-38 and a beta-turn predicted at position 35 are considered to be particularly important . The location of the cleavage site in the G-domain renders Staphylococcus aureus V8-proteinase suitable as a structural probe. FEBS Lett, 1988 Oct 10, 238(2), 419 - 23 Insulin-induced decrease in 5'-nucleotidase activity in skeletal muscle membranes; Klip A et al.; Insulin releases inositol phosphoglycans from myocytes in culture {(1986) Science 233, 967-972}, which display insulinomimetic activity . Because 5'-nucleotidase is anchored to the membrane through inositol-containing phospholipid glycans, we investigated whether insulin could release the enzyme from the membrane . Membranes prepared from hindquarter muscles of rats perfused with insulin showed a 23% decrease in 5'-nucleotidase activity . Isolated membranes from muscle exposed to insulin in vitro also showed a small but reproducible decrease (9%) in 5'-nucleotidase activity relative to unexposed controls . Phospholipase C from Staphylococcus aureus released 60% of the membrane-bound 5'-nucleotidase . We propose that insulin may activate an endogenous phospholipase C that cleaves phospholipid-glycan-anchored proteins. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1988 Oct 7, 971(3), 266 - 74 The bactericidal effects of the respiratory burst and the myeloperoxidase system isolated in neutrophil cytoplasts; Odell EW et al.; Neutrophil polymorphonuclear leucocytes kill bacteria by oxygen-dependent and oxygen-independent mechanisms . Many potentially toxic mechanisms have been described, but the complexity of the phagosomal environment and the synergy between oxidative and non-oxidative systems hamper the investigation of individual bactericidal mechanism in whole cells . Neutrophil cytoplasts are greatly depleted of granule proteins and permit the investigation of the bactericidal effects of the respiratory burst in isolation . In this study they have been used to examine the role of the respiratory burst and myeloperoxidase in oxygen-dependent killing of Staphylococcus aureus . Cytoplasts generated oxygen radicals at comparable rates to human neutrophils and phagocytosed but did not kill S . aureus . The selective reconstitution of the myeloperoxidase-hydrogen peroxide-halide system by coating bacteria with myeloperoxidase conferred on cytoplasts the ability to kill intracellular bacteria . However, extracellular killing by diffusible bactericidal factors was not detected in this system. J Biol Chem, 1988 Oct 5, 263(28), 14552 - 8 Biosynthesis of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase of Neurospora crassa; Aaronson LR et al.; The plasma membrane H+-ATPase of Neurospora is a 100-kDa integral membrane protein which appears, on the basis of hydropathy analysis of its amino acid sequence, to span the lipid bilayer at least eight times . To investigate the assembly and processing of the ATPase, a full-length cDNA has been constructed for use in in vitro transcription and translation experiments . Comparison of three different forms of the ATPase (nascent protein, nascent protein cotranslationally inserted into membranes, and mature protein) revealed no difference in electrophoretic mobility . Furthermore, the nascent and mature forms gave identical peptide patterns after partial proteolysis with Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease, suggesting that the ATPase does not contain an NH2-terminal signal peptide which is cleaved upon membrane insertion . Consistent with this interpretation, the NH2-terminal peptide has been purified from a tryptic digest of the ATPase and found to lack only the initiator methionine residue; the penultimate alanine is acetylated based on analysis by fast atom bombardment mass spectroscopy . Although the ATPase contains one potential site of N-linked glycosylation, its electrophoretic mobility was unchanged following digestion with endoglycosidase H and it did not incorporate {3H}mannose or bind concanavalin A . Thus, the Neurospora plasma membrane-ATPase appears to undergo minimal post-translational processing, and its membrane insertion is probably mediated by internal sequences. Biochemistry, 1988 Oct 4, 27(20), 7773 - 7 Complete amino acid sequence of the thioesterase domain of chicken liver fatty acid synthase; Yang CY et al.; The complete amino acid sequence of thioesterase domain of chicken liver fatty acid synthase has been determined by sequencing peptides produced by trypsin, Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease, and cyanogen bromide cleavage . The thioesterase domain consists of 300 amino acid residues . All of the tryptic peptides of the thioesterase domain were isolated and sequenced, except the segment covered from position 109 to position 124 . Peptides resulting from digestion by Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease and cyanogen bromide cleavage filled the missing part and overlapped the complete sequence of the entire thioesterase domain . The NH2 terminus of the thioesterase domain was determined to be lysine by sequencing the whole domain up to 20 residues while the COOH terminus was identified as serine through carboxyl peptidase Y cleavage . The active site of the thioesterase domain of chicken fatty acid synthase was suggested to be the serine on position 101 according to its homology with other serine-type esterases and proteases which have a common structure of -Gly-X-Ser-Y-Gly- with the variable amino acids X and Y disrupting the homology. J Immunol Methods, 1988 Oct 4, 113(1), 101 - 11 Cell-specific heterogeneity in sensitivity of phosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane antigens to release by phospholipase C; Low MG et al.; Cell surface antigens thought to be linked to the membrane via phosphatidylinositol (PI) are incompletely, and variably, released by treatment with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) . The basis for this was investigated with cloned tumor cell lines and PI-PLCs isolated from two species of bacteria . Residual Thy-1 antigen, which was detectable by flow cytometry, remained on all thymoma cell lines after exposure to very high concentrations of either purified enzyme . A majority of the presumptive PI anchored molecules on all of the cell lines was sensitive to release by PI-PLC derived from Bacillus thuringiensis . However, cell lines differed dramatically in the ease with which PI-PLC from Staphylococcus aureus liberated the same surface antigens . This heterogeneity was determined at the single cell level because at least five different PI-anchored antigens exhibited similar behavior on a given cell line or transfected subclones of it . The two phospholipases differed with respect to molecular mass, serological cross-reactivity and sensitivity to inhibition by NaCl and detergents . These observations suggest that the two types of PI-PLC may have distinct substrate specificities or sensitivities to environmental conditions which account for the difference in their ability to act on PI-anchored proteins in particular cell types . Such enzymes should continue to be important tools for investigating the method and significance of attachment of lymphocyte surface glycoproteins . In particular, the S . aureus PI-PLC can be used to demonstrate and investigate a previously unrecognized heterogeneity in cells which express PI-anchored molecules. Obstet Gynecol, 1988 Oct, 72(4), 559 - 64 Development of wound infections among women undergoing cesarean section; Emmons SL et al.; Sixty consecutive wound infections were studied among 1104 women undergoing cesarean section . Wound infections caused by cervical-vaginal flora were associated with prolonged labor, particularly with greater duration of fetal monitoring and number of vaginal examinations, and with organisms isolated from the endometrium at cesarean section . In contrast, women with wound infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus had neither prolonged labor nor S aureus isolated at cesarean section . The 25% of wound infections associated with S aureus represent potentially preventable conditions that presumably arise from exogenous sources. Immunol Lett, 1988 Oct, 19(2), 153 - 7 Up-regulation of receptors for IgA on activated human B lymphocytes; Millet I et al.; Expression of receptors for the Fc part of IgA (Fc alpha R) by T lymphocytes was recently shown to be up-regulated after activation by T cell mitogens in the absence of IgA . We describe a similar increase on activated human B lymphocytes . Fc alpha R were determined by labelling with human secretory IgA (0.5 mg/ml) and flow cytometry analysis after staining with fluoresceinated goat anti-IgA or goat anti-secretory component F(ab')2 fragments . B-enriched cell suspensions were prepared from peripheral blood or tonsils and activated by Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I, anti-IgM antibodies or E . coli lipopolysaccharide . All three activators increased the percentage of Fc alpha R positive cells although only the former induced significant DNA synthesis . Finally recombinant interleukin 1 (10 nM) and interleukin 2 (10 IU/ml) but not interleukin 4 (300 units/ml) nor low-molecular-weight B cell growth factor induced an increase of Fc alpha R expression . The data show that Fc alpha R can be up-regulated on human B cells in the absence of exposure to IgA. Aust Paediatr J, 1988 Oct, 24(5), 275 - 9 The changing pattern of severe neonatal staphylococcal infection: a 10-year study; Tam AY et al.; Forty-two cases of severe staphylococcal infection occurring over a 10-year period in the neonatal unit at Queen Mary Hospital are described . There was a 4.5-fold increase in incidence in the latter half of the study period, when methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) emerged . The isolated MRSA were also resistant to gentamicin, but sensitive to vancomycin, fusidic acid, co-trimoxazole and amikacin . Comparison between MRSA and methicillin-sensitive cases showed that the former was associated with a longer hospital stay after diagnosis . Overall mortality was 9.5% . Two cases with meningitis died . MRSA is at least as virulent as its methicillin-sensitive counterparts . The treatment implications of severe neonatal staphylococcal infection are discussed. J Appl Bacteriol, 1988 Oct, 65(4), 329 - 37 Sensitivity of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains to some antibiotics, antiseptics and disinfectants; Al-Masaudi SB et al.; The effects of antibiotics, antiseptics and disinfectants against some methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) Staphylococcus aureus strains have been studied . The MRSA and MSSA strains were equally sensitive to phenols, esters of para(4)-hydroxybenzoic acid and chlorhexidine but MRSA strains were slightly more resistant to quaternary ammonium compounds and considerably more so to dibromopropamidine isothionate . Some MRSA strains were also resistant to phenylmercuric nitrate (but not another organomercurial, thiomersal), mercuric chloride and cadmium chloride . All MRSA strains produced beta-lactamase . Strains from the Royal Free Hospital, London were highly resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics, erythromycin, trimethoprim and tetracyclines but were sensitive to other antibiotics . One strain from the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff was resistant to gentamicin but sensitive to tetracycline and trimethoprim. J Rheumatol, 1988 Oct, 15(10), 1539 - 46 In vitro immunoglobulin production by lymphocytes of patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: effects of Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I stimulation and monocyte depletion; Oen K et al.; Pokeweed mitogen (PWM) and Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (SAC) were used to stimulate in vitro IgG and IgM production by lymphocytes of 27 patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) . Twelve had reduced stimulation indices for PWM stimulated cultures of T and non-T cells . Stimulation with SAC resulted in increased IgM production in half (5/10); and partial removal of monocytes resulted in improved PWM induced IgM production in 5/7 . IgG production was less easily improved . The results of our study suggest that while PWM induced Ig production may be reduced, B cells responding to SAC may function normally in some patients with JRA . In others, monocyte mediated suppression may account for reduced responses to PWM. Am J Infect Control, 1988 Oct, 16(5), 185 - 92 Cost of nosocomial infection: relative contributions of laboratory, antibiotic, and per diem costs in serious Staphylococcus aureus infections; Wakefield DS et al.; This study reports an analysis of the relative importance of laboratory antibiotic, and per diem costs of caring for 58 patients with serious Staphylococcus aureus nosocomial infections . Laboratory costs accounted for 2%, antibiotics for 21%, and per diem costs for 77% of total infection-related costs . Only 45% of patients were hospitalized for additional days specifically because of infection, but these patients stayed an average of 18 extra days . Nosocomial infections with S . aureus resistant to penicillinase-resistant penicillins (PRP) were more frequently associated with additional infection-related days of hospitalization than were PRP-susceptible infections . The cost of PRP-resistant infections was also significantly greater than PRP-susceptible infections, primarily because of the costs of additional days of hospitalization . Rational strategies to control costs of nosocomial infection should focus on two approaches: (1) prevention and (2) reduction of acute hospital days attributable to infections. Eur J Immunol, 1988 Oct, 18(10), 1491 - 8 Antigen-independent activation of T cells mediated by a novel cell surface heterodimer (Tp135-145); Isler P et al.; A new heterodimeric structure, Tp135-145, which can mediate interleukin 2 (IL2) production and Ca2+ mobilization by Jurkat cells is described . This structure was identified by a monoclonal antibody, MX24, on the surface of either T3/TcR+ or T3/TcR- human T cell lines as well as on B cell lines . Biochemical studies showed that antibody MX24 precipitated two polypeptide chains of 135 and 145 kDa, respectively, in lysates from 125I-labeled T cells . After reduction the 135-kDa polypeptide chain shifted to 140 kDa, whereas the molecular mass of the other polypeptide remained unchanged . The apparent molecular masses of the desialylated polypeptides differed by 5 kDa . No common peptide fragments between the two polypeptide chains were found after limited proteolysis by Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease . The expression of Tp135-145 was independent of the expression of the T3/TcR molecular complex . Incubation of Jurkat cells with anti-TcR or anti-T3 monoclonal antibody induced complete modulation only of the T3/TcR complex but not of Tp135-145 . Conversely complete modulation of Tp135-145 was observed after incubation of these cells with MX24 antibody . Functional studies showed that anti-Tp135-145 antibody MX24 induced high levels of IL2 production in Jurkat cells . In addition, incubation of these cells with MX24 resulted in Ca2+ mobilization from internal stores . In peripheral blood, Tp135-145 was found to be expressed by 39%-76% of resting T cells in individual donors . Two-color flow microfluorimetry showed that the Tp135-145+ cells were equally distributed on the CD4+ and CD8+ subsets . Incubation of peripheral blood T cells with antibody MX24 resulted in IL2 production and cell proliferation . Taken together these results suggest that Tp135-145 is a novel surface molecule involved in antigen-independent pathway of T cell activation. J Gen Virol, 1988 Oct, 69 ( Pt 10), 2505 - 16 Humoral and cytotoxic T cell immune responses to internal and external structural proteins of simian virus 5 induced by immunization with solid matrix-antibody-antigen complexes; Randall RE et al.; Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were complexed to solid matrices and used to purify virus proteins from simian virus 5 (SV5)-infected tissue culture cells, ideally in such a way as to bind equimolar amounts of antigen to antibody . The resulting solid matrix-antibody-antigen (SMAA) complexes were then used as immunogens and successfully induced specific humoral and cytotoxic T cell responses . By attaching more than one MAb to the solid matrix and using such complexes to purify the respective proteins multivalent immunization was achieved . Analysis of the cytotoxic T cell response of immunized animals indicated that both surface and internal SV5 structural proteins can act as target antigens . Immunization with SMAA complexes, in the absence of adjuvant, induced higher levels of antibody than the antigen alone precipitated on alum . However, immunization with SMAA complexes resulted in relatively less antibody being produced to the antigenic determinant through which the protein is coupled, via antibody, to the SMAA complex compared with the amount of antibody produced against other antigenic determinants on that protein . The particulate solid matrix used to form the SMAA complexes in most of the experiments was a 'fixed' and killed suspension of the Cowan A strain of Staphylococcus aureus, although preliminary results indicated that Protein A-Sepharose could also be used as a solid matrix . Prior immunization with S . aureus alone did not reduce the level of the immune response to the appropriate antigen on subsequent immunization with S . aureus-antibody-antigen complexes . In fact on immunization of mice with these complexes the level of antibody produced to the S . aureus matrix itself was less when S . aureus-antibody-antigen complexes were used as immunogens than when S . aureus or S . aureus-antibody complexes were used . Furthermore, rabbits immunized with S . aureus-mouse MAb-antigen complexes showed a vigorous immune response to the antigen. J Exp Med, 1988 Oct 1, 168(4), 1321 - 37 Interleukin 4 inhibits the proliferation but not the differentiation of activated human B cells in response to interleukin 2; Defrance T et al.; The combined effect of IL-4 and IL-2 on proliferation of anti-IgM antibody or Staphylococcus aureus strain Cowan I (SAC)-preactivated B cells was investigated . It was observed that in most cases, rIL-2 used at optimal concentration induced higher levels of tritiated thymidine ({3H}TdR) uptake than rIL-4 used at optimal concentration . When rIL-4 and rIL-2 were added together, it was repeatedly found that B cell proliferation induced by rIL-2 was significantly reduced and was, in most cases, comparable with the proliferation induced by rIL-4 alone . Cell cycle studies demonstrated that rIL-4 significantly reduced the number of cells entering S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle upon rIL-2 stimulation . B cell blasts preincubated for 24 or 48 h with rIL-4 displayed a reduced proliferation in response to rIL-2 . In contrast, preculture of resting B cells with rIL-4 did not impair their subsequent proliferation in response to rIL-2 plus insolubilized anti-IgM antibody . This suggests that rIL-4 can only exert its inhibitory effect once B cells have received an activation signal . The differentiative activity of rIL-2 measured on B cell blasts preactivated for 2 d with SAC was not altered by rIL-4, which suggests that rIL-4 did not exert its inhibitory activity on rIL-2-induced B cell proliferation by enhancing rIL-2-mediated differentiation . Delayed addition of a neutralizing anti-IL-4 antiserum demonstrated that a period of contact of at least 24 h between IL-4 and B cell blasts was necessary for the development of the antagonistic effect of IL-4 on IL-2-mediated growth of activated B cells . These data demonstrate that IL-4 antagonizes the B cell growth-promoting effect of IL-2 without affecting the differentiation of preactivated B cells in response to IL-2. J Exp Med, 1988 Oct 1, 168(4), 1225 - 35 The Bb fragment of complement factor B acts as a B cell growth factor; Peters MG et al.; The process of B cell growth and differentiation into plasma cells is highly regulated and may be influenced by a large number of inflammatory mediators, including complement components . We have studied the regulatory influence of Bb, a 60-kD peptide created during the cleavage of complement Factor B by Factor D and C3b . Purified Bb alone had no effect on proliferation and differentiation of human splenic or tonsillar B cells . However, when B cells were activated by Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (SAC), Bb enhanced proliferation in a dose-dependent manner . Bb also enhanced proliferation when cocultured with SAC and suboptimal concentrations of purified 60-kD B cell growth factor (HMW-BCGF), a previously described lymphokine that is known to possess growth-promoting activity . However, Bb had no effect on cells treated with optimal concentrations of HMW-BCGF . Like HMW-BCGF, Bb's major effect was on the larger in vivo activated B cells . Half-maximal enhancement of proliferation was reached at a Bb concentration of 1-10 nM . Of note is the fact that antibody to Factor B recognized HMW-BCGF, and an mAb to HMW-BCGF also recognized Factor B and Bb, but not Ba . Moreover, radiolabeled Bb bound saturably to activated B cells and to an EBV-transformed human B cell line . The binding of Bb was inhibited by HMW-BCGF but not by Ba or IgG . Thus, Bb is antigenically and functionally related to HMW-BCGF, and can act as a B cell growth and differentiation factor at potentially physiologic concentrations . These data suggest that Bb may be important in amplifying the immune response in areas of inflammation . Since complement activation occurs at inflammatory sites long before induction of HMW-BCGF synthesis, Bb may be an early signal for the clonal expansion of antigen-activated B cells. Clin Immunol Immunopathol, 1988 Oct, 49(1), 159 - 65 Differential effect of anti-HLA class I monoclonal antibodies on resting and in vivo-induced B lymphocytes; de la Sen ML et al.; The role of HLA class I antigens in B cell triggering was investigated by analyzing the effect of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed to such molecules on the in vitro function of resting and in vivo-induced lymphoblastoid (LB) B cells . Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (SAC)-induced proliferation of high-density B lymphocytes was markedly inhibited by W6/32 MAb (reactive with a monomorphic determinant contributed by an alpha-chain and beta 2-microglobulin) but not by FG2/2 MAb (reactive with beta 2-microglobulin) . The inhibition was not due to either a toxic effect or a change in the response kinetics . In contrast, LB B cells' spontaneous DNA synthesis and IgG production was not altered by such MAb, although these cells possessed surface HLA class I antigens . These findings suggest that HLA class I molecules are involved in the activation process of resting but not mature B lymphocytes. Biochem Genet, 1988 Oct, 26(9-10), 543 - 55 Purification and characterization of cytoplasmic creatine kinase isozymes of Xenopus laevis; Robert J et al.; The soluble creatine kinase isozymes CK-II, CK-III, and CK-IV from Xenopus laevis have been purified to apparent homogeneity and their subunits characterized by means of molecular weight, peptide pattern, and dissociation-reassociation experiments . CK-III and CK-IV are homodimeric isozymes whose subunits are distinct in both molecular weight (42,000 and 41,000, respectively) and Staphylococcus aureus V8 peptide pattern . In dissociation-reassociation experiments, those two subunits do form active heterodimeric isozymes with one another or with rabbit M-CK subunits . Hybrid CK-III/IV isozymes occur also during embryonic differentiation and in adult heart muscle, whereas most other adult tissues contain only homodimeric CK-III or CK-IV isozymes . The CK-II isozyme is a heterodimer composed of one CK-III subunit and another subunit specific to CK-II (Mr = 41,000) . Neither in vivo nor in vitro does this subunit seem able to form homodimers or heterodimers with CK-IV and rabbit M-CK subunits . If we take into account the apparent association of CK-I isozyme with cellular organelles, these results corroborate earlier statements and suggest that the CK isozyme system of X . laevis is encoded by at least four differentially regulated genomic loci. Immunol Lett, 1988 Oct, 19(2), 127 - 32 Effect of serine proteinase from Staphylococcus aureus on in vitro stimulation of human lymphocytes; Prokesova L et al.; In a broad concentration range (0.1-100 micrograms/ml) the serine proteinase (SP) from Staphylococcus aureus has no cytotoxic effect on human peripheral blood lymphocytes and does not stimulate them in culture . However, it affects the action of a number of polyclonal activators . In a concentration of 100 micrograms/ml SP completely eliminates blastic transformation after stimulation with B cell mitogens (NDCM, S . aureus and Escherichia coli), lowers the blastic transformation after stimulation with PWM and SPA, and does not affect the blastic transformation after stimulation with PHA . SP (100 micrograms/ml) reduces the concentration of Ig in stimulated cultures (stimulation with PWM, NDCM, S . aureus and E . coli) far below the Ig level of unstimulated controls . This effect can be ascribed to an influence on cell stimulation, not to the proteolytic cleavage of secreted Ig, although SP can partially digest Ig . The effect on lymphocyte stimulation takes place when the SP is added to the culture together with the mitogen, or 18 h after the mitogen . This implies that SP does not affect the first stage of stimulation. Chemioterapia, 1988 Oct, 7(5), 306 - 8 In vitro activity of sulbactam/ampicillin and ampicillin against methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis; Fabbri A et al.; Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ampicillin and ampicillin + sulbactam (1:1) against 165 strains of Staphylococcus aureus and 72 strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis have been evaluated . The activity of the combination was very good . A concentration of 16 micrograms/ml + 16 micrograms/ml inhibited 96.9% of S . aureus and the 100% of S . epidermidis strains (at the same concentration ampicillin alone inhibited only 55.15% and 56.9% of S . aureus and S . epidermidis strains respectively) . Activity against methicillin-resistant S . aureus (14.5%) was poor, whereas against methicillin-resistant S . epidermidis (67.2%) the combination maintained high efficacy. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1988 Oct, (10), 22 - 4 {Effect of the ABO blood group phenotype on the Staphylococcus aureus bacterial carrier state}; Veselov AIa et al.; 326 employees of 4 medical institutions (1 regional hospital, 2 city hospitals and a maternity clinic) were examined for the presence of S . aureus carriership . Examinations were made every 3 months for 3 recent years . The results of these examinations were compared with the distribution of the blood groups in the AB0 system among the carriers . Constant and malignant carrier state was detected mainly in persons with blood group A. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1988 Oct, 54(10), 2583 - 5 Is free halogen necessary for disinfection? Williams DE, Elder ED, Worley SD. The principle of Le Chatelier was used in demonstrating that 3-chloro-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolidinone (compound 1) itself kills Staphylococcus aureus rather than the very small amount of free chlorine in hydrolysis equilibrium with compound 1 . On the other hand, when the N-bromo analog of compound 1 (compound 1B) was used as the disinfectant, the mixture of combined compound 1B and free bromine formed in the hydrolysis equilibrium provided disinfection . When the hydrolysis equilibrium for 1B was suppressed to the level at which a negligible amount of free bromine remained in solution, combined compound 1B was much more efficacious than combined compound 1 at killing S . aureus. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1988 Oct, 54(10), 2486 - 91 Outermost-cell-surface changes in an encapsulated strain of Staphylococcus aureus after preservation by freeze-drying; Ohtomo T et al.; The effects of drying time during freeze-drying on the outermost cell surface of an encapsulated strain of Staphylococcus aureus S-7 (Smith, diffuse) were investigated, with special attention paid to capsule and slime production . To quantify capsule and slime production, capsule antigen production and cellular characteristics such as growth type in serum-soft agar, cell volume index, and clumping factor reaction were examined . After freeze-drying the colonial morphology of strain S-7 was altered from a diffuse to a compact type in serum-soft agar . In accordance with these changes, the titer of the clumping factor reaction increased while the cell volume index, capsule and slime production, and capsule antigen production were markedly decreased in parallel with the period of freeze-drying . The ability of the strain to adhere to collagen, fibrinogen, and soybean lectin was also compared before and after freeze-drying . Fibrinogen levels slightly increased when 10% skim milk and 2% honey were used as cryoprotective agents and showed a remarkable increase when 0.05 M phosphate buffer was used as a control . Also, the ability of strain S-7 to adhere to soybean lectin declined, whereas no changes were observed for collagen under any conditions . Strain S-7 was phage nontypable before freeze-drying but the number of typable cells increased after freeze-drying; phage-typable cells reacted to phage 52 alone after 5 h of freeze-drying, but additional cells also proved to be phage typable to phage 42E after 10 h . Electron micrographs indicated that strain S-7, an encapsulated strain, was converted to an unencapsulated state after freeze-drying.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Can J Vet Res, 1988 Oct, 52(4), 445 - 50 The use of liposomally-entrapped gentamicin in the treatment of bovine Staphylococcus aureus mastitis; MacLeod DL et al.; The effect of incorporation of gentamicin in liposomes on intracellular killing of Staphylococcus aureus was studied in vitro in cultured bovine mammary macrophages, and in experimental bovine mastitis . Liposomes were prepared by reverse-phase evaporation and ranged in size from 0.1 to 1.0 micron in diameter (mean 0.51 micron), with an encapsulation efficiency of gentamicin of 27.4% . Liposomes were taken up by in vitro cultured macrophages but intracellular killing of S . aureus over 12 h was not significantly enhanced when treatment with liposomally-entrapped gentamicin was compared to free gentamicin . Treatment of experimentally-induced S . aureus mastitis in five lactating Holstein cows (20 quarters) failed to show significant differences in bacterial counts when treatment with liposomally-entrapped gentamicin was compared to treatment with free gentamicin or blank liposomes plus free gentamicin . Gentamicin concentrations exceeded the in vitro determined minimum inhibitory concentration for 48 h when quarters were treated with 50 mg gentamicin on two occasions 24 h apart. Am J Vet Res, 1988 Oct, 49(10), 1681 - 7 Serum and synovial fluid steady-state concentrations of trimethoprim and sulfadiazine in horses with experimentally induced infectious arthritis; Bertone AL et al.; The tarsocrural joints of 11 horses were inoculated with 1.2 to 2.16 x 10(6) viable Staphylococcus aureus organisms susceptible to a trimethoprim-sulfadiazine (TMP-SDZ) combination with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.25 micrograms of TMP/ml and 4.75 micrograms of SDZ/ml . Antimicrobial treatment consisted of oral administration of a TMP-SDZ combination--30 mg/kg of body weight given once daily (group-1 horses) or 60 mg/kg given as 30 mg/kg every 12 hours (group-2 horses) . Paired serum and synovial fluid samples were obtained before intra-articular inoculation with the S aureus, after inoculation with S aureus but before antimicrobial treatment, and after inoculation at various hourly intervals after oral administration of the TMP-SDZ combination . The TMP-SDZ combination was administered daily in the 2 dosages for 21 days . Samples were collected after day 3 of repetitive drug administration so that drug steady-state concentration would have been achieved . Serum and synovial fluid samples were analyzed for TMP and SDZ concentrations . Administration of the TMP-SDZ combination at a dosage of 30 mg/kg once daily was not effective in maintaining TMP or SDZ concentrations above the MIC of TMP-SDZ for the S aureus (0.25 and 4.75 micrograms/ml for TMP and SDZ, respectively) in the infected synovial fluid or in maintaining adequate TMP concentration in the serum . The alternative use of the TMP-SDZ combination at a dosage of 60 mg/kg given as 30 mg/kg every 12 hours was effective in maintaining serum and synovial fluid concentrations of TMP and SDZ that were greater than the MIC for the infective organism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) J Clin Microbiol, 1988 Oct, 26(10), 2187 - 90 Evaluation of various antibiotics for induction of L forms from Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from bovine mastitis; Owens WE; Forty-five strains of Staphylococcus aureus were treated with 11 antibiotics and tested for induction to L forms . Thirty-seven strains were induced to L forms with at least one antibiotic, while eight strains produced no L forms under the conditions used . L forms were induced only with beta-lactam antibiotics and with a combination of penicillin and streptomycin . Novobiocin induced no true L forms but induced intermediate forms from seven strains . Strains resistant to penicillin yielded L forms only with beta-lactam antibiotics active against penicillin-resistant organisms . Strains failing to yield L forms were susceptible to the antibiotics used, and resistance appeared to play no role in the induction of L forms with these strains. J Bone Joint Surg Am, 1988 Oct, 70(9), 1383 - 92 A histological study of acute hematogenous osteomyelitis following physeal injuries in rabbits; Whalen JL et al.; In young rabbits, the effects of an intravenous injection of Staphylococcus aureus alone, and in combination with a traumatic injury of the proximal tibial physis, were studied by light and electron microscopy . Metaphyseal osteomyelitis and radiographic changes were seen within forty-eight hours after the injury in all rabbits that had a growth-plate disruption and bacteremia . An intravenous injection of bacteria alone produced no morphological or microbiological evidence of infection . In the absence of trauma, normal tibiae were sterile after forty-eight hours . Foreign-body particles have been shown to accumulate in the fine vessels that are adjacent to the growth plate, but we found no similar deposition of bacteria or evidence of phagocytic removal in this area . Phagocytosis of bacteria by neutrophils did not appear to be impaired in the distal third of the metaphysis, but a delayed inflammatory response that allowed proliferation of bacteria and destruction of tissue was observed in the proximal two-thirds of the metaphysis after trauma. J Bone Joint Surg Am, 1988 Oct, 70(9), 1341 - 7 The prevention of infection in open fractures . An experimental study of the effect of antibiotic therapy; Worlock P et al.; Using an experimental rabbit model of a contaminated open fracture of the tibia that was fixed with an intramedullary pin, we assessed the effect of a single dose of cephradine in preventing post-traumatic osteomyelitis in which the infecting organism was Staphylococcus aureus . We paid particular attention to the effect of a delay in giving the antibiotic . The frequency of osteomyelitis in the animals in a control group (no antibiotic) was 91 per cent . When a single injection of cephradine was given one hour before inoculation with the bacteria, the rate was 30 per cent, a statistically significant reduction (p less than 0.01) . When cephradine was not administered until one to four hours after inoculation with the bacteria, the average rate of osteomyelitis was 51 per cent, a 40 per cent reduction compared with the rate for the control group . The effect of the antibiotic therefore persisted even when the initial dose was delayed for four hours after bacterial inoculation. Ann Surg, 1988 Oct, 208(4), 451 - 9 More is better . Antibiotic management after hemorrhagic shock; Livingston DH et al.; Previous reports suggest that standard antibiotic prophylaxis is ineffective in reducing the incidence of wound infection after hemorrhagic shock . This study investigated the use of larger and longer doses of antibiotic in a model of staphylococcal infection after hemorrhagic shock . Sprague-Dawley rats resuscitated from hemorrhagic shock were injected with either 10(6), 10(8) or 10(10) Staphylococcus aureus subcutaneously . Five treatments were investigated: 1) control (no antibiotic), 2) short-course cefazolin (CEF) (SHORT), 30 mg/kg intraperitoneal (IP), 30 minutes before and 4 hours after inoculation, 3) long-course CEF (LONG), 30 mg/kg IP, 30 minutes before and 4 hours after inoculation, and thereafter, every 8 hours for 3 days, 4) mega-CEF (MEGA) 200 mg/kg IP, 30 minutes before and 4 hours after inoculation, and 5) mega-long CEF (MEGA-LONG), 200 mg/kg IP, 30 minutes before and 4 hours after inoculation, and thereafter, every 8 hours for 3 days . Abscess number, weight, and diameter were measured on Day 7 . At the 10(6) inoculum, SHORT was effective in both shocked and unshocked animals . In the 10(10) group, all antibiotic regimens decreased the 100% mortality that followed shock without treatment, but they had little effect on abscess formation . In unshocked rats at the 10(8) inoculum, SHORT was effective in reducing abscess number, diameter, and weight (all p less than 0.05 vs . control) . After hemorrhagic shock, SHORT did not decrease abscess frequency, but it did diminish abscess diameter . LONG significantly decreased abscess diameter and abscess weight (both p less than 0.05) . After shock, both MEGA and MEGA-LONG reduced abscess number (p less than 0.05 vs . control) and MEGA-LONG was superior to all other regimens at the 10(8) inoculum . These experimental data show that increasing both the dose and duration of antibiotic administration is more effective than standard short-course antibiotic prophylaxis in preventing experimental infection after hemorrhagic shock. J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1988 Oct, 41(10), 1374 - 94 Synthesis and structure-activity relationships in the cefpirome series . I . 7-{2-(2-Aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-(Z)-oxyiminoacetamido}-3-{(su bstituted-1-pyridinio)methyl}ceph-3-em-4-carboxylate s; Lattrell R et al.; 7-{2-(2-Aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-(Z)-oxyiminoacetamido}-3-{(s ubs tituted-1-pyridinio)methyl}ceph-3-em-4-carboxylates II are a group of beta-lactam antibiotics with extraordinary high antibacterial activity . The promising member of this group, cefpirome (HR 810, II-1) is a candidate for clinical use . Synthetic pathways to II starting from cefotaxime derivatives I or 7-aminocephalosporanic acid (7-ACA) are described . A preferred method for the conversion of I to II or 7-ACA to precursors III respectively employs iodotrimethylsilane and an excess of the pyridine base . Structure-activity studies reveal an optimum overall activity in the series of pyridines with fused saturated and unsaturated rings or cyclopropyl- and alkoxy substituents . Favorable oxyimino substituents are methyl, ethyl, difluoromethyl and carbamoylmethyl groups . Acidic substituents lead to decreased activity against Staphylococcus aureus SG 511 . Introduction of halogen in the thiazole nucleus causes improvement of activity against the K1 beta-lactamase producing Klebsiella aerogenes 1082 E strain. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 1988 Oct, 82(4), 535 - 43 Leukotriene C4 generation from human eosinophils stimulated with IgG-Aspergillus fumigatus antigen immune complexes; Cromwell O et al.; Sepharose beads coated with IgG stimulate eosinophils to produce leukotriene C4 (LTC4) . This observation has been extended with specific immobilized IgG/antigen immune complexes to elicit mediator generation . An extract of Aspergillus fumigatus was covalently coupled to Sepharose beads and incubated with the IgG fraction of immune serum from patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis . These beads elicited generation of 7.72 +/- 1.7 pmol of LTC4 immunoreactive material (n = 5) from 1 X 10(6) normal eosinophils of greater than 86% purity, and significantly less LTC4 (0.73 +/- 0.19 pmol per 10(6) cells; n = 3) was produced by eosinophils after incubation with beads treated with IgG from normal nonimmune serum . The maximum antibody-dependent release achieved represented approximately 20% of that induced by the calcium ionophore (A23187) . LTC4 was measured by radioimmunoassay and validated by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography . The amount of LTC4 generated was dependent on the concentration of A . fumigatus-specific IgG, and mediator release was completely abolished by prior adsorption of the IgG fraction onto Sepharose-protein A (Staphylococcus aureus) . Grass pollen-specific IgG antibody/antigen complexes, in combination with Sepharose beads, also triggered generation of LTC4 immunoreactive material . There was no evidence to suggest that IgE/A . fumigatus immune complexes triggered LTC4 generation, although IgE myeloma protein, in association with Sepharose beads, was a weak stimulus . The efficacy of the IgG immune complex-dependent stimulation of eosinophils suggests a possible physiologic mechanism whereby these cells could participate in the inflammatory changes associated with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and similar allergic disorders. Jpn J Antibiot, 1988 Oct, 41(10), 1517 - 37 {Clinical evaluation of cefpodoxime proxetil in the treatment of skin and soft tissue infections . A double blind comparison of cefpodoxime proxetil and cefaclor}; Yura J et al.; In order to objectively evaluate the effectiveness, safety and usefulness of the new oral cephem cefpodoxime proxetil (CS-807, CPDX-PR) for the treatment of skin and soft tissue infections, a double-blind comparative study was undertaken using cefaclor (CCL) as the control drug . CPDX-PR and CCL were administered for 7 days at daily doses of 400 mg (divided into 2 portions) and 750 mg (divided into 3 portions), respectively . A total of 243 patients (118 in the CPDX-PR group and 125 in the CCL group) was treated in this study . The effectiveness, safety and usefulness were evaluated in 222 (106 in the CPDX-PR group and 116 in the CCL group), 234 (113 in the CPDX-PR group and 121 in the CCL group) and in 223 patients (107 in the CPDX-PR group and 116 in the CCL group), respectively . There were no differences in patients' backgrounds between the 2 groups, except for the presence or the absence of surgical treatments . The results we obtained are summarized below: 1 . In the evaluation of clinical efficacy by the subcommittee, excellent, good, fair and poor efficacy were observed in 36, 43, 17 and 10 patients in the CPDX-PR group, respectively; the efficacy rate was, therefore, calculated to be 74.5% . As for the CCL group, respective results were observed in 50, 39, 17 and 10 patients, indicating an efficacy rate of 76.7% . There was no significant difference between the 2 groups . Improvement rates judged by physicians in charge were 80.2% in the CPDX-PR group and 88.8% in the CCL group . Moreover, no significant difference in diseases or severity were found between the 2 groups . 2 . As for the bacteriological efficacy, the 2 groups showed high elimination rates, as 90.1% and 91.6% of the disease causing bacteria were eliminated in the CPDX-PR group and in the CCL group, respectively . Elimination rates in single infections with Staphylococcus aureus were determined to be 85.7% in the CPDX-PR group and 85.0% in the CCL group . 3 . Although 6 patients in the CPDX-PR group and 2 patients in the CCL group developed side effects, which were mainly gastrointestinal symptoms, there was no significant difference in the incidence of side effects between the 2 groups . Abnormal laboratory values were found in 5 patients in the CPDX-PR group and 1 patient in the CCL group . 4 . There was no significant difference in the usefulness between the 2 groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) Pathol Biol (Paris), 1988 Oct, 36(8), 956 - 8 {Course of the resistance of Staphylococcus aureus to pefloxacin . A study based on 782 strains isolated in 1985 and 1986}; Jean-Pierre H et al.; We studied the evolution of the resistance of Staphylococcus aureus to pefloxacin during 1985 and 1986 in eight hospital units . The pefloxacin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which amounted to 8.9% in 1985 reached 27% in 1986 . They are found mainly among the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus . There is no obvious relationship between this resistance and the consumption of pefloxacin in each of the units. J Laryngol Otol, 1988 Oct, 102(10), 877 - 82 Septic cavernous and lateral sinus thrombosis: modern diagnostic and therapeutic principles; Tveteras K et al.; The incidence of both lateral and cavernous sinus thrombophlebitis has been significantly reduced in the antibiotic era . Since septic cavernous sinus thrombosis (CST) is mainly a complication of facial abscesses and septic lateral sinus thrombosis (LST) is almost invariably due to chronic otitis media, both conditions are of clinical relevance to the otolaryngologist . The predominant bacterium in septic CST is Staphylococcus aureus whereas in septic LST the bacteriology is very similar to that found in chronic otitis media . The diagnosis of septic CST can be established in most cases after thorough clinical examination, and contrast computerized tomography (CT) using the coronal projection usually confirms the clinical diagnosis . The signs and clinical course of septic LST are non-specific and the final diagnosis rests upon radiological investigations including CT-scan . The treatment of both conditions consists of broad-spectrum antibiotics, including beta-lactamase resistant penicillin in cases of septic CST . Most cases of septic LST also require surgical intervention . Two cases of septic intracranial sinus thrombosis are presented . The need for early diagnosis and treatment of this potentially lethal condition is emphasized. J Infect Dis, 1988 Oct, 158(4), 702 - 9 Implications of acquired oxacillin resistance in the management and control of Staphylococcus aureus infections; Massanari RM et al.; Refinements in testing for resistance to penicillinase-resistant penicillins (PRP) in Staphylococcus aureus have resulted in confusion in classifying isolates as PRP susceptible or resistant . Specifically, a group of organisms has been identified that produce large amounts of beta-lactamase and appear borderline resistant . These organisms have been called "occult resistant" or "acquired oxacillin-resistant" S . aureus (AORSA) . A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the implication of this in vitro phenomenon in managing patients with AORSA infections . Among 134 patients with S . aureus infections, 89 were infected with oxacillin-susceptible S . aureus (OSSA), 26 with AORSA, and 19 with oxacillin-resistant S . aureus (ORSA) . There were no significant differences in outcomes when OSSA and AORSA infections were treated with PRP (chi 2MH = .990; P = .32) . These results do not suppor the contention that AORSA infections should be managed differently from OSSA infections . Identifying AORSA may not be helpful in guiding antimicrobial therapy or predicting the outcome of infections with AORSA. Jpn Circ J, 1988 Oct, 52(10), 1191 - 200 Isolation and characterization of two beta-type cardiac myosin in the canine atrium; Komuro I et al.; Recently, we demonstrated that more beta-type myosin heavy chain (HC) was expressed in the overloaded atrium, and that there were 2 structurally different beta-type myosin heavy chains in the bovine heart . To determine the existence of the 2 beta-type HC in other animals and to clarify the characteristics of these beta-type HCs, we produced tricuspid regurgitation and pulmonary stenosis in the canine heart, and performed an immunological study using 3 monoclonal antibodies, 2 beta-type specific antibodies (HMC14 and 50) and 1 alpha-type specific antibody (CMA19) . In an immunohistochemical study, serial cryostat sections revealed that some myofibers reacted with HMC50 (HC beta 2), but almost no fibers were labeled with HMC14 in the normal atrium . However, in overloaded atria, not only HC beta 2 but the HC, reacted with HMC14 (HC beta 1) . By affinity chromatography, HC beta 2 was fractionated from normal atrial myosin using HMC50 and HC beta 1 was fractionated from overloaded atrial myosin using HMC14 . These 2 HC beta's were subjected to digestion by alpha-chymotrypsin, staphylococcus aureus V8 protease, and cyanogen bromide, and proved to have different peptide fragments . In respect to enzymatic properties, the Ca2+-activated ATPase activities of HC beta 1 and beta 2 were almost the same but lower than that of HC alpha . We concluded that the isozymic transition of HC alpha to HC beta in the atrium was experimentally induced by hemodynamic overload and that HC beta 1, which was hardly recognized in the normal atrium but highly induced by overload, was structurally different from HC beta 2, as expressed in the normal atrium. Appl Environ Microbiol . 1988 Oct;54(10):2590. Stabilities of lyophilized Staphylococcus aureus typing bacteriophages; Zierdt CH; Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophages (25 phages) were lyophilized in aliquots 12 to 18 years ago and stored in vacuo at -20 degrees C . Eight viruses each lost one log titer, while seventeen retained the original titers . The use of lyophilized phages provided more reproducible phage typing and reduced by 75% the complexity and cost . This important test is thus made feasible for more laboratories. J Am Acad Dermatol, 1988 Oct, 19(4), 673 - 8 Staphylococcus aureus colonization of burrows in erythrodermic Norwegian scabies . A case study of iatrogenic contagion; Shelley WB et al.; Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated extensive bacterial colonization of scabies burrows honeycombing the stratum corneum of an elderly woman with erythroderma . Cultures of scybala revealed hemolytic Staphylococcus aureus, possibly responsible for the erythroderma . Epidemiologic data revealed a trail of scabies through two nursing homes and one hospital during the 2-year period that physicians believed she had a drug-induced erythroderma. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1988 Oct, 67(4), 749 - 54 In vitro induction of anti-thyroid microsomal antibody-secreting cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from normal subjects; Iitaka M et al.; Secretion of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antithyroid microsomal antibodies (AMA) was induced in vitro by coculturing non-T cells (B lymphocytes) and autologous CD4 (helper/inducer) cells from normal subjects stimulated with pokeweed mitogen (PWM) or a combination of human thyroid microsomal antigen (McAg) and Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (SAC) strain . With PWM stimulation, AMA production was induced in more IgM-secreting cells (AMA-M) than IgG-secreting cells (AMA-G) . However, McAg plus SAC stimulation resulted in similar numbers of AMA-G- and AMA-M-secreting cells . PWM induced a significantly greater number of both AMA-M (and generalized IgM)-secreting cells than did McAg plus SAC, while the number of AMA-G-secreting cells induced by the two stimuli were similar . There were no significant differences between autologous or allogeneic CD4 cells from normal subjects or patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) when cocultured with B cells from normal subjects in terms of helper activity in the induction of AMA-M- or IgM-secreting cells with PWM stimulation . However, with McAg plus SAC, CD4 cells from patients with AITD induced a significantly greater number of AMA-M-secreting cells than did autologous or allogeneic CD4 cells from normal subjects . There was no difference in helper activity between autologous and allogeneic normal CD4 cells in the induction of generalized IgM-secreting cells regardless of the stimulus used . Normal autologous or allogeneic CD8 (suppressor/cytotoxic) cells cocultured with normal B cells and autologous CD4 cells suppressed the induction of AMA-M-secreting cells by PWM stimulation . On the other hand, CD8 cells from patients with AITD suppressed the induction of AMA-M-secreting cells significantly less effectively . All CD8 cells suppressed the induction of IgM-secreting cells equally well . We conclude that 1) B lymphocytes from normal subjects are capable of producing autoantibodies in vitro in the presence of CD4 cells; 2) the helper activity of CD4 cells from patients with AITD to induce AMA-M secreting cells is greater than that of normal CD4 cells with thyroid antigen stimulation; and 3) this helper activity may be due to relatively impaired suppressor activity in thyroid antigen-specific CD8 cells from patients with AITD, whereas the immunoregulatory function of CD8 cells from normal subjects appears to play an important role in the maintenance of self-tolerance. J Hosp Infect, 1988 Oct, 12(3), 225 - 33 Simple peroperative antimicrobial chemoprophylaxis in elective neurosurgical operations; Ingham HR et al.; From August 1981 to February 1982 postoperative infections due to different strains of penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus occurred in 20 of 467 patients (4.3%) undergoing elective cranial and spinal operations . These infections were not attributable to defects in procedures or the theatre environment, therefore chemoprophylaxis was instituted . In the following 8 months, when patients were given penicillin G and sulphadiazine for 5 days commencing immediately postoperatively, S . aureus infections occurred in five of 579 patients (0.9%) . In a subsequent randomized uncontrolled study, infections occurred in six of 265 patients receiving penicillin (2.3%), three of 270 receiving penicillin and sulphadiazine (1.1%) and one of 45 receiving erythromycin (2.2%) immediately postoperatively for 5 days . In a further study in which 587 patients received penicillin for 5 days commencing immediately preoperatively, infections due to S . aureus occurred in six (1.1%) . Infections due to gram-negative organisms were seen in five (0.4%) of 1167 patients in the two uncontrolled studies. J Hosp Infect, 1988 Oct, 12(3), 151 - 62 Colonization priority among Staphylococcus aureus strains--correlation with phage-type; Rosdahl VT et al.; We have studied the distribution of phage-type patterns among strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from patients in a burns unit . From 51 patients the same phage-type was isolated from succeeding swabs during the observation period . In 20 patients new types were introduced, but the original strain remained . In 23 patients the first strain was replaced by one other strain, in eight patients two or more . Strains of type 95 seemed to have a high colonization priority, whereas strains of group III had a low one . In 1986 phage-typing was performed on two or more S . aureus strains from the same patient, in 4561 instances . Recurrence of strains of the same phage-type pattern was demonstrated in 70% of the patients when the first and the fourth sample were compared . The "newer epidemic" strains of phage-type 95 and of the 94,96 complex had the highest percentage of recurrence (more than 80%) when adjacent samples were compared, and 68-69% when the first and the fourth sample were compared . The good colonization capacity of these strains might be one of the explanations why they occur frequently today although they are resistant only to penicillin. Cell Immunol, 1988 Oct 1, 116(1), 195 - 215 Induction of suppressor cells to T- and B-cell proliferative responses and immunoglobulin production by monoclonal antibodies recognizing the CD3 T-cell differentiation antigen; Kunicka JE et al.; Monoclonal antibodies (mAb's) recognizing the CD3 T-cell differentiation antigen induced the generation of suppressor cells . These cells inhibited (1) proliferative responses of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to PHA and allogeneic cells in mixed leukocyte culture; (2) proliferative responses of purified E-rosette-negative cells to Staphylococcus aureus Cowans I; and (3) de novo immunoglobulin synthesis and secretion in the pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-induced differentiation system . Monoclonal antibodies recognizing other T-cell differentiation antigens (anti-Leu 2a, anti-Leu 3a, and anti-Leu 5) did not induce the generation of suppressor cells, even at very high antibody concentrations . Statistically significant differences were not observed in the ability of the OKT3 and anti-Leu 4 mAb's to induce suppressor cells . Monocytes were not required for the generation of anti-CD3-induced suppressor cells . F(ab')2 fragments of the OKT3 mAb's were equally effective when compared with intact antibody molecules in inducing suppressor cells, although they did not induce proliferative responses . Proliferation was not required for the induction of suppressor cells . Irradiation (2500 rad) of PBMC before incubation with the anti-CD3 mAb did not affect the generation of suppressor cells . Furthermore, anti-CD3-induced suppressor cells were radioresistant . Addition of recombinant IL-2 to the cultures of responding cells and suppressor cells did not reverse the suppression . In vitro treatment of anti-CD3-induced suppressor cells with either the OKT4 mAb plus complement or the OKT8 mAb plus complement partially decreased the suppression of proliferative responses of PBMC to PHA or allogeneic cells in mixed lymphocytes culture . However, treatment with both OKT4 and OKT8 mAb's plus complement or the OKT11 mAb plus complement completely abolished the suppression . These results suggest that the suppressor cells are of the T11+T4+T8- and T11+T4-T8+ phenotypes . In other experiments, T4+T8- and T8+T4- cells were isolated from PBMC treated for 48 hr with anti-CD3 mAbs . Both these two populations significantly inhibited proliferative responses of autologous PBMC to PHA and de novo immunoglobulin synthesis and secretion by mixtures of purified T4 and B cells from normal donors, in the PWM-induced differentiation system . These results demonstrate that anti-CD3-induced suppressor cells are of the T4 or T8 phenotype . Treatment of purified T4+T8- and T8+T4- cells with anti-CD3 mAb's resulted in the generation of suppressor cells, suggesting that the precursors of the anti-CD3-induced suppressor cells can belong to either of these two populations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) J Clin Lab Immunol, 1988 Oct, 27(2), 97 - 102 Myeloperoxidase secretion during phagocytosis: a case of a patient with impaired bactericidal activity; Edwards SW et al.; We describe a case of a 5-year-old male patient with prolonged and extensive osteomyelitis of the left femur . Staphylococcus aureus was grown from blood cultures taken upon admission and also from pus drained from an incised hip joint . A defect in immune function was suspected and neutrophil function was assessed . Chemotaxis and phagocytosis were normal, but phagocytosed S . aureus were not killed as efficiently as in control neutrophils . No inherent defect in the ability of these neutrophils to generate reactive oxidants was observed, but an unusual luminol-dependent chemiluminescence response was obtained during phagocytosis of latex beads or opsonized S . aureus: This was characterized by an initial rapid, but transient increase occurring within 1 min of addition of phagocytic stimulus . Whereas during phagocytosis of latex beads by control neutrophils less than 1% of the total myeloperoxidase activity was detected extracellularly, up to 15% was released from the patient's neutrophils . We propose that release of myeloperoxidase from the patient's neutrophils during phagocytosis reduces the intraphagosomal concentration of this enzyme and thus impairs the efficiency of intracellular killing of S . aureus. Inflammation, 1988 Oct, 12(5), 515 - 24 Thiourea and dimethylthiourea decrease human neutrophil bactericidal function in vitro; Jackson JH et al.; Addition of thiourea (TU) or dimethylthiourea (DMTU) decreased killing of Staphylococcus aureus, 502A, and decreased concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and hydroxyl radical (.OH), but not superoxide anion (O2-.) or lysozyme concentrations, in mixtures containing human neutrophils in vitro . Addition of TU or DMTU also decreased concentrations of H2O2, .OH, or hypochlorous acid (HOCl) in neutrophil-free mixtures exposed to beta-D-glucose and glucose oxidase, gamma irradiation, or HOCl, respectively . Our results suggest that TU or DMTU can decrease neutrophil-mediated killing of bacteria by inhibiting O2 metabolite-dependent bactericidal mechanisms. Inflammation, 1988 Oct, 12(5), 447 - 53 Variable effect of toxic shock toxins from different sources on neutrophil function in vitro; Berger EM et al.; Toxic shock syndrome toxins (TSST) are 23-30 kD proteins that have been isolated from incubation media of strains of Staphylococcus aureus cultured from patients with toxic shock syndrome (TSS) . Injection of TSST into animals produces many of the symptoms that characterize TSS including shock, fever, and multiple organ failure . We found that addition of increasing concentrations of TSST-1-VP1035-16A, but not TSST-PEC, TSST-SEC, staphylococcal enterotoxin A or B, progressively decreased human neutrophil bactericidal activity against S . aureus, 502A in vitro . TSST-1-VP1035-16A, but not the other toxins, also decreased superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide concentrations in mixtures containing neutrophils and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) in vitro . The results indicate that various preparations of TSST have different effects on neutrophil function in vitro and, accordingly, may have different effects in other in vitro and in vivo models of TSS. J Med Microbiol, 1988 Oct, 27(2), 117 - 23 Characterisation of methicillin-resist