J Prosthet Dent, 1998 Oct, 80(4), 495 - 500 In vitro evaluation of biocompatibility of experimental titanium alloys for dental restorations; Wang RR et al.; STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Applications of titanium casting to fixed and removable prostheses have not been satisfactory because of the high melting point of titanium and its great reactivity with mold materials . Low-melting titanium alloys would alleviate many casting problems . At the present time, low-melting titanium alloys are not available for clinical dental use . PURPOSE: The study evaluated the safety of 2 prototype low-melting titanium casting alloys for their future development for dental restorations . The 2 experimental titanium alloys were titanium-cobalt(Ti 81.4% wt, Co 18.6% wt) and titanium-silver (Ti 75% wt, Ag 25% wt) . Commercially pure titanium and a commonly used nickel-chromium-based dental alloy were also included for comparison . MATERIAL AND METHOD: Assays for evaluating mutagenicity and cytotoxicity were Ames salmonella/microsome mutagenicity spot test, agar diffusion method, and cell attachment assay . RESULTS: The results of Ames test showed that none of the experimental titanium alloys, pure titanium, or nickel-chromium samples were mutagenic . There were no leachable components to cause cellular lysis or decolorization in the agar diffusion assay from the 4 group metals . The results of the cell attachment assay demonstrated that there was no significant difference in the numbers of cells attached to the 4 group metals . However, the mean number of cells attached to nickel-chromium samples was significantly lower than that of the control group . CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the data obtained from this study, it is concluded that the prototype Ti alloys are not mutagenic and imposes minimal risks associated with cytotoxicity. No Shinkei Geka, 1998 Oct, 26(10), 903 - 7 {A case of Salmonella subdural empyema developed in chronic subdural hematoma}; Kan M et al.; A case of Salmonella subdural empyema developed in chronic subdural hematoma (Infected Subdural Hematoma; ISH) was reported . A 64-year-old man had been in a nearby hospital due to myelodysplastic syndrome with cerebral infarction for two months . His condition there had been almost uneventful . But spike fever occurred and the patient became drowsy two days before his transfer to our medical center . His consciousness level deteriorated progressively and CT scan showed a right chronic subdural hematoma . He had had no history of head trauma in the previous two months . On admission to our center, his consciousness level was semicoma with anisocoria . An emergency operation was performed via a single burr hole initially . From the burr hole, old bloody fluid accompanied by yellowish pus was obtained . Thus so-called ISH was diagnosed and the craniotomy was carried out . Gram stain of the specimen revealed gram negative rods . Although an epileptic state developed after the operation, it was controlled by barbiturate coma therapy for 3 days, followed by phenytoin administration . Fever subsided gradually with antibiotics sensitive to the bacteria and his anisocoria disappeared on the 4th postoperative day . In this case, Salmonella enteritidis was detected from bacterial culture both of the specimen and of the arterial blood . Salmonella enteritidis might have been implanted on the capsule of the chronic subdural hematoma by bacteremia derived from immunological dysfunction due to myelodysplastic syndrome . In conclusion, the possibility of ISH should be considered in chronic subdural hematoma patients with immunological dysfunction. Infect Immun, 1998 Nov, 66(11), 5357 - 63 Helicobacter pylori lipopolysaccharide binds to CD14 and stimulates release of interleukin-8, epithelial neutrophil-activating peptide 78, and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 by human monocytes; Bliss CM Jr et al.; Helicobacter pylori gastritis is characterized by leukocyte infiltration of the gastric mucosa . The aims of this study were to determine whether H . pylori-derived factors stimulate chemokine release from human monocytes and to ascertain whether H . pylori lipopolysaccharide (LPS) may be responsible for this effect . Human peripheral blood monocytes were exposed to an H . pylori water extract (HPE) or to purified H . pylori LPS . Levels of the chemokines interleukin-8 (IL-8), epithelial neutrophil-activating peptide 78 (ENA-78), and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay . The contribution of H . pylori LPS to monocyte activation was determined by using the LPS antagonist Rhodobacter sphaeroides lipid A (RSLA) and a blocking monoclonal antibody to CD14 (60bca) . HPE increased monocyte secretion of IL-8, ENA-78, and MCP-1 . Heat treatment of HPE did not reduce its ability to activate monocytes . Purified H . pylori LPS also stimulated monocyte chemokine production but was 1,000-fold less potent than Salmonella minnesota lipid A . RSLA blocked H . pylori LPS-induced monocyte IL-8 release in a dose-dependent fashion (maximal inhibition 82%, P < 0.001) . RSLA also inhibited HPE-induced IL-8 release (by 93%, P < 0.001) . The anti-CD14 monoclonal antibody 60bca substantially inhibited IL-8 release from HPE-stimulated monocytes (by 88%, P < 0.01), whereas the nonblocking anti-CD14 monoclonal antibody did not . These experiments with potent and specific LPS inhibitors indicate that the main monocyte-stimulating factor in HPE is LPS . H . pylori LPS, acting through CD14, stimulates human monocytes to release the neutrophil-activating chemokines IL-8 and ENA-78 and the monocyte-activating chemokine MCP-1 . Despite its low relative potency, H . pylori LPS may play an important role in the pathogenesis of H . pylori gastritis. Mol Microbiol, 1998 Oct, 30(1), 175 - 88 Macrophage-dependent induction of the Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 type III secretion system and its role in intracellular survival; Cirillo DM et al.; Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 (SPI-2) encodes a putative type III secretion system necessary for systemic infection in animals . We have investigated the transcriptional organization and regulation of SPI-2 by creating gfp fusions throughout the entire gene cluster . These gfp fusions demonstrated that SPI-2 genes encoding structural, regulatory and previously uncharacterized putative secreted proteins are preferentially expressed in the intracellular environment of the host macrophage . Furthermore, the transcription of these genes within host cells was dependent on the two-component regulatory system SsrA/SsrB and an acidic phagosomal environment . Most SPI-2 mutants failed to replicate to the same level as wild-type strains in murine macrophages and human epithelial cells . In orally infected mice, SPI-2 mutants colonized the Peyer's patches but did not progress to the mesenteric lymph nodes . We conclude that SPI-2 genes are specifically expressed upon entry into mammalian cells and are required for intracellular growth in host cells in vivo and in vitro. Mol Microbiol, 1998 Oct, 30(1), 163 - 74 Genes encoding putative effector proteins of the type III secretion system of Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 are required for bacterial virulence and proliferation in macrophages; Hensel M et al.; The type III secretion system of Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 (SPI-2) is required for systemic infection of this pathogen in mice . Cloning and sequencing of a central region of SPI-2 revealed the presence of genes encoding putative chaperones and effector proteins of the secretion system . The predicted products of the sseB, sseC and sseD genes display weak but significant similarity to amino acid sequences of EspA, EspD and EspB, which are secreted by the type III secretion system encoded by the locus of enterocyte effacement of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli . The transcriptional activity of an sseA::luc fusion gene was shown to be dependent on ssrA, which is required for the expression of genes encoding components of the secretion system apparatus . Strains carrying nonpolar mutations in sseA, sseB or sseC were severely attenuated in virulence, strains carrying mutations in sseF or sseG were weakly attenuated, and a strain with a mutation in sseE had no detectable virulence defect . These phenotypes were reflected in the ability of mutant strains to grow within a variety of macrophage cell types: strains carrying mutations in sseA, sseB or sseC failed to accumulate, whereas the growth rates of strains carrying mutations in sseE, sseF or sseG were only modestly reduced . These data suggest that, in vivo, one of the functions of the SPI-2 secretion system is to enable intracellular bacterial proliferation. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1998 Jul-Aug, (4), 52 - 6 {An antigenic analysis and the protective properties of the R-form lipopolysaccharides of gram-negative bacteria}; Stanislavskii ES et al.; The antigenic and immunogenic properties of the R-form lipopolysaccharides (R-LPS) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella minnesota, Escherichia coli and Shigella were studied . The results of the study revealed the existence of antigenic relationship between P.aeruginosa R-LPS and R-LPS Escherichia and Shigella . In serological tests no antigenic relationship between P . aeruginosa R-LPS and Salmonella R-LPS was revealed, but as shown in earlier experiments of the protection of mice, Re-glycolipid stimulated protective immunity against Pseudomonas infection in the animals . On the basis of R-LPS obtained from selected P . aeruginosa and Salmonella strains a vaccine was prepared which proved to be effective against infection caused by P . aeruginosa S-strain in experiments on mice . The vaccine induced protection in 40-100% of immunized mice, depending on the scheme of immunization . The vaccine may probably be effective against infections caused by other gram-negative bacteria. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1998 Jul-Aug, (4), 3 - 6 {The population dynamics of Salmonella typhi and Tetrahymena pyriformis during joint cultivation}; Sevost'ianova EV et al.; The data on changes in the number, as well as cultural and biological properties of S . typhi and free-living T . pyriformis in the course of their joint cultivation at 2 degrees C and 25 degrees C are presented . As suggested on the basis of the results of this experiment, the interaction of S . typhi with T . pyriformis may facilitate the preservation of the bacteria in the environment and be a stage in their migration along trophic chains. Indian J Exp Biol, 1998 Jul, 36(7), 663 - 7 Mechanism and specificity of immunoprotection induced by mycobacterial proteins against experimental tuberculosis in mice; Dhiman N et al.; Mechanism of immunoprotection and specificity of two highly immunoprotective mycobacterial proteins, viz . 71 and 30 kDa were investigated . The adoptive transfer studies indicated that immunoprotection was mainly mediated by cooperative effect of CD4+ and CD8+ (66.7-73.3% on the basis of percent survival) which was further enhanced marginally by supplementation of B cells, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, macrophages and other immune cells . The specificity studies indicated that both the proteins did not cross react with the unrelated intracellular pathogens i.e . Aspergillus fumigatus, Salmonella typhi and Leishmania donovani as seen by T cell proliferation assay . The protection imparted by these mycobacterial proteins was also specific as the 71 and 30 kDa primed mice did not exhibit any cross protection against sublethal challenge of S typhi . The results indicate 71 and 30 kDa mycobacterial proteins to contain T cell specific epitopes responsible for specific immunoprotection, thus indicating their potential role as antituberculous vaccine candidates. Commun Dis Public Health, 1998 Sep, 1(3), 176 - 9 An outbreak of Salmonella agona infection associated with precooked turkey meat; Synnott MB et al.; An outbreak of Salmonella agona phage type (PT) 15 infection in North Staffordshire in September 1996 was associated with consumption of precooked turkey meat . The shops from which five of the six cases had bought turkey meat were supplied by the same distributor . S . agona phage type 15 was isolated from nine cases, from cooked turkey sampled from a shop, and from an unopened cryovacuumed packed joint at the supplier's premises . Environmental investigations at a food manufacturer's premises revealed deficiencies in cooking practices . Microbiological investigations at those premises on samples (food, environmental swabs) taken two to three weeks after the cases became ill were negative . The rarity of S . agona brought this outbreak to our attention and the successful identification of a vehicle of infection demonstrated the value of local surveillance of gastrointestinal pathogens and of good working relationships between public health and local authority staff . The prompt voluntary withdrawal of suspect product probably prevented further cases. Commun Dis Public Health, 1998 Sep, 1(3), 172 - 5 An outbreak of Salmonella enteritidis phage type 5a infection in a residential home for elderly people; Hansell AL et al.; The first outbreak of Salmonella enteritidis phage type (PT) 5a infection to be reported occurred after a party in a residential home for elderly people in May 1995 . The party was attended attended by 96 residents, staff and guests . S . enteritidis PT5a was isolated from 14 of the 25 clinical cases identified after the party and S . enteritidis PT4 from another clinical case . Two elderly residents with S . enteritidis PT5a infection died . Infection with S . enteritidis PT5a was associated with consumption of prawn in mayonnaise vol-au-vents, sausage rolls, corned beef sandwiches, and sausages . The investigation of this outbreak illustrated the difficulty that elderly people may have in the completion of questionnaires . It also highlighted areas for intervention; such as reminders about basic hygiene precautions to prevent secondary spread and the importance of coordinated reinforcement in the workplace of formal food hygiene training for cooks . The Food Safety Regulations 1995 came into force soon after this outbreak: their implementation would probably have prevented it. Commun Dis Public Health, 1998 Sep, 1(3), 156 - 60 Salmonella in raw shell eggs in Northern Ireland: 1996-7; Wilson IG et al.; The shells and contents of 2090 packs of six raw eggs from shops in Northern Ireland were examined for the presence of salmonella between April 1996 and October 1997 . Nine isolates of salmonella were detected from separate packs of eggs (0.43%) . One of the isolates was from egg contents (0.05%), where salmonella can proliferate to levels likely to cause human infection if the egg is inadequately cooked . Visible dirt and organic contamination were poor predictors of salmonella contamination since most contaminated eggs had apparently clean and uncracked shells . Contaminated eggs were more likely to have been sold from small shops than supermarkets . Sampling for uncommon pathogens is expensive, labour intensive, and yields many negative results . The small numbers of positive results make it particularly susceptible to variations between methods . It continues to be important to cook eggs thoroughly to eliminate the risk of salmonellosis since this survey suggests that over 10,000 boxes containing one or more contaminated eggs may be sold in Northern Ireland each year . Caterers should use pasteurised liquid egg . A system of branding to enable eggs to be traced to individual flocks would assist in the investigation of outbreaks. Avian Dis, 1998 Jul-Sep, 42(3), 545 - 53 Resistance to Salmonella enteritidis organ invasion in day-old turkeys and chickens by transformed T-cell line-produced lymphokines; Genovese KJ et al.; We previously reported an increased resistance to Salmonella enteritidis (SE) organ invasion in chicks and turkey poults injected prophylactically with SE-immune lymphokines (ILK) . In the present study, concanavalin A (Con-A)-activated splenic T cells isolated from SE-hyperimmunized hens were transformed in vitro with reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T (REV-T) (chicken syncitial virus) . These transformed T cells were then maintained as a long-term (> 1 yr) cell line for the harvest of immune lymphokines (VILK) . The efficacy of VILK to protect turkey poults and chicks against SE organ invasion and the correlation between organ invasion and peripheral blood heterophilia were then evaluated . Three groups of day-old poults and chicks were injected intraperitoneally with either phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; group A), ILK (group B), or VILK (group C) . Thirty minutes postinjection, poults and chicks were challenged per os with 5 x 10(5) colony-forming units (CFU) SE and 5 x 10(4) CFU SE, respectively . At 24 hr posttreatment, birds in groups A, B, and C were euthanatized and liver samples were cultured for the presence of SE . Both the VILK- and ILK-treated turkeys and chicks had significant reductions in organ invasion when compared with the PBS-injected controls (P < 0.005) . For peripheral blood studies, turkeys and chicks were treated as above, and at 4 hr post-PBS, ILK, or VILK injection; total and differential peripheral blood counts were performed on birds from each group . A significant (P < 0.05) peripheral blood heterophilia at 4 hr postinjection was observed in the ILK- and VILK-treated birds, with no such increase found in the PBS-injected group . Correlation analysis revealed a direct relationship between the peripheral blood heterophilia in turkeys and chicks seen at 4 hr postinjection and the reduction in SE organ invasion seen in the VILK and ILK treatment groups (r = 0.991, r = 0.91, respectively) . T cells isolated and transformed from nonimmune chickens did not produce factors that protected chicks from SE organ invasion and did not cause the peripheral blood heterophilia observed with ILK and VILK . These results show that the virally transformed SE-immune T-cell line produces lymphokines that result in the same level of peripheral blood heterophilia as ILK and was equally protective against SE organ invasion as ILK. Avian Dis, 1998 Jul-Sep, 42(3), 462 - 9 Variability in the resistance of four chicken lines to experimental intravenous infection with Salmonella enteritidis phage type 4; Girard-Santosuosso O et al.; The capacity of four chicken lines (Y11, L2, B13, PA12) to control Salmonella enteritidis (SE) phage type 4 (PT4) systemic colonization was investigated . Thirteen-week-old chickens were intravenously inoculated with 10(6) SE colony-forming units, and the levels of SE colonization were determined at various time intervals after inoculation in liver, spleen, genital organs, and ceca . The course of SE infection showed a rapid contamination of liver, spleen, and genital organs, whereas the ceca were infected later . A significant (P < 0.001) effect of the chicken line on levels of SE was detected on day 3 postinoculation (PI) in liver and ceca, on day 10 PI in ceca, and on day 15 PI in spleen . Because an early control of systemic Salmonella infection by the Ity/Nramp1 gene has been demonstrated in mice, we aimed to study the early resistance of chickens to SE . As a consequence, we then focused our study on the between- and within-line variabilities of SE levels on day 3 PI . According to the SE levels in liver on day 3 PI, the chicken lines could be classified as susceptible (Y11 and L2) or resistant (PA12 and B13) . This early variability was explored in resistant B13 and susceptible L2 lines . Differences between these two lines were confirmed in liver but not in ceca . A large within-line variability was observed in all organs of these two lines . The genetic origin of this variability will have to be determined as a prerequisite to an eventual selection. Microbiol Immunol, 1998, 42(8), 521 - 6 Chemical and immunological characterization of a low molecular weight outer membrane protein of Salmonella typhi; de Andrade CM et al.; A new immunogenic outer membrane protein, Omp-28 (MW 28,000 and pI 4.6), was isolated from smooth Salmonella typhi cells by the use of an extracting medium containing 6 M urea, 1% deoxycholate and 5 mM EDTA . The purification of Omp-28 was performed by gel filtration and fast ion exchange chromatography . This protein showed to be the prevalent component isolated by the latter methodology . Omp-28 is formed by three identical subunits (MW 9,000), not linked by disulfide bonds . The partial N-terminal amino acid sequence of Omp-28 presented great homology with part of the sequence of an Escherichia coli protein found in a precursor whose sequence was predicted by c-DNA . ELISA and Western blotting identified Omp-28 as the major antigenic protein present in the outer membrane protein fraction, isolated by gel filtration . Antibodies against Omp-28 were detected by ELISA in 43% of 28 sera from typhoid fever convalescent patients . The antisera from mice immunized with Omp-28 and the highest positive typhoid fever convalescent serum gave a positive bactericidal test, killing 50% of Salmonella typhi cells in serum dilutions of 1/80 and 1/320, respectively . These results indicate the immunogenic importance of Omp-28 isolated from Salmonella typhi outer membrane and strongly suggest it should be used in further studies of animal protection against the disease caused by this pathogenic bacteria. J Travel Med, 1998 Mar, 5(1), 14 - 7 Patient compliance in the use of Vivotif Berna(R) vaccine, typhoid vaccine, live oral Ty21a; Cryz SJ Jr; Background: Several live attenuated vaccines against bacterial enteric pathogens have recently been licensed . These include the Salmonella typhi Ty21a typhoid vaccine (Vivotif Berna(R) Vaccine) and Vibrio cholerae CVD103-HgR cholera vaccine (Mutacol Berna(R) Vaccine) . They comprise a unique class of biologics in which patient compliance is required for their optimal use . This is of particular importance in the case of the Ty21a vaccine strain of which multiple doses are required . Furthermore, exposure to heat, concomitant use with antibiotics or antimalarial drugs, and timing of vaccination with respect to food intake can affect vaccine potency and/or efficacy . This study was conducted to determine the level of compliance among adult North American travelers and to evaluate compliance errors with respect to potential vaccine efficacy . Method: Questionnaires were provided to 1091 travelers at twelve travel clinics in the United States and Canada . The patients were requested to complete forms which asked questions relating to vaccine storage and usage, and to return them to the travel clinic . A total of 762 completed questionnaires were returned . Results: Few compliance errors were made regarding proper storage of the vaccine . The most common compliance errors involved not taking all four capsules on alternate days (10%) and not taking all four doses of vaccine prior to departure (6%) . Conclusions: Pretravel counselling was effective in obtaining a high compliance rate among adult travelers in the use of Vivotif Berna(R) Vaccine . The majority of compliance errors reported would not be expected to negatively impact upon vaccine efficacy. Toxicol Lett, 1998 Sep 1, 98(1-2), 51 - 8 Comparative tumorigenicity of 1- and 3-nitrobenzo{a}pyrenes, and 3,6- and 1,6-dinitrobenzo{a}pyrenes in F344/DuCrj rats; Horikawa K et al.; Our earlier study revealed that 1- and 3-nitrobenzo{a}pyrene (NBP), 1,6- and 3,6-dinitrobenzo{a}pyrene (DNBP), nitrated derivatives of benzo{a}BP (BP), are present in the environment . These derivatives are potent mutagens for Salmonella tester strains and we have preliminarily reported them to be carcinogenic in F344/DuCrj rats . In this study, the tumorigenic action of 1- and 3-NBP, 1.6- and 3,6-DNBP, and BP induced by subcutaneous injection into rats was found to differ according to the NO2-substitution in the BP structure . The chemicals were suspended in equal volumes of beeswax and tricaprylin, and rats were subcutaneously injected with single doses of 500, 1000, and 2000 microg for 1- and 3-NBP, and of 8, 40, 200, and 1000 microg for 3,6- and 1,6-DNBP, and BP as a positive control . 3,6-DNBP and BP induced tumors in a dose-dependent manner at the injection site . Rats given 1000 microg of 3,6-DNBP (2924 nmol) and BP (3968 nmol) developed subcutaneous tumors at the rate of 70 and 80%, respectively, and those given a minimum dose of 23 nmol for 3.6-DNBP and 32 nmol for BP per rat developed tumors at a rate of 4.8 and 18.2%, respectively . However, rats given 500 and 1000 microg of 1- and 3-NBP did not develop any tumors while those given a high dose, 2000 microg, of each chemical developed tumors at only one of ten animals used . It was concluded, therefore, that these chemicals are weak carcinogens . Histologically, most of the tumors were malignant fibrous histiocytomas . Rats given various doses of 1,6-DNBP did not develop any tumors at the injection site . The failure of 1,6-DNBP to induce tumors may involve its metabolites because of the lower mutagenicity of its reduction products, 1-nitroso-6-NBP and 1-amino-6-NBP . It is suggested, therefore, that tumorigenicities of NBPs and DNBPs differ according to the NO2-substitution on the chemical structure, which may be due to the possible nitroreduction of the chemicals. Poult Sci, 1998 Oct, 77(10), 1497 - 501 Salmonella prevalence in crops of Ontario and Quebec broiler chickens at slaughter; Chambers JR et al.; Swabs of crop contents of 635 broiler chickens were obtained from 9 Ontario and 12 Quebec processing plants and cultured for Salmonella to determine prevalence in broiler crops . Serotypes of positive cultures were determined to evaluate the serotype profile . The overall prevalence of contamination was low (4.3%) . Prevalence was higher in broilers sampled in Quebec (5.8%) than in those sampled in Ontario (2.2%) . In Quebec, there were differences in prevalence among the groups of broilers sampled at the various plants . These differences were believed to be attributable to differences in Salmonella prevalence among groups of flocks delivered to the plants due to the limited exposure of the chickens to the plant . The serotype profile of Salmonella isolated from the crops of broilers in this study was similar in several respects to profiles obtained from other surveys of Canadian broiler flocks using either environmental samples or cloacal swabs . Similarities included: predominance of Salmonella hadar and Salmonella heidelberg; several other common serotypes at a low prevalence; little Salmonella enteritidis isolated in other studies, and no S . enteritidis isolated in this study . Results of this field survey of Salmonella in crops of broilers are similar to those of Canadian studies of other internal and environmental sites of broilers . The similarity indicates that monitoring of Salmonella environments of flocks of live broiler chickens should define profiles of Salmonella contamination of the carcasses and would also aid in determination of Salmonella contamination status of broiler flocks . Such information would assist efforts to reduce Salmonella contamination in broiler chickens. J Clin Microbiol, 1998 Nov, 36(11), 3291 - 6 Extraintestinal salmonellosis in a general hospital (1991 to 1996): relationships between Salmonella genomic groups and clinical presentations; Rodriguez M et al.; Episodes of extraintestinal salmonellosis treated at a general hospital (1,522 beds) over a 6-year period (1991 to 1996) were characterized by the analysis of phenotypic and genotypic traits of Salmonella organisms and clinical data from medical reports . Extraintestinal salmonellosis accounted for 8% of all salmonellosis episodes . Fifty-two medical reports, dealing with 6 cases of typhoid fever, 32 cases of bacteremia, and 14 focal infections, were reviewed . All cases of typhoid fever except 1, 7 cases of bacteremia, and 5 focal infections were not related to any underlying disease or predisposing factors, while 25 cases of bacteremia and 9 focal infections were associated with some of these risk factors . All typhoid isolates and 65.4% of the nontyphoid isolates were susceptible to antimicrobials . Fifty-one nontyphoid strains were analyzed and assigned to 21 genomic groups, which were defined by serotype, combined ribotype, and combined randomly amplified polymorphic DNA type (each genomic group could include organisms differing in some phenotypic traits) . The relationships between genomic groups and clinical presentations were traced . Organisms causing 22 episodes (17 episodes of bacteremia, 2 of pneumonia, 1 of peritonitis, 1 of pyelonephritis, and 1 of cystitis) belonged to a prevalent Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis genomic group, which included organisms assigned to four phage types, five biotypes, and four resistance patterns, causing infections in patients with and without risk factors . Seven other genomic groups, 4 Enteritidis groups (associated with both bacteremia and focal infections), 2 Typhimurium groups (one associated with bacteremia and the other with focal infections) and 1 Brandenburg group (associated with bacteremia) included two or more strains, and the remaining 13 genomic groups consisted of only one strain each. J Clin Microbiol, 1998 Nov, 36(11), 3182 - 7 Sequencing of Escherichia coli O111 O-antigen gene cluster and identification of O111-specific genes; Wang L et al.; Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli strains of serogroup O111 are the most frequently isolated non-O157 strains causing outbreaks of gastroenteritis with hemolytic-uremic syndrome . The O111 O-antigen gene cluster had been cloned and about half of it has been sequenced; we have now sequenced the remainder of the gene cluster, which is 12.5 kb in length and which comprises 11 genes . On the basis of sequence similarity, we have identified all the O-antigen genes expected, including five sugar biosynthetic pathway genes, three transferase genes, the O-unit flippase gene, and the O-antigen polymerase gene . By PCR testing with E . coli strains representing all 166 O-antigen forms, some randomly selected gram-negative bacteria, and Salmonella enterica serovar Adelaide, we showed that four O-antigen genes are highly specific to O111 . This work provides the basis for a sensitive test for the rapid detection of E . coli O111 . This is important both for decisions related to patient care, because early treatment may reduce the risk of life-threatening complications, and for the detection of sources of contamination. Ann Ital Med Int, 1997 Oct-Dec, 12(4), 233 - 7 {Idiopathic CD4+ T-lymphocyte deficiency: the clinical evolution of a case}; Galie M et al.; The case of a patient with Salmonella arizonae sepsis, esophageal candidiasis, and a low CD4+ T lymphocyte count is presented . Follow-up continued for over 2 years after the patient was discharged from the hospital, and his clinical course and clinical-immunological examinations are described . After a period of several years during which the patient had recurrent acute infectious episodes, he improved markedly after cholecystectomy and toilette of the gingival inlets for severe parodontopathy . His CD4+ T cell count increased although it remained below normal values . This case points to possible hypothesis that chronic infective foci may further compromise the immune system when a congenital functional or numerical CD4+ T cell deficit is present. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol, 1998 Jun, 120(2), 339 - 44 The acute phase response in the Sudan plated lizard, Gerrhosaurus major; Muchlinski AE et al.; The Sudan plated lizard (Gerrhosaurus major), previously reported to be an afebrile species, was utilized in a series of experiments to test for various aspects of the acute phase response . Treatment of individuals with the antibiotic Baytril resulted in a slight (0.5 degree C) but significant reduction in mean selected body temperature (MSBT), while treatment with saline did not lower MSBT . Nonantibiotic treatment individuals had depressed plasma iron levels (86.6 +/- 22.4 micrograms Fe 100 ml-1 plasma) and treatment with Baytril produced a significant increase in plasma iron concentration (186.8 +/- 19.5 micrograms Fe 100 ml-1 plasma) . Necropsy of randomly selected individuals indicated that animals obtained from the commercial supplier had Aeromonas, Arthrobacter, Pseudomonas and Salmonella infections and antibiotic treatment eliminated these infections . The growth rate of Aeromonas sobria is reduced when the bacteria are grown at 32 degrees C and reduced iron concentration compared to 34.5 degrees C and low iron concentration, which suggests that a fever response may not be beneficial in reducing bacterial growth . Saline injected, bacteria injected and antibiotic injected Gerrhosaurus major have high plasma zinc concentrations compared to the previously studied febrile species, Dipsosaurus dorsalis . This difference suggests that zinc concentrations in afebrile species deserve further study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1998 Oct, 83(10), 3542 - 4 Emergency and prolonged use of intravenous etomidate to control hypercortisolemia in a patient with Cushing's syndrome and peritonitis; Drake WM et al.; We report the emergency and prolonged use of etomidate to control circulating cortisol levels in a patient with Cushing's syndrome secondary to ectopic ACTH production from a pancreatic islet cell tumor . Duodenal perforation and peritonitis complicated an episode of salmonella septicemia, precluding the use of conventional oral medical adrenolytic therapy . Endogenous cortisol secretion was abolished by parenteral etomidate, allowing serum cortisol levels to be controlled with an iv infusion of hydrocortisone over an 8-week period in intensive care before definitive pancreatic surgery. Acta Microbiol Immunol Hung, 1998, 45(2), 239 - 52 Partial inhibition of amplifications by primers of EHEC genes; Gado I et al.; Diagnostic value of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was examined by using three primer pairs, specific for the common conserved region of stx1 and stx2, eae and an enterohaemolysin A gene (ehxA) . The sensitivity in respect of each amplicon decreased with three exponents comparing to the individual PCR reactions . These PCR reactions were partially inhibited by the presence of certain additional primers . This inhibitory effect was template-concentration dependent, and was partially balanced by usage of increased amount of dNTP . Taq DNA polymerase in a range of 0.3-1.25 U/reaction did not influence the inhibition . The same inhibition was detected if the annealing temperature was changed from 48 degrees C to 57 degrees C . Pairs of EHEC primers inhibited a Salmonella enteritidis virulence-plasmid specific gene amplification, as well . Theoretical inhibiting effects were predicted by Primer Premier software but our observations can be sufficiently explained neither by the competitions between the specific and aspecific amplifications nor by the inhibition caused by dimerization of primers. J Food Prot, 1998 Sep, 61(9), 1187 - 90 Polymacron enzyme immunoassay system for detection of naturally contaminating Salmonella in foods, feeds, and environmental samples; Blais BW et al.; A simple dot blot enzyme immunoassay was developed to screen enrichment broth cultures for the presence of Salmonella . This unique system utilizes macroporous polyester cloth (Polymacron) with an inexpensive hemoglobin coating to provide a high-affinity adsorbent for lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antigens in test samples . Bound LPS antigens are then detected using a monoclonal antibody conjugate recognizing a core oligosaccharide epitope common to all salmonellae frequently found in foods and related samples . The entire test (not including enrichment culture) could be completed in less than 1 h . The performance of this assay was evaluated in the analysis of enrichment broth cultures from a variety of egg and dairy products, chicken carcasses, animal feeds, and food-processing plant environmental samples for the presence of Salmonella. J Food Prot, 1998 Sep, 61(9), 1137 - 42 Listeria innocua and Salmonella panama in mussels: a comparative study; Plusquellec A et al.; Bivalve molluscs are exposed to a wide range of contamination by pathogenic bacteria and viruses . Therefore, the behavior of bacterial pathogens in bivalves after harvesting is important in terms of food safety . Mussels were artificially contaminated with Listeria innocua and Salmonella panama, held under different conditions, and then examined for Listeria and Salmonella viable counts . In a simplified depuration system, L . innocua levels were lower than those observed for S . panama in mussels during the same period and under the same conditions . This result may be related to the rapid die-off reported for Listeria in seawater . In mussels stored in air, the two pathogens presented similar behaviors: levels of both pathogens remained constant in mussels during the storage period in air . However, in shucked mussels Listeria innocua counts increased with the duration of storage, whereas Salmonella panama showed a slight decrease. Res Microbiol, 1997 Dec, 148(9), 811 - 4 Supplement 1996 (no . 40) to the Kauffmann-White scheme; Popoff MY et al.; This supplement reports the characterization of 13 new Salmonella serovars recognized in 1996 by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Salmonella: 8 were assigned to S . enterica subsp . enterica, 3 to subspecies salamae and 2 to subspecies diarizonae. Res Microbiol, 1997 Mar-Apr, 148(3), 229 - 35 Genome size variation among recent human isolates of Salmonella typhi; Thong KL et al.; We performed genome size estimation of 17 recent human isolates of Salmonella typhi from geographically diverse regions using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) after digestion of chromosomal DNA with restriction endonucleases XbaI (5'-TCTAGA-3'), AvrII (5'-CCTAGG-3') and SpeI (5'-ACTAGT-3'), and summation of the sizes of restriction fragments obtained . All 17 isolates had circular chromosomes, and genome sizes differed by as much as 959 kb, ranging from 3,964 to 4,923 kb (mean genome size = 4,528 kb) . The data obtained confirm the usefulness of PFGE in studies of bacterial genome size and are in agreement with recent results indicating considerable genetic diversity and genomic plasticity of S . typhi . The variation in genome sizes noted may be relevant to the observed biological properties of this important human pathogen, including its virulence. Res Microbiol, 1997 Mar-Apr, 148(3), 217 - 28 Cloning and expression of colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I) epitopes of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) in Salmonella flagellin; Luna MG et al.; Oligonucleotides coding for linear epitopes of the fimbrial colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I) of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) were cloned and expressed in a deleted form of the Salmonella muenchen flagellin fliC (H1-d) gene . Four synthetic oligonucleotide pairs coding for regions corresponding to amino acids 1 to 15 (region I), amino acids 11 to 25 (region II), amino acids 32 to 45 (region III) and amino acids 88 to 102 (region IV) were synthesized and cloned in the Salmonella flagellin-coding gene . All four hybrid flagellins were exported to the bacterial surface where they produced flagella, but only three constructs were fully motile . Sera recovered from mice immunized with intraperitoneal injections of purified flagella containing region II (FlaII) or region IV (FlaIV) showed high titres against dissociated solid-phase-bound CFA/I subunits . Hybrid flagellins containing region I (FlaI) or region III (FlaIII) elicited a weak immune response as measured in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with dissociated CFA/I subunits . None of the sera prepared with purified hybrid flagella were able to agglutinate or inhibit haemagglutination promoted by CFA/I-positive strains . Moreover, inhibition ELISA tests indicated that antisera directed against region I, II, III or IV cloned in flagellin were not able to recognize surface-exposed regions on the intact CFA/I fimbriae. Res Microbiol, 1997 Feb, 148(2), 145 - 51 Response of Brucella suis 1330 and B . canis RM6/66 to growth at acid pH and induction of an adaptive acid tolerance response; Kulakov YK et al.; Acid pH is an environmental stress often encountered by Brucella during both the "environmental" and the "pathogenic" stages of its life . We have investigated the behaviour of B . suis biovar 1 and B . canis in acid conditions . Growth at suboptimal pH was characterized by a dramatic reduction in growth yield due to an early onset of stationary phase . B . suis was more resistant to low pH than B . canis, which lysed at pH 4.6 . Viable counts measured after a 4-h acid shock at pH 3.2 showed that the relative survival of B . suis was 1,000-fold greater than that of B . canis . An adaptive acid tolerance response (ATR) was induced in both species by culture at pH 5.8; however, while the acid-sensitive B . canis had more than a 2,000-fold increase in survival following acid shock at pH 3.2, the increase in survival of B . suis was only around 50-fold . The kinetics of the induction of ATR were followed: for B . suis, 1-2 h (1 generation) at pH 5.8 were required to induce acid tolerance (50-fold protection), and these levels remained constant over 24 h . B . canis became relatively acid-resistant after only 30-min exposure to pH 5.8 . Levels of acid tolerance continued to increase and were maximal at 24 h . Stationary phase pH 7.2 cultures of either species did not exhibit acid resistance, suggesting that, like Salmonella, Brucella does not have an rpoS-controlled stationary phase acid resistance. Presse Med, 1998 Sep 5, 27(25), 1275 - 6 {Septic shock with coma revealing typhoid fever}; Hazouard E et al.; BACKGROUND: Typhoid fever may be difficult to distinguish from malaria . Septic shock, encephalopathy and leukopenia are common features of both diseases . CASE REPORT: A 20-year-old South Korean woman was admitted to the intensive care unit with coma and shock . Vomiting and abdominal pain were followed by headache, prostration, fever and diarrhea . Leukocytopenia, lymphocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, rhabdomyolysis and hepatitis were present . Clotting tests were normal . The thick peripheral blood film was negative . Salmonella typhi was isolated from 6 blood cultures . Treatment associated ceftriaxone 4 g per day for 5 days, colloid and crystalloid fluids and dopamine . The patient was discharged 2 weeks later . DISCUSSION: Typhoid fever should be considered as a diagnosis in patients with sepsis who come from endemic zones . Abdominal symptoms, prolonged fever, coma and delayed headache are particularly contributive signs . Specific treatment should be instituted. Scand Cardiovasc J, 1998, 32(3), 181 - 2 Salmonella osteomyelitis of the rib; Andrianopoulos EG et al.; Salmonella rib osteomyelitis is extremely rare; we found only one previously reported case . A 33-year-old man presenting with a discharging sternal sinus was diagnosed by means of computed tomography and bone isotope scans and confirmed by excision of the affected portion of the rib . The operation was curative. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 1998 Mar-Apr, 92(2), 181 - 4 Salmonella meningitis in Thai infants: clinical case reports; Visudhiphan P et al.; Between June 1988 and September 1996 12 of 65 infants (18%) admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand with purulent meningitis were infected with Salmonella spp . Their ages ranged from 1.5 to 6 months . Six of the infants had diarrhoea, 9 had seizures, and 11 had subdural effusion or empyema . Six infants required surgical treatment; 2 had brain abscesses . Salmonella was recovered from the cerebrospinal fluid of 11 infants and from the subdural fluid of 10 . Eight infants were successfully treated with cefotaxime alone or in combination with co-trimoxazole, one with co-trimoxazole, and one with the combination of co-trimoxazole and ampicillin . The duration of treatment was 6 weeks, except for one patient who had a large brain abscess and was treated for 8 weeks . The last 2 patients, despite the fact that the organisms were susceptible to cefotaxime, failed to respond clinically to appropriate doses of it . Both were cured after ciprofloxacin was added to the therapy . Ciprofloxacin is probably the drug of choice to be used in addition to the previously used antibiotics for severe cases of Salmonella meningitis in infants. Prev Vet Med, 1998 Aug 7, 36(2), 131 - 43 Multiple change-point analysis applied to the monitoring of Salmonella prevalence in Danish pigs and pork; Christensen J et al.; In the nation-wide Salmonella Control Program in Denmark, the occurrence of Salmonella enterica in pork, pigs at slaughter and herds is monitored . The objective of the present study was to retrospectively evaluate changes in sero-prevalence of meat juice samples and in the occurrence of Salmonella enterica in pork in 1995 and 1996 . Three sets of data were used in this work: (1) serological test results of meat juice samples from pigs at slaughter (approximately 14000 samples per week); (2) bacteriological test results of pork (approximately 550 samples per week); and (3) data on the salmonella level of all Danish herds with an expected kill of over 100 pigs per year . The change-point analysis was applied to detect the change-points that divided the study period into intervals in which the prevalence was constant and to estimate the average prevalences in those intervals . Progress in the Danish Salmonella Control Program was visualised when using the results of the change-point analysis (1995-96) as baseline prevalences and compared with the current year (1997) . The change-point analysis provided an indication of a seasonal pattern in salmonella occurrence with lower sero-prevalence in summer than in winter . The sero-prevalence (percent positive meat juice samples) might be a better predictor of prevalence in pork than the proportion of herds with moderate or high sero-prevalence. Int J Food Microbiol, 1998 Aug 18, 43(1-2), 81 - 90 Molecular epidemiology of Salmonella serotype Enteritidis . Relationships between food, water and pathogenic strains; Landers E et al.; A molecular epidemiology study of Salmonella serotype Enteritidis was carried out by ribotyping performed with a mixture of PstI and SphI (PS ribotyping), and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) typing conducted with the OPB17 primer . A series, including 38 food and 25 water strains, which were epidemiologically unrelated and collected in Spain over 1985-1996, was differentiated into 20 PS ribotypes {discrimination index (DI) = 0.67}, RAPD types (DI = 0.28), and by combining both methods into 23 genomic groups (DI = 0.76) . With ribotyping data from the strains tested in this and in a previous work, including clinical and reference strains, a similarity dendrogram was traced and the subsequent branches and groupings were correlated with RAPD types, phage types and sources of origin . At a similarity level of 55%, a major cluster (grouping five subclusters and three single branches) and two minor clusters were revealed . Results supported the fact that organisms representing, at least, 40 genomic groups are currently circulating in Spain, but that only the organisms of five groups predominate and these fall into a single subcluster or lineage . Organisms of these five groups could be considered endemic, associated with food-borne human infections and, for epidemiological purposes, can be differentiated by phage typing . The most frequent phage types can be subdivided into genomic groups . Organisms of the prevalent genomic groups and several less frequent ones were mainly associated with poultry transmission and gastroenteritis as the major clinical forms, while organisms of another two frequent groups were mainly associated with extra-intestinal infections, and organisms of four infrequent groups were only collected from sewage or environmental waters. Int J Food Microbiol, 1998 Aug 18, 43(1-2), 7 - 13 Effect of nisin on heat injury and inactivation of Salmonella enteritidis PT4; Boziaris IS et al.; The ability of heat injury to confer sensitivity to nisin in a Gram negative pathogen was investigated . Injury and inactivation kinetics of Salmonella enteritidis PT4 in the presence of nisin were determined in media, liquid whole egg and egg white using cultural methods and capacitance monitoring to detect injury . Addition of nisin in concentrations from 500 IU/ml to 2500 IU/ml in the heating menstruum caused a reduction of required pasteurisation time of up to 35%, principally as a result of its effect on cells suffering damage during heating . In egg white and liquid whole egg the organism's heat susceptibility was greater than in nutrient broth, particularly in egg white which contained no fat and had an alkaline pH . The effect of nisin on heat susceptibility was however less pronounced than in nutrient broth due to its interaction with protein and fat . Though nisin did not enhance the lethality of heat processes, injury is more severe in egg white containing nisin, presumably as a result of its interaction with antimicrobial factors in egg white. J Immunol, 1998 Oct 1, 161(7), 3607 - 15 A synthetic lipopolysaccharide-binding peptide based on amino acids 27-39 of serum amyloid P component inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced responses in human blood; de Haas CJ et al.; LPS-binding proteins in plasma play an important role in modifying LPS toxicity . Significant properties have already been attributed to the LPS-binding protein (LBP) . It accelerates LPS toxicity as well as incorporation into high-density lipoproteins, leading to neutralization of LPS in serum . A search for other LPS-binding components in serum, using LPS-coated magnetic beads, revealed a new LPS-binding protein . N-terminal microsequencing identified this protein as serum amyloid P component (SAP) . Purified SAP bound to smooth and rough types of LPS via the lipid A part . SAP inhibited the binding of FITC-labeled ReLPS (LPS from Salmonella minnesota strain R595) to human monocytes and the ReLPS-induced priming of the oxidative burst of human neutrophils only in the presence of low concentrations of LBP . In search for the LPS binding site of SAP, we found that pep27-39, a 13-mer peptide consisting of amino acids 27-39 of SAP, competitively inhibited the binding of LPS to SAP . In addition, pep27-39 significantly inhibited ReLPS-induced responses in phagocytes in the presence of serum, as well as in human whole blood . Carboxamidomethylated pep27-39 showed an even more pronounced reduction of the ReLPS-induced priming of phagocytes in human blood . Performing gel filtration of FITC-labeled ReLPS incubated with soluble CD14, we showed that SAP could not prevent binding of LPS to soluble CD14, in contrast to pep27-39 . The ability of pep27-39 to antagonize specifically the effects of LPS in the complex environment of human blood suggests that pep27-39 may be a novel therapeutic agent in the treatment of gram-negative sepsis. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 1998 Jun, 17(6), 385 - 7 Antibiotic resistance in Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium; Gross U et al.; In order to analyse the development of antibiotic resistance in Salmonella spp., a total of 262 Salmonella strains isolated in 1987 (n = 148) and in 1996 (n = 114) from clinical specimens in Wurzburg, Germany, were tested in parallel by the agar diffusion method . In 1987 . most of the strains were Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium (42.6%), whereas in 1996 most were Salmonella enterica serotype enteritidis (68.4%) . The majority of Salmonella enterica serotype enteritidis isolates was fully susceptible in 1987 and 1996 . In contrast, the percentage of drug-resistant strains of Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium increased significantly from 27% in 1987 to 52.4% in 1996 . This increase, which might reflect uncontrolled use of antibiotics in the environment, should be of concern to public health authorities. Indian J Exp Biol, 1998 Mar, 36(3), 298 - 303 Isolation and characterization of Salmonella enterica Weltevreden cytotoxin; Singh Y et al.; Cytotoxin of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Weltevreden (BM-1643), isolated from buffalo meat, was purified and characterized physicochemically and immunologically . Cell-free culture supernatant (CFCS) of the organism showing marked cytotoxicity to Vero cells and least enterotoxicity to rabbit ligated ileal loop (RLIL) model, was salt precipitated with ammonium sulphate (60% saturation level) and dialysed . Precipitated dialysed preparation (60% PDP) when filtered through Sephadex G-100 column yielded two peaks, of which second peak (SG-100 SP) contained the cytotoxic activity . Upon filtration of SG-100 SP through SG-200 column, three peaks were obtained . Second peak (SG-200 SP), which was cytotoxic, yielded a single protein band of approximately 60-70 kDa in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and 3 protein bands of lower, molecular weight (13.5-56 kDa) in SDS-PAGE analysis . Cytotoxic preparation was maximally active at pH 7 to 8 . On heating above 60 degrees C, cytotoxicity decreased gradually with insignificant activity left after treatment at 121 degrees C (15 min) . Cytotoxin was inactivated by treatment with trypsin and protease but not by papain or lipase enzymes . It was immunogenic in rabbit and antiserum neutralized the cytotoxicity of cytotoxic preparations of homologous as well as heterologous Salmonella serovars. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol, 1998 Aug, 21(4), 253 - 9 Immunological and chemical studies of Salmonella haarlem somatic antigen epitopes . II . Serological investigations; Dziadziuszko H et al.; Lipopolysaccharide of Salmonella haarlem was hydrolyzed and the products separated . Native O-polysaccharide antigen was oxidised with sodium periodate followed by reduction with sodium borohydride . Native and chemically modified antigens were the subject of immunochemical studies . Monoclonal antibodies against S . haarlem and polyclonal rabbit antisera against S . haarlem, S . typhi and S . anatum bacteria were produced . The serological relationship between the lipopolysaccharide of Salmonella bacteria belonging to the two different groups D2 and E1 was demonstrated using haemagglutination reactions, inhibition of haemagglutination and immunoblotting . Cross-reactions were observed in haemagglutination reactions and in immunoblotting between antisera to S . haarlem, S . typhi and S . anatum . Factors 3,9,46 were found in the S . haarlem strain and the sugar composition for the epitopes of each factor was determined. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol, 1998 Aug, 21(4), 243 - 52 Immunological and chemical studies of Salmonella haarlem somatic antigen epitopes . I . Structural studies of O-antigen; Szafranek J et al.; Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Salmonella haarlem was hydrolyzed and the products separated . The structure of the O-specific polysaccharide (OPS) was found from sugar and methylation analyses . Rhamnose, mannose, galactose and tyvelose were detected and their linkage modes were established . The structure was confirmed by 1H, homonuclear and heteronuclear correlations and 13C NMR spectra . Anomeric configurations were assigned by chromium trioxide oxidation and proton coupled 13C spectra . Sugar sequence was established from specific carbon shift data and nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy . The repeating unit structure of S . haarlem OPS as --> 3)-alpha-D-Galp-(1 --> 6)-{alpha-Tyvp-(1 --> 3)}-beta-D-Manp-(1 --> 4)-alpha-L-Rhap was estimated . No structural heterogeneity of the antigen was found. Can Vet J, 1998 Sep, 39(9), 566 - 72 {Prevalence of infections caused by Salmonella spp . in cattle and horses at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Montreal}; Ravary B et al.; Bacteriologic detection of Salmonella spp . from feces of animals admitted to Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, in Saint-Hyacinthe was carried out during a 1-year period to estimate the prevalence of bovine and equine salmonellosis . Prevalence at the time of hospitalization was quite low: 1.4% in cattle and 1.7% in horses . Incidence was 15.1 cases/100 animal/year in cattle and 38.7 cases/100 animal/year in horses . Serotype typhimurium was the most prevalent in both species . In cattle, cases were evenly distributed over the year . In horses, a recrudescence of cases and a obviousness of transmission were apparent in April 1996. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem, 1998 Jul, 6(3), 95 - 105 {Disinfection of medical and surgical equipment: efficacy of chemical disinfectants and water and soap}; Silva e Souza AC et al.; In this experimental study we compared the previous descontamination efficacy of the medical surgical materials by the use of chemical disinfectants and the mechanical cleaning with water and soap, as well as verified the organic material interference in these procedures . To carry out this study, we used surgical pincers under contamination with: Staphylococcus aureus ATCC-6538, Salmonella cholerae suis ATCC-10708, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC-15442 in presence and absence of organic matter (fetal bovine serum) . The following treatments: glutaraldehyde 2%, sodium hypochlorite 1%, hydrogen peroxide 6%, alcohol 70% and the mechanical cleaning with water and soap were compared with eight repetitions in a total of 480 observations . In the described conditions, the disinfectants had a good efficacy in the previous descontamination of the medical surgical materials and a less inactivation by the organic material . The mechanical cleaning with water and soap showed a reduction of the microrganism to safe levels, considered adequate for previous descontamination. Lett Appl Microbiol, 1998 Sep, 27(3), 158 - 62 Restriction enzyme analysis of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA amplicons of Salmonella enterica ser . Enteritidis PT4 and Typhimurium DT104; Hilton AC et al.; Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis PT4 and Typhimurium DT104 isolates were characterized using a random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) protocol found previously to be highly discriminatory for isolates of Salmonella . Profiles generated with a single primer 1254, and independently 1283, successfully characterized an outbreak strain of Enteritidis PT4 but could not differentiate epidemiologically unrelated strains of Enteritidis PT4 from the outbreak strains . Primer 1254 differentiated one strain, and 1283 two strains of Typhimurium DT104 previously undifferentiated on the basis of biochemical and physical properties . Subsequent analysis using a combination of RAPD and restriction enzyme analysis could not provide additional differentiation of Enteritidis PT4 and Typhimurium DT104 isolates but did, however, exhibit the potential to be a useful combination of molecular techniques. Lett Appl Microbiol, 1998 Sep, 27(3), 147 - 51 Direct inoculation into media containing bile salts and antibiotics is unsuitable for the detection of acid/salt stressed Escherichia coli O157:H7; Stephens PJ et al.; The efficiency of selective enrichment broths for the recovery of low numbers of acid/salt stressed Escherichia coli O157:H7 was determined . Stressed cultures were diluted to low levels and recovered in tryptone soya broth with added bile salts, to make modified tryptone soya broth, and buffered peptone water with various combinations of antibiotic supplementation including novobiocin, acriflavine and a mixture of vancomycin, cefsulodin and cefixime (VCC) at 37 degrees C and 42 degrees C . Significantly fewer stressed cells, in some cases as little as 0.3% of the starting population, were recovered by all the selective enrichment broths containing bile salts or VCC antibiotics compared to the nonselective controls . The use of such enrichments to recover low numbers of stressed E . coli O157:H7 may result in failure to detect the organism . Parallels with salmonella methodology are made and the need for a non-selective pre-enrichment stage in E . coli O157:H7 methods discussed. J Appl Microbiol, 1998 Aug, 85(2), 277 - 81 Salmonella in animal slurry can be destroyed by aeration at low temperatures; Heinonen-Tanski H et al.; Cattle and other animals infected by Salmonella can emit high numbers of these bacteria . To determine an effective means for reducing this bacterial group in animal slurry, samples were subjected to aeration in laboratory experiments and in farm-scale slurry tanks . A clear reduction in Salmonella levels was found in laboratory experiments at temperatures from 4 to 40 degrees C . Aeration in farm-scale slurry tanks increased the temperature above the ambient temperatures (often less than 0 degrees C) to maxima ranging between 19 and 40 degrees C . Farm-scale aeration results in similar reductions in Salmonella as those achieved in laboratory experiments . Thus, reductions, ranging from greater than 99% of the initial number to no detectable Salmonella, could be reached after 2-5 weeks using aeration processes with cattle slurries contaminated by Salm . infantis or pig slurry contaminated by Salm . typhimurium . These results suggest that farmers can control the spread of Salmonella from slurry to agricultural fields . The reduction mechanisms remain unknown, though the increase in pH (to 7 x 6-9 x 0) found in slurries after aeration might exert a decreasing effect on these bacteria. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1998 Sep 8, 1387(1-2), 355 - 68 Periplasmic and fimbrial SefA from Salmonella enteritidis; Clouthier SC et al.; Salmonella enteritidis produces thin, filamentous fimbriae composed of the fimbrin subunit SefA . Although insoluble in most detergents and chaotropic agents, these fimbriae were soluble at pH 10.5 . Furthermore, in sodium dodecyl sulfate, these fibers depolymerized into monomers, dimers and other multimers of SefA, which precipitated on removal of the detergent . In contrast, unassembled periplasmic SefA fimbrins purified from Escherichia coli expressing cloned sefA and sefB were readily soluble in aqueous solution . Fimbrial and periplasmic SefA also differed in their reaction with an anti-SEF14 monoclonal antibody and in their surface hydrophobicity, indicating that the two forms had different properties . Precise mass measurements of periplasmic and fimbrial SefA by mass spectroscopy showed that these variations were not due to post-translational modifications . Periplasmic SefA consisted primarily of intact as well as some N-terminally truncated forms . The main 24 amino acid, N-terminally truncated form of periplasmic SefA was present as a 12.2 kDa monomer which had a low tendency to dimerize whereas intact periplasmic SefA was present as a 34.1 kDa homodimer . Intact periplasmic SefA also formed stable multimers at low concentrations of chemical cross-linker but multimerization of the truncated form required high concentrations of protein or cross-linker . Thus, SefA fimbrins appear to multimerize through their N-termini and undergo a conformational change prior to assembly into fibers . Within these fibers, subunit-subunit contact is maintained through strong hydrophobic interactions. J Nat Prod, 1998 Sep, 61(9), 1150 - 3 Antimicrobial activity of 8-alkyl- and 8-phenyl-substituted berberines and their 12-bromo derivatives; Iwasa K et al.; The 8-alkyl- (3-6), 8-phenyl- (7), 12-bromo- (8), 8-alkyl-12-bromo- (9-12), and 12-bromo-8-phenyl- (13) berberine derivatives were prepared and tested for their antimicrobial activity in vitro to evaluate structure-activity relationships . Introduction of the alkyl or phenyl group and the bromine atom into the C-8 and C-12 positions of berberine (1), respectively, led to significant increases of the antimicrobial activity . In both the 8-alkyl- and 8-alkyl-12-bromo-berberines (3-6 and 9-12, respectively), the antibacterial activity increased as the length of the aliphatic chain increased . The exception was the activity against Candida albicans and Escherichia coli, which did not always increase as the alkyl side chain lengthened . Among the compounds tested, 12-bromo-8-n-hexylberberine (12) was 64, 256, 128, 16, and 32 times more active against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella enteritidis, E . coli, and C . albicans, respectively, in comparison to the clinically used berberine . Compound 12 was also found to be 8, 16, and 128 times more active against S . aureus, S . enteritidis, and C.albicans, respectively, than kanamycin sulfate, but was of the same order of activity against B . subtilis, and only one-fourth as active against E . coli. Epidemiol Infect, 1998 Aug, 121(1), 49 - 55 Laboratory investigation and comparison of Salmonella Brandenburg cases in New Zealand; Wright JM et al.; An apparent increase in the incidence of S . Brandenburg in New Zealand, coupled with the possibility that the virulence of the organism may also be changing, prompted this study . Three typing methods: macro-restriction fragment length polymorphism (MRFLP) profiling using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), plasmid profiling and antimicrobial susceptibility profiling were used to determine strain diversity amongst 115 recent and historical isolates of S . Brandenburg from both human cases and non-human sources . Antimicrobial resistance was noted only in three isolates . Plasmids of varying sizes were found in 31 isolates . MRFLP analysis resulted in 13 different patterns . Combining the three sets of typing data yielded 24 composite types . Comparison of composite type, isolation date and geographical location of case allowed the retrospective recognition of seven potential clusters during the 5-year study period . Composite types of 24 (80%) of the non-human isolates tested were indistinguishable from human isolates, suggesting that human infection may be via a number of vehicles . Although not cost-effective for routine use on all salmonella isolates, the methods used in this study are an important adjunct to serotyping for discrimination within an emerging serotype. Ann Dermatol Venereol, 1998 Feb, 125(2), 108 - 10 {Salmonella enteritidis septicemia manifesting as a suppurated thrombophlebitis}; Leccia MT et al.; BACKGROUND: Non-typloid salmonella can cause septicemia and extradigestive disorders in immunodepressed adults . These frequent diseases can be life-threatening . CASE REPORT: A 76-year-old woman was treated with corticosteroid therapy for 1 year for suppurated thrombophlebitis of the right greater saphenous vein . Weight loss, fever at 41 degrees C and Salmonella enterididis isolated from blood cultures and skin samples led to the diagnosis of septicemia with multiple septic foyers including the venous endothelium and surrounding soft tissue . DISCUSSION: In Western countries, there has been an uprise in the frequency of low-grade salmonella infections by food poisoning usually causing acute diarrhea . S . enterididis can also cause severe infectious syndromes with multiple septic localizations, main in patients with a compromised immune reaction . In our cases, Salmonella enteritidis septecemia was revealed by an unusual situation . In the literature, inaugural signs usually involve the heart or arteries, but our patient had isolated foyers involving the superficial venous network . This is exceptional especially since there was no iatrogenic venous catheter insult . For our patient, favoring factors were the long-term corticosteroid therapy and altered venous network . The portal of entry could not be clearly identified but the discovery of a sigmoid diverticulosis would be an argument favoring a digestive origin . Medical and surgical management with resection of the necrosed tissues and two adapted antibiotics in a long-term regimen led to a successful outcome. Infect Immun, 1998 Oct, 66(10), 4965 - 70 Identification of two laminin-binding fimbriae, the type 1 fimbria of Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium and the G fimbria of Escherichia coli, as plasminogen receptors; Kukkonen M et al.; Escherichia coli strains carrying recombinant plasmids encoding either the type 1 fimbria of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium or the G fimbria of E . coli exhibited binding of human 125I-Glu-plasminogen and enhanced the tissue-type plasminogen activator-catalyzed conversion of plasminogen to plasmin . Purified type 1 or G fimbriae similarly bound plasminogen and enhanced its activation . The binding of plasminogen did not involve the characteristic carbohydrate-binding property of the fimbriae but was inhibited at low concentrations by the lysine analog epsilon-aminocaproic acid . Because these fimbrial types bind to laminin of basement membranes (M . Kukkonen et al., Mol . Microbiol . 7:229-237, 1993; S . Saarela et al., Infect . Immun . 64:2857-2860, 1996), the results demonstrate a structural unity in the creation and targeting of bacterium-bound proteolytic plasmin activity to basement membranes. East Afr Med J, 1998 Apr, 75(4), 215 - 8 Prevalence of food-borne pathogens and growth potential of Salmonella in weaning foods from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Erku WA et al.; One hundred samples of ready-to-consume feeding bottle contents from outpatient infants were examined for the presence of Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus . Nearly all samples had very high gross bacterial contamination . Three Salmonella isolates were encountered from bottle contents made of cow's milk and gruel made from cereal blend . All belonged to group D . Of the 108, isolates 67 were Staph . aureus and 38 were B . cereus . The potential of Salmonella spp to grow in weaning foods was also determined on one common factory-produced infant food and one home-made infant food . In both items, Salmonella increased by approximately 4 log units within eight hours and reached counts as high as log 8 cfu/ml within twelve hours. Aust N Z J Public Health, 1998 Aug, 22(5), 552 - 5 A multi-state outbreak of Salmonella bredeney food poisoning: a case control study; Baker DF et al.; OBJECTIVE: To investigate a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella bredeney . DESIGN: Case interviews followed by an age and neighbourhood matched case control study . PARTICIPANTS: People with laboratory-confirmed S . bredeney and controls matched on age and geographical location in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and Victoria . RESULTS: We identified 157 persons with S . bredeney spread throughout the eastern states and the ACT . In the matched analysis, cold meat and chicken demonstrated a significant odds ratio of 4.4 (p = 0.017) and 4.2 (p = 0.02) respectively . Among primary cases, the odds ratio for chicken was 6.0 (p = 0.01) and for ground pepper was 3.75 (p = 0.04) . CONCLUSIONS: The most likely source of this outbreak was a product contaminated at the point of manufacture and distributed widely within NSW and the ACT and, to a lesser extent, Queensland (Brisbane) and Melbourne . The most probable food is a meat or chicken product, followed by substantial cross contamination of other meat products at retail outlets, which served to amplify the outbreak. Aust N Z J Public Health, 1998 Aug, 22(5), 536 - 9 A South Australian Salmonella Mbandaka outbreak investigation using a database to select controls; Scheil W et al.; Between April and June 1996, 15 persons with Salmonella enterica serovar Mbandaka infection were reported in South Australia (population 1.6 million) compared with 12 over the previous five years . To identify a possible source for the infections a case control study was conducted . METHODS: Trained interviewers asked 15 cases and 45 controls about their consumption of 105 foods . Controls were matched to case residential location and age . They were selected from a previously constructed database of 3,014 randomly selected South Australian households . RESULTS: Thirteen of the 15 cases ate 'generic' or 'retail store' brands of peanut butter produced by the same factory in another state, compared with five of the 45 controls (p < 0.01) . Salmonella Mbandaka was isolated from three opened jars of peanut butter from case households, and from three unopened jars from retail outlets . Further investigation implicated roasted peanuts from a third Australian state as the source of the Salmonella contamination . DISCUSSION: This is the first recorded outbreak of salmonellosis resulting from the consumption of peanut butter . The SA outbreak investigation comprised a matched case control study to identify possible common food sources . Such investigations need be conducted rapidly to maximise public health benefits, and the utility of selecting controls from a population based database can improve timeliness. Int J Clin Pract, 1998 Jun, 52(4), 272 - 3 Chicken fancier's spleen; Morris-Stiff G et al.; Splenic epidermoid cysts are rare congenital lesions which usually present insidiously with non-specific symptoms such as dull left upper quadrant pain, or as incidental findings on clinical examination . We present a chicken breeder who presented as an emergency with a tender left upper quadrant mass and septicaemia secondary to zoonotic infection of a primary splenic cyst with Salmonella enteritidis . The cystic nature of the swelling was confirmed by ultrasound and the anatomy assessed with computed tomography . She was aggressively resuscitated and underwent laparotomy and splenectomy, after which she made an uncomplicated recovery . The importance of early diagnosis and surgical treatment is discussed, together with the measures required as prophylaxis against overwhelming post-splenectomy sepsis. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1998 Mar, 29(1), 85 - 90 Primers for Salmonella serovar detection by polymerase chain reaction; Kantama L et al.; Salmonella serovar detection was studied by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) . The primers were designed from Salmonella specific clone, A18:2 which was previously constructed and studied for genus specificity through colony hybridization . The primers were subsequently tested for specificity and sensitivity and showed that they amplified DNA fragment of all Salmonellae tested but did not amplify all isolates of non-Salmonellae tested . The amplified fragment was confirmed and increased sensitivity by nested PCR . Salmonella isolates amplified by the primers in the first round PCR were all positive in the second round . The sensitivity in the first and second round were 7 pg and 80 fg, respectively . The result indicated that the primers can be used as molecular tool for future field survey of Salmonella both in food and in clinical specimens. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr, 1998 Sep, 27(3), 301 - 5 Bacterial wall lipopolysaccharide as a cause of intussusception in mice; Lin Z et al.; BACKGROUND: There is evidence that intussusception is associated with bacterial infection . It was hypothesized that a component of the bacterial wall may induce the intussusception . This study was intended to determine whether lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli or Salmonella can initiate intussusception in mice . METHODS: Lipopolysaccharide was injected intraperitoneally in mice, and the animals were examined for the presence of intussusception from 2 to 192 hours after injection . Gastrointestinal transit was assessed by measuring the passage of charcoal in the small intestine . Transit index was defined as the ratio between the distance traveled by charcoal and the total length of the small intestine . RESULTS: Intussusceptions were found in as much as 25.9% of lipopolysaccharide-injected animals, whereas in control animals, the incidence was zero . The threshold for the lipopolysaccharide effect was at 4 mg/kg and incidence reached a plateau at 8 mg/kg to 16 mg/kg . The incidence of intussusception peaked 6 hours after injection of lipopolysaccharide and declined to zero after 15 hours . To test the possibility that lipopolysaccharide induces intussusception by altering motility, its effect on transit index was measured . A dose of 12 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide reduced the transit index from 56.2+/-1.4% to 37.7+/-2.1% (p < 0.05) . No microscopic histologic changes were found in the bowels with intussusception . CONCLUSIONS: Intraperitoneal bacterial wall lipopolysaccharide causes intussusception in mice by disturbing gastrointestinal motility. J Clin Microbiol, 1998 Oct, 36(10), 2861 - 4 Prospective investigation of cryptic outbreaks of Salmonella agona salmonellosis; Taylor JP et al.; The number of Salmonella agona isolates reported annually in Texas from 1992 through 1994 ranged from 14 to 21 . An increase in incidence of S . agona infections was noted in the fall of 1995 . Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis identified prospectively two possible cryptic outbreaks caused by an indistinguishable strain which was isolated from 18 of 59 patients who were culture positive from March through December 1995 . These 18 patients had onset of illness from 20 May through 3 October 1995 . Eight individuals resided in the Austin area, eight resided in San Antonio, and two resided in Houston; none had attended a common social gathering or owned common pets . Six patients in San Antonio and one patient from Houston recalled eating food items from the same Mexican food restaurant in San Antonio . S . agona organisms with the same PFGE profile were isolated from machacado, an air-dried, raw beef product prepared at the restaurant . The machacado had been shredded in a kitchen blender which was the probable source for cross-contamination of other food items . Five patients in Austin reported eating at a popular Mexican food restaurant in Austin . Improperly prepared machacado also may have been served at the Austin restaurant; however, sufficient quantities of machacado were not available for analysis . PFGE was essential in determining whether the cases constituted outbreaks and was invaluable in guiding the epidemiological investigation. J Clin Microbiol, 1998 Oct, 36(10), 2835 - 43 Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of some flagellin genes of Salmonella enterica; Dauga C et al.; Salmonellae often have the ability to express two different flagellar antigen specificities (phase 1 and phase 2) . At the cell level, only one flagellar phase is expressed at a time . Two genes, fliC, encoding phase-1 flagellin, and fljB, encoding phase-2 flagellin, are alternatively expressed . Flagellin genes from 264 serovars of Salmonella enterica were amplified by two phase-specific PCR systems . Amplification products were subjected to restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis by using endonucleases HhaI and HphI . RFLP with HhaI and HphI yielded 64 and 42 different restriction profiles, respectively, among 329 flagellin genes coding for 26 antigens . The phase-1 gene showed 46 patterns with HhaI and 30 patterns with HphI . The phase-2 gene showed 23 patterns with HhaI and 17 patterns with HphI . When the data from both enzymes were combined, 116 patterns were obtained: 74 for fliC, 47 for fljB, and 5 shared by both genes . Of these combined patterns, 80% were specifically associated with one flagellar antigen and 20% were associated with more than one antigen . Each flagellar antigen was divided into 2 to 18 different combined patterns . In the sample of strains used, determination of the phase-1 and phase-2 flagellin gene RFLP, added to the knowledge of the O antigen, allowed identification of all diphasic serovars . Overall, the diversity uncovered by flagellin gene RFLP did not precisely match that evidenced by flagellar agglutination. J Med Microbiol, 1998 Sep, 47(9), 791 - 7 Distribution of insertion sequence IS200 among different clonal lines of the related Salmonella serotypes Livingstone and Eimsbuettel; Crichton PB et al.; The copy number and genetic location of IS200 have provided evidence of strain relatedness in many serotypes of Salmonella . In this study, 100 isolates of the related serotypes Livingstone (6,7:d:l,w) and Eimsbuettel (6,7,14:d:l,w), representing 10 ribotype/biotype (RT/BT) groups isolated from human and non-human sources in seven countries over a 26-year period, were examined for their IS200 profiles . The distribution of IS200 in strains of these serotypes was limited, being present in all 53 isolates of ribotype 1 (RT1) and its variant type RT6, in one of five isolates of RT5 but in none of 42 isolates of RTs 2, 3 or 4 . Although the seven IS200 profiles identified in RT1 isolates were of little value for further discrimination within different biotype groups, they were extremely valuable for confirming serotype: isolates of RT1/BT8/IS200 profile A (or its variants) and those of RT1/BT3/IS200 profile B (or its variants) were almost invariably associated with serotypes Livingstone and Eimsbuettel, respectively. Korean J Intern Med, 1998 Jul, 13(2), 131 - 5 A case of hemolytic uremic syndrome associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection; Lee MH et al.; The precise etiology of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is unknown . However, it has been associated with bacterial (Shigella, Salmonella, E . coli, S . pneumoniae), Bartonella, and viral (coxsackie, ECHO, influenza, varicella . Epstein-Barr) infections and with endotoxemia . Recently, we experienced a case of HUS in a 16-year-old boy who was in the acute phase of an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection . He had typical manifestations of HUS and EBV infection . He also transiently presented disseminated intravascular coagulation . His renal dysfunction recovered by supportive care, including hemodialysis, plasmapheresis, antihypertensive medication and aspirin . We present this case with a review of the literature as the second report of HUS associated with EBV infection. Chemosphere, 1998 Sep, 37(7), 1253 - 61 Mutagenic interactions of model chemical mixtures; Donnelly KC et al.; Although current methodology for human health risk assessment assumes additive interactions among the contaminants of a complex mixture, chemical interactions may occur which produce synergistic or antagonistic effects . In this study, the mutagenic response of three f2p4l compounds, benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P), pentachlorophenol (PCP) and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), were tested individually and in binary and tertiary solutions, using the Salmonella/microsome assay with each of three bacterial tester strains (TA97a, TA98, and TA100) . For all strains, B(a)P was mutagenic with metabolic activation (Arochlor 1254-induced Sprague-Dawley rat liver S9 fraction), TNT was mutagenic without metabolic activation, and pentachlorophenol was inactive both with and without metabolic activation . In binary and tertiary solutions, pentachlorophenol had no effect on the mutagenicity of B(a)P or TNT, independent of metabolic activation . For strain TA97a, the mutagenicity of B(a)P with metabolic activation was slightly decreased in the presence of TNT; the mutagenicity of TNT without metabolic activation was slightly decreased in the presence of B(a)P and PCP; and the mutagenicity of the tertiary solution (496 revertants/10 ug) with metabolic activation was lower than the mutagenicity of B(a)P alone (729 revertants/10 ug) . The mutagenicity of B(a)P in strain TA98 with activation was inhibited by the addition of TNT . Studies conducted using several concentrations of TNT or B(a)P indicate that the inhibition of B(a)P mutagenicity was increased as the concentration of TNT increased . Assays performed using four concentrations of S9 indicated the inhibition of B(a)P mutagenicity was relatively unaffected by the level of S9 . The data suggest that an interaction in the presence of TNT limits the concentration of B(a)P that is capable of reaching or binding with bacterial DNA. Poult Sci, 1998 Sep, 77(9), 1446 - 50 Eggshell characteristics and penetration by Salmonella through the productive life of a broiler breeder flock; Berrang ME et al.; Egg weight, specific gravity, conductance, and ability of Salmonella to penetrate the shell and membranes were determined for hatching eggs from a commercial broiler breeder flock . Thirty unsanitized eggs were sampled on Weeks 29, 34, 39, 42, 48, 52, and 56 of flock age for specific gravity and conductance . An additional 10 intact eggs were inoculated with Salmonella by a temperature differential immersion method for 1 min . Eggs were then emptied of contents and filled with a selective medium that allowed visualization of Salmonella growth on the inside of the shell and membrane complex . Over the 27-wk sampling period, egg weight increased from 56 to 66 g and was positively correlated with hen age (r = 0.96, P < 0.05) . However, neither specific gravity (ranging from 1.077 to 1.082) nor eggshell conductance (ranging from 14.7 to 17.9 mg weight loss/d per torr) showed any clear trend throughout the life of the flock despite the increase in egg weight . Conductance values were not correlated with specific gravity . The number of eggs positive for Salmonella penetration after 24 h incubation showed a general upward trend with flock age; however, penetration frequency and hen age were not found to be significantly correlated (P > 0.05) . No relationship was found between egg specific gravity, conductance, or egg weight and the likelihood of Salmonella to penetrate the eggshell . Because shell characteristics did not change over time and the penetration patterns did vary, it is likely that factors other than specific gravity and conductance were involved in the penetration of eggshells by Salmonella. J Cell Sci, 1998 Oct, 111 ( Pt 19), 2855 - 66 Localisation of Nramp1 in macrophages: modulation with activation and infection; Searle S et al.; The murine natural resistance-associated macrophage protein, Nramp1, has multiple pleiotropic effects on macrophage activation and regulates survival of intracellular pathogens including Leishmania, Salmonella and Mycobacterium species . Nramp1 acts as an iron transporter, but precisely how this relates to macrophage activation and/or pathogen survival remains unclear . To gain insight into function, anti-Nramp1 monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies are used here to localise Nramp1 following activation and infection . Confocal microscope analysis in uninfected macrophages demonstrates that both the mutant (infection-susceptible) and wild-type (infection-resistant) forms of the protein localise to the membranes of intracellular vesicular compartments . Gold labelling and electron microscopy defines these compartments more precisely as electron-lucent late endosomal and electron-dense lysosomal compartments, with Nramp1 colocalizing with Lamp1 and cathepsins D and L in both compartments, with macrosialin in late endosomes, and with BSA-5 nm gold in pre-loaded lysosomes . Nramp1 is upregulated with interferon-(gamma) and lipopolysaccaride treatment, coinciding with an increase in labelling in lysosomes relative to late endosomes and apparent dispersion of Nramp1-positive vesicles from a perinuclear location towards the periphery of the cytoplasm along the microtubular network . In both control and activated macrophages, expression of the protein is 3- to 4-fold higher in wild-type compared to mutant macrophages . In Leishmania major-infected macrophages, Nramp1 is observed in the membrane of the pathogen-containing phagosomes, which retain a perinuclear localization in resting macrophages . In Mycobacterium avium-infected resting and activated macrophages, Nramp1-positive vesicles migrated to converge, but not always fuse, with pathogen-containing phagosomes . The Nramp1 protein is thus located where it can have a direct influence on phagosome fusion and the microenvironment of the pathogen, as well as in the more general regulation of endosomal/lysosomal function in macrophages. Scand J Infect Dis, 1998, 30(2), 159 - 64 Age-related prevalence of Shigella and Salmonella antibodies and their association with diarrhoeal diseases in Peruvian children; Nguyen BM et al.; Shigella and Salmonella antibodies in relation to diarrhoea were studied in a cohort of 413 children between 2 and 27 months of age in peri-urban Lima, Peru . Blood samples were obtained at 2, 3 and 12 months of age . Antibody titres against lipopolysaccharide from Shigella flexneri serotype Y, Shigella dysenteriae serotype 1, Shigella sonnei, Salmonella serogroups AO, BO, DO, and Shigella Ipa and Salmonella typhi Vi antigens were measured by enzyme immunoassay . IgG titres against S . flexneri and Shigella Ipa were higher at 2 than at 3 or 12 months of age (p=0.001), while the changes in IgG titres against S . dysenteriae, S . sonnei and Salmonella were not pronounced . IgA and IgM titres against S . flexneri, Shigella Ipa, S . dysenteriae, S . sonnei and Salmonella were significantly higher at 12 than at 2 or 3 months of age (p=0.001) . Stool samples were obtained from children in 64% of all diarrhoeal episodes . Shigella spp . were isolated from 20% of the children during the first 2 y of life and Salmonella in 3% . Most isolates were from children at 13-24 months of age (78%) . IgG antibodies at 12 months of age did not protect against shigellosis during the second year of life. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev, 1998 Sep, 62(3), 814 - 984 Linkage map of Escherichia coli K-12, edition 10: the traditional map; Berlyn MK; This map is an update of the edition 9 map by Berlyn et al . (M . K . B . Berlyn, K . B . Low, and K . E . Rudd, p . 1715-1902, in F . C . Neidhardt et al., ed., Escherichia coli and Salmonella: cellular and molecular biology, 2nd ed., vol . 2, 1996) . It uses coordinates established by the completed sequence, expressed as 100 minutes for the entire circular map, and adds new genes discovered and established since 1996 and eliminates those shown to correspond to other known genes . The latter are included as synonyms . An alphabetical list of genes showing map location, synonyms, the protein or RNA product of the gene, phenotypes of mutants, and reference citations is provided . In addition to genes known to correspond to gene sequences, other genes, often older, that are described by phenotype and older mapping techniques and that have not been correlated with sequences are included. Mutat Res, 1998 Aug 3, 404(1-2), 167 - 72 Chromosome aberration assays in genetic toxicology testing in vitro; Ishidate M Jr et al.; The chromosome aberration test using cultured mammalian cells is one of the sensitive methods to predict environmental mutagens and/or carcinogens, and is a complementary test to the Salmonella/microsome assay (Ames test) . From our recent survey of 951 chemicals which have been tested for their clastogenicity in cultured mammalian cells such as Chinese hamster fibroblasts or human lymphocytes, it was noted that 47% of them are consistently positive either with or without metabolic activation . When the test was performed using the cell line CHL/IU, 39.2% (292/745) were found to be positive . However, 8% (36/447) of such clastogens were positive only at an extremely high concentration of more than 10 mM . About 11% (48/447) of clastogens such as diethylstilbestrol (DES) and methyl AalphaC (Glob-P-1) induced mainly polyploid cells . Most chemicals induced chromatid-type aberrations, some induce only break-type aberrations at relatively high dose levels, but others induce more exchange-type aberrations at relatively low dose levels . Clastogenic activities were compared among different clastogens, using the D20 value, which is the minimum dose (mg/ml) at which aberrations were found in 20% of metaphases . In addition, the translocation (TR) value was calculated from the incidence of cells with exchange-type aberrations . It was suggested that possible carcinogens are included in the group of compounds with relatively low D20 values, but with high TR values . Karyological analysis was performed, using a FISH painting probe prepared from No . 1 chromosome of CHO cells, on the clonal subline isolated after treatment with benzo(a)pyrene . However, no specific changes common to the agent were detected . Laser scanning cytometry (LSC) was also applied to screen for abnormal karyotypes . A translocation between particular chromosomes was reflected by the deletion of a DNA peak . Mol Cell Probes, 1998 Aug, 12(4), 227 - 34 Development of a PCR microplate-capture hybridization method for simple, fast and sensitive detection of Salmonella serovars in food; Manzano M et al.; The authors have developed an easy and rapid detection and identification system for Salmonella spp . in food . The gene inv A was selected as the target sequence . Oligonucleotides derived from conserved regions of this gene were able to exclusively prime the amplification of a 389 bp fragment when Salmonella spp . DNA was used as the template . An internal Salmonella spp . specific DNA probe was used for confirmation of the amplified polymerase chain reaction(PCR)product, by Southern blot or microplate-capture hybridization assay . In this fashion the sensitivity of the method was increased 100-fold (4.5 fg total DNA) . To validate the method, a total of 75 food samples were tested . The PCR-microplate capture hybridization assay is easy to perform and much faster than traditional detection methods for Salmonella spp . in food . Hybridization in microtitre plates is more readily observed than in Southern blot and is more sensitive than conventional agarose gel electrophoresis. J Paediatr Child Health, 1998 Aug, 34(4), 387 - 90 Non-typhoid Salmonella gastroenteritis; Lee WS et al.; OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical features of non-typhoid Salmonella gastroenteritis and the incidence, risk factors and outcome of invasive complications in urban Malaysian children . To describe the serotypes of Salmonella species isolated and the pattern of antibiotic susceptibility . METHODOLOGY: Retrospective review of a group of 131 children with non-typhoid Salmonella gastroenteritis seen at the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from January 1994 to December 1996 . RESULTS: Sixty-seven percent were infants below one year of age . Fever and vomiting were seen in nearly half of children . Seven children (5.3%) had invasive complications: 5 bacteraemia and 2 meningitis . Age below 6 months, fever > 38.0 degrees C, and dehydration on admission were significantly associated with invasive complications . The commonest serotypes isolated were S . enteritidis, S . paratyphi B, and S . bovis-morbificans . A total of 94-100% of isolates were susceptible to commonly prescribed antibiotics . CONCLUSIONS: Children with Salmonella gastroenteritis below 6 months of age who are febrile and dehydrated should be treated empirically with antibiotics until the result of blood culture is available. Pediatr Infect Dis J, 1998 Aug, 17(8), 691 - 5 Reevaluation of antipyretics in children with enteric fever; Noyola DE et al.; BACKGROUND: The Committee on Infectious Diseases of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends withholding antipyretic administration to patients with enteric fever because of the risk of shock developing as a consequence . OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of antipyretics on blood pressure in children with enteric fever . METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records of patients admitted to Texas Children's Hospital from January, 1977, to October, 1997, with a diagnosis of enteric fever . All febrile episodes were evaluated for the use of antipyretics and evidence of hypotension or cardiovascular decompensation associated with them . RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients with enteric fever were identified . Salmonella typhi caused 23 of these infections . Antipyretics were used in all but one patient . We did not find any association between the use of antipyretics and the development of hypotension . One patient developed shock and adult respiratory distress syndrome >36 h after start of antibiotic therapy and unrelated to fever or antipyretic use . Two patients had evidence of dehydration . No other complications occurred . CONCLUSIONS: We did not find any complications associated with the use of acetaminophen or ibuprofen in children with enteric fever . The effects of antipyretics in enteric fever should be further studied. Mutat Res, 1998 Jul 17, 403(1-2), 65 - 73 Free radicals generated in yeast by the Salmonella test-negative carcinogens benzene, urethane, thiourea and auramine O; Brennan RJ et al.; A large fraction of carcinogens score negative in short-term genotoxicity assays such as the Salmonella reverse mutation (Ames) assay . More information is needed about the mechanism of action of such Salmonella-negative carcinogens . Many Salmonella-negative carcinogens induce deletions due to intrachromosomal recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with an apparent threshold . We have previously shown that the Salmonella-negative carcinogens cadmium, aniline, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride generate free radical species in S . cerevisiae . We have further investigated the possible generation of intracellular free radical species by the diverse Salmonella-negative carcinogens benzene, urethane, thiourea and auramine O . The toxicity and recombinagenicity of thiourea and auramine O was reduced in the presence of the free radical scavenger N-acetyl cysteine . N-acetyl cysteine did not protect against toxicity or recombination induced by the Salmonella-positive carcinogens ethyl methane sulfonate, methyl methane sulfonate or nitroquinoline-N-oxide . A strain deficient in the enzyme superoxide dismutase, which catalyses the dismutation of superoxide anion radical, was hypersensitive to killing by benzene, urethane and thiourea . The sod- strain was only slightly more sensitive to the Salmonella-positive carcinogens . Intracellular oxidation of the free radical-sensitive reporter compound dichlorofluorescin diacetate was increased in yeast cultures exposed to benzene, urethane and auramine O; again, the Salmonella mutagens had no effect on oxidation of the dye . These data show that free radical species are produced in Saccharomyces cerevisiae following exposure to benzene, urethane, thiourea and auramine O, and suggest a possible role for oxidative stress is recombination induced by these carcinogens. Mutat Res, 1998 Aug 7, 416(1-2), 129 - 36 Mutagenicity testing (+/-)-camphor, 1,8-cineole, citral, citronellal, (-)-menthol and terpineol with the Salmonella/microsome assay; Gomes-Carneiro MR et al.; The essential oils and their monoterpenoid constituents have been widely used as fragrances in cosmetics, as flavouring food additives, as scenting agents in a variety of household products, as active ingredients in some old drugs, and as intermediates in the synthesis of perfume chemicals . The present study was undertaken to investigate the mutagenic potential of six monoterpenoid compounds: two aldehydes (citral and citronellal), a ketone ((+/-)-camphor), an oxide (1,8-cineole, also known as eucalyptol), and two alcohols (terpineol and (-)-menthol) . It is part of a more comprehensive toxicological screening of monoterpenes under way at our laboratory . Mutagenicity was evaluated by the Salmonella/microsome assay (TA97a, TA98, TA100 and TA102 tester strains), without and with addition of an extrinsic metabolic activation system (lyophilized rat liver S9 fraction induced by Aroclor 1254) . In all cases, the upper limit of the dose interval tested was either the highest non-toxic dose or the lowest dose of the monoterpene toxic to TA100 strain in the preliminary toxicity test . No mutagenic effect was found with (+/-) camphor, citral, citronellal, 1,8-cineole, and (-) menthol . Terpineol caused a slight but dose-related increase in the number of his+ revertants with TA102 tester strain both without and with addition of S9 mixture . The results from this study therefore suggest that, with the exception of terpineol, the monoterpenoid compounds tested are not mutagenic in the Ames test. Cardiovasc Surg, 1998 Aug, 6(4), 347 - 50 Cryptogenic Salmonella-infected ruptured aortic aneurysms; van Dam van Isselt EF et al.; Salmonella-infected ruptured aortic aneurysms are a difficult surgical problem . Five patients with Salmonella-infected ruptured aortic aneurysms are presented . All patients were initially treated by in situ graft replacement, wide debridement of the infected aortic tissue and long-term systemic antibiotic therapy . The surgical technique of choice in acute situations, such as a rupture of the aneurysm, remains controversial . In the recent literature 26 reported cases were reviewed . Based on our clinical experience and these case reports, in situ bypass reconstruction can be justified as a surgical technique that gives at least a good short-term prognosis. Vet Rec, 1998 Jul 25, 143(4), 95 - 7 Characterisation of recently emerged multiple antibiotic-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium DT104 and other multiresistant phage types from Danish pig herds; Baggesen DL et al.; A total of 670 isolates of Salmonella enterica were isolated from Danish pig herds, phage typed and tested for susceptibility to amoxycillin + clavulanate, ampicillin, colistin, enrofloxacin, gentamicin, neomycin, spectinomycin, streptomycin, tetracyclines, and trimethoprim + sulphadiazine . S enterica serovar typhimurium (S typhimurium) isolates resistant to ampicillin, streptomycin and tetracycline and three isolates of S typhimurium DT104, two from 1994 and one from 1995, were further tested for resistance against chloramphenicol and sulphonamide and analysed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using the restriction enzyme Xba I . Overall, 66 per cent of the 670 isolates were sensitive to all the antimicrobial agents tested . Eleven isolates of S typhimurium were resistant to ampicillin, streptomycin and tetracycline and also resistant to other antibiotics in different resistance patterns . Seven different multiresistant clones were identified . The most common clones were four isolates of DT104 and three isolates of DT193 . Two of the three S typhimurium DT104 from 1994 and 1995 were sensitive to all the antimicrobials tested whereas the remaining isolate from 1994 was resistant to spectinomycin, streptomycin and sulphonamides . All three isolates showed PFGF profiles identical to the four multiresistant DT104 isolates . Compared with most other countries antimicrobial resistance among S enterica isolated from Danish pig herds is uncommon . However, several different multiresistant clones were found. J Struct Biol, 1998, 122(1-2), 216 - 22 Folding and function of repetitive structure in the homotrimeric phage P22 tailspike protein; Seckler R; The Salmonella bacteriophage P22 recognizes its host cell receptor, lipopolysaccharide, by means of six tailspikes, thermostable homotrimers of 72-kDa polypeptides . Biophysical results on the binding reaction, together with high-resolution structural information from X-ray crystallography, have shed light on the interactions determining the viral host range . Folding and assembly of the tailspike protein in vitro have been analyzed in detail, and the data have been compared with observations on the in vivo assembly pathway . Repetitive structural elements in the tailspike protein, like a side-by-side trimer of parallel beta-helices, a parallel alpha-helical bundle, a triangular prism made up from antiparallel beta-sheets, and a short segment of a triple beta-helix can be considered building blocks for larger structural proteins, and thus, the results on P22 tailspike may have implications for fibrous protein structure and folding . Am J Physiol, 1998 Sep, 275(3 Pt 1), G564 - 71 Enteroinvasive bacteria directly activate expression of iNOS and NO production in human colon epithelial cells; Witthoft T et al.; In these studies, we investigated whether bacterial infection of human colon epithelial cells is a sufficient stimulus to upregulate epithelial cell expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nitric oxide (NO) production . Human colon epithelial cells (Caco-2 and HT-29) rapidly upregulated iNOS mRNA and protein expression and NO production after infection with enteroinvasive Escherichia coli, Salmonella dublin, or Shigella flexneri but not after infection with noninvasive E . coli or an invasion-deficient mutant of S . dublin . Bacterial infection in the absence of added cytokines was as potent or more potent a stimulus of iNOS expression and NO production as stimulation of cells with combinations of cytokines known to strongly upregulate this epithelial cell response . Enteroinvasive E . coli increased epithelial NO production to a greater extent than S . dublin, although S . dublin was a stronger stimulus of epithelial cell interleukin-8 (IL-8) production . After enteroinvasive E . coli infection of polarized epithelial cell monolayers, nitrite, a stable NO end product, was released predominately into the apical compartment early after infection, whereas IL-8 was released in parallel into the basolateral compartment . These studies suggest NO and/or its redox products are an important component of the intestinal epithelial cell response to microbial infection. Mol Microbiol, 1998 Aug, 29(3), 883 - 91 Identification of a pathogenicity island required for Salmonella enteropathogenicity; Wood MW et al.; Salmonella spp . interact with ileal mucosa and disrupt normal intestinal function, which results in an acute inflammatory cell influx, fluid secretion and enteritis . We have recently characterized SopB, a novel secreted effector protein of Salmonella dublin, and presented evidence that SopB is translocated into eukaryotic cells via a sip-dependent pathway to promote fluid secretion and inflammatory responses . Here, we show that sopB is located on a large DNA fragment unique to the Salmonella chromosome . This locus is conserved in Salmonella and maps at approximately 20 centisome of the S . typhimurium chromosome . Sequence analysis revealed that this Salmonella-specific DNA fragment is flanked by DNA sequences with significant sequence similarity to the Escherichia coli K-12 genes, tRNA1ser (serT) on one side and copS/copR on the other . Thus, this Salmonella-specific DNA fragment has features characteristic of 'pathogenicity islands' and, therefore, it was denoted SPI-5 (Salmonella pathogenicity island-5) . SPI-5 was sequenced and was found to contain five novel genes, pipA, pipB, pipC, pipD (pathogenicity island-encoded proteins) and orf, in addition to sopB . The effect of mutations in pipA, pipB and pipD on the induction of fluid secretion and an acute inflammatory cell influx was assessed in bovine ligated ileal loops . The effect of mutations in SPI-5-encoded genes on systemic salmonellosis was assessed in mice . The results of these experiments suggest that SPI-5-encoded genes contribute to enteric but not to systemic salmonellosis. Mol Microbiol, 1998 Aug, 29(3), 835 - 50 The RcsB-RcsC regulatory system of Salmonella typhi differentially modulates the expression of invasion proteins, flagellin and Vi antigen in response to osmolarity; Arricau N et al.; Entry into intestinal epithelial cells is an essential feature in the pathogenicity of Salmonella typhi, which causes typhoid fever in humans . This process requires intact motility and secretion of the invasion-promoting Sip proteins, which are targets of the type III secretion machinery encoded by the inv, spa and prg loci . During our investigations into the entry of S . typhi into cultured epithelial cells, we observed that the secretion of Sip proteins and flagellin was impaired in Vi-expressing strains . We report here that the production of Sip proteins, flagellin and Vi antigen is differentially modulated by the RcsB-RcsC regulatory system and osmolarity . This regulation occurs at both transcriptional and post-translational levels . Under low-osmolarity conditions, the transcription of iagA, invF and sipB genes is negatively controlled by the RcsB regulator, which probably acts in association with the viaB locus-encoded TviA protein . The cell surface-associated Vi polysaccharide, which was maximally produced under these growth conditions, prevented the secretion of Sip proteins and flagellin . As the NaCl concentration in the growth medium was increased, transcription of iagA, invF and sipB was found to be markedly increased, whereas transcription of genes involved in Vi antigen biosynthesis was greatly reduced . The expression of iagA, whose product is involved in invF and sipB transcription, occurred selectively during the exponential growth phase and was maximal in the presence of 300mM NaCl . At this osmolarity, large amounts of Sips and flagellin were secreted in culture supernatants . As expected from these results, and given the essential role of Sip proteins and motility in entry, RcsB and osmolarity modulated the invasive capacity of S . typhi . Together, these findings might reflect