Streptococcal

J Infect Dis, 1988 Nov, 158(5), 948 - 55
Epidemiological studies of Streptococcus pneumoniae in infants: antibody to types 3, 6, 14, and 23 in the first two years of life; Gray BM et al.; Antibodies to pneumococcal types 3, 6, 14, and 23 were measured in sera from 78 infants prospectively studied from birth . Mean levels of antibodies to capsular antigens were 2-4 micrograms/mL, with no overall differences between carriers and noncarriers of given types . Serial serum samples were studied in selected infants to more precisely define the antibody response in relation to specific pneumococcal colonization and infection . Although some infants had little antibody, and made little in response to exposure, others had demonstrable antibody at the onset of acute otitis media . The highest levels were seen following repeated exposure . After an initial or secondary response, levels declined with or without continued nasopharyngeal carriage.

Pediatr Infect Dis J, 1988 Nov, 7(11), 785 - 90
Topical mupirocin vs . systemic erythromycin treatment for pyoderma; McLinn S; Although topical antibiotics have been considered less than effective agents in the treatment of "impetigo," recent experience suggests that topical therapy has a place as primary treatment of pyoderma and impetigo . This bacteriologically controlled, randomized study compared the safety and efficacy of mupirocin with oral erythromycin in the treatment of pyoderma and impetigo . A total of 29 mupirocin-treated and 30 erythromycin-treated patients completed the study . None of the mupirocin-treated patients reported adverse experiences compared with 4 erythromycin-treated patients who reported 6 adverse experiences . The mupirocin-treated group had a significantly higher benefit:risk ratio than the erythromycin-treated group as measured by the investigator's global evaluation (P = 0.01) . Both treatments eradicated 100% of the two most common pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes . Results from this study demonstrate that mupirocin is as effective as systemic erythromycin ethylsuccinate for treatment of pyoderma and impetigo.

Infect Immun, 1988 Nov, 56(11), 2942 - 7
Chemical and structural studies of serotype polysaccharide antigens of Streptococcus sobrinus 6715; Takada K et al.; The g antigen of Streptococcus sobrinus 6715 was previously shown to consist of polysaccharides of various molecular weights . In this study, two such polysaccharides, LII and LIII, were purified by gel filtration and affinity chromatography procedures . By a double immunodiffusion analysis, fraction LII was found to contain a region in the serotype-specific g site not present in the serospecific g site of fraction LIII . This region was designated x . In addition to the serotype-specific g site, the cross-reactive sites, g-a, g-d, and g-(a-d), were all present on a single molecule of fractions LII and LIII . Polysaccharides LII and LIII were composed of galactose, glucose, and rhamnose . Analysis of inhibition of the precipitin reaction suggested that the serotype g site of fraction LII (the putative form of g antigen) may consist of two immunodominant regions, one a galactose-containing region (region x) and the other a glucose-containing region, while the serotype g site of fraction LIII appeared to have one immunodominant region containing a glucose determinant . The methylation and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance analyses of LII and LIII fractions provided information on the linkage and the anomeric structures of the sugar components of the polysaccharides.

Q J Med, 1988 Nov, 69(259), 921 - 5
Septic scarlet fever due to Streptococcus pyogenes cellulitis; Shaunak S et al.; We report three cases of septic scarlet fever due to Streptococcus pyogenes Group A (serotype M1/T1/OF-) cellulitis in healthy young adults . Despite prompt treatment two of the patients died . Such cases of cellulitis associated with scarlet fever, severe toxaemia and septicaemia have not been reported in the post-antibiotic era.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1988 Nov, (11), 82 - 4
{STP (the substance produced by a strain of Streptococcus sp . Thom-1606) as a stimulant of the nonspecific resistance of the macroorganism}; Savranskaia SIa et al.; Preparation STP, a new immunostimulating agent, is a substance produced by Streptococcus strain sp . Thom-1606 and capable of enhancing the nonspecific activity of the body as shown in animal experiments . The optimal dose-time parameters of the administration of the immunostimulator have been established by the method of the mathematical planning of experiments . As a result, the survival of all animals used in the experiment has been achieved . Mouse peritoneal macrophages have been found to form the population of target cells whose phagocytic activity is enhanced under the effect of the immunostimulating agent STP.

Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1988 Nov, 269(3), 366 - 76
Tissue cages for study of experimental streptococcal infection in rabbits . III . Influence of immunization with erythrogenic toxin type A (ET A) and its toxoid on subsequent infection with an ET A producing strain; Knoll H et al.; Purified erythrogenic toxin type A (ET A) and the corresponding toxoid, prepared by formalin treatment, were used for the immunization of rabbits (200 micrograms per rabbit) . The impact of anti-erythrogenic toxin and toxoid immunity was investigated under the conditions of experimental infection with the ET A-producing Streptococcus pyogenes strain SF 130 (type 1) . Whereas non of the immunized rabbits (n = 14) died after infection, 40% of nonimmunized animals did not survive (Table 1) . The increase of the spleen weight after infection was significantly smaller in the immunized groups (Table 2) . The immunized rabbits responded after infection with a significantly lower increase of fever which did not exceed 0.8 degree C (2 degrees C in infected non-immunized animals) . Humoral antibodies to ET A were detected after immunization by means of ELISA . The challenge infection acted as a booster leading to a further increase of antibodies . The antibodies were found to be neutralizing the nonspecific mitogenicity of ET A in vitro in relation to the antibody titer . Cell-mediated immunity was tested in the lymphocyte transformation reaction with peripheral lymphocytes . The nonspecific mitogenicity of ET A, ET B, ET C and Con A was pronounced after immunization, whereas the nonimmunized rabbits responded to these antigens to a lower degree . The toxoid was found to be nonmitogenic . The altogether higher lymphocyte stimulation was also observed using spleen lymphocytes of immunized animals after infection.

Mol Gen Genet, 1988 Nov, 214(3), 595 - 600
Identification, cloning and sequence of the Streptococcus faecium infB (translational initiation factor IF2) gene; Friedrich K et al.; The structural gene for translational initiation factor IF2 (infB) from Streptococcus faecium was identified by cross-hybridization with DNA probes derived from the corresponding gene of Bacillus stearothermophilus . The entire infB gene (ca . 2.8 kb) was cloned and sequenced . The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence shows that S . faecium initiation factor IF2 (785 amino acids, Mr 86,415) displays extensive homology (ca . 69% and 53%) with the region comprising three-quarters of the molecule from the carboxy-terminus of B . stearothermophilus and Escherichia coli IF2, respectively . The region comprising one-quarter of the molecule from the amino-terminus, on the other hand, does not display any significant homology.

J Infect, 1988 Nov, 17(3), 259 - 63
Pyomyositis--an under-reported disease in temperate climates; Farrag N et al.; Two cases of pyomyositis were seen over a period of 2 weeks . Both patients were young local residents in whom large amounts of pus were found deep within skeletal muscles . The first case had an unusual presentation involving more than one muscle . The causative organism in the first case was Staphylococcus aureus . In the second case it was Streptococcus pyogenes.

Equine Vet J, 1988 Nov, 20(6), 435 - 7
Opsonins in uterine washings influencing in vitro activity of equine neutrophils; Watson ED; Uterine washings were found to promote neutrophil mediated killing of Streptococcus zooepidemicus . Depletion of complement and/or specific antibody from the washings significantly reduced bactericidal activity . Phagocytosis of yeast by uterine washings was complement dependent . Inhibition of the classical pathway significantly reduced opsonic activity indicating that, in addition to direct activation via the alternate pathway, antibody may also be involved in yeast phagocytosis.

Ophthalmology, 1988 Nov, 95(11), 1504 - 8
Bacterial keratitis after penetrating keratoplasty; Al-Hazzaa SA et al.; Bacterial keratitis continues to be a serious problem in developing countries . The authors studied 881 patients who had undergone penetrating keratoplasty (total of 947 procedures) from January 1983 to March 1986 at the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudia Arabia . All patients were followed for at least 6 months . Clinical evidence of bacterial keratitis developed in 113 (11.9%) eyes with penetrating keratoplasties in 108 patients . The causative organisms among those patients included: Streptococcus pneumoniae, 29 (26%); Staphylococcus epidermidis, 24 (21%); Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 13 (12%); Staphylococcus aureus, 5 (4%); Hemophilus influenzae, 5 (4%); Moraxella spp, 5 (4%); alpha-hemolytic streptococcus, 5 (4%); and other bacteria, 27 (25%) . In addition, postoperative epithelial defects that required hospital admission for treatment developed in 21 (2.2%) patients . Herpetic keratitis developed in three (0.3%) patients and fungal keratitis developed in 1 (0.1%) . Statistically significant predisposing risk factors included: trichiasis (P less than 0.0001), epithelial defects (P less than 0.0001), soft contact lens wear (P less than 0.0001), and eroding sutures (P less than 0.0001) . The authors believe that the incidence of postoperative bacterial keratitis can be minimized or avoided by appropriate selection of patients for penetrating keratoplasties as well as good preoperative and postoperative management of associated ocular conditions.

Pediatr Res, 1988 Nov, 24(5), 628 - 32
Demonstration of opsonic and protective activity of human cord sera against type III group B streptococcus that are independent of type-specific antibody; Kim KS et al.; In an effort to further understand the host defense against group B streptococcus (GBS), we examined 71 human cord sera for their content of type III GBS IgG antibody by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and correlated the results with opsonic and protective activity against type III GBS . Most cord sera (67%) containing greater than 0.1 microgram/ml of type III GBS IgG antibody promoted phagocytosis and killing in vitro and protection against type III GBS in neonatal rats . However, 26% of cord sera containing less than 0.1 microgram/ml of type III IgG antibody exhibited similar activity in vitro and in vivo against type III GBS . This opsonic and protective activity was retained in IgG fraction of whole serum, and was not directly associated with complement activity or with fibronectin . Further studies are needed to understand the mechanisms responsible for the opsonic and protective activity of some cord sera against type III GBS that may be independent of antibody to the type-specific polysaccharide antigen.

J Surg Oncol, 1988 Nov, 39(3), 154 - 8
Relationship of surveillance cultures to bacteremia and fungemia in bone marrow transplant recipients with Hickman or Broviac catheters; Rotstein C et al.; A total of 64 episodes of bacteremia and fungemia were documented in 25 allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients . Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most common pathogens recovered, with 34 of the 39 isolated being methicillin resistant . Streptococcus viridans (11 episodes), diphtheroids (5 episodes), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4 episodes) accounted for the majority of the other pathogens causing bacteremia . Six episodes of fungemia were also seen . Coagulase-negative staphylococci were demonstrated in 31 of 36 (86%) throat cultures, 25 of 35 (71%) stool cultures, and 6 of 7 (86%) Hickman or Broviac catheter exit site surveillance cultures prior to the development of bacteremia caused by these organisms . Throat surveillance cultures positive for S . viridans also showed a correlation (88%) with subsequent S . viridans bacteremia . However, surveillance cultures for aerobic gram-negative bacilli, diphtheroids, and fungi did not correlate with subsequent septicemia . Organisms isolated in throat surveillance cultures correlated with subsequent bacteremia caused by these organisms in only 15% of all the cultures taken, while only 14% of stool cultures predicted bacteremia . The utility of surveillance cultures is limited because of low cost-effectiveness and a high rate of false-positive results.

J Bacteriol, 1988 Nov, 170(11), 5177 - 84
Molecular cloning, sequencing, and mapping of the bacteriophage T2 dam gene; Miner Z et al.; Bacteriophage T2 codes for a DNA-(adenine-N6)methyltransferase (Dam), which is able to methylate both cytosine- and hydroxymethylcytosine-containing DNAs to a greater extent than the corresponding methyltransferase encoded by bacteriophage T4 . We have cloned and sequenced the T2 dam gene and compared it with the T4 dam gene . In the Dam coding region, there are 22 nucleotide differences, 4 of which result in three coding differences (2 are in the same codon) . Two of the amino acid alterations are located in a region of homology that is shared by T2 and T4 Dam, Escherichia coli Dam, and the modification enzyme of Streptococcus pneumoniae, all of which methylate the sequence 5' GATC 3' . The T2 dam and T4 dam promoters are not identical and appear to have slightly different efficiencies; when fused to the E . coli lacZ gene, the T4 promoter produces about twofold more beta-galactosidase activity than does the T2 promoter . In our first attempt to isolate T2 dam, a truncated gene was cloned on a 1.67-kilobase XbaI fragment . This construct produces a chimeric protein composed of the first 163 amino acids of T2 Dam followed by 83 amino acids coded by the pUC18 vector . Surprisingly, the chimera has Dam activity, but only on cytosine-containing DNA . Genetic and physical analyses place the T2 dam gene at the same respective map location as the T4 dam gene . However, relative to T4, T2 contains an insertion of 536 base pairs 5' to the dam gene . Southern blot hybridization and computer analysis failed to reveal any homology between this insert and either T4 or E . coli DNA.

Carbohydr Res, 1988 Nov 1, 182(2), 277 - 86
Reduction of the adherence of Streptococcus sobrinus insoluble alpha-D-glucan by endo-(1----3)-alpha-D-glucanase; Inoue M et al.; Insoluble alpha-D-glucan, previously formed on a glass surface from sucrose by the action of cell-free D-glucosyltransferases of Streptococcus sobrinus OMZ176, was significantly removed by a purified preparation of endo-(1----3)-alpha-D-glucanase (mutanase) from a strain of Pseudomonas sp . Almost complete dissociation of adherent glucan occurred at the highest enzyme concentration (40 mU/mL) tested . Synthesis and de novo adherence on glass of the glucan was markedly inhibited by the presence of mutanase, even at low concentrations (4 mU/mL or less) . When compared to native glucan, the mutanase-modified glucan samples (a) contained lower proportion of D-(1----3) linkages; (b) showed lower susceptibility to mutanase and higher susceptibility to (1----6)-alpha-D-glucanase (dextranase); (c) contained larger amounts of low-molecular-weight fractions; (d) had lower intrinsic viscosities; (e) showed higher S . sobrinus cell-agglutinating activities; and (f) consisted of looser entwinement of coalescent single-stranded fibrils (a major component) and shorter double-stranded fibrils (a minor one).

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1988 Nov, 54(11), 2742 - 9
Fermentation of peptides and amino acids by a monensin-sensitive ruminal Peptostreptococcus; Chen GJ et al.; A monensin-sensitive ruminal peptostreptococcus was able to grow rapidly (growth rate of 0.5/h) on an enzymatic hydrolysate of casein, but less than 23% of the amino acid nitrogen was ever utilized . When an acid hydrolysate was substituted for the enzymatic digest, more than 31% of the nitrogen was converted to ammonia and cell protein . Coculture experiments and synergisms with peptide-degrading strains of Bacteroides ruminicola and Streptococcus bovis indicated that the peptostreptococcus was unable to transport certain peptides or hydrolyze them extracellularly . Leucine, serine, phenylalanine, threonine, and glutamine were deaminated at rates of 349, 258, 102, 95, and 91 nmol/mg of protein per min, respectively . Deamination rates for some other amino acids were increased when the amino acids were provided as pairs of oxidized and reduced amino acids (Stickland reactions), but these rates were still less than 80 nmol/mg of protein per min . In continuous culture (dilution rate of 0.1/h), bacterial dry matter and ammonia production decreased dramatically at a pH of less than 6.0 . When dilution rates were increased from 0.08 to 0.32/h (pH 7.0), ammonia production increased while production of bacterial dry matter and protein decreased . These rather peculiar kinetics resulted in a slightly negative estimate of maintenance energy and could not be explained by a change in fermentation products . Approximately 80% of the cell dry matter was protein . When corrections were made for cell composition, the yield of ATP was higher than the theoretical maximum value . It is possible that mechanisms other than substrate-level phosphorylation contributed to the energetics of growth.

J Med Microbiol, 1988 Nov, 27(3), 191 - 8
Pathogenicity of capsulate and non-capsulate members of Bacteroides fragilis and B . melaninogenicus groups in mixed infection with Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pyogenes; Brook I; The relationships between capsulate and non-capsulate Bacteroides fragilis strains and Escherichia coli, and between capsulate and non-capsulate strains of the B . melaninogenicus group and Streptococcus pyogenes, were studied in a subcutaneous abscess model in mice . Selective antimicrobial agents directed against either aerobic or anaerobic bacteria were used alone or in combination to explore the effect of eradication of one component of the mixed infection . Single agent therapy effective against both aerobic and anaerobic flora was also employed . Single therapy of mixed infection directed at the elimination of only one organism (S . pyogenes, E . coli or Bacteroides sp.) caused significant reductions in the numbers of sensitive organisms and also smaller yet significant decreases in the numbers of insensitive organisms . However, the abscesses were not eliminated after such therapy . Combination therapy or use of a single agent (cefoxitin) directed against the aerobic and anaerobic components of the infection was more effective . Non-capsulate Bacteroides spp . became capsulate after passage in mice mixed with either S . pyogenes or E . coli . Therapy directed at the elimination of S . pyogenes and E . coli did not prevent the emergence of capsulate Bacteroides spp . These data demonstrate the synergy between all members of the B . fragilis group and E . coli and between the B . melaninogenicus group and S . pyogenes, and reiterate the need to direct antimicrobial therapy at the eradication of the aerobic and anaerobic components of mixed infections.

Infect Immun, 1988 Nov, 56(11), 2984 - 9
Mutants of Actinomyces viscosus T14V lacking type 1, type 2, or both types of fimbriae; Cisar JO et al.; Mutants of Actinomyces viscosus T14V lacking type 1 or type 2 fimbriae or both were selected by their failure to react with rabbit antibodies against either or both fimbrial antigens . Immunospecific double labeling with iron dextran and ferritin-conjugated antibodies showed two types of fimbriae on individual cells of the parent organism, a single type on mutant strains with type 1+2- and type 1-2+ fimbriae and no labeled or unlabeled fimbriae on a type 1-2- fimbria-deficient strain . The mutational loss of one fimbrial antigen did not appear to affect expression of the other, since bacteria with one or two types of fimbriae bound similar amounts of a monoclonal antibody directed against the fimbrial antigen present on both bacterial phenotypes . The strong adsorption of strains with type 1+2+ or 1+2- fimbriae to saliva-treated hydroxyapatite and weak adsorption of those with type 1-2+ or no fimbriae was consistent with the known involvement of type 1 fimbriae in this attachment process . Similarly, the A . viscosus lectin was clearly associated with the expression of type 2 fimbriae, since only the strains with type 1+2+ or 1-2+ fimbriae participated in lactose-sensitive coaggregations with Streptococcus sanguis 34 . Further studies using the fimbria-deficient mutant strains showed that aggregation of A . viscosus T14V in the presence of sialidase-treated human saliva involved both types of fimbriae, whereas neither type was required for the lactose-resistant coaggregation of the organism with certain streptococcal strains.

Infect Immun, 1988 Nov, 56(11), 2866 - 70
Tn916 insertional inactivation of multiple genes on the chromosome of Streptococcus mutans GS-5; Procino JK et al.; Streptococcus mutans GS-5 was transformed with the Escherichia coli plasmid pAM150 containing the cloned streptococcal transposon Tn916 . Southern blot analyses with the tetracycline-resistant determinant of Tn916 showed that Tn916 was inserted into the chromosome of S . mutans at a variety of different sites . Tn916 insertions resulted in the inactivation of genes that code for various steps in the biosynthesis of several different amino acids . Two auxotrophs which contained a single copy of Tn916 were shown to revert to prototrophy at frequencies of about 10(-8) . All of the revertant prototrophs were susceptible to tetracycline, indicating regeneration of the functional gene by excision of Tn916.

Presse Med, 1988 Oct 26, 17(37), 1974 - 6
{Ceftazidime for the treatment of infections in neutropenic children}; Leverger G et al.; Ceftazidime in doses of 100 mg/kg/day was used, combined with netilmicin 6 mg/kg/day, as first-line treatment in two successive studies conducted on febrile neutropenic children (neutrophils less than 500/mm3) . Study n . 1, performed at the Infantile Haematology unit of Saint Louis hospital, Paris, included 75 children . Study n . 2 was a multicentre study involving 88 children from 11 medical centres . The children's age in both studies ranged from 2 months to 16 1/2 years (mean 7 years) . The percentage of bacteriologically documented febrile episodes was 45 per cent (34/75 and 39/88), and the most frequent infections were those caused by Gram-positive cocci (56 and 58 per cent respectively of the cases) . Vancomycin 40 mg/kg/day was introduced if fever was still present 48 hours after the beginning of the antibiotic therapy . Effective treatments were continued until the neutropenia was corrected . These children were being treated for acute leukaemia, lymphoma, solid tumours or bone marrow aplasia . In study n . 1 apyrexia was obtained in 85 per cent of the cases with the ceftazidime-netilmicin combination and in 91 per cent of the cases after addition of vancomycin . The initial therapy was effective in all patients with a documented infection . There were tow super-infections with septicaemia: one due to Streptococcus D, the other to Staph . epidermidis . In study n . 2 73 per cent of the patients were apyretic after the first combination and 85 per cent after vancomycin was introduced . In proven infections the ceftazidime-netilmicin combination was effective in 30 cases and in another 6 cases after addition of vancomycin . Three patients remained febrile until they came out of aplasia . In all cases the bacterial cultures were sterilized by the ceftazidime-netilmicin combination . There was no superinfection . The mean duration of antibiotic therapy was 21 days in study n . 1 and 14 days in study n . 2 . The drugs were perfectly tolerated both clinically and biochemically . No death occurred in the two studies . Thus, owing to its broad spectrum, effectiveness and safety ceftazidime is a very useful antibiotic when combined with netilmicin as first-line treatment of febrile neutropenic children.

Dtsch Med Wochenschr, 1988 Oct 21, 113(42), 1642 - 3
{Systemic infection caused by Streptococcus suis}; Kaufhold A et al.; Streptococcus suis type 2 was isolated from blood and cerebrospinal fluid in a 49-year-old butcher as the causative organism of a generalized septic infection with meningeal involvement . High-dosage penicillin G treatment quickly terminated the fever and all neurological signs disappeared completely . Streptococcus suis type 2 causes a zoonosis, which usually occurs as an occupational disease among those handling pigs or pork (farmers, butchers etc.) . Sequelae of such infection not rarely are damage to the VIIIth cranial nerve, especially loss of hearing.

Carbohydr Res, 1988 Oct 15, 182(1), 111 - 7
Structural studies of the capsular polysaccharide from Streptococcus pneumoniae type 2, a reinvestigation; Jansson PE et al.; The structure of the capsular polysaccharide from Streptococcus pneumoniae type 2 has been reinvestigated, specific degradations and n.m.r . spectroscopy being the main methods used . It is concluded that the polysaccharide is composed of hexasaccharide repeating-units having the following structure, which differs from that previously proposed . formula; see text)

Carbohydr Res, 1988 Oct 15, 182(1), 79 - 99
Application of high-resolution n.m.r . spectroscopy to the elucidation of the structure of the specific capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 7F; Moreau M et al.; The specific capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 7F (American type 51) is a high-molecular-weight neutral polymer composed of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, D-glucose, D-galactose, L-rhamnose, and 2-O-acetyl-L-rhamnose residues . N.m.r . spectroscopy (1H and 13C), in conjunction with composition and methylation analyses, and periodate oxidation data, showed the polysaccharide to be a branched polymer with a repeating heptasaccharide unit having the following structure . (formula; see text)

J Biol Chem, 1988 Oct 15, 263(29), 14696 - 702
Proteins encoded by the DpnI restriction gene cassette . Hyperproduction and characterization of the DpnI endonuclease; de la Campa AG et al.; Insertion mutations in the DpnI gene cassette of Streptococcus pneumoniae indicated that the two genes it contains, dpnC and dpnD, were transcribed from an adjacent promoter and that only dpnC was necessary for expression of the DpnI endonuclease . Large amounts of the DpnI endonuclease were produced from the cloned cassette in an Escherichia coli expression system, and the enzyme was purified to homogeneity . The DpnI endonuclease is composed of a single polypeptide of 30 kDa, which, as shown by NH2-terminal sequencing of the protein, is encoded by the entire dpnC open reading frame . The native protein sedimented as a monomer of 30 kDa in 0.5 M NaCl . A protein composed of a 20-kDa polypeptide, which is presumably encoded by dpnD, was also produced in large amounts . It was partially purified, but its function is unknown . Examination of the predicted amino acid sequence of DpnI revealed a potential metal-containing, DNA-binding finger structure . It is suggested that this structure provides the specificity for recognition of the methylated DNA sequence, 5'-GmATC-3', that is cleaved by the DpnI endonuclease.

Infect Immun, 1988 Oct, 56(10), 2594 - 600
Starvation-induced stimulation of sugar uptake in Streptococcus mutans is due to an effect on the activities of preexisting proteins of the phosphotransferase system; Lodge J et al.; We examined the effects of sugar concentration in the medium on sugar uptake and phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) activities in Streptococcus mutants GS-5 . Kinetic analyses of sucrose uptake in cells harvested under conditions of sucrose excess or sucrose limitation showed that increased uptake under the latter condition was almost completely due to an increase in the Vmax of the high-affinity PTS . In a series of experiments in which cells growing under conditions of sucrose or glucose excess were shifted to a medium lacking sugar, starvation resulted in a stimulation of sugar uptake and a parallel increase in PTS activity . These starvation-induced increases in PTS-mediated uptake were not affected by the presence of either chloramphenicol or rifampin during the starvation period, indicating that neither protein nor RNA synthesis was necessary for the stimulation . In vivo labeling experiments with 32Pi revealed that uptake stimulation during starvation was accompanied by a loss of acid-stable phosphate covalently bound to the phosphocarrier protein HPr of the PTS . We conclude, therefore, that stimulation of PTS-mediated uptake of sucrose and glucose during sugar limitation in S . mutans GS-5 is at least partially the result of increased activities of preexisting PTS proteins and that this may be due, at least in part, to dephosphorylation of a previously identified site in S . mutans HPr that can be phosphorylated by an ATP-dependent kinase.

Aust N Z J Med, 1988 Oct, 18(6), 754 - 7
The role of percutaneous lung aspiration in the bacteriological diagnosis of pneumonia in adults; Barnes DJ et al.; In a prospective study of 175 adults with acute pneumonia, percutaneous lung aspiration (PLA) was performed in 144 in an attempt to obtain a bacteriological diagnosis . Positive cultures were obtained from PLA in 90/144 cases (62.5%) . The most common organisms isolated were Streptococcus pneumoniae (60%) gram-negative bacilli including Hemophilus influenzae (26%) and Staphylococcus aureus (11%) . In 39% of those patients with positive PLA cultures, the same organism was isolated on blood cultures . Complications of PLA were uncommon, with hemoptysis in 4% and chest wall hematoma in 0.7% of patients . The incidence of post-aspirate pneumothorax was not determined in this study . PLA was found to be a safe and effective method of obtaining a bacteriological diagnosis in adult patients with pneumonia.

Community Dent Oral Epidemiol, 1988 Oct, 16(5), 289 - 91
Caries prevalence and severity in the primary dentition and Streptococcus mutans levels in the saliva of preschoolchildren in South Africa; Chosack A et al.; The caries prevalence (dmft) and severity (css) in 3-, 4-, and 5-yr-old children in South Africa were examined . Four levels of S . mutans in the saliva of 228 of these children was estimated by the spatula method . In all three age groups a statistically higher dmft and css was found with a S . mutans level of greater than 10(6) CFU/ml in saliva than at lower concentrations . At age 5 ANOVA showed significant differences between dmft and css at all S . mutans levels . A high concentration of S . mutans in the saliva may be an indicator of the high risk child at an early age.

Lab Anim, 1988 Oct, 22(4), 304 - 8
Serodiagnosis of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in guinea pigs by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Matsubara J et al.; Guineapig antibodies to Streptococcus pneumoniae (SPN) serotype 19F were detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a simple procedure . In experimentally infected hosts, antibody was detectable as early as 2 to 3 weeks after infection, and high titres were maintained for a long period . Antibodies higher than 1:64 were regarded as specific . In a field study, high antibody titres were shown in SPN enzootic colonies in contrast to negative or low antibody titres in a majority of the animals from non-enzootic and SPF colonies.

Jpn J Antibiot, 1988 Oct, 41(10), 1503 - 16
{Clinical studies of rokitamycin dry syrup on skin and soft tissue infections in the pediatric fields}; Motohiro T et al.; Rokitamycin (RKM) dry syrup, a newly developed macrolide antibiotic, was administered to children with ages between 6 months and 15 years and 10 months suffering from skin and soft tissue infections including 41 cases of impetigo, one case of staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) and 2 cases of subcutaneous abscess totalling 44 cases . The average daily dose level used was 31.3 mg/kg divided into 3 or 4 doses, for an average of 6 days of treatment . MICs of 4 different macrolide antibiotics including RKM, erythromycin (EM), josamycin (JM) and midecamycin acetate (MDM acetate) were determined against 32 bacterial strains isolated from these cases including 30 strains of Staphylococcus aureus and 2 strains of Streptococcus pyogenes . The inoculum level used was 10(6) cells/ml . Among these strains of bacteria, 20 strains of S . aureus and 1 strain of S . pyogenes were also used, at the same inoculum size, for the determination of MICs of 4 beta-lactam antibiotics including 3 different penicillins such as ampicillin (ABPC), methicillin (DMPPC) and cloxacillin (MCIPC) and cefaclor (CCL), a cephem antibiotic . RKM was then evaluated through the above treatment for its clinical efficacy, bacteriological effects, side effects and effects on laboratory test values . Obtained results are summarized as follows . 1 . Activities of drugs tested were compared to each other . MIC90 of RKM against S . aureus averaged 0.39 microgram/ml, and against no strains of S . aureus showed MIC values of higher than 25 micrograms/ml, thus, the antibacterial activity of RKM against S . aureus was the highest among the 8 drugs tested . The activity of MCIPC was next highest followed by that of DMPPC, MIC determination was done on only 2 strains, or, for some drugs, only one strain, of S . pyogenes, and RKM showed activities somewhat lower than ABPC and EM, and similar to JM and CCL within the limited testing . 2 . Clinical efficacies of RKM determined by doctors in charge were 97.6% in the 41 cases of impetigo, with good or excellent efficacies were observed, 100% in the single case of SSSS and the 2 cases of subcutaneous abscess . Thus an overall efficacy on the 44 cases was rated very high, at 97.7% . 3 . Clinical efficacy rating according to accumulated scores was determinable in 37 cases including all the 3 diseases on the third day of treatment with an efficacy rate of 89.2% . Ratings were determinable on the fifth and the seventh days of treatment in 24 and 21 cases, respectively, with all the cases judged good or excellent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Scand J Dent Res, 1988 Oct, 96(5), 390 - 2
Effect of copper fluoride and copper sulfate on dental plaque, Streptococcus mutans and caries in hamsters; Maltz M et al.; Topical applications of 10 mM CuF2, 10 mM CuSO4, or 20 mM NaF solutions were performed twice a day in hamsters infected with S . mutans and maintained on a high sucrose diet . Animals receiving the copper compounds exhibited lower plaque scores than control animals or animals treated with the NaF solution . The group receiving the CuF2 solution showed a lower number of S . mutans and a higher caries reduction than the groups treated with NaF or the non-fluoride compound CuSO4.

J Med Microbiol, 1988 Oct, 27(2), 109 - 16
Assessment of the pathogenicity of bacterial species isolated from acute dentoalveolar abscesses; Lewis MA et al.; The pathogenicity of 20 strains belonging to nine bacterial species isolated from acute dentoalveolar abscesses was assessed individually and in two species combinations by subcutaneous inoculation of mice . Infections were produced by all the bacteria although variations were seen both in the type of lesion produced and the subsequent recovery of viable bacteria . Anaerobic gram-negative bacilli were recovered more often (p less than 0.05) at high concentrations (10(6)-10(9) cfu/ml) and produced a localised abscess with peripheral necrosis more frequently (p less than 0.001) than either Streptococcus milleri or anaerobic gram-positive cocci . Lesions induced by a combination of bacteria comprising anaerobic gram-negative bacillus and any other species yielded both strains at high concentration more often (p less than 0.001) than a combination comprising anaerobic gram-positive cocci and S . milleri . It is concluded that anaerobic gram-negative bacilli are major pathogens in acute dentoalveolar abscesses.

J Med Chem, 1988 Oct, 31(10), 2024 - 7
The in vitro dental plaque inhibitory properties of a series of N-{1-alkyl-4(1H)-pyridinylidene}alkylamines; Wentland MP et al.; A series of novel N-{1-alkyl-4(1H)-pyridinylidene}alkylamine hydrohalides has been prepared and evaluated as inhibitors of dental plaque formation, in vitro . Several members of the series exhibited potency ca . 9-fold greater than that of chlorhexidine vs Streptococcus sobrinus 6715-13 . The di-n-octyl analogue, 11 (pirtenidine), was found to be highly efficacious against several other oral plaque-forming microorganisms and is presently undergoing preclinical evaluation.

J Lab Clin Med, 1988 Oct, 112(4), 487 - 97
Analysis of humoral and phagocytic defenses against Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes 1 and 3; Fine DP et al.; To better define relationships among pneumococcal anticapsular antibodies, opsonophagocytosis, and in vivo mouse protection, we measured these functions in sera from healthy individuals who had not received pneumococcal vaccine . For serotype 1 pneumococci, the level of antibody measured by radioimmunoassay did not predict mouse protection, as has been noted by others . For some sera, opsonic requirements for antibody and complement could be clearly demonstrated and a strong correlation obtained between concentration of antibody and degree of phagocytic killing . However, for most sera, antibody concentration did not correlate with opsonic activity, as measured by phagocytic bactericidal assay or uptake of radiolabeled bacteria . Sera with high concentrations of anticapsular antibody did not always support in vitro bacterial killing by leukocytes . Conversely, highly opsonic sera did not necessarily have substantial levels of measurable antibody . Moreover, in vitro opsonophagocytic activity failed to predict in vivo protection; sera could be opsonic in vitro but not protective in vivo and vice versa . For serotype 3 pneumococci, antibody concentrations correlated strongly with mouse protective titers, as has been noted by others for type 3 . Opsonophagocytosis, as measured by leukocyte bactericidal activity, required both complement and heat-stable substance(s) present in high-antibody sera, presumably antibody . Furthermore, increasing concentrations of serum enhanced phagocytic killing in a fashion that could be correlated with anticapsular antibody content . However, correlation with opsonophagocytosis was not so strong as with mouse protection, and there was no correlation between antibody concentration and opsonization as measured by uptake of radiolabeled bacteria . These observations suggest that opsonophagocytosis (with the definitive end point of bacterial killing) cannot be the standard against which to measure antibody concentrations . Furthermore, host protective mechanisms against pneumococci remain to be clearly defined . Even if opsonization by anticapsular antibody is the primary mechanism, there is need for development of improved functional assays of protection.

J Dent Res, 1988 Oct, 67(10), 1342 - 5
The effects of different levels of dietary sucrose on root caries subsequent to gingivectomy in conventional rats infected with Actinomyces viscosus M-100; Firestone AR et al.; Three groups of weanling, Sprague-Dawley-derived rats were inoculated with Actinomyces viscosus M-100 and fed powdered diet containing either 67%, 5%, or 0% confectioner's sugar . Two further groups were fed diet containing 5% confectioner's sugar and inoculated with Streptococcus sobrinus 6715 or S . sobrinus 6715 plus A . viscosus M-100 . The most coronal 1 mm of gingiva was removed from maxillary and mandibular right molar quadrants (gingivectomy), and the animals re-inoculated following gingivectomy . The animals were killed 64 days following gingivectomy, and the lingual surface of mandibular first molar roots was measured for exposed root-surface area and root caries . In the groups of rats infected with A . viscosus M-100, root caries area was significantly greater in the group fed diet containing 67% confectioner's sugar . Sucrose level did not significantly affect the amount of exposed lingual first molar root area regardless of whether the tooth had been subjected to a gingivectomy . In the groups of rats receiving diet containing 5% confectioner's sugar, there were no significant differences in root caries area or exposed root-surface area, regardless of the infection status of the animals . In the rat model presented here, a high level of dietary sucrose was a necessary condition for the initiation of root caries in the absence of other readily fermentable carbohydrates.

J Dent Res, 1988 Oct, 67(10), 1316 - 8
Influence of desalivation in rats on incidence of caries in intact cagemates; Bowen WH et al.; The evidence that dental caries is an infectious and transmitted disease in rodents is unequivocal . However, the factors controlling the transmission of micro-organisms from one animal to another have not been extensively explored . Results from previous studies in our laboratory showed that desalivated animals became infected by Streptococcus sobrinus in a shorter period of time than did intact animals . Furthermore, an additional study in our laboratory showed that animals with intact salivary function caged with desalivated animals harbored more S . sobrinus immediately following establishment of infection than did intact animals housed with other intact animals . Therefore, it seemed appropriate to determine the influence on caries development of caging a desalivated animal with an intact animal . In this study, intact Sprague-Dawley rats were caged with desalivated animals; additional groups of intact animals were housed with chlorhexidine-treated animals that were either intact or desalivated . Although chlorhexidine suppressed both caries development and the level of infection by S . sobrinus, nevertheless, intact animals caged with desalivated animals invariably developed more caries than did intact animals housed with other intact animals . Treating intact animals with chlorhexidine did not affect caries scores in untreated intact cagemates . Overall, the results suggest that a highly acidogenic flora with enhanced virulence (including S . sobrinus) is selected in the desalivated animals; this flora is apparently readily transmitted to intact cagemates, leading to enhanced levels of smooth-surface caries.

J Bacteriol, 1988 Oct, 170(10), 4589 - 93
Kinetic study of a change in intracellular ATP level associated with aerobic catabolism of ethanol by Streptococcus mutans; Fukui K et al.; Streptococcus mutans, a group of lactic acid bacteria and a normal inhabitant of the human oral cavity, generates ATP by substrate-level phosphorylation coupled to oxidation of ethanol (an end product of fermentation of sugars) into acetate in the presence of oxygen (K . Fukui, K . Kato, Kodama, H . Ohta, T . Shima moto, and T . Shimono, Proc . Jpn . Acad . 64B:13-16, 1988) . Kinetic measurements were made of the cellular responses of S . mutans FA-1 to ethanol in comparison with those to glucose . In contrast to oxygen-independent acid production from glucose, oxygen was absolutely required for acid production from ethanol . Ethanol elicited a marked increase in the intracellular ATP concentration (ATPi) from a starved level to a steady level which was held constant as long as oxygen was present in the medium . Once oxygen was exhausted, ATPi returned to the starved level without delay . On the contrary, ATPi changes induced by glucose, which were independent of oxygen, followed a rather complicated time course before a steady level was established . Both the steady ATPi and the rate of accompanying oxygen consumption were functions of the ethanol concentration . These two parameters were linearly correlated, indicating that the unimolecular ATP turnover rate, which is independent of the rate of ATP generation in the steady state, can be calculated for cells energized by ethanol . The estimated turnover rate was 1.5 s-1 at 37 degrees C, which is comparable to that for other bacteria energized by glucose under nongrowing conditions.

J Med Microbiol, 1988 Oct, 27(2), 145 - 51
Serological variation in oral Streptococcus milleri; Yakushiji T et al.; Serological variation in 71 oral isolates and three reference strains of Streptococcus milleri was examined . Antisera were raised by immunising rabbits with cells of 10 selected strains, followed by absorption of non-specific antibodies . Double diffusion of the typing sera and the Rantz and Randall extracts of the strains in agar gel demonstrated that 70 strains were divided into 10 serotypes (a-j) on the basis of cell-surface carbohydrate antigens . Only four strains were untypable . The typing scheme proposed depends on type antigens other than the Lancefield group antigens A, C, F, G and others, although strains belonging to the serotypes a, c and f strictly corresponded to those of the groups A, C and F respectively . Close correlation between the present serotyping scheme and the previously proposed biotyping scheme for S . milleri was demonstrated . Distribution of these strains in dental plaque obtained from young adults was also investigated.

Bioorg Khim, 1988 Oct, 14(10), 1428 - 36
{Synthesis of 6-aminohexylglycosides of a polysaccharide from Streptococcus group A and its fragments}; Tsvetkov IuE et al.; Polycondensation of 4-O-benzoyl-1,2-O-(1-cyanoethylidene)-3-O-(3,4-di-O-benzoyl-2-O-tr ityl-alpha-L- rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-L-rhamnopyranose in the presence of 6-phthalimidohexyl-3,4-di-O-benzoyl-2-O-trityl-alpha-L- rhamnopyranoside affords, after deprotection, the polysaccharide built up of the repeating dissaccharide units----2) Rha (alpha 1----3) Rha (alpha 1----and containing 6-aminohexyl residue at the reducing end . This polysaccharide possesses the structure of the group A-variant streptococcal polysaccharide . Synthesis of 6-aminohexyl glycosides of 2- and 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoses, which corresponds to the repeating units of the above polysaccharide, is described.

Jpn J Antibiot, 1988 Oct, 41(10), 1545 - 9
{Antibacterial activity of human cervical mucus}; Chimura T et al.; The antibacterial activity of human cervical mucus in non pregnant or pregnant women were investigated employing the standard blood agar plates . Antibacterial activity of lysozyme and combined effect of lysozyme with cefmetazole (CMZ) were also investigated . The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1 . Cervical mucus had an antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, but had no antibacterial activity to any other organisms tested . When cervical mucus was heated at 100 degrees C for 5 minutes, its antibacterial activity was lost . 2 . Antibacterial activity of cervical mucus combined with CMZ were obtained against Streptococcus pyogenes only, and no effect was observed against other organisms . 3 . Lysozyme had an antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, B . subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacteroides fragilis, but when combined with CMZ no antibacterial activity was observed.

Med Hypotheses, 1988 Oct, 27(2), 133 - 40
Evolutionary traits in human milk proteins; Bounous G et al.; Human milk has the lowest concentration of protein of any mammalian species . Since the rate of growth of the offspring is negatively related to the protein content of the milk, the time required to double the birth weight is greater in the infant than in any other mammal in which it has been measured . Similarly, in weaned animals, a low protein diet increases the time required to reach maximal growth, senescence and natural death . Human milk protein has the highest whey protein to casein ratio than the milk of any other mammalian species . Our previous experiments have shown that mice fed a 20% whey protein diet exhibit increased resistance to Streptococcus pneumoniae and a humoral immune response significantly higher than that of mice fed most of the commercially available animal and plant proteins in nutritionally similar and adequate formula diets . Other studies have demonstrated that mean and maximal longevity of hamsters fed a 20% whey protein diet is increased in comparison with those fed commercial laboratory feed or a supplemented casein diet of similar nutritional efficiency . Thus, the low protein content and the prevalence of whey protein, which are characteristic features of human milk, are both associated with slow body growth and increased longevity . For human infants, mother's milk is the first and, for most, the only food ingested for a considerable period of time . We, therefore, propose that a trace of Nature's design for the offspring and the evolution of the species can be found in mother's milk.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

J Laryngol Otol, 1988 Oct, 102(10), 890 - 3
Haemolytic streptococcus infection of chronic maxillary sinusitis . An immunological study using the skin window test; Toppozada H; The SWT was performed on 30 patients with chronic haemolytic streptococcus maxillary sinusitis, and 5 controls with no streptococcus in their nose and throat . Foreign and patient's own organism were used as antigen . The lymphoblastic transformation was higher in control streptococcus free patients than in chronic maxillary sinusitis, more when using foreign than patient's own organism . The failure of cellular immune response as a contributory factor to chronicity of maxillary sinusitis is discussed . The possible value of prepared foreign streptococcus vaccine in prevention and treatment is mentioned.

Acta Orthop Scand, 1988 Oct, 59(5), 587 - 8
Pyomyositis presenting as septic arthritis . A report of 2 cases; Andrew JG et al.; Two cases of pyogenic infection of skeletal muscle presented in a fashion that initially suggested a diagnosis of septic arthritis . One infection was caused by Staphylococcus aureus, but the other was caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, which is rarely implicated in pyomyositis . We note that the number of reported cases of pyomyositis in temperate climates has increased in recent years.

Epidemiol Infect, 1988 Oct, 101(2), 347 - 54
Seroepidemiology of group B Streptococcus type II antibody specificity; Gray BM et al.; The specificity of human antibodies for the two major sidechain determinants of the type II group B streptococcal (GBS) polysaccharide was examined in 90 pairs of maternal and cord sera . Using an ELISA system, total antibody was measured against the complete (sialylated) type II antigen and the proportion of antibody against the galactose determinant was estimated by inhibition with free beta-methylgalactopyranoside . Mothers colonized by type II or by other GBS types had higher levels of total specific antibody (means, 3.3 and 4.7 micrograms/ml, respectively) than those not colonized (mean, 2.2 micrograms/ml) . Cord sera averaged 1-2 micrograms/ml lower than maternal sera . Colonization with GBS was also associated with higher levels against the galactose determinant (mean, 1.5 micrograms/ml, compared to 0.7 micrograms/ml for those not colonized) . The distribution of specificities favoured antibodies against the sialic acid determinant in maternal but not cord sera . Specificity as well as antibody level may play a role in the epidemiology of GBS type II.

Am J Pathol, 1988 Oct, 133(1), 139 - 49
Streptococcal cell wall-induced arthritis and flare-up reaction in mice induced by homologous or heterologous cell walls; van den Broek MF et al.; Intra-articular injection of cell walls from the gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes induces an arthritis in both streptococcal cell wall (SCW)-primed and naive mice . This joint inflammation subsides after 2 weeks but it could be reactivated by systemic injection of SCW in a dose-dependent way . The primary arthritis as well as the flare-up reaction were more vehement in immunized than naive mice . Pretreatment with antilymphocyte serum of nonimmunized arthritic mice before systemic challenge completely inhibits the flare-up reaction, suggesting the involvement of lymphocytes in the reactivation . Dose-response studies showed that intravenous challenge with SCW amounts too small to induce a primary arthritis were able to reactivate a chronic arthritis, implying that an inflamed joint is in a hyperreactive state, probably due to locally retained lymphocytes . Arthritis as a result of injection with SCW can be reactivated by fragments of a nonrelated, gram negative endogenous bacterium, Escherichia coli . The latter finding might be of importance for the understanding of the pathogenesis of chronic arthritis: once an arthritis is induced by one bacterium, other (unrelated) bacteria, probably derived from an endogenous source, may be able to reactivate the inflammatory process, thus contributing to chronicity.

Schweiz Med Wochenschr, 1988 Oct 1, 118(39), 1393 - 7
{Clinical spectrum of a common and insidious pathogen: Streptococcus milleri}; Spertini F et al.; We studied the clinical significance of S . milleri isolated in our hospital in 68 patients during a 18-month period . In 51 patients (median age: 43 years, no underlying diseases in 29 patients), the isolates were associated with significant infections . They were beta-hemolytic in 32 cases and non-hemolytic in 19 . The primary infection sites were the head and neck area (21 cases), the lungs (5 cases of pneumonia), the gastrointestinal tract (12 cases), the urogenital tract (3 cases), the soft tissues (6 cases), and the heart (2 endocarditis) . Two septicemias were of unknown origin . Head and neck infections and pneumonia were most often associated with beta-hemolytic strains, and bacteremia, gastrointestinal and urogenital tract infections with alpha-hemolytic strains . S . milleri was found in pure culture in 24 cases . Polymicrobial associated flora (27 cases) was more frequent in the abdominal infections (87%) than in supra-diaphragmatic infections (42%) . Severe complications were observed in 12 head and neck infections (57%) (cerebral abscesses 3, lethal mediastinitis 2, osteitis 1, meningitis 1, other suppurative lesions 5) . When abscesses were present (27 cases), surgery was required in all cases . Despite the high frequency and severity of local complications, the clinical outcome was usually favorable . However, deaths directly related to S . milleri infections occurred in 2 cases of mediastinitis complicating the course of apparently harmless primary infections . Owing to the possible occurrence of life-threatening complications, S . milleri infections require early identification, treatment and surgery when indicated.

J Infect Dis, 1988 Oct, 158(4), 724 - 30
A polyclonal human IgG preparation hyperimmune for type III, group B Streptococcus: in vitro opsonophagocytic activity and efficacy in experimental models; Givner LB et al.; Neonates at risk for disease due to type III, group B Streptococcus (III-GBS) are those born with low serum levels of transplacentally derived, specific III-GBS antibody . Specific antibody is also required in vitro for opsonophagocytosis of III-GBS . Commercially available human immune serum globulins contain only moderate levels of III-GBS antibody . In the present study, IgG that was isolated from the serum of a human volunteer after vaccination with III-GBS polysaccharide contained very high levels of III-GBS antibody . Small amounts of this hyperimmune preparation added in vitro significantly increased the opsonophagocytosis of III-GBS in neonatal sera in the presence of polymorphonuclear leukocytes . Furthermore, small volumes of the preparation were protective in mouse and neonatal rat models of III-GBS disease . The administration of such hyperimmune human IgG preparations should be considered for preventing or treating III-GBS disease in infants.

J Bacteriol, 1988 Oct, 170(10), 4775 - 83
Differences in penicillin-binding proteins of Streptococcus pyogenes and two derived, stabilized L forms; Leon O et al.; The penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) of Streptococcus pyogenes and two of its derived, stabilized (i.e., nonreverting) L forms, an osmotically fragile L form and a physiologic isotonic L form, were compared . The numbers of PBPs in the membranes of these organisms were 6, 4, and 2 for the coccus and the osmotically fragile and physiologic isotonic L forms, respectively . Likewise, the relative amounts of total PBPs were 1.00: 1.48:0.32 for this coccus and the osmotically fragile and physiologic isotonic L forms, respectively . The two largest PBPs (PBPs 1 and 2) of the coccus were absent in both L forms, while the smallest PBPs (PBPs 5 and 6) were found in all three membranes . Deacylation (half-life) of three of the four PBPs in the osmotically fragile L form membrane required a significantly longer time than did deacylation of these presumed identical enzymes in the parental coccal membrane . Conversely, there was no such difference between the only two PBPs of the physiologic isotonic L form and the same coccal membrane proteins . Intact cells of all three organisms secreted PBPs and what appeared to be penicilloic acid and a minimal amount of free penicillin . A greater amount of these PBPs was secreted by both L forms than by the coccus . Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis patterns and ratios of secreted PBPs were identical to those from labeled membrane preparations . These differences are correlated with some of our previous findings and are discussed in terms of inhibition of cell wall synthesis and resulting membrane changes in these two derived, stabilized coccal L forms.

Chemioterapia, 1988 Oct, 7(5), 302 - 5
Usnic acid revisited, its activity on oral flora; Ghione M et al.; The antibacterial activity of usnic acid, the most widely distributed antibiotic among the numerous ones produced by many lichen species has been re-examined and particular attention has been devoted to the activity of optically active forms of usnic acid against Streptococcus mutans . The D(+) enantiomer was found to be more active than the L(+) form and was observed to exert a rather selective activity against S . mutans . Trials carried out in volunteers showed that mouth-rinse with D(+) usnic acid preparations exerted a selective and long lasting action against S . mutans, without substantially altering the equilibrium of normal oral bacterial flora . The adherence of S . mutans to smooth surfaces is not increased by the presence of subinhibiting concentrations of D(+) usnic acid . This is at variance with what has been observed with other antibiotics . These characteristics make D(+) usnic acid a suitable candidate for topical use in oral medicine.

Presse Med, 1988 Oct 1, 17(33), 1689 - 92
{Peritoneo-gluteal suppurative hidradenitis}; Kassab S et al.; Perineo-gluteal hidradenitis suppurativa, or Verneuil's disease, consists of infected and more or less fistulized lesions unconnected with the anal canal, dermo-epidermal nodule and diffuse subcutaneous infiltration . The disease is chronic with acute episodes and periods of stabilization and it interferes with the patient's daily life . The lesions originate in the apocrine sweat glands which are predominantly located in the inguinal, perineal and gluteal regions but may also be found in the axillary, areolar and periumbilical regions . The cause of the disease is unknown, but it has been attributed to an anaerobic Streptococcus, to hormonal factors or to maceration or dysembryoplasia . Treatment consists of wide excision of the lesions followed by a network of skin grafts after a granulation period . Isotretinoin has not yet been proved effective.

Infect Immun, 1988 Oct, 56(10), 2763 - 5
Streptococcus mutans gtfA gene specifies sucrose phosphorylase; Russell RR et al.; The ethanol-insoluble product formed from sucrose by purified enzyme encoded by the gtfA gene from Streptococcus mutans, expressed in recombinant Escherichia coli, was analyzed by 13C and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance . The product was identified as alpha-D-glucose-1-phosphate, and it was concluded that the GTF-A enzyme is sucrose phosphorylase (sucrose:orthophosphate alpha-D-glucosyltransferase {EC 2.4.1.7}).

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1988 Sep 23, 962(2), 241 - 7
In vivo studies on stereospecificity of the monoglyceride kinase, lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase, phosphatidic acid phosphatase and CDP-diglyceride synthase of Streptococcus mutans BHT using the stereoisomers of the ether lipid, dodecylglycerol; Cabacungan EA et al.; Streptococcus mutans BHT metabolizes radioactive 3-dodecyl-sn-glycerol (sn-3-DDG) almost exclusively to lysophosphatidic acid, phosphatidic acid and 1,3-diradyl-sn-glycerol, whereas the cells of this organism metabolize 1-dodecyl-sn-glycerol (sn-1-DDG) to all of the glycerol lipids of S . mutans BHT, with the largest amounts incorporated into phosphatidylglycerol and diradylglycerol (mostly the 1,2- but also the 1,3-isomer) . (The common names of lipids, such as phosphatidic acid, are used in the broader sense to mean that the lipid may contain alkyl as well as acyl groups.) The addition of an equivalent amount of nonradioactive sn-3-DDG to radioactive sn-1-DDG causes more of the radioactivity to accumulate at phosphatidic acid . These results indicate that the monoglyceride kinase (EC 2.7.1.94), lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.40) and the monoglyceride acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.22) enzymatic reactions are not stereospecific, and that the CDP-diglyceride synthase (EC 2.7.7.41) and phosphatidic acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.4) metabolic steps are stereospecific in S . mutans BHT . The synthesis of phosphatidic acid and lysophosphatidic acid from sn-3-DDG provides a unique method for synthesizing these glycerol lipids with the uncommon stereochemical configuration in which the phosphate moiety is in the sn-1 position.

Gene, 1988 Sep 15, 69(1), 101 - 9
Sequence analysis of the gtfC gene from Streptococcus mutans GS-5; Ueda S et al.; The nucleotide sequence of the gtfC gene, which codes for glucosyltransferase synthesizing both water-soluble and water-insoluble glucans, and its flanking regions from Streptococcus mutans GS-5, was determined . Although the gtfC gene (4218 bp) is preceded by a Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence, a promoter-like sequence for this gene could not be identified . The gtfC gene product composed of 1375 amino acid residues (approx . 153 kDa) is generally hydrophilic with three small hydrophobic domains . Two direct repeating units were found near the C terminus of the peptide . The gtfC gene has extensive homology with the previously sequenced gtfB gene . The homologous regions correspond to the signal sequence, an internal region, and the direct repeating units of the peptide . An open reading frame preceded by an SD sequence and followed by an inverted repeat sequence was found immediately downstream from the gtfC gene . The combined sequences of the gtfB and gtfC genes as well as flanking regions suggest that the two gtf genes and the small downstream coding region could be coordinately expressed within an operon . The possible evolution of the gtfC gene in S . mutans GS-5 is also discussed.

Biochemistry, 1988 Sep 6, 27(18), 6820 - 9
Structural analysis of the specific capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 45 (American type 72); Moreau M et al.; The specific capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 45 (American type 72) was found to be a high molecular weight polymer composed of D-galactose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-L-fucose, L-rhamnose, glycerol, and phosphate (2:1:1:1:1:1:1) . Partial hydrolysis, dephosphorylation, methylation analysis, periodate oxidation studies, and one- and two-dimensional 1H and 13C high-field nuclear magnetic resonance experiments showed the polysaccharide to be a branched polymer of a 1-phosphoglycerol-substituted hexasaccharide repeating unit having the structure: (formula; see text).

Arch Pathol Lab Med, 1988 Sep, 112(9), 932 - 4
Sudden death due to left coronary artery occlusion in infective endocarditis; Dowling GP et al.; A 44-year-old man died suddenly, shortly after admission to the hospital with complaints of abdominal pain . Medical history was significant for chronic alcoholism and homozygous hemoglobin C disease . Autopsy revealed vegetations on the aortic valve, especially on the left coronary cusp . There was anomalous origin of the coronary arteries from the left sinus of Valsalva . The large vegetation on the left coronary cusp had extended into the left main-stem coronary artery and obstructed it . There was evidence of prior embolization to the right coronary artery with mycotic aneurysm formation and myocardial infarction . Other lesions included a cerebral artery mycotic aneurysm and metastatic abscesses within the myocardium and spleen . Although the aortic valve was free of underlying chronic pathology, the causative organism was Streptococcus viridans . This case illustrates several unusual, and, in some instances, unique findings in infective endocarditis.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1988 Sep, 85(18), 6667 - 71
Covalent modification of the beta-1,4-N-acetylmuramoylhydrolase of Streptococcus faecium with 5-mercaptouridine monophosphate; Dolinger DL et al.; Purified beta-1,4-N-acetylmuramoylhydrolase (muramidase-1; EC 3.2.1.17) of Streptococcus faecium ATCC 9790 has been shown to be covalently substituted with approximately 12 mol equivalents of monomeric 5-mercaptouridine monophosphate . All 12 residues are present on the proteolytically processed 87-kDa active form of the enzyme . A peptide fragment containing 5-mercaptouridine, tyrosine, alanine, glycine, and leucine was isolated consistent with an O-phosphate linkage of the nucleotide to tyrosine.

J Surg Res, 1988 Sep, 45(3), 327 - 32
Splenic autotransplantation: determination of the optimum amount required for maximum survival; Steely WM et al.; Splenic salvage in cases of traumatic or iatrogenic injuries may require autotransplantation of splenic fragments when splenorrhaphy or partial splenectomy is not possible . There are no studies which address the issue concerning the optimal amount of spleen to be transplanted in order to yield maximal survival in a model of pneumococcal sepsis . This study uses a Sprague-Dawley rat model to attempt to clarify this issue . Animals were divided into seven groups: control, total splenectomy, 25, 40, 60, 80, and 100% omental pouch autotransplantation . These animals were challenged with intravenous Streptococcus pneumonia Type I after 24 weeks, and mortality and blood culture results were monitored . Transplants were recovered and weights were compared with the weights originally transplanted . Survival and blood culture results were seen to improve in a linear quantitative fashion as the amount of spleen autotransplanted increased up to 80%, after which no further improvement was seen . This data supports the autotransplantation of 80% of the spleen in the Sprague-Dawley rat as the optimum amount to achieve maximal survival in a model of pneumococcal sepsis.

Infect Immun, 1988 Sep, 56(9), 2424 - 9
Separation and characterization of a 14,000-dalton cyanogen bromide-generated peptide from a 185,000-dalton streptococcal antigen; Bergmeier LA et al.; The cell surface streptococcal antigen (SA) (185,000 molecular weight {185K SA}) was isolated from Streptococcus mutans and digested with cyanogen bromide . Three major products with molecular weights of 100,000, 50,000, and 14,000 appeared within 1 h of digestion . Time course studies of digestion by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed maximal intensity of the 14K band after 8 h . However, other bands appeared as well, notably 70K and 20K bands . Several bands were eluted from the gels, and their antigenicity was studied . They reacted with antisera to the native 185K SA I/II, as well as with those to the SA I and SA II antigens, though antibody binding by radioimmunoassay was significantly lower than that with the native SA . The 14K SA was identified on Western blots (immunoblots) with anti-SA I/II, I, and II antisera . The digested SAs were then tested for their immunogenicity by injecting CBA mice with the separated SA mixed in complete Freund adjuvant . Whereas the unseparated cyanogen bromide-treated SA and separated 70K and 20K SAs were immunogenic, the 14K SA failed to elicit serum antibodies . Further investigation of the 14K SA revealed that although it is apparently not immunogenic, it can induce a primary antibody response in mice when followed by the native 185K SA and a secondary response when mice are immunized first with the 185K SA.

Microb Pathog, 1988 Sep, 5(3), 159 - 67
Protein serotyping of Streptococcus pneumoniae based on reactivity to six monoclonal antibodies; Waltman WD 2nd et al.; Six monoclonal antibodies to proteins of Streptococcus pneumoniae were tested in a dot blot assay for reactivity with 499 clinical isolates of pneumococci . Forty-four percent of the isolates reacted with at least one of the antibodies . Nineteen patterns of reactivity were identified and each designated as a provisional protein serotype . Protein serotyping identified pneumococcal strains independently of their capsular type and made it possible to differentiate strains within most capsular types . A protein serotyping system provides a new dimension to the phenotypic identification of S . pneumoniae and may eventually provide a basis for assessing the population structure of these organisms.

Res Vet Sci, 1988 Sep, 45(2), 225 - 9
Chemotactic response of equine polymorphonuclear leucocytes to Streptococcus equi; Muhktar MM et al.; Streptococcus equi infection in horses is characterised by intense infiltration of lymph nodes by polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) suggesting a potent chemotactic response to the organism or its products . Equine PMNs were separated using Ficoll-Hypaque medium and used in an assay of chemotaxis under agarose to study the components of S equi involved in this response . Results showed that complement-derived chemotactic factors generated by activation of the alternative complement pathway were important in chemotactic responses to S equi . Both whole bacteria and peptidoglycan preparations were potent complement activators, whereas purified M protein was less active . In contrast, S equi culture supernatant protein did not activate complement; instead it directly inhibited migration of PMNs . Moreover, PMNs, when incubated with culture supernatant of a non-haemolytic strain, showed signs of cellular degeneration suggesting the presence of a cytotoxin distinct from haemolysin.

Harefuah, 1988 Sep, 115(5-6), 115 - 7
{The family planning central unit and public health medicine}; Blum M et al.; PIP: In a family planning (FP) center during 1986-87 in the course of a period of 20 months 5959 visits were recorded . 1440 women received contraceptives after measuring the luteinizing hormone level in those under 18 or over 45 to establish ovulation . 781 were fitted with IUDs, 623 got oral contraceptives (OCs), and 36 chose the diaphragm . The pregnancy rate was .8% with the IUD in the course of 1 year . 38.6% of women using pills had chlamydia antibodies vs . 3.3% of IUD users . ON the other hand, in the smears of 43.3% of IUD users vs . only 14% of pill users streptococcus beta hymolyticus and Escherichia coli were found . IUDs with copper produced more complications (73.1%) such as bleeding (87%) and expulsion (62.5%) than IUDs without copper (total complication rate of 26.8%; 27.2% because of pregnancy and 37.5% as a result of expulsions) . 2.9% of IUD users had to quit it because of metrorrhagia . The continuation rate was 88.1% with the IUD and 98.5% with the pill . 94.7% of women using OCs were not married . In young women OCs may negatively affect the hypothalamus-hypophysis-ovarial axis with potential future sterility . In women over 45 IUD-induced bleeding can disguise bleeding from a precancerous cystadenoma . The FP center screens women with risk factors and side effects for contraceptives, provides contraceptive advice, and carries out microbiological examinations for those with vaginal infections .

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1988 Sep, 22 Suppl C, 91 - 5
The penetration of ofloxacin into bronchial secretions; Symonds J et al.; Penetration of ofloxacin into bronchial secretions following a single 400 mg oral dose was studied in 52 patients . Bronchial secretions were aspirated at bronchoscopy between one and 24 h after dosing and blood was collected at the same time . Mean bronchial secretion concentrations between 2 and 2.6 mg/l were measured in 36 patients between 1 and 6 h but there was considerable individual variation in both serum and bronchial aspirate concentrations . Concentrations declined slowly between 9 and 24 h to a mean value of 0.4 mg/l at 24 h . Correlation between serum and sputum concentrations of ofloxacin was fairly good despite marked deviation in some individuals . The ratios of the concentration in bronchial secretion to serum were remarkably constant at 1 to 6 h, varying between 0.96 during the third and fourth hours and 0.81 in the sixth hour . The results suggest that ofloxacin in a 400 mg oral dose is likely to achieve therapeutic activity against respiratory pathogens including Streptococcus pneumoniae, with sustained activity against more sensitive organisms for up to 24 h.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1988 Sep, 22 Suppl C, 27 - 34
Resistance studies with ofloxacin; Felmingham D et al.; The selection of ofloxacin-resistant mutants from susceptible wild-type bacterial populations was investigated by three methods . Resistant mutants selected from populations of Escherichia coli (NCTC 10418) and Staphylococcus aureus (NCTC 6571) by single-step passage at either four or eight times the MIC occurred at a frequency of less than 1 x 10(-10) . Ofloxacin-resistant mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (NCTC 10662), selected at four times the MIC, occurred with a 100-fold greater frequency at 3.3 X 10(-8), however, mutants of this species selected at eight times the MIC, occurred at a frequency of less than 1 X 10(-10) . Sequential selection of ofloxacin-resistant mutants during multiple passages at 1/2 MIC, resulted in a 16- to 32-fold increase in MICs for isolates of P . aeruginosa and Klebsiella aerogenes, a four- to eight-fold increase in MICs for some strains of E . coli and a two- to four-fold increase in MICs for Staph . aureus and Streptococcus spp . During prolonged exposure of populations of E . coli (NCTC 10418) and Staph . aureus (NCTC 6571) to concentrations of ofloxacin at 1, 10 and 100 times the MIC no resistant-mutants were selected after seven days incubation . In similar experiments with P . aeruginosa (NCTC 10662) ofloxacin-resistant mutants were selected from populations exposed to the MIC which required 64 mg/l ofloxacin for inhibition . No ofloxacin-resistant mutants were selected from populations of P . aeruginosa (NCTC 10662) exposed to either ten or 100 times the MIC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

APMIS, 1988 Sep, 96(9), 761 - 7
Combined effect of xylitol, NaF and ZnCl2 on growth and metabolism of Streptococcus sobrinus OMZ 176; Scheie AA et al.; Xylitol, NaF and ZnCl2 in combination inhibited the growth of S . Sobrinus OMZ 176 when added to Brain Heart Infusion broth . Thin-layer chromatography, followed by autoradiography of cell extracts, was used to study the inhibiting mechanism . Glucose uptake was reduced, the glycolysis inhibited at the glucose 6-phosphate- and fructose- 1.6-diphosphate level and the accumulation of xylitol metabolites was increased . These effects in combination probably accounted for the inhibition of growth.

Infect Immun, 1988 Sep, 56(9), 2264 - 9
Purification and immunochemical studies of type b carbohydrate antigen of oral Streptococcus milleri; Yakushiji T et al.; The type-specific antigen of serotype b Streptococcus milleri was extracted with trichloroacetic acid from a purified cell wall preparation of the strain NCTC 10708 and then purified on a DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column, followed by a Sephadex G-100 column . The antigen was composed of rhamnose and glucose in a molar ratio of 1.7:1.0, with a trace of galactosamine (0.1) . The quantitative precipitin inhibition test with various haptenic sugars showed that rhamnose gave the greatest inhibition, whereas glucose and its related carbohydrates were less effective . The major carbohydrate components of the Rantz-Randall extracts from cells of all four serotype b strains tested were also rhamnose and glucose . These results suggest that rhamnose is structurally involved in the immunodeterminant of the serotype b-specific antigen of oral S . milleri.

J Oral Rehabil, 1988 Sep, 15(5), 405 - 11
Inhibition of bacterial colonization by antimicrobial agents incorporated into dental resins; Bapna MS et al.; The antimicrobial activity of several chemical agents was determined by incorporating these agents into dentine adhesive resin and following the colonization of Streptococcus mutans on the surfaces of the resin and culture vessel, as well as in the surrounding medium, by optical density measurements . It was found that sodium fluoride and dodecylamine, an organic amine, exhibited excellent antimicrobial properties . These chemicals not only inhibited bacterial growth completely but also seemed to reduce the adhesion of the bacteria to the resin surface . A silver compound, protargin, was mildly effective in inhibiting growth of S . mutans . Copper oxide and chelating acids such as vanillic acid, syringic acid, and ethylenediamine-n, n' diacetic acid (EDDA) were not effective as antimicrobial agents against S . mutans.

Histochem J, 1988 Sep, 20(9), 526 - 30
Preservation of capsular material of streptococcal cells by specific lectins determined by immunoelectron microscopy; Molinari A et al.; We describe the use of lectins as specific stabilizing agents for the polysaccharide capsular components of two Gram-positive bacteria, Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus bovis . Treatment of bacterial suspensions with wheatgerm agglutinin and concanavalin A allowed better morphological preservation as well as immunoelectron microscopic localization of a capsular component (lipoteichoic acid) by employing specific antibodies and the protein A-gold technique . Data obtained indicate that lectins are useful agents in preserving highly water-soluble capsular components during the electron microscopy procedures for both unembedded and embedded samples.

Vet Pathol, 1988 Sep, 25(5), 369 - 75
Acute fibrinopurulent blepharitis and conjunctivitis associated with Staphylococcus hyicus, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus sp . in chickens and turkeys; Cheville NF et al.; Multiple outbreaks of acute severe fibrinopurulent lesions of the eyelids occurred in chickens and turkeys . Lesions began as tiny foci of epidermal necrosis and ulceration and spread to involve the entire eyelid . Scabs overlying the epidermis contained large gram-positive cocci; lesser numbers of small cocci and gram-negative bacilli were in more superficial areas . Staphylococcus hyicus was isolated from birds in all stages of the disease . Escherichia coli and Streptococcus sp . were isolated only during severe stages; no anaerobic bacterial pathogens were isolated . Vasculitis and perivascular lymphocytic infiltrates in deep layers of the dermis suggested that a staphylococcal toxin may have been involved . The disease was not reproduced by scarifying S . hyicus onto the eyelids or by intravenous inoculation of retrovirus-infected chickens.

J Dairy Sci, 1988 Sep, 71(9), 2513 - 9
Phagocytic and postphagocytic activities of bovine neutrophils for pure and mixed bacterial cultures; Silva ID et al.; A comparative study of phagocytosis and postphagocytic oxidative metabolic activity of bovine blood neutrophils incubated with pure and mixed cultures of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus agalactiae was preformed . Most neutrophils when incubated with mixed cultures showed preferential phagocytosis for one species and a smaller number phagocytized both species of microorganisms . Percent phagocytosis for E . coli in pure culture was similar to that of Strep . agalactiae in pure culture and higher than that for Staph . aureus in pure culture . Neutrophils incubated with mixed cultures of E . coli and Staph . aureus or E . coli and Strep . agalactiae showed greater than expected phagocytosis of each microorganisms alone and reduced phagocytosis of both microorganisms together . Postphagocytic oxidative metabolic activity of neutrophils, measured by percent nitroblue tetrazolium reduction, did not differ following phagocytosis of these three microorganisms in pure cultures . In comparison, a synergistic effect on nitroblue tetrazolium reductive activity was seen in mixed cultures as evidenced by higher percent nitroblue tetrazolium reduction following phagocytosis of both E . coli and Staph . aureus or E . coli and Strep . agalactiae . These observations indicate that the phagocytic and metabolic activities of neutrophils for bacteria in mixed cultures may not be identical to those in pure cultures.

J Clin Microbiol, 1988 Sep, 26(9), 1904 - 6
Detection of bacteria in the presence of antibiotics by using specific monoclonal antibodies to neutralize the antibiotics; Sierra-Madero JG et al.; Inactivation of penicillin and gentamicin in cultures was achieved by using monoclonal antibodies against these antibiotics . A viridans group streptococcus (penicillin MIC, less than or equal to 0.06 micrograms/ml) and Escherichia coli ATCC 35218 (gentamicin MIC, less than or equal to 1 microgram/ml) were able to grow in broth containing 0.25 micrograms of penicillin per ml and 4 micrograms of gentamicin per ml, respectively, when the specific antibodies were added . This procedure may be useful to increase the yield of bacteria from body fluid specimens that contain antibiotics.

J Clin Microbiol, 1988 Sep, 26(9), 1741 - 4
Enterococcus hirae implicated as a cause of diarrhea in suckling rats; Etheridge ME et al.; A Lancefield group D enteric streptococcus was isolated from diarrheic suckling rats that had been inoculated orally with stool from a diarrheic human . After oral administration of the organism to other suckling rats, diarrhea was reproduced, and the enteric streptococcus was reisolated . The brush border of small intestinal villi in affected animals was coated with numerous adherent gram-positive cocci . The organism was identified as Enterococcus hirae by a battery of biochemical tests . These and previous studies indicate that certain enterococci should be considered as etiologic agents of diarrheal disease in neonatal animals.

Immunology, 1988 Sep, 65(1), 37 - 42
Stimulation of liposome-induced humoral immune responses by non-ionic block polymer surfactants in Xid mice; Zigterman GJ et al.; Non-ionic block polymers (NBPs) have proved to be potent adjuvants for the humoral immune response against liposomes haptenated with tripeptide-enlarged dinitrophenyl groups (hapten J) . Since both reversed triblocks and normal octablocks displayed adjuvant activity, reversed octablocks, in which structural properties of both groups are combined, were also tested for their adjuvant activity . The latter compounds displayed very strong adjuvant activity for J-haptenated liposomes, not only in normal BALB/c but also in (CBA/N x BALB/c)F1 progeny . To test the applicability of NBPs as adjuvants in semi-synthetic vaccines, the capacity of NBPs to stimulate the immune response against liposomes haptenated with Streptococcus pneumoniae type 3 capsular polysaccharide-derived oligosaccharides was analysed . In these studies, again NBPs proved potent adjuvants, stimulating antibody production to a large extent . In male (CBA/N x BALB/c)F1 mice, which carry a X-chromosome-linked immunodeficiency (Xid), antibody levels were stimulated to the largest extent by a normal octablock . Stimulation of antibody titres, however, did not result in increased protection in these Xid mice.

J Exp Med, 1988 Sep 1, 168(3), 905 - 17
Human monoclonal antibodies to group B streptococcus . Reactivity and in vivo protection against multiple serotypes; Raff HV et al.; Group B streptococcal (GBS) infections cause significant mortality and morbidity among infants . Passive antibody immunotherapy has been proposed as treatment for infected infants . To this end, two human mAb-secreting cell lines were produced by EBV immortalization of human B cells . The mAbs were specific for the group B polysaccharide and bound to strains of all five serotypes as demonstrated by ELISA and crossed immunoelectrophoresis . The mAbs reacted and opsonized 100% (132/132) of the clinical isolates tested which represented all four capsule types . Both prophylactic and therapeutic protection with these mAbs were demonstrated in neonatal rats given lethal infections of types Ia and III human clinical isolates . These data indicate that a single human mAb directed against the group B carbohydrate can protect against GBS infections caused by the different serotypes . This antibody may be useful in the passive immunotherapy of infants infected with GBS.

Dis Mon, 1988 Sep, 34(9), 537 - 99
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Flenley DC; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is equated with chronic bronchitis and emphysema as one disease entity . In COPD airflow limitation is relatively persistent--unlike asthma . Tests for "small-airways disease" form no part of routine practice, for their accuracy in detecting pathological change is debatable . The proteolytic theory of the pathogenesis of emphysema highlights the role of neutrophil elastase, antielastases, oxidants, antioxidants, and thus of potential new treatments . Clinical features of COPD include breathlessness, cough, and sputum, with airflow obstruction and lung hyperinflation . The differential diagnosis includes bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension, but pulmonary fibrosis, etc., is distinguished by radiological infiltrates . Plain chest radiography cannot reliably diagnose emphysema in life, but a new method measuring lung density from the computed tomographic (CT) scan allows location, quantitation, and diagnosis of emphysema (defined by enlargement of distal air spaces) in humans in life . "Pink puffers" with breathlessness, hyperinflation, mild hypoxemia, and a low PCO2 are contrasted with "blue bloaters" with hypoxemia, secondary polycythemia, CO2 retention, and pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale . Antismoking measures are a major aim in management . A bronchodilator regimen combining a slow-release oral theophylline with an inhaled beta 2-agonist, ipratropium, and high-dose inhaled steroids is proposed because even modest improvement in obstruction can help these patients . In acute exacerbations with purulent sputum, antimicrobials against Streptococcus pneumoniae and Hemophilus influenzae are used with controlled oxygen therapy aiming to keep the arterial PO2 over 50 mm Hg without the pH falling below 7.25 . Influenza prophylaxis is recommended, but pneumococcal vaccination remains debatable . Chronic under-nutrition in "emphysema" implies controlled trials of feeding regimens--but these remain to be assessed . Long-term oxygen therapy is the only treatment known to prolong life in blue bloaters, and oxygen concentrators and transtracheal oxygen delivery are discussed . Pulmonary vasodilators (e.g., beta 2-agonists, hydralazine, nifedipine, angiotensin-converting enzyme {ACE} inhibitors, etc.) have not yet been proved to provide long-term reduction in pulmonary arterial pressure . Blue bloaters have severe nocturnal hypoxemia in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep that is corrected by oxygen or the investigational drug almitrine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Infect Immun, 1988 Sep, 56(9), 2474 - 8
Heterogeneity of hemolytic efficiency and isoelectric point of streptolysin O; Suzuki J et al.; Using thin-layer agarose gel isoelectric focusing overlaid with thin-layer erythrocyte agar plates, we found that crude streptolysin O (SLO) consisted of a variety of hemolytic components with different isoelectric points (pIs) and that the distribution of pIs in crude SLO was different even in samples which were produced from a single strain of Streptococcus pyogenes under similar conditions . All of the hemolytic components in crude SLO were shown to have the properties of SLO with respect to their susceptibility to oxygen and anti-SLO serum and their molecular weight . The SLO components showed a single molecular weight of 64,000, but they exhibited various pIs ranging from pH 5.4 to 8.3, with major components showing a pI of 6 and/or 7.5 . Further examination revealed the slope of the hemolytic titration curve to be dissimilar among the samples of crude SLO . Since the slope of the hemolytic titration curve of a component appears to be based on its hemolytic efficiency, the value of the slope was designated its hemolytic efficiency index . When SLO was purified by isoelectric focusing, the pI of the components was correlated with its hemolytic efficiency index; hemolytic components with lower pIs exhibited a lower hemolytic efficiency index . These results indicate that SLO consists of heterogeneous components with different pIs and suggest that the differences in hemolytic efficiency indices of SLO components are due to the different electrical charges of SLO molecules, which are related to their polymerization and affect hemolytic efficiency.

Infect Immun, 1988 Sep, 56(9), 2279 - 85
Adherence of Streptococcus sanguis to conformationally specific determinants in fibronectin; Lowrance JH et al.; The adherence of Streptococcus sanguis to specific receptors exposed or deposited at the site of endothelial damage may play an important role in the development of infective endocarditis . Adherence of the Challis strain of S . sanguis to gelatin (or collagen) and gelatin-binding components of plasma was examined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay . S . sanguis adhered poorly to immobilized gelatin and to molecular or fibrillar collagen . However, in the presence of fresh human plasma, the adherence of S . sanguis to all three substrates increased as much as eightfold . Removal of gelatin-binding proteins eliminates the ability of plasma to enhance adherence of S . sanguis to the substrates . Addition of purified human plasma fibronectin (Fn) to the absorbed plasma restored the adherence-promoting ability in a dose-dependent manner . A similar dose-dependent increase in S . sanguis adherence was observed when increasing concentrations of Fn alone were added to the gelatin-coated assay wells . S . sanguis adherence to immobilized fibronectin could not be inhibited by preincubating either the bacteria or the gelatin-coated assay wells with Fn or by including excess soluble Fn in the assay mixture . Studies with peptides purified from trypsin digests of Fn indicated that the 160- to 180-kilodalton (kDa) fragments which retain both the gelatin-binding and the cell-binding regions of the intact molecule support adherence of S . sanguis to gelatin . The 160- to 180-kDa fragments inhibited the interaction of S . sanguis with immobilized Fn . In contrast, intact Fn and the 31-kDa amino-terminal fragment were unable to inhibit the adherence when used in equivalent or greater molar amounts . These in vitro results suggest that in the presence of whole plasma, S . sanguis binds to immobilized gelatin or collagen via Fn bound to the immobilized substrates . Our finding that adherence of S . sanguis to immobilized Fn can occur in the presence of large concentrations of Fn, whether in plasma or purified, indicates that a S . sanguis-binding domain is cryptic in the Fn molecule while in solution and is exposed by a conformational change when the Fn becomes bound to gelatin-coated plastic . The ability of peptide fragments of Fn to inhibit S . sanguis adherence is consistent with this hypothesis.

Infect Immun, 1988 Sep, 56(9), 2417 - 23
Characterization of an adhesion antigen of Streptococcus sanguis G9B; Lamont RJ et al.; An antigen possessing the attributes of an adhesion has been identified in Streptococcus sanguis G9B . Cell surface components were extracted from G9B and a spontaneously occurring nonadherent mutant of G9B, strain Adh-, with a 2 mM barbital buffer, pH 8.6 . The extract of G9B but not of Adh- absorbed more than 80% of the adhesion-inhibitory activity of anti-G9B immunoglobulin G (IgG) . Immunoblots revealed 80- and 52-kilodalton (kDa) antigens present in the G9B extract but not in the Adh- extract . Absorption of anti-G9B IgG with Adh- and G9B barbital extracts showed a correlation between the loss of the 80- and 52-kDa antibodies and the loss of adhesion-inhibitory activity . An antibody prepared against the 80-kDa antigen excised from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels recognized the 80- and 52-kDa antigens and another antigen of 62 kDa but did not inhibit adhesion . However, an antibody from an electroblot containing the native protein from which the 80-kDa and related antigens were derived (the 80-kDa antigen complex) inhibited adhesion to the same extent as anti-G9B IgG . Periodate oxidation of the G9B barbital extract modified the 80-kDa antigen complex and resulted in the loss of 40% of its absorbing activity . The barbital extract also contained an endogenous enzyme responsible for producing the 62- and 52-kDa antigens from the 80-kDa protein and which, under optimal conditions, degraded the antigen completely, resulting in the loss of antibody-absorbing activity . The 80-kDa antigen complex has a molecular mass of more than 200 kDa in native polyacrylamide gels and a pI of 4.1 to 4.8 . These observations suggest that the adhesion antigen in S . sanguis G9B is a large glycoprotein from which an 80-kDa antigen complex is derived.

Z Ernahrungswiss, 1988 Sep, 27(3), 155 - 69
Uptake of saccharin and related intense sweeteners by Streptococcus mutans NCTC 10449; Ziesenitz SC et al.; In a 1-octanol/phosphate buffer system, saccharin was much more lipophilic than would be inferred from its dissociation constant which, however, determined the partition behavior of acesulfame and cyclamate . The uptake of saccharin into Streptococcus mutans led to a 30 to 40-fold higher concentration of this intense sweetener within cells than in the incubation medium . Acesulfame and cyclamate were distributed between cells and medium essentially in a diffusion-controlled manner . The uptake of saccharin into S . mutans was found to depend strongly on simultaneous sugar fermentation, and in addition, on external pH, sweetener concentrations, and cell densities . Without glycolysis, caused, for example, by an exhaustion of added sucrose, too acidic external pH, or the addition of glycolysis inhibitors, the uptake of saccharin was diffusion-controlled as in the case of acesulfame and cyclamate . The uptake of saccharin was inhibited by a reversal of the direction of the lactate gradient from in----out to out----in . The activation energy of saccharin uptake into glycolyzing S . mutans was near 18 kJ/mol, while glycolysis itself required 82-98 kJ/mol as activation energy, depending somewhat on experimental conditions . Up to 100 attomol of saccharin per bacterial cell was observed . It was concluded that the cytomembrane of S . mutans was involved in mediating the inhibitory effects of saccharin by an antiport of saccharin into cells in exchange for lactate.

J Clin Microbiol, 1988 Sep, 26(9), 1635 - 40
Cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies for diagnosis of pneumococcal meningitis; Waltman WD 2nd et al.; A diagnostic test for the detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis was developed using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to phosphocholine (PC) and non-PC determinants of pneumococcal teichoic acids . These MAbs do not recognize other bacteria that commonly cause meningitis . By using a dot blot assay, these MAbs were compared with a polyvalent pneumococcal capsular omniserum and an antiserum made to whole cells for their ability to detect pneumococci in infected spinal fluids . An immunoglobulin M (IgM) anti-PC antibody gave a positive reaction with 16 of 22 (73%) pneumococcal culture-positive spinal fluids . One false-positive result out of 45 pneumococcal culture-negative spinal fluids was also observed . D3114/63, an IgM MAb to non-PC determinants of teichoic acids, detected 15 of 22 of the pneumococcal culture-positive spinal fluids with one false-positive result . IgG2b and IgG3 anti-PC MAbs were less efficient than the IgM anti-PC MAb at detecting pneumococci in spinal fluids . Like the IgM anti-PC MAb, omniserum detected 73% of the culture-positive pneumococcal spinal fluids, with one false-positive result . The use of anti-PC or D3114/63 MAbs instead of a pooled serum such as omniserum has several advantages: (i) use of a single cross-reactive antibody rather than 83 pooled antibodies; (ii) possibility of a higher concentration of reactive antibody, which may increase the sensitivity of the test; (iii) a standardized antibody preparation; (iv) ease of preparation of the antibody; and (v) less expense.

APMIS, 1988 Sep, 96(9), 805 - 12
Bacteroides fragilis lipopolysaccharide and group B streptococcus serotype II glycocalyx have a common major antigenic determinant; Linko L et al.; A monoclonal antibody (MAB) to the beta-1-6-linked digalactose structure in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Bacteroides fragilis reacted with 47 of 416 group B Streptococcus (GBS) strains tested by an immunofluorescence technique (IF) . The reactivity of MAB was, with a few exceptions, limited to type II GBS . Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis demonstrated that an antigen purified by immunoaffinity chromatography using MAB from type II GBS contained galactose, glucose and fatty acids . This confirmed that MAB is directed to the digalactose (which in earlier studies was found to occur) in the capsular lipocarbohydrate specific to type II GBS . The positive strains yielded a strong, apple-green surface stain by means of the IF using MAB . Various immuno-electron microscopic (IEM) methods showed that the determinant was located in the glycocalyx layer of GBS at a distance of about 15 nm from the streptococcal cell wall . The structure harbouring the determinant was found to be very loosely attached to the bacteria . However the cross-reactive determinant seemed to maintain its immunoreactivity whether it was extracted by gentle washing with saline or with harsher treatments usually reserved for preparing streptococcal polysaccharide antigens . In conclusion, the study shows that the determinant is an integral part of the type-specific antigen of type II GBS and that MAB has a potential use as a serotyping reagent.

Carbohydr Res, 1988 Aug 15, 179, 173 - 97
{Synthesis of trisaccharide units from capsular polysaccharides of Streptococcus pneumoniae}; Paulsen H et al.; In the presence of silver silicate as promoter, the reaction of glycosyl bromide of 2-azido-2-deoxy-D-mannose with 1,6-anhydro-2,3-di-O-benzyl-beta-D- glucopyranose led to derivatives of the disaccharide beta-D-ManpNac-(1----4)-D- Glcp . The derivatives were activated into disaccharide halides and employed as glycosyl donors in block synthesis . By chain extension with L-rhamnose and D-glucose, four trisaccharides were synthesized . They represent components of capsular polysaccharide "repeating units" of various Streptococcus pneumoniae types, beta-D-Man-pNAc-(1----4)-alpha-D-Glcp-(1----2)-L-Rhap (type 19 F), beta-D-ManpNAc-(1----4)-alpha-D-Glcp-(1----3)-L-Rhap (type 19 A), beta-D-ManpNAc-(1----4)-alpha-D-Glcp-(1----4)-D-Glcp (type 9 A), and beta-D-ManpNAc-(1----4)-beta-D-Glcp-(1----4)-D-Glcp (type 9 V).

Eur J Biochem, 1988 Aug 15, 175(3), 491 - 5
Effect of intracellular pH and potassium ions on a primary transport system for glutamate/aspartate in Streptococcus mutans; Noji S et al.; We have studied the mechanism of L-glutamate/L-aspartate transport in a fermentative oral bacterium of Streptococcus mutans (strain Ingbritt) . The transport rate stays virtually constant throughout the pH range 5.5-8.5 and followed Michaelis-Menten type kinetics . At high pH values from 7 to 8.5, transport was essentially insensitive to N,N'-dicyclohexyl-carbodiimide (DCCD), an inhibitor of ATPase, and to carbonyl cyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenyl-hydrazone (FCCP), an ionophore dissipating proton motive force indicating that S . mutans transports glutamate by a primary transport system at the expense of ATP or an alternative energized metabolite . At lower external pH (7-5.5), DCCD (100 microM) or FCCP (10 microM) significantly inhibited L-glutamate transport while the intracellular ATP level was hardly affected, indicating that the activity of the primary transport system was decreased at lower intracellular pH . The glutamate transport was stimulated in the presence of potassium ion at an external pH of 6 . The stimulation can be explained partly by the regulation of intracellular pH with concomitant potassium ion movement.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1988 Aug 11, 966(2), 239 - 47
Purification and characterization of a novel cytotoxic substance from cell-free extract of Streptococcus pyogenes; Higuchi Y et al.; A cytotoxic substance designated as streptococcal cytotoxic protein (SCP) was isolated from a cell-free extract of the Su strain of Streptococcus pyogenes possessing cytotoxic and antitumor activity . SCP was purified with a series of column chromatography and preparative PAGE to give a homogeneous single band as revealed by PAGE analysis . The purified SCP has a molecular mass of 165 kDa, composed of four 43 kDa subunits, and its pI is 4.3 . SCP was sensitive to proteinases and was labile to heat and at acidic or alkaline pH . SCP showed inhibitory effects on the {3H}thymidine, {3H}uridine and {3H}leucine uptakes and on the growth of cells, and released 51Cr from cells when the protein was added to the cultures of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC), mouse mammary tumor (MM-2), leukemia (L-1210) and NIH-3T3 mammalian cells in vitro . SCP also showed an antitumor effect on EAC or MM-2 tumor-bearing mice but not on L-1210 tumor-bearing mice in vivo.

J Mol Biol, 1988 Aug 5, 202(3), 575 - 84
Effects of mot gene expression on the structure of the flagellar motor; Khan S et al.; Direct freezing procedures have enabled us to visualize distinctive intramembrane particle ring structures in the cytoplasmic membranes of peritrichously flagellated bacteria by means of freeze-fracture electron microscopy . These structures were identified as flagellar motor components because their distribution matched that of flagella, and because they were absent in non-flagellated mutants of Escherichia coli . Particle rings were present in both the Gram-positive Streptococcus and the Gram-negative E . coli . In E . coli, a non-functional mocha operon produced flagellated but immotile cells lacking the particle rings . Simultaneous introduction of the motA and motB genes, led to recovery of both motility and the ring structures but neither gene alone was sufficient . The concomitant loss of the rings and motility is consistent with the ring particles having a central role in the flagellar motor.

Epidemiol Infect, 1988 Aug, 101(1), 43 - 51
A milk-borne outbreak of serious infection due to Streptococcus zooepidemicus (Lancefield Group C); Edwards AT et al.; An outbreak of infection due to Streptococcus zooepidemicus (Lancefield Group C) is described . At least 11 patients were affected and the infection was responsible for, or contributed to, the deaths of seven of these . Clinical features included septicaemia, meningitis and endocarditis . The source of infection was unpasteurized milk from a dairy herd with mild intermittent mastitis.

Infect Immun, 1988 Aug, 56(8), 2205 - 7
Expression of the glucan-binding lectin of Streptococcus cricetus requires manganous ion; Drake D et al.; Streptococcus cricetus AHT exhibited a requirement for manganese for growth and expression of the glucan-binding lectin . While low concentrations of manganese (0.1 to 10 microM) were able to support growth, higher concentrations (greater than 100 microM) were required for full expression of the glucan-binding lectin . The manganous-aquo ion may be important in cellular adhesion and accumulation processes in dental plaque.

Infect Immun, 1988 Aug, 56(8), 1956 - 60
Sequence analysis of the Streptococcus mutans scrB gene; Sato Y et al.; The complete nucleotide sequence of the Streptococcus mutans GS-5 scrB gene coding for sucrose-6-phosphate hydrolase activity was determined . A potential ribosome-binding site as well as promoter sequences were identified upstream from the gene . The deduced amino acid sequence of the enzyme suggested a molecular weight of 51,750, which is similar to that estimated for the enzyme isolated from strain GS-5 . The enzyme is slightly acidic, with a pI of 5.9, and is a relatively hydrophilic protein . The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the enzyme showed significant homology with those of the sacA protein from Bacillus subtilis . In addition, a region of amino acid homology with the S . mutans fructosyltransferase and B . subtilis levansucrase proteins was also detected.

Infect Immun, 1988 Aug, 56(8), 1864 - 72
Specificity of the glucan-binding lectin of Streptococcus cricetus; Drake D et al.; The specificity of the glucan-binding lectin (GBL) of Streptococcus cricetus AHT was determined . Examination of the kinetics of aggregation of cell suspensions with glucans containing various percentages of alpha-1,6, alpha-1,4, alpha-1,3, and alpha-1,2 anomeric linkages revealed that only glucans with at least 80% alpha-1,6 linkages promoted strong aggregation . Moreover, only linear glucans with molecular weights greater than 5 X 10(5) were capable of causing rapid aggregation of the bacteria . The lectin was observed to be present on S . cricetus strains, on Streptococcus sobrinus, and on several Streptococcus mutants strains . Preincubation of suspensions of S . cricetus AHT with glucan T10 (molecular weight of 10,000) before the addition of high-molecular-weight glucan resulted in competitive inhibition in a concentration-dependent manner . Inhibition was achieved also with isomaltopentaose, isomaltohexaose, and isomaltooctaose, but at higher concentrations than glucan T10 . In contrast, no inhibition was observed with maltoheptaose, providing additional evidence for the specificity of GBL . Treatment of suspensions of S . cricetus AHT with trypsin before and after aggregation with high-molecular-weight glucan revealed a substantial level of protection of GBL when in a bound state . Collectively, these results indicated that GBL has an absolute affinity for glucans rich in alpha-1,6 linkages and possesses an active site which recognizes internal sequences and accommodates isomaltosaccharides of at least nine residues . This unusual specificity may contribute to the colonization of S . cricetus, S . sobrinus, and S . mutans in glucan-containing plaque in the oral cavity.

J Immunol, 1988 Aug 1, 141(3), 921 - 5
Regulation of idiotope expression . III . H-2 influences the magnitude and the idiotypy of a T-independent antibody response in mice of certain genetic backgrounds; Cronkhite R et al.; Antibody response to the phosphocholine (PC) epitope on Streptococcus pneumoniae R36a (Pn), a T-independent Ag type 2, was studied in H-2 congenic mouse strains . The PC-specific antibody plaque-forming cells (PFC) were enumerated in the spleen at various intervals after the primary Pn injection, and the proportion of PFC that produced antibody expressing the AB1-2 idiotope (Id) was determined by using the corresponding monoclonal anti-Id . AB1-2 is a cross-reactive Id, detectable on germline-encoded PC antibody of the T15 family, and on most, but not all, somatic variants of that antibody . The specific PFC responses in BALB/c (H-2d) and BALB.B (H-2b) strains were of comparable magnitude and most, if not all, PFC were ABl-1 Id-positive (AB1-2+) . This was not the case in the responses of the B10D2 (H-2d) vs C57BL/10 (H-2b) strains and the D1.C (H-2d) vs D1.LP (H-2b) strains (on DBA/1 background) . In each of these pairs, the H-2d mice were high responders, and the response was dominated by AB1-2 Id (greater than or equal to 80% AB1-2+ PFC at the peak, on day 5) . The H-2b mice were low responders, and only a minor proportion of PFC (less than or equal to 30%) were AB1-2+; an increase of AB1-2+ was seen later in the response (d.10) . The results of PFC assays were confirmed by measuring the PC-binding antibody and AB1-2 Id in the sera of D1.C and D1.LP mice immunized repeatedly with Pn . Moreover, D1.LP mice that had very low levels of AB1-2 Id had higher serum levels of antibody expressing two other T15 Id, B36-82, and B24-44 . The B36-82 and B24-44 Id have been previously found on somatic variants of PC antibody expressed independently of the Ab1-2 Id . The concentrations of these two Id in D1.LP mice after repeated immunization approached those in D1.C . These results indicate that 1) the H-2 allelism may have a significant effect on TID antibody response in mice of a certain genetic background, but not in the BALB/c; and 2) the idiotypic repertoire of the response may be influenced by H-2 at the level of clonal variants of PC-reactive cells.

Infect Immun, 1988 Aug, 56(8), 1961 - 6
Cloning of the gene encoding streptococcal immunoglobulin A protease and its expression in Escherichia coli; Gilbert JV et al.; We have identified and cloned a 6-kilobase-pair segment of chromosomal DNA from Streptococcus sanguis ATCC 10556 that encodes immunoglobulin A (IgA) protease activity when cloned into Escherichia coli . The enzyme specified by the iga gene in plasmid pJG1 accumulates in the periplasm of E . coli MM294 cells and has a substrate specificity for human IgA1 identical to that of native S . sanguis protease . Hybridization experiments with probes from within the encoding DNA showed no detectable homology at the nucleotide sequence level with chromosomal DNA of gram-negative bacteria that excrete IgA protease . Moreover, the S . sanguis iga gene probes showed no detectable hybridization with chromosomal DNA of S . pneumoniae, although the IgA proteases of these two streptococcal species cleaved the identical peptide bond in the human IgA1 heavy-chain hinge region.

J Gen Microbiol, 1988 Aug, 134 ( Pt 8), 2317 - 23
Binding activity of Streptococcus canis for albumin and other plasma proteins; Lammler C et al.; All 24 cultures of Streptococcus canis examined bound 125I-labelled human albumin, IgG and fibrinogen; but neither IgA nor haptoglobin . Binding of human albumin was time-dependent, saturable and reversible by the addition of unlabelled albumin . The binding of 125I-labelled human albumin could be inhibited completely by unlabelled albumin preparations from humans, mice and dogs, and partly by bovine albumin . In contrast, binding of 125I-labelled human albumin was not inhibited by unlabelled rabbit albumin, human IgG or human fibrinogen . Data from competition experiments of two S . canis cultures with high 125I-labelled albumin-binding activities yielded KD values of 10 and 15 nmol l-1, respectively . The estimated number of binding sites per bacterial cell ranged from 30,000 to 57,000 . The binding factor for albumin could be isolated from S . canis by boiling the bacteria at pH 2, and it was purified by affinity chromatography on human albumin-Sepharose . The isolated albumin-binding proteins had a molecular mass of approximately 51 kDa and inhibited binding of 125I-labelled albumin to S . canis . They formed complexes with human albumin that altered its electrophoretic mobility.

J Appl Bacteriol, 1988 Aug, 65(2), 143 - 52
Fermentation products, amino acid utilization, maintenance energies and growth yields for the fibrillar Streptococcus salivarius HB and a non-fibrillar mutant HB-B grown in continuous culture under glucose limitation; Harty DW et al.; The fibrillar strain Streptococcus salivarius HB and a non-fibrillar mutant, strain HB-B, were grown in a defined medium under glucose limitation in a chemostat . Fermentation balances were produced for both strains in batch culture and at growth rates between 0.1/h and 1.1/h . In batch culture both strains fermented glucose to lactate, but in continuous culture glucose was fermented to formate, acetate and ethanol with increasing amounts of lactate as the growth rate was increased . Lactate never became the major fermentation product even at the highest growth rate . Amino acid analysis showed that only lysine was more than 50% utilized, while proline and tyrosine showed net production . The non-fibrillar strain HB-B showed, in general, a reduced utilization of amino acids compared with the fibrillar strain HB . Calculated growth yields and maintenance energies for the two strains showed that there was a reduction in the true growth yield and the maintenance energy coefficient of the non-fibrillar strain HB-B when compared with the fibrillar strain HB . The increase in the maintenance energy of the fibrillar strain HB (1.382 mmol/g/h) when compared with the non-fibrillar strain HB-B (0.546 mmol/g/h) of 153% is proposed to be the energy required for the maintenance of the fibrillar surface of the cell.

Doc Ophthalmol, 1988 Aug, 69(4), 331 - 40
Nontoxic concentration of kanamycin and gentamicin for intravitreal use--evaluated by in vitro ERG; Kawasaki K et al.; The effects of kanamycin (KM) and gentamicin (GM) on the in-vitro electroretinogram of the albino rabbit were studied . The b-wave and oscillatory potentials (OPs) were unchanged by 0.1 mM KM . The photopic b-wave and OPs were slightly suppressed by 0.4 mM . The b-wave and OPs were not deteriorated by 23 micrograms/ml (approximately 0.05 mM) GM . The photopic b-wave and OPs were slightly suppressed by 46 micrograms/ml (approximately 0.1 mM) GM . The minimum concentration affecting the ERG was tentatively defined as the mean of the minimum concentration needed to change the ERG and the maximum concentration which induced no discernible changes in the ERG . The minimum concentration of KM and GM affecting the ERG were 0.25 mM (approximately 150 micrograms/ml) and 35 micrograms/ml (approximately 0.075 mM) respectively . The minimum concentration of KM affecting the ERG was higher than its minimum inhibitory concentration against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae . The minimum concentration of GM affecting the ERG was higher than its minimum inhibitory concentration against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Am Rev Respir Dis, 1988 Aug, 138(2), 260 - 5
Effects of sepsis on diaphragmatic function in rats; Boczkowski J et al.; The effects of a 3-day pneumococcal infection on diaphragmatic strength and endurance capacity were studied in an in vivo rat model . Thirty-four rats were divided into a control (C) (n = 17) or a septic (S) group (n = 17) . Animals were inoculated subcutaneously with 10(11) Streptococcus pneumoniae (S), or sterile culture media (C) . All rats were studied 3 days after inoculation . Diaphragmatic strength and endurance capacity were studied in 11 animals of each group . Diaphragmatic strength was assessed by measuring transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi) generated during electrical stimulation of the phrenic nerves at different frequencies (0.5, 10, 20, 30, 50, and 100 Hz) . Endurance index was calculated as the ratio of Pdi generated after 30 s of phrenic nerve stimulation at 10 Hz divided by the initial force . Measurements of lung weights and lung histologic examinations were performed in the 6 remaining rats from each group . S animals were hyperthermic (39 to 40 degrees C rectal temperature) . There was no evidence of pneumonia at histologic examination in Group S . No differences in wet weight of the lung and in the dry-to-wet weight ratio were noted in Group S as compared with Group C . However, S . pneumoniae was isolated from blood and lungs of S animals . Diaphragmatic weight was not different between S and C groups, whereas the weights of the extensor digitorium longus (EDL), tibialis anterior (TA), and soleus muscles were significantly reduced in Group S as compared to Group C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Jpn J Med, 1988 Aug, 27(3), 317 - 20
Streptococcus acidominimus infections in a human; Akaike T et al.; We described the first case of pneumonia, pericarditis and meningitis due to Streptococcus acidominimus, who had no underlying disease . The organism is very rarely obtained in clinical bacteriology . The identifying characteristics of this isolate were discussed . There are no reports in which this organism caused such complicated human infection as this case in the English literature.

Acta Odontol Scand, 1988 Aug, 46(4), 195 - 7
Influence of saliva from 'heavy' and 'light' plaque formers on the colloidal stability of bacterial suspensions; Simonsson T et al.; The influence of parotid saliva on the colloid stability of suspensions of Streptococcus sanguis and S . salivarius was studied in groups of previously identified 'heavy' and 'light' plaque formers . For S . sanguis it was observed that addition of parotid saliva from light plaque formers had more pronounced negative influence on the colloid stability than addition of such saliva from heavy plaque formers . No differences were observed for S . salivarius . The results indicate that saliva and bacteria might be regarded as a biological colloidal system and that the individual rate of plaque formation can perhaps be partially related to the colloid-chemical properties of bacteria and saliva.

Mol Gen Genet, 1988 Aug, 213(2-3), 444 - 8
Polarity of DNA entry in transformation of Streptococcus pneumoniae; Mejean V et al.; DNA transport in Streptococcus pneumoniae was studied using donor molecules labelled either at the 3' or at the 5' end, on one strand only . In contrast to 5' end label, 3' end label was not taken up by the cells indicating that entry is a polarized process . Our results together with those of previous studies are consistent with a model for entry in which double-stranded donor DNA is nicked on binding at the cell surface . Entry of a single strand then proceeds linearly from a newly formed 3' end to the extremity of the donor fragment.

J Am Vet Med Assoc, 1988 Aug 1, 193(3), 339 - 42
Treatment of bacterial endocarditis in a horse; Dedrick P et al.; Using echocardiography, mitral valve bacterial endocarditis was diagnosed in a yearling Thoroughbred filly with a history of periodic fever and intermittent hind limb lameness . Streptococcus sp were isolated from blood, and the filly was treated with penicillin, resulting in a bacteriologic cure . Severe mitral regurgitation developed secondary to scarring of the valve, which resulted in the filly's death . A poor prognosis usually is indicated in horses with bacterial endocarditis, as bacteriologic cures are infrequent and severe valvular insufficiency often develops.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1988 Aug, 54(8), 1957 - 63
Coaggregation properties of human oral Veillonella spp.: relationship to colonization site and oral ecology; Hughes CV et al.; The primary habitats of oral veillonellae are the tongue, dental plaque, and the buccal mucosa . Isolates were obtained from each habitat and tested for coaggregation with a battery of other oral bacterial strains . All 59 tongue isolates tested for coaggregation were Veillonella atypica or Veillonella dispar . All but one of them coaggregated with strains of Streptococcus salivarius, a predominant inhabitant of the tongue surface but not subgingival dental plaque . These tongue isolates were unable to coaggregate with most normal members of the subgingival flora such as Actinomyces viscosus, Actinomyces naeslundii, Actinomyces israelii, and Streptococcus sanguis . In contrast, 24 of 29 Veillonella isolates, of which 20 were Veillonella parvula from subgingival dental plaque samples, coaggregated strongly with the three species of Actinomyces, S . sanguis, and other bacteria usually present in subgingival plaque, but they did not coaggregate with S . salivarius . The majority of isolates from the buccal mucosa (42 of 55) has coaggregation properties like those from the tongue . These results indicate that the three human oral Veillonella species are distributed on oral surfaces that are also occupied by their coaggregation partners and thus provide strong evidence that coaggregation plays a critical role in the bacterial ecology of the oral cavity.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1988 Aug, 54(8), 1917 - 22
Esterase activities in Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens strains; Hespell RB et al.; Thirty strains of Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens isolated in diverse geographical locations were examined for esterase activity by using naphthyl esters of acetate, butyrate, caprylate, laurate, and palmitate . All strains possessed some esterase activity, and high levels of activity were observed with strains 49, H17c, S2, AcTF2, and LM8/1B . Esterase activity also was detected in other ruminal bacteria (Bacteroides ruminicola, Selenomonas ruminantium, Ruminobacter amylophilus, and Streptococcus bovis) . For all B . fibrisolvens strains tested, naphthyl fatty acid esterase activity paralleled culture growth and was predominantly cell associated . With strains 49, CF4c, and S2, the activity was retained by protoplasts made from whole cells . Esterase activity was detected with all strains when grown on glucose, and some strains showed higher activity levels when grown on other substrates (larchwood xylan or citrus pectin) . When nitrophenyl esters of fatty acids were used to measure esterase activity, generally four- to sevenfold-higher activity levels were detected, and with a number of strains substantial levels were found in the culture fluid . Cultures of these strains (H17c, NOR37, D1, and D30g) contained xylanase and acetyl xylan esterase activities, neither of which was associated to any great extent with the cells . Acetyl xylan esterase has not been previously detected in ruminal bacteria and may be important to overall digestion of forage by these organisms.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1988 Aug, 32(8), 1227 - 30
Plasma bactericidal activity after administration of erythromycin estolate and erythromycin ethylsuccinate to healthy volunteers; Berube D et al.; In a crossover design study, we compared the plasma bactericidal activities of erythromycin estolate (500 mg) and erythromycin ethylsuccinate (600 mg) after administration of a single oral dose to 12 healthy volunteers . Both erythromycin esters displayed very good plasma bactericidal activities against Streptococcus pneumoniae . The median bactericidal titers produced in plasma against Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus pneumoniae were significantly higher with erythromycin estolate than with the ethylsuccinate ester at both 2 and 8 h after dosing (P less than 0.05 by Student's t test) . Both erythromycin esters showed rather weak bactericidal activity against Branhamella catarrhalis; a further look at these results indicated that erythromycin estolate presented 50% of the plasma samples at 2 h with bactericidal titers superior or equal to 1:8, versus 11% for the ethylsuccinate ester . Of the 60 plasma bactericidal activity tests performed against Staphylococcus aureus, only 6 (10%) and 3 (5%) exhibited titers of 1:8 or greater for erythromycin estolate and erythromycin ethylsuccinate, respectively . Clinical trials are warranted in which these products are compared in infections other than Streptococcus pyogenes pharyngitis, for which the clinical superiority of erythromycin estolate has been demonstrated.

AIDS, 1988 Aug, 2(4), 267 - 72
Increased risk of bacterial pneumonia in HIV-infected intravenous drug users without AIDS; Selwyn PA et al.; Although patients with AIDS have been noted to be at risk for bacterial pneumonia as well as opportunistic infections, little is known about the risk of bacterial pneumonia in HIV-infected populations without AIDS . To determine the incidence of bacterial pneumonia in a well defined population of intravenous drug users (IVDUs), and to examine any association with HIV infection, we prospectively studied 433 IVDUs without AIDS, enrolled in a longitudinal study of HIV infection in an out-patient methadone maintenance program . At enrollment, 144 (33.3%) subjects were HIV-seropositive, 289 (66.7%) were seronegative . Over a 12-month period, 14 out of 144 (9.7%) seropositive subjects were hospitalized for community-acquired bacterial pneumonia, compared with six out of 289 (2.1%) seronegative subjects . The cumulative yearly incidence of bacterial pneumonia was 97 out of 1000 for seropositives and 21 out of 1000 for seronegatives (risk ratio = 4.7, P less than 0.001) . Eleven out of 14 (78.6%) cases among the seropositive patients were due to either Streptococcus pneumoniae {5} or Hemophilus influenzae {6} . Two out of 14 (14.3%) cases among the seropositives were fatal . Stratifying by level of intravenous drug use indicated that even among subjects not reporting active intravenous drug use at study entry, eight out of 82 (9.8%) seropositives compared with three out of 211 (1.4%) seronegatives were hospitalized for bacterial pneumonia over the study period (risk ratio = 6.9, P less than 0.01) . This study shows a markedly increased incidence of bacterial pneumonia associated with HIV infection in IVDUs without AIDS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

J Trauma, 1988 Aug, 28(8), 1285 - 8
The efficacy of postsplenectomy sepsis prophylactic measures: the role of penicillin; Powell RW et al.; The well documented increased susceptibility of the asplenic host to overwhelming sepsis by encapsulated organisms has led to three popular prophylactic measures in patients: 1) pneumococcal vaccination; 2) vaccination with oral penicillin prophylaxis; or 3) vaccination with penicillin use at the first sign of infection . An animal model (weanling CD-1 rats) was utilized to evaluate these prophylactic measures . One hundred sixty rats underwent splenectomy and were divided into four treatment groups: I) sham vaccination; II) pneumococcal vaccination; III) vaccination and IM penicillin 24 hours after intraperitoneal inoculation of 10(6) Streptococcus pneumoniae type III; IV) vaccination and IM penicillin starting 3 days before IP inoculation . Six days following the bacterial challenge survival rates by group were: I) 5%; II) 25%; III) 100%; IV) 100% (p less than 0.001 by phi 2 likelihood ratio) . Mantel- Cox log rank analysis of survival curves yielded significant differences between all groups except III and IV (p less than 0.001) . This study in weanling rats supports the use of penicillin in the asplenic host . Daily prophyactic penicillin or penicillin started at the first sign of infection appears to be equally effective . Randomized studies in humans would determine the best regimen.

J Bacteriol, 1988 Aug, 170(8), 3655 - 9
Viability and metabolic capability are maintained by Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Streptococcus lactis at very low adenylate energy charge; Barrette WC Jr et al.; Metabolic regulation by nucleotides has been examined in several bacteria within the context of the adenylate energy charge (EC) concept . The ECs of bacteria capable of only fermentative metabolism (Streptococcus lactis and the ATPase-less mutant Escherichia coli AN718) fell to less than 0.2 under carbon-limiting conditions, but the bacteria were able to step up the EC to greater than 0.8 upon exposure to nutrient sugars . Similarly, nongrowing E . coli 25922, whose EC had been artificially lowered to less than 0.1 by the addition of the protonophore carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), was able to immediately step up the EC to 0.8 to 0.9 upon the addition of glucose but was unable to respond to respiratory substrates . The EC of respiring bacteria (E . coli 25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 27853) fell to 0.3 to 0.4 under certain limiting growth conditions, but the bacteria also responded immediately when challenged with succinate to give EC values greater than 0.8 . These bacteria could not step up the EC with respiratory substrates in the presence of CCCP . For all bacteria, the loss of the ability to step up the EC was attributable to the loss of nutrient transport function . Mixtures of viable and HOCl-killed E . coli 25922 were able to step up the EC in proportion to the fraction of surviving cells . The data indicate that nucleotide phosphorylation levels are not regulatory in nongrowing bacteria but that the EC step-up achievable upon nutrient addition may be an accurate index of viability.

J Bacteriol, 1988 Aug, 170(8), 3531 - 6
Sodium-dependent transport of neutral amino acids by whole cells and membrane vesicles of Streptococcus bovis, a ruminal bacterium; Russell JB et al.; Streptococcus bovis JB1 cells were able to transport serine, threonine, or alanine, but only when they were incubated in sodium buffers . If glucose-energized cells were washed in potassium phosphate and suspended in potassium phosphate buffer, there was no detectable uptake . Cells deenergized with 2-deoxyglucose and incubated in sodium phosphate buffer were still able to transport serine, and this result indicated that the chemical sodium gradient was capable of driving transport . However, when the deenergized cells were treated with valinomycin and diluted into sodium phosphate to create both an artificial membrane potential and a chemical sodium gradient, rates of serine uptake were fivefold greater than in cells having only a sodium gradient . If deenergized cells were preloaded with sodium (no membrane potential or sodium gradient), there was little serine transport . Nigericin and monensin, ionophores capable of reversing sodium gradients across membranes, strongly inhibited sodium-dependent uptake of the three amino acids . Membrane vesicles loaded with potassium and diluted into either lithium or choline chloride were unable to transport serine, but rapid uptake was evident if sodium chloride was added to the assay mixture . Serine transport had an extremely poor affinity for sodium, and more than 30 mM was needed for half-maximal rates of uptake . Serine transport was inhibited by an excess of threonine, but an excess of alanine had little effect . Results indicated that S . bovis had separate sodium symport systems for serine or threonine and alanine, and either the membrane potential or chemical sodium gradient could drive uptake.

Jpn J Antibiot, 1988 Aug, 41(8), 1142 - 54
{Studies of ceftizoxime in perinatal period}; Cho N et al.; Bacteriological studies and clinical evaluations of ceftizoxime (CZX) in perinatal period were carried out, and results are summarised as follows: Antibacterial activities of CZX in amniotic fluid were determined using the broth dilution method, and bactericidal effect on Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were demonstrated . The bactericidal effect of CZX increased in amniotic fluid and remarkable increases of activities against resistant strains were demonstrated . The penetration of CZX into mother's milk was low, and it was speculated that the drug transfer to the newborn through breast feeding was very little . Clinically, CZX was effective in the treatment of perinatal infections without any side effect . The above results has demonstrated that CZX is a clinically useful antibiotic for the prophylaxis and the treatment of perinatal infections.

J Clin Microbiol, 1988 Aug, 26(8), 1539 - 42
Occurrence of mucoid M-18 Streptococcus pyogenes in a central Ohio pediatric population; Marcon MJ et al.; During a 1-year period from October 1986 through September 1987, we recovered 116 mucoid, hemolytic Streptococcus pyogenes isolates from clinical specimens collected from patients seen at our pediatric institution . A total of 102 isolates were from throat cultures (101 for pharyngitis, 1 for acute rheumatic fever), 13 were from other superficial body sites, and 1 was from pleural fluid . All of 40 mucoid isolates tested to date were determined to be M-type 18 strains . A direct latex agglutination test for group A carbohydrate antigen in throat swab specimens was equally sensitive in detecting M-18 mucoid and nonmucoid strains (45 of 77 {58%} and 795 of 1,186 {67%}, respectively; not significant, P greater than 0.05) . Antimicrobial susceptibility tests performed with 40 mucoid and 40 nonmucoid isolates against penicillin and nine other antimicrobial agents showed all strains to be susceptible, with no difference in MICs . All isolates tested were also considered fully susceptible to the bactericidal activity of penicillin . Further studies are needed to establish the relative virulence of M-18 strains and their possible association with the resurgence of acute rheumatic fever in central Ohio and other areas of the United States.

FEBS Lett, 1988 Aug 1, 235(1-2), 262 - 6
Complete amino acid sequence of protein B; Ruhlmann J et al.; The complete amino acid sequence of protein B (= CAMP factor) of Streptococcus agalactiae has been determined . The sequence data were obtained mainly by manual sequencing of peptides derived from digestion with lysyl-peptidase, clostripain and Staphylococcus aureus protease and by solid phase sequencing of cyanogen bromide fragments . The protein contains 226 amino acids and has an Mr of 25,263 . The sequence was compared with sequences of other Fc-binding proteins and partial sequence homology was found between protein B and the Fc-binding region of protein A.

Am J Med, 1988 Aug, 85(2), 164 - 71
Prospective study of lower respiratory tract infections in an extended-care nursing home program: potential role of oral ciprofloxacin; Peterson PK et al.; PURPOSE: Infections of the lower respiratory tract pose an important problem in nursing homes . Despite the magnitude of this problem, few, if any, antibiotic studies have been targeted specifically at nursing home-acquired bronchopulmonary infections . Following the establishment of a teaching Extended-Care Nursing Home Program, which facilitated the early diagnosis and therapy of bronchopulmonary infections, a comparative trial of oral ciprofloxacin and intramuscular cefamandole was initiated in elderly patients with lower respiratory tract infections . In addition to assessing the relative efficacy and safety of ciprofloxacin and cefamandole, our goals were to identify problems and pitfalls associated with conducting clinical research in this nursing home setting, evaluate selected clinical and laboratory features of lower respiratory tract infection in this patient population, and measure outcomes in all study groups . PATIENTS and METHODS: During a 20-month period, 40 patients with pneumonia and 20 patients with acute bronchitis were enrolled in this randomized study . Sixty-three patients with pneumonia who were ineligible for the randomized study were also followed prospectively . The mean age of the 111 participants (123 cases) was 80.8 years; all patients had at least one chronic medical condition . RESULTS: Although Streptococcus pneumoniae was the single most common isolate, gram-negative bacteria were cultured from 81 percent of the cases that yielded pathogens from a satisfactory sputum specimen . The in-hospital mortality rate was strikingly low (6.5 percent), and a large majority of patients in all study groups were discharged safely back to their nursing homes well within the Diagnosis-Related Group length of stay . CONCLUSION: Ciprofloxacin appeared to be as safe and effective as cefamandole in this nursing home program; however, additional studies are needed to determine its role in the treatment of elderly patients with bronchopulmonary infections.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1988 Aug, (8), 64 - 8
{Epidemiologic problems of pneumococcal infection}; Vishniakova LA et al.; During the microbiological examination of 314 tentatively healthy donors, residents of Leningrad, Streptococcus pneumoniae was detected in the rhinopharynx of 94 donors (29.9%) in amounts ranging from a few individual microbial cells to 10(6) microbial cells with the mean geometric concentration equal to 3.58 lg . Antipneumococcal antibodies were detected in the blood of 147 donors (46.8%) . The occurrence of antipneumococcal antibodies was approximately 2.5 times higher than the average level of carriership, but in most cases the dynamics of immunological reactions changed in the same direction . Considerable monthly and annual fluctuations in the occurrence of pneumococcal carriership and antipneumococcal antibodies, as well as their correlation with the epidemic rises of acute respiratory diseases, influenza and other acute respiratory viral diseases, were established . These data indicate that pneumococcal infection plays a definite role in the epidemic rises of acute respiratory diseases.

Infect Immun, 1988 Aug, 56(8), 1999 - 2005
Isolation and characterization of the Streptococcus mutans gtfC gene, coding for synthesis of both soluble and insoluble glucans; Hanada N et al.; The intact gtfC gene from Streptococcus mutans GS-5 was isolated in Escherichia coli in plasmid vector pUC18 . The glucosyltransferase activity expressed by the gene synthesized both low-molecular-weight water-soluble glucan and insoluble glucan in a primer-independent manner . Purification of the enzyme by procedures that minimize proteolytic digestion yielded a purified preparation with a molecular weight of 140,000 . Insertional inactivation of the gtfC gene with a streptococcal erythromycin resistance gene fragment followed by transformation of strain GS-5 suggested that the gtfC gene product was required for sucrose-dependent colonization in vitro . In addition, evidence for the presence of a third gtf gene coding for soluble glucan synthesis was obtained following the construction of mutants containing deletions of both the gtfB and gtfC genes.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1988 Aug, 54(8), 2136 - 9
Cloning of nisin resistance determinant and replication origin on 7.6-kilobase EcoRI fragment of pNP40 from Streptococcus lactis subsp . diacetylactis DRC3; Froseth BR et al.; The nisin resistance determinant and an origin of replication on pNP40, a plasmid of about 60 kilobases that is present in Streptococcus lactis subsp . diacetylactis DRC3, was cloned on a 7.6-kilobase EcoRI fragment . When self-ligated, this fragment existed as an independent replicon (pFM011) and contained a 2.6-kilobase EcoRI-XbaI fragment encoding nisin resistance.

Carbohydr Res, 1988 Jul 15, 178, 243 - 57
Immunochemical studies on the N-acetyllactosamine beta-(1----6)-linked trisaccharide specificity of Ricinus communis agglutinin; Wu AM et al.; The combining site of Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA1) was studied by quantitative precipitin and precipitin inhibition assays . Of 31 complex carbohydrates tested, all except active and inactive antifreeze glycoproteins, Streptococcus group C polysaccharide, and native rat salivary glycoprotein, reacted strongly, and 22 completely precipitated the lectin, indicating that RCA1 has both a broad range of affinity and a low solubility of its carbohydrate-bound complex . Of the monosaccharides and glycosides tested for inhibition of precipitation, p-nitrophenyl beta-D-galactopyranoside was the best . It was about 6.4 times better than methyl beta-D-galactopyranoside . The beta anomer of glycosides of D-galactose was much more potent than the corresponding alpha anomer . Among the oligosaccharides tested, beta-D-Galp-(1----4)-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1----6)-D-Gal was the best inhibitor, which was approximately 2/3 as active as p-nitrophenyl beta-D-galactopyranoside . It was approximately 1.4 times as active as beta-D-Gal-(1----4)-D-GlcNAc (N-acetyllactosamine), twice as active as beta-D-Gal-(1----3)-D-GlcNAc, and 4.5 times more active than lacto-N-tetraose . From the results, it can be concluded that; (a) hydrophobic interaction is important for binding; (b) the combining site of this lectin is at least as large as a trisaccharide; and (c) of the compounds studied, the trisaccharide beta-D-Galp-(1----4)-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1----6)-D-Gal was the most complementary to the human blood group I Ma determinant beta-D-Galp-(1----4)-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1----6)-D-Gal.

Biochemistry, 1988 Jul 12, 27(14), 5341 - 51
Multiantennary group-specific polysaccharide of group B Streptococcus; Michon F et al.; The group-specific antigen of group B Streptococcus is composed of four different oligosaccharide units of Mw 766 (III), 1277 (II), 1462 (IV), and 1788 (I) . The major constituent sugars of the oligosaccharides are alpha-L-rhamnopyranose, alpha-D-galactopyranose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl, and D-glucitol except that III does not contain alpha-D-galactopyranosyl or 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl residues and IV contains no D-glucitol but has one additional beta-L-rhamnopyranosyl residue . The structures of II and III have been previously elucidated {Michon, F., Katzenellenbogen, E., Kasper, D . L., & Jennings, H . J . (1987) Biochemistry 26, 476-486} . In the group B antigen all the oligosaccharides are linked by one type of phosphodiester bond from O6 of the D-glucitol residue of one oligosaccharide to O6 of the alpha-D-galactopyranosyl residue of the next to form a complex and highly branched multiantennary structure . However, despite the heterogeneous nature of its component oligosaccharides, some order has been identified in the biosynthesis of the group B antigen from chemical and enzymatic sequence studies . Because III lacks an alpha-D-galactopyranosyl residue but has a D-glucitol residue, it is situated at the reducing terminus of all the branches of the group B antigen where it is always adjacent to a II moiety . Conversely, IV has an alpha-D-galactopyranosyl residue but has no D-glucitol and is therefore located at the reducing terminus of the group B antigen where it probably functions as a linker molecule between the group B polysaccharide and the cell wall peptidoglycan of the group B streptococcal organisms . Oligosaccharide I contains two alpha-D-galactopyranosyl residues and one D-glucitol residue and thus constitutes the branch point in the group B antigen, whereas II contains one of each of the above residues and therefore is situated in linear interchain positions . The group B antigen is highly branched and probably has a unique multiantennary structure.

Dtsch Med Wochenschr, 1988 Jul 8, 113(27), 1087 - 91
{Endocarditis prophylaxis with amoxicillin, clindamycin or erythromycin? Serum bacteriostatic and bactericidal effect against Streptococcus viridans}; Garlando F et al.; The effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis against endocarditis was assessed by testing the bactericidal and bacteriostatic action in serum of 12 healthy volunteers who had taken the recommended antibiotics according to laid down guidelines . Blood was obtained from these subjects every two hours for 12 hours after oral intake of amoxicillin (3 g as a single dose), clindamycin (600 mg a single dose) or erythromycin (1.5 g plus another 0.5 g after six hours), the serum being tested against three Strep . viridans strains . Two of the three strains were "tolerant", i.e . in relation to the minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) their growth was inhibited, but--in relation to the minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC)--they were not killed . A bacteriostatic effect by amoxicillin and clindamycin was demonstrated by a micromethod against all three strains during the 12-hour period . But erythromycin did not achieve bacteriostasis in all serum samples . A bactericidal effect was demonstrated only in those samples that contained amoxicillin, and then only against the non-tolerant of the three strains . These results support the view that amoxicillin and clindamycin are effective in the prophylaxis against Strep . viridans bacteraemia because of their constant bacteriostatic effect, as measured in serum.

Schweiz Med Wochenschr, 1988 Jul 2, 118(26), 991 - 1000
{Endocarditis or bacteremia caused by Streptococcus bovis and colorectal neoplasms}; Noti C et al.; Streptococcus bovis is a relatively frequent causative agent of endocarditis or bacteriaemia, particularly in the elderly . In the past S . bovis has often been incompletely or even falsely classified . For therapeutic and prognostic reasons it is important to classify this agent exactly with biochemical methods even in the routine laboratory . Endocarditis or bacteriaemia due to S . bovis are often seen in conjunction with malignant, potentially malignant or benign colorectal neoplasias . After endocarditis or bacteriaemia due to S . bovis thorough investigation of colon and rectum is indicated . On the other hand, in presence of fever in patients with colorectal tumors, S . bovis bacteriaemia or endocarditis must be considered . The available literature is inconclusive on the question whether, after S . bovis endocarditis or bacteriaemia with initially normal colorectal findings, examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract and periodic inspection of the colon is needed . Up to now there has been no satisfactory explanation for the concomitant occurrence of endocarditis or bacteriaemia due to S . bovis and colorectal neoplasia.

Mol Immunol, 1988 Jul, 25(7), 673 - 8
Influence of helical organization on immunogenicity and antigenicity of synthetic peptides; Gras-Masse H et al.; Using cooperative effects of different peptide structures synthesized in tandem, we have induced an alpha-helical structure in water solution on a peptide which, alone, is unorganized . This structure is particularly relevant in this case as the selected model protein (type 24 M protein of Streptococcus pyogenes) is an extended coiled-coil system . We were thus able to assess the importance of organization or unorganization of a unique amino acid sequence with regards to its immunogenicity and antigenicity . Although in a classical manner, antibodies cross-reacting with the protein can be obtained with the short, unorganized peptide, we demonstrate that conformation-specific antibodies are raised when longer, organized peptides are used as immunogens.

J Am Vet Med Assoc, 1988 Jul 1, 193(1), 72 - 5
Clinical significance of aerobic bacterial flora of the uterus, vagina, vestibule, and clitoral fossa of clinically normal mares; Hinrichs K et al.; Swab specimens for bacterial culture were obtained from the uterus, vagina, vestibule, and clitoral fossa of 48 mares that had normal reproductive tracts, no history of reproductive problems, and no inflammation on evaluation of endometrial biopsy . The mares were predominantly Thoroughbred and Standardbred . Swab specimens of the vagina were obtained through a sterile speculum; swab specimens of the uterus were obtained by use of a double-guarded, occluded culture instrument . Fifteen (31%) of the uterine swab specimens and 20 (42%) of the vaginal swab specimens yielded growth on aerobic culture; however, only 2 (4%) of the uterine swab specimens and 4 (8%) of the vaginal swab specimens yielded growth of more than 10 colonies . In contrast, 21 (44%) of the vestibular swab specimens and 45 (94%) of the clitoral fossa swab specimens had moderate (greater than 10 colonies in 1 quadrant) to heavy (colonies in 2 or 3 quadrants) growth of organisms on culture . Of organisms considered to be potential pathogens, Streptococcus zooepidemicus and Escherichia coli were found on bacteriologic culture of several clitoral fossa swab specimens and of some vestibular swab specimens . We did not isolate any potential pathogens from uterine or vaginal swab specimens . It appears that 1 to 10 colonies of nonpathogenic organisms could be recovered from the uterus in a substantial number of clinically normal mares even when double-guarded swabbing techniques are used, and we suggest that prebreeding culture requirements be modified to reflect this . Also, our findings indicate that the vulvovaginal fold, rather than the cervix, might be the major barrier to ascending bacterial contamination of the reproductive tract.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

J Clin Pathol, 1988 Jul, 41(7), 720 - 1
Incidence of decreased penicillin sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae from clinical isolates; Nair P; One hundred isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from clinical specimens over nine months were examined for sensitivity to penicillin using disc tests and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) studies . Four per cent of the isolates were found to have reduced sensitivity to penicillin . Penicillin and methicillin discs with 1 unit and 5 micrograms antibiotic, respectively, were inferior to discs with 1 microgram oxacillin, which gave results comparable with those of MIC studies.

Br Heart J, 1988 Jul, 60(1), 78 - 80
Infective endarteritis affecting the left pulmonary artery after anatomical correction of complete transposition of the great arteries; Parsons JM et al.; Clinical features of infective endocarditis developed in a two year old boy . He had successfully undergone anatomical correction of complete transposition of the great arteries during the neonatal period . At routine investigation one year later he showed evidence of important supravalvar pulmonary stenosis . He remained symptom free until endocarditis developed . Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from serial blood cultures . Despite prompt treatment with specific intravenous antibiotic treatment the patient died of overwhelming sepsis . At necropsy the stenosed portion of the left pulmonary artery was seen to be the site of infection.

Pediatr Infect Dis J, 1988 Jul, 7(7), 476 - 80
Role of adherence of Streptococcus pneumoniae in acute otitis media; Andersson B et al.; The adherence of Streptococcus pneumoniae to human nasopharyngeal epithelial cells was studied as a possible determinant in the development of acute otitis media (AOM) . Pneumococcal isolates were obtained from the nasopharynx (NP) and middle ear fluid of infants followed from birth in a prospective study of pneumococcal carriage and infection . The adherence of 33 middle ear fluid isolates from 19 infants with AOM was compared with 143 strains recovered from NP cultures taken from each child both at the time of their acute infections and on other occasions . We studied 171 NP isolates from 29 "carrier" infants, who had no pneumococcal infections, for comparison . Adherence properties were not associated with any particular pneumococcal capsular types, nor were adherent strains more frequent among infants with AOM . There was no evidence to support the hypothesis that pneumococci associated with AOM have a special propensity for adherence . Adherence was a frequent characteristic of pneumococci recovered from the NP, especially in connection with upper respiratory tract infection, and may be required for the establishment of colonization but was not a property that discriminated between carriage strains and those causing AOM.

Ann Rheum Dis, 1988 Jul, 47(7), 598 - 9
Bacterial endocarditis presenting as acute monoarthritis; Doube A et al.; The presentation of a pig farmer with acute arthritis of the shoulder, cardiac murmurs, and Streptococcus suis growing on blood cultures highlights one of the rheumatological presentations of bacterial endocarditis . The need for a thorough general medical examination together with synovial fluid and blood culture in patients with acute monarthritis is emphasised . The suggestion that acute arthritis related to endocarditis is in nature truly septic, rather than mediated by circulating immune complexes, is supported.

J Surg Res, 1988 Jul, 45(1), 56 - 9
The protective effect of pneumococcal vaccination following partial splenectomy; Powell RW et al.; Weanling CD-1 male rats were subjected to 100, 75, and 50% splenectomy . One week following splenectomy, animals received either a sham immunization with 0.1 ml NS or pneumococcal immunization with 0.1 ml of a polyvalent (23) vaccine . Eight weeks following surgery, all animals received an intraperitoneal inoculation with 10(6) Streptococcus pneumoniae Type 3 organisms and were observed for mortality . Significant differences in mortality were seen between sham and immunized animals undergoing 100 or 75% splenectomy, while in the 50% group a difference was noted which did not reach statistical significance (Mantel-Cox log rank test) . Patients undergoing greater than 50% splenectomy may be afforded greater protection against overwhelming pneumococcal infections by immunization with pneumococcal vaccine.

J Bacteriol, 1988 Jul, 170(7), 3194 - 8
Effect of cholesterol on the branched-chain amino acid transport system of Streptococcus cremoris; Zheng T et al.; The effect of cholesterol on the activity of the branched-chain amino acid transport system of Streptococcus cremoris was studied in membrane vesicles of S . cremoris fused with liposomes made of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine, soybean phosphatidylethanolamine, and various amounts of cholesterol . Cholesterol reduced both counterflow and proton motive force-driven leucine transport . Kinetic analysis of proton motive force-driven leucine uptake revealed that the Vmax decreased with an increasing cholesterol/phospholipid ratio while the Kt remained unchanged . The leucine transport activity decreased with the membrane fluidity, as determined by steady-state fluorescence polarization of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene incorporated into the fused membranes, suggesting that the membrane fluidity controls the activity of the branched-chain amino acid carrier.

J Bacteriol, 1988 Jul, 170(7), 3136 - 41
Identification of two proteins encoded by com, a competence control locus of Streptococcus pneumoniae; Chandler MS et al.; The com locus, which controls competence for genetic transformation in Streptococcus pneumoniae, was analyzed by construction of a series of subclones, insertion mutations, and deletions of the cloned DNA in Escherichia coli . In vitro transcription-translation of these com plasmids revealed two neighboring genes, comA and comB, encoding proteins of 77,000 and 49,000 daltons, respectively . Their map positions and orientations were determined . Insertions in either gene eliminated the corresponding protein and had no effect on the other . In addition, a 15,000-dalton com protein was tentatively identified, although the exact location of this gene remains to be determined . Features of the DNA adjacent to the com locus are also described.

J Infect Dis, 1988 Jul, 158(1), 23 - 8
The Eagle effect revisited: efficacy of clindamycin, erythromycin, and penicillin in the treatment of streptococcal myositis; Stevens DL et al.; We investigated the relative efficacies of penicillin, clindamycin, and erythromycin in a mouse model of myositis due to Streptococcus pyogenes . Penicillin was ineffective unless given at the time of bacterial injection, and treatment delays of 2 h reduced its efficacy such that survival was no better than that of untreated control animals (P less than .05) . Survival of erythromycin-treated mice was greater than that of both penicillin-treated mice and untreated controls, but only if treatment was begun within 2 h . Mice receiving clindamycin, however, had survival rates of 100%, 100%, 80%, and 70% even if treatment was delayed 0, 2, 6, and 16.5 h, respectively . Thus, clindamycin demonstrated superior efficacy to penicillin among all the various treatment groups (P less than .05) . Our results corroborate the failure of penicillin in this model of streptococcal infection and suggest that, unlike penicillin, the efficacy of clindamycin is not adversely altered by the "Eagle effect."

Heart Lung, 1988 Jul, 17(4), 371 - 3
Escherichia coli sacroiliitis: report of a case and review of the literature; Sacks-Berg A et al.; Pyogenic sacroiliitis is rare and usually occurs in patients with an underlying illness . Typically, the responsible organisms are Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pneumoniae . We describe a healthy 17-year-old boy with bacterial sacroiliitis caused by Escherichia coli . This case illustrates the importance of considering this diagnosis in febrile patients with no obvious source of infection.

Infect Immun, 1988 Jul, 56(7), 1715 - 21
Heparin-inhibitable basement membrane-binding protein of Streptococcus pyogenes; Bergey EJ et al.; Solubilized surface proteins of Streptococcus pyogenes serotype M6 were found by indirect immunofluorescence assays to bind selectively to proteoglycan-containing regions of basement membranes of kidney and cardiac muscle in vitro . Epithelial, endothelial, and interstitial cells were unstained . Binding of streptococcal protein to basement membranes was competitively inhibited by heparin and, to a lesser extent, by heparan sulfate . Weak inhibition was also observed with other glycosaminoglycans, including dermatan sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, and hyaluronic acid . Type IV collagen, gelatin, serum fibronectin, glucuronic acid, and a selection of monosaccharides had no significant effects on binding . The heparin-inhibitable basement membrane-binding protein was purified by affinity chromatography on heparin-Sepharose 6-B . Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and urea dissociated the affinity-purified protein into two polypeptides of 9,000 and 15,000 mrs . Chemical analyses revealed that the purified protein was devoid of cysteine, amino and neutral sugars, and phosphate . Thus, the polypeptides are not glycosylated or complexed with trace amounts of lipoteichoic acid or polysaccharide . Binding of purified protein to tissue was determined by direct radioassay and indirect immunofluorescence and was inhibitable by heparin . Although the in vivo effects of this streptococcal component remain to be determined, its deposition on basement membranes in vitro supports the hypothesis that it contributes to the pathogenesis of poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis or acute rheumatic fever.

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg, 1988 Jul, 96(1), 166 - 70
The controversial role of decortication in the management of pediatric empyema; Kosloske AM et al.; Open surgical procedures for pleural empyema remain controversial in children . The pediatric literature generally recommends a prolonged trial of antibiotics and closed tube thoracostomy drainage . We report a favorable experience with a selective approach to open drainage in 22 children, many of whom had an empyema already organizing at admission . Open drainage was considered in children whose conditions failed to improve after 3 to 5 days of therapy with antibiotics and closed drainage . The method of drainage was selected according to the pathologic phase of the empyema: five children with fibrinopurulent empyema were successfully managed by limited decortication, and 17 with organizing empyema received decortication . Clinical improvement was usually dramatic; most of the children became afebrile by postoperative day 3 and were discharged by postoperative day 10 . There were no deaths . Three children (14%) had complications of postoperative air leak or infection . Streptococcus pneumoniae (5) and Hemophilus influenzae (3) were the most common single pathogens . The presence of anaerobic bacteria in 8 of 22 children (36%) was associated with rapid organization of the empyema and the need for decortication . Decortication procedures have a low risk and are effective in children with empyema . They should be considered as definitive therapy, rather than as a last resort.

No To Shinkei, 1988 Jul, 40(7), 647 - 50
{A case of cerebral arteritis secondary to bacterial meningitis}; Takeda N et al.; A 34-year-old female with Streptococcus pneumonia meningitis is presented . She deteriorated suddenly and CT scan revealed low density on the right basal ganglia and left centrum semiovale . Angiographic manifestations included arterial stenosis of the supraclinoid portion of ICA and the proximal portion of MCA . Systemic and intrathecal injections of the antibiotics were done and the treatments to the cerebral infarction were added but she became vegetative . During her clinical course hydrocephalus and hemorrhagic infarction occurred . The second angiography 4 months later showed no disappearance of the findings on the initial study . Arterial stenosis due to the cerebral arteritis with meningitis had been said to be caused by inflammatory change of the arterial wall, vasospasm and contrast media . It suggests by serial cerebral angiography that arterial stenosis is due not to vasospasm, but to the inflammatory change of the arterial wall.

Ann Acad Med Singapore, 1988 Jul, 17(3), 438 - 42
Neonatal septicaemia in Kelantan, Malaysia; Choo KE et al.; A retrospective study of 84 cases of neonatal septicaemia admitted into a neonatal unit in a rural area of Malaysia for 1 year between 1st September 1985 to 31st August 1986 was carried out to determine the spectrum of micro-organisms and predisposing factors in relation to early and late onset septicaemia . The incidence of neonatal septicaemia was 2.13 per 1,000 live-births per year and the case fatality was 41.7% with higher case fatality in those who were premature, those who presented as early onset and those who had gram negative septicaemia . The mean age of onset of septicaemia was 7.8 days (range from 2 hours to 27 days) . Forty four (52%) neonates had early onset septicaemia with mean age of onset at 2.7 days; forty (48%) neonates had late onset septicaemia presenting at 13.6 days of life . Gram negative organisms such as Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, sp., E . coli and Streptococcus, especially group B Streptococcus were the major organisms in the early onset septicaemia . Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis were the major organisms responsible for the late onset septicaemia . Obstetrical factors played an important role in early onset septicaemia . Prematurity was the most common predisposing factor . Invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures including surgery highlighted once again the importance of these procedures in predisposing the newborn to infection.

J Appl Bacteriol, 1988 Jul, 65(1), 29 - 34
Staphylococcus aureus, thermostable nuclease and staphylococcal enterotoxins in raw ewes' milk Manchego cheese; Nunez M et al.; Growth and survival of two enterotoxigenic strains of Staphylococcus aureus were studied during manufacture and ripening of eight batches of raw ewes' milk Manchego cheese . Only 2-3 generations of Staph . aureus occurred in the vat and during pressing . The death rate of Staph . aureus (mean decrease in log cfu/g/week of ripening) from day 1 to day 60 was 0.421 in cheese made with 1% Streptococcus lactis starter and 0.404 in cheese made without starter . Thermostable nuclease was produced in the vat by growing Staph . aureus cells; it was inactivated by rennet during the first 24 h and synthesized again by surviving cells of Staph . aureus from day 1 to day 60 . Staphylococcal enterotoxins A, B, C and D were not detected in any batches of cheese, even though Staph . aureus counts exceeded 10(7) cfu/g.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1988 Jul, (7), 23 - 7
{Biological characterization of ecovars of gram-negative bacteria circulating in the burn ward}; Nikiforov VA et al.; In 44 isolated cultures of Gram-negative bacteria, besides commonly known pathogenicity factors, their adhesive activity towards the cells of the buccal epithelium and their interrelations with the representatives of normal microflora which determine natural resistance to colonization have been studied . The artificial adhesion of target cells is accompanied by the inhibition on the natural colonization of epithelial cells by Streptococcus salivarius; it is, therefore, evident that adhesiveness is one of the factors which determine the behavior of microorganisms in cenoses . The circulation of adhesive strains of Gram-negative bacteria has been noted in the burn ward.

Trop Geogr Med, 1988 Jul, 40(3), 213 - 7
Pneumococcal infections in eastern Saudi Arabia: serotypes and antibiotic sensitivity patterns; el-Mouzan MI et al.; The serotypes and antibiotic sensitivity patterns of Streptococcus pneumoniae infections were studied in 208 patients . Male to female ratio was 3 to 1 . The main underlying diseases were cardiopulmonary disease (53%), sickle cell disease (13%), diabetes mellitus (11%) and malignancies (11%) . The commonest infections were conjunctivitis, bronchopulmonary infections and otitis media . Serotypes 6 and 19 were the most common, especially in children, constituting 66% of the isolates . All the isolates were sensitive to penicillin, ampicillin and vancomycin, but 65% were resistant to cotrimoxazole . Penicillin, therefore, remains the best antimicrobial agent for treatment . All the serotypes are represented in the polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine available in the country; therefore some benefit can be expected from vaccination especially in the high risk patients.

Rev Infect Dis, 1988 Jul-Aug, 10 Suppl 2, S372 - 4
Role of pneumococcal surface protein A in the virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae; Briles DE et al.; Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) is a cell-surface protein of Streptococcus pneumoniae that is present on a number of clinical isolates as well as on the nonencapsulated laboratory strain Rx1 . PspA was originally identified by monoclonal antibodies that can protect mice against intravenous challenge with some pneumococcal strains . A gene, pspA, required for the production of PspA was inactivated with use of insertional inactivation . By immunizing CBA/N (Xid) mice with congenic PspA+ and PspA- pneumococci, it was possible to demonstrate that PspA can elicit protective antipneumococcal antibodies . This result may be significant to future vaccine research, since Xid mice, like children, are not responsive to the present pneumococcal vaccine . When pspA was inactivated in three virulent, encapsulated strains of pneumococci, all three strains showed a reduction in virulence and two became totally avirulent: the 50% lethal dose was less than 10 colony-forming units (cfu) for the parents and greater than 5 x 10(4) cfu for the PspA- mutants.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1988 Jul, 22 Suppl B, 41 - 52
A seventeen-year epidemiological survey of antimicrobial resistance in pneumococci in two hospitals; Buu-Hoi AY et al.; During a 17 year period (1970-1986), 2753 clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated in two hospitals were serotyped and tested for antibiotic susceptibility . In the last ten years the number of multiply resistant strains has increased to 60% of the resistant isolates . Resistance to tetracycline was already present in 14% of the isolates in 1970, and was the most frequent resistance encountered during this study (30% of the strains) . Resistance to chloramphenicol was first detected in 1972, but this resistance has remained infrequent (3%) . Resistance to penicillin is extremely rare and since 1978, only six strains with relative penicillin resistance (MIC 0.1-1.0 mg/l) have been isolated . Resistance to macrolides, lincosamides and streptogramin B (MLSB resistant phenotype) was first detected in 1976 . From 1983 to 1986, 131 isolates were MLSB resistant strains . These strains belonged to 20 different serotypes but 75% of the MLSB resistant pneumococci belonged to serotypes 6, 23, 19 and 14 which were among the most frequently isolated serotypes . In contrast serotypes 3 and 9 were epidemic but not resistant during the same period . Resistance markers in S . pneumoniae are often related to particular serotypes . The large monthly fluctuation in the isolation of resistant strains might explain the variable clinical results of empirical treatment of respiratory infections with macrolides.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1988 Jul, 22 Suppl B, 127 - 33
3H-spiramycin penetration into fibrin vegetations in an experimental model of streptococcal endocarditis; Cremieux AC et al.; In-vivo diffusion of labelled spiramycin into fibrin was investigated in a rabbit model of left sided subacute endocarditis caused by a nutritionally variant streptococcus that produces large fibrin vegetations . Animals received one 30 min infusion of different doses of 3H spiramycin alone (73.4 +/- 3.5 microCi and 846 microCi) or 57.5 +/- 3.5 microCi in combination with 50 mg/kg 'cold' spiramycin . Thirty minutes after the end of infusion (T30) these vegetation/blood and vegetation/muscle ratios were between 1 and 2 and the vegetation/plasma ratio was between 2 and 4 for the three doses tested . Autoradiography showed that 3H spiramycin was homogeneously distributed throughout the vegetation in comparison with some other drugs . On the other hand, there were considerable differences in antibiotic concentration among different vegetations in a single animal.

Clin Exp Rheumatol, 1988 Jul-Sep, 6(3), 325 - 8
Pneumococcal vertebral osteomyelitis presenting with an aseptic knee effusion in a child; Malleson PN et al.; An 11 year-old girl developed a sterile knee effusion in association with vertebral osteomyelitis . Blood cultures grew Streptococcus Pneumoniae . Sterile joint effusions and vertebral osteomyelitis are both rare complications of pneumococcal infection although this organism is a frequent cause of bacteremia in childhood.

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol, 1988 Jul, 66(1), 93 - 6
Acute pulpal-alveolar cellulitis syndrome . IV . Exacerbations during endodontic treatment . Part 3 . A case report; Matusow RJ; An asymptomatic abscessed maxillary premolar, which had undergone previous endodontic treatment, was retreated . The initial attempt to remove the silver cone seal was unsuccessful . Early the next morning, the patient appeared with a severe cellulitis exacerbation . The silver cone was now loose: a lateral "blowout." Specific cultures of the silver cone and exudate revealed three aerobic microbes: a Streptococcus sp and two obligate Pseudomonas spp . Anaerobes were shown to be absent with anaerobic subcultures . This case would appear to substantiate the alteration of the tissue oxidation-reduction potential as the major factor in endodontic cellulitis exacerbations, as previously reported.

Farmaco {Sci}, 1988 Jul-Aug, 43(7-8), 619 - 25
The antibacterial activity of a new 3-azinomethyl-rifamycin; Strippoli V et al.; The new 3-azinomethyl-rifamycin, SPA-S-565, was shown to exert an effective antibacterial activity in vitro comparable to that of rifampicin . In fact, the antibacterial activity of SPA-S-565 against numerous Gram-positive cocci belonging to Staphylococcus and Streptococcus species as well as against 20 strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, was similar to that of rifampicin . In Swiss albino mice intraperitoneally infected with Staphylococcus aureus Oxford strain or Streptococcus pyogenes, the protective activity of SPA-S-565 and rifampicin was quite remarkable, and no significant difference was noted between the two antibiotics . In M . tuberculosis-infected mice treated with the antibacterial agents every seven days, the protection exerted by SPA-S-565 was significantly greater than that exerted by rifampicin.

Z Kardiol, 1988 Jul, 77(7), 470 - 3
{Surgical aortic valve replacement for acute Streptococcus viridans endocarditis with simultaneous moderate hemophilia A}; Krawietz W et al.; This is a report of a 25-year-old patient with known aortic valve stenosis since early youth and hemophilia A, showing recurrent joint bleeding . Acute Streptococcus endocarditis induced aortic valve insufficiency resulting in cardiac failure . Aortic valve replacement was performed after substitution of factor VIII, during which intra- and postoperative bleeding was prolonged by pericardial adhesions . Heparin was administered during cardiopulmonary-bypass as usual, but usual postoperative cumarin therapy was not initiated due to prolonged PTT time . One year postoperatively, the patient was in an excellent condition and fully rehabilitated.

Arch Mal Coeur Vaiss, 1988 Jul, 81(7), 925 - 8
{Recurrent myocardial abscess during Streptococcus B endocarditis}; Prunier L et al.; The authors report a case of serious streptococcus B endocarditis with a myocardial abscess that recurred after surgery . Streptococcus B endocarditis is a rare disease which is characterized by a pronounced tropism of the organism for cardiac tissues, with severe cardiac valve mutilation and abscess formation in 40% of the cases . A myocardial abscess makes the prognosis worse and must be treated surgically during the acute phase of endocarditis . Modern imaging methods, notably trans-oesophageal two-dimensional echocardiography and computerized tomography should now be used to detect such abscesses.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1988 Jul, 54(7), 1889 - 91
Cloning and expression of an alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase gene from Streptococcus lactis subsp . diacetylactis in Escherichia coli; Goelling D et al.; The Streptococcus lactis gene coding for alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase (ADC) was cloned in Escherichia coli . Subsequent subcloning in E . coli showed that the ADC gene was located within a 1.3-kilobase DNA fragment . The ADC gene was controlled by its own promoter . Gas chromatography showed that S . lactis and the transformed E . coli strains produced the two optical isomers of acetoin in different ratios.

Biochem Cell Biol, 1988 Jul, 66(7), 758 - 71
Structure of the specific capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 23F (American type 23); Richards JC et al.; The specific capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 23F (American type 23) is composed of a repeating tetrasaccharide unit containing D-glucose (one part), D-galactose (one part), L-rhamnose (two parts), glycerol (one part), and phosphate (one part) . By composition analysis, optical rotation, partial hydrolysis, periodate oxidation, methylation, and high-resolution 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance studies, the elucidated unambiguous structure was in agreement with our earlier proposal but is at variance with structures proposed later by other authors . The structure of the type 23F pneumococcal polysaccharide is (formula; see text).

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1988 Jul, 54(7), 1744 - 51
Comparison of Streptococcus zooepidemicus and influenza virus pathogenicity in mice by three pulmonary exposure routes; Sherwood RL et al.; Pulmonary infections may be induced in experimental animals by using several exposure routes . Inhalation of microbial aerosols is often viewed as the most relevant exposure route, although the comparability of either intranasal (i.n.) or intratracheal (i.t.) inoculation to aerosol inhalation is unclear . In these studies, the infection of mice with either Streptococcus zooepidemicus or influenza virus was compared following i.n., i.t., or aerosol challenge . The 50% lethal dose was determined by each exposure route for both microbes, and the organ clearance of a 50% lethal dose was determined . Mice were as or more sensitive to bacterial or viral infection following i.n . or i.t . instillation as compared with aerosol challenge . Organ clearance patterns of virus or bacteria varied slightly with exposure route.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1988 Jul, 85(13), 4809 - 13
An intermediate in transposition of the conjugative transposon Tn916; Scott JR et al.; Using the conjugative transposon Tn916, we have identified a closed covalent circular form produced in vivo that is able to serve as an intermediate in transposition . When a region of a streptococcal chromosome containing Tn916 is cloned in an Escherichia coli plasmid, supercoiled transposon molecules are excised spontaneously . The purified supercoiled forms transform Bacillus subtilis protoplasts by inserting into the chromosome, apparently at random . In B . subtilis, Tn916 retains its ability to promote conjugative transposition, as shown by its transfer to Streptococcus pyogenes.

Hokkaido Igaku Zasshi, 1988 Jul, 63(4), 521 - 33
{Interferon production and natural killer activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained from patients with multiple sclerosis}; Maruo Y; Interferon (IFN) -system of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) during the stable stage of the disease activity was investigated . Thirty six patients were divided into 3 groups of mild, moderate and severe patients according to the scores of disability status scale (DSS) . IFN-alpha producibility and natural killer (NK) activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) or large granular lymphocytes (LGL) fractionated from PBL were determined by culturing with HeLa cells persistently infected with measles virus (HeLa/MV) and K562 cells . IFN-gamma was induced in PBL obtained from the patients using killed cells of Propionibacterium acnes (P . acnes), Listeria monocytogenes (LM) and Streptococcus salivarius (Str . sal.) and a lectin of concanavalin A (Con A) . Both IFN-alpha producibility and NK activity of PBL obtained from the patients were depressed in parallel with the severity of DSS of the patients . The depressed NK activity of the patients could be recovered by neither IFN-alpha nor interleukin-2 added exogenously . In addition, the induction of IFN-gamma was also depressed in the patients in response to P . acnes and LM, but not Str . sal . or Con A . These results suggest that the defect of IFN-system observed in PBL of the patients may result from the depressed function of both LGL and T lymphocyte subpopulations which are responsive to P . acnes and LM . It is postulated that these immunocompetent cells might migrate to subclinical demyelinating lesions of central nervous system where cytokines including IFN-gamma were produced locally, and that their migration might result in the quantitative decrease of lymphocytes participating in IFN-system in PBL of patients with MS.

Pediatr Res, 1988 Jul, 24(1), 68 - 72
Specificity of monoclonal antibodies against group B streptococcus type II and inhibition of their binding by human secretions; Gray BM et al.; Mouse monoclonal antibodies against the type-specific polysaccharide antigen of type II group B Streptococcus may be divided into two general groups based on their antigen-binding properties . One group of antibodies binds to both intact and desialylated type II antigen and the binding can be inhibited by beta-galactopyranosides . The second group of antibodies react only with intact type II polysaccharide and are not inhibited by beta-galactopyranosides . The binding of antibodies of the first group can also be inhibited by carbohydrate components of normal human secretions that share structural similarities with the type II polysaccharide . The binding of antibodies of one specificity precluded the binding of antibodies of the other specificity, apparently by competing for binding sites within a combining area that includes both determinants.

Science, 1988 Jun 24, 240(4860), 1788 - 90
Production of stable rabbit-mouse hybridomas that secrete rabbit mAb of defined specificity; Raybould TJ et al.; Inclusion of normal rabbit serum (NRS) in culture medium after interspecific fusion of hyperimmunized rabbit spleen cells with murine SP2/0 myeloma cells produced 271 rabbit-mouse hybridomas (RMHs) that secreted rabbit immunoglobulin against group A Streptococcus (GAS) . Continued use of NRS-supplemented medium during cloning yielded stabilized monoclonal RMH lines that have secreted GAS-specific rabbit antibody at concentrations similar to murine hybridomas (3 to 8 micrograms per 10(6) cells per 24 hours), for over 4 months of culture in vitro . The use of NRS as a medium supplement during initial culture, cloning, and stabilization of RMHs enables production of considerably more specific rabbit monoclonal antibody (mAb)-secreting RMHs than have previously been reported.

Dtsch Med Wochenschr, 1988 Jun 3, 113(22), 889 - 91
{Streptococcus bovis bacteremia and colonic diseases}; Satz N et al.; Four febrile patients were found to have a bacteraemia or endocarditis caused by Streptococcus bovis . Although there were no gastrointestinal symptoms, polyps in the colon, of a high degree of malignancy, were discovered in three . In the fourth, carcinoma of the colon, requiring resection, was found seven years after Streptococcus bovis endocarditis . The polyps were removed by endoscopy and the Streptococcus bovis infection in all cases cured by penicillin . All four patients had accompanying resistance-lowering illnesses, which favoured microbial invasion.

J Rheumatol, 1988 Jun, 15(6), 1029 - 30
Induction of Behçet's disease symptoms after dental treatment and streptococcal antigen skin test; Mizushima Y et al.; Severe symptoms of Behcet's disease were induced after dental treatment in 2 patients with stable Behcet's disease . Similar symptoms were probably induced by the streptococcal antigen skin test in 4 patients . These observations suggest a possible role of the streptococcus in the pathogenesis of Behcet's disease.

Eur J Epidemiol, 1988 Jun, 4(2), 242 - 5
Pneumococcal bacteremia in cancer patients; Richard V et al.; Twenty-eight episodes of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia occurring in 27 cancer patients hospitalized in the Institut Jules Bordet between July 1979 and April 1985 were reviewed . Ten patients had hematological malignancies and 17 had solid tumors (in 7 cases, of the lung) . Forty-four per cent of the patients were neutropenic (less than 1000/microliters) and 36% of the patients were in septic shock . In 36% of the patients no clinical source of S . pneumoniae bacteremia could be found . Seventy-nine (21% patients) received empirical antibiotic treatment containing a beta-lactam . Two patients who did not receive any empirical treatment died within 12 hours . Overall, 11/27 patients died within the first week, and 8/27 died within the first three days . Mortality in neutropenic patients was not different from that in non-neutropenic patients . In comparison with a similar study performed previously in our institution, there was no difference in incidence, type of patient, source of bacteremia, or mortality.

Am J Vet Res, 1988 Jun, 49(6), 790 - 2
Effect of abraded intramammary device on outcome in lactating cows after challenge exposure with Streptococcus uberis; Paape MJ et al.; Intramammary devices (IMD) were abraded with medium-grade emery cloth or were left smooth . One IMD of each type was inserted into a mammary quarter of each of 5 lactating cows . The remaining 2 quarters served as controls . Quarter foremilk, bucket milk, and stripping milk samples were collected for 3 consecutive days at 2 weeks after IMD insertion, and milk somatic cell counts (SCC) were determined . Milk samples also were collected immediately after and 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 11 hours after milking . All quarters were challenge exposed with 250 colony-forming units of Streptococcus uberis at 2 months after IMD insertion . Foremilk and stripping milk samples were collected for bacteriologic culture and SCC at the next 10 milkings . Mean foremilk, bucket milk, and stripping milk SCC (X 10(6) cells/ml) were 0.18, 0.07, and 0.91, respectively, for quarters with abraded IMD; 0.06, 0.05, and 0.43, respectively, for quarters with smooth IMD; and 0.03, 0.03, and 0.15, respectively, for control quarters . Mean SCC after milking (X 10(6) cells/ml) for the various intervals were 0.70, 1.29, 0.70, 0.97, 1.15, 1.17, 0.77, and 0.85 for quarters with abraded IMD; 0.43, 0.62, 0.61, 0.45, 0.64, 0.60, 0.31, and 0.26 for quarters with smooth IMD; and 0.15, 0.24, 0.15, 0.19, 0.15, 0.15, 0.14 and 0.06 for control quarters . After challenge exposure, 2 of 5 of the quarters with abraded IMD, 4 of 5 of the quarters with smooth IMD, and 8 of 9 control quarters became infected . Results indicated that abraded IMD increased SCC in stripping milk to concentrations that provided 60% protection against challenge exposure with S uberis.

Br J Ophthalmol, 1988 Jun, 72(6), 448 - 51
Conjunctival anaerobic and aerobic bacterial flora in paediatric versus adult subjects; Singer TR et al.; Although the bacterial flora of the conjunctiva in children and adults has been studied, there has been no previous comparison between these two age groups of anaerobic as well as aerobic bacteria . Conjunctival cultures from 229 eyes of 144 uninfected subjects were analysed for aerobic, microaerophilic, and anaerobic bacteria . Adults showed a greater number of species per eye than did younger subjects (1.47 versus 1.13; p less than 0.05) . Anaerobic species, predominantly Propionibacterium, were obtained from 27.1% of all eyes, but from a significantly greater percentage (30.2% versus 12.8%) of adults' than children's eyes (p less than 0.04) . Streptococcus spp . were cultured from 14.9% of the children's eyes as opposed to only 2.2% from adults (p less than 0.005) . Understanding the differences in conjunctival flora between normal adults and children aids the interpretation of culture results and leads to properly defining and treating potential pathogens.

J Bacteriol, 1988 Jun, 170(6), 2462 - 6
Surface properties of Streptococcus salivarius HB and nonfibrillar mutants: measurement of zeta potential and elemental composition with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; van der Mei HC et al.; To characterize the functional cell surface, the zeta potentials and elemental surface composition of Streptococcus salivarius HB and a range of mutants with known molecular surface structures were determined . Zeta potentials of fully hydrated cells were measured as a function of pH in dilute potassium phosphate solutions, yielding isoelectric points of the strains . Elemental composition (O, C, N, and P) of the outer 2 to 5 nm of the freeze-dried cell surfaces were measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy . An increasing loss of proteinaceous fibrillar surface antigens of the mutants was found to be accompanied by a progressive decrease in the N/C ratio from 0.104 in the parent strain HB to 0.053 in mutant HBC12 . Simultaneously, the value of the isoelectric point shifted from 3.0 to 1.3 . In a previous study (A.H . Weerkamp, H.C . van der Mei, and J . W . Slot, Infect . Immun . 55:438-455, 1987) on the cell surfaces of the same strains, it was shown that removal of fibrils led to increased exposure of (lipo)teichoic acid at the surface, which explains the low isoelectric point caused by the low pKa of the phosphate groups.

Arch Intern Med, 1988 Jun, 148(6), 1453 - 5
Pyomyositis in a patient with progressive systemic sclerosis . Case report and review of the literature; Minor RL Jr et al.; Pyomyositis has become an increasingly recognized disease in temperate climates . A patient receiving chlorambucil for progressive systemic sclerosis, in whom streptococcal pyomyositis developed, is presented . Magnetic resonance imaging led to the early diagnosis . To our knowledge, this is the first case report of pyomyositis in a patient with scleroderma, and the first association with group G streptococcus infection in an adult . Connective tissue diseases and immunosuppression may emerge as risk factors for the development of this entity.

Arch Intern Med, 1988 Jun, 148(6), 1421 - 4
'Toxic strep syndrome' . A manifestation of group A streptococcal infection; Bartter T et al.; Three patients presented with multisystem disease that shared many of the features of toxic shock syndrome . Bacteriologic and serologic evidence strongly suggested that group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus had caused the illnesses . Group A streptococcal infection may be an underdiagnosed cause of a toxic streptococcal syndrome, a syndrome of multisystem disease apparently mediated by toxins.

Infect Immun, 1988 Jun, 56(6), 1665 - 7
Cloning of the gene, speB, for streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin type B in Escherichia coli; Bohach GA et al.; The structural gene encoding streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin type B, designated speB, was cloned in Escherichia coli and localized onto a 4.5-kilobase BamHI-BglII DNA fragment . Streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin type B, partially purified from E . coli clones, was immunologically related to streptococcus-derived toxin . Also, toxin derived from either E . coli or Streptococcus pyogenes had similar lymphocyte mitogenic activity and molecular weight (29,300) and displayed comparable microheterogeneity when evaluated by isoelectric focusing.

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1988 Jun, 19(2), 215 - 8
Incidence of bacteremia in patients with opisthorchiasis during recurrent cholangitis; Pungpak S et al.; A total of 257 haemocultures were performed in 50 patients with opisthorchiasis when they presented signs and symptoms of biliary tract infection . 19 patients showed positive haemoculture . There are no significant relationship between the age of the patient and the incidence of positive haemoculture . Septic shock occurred in 5 patients, one patient died . Out of 221 aerobic cultures, 14% were positive and of the 36 anaerobic cultures 11% were positive . The most common organism was Staphylococcus followed by Klebsiella and Bacillus spp . Anaerobic bacterias were Streptococcus spp . Clostridia spp . was not found in this study . Most organisms were sensitive to cefotaxime, cephalothin, kanamycin and chloramphenicol, and the least sensitive to ampicillin.

Jpn J Antibiot, 1988 Jun, 41(6), 739 - 44
{Studies on plasma levels and clinical efficacy of rokitamycin in pediatrics}; Yamashita N et al.; Pharmacokinetic and clinical evaluations of rokitamycin (RKM, TMS-19-Q), a new macrolide antibiotic, were carried out . RKM was administered orally to 14 patients with congenital heart diseases before cardiocatheterization and angiography . Peak plasma levels of RKM were observed at 30 minutes after the administration at dosages of 5, 10, 15 mg/kg . Although the reason is not clear, there were great variations among plasma levels . Peak plasma levels of patients with relatively good absorption were high enough against bacteria such as beta-hemolytic Streptococcus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia trachomatis . Clinical responses were evaluated in 5 children comprising 2 cases of mycoplasmal pneumonia, 2 cases of Chlamydia infection and 1 case of beta-hemolytic streptococcal tonsillitis . All of these cases had excellent or good responses without any side effect . Furthermore, no child refused to take RKM dry syrup.

J Dent Res, 1988 Jun, 67(6), 969 - 72
Bicarbonate-based dental powder, fluoride, and saccharin inhibition of dental caries associated with Streptococcus mutans infection of rats; Tanzer JM et al.; The effects of NaHCO3-based dental powder containing NaF and sodium saccharin on dental caries and Streptococcus mutans recoveries in rats were studied . Weanling specific-pathogen-free Osborne-Mendel (SPFOM) rats were inoculated with S . mutans NCTC-10449S . Four infected groups were topically treated with either demineralized water (DW), a dental powder suspended such that there was 1 part solid per 2 parts DW, 0.073% NaF, or a combination of 0.073% NaF and 0.5% Na-saccharin (Nas) . NaF-supplemented DW (at 10 ppm F-) was provided to a 5th group of infected rats as a positive treatment control, but this group was otherwise untreated . A sixth but uninfected group was topically treated with DW . All topical treatments were given once for 1 min daily per rat, for 5 days per week . Animals' teeth were swabbed for recovery of 10449S and total recoverable flora . Recoveries of 10449S were lower from powder-treated rats than from DW-treated rats . This difference approached but did not reach statistical significance . Total caries scores were 51% lower for the dental powder, 36% lower for the topical NaF, 34% lower for the combined NaF-Nas, and 54% lower for the NaF-supplemented drinking water group, all p less than 0.001 . While all of the treatments inhibited smooth-surface caries, the dental powder effects, like those for the combined NaF-Nas, and NaF drinking water, were evident in fissure tooth surfaces as well.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

J Dent Res, 1988 Jun, 67(6), 964 - 8
Effect of inoculum size and frequency on the establishment of Streptococcus mutans in the oral cavities of experimental animals; Ooshima T et al.; SPF Sprague-Dawley rats and ICR mice were inoculated with either Streptococcus mutans MT8148R (serotype c) or 6715 (g), and the influence of inoculum size, inoculum frequency, and sucrose on the establishment of S . mutans in the oral cavity was examined . Successful colonization of S . mutans in the experimental animals was absolutely dependent on the number of the cells introduced orally . Furthermore, inoculum frequency and sucrose seemed to act as secondary factors to modify the establishment of S . mutans, and it is suggested that high inoculum frequency may decrease the inoculum size necessary for the colonization of S . mutans in the oral cavity.

J Dent Res, 1988 Jun, 67(6), 890 - 5
Physical and biochemical studies of Streptococcus mutans sediments suggest new factors linking the cariogenicity of plaque with its extracellular polysaccharide content; Dibdin GH et al.; Cultures of Streptococcus mutans MFe28 (serotype h) were grown with differing extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) content . Biochemical and physicochemical characteristics considered relevant to caries were measured . Acid production parameters measured in a pH-stat were: Vm = 0.76 +/- 0.14 mumol/g/sec (wet weight); apparent Km (acid production) = 100 mumol/L; molar yield = 1.97 +/- 0.25 mol acid/mol glucose . Acid anion inhibition of acid production was also noted . Buffering by the pure washed bacterial residue required approx . 112 mumol of base/g (wet weight) of residue to change the pH from 4 to 6.5, and this dropped almost to zero as the EPS content increased to 100% . Diffusion coefficients (D) in the residues were independent of EPS content over a wide range . When the effusion method was used, De (glucose) and De (acetate) were (3.26 +/- 0.6) and (5.05 +/- 0.8) x 10(-6) cm2/sec, respectively . The extracellular fluid fraction, measured by inulin exclusion, increased from 0.33 for the pure bacteria to 0.78 for the pure EPS . It is shown how, by these factors alone, and without any need for diffusion restriction, plaque EPS may lead to a lower pH at the tooth surface, thus increasing the cariogenic challenge.

Acta Odontol Scand, 1988 Jun, 46(3), 181 - 3
Synergistic antibacterial effects of copper and hexetidine against Streptococcus sobrinus and Streptococcus sanguis; Grytten J et al.; The aim of this study was to determine whether a combination of copper and hexetidine had a synergistic antibacterial effect against Streptococcus sobrinus OMZ 176 and S . sanguis 10556 . Concentration ranges of the test agents alone and in combination were prepared by serial dilutions in microtiter trays with brain-heart infusion (BHI) broth as the bacterial growth medium . After incubation at 37 degrees C for 24 h, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), corresponding to the lowest concentration showing no visible growth, was determined . Evaluated by the fractional inhibitory concentration index, a strong synergistic effect ranging from 0.39 to 0.40 was observed . A similar effect was also demonstrated by growth curves, which were constructed on the basis of growth in BHI broth with addition of MIC/4 of each agent alone or MIC/8 of each agent in combination . A probable explanation for these findings is that the surface-active hexetidine molecule alters the bacterial cell surfaces and thereby enables an increased amount of copper to be transported into the cell.

Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 1988 Jun, 26(3), 244 - 7
Multiple brain abscesses secondary to dental caries and severe periodontal disease; Marks PV et al.; A case is reported in which an intra-oral focus of sepsis is thought to have resulted in the patient developing multiple brain abscesses without the presence of lung infection or cardiac valvular disease . The link between the two sites of infection is supported by the isolation of two Streptococcus viridans species normally associated with dental caries and periodontal disease . The management of multiple brain abscesses is discussed.

Scand J Dent Res, 1988 Jun, 96(3), 218 - 25
Adhesion of Streptococcus rattus and Streptococcus mutans to metal surfaces; Branting C et al.; The adhesion of Streptococcus rattus BHT and Streptococcus mutans IB to metal specimens of amalgam, silver, tin and copper was studied using (6-3H)thymidine labeled cells . In the standard assay the metal specimens were suspended by a nylon thread in an adhesion solution containing a chemically defined bacterial growth medium (FMC), sucrose, and radiolabeled bacteria . Maximum amounts of adhering bacteria were obtained after about 100 min of incubation . Saturation of the metal specimens with bacteria was not observed . Both strains also adhered in the absence of sucrose, indicating that glucan formation was not necessary for adhesion . However, in the presence of glucose, adhesion was only 26-45% of that observed in the presence of equimolar sucrose . Sucrose-dependent stimulation of adhesion seemed to be due to increased cell-to-cell adhesion capacity . Isolated radiolabeled water-insoluble and water-soluble polysaccharides produced from sucrose by S . rattus BHT were not adsorbed to the metal surfaces.

Arch Mal Coeur Vaiss, 1988 Jun, 81(6), 797 - 800
{Pulmonary valve endocarditis caused by Streptococcus D bovis in a patient with a colorectal adenocarcinoma}; Chidiac C et al.; A case of pulmonary endocarditis caused by Streptococcus D bovis in a female patient with colorectal adenocarcinoma is reported . The M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiographic and pulsed doppler ultrasound findings are described . A review of the literature shows that Streptococcus D bovis pulmonary endocarditis is rare . Any septicaemia or endocarditis caused by this organism calls for invasive exploration of the digestive tract, and especially the colon.

Pediatr Res, 1988 Jun, 23(6), 553 - 6
Thromboxane-associated pulmonary hypertension during three types of gram-positive bacteremia in piglets; Gibson RL et al.; Thromboxane-associated pulmonary hypertension occurs in animals during intravenous infusion of group B streptococcus (GBS), a gram-positive neonatal pathogen . We postulated that other gram-positive neonatal pathogens, such as Streptococcus fecalis (ENT) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (S . epi) would also induce increased thromboxane synthesis and pulmonary hypertension when infused into piglets . We observed similar hemodynamic and gas exchange abnormalities during stepwise increases in the dose of GBS, Ent, and S . epi (n = 3, 4, and 4 piglets receiving each bacteria, respectively) . Pulmonary vascular resistance increased significantly in the absence of acidosis or reduced arterial or mixed venous pO2 at a dose of 2.5 x 10(8) cfu/kg/h for Ent and S . epi . In 14 additional piglets, pulmonary vascular resistance increased markedly after 60 min of intravenous infusion of 4 +/- 1 x 10(8) cfu/kg/h for each organism (p less than 0.05, GBS: 11.7 +/- 1.8 to 75.6 +/- 18.4 mm Hg/liter/min, Ent: 12.7 +/- 1.7 to 64.9 +/- 10.6 mm Hg/liter/min, S . epi: 10.5 +/- 0.8 to 56.9 +/- 6.0 mm Hg/liter/min), and blood thromboxane B2 levels increased (p less than 0.05, GBS: 30 +/- 10 to 1830 +/- 330 pg/ml, Ent: 20 +/- 7 to 1110 +/- 300 pg/ml, S . epi: 31 +/- 9 to 1260 +/- 350 pg/ml) . This dose of each bacteria caused a similar degree of mild arterial hypoxemia (57-66 mm Hg) . The thromboxane synthetase inhibitor, dazmegrel, completely reversed pulmonary hypertension, reduced TxB2 levels to near baseline values, and partially reversed arterial hypoxemia despite ongoing bacterial infusion . We conclude that thromboxane-associated pulmonary hypertension occurs in piglets during infusion of different gram-positive neonatal pathogens.

Pathol Biol (Paris), 1988 Jun, 36(5 Pt 2), 632 - 4
{In vitro activity of penicillin G and amoxicillin against 14 strains of Streptococcus milleri}; Berardi-Grassias L et al.; The MIC/MBC of penicillin G and amoxicillin were studied for 14 strains of Streptococcus milleri from varied specimens of hospitalized patients by broth dilution method . The MIC of penicillin G are between 0.015 and 0.12 mg/l, MIC of amoxicillin between 0.015 and 0.5 mg/l . The MBC of penicillin G are between 0.015 and 0.12 mg/l, MBC of amoxicillin between 0.12 and 0.5 mg/l . MBC/MIC of penicillin G are between 1 and 8 . MBC/MIC of amoxicillin are between 1 and 16 . The bactericidal effect was studied by killing curves on 5 strains at 2, 4, 6 and 18 hours at different concentrations of penicillin G (0.1, 0.2, 1 mg/l) and of amoxicillin (0.2, 0.5, 1 mg/l) . For 3 strains we observed a bactericidal effect with 99.9% or 99.99% of killing between the 6th and 18th hour without difference between penicillin G and amoxicillin, the two further strains were killed respectively by 0.1 mg/l of penicillin G and 0.5 mg/l of amoxicillin and by 0.2 mg/l of penicillin G and 0.5 mg/l of amoxicillin.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1988 Jun, 32(6), 882 - 5
Comparative study of cephalexin hydrochloride and cephalexin monohydrate in the treatment of skin and soft tissue infections; Kumar A et al.; In two prospective, randomized multicenter double-blind studies with a dosage of either 250 mg given four times a day (study A) or 500 mg given two times a day (study B), the comparative efficacy and safety of cephalexin hydrochloride (LY061188; Keftab) and cephalexin monohydrate (Keflex) for treatment of skin and soft tissue infections were determined . In study A, 97 patients received cephalexin hydrochloride and 101 patients received cephalexin monohydrate . In study B, 75 patients received cephalexin hydrochloride and 70 patients received cephalexin monohydrate . Diagnoses included abscesses, cellulitis, wound infections, and infected dermatitis, and were comparable in the different treatment groups . Pathogens were isolated from 82% of patients enrolled; the majority of isolates were of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, other staphylococcal species, and a few gram-negative bacteria . In study A, 68 of 71 (95.7%) evaluable patients who received cephalexin hydrochloride responded satisfactorily; 73 of 81 (90%) patients who received cephalexin monohydrate also responded satisfactorily . In study B, 56 of 58 (96.5%) evaluable patients who received cephalexin hydrochloride responded satisfactorily; 47 of 50 (94%) patients who received cephalexin monohydrate also responded satisfactorily . An adverse clinical event leading to discontinuation of the treatment drug developed in 17 of 343 (4.95%) patients in both studies . No differences were noted between the two drugs . Skin eruptions, pruritis, and mild gastrointestinal symptoms were the common adverse effects . These data suggest that cephalexin hydrochloride, a new formulation of cephalexin, is a safe and effective antimicrobial agent for treatment of a variety of skin and subcutaneous infections in a dosage of either 250 mg four times a day or 500 mg twice a day.

Semin Respir Infect, 1988 Jun, 3(2), 140 - 7
Diagnosis of nosocomial pneumonia; Bamberger DM; Nosocomial pneumonia occurs in 0.6% of hospitalized patients . The usual causative agents are gram-negative bacilli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and anaerobic bacteria . In immunocompromised hosts, the differential diagnosis also includes fungi, mycobacteria, viruses, Nocardia, and Pneumocystis carinii . Important risk factors for the development of nosocomial pneumonia include prolonged mechanical ventilation, thoracic or upper abdominal surgery, altered mental status, underlying immunosuppression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the use of antacids or histamine type 2 blockers . Colonization of the oropharynx and tracheal secretions with gram-negative aerobic bacteria is common in hospitalized patients with or without pneumonia . The diagnosis of nosocomial pneumonia is usually based on the clinical features of dyspnea, cough, fever, purulent sputum production, new pulmonary infiltrates, hypoxemia, and leukocytosis . However, the clinician must recognize that the presence of these features is neither sensitive nor specific in the diagnosis of nosocomial pneumonia . Microbiologic diagnosis is also difficult because blood cultures are usually negative, and cultures of tracheal secretions, although usually sensitive, are not specific . Invasive procedures may prove useful, but most have yet to be studied in large groups of patients with nosocomial pneumonia.

Infect Immun, 1988 Jun, 56(6), 1585 - 8
Sequence analysis of the glucosyltransferase A gene (gtfA) from Streptococcus mutans Ingbritt; Ferretti JJ et al.; The complete nucleotide sequence of a 2.4-kilobase fragment containing the glucosyltransferase A gene (gtfA) of Streptococcus mutans Ingbritt (serotype c) was determined . The gtfA gene contains 481 codons and specifies a protein of molecular weight 55,665 . There is no evidence of a signal peptide in the protein or that the glucosyltransferase A enzyme is secreted . No sequence homologies were observed between the gtfA gene or protein and the gtfI or gtfB gene and its protein.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1988 Jun, 54(6), 1318 - 24
Role of the arginine deiminase system in protecting oral bacteria and an enzymatic basis for acid tolerance; Casiano-Colon A et al.; The arginine deiminase system was found to function in protecting bacterial cells against the damaging effects of acid environments . For example, as little as 2.9 mM arginine added to acidified suspensions of Streptococcus sanguis at a pH of 4.0 resulted in ammonia production and protection against killing . The arginine deiminase system was found to have unusual acid tolerance in a variety of lactic acid bacteria . For example, for Streptococcus rattus FA-1, the pH at which arginolysis was reduced to 10% of the maximum was between 2.1 and 2.6, or more than 1 full pH unit below the minimum for glycolysis (pH 3.7), and more than 2 units below the minimum for growth in complex medium (pH 4.7) . The acid tolerance of the arginine deiminase system appeared to be primarily molecular and to depend on the tolerance of individual enzymes rather than on the membrane physiology of the bacteria; pH profiles for the activities of arginine deiminase, ornithine carbamoyltransferase, and carbamate kinase in permeabilized cells showed that the enzymes were active at pHs of 3.1 or somewhat lower . Overall, it appeared that ammonia could be produced from arginine at low pH values, even by cells with damaged membranes, and that the ammonia could then protect the cells against acid damage until the environmental pH value rose sufficiently to allow for the reestablishment of a difference in pH (delta pH) across the cell membrane.

J Chromatogr, 1988 May 25, 440, 105 - 18
Neutrophil stimulating activity released by Staphylococcus-stimulated mononuclear leukocyte conditioned medium . Further characterization and partial purification; Ferrante A et al.; Culture medium conditioned by human mononuclear leukocytes (MNL) stimulated with formalin fixed heat-killed Staphylococcus aureus induces a small respiratory burst in human neutrophils, and dramatically increases the response of neutrophils to stimuli such as N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine . The data presented show that the activity is not unique to Staphylococcus aureus . Similar neutrophil modulating activities were produced by medium conditioned by MNL cultured in the presence of Streptococcus pneumonia, and Group B streptococcus . The activity was relatively resistant to heating; significant reduction of activity was observed only when 80 degrees C was reached . Neutrophil stimulating activity production by stimulated MNL was dependent on protein and RNA synthesis and the activity appeared to be released by the non-adherent fraction of the MNL, suggesting that it is not of macrophage origin . The activity was not sensitive to soya bean trypsin inhibitor, but was sensitive to trypsin and was not removed when stimulated conditioned medium was depleted of immunoglobulin and albumin by affinity chromatography . Purification by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 and high-performance liquid chromatography with Bio-Sil TSK250 columns showed that the major activity had an apparent molecular weight of 35,000-43,000 under conditions in which ionic interactions and association with albumin were reduced; by using polyethylene glycol or high salt (0.46 M Na+) in the elution buffer.

Res Vet Sci, 1988 May, 44(3), 386 - 7
Protective effect of previous intramammary infection with Streptococcus uberis against subsequent clinical mastitis in the cow; Hill AW; Following challenge of 23 quarters of 17 lactating cows with 10(3) colony forming units of Streptococcus uberis 0140J, 20 (87 per cent) developed clinical mastitis . Once the disease had resolved each animal was rechallenged in two quarters, one previously challenged and one additional quarter . Of the 34 secondary quarter challenges 11 (32.2 per cent) led to clinical mastitis, a highly significant reduction over the primary challenges.

J Infect, 1988 May, 16(3), 235 - 42
Distribution of serotypes and antibiotic resistance among pneumococci in Northern Ireland; Lafong AC et al.; Altogether, 488 consecutive strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from clinical specimens were serotyped and their antibiotic susceptibility determined . Of all strains isolated, 89.7% (90.6% for strains isolated from patients with serious infection) were of types present in the new polyvalent (23-valent) pneumococcal vaccine . Four strains showed reduced susceptibility to penicillin (minimum inhibitory concentration 0.1-1.0 mg/l) . Two of those strains (both serotype 23) were also of intermediate susceptibility to other antibiotics (ampicillin, cephradine, chloramphenicol and tetracycline) but were sensitive to erythromycin . A significant proportion (12%) was resistant to tetracycline.

J Dairy Sci, 1988 May, 71(5), 1417 - 21
Evaluation of udder preparations on intramammary infections; Galton DM et al.; Udder preparations of wet towel plus drying and .1% iodophor premilking teat dipping plus drying were compared with no preparation to determine effects on number of new intramammary infections . Teats of 84 cows were challenged (5 d/wk) for 18 wk with a culture broth of Streptococcus uberis 3 h prior to each p.m . milking to stimulate environmental contamination . Wet towel plus drying and premilking teat dipping plus drying significantly reduced number of new intramammary infections compared to no preparation . Cleaning with water or dipping with a premilking teat dip and manual drying of teats may have contributed to the reduction in number of new infections . Premilking teat dipping plus drying further reduced number of new infections compared to use of wet towel plus drying . Apparently, teat dipping was more effective in reducing the number of new infections than water used with the wet towel . This study showed that udder preparations can affect udder health when an experimental bacterial challenge is applied.

Fundam Appl Toxicol, 1988 May, 10(4), 701 - 16
An immunotoxicological evaluation of 4,4'-thiobis-(6-t-butyl-m-cresol) in female B6C3F1 mice . 2 . Humoral and cell-mediated immunity, macrophage function, and host resistance; Holsapple MP et al.; Adult female B6C3F1 mice were gavaged with TBBC in corn oil at doses of 10, 100, or 200 mg/kg daily for 14 consecutive days . All immunological parameters were measured 24 hr after the last chemical exposure . When indicated, animals were immunized during the exposure . TBBC produced a decrease in the peak IgM (44%) and peak IgG (48%) antibody response to sheep erythrocytes (SRBCs), but had no effect on the delayed hypersensitivity response (DHR) to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) . Paradoxically, TBBC caused an overall increase in the number of splenic cells, a decrease in the percentage of splenic T cells and no effect on the percentage of splenic B cells . There were no effects on the lymphoproliferative responses to optimal concentrations of concanavalin A (Con A), phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), but there was a significant decrease in the mixed lymphocyte response (MLR) . In both the mitogen assays and the MLR there was a dose-related increase in the basal (unstimulated) DNA synthesis of the spleen cells . Innate immunity, as measured by natural killer (NK) cell activity and serum complement, was significantly increased . Effects on macrophage function were complex, as an increase or no effect was observed depending on the parameter measured . In the host resistance models, animals were infected with various pathogens 24 hr after the last chemical exposure . Exposure to TBBC caused an increased resistance to challenge with Streptococcus and B16F10 melanoma, a decreased resistance to challenge with PYB6 tumors, and no effect on the resistance to HSV-2, Listeria or Plasmodium.

Heart Lung, 1988 May, 17(3), 319 - 21
Streptococcus mutans vertebral osteomyelitis; Ullman RF et al.; Vertebral osteomyelitis is a disease most often encountered in the adult population, especially in the elderly . The usual etiologic agent is Staphylococcus aureus . We report a case of Streptococcus mutans endocarditis resulting in hematogenous osteomyelitis of the lumbar vertebrae.

J Bacteriol, 1988 May, 170(5), 2229 - 35
A polysaccharide from Streptococcus sanguis 34 that inhibits coaggregation of S . sanguis 34 with Actinomyces viscosus T14V; McIntire FC et al.; Coaggregation between Actinomyces viscosus T14V and Streptococcus sanguis 34 depends on interaction of a lectin on A . viscosus T14V with a cell surface carbohydrate on S . sanguis 34 . This carbohydrate was isolated, and its chemical makeup was established . The carbohydrate remained attached to S . sanguis 34 cells through extraction with Triton X-100 and treatment with pronase . It was cleaved from the cell residue by autoclaving and purified by differential centrifugation and column chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel and Sephadex G-75 . The polysaccharide contained phosphate which was neither inorganic nor monoester . Treatment with NaOH-NaBH4, followed by Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase, or with 48% HF at 4 degrees C, followed by NaBH4, yielded inorganic phosphate and oligosaccharide alditols . Therefore, the polysaccharide is composed of oligosaccharide units joined together by phosphodiester bridges . The structure and stereochemistry of the main oligosaccharide alditol was established previously (F . C . McIntire, C . A . Bush, S.-S . Wu, S.-C . Li, Y.-T . Li, M . McNeil, S . Tjoa, and P . V . Fennessey, Carbohydr . Res . 166:133-143) . Permethylation analysis, 1H and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance studies on the whole polysaccharide revealed the position of the phosphodiester linkages . The polysaccharide is mainly a polymer of (6) GalNAc(alpha 1-3)Rha(beta 1-4)Glc(beta 1-6)Galf(beta 1-6)GalNAc(beta 1- 3)Gal(alpha 1)-OPO3 . It reacted as a single antigen with antiserum to S . sanguis 34 cells and was a potent inhibitor of coaggregation between A . viscosus T14V and S . sanguis 34 . Quantitative inhibition of precipitation assays with oligosaccharides, O-allyl N-acetylgalactosaminides, and simple sugars indicated that specific antibodies were directed to the GalNAc end of the hexasaccharide unit . In contrast, coaggregation was inhibited much more effectively by saccharides containing betaGalNAc . Thus, the specificity of the A . viscosus T14V lectin is strikingly different from that of antibodies directed against the S . sanguis 34 polysaccharide.

Infect Immun, 1988 May, 56(5), 1150 - 7
Cloning of a Streptococcus sanguis adhesin which mediates binding to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite; Ganeshkumar N et al.; Chromosomal DNA from a salivary aggregating strain of Streptococcus sanguis 12 was partially digested with PstI and ligated into the plasmid vector pUC18 and transformed into Escherichia coli JM83 . A total of 1,700 recombinant clones of E . coli were examined by a colony immunoassay with antisera raised against either S . sanguis 12 whole cells or S . sanguis 12 surface fibrils . Five clones which reacted with one or the other antiserum were shown to be unique by Western blotting (immunoblotting) and restriction endonuclease digestion . One recombinant plasmid pSA2 expressed two proteins with Mrs of 20,000 and 36,000 . The 36,000-Mr protein has been designated SsaB . Both proteins were purified to homogeneity by Sephadex G-75 and ion-exchange chromatography . The proteins were present in mutanolysin digests of whole-cell lysates of S . sanguis 12 and in the non-saliva-aggregating variant 12na and the hydrophilic variant 12L . Polyclonal antiserum raised against the SsaB protein reacted strongly with the cell surfaces of S . sanguis 12 and 12na but not with that of 12L . SsaB inhibited the adhesion of S . sanguis 12na to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite, indicating that the adhesin mediates the binding to the pH-sensitive receptor.

J Dairy Res, 1988 May, 55(2), 155 - 69
A multi-valved milking machine cluster to control intramammary infection in dairy cows; Griffin TK et al.; A milking machine claw incorporating valves to prevent movement of milk between teats during milking, and its contribution to the prevention of udder infection under experimental and field conditions, is described . Under experimental conditions a suspension of Streptococcus agalactiae and Str . dysgalactiae was introduced into the milking cluster during milking; 11 of 40 quarters became infected using a conventional claw piece whereas none of 40 quarters milked with the multi-valve claw developed intramammary infection . In a 12-month experiment in ten commercial herds, each split into two equal susceptibility groups, the multi-valved cluster reduced the incidence of new infection with coliforms and Str . uberis by 17% (P less than 0.1) . The incidence of all new infections and new clinical cases was 14 and 25% lower compared to conventional clusters but these reductions were not significant.

Clin Nucl Med, 1988 May, 13(5), 359 - 62
Atypical radionuclide scan appearance in cellulitis due to group A streptococcus; Fisher MC et al.; The scintigraphic manifestations of cellulitis consist of a diffuse increase in activity in the affected soft tissues without a focal increase in activity in the bone . The radionuclide images in two children with Group A streptococcal cellulitis were atypical, as no increased activity was noted in the soft tissues . The false-negative radionuclide images in these children is attributed to the marked amount of edema present at the sites of infection.

J Reprod Med, 1988 May, 33(5), 445 - 9
Perinatal group B streptococcal infections across intact amniotic membranes; Katz V et al.; We reviewed the perinatal mortality due to group B streptococcal infection over a three-year period at a tertiary center . In 6 of 16 perinatal deaths due to group B Streptococcus, representing a range of gestational ages, infection occurred with the membranes intact . A review of reports from the obstetric and pediatric literature revealed that 10-50% of group B streptococcal infections occur in this manner . Several investigators of both animals and humans have demonstrated the pathophysiology of an ascending transamniotic infection . The current series emphasized this mode of infection in group B streptococcal disease.

J Gen Intern Med, 1988 May-Jun, 3(3), 213 - 7
Rational decision making based on history: adult sore throats; Clancy CM et al.; Primary care physicians are often required to make preliminary evaluations based only on the patient's history, especially during telephone encounters about sore throats . The authors studied adults with sore throats to determine whether patients can be stratified into higher and lower risks of strep throat by history alone . They first obtained data from 517 patients seen in an emergency room . Providers graded symptoms on a four-point scale (absent, mild, moderate, or severe) . Initial analyses showed that prediction based on history should include three variables: fever, difficulty in swallowing, and cough . For ease of computation, these were consolidated into one score, "history" (= fever history + difficulty in swallowing - cough) . This score was used to develop a model that predicts the probability of infection with group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus, and the model's performance was tested in two additional patient groups . The predictive accuracy of the "history" score was confirmed in all patient groups, despite differences in providers and disease prevalences . Primary care physicians may use this model to help them make decisions in situations such as telephone encounters without using additional data.

J Immunol, 1988 May 1, 140(9), 3200 - 5
Human antibodies to group A streptococcal carbohydrate . Ontogeny, subclass restriction, and clonal diversity; Shackelford PG et al.; To investigate immuno-incompetence to polysaccharide Ag in young children, antibodies to the polysaccharide and protein Ag of Streptococcus pyogenes were studied . S . pyogenes was chosen because it commonly causes natural infections and has well-characterized polysaccharide and protein Ag . In children over the age of 2 yr it was found that the maturation of antibody responses to the polysaccharide Ag of S . pyogenes (A-CHO) appeared to occur in parallel with, or even earlier, than the responses to streptococcal protein Ag . When antibodies to group A carbohydrate (A-CHO) were studied in detail, qualitative differences between the antibodies of children and adults were demonstrated . Although anti-A-CHO antibodies of adults were strikingly restricted to the IgG2 subclass, those of children were found in both the IgG1 and IgG2 subclasses . In addition, the clonal diversity of IgG antibodies to A-CHO increased with age, and additional clonotypes were detectable in convalescent sera of some subjects of all ages after infection . Two cases with major additional clonotypes after group A streptococcal infection were studied in detail . In these two cases the additional clonotypes belonged to a different IgG subclass than the previously dominant clonotypes, and the expression of the additional major clonotypes occurred in both IgG1 and IgG2 subclasses.

Cancer, 1988 May 1, 61(9), 1749 - 53
Endoscopic intratumoral injection of OK-432 and Langerhans' cells in patients with gastric carcinoma; Tsujitani S et al.; OK-432, a compound composed of penicillin-G-treated, attenuated Streptococcus pyogenes of human origin, was administered by intratumoral injection (IT) to 15 of 49 patients with Stage III gastric carcinoma, at the time of preoperative endoscopic examination . The 5-year survival rate of patients given IT was 73.3%, whereas the rate was only 36.5% in those not given IT (P less than 0.05) . A study of recurrent cases revealed a significantly low incidence of peritoneal recurrence in the group on OK-432 IT (P less than 0.01) . In previous work, the authors noted a favorable prognosis of patients with Stage III gastric carcinoma and with a marked infiltration of Langerhans' cells (LC) in the tumor tissues . All of the 49 in the current study were thus examined immunohistochemically, using anti-S-100 protein antibody, the objective being to clarify the relationship between OK-432 IT and the density of LC . The density of LC among those given IT was significantly increased as compared with those not given IT (P less than 0.05) . The results of this study suggest that OK-432 IT may lead to augmentation of the density of LC in tumor tissues and hence prevent peritoneal recurrences in patients with Stage III gastric carcinoma.

Scand J Immunol, 1988 May, 27(5), 549 - 54
Correlation between specific immunosuppression and polyclonal B cell activation induced by a protein secreted by Streptococcus mutans; Ferreira P et al.; The relationship between polyclonal B cell activation and immunosuppressor effects induced by F5'EP-Sm, a non-cytotoxic protein secreted by Streptococcus mutans, was studied in C57BL/6 mice . Mice treated with F5'EP-Sm exhibited a considerable increase in splenic nonspecific Ig plaque-forming cells (PFC) compared with untreated mice . The isotypic pattern of non-specific PFC responses favours IgG2a approximately equal to IgG2b greater than IgG3 greater than IgG1 approximately equal to IgM, when taken as a ratio between treated and untreated animals . When F5'EP-Sm was administered 2 days before immunization with sheep red blood cells (SRBC), the non-specific PFC production was accompanied by an ephemeral increase in specific PFC against SRBC 1 day after immunization, which was quickly replaced by a strong immunosuppression . In contrast, when F5'EP-Sm was injected after priming, there was little or no demonstrable suppression of specific PFC, and the increase of non-specific PFC was much less evident . The kinetic curves representing increase or decrease in relation to controls of specific and non-specific PFC are almost mirror images in each of the isotypes . The in vivo suppressor effect was abrogated in thymectomized mice, although the involvement of the T cell compartment is probably secondary to the B cell mitogen effect, since T-depleted spleen cells proliferate and synthesize non-specific Ig when stimulated in vitro with F5'EP-Sm.

J Gen Microbiol, 1988 May, 134 ( Pt 5), 1237 - 49
Transformation of Streptococcus sanguis to intrinsic penicillin resistance; Zito ET et al.; A series of step-level penicillin-resistant derivatives of Streptococcus sanguis V288 (Challis) were obtained through successive genetic transformations . The DNA donor used was a laboratory-derived, penicillin-resistant multistep mutant of the recipient strain . Detection of the penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) of wild-type and transformants revealed five major PBPs . While it was found that S . sanguis can acquire intrinsic resistance in a stepwise manner and the mechanism was similar to those of some other organisms (changes in penicillin-binding protein affinity and/or in extent of penicillin binding), multiple-PBP changes accompanied a single step-level of resistance . All of the PBPs showed varying degrees of decreased affinity for {3H}benzylpenicillin with increasing penicillin resistance . Of these, the consistent, dramatic and progressive decrease of PBP 4 binding was most notable . After an initial decrease at the first step-level of resistance, PBP 5 was restored to wild-type levels, indicating a possible important role in survival . Genetic linkage of the first two step-levels of resistance was demonstrated by examination of transformation frequencies and by hit-kinetics experiments . A convenient method is described for the quantitative comparison of fluorographs containing PBPs with a wide range of affinities for penicillin.

Mutagenesis, 1988 May, 3(3), 245 - 7
Mutagenesis in Streptococcus lactis exposed to UV irradiation and alkylating agents; Lautier M et al.; The lethal and mutagenic effects of various mutagens on three strains of Streptococcus lactis were investigated . Lethality studies demonstrated that S . lactis was relatively sensitive to UV irradiation, methyl methanesulphonate (MMS) and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), and, to a lesser extent, to ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) . A spontaneous derivative Lac-, which has lost a 37-Md plasmid, was slightly more resistant and much less mutable than the wild-type after UV irradiation . Although the three strains were strongly mutated by EMS for the genetic marker assayed (Rifr), an increase in the mutation frequency was also observed after MMS and MNNG treatments.

Pathol Biol (Paris), 1988 May, 36(5), 403 - 9
{Comparative bactericidal kinetics of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and pefloxacin alone and in combination against strains of group D Streptococcus}; Zuccarelli M et al.; Killing curves method was used to study bactericidal activity of the three quinolones, alone and in combination with penicillin, amoxicillin, fosfomycin, netilmicin, vancomycin against six isolates of enterococci . Alone, ofloxacin showed the most initial bactericidal effect but ciprofloxacin was the most frequently bactericidal without any regrowth in 24 hours . The combinations with beta-lactams and netilmicin were sometimes synergistic in 24 hours; fosfomycin increased initial bactericidal effect.

Arch Dermatol, 1988 May, 124(5), 753 - 5
Pyoderma pathophysiology and management; Leyden JJ; Cutaneous infections with Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are major complications of epidermolysis bullosa . Application of impermeable occlusive dressings over denuded skin colonized with these bacteria results in rapid multiplication and the hazard of severe pyoderma . Approaches to the prophylactic treatment of these infections during the long-term management of epidermolysis bullosa are considered.

Res Vet Sci, 1988 May, 44(3), 324 - 8
Effect of pH changes on the killing of Staphylococcus aureus and other mastitis pathogens by bovine neutrophil granule extracts; Mayer SJ et al.; A partly purified extract of granules from bovine neutrophils was used to investigate killing of mastitis pathogens by the non-oxidative killing system of the neutrophil . Eight strains of Staphylococcus aureus, two of Escherichia coli and two of Streptococcus uberis were used . Different strains of bacteria had different sensitivities to killing by the extract, three strains of staphylococci being particularly resistant . Whereas E coli were killed most effectively at pH 6.0, little or no killing of S aureus took place below pH 6.5 and, although S uberis were also killed better above neutral pH, significant killing also took place at acidic pH levels . Resistance to killing by the extract was not significantly correlated with that by intact neutrophils.

Rev Fr Gynecol Obstet, 1988 May, 83(5), 347 - 8, 351-4
{Management of a pregnant woman with Streptococcus group B}; Rudigoz RC et al.; The relative rarity (1 to 5 cases for 1,000 births) of neonatal infections secondary to B Streptococcus, the epidemiological characteristics of this germ, especially the unstable vaginal carriage, make it difficult to select a therapeutic approach . Systematic screening of B Streptococcus and the treatment of all carriers or only of high-risk patients, present several practical problems, are complex to implement but the cost/benefit ratio seems however acceptable . Prophylactic intrapartum antibiotic treatment of known carriers of B Streptococcus does not seem debatable any longer, at least the treatment of those presenting other risk factors: premature delivery, premature rupture of the membranes, fever occurring during delivery . Today, the best prophylaxis of neonatal infections seems to be the intrapartum antibiotic treatment (ampicillin) resulting in a spectacular decrease of the frequency of neonatal contamination.

J Gen Microbiol, 1988 May, 134 ( Pt 5), 1223 - 7
Immunological properties of the primer-independent glucosyltransferase of Streptococcus mutans serotypes d and g; Yamashita Y et al.; Streptococcus mutans serotype g secretes at least three kinds of glucosyltransferase with different enzymological and immunological properties . One of them is a primer-independent enzyme and seems to be the source of primer for the others, both of which are primer-dependent enzymes . Recently, we purified the primer-independent enzyme, the third glucosyltransferase in this group from S . mutans strain AHT-k serotype g . In the present study, we examined the specificity of the antiserum against the primer-independent glucosyltransferase using extracellular culture-conditioned fluids of many strains of the various serotypes of S . mutans . The antiserum cross-reacted with the extracellular culture fluids from strains of serotypes d and a, in addition to serotype g, but not with those of other serotypes, indicating that the primer-independent glucosyltransferase is secreted by the S . sobrinus and S . cricetus, but not by S . mutans and S . rattus . The antiserum did not completely inhibit the activity of the enzyme, even at more than twofold antibody excess, determined by indirect precipitation with immobilized staphylococcal protein A.

Diabet Med, 1988 May-Jun, 5(4), 393 - 5
Pneumococcal osteomyelitis and cellulitis in an adult patient with diabetes mellitus; Verhelst JA et al.; A 48-year-old diabetic patient was admitted to hospital with fever and extensive infection of the tissues around the right elbow . Diagnosis was made of cellulitis and underlying osteomyelitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae . Although seen in patients with seriously impaired host defence mechanisms pneumococcal osteomyelitis and cellulitis has not been reported in a diabetic patient.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1988 May, 54(5), 1230 - 6
Cloning and characterization of the tetracycline resistance determinant of and several promoters from within the conjugative transposon Tn919; Hill C et al.; Tn919 is a 15- to 16-kilobase (kb) tetracycline resistance conjugative transposon that was originally isolated from Streptococcus sanguis FC1 . The tetracycline resistance determinant (tet) was found on a 4.2-kb HindII fragment by in vitro deletion analysis . This fragment was subcloned to a pWV01 origin capable of directing replication in Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Streptococcus lactis, and expression was observed in all three genera . In all cases, expression was weaker when only the 4.2-kb cloned fragment rather than the full transposon was present . The resistance gene is of the streptococcal tetM class and codes for a protein of approximately 70 kilodaltons . The restriction map resembles that of the tetM gene of Tn1545 (P . Martin, P . Trieu-Cuot, and P . Courvalin, Nucleic Acids Res . 14:7047-7058, 1986), which codes for a protein of 72.5 kilodaltons . A number of transposon-derived promoter-bearing fragments were also cloned and sequenced . These closely resemble the consensus sequence of E . coli and B . subtilis promoters . Fusion experiments with a truncated lacZ gene indicate the possibility of an open reading frame for one of the promoters.

J Leukoc Biol, 1988 May, 43(5), 445 - 54
An assessment of the respiratory burst and bactericidal activity of alveolar macrophages from adult and senescent mice; Esposito AL et al.; To assess the effects of advanced age on the nonspecific antimicrobial activity of resident alveolar macrophages (AM), superoxide anion (O2-) release and the phagocytic and bactericidal capacity of cells from three genetically distinct murine strains were evaluated . In initial experiments, resident AM, obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage of pathogen-free adult female CD-1 mice and studied in suspension, were found to produce O2- spontaneously and in response to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) snd unopsonized zymosan . Maximum quantities of O2- were released following stimulation with 1 microgram/ml PMA and by a particle-to-cell ratio of 100:1 with zymosan; responses to the agonists peaked between 60 and 90 min . Resident AM obtained from pathogen and disease-free senescent (18-26-month-old) female C57BL/6, BALB/c, and DBA/2 mice released significantly more O2- in response to both PMA and zymosan than did cells secured from adult (4-8-month-old) animals . In vivo, the capacity of AM from adult and senescent animals to phagocytose Streptococcus pneumoniae (unencapsulated strain) and Staphylococcus aureus was comparable, and although the cells from the senescent mice tended to be more efficient in their ability to kill internalized bacteria, statistically significant differences between the two groups were not observed . The results of these studies indicate that the enhanced susceptibility of the senescent host to infection of the lower respiratory tract cannot be attributed to age-related changes in the nonspecific antimicrobial activity of resident AM.

Obstet Gynecol, 1988 May, 71(5), 796 - 8
Gram stain in the rapid determination of maternal colonization with group B beta-streptococcus; Sandy EA 2nd et al.; To determine the usefulness of the Gram stain as a screening technique for maternal colonization with group B beta-streptococcus, we produced a Gram stain from a cervicovaginal swab taken at the time of sterile speculum examination in patients being evaluated for preterm rupture of membranes or preterm labor . The stain's interpretation was compared against the culture taken during the same examination . We found a sensitivity of 38% and a negative predictive power of 86% . Our findings differ from those of previous studies, and do not support the Gram stain as a useful screening approach for detection of colonization with this organism.

J Biol Chem, 1988 Apr 25, 263(12), 5668 - 73
Antigenic variation among group A streptococcal M proteins . Nucleotide sequence of the serotype 5 M protein gene and its relationship with genes encoding types 6 and 24 M proteins; Miller L et al.; The 1479-base pair (bp) nucleotide sequence of the serotype 5 M protein gene (smp5) from Streptococcus pyogenes contains three distinct types of tandemly repeated sequences, designated A, B, and C . Repeat A (21 bp x 6, in the 5'-half of smp5), shares no homology with the types 6 or 24 M protein genes (Hollingshead, S . K., Fischetti, V . A., and Scott, J . R . (1986) J . Biol . Chem . 261, 1677-1686; Mouw, A . R., Beachey, E . H., and Burdett, V . (1988) J . Bacteriol., in press) . Repeat B (75 bp x 3.6, in the center of smp5) is also present in the M6, but not in the M24 gene . Repeat C (105 bp x 2.7, just distal to the B repeats) shares homology with repeats in both the M6 and M24 genes . All three genes share extensive homology in their 3'-halves and in 5' sequences encoding the N-terminal signal peptides, but between these two regions there are highly variable sequences that are responsible for antigenic diversity . These relationships suggest that both intergenic and intragenic recombination has occurred during the evolution of distinct M protein serotypes . All three M proteins contain conserved hydrophobic and proline-rich sequences at their C-terminal ends, suggestive of a membrane anchor and a peptidoglycan spanning region.

Gene, 1988 Apr 15, 64(1), 155 - 64
Construction and properties of a new insertion vector, pJDC9, that is protected by transcriptional terminators and useful for cloning of DNA from Streptococcus pneumoniae; Chen JD et al.; A new Escherichia coli plasmid cloning vector, pJDC9, was constructed by replacing the TcR determinant of pMB9 with the erythromycin-resistance ermB determinant and the lacZ alpha gene of pUC19 . Efficient transcriptional terminator signals were positioned at both ends of lacZ alpha . Evidence is presented that protection of the vector by terminator signals enabled cloning of many fragments of DNA from Streptococcus pneumoniae that were unstable in vectors lacking such protection, including pBR322 . At the pneumococcal mal locus, three promoter sites required such protection, while overexpression of the malX protein appeared to be lethal despite such protection.

Presse Med, 1988 Apr 2, 17(12), 581 - 3
{Antibiotherapy in gangrene of the perineum}; Durand-Gasselin J et al.; Fifty cases of extensive and necrotizing perineal cellulitis ("perineal gangrene") are reported . The disease, remarkable for its many anatomical and bacteriological varieties, is regarded as a therapeutic requiring multidisciplinary management . Bacteriological samples were polymicrobial in 40 cases . Streptococcus D and aerobic Gram-negative bacilli were isolated in 21 patients . The initial antibiotic treatment had to be modified on ten occasions in 36 patients who were given penicillin G in high doses and on five occasions in 14 patients who received a beta-lactam antibiotic active against anaerobes . Nineteen patients (38 p . 100) died; death was directly related to the sepsis in 16 cases . The death rate was the same in the two treatment groups (11/36 and 5/14) and similar to that found in the literature . The authors advocate an ureidopenicillin, fosfomycin and imidazole combination as a substitute for the conventional penicillin G, aminoglycoside, imidazole combination, since the former is active against Streptococcus D and has better tissue penetration.

Br J Dermatol, 1988 Apr, 118(4), 559 - 61
Acute psoriasis associated with Lancefield Group C and Group G cutaneous streptococcal infections; Henderson CA et al.; Involvement of Streptococcus pyogenes (beta haemolytic streptococcus, Lancefield Group A) infection, usually of the throat, in acute exacerbations of psoriasis is well known . We report here two cases of an acute psoriatic eruption associated in one patient with Group C streptococcal cellulitis and in another with Group G streptococcal intertrigo.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1988 Apr, 54(4), 1046 - 50
Intergeneric rosettes: sequestered surface recognition among human periodontal bacteria; Kolenbrander PE et al.; The human oral bacteria, Streptococcus sanguis and Bacteroides loescheii, when mixed in equal numbers in vitro, formed large settling coaggregates . As the relative number of each cell type was changed, coaggregates became smaller until at cell-type ratios of 10 to 1, rosettes formed . Rosettes consisting of a streptococcal cell in the center surrounded by bacteroides cells exhibited surface recognition properties of only the bacteroides, which coaggregated with many other cell types such as Actinomyces naeslundii, and formed large settling multigeneric aggregates . The ecological significance of these results derives from the following: (i) the direct demonstration that intergeneric coaggregates can protect the central cell from or prevent its access to other cells in the environment, and (ii) the potential for these effects to occur during bacterial succession of various cell types observed in progressively more severe stages of human periodontal disease.

Lab Anim Sci, 1988 Apr, 38(2), 129 - 32
Inapparent Streptococcus pneumoniae type 35 infections in commercial rats and mice; Fallon MT et al.; Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from specific-pathogen-free rodents in two rooms at a commercial breeding facility during vendor surveillance testing . In a survey of 274 animals from the two rooms over a period of 7 months, capsular serotype 35 S . pneumoniae was isolated from the upper respiratory tracts of 11% (9 of 82) of C57BL/6 mice in room A and 14% (10 of 72) of F344 rats in room B, but not from WKY rats, BALB/c mice or DBA/2 mice from room A . In both C57BL/6 mice and F344 rats, older rodents had higher colonization frequencies . Nasal lavage cultures gave the best results in identifying colonized rodents . No clinical illness or microscopic lesions were associated with pneumococcal colonization in rats or mice, and no other evidence of potential pathogen infection was found except for positive serologic tests for mouse rotavirus in mice . This is the first report of natural pneumococcal infection in mice, and the first report of type 35 S . pneumoniae infection in rodents . The findings support an earlier observation that pneumococcal infections in rat colonies tend to be monotypic and suggest that the same may be true in mice.

J Clin Pathol, 1988 Apr, 41(4), 384 - 7
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Streptococcus pneumoniae: quality assessment results; Snell JJ et al.; Six strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae were distributed to 405 United Kingdom laboratories who were asked to test the susceptibility of the strains to penicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol and erythromycin and to provide details of methodology to test the standards of susceptibility testing . High error rates were seen only in failure to detect moderate resistance to penicillin (12%) and resistance to chloramphenicol (16%) . Increased error rates were associated with several methods or practices . These included the use of certain culture media; failure to standardise the inoculum; inoculation by loop rather than by swab; failure to use control organisms; failure to measure zone sizes; the use of discs containing a high content of penicillin to test susceptibility to penicillin, and the use of high content discs for testing erythromycin, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol.

J Clin Microbiol, 1988 Apr, 26(4), 755 - 9
Prevention of pneumococcal otitis media in chinchillas with human bacterial polysaccharide immune globulin; Shurin PA et al.; Clinical and experimental observations suggest that immune globulin may prevent otitis media (OM) in children . We performed experiments in chinchillas to test the hypothesis that human bacterial polysaccharide immune globulin (BPIG) might prevent OM caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae . Animals were given BPIG or saline intraperitoneally on day 0 . On day 3 the epitympanic bulla was inoculated with S . pneumoniae type 7F . All 12 saline-treated and none of 12 BPIG-treated animals developed pneumococcal OM by day 7 (P less than 0.0001) . Bacteremia developed in 6 of 12 saline- and 0 of 12 BPIG-treated animals (P = 0.007) . Death with pneumococcal OM occurred within 28 days in 5 of 12 saline- and 0 of 12 BPIG-injected animals (P = 0.02) . A chinchilla-specific immunoassay was used to show that surviving saline-injected animals developed serum anticapsular antibody; BPIG-treated animals had no detectable response . At levels of anticapsular immunoglobulin G similar to those of human adults, BPIG given systemically prevented pneumococcal OM and disseminated infection in chinchillas . BPIG may be of value in preventing human bacterial infection and may also inhibit development of antibody if it affects local infection or colonization . Specific immunoglobulin G antibody may provide an important antibacterial defense of mucosal surfaces of the respiratory tract.

Ann Rheum Dis, 1988 Apr, 47(4), 333 - 6
Acute vertebral osteomyelitis complicating Streptococcus sanguis endocarditis; Demers C et al.; The first well documented case of acute pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis presenting as the initial manifestation of Streptococcus sanguis endocarditis is reported . The importance of suspecting vertebral osteomyelitis in the presence of disc infection and the diagnostic value of imaging procedures are underlined.

Am Rev Respir Dis, 1988 Apr, 137(4), 907 - 11
Bacterial species-dependent inhibition of human granulocyte elastase; Dal Nogare AR et al.; Lung infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae causes the recruitment of many granulocytes (PMN) to the alveoli, but little damage to lung structure ensues, as opposed to infections with other bacterial species that induce a similar PMN response and cause lung damage . Elastase, a proteolytic enzyme of PMN, has been implicated as an agent of lung injury . We studied the interaction of different bacterial species with human PMN in vitro to determine if PMN elastase activity is affected by the species of bacteria ingested . Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and S . pneumoniae were grown, opsonized, and incubated with human PMN . After 1 h of incubation, intracellular and extracellular elastase activity was measured . S . pneumoniae reduced PMN elastase activity by 48%, whereas the other 3 species tested had only minimal effects on elastase activity . Loss of elastase activity occurred with S . pneumoniae: PMN ratios as low as 2:1 . Adherence or ingestion of bacteria by the PMN was necessary for the decrease in elastase activity to occur; interventions that decreased phagocytosis, such as not opsonizing the bacteria, pretreatment of the PMN with cytochalasin B, and separation of bacteria from PMN by 0.22-mu filters, increased elastase activity . ELISA and Western blot analysis of elastase levels in these experiments suggested that normal amounts of elastase were present . Thus, the loss of elastase activity we observed may be due to an elastase inhibitor present in S . pneumoniae.

Am J Clin Pathol, 1988 Apr, 89(4), 565 - 8
Pneumococcal aortitis with rupture of the aorta . Report of a case and review of the literature; Worrell JT et al.; Microbial arteritis, an entity often considered under the category of mycotic aneurysms, is an uncommon infectious process which generally results from bacteremic seeding of a preexisting aortic lesion . This report describes a fatal case of microbial arteritis involving a 51-year-old man who presented as an outpatient with diffuse myalgias and abdominal pain of approximately two weeks' duration . Necropsy finding revealed an exsanguinating hemorrhage from an infected nonaneurysmal abdominal aortic plaque caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae . Documented cases of microbial aortitis due to S . pneumoniae are quite rare in present times and were not often observed in the preantibiotic era even in the setting of bacterial endocarditis . The pathology, pathogenesis, and incidence of aneurysmal and nonaneurysmal aortic infections, with special reference to the pneumococcus, are reviewed.

Clin Exp Immunol, 1988 Apr, 72(1), 9 - 14
Reaction of bacterium-primed murine T cells to cartilage components: a clue for the pathogenesis of arthritis?
van den Broek MF, van den Berg WB, Arntz OJ, van de Putte LB.
Although different models for rheumatoid arthritis have been studied, the pathogenesis in humans remains unknown . A possible mechanism is the crossreactivity between bacterial components and the target-tissue, the cartilage . The existence of this crossreactivity is supported by various data from clinical and experimental studies . Here we provide direct evidence that priming in vivo with cell wall fragments of Streptococcus pyogenes or Escherichia coli can induce a cellular and humoral anti-cartilage response in Balb/c mice in vitro . T cells isolated from these mice can be stimulated in vitro to proliferate by a variety of antigens among which are the priming bacterium, an unrelated bacterium, small bacterial components and diverse antigens of cartilagenous origin . In bacterium-primed mice antibodies were also detected that displayed a reactivity to cartilage extract besides the reactivity to bacteria . A crossreactive response occurred in vivo in certain circumstances: a delayed type hypersensitivity reaction could be elicited in cell-wall-primed mice by challenge with cartilage extract . For the expression of this crossreactive response in vivo however, it was obligatory to attenuate the mouse's suppressor-circuit . In this paper we would suggest a mechanism for the pathology of chronic arthritis, based on repeated challenges with different bacterial stimuli.

Aust Vet J, 1988 Apr, 65(4), 110 - 4
Specificity of the anti-inflammatory effect of a staphylococcal cell wall extract in the bovine udder; Mattila T et al.; The cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus (strains 21 and Glaxo) was treated with deoxycholate and the insoluble residue was solubilised with lysozyme . The effect of the extract in modulating the inflammatory response due to infection of the lactating bovine udder was evaluated . Cows were infected with S . aureus strain 21 or Streptococcus agalactiae, with or without the cell wall extracts . The clinical response to infection was assessed, and milk samples collected up to 30 h were assayed for antitrypsin and NAGase levels, somatic cell count, and for the ability of whey to support bacterial growth . The extracts markedly reduced the inflammatory response elicited by both S . aureus and S . agalactiae, indicating the effect was non-specific . The extract from strain 21 was generally more effective than that from strain Glaxo.

J Clin Microbiol, 1988 Apr, 26(4), 672 - 4
Evaluation of the Rapid Mastitis Test for identification of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from bovine mammary glands; Watts JL et al.; A latex agglutination test system (Rapid Mastitis Test {RMT}; Immucell, Portland, Maine) containing reagents for the identification of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae from bovine intramammary infections was evaluated with 527 staphylococcal and 267 streptococcal isolates . The RMT Staphylococcus aureus reagent detected 94.2% of 242 Staphylococcus aureus isolates, 80% of 25 Staphylococcus intermedius isolates, and 42.8% of 21 tube coagulase-positive Staphylococcus hyicus isolates . All Streptococcus agalactiae isolates were correctly identified by the RMT Streptococcus agalactiae reagent . Cross-reactions were observed with one Streptococcus dysgalactiae and three Streptococcus uberis strains . The RMT was found to be an acceptable method for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from bovine mammary glands . The occurrence of coagulase-positive staphylococci other than Staphylococcus aureus requires biochemical testing for species level identification.

Arch Ophthalmol, 1988 Apr, 106(4), 517 - 20
Streptococcal endophthalmitis from contaminated donor corneas after keratoplasty . Clinical and laboratory investigations; Baer JC et al.; We report three cases of Streptococcus viridans endophthalmitis following penetrating keratoplasty in which S viridans was cultured from the recipient eye, McCarey-Kaufman (M-K) media, and corneoscleral rims . As a laboratory correlation, we investigated the ability of S viridans to survive in M-K medium supplemented with gentamicin . After M-K medium was inoculated with S viridans, it was stored overnight at 4 degrees C, after which the temperature was raised to 23 degrees C . Periodic colony counts were performed for up to 24 hours after warming . No killing occurred in the cold . Ten hours passed before there was one log reduction in the bacterial colony count . Organisms could still be cultured at 24 hours . We conclude that gentamicin alone may be inadequate prophlyaxis against S viridans contamination of donor corneas.

Am Rev Respir Dis, 1988 Apr, 137(4), 774 - 8
Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction during and after infusion of group B Streptococcus in neonatal piglets . Vascular pressure-flow analysis; Gibson RL et al.; Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) is attenuated after endotoxin infusion into adult dogs and sheep . High dose infusions of Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a neonatal pathogen, into newborn animals produce pulmonary hypertension, hypoxemia, and reduced cardiac output similar to high dose endotoxin infusions in adult animals . To avoid the compounding effects of reduced arterial and mixed venous PO2, HPV was studied after low dose endotoxin in adult animals . We hypothesized that HPV would be attenuated in piglets after a low dose GBS infusion . Both PVR and pressure-flow (P/Q) relationships were measured in piglets to characterize the neonatal pulmonary vascular response to alveolar hypoxia before and after GBS infusion . Hemodynamic measurements were made under Zone 3 conditions in 5 piglets breathing room air and 13% FIO2: (1) prior to GBS, (2) 20 min into a 1-h infusion of 3 +/- 1 x 10(8) cfu/kg/h live GBS, (3) 1 h, and (4) 3 h after completion of the GBS infusion . Prior to GBS, alveolar hypoxia increased PVR (14 +/- 1.3 to 33 +/- 3.6 mm Hg/L/min) and P/Q slope (12 +/- 2.3 to 41 +/- 6.8 mm Hg/L/min) . During all subsequent exposures to 13% FIO2, the PVR and P/Q slopes were similar to pre-GBS values . When animals breathed room air, the PVR and P/Q slopes were greater than pre-GBS values during but not after the GBS infusion . We conclude that HPV is not altered 1 and 3 h after a 1-h low dose GBS infusion in neonatal piglets . Infusion of GBS and alveolar hypoxia independently increase pulmonary vascular resistance.

J Bacteriol, 1988 Apr, 170(4), 1874 - 7
Inducer expulsion in Streptococcus pyogenes: properties and mechanism of the efflux reaction; Sutrina SL et al.; Expulsion of preaccumulated methyl-beta-D-thiogalactoside-phosphate (TMG-P) from Streptococcus pyogenes is a two-step process comprising intracellular dephosphorylation of TMG-P followed by rapid efflux of the intracellularly formed free galactoside (J . Reizer, M.J . Novotny, C . Panos, and M.H . Saier, Jr., J . Bacteriol . 156:354-361, 1983) . The present study identifies the mechanism and the order and characterizes the temperature dependency of the efflux step . Unidirectional efflux of the intracellularly formed {14C}TMG was only slightly affected when measured in the presence of unlabeled TMG (25 to 400 mM) in the extracellular medium . In contrast, pronounced inhibition of net efflux was observed in the presence of relatively low concentrations (1 to 16 mM) of extracellular {14C}TMG . Since net efflux was nearly arrested when the external concentration of {14C}TMG approached the intracellular concentration of this sugar, we propose that a facilitated diffusion mechanism is responsible for efflux and equilibration of TMG between the intracellular and extracellular milieus . The exit reaction was markedly dependent upon temperature, exhibited a high energy of activation (23 kcal {ca . 96 kJ} per mol), and followed first-order kinetics, indicating that the permease mediating this efflux was not saturated under the conditions of expulsion employed.

J Bacteriol, 1988 Apr, 170(4), 1783 - 8
Absence of autolytic activity (peptidoglycan nicking) in penicillin-induced nonlytic death in a group A streptococcus; McDowell TD et al.; The extent of sublytic autolysin activity (peptidoglycan {PG} nicking) after exposure of exponentially growing cultures of a group A streptococcus (GAS) to benzylpenicillin (PenG) was studied by determining changes in the glycan chain length of PG polymers . The average PG chain length in isolated cell walls was estimated by calculating the ratio of the total hexosamine content (Morgan-Elson-reactive material) to reducing-end group content established via quantitation of {3H}borohydride reduction products . Comparison of the average PG chain length obtained from untreated control cultures of GAS with those obtained after exposure to a saturating dose of PenG revealed no decrease over a time interval equivalent to four mass doublings of the control cultures . Exposure to this concentration of PenG for a time equivalent to only two mass doublings resulted in approximately 90% loss of viability . In contrast, exposure of the lytic bacterium, Streptococcus faecium ATCC 9790, to a 50% growth inhibitory dose of PenG produced a 20% reduction in the average PG chain length concomitant with only a 65% loss of viability . Preliminary characterization of the autolytic system of GAS indicated that this streptococcus has a hexosaminidase-type autolysin . The results presented indicate the lack of autolytic activity in PenG-induced nonlytic death.

Eur J Immunol, 1988 Apr, 18(4), 559 - 64
The effect of immunization with a 14-kDa streptococcal antigen on primate T cell and B cell responses; Fellowes R et al.; A streptococcal antigen (SA) of 185 kDa was isolated from Streptococcus mutans and this antigen induced in vitro helper, suppressor and contrasuppressor activities with primate peripheral blood lymphocytes . The 185-kDa SA was then treated by sodium dodecyl sulfate and yielded a 4-kDa SA which was capable of eliciting only helper activity . We have now cleaved the 185-kDa SA with cyanogen bromide, in an attempt to identify suppressor and contrasuppressor determinants . A 14-kDa SA was separated from the cyanogen bromide digest and its ability to elicit T cell and B cell functional activities was tested in rhesus monkeys . Whereas the 185-kDa SA (and 4-kDa SA) elicited high serum anti-SA antibodies and the CD4 cells showed an increase in DNA synthesis, this was not demonstrable with the 14-kDa SA . However, the 14-kDa SA, unlike the 185-kDa SA, activated a significant proportion of CD4 and CD8 cells to bind the Vicia villosa lectin (VV) and this is a characteristic feature of contrasuppressor cells . We then studied the effect of sequential immunization of monkeys with the 14-kDa SA, followed by the 185-kDa SA . The results of this showed suppression of the CD4 proliferative response, in the presence of a normal antibody production . We suggest that the split tolerance between the T cell proliferative and B cell differentiating functions might be interpreted on the basis of suppressor CD8 cells inhibiting the CD4 proliferative phase and the VV-adherent CD8 cells contrasuppressing B cell antibody formation.

Scand J Dent Res, 1988 Apr, 96(2), 85 - 90
Implantation and cariogenicity in hamsters of Streptococcus mutans with different hydrophobicity; Olsson J et al.; Strains of Streptococcus mutans with different surface hydrophobicity were examined for their ability to colonize and induce carious lesions in hamsters given a high sucrose diet . In a short-term experiment the hydrophobic strain GW showed almost an identical colonization pattern compared to the hydrophilic strain GW36 . Streptomycin resistant variants of GW and GW36 implanted at a much slower rate than the parent strains . Differences in caries score were observed between the strains . The cariogenicity of the strains seemed to be dependent on early colonization.

Biochimie, 1988 Apr, 70(4), 531 - 4
Characterization of a cloned chromosomal fragment affecting the proteinase activity of Streptococcus lactis ssp . lactis; Tynkkynen S et al.; Plasmid pVS8 (14.3 kbp) contains a 9.3 kbp fragment of Streptococcus lactis ssp . lactis SSL135 chromosomal DNA associated with the ability of this strain to grow in milk . In this study, it was found that pVS8 complements a defective plasmid-linked proteinase gene of SSL135 . Using deletions and insertions, it was found that the size of the complementing region of pVS8 is approximately 6.0 kbp, and that its main part is located within a 5.7 kbp BglII fragment.

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 1988 Apr, 7(2), 302 - 5
Possible virulence marker for Streptococcus agalactiae (Lancefield Group B); Orefici G et al.; Mouse passage of a stock strain of each of the serotypes Ia, Ib, Ia/c, II and III of Streptococcus agalactiae was followed by increased virulence . The change was associated with an increased content of sialic acid and also with the appearance of an antigen common to all passaged strains . This antigen was subsequently detected in all but one of 12 strains isolated from infected babies or diabetic adults, but in none of 12 organisms recovered from carriers.

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 1988 Apr, 7(2), 296 - 300
Analysis of protein antigens as a potential marker for Streptococcus pneumoniae; Munoz R et al.; Protein antigens of the five more common Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in Spain-1, 3, 4, 5 and 23 -were studied by crossed immunoelectrophoresis and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . Most protein antigens defined by crossed immunoelectrophoresis appeared to be common to the five serotypes studied since the degree of cross-reaction was high . Using gel electrophoresis a considerable degree of similarity in the patterns of protein bands was also observed . Thus, protein antigens would not appear to be epidemiological marker for typing pneumococci.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1988 Apr, 21 Suppl C, 41 - 7
Resistance patterns of important gram-positive pathogens; Acar JF et al.; Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and enterococci are among the most important Gram-positive organisms responsible for serious infections in hospitals as well as in the community . We report here the resistance patterns encountered in these species at St Joseph and Broussais Hospitals in Paris.

Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 1988 Apr, 98(4), 299 - 304
The effects of sinus bacteria on human ciliated nasal epithelium in vitro; Ferguson JL et al.; The mechanisms by which bacteria colonize and damage ciliated epithelium are important in understanding the pathophysiology of rhinitis, sinusitis, and otitis . Bacteria that have the ability to impair mucociliary clearance would be at an advantage in establishing infection of ciliated surfaces . This study investigates the effect of Hemophilus Influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Branhamella catarrhalis, and Staphylococcus epidermidis on the ciliary activity of normal ciliated nasal epithelium in human beings . Ciliary activity of the nasal epithelium in the presence of each pathogen was assessed for more than 240 minutes with a photometric method of ciliary beat frequency (CBF) measurement . H . influenzae exerted significant effects on ciliary activity, with a 46% decrease in the CBF by 4 hours (with bacteria-containing broth) and a 32% decrease with bacteria-free filtrate . S . epidermidis decreased CBF by 44% with the bacterial broth . A sterile cell-free filtrate had no significant effect . S . pneumoniae and B . catarrhalis had no significant effect on CBF within a 240-minute period . H . influenzae and S . epidermidis disrupted normal synchronous ciliary motion, causing adjacent cilia to beat at different rates.

J Fam Pract, 1988 Apr, 26(4), 387 - 92
Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in children with and without pharyngitis; Reed BD et al.; The prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus, and other treatable organisms was studied in children with and without pharyngitis . Children aged 2 to 12 years were evaluated between November 1985 and April 1986 in three family practice offices in the Salt Lake City area . Chlamydia trachomatis was not detected in the pharynx of any of the children studied . Mycoplasma pneumoniae was cultured from 5 percent of the 242 children studied, group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus from 30 percent, non-group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus from 5 percent, Hemophilus influenzae from 4 percent, and Staphylococcus aureus from 14 percent . The symptoms reported were not statistically associated with any organism isolated, and clinical signs of pharyngitis were associated only with the presence of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus . Based on these results, management of pharyngitis in children should continue to be based on the detection and treatment of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus.

Epidemiol Infect, 1988 Apr, 100(2), 257 - 69
Changes in the pattern of infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes; Gaworzewska E et al.; The distribution of T- and M-protein antigens was determined in 12,469 cultures of Streptococcus pyogenes sent to a reference laboratory . Of these 7232 (58%) were isolates from hospital patients, 249 (2%) from hospital staff and 4988 (40%) from the community . The survey extended from January 1980 to June 1987 . During this time the numbers of isolates of M-types 6, 49 and 81 rose then fell, being replaced by types 1, 3 and 28 . The proportion of isolates of M-types 4 and 12 remained constant . Few strains were received from cases of nephritis or rheumatic fever but there has been an increase in the number of strains from serious infections and deaths . Forty-four of the 55 (80%) strains received since 1985 from fatal infections have belonged to M-type 1 . All other strains, bar two, received from fatal infections in those years belonged to M-type 3 . Representatives of M-type 1 were also associated with erysipelas . Types 3 and 4 predominated among the isolates from scarlet fever, types 1, 4, 12 and 49 from nephritis, types 49 and 81 from skin infections in meat workers and type 28 in cases of puerperal sepsis . The M-typability rate was 97% but new M antigens await definition among strains causing pyoderma.

Postgrad Med J, 1988 Apr, 64(750), 315 - 6
Acute phlegmonous gastritis; O'Toole PA et al.; A fatal case of acute phlegmonous gastritis in a 30 year old man is reported . It was caused by Group A Streptococcus (M type 1, T type 1) . Although extremely rare, clinicians need to be aware of this condition as, without intervention, it is rapidly fatal . The recommended treatment is antibiotics combined with surgical resection.

Infect Immun, 1988 Apr, 56(4), 880 - 4
Isolation of a glucan-binding domain of glucosyltransferase (1,6-alpha-glucan synthase) from Streptococcus sobrinus; Mooser G et al.; A glucan-binding domain of 1,6-alpha-glucan synthase (dextransucrase) (GTF-S) was isolated from a trypsin digest of the Streptococcus sobrinus enzyme . The large 60.5-kilodalton peptide had an affinity for dextran comparable to that of the native enzyme, but had no glucan synthesis activity . The domain was produced in high yield compared with other large cleavage products, which allowed easy purification by size exclusion high-pressure liquid chromatography and affinity chromatography . Two other proteases (mouse submaxillaris protease and lysyl endopeptidase) with specificities similar to trypsin generated a distribution of GTF-S peptides that was also greatly enriched in the glucan-binding peptide . Proteases with markedly different specificities (chymotrypsin and Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease) produced a family of peptides with some evidence of the glucan-binding domain but in far lower yield . The tertiary structure of the domain was critical to its resistance to proteolysis; heat denaturation of GTF-S before trypsin digestion resulted in cleavage of the enzyme to small limit peptides leaving no evidence of the glucan-binding domain . The amino acid composition of the peptide was very similar to that of the native enzyme . The common occurrence of proteases in oral streptococcus cultures and reports of glucosyltransferase degradation during purification and storage raises the possibility that some accounts of glucan-binding receptors are peptides derived from glucosyltransferase . Kinetic implications of a glucan-binding domain are discussed.

Microb Pathog, 1988 Apr, 4(4), 267 - 78
A sandwich adhesion on Streptococcus pneumoniae attaching to human oropharyngeal epithelial cells in vitro; Andersson B et al.; Streptococcus pneumoniae attach to human pharyngeal epithelial cells through the specific interaction of bacterial surface adhesins with glycoconjugate receptors . The present study defines the adhesin as a molecule bridging between an anchoring site in the bacterial cell wall and the epithelial cell receptor . The nature of the adhesin was defined in three ways: First, the attachment of whole bacteria was reduced by trypsin, periodate and heat . Second, heat treatment of whole bacteria was shown to release material, which was able to reconstitute the adherence . The heat extract bound to epithelial cells, as shown by fluorescence labelling, and agglutinated latex beads covalently coupled with receptor oligosaccharide . Active material could be extracted by heat from both high and low adhering strains, but could reconstitute only attaching strains . Third, the bacterial component binding the adhesin was localized to protoplasts and cell wall fractions obtained by mechanical or deoxycholate induced lysis of pneumococci . Isolated pneumococcal surface components, which did not inhibit attachment, included peptidoglycan, C polysaccharide, Forssmann antigen, capsular polysaccharide and a phenol extract produced in analogy to streptococcal lipoteichoic acid . The procedure used to extract the adhesin was previously used to prepare the competence factor . The competence deficient mutant RA7- attached poorly compared to the competent R6 parent . The possible relatedness of attachment to competence is discussed.

Biochimie, 1988 Apr, 70(4), 559 - 66
Construction of a vector plasmid family and its use for molecular cloning in Streptococcus lactis; Simon D et al.; Cloning vector plasmids have been constructed on the basis of the broad host range plasmid pAM beta 1 and used for the cloning of a nisin resistance determinant in Streptococcus lactis . They incorporate several desirable features for gene cloning in S . lactis and other transformable Gram-positive bacteria . They carry an easily selectable erythromycin resistance marker, are present at low (6-9) or high (45-85) copy number in S . lactis and possess a convenient polyrestriction site sequence . A significant advantage of these plasmids is their capability to carry and stably maintain very large cloned DNA fragments (up to 30 kilobases).

Biochimie, 1988 Apr, 70(4), 543 - 51
Transposition of the Streptococcus lactis ssp . lactis Z270 lactose plasmid to pVA797: demonstration of an insertion sequence and its relationship to an inverted repeat sequence isolated by self-annealing; Novel M et al.; The lactose plasmid pUCL22 of the single plasmid strain Streptococcus lactis ssp . lactis Z270 was demonstrated to fuse with the heterologous conjugative plasmid pVA797 . The fusion of pUCL22 with pVA797 occurred by recombination between a specific sequence of pUCL22 and different sites of pVA797 . The cointegrates of pUCL22::pVA797 were unstable: in the absence of lactose selection, they segregated plasmids that corresponded to pVA797 enlarged by one sequence of 1.2 kb, common to all derivative plasmids . This resolution sequence (RS) was shown to originate in the 9.7 kb BstEII restriction fragment of pUCL22 and to duplicate during replicon fusion . In addition, after nuclease S1 treatment of pUCL22 DNA, a self-annealing sequence was isolated; the two copies of this inverted repeat (IR) sequence were located on the 18 kb BamHI segment of the plasmid . This latter sequence was distinct from the RS with which it hybridized weakly . The RS was responsible for the transposition of the entire lactose plasmid; the role of the IR remains to be elucidated.

Mol Gen Genet, 1988 Apr, 212(1), 66 - 70
Cloning and characterization of the gene, speC, for pyrogenic exotoxin type C from Streptococcus pyogenes; Goshorn SC et al.; The structural gene of streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin type C (SPE C) was cloned from the chromosome of Streptococcus pyogenes strain T18P into Escherichia coli using pBR328 as the vector plasmid . Subcloning enabled the localization of the gene (speC) to a 1.7 kb fragment . Partially purified E . coli-derived SPE C and purified streptococcal-derived SPE C, were shown to have the same molecular weight (23,800) and biological activities . A DNA probe, prepared from cloned speC, cross-hybridized with the structural genes of SPE A and SPE B indicating relatedness at the nucleotide level . The speC-derived probe also hybridized to a fragment of CS112 bacteriophage DNA containing the phage attachment site.

J Immunol Methods, 1988 Mar 16, 107(2), 273 - 80
Enzyme-labeled type III bacterial Fc receptors . A versatile tracer for immunoassay; Reis KJ et al.; The type III bacterial Fc receptor isolated form a group C streptococcus has been conjugated to alkaline phosphatase and used as a tracer in a variety of direct and indirect immunoassays . These immunoassays have utilized specific antibodies prepared in species whose immunoglobulins are poorly reactive with the type I Fc receptor, staphylococcal protein A . The value of the type III Fc receptor as a tracer for immunoassays utilizing antibodies produced in sheep and goats is documented.

Acta Otolaryngol, 1988 Mar-Apr, 105(3-4), 357 - 66
Experimental acute sinusitis in rabbits . A bacteriological and histological study; Johansson P et al.; A bacteriological and histological study of experimentally induced acute pneumococcal sinusitis was performed in 69 New Zealand White rabbits . The sinus ostium was blocked on one side on the first day of the experiment . On the second day, 10(7)-10(9) Streptococcus pneumoniae in 1 ml were injected into the same sinus cavity . Purulent sinusitis developed unilaterally in all rabbits . Histological examination of the sinus mucosa revealed edema, dilated venules, leukocytic infiltration of the mucosa as well as localized epithelial lesions . On staining with acridine orange at pH 4.0, the bacteria were observed in the secretion but not in the mucosa . When we used Streptococcus pneumoniae subjected to an animal passage, the bacteria were re-isolated in 9/10 infected sinuses . Neither sole occlusion of the ostium nor injection of pneumococci into a sinus cavity with a patent ostium resulted in a bacterial sinusitis . Obstruction of the sinus ostium and the use of a virulent Streptococcus pneumoniae strain were essential for the induction of sinusitis in rabbits.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1988 Mar, 54(3), 837 - 8
Comparison between the adhesion to solid substrata of Streptococcus mitis and that of polystyrene particles; Uyen HM et al.; The adhesion of Streptococcus mitis to solid substrata from phosphate suspensions with various ionic strengths was studied and compared with the adhesion of polystyrene particles . At all ionic strengths, the interfacial free energy of adhesion governed the relative number of bacteria or polystyrene particles adhering at equilibrium, except that in a low-ionic-strength buffer, adhesion occurred less frequently because of increased electrostatic repulsion . Large differences between bacterial and polystyrene particle adhesion were observed, as indicated by the ratio of bacteria to polystyrene particles adhering, which decreased from 30 to 4 with a change from low to high ionic strength.

No Shinkei Geka, 1988 Mar, 16(3), 275 - 80
{A case of ruptured mycotic cerebral aneurysm associated with repeated arterial narrowing and remission}; Kamiya K et al.; The patient is a 23-year-old male in whom aortic valve regurgitation was pointed out at the age of about 13 . From July 26, 1985 he developed a high fever of 39.7 degrees C and on August 5 he suddenly became unconscious with left hemiparesis . On August 10, his consciousness became further disturbed and he was admitted to this Department on the following day . Computed tomographic scan showed subarachnoid hemorrhage and a low density area in the right temporoparietal lobe . Carotid angiography (CAG) revealed an aneurysm 10 mm in size at the end of the horizontal portion of the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) and severe narrowing of the arteries, mainly the right MCA . A mycotic aneurysm due to bacterial endocarditis was diagnosed . In the CAG conducted on August 14, aneurysm had been almost disappeared, but arterial narrowing had been further increased . On September 4, there was a remission of the narrowing, but the aneurysm could again be visualized to be 7 mm in size, which increased to 14 mm on September 20 . A neck clipping of the aneurysm and an aneurysmectomy were performed on September 27 . Operative findings showed degeneration and thickening of the walls of the aneurysm and arteries with inflammatory reaction . An arterial blood culture conducted at the time of a recurrence of bacterial endocarditis demonstrated non-hemolytic Streptococcus . CAG conducted on November 1 showed remarkable narrowing of the right MCA, but CAG performed on April 1, 1986 showed the narrowing to be alleviated . There is a danger of rupture in mycotic aneurysm due to bacterial endocarditis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1988 Mar, 32(3), 350 - 3
C31G, a new agent for oral use with potent antimicrobial and antiadherence properties; Corner AM et al.; C31G, an equimolar mixture of alkyl dimethyl glycine and alkyl dimethyl amine oxide, was evaluated for antimicrobial and antiadherence properties . The efficacy of C31G, its two components, and several commercial mouth rinses was determined in assays measuring inhibition of glycolysis, inhibition of bacterial adherence, and MICs . Inhibition of glycolysis was determined by using a saliva sediment model, with glycolytic activity expressed as the change in pH relative to that of a control . Adherence studies were undertaken with Streptococcus sobrinus 6715 to measure inhibition of adherence to nichrome wires . MICs were determined against selected microorganisms by standard methods . C31G demonstrated broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties, with activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative organisms and Candida albicans, a yeast . C31G inhibited both glycolysis by salivary bacteria and adherence of Streptococcus strains to wire mesh . C31G was more effective in the assays conducted than any commercial formulation tested and was as effective as chlorhexidine . A synergistic effect was demonstrated between the individual components of C31G, and no loss of activity was noted when it was formulated into a mouth rinse vehicle.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1988 Mar, 21(3), 319 - 32
Characterization of tetracycline-resistant strains of Ureaplasma urealyticum; Robertson JA et al.; Gel electrophoresis revealed no plasmids in cloned strains of Ureaplasma urealyticum for which minimal inhibitory concentration (MICs) of tetracycline were greater than 64 mg/l . However, DNA from these strains hybridized with the tetM sequence from Streptococcus agalactiae in dot blot hybridization, whilst DNA from more-susceptible strains did not do so . Our results confirm and extend previous work, in which the tetM sequence was associated with resistance to the tetracycline antibiotics in strains of U . urealyticum . The strains examined in this study were isolated primarily in western North America but included representatives from Europe and the United Kingdom . Serotyping showed an increase in strains with the serotype 9 determinant and a decrease in those with the serotype 14 determinant together with a shift to the biotype 2 cluster (P = less than 0.02) . To characterize these strains and to identify alternative antibiotics for therapeutic and basic research applications, 26 tetracycline-resistant strains were tested against 25 diverse antimicrobial agents . All demonstrated in-vitro susceptibility to rosaramicin but were resistant to 2 mg/l erythromycin . Only two of the strains were resistant to 16 mg/l erythromycin . Most antibiotics were not active against these isolates, but low concentrations of filipin and unconventional agents such as flurofamide and hydroquinone inhibited the growth of some strains.

Carbohydr Res, 1988 Mar 1, 173(2), 255 - 62
Structure of the group G streptococcal polysaccharide; Pritchard DG et al.; The structure of the group-specific polysaccharide of group G Streptococcus was determined by means of methylation analysis and selective chemical degradations . The anomeric configurations and conformations of the sugar residues were studied by 1H- and 13C-n.m.r . spectroscopy . The tetrasaccharide repeating unit, ----3)-alpha-D-Galp-(1----2)-{alpha-L-Rhap-(1----3)-beta-D-GalpNAc - (1----4)}-alpha-L-Rhap-(1----, was determined.

Carbohydr Res, 1988 Mar 1, 173(2), 227 - 33
Structural studies of the capsular polysaccharide from Streptococcus pneumoniae type 18A; Jansson PE et al.; The structure of the capsular polysaccharide (S18A) elaborated by Streptococcus pneumoniae type 18A has been investigated by using methylation analysis and n.m.r . spectroscopy . It is concluded that the polysaccharide is composed of pentasaccharide repeating-units having the following structure . (formula; see text) In this structure, the absolute configuration of the glycerol 1-phosphate moiety has not been determined but is assumed to be D from biosynthesis considerations . The structure of S18A is, as expected, closely similar to those determined for S18F and S18C.

Carbohydr Res, 1988 Mar 1, 173(2), 217 - 25
Structural studies of the capsular polysaccharide from Streptococcus pneumoniae type 18F; Jansson PE et al.; The structure of the capsular polysaccharide elaborated by Streptococcus pneumoniae type 18F (S18F) has been investigated by using n.m.r . spectroscopy, methylation analysis, and characterisation of oligosaccharides obtained on partial hydrolysis . It is concluded that the polysaccharide is composed of pentasaccharide repeating-units having the following structure . (formula; see text) In this structure, the absolute configuration of the glycerol phosphate moiety has not been determined, but is assumed to be D-glycerol 1-phosphate (sn-glycerol 3-phosphate) . The location of an O-acetyl group at O-6 of the terminal alpha-D-glucopyranosyl groups is tentative only.

Eur J Immunol, 1988 Mar, 18(3), 439 - 43
Specific antigen/antibody complexes induce the in vivo production of a parallel set of nonantigen-binding idiotype-positive antibodies; Caulfield MJ et al.; Immune complexes prepared with the polysaccharide antigen (PnC) extracted from Streptococcus pneumoniae R36a and two different PnC-specific antibodies were found to differ in their regulatory properties depending on the isotype of the antibody . Thus, complexes formed in antibody excess with TEPC15 (IgA) were suppressive whereas complexes formed with 96-G (IgG3) antibodies enhanced the IgM response to PnC . During the course of these studies, we found that little or no PnC-specific IgG antibody was induced during the response to PnC coupled to sheep red blood cells (PnC-SRBC) . Interestingly, however, immunization with 96-G/PnC complexes either alone or with PnC-SRBC resulted in the induction of IgG3 antibodies that express the T15 idiotype (Id) but which do not bind PnC . This unique IgG3 response occurred after injection of 96-G/PnC complexes formed in antibody excess but not when complexes were formed in antigen excess . The Id+ nonspecific IgG3 response peaked on day 5 and could be activated with 96-G/PnC complexes but not with free PnC antigen . The Id+ nonspecific response was not due to polyclonal activation of IgG3 production since there was no difference in IgG3 levels in mice injected with 96-G/PnC complexes with those injected with PnC-SRBC . Finally, mice that had been suppressed for expression of the T15 Id by neonatal injection of anti-Id antibody were able to produce Id+-unspecific IgG3 antibody after immunization with 96-G/PnC complexes, further suggesting that Id+ IgG3 was produced by different clones than those that usually comprise the antibody response to PnC . The results suggest that the formation of IgG immune complexes during an immune response may result in stimulation of idiotypically related clones thus resulting in degeneracy of the immune response.

Arch Dermatol, 1988 Mar, 124(3), 418 - 23
Osteomyelitis of the distal phalanges in three children with severe atopic dermatitis; Boiko S et al.; Three children with severe, secondarily infected atopic dermatitis since infancy developed osteomyelitis of the distal phalanges of the hands . The insidious onset of one or more distal subungual black macules was followed by edema, erythema, and pain in the involved fingers . No child had an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate or fever, but all had roentgenographic or scintigraphic evidence of bony destruction . In two children, Staphylococcus aureus grew from skin surface cultures; S aureus also grew from nail bed and osseous cultures of the distal phalanges; Streptococcus viridans grew from one child's nail bed . All children had prolonged hospitalizations . In two children, laboratory evaluation of immunologic function disclosed normal findings . We postulate that intense scratching of infected skin coupled with minor trauma to the fingertips created distal subungual microabscesses that spread contiguously to the underlying bone.

J Infect Dis, 1988 Mar, 157(3), 456 - 64
Influence of granulocytes on brain edema, intracranial pressure, and cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of lactate and protein in experimental meningitis; Tauber MG et al.; Brain water content (brain edema), intracranial pressure, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of lactate and protein increased significantly during 24 h of experimental meningitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, but changes were similar in normal and neutropenic rabbits . In sterile meningitis induced by N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenyl-alanine (fMLP), low and high doses of fMLP were equally effective in inducing CSF pleocytosis, whereas only high doses of fMLP caused brain edema . High doses of fMLP injected intracisternally during pneumococcal meningitis also increased brain water content . The fMLP did not significantly increase intracranial pressure or CSF concentrations of lactate or protein in sterile or pneumococcal meningitis, nor did it cause brain edema in neutropenic animals . Thus, granulocytes may contribute to brain edema during meningitis if adequately stimulated, but intracranial pressure and CSF protein and lactate concentrations appear independent of granulocytes . Stimulation does not appear to occur early in meningitis, when granulocytes were without effect on brain edema.

Infect Immun, 1988 Mar, 56(3), 687 - 92
Response of a Streptococcus sanguis strain to arginine-containing peptides; Rogers AH et al.; For dental plaque organisms such as Streptococcus sanguis, the ecological importance of the ability to utilize arginine as an energy source has been established in previous studies . The present investigation was undertaken to determine the ability of a strain of S . sanguis to process unsubstituted arginine-containing peptides . The organism was grown under glucose-limited conditions in a chemically defined medium, and peptide was added to washed, resting cells in a pH-stat at pH 7.0 . Filtrates taken at appropriate time intervals were assayed for peptide, free amino acids, and metabolites . Irrespective of the position of the arginine residue, all peptides tested were attacked, although those that possessed a C-terminal arginine (including a tetrapeptide) were processed at a faster rate than were those in which arginine was N terminal . However, C-terminal arginine was cleaved only slowly from a peptide containing 24 residues . In each case, most of the released arginine was converted to ornithine via the arginine deiminase pathway . Such peptidase activities appeared to occur at or near the cell surface and were probably constitutive . It was found that the organism grew in chemically defined medium containing arginine that was present solely in the form of a tripeptide, and also that a strain of S . mutans possessed only a limited ability to attack arginine-containing peptides and was unable to utilize the released arginine.

J Dairy Sci, 1988 Mar, 71(3), 854 - 6
Comparison of duplicate and single quarter milk samples for the identification of intramammary infections; Erskine RJ et al.; Results of bacteriological culture of 5426 pairs of duplicate quarter milk samples collected were analyzed for agreement . Overall, the percentage of agreeing pairs was 98.1% . The percentage agreement by infection type was greater for the contagious pathogens, Streptococcus agalactiae (96.4%) and Staphylococcus aureus (94.2%), than for other Streptococcus spp . (81.6%) and coliform organisms (55.6%) . Single quarter samples may be adequate for determining status of quarter infection with Strep . agalactiae and Staph . aureus.

Semin Respir Infect, 1988 Mar, 3(1), 72 - 80
Prophylactic treatment of chronic bronchitis; Ruben FL; Exacerbations of chronic bronchitis may be caused by a variety of bacterial and viral agents . There is ample documentation of a role for Hemophilus influenza, Streptococcus pneumonia, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, influenza A and B viruses, and several other respiratory viruses in causing these exacerbations . Because of the lack of frequency of exacerbations (once every 20 to 78 weeks) and the wide range of pathogens, trials of prophylaxis with antibiotics have been difficult to conduct . Controlled trials conducted since the 1950s have shown mixed results, some demonstrating a reduction in the number of exacerbations and others failing to show efficacy . Of the antibiotics used, tetracycline seemed the most effective . Both the pneumococcal polysaccharide and killed influenza virus vaccines have been suggested for patients with chronic bronchitis . The antiviral drug amantadine has been recommended when vaccine cannot be used . This reviewer concludes that prophylactic antibiotics should be used in selected patients with one or more exacerbations yearly using a drug such as tetracycline . A one-time dose of pneumococcal vaccine and the annual use of killed influenza vaccine are also reasonable . During an influenza A epidemic, amantadine should be considered for unvaccinated patients . Future studies should study intermittent v chronic prophylaxis with cheap but appropriate antibiotics (chosen for their microbial spectrum), and should test newer antiviral vaccines and antiviral drugs as they become available.

J Clin Microbiol, 1988 Mar, 26(3), 464 - 70
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of antibody to group A Streptococcus-specific C carbohydrate with trypsin-pronase-treated whole cells as antigen; Todome Y et al.; We describe the measurement by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of antibody to group A Streptococcus C carbohydrate in immunized rabbits and human sera, with trypsin-pronase-treated group A streptococcal whole cells used as the antigen . The optimal concentration of the enzyme-treated whole cells used to coat the wells was 2 x 10(7) cells per well . Rabbit antiserum diluted to 1:12,800 and human serum diluted to 1:1,000 were found to be the optimal concentrations for antibody measurement . Antibody that reacted with enzyme-treated whole cells in rabbit antiserum was absorbed with group A streptococcal whole cells, purified C carbohydrate, and N-acetylglucosamine only . Enzyme-treated whole cells did not react with anti-lipoteichoic acid antibody, and rabbit antiserum did not react with lipoteichoic acid . There was a highly significant correlation between the anti-C carbohydrate antibody titrated with enzyme-treated whole cells and that with purified C carbohydrate as antigen . The correlation coefficient for the immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies was r = 0.75, and for the IgG antibodies it was r = 0.77 . When the IgG antibody titers to the enzyme-treated whole cells of the sera of patients with acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis and rheumatic fever were compared with those of sera of healthy individuals, the sera of patients with poststreptococcal sequelae had significantly higher titers than did healthy individuals . Although anti-C carbohydrate antibody in human sera mostly belonged to the IgG2 subclass, there was anti-C carbohydrate antibody that belonged to the IgG3 subclass in a certain percentage of patients with rheumatic fever and acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis.

Br Heart J, 1988 Mar, 59(3), 389 - 90
Atrioventricular block complicating acute streptococcal tonsillitis; Caraco J et al.; A 38 year old woman presented with severe weakness, high fever, and sore throat . Physical examination showed follicular tonsillitis and bradycardia caused by a atrioventricular block . Within 24 hours a normal sinus rhythm was regained but slight transient ST-T changes compatible with myocarditis were evident . Throat culture grew Streptococcus haemolyticus group A.

Onderstepoort J Vet Res, 1988 Mar, 55(1), 59 - 61
The indirect fluorescent antibody technique for the rapid identification of streptococcosis of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri); Bragg RR; The indirect fluorescent antibody technique has been used successfully for the rapid serological identification of the Streptococcus sp . responsible for streptococcosis of rainbow trout . This technique has been used to identify the Streptococcus sp . in pure cultures and smears made from experimentally infected and diseased fish.

J Infect, 1988 Mar, 16(2), 169 - 76
Group G streptococcal endocarditis: two case reports, a review of the literature and recommendations for treatment; Smyth EG et al.; Two cases of endocarditis caused by a group G streptococcus are reported and the literature on group G streptococcal endocarditis is reviewed . The onset of illness is usually acute and the portal of entry for the organism through the skin . The left side of the heart is mainly involved and in about 50% cases the endocarditis arises on a normal valve . Most patients develop complications, both embolic and cardiac, and the mortality is high (36%) . We suggest that patients with proven group G streptococcal endocarditis should be treated with large doses of benzyl penicillin and with an aminoglycoside for not less than 4 weeks . Patients with complications should be referred to a cardiothoracic centre . We should be glad to know details of complications, treatment and outcome in other cases of group G streptococcal endocarditisPublication Types:

	Case Reports
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	Review of Reported Cases

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