South Med J, 1987 Aug, 80(8), 1056 - 7 Group G streptococcal bacteremia in a chronically constipated adolescent; Hagen MD et al.; A chronically constipated, mentally retarded male adolescent was admitted on two occasions with gastroenteritis symptoms and stool positive for group G Streptococcus . The first episode was also associated with group G streptococcal bacteremia . This case of group G streptococcal disease is unique in that the primary symptoms were those of gastroenteritis . In the context of chronic constipation in colonic distention, the case appears to support the hypothesis of Watsky et al that group G streptococcal bacteremia is promoted by processes which breach anatomic mucosal or epithelial infection barriers. Infect Immun, 1987 Aug, 55(8), 1819 - 23 Effect of culture conditions on the structure of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 19A(57) capsular polysaccharide; Lee CJ et al.; The structural modifications and immunochemical activities of several Streptococcus pneumoniae type 19A polysaccharide (PS) preparations have been studied by sugar compositional analysis and immunodiffusion . The 19A PS preparations Lab-A-1 and Lab-A-3 and one PS isolated from 19A strain OB contained fucose (Fuc) and galactose (Gal) in addition to rhamnose (Rha) and glucose (Glc) . In contrast, 19A PSs Lab-A-2 and Lab-B contained only Rha and Glc . Despite their different sugar compositions, these 19A preparations appeared to be identical in serologic activity as measured by immunodiffusion with rabbit 19A and 19F antisera . The 19A PS Lab-A-1 was separated into three fractions by DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B column chromatography with a NaCl gradient . Fraction II was the major peak with a yield of 72.9% . Fraction Ia contained Fuc and Gal, while fraction II contained Fuc, Gal, Rha, and Glc . Fractions Ia and Ib did not react with rabbit 19A antiserum . In contrast, 19A PS Lab-A-2 displayed only one peak, which was eluted by a NaCl gradient (0 to 0.6 M NaCl), and contained only Rha and Glc . The 19A PSs prepared from Lab-A and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) strains and grown in pneumococcal inoculum medium (PIM) and modified Holt medium were chromatographed on a DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B column, and the separated fractions were examined for their sugar composition . The fractions obtained from the 19A PSs Lab-A-PIM and CDC-PIM exhibited four sugar components, as observed for the PS Lab-A-1, while the separated fractions from the 19A PSs Lab-A-Holt and CDC-Holt displayed two sugar components, a pattern similar to that of PS Lab-A-2 . Thus, the sugar compositions of 19A PS appeared to vary according to the type of culture medium used to grow the 19A organisms. Chest, 1987 Aug, 92(2), 204 - 12 Pneumococcal infection and immunologic response to pneumococcal vaccine in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . A pilot study; Davis AL et al.; We assessed the importance of Streptococcus pneumoniae and immunologic response to 14-valent pneumococcal vaccine in a randomized (saline placebo or vaccine) double-blind pilot study involving 103 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) . Antibody titers, the flora of the sputum, respiratory infections or pneumonias, and deaths were monitored . The patients' antibody titers before immunization were higher than healthy control subjects . Titers rose normally in those vaccinated but declined more rapidly . Differences between the group receiving placebo and vaccine were not significant at 12 and 24 months . The incidence of pneumonia was high before and after vaccine (47/1,000 vs 41/1,000 patient-years) . Nonpneumococcal causes predominated (73 percent of pneumonias; 83.4 percent of lethal pneumonias) . Isolates from sputum were predominantly nonvaccine types (50 to 62.5 percent) . Twenty-seven patients died; pneumonia occurred in six (one pneumococcal in a vaccinated patient) as a terminal complication of other diseases . Thus, although pneumonia occurred frequently in these patients with COPD and contributed to mortality in 22 percent (six) of the 27 deaths, the predominance of nonpneumococcal causes and the data on antibodies and sputum suggest that pneumococcal vaccine may not be as beneficial for patients with COPD as was hoped . More observations are needed. J Dairy Sci, 1987 Aug, 70(8), 1529 - 43 Beta-lactamase-producing mutants of Streptococcus cremoris; Khosravi L et al.; Penicillin-resistant mutants were isolated for six strains of Streptococcus cremoris used in commercial Cheddar cheese manufacture after treatment with N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine . The resistant mutants had an elevated minimal growth inhibitory concentration, 2.5 micrograms (4.13 units)/ml, for penicillin G and other beta-lactam antibiotics as compared with the penicillin-susceptible parent strains, which were each sensitive to .05 micrograms (.08 units)/ml . Penicillin resistance was due to the production of beta-lactamase . Plasmid DNA was not demonstrated in partially purified lysates of four mutants . Mutants had normal cellular morphology but altered phage sensitivity patterns . All except one strain were able to support complete phage adsorption . Resistance was retained after 20 passages in absence of penicillin. Acta Ophthalmol (Copenh), 1987 Aug, 65(4), 455 - 60 Early vitrectomy in the treatment of post-operative purulent endophthalmitis; Laatikainen L et al.; In 1979-85, 12 cases of purulent postoperative endophthalmitis (PPE) were treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, corticosteroids and vitreous surgery . In 11 eyes endophthalmitis developed after cataract surgery, in 6 of them after an intraocular lens (IOL) implantation, in one eye after trabeculectomy . Signs related to an intraocular infection appeared 2 to 32 days after surgery, earlier in eyes with an IOL or post-operative complications than in those without . All 5 eyes where vitrectomy was performed within 24 h from the beginning of symptoms retained useful vision (0.1-0.6), whereas 2 of the 7 eyes where vitrectomy was performed later were lost . In the latter two the causative agent was streptococcus . No IOL implants were removed. Scand J Dent Res, 1987 Aug, 95(4), 315 - 9 Prolonged oral reduction of Streptococcus mutans in humans after chlorhexidine disinfection followed by fluoride treatment; Zickert I et al.; The effect of oral chlorhexidine gel treatment supplemented with fluoride applications was studied in subjects with high salivary levels of S . mutans . In two experiments short-term treatment with a 1% chlorhexidine gel was followed by applications of either a 1% NaF gel daily for 2 weeks or a 1% NaF gel daily for 6 weeks supplemented twice with topical application of an 8% SnF2 solution . The salivary numbers of S . mutans were lower in the test group than in the placebo group after 6 and 12 weeks in experiments 1 and 2, respectively, and considerably lower than the pretreatment values . The findings show that fluoride applications can be a valuable adjunct to chlorhexidine treatment for combatting S . mutans. J Dent Res, 1987 Aug, 66(8), 1321 - 5 Bacteriocin-like inhibitory activity associated with beta-hemolytic strains of Streptococcus salivarius; Tompkins GR et al.; Seven beta-hemolytic Streptococcus salivarius isolates produced bacteriocin-like inhibitory activity in deferred antagonism tests using a set of nine indicator bacteria (I1-I9) . Five of these S . salivarius strains (KWF, TOVE-R, K17, K21, and K26) were inhibitory to indicators I2, I5, I6, and I7 . Mutated non-hemolytic derivatives showed concomitant loss of inhibitory activity against I2, I5, and I6, but retained activity against I7 . Inhibitory activity against I2, I5, and I6 was restored in beta-hemolytic revertants of such mutants . Strain 3638 was inhibitory to all of the indicator organisms except I3, and this pattern of inhibitory activity was retained by non-hemolytic derivatives . It appeared that strain 3638 produced an additional broadly-active inhibitory agent, since a mutant (strain 3638A), which was apparently defective in the production of this inhibitor, retained both the beta-hemolytic and I2-, I5-, I6-, and I7-inhibitory activities . Non-hemolytic derivatives of strain 3638A were inhibitory only to I7 . Strain 3638, therefore, appeared to produce at least three inhibitory agents: one active only on I7; another acting on I2, I5, and I6 (and associated with beta-hemolytic activity); and a third apparently active on all of the indicators other than I3 . S . salivarius strain JH inhibited all nine indicator strains and possessed a beta-hemolytic character which differed from that of the other strains in being readily eliminated on treatment with the plasmid-curing agent novobiocin . Non-hemolytic derivatives of JH retained inhibitory activity against the complete set of indicators.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) S Afr Med J, 1987 Aug 1, 72(3), 219 - 20 Streptococcus bovis bacteraemia associated with candidal lesions of the large bowel in a leukaemic child . A case report; Berkowitz FE et al.; A 5-year-old boy with acute myeloblastic leukaemia had large-bowel masses, demonstrated at autopsy, 5 weeks after an episode of Streptococcus bovis bacteraemia . The association of Strept . bovis bacteraemia with large-bowel disease, well documented in adults, should be considered in children. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1987 Aug, 266(1-2), 137 - 44 Modification of glycosylation by tunicamycin treatment inhibits lectin-mediated adhesion of Streptococcus pneumoniae to various tissues; Pulverer G et al.; Oligosaccharide moieties of cell surface glycoconjugates are thought to be involved in recognition events associated with infectious diseases . Treatment of Streptococcus pneumoniae (which exhibits well defined surface lectins) with subinhibitory concentrations of the antibiotic tunicamycin was found to block the protein glycosylation of the bacterial surfaces . Since bacterial lectins (adhesins) are in most cases glycoproteins and play an important role in the organ specificity of infectious diseases, adhesion of Streptococcus pneumoniae to frozen sections of lung, meninges and kidney (from Balb/c-mice) was almost totally lacking after inhibition of the biosynthesis of N-linked carbohydrate chains which are important for an adequate lectin function . Chemiluminescence measurements of human granulocyte stimulation yielded results suggesting a great importance of lectin-carbohydrate interactions in this process, too . These experimental data indicate that the presence of specific cell surface carbohydrates is required for a successful completion of the adhesion phase of pathogenic bacteria in infectious diseases and for the induction of granulocyte stimulation. Can J Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 33(8), 709 - 17 An electron microscope study of kidney basement membrane changes in the mouse by lipoteichoic acid from Streptococcus pyogenes; Leon O et al.; Mice injected repeatedly, intraperitoneally or intravenously, for approximately 1 month with a total of 1.04 mg lipoteichoic acid from a nephritogenic strain of Streptococcus pyogenes lost weight . Analysis by electron microscopy revealed that they also exhibited extensive kidney changes in basement membrane morphology which resembled, in part, those observed in human poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis . For example, the glomerular basement membrane became electron dense and exhibited at least a twofold increase in width sporadically within the same preparation after exposure to lipoteichoic acid . Also, whereas appreciable loss or reduction in epithelial foot processes as a result of fusion was clearly evident, epithelial slits and slit membranes or diaphragms between normal foot processes were not selectively affected . In addition, another mostly thickened, highly coiled or serpentinelike basement membrane with amorphous nodules appeared in these preparations . This type membrane was not observed surrounding the capillary lumina and was the most pronounced abnormality apparent in almost all preparations from mice exposed to lipoteichoic acid . Likewise, the proximal tubular basement membrane became variable in width and increased in electron density in mice given lipoteichoic acid as compared with controls . In addition, this membrane was often punctuated with various morphological protrusions originating from only its thickened areas and which extended away from, and not into, the capillary space . This change was only associated with the basement membrane of the proximal tubular capillaries . All membrane changes persisted but gradually subsided, with normal kidney membrane morphology reappearing on the 4th day following the last injection of lipoteichoic acid.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1987 Aug, (8), 3 - 7 {Changes in the cell wall composition and structure of Streptococcus pyogenes during batch culture}; Bitko SA et al.; Changes in S . pyogenes cells in the process of batch cultivation have been studied . The composition of S . pyogenes cell walls has been studied by amino acid analysis; besides, their resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis and the electric conductivity of cell-wall lysates have been determined at different phases of the growth of S . pyogenes . The molar amino acid composition, expressed in percent, is unrelated to the growth phase, while the content of amino acids in preparations changes in the process of growth and reaches its maximum in the middle and in the end of the logarithmic phase . At the same time the electric conductivity of cell-wall lysates reaches the minimum level at these growth stages . The authors suggest that additional electrically charged compositions are formed in the cell walls at the beginning of the logarithmic and stationary phases . A considerable increase in the initial rate of cell-wall lysis with muramidase has been found to occur at the end of the logarithmic phase . This difference in the initial rate in the initial rates of lysis of S . pyogenes cell walls at different growth phases decreases after previous treatment of the cell walls with streptolytin possessing proteolytic activity . Analysis of these data leads to a conclusion on the "loose" structure of the outer protein layer of the cell wall at the end of the logarithmic phase of the growth curve. CMAJ, 1987 Aug 1, 137(3), 209 - 11 Prevalence and significance of group B Streptococcus in a large obstetric population; Joshi AK et al.; Between Jan . 1 and Dec . 31, 1985, vaginal swabs were obtained for culture for group B beta-hemolytic Streptococcus (GBS) from 3078 women admitted for labour and delivery to Regina General Hospital . Seventy-one women had positive results; thus, the colonization rate was only 2.3% . The charts of the 71 women and their 73 babies were analysed . Of the 58 babies from whom swabs were obtained, 20 had GBS at one or more sites; the transmission rate was therefore 34% . Early-onset GBS disease developed in one infant . Two infants died within the first month; however, death was not directly attributable to GBS . Higher rates of preterm delivery and of low birth weight were noted among the babies of the colonized women than among the babies of all women admitted for labour and delivery in 1985 . Given the low rate of GBS disease in our centre, we suggest that emphasis be placed on GBS as a possible source of obstetric complications such as preterm labour. J Virol, 1987 Aug, 61(8), 2573 - 80 Cloning, purification, and biochemical characterization of the pneumococcal bacteriophage Cp-1 lysin; Garcia JL et al.; Cp-1, a small virulent bacteriophage infecting Streptococcus pneumoniae, encodes its own lytic enzyme (CPL) . A fragment of Cp-1 DNA containing the gene cpl coding for CPL was cloned and expressed in high amounts in Escherichia coli . CPL was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by using affinity chromatography on choline-Sepharose (T . Briese and R . Hakenbeck, Eur . J . Biochem . 146:417-427, 1985), and the enzyme showing a Mr of 39,000 was characterized as a muramidase . This muramidase required for in vivo and in vitro activity the presence of choline in the teichoic acids of the pneumococcal cell walls . Free choline or lipoteichoic acid noncompetitively inhibited the activity of CPL. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1987 Aug, 266(1-2), 104 - 15 Streptococcal outbreaks and erythrogenic toxin type A; Kohler W et al.; Reference strains of Streptococcus pyogenes and strains from recent epidemics and sporadic cases of scarlet fever were examined for their ability to produce erythrogenic toxin type A (ET A) by ELISA and double immunodiffusion (Ouchterlony) using an anti-ET A antibody purified by affinity chromatography . Of the reference strains (most of them isolated before 1945) 16/51 produced more or less ET A (Table 1) . ET A synthesis is strain-specific, but not type-specific . Well-known toxin producers like the strains NY-5; 594 or "Smith" produce up to 16.000 micrograms/l under optimal culture conditions . Type 3 strains isolated from scarlet fever patients during the outbreak 1972/73 seem to belong to one clone as evidenced by the uniform SDS-PAGE pattern: They were found to produce 5-200 micrograms/l (mean 68 micrograms/l) ET A only . Type 3 strains from sporadic cases, isolated 10 years later, produced 0-138 micrograms/l (mean 30 micrograms/l) . Strains of the type 1 clone, causing the epidemic in 1982/83 produced only 0.75-10 micrograms/l (mean 8 micrograms/l) ET A (Table 3) . Only a few strains of S . pyogenes isolated 1984 or later synthesized ET A but they were found more often to produce ET B (proteinase precursor) in batch cultures . S . pyogenes strains seem to have lost their ability to produce large amounts of ET A during the last decades . Because this toxin must be considered as a pathogenicity factor the decrease in toxin production may be one reason for the present mild form of scarlet fever. J Clin Lab Immunol, 1987 Aug, 23(4), 209 - 12 Absence of nephritis strain-associated protein (NSAP) in the extracellular product of Streptococcus pyogenes strain Su; Ohkuni H et al.; This study was undertaken to ascertain whether or not a nephritis strain-associated protein (NSAP) is produced by Streptococcus pyogenes strain Su, which is used in OK-432, an antitumor agent . SDS-PAGE and double immunodiffusion analysis showed that no NSAP occurred in the extracellular product of S . pyogenes strain Su. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 53(8), 1730 - 6 A method for genetic transformation of nonprotoplasted Streptococcus lactis; Sanders ME et al.; Plasmid transformation of whole cells of Streptococcus lactis LM0230 was demonstrated . The procedure required polyethylene glycol and incubation in hypertonic media, but did not require enzymatic cell wall digestion . Conditions were optimized, yielding 5 X 10(5) transformants per micrograms of pSA3 DNA . Variables tested for effect on transformation efficiency included molecular weight, concentration, and pH of polyethylene glycol; cell density; plating media; DNA concentration; heat shock; and incubation of cells in hypertonic buffer . DNAs transformed included pSA3, pVA856, pTV1, and c2 phi . Transformation from DNA-DNA ligation mixes, with DNA not purified through density gradients, and with previously frozen cells was also achieved . The method described here for transformation of nonprotoplasted cells of LM0230 is unique, and to date has not been applied successfully to other lactic acid bacteria. J Bacteriol, 1987 Aug, 169(8), 3679 - 84 Isolation of DNA encoding sucrase genes from Streptococcus salivarius and partial characterization of the enzymes expressed in Escherichia coli; Houck CM et al.; Restriction enzyme fragments containing two sucrase genes have been isolated from a cosmid library of Streptococcus salivarius DNA . The genes were expressed in Escherichia coli cells, and the properties of both enzymes were studied in partially purified protein extracts from E . coli . One gene encoding an invertase-type sucrase was subcloned on a 2.4-kilobase-pair fragment . The sucrase enzyme had a Km for sucrose of 48 mM and a pH optimum of 6.5 . The S . salivarius sucrase clone showed no detectable hybridization to a yeast invertase clone . Two overlapping subclones which had 1 kilobase pair of DNA in common were used to localize a fructosyltransferase gene . The fructosyltransferase had a Km of 93 mM and a pH optimum of 7.0 . The product of the fructosyltransferase was a levan . A fructosyltransferase clone from Bacillus subtilis did not hybridize to S . salivarius DNA . The properties of the enzymes were compared with those of previously characterized sucrases. J Dent Res, 1987 Aug, 66(8), 1364 - 9 Ultrastructure of extracellular polysaccharides produced by serotype c Streptococcus mutans; Toda Y et al.; The ultrastructure of extracellular polysaccharides produced in colonies by two clinical isolates and that of a nitrosoguanidine-induced mutant of serotype c Streptococcus mutans with different polysaccharide-synthesizing abilities were compared electron-microscopically . A large amount of polysaccharide was produced from sucrose by colonies of typical serotype c strain MT8148R and a clinical variant MT6801R with an enhanced fructan-synthesizing ability . Transmission electron-microscopy (TEM) revealed that the polysaccharides consisted of three structural components, i.e., globular, single-stranded filamentous, and double-stranded fibrillar structures . These structures were ascribed to production of fructan, water-soluble glucan, and water-insoluble glucan, respectively . On the other hand, two kinds of structures, a globular body and an amorphous substance, were observed by scanning electron-microscopy (SEM) . The former was composed of fructan, while the latter contained a mixture of water-soluble and water-insoluble glucans which formed filamentous and double-stranded fibrillar structures under TEM . Very small quantities of polysaccharides were formed in colonies of mutant NG7183, which was derived from S . mutans MT6801R . This strain was found to possess low glucan- and no fructan-synthesizing abilities . The polysaccharides produced in colonies of mutant NG7183 were composed only of filamentous and double-stranded fibrils under TEM . A small amount of amorphous substance was observed by SEM in colonies of NG7183. Infect Immun, 1987 Aug, 55(8), 1900 - 5 Monoclonal antibodies to the extracellular glucosyltransferases from Streptococcus sobrinus 6715; McCabe MM et al.; Murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were raised against the glucosyltransferases (GTFs) of Streptococcus sobrinus 6715 . The antibody panels included MAbs raised against the primer-independent, soluble product enzyme (GTF-Si) which did not cross-react with other GTFs, as well as MAbs raised against the primer-dependent, soluble product enzyme (GTF-Sd) which recognized both GTF-Si and GTF-Sd, thus indicating that these catalytically distinct enzymes share epitopes . MAbs raised against GTF-I recognized several forms of GTF-I and did not cross-react with the GTF-S enzymes . None of the MAbs recognized the major glucan-binding protein of S . sobrinus . Two MAbs inhibited glucan synthesis, one blocking primer synthesis by GTF-Si by 89% and the second inhibiting that by GTF-I by 92%. J Immunol, 1987 Aug 1, 139(3), 800 - 4 In vivo immunostimulating activity of the 163-171 peptide of human IL-1 beta; Nencioni L et al.; The stimulating effect of a synthetic nonapeptide (fragment 163-171) of human interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) on antibody responses to both T helper-dependent and T helper-independent antigens was investigated . It was shown that the nonapeptide enhanced the antibody response, as evaluated in the hemolytic plaque assay, of spleen cells from mice immunized with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) . The activity of the 163-171 peptide on the primary response to SRBC was dose-dependent, being maximal when the peptide was inoculated at 100 mg/kg together with the antigen . Moreover, the 163-171 peptide was also effective in enhancing the secondary response to SRBC . The effect of the 163-171 peptide was to augment the frequency of cells specific for the antigen, inasmuch as no increase was ever observed in spleen cell numbers after treatment . In all these studies, human recombinant IL-1 beta gave effects qualitatively comparable to those of the 163-171 peptide, with a maximal activity at 20 ng/kg . Both the 163-171 peptide and human recombinant IL-1 beta were also able to enhance the in vivo immune response to a T helper-independent antigen such as SIII, a poorly immunogenic polysaccharidic antigen from Streptococcus pneumoniae type III . It can therefore be proposed that this synthetic nonapeptide of human IL-1 beta may represent a good candidate for use as adjuvant in vaccines. J Dent Res, 1987 Aug, 66(8), 1404 - 6 Effect of beta 2-adrenoceptor agonists on saliva proteins and dental caries in asthmatic children; Ryberg M et al.; Twenty-four children, from 10 to 20 years old, with asthma treated with beta 2-adrenoceptor agonists were matched with healthy controls of the same age, sex, and social background . Stimulated whole and parotid saliva was collected, and decayed and filled tooth surfaces as well as oral hygiene habits were recorded . The dietary and sugar intake was carefully checked by a four-day dietary record . The asthmatic children had a 26% lower (p less than 0.05) value for secretion rate of whole saliva . Seventy percent of the children with Streptococcus mutans counts greater than 2 X 10(5) colony-forming units/mL of whole saliva belonged to the asthmatic group (p less than 0.05) . The concentrations of total protein and amylase in parotid saliva were significantly lower for the asthmatic children . The concentrations of potassium, salivary peroxidase, bacteria-aggregating glycoproteins, and secretory IgA were not affected, but the secretion rate of parotid saliva was 36% lower in the asthma group (p less than 0.05) . Oral hygiene and dietary habits did not differ between the groups . The asthmatic children had higher DFS scores, but these were not significantly different from those of the healthy controls (p = 0.07) . We suggest that subjects with asthma treated with beta 2-receptor agonists should receive special prophylactic attention. Mol Gen Genet, 1987 Aug, 209(1), 110 - 5 Nucleotide sequence of the ends of the conjugative shuttle transposon Tn1545; Caillaud F et al.; The conjugative shuttle transposon Tn1545 from Streptococcus pneumoniae transposes in various gram-positive bacterial genera following self-transfer and in Escherichia coli after cloning . Analysis of the junction fragments and of the targets before insertion and after excision of the element by DNA hybridization and sequencing indicated that Tn1545 (1) is not flanked by terminal repeated sequences in either direct or opposite orientation, (2) is flanked, in an asymmetric fashion, by terminal variable base pairs, one at the left and three at the right of the element, (3) inserts in a target DNA consensus sequence, (4) does not generate duplication of the target DNA upon insertion, and (5) excises precisely. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1987 Aug, 20(2), 203 - 7 Comparative in-vitro activity of LY146032 and eight other antibiotics against gram-positive bacteria isolated from children; Kline MW et al.; LY146032, a cyclic peptide antibiotic active against many Gram-positive bacteria, was compared to methicillin, vancomycin, clindamycin, cefuroxime and gentamicin against methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Staph . epidermidis . LY146032 was uniformly active against clinical isolates of staphylococci, inhibiting 90% of strains of Staph . aureus and Staph . epidermidis at a concentration of 0.5 mg/l . Vancomycin was slightly less active than LY146032 against Staph . aureus and Staph . epidermidis, inhibiting 90% of strains at concentrations of 1.0 and 2.0 mg/l, respectively . All other antibiotics tested were less active than LY146032 or vancomycin against staphylococci . LY146032 was compared to penicillin, ampicillin, vancomycin and chloramphenicol against strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, group B streptococcus, group D streptococcus (enterococcus) and Listeria monocytogenes and was found to inhibit 90% of the strains at concentrations of 0.25, 1.0, 32.0 and 16.0 mg/l respectively . The combination of LY146032 and chloramphenicol was antagonistic in vitro for one strain each of Staph . aureus and group D streptococcus and showed indifference against other strains of Staph . aureus(2), Staph . epidermidis(2), group D streptococcus(1) and L . monocytogenes(2) . LY146032 in combination with gentamicin showed indifference against the same bacteria . On the basis of its in-vitro activity, LY146032 appears to be a promising agent for the treatment of serious community- and hospital-acquired staphylococcal infections. Bioorg Khim, 1987 Jul, 13(7), 977 - 91 {Synthesis of the capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 14 . 2 . Synthesis of methyl-6-O-acetyl-4-O-(2,3,46-tetra-O-benzoyl -beta-D-galactosylpyranosyl)-2-deoxy-2-phthalimido-beta-D-gluco- pyranoside--a lactosamine precursor in the monomer synthesis for polycondensation}; Nifant'ev NE et al.; Glycosylation of methyl 6-O-acetyl-3-O-benzoyl-2-deoxy-phthalimido-beta-D-glucopyranoside and its 4-trityl ether by benzobromogalactose, 1-O-acetyl-2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzoyl-beta-D-galactopyranose, 1,2-{(alpha-p-tolylthio)benzylidene}- and 1,2-O-{(alpha-cyano)benzylidene}-3,4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-alpha-D- galactopyranoses proceeds non-stereospecifically . The best yield of beta-linked disaccharide was obtained upon glycosylation by benzobromogalactose in the presence of silver triflate and tetramethylurea in nitromethane. Bioorg Khim, 1987 Jul, 13(7), 967 - 76 {Synthesis of the capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 14 . 1 . Synthesis of a derivative of the tetrasaccharide repetitive link}; Nifant'ev NE et al.; A branched tetrasaccharide derivative of the repeating unit of the capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 14 has been synthesised by condensation of per-O-benzoylated 1,2-O-(1-cyano)ethylidene derivative of lactose with 6-O-tritylated methyl lactosaminide. Bioorg Khim, 1987 Jul, 13(7), 958 - 66 {Synthesis of oligosaccharide fragments of the capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 3}; Cherniak AIa et al.; Di-, tri- and tetrasaccharide fragments of the linear chain of the capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 3 consisting of glucose and glucuronic acid residues connected with beta 1----3- and beta 1----4-glycosidic linkage have been synthesised . A new method for selective deprotection of C3-hydroxyl group in the glucopyranuronic acid moiety is proposed. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1987 Jul, 265(3-4), 330 - 9 Serological typing of reference strains and clinical isolates of Streptococcus mutans by agglutination reactions and/or radioimmunoassay; Ota F et al.; Rabbit antisera were prepared against eight different serotypes of Streptococcus mutans . After absorption with heterologous serotype strains the antisera were able to distinguish 21 reference strains of different serotypes of S . mutans by simple agglutination reactions and radioimmunoassay, both using intact whole cells . The reference serotypes a, b, d and g were differentiated by specific agglutination using the corresponding monospecific antiserum . Strains of serotypes c, e, f and h were discriminated by differential agglutination using anti-c, anti-e, anti-f or anti-h serum respectively, but the antisera cross-reacted slightly with other serotype strains . Using these antisera a total of 261 clinical isolates of S . mutans from human dental plaques were serotyped by agglutination reactions, in addition to which radioimmunoassay and the classical immunodiffusion tests in agar were also used in some cases . The results were quite consistent in the three methods . The predominant strain was of serotype c (187), followed by serotype f (28), g (10), d (5), e (4) and b (1) . 26 strains were untypable and there were no serotype a or h strains. J Gen Microbiol, 1987 Jul, 133 ( Pt 7), 1959 - 67 Modulation of competence for genetic transformation in Streptococcus pneumoniae; Chen JD et al.; The spontaneous development of competence by cultures of Streptococcus pneumoniae in casein hydrolysate medium was strongly dependent on the initial pH of the culture medium . Cells growing in cultures beginning with a wide range of initial pH values (6.8 to 8.0) all developed competence, as measured by {3H}DNA uptake, {3H}DNA degradation and genetic transformation; but the initial pH of the medium affected both the timing of the occurrence of competence and the number of times the culture became competent . In cultures grown in media of lower initial pH, competence occurred only once, at high population densities, while in more alkaline media a succession of competence cycles occurred, beginning at lower cell densities . The critical population density required for the initiation of competence varied tenfold over the pH range studied . Successive competence cycles in an alkaline medium were not equivalent: while the percentage of competent cells in the first competence cycle was high (approximately 80%), that in the second competence cycle was lower (approximately 12%) . Correspondingly, competence-specific proteins were less prominent in the labelled-protein pattern of the second competence cycle than in that of the first . These features of the physiology of competence control make it possible to adjust the expression of competence to suit various experimental requirements. J Infect, 1987 Jul, 15(1), 77 - 9 A hospital outbreak of antibiotic-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae; Gould FK et al.; We report six patients colonised with a multiply resistant strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1987 Jul, 31(7), 1150 - 2 Penicillin tolerance in Streptococcus faecium ATCC 9790; Said I et al.; Tolerant strains of Streptococcus faecium had higher levels of muramidase 2 and lower levels of trypsinactivable muramidase 1 than did susceptible strains . Susceptible strains lysed faster than did tolerant strains in buffer and at some antibiotic concentrations . The addition of Triton X-100 produced equal lysis rates for susceptible and tolerant cultures. Infect Immun, 1987 Jul, 55(7), 1552 - 7 Role of sialic acid in the kinetics of Streptococcus sanguis adhesion to artificial pellicle; Cowan MM et al.; Evaluation of the kinetics of adhesion of Streptococcus sanguis 10556 to saliva-coated hydroxylapatite revealed that sialic acid played a role in the formation of a stable cell-substratum complex . In a previous paper (M . M . Cowan, K . G . Taylor, and R . J . Doyle, J . Dent . Res . 65:1278-1283, 1986) the adhesion was found to take place in two distinct stages: a reversible equilibrium, probably governed by long-range forces, followed by a transition to higher-affinity binding . In the present study, artificial pellicle was treated with neuraminidase, and kinetic adsorption and desorption experiments with S . sanguis were conducted . The depletion of sialic acid from pellicle decreased the initial adsorption rate constant only slightly . The rate constant describing the initial desorption was unaffected . However, no transition to the second (high-affinity) association occurred . While S . sanguis desorption from control pellicles exhibited two sequential rates, with the second rate being approximately 10 times slower than the first, all desorption from sialo-deficient pellicles occurred at one rate that was equivalent to the initial rate constant for control desorption . The cells did not reach an equilibrium with the sialo-deficient pellicle, even after 6 h . Competing sialic acid did not decrease the rate or extent of adsorption, but desorption occurred to a greater extent when cells had adsorbed in the presence of sialic acid . These data suggest that sialic acid plays little role in the initial association of cell and pellicle but that it is necessary for the transition to high-affinity binding and the concomitant decreased propensity to desorb. Mikrobiyol Bul, 1987 Jul, 21(3), 172 - 7 {The frequency of group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus in acute tonsillopharyngitis and therapy with cefadroxil, clavulanic acid-amoxicillin combination and erythromycin in patients unresponsive to procaine penicillin therapy}; Tuncer AM et al.; In January, February and March 1987, the frequency of Group A beta hemolytic streptococcus among 468 patients with acute tonsillopharyngitis who admitted to Dr . Sami Ulus Children's Hospital was % 41 . Ten day procaine penicillin therapy was not successful in the % 29.5 patients . Cefadroxil (Duricef), clavulanic acid-amoxicillin combination (Augmentin) and erythromycin were tried in these patients . While the success rate of Duricef therapy was % 55, the results of other drug therapies were not been successful. J Gen Microbiol, 1987 Jul, 133 ( Pt 7), 1909 - 18 Novobiocin-resistant mutants of Streptococcus sanguis with reduced cell hydrophobicity and defective in coaggregation; Jenkinson HF; Mutants of Streptococcus sanguis resistant to novobiocin (NovR-mutants) were isolated after mutagenesis of strain Challis with ethyl methanesulphonate . The resistance phenotype was transferred by DNA-mediated transformation back into the parent strain at high frequency suggesting resistance was due to mutation(s) in a single gene or in closely-linked genes . Cells of NovR-mutants had normal morphology and secreted similar proteins to the wild-type strain . However, mutant cultures had slower growth rates, the mutant cells had reduced hydrophobicity, and they showed a reduced degree of coaggregation with Actinomyces viscosus and Actinomyces naeslundii . Cell envelopes prepared from NovR-mutants differed from wild-type cell envelopes in that they (a) were impaired in ability to coaggregate with A . viscosus cells, and (b) had altered protein composition as detected by SDS-PAGE . The results suggest that hydrophobic proteins in the cell envelope of S . sanguis may be necessary for coaggregation of this bacterium with actinomycetes. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol, 1987 Jul-Aug, 96(4), 419 - 24 Secretory IgA and serum type IgA in nasal secretion and antibody activity against the M protein; Kurono Y et al.; We studied IgA immunoglobulins in nasal secretions in order to clarify mucosal immunity of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses during chronic nasal infection . Secretory IgA and serum type IgA of 165 samples of nasal secretions were analyzed quantitatively by use of electroimmunodiffusion techniques, and the specific antibody activity of secretory IgA against the M protein of Streptococcus pyogenes was investigated by use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay . Results show that although the secretory IgA content in nasal secretions was elevated in chronic sinusitis, its specific antibody activity against the M protein was lower than that in normal subjects . This evidence suggests that nonspecific secretory IgA antibodies are predominantly produced in chronic sinusitis, and that mucosal immunity preventing the adherence of bacteria is impaired in the diseased mucosa. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 1987 Jul, 157(1), 13 - 6 Reduction of group B streptococcal maternal and neonatal infections in preterm pregnancies with premature rupture of membranes through a rapid identification test; Morales WJ et al.; To establish the effect of rapid detection and chemoprophylaxis of group B streptococcal genital colonization in preterm gestations with premature rupture of membranes, 260 singleton pregnancies were cultured . Through the use of a rapid test based on coagulation methods, group B streptococcus was identified in 84 (32%) patients, of which 18 (7%) had heavily colonized infections . The treatment of 36 patients resulted in no cases of chorioamnionitis or neonatal sepsis compared with 11 (23%) cases of chorioamnionitis and 13 (27%) of neonatal sepsis among 48 untreated patients (p less than 0.01) . Although the risk of infection was significantly higher in patients with heavily colonized infections, characterized by less than 5 hours' growth for detection, even light colonization, requiring 20 hours for detection, resulted in a 14% rate of maternal and 16% rate of neonatal infection, respectively. Obstet Gynecol, 1987 Jul, 70(1), 107 - 10 Effect of bacterial growth on the bursting pressure of fetal membranes in vitro; Sbarra AJ et al.; By mounting a layer of chorioamniotic membrane on a specially designed reaction vessel, we studied the effect of Escherichia coli and/or group B streptococcus growing on the decidual surface of the membranes in tissue culture or bacteriologic medium . The organisms grew equally well in either medium . When growing in tissue culture medium, either organism significantly weakened the membranes as compared with controls (membranes incubated in the absence of either organism) . Membranes derived from pregnancies delivered vaginally or abdominally responded similarly . When organisms were grown in bacteriologic medium, bursting pressures did not decrease . Addition of bacteriologic medium (20-60%) to tissue culture medium did not affect bacterial growth, but inhibited significantly the lowering of bursting pressures . Bacteriologic medium also inhibited the peroxidase-H2O2-halide system in vitro . Heat-killed bacteria and/or supernatants of culture medium previously inoculated with bacteria were not effective in weakening membranes . The results suggest that live bacteria in conjunction with active membrane metabolism lead to a weakening and eventual rupture of the membranes. Crit Care Med, 1987 Jul, 15(7), 644 - 7 Thromboxane synthesis inhibition reverses group B Streptococcus-induced pulmonary hypertension; Tarpey MN et al.; Group B Streptococcus (GBS) sepsis in humans may cause the persistent pulmonary hypertension syndrome . Infusions of GBS in animals elevate pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and resistance and are associated with elevated thromboxane levels . We investigated the hemodynamic effects of the specific thromboxane synthesis inhibitor, dazmegrel, in a piglet model of GBS-induced pulmonary hypertension . PAP rose from 22 +/- 6 to 42 +/- 11 (SD) mm Hg during infusion of heat-killed GBS; pulmonary vascular resistance increased from 1440 +/- 400 to 4000 +/- 1040 dyne X sec/cm5 . No significant changes in cardiac output, mean arterial pressure, or left atrial pressure were noted . Treatment with 1 mg/kg of dazmegrel resulted in a rapid return of PAP and resistance to control values . No other hemodynamic effects of either bacteria or drug were observed despite continued infusion of GBS. Clin Immunol Immunopathol, 1987 Jul, 44(1), 114 - 21 Immunoglobulin G class and subclass antibodies to pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides; Chudwin DS et al.; Enzyme immunoassays were developed to measure immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgG1-4 subclass antibodies to pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides (PCP) types 4 and 7F . In healthy subjects, anti-PCP antibodies were predominately of the IgG1 and IgG2 subclasses . There was a significant increase in IgG, IgG1, and IgG2 anti-PCP antibody concentrations following immunization with pneumococcal vaccine . IgG and IgG2, but not IgG1, anti-PCP antibody concentrations correlated with total anti-PCP antibody concentrations measured by the standard radioimmunoassay and with serum opsonic activity for serotype 7F Streptococcus pneumoniae . Such IgG and IgG subclass antigen-specific antibody assays may be useful to investigate the immune response to pneumococcal polysaccharides. J Biomed Mater Res, 1987 Jul, 21(7), 913 - 20 Adherence of Streptococcus mutans to implant materials; Fujioka-Hirai Y et al.; The adherence of Streptococcus mutans OMZ-176 to six implant materials (poly-crystal alumina, single-crystal alumina, titanium alloy, cobalt-chromium-molybdenum alloy, hydroxyapatite, and heat-curing polymethylmethacrylate resin) was studied in vitro . The change of free energy, which corresponds to the adherence process, was also evaluated for hydrophobic interaction . Adherence of S . mutans to poly-crystal alumina was lower than adherence to other materials . The adherence of S . mutans to the test materials was highly correlated with the change of free energy, which suggests that hydrophobic interaction plays an important role in the adherence of S . mutans to the implant materials. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1987 Jul, 265(3-4), 430 - 8 Extraction of group C streptococcal IgG-binding receptor and characterization of the active peptides by Western blotting and isoelectric focusing; Schmidt KH et al.; Three different enzymatic extraction procedures were tested for their effectivity in releasing IgG-binding peptides from the streptococcal cell wall . Streptococcus equisimilis strain 12628 isolated from pig was incubated with phage-associated lysin, trypsin and Streptomyces globisporus lytic enzyme and the extracts were investigated by Western blotting, indirect erythrocyte agglutination and Ouchterlony diffusion for IgG-binding activity . With all treatments IgG-binding peptides were extracted . However, no homogenous IgG-binding material was released by the enzymes tested . In each case a multiple peptide pattern with IgG-binding activity was found . The molecular weights of the active peptides released also differed between the extraction procedures . The isoelectric points between 4.0 and 4.3 of IgG-binding components were found to be similar for all three extracts. Antibiot Med Biotekhnol, 1987 Jul, 32(7), 541 - 3 {DNA isolated from Streptococcus sp . Thom-1066--the producer of thomicide}; Blinkova LP et al.; Thomicide is a complex preparation including a bacteriocin-like substance . To localize the determinant responsible for synthesis of the bacteriocin-like substance, DNA of the streptococcus producing thomicide was isolated and studied . Equilibrium centrifugation of the total DNA preparation in the gradient of cesium chloride-ethidium bromide yielded DNA of one density . The total DNA preparation was obtained with alkaline and neutral lysis . Restriction analysis of the streptococcal DNA followed by electrophoretic separation in agarose gel in comparison to the DNA standards of lambda phage and plasmid pBR 322 confirmed the absence of the plasmid or any other extrachromosomal DNA . Chromosomal localization of the determinant encoding biosynthesis of the thomicide bacteriocin-like substance was shown. JAMA, 1987 Jun 19, 257(23), 3260 - 2 Recurrent postcoital lower-extremity streptococcal erythroderma in women . Streptococcal-sex syndrome; Ellison RT 3rd et al.; Two women with underlying distortion of their lower-body lymphatic systems from neoplasia and surgery or radiation therapy had recurrent episodes of lower-extremity erythroderma temporally associated with sexual intercourse . Both women had vaginal colonization with Streptococcus agalactiae (group B); one was shown to have recurrent bacteremia with this organism at the time of the episodes . Erythroderma developed in these women possibly because of seeding of S agalactiae in the vaginal soft tissues during coitus. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1987 Jun 15, 145(2), 927 - 33 Relationship between the uptake and cytotoxicity of celiptium in wild type and resistant mutants of the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae; Sautereau AM et al.; Celiptium, a cationic and amphiphilic drug currently employed in cancer chemotherapy, was found to be accumulated against its concentration gradient by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae . Accumulation was reduced in Celiptium resistant amiA mutants which were also observed to have reduced electric transmembrane potentials delta psi . This suggested a relationship between Celiptium toxicity and accumulation in S . pneumoniae, and indicated a delta psi - driven uptake in a manner reminiscent of that observed for other lipophilic cations such as tetraphenylphosphonium. Schweiz Med Wochenschr, 1987 Jun 13, 117(24), 916 - 9 {Pleural empyema due to Streptococcus milleri}; Ferber T et al.; Thus far little attention has been focused on the precise identification of Streptococcus viridans to species level and the clinical relevance of Streptococcus milleri, yet there is growing evidence that closer identification would be of significant clinical value . Streptococcus milleri was identified in 142 isolates from approximately 120 patients over a period of 12 months (June 1984-May 1985) at the Institute of Medical Microbiology, Zurich University Hospital . Pleural empyema was the source in eleven patients (10%) . The presentation of six cases of pleural empyema in which Streptococcus milleri played a role, together with a review of the literature, may serve to emphasize the importance of an organism whose taxonomic status is still unclear. Schweiz Med Wochenschr, 1987 Jun 6, 117(23), 868 - 73 {Antibiotic resistance and serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Zurich (1984-1985)}; Wust J et al.; We have investigated the serotypes and sensitivity of 133 pneumococci against 11 antimicrobial agents in the agar dilution test . The strains had been isolated from clinical specimens sent to the Department of Medical Microbiology of the University of Zurich during 1984 and 1985 . - Three strains (2.3%) had reduced sensitivity to penicillin G . 23 strains (17.3%) showed resistance or reduced susceptibility to tetracycline, one strain each (0.8%) to amoxycillin and cefaclor, and two strains each (1.5%) to erythromycin and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim . All pneumococcal strains investigated were susceptible to ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, vancomycin and ciprofloxacin . In view of this situation, routine testing of all clinically significant pneumococci is to be recommended . However, in the agar diffusion test the use of a penicillin G disk is unreliable and may give results with false sensitivity . Therefore, the susceptibility test should be performed with a disk containing oxacillin . - The prevalent capsular serotypes were - in descending order - types 3, 6, 23, 19, 14, 7, 8, 9, 1, and 17 . 90.2% of the isolated pneumococci belonged to serotypes which are contained in the new vaccine "Pneumovax-23". Schweiz Med Wochenschr, 1987 Jun 6, 117(23), 861 - 7 {Prognostic factors in bacterial meningitis in adults . Retrospective analysis of 46 patients}; Zimmerli W et al.; Clinical and laboratory data on 46 patients with acute bacterial meningitis were analyzed in a retrospective survey . The incidence of bacterial meningitis in hospital admissions was 1.3% and the mortality 33% . Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most frequent etiologic agent . Mortality was highest for pneumococcal meningitis and was higher in patients over 50 years of age (83% vs 25%, p less than 0.05) . The initial stage of consciousness was prognostically important . All awake patients survived, while the more impaired the consciousness (from lethargy to coma), the higher the mortality (19%, 25%, and 78% respectively) . Seizures and paresis of the third cranial nerve were significantly higher in lethal cases . Brain edema was the leading cause of death (60%) . The interval between hospital admission and start of antibiotic treatment was crucial for prognosis . Patients who received the first dose of antibiotics within 3 hours after admission had a mortality of 13%, while a delay of 6-24 hours increased the mortality to 3/3. Cell, 1987 Jun 5, 49(5), 643 - 50 The proton flux through the bacterial flagellar motor; Meister M et al.; Bacterial flagella are driven by a rotary motor that utilizes the free energy stored in the electrochemical proton gradient across the cytoplasmic membrane to do mechanical work . The flux of protons coupled to motor rotation was measured in Streptococcus and found to be directly proportional to motor speed . This supports the hypothesis that the movement of protons through the motor is tightly coupled to the rotation of its flagellar filament . Under this assumption the efficiency of energy conversion is close to unity at the low speeds encountered in tethered cells but only a few percent at the high speeds encountered in swimming cells . This difference appears to be due to dissipation by processes internal to the motor . The efficiency at high speeds exhibits a steep temperature dependence and a sizable deuterium solvent isotope effect. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1987 Jun, 265(1-2), 160 - 8 Lectin mediated adhesion of Streptococcus pneumoniae and its specific inhibition in vitro and in vivo; Beuth J et al.; According to our hypothesis, bacterial lectins play an important role in the organotropy of infectious diseases which is analogous to the metastasis of tumor cells . As a model for proving this, we investigated the specific lectin of Streptococcus pneumoniae, which has N-acetyl-D-glucosamine/D-galactose (GlcNAc-Gal) specificity . In vitro, after incubation with Streptococcus pneumoniae, cryotome sections of various organs from Balb/c-mice showed remarkable quantitative differences of bacterial adhesion to the organ cells . Whereas lungs and meninges were closely settled with bacteria, attachment to other organs (e.g . liver, spleen, brain) was lacking . In vitro lectin-blocking by GlcNAc completely prevented the adherence of Streptococcus pneumoniae to lungs and meninges . Other non-related carbohydrates (e.g . D-mannose, D-xylose) showed no effect . During in vivo experiments with Balb/c-mice, intratracheal application of Streptococcus pneumoniae led to a diffuse settlement of the lung . However, bacterial lectin-blocking with intratracheal GlcNAc administration completely inhibited adhesion to the organ cells of the lung . Therefore blocking of bacterial adhesins with competitive specific monosaccharides can completely prevent bacterial adhesion processes, a fact, which opens therapeutical aspects. J Gen Microbiol, 1987 Jun, 133 ( Pt 6), 1611 - 8 A mutant of Streptococcus pneumoniae that exhibits thermosensitive penicillin tolerance and the paradoxical effect; Liu HH et al.; Mutants of Streptococcus pneumoniae that contain active autolysin and yet cannot be induced to lyse during treatment with penicillin (Lyt+Tol+ mutants) have been described . We have now shown that these mutants are temperature dependent (32 degrees C); at 37 degrees C these bacteria underwent penicillin-induced lysis . In addition, mutants at the lysis-permissive temperature showed the so-called 'paradoxical response' to penicillin . Temperature shift experiments indicated that the change from tolerant to lytic response or vice versa is a fast process . No differences were detected in autolysin specific activity or in the kinetics of inhibition of protein, peptidoglycan and teichoic acid syntheses in cells treated with penicillin at 32 and 37 degrees C . The results of genetic crosses indicated that the thermosensitivity of penicillin-induced autolysis in the Lyt+Tol+ mutants is not a property of the autolytic enzyme itself . The observations suggest that the thermosensitive process in the mutants represents either a step(s) in autolysin regulation or involves some difference in the structure of the cell walls produced at 32 degrees C versus 37 degrees C. Aust Paediatr J, 1987 Jun, 23(3), 193 - 5 Acute cervical lymphadenitis in children; Wright JE et al.; A retrospective study of 78 children with acute cervical lymphadenitis treated in Newcastle over the last 9 years revealed that abscesses formed in 50 children despite antibiotic treatment . Children under 2 years of age were more likely to form an abscess than older children . The commonest organism isolated was penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus . Beta-haemolytic Streptococcus was isolated less commonly and isolation of penicillin-sensitive staphylococci was rare . Penicillin and amoxycillin alone are unsuitable as first line antibiotics . Severe infections and those failing to respond rapidly to initial antibiotic treatment should be admitted to a paediatric unit for intravenous beta-lactamase-resistant antibiotics. Ann Rheum Dis, 1987 Jun, 46(6), 482 - 4 Pneumococcal septic arthritis in rheumatoid arthritis; Morley PK et al.; Septic arthritis is associated with a definite morbidity which may be related to a delay in diagnosis and hence treatment . The cases of three patients with rheumatoid arthritis and chronic chest disease where the joint sepsis was not the predominant feature are presented . The responsible organism was Streptococcus pneumoniae which had spread after recent chest infections . Minimal joint symptoms or general malaise in association with an unexplained rise in erythrocyte sedimentation rate in these circumstances warrant a search for joint sepsis. Acta Pathol Microbiol Immunol Scand {B}, 1987 Jun, 95(3), 159 - 65 The pneumococcus and the mouse-protection test: correlation of in vitro and in vivo activity for beta-lactam antibiotics, vancomycin, erythromycin and gentamicin; Frimodt-Moller N et al.; The mouse-protection test with intraperitoneal inoculation of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 3 was employed to compare the effect in vivo and to correlate with activity in vitro of ampicillin, piperacillin, methicillin, cefuroxime, erythromycin, vancomycin and gentamicin . The MICs for these drugs were lowest for the beta-lactam antibiotics, highest for vancomycin and gentamicin . Relative to the MIC, gentamicin and vancomycin showed the highest bactericidal rates against the pneumococcus . Vancomycin was the most effective in vivo as measured by the 50% effective dose (ED50) after single doses 1 h post-inoculation . Serum vancomycin concentrations measured after doses equal to the ED50 were below the minimal concentration measurable by our bioassay (i.e . less than 3.7 micrograms/ml) . For the other drugs, peak concentrations in serum were higher than those produced even by high doses in man . Among pharmacokinetic parameters studied at dosages equal to the ED50s, the period during which the serum concentration exceeded the MIC (delta T(MIC} was the factor which varied the least for the beta-lactam antibiotics (range, 2-5 h) . For gentamicin and probably also for vancomycin the delta T(MIC) was below 20 min, while it was considerably longer (i.e . 19 h) for erythromycin, although the bactericidal activity of this drug in vitro was comparable to that of the beta-lactam antibiotics. Acta Pathol Microbiol Immunol Scand {B}, 1987 Jun, 95(3), 153 - 8 Experimental pneumococcus infection in mice: correlation of bactericidal activity in vitro with the effect in vivo for gentamicin, netilmicin and tobramycin; Frimodt-Moller N et al.; An experimental model in mice, incorporating the intraperitoneal inoculation of a Streptococcus pneumoniae type 3, was used to evaluate the effect in vivo after single-dose administration of the three aminoglycosides, gentamicin, tobramycin and netilmicin, and to correlate this effect with their in vitro activity against the pathogen, in particular the bactericidal rate . The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC's), which were equal to the minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC's), were 12.5 micrograms/ml for netilmicin, and 25 micrograms/ml for the two other aminoglycosides, respectively . All three antibiotics showed excellent bactericidal activities even at concentrations 1/4 times the MIC's, but the bactericidal rate was clearly lower for tobramycin than for the two other aminoglycosides . The effect in vivo measured as the 50% effective dose (ED50) closely reflected the relative bactericidal activities of the drugs . Of the pharmacokinetic parameters investigated on dosages equal to the ED50's for the three drugs, the best to correlate with the bactericidal rates in vitro were the peak serum concentrations. Scanning Microsc, 1987 Jun, 1(2), 671 - 80 Scanning electron microscopy of dentin caries . Experimental in vitro studies with Streptococcus mutans; Adriaens PA et al.; This study was performed to gain better insight into the mechanisms involved in carious destruction of human dentin by Streptococcus mutans . In particular, bacterial colonization of dentin surfaces and bacterial invasion in dentin were studied . Streptococcus mutans (S . mutans), strain NCTC 10449, was grown on sterile dentin blocks in a 10% CO2 atmosphere at 37 degrees C . After 72, 120, 144 and 288 h of incubation the specimens were processed for scanning electron microscopic examination . The colonization of the dentinal surface progressed slowly and was nearly complete after 288 h . Invasion of S . mutans into the dentinal tubules was found occasionally and was limited to the initial 5 micron of the tubular lumen . The acid metabolites produced by S . mutans, caused lesions of the dentinal structures in the close proximity of the bacteria . From the results of this in vitro study it appears that carious destruction of exposed dentinal surfaces by S . mutans mainly occurs at the exposed dentin after it has been colonized by bacteria . Destruction of the deeper dentinal layers by bacteria invading the dentinal tubules may play a less important role . However, in the few cases where S . mutans invaded the dentinal tubules, rapid destruction of the peritubular dentin sheath occurred . In addition, the possibility remains that acid metabolites produced by S . mutans diffuse into the dentinal tubules and cause tissue damage in the deeper parts of the dentin. Tijdschr Diergeneeskd, 1987 Jun 1, 112(11), 660 - 4 {Streptococcus suis type 2 in swine . An imported problem?}; van der Velden EW et al.; Investigations were carried out on eighteen farms in the Province of Gelderland to determine whether it was possible to use biopsy specimens of the tonsils to differentiate between farms with clinical problems caused by Streptococcus suis type 2 and farms without these problems . The proportion of carriers of this organism on the farms was 14 per cent and 2 per cent respectively, so that this differentiation is feasible . It was also studied whether this proportion differed on farms which imported pigs from Great Britain and farms which did not do so; the proportion of carriers on farms having animals imported from Great Britain was found to be higher than that on farms not using these importations, viz., 17 per cent and one per cent respectively. South Med J, 1987 Jun, 80(6), 780 - 2 Streptococcus pneumoniae endocarditis; Sands M et al.; We have reported a case of Streptococcus pneumoniae endocarditis involving the aortic valve of a 61-year-old alcoholic man . Antibiotic therapy with vancomycin sterilized the blood and valve, but aortic valve replacement was required for progressive congestive heart failure resulting from a ruptured valve leaflet. J Immunol, 1987 Jun 1, 138(11), 3680 - 3 Immunoregulation by antigen/antibody complexes . I . Specific immunosuppression induced in vivo with immune complexes formed in antibody excess; Caulfield MJ et al.; Specific immune complexes, prepared at different ratios of antibody to antigen, were examined for their effects on the antibody response of BALB/c mice to the cell wall polysaccharide antigen (PnC) extracted from Streptococcus pneumonia R36a . Mice immunized with complexes formed in antigen excess developed a PnC-specific antibody response that was equivalent to that in mice injected with free antigen . On the other hand, mice injected with complexes formed in antibody excess developed very little PnC-specific antibody . Furthermore, administration of immune complexes (formed in antibody excess) resulted in suppression of the response to an immunogenic dose of PnC given concurrently or 1 day after injection of immune complexes but not when the antigen was given 1 day before injection of the immune complexes . Injections of free antibody (TEPC-15) also resulted in suppression of the response to antigenic challenge; however, suppression was greatest when the antibody was injected concurrently with the antigen, suggesting that the suppression was mediated through the formation of immune complexes in vivo . The suppression appears to be specific for the antigen (PnC), since in mice injected with TEPC-15/PnC complexes (formed in antibody excess) and challenged with PnC coupled to sheep RBC, only the response to PnC was suppressed. J Bacteriol, 1987 Jun, 169(6), 2755 - 61 Kinetic properties of a phosphate-bond-driven glutamate-glutamine transport system in Streptococcus lactis and Streptococcus cremoris; Poolman B et al.; In Streptococcus lactis ML3 and Streptococcus cremoris Wg2 the uptake of glutamate and glutamine is mediated by the same transport system, which has a 30-fold higher affinity for glutamine than for glutamate at pH 6.0 . The apparent affinity constant for transport (KT) of glutamine is 2.5 +/- 0.3 microM, independent of the extracellular pH . The KTS for glutamate uptake are 3.5, 11.2, 77, and 1200 microM at pH 4.0, 5.1, 6.0, and 7.0, respectively . Recalculation of the affinity constants based on the concentration of glutamic acid in the solution yield KTS of 1.8 +/- 0.5 microM independent of the external pH, indicating that the protonated form of glutamate, i.e., glutamic acid, and glutamine are the transported species . The maximal rates of glutamate and glutamine uptake are independent of the extracellular pH as long as the intracellular pH is kept constant, despite large differences in the magnitude and composition of the components of the proton motive force . Uptake of glutamate and glutamine requires the synthesis of ATP either from glycolysis or from arginine metabolism and appears to be essentially unidirectional . Cells are able to maintain glutamate concentration gradients exceeding 4 X 10(3) for several hours even in the absence of metabolic energy . The t1/2s of glutamate efflux are 2, 12, and greater than 30 h at pH 5.0, 6.0, and 7.0, respectively . After the addition of lactose as energy source, the rate of glutamine uptake and the level of ATP are both very sensitive to arsenate . When the intracellular pH is kept constant, both parameters decrease approximately in parallel (between 0.2 and 1.0 mM ATP) with increasing concentrations of the inhibitor . These results suggest that the accumulation of glutamate and glutamine is energized by ATP or an equivalent energy-rich phosphorylated intermediate and not by the the proton motive force. J Bacteriol, 1987 Jun, 169(6), 2543 - 7 Bicarbonate and potassium regulation of the shape of Streptococcus mutans NCTC 10449S; Tao L et al.; Morphological changes of S . mutans NCTC 10449S associated with growth in modified Jordan medium and FMC medium (Terleckyj et al., Infect . Immun . 11:649-655, 1975) were studied by scanning electron microscopy . The cells were bacillary in Jordan medium, but coccoid and of unequal size in FMC . Transfer of the cells from Jordan medium to FMC and vice versa reversed their shapes, as did salt exchange between these media . Morphological changes could not be ascribed to either medium pH, concentration of P, or Na+/K+ ratio . However, they were growth dependent, since the changes did not occur when the cells were suspended in salt components alone or in media supplemented with protein synthesis inhibitors . Only a high bicarbonate/K+ ratio, as in FMC, produced spherical cells, whereas cells remained bacillary in medium with a low bicarbonate/K+ ratio, as in Jordan medium . Manipulating this ratio in other media resulted in similar shape changes . Thus, the shape of S . mutans 10449S can be dictated by the ratio of bicarbonate to K+ in the growth medium. J Bacteriol, 1987 Jun, 169(6), 2432 - 9 Streptococcus faecium mutants that are temperature sensitive for cell growth and show alterations in penicillin-binding proteins; Canepari P et al.; The penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) of 209 cell division (or growth) temperature-sensitive mutants of Streptococcus faecium were analyzed in this study . A total of nine strains showed either constitutive or temperature-sensitive conditional damage in the PBPs . Analysis of these nine strains yielded the following results: one carried a PBP 1 constitutively showing a lower molecular weight; one constitutively lacked PBP 2; two lacked PBP 3 at 42 degrees C, but not at 30 degrees C; one was normal at 30 degrees C but at 42 degrees C lacked PBP 3 and overproduced PBP 5; two were normal at 42 degrees C and lacked PBP 5 at 30 degrees C; one constitutively lacked PBP 5; and one carried a PBP 6 constitutively split in two bands . The mutant lacking PBP 3 and overproducing PBP 5 continued to grow at 42 degrees C for 150 min and then lysed . Revertants selected for growth capability at 42 degrees C from the mutants altered in PBPs 5 and 6 maintained the same PBP alterations, while those isolated from the strains with altered PBP 1 or lacking PBP 2 or PBP 3 showed a normal PBP pattern . Penicillin-resistant derivatives were isolated at 30 degrees C from the mutants lacking PBP 2 and from that lacking PBP 3 . All these derivatives continued to show the same PBP damage as the parents, but overproduced PBP 5 and grew at 42 degrees C . These findings indicate that high-molecular-weight, but not low-molecular-weight, PBPs are essential for cell growth in S . faecium . This is in complete agreement with previous findings obtained with a different experimental system . On the basis of both previous and present data it is suggested that PBPs 1, 2, and 3 appear necessary for cell growth at optimal temperature (and at maximal rate), but not for cell growth at a submaximal one (or at a reduced rate), and an overproduced PBP 5 is capable of taking over the function of PBPs 1, 2, and 3. J Infect Dis, 1987 Jun, 155(6), 1145 - 50 DNA fingerprinting of Streptococcus zooepidemicus (Lancefield group C) as an aid to epidemiological study; Skjold SA et al.; A collection of Streptococcus zooepidemicus strains from human and animal infections was examined for DNA banding patterns after nuclease digestion and agarose gel electrophoresis . The large variety of DNA fingerprints found revealed the complexity of the species but showed that isolates from clusters of outbreaks had identical prints . The results confirmed the specificity of bacteriocin and bacteriophage typing of S . zooepidemicus; the technique also gave useful profiles on untypable strains . Strains with common bacteriocin and biotyping patterns from sporadic infections could be differentiated by their DNA fingerprints . In several outbreaks and incidents, more than one strain of S . zooepidemicus were encountered, and the importance of carefully interpreting typing data is stressed . Chromosomal DNA fingerprinting is a very efficient technique for demonstrating differences between strains of S . zooepidemicus, and its use is recommended for future epidemiological studies of this infectious agent. Infect Immun, 1987 Jun, 55(6), 1441 - 6 Cell-to-cell interaction of Streptococcus sanguis and Propionibacterium acnes on saliva-coated hydroxyapatite; Ciardi JE et al.; Cell-to-cell interaction (coaggregation) between Propionibacterium acnes PK93 and Streptococcus sanguis DL1 was measured on saliva-coated hydroxyapatite beads (SHA) at bacterial concentrations between 1.3 X 10(6) and 6.7 X 10(8) cells per ml . Four hundredfold more DL1 than PK93 cells adhered to the saliva-coated beads, and the adherence of S . sanguis was proportional to cell input . SHA precoated with 3 X 10(8) DL1 cells bound 75 to 80% of available PK93 cells at all input amounts tested, up to an input of 8 X 10(7) cells . Adherence of PK93 to DL1-coated SHA approached saturation at an input of approximately 10(9) PK93 cells, when 1.5 X 10(8) bound . The coaggregation on SHA occurred either in buffer or saliva and was inhibited by N-acetylgalactosamine and by lactose; the attachment of DL1 to SHA was not inhibited by these sugars . S . sanguis 34 and heat-treated DL1 cells, neither of which form coaggregates with PK93, attached to SHA, but such cells did not bind PK93 cells . The findings of this study indicate that bacteria unable to attach to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite can indeed adhere to such a surface by strong lectin-mediated cell-to-cell interactions with bacteria already attached to the surface. Infect Immun, 1987 Jun, 55(6), 1399 - 402 Acetoin production by wild-type strains and a lactate dehydrogenase-deficient mutant of Streptococcus mutans; Hillman JD et al.; Eleven different laboratory strains of Streptococcus mutans representing the various serogroups were found to produce an average of 6.0 +/- 4.8 mM acetoin when grown in glucose-containing medium under aerobic conditions . None of the strains produced detectable acetoin when grown anaerobically . A lactate dehydrogenase-deficient mutant produced acetoin both aerobically and anaerobically and in substantially greater amounts than the wild-type strains did . Substitution of mannitol for glucose resulted in decreased acetoin production by wild-type strains and the lactate dehydrogenase-deficient mutant, indicating a role for NADH2 in the regulation of the acetoin pathway . Pyruvate incorporated into the growth medium of a wild-type strain caused acetoin to be produced anaerobically and stimulated acetoin production aerobically . Cell extracts of a wild-type S . mutans strain were capable of producing acetoin from pyruvate and were (partly) dependent on thiamine PPi . Extracts prepared from aerobically grown cells had approximately twice the acetoin-producing activity as did extracts prepared from anaerobically grown cells . The results indicate that acetoin production by S . mutans may represent an auxiliary reaction of pyruvate dehydrogenase in this organism. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med, 1987 Jun, 185(2), 120 - 8 Bacterial adherence to the upper respiratory tract of ferrets infected with influenza A virus; Sanford BA et al.; A ferret model was used to study bacterial adherence in animals with influenza . Ferrets were inoculated intranasally with influenza A3/Hong Kong/1/68 virus . Antiviral serum antibodies were apparent by Day 5 . On Days 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11, three virus-inoculated and two uninoculated controls were anesthetized, exsanguinated, and decapitated, and the lower jaw was removed . Each animal was inoculated intranasally with a 1-ml suspension containing 20 mg (dry wt) of either 3H-labeled Staphylococcus aureus or 3H-labeled group B Streptococcus type Ia and incubated for 45 min at ambient temperature . In animals challenged with staphylococci, 80% of the original inoculum remained free in suspension; of the remaining 20%, the distribution in the upper respiratory tracts of virus-infected and control animals was significantly different . Of the staphylococci remaining in the nasopharynx of control animals, 74% was present in mucinous plugs, 11% was bound to host cells present in washes of the nasal cavity, and 15% was released by protease treatment of the nasopharynx . Of the staphylococci remaining in the upper respiratory tract of virus-infected ferrets, 36% was recovered in plugs, 24% was bound to cells in nasal washes, and 40% was released by enzyme treatment . Overall, adherence-positive staphylococci represented 64% of recoverable bacteria in virus-infected ferrets versus 26% in controls . Adherence was increased twofold (Days 5 and 7) to threefold (Days 3, 9, and 11) in virus-infected ferrets compared to uninfected controls . In contrast, only 7% of the original streptococcal inoculum was recovered from virus-infected and uninfected control animals and virus infection did not enhance streptococcal adherence except for an approximately threefold increase that was seen on Day 11. J Infect Dis, 1987 Jun, 155(6), 1233 - 41 Effect of antimicrobial therapy for experimental infections due to group B Streptococcus on mortality and clearance of bacteria; Kim KS; In an effort to develop more effective antimicrobial therapy, we evaluated three alternative regimens currently available to clinicians for their efficacy against experimental bacteremia and meningitis due to group B Streptococcus (GBS) in newborn rats: various doses of penicillin G (100, 200, 400, or 800 mg/kg per day), combined penicillin G-gentamicin vs . penicillin G, and ceftriaxone vs . penicillin G . Higher doses of penicillin G and ceftriaxone exhibited significantly greater bactericidal activity in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), whereas the bactericidal activity of penicillin G plus gentamicin was not significantly different from that of penicillin G . Clearance of GBS from blood was significantly more rapid in animals receiving ceftriaxone . However, differences in death rates were not apparent with any single regimen . These findings suggest that clearance of GBS from blood and CSF can be improved by more potent antimicrobial agents, but further reduction in the death rate may be difficult to achieve by antimicrobial therapy alone. J Infect Dis, 1987 Jun, 155(6), 1135 - 44 Unusual occurrence of an epidemic of type Ib/c group B streptococcal sepsis in a neonatal intensive care unit; Noya FJ et al.; An epidemic of late-onset sepsis due to type Ib/c group B Streptococcus (Ib/c-GBS) occurred in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) . During a seven-week period, five very low birth weight infants (index cases {ICs}) more than four weeks of age became bacteremic . Bacteriologic surveillance of neonates revealed persistent colonization in three ICs and identified three asymptomatic carriers (ACs) . All ICs and one AC acquired Ib/c-GBS nosocomially, whereas the other two ACs were colonized at birth . Among nursery personnel, 39% carried GBS, but only two harbored Ib/c-GBS . Although phage typing of Ib/c-GBS isolates identified two patterns of susceptibility, we believe a single strain was involved in the epidemic, because the patterns overlapped and most isolates carried the same lysogenic phage . Analysis of events suggested infant-to-infant spread via the hands of personnel, but acquisition from the colonized staff was also possible . The control measures instituted prevented further spread of Ib/c-GBS in the NICU. Infect Immun, 1987 Jun, 55(6), 1498 - 502 Induction of biologically active antibodies by a polyvalent synthetic vaccine constructed without carrier; Jolivet ME et al.; Four synthetic peptides that copy fragments of two bacterial antigens (Streptococcus pyogenes M protein and diphtheria toxin), one viral antigen (hepatitis B surface antigen), and one parasitic antigen (circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium knowlesi) were covalently bound within the same construct . This totally synthetic polyvalent administered to mice with Freund complete adjuvant or in saline with murabutide (an adjuvant-active muramyl peptide) elicited high levels of antibodies which, in certain cases, were shown to be biologically active . The results indicated that these antibodies recognized specifically the four peptides . None of the epitopes were immunodominant . It was also demonstrated that the association of several peptides enhanced their respective immunogenicities as compared with those of their homopolymers . Finally, this study shows that a totally synthetic vaccine administered in saline with a synthetic adjuvant can be immunogenic in the absence of a protein carrier. J Dent Res, 1987 Jun, 66(6), 1159 - 61 Enhanced caries inhibition by certain NaF-surfactant combinations in animal models; Caslavska V et al.; The purpose of this animal investigation was to determine whether the cariostatic effect of sodium fluoride can be enhanced by combining it with certain surfactants . The surfactants, Zonyl FSC and Lodyne S-110, were selected because they had been found to accelerate the rate of deposition of firmly-bound fluoride in vitro in enamel during enamel-fluoride interaction . Sixty male hamsters and 60 female rats, 21 days old, were placed on the high-sucrose diet 2000 and inoculated with Streptococcus mutans (strain #6715) . Each set of animals was divided into six groups of 10 each . The groups received either distilled water, NaF, NaF with Lodyne S-110, NaF with Zonyl FSC, Lodyne S-110, or Zonyl FSC . The animals were scored for caries at the termination of the study . The caries findings in the hamster and the rat series closely paralleled each other . Animals receiving NaF with Zonyl FSC experienced the least decay (about 90% inhibition compared with about 65% for the NaF-alone group) . A statistical evaluation showed significant interaction between Zonyl FSC and NaF . No effect on caries experience was seen from administration of Lodyne S-110. J Dent Res, 1987 Jun, 66(6), 1116 - 9 The effects of cheese snacks on caries in desalivated rats; Krobicka A et al.; Rats that had had their submandibular/sublingual glands removed surgically, and their parotid ducts tied, developed fewer and less severe caries lesions on coronal and root surfaces when fed cheese snacks in addition to a cariogenic diet than when fed additional cariogenic snacks or no additional snacks . The effects of cheese snacks were particularly dramatic on root-surface caries . These observations may be relevant for elderly humans who are most likely to develop root surface caries . Populations of Streptococcus mutans did not differ among the groups . Actinomyces viscosus was not detected at the end of the experiment in any of the groups . The results of this study demonstrate that cheese exerts a protective effect against coronal and root-surface caries in rats with a severely limited salivary function. J Dent Res, 1987 Jun, 66(6), 1099 - 106 Structural determinants of activity of chlorhexidine and alkyl bisbiguanides against the human oral flora; Baker PJ et al.; We assayed chlorhexidine and a series of its analogues, in which the chlorophenyl terminal substituents were replaced with alkyl chains, for their in vitro antimicrobial activity against the Gram-negative and Gram-positive oral bacteria . Changes in antimicrobial activity were correlated with changes in agent structure for identification of structural criteria which may be important in the optimization of agent activity . Chlorhexidine showed substantial antimicrobial activity against the Gram-negative as well as the Gram-positive oral bacteria . The alkyl agents were comparable with chlorhexidine in their activity against Bacteroides gingivalis and Bacteroides intermedius, black-pigmented Gram-negative obligate anaerobes associated with periodontal disease in adults . Alkyl agents alexidine, heptihexidine (1,6-bis-n-heptylbiguanidohexane), hexoctidine (1,8-bis-n-hexylbiguanidoctane), and hexhexidine (1,6-bis-n-hexylbiguanidohexane), as well as chlorhexidine, were active against Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, a Gram-negative organism associated with localized juvenile periodontitis . Hexidecidine (1,10-bis-n-hexylbiguanidodecane) and heptoctidine (1,8-bis-n-heptylbiguanidooctane) were more active, and hexhexidine was as active as chlorhexidine against Fusobacterium nucleatum, also associated with periodontal disease . Seven of the agents were more active than chlorhexidine against Actinomyces species . All test agents were active against Streptococcus mutans, a Gram-positive coccus associated with dental caries . Hexidecidine had activity equal to that of chlorhexidine when evaluated against the entire battery of organisms . Analysis of structure-activity relationships revealed that alkyl chains could replace chlorophenyl groups with retention or improvement of antimicrobial activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) J Dent Res, 1987 Jun, 66(6), 1092 - 4 Colonization of the human oral cavity by a Streptococcus mutans mutant producing increased bacteriocin; Hillman JD et al.; Streptococcus mutans strain JH1005 is a mutant that produces levels of bacteriocin activity three-fold-elevated than those produced by its parent, JH1001 . A single infection regimen with JH1005 was found to result in persistent colonization of the teeth of all three adult subjects tested . This is a significant improvement over JH1001, which required multiple exposures in order to colonize the teeth of humans reliably . The levels of total cultivable bacteria and indigenous S . sanguis were not affected by JH1005 colonization . In two of the three subjects, total (indigenous plus JH1005) S . mutans levels were significantly decreased . The results provide additional support for the role of bacteriocin production as an ecological determinant in colonization by S . mutans . They also indicate that a practical regimen for infection by an effector strain might be achieved for use in the replacement therapy of dental caries. Mol Gen Genet, 1987 Jun, 208(1-2), 361 - 3 Polarity of localised conversion in Streptococcus pneumoniae transformation; Mostachfi P et al.; Localised conversion in pneumococcal transformation is a process that spans a few nucleotides when the 5'-ATTAAT/3'-TAAGTA configuration occurs at the pairing step . It was first observed in two-point crosses between an amiA mutation (amiA36) carrying this sequence and other closely linked mutants of the locus . The yield of the amiA resistance allele conversion to wild type is 20% . In order to characterize this process, which differs from long-patch conversion by the length of DNA repair, gene requirements and sequence specificity, we devised experiments to detect the reciprocal conversion, AmiA+ to AmiAr . For this purpose we examined the suppressibility by a pneumococcal informational suppressor of several nonsense mutations at the locus . Amber (UAG) and ochre (UAA) mutations are suppressed whereas UGA is not suppressed . In this genetic background, where amiA36 is partly suppressed, it was possible to select for double mutants in a cross between amiA36 and a closely linked non-suppressible marker . Direct isolation of such double mutants was also performed without any screening in crosses between amiA36 and the same linked marker in cloned DNA . The frequency of double mutants was very low (1/175) suggesting that there is no conversion of wild-type to mutant alleles . Thus conversion is a polarized process changing specifically A to C. Scand J Dent Res, 1987 Jun, 95(3), 266 - 9 Streptococcus mutans in plaque from conventional and from non-gamma-2 amalgam restorations; Wallman-Bjorklund C et al.; The frequency of Streptococcus mutans in plaque material from margins of conventional amalgam and non-gamma-2 amalgam fillings was examined in six subjects . One and 2 months after restorative treatment the mean values of the percentage S . mutans of the total number of microorganisms were somewhat lower in samples from non-gamma-2 amalgams than in those from conventional amalgams . The difference in values, however, was not statistically significant. Quad Sclavo Diagn, 1987 Jun, 23(2), 137 - 45 {Comparison of 2 different blood culture systems: liquoid-BHI and hemoline performance diphasique}; Farina C et al.; The Liquoid-BHI, biphasic blood culture system, was compared with a conventional blood culture bottle (Hemoline performance diphasique) in 3125 paired blood cultures . Both systems were inoculated with equal volumes of blood (5 ml) . Streptococcus spp . (P less than 0.02) and S . epidermidis (P less than 0.05) were recovered from BHI system . In contrast, P . fluorescens (P less than 0.02) were recovered in conventional system . No important differences were found for other bacteria and fungi . For optimal detection of microorganisms, however, the biphasic BHI system should be paired with conventional bottle. Pathol Biol (Paris), 1987 Jun, 35(5 Pt 2), 825 - 8 {Septic localizations in septicemias}; Ragnaud JM et al.; Seventeen university hospitals have joined their observations of septicemias through an informatics system . 461 septicemias have been collected in 1985 . 407 are septic localizations, 299 primitives and 108 secondary . The frequent localisations are urologic (20.4%), pulmonary (20.15%), cutaneous (10.56%), abdominal (10.56%), cardiac and neurologic (9.58%) . In 51.8%, the organisms are Gram positive cocci (Staphylococcus 23.9%, Streptococcus 27.9%) . In 46.9% septic localizations are due to Gram negative bacilli with Escherichia coli (50.2%) . The origin of septicemia is urologic (18%), abdominal (15.8%), cutaneous (8.7%), pulmonary (8.7%), stomatologic (7.2%), venous (4.3%) . Gram positive cocci infections have more septic localizations than Gram negative bacilli infections . The mortality is more increased in pulmonary localizations (35%) than in the others localizations: venous (20%), cutaneous (19%), urologic (11%) and stomatologic (10%) . Septic localizations which required the most of an antibiotics association are osseous (81.5%) and cardiac (80.5%), where as all septicemias require two antibiotics in 51%. Acta Neurol Scand, 1987 Jun, 75(6), 405 - 9 Experimental meningitis in the rabbit . II . Cerebral energy metabolism in relation to increased cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of lactate; Lindquist L et al.; We have analyzed cerebral energy metabolism in rabbits with Streptococcus pneumoniae or Escherichia coli meningitis aiming at an increased understanding of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lactacidosis observed in this disease . After intracisternal inoculation of bacteria the lactate concentration in the CSF increased to 9.7 +/- 0.7 (mean +/- SE) mmol/l compared to control values of 3.2 +/- 0.2 mmol/l . Simultaneously sampled brain tissue from parietal cortex, caudate nucleus, and thalamus showed no increase in lactate concentrations . The high-energy phosphate content decreased only marginally, phosphocreatine levels by 11-17% in the cortex and in the caudate nucleus, and adenosine triphosphate concentrations by 15%, but only in the caudate nucleus . Our results indicate that the CSF lactate increase in bacterial meningitis is not primarily linked to cerebral lactacidosis . The decreased concentrations of high-energy phosphates in diseased animals need further study but may be due to increased intracranial pressure and reduced capillary blood flow. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1987 Jun, (6), 63 - 5 {Determination of the cytotoxic action of cell fractions of Streptococcus group A on continuous human heart cells}; Rimkunas AI et al.; The work deals with the study of the cytotoxic action of the fractions of group A streptococcal cells, type 1, on human heart cells in continuous cell cultures, carried out by the method of J . L . Middlebrook and R . B . Dorland based on the determination of the protein content in the surviving monolayer cells . The addition of crude cytoplasm and the supernatant of sonicated streptococcal cell walls to human heart cell culture has made it possible to obtain a statistically significant decrease in the protein content of the remaining monolayer cells . The action of purified cytoplasm has resulted in faint statistically insignificant suppression of cell growth, thus decreasing the content of cell protein . This method of studying the cytotoxicity of streptococcal cell fractions is simple, convenient and can be used in research work. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1987 Jun, 31(6), 876 - 82 Ampicillin versus cefamandole as initial therapy for community-acquired pneumonia; Weber DJ et al.; One hundred seven patients with community-acquired pneumonia thought to be of bacterial etiology by the admitting physician but whose initial sputum Gram stain was inadequate to direct specific therapy were randomized to receive either intravenous ampicillin or cefamandole as empiric therapy . Patients were excluded if the initial sputum Gram stain was highly suggestive of infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, or an enteric gram-negative bacillus . The two study groups had comparable demographic and presenting clinical features . The mean age of the patients evaluable for determination of clinical efficacy was 69 years, and greater than 75% had at least one serious underlying medical disorder . In the 90 evaluable patients, there were 11 therapeutic failures (12%), including 5 deaths (5%) . Cefamandole, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, was not more efficacious than ampicillin in producing a satisfactory clinical response or in shortening the duration of parenteral therapy . Patients received an average of only 4 days of intravenous antibiotics before changeover to oral therapy and were hospitalized for a mean of 7 days . No patient experienced a relapse of pneumonia following successful completion of parenteral drug therapy . We conclude that cefamandole is not a more effective agent than ampicillin for empiric therapy of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia of uncertain etiology. Pediatr Infect Dis J, 1987 Jun, 6(6), 515 - 9 Detection of group A Streptococcus: comparison of solid and liquid culture media with and without selective antibiotics; Tolliver PR et al.; Eight hundred thirty-seven consecutive throat cultures from pediatric patients were cultured comparatively on conventional sheep blood agar and selective agar containing 1.25 micrograms/ml trimethoprim and 23.75 micrograms/ml sulfamethoxazole . In two sequential studies the sheep blood agar-sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim plates were significantly (P less than 0.01) more sensitive for Group A Streptococcus (Strep-A) detection than conventional sheep blood agar plates or Todd-Hewitt broth using the fluorescent antibody-antigen detection technique . The selective plates inhibited normal upper respiratory flora but not Strep-A . An incubation time of 18 hours was significantly better than one of 4 hours for the detection of Strep-A antigen in cultures incubated in Todd-Hewitt broth alone or Todd-Hewitt-sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim broth, resulting in a 24% increase in positives . These studies demonstrate that Strep-A detection in throat swab specimens, by either culture or antigen detection, will be influenced by the use of selective antibiotics and incubation time. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1987 Jun, 265(1-2), 146 - 50 Streptococcus pyogenes cell wall protein responsible for binding to pharyngeal epithelial cells; Tylewska S et al.; The aim of this study was to identify a streptococcal cell wall substance which is able to bind to epithelial cells . The water-soluble phase of sonicated M+ and M- strains was incubated with pharyngeal and buccal epithelial cells . Electrophoretic analysis of these materials, before and after incubation, showed disappearance of one band from the M+ samples only, after incubation with pharyngeal epithelial cells . The specific anti-M protein serum did not precipitate this protein . Incubation of tested materials with buccal epithelial cells did not change their composition . The molecular mass of this band was estimated as 35,000 Daltons by the use of SDS-PAGE and marker proteins . These results suggest that an adhesin responsible for the streptococcal group A binding to pharyngeal epithelial cells is a protein closely associated with the M antigen. Acta Neurol Scand, 1987 Jun, 75(6), 400 - 4 Experimental meningitis in the rabbit . I . Arterial blood pressure and acid-base balance during halothane anesthesia and in situ freezing of the brain; Lindquist L et al.; Effects of halothane/N2O anesthesia and in situ freezing of the brain on mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), pH, pCO2 and pO2 were evaluated in rabbits with either Streptococcus pneumoniae or Escherichia coli meningitis . Prior to anesthesia infected rabbits had, compared to controls, significantly lower values for MABP and pCO2, either with a compensated (S . pneumoniae group) or decompensated (E . coli group) metabolic acidosis . In most animals a slight additional decrease in MABP was observed during anesthesia . With maintained pre-anesthetic hypocapnia no further disturbance in acid-base balance occurred during anesthesia . After one minute of freezing MABP increased towards preanesthetic levels . We conclude that the technique for in situ freezing of the brain under halothane/N2O anesthesia may be applied for studies of cerebral metabolism in rabbit with experimental meningitis. Mol Gen Genet, 1987 Jun, 208(1-2), 84 - 7 Cloning and expression of streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin A and staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 in Bacillus subtilis; Kreiswirth BN et al.; The genes encoding streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin type A (SPE A) and staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) were stably cloned and expressed in Bacillus subtilis . In the non-pathogenic Bacillus background, the recombinant speA clone expressed 32-fold more SPE A than the native streptococcus, and similarly, the recombinant plasmid harboring tst expressed 4-fold more TSST-1 in Bacillus than in the native Staphylococcus aureus . The Bacillus-derived products were secreted into the culture fluid, were resistant to proteolytic degradation and their biological activities mimicked native preparations. J Lab Clin Med, 1987 Jun, 109(6), 647 - 52 In vitro correlation of platelet aggregation with occurrence of disseminated intravascular coagulation and subacute bacterial endocarditis; Kessler CM et al.; Platelet-bacterial interactions were examined in vitro by incubating organisms isolated from patients with septicemia with normal platelet-rich plasma . The potency of various species of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria to induce irreversible platelet aggregation was then determined in an aggregometer . The aggregation curves produced by the bacteria resembled the normal platelet response to collagen and were impeded by the presence of aspirin . Strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from 25 different patients produced maximum increases in light transmission and irreversible platelet aggregation with relatively rapid mean aggregation times; six of these patients had clinical and laboratory evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation . In contrast, isolates of alpha streptococcus and Staphylococcus epidermidis induced irreversible platelet aggregation much less commonly and were associated with considerably longer mean aggregation times . None of the latter group of patients had evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation . Isolates of bacteria from a small number of patients with subacute bacterial endocarditis uniformly induced irreversible platelet aggregation . Addition of paired bacterial isolates to normal platelet-rich plasma demonstrated a synergistic aggregation response . These data suggest that a relative hierarchy exists in bacterial strain potency to induce irreversible platelet aggregation . The rapidity and degree of aggregation in vitro correlated well with the clinical and laboratory evidence for subacute bacterial endocarditis and disseminated intravascular coagulation in vivo . These observations may provide useful adjunctive laboratory information to help establish the diagnosis of subacute bacterial endocarditis, especially in the clinical setting where the classical findings of endocarditis are not obvious during initial presentation. J Bacteriol, 1987 Jun, 169(6), 2748 - 54 Neutral amino acid transport by membrane vesicles of Streptococcus cremoris is subject to regulation by internal pH; Driessen AJ et al.; The pH dependence of transport of the neutral amino acids L-serine and L-alanine by membrane vesicles of Streptococcus cremoris have been studied in detail . The rates of four modes of facilitated diffusion (e.g., influx, efflux, exchange, and counterflow) of L-serine and L-alanine increase with increasing H+ concentration . Rates of artificially imposed electrical potential across the membrane (delta psi)-driven transport of L-serine and L-alanine show an optimum at pH 6 to 6.5 . Under similar conditions, delta psi- and pH gradient across the membrane (delta pH)-driven transport of L-leucine is observed within the pH range studied (pH 5.5 to 7.5) . The effect of ionophores on the uptake of L-alanine and L-serine has been studied in membrane vesicles of S . cremoris fused with proteoliposomes containing beef heart mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase as a proton motive force (delta p)-generating system (Driessen et al., Proc . Natl . Acad . Sci . USA 82:7555-7559, 1985) . An increase in the initial rates of L-serine and L-alanine uptake is observed with decreasing pH, which is not consistent with the pH dependency of delta p . Nigericin, an ionophore that induced a nearly complete interconversion of delta pH into delta psi, stimulated both the rate and the final level of L-alanine and L-serine uptake . Valinomycin, an ionophore that induced a collapse of delta psi with a noncompensating increase in delta pH, inhibited L-alanine and L-serine uptake above pH 6.0 more efficiently than it decreased delta p . Experiments which discriminate between the effects of the internal pH and the driving force (delta pH) on solute transport indicate that at high internal pH the transport systems for L-alanine and L-serine are inactivated . A unique relation exists between the internal pH and the initial rate of uptake of L-serine and L-alanine with an apparent pK of 7.0 . The rate of L-alanine and L-serine uptake decreases with increasing internal pH . The apparent complex relation between the delta p and transport of L-alanine and L-serine can be explained by a regulatory effect of the internal pH on the activity of the L-serine and L-alanine carriers. J Gen Microbiol, 1987 Jun, 133 ( Pt 6), 1543 - 51 Adaptation of the membrane fatty acid composition by growth in the presence of n-alkanols influences glycosyltransferase expression in Streptococcus salivarius; Markevics LJ et al.; Growth of Streptococcus salivarius ATCC 25975 in the presence of n-alkanols in the series methanol to decan-1-ol led to a decrease in the unsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio . Each member of the set of n-alkanols which was examined over a range of concentrations possessed a point at which extracellular glucosyltransferase (GTF) production was minimal; increasing the concentration of the n-alkanol past this point stimulated GTF production . This effect was greatest with hexan-1-ol although it was observed to a lesser extent with pentan-1-ol and heptan-1-ol . Reduced cell-associated fructosyltransferase activity was observed with increasing concentrations of each n-alkanol . Growth in the presence of 25 mM-propan-1-ol gave rise to a fatty acid profile in which 55% of the fatty acids were of an odd chain length . S . salivarius ATCC 25975 was shown to be able to utilize ethanol in a similar manner to propan-1-ol by growing it in the presence of 400 mM-{14C}ethanol . Analysis of the membrane lipids at the stationary phase of growth indicated that 17.6% of the carbon of the fatty acids was derived from ethanol . A leaky adh mutant, S . salivarius MJ 37501, was isolated . The leaky nature of the mutant enabled it to incorporate reduced levels of odd-chain-length fatty acids into its membrane lipids when grown in the presence of 100 mM-propan-1-ol, but not when grown in the presence of 25 mM-propan-1-ol . S . salivarius ATCC 25975 therefore metabolized propan-1-ol (and ethanol) via a constitutive alcohol dehydrogenase. J Gen Microbiol, 1987 Jun, 133 ( Pt 6), 1435 - 41 Purification and characterization of extracellular glucosyltransferase from Streptococcus mutans serotype b (subspecies rattus); Kumada H et al.; An extracellular glucosyltransferase (GT-S) synthesizing water-soluble glucan was purified from the culture supernatant of Streptococcus mutans BHT (serotype b, subsp . rattus) by DEAE-Sepharose chromatography and preparative isoelectric focusing . The Mr of the enzyme was 155,000 and the pI was 4.5 . The GT-S had a specific activity of 10.2 i.u . (mg protein)-1, an optimum pH of 6.0 and a Km value of 0.8 mM for sucrose, and was activated twofold by dextran T10 . The GT-S was immunologically partially identical with the corresponding enzymes in crude preparations from serotypes c, e and f . The glucan synthesized de novo from sucrose by the GT-S was water-soluble and consisted of 29 mol% of non-reducing terminal, 49 mol% of 1,6-alpha-linked, 11 mol% of 1,3-alpha-linked and 11 mol% of 1,3,6-alpha-branched glucose residues. Arch Mal Coeur Vaiss, 1987 Jun, 80(7), 1203 - 6 {Infectious endocarditis caused by Streptococcus bovis and alcoholic cirrhosis complicated by hepatoma}; Grand A et al.; The case is reported of a 66-year old man who developed Streptococcus bovis endocarditis on a fairly loose aortic stenosis and who also presented with alcoholic cirrhosis complicated by an ultimately lethal hepatoma . On this occasion, comments are made on the following points: -Str . bovis is increasingly responsible for bacterial endocarditis . This micro-organism is now rapidly and reliably identified . -Str . bovis endocarditis has some clinical features of its own . -Patients in whom the usual portals of entry of bacterial infection (i.e . benign or malignant tumours of the colon or rectum) cannot be identified should be investigated systematically for hepatic cirrhosis . -Drug sterilization of the gut is useful to prevent bacteremia of intestinal origin in cirrhotic patients. J Immunol, 1987 May 15, 138(10), 3360 - 6 A collagen-like immunodeterminant on the surface of Streptococcus sanguis induces platelet aggregation; Erickson PR et al.; The basis of similarities in the mechanism of human platelet aggregation induced by soluble collagen and the dental plaque bacterium Streptococcus sanguis was analyzed . Structural and functional comparisons were made by using molecular probes, including rabbit antibody fractions reactive with components on S . sanguis and a synthetic, collagen-like octapeptide mimicking segments from cyanogen bromide fragments 6 and 4 of types I and III collagen, respectively . When platelets were pretreated with tryptic peptides or class II antigen of S . sanguis or with the synthetic, collagen-like octapeptide, the onset of aggregation in response to S . sanguis and collagen was prolonged . When compared to other peptides of similar size and charge, the collagen-like peptide's action towards platelets was shown to be selective . Indeed, absorption of antiserum to S . sanguis cells with particulate type I collagen removed specificities directed at a single S . sanguis antigen . These observations suggested that a common platelet-interactive immunodeterminant on soluble types I and III collagens, particulate type I collagen, and S . sanguis cells was present . Selective inhibition by antibody was used to show structural similarities between the S . sanguis surface proteins and collagen . When either agonist was pretreated with anti-S . sanguis IgG or Fab fragments, the lag time to onset of platelet aggregation was increased . Greater increases in the lag time to aggregation was seen when S . sanguis cells or collagen were pretreated with anti-S . sanguis IgG or Fab fragments made relatively specific for the class II antigen . Neutralization of the platelet-interactive action of the octapeptide by anti-S . sanguis antibody fractions showed that the immunodeterminant common to S . sanguis and collagen triggered platelets in plasma to aggregate . Although the anti-S . sanguis antibodies could inhibit fibrillogenesis, this action was apparently independent of interactions with platelets . In contrast, S . sanguis could bind or adhere to platelets by different determinants . Our data suggest that platelets have at least two distinct sites that bind collagen or S . sanguis . One of these may be a common site for collagen and S . sanguis agonists. Eur J Biochem, 1987 May 4, 164(3), 621 - 4 Biological role of the pneumococcal amidase . Cloning of the lytA gene in Streptococcus pneumoniae; Ronda C et al.; A pneumococcal recombinant plasmid, pRG2, containing the lytA gene that codes for the pneumococcal N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase has been constructed using the pneumococcal plasmid pLS1 as a vector . pRG2 was introduced by genetic transformation into a mutant of Streptococcus pneumoniae (M31) that has a complete deletion of the lytA gene . The transformed strain (M51) grew at a normal growth rate as 'diplo' cells and underwent autolysis at the end of the exponential phase of growth, two properties that had been lost in the deleted mutant M31 . M51 lysed very rapidly at the end of the exponential phase when the cells were grown in choline-containing medium probably because of the higher level of amidase activity present in this strain as compared to the lysis-prone strain M11 . These findings show that the expression of the plasmid-linked gene was placed under the mechanism(s) of control of the cell during the exponential phase . Our results demonstrate that the physiological role of the pneumococcal amidase was to catalyze the separation of the daughter cells at the end of the cell division to produce diplo cells; in addition we have also confirmed the basic role of this autolysin in the bacteriolytic nature of beta-lactam antibiotics. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1987 May, 7(1), 77 - 82 Antimicrobial activity of coumermycin and recommendations for disk diffusion tests with 5- and 15-micrograms disks; Jones RN et al.; Coumermycin was found to be extremely active against methicillin-susceptible and -resistant Staphylococcus spp . (MIC 90, less than or equal to 0.002 microgram/ml) . Vancomycin and coumermycin were equally active against Streptococcus spp . (MIC 90s, 0.5 microgram/ml) and both were superior to fusidic acid (MIC 90, 8.0 micrograms/ml) . The enterococci had the highest MICs for all three drugs . Disk diffusion susceptibility tests using either 5 or 15 micrograms coumermycin disks seem reliable . The tentative interpretive breakpoints for testing the Staphylococcus spp . only are: 5 micrograms disk-susceptible greater than or equal to 17 and resistant less than or equal to 13 mm; 15 micrograms disk-susceptible greater than or equal to 20 mm and resistant less than or equal to 16 mm . These zone criteria have approximate coumermycin MIC correlates of less than or equal to 0.12 microgram/ml for susceptible and greater than or equal to 0.5 microgram/ml for resistant. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1987 May, 7(1), 73 - 5 Pneumococcal antigens in sputa: ELISA for the detection of pneumococcal C-polysaccharide in sputa from pneumonia patients; Krook A et al.; An improved ELISA, the LKB UltroBact Pneumococcus Kit detecting pneumococcal C-polysaccharide, has been tested . Sputum samples from 72 patients with community acquired pneumonia were included in