Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Arch Intern Med, 1984 Feb, 144(2), 408 - 9
Klebsiella ozaenae in a patient with cystic fibrosis; McCarthy VP et al.; For a 3 1/2-year period, a mucoid strain of Klebsiella ozaenae supplanted the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the respiratory tract of a patient with cystic fibrosis . He showed no clinical signs of ozena . While the patient was colonized with K ozaenae, his pulmonary status essentially remained unchanged . However, his clinical condition deteriorated rapidly when P aeruginosa colonization again became predominant.

J Virol, 1984 Feb, 49(2), 310 - 4
Phenotypic mixing of pyocin R2 and bacteriophage PS17 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO; Shinomiya T; Previous results indicate that a group of bacteriocins in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, named R-type pyocins, have a structure resembling bacteriophage tails and share some serological homology with certain bacteriophages . This paper presents genetic evidence which strongly suggests that components of pyocin R2, an R-type pyocin of P . aeruginosa PAO, and tail components of bacteriophage PS17 are interchangeable . Complementation tests with pyocin R2-deficient mutants of PAO and ts mutants of PS17 revealed that various phenotypic interactions occur between the pyocin and bacteriophage in PAO cells lysogenized or infected with PS17 . (i) Certain pyocin R2-deficient mutations were phenotypically suppressed in cells carrying PS17 prophage . (ii) A temperature-sensitive mutant of PS17, tsQ31, was phenotypically suppressed in PAO cells treated with mitomycin C . (iii) Phenotypically mixed phages with receptor and serological specificities of pyocin R2 were formed in PS17 lysogens of certain pyocin R2-deficient mutants.

J Med Microbiol, 1984 Feb, 17(1), 37 - 44
Importance of methodology in determining bactericidal and bacteriostatic activities of azlocillin and ticarcillin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Brumfitt W et al.; The activities of azlocillin and ticarcillin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa were compared by estimating minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC) in liquid and solid media, and by constructing killing curves from sequential viable counts . In MIC studies, azlocillin was about three times more active than ticarcillin in solid medium (agar dilution test) and in liquid media (tube and microdilution tests) . When the MBC was measured, however, results varied according to the technique used . On agar and in microdilution tests, both azlocillin and ticarcillin were bactericidal, the MBC being 1.3-3 MIC . In the tube test, the MBC for ticarcillin was again about 3 MIC, but azlocillin appeared not to be bactericidal (MBC greater than 1 mg/ml) . However, sequential viable counts of four clinical isolates showed that at 4 MIC both antibiotics reduced viable counts by a factor of 10(4) in 8 h . Our results stress the importance of methodology when assessing the antibacterial activity of an antibiotic.

J Bacteriol, 1984 Feb, 157(2), 673 - 7
Chromosomal location and function of genes affecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa nitrate assimilation; Jeter RM et al.; Seven known genes control Pseudomonas aeruginosa nitrate assimilation . Three of the genes, designated nas, are required for the synthesis of assimilatory nitrate reductase: nasC encodes a structural component of the enzyme; nasA and nasB encode products that participate in the biosynthesis of the molybdenum cofactor of the enzyme . A fourth gene (nis) is required for the synthesis of assimilatory nitrite reductase . The remaining three genes (ntmA, ntmB, and ntmC) control the assimilation of a number of nitrogen sources . The nas genes and two ntm genes have been located on the chromosome and are well separated from the known nar genes which encode synthesis of dissimilatory nitrate reductase . Our data support the previous conclusion that P . aeruginosa has two distinct nitrate reductase systems, one for the assimilation of nitrate and one for its dissimilation.

J Bacteriol, 1984 Feb, 157(2), 632 - 6
Pyocin R1 inhibits active transport in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and depolarizes membrane potential; Uratani Y et al.; Pyocin R1, a bacteriocin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, inhibited active transport of proline in the presence of high concentrations of malate and magnesium salt . Pyocin R1 did not affect the respiration of sensitive cells nor induce cell lysis, but it caused a decrease in the intracellular ATP level . In addition, a passive inflow of {14C}thiocyanate anion, a probe of membrane potential, was induced by pyocin R1, showing a depolarization of the cytoplasmic membrane . It is considered that membrane depolarization is a primary action of pyocin R1.

Infect Immun, 1984 Feb, 43(2), 759 - 60
Immunization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa high-molecular-weight polysaccharides prevents death from Pseudomonas burn infections in mice; Pollack M et al.; High-molecular-weight polysaccharides from the extracellular slime of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were evaluated as immunogens in Pseudomonas burn infections in mice . Immunization with immunotype 1 or 2 polysaccharides induced a strong immunotype-specific and weak cross-reactive antibody response but protected mice against burn infections caused by either immunotype . Passive protection was provided by rabbit antiserum to immunotype 1 polysaccharide against burn infection by the homologous organism . Pseudomonas high-molecular-weight polysaccharides are potentially effective vaccines in burn infections.

Transplantation, 1984 Feb, 37(2), 156 - 60
Obstructive lung disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation; Kurzrock R et al.; We report the cases of 3 patients with marked dyspnea and an obstructive ventilation disorder associated with chronic graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation . This disorder was characterized by recurrent pulmonary infections and colonization of the lower respiratory tract by Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Two patients have shown rapidly progressive deterioration with death following due to respiratory failure . Intensive therapy with antibiotics, bronchodilators, high-dose steroids, and azathioprine was not effective in arresting the malignant course of this disorder.

JAMA, 1984 Jan 13, 251(2), 252 - 3
Nosocomial gram-negative bacillary parotitis; Pruett TL et al.; Historically, Staphylococcus aureus has been the primary pathogen in acute suppurative parotitis (ASP) . This report presents an index case of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia associated with ASP and an institutional review of parotitis in which three of 23 additional cases of pyogenic parotitis had enteric bacilli cultured either alone or as the primary pathogen . These cases support the previously undocumented supposition that enteric gram-negative bacilli and pseudomonads can be pathogens in ASP.

Eur J Biochem, 1984 Jan 2, 138(1), 141 - 52
The assignment of the 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of azurin . An investigation of the 1H NMR spectrum of the blue copper protein, azurin, from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with reference to the previously determined crystal structure; Canters GW et al.; A detailed assignment of the 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of azurin has been made . Resonances associated with the single tryptophan residue, all six phenylalanine residues, one of the two tyrosine residues and all four histidine residues, as well as most of the resonances from the ring-current shifted methyl groups have been assigned . These assignments have been used to study the pH dependence of the structure of the protein and binding of analogues of redox-active reagents to the protein.

Mikrobiyol Bul, 1984 Jan, 18(1), 47 - 52
{Effects of storage conditions on the rate of disappearance of bacterial contamination of toothbrushes}; Misirligil A et al.; This investigation was made to show the effects of storage conditions on the decrease rate of bacterial contamination of tooth brushes . Tooth brushes were soaked into the broth cultures of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, and then kept either in closed containers or in free circulating room air . The germ counts were made 24, 48 and 72 hours later and found that the decreases were much more rapid in brushes who kept in free air.

Chemotherapy, 1984, 30(4), 205 - 10
Penetration of cefsulodin into bronchial secretions; Bergogne-Berezin E et al.; The objective of this study was to evaluate the penetration of cefsulodin, a new cephalosporin active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, into the bronchial secretions . The study was carried out in 28 patients with respiratory infections; 11 patients received a single dose of 1 g i.v . (bolus); 17 patients received multiple doses of 1 g every 8 h for 48 h . Simultaneous samples of blood and bronchial secretions were collected 30 min and 1, 2, 4 and 6 h after injection . Bronchial secretions were obtained from 23 patients by means of fiberoptic bronchoscopy and in 5 tracheostomized patients (with severe respiratory insufficiency) through a tracheostomy cannula . The assays of cefsulodin were performed by means of the microbiological agar diffusion technique . The results of the study showed a noticeable penetration of the drug into the bronchial secretions, with a mean peak reaching 3.1-5.3 micrograms/ml at the 3rd or 4th hour, a slow elimination and residual levels at 6 h ranging between 2.0 and 6.0 micrograms/ml . The rate of penetration was not influenced by the administration of multiple doses of the drug . The ratios between bronchial concentrations and simultaneous serum concentrations ranged between 10 and 30%, corresponding to the usual values found for other cephalosporins . In conclusion, this study provides satisfactory results and confirms the presence of bronchial levels capable of inhibiting P . aeruginosa.

Infection, 1984 Jan-Feb, 12(1), 31 - 5
{Experimental study of the local application of silver sulfadiazine, cefsulodin and povidone-iodine in burns}; Kaiser W et al.; Non-infected standardized burns and those contaminated experimentally with a constant number of organisms of a selected Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain underwent varying forms of treatment with silver sulfadiazine, cefsulodin cream and povidone iodine ointment . Wound healing was controlled by evaluating the wound area . In burns which had not been infected experimentally, healing was best without any treatment . Burns treated with cefsulodin cream showed delayed healing, though this was not significant . The most significant delay, however, was observed in wounds treated with povidone iodine . Wounds infected with Pseudomonas healed considerably better than the control group when treated prophylactically with silver sulfadiazine and cefsulodin . However, burns treated with povidone iodine again showed delayed healing.

IMA J Math Appl Med Biol, 1984, 1(1), 77 - 94
A mathematical model of exoprotein production in bacteria; Coleman KD et al.; We present a simple mathematical model for the synthesis of extracellular proteins by a class of bacteria which secrete significant quantities of this exoprotein in late-exponential and stationary phases . This model is the simplest generalization of Michaelis-Menten kinetics (the Monod model) and agrees well with laboratory experiments in batch culture . The model may serve as a simple prototype for the analysis of certain virulent bacterial infections in vivo, particularly that of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in burn wounds.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1984 Jan, 25(1), 49 - 52
Comparative efficacies of piperacillin, azlocillin, ticarcillin, aztreonam, and tobramycin against experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia; Schiff JB et al.; The therapeutic efficacies of the newer beta-lactam antibiotics piperacillin, azlocillin and aztreonam were compared with the efficacies of ticarcillin and tobramycin in a guinea pig model of experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia . For animals challenged with 2 X 10(8) CFU, tobramycin treatment resulted in survival rates and intrapulmonary killing of pseudomonads which were significantly greater than those found with any of the beta-lactam agents . There were no significant differences noted among the individual beta-lactam agents . When animals were challenged with 200-fold-fewer organisms (10(6) CFU), there was no significant difference between the efficacy of tobramycin and those of the various beta-lactams . These data suggest that tobramycin is particularly valuable in treating more severe P . aeruginosa pneumonia, whereas a number of different beta-lactam agents are of equivalent value in less severe lung infections.

Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol, 1984 Jan, 20(1), 55 - 60
Causes of death in febrile granulocytopenic cancer patients receiving empiric antibiotic therapy; Sculier JP et al.; We reviewed the causes of death of 55 granulocytopenic patients who received empiric antibiotic treatment for fever according to an EORTC cooperative protocol; 53 presented cancer and 2 aplastic anemia . Among the 55 patients, 19 (35%) deaths were attributed to infection: 16 to bacterial and 3 to fungal infections . Among the patients with bacterial infections, 12 died from septic shock, 3 from pneumonia and 1 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa meningitis . The most frequent non-infectious causes of death were the cancer progression (18%) and hemorrhagic complications (27%), most often cerebromeningeal in relationship to thrombocytopenia . A large number of the patients who died from infection (78%) and hemorrhage (74%) had advanced cancer with poor chances to respond to anticancer therapy.

Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz), 1984, 32(6), 689 - 94
Modulation of the humoral response in Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected mice; Izdebska-Szymona K et al.; Kinetics of humoral anti-SRBC response in the host infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated . In the course of experimental infection in CFW mice with 0.01 LD50 Pseudomonas aeruginosa 74 followed by immunization with SRBC, inhibition of PFC anti-SRBC production was observed for 5 days after infection . In the case of infection with 0.1 LD50 P . aeruginosa 74 stimulation of anti-SRBC PFC production was observed for 6 days after infection.

Scand J Infect Dis, 1984, 16(4), 361 - 7
Infectious complications to granulocytopenia; Johansson PJ et al.; A consecutive series of patients with granulocytopenia was analysed with consideration of rate and spectrum of infectious complications . The records of 98 patients from 1975-81 were studied retrospectively . Fever was the most common symptom of infection . 78 patients had one or more infectious manifestations, and Staphylococcus aureus was the most common pathogen isolated . Septicemia occurred in 22 patients of which 17 were caused by gram-negative bacteria . Pseudomonas aeruginosa caused septicemia in 8 patients . The risk of septicemia increased with a decreasing cell count and with the degree and duration of fever . The mortality rate for the whole group was 24% and for the septicemic patients 41%.

Int J Tissue React, 1984, 6(5), 421 - 6
Experimental studies on mice challenged intracerebrally with Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Campanile F et al.; Intact or immunodepressed mice of different strains were challenged with Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells by the peritoneal or intracerebral route, in order to establish experimental models which may mimic the clinical conditions of compromised hosts experiencing local or systemic invasion by the opportunistic pathogen . The possible role played by host sensitization alone or in combination with chemotherapy was also studied.

Ann Med Interne (Paris), 1984, 135(7), 519 - 22
{Efficacy and reversible nephrotoxicity of cefsulodin during treatment of septicemia from Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection of a pacemaker}; Penalba C et al.; A case of P . aeruginosa septicaemia originating from a pace-maker electrode is described . Cure was obtained by surgical ablation of the contaminated electrode by a right thoracotomy and monotherapy with cefsulodin, an antibacterial agent . Nephrotoxicity was observed during treatment and regressed after its withdrawal . No other potentially nephrotoxic drug was used . The therapeutic indications of new beta-lactamase stable cephalosporins are reviewed.

J Toxicol Environ Health, 1984, 13(4-6), 893 - 904
Effect of 0.64 ppm ozone on rats with chronic pulmonary bacterial infection; Sherwood RL et al.; Rats were chronically infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa by entrapping viable bacteria in agar beads and intratracheally inoculating the beads into the left lung . The infection was allowed to stabilize over a 10-d period and the animals were then placed in environmental chambers and exposed to either filtered air or 0.64 ppm ozone (23 h/d) for 14 or 28 d . Rats exposed to ozone had reduced body weight and increased lung sizes and lung weights when compared with animals breathing filtered air . Rats inoculated with beads containing live P . aeruginosa had increased lung weights when compared with rats inoculated with beads containing heat-killed P . aeruginosa or controls . Quantitation of total viable bacteria in rats exposed to ozone or to filtered air revealed no significant differences in bacterial numbers . Thus, in this model, chronic exposure to ozone produces increases in lung volume and weight but does not enhance a smoldering Pseudomonas infection.

Acta Microbiol Hung, 1984, 31(2), 141 - 51
Serial determination of complement and specific antibody titres in Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection; Petras G et al.; Serial examination of the complement system and specific antibody titre of 12 surviving patients and 8 lethal cases suffering from Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection showed that except the onset of infection, until the development of septic shock, the level of the complement components corresponded to or exceeded the average normal value . In reversible septic shock the complement titre decreased significantly and in irreversible shock the values were even lower . Activation of the complement system occurred on 10 occasions via the classical and on 42 occasions via the alternative pathway . The number of activations grew parallel with the severity of the infection . Activation through the classical way was generally more intensive . During the whole infectious process not the individual characteristics of the P . aeruginosa present unbroken, but the pathological events and the specific antibody level determined the mode (alternative or classical pathway) of complement activation . The specific antibody level of the surviving patients significantly surpassed the titres of the lethal cases until the development of shock . Not an insufficiency of the complement system but the relative lack of specific antibodies was mainly responsible for the fatal outcome of P . aeruginosa infections.

Acta Microbiol Hung, 1984, 31(2), 109 - 16
Immunoserology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in man . III . Site of infection, duration of the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and antibody response; Petras G et al.; In 39 patients of a respiratory intensive care unit the intensity of the serological response to the purified LPS of the causative Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to change according to the site of infection . The highest titres were found in septic cases, when the antigenic assault reached all the immune-competent cells in the body . Short presence (only one positive bacteriological culture) of P . aeruginosa at the site of inflammation resulted in a low or moderate rise in antibody titre . Ten days were enough for the development of a maximum total antibody (approximately IgM) response, while IgG type antibodies moderately grew further when the presence of P . aeruginosa lasted more than 10 days . Only a 16-fold increase in total antibodies per se or a 4-fold rise in both total (approximately IgM) and IgG antibodies confirmed the pseudomonas infection.

J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol, 1984, 29(3), 297 - 302
Pseudomonas aeruginosa . I . Large-volume cultivation of production strains for vaccination purposes; Belohlavek S et al.; A submerged culture technology was used to produce large-volume suspensions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa production strain for the purpose of vaccination . This paper describes the composition of the culture media used and the methods of preparing endotoxin and exotoxin components of the desired immunogenic activity.

J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol, 1984, 29(3), 289 - 95
The structure and immunochemical specificity of 0-antigens of 03 serogroup Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Stanislavskii ES et al.; Using the method of phenol-aqueous extraction, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were isolated from 5 strains (subgroups) belonging to 03 serogroup of P . aeruginosa (4) . Specific polysaccharides were isolated from the LPS by means of acid hydrolysis . It has been established that the polysaccharides determining O-antigenic specificity have a uniform structure . They consist of repeated trisaccharide links comprising: 2,3(1-acetyl-2-methyl-2-imidazolino-5,4)-2,3-dideoxy-D-mannuronic acid (Im) 2,3-diacetamido-2,3-dideoxy uronic acid with -D-manno-(M) or -L-gulo-(G) configuration and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-fucose (F) with alpha or beta configuration of the glycosidic bond . The structure of 0/3a/3d, 3f polysaccharide has not been definitely cleared up . Serological analysis using passive haemagglutination reaction (PHAR) testifies to the presence of antigenic cross activity of all the five LPS . Antigenic specificity of LPS of the individual subgroups was revealed in passive haemagglutination inhibition reaction (PHAIR) . Partial cross activity was clearly demonstrated in immunoprecipitation experiments in the five subgroups . Serological properties of the LPS of P . aeruginosa 03 subgroup essentially correlate with the structure of their polysaccharide chains determining O-antigenic specificity.

Cornea, 1984, 3(1), 21 - 6
Gentamicin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa corneal ulcers; Gelender H et al.; Six cases are described of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ulcerative keratitis in which antibiotic sensitivity studies demonstrate organism resistance to gentamicin sulfate but sensitivity to other aminoglycosides such as tobramycin and amikacin . In four cases, community-acquired infections represent the source of these ulcers . This paper documents the emergence of aminoglycoside resistance among Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis within the general community.

Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz), 1984, 32(4), 481 - 7
Phagocytosis and intracellular killing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by peritoneal macrophages of mice; Maresz-Babczyszyn J et al.; The poorly mucoid P . aeruginosa 87 strain was better phagocytized by peritoneal macrophages from normal mice than highly mucoid P . aeruginosa 219 . However, the macrophages killed significantly greater number of mucoid bacterial cells of P . 219 strain . The immunization of mice with 10, 50 or 100 micrograms of slime-extract P . 87 or P . 219 did not significantly enhance the phagocytic and bactericidal properties of macrophages . The vaccination of animals with viable bacterial cells of P . 219 strain, using several schemes of treatment, slightly augmented both activities of macrophages but the differences between them and control group were statistically not significant . However, the ingestion and killing of the bacteria were suppressed when macrophages were harvested from mice treated with 200 or 400 micrograms of slime-extract P . 219.

Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz), 1984, 32(4), 467 - 79
Phagocytosis and intracellular killing of mucoid and nonmucoid variants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by polymorphonuclear leukocytes: effect of specific immune sera; Gosciniak G et al.; Nonmucoid variants (NM) of 6 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains were better phagocytized and intracellulary killed by rabbit peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) than their mucoid variants (M) . The ratios of ingested and killed bacteria of both variants significantly increased in the presence of immune serum with antibodies against slime and somatic antigen (anti-OM) in the phagocytic mixture . Immune sera prepared for slime layer only enhanced the both activities of PMNs against M variant . The anti-O sera significantly increased the phagocytosis and killing of NM variants belonging to the same serogroup of O antigen as the strain used for the preparation of immune serum.

Microbios, 1984, 41(164), 81 - 9
R68.45 plasmid mediated conjugation in Thiobacillus A2; Plasota M et al.; Plasmid R68.45 classified into the IncP-1 group which is characterized by a broad host range, was transferred from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA025 or Escherichia coli into Thiobacillus A2 by conjugation . The R plasmid was stably maintained in Thiobacillus A2 but only neomycin/kanamycin resistance was fully expressed in the new host . Conjugational transfer of R68.45 between different Thiobacillus A2 strains was observed . R plasmid mediated transfer of chromosomal markers has been demonstrated.

Microbios, 1984, 41(163), 49 - 63
Influence of nutrient media on the characteristics of the exopolysaccharide produced by three mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains; Buckmire FL; Mucoid strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa of the 'gelatinous' (strain PM1) and 'mucoid' (strains PM3 and PM11) types (Wahba and Darrell, 1965), from cystic fibrosis patients were grown on different nutrient media, in liquid and on solid matrix, and their ability to synthesize uronic acid-containing exopolysaccharide of varying molecular sizes was assessed . Strain PM1 produced the exopolysaccharide in all liquid media tested . However, the exopolysaccharide was always polydispersed when citrate was present but monodispersed and of high molecular weight (HMW) in its absence . Strain PM1 also formed non-mucoid colonies on some solid media and on those media no exopolysaccharide was produced . On media, on which the organism was always mucoid monodispersed, HMW exopolysaccharide was recovered . Strains PM3 and PM1 produced monodispersed, HMW exopolysaccharide in liquid MacConkey's and V-8 media, but polydispersed or no exopolysaccharide in ll other liquid media tested . On MacConkey's agar these strains were mucoid initially but appeared non-mucoid as the cultures aged . This colonial change was accompanied by a quantitative and qualitative change in the exopolysaccharide . In media on which these strains produced only non-mucoid colonies little or no exopolysaccharide was recovered . Crude enzyme preparations from all three strains indicate that enzyme(s) capable of depolymerizing the indigenous exopolysaccharide exist in each organism.

Mol Gen Genet, 1984, 197(2), 292 - 6
Mapping of cysteine genes on the chromosome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO; Brandt R et al.; Three loci coding for different steps in the pathway of cysteine biosynthesis have been mapped by R68.45-mediated coconjugation analysis . The cysteine auxotrophic mutants could be subdivided into sulfite and sulfide-requiring mutants . Sulfide-requiring mutants (cysIV group) were localized at a single position between pyrF and pur-67, while sulfite-requiring mutants (cysI and cysII) mapped at two different regions . The cysI group was also localized between pyrF and pur-67, although more distal to pyrF than the cysIV group . This group included the cys-54 marker, which has been mapped previously . The second group of sulfite-requiring mutants, designated as cysII, was cotransducible with hisI and localized at the end of the PAO chromosomal map . This location was also confirmed for the marker cys-59 . The marker cys-59 (which was cotransducible with hisI) was cotransferred by R68.45-mediated conjugations with both the late marker pur-67 and the early marker ilv-226 . As the late marker hisI was positioned at about 60-65 min (Herrmann and Gunther, in press) the length of the PAO chromosome was estimated to be about 70 min.

Mol Gen Genet, 1984, 197(2), 286 - 91
High frequency FP2 donor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO; Herrmann H et al.; After NG mutagenesis an FP2 donor was isolated which exhibited an enhanced conjugational capacity for chromosomal genes . The recombination frequency was increased by two orders of magnitude as compared to the parental strain . In plate matings recombinants arose at a frequency up to 5 X 10(-1) per donor cell . Late markers also recombined efficiently . An Hfr state of the donor strain was supported by (i) the high recombination frequency, (ii) the incompatibility reaction with plasmid pRO271 (= FP2::Tn401) and (iii) the clearcut transfer kinetics in interrupted matings, even for a late marker.

J Int Med Res, 1984, 12(6), 356 - 60
In vitro activity of ceftazidime and other beta-lactam antibiotics against nosocomial strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Santos Ferreira MO et al.; The in vitro sensitivity of 300 nosocomial strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to ceftazidime was compared with their sensitivities to eleven other beta-lactam antibiotics . Concentrations of 2 mg/l of ceftazidime were sufficient to inhibit all of the strains tested including the carbenicillin-resistant ones . Ceftazidime shows considerably greater activity against Ps . aeruginosa than the other beta-lactam antibiotics.

Dev Comp Immunol, 1984 Summer, 8(3), 537 - 46
The in vitro generation of an antibacterial activity from the fat body and hemolymph of non-immunized larvae of Galleria mellonella; De Verno PJ et al.; A state of immunity in Galleria mellonella against the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is known to be induced by the injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), isolated from the homologous organism . An in vitro mixture of the LPS and whole or cell-free hemolymph from non-immunized larvae is not antibacterial . In vitro mixtures of fat body and cell-free hemolymph from non-immunized larvae, incubated at 25 degrees C for 20 hours generated a proteinaceous antibacterial activity . The generation of this activity was enhanced by the presence in the incubation mixture of LPS and/or hemocytes from non-immunized larvae . It is suggested that LPS causes the release of a hemocyte factor(s) which acts in conjunction with or directly on the fat body resulting in an enhanced production of antibacterial factors.

Nauchnye Doki Vyss Shkoly Biol Nauki, 1984, (8), 86 - 8
{Effect of preservation conditions on the diagnostic traits of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P . fluorescens and P . putida}; Arkad'eva ZA et al.; After 20 years storage under the lyophylized condition 6 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P . fluorescens and P . putida retained all characters investigated . After storage under sterile vaseline oil for 10 years strains P . aeruginosa and P . putida lost one character, strains P . fluorescens lost 10-13 characters.

Acta Microbiol Hung, 1984, 31(2), 91 - 100
Immunoserology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in man . I . Four types of interaction between host and bacterium; Petras G et al.; Continuous survey of clinical symptoms, bacteriological findings and anti-LPS antibodies in 39 acute and 9 chronic patients at a respiratory department revealed four interaction-types between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and host: I, clinical complications with a serological response; II, the same without serological answer; III, rise of specific antibodies without clinical symptoms; and IV, no clinical or serological reaction despite the presence of P . aeruginosa . Exogenous factors like massiveness or mode of infection (e.g . instrumental) determined mainly the type of interaction in the absence of immune-antibodies . P . aeruginosa colonization longer than a few days turned generally into manifest or subclinical infection . The lack of antibody production in severe infection was likely a consequence of an immune-paralysis, elicited by a massive infection . Antibody production was lower in subclinical than in manifest infection, yet IgG-type antibodies increased not only in the latter, but always in the former, too.

Acta Microbiol Hung, 1984, 31(2), 101 - 8
Immunoserology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in man . II . effect of natural and immune anti-LPS antibodies on pseudomonas colonization and infection; Petras G et al.; In 39 acute patients of a respiratory unit a comparatively high Pseudomonas aeruginosa anti-lipopolysaccharide antibody level present on admission prevented colonization by the homologous pseudomonas serogroup . At lower natural antibody titres symptomless colonization occurred, and in patients with the lowest initial titres, later P . aeruginosa complications developed . A low antibody level also predisposed to pseudomonas infection in 9 chronic patients . When colonization occurred at high antibody titres, the presence of P . aeruginosa was only transient; however, the titre had no effect on the further duration of harbouring P . aeruginosa . Anti-LPS antibodies may play an important role not only in the outcome of pseudomonas infection, but also in other respects of pseudomonas-man interaction.

Chemotherapy, 1984, 30(4), 227 - 36
Fosfomycin, piperacillin, azlocillin . Correlation between therapeutic response of mice infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and in vitro data; Haag R; Intramuscular infections of mice with eight different strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were treated with three doses each of fosfomycin, piperacillin and azlocillin . The therapeutic response (measured as decrease in colony-forming units in the homogenized infected tissue) was compared with the 'aggregate suprainhibitory time' (the time for which the serum concentration exceeds the minimal inhibitory concentration of the infecting bacteria during the whole treatment period) . The therapeutic response improved with increasing aggregate suprainhibitory time . The correlation was better for fosfomycin than for piperacillin and, especially, azlocillin.

Chemotherapy, 1984, 30(3), 165 - 9
Activity of cefsulodin, other beta-lactams, and aminoglycosides against Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Chandrasekar PH et al.; Cefsulodin was the most active of the cephalosporins and exhibited 4-16 times more activity than carbenicillin or ticarcillin against 50 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Azlocillin and piperacillin showed good activity, while tobramycin was the most effective aminoglycoside . The activity of cefsulodin was unaltered by increases in inocula, but resistance was induced easily . When combined with gentamicin, no synergistic or antagonistic activity was observed against multiply resistant isolates.

Nauchnye Doki Vyss Shkoly Biol Nauki, 1984, (4), 103 - 6
{Separation of exoparasitic bacteria of the genus Micavibrio from the cells and membranes of the host bacterium}; Markelova NIu et al.; Conditions for separation of Micavibrio aeruginosavorus ARL-1 from cells and membranes of host-bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been developed . Differential centrifugation and ficoll density-gradient centrifugation were applied to purify a mixed culture . A fraction localized in the zone of 12-15% ficoll is a sufficiently homogenous suspension of the exoparasite . It meets requirements of purity of the biomass destined for biochemical investigations.

Arzneimittelforschung, 1984, 34(3), 255 - 7
The combined activity of ampicillin with streptomycin or chloramphenicol against Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Ghobashy AA et al.; The bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity of ampicillin when combined at ten different ratios with either streptomycin or chloramphenicol against Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been investigated . Synergistic bacteriostatic effect was obtained with all ampicillin/streptomycin combinations and 9 ratios of ampicillin/chloramphenicol combinations . The highest synergistic value was obtained by the ratios containing 98% of ampicillin and 2% of either streptomycin or chloramphenicol . A synergistic and an indifferent combined bactericidal effect was obtained with ampicillin/streptomycin and ampicillin/chloramphenicol combinations respectively . The mechanism of such synergism is briefly discussed.

Vet Med Nauki, 1984, 21(2), 24 - 34
{Methods of diagnosing infectious atrophic rhinitis}; Mermerski K; Prevailing is the opinion that the infectious character of atrophic rhinitis is due to the causative agents isolated-- Bact . pseudomonas aeruginosa, Borditella bronchiseptica, and Mycoplasma . Using these either alone or in a mixed infection a successful reproduction of the disease was accomplished in 10-day-old pigs, which demonstrated its infectious character . It was found that most susceptible were pigs at the age of up to 30 days . The symptoms of the disease were dependent on the acute or chronic manifestation of atrophic rhinitis . The morphologic changes were mainly confined to the septum nasi, the conchae, and os cribriformis . Pathogenicity was tested on albino mice, guinea pigs, and rabbits, and diagnosing was effected with test animals through rentgenography and histologic and biochemical investigations . The diagnosis was based on the results of the above-mentioned investigations as well as on the clinical and morphologic manifestation of atrophic rhinitis.

Microbios, 1984, 39(157-158), 151 - 7
Effect of silver on whole cells and spheroplasts of a silver resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Richards RM et al.; Electron micrographs of a silver resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa grown in the presence of 50 micrograms/ml Ag+ indicate that the surviving cells are resistant at the level of the cytoplasmic membrane . Spheroplasts of the resistant strain were not lysed by 1 h contact with 8 micrograms/ml Ag+, but were 36% and 22% lysed by 1 h contact with 20 micrograms/ml chlorhexidine and 40 micrograms/ml polysorbate 80, respectively . Spheroplasts of a silver sensitive strain of P . aeruginosa were lysed by 22% on contact with 1 microgram/ml Ag+ for 1 h.

Mol Gen Genet, 1984, 193(3), 437 - 44
Arginine degradation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutants blocked in two arginine catabolic pathways; Haas D et al.; Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutants defective in agmatine utilization (agu) were isolated . The genes encoding agmatine deiminase (aguA) and N-carbamoylputrescine amidinohydrolase (aguB) were 98% cotransducible and mapped between gpu and ser-3 in the 30 min region of the chromosome . Constructed agu arc double mutants (blocked in the arginine decarboxylase and arginine deiminase pathways) used arginine efficiently as the sole carbon and nitrogen source . This suggests the existence of a further arginine catabolic pathway in P . aeruginosa . The mapping data of this study confirm that in P . aeruginosa the chromosomal genes with catabolic functions do not show supraoperonic clustering as found in P . putida.

Mol Gen Genet, 1984, 193(3), 431 - 6
Revised locations of the hisI and pru (proline utilization) genes on the Pseudomonas aeruginosa chromosome map; Soldati L et al.; The location of genes in the vicinity of the major FP2 origin on the chromosome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO has been revised . The markers hisI (a transduction group of histidine biosynthetic genes) and pru (a gene cluster encoding proline utilization functions) were located in the 90 to 95/0 min chromosome region by a series of plate matings mediated by R68.45 . Three-factor-crosses using this plasmid established the following marker order: pur-67 pru hisI/cys-59 proB ilvB/C . Genetic evidence is presented to confirm the previous observations that FP2 can mobilize the chromosome from at least two origins near proB and in both directions . Thus, when markers in this chromosome region are analyzed by FP2 crosses only, the mapping data may be difficult to interpret . This complication can be overcome by the use of R68.45 and Tfr (transposon-facilitated recombination) or Hfr donors.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1984 Jan, 25(1), 4 - 6
Cefsulodin sodium therapy in cystic fibrosis patients; Cabezudo I et al.; Cefsulodin sodium is a narrow-spectrum cephalosporin with marked in vitro activity against clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa . We have studied the antibiotic in a clinical trial in 10 patients admitted to the Pediatric Ward of the University of Virginia Medical Center with cystic fibrosis and recurrent acute lower respiratory tract infections with P . aeruginosa isolated from their sputa . The patients received 500 to 1,500 mg of cefsulodin every 6 hours by intravenous infusion for 10 to 22 days . Mean peak drug levels in plasma after 500, 1,000, and 1,500 mg were 46, 71, and 90 micrograms/ml, respectively, and the mean minimal inhibitory concentration of all organisms was 7.5 micrograms/ml . Detectable levels of cefsulodin in sputa were found in approximately half of the random samples and ranged from 2 to 5 micrograms/ml . The clinical response was satisfactory in nine (90%) of the patients . One patient gained weight and had improved pulmonary function tests but showed no reduction in sputum production and no improvement in arterial blood gas values . In pulmonary function tests, four of five patients tested showed an average 43% increase in forced vital capacity after initiation of therapy and five of five had an average 51% increase in forced expired volume in 1 s . No adverse effects were observed.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1984 Jan, (1), 50 - 3
{Virulence and toxigenicity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cultures of various origins}; Dziubak ST; The virulence and toxigenicity of newly isolated P . aeruginosa strains have been studied in experiments on white mice . These biological properties have been shown to be most pronounced in P . aeruginosa strains isolated from proteins, sometimes greatly exceeding those in strains isolated from healthy persons and the environment . Virulence and the factors which determine it are definitely interrelated in microorganisms and can vary, depending on the conditions of their habitat.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1984 Jan, (1), 31 - 5
{Pyocin typing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains}; Moroz AF et al.; The possibility of using the typing of P . aeruginosa strains by their pyocins as one of the epidemiological markers in the study of P . aeruginosa hospital infections has been established . As this method of typing is characterized by certain variability, the authors propose that the method of the "cross analysis" of pyocins produced by P . aeruginosa strains be used simultaneously . This method is based on the following phenomenon: if the cultures to be compared are different, the pyocin produced by one strain suppresses the growth of the other one, and if the cultures are identical, no suppression of their growth by pyocins is observed.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1984 Jan, (1), 14 - 9
{Antigenic complexes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa slime: their isolation and biological properties}; Aleksandrov AD et al.; The possibility of using antigenic complexes contained in the extracellular slime of P . aeruginosa clinical strains belonging to different serological groups as the components of a chemical vaccine has been revealed . Animal experiments have demonstrated a high immunogenicity of these preparations, as well as their low toxicity . The use of slime antigens stimulates the production of specific antibodies exerting a protective action against infection with homologous P . aeruginosa strains.

Genetika, 1984 Jan, 20(1), 185 - 6
{Transducing activity of the temperate SM bacteriophage of Pseudomonas aeruginosa}; Gorelyshev AS et al.; The temperate bacteriophage SM is not serologically related to the known transducing phages F116, G101, B3 of Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The strains with auxotrophic mutations within the wide ranges of the genetic map of P . aeruginosa strain PAO1 were used for studying the transducing activity of the SM phage . All of the 7 bacterial markers tested are transduced with SM phage grown on a prototrophic donor strain . The frequency of transduction of separate bacterial markers using the wild type SM phage is 2.3 to 4.6 X 10(-8) . Linked ilv202+ - met28+ markers are cotransduced with SM phage at a frequency of about 1.5%.

Chemotherapy, 1984, 30(1), 40 - 3
Antibiotic susceptibility of community hospital blood culture isolates of gram-negative bacilli; Gordon RC et al.; The comparative in vitro activity of amikacin, cefamandole, cefoperazone, cefotaxime, cefoxitin, cephalothin, chloramphenicol, moxalactam, piperacillin, ticarcillin and tobramycin against 170 community blood culture isolates of gram-negative bacilli was investigated using the quantitative plate dilution method . Results showed that amikacin, cefoperazone, cefotaxime, moxalactam, piperacillin and tobramycin were most active on a weight basis . Tobramycin and amikacin were quite active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa but one isolate showed an MIC of 50 micrograms/ml to both . The order of activity of the remaining drugs for P . aeruginosa was cefoperazone greater than moxalactam greater than cefotaxime and piperacillin greater than ticarcillin.

Chemotherapy, 1984, 30(1), 31 - 4
The activity of ceftazidime, other beta-lactams, and aminoglycosides against Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Rolston KV et al.; The inhibitory and bactericidal activities of ceftazidime, cefoperazone, ceftriaxone, piperacillin, and five aminoglycosides were determined against 50 tobramycin-susceptible and 25 multidrug-resistant isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Ceftazidime was the most active beta-lactam and tobramycin the most active aminoglycoside . The combination of piperacillin and tobramycin was synergistic in most cases . The combination of cephalosporin and tobramycin showed mostly addition or indifference, as did combination of two beta-lactams . No antagonism was observed.

Infect Immun, 1984 Jan, 43(1), 49 - 53
Antibody response of infected mice to outer membrane proteins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Hedstrom RC et al.; The antibody response to outer membrane proteins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied in mice experimentally infected with P . aeruginosa 220 . The infection consisted of an abscess established by subcutaneous injection of bacteria . Sera from these mice were analyzed by indirect radioimmunoprecipitation and immunoblot methods for the presence of antibodies to proteins of the isolated outer membrane . Sera from mice 14 days postinfection were shown to contain antibodies directed against proteins that comigrated with the major outer membrane proteins F (porin), H2, and I (lipoprotein) . A 16,000-dalton protein that did not appear to be a major outer membrane protein also elicited a significant antibody response in some instances . It is concluded that mice, in response to infection, elicit an immunological response to outer membrane proteins of P . aeruginosa.

Infect Immun, 1984 Jan, 43(1), 21 - 7
Mode of cytotoxic action of pseudomonal leukocidin on phosphatidylinositol metabolism and activation of lysosomal enzyme in rabbit leukocytes; Hirayama T et al.; The cytotoxic action of leukocidin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was supported by the following observations . (i) The destruction of rabbit leukocytes by the toxin was reduced in the absence of Ca2+ and stimulated by the addition of calcium ionophore A23187 but inhibited by EDTA, EGTA, and TMB-8, an antagonist of intracellular Ca2+ transport . (ii) Uptake of 45Ca into leukocytes exposed to the toxin was enhanced about threefold the rate of uptake into untreated cells . The increased 45Ca uptake into the cells was slightly inhibited by trifluoperazine, an inhibitor of Ca2+-calmodulin activity, but not by ruthenium red . (iii) Pseudomonal leukocidin enhanced rapidly the labeling of phosphatidylinositol, polyphosphoinositides, phosphatidic acid, and lysophosphatidic acid from {32P}phosphate . The time course experiments of the labeling and breakdown of these phospholipids suggested that the initial action of this toxin was to stimulate phosphatidic acid production, presumably causing a rapid metabolic change of phosphatidylinositol correlating with the activities of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C and 1,2-diacylglycerol kinase . It was considered that a rapid formation of phosphatidic acid and degradation of polyphosphoinositides might be related to a Ca2+ movement from extra- and intracellular space . (iv) In leukocytes exposed to the toxin, acid phosphatase activity as a marker enzyme of lysosome was activated up to 75% of the lysosomal enzyme before cell destruction . The leakage of lysosomal enzyme from the cells occurred at the almost same time as leukocyte destruction . The mode of cytotoxic action of pseudomonal leukocidin is discussed.

Ciba Found Symp, 1984, 109, 72 - 88
Proteinases release mucin from airways goblet cells; Boat TF et al.; The mucin-release effect of proteinases on airways epithelium was assessed in vitro . Using explants of rabbit tracheal mucosa-submucosa we determined that elastase and alkaline proteinase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, pancreatic trypsin and elastase and the microbial proteinases subtilisin, thermolysin and pronase, all stimulate mucin release from goblet cells . On the other hand Streptomyces caespitosus proteinase pancreatic chymotrypsin and collagenase fail to trigger mucin release . Bovine trachea and human nasal polyp epithelium also release mucins in response to proteinases . Mucin release activity is dependent on proteolytic activity of enzymes which have a fairly broad, but generally similar, substrate specificity . The cellular mechanism of action is not known . We propose that mucin secretion in response to proteinases represents a useful defence mechanism but also forms the basis for hypersecretory states and airways obstruction in chronic endobronchial inflammatory states.

Clin Ther, 1984, 7(1), 112 - 20
Comparative evaluation of netilmicin-ticarcillin and tobramycin-ticarcillin in the treatment of serious systemic infections in elderly patients; Jansen W et al.; The effectiveness and safety of two antibiotic regimens, netilmicin-ticarcillin (NT) and tobramycin-ticarcillin (TT), were compared in a prospective, randomized, blind-evaluator study involving 60 elderly patients with serious systemic infections . Fifty-three patients were evaluated for treatment effectiveness; 25 (93%) of 27 patients in the NT group and 24 (92%) of 26 patients in the TT group had complete clinical resolution or improvement of their infections . There were two clinical failures in each group . Bacteriological responses were comparable in both treatment groups, with 87% (58/67) of the pathogens eliminated from patients in the NT group and 83% (59/71) eliminated from the patients in the TT group . The elimination rate for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the organism most frequently isolated, was 88% (14/16) in the NT group and 77% (10/13) in the TT group . The differences between response rates of the treatment groups were not statistically significant . Auditory toxicity, detected by pure tone audiometry, was observed in two of the 24 patients treated with TT and in none of the patients treated with NT . Dizziness or vertigo, possibly resulting from aminoglycoside administration, occurred in one of the 29 patients given NT and in four of the 31 patients given TT . Nephrotoxicity, detected by serial serum creatinine determinations, developed in none of the patients in the NT group and in five of the 31 patients in the TT group, the difference being statistically significant (P = 0.05) . The results of this study indicate that NT and TT are comparable in efficacy and that NT is less likely than TT to cause nephrotoxicity or disturbances in eighth cranial nerve function.

Scand J Plast Reconstr Surg, 1984, 18(1), 119 - 26
Silver sulfadiazine: an antibacterial agent for topical use in burns . A review of the literature; Hoffmann S; Topical antibacterial treatment is of major importance in the burn patient . Silver sulfadiazine is an effective agent with low toxicity and few side effects . Deposition of silver in tissues, and absorption of sulfadiazine are both minimal . Present and future problems are represented by the emergence of resistant Gram negative bacilli, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The development of related metal sulfadiazines to be used against resistant bacteria is on an investigational stage, and clinical trials are few . Silver sulfadiazine may be used in a variety of other conditions than burns.

Z Geburtshilfe Perinatol, 1984 Jan-Feb, 188(1), 29 - 33
{Microflora of the birth canal and an intrauterine catheter system following use of polyvinylpyrrolidone iodine for subpartal disinfection of the vaginal mucosa}; Kronjager A et al.; Changes in the microflora of the birth canal as a result of application of polyvinylpyrrolidone iodine were examined . 58 women in labor were randomly selected and assigned to a PVP iodine prophylaxis- and to a control group . Germinal spectra from cervical smears at the beginning of birth and directly post partum (p.p.) were taken, and bacteriological specimens from the intra-uterine catheter system and the oral cavity of the neonatus were also determined . In the p.p . cervical smears of the PVP iodine prophylaxis group, Escherichia coli (p = 0.05) were found significantly less frequently . The germinal isolates of the tip and middle of the catheter produced an increased occurrence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella oxytoca . The frequency of these germs could be reduced significantly by vaginal application of PVP iodine . The oral cavity smear of the neonatus which was taken at the same time as the post partum cervical smear showed an almost identical bacterial flora . A reduction of E . coli and other gram-negative bacilli were found in the PVP iodine group.

Am Rev Respir Dis, 1984 Jan, 129(1), 66 - 71
Synthesis of complement by guinea pig bronchoalveolar macrophages . Effect of acute and chronic infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Alpert SE et al.; In order to assess the potential role of local production of complement in pulmonary host defenses against bacterial infection, this aspect of bronchoalveolar macrophage function was studied in guinea pigs challenged with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an acute and chronic infection model . Acute infection resulted in an increase in bronchoalveolar macrophage cell number and an increase in synthesis and secretion rates for the second (C2) and fourth (C4) complement components per macrophage . Manipulation of the airway without introduction of Pseudomonas also increased synthesis of both C2 and C4 when studied 60 h after control solutions were administered . Pseudomonas aeruginosa delivered in agar beads to induce chronic inflammation resulted in specific stimulation of C2 and C4 synthesis at 2 wk and to a lesser extent at 4 wk postchallenge . This increase in local complement synthesis by bronchoalveolar macrophages, in addition to enhancing the local inflammatory response, may serve to facilitate recruitment of intravascular cellular and humoral mediators of host defense against bacterial infection.

Scand J Infect Dis Suppl, 1984, 42, 143 - 50
Use of new beta-lactam antibiotics in intraabdominal surgery; Kager L et al.; Infections after gastrointestinal surgery may involve both Gram-positive and Gram-negative aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms . Although the broadspectrum cephalosporins are active against most Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, many of these agents are ineffective against Bacteroides fragilis, many clostridia and some strains of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and enterococci . These bacteria are frequently found in intraabdominal infections . A major reason for this inefficacy is susceptibility to beta-lactamases . The new beta-lactam antibiotics--cephamycins, third generation cephalosporins, carbapenems, acyl ureidopenicillins and monobactams--are all more or less beta-lactamase stable . The beta-lactamase inhibitors combined with a beta-lactam antibiotic give a broad antibacterial spectrum . Most of these compounds are non-toxic or relatively atoxic and, with the exception of the monobactams, they can be used as a monotherapy in many infections derived from the gastrointestinal tract . Antibiotic prophylaxis in colorectal surgery offers a clinical model for the study of the benefit and risks of new beta-lactam antibiotics . Most infections are derived from the gastrointestinal endogenous microflora . The study of the impact of different antibiotics on the colonic microflora indicates the risk of bacterial resistance, superinfection, antibiotic associated diarrhoea and pseudomembranous colitis . Data obtained from such studies with the new beta-lactam antibiotics are compared to the results from controlled clinical trials with these antibiotics in this review article.

J Bacteriol, 1984 Jan, 157(1), 7 - 12
Transposon mutagenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exoprotease genes; Stapleton MJ et al.; Transposon Tn5 was used to generate protease-deficient insertion mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The presence of Tn5 in the chromosome of P . aeruginosa was demonstrated by transduction and DNA-DNA hybridization . The altered protease production and kanamycin resistance were cotransduced into a wild-type P . aeruginosa strain . A radiolabeled probe of Tn5 DNA hybridized to specific BamHI fragments isolated from the insertion mutants . Two independently isolated Tn5 insertion mutants had reduced protease production, partially impaired elastase activity, and no immunologically reactive alkaline protease.

Infect Immun, 1984 Jan, 43(1), 161 - 5
Interaction of Pseudomonas aeruginosa alkaline protease and elastase with human polymorphonuclear leukocytes in vitro; Kharazmi A et al.; Little is known about the interaction of Pseudomonas aeruginosa extracellular products and human polymorphonuclear leukocytes . The present study was designed to examine the effect of alkaline protease and elastase purified from P . aeruginosa on human neutrophil function . Neutrophil chemotaxis, oxygen consumption, glucose oxidation, superoxide production, and nitro blue tetrazolium reduction were studied . It was found that alkaline protease and elastase at fairly low concentrations (0.05 and 0.0025 micrograms/ml, respectively) inhibited chemotaxis . The inhibitory effect of both enzymes was increased at higher concentrations . The chemotaxis of preincubated and washed cells was also inhibited . Alkaline protease but not elastase inhibited opsonized zymosan-stimulated neutrophil oxygen consumption, whereas neither of the enzymes had any effect on glucose oxidation and nitro blue tetrazolium-reducing activity of stimulated neutrophils . The data on superoxide production ability of the cells indicated that the cells preincubated with enzyme and washed were capable of producing superoxide equal to the amount produced by untreated cells when they were stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate or zymosan . However, when elastase was present in the reaction mixture, the reduction of cytochrome c as a measure of superoxide production was inhibited . Inhibition of neutrophil function, particularly chemotaxis, will have important bearing on the escape of the microorganism from the phagocytic defense system of the host . The role of these products in localized infections and avascular areas such as skin burns, cornea, and, at least initially, in chronic lung colonization in cystic fibrosis patients becomes important.

Infection, 1984 Jan-Feb, 12(1), 5 - 9
Quantitative determination of the effect of granulocytes on the course of experimental infections during antibiotic treatment; van der Voet GB et al.; We are presenting a quantitative determination of the effect of granulocytes, monocytes and lymphocytes on the course of infection during antibiotic treatment . The animal model was a short-term infection of the thigh muscle in normal or irradiated mice . Two kinds of antibiotics were used: tobramycin for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections and ampicillin for Escherichia coli infections . The number of granulocytes was changed by irradiating the mice before they were infected . The dose-effect relations for both combinations of bacteria and antibiotics were determined on various days after irradiation . Analysis of the results shows that the effect of an antibiotic was predominantly potentiated by granulocytes . This means that under the conditions of granulopenia, the dose of an antibiotic must be increased to obtain the same antibacterial effect . The present results indicate that the interrelation between host factors, bacterial proliferation and antibiotic treatment can be quantitated and may offer a useful model for screening antimicrobial drugs before they are clinically applied.

Am Fam Physician, 1984 Jan, 29(1), 193 - 200
Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections of the skin; Greene SL et al.; Otitis externa, green nail syndrome, toe web infections, hot tub folliculitis, superinfections in chronic antibiotic-treated acne and infectious eczematoid dermatitis are examples of mild cutaneous infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa . These may occur in otherwise healthy persons . In persons with lowered resistance, more severe infections such as malignant otitis externa, blastomycosis-like pyoderma and necrotizing fasciitis are observed . Ecthyma gangrenosum, the pathognomonic skin sign of Pseudomonas septicemia, occurs in debilitated or terminally ill patients and must be treated immediately.

Acta Derm Venereol, 1984, 64(5), 447 - 9
Panniculitis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa septicemia; Llistosella E et al.; A 71-year-old man developed multiple subcutaneous nodules during Pseudomonas aeruginosa septicemia . The acute and simultaneous flare of inflammatory nodules in a septic patient appears to be rather specific in Pseudomonas infections . Histological vascular lesions are prominent in the subcutaneous nodules.

Mol Gen Genet, 1984, 196(3), 494 - 500
Tn501 insertion mutagenesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO; Tsuda M et al.; Transposon insertion mutagenesis of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO chromosome with Tn1 and Tn501 was carried out using a mutant plasmid of R68::Tn501 temperature-sensitive for replication and maintenance . This method consists of three steps . Firstly, the temperature-independent, drug-resistant clones were selected from the strain carrying this plasmid . In the temperature-independent clones, the plasmid was integrated into the chromosome by Tn1- or Tn501-mediated cointegrate formation . Secondly, such clones were cultivated at a permissive temperature to provoke the excision of the integrated plasmid from the chromosome . Excision occurred by the reciprocal recombination between the two copies of Tn1 or Tn501 flanking the integrated plasmid, leaving one Tn1 or Tn501 insertion on the chromosome . Thirdly, the excised plasmid was cured by cultivating these isolates at a non-permissive temperature without selection for the drug resistance . Using this method, we isolated 1 Tn1-induced and 43 Tn501-induced auxotrophic mutations in this organism . Genetic mapping allowed us to identify two new genes, pur-8001 and met-8003 . The Tn501-induced auxotrophic mutations were distributed non-randomly among auxotrophic genes, and the reversion of the mutations by precise excision of the Tn501 insertion occurred very rarely.

Eur Biophys J, 1984, 11(1), 3 - 15
The spatial structure of the axially bound methionine in solution conformations of horse ferrocytochrome c and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ferrocytochrome c551 by 1H NMR; Senn H et al.; A generally applicable method for the determination of the spatial structure of the heme iron-bound methionine in c-type ferrocytochromes at atomic resolution is presented . It relies primarily on measurements of nuclear Overhauser effects between the individual hydrogen atoms of the axial methionine, and between individual hydrogens of the methionine and the heme group . Four different methionine conformers, corresponding to the four possible stereospecific assignments for the methionine methylene proton resonances, are generated by a structural interpretation of the nuclear Overhauser effects with the use of an interactive computer graphics technique . A unique structure and unique stereospecific resonance assignments are then obtained by discriminating between these four conformers on the basis of van der Waals' constraints and heme ring current effects on the chemical shifts . The use of the method is illustrated with studies of horse ferrocytochrome c and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ferrocytochrome c 551 . Comparison with the crystal structures shows close coincidence between the methionine conformations in solution and in single crystals of these proteins.

Acta Microbiol Hung, 1984, 31(4), 359 - 64
Prophage induction by liver microsomal metabolites of aflatoxin B1 in lysogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Patel IR et al.; Microsomal metabolites of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) causing induction of prophage in lysogenic strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa SM was studied . Reduction of culture turbidity was determined at various concentrations of toxin . The effect of the toxin was also studied on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein synthesis . AFB1 at the concentration of 50 micrograms/ml reduced initial turbidity to approximately 90% in 4 h . DNA synthesis stopped completely in the first hour but reappeared due to induction of the temperate phage . Soon after induction both RNA and protein synthesis continued but later little or no net synthesis of these macromolecules occurred . Plaque forming units (pfu) were increased approximately 90 times at 2 h as compared to the control . Testing of the effect of AFB1 on the non-lysogenic, sensitive strain demonstrated that although there was no significant decrease in culture turbidity at 50 micrograms/ml concentration of AFB1, DNA synthesis stopped completely within 1 h, while RNA and protein synthesis were increasing throughout the test interval . It has been concluded that the liver microsomal fraction of AFB1 caused induction of prophage in lysogenic cells and inhibited DNA synthesis significantly in non-lysogenic cells.

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1984, 50(5-6), 763 - 74
Ribonuclease-sensitive ribosomal vaccines; Gonggrijp R et al.; This paper presents an analysis of the protective properties of the components in ribonuclease (RNase)-sensitive ribosomal vaccines, in particular the ribonucleic acid (RNA) . The protective activities in mice of purified ribosomes derived from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and from Listeria monocytogenes were compared . Both ribosomal vaccines had to be combined with the adjuvant dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDA) in order to be protective, and both lost their activity after RNase treatment . The ribosomal vaccines as well as RNA purified from the ribosomes induced non-specific protection . Intraperitoneal injection of RNA with DDA induced an influx of peritoneal cells . Furthermore, RNA with DDA activated macrophages as shown by, a.o., enhanced phagocytic activity and killing capacity for L . monocytogenes . The results suggest that the observed macrophage activation is probably T-cell-independent . With regard to the ribosomal vaccine of P . aeruginosa it is concluded that RNA also contributed to the protective activity by increasing the humoral response against suboptimal concentrations of contaminating cell surface antigens . In conclusion, it is proposed that ribosomal vaccines may be considered as a combination of a non-specific immunomodulator (RNA) with pathogen-specific cell surface antigens . This concept of ribosomal vaccines is discussed in relation to the literature concerning RNase-sensitive ribosomal vaccines.

Arzneimittelforschung, 1984, 34(11), 1528 - 34
Efficacy of human gamma-globulin preparation in experimental pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in mice and its mode of action; Kamimura T; The agglutinin titer of S-sulfonated human gamma-globulin (GGS, Venilon) against the formalinized cells of 20 clinical isolates of P . aeruginosa distributed as follows: 1:128 to 1:512 in 6 strains, 1:32 to 1:64 in 13 strains and 1:16 in only 1 strain . GGS given passively protected mice against P . aeruginosa infection, however, the effect of GGS differed markedly among the strains used . The difference in the effect was in correlation with the agglutinin titer of GGS against the formalinized cells but not in correlation with that against the heat-killed cells, serotypes or elastase- or protease-producing abilities of P . aeruginosa . In the experiment with representative GGS-sensitive P . aeruginosa No . 97 and GGS-resistant P . aeruginosa No . 20, P . aeruginosa No . 97 was drastically killed by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and macrophages in the presence of GGS, but P . aeruginosa No . 20 remained entirely unaffected . P . aeruginosa No . 97 preopsonized with GGS became more sensitive to phagocytic killing by PMNs and in vivo bactericidal activity than non-treated P . aeruginosa No . 97 . Preopsonized P . aeruginosa No . 97 also markedly decreased its virulence in mice . Absorption of GGS with the formalinized P . aeruginosa No . 97 cells simultaneously reduced the agglutinating activity, protective capacity and in vivo bactericidal activity . These results indicate that the protective effect of GGS against pseudomonal infection in mice depended on an amount of specific antibody to heat-labile antigens of each P . aeruginosa used.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1983 Dec 30, 725(3), 409 - 16
The effect of iron-hexacyanide binding on the determination of redox potentials of cytochromes and copper proteins; Pettigrew GW et al.; The midpoint redox potentials of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytochrome c-551 and Rhodopseudomonas viridis cytochrome c2 were measured as a function of pH in the presence of Euglena cytochrome c-558 and the results compared with those obtained in the presence of ferro-ferricyanide . The pattern of pH dependence observed for the two bacterial cytochromes was the same whether it was measured by equilibrium with another redox protein or with the inorganic redox couple . Thus, the pH dependence of redox potential is not a consequence of pH-dependent ligand binding . The midpoint potential of Ps . aeruginosa azurin was measured as a function of pH using both ferro-ferricyanide mixtures and redox equilibrium with horse cytochrome c or Rhodopseudomonas capsulata cytochrome c2 . In this case also the pattern of pH dependence obtained did not vary with the redox system used and it closely resembled that of Ps . aeruginosa cytochrome c-551 . This is consistent with the observation that the equilibrium between cytochrome c-551 and azurin is relatively independent of pH . An equation was derived which described ph-dependent ligand binding and which can produce theoretical curves to fit the experimental pH dependence of redox potential for both cytochrome and azurin . However, the pronounced effect on such curves produced by varying the ligand association constants, and the insensitivity of the experimental data to changes in ionic strength, suggest that ligand binding effects do not account for the pH dependence of redox potential.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1983 Dec 16, 117(2), 562 - 7
Dansylcadaverine eliminates calmodulin stimulation of phosphodiesterase; Sundan A et al.; Dansylcadaverine, which structurally resembles the calmodulin antagonists W-7 and W-5, prevented the calmodulin dependent stimulation of 3':5'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase in vitro . Dansylcadaverine and trifluoperazine sensitized cells to Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A in apparently the same way, exept that 40 times higher concentrations of dansylcadaverine than of trifluoperazine was required.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1983 Dec 13, 761(2), 119 - 25
Influence of sodium dodecyl sulphate quality on the electrophoretic mobility of the outer membrane proteins of mucoid and non-mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Anwar H et al.; The electrophoretic mobilities of proteins F and H1 from the outer membrane of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (mucoid and non-mucoid) in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were affected by the quality of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) used . In particular, the sodium tetradecyl sulphate impurity present in crude SDS influenced the mobilities of F and H1 . These observations explain conflicting reports on changes in outer membrane proteins with strain and growth conditions . Synthesis of H1 was induced by growth in magnesium depleted medium but repressed when calcium or manganese were added to magnesium depleted medium.

Schweiz Med Wochenschr, 1983 Dec 10, 113(49), 1858 - 60
{Bolus injection, short infusion or intravenous drip of aminoglycoside antibiotics? In vivo study with netilmicin and Pseudomonas aeruginosa}; Brugger HP et al.; The efficacy of various dosage schedules of netilmicin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been compared using an in vivo model (normal and granulocytopenic mice) . Bolus injections were at least as effective as simulated short infusions or simulated continuous infusions of identical total amounts of netilmicin.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Dec, 12 Suppl D, 89 - 96
Imipenem therapy of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteraemia in neutropenic rats; Johnson DE et al.; Rats were made neutropenic by intraperitoneal (ip) injection of cyclophosphamide . Those neutropenic (mean white blood cell count of 470/mm3) rats were challenged intraperitoneally with Pseudomonas aeruginosa to assess the efficacy of single agent therapy with either imipenem, latamoxef (moxalactam) or amikacin, or combination therapy with imipenem-amikacin or latamoxef (moxalactam)--amikacin . Pharmacokinetic studies were performed in rats to assure that therapy was equivalent during therapeutic trials . Three levels of bacterial challenge (4 LD50, 13 LD50 and 250 LD50) were examined . At all challenge levels, single agent therapy with latamoxef (moxalactam) failed to significantly protect rats from fatal bacteraemia . Single-agent therapy with amikacin did significantly protect rats from fatal bacteraemia at the lower challenge levels, but not at the 250 LD50 challenge . Single agent therapy with imipenem significantly protected rats at all challenge . Single agent therapy with imipenem significantly protected rats at all challenge levels . In-vitro studies established a synergistic effect when combination antibiotics were used . This correlated with in-vivo findings that combination therapy resulted in improved rat survival and recovery of fewer Ps . aeruginosa isolates . The latamoxef (moxalactam)-amikacin combination was more effective than either agent alone, but was not more effective than imipenem alone . The imipenem-amikacin combination was the most effective therapeutic regimen tested . These results suggest that imipenem alone, and particularly when combined with an aminoglycoside, is effective in treating serious Ps . aeruginosa infections in neutropenic rats . Clinical studies in infected immunocompromised patients may be warranted.

Clin Rheumatol, 1983 Dec, 2(4), 331 - 7
Serum and secretory IgA immune response to Klebsiella pneumoniae in ankylosing spondylitis; Trull AK et al.; Serum and salivary IgA antibodies to Klebsiella pneumoniae were estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 53 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and 30 healthy controls . The concentrations of total serum IgA, salivary secretory component (SC) and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) were also measured . In the serum of AS patients there was a positive correlation between Klebsiella IgA antibodies and the CRP . Salivary anti-Klebsiella IgA was elevated in 39% of AS patients although this was not associated with disease activity . Serum and secretory IgA antibodies to E . coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were similar in patients and controls irrespective of disease activity . We conclude that part of the increase in salivary and serum IgA in AS may be due to a specific immune response to Klebsiella in the gastrointestinal tract and that serum antibodies reflect more closely those events associated with active inflammatory disease.

Can J Microbiol, 1983 Dec, 29(12), 1715 - 30
{Efficacy of 8 disinfectants on 3 types of surfaces contaminated by Pseudomonas aeruginosa}; Gelinas P et al.; The disinfecting capacity of eight commercial chemical products was evaluated by the use--dilution method given by the Associated of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) on three types of surface material (steel, aluminum, and plastic) . For most products tested the limit concentration was 10 times higher for disinfecting aluminum and plastic surfaces than stainless steel . As observed on the scanning electron microscope, the number of bacteria deposited on the surface and the production of extracellular material on polypropylene by Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442 would explain the observed differences . The applicability of the AOAC method or other techniques for the evaluation of the disinfecting capacity on different surfaces is discussed.

Exp Lung Res, 1983 Dec, 5(4), 305 - 16
Respiratory infection of cyclophosphamide-treated mice with Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Rowatt JD et al.; The dose of cyclophosphamide that permits the colonization of the nasopharynx with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the survival of the animal was determined in mice . This dose, 100 mg/kg of cyclophosphamide, allowed P aeruginosa to colonize but not invade mouse nasal epithelium . Mice treated with 100 mg/kg cyclophosphamide were exposed to aerosol of 35S-labeled P aeruginosa to study clearance . Results indicated that this dose of cyclophosphamide suppressed both the pulmonary clearance of viable P aeruginosa (in situ killing) and the clearance of radiolabeled P aeruginosa (mechanical clearance).

Biochem J, 1983 Dec 1, 215(3), 597 - 604
2,3-diamino-2,3-dideoxy-D-glucofuranurono-6,3-lactam from the hydrolysate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa P14 lipopolysaccharide; Okuda S et al.; An unknown amino sugar, U-7, which had been detected in the hydrolysate of the polysaccharide fraction (F-A) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa P14 lipopolysaccharide, was isolated from the hydrolysate of whole cells of this micro-organism and converted into the N-acetyl derivative (U-7NAc) . On the basis of i.r.-absorption spectrometry, 13C-n.m.r . and 1H-n.m.r . spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, the structure of compound U-7NAc was identified as 2-acetamido-3-amino-2,3-dideoxyhexofuranurono-6,3-lactam . The configuration of compound U-7NAc was then unequivocally identified as 2-acetamido-3-amino-2,3-dideoxy-D-glucofuranurono-6,3-lactam by comparing the synthetic and natural compounds . Compound U-7 and synthetic 2,3-diamino-2,3-dideoxy-D-glucofuranurono-6,3-lactam showed the same behaviour on chromatography . G.l.c.--mass-spectral analyses of fraction F-A and synthetic 2,3-diacetamido-2,3-dideoxy-D-glucuronic acid after methanolyses and trimethylsilylations showed the presence of the same derivative . It was concluded that the amino sugar U-7 was produced from the 2,3-diacetamido-2,3-dideoxy-D-glucuronic acid residue present in fraction F-A.

Pediatr Res, 1983 Dec, 17(12), 952 - 8
The role of complement in the opsonization of mucoid and non-mucoid strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Baltimore RS et al.; Requirements for complement and/or antibody for opsonization were assessed for 34 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Included were mucoid strains from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), non-mucoid derivatives of these strains, and non-CF strains with classical morphology . Non-CF strains are known to vary as to opsonic requirements, but this study shows that mucoid strains are also diverse . Among the 14 mucoid strains, five could not be opsonized and completely resisted phagocytosis . All non-mucoid strains can be opsonized . When the bacteria were incubated in fresh human serum and stained with fluorescein, conjugated anti-C3 non-opsonizable strains did not bind C3 on the surface whereas five of six mucoid strains, which could be opsonized by complement alone, stained with anti-C3 . In mucoid strains, surface characteristics correlate with differences in functional requirements for opsonization . In non-CF strains this specificity was not seen . Most mucoid strains required an intact classical complement pathway for opsonization . A number of mucoid strains could not be opsonized in the absence of a functional alternative complement pathway whereas in contrast, non-CF strains were not greatly affected by inactivation of the alternative pathway.

J Infect Dis, 1983 Dec, 148(6), 1069 - 76
Bioactivity of gentamicin in purulent sputum from patients with cystic fibrosis or bronchiectasis: comparison with activity in serum; Levy J et al.; Two mechanisms of potential biologic antagonism of gentamicin in purulent sputum from patients with cystic fibrosis or bronchiectasis were studied: reduction of activity by ions and antibiotic binding . Antagonism by ions was assessed by examination of the activity of gentamicin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in dialysates of serum or sputum in ion-depleted broth . The ionic content of the dialysates increased and reflected differences in the ion content of serum and sputum . Gentamicin had significantly less activity against P aeruginosa in sputum or serum dialysates than in ion-depleted broth alone . When gentamicin was mixed with serum or sputum before dialysis, the level of antipseudomonas activity of the sputum dialysates was significantly lower than that of the serum dialysate; this finding was correlated with greater binding by sputum . Thus, both binding and antagonism by ions evidently reduce the level of bioactivity of gentamicin in serum and in sputum . Purulent sputum, whether from children with cystic fibrosis or adults which bronchiectasis, is more inhibitory than serum; the greater degree of binding, rather than differences in the composition or quantity of cations, explains this difference.

J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Dec, 18(6), 1370 - 7
Comparison of the effects of acid and base hydrolyses on hydroxy and cyclopropane fatty acids in bacteria; Lambert MA et al.; The cellular fatty acid compositions of Legionella oakridgensis, Brucella suis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Francisella tularensis were compared after base hydrolysis (saponification), acid hydrolysis, and acid methanolysis procedures were used to release the fatty acids . The branched-chain, unsaturated, saturated, and ester-linked hydroxy acids were released as effectively with saponification at 100 degrees C for 30 min as with acid hydrolysis or acid methanolysis at 85 degrees C for 16 h . Although the amide-linked hydroxy acids were released more effectively by acid hydrolysis or acid methanolysis, these methods degraded the cyclopropane fatty acids, producing a number of new peaks or artifacts in the chromatograms . Cyclopropane fatty acids were not degraded by saponification, and at least 50% of the hydroxy acids were released when the cells were saponified with 15% NaOH in 50% aqueous methanol . Thus, the results show that saponification for 30 min at 100 degrees C with 15% NaOH, followed by methylation is an excellent method for routine fatty acid analysis of bacteria and for screening cultures whose identity and fatty acid composition are unknown.

Am Rev Respir Dis, 1983 Dec, 128(6), 1013 - 9
The effects of severe protein-calorie malnutrition on antibacterial defense mechanisms in the rat lung; Martin TR et al.; Protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) impairs systemic immunity in humans and animals, but its effects on regional defense mechanisms in the lung are not clear . Therefore, we investigated lung phagocytic antibacterial defenses in vivo and in vitro in an animal model of PCM . Matched groups of weanling rats consumed Isocaloric diets containing either 0.8% (PCM) or 24% protein (Control, C) . A third group of animals was fed the C diet in restricted amounts to match the daily caloric intake of the PCM animals (pair-fed control, PF) . After 4 wk on the diet, PCM animals were hypoproteinemic, hypoalbuminemic, and anemic and had depressed systemic cell-mediated immunity . In vivo, the lung clearance rate of Listeria monocytogenes was markedly delayed in PCM animals (% bacterial recovery at 9 days, mean +/- SE:PCM = 120 +/- 25.1; PF = 5.2 +/- 3.0; C = 0.6 +/- 0.6; p less than 0.001 for PCM versus C) . Only 36% of the PCM animals survived for 9 days after Listeria exposure, whereas more than 94% of the C and PF animals survived (p less than 0.01) . Recruitment of macrophages to the lungs of PCM animals after Listeria aerosolization was markedly impaired compared with that in the PF and C animals (p less than 0.001) . By contrast, lung clearance rates of 2 pyogenic organisms, Staphylococcus aureus 502a and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 177, were similar in all groups . In vitro, alveolar macrophage chemotaxis toward zymosan-activated serum, and microbicidal activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis were also similar in all groups of animals . Our findings indicate that in the rat, PCM impairs the pulmonary clearance of L . monocytogenes, and that this defect is associated with impaired macrophage recruitment to the lung after Listeria inhalation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

J Bacteriol, 1983 Dec, 156(3), 1123 - 9
Clustering of mutations affecting central pathway enzymes of carbohydrate catabolism in Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Roehl RA et al.; Mutations in carbohydrate-negative mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 individually deficient in glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (zwf), 6-phosphogluconate dehydratase (edd), or pyruvate carboxylase (pyc) were mapped on the chromosome by plasmid R68.45-mediated conjugation and by bacteriophage F116L-mediated transduction . Loci for all three genes were located in the 45- to 55-min region of the chromosome; both zwf-1 and edd-1 were linked by transduction to nalA, whereas pyc-2 was linked by conjugation to argF10 . The zwf-1 mutation exhibited cotransduction frequencies of greater than 95% with both edd-1 and the hex-9001 marker, a mutation reported to prevent growth on hexoses . The latter mutation was shown to cause a specific deficiency in 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase activity and was redesignated eda-9001 . These results demonstrate tight clustering of the gene loci for glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and for both enzymes unique to the Entner-Doudoroff pathway in P . aeruginosa . Our evidence suggests supraoperonic clustering of these and other inducible carbohydrate catabolic genes in the 45- to 55-min region of the chromosome.

Infect Immun, 1983 Dec, 42(3), 936 - 41
Further purification and characterization of high-molecular-weight polysaccharide from Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pier GB et al.; Previously published reports on high-molecular-weight polysaccharides from immunotype 1 and 2 of Pseudomonas aeruginosa indicated the presence of high levels of mannose in these preparations . This mannose has been found to be due to the presence of a yeastlike mannan in high-molecular-weight polysaccharide preparations . The source of the mannan was found to be the tryptic soy broth used to grow the bacteria . Mannan could be removed from the polysaccharide preparations by chromatography over columns of concanavalin A-Sepharose . The resulting polysaccharides had the same serological reactivity against rabbit antisera and the same immunogenic properties in mice as did the mannan-containing polysaccharides . Comparison of mannan-depleted polysaccharide with preparations of high-molecular-weight polysaccharide obtained from either ultrafiltered tryptic soy broth or a chemically defined medium showed that these polysaccharides were immunologically and chemically similar . Human immune responses to mannan-depleted polysaccharide from the immunotype 1 strain of P . aeruginosa were comparable with those previously seen in humans receiving mannan-containing polysaccharides . Thus, we found that P . aeruginosa high-molecular-weight polysaccharides prepared in either tryptic soy broth and then subjected to concanavalin A-Sepharose chromatography, ultrafiltered tryptic soy broth, or a chemically defined medium were immunologically and chemically comparable.

J Clin Invest, 1983 Dec, 72(6), 1874 - 81
Enhanced survival in Pseudomonas aeruginosa septicemia associated with high levels of circulating antibody to Escherichia coli endotoxin core; Pollack M et al.; We studied the relationship between serum antibodies to the cross-reactive endotoxin core of Escherichia coli and survival following Pseudomonas aeruginosa septicemia . Core glycolipid was purified from the outer cell membrane of a uridine diphosphate galactose 4-epimerase-deficient rough mutant E . coli (J5 strain), characterized, and used as the antigen in a quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure core-specific IgG and IgM antibodies . 43 patients with Pseudomonas septicemia, among whom there was a mortality of 42%, were evaluated . Core-specific antibody concentrations in acute sera ranged from 1 to 49 micrograms/ml in the case of IgG and from 1 to 200 micrograms/ml for IgM . Core-specific antibodies of both isotypes were higher in patients who survived compared with those who succumbed to their septicemias (mean, microgram/ml +/- SEM, 26 +/- 3 vs . 14 +/- 4, P = 0.005 for IgG, and 55 +/- 12 vs . 18 +/- 5, P = 0.009 for IgM) . Although total IgG levels were also higher in acute sera from survivors compared with nonsurvivors (mean, mg/dl +/- SEM, 1,120 +/- 99 vs . 694 +/- 119, P = 0.004), total IgM levels were virtually identical in the two groups (146 +/- 23 vs . 148 +/- 48, P = 0.52) . Conversely, patients with core-specific IgG levels greater than 10 micrograms/ml at the onset of septicemia had better survival than those with levels less than 10 micrograms/ml (79 vs . 14%, P less than 0.001), and patients with core-specific IgM levels greater than 30 micrograms/ml had better survival than those with levels less than 30 micrograms/ml (81 vs . 44%, P = 0.01) . In comparison, patients with total IgG levels greater than 1,000 mg/dl also had better survival than those with levels less than 1,000 mg/dl (82 vs . 42%, P = 0.01), while those with total IgM levels greater than 150 mg/dl showed somewhat less improvement in survival compared with those with levels less than 150 mg/dl (71 vs . 50%, P = 0.12) . Core-specific IgM was highly correlated with core-specific IgG (r = 0.52), but not with type-specific anti-lipopolysaccharide (r = 0.13) or anti-toxin A (r = 0.12) antibodies, or with total IgG (r = 0.28) or IgM (r = 0.31) . In contrast, core-specific IgG correlated somewhat more closely with type-specific antibodies (r = 0.36), and with total IgG (r = 0.51) and IgM (r = 0.52) . Stepwise linear discriminant analysis indicated that type-specific antibody levels were the best predictor of outcome, among those antibodies examined, followed by anti-core IgM . Although anti-core IgG, anti-toxin A, and total IgG levels all correlated individually with survival, none augmented the prognostic power of type-specific antibodies in combination with anti-core IgM, which together predicted outcome accurately 73.5% of the time . Host factors not significantly associated with anti-core antibody levels included rapidly fatal underlying disease, age, sex, leukopenia, and prior treatment with cytotoxic drugs . In contrast, prior steroid therapy was associated with low levels of both core-specific IgG and IgM (P < 0.05) . These data suggest cross-protective activity against P . aeruginosa septicemia of naturally occurring antibodies to the endotoxin core of E . coli . Anti-core antibodies, particularly of the IgM isotype appear to augment the more specific protective immunity engendered by antibodies to the O-specific side chains of Pseudomonas lipopolysaccharides . This cross-protective immunity likely applies to other Gram-negative pathogens as well.

Infect Immun, 1983 Dec, 42(3), 1027 - 33
Surface localization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane porin protein F by using monoclonal antibodies; Mutharia LM et al.; Hybridomas secreting highly specific monoclonal antibodies against porin protein F of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated . These antibodies interacted with protein F in outer membranes isolated from strains representing the 17 serotypes of P . aeruginosa and from another 15 clinical isolates from patients with cystic fibrosis . The cell surface localization of antigenic sites on protein F was shown by indirect immunofluorescent techniques with these monoclonal antibodies . No fluorescence was observed on a protein F-deficient strain H283 of P . aeruginosa . Another monoclonal antibody specific for outer membrane lipoprotein H2 of P . aeruginosa showed no fluorescence on intact, wild-type bacterial cells, but was able to interact with a rough, LPS-deficient mutant.

J Hosp Infect, 1983 Dec, 4(4), 350 - 60
Survival of multiply-resistant Klebsiella aerogenes and other gram-negative bacilli on finger-tips; Casewell MW et al.; The survival of various Gram-negative bacilli was evaluated by inoculating the finger-tips of volunteers and determining the number of recoverable organisms in finger washings taken at increasing time intervals up to 60 min . Three epidemic gentamicin-resistant multiply-resistant strains of Klebsiella aerogenes (capsular types K2, K16 and K21) survived better than Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli or non-epidemic antibiotic sensitive klebsiellae of corresponding capsular type . The survival of the epidemic klebsiellae was not altered by curing them of their resistance plasmids . Transfer of their plasmids to E . coli K12 and to sensitive non-epidemic strains of K . aerogenes of corresponding capsular type did not enhance the relatively poor survival of the recipients . We conclude that the enhanced survival on skin of multiply-resistant klebsiellae is not plasmid mediated but may well contribute to the transmissability of these organisms during hospital outbreaks especially when compared with E . coli and Ps . aeruginosa.

Science, 1983 Nov 25, 222(4626), 929 - 31
Heme-heme orientation and electron transfer kinetic behavior of multisite oxidation-reduction enzymes; Makinen MW et al.; Analysis of the polarized single-crystal absorption spectra of cytochrome cd1 of Pseudomonas aeruginosa shows that the heme c and heme d1 groups in each subunit are oriented perpendicularly to each other in both oxidized and reduced forms of the enzyme . These results, together with those of previous kinetic studies, indicate that a perpendicular heme-heme orientation may be an important factor in specifying kinetically slow steps in a sequential series of electron transfer reactions.

Nucleic Acids Res, 1983 Nov 25, 11(22), 8073 - 85
The major coat protein gene of the filamentous Pseudomonas aeruginosa phage Pf3: absence of an N-terminal leader signal sequence; Luiten RG et al.; From in vitro protein synthesis studies and nucleotide sequence analysis it has been deduced that, unlike the major coat proteins of the hitherto studied filamentous bacterial viruses Ff (M13, fd and f1), IKe and Pf1, the major coat protein of the filamentous Pseudomonas aeruginosa virus Pf3 is not synthesized as a precursor containing a leader signal polypeptide at its N-terminal end . From the elucidated nucleotide sequence of the Pf3 major coat protein gene it follows that the coat protein is 44 amino acid residues long (mol.wt . 6425) . No sequence homology was observed with the major coat protein genes of either the Ff group or IKe but, similar to these phages, 3' ward of the Pf3 coat protein gene a DNA sequence is located which has many characteristics in common with rho-independent transcription termination signals.

Acta Paediatr Scand, 1983 Nov, 72(6), 861 - 6
Amyloid-related serum protein (SAA) as an indicator of lung infection in cystic fibrosis; Marhaug G et al.; Amyloid-related serum protein (SAA) was analysed by radioimmunoassay in 32 patients with cystic fibrosis, and compared with other acute phase reactants and lung function . The level of SAA showed significant correlation with impaired lung function due to active Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, and also to C-reactive protein . SAA seemed to correlate better to the presence of bacteria in sputum than C-reactive protein . Ten of the patients received extensive antibiotic treatment for their pulmonary infection, and falling serum levels of SAA paralleled the clinical response to treatment . Thus the concentration of SAA in these patients was a valuable guide for the selection of patients for antibiotic treatment as well as a good parameter of the response to therapy.

Isr J Med Sci, 1983 Nov, 19(11), 977 - 9
Pseudomonas septicemia in childhood; Greif Z et al.; A 5-year study of Pseudomonas aeruginosa septicemia in children was conducted in two large hospitals . The average age of the patients was 20 months . Fourteen (93%) of the 15 patients were debilitated by underlying diseases or by a major invasive procedure . Most of the patients had received broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy prior to the development of Pseudomonas septicemia . The overall mortality was 53% . Ecthyma gangrenosum appeared in only three cases . The serotype H-11 was found in 53% of the septicemic patients, suggesting that Pseudomonas septicemia was a nosocomial disease in most of these cases . The adequate evaluation of the patient at risk, prevention, and early therapy are essential.

Isr J Med Sci, 1983 Nov, 19(11), 1001 - 3
Azlocillin in cystic fibrosis; Malmborg AS et al.; The combination of azlocillin and gentamicin or tobramycin, in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infection due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with cystic fibrosis, was evaluated . Twenty patients, 10 boys and 10 girls (mean age 13 1/2 years) who had lower respiratory tract infection with positive sputum culture for P . aeruginosa, were given azlocillin i.v . 20 mg/kg every 8 hours for 10 to 12 days . In addition, either gentamicin, 2.5 to 4 mg/kg i.v . every 12 hours, or tobramycin, 4 to 5 mg/kg i.v . every 8 hours, was given . The antibiotics were given in short-term infusions (20 minutes) . Besides the antibiotic treatment, the patients received inhalation therapy, pulmonary physiotherapy, and pancreatic enzymes . Pharmacokinetic studies showed that azlocillin concentrations in serum were within therapeutic levels, and in sputum they inhibited 75% of all P . aeruginosa strains . However, in only 12 of the 52 treatment courses was Pseudomonas eliminated from the sputum.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S936 - 40
Further studies on the genetic control of murine corneal response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Berk RS et al.; Intracorneal challenge of mouse strains DBA/1 and DBA/2 with Pseudomonas aeruginosa demonstrated that these strains were naturally resistant; they spontaneously recovered within four weeks postinfection . On the other hand, mouse strains BALB/c and C57BL/6 were susceptible to corneal infections and exhibited permanent eye damage . Resistance was dominant over susceptibility since the F1 generation obtained by crossing the DBA/1 or the DBA/2 strains (resistant) with the BALB/c strain (susceptible) were all resistant . Natural resistance to intracorneal challenge with P . aeruginosa is controlled by two or more autosomal dominant genes, at least one of which is located outside of the major histocompatibility (H-2) complex . F1 hybrids of the susceptible BALB/c and C57BL/6 background exhibited resistance to intracorneal infection . On the basis of these complementation studies, plus data from the F2 generation obtained by crossing the F1 progeny obtained from the mating of BALB/c with C57BL/6, it is concluded that each susceptible strain bears one autosomal resistance gene and that a dominant gene is required at each of the two loci involved for resistance to be expressed.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S898 - 907
Examination of neutrophil function in a rat model of decreased host resistance following burn trauma; McManus AT; The high incidence of serious opportunistic infection following human burn injury has been well documented . Investigations of the mechanisms of this acquired susceptibility have demonstrated several defects in phagocytic defenses . An established rat burn infection model was modified for study of neutrophil function in animals with a 60% burn injury . These 350-g rats received a 35-ml saline resuscitation, and when not further stressed, 80% of the animals survived to healing . Burned animals were found to have decreased inflammatory responses to intraperitoneal injections of heat-killed Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and sterile sodium caseinate . These reductions could not be explained by neutropenia . Prior immunization with heat-killed Pseudomonas did not improve the inflammatory response to homologous organisms injected intraperitoneally, but levamisole treatment did improve the imflammatory response . Epinephrine injection (intravenous) showed that burned animals have a markedly reduced proportion of marginated neutrophils but an increase in total peripheral neutrophil counts . The stress hormones corticosterone and catecholamines were elevated during times of decreased inflammatory responsiveness; additionally, neutrophils from burned animals had decreased adherence to nylon fiber . Serum from burned animals decreased in vitro adherence and chemotaxis of purified normal rat neutrophils.

Clin Pharm, 1983 Nov-Dec, 2(6), 569 - 78
Neutropenia associated with beta-lactam antibiotics; Kirkwood CF et al.; Two patients who developed neutropenia while receiving beta-lactam antibiotics are presented, and the literature on beta-lactam-induced neutropenia is reviewed . A 55-year-old white woman was admitted to the hospital with a white blood cell (WBC) count of 8700/cu mm (68% neutrophils, 12% neutrophil bands, 0% eosinophils, 14% lymphocytes, 5% monocytes) . Moxalactam 2 g i.v . (as the disodium salt) every eight hours was started on hospital day 15 after a postoperative fever failed to respond to a regimen of intravenous tobramycin and clindamycin . The patient again had surgery on hospital day 27, and the moxalactam regimen was continued postoperatively . Approximately one week later the patient's WBC count had dropped to 1900/cu mm (8% neutrophils, 14% neutrophil bands, 6% eosinophils, 54% lymphocytes, 16% monocytes); moxalactam was discontinued, and the WBC count gradually increased after substitution of tobramycin and clindamycin for moxalactam . The second patient was a 75-year-old white man who was being treated with intravenous tobramycin and cefoxitin for a hospital-acquired pneumonia . Ticarcillin 3 g i.v . (as the disodium salt) every four hours was added to this regimen on hospital day 23 after sputum cultures revealed Pseudomonas aeruginosa; four days previously, the WBC count had been 25,100/cu mm (64% neutrophils, 31% neutrophil bands, 1% eosinophils, 3% lymphocytes, 0% monocytes) . The WBC count on hospital day 36 was 11,900/cu mm (39% neutrophils, 33% neutrophil bands, 11% eosinophils, 10% lymphocytes, 6% monocytes) . Two days later it had dropped to 3700/cu mm (2% neutrophils, 0% neutrophil bands, 53% eosinophils, 24% lymphocytes, 16% monocytes), and ticarcillin was discontinued . The WBC count gradually increased and returned to normal within three days after discontinuing ticarcillin . Neutropenia associated with the administration of beta-lactam antibiotics appears to result from an immunologic reaction characterized by rapid destruction of peripheral neutrophils . Among penicillin analogs, penicillinase-resistant penicillins are involved most frequently, especially in pediatric patients receiving dosages of 150 mg/kg/day or greater . Two case reports have implicated ticarcillin as a cause of neutropenia; moxalactam has not been associated with this adverse effect in previous literature reports . Discontinuation of the suspected agent and initiation of an alternative antibiotic regimen is recommended as initial treatment of this condition since recovery usually occurs within days after discontinuing the offending drug.

J Bacteriol, 1983 Nov, 156(2), 567 - 75
Bacterial formation and metabolism of 6-hydroxyhexanoate: evidence of a potential role for omega-oxidation; Kunz DA et al.; Alkane-utilizing strains of Pseudomonas spp . were found to omega-oxidize hexanoate, 6-hydroxyhexanoate, and 6-oxohexanoate to adipic acid in 5, 30, and 90% molar yields, respectively, after induction with n-hexane . 6-Hydroxyhexanoate was identified as the immediate product of hexanoate omega-hydroxylation by whole cells and was further oxidized into adipic acid and an unexpected metabolite identified as 2-tetrahydrofuranacetic acid . This same metabolite, together with adipic acid, was also detected when similarly induced cells were incubated with hexanoate or 1,6-hexanediol, but not with 6-oxohexanoate (adipic semialdehyde) . Cells grown on hexanoate and incubated with 6-hydroxyhexanoate were also found to accumulate 2-tetrahydrofuranacetic acid, which was not further degraded . Utilization of 6-hydroxyhexanoate for growth was restricted to those organisms also able to utilize adipate . Similar observations were made with 1,6-hexanediol serving as the carbon source and cells obtained from one organism, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO, grown either on 1,6-hexanediol or 6-hydroxyhexanoate, were found to be well induced for both 6-oxohexanoate and adipate oxidation . The results indicate that 6-hydroxyhexanoate and 1,6-hexanediol are susceptible to both beta- and omega-oxidative attack; however, the former pathway appears to be of no physiological significance since it generates 2-tetrahydrofuranacetic acid as a nonmetabolizable intermediate, making omega-oxidation via adipate the exclusive pathway for degradation.

Zhonghua Min Guo Wei Sheng Wu Ji Mian Yi Xue Za Zhi, 1983 Nov, 16(4), 291 - 9
{Antibiotic susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa}; Huang PC et al.; The susceptibility of 128 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa against amikacin, kanamycin, gentamycin, minocycline, colistin, chloramphenicol, claforan , piperacillin and carbenicillin were tested . Piperacillin, carbenicillin, amikacin and claforan are effective against at least 54% of strains tested . The susceptibilities of microorganisms to antibiotics were evaluated in different points and discussed in details.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Nov, 12(5), 475 - 80
Serum bactericidal activity of cefoperazone and ceftazidime at increasing dosages against Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Van Laethem Y et al.; Serum bactericidal activity (SBA) greater than or equal to 1:8 correlates with the clinical effectiveness of antibiotics . Ten healthy young volunteers received iv on separate days cefoperazone 1, 2, or 3 g and ceftazidime 1, 2, or 3 g . The serum levels 1 and 6 h after the administration of cefoperazone 1, 2 and 3 g were respectively 52 and 7 mg/l, 122 and 13 mg/l, 190 and 22 mg/l . The serum levels of ceftazidime 1, 2 and 3 g, after 1 h and 6 h were 28 and 8, 56 and 9, 78 and 13 mg/l . The SBA was determined against seven strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with MBC of 1.6-12.5 mg/l of cefoperazone and 0.8-6.2 mg/l of ceftazidime . Increased dosage of cefoperazone and ceftazidime led to a significant increase in the SBA's greater than or equal to 1:8 at 1 h (P less than 0.01) . In sera obtained 1 h and 6 h after the injection of the antibiotics, 97% and 51% of the strains were inhibited by ceftazidime 2 g, while 1 g was inhibitory on 84% (1 h) and 8% (6 h) of the strains . Ceftazidime 1 g produced SBA's greater than or equal to 1:8 significantly more often than did cefoperazone 3 g (P less than 0.01) at 1 h . The rate of killing with all ceftazidime regimens was similar and slightly higher than that of any cefoperazone regimen . Ceftazidime seems more effective than cefoperazone against Ps . aeruginosa; however, increased MBC values were observed during killing curves studies with both drugs.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Nov, 12(5), 451 - 8
Frequency of beta-lactamases that are markedly active against carbenicillin in the Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated in a medical school hospital; Jouvenot M et al.; During one year, 71 carbenicillin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains were isolated . The detection of the beta-lactamase activity in these strains was performed by the iodometric method . The beta-lactamases were found in 70% of the carbenicillin-resistant strains and were characterized by isoelectric focusing and by determination of substrate profiles . Seventy-two per cent of the beta-lactamases tested focused in the same way as the PSE-1 type from strain PU21(RPL11) . The determination of the substrate profiles by the acidimetric method showed that these enzymes had a high activity towards carbenicillin and that they can vary in their hydrolysis of cephalosporins . Such PSE-1 type beta-lactamases were found in gentamicin-tobramycin-resistant strains whereas other types of enzymes (PSE-4 enzymes and enzymes with pI 7.7) were found in strains sensitive to these antibiotics.

Can J Microbiol, 1983 Nov, 29(11), 1493 - 9
Factors affecting the irreversible attachment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to stainless steel; Stanley PM; To better understand the interaction between bacteria and surfaces, we studied the irreversible attachment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to a common surfacing material . When brought into contact with the steel, cells began to attach in less than 1 min and the number adhering increased with time . An important physiological variable in attachment was cell motility since adherence decreased at least 90% when flagella were removed by blending . This treatment was shown to be effective because it caused motility loss and not because it removed a structure necessary for adherence . Cell viability was less important since adherence decreased only 50% when the number of viable cells was reduced 4.7 logs by heating or formaldehyde treatment . Significant environmental variables included turbulence and ionic strength . Attachment of motile cells was reduced 90% by agitation, although agitation had little effect on adherence of nonmotile cells . Both motile and nonmotile cells adhered poorly in distilled water with attachment increasing as CaCl2 or NaCl concentration increased to 10 mM . At 100 mM, attachment decreased . Viable cells, both motile and nonmotile, adhered best at a pH of 7 to 8, whereas nonviable cells attached most rapidly at a low pH.

Gene, 1983 Nov, 25(1), 151 - 4
Reversion of an ilvB mutation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the presence of a derivative of RP1 plasmid; Guss S et al.; We have isolated a derivative of RP1, a broad-host-range plasmid, in whose presence the ilvB112 mutation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PU21 reverts at a high frequency . This derivative of RP1 (RP1-ilvB+ complex) may have arisen by a fusion of the P . aeruginosa ilvB gene with RP1 during their co-transfer into strain PU21 . The RP1 derivative is not very stable in the PU21 background but it can apparently be stabilized by its integration into the host chromosome, resulting in an Hfr-type donor strain, SP500.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Nov, 24(5), 764 - 70
Error rates associated with the use of recently proposed breakpoints for testing Pseudomonas aeruginosa versus gentamicin, tobramycin, and amikacin by the standardized disk agar diffusion test; Woolfrey BF et al.; Two hundred fifteen Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were tested in parallel by the disk agar diffusion test, using a standardized agar preparation, and by a microbroth test, using dilutions differing by small arithmetic increments . For gentamicin, recently proposed breakpoints of resistance (R) less than or equal to 12 mm and susceptibility (S) greater than or equal to 16 mm produced error rates of 20 and 6.8%, respectively . Limiting the error rate for susceptible interpretations to less than or equal to 2% produced a widening of the intermediate zone to include 67.4% of the isolates tested . For tobramycin, the recently proposed breakpoints of R less than or equal to 12 mm and S greater than or equal to 15 mm were associated with error rates of 66.7 and 1.4%, respectively . Breakpoints of R less than or equal to 12 mm and S greater than or equal to 13 mm were demonstrated to be equally effective when the error rate for susceptible interpretations was limited to less than or equal to 2% by error rate-bound analysis . For amikacin, proposed breakpoints of R less than or equal to 14 mm and S greater than or equal to 17 mm were associated with error rates of 27.3 and 3.2%, respectively . Limiting the error rates for susceptible interpretations to less than or equal to 2% required breakpoints of R less than or equal to 14 mm and S greater than or equal to 18 mm . The ability to establish effective susceptibility breakpoints for tobramycin and amikacin appeared not to be related to the disk agar diffusion test process itself but rather to the high degree of susceptibility of the P . aeruginosa population . These findings severely limit the usefulness of the disk agar diffusion procedure for testing P . aeruginosa versus the aminoglycosides . For this purpose, we recommend dilution tests which employ small arithmetic increment schemes.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Nov, (11), 45 - 7
{Possible connection between the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria and their ultrastructural characteristics}; Dziubak ST; The results of the electron-microscopic study of P . aeruginosa isolated from patients with surgical inflammatory purulent processes and from the environment (water, soil) are presented . The morphological features of the subcellular structure of virulent and non-virulent P . aeruginosa strains, as well as their adaptation properties, appearing under unfavorable conditions have been established.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S998 - 1004
Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase and its role in pseudomonas infections; Wretlind B et al.; Most strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa produce three proteases with broad substrate specificities . One of these enzymes has elastolytic activity (P . aeruginosa elastase) . This elastase has tissue-damaging activity and is capable of degrading various plasma proteins such as immunoglobulins, coagulation and complement factors, and alpha-proteinase inhibitor . There is evidence for a role of elastase in localized infections such as experimental pseudomonas keratitis, pneumonia, and burn infection . Once colonization and invasion has occurred and septicemia has been established, these enzymes are probably less important . Elastase is probably best classified as a virulence-enhancing factor in certain types of infections.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S992 - 7
Toxoids of Pseudomonas aeruginosa toxin A: production by chemical and genetic means; Cryz SJ Jr et al.; Several toxin A toxoids were produced by reacting purified toxin A with formalin or formalin-lysine . Treatment with formalin alone resulted in a 1,000-fold decrease in cytotoxicity of toxin A without adversely affecting enzymatic activity . The antigenicity was moderately altered, but immunogenicity appeared to be unaffected, as evidenced by the ability of the toxoid to elicit good titers of neutralizing antibody . However, on removal of formalin and after storage at 37 C, formol toxoid showed a partial reversion to toxicity . The addition of lysine to formalin-toxin A mixtures increased the rate and extent of detoxification and destroyed enzymatic activity . Although the formalin-lysine toxoid did not revert to toxicity, it displayed a reduced immunogenicity even when employed with an adjuvant . On the basis of these results, an alternative method was selected for detoxification of toxin A . A mutant (PAO-PR1), which produces a CRM protein (CRM 66), was isolated after chemical mutagenesis . CRM 66 has the same molecular weight as toxin A and is antigenically indistinguishable from it . The cytotoxicity and lethality to mice of CRM 66 was found to be greatly reduced in comparison to that of toxin A, a difference apparently due to a reduction in enzymatic activity.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S979 - 84
The role of exotoxin A in pseudomonas disease and immunity; Pollack M; Exotoxin A is an extracellular enzyme that is produced by most clinical strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa . It is a single-chain polypeptide (molecular weight, 71,000) with A and B fragments that mediate enzymatic and cell-binding functions, respectively . Exotoxin A catalyzes the transfer of the adenosine diphosphate-ribosyl moiety from nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide to elongation factor 2, which results in the inactivation of the latter and the inhibition of protein biosynthesis . Exotoxin A is a potent cytotoxin and is lethal for a variety of animals, including subhuman primates . Produced in vivo during P . aeruginosa infections, exotoxin A apparently causes disease by inhibition of protein synthesis, direct cytopathic effects, and interference with cellular immune functions of the host . Antibodies to exotoxin A provide protection from some of the biochemical, pathologic, and lethal consequences of both experimental and clinical pseudomonas infections . Toxoid produced from exotoxin A is currently undergoing evaluation as a vaccine for possible use in the immunoprophylaxis against pseudomonas disease in humans.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S971 - 8
Determinants of the biologic activity of surface slime in experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections; Bartell PF; A purified fraction of the extracellular slime of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, characterized chemically as a glycolipoprotein (GLP), has been identified as responsible for a number of biologic properties of the viable cell . Mice immunized actively or passively against GLP are protected against an otherwise lethal challenge with viable bacteria . GLP is chemically, physically, and antigenically distinct from the lipopolysaccharide of the same strain . An in vivo association of GLP with blood leukocytes has been demonstrated, and the leukopenia in mice following challenge with P . aeruginosa may be accounted for by the subsequent sequestration of a neutrophil-GLP complex in the liver . Anti-GLP serum in the absence of complement mediates the phagocytosis and eventual killing of viable P . aeruginosa by mouse polymorphonuclear leukocytes and unstimulated peritoneal macrophages . A polysaccharide fraction isolated from the GLP is responsible for its protective immunogenicity . Although the lipid moiety governs the leukopenic and lethal capacities, the carbohydrate, specifically the mannose of this moiety, is required for full expression of GLP lethality . Mannose is also an immunodominant sugar.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S963 - 70
Mechanisms of lipopolysaccharide-induced protection against pseudomonas sepsis in granulocytopenic mice; Tegtmeier BR et al.; The nature of the enhanced resistance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa sepsis induced by type-specific lipopolysaccharide vaccine was examined in a mouse model of cyclophosphamide-induced granulocytopenia . Mice actively immunized with type-specific vaccine survived significantly longer than did nonimmune mice (P less than .002) when challenged 8, 12, or 16 days after immunization . This protection was nonspecific eight days after immunization and specific 12 days after immunization . Passive immunization of mice with specific antibody resulted in significant, though minimal, protection . In contrast, long-term protection was observed when the passive transfer of specific antibody was combined with nonspecific immunization . This observation suggests that the specific protection observed with type-specific active immunization results from the interaction of specific antibody and an immunization-induced nonspecific cellular effector . While no significant effect of immunization on granulocyte counts in peripheral blood was demonstrated, studies of phagocytosis performed with peritoneal mononuclear cells suggest that the macrophage may be the immunization-induced, nonspecific cellular effector.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S957 - 62
Immunologic basis for mouse protection provided by high-molecular-weight polysaccharide from immunotype 1 Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Markham RB et al.; Antibody responses were assayed in inbred strains of mice immunized with a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide (IT-1 PS) isolated from Fisher immunotype 1 Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P . aeruginosa 1) . C3H/ANF mice generated the greatest antibody response after immunization with 1 microgram of antigen and could then survive challenge with 5 LD100 of P . aeruginosa 1 organisms . BALB/c mice produced lower levels of antibody and did so only after immunization with 50 micrograms of IT-1 PS . These mice could only withstand challenge with 1 LD100 of P . aeruginosa 1 . The specificity of the antibody produced by these two strains differed . Antibody produced in C3H/ANF mice after primary immunization with either 1 microgram or 50 micrograms of IT-1 PS did not cross-react with other immunotypes of P . aeruginosa . Antibody produced in BALB/c mice after a primary immunization with 50 micrograms of IT-1 PS cross-reacted with polysaccharide isolated from Fisher immunotype 2 P . aeruginosa . These data indicate that, even within the same species, antibody responses to immunization with P . aeruginosa IT-1 PS may be qualitatively different . This kind of variation in immune response patterns will have to be considered in developing optimal regimens for immunization in human vaccine trials.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S931 - 5
Pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ocular diseases; Kreger AS; The gram-negative opportunistic bacterial pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is an important etiologic agent of a variety of infectious diseases affecting the eye and surrounding tissues . The number of clinical studies and studies with mouse, guinea pig, and rabbit models of Pseudomonas-induced ocular disease has increased markedly in recent years, and this research has led to our improved understanding of factors relating to the pathogenesis and management of the diseases . Factors that predispose to ocular infections with P . aeruginosa include (1) trauma to the cornea with, or implantation of, foreign bodies or substances contaminated with the bacteria; (2) the presence of preexisting ocular disease; (3) immunosuppressive chemotherapy; and (4) presumed immunoincompetency in premature infants . The results of studies with animal models support the idea that the severe corneal damage that occurs during pseudomonas keratitis is caused by the production of bacterial enzymes and toxins that injure or kill the cellular components and/or degrade the extracellular matrix of the cornea and by bacterial product-mediated release or activation of cornea-degrading enzymes from corneal cells and/or from polymorphonuclear leukocytes infiltrating the infected cornea.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S922 - 30
Immunization of burned patients against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection at Safdarjang Hospital, New Delhi; Roe EA et al.; Patients (746) aged one to 60 years admitted to Safdarjang Hospital with full skin-thickness burns over 5%-70% of their body surface were randomly allocated to a group in a controlled clinical trial in which polyvalent pseudomonas vaccine (PEV-01), antipseudomonas human immunoglobulin, pseudomonas vaccine and immunoglobulin, or no immunologic prophylaxis was administered . The mortality rate for 297 patients immunized with PEV-01 was reduced fourfold in adults and more than twofold in children as compared with that for the 263 patients who received no immunoprophylaxis . Children particularly benefited from prophylaxis with immunoglobulin; the mortality rate for children who received PEV-01 was more than twofold less than that for a control group of unimmunized children . In both children and adults, immunoprophylaxis with PEV-01 plus immunoglobulin was less effective in reducing mortality than was PEV-01 or immunoglobulin administered alone . Antibodies measured by passive hemagglutination and by passive protection tests failed to correlate with one another, but all three immunologic regimens enhanced the bactericidal capacity of whole blood against Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Klebsiella pneumoniae emerged as the dominant gram-negative bacterial species causing bacteremia in patients receiving immunoprophylaxis against P . aeruginosa.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S880 - 8
Influence of nutrient limitation of growth on stability and production of virulence factors of mucoid and nonmucoid strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Ombaka EA et al.; The stability of and production of extracellular virulence factors by mucoid (M7) and nonmucoid (wild-type) strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were studied in batch culture and in chemostats . Chemostat cultures were nutrient limited by iron, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, and sulfur at various growth rates . Both M7 and wild-type strains were relatively stable in simple salts media . The wild type gave rise to one variant and M7, to several . M7 was most stable under iron limitation . Chemostat production of extracellular polysaccharide, protease, elastase, lipase, and phospholipase C all varied in a complex manner with growth conditions.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S874 - 9
Heterogeneity and reduction in pulmonary clearance of mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Govan JR et al.; Mucoid, alginate-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from patients with cystic fibrosis were studied to determine the extent of heterogeneity of the isolates within individual sputa . Considerable heterogeneity involving cultural requirements for mucoid colonial growth was observed, and sensitivity to the beta-lactam antibiotic carbenicillin was also variable . For determining if the presence of alginate increased pulmonary survival of the bacteria, groups of rats were infected by transtracheal instillations of equivalent numbers of mucoid or nonmucoid P . aeruginosa, and survival was measured as the percentage of inoculum colony-forming units cultured from lung homogenates . Increased pulmonary survival of mucoid P . aeruginosa was observed in animals killed 3 hr or 6 hr after infection with unwashed bacteria . No difference in survival between mucoid and nonmucoid cells was observed when bacteria were washed prior to instillation . It was concluded that a single mucoid colony isolated from a sputum does not fully represent the population of mucoid P . aeruginosa within the patient and that pulmonary killing of mucoid P . aeruginosa can be less efficient than that for nonmucoid strains.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S867 - 73
The role of the microcolony mode of growth in the pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections; Costerton JW et al.; In nature Pseudomonas aeruginosa grows in two modes, the mobile "swarmer" cell and the glycocalyx-enclosed microcolony . The microcolony mode is numerically dominant perhaps because it provides adhesion in a favorable niche and protection from bacteriophages and phagocytic predators . When this organism colonizes the compromised human host, a broad spectrum of different types of infection is produced, ranging from asymptomatic persistent cystitis to the overwhelming bacteremia seen in neutropenic patients . These infections differ radically both in their degree of toxicity and invasiveness and in their susceptibility to control with specific antibodies and/or antibiotics . These differences may reflect the degree to which intact host defense mechanisms force the bacteria to adopt the defensive, microcolony mode of growth . As examples, the nearly intact host defense mechanisms and vigorous immune response of patients with cystic fibrosis force P . aeruginosa in pulmonary infections into a demonstrably cryptic, microcolony mode of growth that allows its persistence in the face of specific antibodies and antibiotics but limits its toxic activity and its dissemination . In contrast, the ruined defense mechanisms of burned skin allow the spread of bacteria in the mobile mode; toxic effects are seen in neighboring tissues, and a mixed mobile-microcolony reservoir population, whose mobile members can subsequently invade the circulatory system, is built up in the burned tissue . Thus, it is important to define the mode of bacterial growth in each type of P . aeruginosa infection and, where the microcolony mode is predominant, to understand the chemistry of the enveloping exopolysaccharide in order to limit its synthesis and/or facilitate its penetration by antibodies and antibiotics.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S852 - 7
Efficacy of cell wall Pseudomonas aeruginosa vaccines for protection against experimental pneumonia; Pennington JE et al.; Three cell wall-derived Pseudomonas aeruginosa vaccines were evaluated for their capacity to provide protection from experimental pseudomonas pneumonia in guinea pigs . Two vaccines, Pseudogen, a heptavalent lipopolysaccharide vaccine, and PEV-01, a polyvalent glycine-EDTA cell wall extract, each produced hemagglutinating, opsonic, and serum bactericidal antibodies in guinea pigs . Significant protection from fatal hemorrhagic pneumonia was conferred by vaccination with these products . Purified, high-molecular weight polysaccharide vaccine was a less potent immunogen in guinea pigs and provided less protection from pneumonia . Protection from fatal pneumonia in vaccinees correlated with more rapid clearance of viable P . aeruginosa from lung tissue during the first 6 hr of infection . It appears that active immunization with certain cell wall-derived pseudomonas antigens can provide protection against experimental pseudomonas pneumonia.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S846 - 51
Factors influencing the adherence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to mammalian buccal epithelial cells; Woods DE et al.; A correlation has previously been demonstrated between the in vitro adherence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to upper respiratory tract epithelium of seriously ill patients and subsequent colonization of the respiratory tract by this opportunistic pathogen . Although the specific in vivo alterations in the cell surface that permit the adherence of P . aeruginosa have not been defined, we have demonstrated that P . aeruginosa adherence in vitro can be correlated with the loss of a protease-sensitive glycoprotein, fibronectin, from cell surface . The object of these studies was to correlate in vitro adherence of P . aeruginosa to buccal epithelial cells from patients with the levels of cell-surface fibronectin and of salivary proteases from the same patients, as well as to define the structure(s) on the bacterial surface important in the adherence process . A direct radioimmuno-binding assay was developed to measure cell-surface fibronectin, while protease activity in secretions was measured by 125I release from 125I-labelled insoluble fibrin matrices . Adherence of radiolabeled P . aeruginosa was directly related to decreased amounts of cell-surface fibronectin (P less than .001) and increased levels of salivary protease (P less than .001) . Additionally, we demonstrated that pili may mediate the adherence of P . aeruginosa to buccal cells . This was shown by the ability of purified pili, when preincubated with buccal cells, to decrease the adherence of intact organisms from a mean of 30.6 organisms/cell to 5.7 organisms/cell (P less than .01).

Genetika, 1983 Nov, 19(11), 1760 - 8
{Use of deletion mutants of plasmid RP4::D3112 for the genetic analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteriophage D3112}; Ianenko AS et al.; The hybrid plasmid RP4::D3112 becomes unstable in Escherichia coli K-12 cells under certain growth conditions . The deletion mutants of this plasmid are formed at a high frequency . All the deletions selected have a specific feature: they start in the left end, at the point of joining of plasmid and phage DNA, and remove different portions of the phage genome . The deletion mutants have been used for genetic mapping of D3112 . We have localized the repressor gene cI (0-1.3 kb), 3 early genes (1.3-14.2 kb) and two groups of late genes (14.2-29.9 and 29.9-38 kb) . Electron microscope studies of RP4::D3112 DNA and its deletion derivatives have shown that integration of D3112 genome in RP4 occurs through the ends of the genome, without permutations . It appears that bacterial nucleotide sequences joined to DNA from mature D3112 particles, to the right end of D3112 genome, are lost . Thus, transposable phages D3112 of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E . coli Mu phage have some similarities in the genome organization and in the way of their integration into the host DNA.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1983 Nov, 46(5), 1239 - 42
Metabolism of 7,12-dimethylbenz{a}anthracene by Cunninghamella elegans; Wong LK et al.; The metabolites of 7,12-dimethylbenz{a}anthracene (DMBA), a carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, in cultures of Cunninghamella elegans were isolated by high-pressure liquid chromatography and characterized by UV spectroscopy and mass spectrometry . The major metabolites were DMBA-trans-8,9-dihydrodiol and DMBA-trans-3,4-dihydrodiol . The 7-hydroxymethyl and the 12-hydroxymethyl derivatives of these dihydrodiol metabolites were also formed . The metabolic profile described in this report contrasts with those obtained in our earlier experiments in which the incubation of DMBA with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Penicillium notatum produced no dihydrodiol metabolites but only methyl-hydroxylated metabolites.

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1983 Nov, 49(4-5), 501 - 8
Catabolite repression and nitrogen control of allantoin-degrading enzymes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Janssen DB et al.; The formation of the allantoin-degrading enzymes allantoinase, allantoicase and ureidoglycolase in Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to be regulated by induction, catabolite repression and nitrogen control . Induction was observed when urate, allantoin or allantoate were included in the growth medium, but not with ureidoglycolate . Tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates exerted catabolite repression of the synthesis of the three enzymes, while pyruvate and glucose caused less repression . The operation of a nitrogen control mechanism in the regulation of the allantoin-degrading enzymes could be demonstrated with glutamine synthetase-negative mutants, which showed elevated synthesis and escape from catabolite repression when growth was limited for glutamine.

J Med Microbiol, 1983 Nov, 16(4), 401 - 8
Bactericidal activity of serum from cystic fibrosis patients for Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Penketh AR et al.; The bactericidal action of serum from 61 adult patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) against autologous and heterologous strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been studied . CF serum had a similar bactericidal action to normal human serum (NHS) against a reference panel of strains . Six CF sera had a selective inability to kill autologous strains of pseudomonas, which were sensitive to NHS and to sera from other CF patients . The six sera had normal levels of complement and immunoglobulin and were bactericidal to other strains . A titratable blocking factor was present in these sera and it interfered with the bactericidal action of NHS on the appropriate strain . This factor was present in the IgG-containing fractions of serum obtained by ion-exchange chromatography, but was not removed from the serum by absorption with the pseudomonas strain . Some CF sera may fail to kill sensitive strains of pseudomonas because of the development of a blocking IgG antibody against naturally occurring bactericidal IgM antibody.

Infect Immun, 1983 Nov, 42(2), 574 - 8
Interaction of a rat lung lectin with the exopolysaccharides of Pseudomonas aeruginosa; McArthur HA et al.; The specific interaction between the exopolysaccharide purified from a number of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from cystic fibrosis patients and a rat lung heparin-lectin was assayed . The polysaccharide prepared from Homma serotypes M, B, I, and G did not act as hapten inhibitors of lectin activity, whereas the polymers prepared from ca . 80% of strains that did not type with Homma serum did act as hapten inhibitors . Inhibition was shown not to be due to lipopolysaccharide . The infrared spectrums of both inhibitory and noninhibitory polymers appeared very similar, although small amounts of glucose and an unidentified amino sugar were found only in the nontypable strains . This evidence suggests that rat lung lectin recognizes and distinguishes a specific type of alginate-like polymer prevalent on the Homma nontypable P . aeruginosa.

J Bacteriol, 1983 Nov, 156(2), 695 - 702
Mechanism of protein excretion by gram-negative bacteria: Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A; Lory S et al.; Excretion of proteins by a cell with a double membrane may involve mechanisms different from secretion across a single membrane . We studied this problem with Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A . This 68,000-dalton protein was released as rapidly as it was completed; even after short pulse-labeling the cells contained neither the toxin nor a larger precursor . Excretion is evidently cotranslational, since in fractionated lysates the toxin was formed (almost entirely in the mature form) by the membrane-polysome complexes but not by the free polysomes . When the membrane was perturbed by 10% ethanol, the cells stopped excreting the toxin and they accumulated an immunoprecipitable, enzymatically active precursor of 71,000 daltons . The precursor was located entirely in the outer membrane on its outer surface . On removal of the ethanol, the cells again excreted mature toxin, but they did not process or release the previously accumulated precursor . Based on these data, a model for the excretion of exotoxin A is presented.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S889 - 97
Current approach to prevention and treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in burned patients; Pruitt BA Jr et al.; The extensively burned or severely injured patient is at increased risk of wound infection as well as of infection of other organs as a result of various degrees of impairment of host defense mechanisms . The incidence of burn wound and other infections increases as the severity of injury increases . The ease with which gram-negative, opportunistic organisms, especially Pseudomonas aeruginosa of either endogenous or exogenous origin, can colonize and invade the immunosuppressed patient demands an active infection-surveillance program . Topical therapy for burn wounds with any of three available agents has significantly reduced the occurrence of invasive pseudomonas burn-wound sepsis, but none of the agents sterilize the burn wound, and the microbial flora of the burns of any given patient may escape from control and invade viable tissue . Clinical identification and biopsy confirmation of invasive burn-wound sepsis necessitates changes in both wound and general care, with surgical and antibiotic treatment guided by the extent and depth of wound invasion . Immunologic prophylaxis and treatment of pseudomonas infections, although attractive, remain of unverified clinical effectiveness . Effective treatment of pseudomonas septicemia secondary to invasive burn-wound sepsis and of pseudomonas infections in other organs is dependent on early diagnosis, appropriate antibiotic therapy guided by sensitivity testing, and adequate surgical intervention when required.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S858 - 66
Effectiveness of immunization with multicomponent vaccines in protection against hemorrhagic pneumonia due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in mink; Homma JY et al.; The effectiveness of immunizing mink with a new multicomponent vaccine consisting of the common protective antigen (OEP) and toxoids of protease and elastase on experimental as well as epidemic hemorrhagic pneumonia due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated . This vaccine was compared with a single-component vaccine, consisting of OEP alone, for determination of its effectiveness in immunizing mink . The multicomponent vaccine was significantly more effective than the single-component vaccine . One vaccination with 100 micrograms each of OEP and toxoids of protease and elastase prevented an epidemic in mink of hemorrhagic pneumonia due to P . aeruginosa.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S837 - 45
Nosocomial infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa: review of recent trends; Cross A et al.; The role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in nosocomial infections occurring since 1975 is reviewed . Data from the National Nosocomial Infections Study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, from individual medical centers, and from the literature were used to compare the relative frequency of occurrence of nosocomial infection caused by P . aeruginosa with that of infection caused by other gram-negative bacilli . The relative frequency of P . aeruginosa as a nosocomial pathogen has increased, although wide variations are seen among individual medical centers . P . aeruginosa continues to be a major pathogen among patients with immunosuppression, cystic fibrosis, malignancy, and trauma . While Staphylococcus aureus has become the predominant pathogen in some large burn centers, P . aeruginosa is the most important gram-negative pathogen . Periodic review of the epidemiology of P . aeruginosa infection is warranted in view of the changing incidence of infection caused by this organism.

Pharmacotherapy, 1983 Nov-Dec, 3(6), 305 - 15
Netilmicin sulfate: a comparative evaluation of antimicrobial activity, pharmacokinetics, adverse reactions and clinical efficacy; Craig WA et al.; Netilmicin, the 1-N-ethyl derivative of sisomicin, is a new aminoglycoside antibiotic that was recently marketed in the United States . Its role in therapeutics is not yet established . The pharmacokinetic profile of netilmicin is very similar to that of gentamicin . Its antimicrobial spectrum and clinical efficacy is similar to that of gentamicin, tobramycin and amikacin . It is less active in vitro against Pseudomonas aeruginosa that gentamicin and tobramycin, but in clinical trials the efficacy of netilmicin against the organism has been similar to other aminoglycosides . Netilmicin is active against some gentamicin and tobramycin-resistant strains of gram-negative bacilli, particularly those harboring adenylating and phosphorylation enzymes . Most of these strains are sensitive to amikacin as well, and amikacin is also active against most netilmicin-resistant strains of these bacteria . Therefore, amikacin remains the aminoglycoside of choice against gentamicin tobramycin and netilmicin-resistant gram-negative bacilli . In comparison to other currently available aminoglycosides, a lower frequency of nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity has been observed in laboratory animals given netilmicin . This has not been unequivocally demonstrated in humans . The frequency of nephrotoxicity in humans has been similar to that of other aminoglycosides . The frequency of ototoxicity associated with netilmicin in humans has been low but not significantly less than in other aminoglycosides, except in one trial . If further studies document a significantly lower frequency of ototoxicity with netilmicin, it may become the aminoglycoside of choice for patients with significant risk factors for ototoxicity, such as advanced age, renal impairment, concomitant ototoxic drug therapy and prolonged aminoglycoside administration.

Biochem J, 1983 Nov 1, 215(2), 303 - 16
The optical properties of CuA in bovine cytochrome c oxidase determined by low-temperature magnetic-circular-dichroism spectroscopy; Greenwood C et al.; The visible-near-i.r.-region m.c.d . (magnetic-circular-dichroism) spectrum recorded at low temperature in the range 450-900 nm is reported for oxidized resting mammalian cytochrome c oxidase . M.c.d . magnetization curves determined at different wavelengths reveal the presence of two paramagnetic species . Curves at 576, 613 and 640 nm fit well to those expected for an x,y-polarized haem transition with g values of 3.03, 2.21 and 1.45, i.e . cytochrome a3+ . The m.c.d . features at 515, 785 and 817 nm magnetize as a S = 1/2 paramagnet with average g values close to 2, and simulated m.c.d . magnetization curves obtained by using the observed g values of CuA2+, i.e . 2.18, 2.03 and 1.99, fit well to the experimental observations . The form of the m.c.d . magnetization curve at 466 nm is curious, but it can be explained if CuA2+ and cytochrome a3+ contribute with oppositely signed bands at this wavelength . By comparing the m.c.d . spectrum of the enzyme with that of extracted haem a-bisimidazole complex it has been possible to deconvolute the m.c.d . spectrum of CuA2+, which shows transitions throughout the spectral region from 450 to 950 nm . The m.c.d.-spectral properties of CuA2+ were compared with those of a well-defined type I blue copper centre in azurin isolated from Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The absolute intensities of the m.c.d . signals at equal fields and temperatures for CuA2+ are 10-20-fold greater than those for azurin . The optical spectrum of CuA2+ strongly suggests an assignment as a d9 ion rather than Cu(I) bound to a thiyl radical.

J Bacteriol, 1983 Nov, 156(2), 559 - 66
Secretion by Pseudomonas aeruginosa: fate of a cloned gram-positive lipoprotein deletion mutant; Nielsen JB et al.; In gram-positive organisms, glyceride-cysteine thioether lipoproteins are frequently associated with secretion . They constitute membrane-bound forms retained by the cell but releasable late in growth phase . Most gram-negative organisms secrete very few proteins to the culture fluid; thioether lipoproteins in such organisms, typified by the enteric bacterium Escherichia coli, are integral outer membrane components for the most part . Unusual among gram-negative organisms, however, are Pseudomonas strains, known for extracellular export of a number of proteins . To examine whether a fundamental difference exists between the processing of lipoproteins in Pseudomonas strains and in nonsecretory gram-negative organisms, we examined the fate in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E . coli of a cloned gram-positive secretory lipoprotein, Bacillus licheniformis penicillinase . A nonlipoprotein deletion mutant of the same gene was also examined in P . aeruginosa, and its processing was compared with that in E . coli . No important differences were found between P . aeruginosa and E . coli for either the lipoprotein or its deletion mutant . Thus, the contrast in secretory abilities of the two organisms does not appear to result from a difference in their general secretory systems.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S950 - 6
Immunochemistry of Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharides and high-molecular-weight polysaccharides; Pier GB; A comparison was made of the immunochemical properties of high-molecular-weight polysaccharide (PS) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa immunotype 1 and 2 (IT-1 and IT-2) strains . High-molecular-weight PS was found to be an immunogenic, nontoxic form of the LPS serotype determinant found on the O side chain of the LPS . PS and O side chains were serologically identical . Immunization of animals with either whole bacterial cells or purified PS or LPS resulted in comparable levels of antibody directed at PS or O side chains . Chemical analysis of PS and LPS indicated the presence of monosaccharides in PS preparations that are not present in LPS, while PS and LPS share other monosaccharides . PS also lacks core-type sugars found in LPS such as 2-keto-3-deoxyoctulosonic acid, heptose, and glucosamine . PS from IT-1 P . aeruginosa is immunogenic in humans, with essentially no toxicity noted.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Nov-Dec, 5 Suppl 5, S914 - 21
Experimental studies of the pathogenesis of infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa: effect of treatment with protease inhibitors; Holder IA; Data are presented showing that treatment of burned, Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected mice with the protease inhibitor alpha 2-macroglobulin but not treatment with phosphoramidon enhanced survival . Treatment with alpha 2-macroglobulin caused reductions in bacterial counts in the skin and livers of infected mice and also protected liver elongation factor 2 . Similar results were observed when human IgG was used for treatment . The protective effect of the IgG treatment was probably due to the presence of opsonizing antibodies in the preparation . The protective capacity of the IgG could be removed by its adsorption with heat-killed cells of the strain used for infecting the mice . The protection afforded by alpha 2-macroglobulin was not due to the presence of opsonizing antibodies in the preparation used . It appeared to be due to inhibition of the proteolytic, not the elastolytic, activities of alkaline protease and elastase elaborated by the organisms growing in the burned skin tissue . Proteolytic activities of these enzymes appeared to serve as virulence factors in P . aeruginosa by decreasing the generation time in vivo of the microorganisms growing in the burned skin tissue and by allowing the organisms to spread from this local site into the systemic circulation . Treatment of pseudomonas infections of burn wounds with protease inhibitors may serve as an alternative to antibiotic treatment and/or immunotherapy.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1983 Oct 26, 735(1), 137 - 44
Modification of the conductance, selectivity and concentration-dependent saturation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa protein P channels by chemical acetylation; Hancock RE et al.; Protein P, an anion-specific channel-forming protein from the outer membrane of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was chemically modified by acetylation and syccinylation of its accessible amino groups . The chemically modified protein retained its ability to form oligomers on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels, whereas only the acetylated protein formed channels in reconstitution experiments with lipid bilayers . Acetylated protein P demonstrated a substantially reduced mean single channel conductance (25 pS at 1 M KCl) compared to the native protein P channels (250 pS at 1 M KCl) when reconstituted into black lipid bilayer membranes . The homogeneous size distribution of single-channel conductances suggested that all of the protein P molecules had been acetylated . Zero-current potential measurements demonstrated that the acetylated protein P channel was only weakly selective for anions and allowed the permeation of cations, in contrast to the native protein P channels, which were more than 100-fold selective for anions over cations . The dependence of conductance on salt concentration was changed upon acetylation, in that acetylated protein P demonstrated a linear concentration-conductance relationship, whereas native protein P channels became saturated at high salt concentrations . These data strongly suggested that the basis of anion selectivity for native protein P channels is fixed amino groups . In agreement with this, we could demonstrate a 2.5-fold decrease in single-channel conductance between pH 7 and pH 9, between which pH values the epsilon-amino groups of amino acids would start to become deprotonated . Two alternative schemes for the topography of the protein P channel and localization of the fixed amino groups are presented and discussed.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Oct, 24(4), 468 - 73
Pharmacokinetics of aztreonam in rabbit eyes; Barza M et al.; Subconjunctival injection of 100 mg of aztreonam in rabbits with Pseudomonas aeruginosa endophthalmitis produced transiently high antibiotic concentrations in most intraocular sites . Concentrations of approximately 2.5 micrograms/ml were achieved in the vitreous humor 15 min after injection and persisted for 6 h . Repeated intramuscular injections in dosages of 25 mg/kg every 4 h resulted in drug concentrations in the vitreous humor of 2.4 micrograms/ml in infected eyes . These levels might be adequate for the treatment of intraocular infections caused by highly susceptible organisms . Direct intravitreal injection of 100 micrograms of aztreonam in normal rabbit eyes produced an estimated peak concentration in the vitreous humor of 62 micrograms/ml, with a half-life of 7.5 h, which declined to 6 micrograms/ml by 48 h . The pharmacokinetic indices suggest that, like other beta-lactam antibiotics, aztreonam is eliminated from the vitreous humor by the retinal route . This novel antibiotic warrants further study of its efficacy and toxicity to determine whether it may be a useful alternative to the aminoglycosides for selected cases of ocular infection.

Rontgenblatter, 1983 Oct, 36(10), 336 - 41
{Sonographic image of intrarenal and intra-arterial fungus thrombi in a newborn infant with Candida infection}; Reither M et al.; Shortly after birth a preterm infant suffering from aspiration syndrome and subsequent Pseudomonas aeruginosa sepsis showed signs of renal insufficiency and mycotic infection: Yeast cells were identified in several urinalyses; there was also an increasing anti-Candida IgM antibody titer . At the same time sonographic examinations revealed an increasing echogenicity of the renal cortex and echogenic masses of variable size which did not cause acoustic shadows in both enlarged kidneys . A few days later, we found a right-sided hydronephrosis caused by an intraureteric prevesical mass of equal echogenicity . As we could observe sonographically, the aggressive antimycotic therapy was successful . Eleven weeks later there were signs of cardiac insufficiency . An angiographically demonstrated filling defect within the pulmonary artery showed the same sonographic findings as the previously found intrarenal masses . The baby underwent embolectomy and recovered . The thrombotic material contained yeast cells giving evidence of systemic Candidiasis . Provided appropriate equipment is available, ultrasound today is an excellent non-invasive screening and follow-up method not only for echoencephalography, but also for more complicated neonatal problems as seen here . The detailed observation of a changing echogenicity of the renal cortex and pelvis is important and often allows a decisive diagnostic clue before other radiological methods become conclusive.

Arch Ophthalmol, 1983 Oct, 101(10), 1549 - 50
Pseudomonas corneal ulcer with extended-wear soft contact lenses for myopia; Hassman G et al.; Extended-wear soft contact lenses for myopic correction are becoming a more frequent alternative to spectacles . The risk of corneal ulceration with their use exists . In our patient, a 29-year-old woman, a severe Pseudomonas aeruginosa corneal ulcer developed after the use of extended-wear contact lenses for myopia.

Arch Ophthalmol, 1983 Oct, 101(10), 1545 - 8
Demographic and predisposing factors in corneal ulceration; Musch DC et al.; We identified 224 patients hospitalized with corneal ulcerations at the University of Michigan Hospitals, Ann Arbor, between May 1975 and September 1981, and performed a chart review on a random sample of these cases . Bimodality in the patients' age distribution was attributed to nonsurgical ocular trauma in the younger group, and predisposing keratitis, surgical trauma, bullous keratopathy, and entropion in the older group . Bacterial and postherpetic causes accounted for 52 (52%) of the sampled cases . Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were the major isolates . Important predisposing factors included nonsurgical and surgical trauma, herpetic keratitis, contact lens wear, corticosteroid therapy, and bullous keratopathy . Both age and visual acuity on admission had prognostic implications for improvement in visual acuity after treatment.

Genetika, 1983 Oct, 19(10), 1604 - 10
{Multiplicity of the integration sites of Mu-like bacteriophages into Pseudomonas aeruginosa chromosome and plasmids}; Plotnikova TG et al.; It has been shown that D3112 prophage can be integrated into different chromosomal sites of Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The other Mu-like phages (B3, B39, PM69) are capable to insert their genomes during infection process into the plasmids RPL11, RMS148, RMS163 . Their integration is occasionally accompanied by formation of mutations in plasmid genes . The certain types of auxotrophic and morphological mutants (thi, met, pigmented, met - pigmented) can be found at a frequency about 10% among survivors after a long (48 h) incubation at 42 degrees C of PAO (D3112cts15) or PAO (B39cts1) lysogens . The spectrum of mutants might depend on the time of heat induction . After a short exposure (10-20 min), arg and pigmented mutants can be found . Accumulation of certain kinds of mutants after heat induction is quite a specific phenomenon for Mu-like phages; heat induction of PAO (F116ts245) does not lead to selection of these specific bacterial mutants (F116 is unrelated to Mu-like phages and has extrachromosomal location).

Can J Genet Cytol, 1983 Oct, 25(5), 518 - 23
Isolation of multiple mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa capable of efficient thymine salvage; Potter AA et al.; Mutants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain 1 which incorporate relatively large amounts of thymine into their DNA were isolated . Three steps were required to produce this phenotype . First, strains constitutive for thymine uptake and catabolism were isolated, followed by selection for mutants which could not catabolize thymine . The double mutant was then used to isolate a strain exhibiting greater sensitivity to the thymine analog 5-bromouracil . Efficient DNA-specific pulse labelling with isotopic thymine was successfully carried out with this strain.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Oct, 12(4), 363 - 70
Reduced sensitivity to beta-lactam antibiotics arising during ceftazidime treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections; King A et al.; Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from two patients with empyema and one with bronchopneumonia became less sensitive after treatment with ceftazidime, while Ps . aeruginosa persisted in a patient with an infected compound fracture of the tibia treated with ceftazidime but did not become less sensitive . The reduction in sensitivity to ceftazidime, which was small, was accompanied by resistance to azlocillin but there are little reduction in sensitivity to carbenicillin . The resistant strains produced increased amounts of the chromosomally-mediated cephalosporinase produced by most isolates of Ps . aeruginosa . Variants with reduced sensitivity to ceftazidime, which resembled those that developed in vivo, were selected in vitro from each of the initial ceftazidime-sensitive isolates.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Oct, 12(4), 337 - 45
Cefoperazone against carbenicillin-resistant isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: comparison with other newer cephalosporins and N-formimidoyl thienamycin; Chau PY et al.; The in-vitro activities of cefoperazone, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, latamoxef (moxalactam), ceftazidime and N-formimidoyl-thienamycin (N-f-thienamycin) were compared against clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that were resistant to carbenicillin and gentamicin, or against those which were susceptible . N-f-thienamycin and ceftazidime were more active than cefotaxime, ceftriaxone and latamoxef only against carbenicillin-susceptible isolates: isolates resistant to carbenicillin exhibited markedly increased resistance to cefoperazone, but not to N-f-thienamycin or ceftazidime . A partial cross-resistance was observed between carbenicillin and cefoperazone . This was due to the presence in these Pseudomonas isolates of a plasmid-mediated beta-lactamase which was active against carbenicillin and cefoperazone but not against cefotaxime, ceftriazone and latamoxef.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1983 Oct, 36(10), 1329 - 35
Isolation and partial characterization of a cerulenin-sensitive mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Kawahara K et al.; Sensitivity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to cerulenin was first tested . The result indicated that this bacterium is resistant to cerulenin . Cerulenin-sensitive mutants were isolated from P . aeruginosa PML 1552 by 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine treatment and following carbenicillin plus D-cycloserine screening . Isolated mutants were designated CSM-1 to CSM-19, and some characters of CSM-19, which showed rapid growth almost as well as parent strain in the medium without cerulenin, were examined . The cell growth of CSM-19 was greatly inhibited by 50 micrograms/ml of cerulenin, but when the mixture of cellular fatty acids or both cis-vaccenic acid and palmitic acid were added to the medium, the growth was partially recovered . Incorporation of radioactivity into fatty acids from {1-14C}acetate was lowered by cerulenin . Those results mean that the fatty acid synthesis of CSM-19 was decreased by cerulenin . Although cellular fatty acid composition and amount were not notably different between CSM-19 and PML 1552, CSM-19 had less phosphatidylethanolamine, and more phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin than PML 1552 . CSM-19 was also supersensitive to several other antibiotics, especially to carbenicillin and tetracycline, when compared with PML 1552, although both strains showed identical sensitivity to D-cycloserine, polymyxin B, and chloramphenicol.

Eur J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Oct, 2(5), 439 - 44
Effect of azlocillin and piperacillin in subinhibitory and inhibitory concentrations on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in broth, in serum and in the presence of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes; Bassler M et al.; The bactericidal activity of azlocillin and piperacillin was tested at concentrations of 1/4 the MIC, the MIC and four-fold the MIC agents a serum-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and a serum-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain in broth, in serum and in the presence of leukocytes . The antibacterial activity of azlocillin and piperacillin in serum against Staphylococcus aureus was slightly better than in broth (p greater than 0.05); both compounds were distinctly less active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in serum than in broth (p less than 0.05) . Both antibiotics enhanced susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to leukocyte killing without serum (p less than 0.05), whereas leukocyte killing of Staphylococcus aureus was hardly improved even at the MIC and four-fold the MIC of both compounds . The antibacterial activity of azlocillin and piperacillin against both bacterial strains was most pronounced in the presence of leukocytes and serum . A marked bactericidal effect was achieved at 1/4 the MIC, the effect not being further significantly enhanced (p greater than 0.05) at the MIC or four-fold the MIC.

Arch Dis Child, 1983 Oct, 58(10), 824 - 6
In vitro assessment of combined antibiotic and mucolytic treatment for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis; Heaf DP et al.; The minimal inhibitory concentration of azlocillin for Pseudomonas aeruginosa is appreciably reduced when combined with the mucolytic agent mesna (Mistabron) because of an independent bacteriostatic effect of mesna . Bactericidal activity of azlocillin is unaltered by mesna . Mesna inhalations alone or combined with azlocillin may benefit cystic fibrosis patients with pseudomonas lung infections.

J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Oct, 18(4), 885 - 9
Routine aerobic terminal subculturing of blood cultures in a cancer hospital; Kiehn TE et al.; Routine terminal aerobic subcultures of macroscopically negative blood culture bottles were evaluated during a 15-month period when 30,000 blood cultures were processed . Each blood culture set consisted of a vented and an unvented 50-ml broth bottle . Forty-eight pathogens and 47 contaminants were isolated only from terminal subcultures . Twenty-two of the significant isolates were yeasts (usually recovered from vented bottles), and 10 were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (usually recovered from unvented bottles) . Blood cultures that were positive by terminal subculture provided clinically relevant information in many cases, whether other blood cultures were positive or not . Microbiology laboratories, particularly those in hospitals where yeasts and P . aeruginosa are commonly isolated from blood specimens, should evaluate carefully the need for terminal subcultures of blood culture bottles before abandoning their use.

Infect Immun, 1983 Oct, 42(1), 197 - 201
Longitudinal study of immune response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa antigens in cystic fibrosis; Doring G et al.; During a 10-year period, the clinical states of 10 cystic fibrosis patients were evaluated on the basis of monthly measurement of lung function and weight; serum antibody titers to alkaline protease and elastase and the number of precipitins to Pseudomonas aeruginosa standard antigen were determined by radioimmunoassay and crossed immunoelectrophoresis . Alkaline protease and elastase concentrations of the P . aeruginosa strains from the patients were measured in vitro . The immune response increased in nearly all patients after the onset of chronic P . aeruginosa lung infection over years, suggesting unimpaired production of these antigens during P . aeruginosa lung infection, whereas the clinical states declined . The mean time for immune response was 15 months for alkaline protease, 11 months for elastase, and 6 months for standard antigen.

Infect Immun, 1983 Oct, 42(1), 170 - 7
Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from patients with cystic fibrosis: a class of serum-sensitive, nontypable strains deficient in lipopolysaccharide O side chains; Hancock RE et al.; Twenty-six Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains from patients with cystic fibrosis were typed by the Fisher immunotyping scheme . Only 6 strains were agglutinated by a single typing serum, whereas 15 strains were agglutinated with more than one serum and 5 were not agglutinated by any serum . Neither the polyagglutinable nor the nonagglutinable strains were typable by hemagglutination inhibition or immunodiffusion, suggesting that these polyagglutinable strains did not express multiple serotype antigens, but were instead being agglutinated by antibody to nonserotype determinants . Four typable isolates were resistant to pooled normal human serum, whereas the 12 polyagglutinable and nonagglutinable isolates studied were very sensitive to normal human serum . The outer membranes of 16 strains were isolated and characterized . The data suggested, in general, strong conservation of outer membrane protein patterns . Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were purified by a new technique which allowed isolation of both rough and smooth LPS in high yields . Three of four typable, serum-resistant strains examined had amounts of smooth, O-antigen-containing LPS equivalent to our laboratory wild type, P . aeruginosa PAO1 strain H103 . In contrast, 10 of 12 polyagglutinable or nonagglutinable, serum-sensitive strains had very little or no smooth, O-antigen-containing LPS, and the other two contained less smooth LPS than our wild-type strain H103 . In agreement with this data, five independent, rough, LPS O-antigen-deficient mutants of strain H103 were nontypable and serum sensitive . We suggest that the LPS defects described here represent a significant new property of many P . aeruginosa strains associated with cystic fibrosis.

J Clin Oncol, 1983 Oct, 1(10), 597 - 603
Combination of amikacin and carbenicillin with or without cefazolin as empirical treatment of febrile neutropenic patients.The International Antimicrobial Therapy Project Group of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer; A randomized study comparing clinical efficacy and safety of thienamycin formamidine (MK0787)/renal dipeptidase inhibitor (MK0791) and cefazolin; Twenty-one hospitalized patients with infectious diseases were randomly assigned to receive either thienamycin formamidine/renal dipeptidase inhibitor or cefazolin . Infections treated included septicaemia, pneumonia, osteomyelitis, pyelonephritis, cellulitis and cutaneous abscesses . All eleven patients treated with thienamycin formamidine/renal dipeptidase inhibitor responded well to therapy . One of the ten patients treated with cefazolin developed a superinfection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Side effects detected were minor in both groups.

Eur J Respir Dis, 1983 Oct, 64(7), 524 - 33
B-lymphocyte function in cystic fibrosis; Sorensen RU et al.; The susceptibility of patients with cystic fibrosis to chronic, progressive bacterial pulmonary infections has not been adequately explained . We explored peripheral blood B-cell function in 21 cystic fibrosis patients and in normal controls . All patients were above 10 years of age, and chronically colonized with Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Spontaneous plaque-forming cells, which reflect B-cell differentiation into immunoglobulin-secreting cells in vivo, and plaque-forming cells formed after activation with pokeweed mitogen or staphylococci in vitro, were studied . Cystic fibrosis patients had significantly higher spontaneous plaque-forming cells than normal individuals . This difference was due to the increase of spontaneous plaque-forming cells than normal individuals . This difference was due to the increase of spontaneous plaque-forming cells in patients with less severe pulmonary disease, since patients with advanced pulmonary disease had numbers of circulating immunoglobulin-secreting cells, similar to normal individuals . Both groups of cystic-fibrosis patients have a significant impairment of B-cell differentiation in response to polyclonal activation in vitro . This functional abnormality could not be explained by the presence of increased numbers of adherent suppressor cells, or by the presence of increased suppression by T-lymphocytes . The implications of our data for the increased susceptibility to infection and for the development of antibody-mediated hypersensitivity reactions are discussed.

Jpn J Antibiot, 1983 Oct, 36(10), 2742 - 9
{Experimental and clinical studies of cefotiam for the treatment of otorhinolaryngological infections}; Furuta S et al.; Basic and clinical studies on cefotiam (CTM) for the infectious diseases in otorhinolaryngological field were performed and the following results were obtained . The peak value in the serum level of CTM was 18.05 micrograms/ml by 0.5 g administration and 35.2 micrograms/ml by 1 g at 30 minutes after a single intravenous injection . CTM was rapidly excreted from the blood after injection and was detected a little amount in serum at 6 hours after the administration . Tissue concentrations of the drug into palatine tonsil and the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity or maxillary sinus were seen in relatively rapid and good manner . Chemotherapeutic results excepting Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections (3 cases) were excellent in 2 cases, good in 7 cases and poor in 3 cases of 12 patients with the infectious diseases in otorhinolaryngological field . No adverse effects and abnormal values in the laboratory findings were revealed in every patients.

Can J Microbiol, 1983 Oct, 29(10), 1344 - 9
Hydrogen cyanide production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa at reduced oxygen levels; Castric PA; Hydrogen cyanide production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa growing in a synthetic medium required aerobosis but operated efficiently at low dissolved oxygen concentration . Half maximum levels of cyanogenesis occurred at 0.015 microM oxygen; maximum cyanogenesis occurred over a wide range, 0.1-180 microM, of oxygen concentrations . These cells lost the ability to produce cyanide upon aerobic incubation in the absence of both the carbon energy source (L-glutamate) and the metabolic precursor of hydrogen cyanide (glycine) . This loss of cyanogenesis was dependent on oxygen concentration; 1.0 microM oxygen produced no detectable loss, whereas 180 microM oxygen caused a rapid decline in cyanogenic ability . The endogenous cyanide production rate of cells in the presence of carbon energy source was not significantly influenced by oxygen concentration . During the batch culture cycle, the acquisition of the ability to produce HCN was preceded by oxygen reduction to growth-limiting levels . Cells which had lost the ability to produce hydrogen cyanide by oxygen treatment required protein synthesis before they could again become cyanogenic.

J Gen Microbiol, 1983 Oct, 129 (Pt 10), 3085 - 90
The intracellular localization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa lectins; Glick J et al.; The localization of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa lectins (PA-I and PA-II) was studied using methods of osmotic shock, freezing and thawing and spheroplast formation . Very slight release of the two lectins occurred when P . aeruginosa was exposed to magnesium-osmotic shock or was frozen and thawed . Under these conditions, release of the periplasmic 5'-nucleotidase occurred, whereas no release of cytoplasmic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was detected . Formation of spheroplasts from P . aeruginosa by gradual removal of the bacterial envelopes revealed low lectin activity in the treatment fluids . Osmotic shock treatment of the lysozyme treated mureinoplasts resulted in low release of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and the two lectins (10-13%) and a considerable activity (38.4%) of 5'-nucleotidase . The presence of the lectins on the outer and the cytoplasmic membranes enabled intact cells and spheroplasts of P . aeruginosa to agglutinate papain-treated human erythrocytes . These results indicate that the two lectins are located mainly in the cytoplasm with small fractions on the cytoplasmic and outer membranes and in the periplasmic space.

Eur J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Oct, 2(5), 489 - 95
In vitro and in vivo synergy between ceftriaxone and aminoglycosides against Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Angehrn P; The antibacterial interaction between ceftriaxone and the aminoglycosides tobramycin, gentamicin and amikacin against pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated in vitro and in experimental systemic infections of the mouse . In vitro synergy was observed in 70% of the strains with tobramycin, 67.5% with gentamicin, and 77.5% with amikacin . Synergistic bactericidal activity was demonstrated with all three aminoglycosides in combination with ceftriaxone . In line with these in vitro results, synergism against most isolates also occurred in mice . In leukopenic mice, the addition of ceftriaxone resulted in a more than 2.5-fold reduction of the aminoglycoside dose necessary for antiinfective protection, although ceftriaxone alone was only marginally active against the pathogen used in immunocompromised animals.

J Bacteriol, 1983 Oct, 156(1), 58 - 61
Comparison of two methods of genetic exchange in determination of the genetic locus of the structural gene for Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase; Howe TR et al.; A mutation, lasA1, that results in the synthesis of enzymatically inactive elastase protein was mapped by R68.45 plasmid-mediated conjugation and transposon-facilitated recombination to ca . 75 min on the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO chromosome . Since immunologically cross-reactive material is produced, the mutation presumably arose within the elastase structural gene.

J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Oct, 18(4), 988 - 91
Multicenter evaluation of the proposed quality control limits and interpretive zone standards for in vitro susceptibility testing with norfloxacin; Shungu DL et al.; A seven-center collaborative study was carried out to evaluate the in vitro performance of the 10 micrograms norfloxacin disks on the basis of previously proposed interpretive susceptibility zone standards and quality control parameters . Of 7,858 clinical isolates tested, 93.2, 4.9, and 1.9% fell into the susceptible, moderately susceptible, and resistant groups, respectively . The quality control data based on a total of 1,368 zone diameter measurements compared quite favorably with the proposed performance limits as follows: Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, 28 to 35 mm versus 28 to 36 mm; Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, 21 to 29 mm versus 17 to 29 mm; and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, 23 to 27 mm versus 22 to 29 mm.

Infect Immun, 1983 Oct, 42(1), 88 - 98
Immunogenicity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane antigens examined by crossed immunoelectrophoresis; Lam JS et al.; By crossed immunoelectrophoresis 36 different anode-migrating antigens were demonstrated in sonicated antigen preparations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa . We numbered these antigens to establish a reference precipitin pattern . Antigen no . 31 was identified as the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antigen, because it was found to be responsible for the O-group specificity and because it reacted with anti-LPS monoclonal antibodies and with Limulus amoebocyte lysate . Purified outer membrane proteins F (porin), H2, and I used as antigens formed precipitins with the reference antibodies, thus establishing their antigenicity . LPS that copurified with protein F and slightly contaminated protein H2 was detectable as an extra precipitin (antigen no . 31) . The use of monoclonal antibodies specific for smooth LPS and rough LPS revealed different antigenic determinants in the LPS molecule and suggested that antigen no . 5 could be the core region of the LPS which is equivalent to the rough LPS . Antibodies against these outer membrane antigens were detected in patients with chronic P . aeruginosa pneumonia and in patients with acute P . aeruginosa bacteremia . Antibodies with the same specificity were also found in rats chronically infected with P . aeruginosa 7 days postinfection . This demonstrates the surface accessibility and antigenic reactivity of outer membrane antigens.

Infect Immun, 1983 Oct, 42(1), 113 - 21
Mapping of the antigenic determinants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAK polar pili; Watts TH et al.; The polar pili of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are flexible filaments 5.2 nm in diameter and 2.5 microns in average length . They consist of a single subunit, pilin, which is a 144-residue polypeptide containing a hydrophobic N-terminal region (residues 1 to 30) and eight hydrophilic regions distributed throughout the remainder of the molecule . To delineate the antigenic regions of pilin, we cleaved the protein at Arg30, Arg53, and Arg120 to produce peptides TCI (residues 1 to 30), TCII (31 to 53), TCIII (54 to 120), and TCIV (121 to 144) . TCIII and TCIV were further cleaved into several subfragments . The purified peptides were coupled to bovine serum albumin by using the N-hydroxysuccinimide ester of 4-azidobenzoic acid and were then subjected to immunological analysis, using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblot procedures with polyclonal antiserum . Four antigenic regions were identified; one in TCI was found to be common to both PAK and PAO pilin . The remaining three were found to be specific to PAK pilin . Two of these were subfragments of TCIII, whereas the third was located close to the C-terminus of the molecule, most likely between Cys129 and Cys142 . Modification of these cysteines by reduction and carboxymethylation of the disulfide linkage did not abolish the antigenicity of the C-terminal type-specific antigenic determinant.

J Bacteriol, 1983 Oct, 156(1), 429 - 33
A pair of regulatory isozymes for 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase is conserved within group I pseudomonads; Byng GS et al.; Two closely related subgroups of group I pseudomonads, which differ from one another in the overall enzymatic makeup of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis, possess in common the recently characterized major (tyrosine-sensitive) and minor (tryptophan-sensitive) isozymes of 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17) . Since these characterizations were made for strains whose phylogenetic positions have been determined by oligonucleotide cataloging, an initial perception of the evolution of aromatic pathway construction and regulation is emerging.

J Immunol Methods, 1983 Sep 30, 63(1), 103 - 14
Phagocytosis by polymorphonuclear leukocytes of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa adherent to plastic, agar, or glass; Lee DA et al.; Phagocytic cells may encounter bacteria in vivo that are stationary or adherent to a surface . In this study, recently developed in vitro techniques were adapted to evaluate the interaction of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) with adherent Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . By measuring the uptake of radiolabeled bacteria, we found that normal human PMN readily phagocytize these organisms when they are attached to plastic or when they are grown on the surface of nutrient agar . Bacteria adherent to glass elicited a chemiluminescent response, and such organisms were phagocytized and killed by PMN . Opsonization of S . aureus and P . aeruginosa was not required for surface phagocytosis, chemiluminescence, or killing . These new methods should allow evaluation of certain biological and clinical aspects of surface phagocytosis in host defense.

Dtsch Med Wochenschr, 1983 Sep 2, 108(35), 1312 - 7
{Monotherapy of systematic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections with ceftazidime . The causes of therapeutic failures}; Blaser J et al.; Ceftazidime, a new cephalosporin, is characterized by very good in-vitro action against P . aeruginosa . Nonetheless, clinical and (or) microbiological failure occurred in four patients with severe P . aeruginosa infections being treated with ceftazidime . Main cause infections being treated with ceftazidime . Main cause of the discrepancy between in-vitro and in-vivo results during treatment of three patients was a rapid drop in bacterial sensitivity . Superinfection with resistant microorganisms was excluded by the identity of the isolated bacteria in the different epidemiological markers before and during treatment . This rise in resistance was also demonstrated in-vitro by culturing clinically isolated material in ceftazidime-containing media: a 16-fold decrease in sensitivity was demonstrated within three subcultures . Increased beta-lactamase activity of the resistant strains makes it likely that enzymatic inactivation was part of the resistance mechanism . Good inducibility of beta-lactamases and absent resistance transfer argue for chromosomal localisation of the resistance . Because of the development of resistance, severe infections caused by P . aeruginosa should not be treated by ceftazidime alone . In order early to discover the development of resistance, microbiological samples should be taken periodically and examined for their sensitivity.

Infect Immun, 1983 Sep, 41(3), 1099 - 104
Virulence of different Pseudomonas species in a burned mouse model: tissue colonization by Pseudomonas cepacia; Stover GB et al.; The virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other pseudomonads was examined in a burned mouse model . P . aeruginosa M-2 was highly virulent causing 100% mortality by 38 h with an injection of 10(2) CFU by either a subcutaneous or intraperitoneal route . Subcutaneous injection of 10(2) CFU revealed rapid multiplication of the bacteria at the burn wound with 10(8) CFU/g detectable in the burned skin by 28 h postinjection, 10(5) CFU/g of liver, and 10(3) CFU/ml of blood . Non-P . aeruginosa clinical isolates were markedly less virulent; an injection of greater than or equal to 10(7) CFU caused less than or equal to 60% lethality . P . cepacia SMH colonized the burned skin of thermally injured mice, persisting at levels of 10(7) to 10(8) CFU/g of burned skin after an initial injection of 10(5) CFU . P . cepacia persisted in the burn wound for at least 3 weeks . No organ invasion was detectable throughout this period . Studies with an additional clinical isolate of P . cepacia yielded similar results . An injection of a 10(2) CFU dose revealed that the level of persistence is dose dependent . Results suggest that the tenacious persistence of P . cepacia in the burn wound may provide a model for the study of persistent colonization and infection in a compromised host.

Clin Pediatr (Phila), 1983 Sep, 22(9), 638 - 42
Pseudomonas whirlpool dermatitis . Report of an outbreak in two families; Feder HM Jr et al.; Pseudomonas aeruginosa skin infections developed in four children and their parents after use of a recreational whirlpool . These patients were carefully followed throughout the course of their illnesses . The incubation period was two to five days . The skin lesions included erythematous macules and papules, pustules, and nodules . The severity of the illness varied from a few scattered pustules in one patient to an extensive truncal rash, malaise, and fever in another patient . P . aeruginosa was recovered from skin lesions and the whirlpool water . Gram stains from two patients revealed polymorphonuclear leukocytes and gram-negative rods . In all patients, the rash improved within seven days and local application of povidone-iodine did not appear beneficial.

Jpn J Antibiot, 1983 Sep, 36(9), 2494 - 6
{Topical administration of cefsulodin in postoperative Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection of the middle ears}; Oda M et al.; The clinical evaluation for cefsulodin (CFS) against P . aeruginosa was studied in postoperative infections of chronic otitis media by means of washing the middle ear with the drug, and the following results were obtained; CFS treatment was given to 5 cases, and the clinical responses were excellent in 4 and good in 1 case . P . aeruginosa in otorrhea was eradicated within several days, and otorrhea disappeared in all the cases . No side effect was observed in all cases.

Infection, 1983 Sep-Oct, 11(5), 264 - 8
{Cefsulodin in the treatment of Pseudomonas meningitis}; Bruckner O et al.; Three patients with meningitis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa (in one patient following a neurosurgical procedure and in two patients following severe head trauma with multiple skull bone fractures and liquorrhea) were treated with cefsulodin in combination with other antibiotics (aminoglycosides/acylureido penicillins) . All of the patients were cured . Two patients received intraventricular administrations of aminoglycosides in addition to systemically applied antibiotics . After recurrence of pseudomonas meningitis in one patient in spite of the intraventricular application of an aminoglycoside, definite cure could only be obtained by additional intraventricular application of cefsulodin . The third patient was cured by systemic administration of cefsulodin and amikacin . The value of cefsulodin is discussed with reference to obtainable ventricular and lumbar CSF concentrations.

Burns Incl Therm Inj, 1983 Sep, 10(1), 34 - 40
Actual problems of immunoprophylactic and immunotherapy of burn infection; Kuzin MI et al.; Staphylococcal anatoxin which has a systemic therapeutic effect, improving burn wound condition and increasing humoral and cellular immunity was used for the prevention of staphylococcal infection among patients with deep burns of up to 15 per cent of body surface area as a component of their therapy . The patients with burns of over 15 per cent of their body surface were treated with hyperimmune antistaphylococcal plasma which had a clinical effect and decreased mortality in the group of severely burned patients by more than two fold . On our model of general wound infection from 5 most frequently observed serotypes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa we have got multicomponent cellfree vaccine pyoimmunogen with marked protective effect in experiments . This vaccine protected 80-85 per cent of animals in comparison with 90-95 per cent mortality in experiment . Preliminary clinical data speak for the high preventive and medical effect of pyoimmunogen and anti-Ps . aeruginosa hyperimmune plasma.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Sep, 24(3), 409 - 12
In vitro antibacterial activity of concentrated polyethylene glycol 400 solutions; Chirife J et al.; It was found that concentrated polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400) solutions have significant antibacterial activity against various pathogenic bacteria, including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus . This effect might be attributed to two effects: lowering of water activity and, superimposed on this, the specific action of PEG-400 molecules on bacterial cells . Phase-contrast microscopic observations of cells placed in contact with PEG 400 revealed clumping and morphological changes of bacterial cells . The larger changes in appearance were evidenced by the species which were more rapidly killed by PEG 400 . The results obtained suggested that concentrated PEG 400 solutions may have a potential value in medicine as a topical antibacterial agent . The feasibility of this application is the subject of present investigation.

Acta Paediatr Scand, 1983 Sep, 72(5), 651 - 7
Frequent antibiotic therapy improves survival of cystic fibrosis patients with chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection; Szaff M et al.; During the period 1971-75, 51 cystic fibrosis (CF) patients who contracted chronic P . aeruginosa infection were treated at the Danish CF centre with anti-pseudomonas chemotherapy only when their clinical condition deteriorated considerably . During the period 1976-80, 58 CF patients who contracted chronic P . aeruginosa infection were treated at the Danish CF centre with anti-pseudomonas chemotherapy on a regular basis every 3 months . Each routine 24 day-course of chemotherapy consisted of tobramycin in combination with carbenicillin or other beta-lactam antibiotics with activity against P . aeruginosa . In case of allergy or resistant strains monotherapy with tobramycin was used . The 5-year survival of CF patients from the time of the onset of the chronic P . aeruginosa infection increased from 54% in the first period to 82% in the second period (p less than 0.05), and lung function (peak expiratory flow rate) also improved significantly . It is concluded that intensive "maintenance" chemotherapy against P . aeruginosa improves survival and quality of life of CF patients although permanent eradication of P . aeruginosa is not accomplished.

J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Sep, 18(3), 452 - 6
Isolation and characterization of flagellar preparations from Pseudomonas species; Montie TC et al.; Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis has been used previously to characterize the flagellin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa . flFlagella from several other clinically important species of pseudomonads have been characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and their molecular weights have been found to vary among species as follows: P . maltophilia B69 Fla, 33,000; P . stutzeri HEW, 55,000; P . aeruginosa M-2, 53,000 . The flagella of P . cepacia strains were divided into two groups based on molecular weight . Type I had a molecular weight of 31,000 . The molecular weight of type II was in the range of 44,000 to 46,000 . Serologically, type I is a homologous group, whereas type II is a heterologous group . The two flagellin types of P . cepacia appear to be analogous to the two major flagellin types of P . aeruginosa . Characterization of P . cepacia strains by flagellin types may serve as a molecular epidemiological tool.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Sep, 24(3), 375 - 82
In vitro activity and beta-lactamase stability of U-63196E, a novel cephalosporin; Neu HC et al.; The in vitro activity of U-63196E, a new broad-spectrum cephalosporin antibiotic, was studied against various gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and compared with the in vitro activities of cefotaxime, moxalactam, cefoperazone, ceftazidime, and aztreonam . Although U-63196E inhibited many ampicillin-resistant bacteria and its activity against gram-negative species was similar to cefoperazone, it was much less active than the other agents . U-63196E was less active than cefazolin against gram-positive species, and it was less active than cefoxitin or moxalactam against Bacteroides fragilis . U-63196E did not inhibit most cefoperazone- or cefsulodin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa . There was a difference between minimal inhibitory concentrations and minimal bactericidal concentrations for isolates which contained beta-lactamases . Plasmid beta-lactamases of the TEM, HSV, OXA, and PSE types hydrolyzed U-63196E . But U-63196E was relatively stable against hydrolysis by the chromosomal beta-lactamases.

Biken J, 1983 Sep, 26(3), 103 - 11
Intergenus cell fusion between L-form cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli; Kurono M et al.; Intergenus cell fusion of prokaryotic bacteria was demonstrated for the first time; namely, fusion products doubly resistant to streptomycin and tetracycline were produced by polyethylene glycol treatment of a mixture of the streptomycin-resistant L-form of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and tetracycline-resistant L-form of Escherichia coli.

Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {B}, 1983 Sep, 177(6), 490 - 8
{Microbiological studies of PVC packing sheets and sediments from a wet cooling tower}; Filip Z et al.; On surface of PVC packing sheets in wet cooling towers thick sediment layers can often be observed (Fig . 1) which usually cause several technological troubles . Microbiological investigations were made in order to estimate whether some hygienic risk possibly based on the proliferation of hygienic relevant microorganisms in the sediment have to be considered . An abundance of bacteria actinomycetes and fungi was found in the sediments from PVC packing sheets which were exposed for 6 or 20 weeks in a wet cooling tower (Table 2) . However, the microbial (colony) counts usually decreased when the exposition time increased . Pseudomonas aeruginosa was not detected at all . Coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli showed a declining development both in the sediment and in the cooling water unter test (Table 3) . Total volume of plankton also decreased in cooling water incubated with small pieces of PVC packing sheets . The results indicate the sediment formation on PVC packing sheets in wet cooling towers probably not to be problem of environmental hygiene but technology . The sediment formation seems to depend mainly of the quality (i.e . pollution degree) of cooling water and also of surface properties of the packing sheets.

Mikrobiologiia, 1983 Sep-Oct, 52(5), 777 - 80
{New species of exoparasitic bacteria of the genus Micavibrio infecting gram-positive bacteria}; Lambina VA et al.; A new species of exoparasitic bacteria, Micavibrio aeruginosavorus sp . nov., was isolated on the host bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Its diagnosis is given.

Mikrobiologiia, 1983 Sep-Oct, 52(5), 767 - 70
{Chemical composition and role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa peptidoglycolipid in hydrocarbon assimilation}; Koronelli TV et al.; Pseudomonas aeruginosa P-20 releases a lipophilic compound during growth in a medium with hexadecane . The compound was shown to be a peptidoglycolipid . The peptide moiety consists of 7 amino acids: lysine, aspartic and glutamic acids, serine, proline, valine and leucine . The carbohydrate component is ramnose . The lipid moiety is represented by a mixture of fatty acids with the number of carbon atoms from 11 to 18 among which C11:1, C16:0, C18:1 and C17:3 predominate . The content of unsaturated acids is 64.62% . The peptidoglycolipid stimulates the process of hydrocarbon assimilation.

Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1983 Sep, 255(2-3), 346 - 55
In vitro and in vivo action of mezlocillin and azlocillin combined with sisomicin; Dzierzanowska D et al.; Combined action in vitro and in vivo of ureidopenicillins (azlocillin and mezlocillin) with sisomicin has been studied with employment of strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . In vitro effects of these combinations were most spectacular with Pseudomonas aeruginosa; azlocillin and sisomicin were potently synergistic . Other tested microorganisms reacted also but less markedly . Evaluation of therapeutic efficacy of ureidopenicillins combined with sisomicin was performed on 90 rabbits, infected intravenously with heavy inocula . Synergistic action has been confirmed in vivo during treatment of infections evoked by Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Therapy of these infections may be successful with doses of azlocillin or mezlocillin combined with sisomicin diminished by half, as compared with treatment of these infections with above antibiotics applied singly . Further decrease of sisomicin dosage in combined therapy of P . aeruginosa infections with ureidopenicillin is possible.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Sep, 24(3), 362 - 9
Properties of PSE-2 beta-lactamase and genetic basis for its production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Philippon AM et al.; The properties of PSE-2 beta-lactamase have been examined by using two new PSE-2-producing plasmids, pMG33 and pMG74, as well as plasmid R151, found in Pseudomonas aeruginosa . PSE-2 beta-lactamase resembled other PSE enzymes in activity against carbenicillin, but it also resembled OXA enzymes, such as OXA-1, in rapid hydrolysis of oxacillin, cloxacillin, and methicillin and in inhibition by sodium chloride but not by cloxacillin . Antisera that inactivated TEM-1, TEM-2, OXA-1, or PSE-1 and PSE-4 beta-lactamase failed to cross-react with PSE-2, which thus appears to be immunologically distinct . The plasmids determining PSE-2 varied in geographical origin, size, transfer proficiency, and incompatibility specificity, but all determined resistance to carbenicillin, gentamicin, kanamycin, streptomycin, spectinomycin, sulfonamide, and tobramycin . From a pUZ8-R151 recombinant plasmid in Escherichia coli, the PSE-2 beta-lactamase gene could be transposed to a second plasmid in a 6.4-megadalton unit together with resistance to gentamicin, kanamycin, streptomycin, spectinomycin, sulfonamide, and tobramycin . Transposition was recA independent . We propose the designation Tn1404 for this unit, which, like transposons carrying OXA-1, PSE-1, PSE-4, and some transposons determining TEM-1, includes genes for beta-lactam, aminoglycoside, and sulfonamide resistance.

Antibiotiki, 1983 Sep, 28(9), 689 - 93
{Chemotherapy of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in trauma and orthopedic patients}; Mel'nikova VM et al.; Sensitivity of 320 strains of P . aeruginosa to 12 antibiotics was studied . It was shown that tobramycin, gentamicin, polymyxin B, carbenicillin, and combinations of tobramycin and gentamicin with carbenicillin were the most effective . The synergism of the combinations was observed in 100 and 94.7 per cent of patients, respectively . One per cent dioxidine solution was shown to be highly active against 84.7 per cent of P . aeruginosa strains . Sensitivity of P . aeruginosa to surface active substances, such as N-cetylpyridinium chloride (N-CPC), rokkal and chlorhexidine was studied with the method of 2-fold serial dilutions . It was found that 66.6 per cent of the strains were sensitive to N-CPC in dilutions of 1:80--1:160 . The respective figures for rokkal and chlorhexidine were 1:10--1:40 and 1:40 . The drugs were used in treatment of patients with P . aeruginosa wound infections . Five patients were treated with intraosteal administration of gentamicin in a mixture for prolonged antiinflammation blockade . Investigation of the therapeutic concentrations revealed that high concentrations of gentamicin were attained in the wound even in an hour and maintained for 10 hours . No gentamicin was detected in the wound in 48 hours . The combined use of the antibacterial drugs provided efficacy of the chemotherapy.

Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Sep-Oct, 5 Suppl 4, S715 - 22
Toxins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: new perspectives; Woods DE et al.; Toxin A is a protein with a molecular mass of approximately 66,000 daltons whose production is regulated by iron . The toxicity of toxin A is due to its ability to inhibit protein synthesis . A role for toxin A in infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa is supported by its extreme toxicity, its production by most clinical isolates, the decreased virulence of nontoxic mutants, and the results of immunologic studies of animals and humans.

Pediatr Infect Dis, 1983 Sep-Oct, 2(5), 367 - 9
Intranasal administration of a Pseudomonas lipopolysaccharide vaccine in cystic fibrosis patients; Wood RE et al.; A purified lipopolysaccharide Pseudomonas aeruginosa vaccine was administered via intranasal spray to cystic fibrosis patients in an attempt to induce development of local antibody without the side effects associated with parenteral administration of the vaccine . Although slight increases in serum antibody titers were noted, there was no appreciable change in specific antibody levels in parotid saliva or sputum following intranasal administration of the vaccine.

J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Sep, 18(3), 457 - 62
Comparative analysis of serum antibody responses to Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A by cystic fibrosis and intensive care unit patients; Cukor G et al.; Pulmonary infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients . P . aeruginosa toxin is one of several proposed virulence factors which may be responsible for chronic P . aeruginosa infections in these patients . With a highly specific, sensitive, and quantitative radioimmunoassay (RIA) and a cell culture assay, the humoral immune responses of CF patients in terms of total antitoxin, antitoxin immunoglobulins A and M, and neutralizing antitoxin were compared with those of P . aeruginosa-infected intensive care unit patients and controls . The P . aeruginosa-infected CF patients were divided into severe and moderate disease groups based on mortality observed over an 8-year period . The intensive care unit patients were divided by the site of infection and the controls were healthy children and uninfected CF patients . Antibodies to toxin were found in the sera of all subjects by radioimmunoassay . Neutralizing antibody was associated with current infection . Elevated titers of antitoxin immunoglobulin A were found only in subjects with pulmonary P . aeruginosa infections . No significant differences in any antibody class were observed between the severe and moderate disease groups . In addition, no differences were observed in the antitoxin immune response of chronically infected CF patients and intensive care unit patients with acute pulmonary infections.

Infect Control, 1983 Sep-Oct, 4(5), 382 - 7
Antibiotic resistance in intensive care unit areas; Daschner F et al.; The incidence of nosocomial infections and antimicrobial resistance rates of nosocomial pathogens vary considerably among countries and even among intensive care units (ICUs) within one hospital . Such differences might be partly due to the selection pressure exerted by certain antibiotics, since intensive care patients are given more antimicrobials than any other group of patients . We therefore compared resistance rates of four important nosocomial pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, E . coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) isolated from patients in general wards and ICUs . There were few trends toward higher resistance of ICU isolates, and most differences were found with Klebsiella pneumoniae . We also tried to relate antibiotic use in ICUs and frequency of antibiotic resistance of five selected nosocomial pathogens . The ampicillin and cephalosporin resistance of E . coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae arose along with an increase in usage of both drugs . Decreasing prescription of cotrimoxazole was not reflected by decrease in resistance of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis . Increasing prescriptions of tetracyclines were followed by an increasing resistance of E . coli, but not of Staphylococci . The oxacillin resistance of Staphylococcus epidermidis almost paralleled the consumption, the opposite was true for Staphylococcus aureus . There seemed to be a rather close relationship between the incidence of resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains and the quantities of gentamicin, tobramycin and azlocillin prescribed . The increase or decrease of prescriptions of certain antimicrobials increased or decreased their resistance rate to the respective drugs of only certain bacterial strains in one ICU, but not in the other . The findings in our hospital cannot necessarily be applied to other hospitals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Pediatr Res, 1983 Sep, 17(9), 747 - 52
Pseudomonas-infected cystic fibrosis patient sputum inhibits the bactericidal activity of normal human serum; Schiller NL et al.; Sputum samples were obtained from nineteen cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with respiratory tract infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and were examined for the presence of a specific local protective or blocking factor, which might partially explain the inability of CF patients' pulmonary defense mechanisms to clear their lungs of Pseudomonas infection . Using an assay that measures the bactericidal activity of fresh normal human serum (FHS), eighteen of nineteen CF sputa examined were capable of protecting either autologous or heterologous strains of P . aeruginosa from serum bactericidal activity . Most of this protective activity was absorbable at 4 degrees C by Pseudomonas, and could be reduced by dilution in phosphate buffered saline or counteracted by an increase in serum concentration . This protective activity is believed to be due to a Pseudomonas-specific bactericidal blocking antibody . In contrast, only two of 17 non-CF sputa were found to significantly inhibit the bactericidaL activity of FHS for P . aeruginosa . Furthermore, three out of five CF sputa also protected Escherichia coli from the bactericidal activity of FHS . This protective activity was much less than that observed with P . aeruginosa, and was not absorbable at 4 degrees C, suggesting the presence of a second blocking or protective factor in CF sputum . From these observations, we conclude that sputum from CF patients infected with P . aeruginosa contains one or more factors that interfere with the bactericidal activity present in FHS.

J Infect Dis . 1983 Sep;148(3):603.
Bacteremia due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa: use of a combined typing system in an eight-year study; Conroy JV et al.; P aeruginosa bacteremia is a nosocomial disease with a high mortality occurring in colonized, debilitated, and leukopenic patients and in those receiving immunosuppressive and antimicrobial agents {2} . Outbreaks of P aeruginosa bacteremia have often been associated with environmental reservoirs {3} . The 190 strains of P aeruginosa described in this study represent single isolates from bacteremic patients during an eight-year period . Representing about 50% of total isolates, the most common pyocin types were 1b, 3, and 10, immunotypes 1, 2, and 3 + 7, and serotypes 11, 6, and 1 . Of the 37 known pyocin types, only 10 were represented in this study . All seven immunotypes and 14 of 17 serotypes were found . The overall typability for each of the three techniques was 88%-90%; however, the largest numbers of typable patterns were found when all three typing methods or pyocin and either immunotyping or serotyping were used . The smallest number of typing patterns occurred when immunotyping and serotyping were performed together . Correlation among the following types was greater than 50%; pyo 3:immuno 1:sero 6; pyo 10:immuno 2:sero 11, and pyo NI:immuno 4:sero 1 . Upon repeated testing the reproducibility of types for each technique was 98%-100% . For the most precise epidemiologic studies of P aeruginosa infections all three typing methods should be employed.

J Bacteriol, 1983 Sep, 155(3), 1446 - 9
Evidence for gene sharing in the nitrate reduction systems of Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Goldflam M et al.; Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutants unable to assimilate or dissimilate nitrate were isolated . Transduction and reversion analyses of these mutants revealed that single genetic lesions are responsible for the double phenotypes . The mutants were divided into two classes based on the ability to utilize hypoxanthine . It can be concluded from this study that at least two genes are shared between the two nitrate reduction systems.

Infect Immun, 1983 Sep, 41(3), 1184 - 9
Opsonic activity of blister fluid from burn patients; Deitch EA; The combination of skin loss and immune depression after thermal injury predisposes burn patients to an increased risk of infection . Since the commonest site of infection in the burn patient is the burn wound itself, we elected to study the opsonic activity of locally produced blister fluid, from 18 thermally injured patients, for the two most common organisms colonizing the burn wound (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus) . Blister fluid was as good an opsonin source for staphylococcus as normal serum . In contrast, the blister fluid did not support either the phagocytosis of the intracellular killing of P . aeruginosa . The poor opsonic activity of blister fluid for P . aeruginosa did not appear to be due to the presence of an inhibitory factor(s) since the addition of normal serum restored the opsonic activity of the blister fluid to normal . The concentrations of immunoglobulins and the complement components C3 and C4 in the blister fluid samples were less than half the level of those in normal serum . The opsonic activity of the blister fluid could not be restored to normal by the addition of either immunoglobulin or heat-inactivated serum (56 degrees C for 30 min) . Thus, the opsonic factor(s) missing from the blister fluid was heat labile and thus probably represents complement components . That blister fluid had impaired opsonic activity for P . aeruginosa but not for S . aureus indicated that a local humoral defect may be responsible, at least in part, for the high incidence of gram-negative organisms, especially pseudomonads, colonizing the burn wound after thermal injury.

Am J Clin Pathol, 1983 Sep, 80(3), 404 - 8
Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection with marrow suppression simulating acute promyelocytic leukemia; Lanham GR et al.; Two cases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, with hemograms and marrow aspirates simulating acute promyelocytic leukemia, are presented . The absence of either Auer rods or abnormal granulation, as well as the clinical history of infection, are important clues to the benign nature of the process . Experimental and clinical evidence to support the role of Pseudomonas endotoxin in myeloid suppression and maturation arrest is reviewed.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Sep, (9), 33 - 6
{Determination of in vivo and in vitro toxin activity . I . A new method of determining in vitro activity}; Basnak'ian IA et al.; The potency of 5 toxins of different microbial species has been studied by common in vivo methods and by the in vitro method based on measuring the relative test-microbe growth inhibiting units 50 . The possibility of using this method for the determination of toxicity in vitro with a view of studying the potency of diphtheria and gas-gangrene exotoxins, as well as that of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin, is substantiated.

Arch Intern Med, 1983 Sep, 143(9), 1705 - 8
Cefotaxime therapy . Evaluation of its effect on bacterial meningitis, CSF drug levels, and bactericidal activity; Mullaney DT et al.; Cefotaxime sodium was evaluated in the treatment of ten patients with bacterial meningitis . Seven of the patients were infected with unusual and difficult to eradicate pathogens . Eight of the ten patients had a favorable clinical response and rapid sterilization of their CSF . Trough CSF levels of cefotaxime (range, 5.6 to 44.3 micrograms/mL) and desacetylcefotaxime (3.7 to 44.0 micrograms/mL) were manyfold greater than the minimal bactericidal concentrations of the causative pathogens with the exception of the one Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate . Trough CSF bactericidal titers ranged from 1:16 to 1:4,096 or more (median, 1:256) in the nine patients with susceptible pathogens . Trough cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime levels and bactericidal titers were maintained or actually increased over the course of therapy . Cefotaxime appears to be a promising new agent for the treatment of bacterial meningitis.

J Bacteriol, 1983 Sep, 155(3), 1042 - 51
Outer membrane porin proteins F, P, and D1 of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and PhoE of Escherichia coli: chemical cross-linking to reveal native oligomers; Angus BL et al.; Native oligomers of three Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane porin proteins and one Escherichia coli porin were demonstrated by using a chemical cross-linking technique . P . aeruginosa protein F, the major constitutive outer membrane porin, was cross-linked to dimers in outer membrane and whole-cell cross-linking experiments . Purified preparations of P . aeruginosa proteins F, D1 (glucose induced), and P (phosphate starvation induced) and E . coli protein PhoE (Ic) were also cross-linked to reveal dimers and trimers upon two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoretic analysis . Cross-linking of protein F was abolished by pretreatment of the protein with sodium dodecyl sulfate, indicating that the cross-linked products were due to native associations in the outer membrane.

Clin Pediatr (Phila), 1983 Sep, 22(9), 628 - 30
Moxalactam-tobramycin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates in patients with cystic fibrosis; Fitzpatrick SB et al.; In vitro studies have shown synergistic killing activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) with the combination of an aminoglycoside and moxalactam, a new beta-lactam agent . We describe three patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) with PA isolates that were resistant to all single-agent antibiotics, but sensitive to the combination of moxalactam-tobramycin . Initially, all patients had a good clinical response to this combination . However, during a second course of therapy, there was clinical deterioration coincident with the rapid emergence of moxalactam-tobramycin-resistant PA isolates.

Biochemistry, 1983 Aug 16, 22(17), 4089 - 95
Nucleotide sequence of a gene from the Pseudomonas transposon Tn501 encoding mercuric reductase; Brown NL et al.; We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the merA gene from the mercury-resistance transposon Tn501 and have predicted the structure of the gene product, mercuric reductase . The DNA sequence predicts a polypeptide of Mr 58 660, the primary structure of which shows strong homologies to glutathione reductase and lipoamide dehydrogenase, but mercuric reductase contains as additional N-terminal region that may form a separate domain . The implications of these comparisons for the tertiary structure and mechanism of mercuric reductase are discussed . The DNA sequence presented here has an overall G+C content of 65.1 mol%, typical of the bulk DNA of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from which Tn501 was originally isolated . Analysis of the codon usage in the merA gene shows that codons with C or G at the third position are preferentially utilized.

Jpn J Antibiot, 1983 Aug, 36(8), 2195 - 200
{Experimental and clinical evaluation of cefpiramide in pediatrics}; Jozaki K et al.; Fundamental and clinical studies on cefpiramide (CPM), a new semisynthetic cephalosporin, were made and the following results were obtained . The antibacterial activities of CPM against clinical isolates were almost similar to those of conventional cephems except for Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The antibacterial activity of CPM against P . aeruginosa was excellent and superior than those of the others . Ten or twenty mg/kg of CPM was given intravenously at one shot to 11 cases . The mean serum levels of CPM reached 231 micrograms/ml at 15 minutes, 119 micrograms/ml at 30 minutes, 88 micrograms/ml at 1 hour, 65 micrograms/ml at 2 hours and 33 micrograms/ml at 6 hours after administration at a single dose of 10 mg/kg, respectively with the half-life of 3.42 hours . In case of 20 mg/kg, the mean serum levels attained 306 micrograms/ml at 15 minutes, 245 micrograms/ml at 30 minutes, 160 micrograms/ml at 1 hour, 118 micrograms/ml at 2 hours and 66 micrograms/ml at 6 hours respectively after administration with the half-life of 5.20 hours . CPM was given intravenously to 12 patients with various bacterial infections . The clinical effects were excellent in 5 cases, good in 6 cases and poor in 1 case and the effective rate was 92% . No side effect was observed in all cases.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Aug, 24(2), 168 - 75
Properties of IncP-2 plasmids of Pseudomonas spp; Jacoby GA et al.; Thirty IncP-2 R plasmids from isolates of Pseudomonas spp . of diverse geographical origins were examined for the production of resistance properties . All the plasmids determined resistance to tellurite and all inhibited the propagation of certain DNA phages, although several patterns of phage inhibition were detected . Of the 30 plasmids, 29 determined resistance to streptomycin, 28 determined resistance to mercuric ion, and 24 determined resistance to sulfonamide . Resistance to other antibiotics, to compounds of arsenic, boron, or chromium, and to UV irradiation was less common . The degradative plasmid CAM also belonged to this group . When CAM was introduced into recipients carrying an IncP-2 R plasmid, recombinant plasmids were often formed in which antibiotic resistance and the ability to grow on camphor were transferred together to further recipients or were lost together in a strain in which IncP-2 plasmids were unstable . Such hybrid plasmid formation was rec dependent . CAM and other IncP-2 plasmids that determine UV light resistance demonstrated UV-enhanced, nonpolarized transfer of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa chromosome . By agarose gel electrophoresis, all IncP-2 R plasmids and CAM were ca . 300 X 10(6) in molecular weight.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Aug, (8), 87 - 92
{Characteristics of nonspecific resistance in children with lung diseases due to opportunistic microflora}; Savitskaia KI et al.; Acute destructive pneumonia in children was found to be complicated by acute pleural empyema (APE) on days 3-21 of the disease . The time of the development of this complication depended on the state of the nonspecific resistance of the body: the greater was the degree of deficiency as manifested by cell-mediated and humoral immunity indices, the earlier developed APE . Staphylococci and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infected the pleural cavity of children under the conditions of essentially decreased phagocytic activity, phagocytic index, C'H50 and one of the classes of immunoglobulin . The reaction of the body to staphylococci and P . aeruginosa took its course after the type of primary or secondary immune response, depending on the time of infection.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Aug, 12(2), 175 - 83
Piperacillin and tobramycin in the treatment of Pseudomonas lung infections in cystic fibrosis; Hoogkamp-Korstanje JA et al.; Fourteen children with cystic fibrosis and pulmonary lung infection due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa were treated with piperacillin (300 mg/kg/day) alone or piperacillin and tobramycin (7 mg/kg/day) iv . The outcome with respect to clinical state, chest X-ray and lung function tests was better with combination therapy than with piperacillin alone . Bacteriological response was the same with both regimens: leucocyte content of the sputum decreased, non-mucoid Ps . aeruginosa strains were eliminated, but mucoid strains were only suppressed (11 children) . Peak serum levels of piperacillin averaged 102 mg/l, the overall serum elimination was 0.75 h and the mean sputum concentrations ranged from 1.07 to 2.2 mg/l . Peak serum levels of tobramycin averaged 5.15 mg/l, the half life was 1.25 h and the mean sputum concentrations ranged from 0.57 to 0.68 mg/l . The clearance of piperacillin and tobramycin was increased significantly . Drug-resistance did not develop during therapy.

Toxicol Appl Pharmacol, 1983 Aug, 70(1), 140 - 7
Malathion and phenthoate carboxylesterase activities in pulmonary alveolar macrophages as indicators of lung injury; Imamura T et al.; Malathion and phenthoate carboxylesterase activities were investigated in pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAM) in Sprague-Dawley rats . PAM was found to be capable of hydrolyzing phenthoate at a faster rate than malathion . Oral administration to rats with O,O,S-trimethyl phosphorothioate (OOS-Me), a pneumotoxic impurity present in technical grades of malathion and phenthoate, increased the activities of these esterases in PAM without affecting an activity in lung microsomal carboxylesterase . The time course study indicated that this increase was maximal on Day 1 following treatment with OOS-Me at 20 and 40 mg/kg of doses . To assess the usefulness of measuring these esterases in PAM as an indicator of lung damage, paraquat and bromobenzene were administered to rats with treatment regimens which have been shown previously to result in histopathologically demonstrable pneumotoxicity . Malathion and phenthoate carboxylesterase activities in PAM were increased by two- to threefold following treatment with paraquat or bromobenzene . These treatments also increased lung microsomal malathion carboxylesterase activity by threefold . Furthermore, infection of rats with Pseudomonas aeruginosa by intratracheal inoculation increased malathion and phenthoate carboxylesterase activities in PAM by two- to threefold without increasing these activities in lung microsomes . These results indicate that PAM may play a significant role in detoxifying airborne malathion and phenthoate when inhaled . Furthermore, the activities of malathion and phenthoate carboxylesterases may be useful for detecting lung injury produced by pneumotoxic chemicals as well as bacterial infection.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Aug, 24(2), 227 - 32
In vitro activity and beta-lactamase stability of a monobactam, SQ 26,917, compared with those of aztreonam and other agents; Neu HC et al.; SQ 26,917 is a monobactam antibiotic . Its in vitro activity was compared with those of aztreonam, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and moxalactam . SQ 26,917, which contains a beta-methyl configuration on the beta-lactam ring, was similar in activity to aztreonam with the exception of greater activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates . SQ 26,917 had no activity against gram-positive isolates or anaerobic bacteria . It was not hydrolyzed by common plasmid and chromosomal beta-lactamases.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Aug, 24(2), 186 - 9
Comparison of polyacrylamide and agarose gel thin-layer isoelectric focusing for the characterization of beta-lactamases; Vecoli C et al.; Plasmid-mediated beta-lactamases from strains of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were separated by isoelectric focusing on a 0.8-mm thin-layer agarose gel with a pH gradient of 3.5 to 9.5 . Their banding patterns and isoelectric points were compared with those obtained with a 2.0-mm polyacrylamide gel as the support medium . The agarose method produced banding patterns and isoelectric points which corresponded to the polyacrylamide gel data for most samples . Differences were observed for HMS-1 and PSE-1 beta-lactamases . The HMS-1 sample produced two highly resolvable enzyme bands in agarose gels rather than the single faint enzyme band observed on polyacrylamide gels . The PSE-1 sample showed an isoelectric point shift of 0.2 pH unit between polyacrylamide and agarose gel (pI 5.7 and 5.5, respectively) . The short focusing time, lack of toxic hazard, and ease of formulation make agarose a practical medium for the characterization of beta-lactamases.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Aug, 12(2), 169 - 73
Is treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis with intramuscular mezlocillin justifiable?
Maesen FP, Davies BI, Brouwers J, Salemans T.
A group of patients admitted to hospital with acute purulent exacerbations of chronic bronchitis was treated with two daily injections of 1 or 2 g mezlocillin intramuscularly for ten days, 19 patients receiving 1 g and 17 the 2 g doses . Serum and sputum mezlocillin concentrations were measured microbiologically on the first treatment day . The peak serum levels averaged 23 mg/l after 1 g and 34 mg/l after 2 g, and the corresponding average sputum peak concentrations were 0.78 and 1.26 mg/l respectively . Fourteen of the 36 patients had infections associated with beta-lactamase-producing bacteria and nine of the positive cultures on the last treatment day also showed beta-lactamase producers to be present . Most of the MICs for the sensitive bacteria were of the order of 2-4 mg/l, but the MICs for the Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains were greater than 16 mg/l . Mezlocillin was relatively inactive against many of the common respiratory pathogens--even when these were not beta-lactamase producers--by virtue of poor penetration.

Arch Microbiol, 1983 Aug, 135(2), 155 - 7
Studies on the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 bacteriophage receptors; Patel IR et al.; Receptor for phage PIK specific for Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO1 was studied . Phage PIK was strongly inactivated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro, exhibiting a PhI50 of 4.8 micrograms/ml . Further it was noted that this inactivation by LPS was reduced to 50% by several mono- and disaccharides when tested in vitro . D-glucosamine, D-mannose and L-rhamnose were found to be most effective at the concentration of 0.045 M, 0.25 M and 0.35 M respectively . This suggests the possibility that phage PIK receptor in LPS contains D-mannose, L-rhamnose and D-glucosamine . Either one of the former two could be located at a terminal position alpha-linked to the adjacent residue or located internally in the polysaccharide chain linked through its C-4 position . A theoretical approach to the interpretation of phage cell interaction was also investigated.

Anal Biochem, 1983 Aug, 133(1), 239 - 43
Detection and determination of pyrroloquinoline quinone, the coenzyme of quinoproteins; Duine JA et al.; A convenient determination of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) in extracts of purified enzymes is possible with ion-pair chromatography on a HPLC reverse-phase column and with uv detection . However, when culture supernatants have to be analyzed, a fluorescence detection system is more appropriate . Proof for the presence of PQQ can be obtained by treating such a sample with butyraldehyde, which converts the coenzyme into a stable adduct having a suitable retention time in the system . The sensitivity and selectivity of the analysis can be further enhanced by reducing the sample with NaBH4, which produces the dihydrodiol form of the coenzyme (PQQH4) and oxidizing PQQH4 with NaIO4 to a strongly fluorescing compound . A procedure is described for the easy preparation of an apoenzyme from the quinoprotein glucose dehydrogenase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains . With this biological test system, very low amounts of PQQ can be detected . However, when PQQ is present in the form of adducts, the analysis has to be performed via reduction to PQQH4, oxidation with NaIO4, and HPLC.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Aug, (8), 53 - 7
{Use of an immunoenzyme method for detecting specific antibodies to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with acute and chronic lung diseases}; Dubeikovskaia ZA et al.; ELISA in which P . aeruginosa slime preparations are used as antigens permits the detection of antibodies to this microorganism in the blood sera of patients with acute and chronic pulmonary diseases induced by P . aeruginosa . This assay makes it possible to find out the etiology of infection even before the results of bacteriological investigation are obtained.

Genetika, 1983 Aug, 19(8), 1387 - 9
{Changes in the nature of the cell growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO from the conjugative introduction of plasmid RP4}; Ianenko AS et al.; Conjugative transfer of RP4 plasmid into Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO at 30 degrees C results in inhibition of growth of plasmid-containing cells . No inhibition of growth of exconjugants takes place under special conditions (usage of minimal M9 medium or incubation at 42 degrees C) and when cells have specific mutations . These mutations were designated as rpm (RP4 maintenance) . Some of them render cells resistance to temperate phages of P . aeruginosa . The frequency of transfer of RP4 into PAO1rpm, in comparison with that of transfer into PAO1rpm+, is increased 7-10 times and is equal 0.8-0.9 per a donor cell.

Am J Vet Res, 1983 Aug, 44(8), 1521 - 4
In vitro action of combinations of antimicrobial agents and EDTA-tromethamine on Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Wooley RE et al.; Combinations of EDTA-tromethamine and 7 antimicrobial agents (chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid, oxytetracycline, penicillin, polymyxin-B, streptomycin, and triple sulfa) were tested for synergistic activities against Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Three in vitro tests were used, including minimal inhibitory concentrations of the drugs, a 2-dimensional Microtiter checkerboard technique, and bacterial inhibition studies . A synergistic inhibitory action was observed with combinations of EDTA-tromethamine plus penicillin and EDTA-tromethamine plus oxytetracycline . When chloramphenicol, streptomycin, nalidixic acid, polymyxin-B, or triple sulfa was mixed with EDTA-tromethamine, synergistic action did not occur.

J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Aug, 18(2), 276 - 82
Detection of antibodies to Pseudomonas aeruginosa alginate extracellular polysaccharide in animals and cystic fibrosis patients by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Bryan LE et al.; An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed to detect antibodies to sodium alginate exopolysaccharide purified from three strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and commercial alginate from seaweed . Good attachment of alginate occurred with polystyrene microtiter plates at pH 7.0 with 0.04 M sodium phosphate buffer . With the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay procedure, antibodies to alginate (not previously shown to be immunogenic) could be shown in humans and after immunization of mice and rabbits . Antibody to one of the alginates cross-reacted with two other P . aeruginosa alginates and commercial seaweed alginate . In animal immunization antibody titers were maximal after a single intravenous injection with an optimal dose of P . aeruginosa 3064 alginate . Healthy controls not known to have a previous P . aeruginosa infection had low, but detectable, antibody titers to 3064 and commercial alginate . Three cystic fibrosis patients not colonized with P . aeruginosa had similar antibody levels . Twenty-eight cystic fibrosis patients colonized with P . aeruginosa formed a clearly separate group with antibody titers higher than that of the control and noncolonized cystic fibrosis patients . Antibody titers to 3064 or commercial alginate did not increase during acute P . aeruginosa bronchopneumonitis in 16 cystic fibrosis patients or after repeated episodes in 4 patients.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Aug, 12(2), 119 - 26
Mode of action of ceftazidime: affinity for the penicillin-binding proteins of Escherichia coli K12, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus; Hayes MV et al.; The competition of a new aminothiazolyl cephalosporin, ceftazidime, for the penicillin-binding proteins (PBP's) of Escherichia coli K12, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus has been studied . Ceftazidime caused filamentation and eventually cell lysis of both E . coli and Ps . aeruginosa at its minimum inhibitory concentration, due to its primary activity against PBP-3 . The antibiotic also inhibited PBP's 1 a and 1 bs, the 'essential' cell elongation proteins at higher, therapeutically achievable concentrations and consequently induced rapid lysis of both E . coli and Ps . aeruginosa . In Staph . aureus ceftazidime showed high affinity for PBP-1, -2 and less affinity for PBP-3 . The results indicate that in E . coli K12 and Ps . aeruginosa, ceftazidime owes its good antibacterial activity to high affinity for PBP-3, the 'essential' binding protein involved in cell division combined with favourable outer membrane penetration.

J Appl Bacteriol, 1983 Aug, 55(1), 173 - 5
A note on inoculum reproducibility: a comparison between solid and liquid culture; Al-Hiti MM et al.; The level of reproducibility for replicate determinations of drug sensitivity was significantly greater for liquid than for solid cultures and decreased markedly with the density of colonies upon seeded agar plates . Inocula of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were significantly less sensitive towards chlorhexidine when derived from liquid rather than solid culture . We therefore suggest that only liquid cultures be used for the preparation of challenge inocula for regulatory tests of antimicrobial activity.

J Infect Dis, 1983 Aug, 148(2), 206 - 13
Characterization of the human immune response to a polysaccharide vaccine from Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pier GB et al.; Sera from humans vaccinated with a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide vaccine to Pseudomonas aeruginosa immunotype 1 (IT-1) were analyzed for duration of the immune response, specificity for the IT-1 determinant, and by assessing the immunoglobulin classes elicited . The ability of purified IgG, IgM, and IgA to interact with peripheral blood leukocytes, as well as purified polymorphonuclear neutrophils or mononuclear cells, was also examined in an opsonophagocytosis assay . Levels of antibody to IT-1 remained significantly (P less than 0.001) elevated 21 months after immunization . Responses were generally specific to the IT-1 serotype determinant . Some vaccinees also responded to immunotype 2 and immunotype 5 determinants . IgG, IgM, and IgA serum antibodies were all elicited by vaccination . IgG and IgA were effective opsonins for P aeruginosa . IgM-mediated opsonophagocytosis required complement . Serum IgA was highly effective in conjunction with mononuclear cells in opsonophagocytosis of P aeruginosa, suggesting that these immune components may be capable of protecting neutropenic hosts.

Am Rev Respir Dis, 1983 Aug, 128(2), 271 - 5
The potential role of respiratory therapy equipment in cross infection . A study using a canine model for pneumonia; Christopher KL et al.; Experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia was induced in 8 dogs that had radiation-induced leukopenia . Three dogs were supported by mechanical ventilation (MV), 3 received continuous heated aerosol therapy (CHAT), and 2 did not receive respiratory therapy and served as control animals . The animals were studied in a carefully controlled environment until they succumbed to infection or they were killed at 24 h . An air sampler was used to collect exhaled P . aeruginosa aerosols at distances as far as 15 feet from the dogs at multiple time intervals . Water condensate in the tubing of MV and CHAT equipment was collected and cultured at the same intervals . Results showed that all dogs had multilobar P . aeruginosa pneumonia at necropsy . Control dogs did not exhale aerosols containing P . aeruginosa . Animals that were supported by MV, exhaled contaminated aerosols, but organisms could not be recovered at distances greater than 2 feet . In contrast, aerosols containing P . aeruginosa were recovered at distances as far as 15 feet from the animals receiving CHAT . Furthermore, as much as 1L of water condensate was collected in a 24-h period from tubing associated with MV and CHAT . Although the nebulizers and humidifiers remained sterile, tubing condensate was contaminated with as much as 10(7) colony-forming units per ml of P . aeruginosa in 5 of the 6 animals receiving either MV or CHAT . Contamination of tubing by P . aeruginosa was present as early as 8 to 12 h . This study identifies potential sources for cross infection through an airborne route for CHAT or from direct contact with contaminated tubing.

J Med Microbiol, 1983 Aug, 16(3), 351 - 62
The response of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to azlocillin, ticarcillin and cefsulodin; Elliott TS et al.; The morphological response of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to azlocillin, ticarcillin and cefsulodin was investigated by electron microscopy . Each antibiotic initially caused the formation of filaments . On further incubation in the presence of azlocillin, deposits of dense intracellular material were observed; these were absent from cells exposed to the other two antibiotics . On continued incubation, lysis of the filaments occurred, but the mode of lysis differed between the antibiotics: azlocillin caused breakage at a restricted number of sites in the cell wall, ticarcillin produced breakage at many points and cefsulodin caused extensive cell-wall damage . In addition, ticarcillin and cefsulodin appeared to cause more lysis and spheroplast formation than did azlocillin . The morphological changes correlated with turbidimetric measurements of bacterial response to the three antibiotics, which showed ticarcillin and cefsulodin to act more rapidly than azlocillin.

J Bacteriol, 1983 Aug, 155(2), 817 - 25
Spontaneous release of lipopolysaccharide by Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Cadieux JE et al.; Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO grown in glucose mineral salts medium released lipopolysaccharide which was chemically and immunologically similar to the cellular lipopolysaccharide . In addition, it possessed identical phage E79-inactivating properties . Through neutralization of phage activity and hemolysis inhibition assays, the organism was found to liberate lipopolysaccharide at a constant rate during log-phase growth equivalent to 1.3 to 2.2 ng/10(8) cells over a growth temperature range of 25 to 42 degrees C . At 19 degrees C, a lipopolysaccharide was released which was deficient in phage-inactivating activity but retained its immunological properties . Chemical analysis of lipopolysaccharide extracted from cells grown at 19 degrees C showed a deficiency in the O-side-chain component fucosamine . Gel exclusion chromatography of the polysaccharide fraction derived from lipopolysaccharide isolated from cells grown at 19 degrees C exhibited a decreased content of side-chain polysaccharide as well as a difference in the hexosamine:hexose ratio . The results of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis confirmed these results as well as establishing that an essentially normal distribution of side-chain repeating unit lengths were to be found in the 19 degrees C preparation . These results suggest a decrease in the frequency of capping R-form lipopolysaccharide at 19 degrees C.

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 1983 Aug, 24(8), 1093 - 7
Specific inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase injected intracorneally in rabbit eyes; Kessler E et al.; The compounds benzyloxycarbonyl-L-leucyl-hydroxamate (Z-Leu-NHOH), phosphoryl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (P-Leu-Phe) and 2-mercaptoacetyl-L-phenylalanyl-L-leucine (HSAc-Phe-Leu) strongly inhibit the activity of Pseudomonas elastase in vitro . The capacity of these inhibitors to prevent corneal melting and perforation due to the elastase was examined in rabbit eyes by intrastromal injections of elastase solutions containing the various inhibitors . HSAc-Phe-Leu was substantially more effective than the other two inhibitors . It completely prevented corneal perforation, markedly delayed the appearance of melting and kept the degree of melting at a minimum . Subconjunctival injections of HSAc-Phe-Leu given prior to enzyme administration delayed but did not prevent corneal melting or perforation, whereas frequent topical application with drops of this inhibitor completely prevented corneal melting . It is suggested that HSAc-Phe-Leu or similarly structured inhibitors of the elastase might be helpful in the management of corneal infections with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Eur J Biochem, 1983 Aug 1, 134(2), 299 - 304
The lipopolysaccharide from Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCTC 8505 . Structure of the O-specific polysaccharide; Tahara Y et al.; Structural studies have been carried out on the O-specific fraction from the lipopolysaccharide of Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCTC 8505, Habs serotype 03 . The O-specific polysaccharide has a tetrasaccharide repeating-unit containing residues of L-rhamnose (Rha), 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose (GlcNAc), 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-L-galacturonic acid (GalNAcA), and 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-D-glucose (BacNAc2) . The following structure has been assigned to the repeating-unit: leads to 3)Rhap(beta 1 leads to 6)GlcpNAc(alpha 1 leads to 4)GalpNAcA(alpha 1 leads to 3)BacpNAc2(alpha 1 leads to . The parent lipopolysaccharide is a mixture of S, R, and SR species, and its high phosphorus content is partly due to the presence of triphosphate residues, as found for other lipopolysaccharides from P . aeruginosa . In addition to phosphorus, heptose, a 3-deoxyoctulosonic acid, and amide-bound alanine, the core oligosaccharide contains glucose, rhamnose, and galactosamine (molar proportions 3:1:1) . The rhamnose and part of the glucose are present as unsubstituted pyranoside residues: other glucose residues are 6-substituted.

Eur J Biochem, 1983 Aug 1, 134(2), 289 - 97
Somatic antigens of Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The structure of O-specific polysaccharide chains of P . aeruginosa O:3(a),c and O:3a,d,e lipopolysaccharides; Knirel YuA et al.; On mild acid degradation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa O:3(a),c, O:3a,d,e and O:3(a),d,f lipopolysaccharides O-specific polysaccharides were isolated . The trisaccharide repeating units of O:3(a),c and O:3a,d,e polysaccharides contained 2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-D-galactose and 2,3-(1-acetyl-2-methyl-2-imidazolino-5, 4)-2,3-dideoxy-D-mannuronic acid, which were identified previously as the constituents of P . aeruginosa O:3a,b and O:3a,d O-specific polysaccharides, as well as 2,3-diacetamido-2, 3-dideoxyl-L-guluronic acid, which has never before been found in nature . The last monosaccharide was identified without being isolated in the free state, by means of 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . The structures of O:3(a),c and O:3a,d,e polysaccharides were established by selective hydrogen fluoride solvolysis followed by modification of the trisaccharides obtained and analysis of the 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra at each modification stage . The polysaccharides possessed similar structures of repeating units differing from each other in the anomeric configuration of the N-acetylfucosamine residue only: leads to 4)DManImU-(beta 1 leads to 4) LGul(NAc)2U(alpha 1 leads to 3)DFucNAc(beta 1-and leads to 4)DManImU(beta 1 leads to 4)LGul(NAc)2U(alpha 1 leads to 3)DFucNAc(alpha 1-, where DManImU = 2,3-(1-acetyl-2-methyl-2-imidazolino-5,4)-2,3-dideoxy-D-mannuronic acid, LGul(NAc)2U = 2,3-diacetamido-2,3-dideoxy-L-guluronic acid, DFucNAc = 2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-D-galactose . The same components were detected in the O:3(a),d,f polysaccharide but not in the same stoichiometric ratio; this polysaccharide possessed no regular structure . The immunochemical study of lipopolysaccharides of all five P . aeruginosa O:3 serotypes showed a definite interrelation between their serological properties and structures of the corresponding O-specific polysaccharides.

J Pediatr, 1983 Aug, 103(2), 320 - 4
Ceftazidime in treatment of acute pulmonary exacerbations in patients with cystic fibrosis; Padoan R et al.; The pharmacokinetics and clinical efficacy of ceftazidime, a cephalosporin with activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were studied in children with cystic fibrosis . Ceftazidime had high in vitro activity against P . aeruginosa strains isolated from our patients, with a mean MIC90 of 8 micrograms/ml . The first dose of 50 mg/kg IV of ceftazidime achieved serum concentrations of 40.8 +/- 19.7 micrograms/ml at one hour and 3.8 +/- 1 micrograms/ml at four hours after administration (mean values +/- SD) . The MIC90 was exceeded by serum concentrations for up to three hours . The elimination of the drug from the blood followed a biexponential decay with an elimination half-life of 60.4 +/- 6.8 min and a total body clearance of 6.0 +/- 3.1 ml/min/kg . Renal clearance of the drug accounted for 75% of the total clearance; these are higher values than those reported for adults . Peak concentrations of ceftazidime in the sputum two hours after a single administration were 4.13 +/- 2.06 micrograms/ml; after seven and 14 days of treatment, sputum concentrations were significantly lower . Eleven children with acute pulmonary exacerbation were treated for 14 days with ceftazidime at a dose of 150 mg/kg/day (12 treatment courses) . Significant clinical and radiologic improvements were obtained in nine of 12 patients . In six of 11 cases the P . aeruginosa count decreased by 10(4) CFU/ml . Ceftazidime was well tolerated, and no side effects appeared during treatment.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Aug, 24(2), 305 - 6
In vitro activity of ceftriaxone alone and in combination with gentamicin, tobramycin, and amikacin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Watanakunakorn C; The in vitro activity of ceftriaxone alone and in combination with gentamicin, tobramycin, and amikacin against 50 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains was studied by the broth dilution method and the time-kill curve method . The majority of the P . aeruginosa strains tested were resistant to ceftriaxone . Combining ceftriaxone with the aminoglycosides resulted in synergism, antagonism, or indifference.

J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Aug, 18(2), 389 - 94
False-susceptible results from the MS-2 system used for testing resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa against two third-generation cephalosporins, moxalactam and cefotaxime; Stone LL et al.; The MS-2 system (Abbott Laboratories) was used for cefotaxime and moxalactam susceptibility testing of 111 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates collected from our burn treatment center . The frequency of very major errors was 52% for moxalactam and 32% for cefotaxime for all isolates requiring a minimal inhibitory concentration of greater than or equal to 64 micrograms/ml . For isolates requiring a minimal inhibitory concentration of 64 micrograms/ml, the very major errors were 78% for moxalactam and 57% for cefotaxime . Testing of an additional 44 isolates collected from another hospital confirmed that these results were not unique to nosocomial strains from within the burn center . The ratio of errors did not change when MS-2 results were compared with disk diffusion results . Colony count testing done on cuvettes which produced false-susceptible results indicated that little numerical change occurred during the 5- to 6-h test cycle, whereas microscopy of cuvette contents revealed metabolically active filamentous bacilli . The high frequency of false-susceptible results indicated that the MS-2 should not be used for testing clinical P . aeruginosa isolates for resistance to the two third-generation cephalosporins currently available for the MS-2 . A comparison of the disk diffusion results indicated that neither moxalactam nor cefotaxime could be reliably used for predictive, class-concept testing of P . aeruginosa.

J Bacteriol, 1983 Aug, 155(2), 755 - 60
Amikacin resistance mediated by multiresistance transposon Tn2424; Meyer JF et al.; Tn2424, a multiresistance transposon 25 kilobases long, was isolated from IncFII plasmid NR79 . Tn2424 transposed resistance to sulfonamides, streptomycin and spectinomycin, mercuric chloride, chloramphenicol, and amikacin with a frequency of 6 X 10(-5) . Resistance to amikacin was mediated by a 6'-N-acetyltransferase, which conferred higher levels of resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa than in Escherichia coli . A restriction analysis and cloning experiments resulted in a physical and functional map of Tn2424 . Comparison by a heteroduplex technique revealed that Tn2424 includes the total sequence of Tn21 and two additional DNA fragments that are 1.8 and 4 kilobases long.

J Bacteriol, 1983 Aug, 155(2), 643 - 9
Mapping of the gene specifying aminoglycoside 3'-phosphotransferase II on the Pseudomonas aeruginosa chromosome; Okii M et al.; We examined the aminoglycoside inactivation enzymes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, seven clinical isolates and seven laboratory strains without plasmids . All strains were found to possess the enzyme aminoglycoside 3'-phosphotransferase II {APH(3')-II} . We isolated an APH(3')-II-deficient mutant from a PAO strain by mutagenesis with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine . By plasmid (FP5 or R68.45)-mediated conjugation, we determined the locus of the gene specifying the APH(3')-II between trp-6 and pro-82 on the PAO chromosome and designated this gene aphA . It was concluded that the intrinsic resistance of P . aeruginosa to kanamycins, neomycins, paromomycins, ribostamycin, and butirosins was due to this newly determined gene.

Biochemistry, 1983 Jul 19, 22(15), 3640 - 6
Spectral properties of three quaternary arrangements of Pseudomonas pilin; Watts TH et al.; Pseudomonas aeruginosa possess multisubunit, filamentous appendages called pili which are involved in adhesion, twitching motility, and bacteriophage adsorption . The spectral properties of three forms of pili have been compared . These are native pili, pilin dimers in octyl glycoside, and an in vitro assembled form of pilin which we call reassembled pilin filaments . Alkaline pH titrations, solvent perturbation, quenching of tryptophan fluorescence with acrylamide, and circular dichroism were used to demonstrate that tyrosines-24 and -27 are at a dimer/dimer interface in both native pili and in the reassembled pilin filaments . Dissociation of pili by octyl glucoside results in exposure of the two tyrosines and in partial exposure of a least one tryptophan in pilin.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Jul, 24(1), 39 - 41
Peritoneal absorption of moxalactam; Stephens NM et al.; We evaluated the rate and extent of the systemic absorption of moxalactam given intraperitoneally to patients with peritonitis and end-stage renal disease who were being maintained on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis . Moxalactam was administered at a concentration of 200 mg per 2-liter dialysate for the first dose, followed by 60 mg per 2-liter exchange for 23 1-h exchanges . Moxalactam concentrations in serum (mean +/- standard deviation) were 2.5 +/- 0.9 mg/liter after the first hourly dialysis, increasing to 10.3 +/- 4.8 mg/liter after 24 h of drug administration . Moxalactam levels in serum at 1 h were above the minimal inhibitory concentrations for most gram-negative organisms except Pseudomonas aeruginosa . No adverse effects of the drug were observed.

Biochem J, 1983 Jul 1, 213(1), 61 - 6
The pH-dependence of class B and class C beta-lactamases; Bicknell R et al.; The classification by structure allots beta-lactamases to (at present) three classes, A, B and C . The pH-dependence of the kinetic parameters for class B and class C have been determined . They differ from each other and from class A beta-lactamases . The class B enzyme was beta-lactamase II from Bacillus cereus 569/H/9 . The plots of kcat against pH for the hydrolysis of benzylpenicillin by Zn(II)-requiring beta-lactamase II and Co(II)-requiring beta-lactamase II were not symmetrical, but those of kcat/Km were . A similar feature was observed for the hydrolysis of both benzylpenicillin and cephalosporin C by a class C beta-lactamase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The results have been interpreted by a scheme in which two ionic forms of an intermediate can give product, but do so at differing rates.

Clin Dermatol, 1983 Jul-Sep, 1(1), 14 - 24
Athlete's foot caused by pseudomonas aeruginosa; Abramson C; An enzymatically active pigment-producing clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to produce a diffusible antifungal product that was shown to be inhibitory to the growth of several dermatophytes, specifically, Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum gypseum, and Microsporum audouini . In this study, Trichophyton rubrum was used as the test organism . The antifungal product was partially purified by Sephadex column chromatography and was found to be stable at 5 degrees, 25 degrees, and 37 degrees C . Several investigators have alluded to the fact that as asymptomatic cases of dermatophytosis simplex progress to symptomatic dermatophytosis complex, the bacterial profile changes from a gram-positive bacterial ecosystem to a gram-negative bacterial over-growth . The primary event in the pathogenesis of interdigital athlete's foot is the invasion of the horny layer by dermatophytes . This presents as a mild to moderate scaly lesion and is asymptomatic . As a result of predisposing factors, such as hyperhidrosis, occlusion by tight shoes, minute abrasions due to friction, and fungal-infected skin surfaces, dynamic overgrowth of opportunistic gram-negative bacilli prevails . As the gram-negative population increases, the recovery of dermatophytes dramatically diminishes, until a point is reached when no dermatophytes can be recovered from clinically symptomatic tinea pedis . Pseudomonas aeruginosa is inhibiting its fungal competitor Trichophyton rubrum by producing a diffusible antifungal agent into the infectious environment of the intertriginous foot lesion . Clinically, the patient is diagnosed as having tinea pedis; laboratory culture for fungus and KOH are negative, and what was a paradox just a few years ago can currently be identified and treated appropriately as gram-negative athlete's foot.

Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1983 Jul, 254(4), 489 - 99
Effects of a glycopolypeptide from the slime of P . aeruginosa on phagocytosis by mouse macrophages; Nadaud M; The isolation and characterization of a glycopolypeptide (GP) from the slime of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which has a marked effect on phagocytosis of P . aeruginosa cells by mouse macrophages is described . The GP was found to be a polysaccharide coupled with a polypeptide consisting of monomers with a molecular weight of 25,000 . Immunization of mice with sublethal doses of the GP protected the animals against infection with the P . aeruginosa strain used for preparing the GP . Intraperitoneal administration of purified GP induced an increase in phagocytic activity of macrophages that was maximal after 13 days and specific for the strain of P . aeruginosa from which the GP was produced . The role of circulating antibody in enhancing phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages was discussed.

Mikrobiyol Bul, 1983 Jul, 17(3), 204 - 7
{Studies on Pseudomonas aeruginosa typing in Turkey}; Yumul C; Several investigators has been found the serotypes of Ps . aeruginosa in Turkey by comparing with Habs, Sandvik, Veron, Meitert and Homma's serotypes . Habs's 0 : 3, 0 : 7, 0 : 11, Veron's 0 : 2b, Meitert's 0 : 15 0 : 13, 0 : 4, 0 : 5, Homma's 0 : 15, 0 : 2, 0 : 7, 0 : 13, 0 : 16 Serotypes found to be majority of the serotypes of the Ps aeruginosa in these researches . Meitert's phage set has been used in the bacteriophage typing of Ps . aeruginosa . Ia phage type found to be predominant phage type in Turkey . In addition to that pyocin types of Ps . aeruginosa was fund by using active pyocin typing method, pyocin types 3, 5, 27 were in majority in these investigations.

Mikrobiologiia, 1983 Jul-Aug, 52(4), 609 - 14
{Bacteria decomposing alpha-methylstyrol}; Ilialetdinov AN et al.; Two bacterial strains assimilating alpha-methylsterene as a sole carbon and energy source were isolated from the sewage of an industrial plant producing synthetic rubber . The morphological, cultural and physiologo-biochemical properties of the strains were studied and their taxonomic position was determined . One of the cultures was classified as Bacillus cereus and the other as Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The rate of alpha-methylsterene destruction in the chemically defined medium was shown to depend on the conditions of cultivation.

Boll Ist Sieroter Milan, 1983 Jul, 62(3), 242 - 6
{Phenotypic relations with regard to pyocin sensitivity, of 191 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated in a hospital environment}; Santini G et al.; 191 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, isolated from clinical specimens, were tested by passive and active pyocin typing . The results of passive typing were computerized and a final dendrogram, with its peculiar similarity levels between the single strains, was obtains . This study will permit to build a system, to mark out the Pseudomonas strains, through active pyocin typing or through passive pyocin typing.

J Infect, 1983 Jul, 7(1), 46 - 50
Phagocytosis and antimicrobicidal activity of polymorphonuclear leucocytes against gentamicin-sensitive and resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Lianou PE et al.; The ability of human polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) to ingest and kill gentamicin-sensitive and resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains was studied . Strains becoming resistant to gentamicin either by laboratory training or through an R-factor were more susceptible to the phagocytic and bactericidal function of the PMNs . These results may explain previous clinical and laboratory observations indicating that gentamicin-resistant strains are less virulent.

Burns Incl Therm Inj, 1983 Jul, 9(6), 433 - 9
Active and passive immunization against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection of burned patients; Roe EA et al.; A 16-part polyvalent pseudomonas vaccine, PEV-01 and an immunoglobulin prepared from plasma from human volunteers vaccinated with PEV-01 were tested in a controlled clinical trial in burned patients at Safdarjang hospital, New Delhi . The mortality of the burned patients was reduced four-fold in adults and three-fold in children by the immunological treatments . Both immunoglobulin and vaccine increased the concentration of protective antibody . Patients responded to all 16 components in PEV-01 . The vaccine caused no toxic side-effects and enhanced the bactericidal activity of polymorphonuclear leucocytes against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

J Infect Dis, 1983 Jul, 148(1), 101 - 9
The effect of human alveolar macrophages on the bactericidal capacity of neutrophils; Pennington JE et al.; Human alveolar macrophages (AMs) were obtained by bronchoscopy from 11 healthy adult subjects and placed into tissue culture for 24 hr . Brief preexposure (15 min) of human neutrophils to AM culture supernatants led to a greater than twofold increase in neutrophil killing of a serum-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P less than 0.02) . No increase in phagocytosis of 35S-labeled Pseudomonas could be detected for neutrophils preexposed to AM supernatants . However, upon exposure to bacteria, neutrophils preincubated with AM supernatants generated significantly more (P less than 0.05) superoxide anion than controls . This suggested that AM supernatants enhanced neutrophil oxidative bactericidal capacity . The material in AM supernatants which enhanced neutrophilic killing of Pseudomonas was less than 10,000 daltons in mass and heat-stable (56 C for 30 min) . Release of this material was partially inhibitable by exposure of AMs to cycloheximide in tissue cultures . These data suggest that an AM-mediated amplification of neutrophil bactericidal capacity might be important in the defense of the human lung.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1983 Jul, 36(7), 855 - 75
Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of carbapenems related to C-19393 H2; Natsugari H et al.; By applying the synthetic process reported in our previous paper, we synthesized new carbapenems having various (substituted) thio and alkoxy groups at the C(3) position and 1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl and analogous groups at the C(6) position with cis- and trans-stereochemistry; the in vitro antibacterial and beta-lactamase inhibitory activities of these new carbapenems were examined . Compared to C-19393 H2, some of these compounds (e.g., 11A-a-3 approximately 5) showed improved in vitro antibacterial activity especially against Pseudomonas aeruginosa; they showed a strong beta-lactamase inhibitory activity as well . Two noteworthy effects of substituent variation at the C(6) position on the activities were observed: 1) the trans-configuration caused a definite loss; and 2) introduction of 1-hydroxycyclobutyl and 1-hydroxy-1-methylpropyl groups in place of the 1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl group caused a diminution . The carbapenem (13A-a-2) with an alkoxy group at the C(3) position had a marked decrease in activity compared to the corresponding thio-substituted carbapenem (11A-a-12).

J Bone Joint Surg Am, 1983 Jul, 65(6), 829 - 32
Pseudomonas aeruginosa bone and joint infection in drug abusers; Miskew DB et al.; Thirty-nine sites of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bone and joint infection in thirty-five intravenous drug abusers were treated over a four-year period . Early diagnosis was based on a history of drug abuse and demonstration of the site of infection by a technetium bone scan . Most patients responded to long-term therapy with intravenous aminoglycoside and carbenicillin . Extensive early surgical procedures were rarely indicated except in patients with infection of a large synovial joint.

J Bacteriol, 1983 Jul, 155(1), 238 - 45
Alginic acid synthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutants defective in carbohydrate metabolism; Banerjee PC et al.; Mutant cells of mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from cystic fibrosis patients were examined for their ability to synthesize alginic acid in resting cell suspensions . Unlike the wild-type strain which synthesizes alginic acid from glycerol, fructose, mannitol, glucose, gluconate, glutamate, or succinate, mutants lacking specific enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism are uniquely impaired . A phosphoglucose isomerase mutant did not synthesize the polysaccharide from mannitol, nor did a glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase mutant synthesize the polysaccharide from mannitol or glucose . Mutants lacking the Entner-Doudoroff pathway dehydrase or aldolase failed to produce alginate from mannitol, glucose, or gluconate, as a 3-phosphoglycerate kinase or glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase mutant failed to produce from glutamate or succinate . These results demonstrate the primary role of the Entner-Doudoroff pathway enzymes in the synthesis of alginate from glucose, mannitol, or gluconate and the role of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase reaction for the synthesis from gluconeogenic precursors such as glutamate . The virtual absence of any activity of phosphomannose isomerase in cell extracts of several independent mucoid bacteria and the impairment of alginate synthesis from mannitol in mutants lacking phosphoglucose isomerase or glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase rule out free mannose 6-phosphate as an intermediate in alginate biosynthesis.

Infect Immun, 1983 Jul, 41(1), 345 - 51
Adherence of mucoid and nonmucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa to acid-injured tracheal epithelium; Ramphal R et al.; A model of the adherence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to injured lower respiratory tract cells is described . Mouse tracheas were injured by exposure to 0.1 N HCl for 15 min, cut into pieces of 2 to 4 rings, and placed in petri dishes for adherence studies . Adherence was quantitated by direct count of the number of bacteria attached to a fixed surface area as viewed by scanning electron microscopy . Optimal conditions for study were 1 h of incubation with an inoculum of 10(7) to 10(8) CFU/ml . Both mucoid and nonmucoid P . aeruginosa adhered to the injured cells in this system, and no major differences in adherence between these strains was apparent . Adherence to injured tracheal cells was a phenomenon limited to P . aeruginosa and did not occur with Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae . Besides adherence to injured cells, this model allowed the demonstration of adherence of mucoid P . aeruginosa and K . pneumoniae to mucin strands of uninjured control tracheas . This model is an alternative to the buccal cell model and has the advantage of allowing the study of the adherence of both mucoid and nonmucoid strains of P . aeruginosa.

Infect Immun, 1983 Jul, 41(1), 321 - 30
In vitro inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa phenazine pigments; Sorensen RU et al.; Human lymphocyte proliferation is inhibited in vitro in the presence of killed Pseudomonas aeruginosa or cell-free P . aeruginosa culture supernatants . A comparison of culture supernatants obtained under similar conditions from Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, P . aeruginosa, and Pseudomonas cepacia strains demonstrated that all P . aeruginosa supernatants were strongly inhibitory, whereas supernatants from other bacteria were mildly inhibitory or not inhibitory at all . These P . aeruginosa inhibitors prevent proliferative responses of resting cells upon mitogen activation and decrease {3H}thymidine uptake when added to human lymphocytes undergoing active proliferation in culture . The inhibitory effect is reversible and not due to cytotoxicity . Most of the inhibitory activity present in crude supernatants was detected in ultrafiltrates of molecular weights below 2,000 . Purified P . aeruginosa pyocyanine, a low-molecular-weight phenazine pigment present in culture supernatant, was strongly inhibitory for lymphocyte proliferation . Extraction of pyocyanine and phenazine pigments from inhibitory P . aeruginosa supernatants eliminated their inhibitory activity . Inhibitors were recovered from reverse-phase chromatographic cartridges by both chloroform and methanol elution, indicating that pyocyanine and other phenazine pigments present in P . aeruginosa supernatants are responsible for the inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation . In addition to the identification of phenazine pigments as lymphocyte proliferation inhibitors, several criteria ruled out major contributions of P . aeruginosa polysaccharide, exotoxin A, and proteases to this phenomenon . P . aeruginosa strains selected for very low protease production or for very low exotoxin A production produced supernatants as inhibitory for lymphocyte proliferation as supernatants obtained from clinical P . aeruginosa isolates . Purified P . aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide and protease preparations failed to induce reversible lymphocyte proliferation inhibition . Finally, heat inactivation of P . aeruginosa supernatants at 100 degrees C for 60 min inactivates exotoxin A and proteases but produced only a moderate decrease of the inhibitory activity for lymphocyte proliferation.

Infect Immun, 1983 Jul, 41(1), 232 - 6
Characterization of the antibody response in inbred mice to a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide from Pseudomonas aeruginosa immunotype 1; Markham RB et al.; We explored the genetic basis for the differing immune responses observed in inbred strains of mice to a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide (PS) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa immunotype 1 (IT-1) . Previous studies have shown that C3H mice immunized with this antigen produce only immunotype-specific antibody . BALB/c mice immunized with IT-1 PS produce both anti-IT-1 PS antibody and antibody cross-reactive with PS from P . aeruginosa immunotype 2 (IT-2) . In the current study, we observed that, in addition, these two strains differ in their ability to respond to low immunizing doses of IT-1 PS . C3H mice generated a protective antibody response after a 1-microgram immunization, whereas BALB/c mice failed to produce protective antibody after receiving 1 microgram of PS . Both strains generated protective levels of antibody after a 50-micrograms immunization . Genetic analysis of these response patterns indicates that the ability to produce cross-reactive antibody and the ability to respond to a 1-microgram immunization are independently inherited traits . In addition, the responsiveness of C3H mice to a 1-microgram immunization with the production of protective levels of antibody is not linked to the mouse major histocompatibility (H-2) complex, to sex-linked genes, or to a single gene outside the H-2 complex.

Ann Surg, 1983 Jul, 198(1), 53 - 7
Synthetic immunomodulators for prevention of fatal infections in a burned guinea pig model; Stinnett JD et al.; Individuals who have suffered severe trauma, such as burns, have a high incidence of infection associated with impaired host resistance . Nonspecific stimulators of host defense mechanisms, i.e., immunomodulators, may be of benefit in such situations . A small animal model (guinea pigs) was developed to study the efficacy of immunomodulators in burns . Anesthetized animals received a 20% total body surface area, full-thickness, scald burn . There was no mortality associated with this injury, but these animals were highly susceptible to challenge with Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain 1244 by direct injection into the burn wound within 24 hours of injury . This susceptibility persisted about 7 days . The standard model adopted was to injure animals, then challenge with 1 median lethal dose (LD50) of P . aeruginosa 96 hours after injury . Using this model, six synthetic immunomodulators were tested: CP-20,961, CP-46,665, muramyl dipeptide, thymopoietin pentapeptide (TP-5), levamisole, and lithium . Drug administration began 24 hours after injury and ended prior to challenge with P . aeruginosa at 96 hours . CP-20,961, muramyl dipeptide, levamisole, and lithium all had no beneficial effect on survival . A single dosage (0.3 mg/kg, I.V.) of CP-46,665, administered 24 hours postinjury, increased the survival rate from 50% to 85% and mean survival time (MST) from 8.2 days to 12.4 days . TP-5, given in four doses (0.1 mg/kg, I.V . each) every 24 hours, increased the survival rate from 40% to 80% and MST from 6.9 days to 11.6 days . These data show that immunomodulators could be of benefit in burns, but also that not all agents are effective in this particular situation.

Kidney Int, 1983 Jul, 24(1), 66 - 73
Host immune status in uremia . V . Effect of uremia on resistance to bacterial infection; Clarke IA et al.; Infection is a frequent complication and cause of death in renal failure . Although it is widely accepted that uremia has an adverse effect on host resistance to infectious disease, this association has not been proven . In the present experiments, the relationship between uremia and susceptibility to infection has been investigated using an animal model of chronic, severe uremia . Lung infections (using Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae), bacteremia, peritonitis and subcutaneous infection (using Escherichia coli) were induced in uremic and normal rats and the course of infection compared . The ability of the uremic host to clear Ps . aeruginosa from the lung was marginally impaired in the first 24 hr after the challenge but was normal in the later stages of the infection . Similarly, in the bacteremia study, secondary invasion of the lungs by several other species of bacteria occurred in 33% of the uremic animals . We found no other evidence of impairment of immunity in uremia in the infections that we studied and, taken overall, the results support arguments that uremia per se is unlikely to be an important factor predisposing patients with renal failure to infection.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Jul, 12 Suppl A, 365 - 7
Ceftazidime in the treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media in children; Lautala P et al.; Seventeen children aged 5 months to 3 years with recurrent or chronic otitis media complicated by Pseudomonas aeruginosa were treated with ceftazidime . All patients had been previously treated with several antibiotics . All strains of Pseudomonas were initially sensitive to ceftazidime . In four of the six cases which failed bacteriologically, the Pseudomonas was found to be of intermediate sensitivity after treatment . In 11 patients the Pseudomonas was eradicated during treatment but reappeared in 4 during the follow-up period . All 11 patients were clinically cured or improved . Three of the six children whose Pseudomonas was not eliminated from aural discharge showed some clinical improvement whereas the remaining three showed no clinical response to treatment . The range of MIC values of ceftazidime, gentamicin and carbenicillin for the Pseudomonas isolated were respectively 0.5 to 4.0, 0.25 to 2.0 and 4.0 to 125 mg/l . The mean ceftazidime serum level at 1 h after the first injection of 50 mg/kg was 74.12 (S.D . 12.84) mg/l and at 12 h post injection 1.93 (S.D . 4.14) mg/l.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Jul, 12 Suppl A, 337 - 40
Ceftazidime - a significant advance in the treatment of cystic fibrosis; David TJ et al.; Intravenous ceftazidime (140 mg/kg/day for 14 days) was used in 28 consecutive admissions for severe respiratory infections in children and young adults with cystic fibrosis . In 20 cases ceftazidime was the sole antibiotic, but in the first eight cases it was accompanied by oral flucloxacillin . Pseudomonas aeruginosa was present in all cases, accompanied by Staphylococcus aureus in seven . Both organisms were sensitive to ceftazidime (MIC 0.12 to 8) and no case of ceftazidime resistance was seen, not even in one patient who received six courses . One patient, admitted moribund, died after only one dose had been given, his death being unconnected with the drug . In the other 27 courses there was an excellent clinical response, judged to be as good as our former high dosage carbenicillin and tobramycin combination though with much greater patient acceptability.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Jul, 12 Suppl A, 313 - 23
Ceftazidime treatment of chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa respiratory tract infection in cystic fibrosis; Permin H et al.; Two open randomized cross-over studies were undertaken comparing ceftazidime to tobramycin and ceftazidime to tobramycin plus carbenicillin in 13 and 15 cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, respectively, with chronic bronchopulmonary Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection . The difference in lung function improvement was statistically better in terms of FEV1 and FVC for the ceftazidime group in the study versus tobramycin plus carbenicillin . Patients receiving ceftazidime showed a tendency for a greater long-term benefit in lung function as measured at 1 and 2 months after treatment than patients receiving the other antibiotics . Development of resistance against both ceftazidime and carbenicillin was seen regularly and was not prevented by combination therapy with tobramycin . No resistance developed when tobramycin was used as monotherapy . Serum concentration curves for ceftazidime fitted a two compartment first order open model in CF patients and showed a distribution volume of 40% of the body weight and a final serum half-life of 1.8 h . One case of Type III hypersensitivity reaction was seen during ceftazidime treatment . Ceftazidime seems to be an effective and safe antibiotic in the treatment of Ps . aeruginosa bronchopulmonary infection in CF patients, although these bacteria could not be eradicated.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Jul, 12 Suppl A, 283 - 7
Clinical results and pharmacokinetics of ceftazidime treatment in patients with cystic fibrosis; Strandvik B et al.; Ceftazidime (50 mg/kg/8 h) alone or combined with tobramycin (5 mg/kg/8 h) was given to 14 patients with cystic fibrosis . Ten courses were given with ceftazidime alone and 6 courses with a combined therapy . All patients were chronically colonized with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and were hospitalized because of lower respiratory tract infections . Using an agar-well diffusion technique, the concentration of ceftazidime was determined in serum and sputum . The mean (+/- S.E.M.) peak serum concentration of ceftazidime was 142 +/- 16 mg/l during the second to third day of treatment and 114 +/- 18 mg/l on the fifth to sixth day of treatment . In the combined therapy the corresponding values were 104 +/- 20 mg/l and 74 +/- 8 mg/l, respectively . The range of the mean half life was 1.2 to 1.4 h . The maximum concentration of ceftazidime in sputum was usually obtained 1 h after the infusion, ranging from 0.7 to 9.8 mg/l . All patients improved during treatment . Non-mucoid strains of Ps . aeruginosa were eradicated in nearly half of the courses, mucoid strains less often . No side reactions were noted.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Jul, 12 Suppl A, 223 - 8
Ceftazidime in the therapy of serious Gram-negative bacillary infections; Pottage JC Jr et al.; Eighteen patients were evaluated after treatment with ceftazidime: these included nine nosocomial lower respiratory tract infections, four soft tissue infections, three bacteraemias and two bone infections . Thirty-five bacterial pathogens were isolated from these 18 patients . Two were resistant to ceftazidime and required alternative therapy . Sixteen of the 18 evaluable patients had a favourable response to ceftazidime . Seven of eight patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa lower respiratory tract infections responded favourably . Fifteen possible complications were observed in ten of 23 patients who received ceftazidime . In three patients ceftazidime was discontinued due to possible complications of therapy . This trial provides preliminary support for the use of ceftazidime as an alternative to aminoglycosides in the treatment of serious infections caused by Gram-negative organisms, including Ps . aeruginosa.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Jul, 12 Suppl A, 1 - 8
Treatment of chronic and recurrent respiratory infections with intramuscular ceftazidime; Davies BI et al.; Two groups of patients were treated with ceftazidime intramuscularly for 10 days . There were 34 patients with acute purulent exacerbations of chronic bronchitis of whom 20 received 1-g and the other 142-g injections . A further 38 patients with chronic recurrent respiratory infections (mostly severe bronchiectasis associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were treated with 2-g injections twice or thrice daily . Blood and sputum concentrations of ceftazidime were measured microbiologically on the first day of treatment . The peak serum concentrations (34.4 and 37.8 mg/l after the 2 different doses) were reached between 1/2 and 1 h after the injections and the mean areas under the concentration-time curves were 131 mg/l X h and 149 mg/l X h, respectively . The sputum concentrations after the 2 doses reached 3.0 mg/l after 1 g, and 3.5 mg/l after the 2 g doses . Sputum cultures before and after treatment showed that 32 of the 34 patients with chronic bronchitis had negative cultures at the end of the treatment although 6 had further infections by the 17th study day . Among the 38 patients with relapsing infections with Gram-negative organisms, one died early in the treatment course and one later on, but 28 of the 37 patients had negative sputum cultures on day 11 and 17 of the 36 remaining were clear of infection on day 17 . The recurrences were all associated with Ps . aeruginosa or Ps . maltophilia . Some 69% of the 69 Ps . aeruginosa strains were inhibited by 2 mg/l of ceftazidime and 91% by 4 mg/l . All 3 Ps . maltophilia strains were resistant (MICs greater than 32 mg/l).

Drug Intell Clin Pharm, 1983 Jul-Aug, 17(7-8), 507 - 15
Third-generation and investigational cephalosporins: I . Structure-activity relationships and pharmacokinetic review; Garzone P et al.; The structure-relationships and pharmacokinetic properties of the new second- and third-generation cephalosporins are reviewed . The new second-generation cephalosporins include ceforanide, cefotiam, and cefuroxime . The third-generation cephalosporins include cefmenoxime, cefoperazone, cefotaxime, cefsulodin, ceftazidime, ceftizoxime, ceftriaxone, and moxalactam . These new cephalosporins are semisynthetic analogs with different chemical substitutions on a 7-aminocephalosporanic nucleus . As a result of these chemical modifications, improvements in the antibacterial spectrum as well as pharmacokinetic properties have occurred . In general, the new cephalosporins have longer half-lives, higher and prolonged serum concentrations, and increased cerebrospinal fluid penetration . Selected cephalosporins also have increased biliary tract concentrations . A classification scheme for these new agents, based on generation and susceptibility to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is presented.

Br J Dermatol, 1983 Jul, 109(1), 77 - 83
A randomized trial comparing cadexomer iodine and standard treatment in the out-patient management of chronic venous ulcers; Skog E et al.; Ninety-three patients with treatment-resistant venous ulcers were included in a multicentre randomized trial to compare cadexomer iodine and the standard treatment used in each centre combined with compression bandages, in healing venous ulcers . The mean duration of ulcers before the trial was more than 2 years . With standard treatment the mean ulcer size increased slightly during the 6-week trial whereas with cadexomer iodine the ulcer size was significantly reduced . Cadexomer iodine was more effective than standard treatment for reduction of pain, removal of pus and debris, removal of exudate, stimulation of granulation and reduction of surrounding erythema . Bacterial infection of ulcers increased or did not change during treatment with the standard therapy whereas cadexomer iodine significantly reduced infection with Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other pathogenic organisms . A correlation was seen between the time taken to reduce or eliminate infection with Staphylococcus aureus and rate of ulcer healing . Four patients complained of transient pain in the ulcer after application of the cadexomer iodine . It is concluded that cadexomer iodine increased the rate of healing of infected chronic venous ulcers.

Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1983 Jul, 254(4), 500 - 14
Generation of leukotrienes and lipoxygenase factors from human polymorphonuclear granulocytes during bacterial phagocytosis and interaction with bacterial exotoxins; Bremm KD et al.; The generation and release of lipoxygenase factors and leukotrienes from human polymorphonuclear granulocytes is demonstrated during bacterial phagocytosis and interaction with bacterial exotoxins (alpha-toxin, enterotoxin, lipase from Staph . aureus; Streptolysin O; cytotoxin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa) . The leukotrienes released during stimulation exert chemotactic properties for human neutrophils and guinea pig eosinophils (leukotriene B4) and show the characteristic profile of slow reacting substance activity which is induced by leukotriene C4, D4 and E4 . The toxin induced spasmogenic activity obtained from human PMNs was inhibited in the presence of the SRS-antagonist FPL 55712 . The generation of lipoxygenase factors is also demonstrated by autoradiography using 14C arachidonic acid prelabelled granulocytes.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Jul, 24(1), 5 - 9
Conversion of phospholipids to free fatty acids in response to acquisition of polymyxin resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Champlin FR et al.; The readily extractable lipids from a Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate stepwise adapted to polymyxin resistance were compared with those of the susceptible parent and of a revertant strain which regained susceptibility . Significant qualitative and quantitative lipid alterations accompany the acquisition of resistance . Changes include the appearance of a major unidentified lipid (lipid X) unique to the readily extractable lipids of resistant cells . Comparative studies with parent and revertant strains indicated a significant decrease in the phospholipid content of resistant cells . Thin-layer chromatography of resistant-cell readily extractable lipids demonstrated: (i) the emergence of lipid X (36% of total readily extractable lipids), (ii) a decrease in phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol, and (iii) an increase in diphosphatidylglycerol . Lipid X was purified by preparative silicic acid column chromatography and thin-layer chromatography and characterized by analytical thin-layer chromatography, column adsorption chromatography, and gas-liquid chromatography . Data from this study indicated that lipid X was a mixture of free fatty acids . The fatty acids present in lipid X were qualitatively and quantitatively the same as the fatty acids esterified to the phospholipids in the readily extractable lipids.

J Virol, 1983 Jul, 47(1), 221 - 3
Cloning of Pf3, a filamentous bacteriophage of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, into the pBD214 vector of Bacillus subtilis; Putterman DG et al.; The genome of Pf3, a filamentous single-stranded DNA bacteriophage of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (a gram-negative organism) was cloned into pBD214, a plasmid cloning vector of Bacillus subtilis (a gram-positive organism) . Cloning in the gram-positive organism was done to avoid anticipated lethal effects . The entire Pf3 genome was inserted in each orientation at a unique Bc/I site within a thymidylate synthetase gene (from B . subtilis phage beta 22) on the plasmid . Additional clones were made by inserting EcoRI fragments of Pf3 DNA into a unique EcoRI site within this gene.

J Bacteriol, 1983 Jul, 155(1), 40 - 8
Pseudomonas streptomycin resistance transposon associated with R-plasmid mobilization; McCombie WR et al.; Plasmid pMG1 encodes resistance to gentamicin, streptomycin, sulfonamides, and mercuric ions and also mobilizes pRO161, a transfer-deficient plasmid derived from RP1 . Upon mobilization, pRO161 acquires streptomycin resistance (Smr) and can subsequently be remobilized by pMG1 at significantly higher frequencies than pRO161 itself . Both the initial acquisition of Smr and the subsequent mobilization of the transfer-deficient plasmid are recA independent: thus, the Smr determinant appears to be located on a transposon, disignated Tn904 . Tn904 transposes to a variety of other plasmids, including RP1, FP2, R388, K, pRO1600, and pBR322, and in some cases the acquisition of this transposon accompanied deletions in the target plasmid . When no deletion occurred, target plasmids gained 5.2 kilobase pairs of DNA and new restriction endonuclease cleavage sites for AvaI, BglII, PstI, SmaI, and SstI . Physical analysis of such plasmids showed that the Tn904 termini are inverted repeat DNA sequences of approximately 124 base pairs . After cloning into vector pRO1723, a single site for restriction endonuclease AvaI was identified within the Smr determinant of Tn904 . In Escherichia coli, but not in Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Tn904 shows a gene dosage-dependent expression of streptomycin resistance.

J Bacteriol, 1983 Jul, 155(1), 203 - 12
O-antigen conversion in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 by bacteriophage D3; Kuzio J et al.; The lysogenization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO by phage D3 results in derivatives which are resistant to superinfection by phage D3c by virtue of the fact that homologous phage cannot adsorb to these cells . The serologically and morphologically unrelated phage E79 showed a markedly decreased adsorption rate to the lysogen PAO(D3) . Since both of these phages are lipopolysaccharide specific, these results suggested lysogenic conversion of the phage receptor . The lipopolysaccharide was extracted from strain PAO by the hot phenol-water technique, but this procedure was ineffective with PAO(D3) . We developed a technique involving cold trichloroacetic acid extraction, followed by ultracentrifugation, digestion of the high-speed pellet with proteinase K, and ultimate purification on CsCl step gradients . The lipopolysaccharide from the wild type had inactivating activity against D3 and E79, whereas that from PAO(D3) inactivated neither . Chromatographic analysis indicated that the convertant lipopolysaccharide was smooth, and quantitative chemical analyses of the two preparations showed no differences in the level of the major fatty acids, amino compounds, or neutral sugars . On the other hand, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the side chains had a decreased migration rate through the gel matrix . The application of 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic analysis revealed that the PAO side chain is chemically identical to that of serotype O:2a,d, containing 2,3-(1-acetyl-2-methyl-2-imidazolino-5,4)-2,3-dideoxy-D-mannuronic acid, 2,3-diacetamido-2,3-dideoxy-D-mannuronic acid, and 2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-D-galactose (D-fucosamine) . The molecular basis of the conversion event was (i) the introduction of an acetyl group into position 4 of the fucosamine residue and a change in the bonding between trisaccharide repeating units from alpha 1 leads to 4 to beta 1 leads to 4.

G Batteriol Virol Immunol, 1983 Jul-Dec, 76(7-12), 246 - 56
{Comparative activity of dibekacin and several cephalosporins on Pseudomonas aeruginosa}; Carlone NA et al.; Dibekacin is a semisynthetic aminonglycoside derivative of kanamicin B, with highly activity against most gram-positive and gramnegative bacteria . It is also active against bacteria relatively resistant to other antibiotics . Since Pseudomonas aeruginosa seems to be the most common strain recent clinical isolated, we compared the in vitro activity of dibekacin with other eigh cephalosporins against 579 clinical isolates of sensitive and gentamicin-carbenicillin resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The results indicate that dibekacin was more active than any of the other antibiotics tested against all the organisms tested, including carbenicillin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

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