Am J Vet Res, 1983 Oct, 44(10), 1923 - 7 Phagocytosis and intracellular killing of the contagious equine metritis organism by equine neutrophils in genital secretions; Bertram TA et al.; Equine neutrophils were combined with contagious equine metritis organism (CEMO) or Escherichia coli in vitro in the presence of seminal plasma, uterine flushings, or Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS) . Phagocytosis and intracellular killing were estimated by bacterial culture and light and electron microscopy . With lysed neutrophils, the numbers of colony-forming units of CEMO and E coli increased in seminal plasma and uterine flushings . Numbers of CEMO decreased in HBSS . The numbers of CEMO increased more in the presence of seminal plasma than the other media . When neutrophils were in the various media, 29% to 32% of the CEMO were phagocytized by 120 minutes . At all sampling times and in all media types, more E coli than CEMO were observed to be associated with neutrophils . By 210 minutes' incubation in uterine flushings, seminal plasma, and HBSS, 60% to 75% of the intracellular CEMO were killed . Of the intracellular E coli in the various media, 85% to 90% were killed by 210 minutes . Seemingly, CEMO is an extracellular pathogenic bacteria and immunoglobulins in seminal plasma and uterine flushings from horses not previously infected with CEMO do not enhance CEMO phagocytosis or intracellular killing. Am J Vet Res, 1983 Sep, 44(9), 1641 - 3 Protection by oral administration of brucella abortus strain 19 against an oral challenge exposure with a pathogenic strain of Brucella; Nicoletti P et al.; Twenty heifers were vaccinated orally with Brucella abortus strain 19 . These heifers and 21 control heifers were challenge exposed in midgestation with strain 2308 by the oral route . Ten of 19 pregnant control heifers aborted and 14 were culture positive . Two additional heifers were seropositive at slaughter . Strain 2308 was recovered from 4 vaccinates at slaughter; none of the vaccinates aborted . Titers after oral vaccination persisted for less than 82 days. J Gen Virol, 1983 Sep, 64 (Pt 9), 1973 - 82 Neuropathogenicity of herpes simplex virus in mice: protection against lethal encephalitis by co-infection with a non-encephalitogenic strain; Schroder CH et al.; Intraperitoneal infection of susceptible mice with an apathogenic herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) strain prevented the lethal outcome of a challenge infection with a pathogenic strain, even if the challenge preceded the protective infection . It was found that the protective inoculation blocks the initial replication of the challenge virus . In addition, intraperitoneal infection with the protective HSV-1 strain led to the induction of a refractory state in the central nervous system, resulting in resistance to direct intracranial infection with HSV-1 . This state is also inducible locally by intracerebral inoculation of a non-replicating mutant virus . The results indicate that HSV-1 strains differing in neurovirulence may differ in the induction or the sensitivity to this protective effect . Experiments with non-replicating HSV-1 temperature-sensitive strains demonstrated that protection against lethal infection does not depend on replication or expression of late genes of the protective strain . Inoculation of animals with detergent-soluble extracts of infected cells or infected and u.v.-irradiated syngeneic cells protected the animals against co-infection with encephalitogenic challenge virus . The experiments define this protective effect as an antigen-induced-immediate host defence mechanism active within 24 h post-infection. Infect Immun, 1983 Sep, 41(3), 1279 - 83 In vivo replication of pathogenic and attenuated strains of Junin virus in different cell populations of lymphatic tissue; Laguens M et al.; Lymphatic tissue is one of the main sites for replication of Junin virus . To characterize which cells are involved in that replication, the presence of Junin virus in purified populations of macrophages and dendritic cells from the spleens of guinea pigs infected with pathogenic and attenuated strains was investigated by immunofluorescence and intracerebral inoculation into newborn mice . The pathogenic strain was present both in macrophages and in dendritic cells, but the attenuated strain selectively infected dendritic cells . These observations suggest that the pathogenic behavior and replication efficiency of these two strains of Junin virus may be related to a difference in cell targets. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Aug, (8), 27 - 31 {Comparative study of the phospholipase activity of pathogenic and saprophytic Leptospira cultured on a serum-lecithin agar}; Levina LF et al.; The phospholipase activity of leptospires cultivated on serum-lecithin agar has been studied . Two zones of changes in the medium have been found to appear around the colonies of saprophytic Leptospira strains: transparent (5.25 +/- 2.09 mm wide) and turbid (6.90 +/- +/- 1.46 mm wide), which is linked with the production of phospholipases A and C . Only a single clear zone is formed around the colonies of pathogenic strains due to the production of phospholipase A . At the same time virulent Leptospira strains show greater phospholipase activity (the zones are 6.0 +/- 1.2 mm wide) than avirulent strains (the zones are 1.6 +/- +/- 0.04 mm wide). Plast Reconstr Surg, 1983 Aug, 72(2), 217 - 21 Clinical experience with polydioxanone monofilament absorbable sutures in plastic surgery; Chusak RB et al.; Various sizes of undyed monofilament polydioxanone surgical suture were assessed in 52 surgical patients who underwent plastic surgery . With a single exception, follow-up observations were carried out for at least 40 days . Clinical results were judged satisfactory in 13 patients and excellent in 39 patients . The suture was found significantly better than gut in terms of pliability, ease of passage through tissue, ease of tying, strength, fray resistance, and overall handling properties . The undyed suture material tested in this study was rated as having inferior visibility when compared with surgical gut . This new suture material, the first synthetic absorbable available as a monofilament, would appear to be particularly useful in situations requiring extended wound support, in potentially infected wounds in which a monofilament suture would have lessened tendency to harbor pathogenic bacteria, and in cases where ease of passage through tissue, smooth tie-down, and precise knot placement are important. Lab Anim Sci, 1983 Aug, 33(4), 355 - 60 Mouse hepatitis virus S in weanling Swiss mice following intranasal inoculation; Barthold SW et al.; Three-week-old outbred mice were inoculated intranasally with a mildly pathogenic strain of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV-S) . Tissues were analyzed for distribution of infectious virus, lesions, and viral antigen at intervals up to 49 days after inoculation . Sera were tested for neutralizing antibody to MHV-S . Within the first week of infection, virus was isolated from lung and brain of most mice and liver of one mouse, but not from blood, spleen, or intestine . Microscopic lesions consisted of mild olfactory mucosal necrosis, neuronal necrosis of olfactory bulbs and tracts, lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates and vacuolation in the brain, mild nonsuppurative pulmonary perivascular lymphocyte infiltration, focal interstitial pneumonia, and focal necrotizing hepatitis . The presence and distribution of MHV antigen, as determined by indirect immunofluorescence, correlated with virus recovery and acute lesions . No virus or antigen was demonstrable beyond day 7 . Serum antibody was first detected on day 10, and titers peaked on day 28 after infection. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1983 Jul, 254(4), 561 - 5 Candida adherence to mucosal epithelial cells with regard to its pathogenicity; Macura AB et al.; Twelve Candida strains were tested to compare their ability to adhere to human buccal and vaginal mucosa epithelial cells in vitro . The tests were performed in 0.9% saline and in phosphate buffer with both kinds of cells and additionally in saliva with buccal cells . The time of incubation was either 30 or 90 min . The pathogenicity of all of the fungal strains had been evaluated previously using viability test in mice . Eight strains were found to be pathogenic while four strains were considered to be not pathogenic . Out of the pathogenic ones, 5 strains of C . albicans, two strains of C . guilliermondi and one strain of C . stellatoidea were found . Non-pathogenic single strains were identified as C . krusei, C . parapsilosis, C . pseudotropicalis and C . tropicalis . The adherence tests with the pathogenic strains revealed significantly higher values for vaginal epithelial cells after 30 as well as after 90 min of incubation both in phosphate buffer and in saline in comparison to non-pathogenic ones (p less than 0.01) . The adherence of the pathogenic strains to the buccal cells was significantly greater only after incubation in saline (p less than 0.05 after 30 min and p less than 0.01 after 90 min) . The above findings suggest that adherence may be of importance in fungal colonization on mucous membrane surface resulting in development of fungal infection. Am J Trop Med Hyg, 1983 Jul, 32(4), 825 - 8 Protection against a pathogenic strain of Junin virus by mucosal infection with an attenuated strain; Samoilovich SR et al.; In order to determine the degree of mucosal infectivity of the attenuated XJCl3 strain of Junin virus, guinea pigs were orally or nasally inoculated . Infectivity was 85% for the oral and 100% for the nasal route, as detected by death or serum antibody development . The presence of serum antibodies was closely associated with resistance to challenge with the XJ pathogenic strain, which killed 100% of controls when inoculated by the parenteral or nasal route . However, mortality rates after mucosal infection were low, depending on the dose . Guinea pigs which survived nasal inoculation developed serum neutralizing antibodies, and were fully resistant to challenge with the XJ pathogenic strain. J Bacteriol, 1983 Jul, 155(1), 438 - 42 Tn3 labeling of a cryptic plasmid found in the plant pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas tabaci and mobilization of RSF1010 by donation; Obukowicz M et al.; pBPW1, a conjugative cryptic plasmid isolated from the plant pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas tabaci BR2, was labeled with Tn3 . pBPW1::Tn3 and RSF1010 mobilization into Pseudomonas mellea recipients were separate events, not involving recombination of the two plasmids during conjugation. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Jun, (6), 33 - 7 {Bactericidal activity of normal sera from various animal species against pathogenic and saprophytic leptospires}; Anan'ina IuV et al.; The leptospirocidal activity of 5 animal species against L . interrogans, L . biflexa and L . kazachstanica I and II, belonging to different serogroups and serovars, was studied . Cattle and sheep sera had no lytic effect on 36.9-40.1% of pathogenic Leptospira strains, but other pathogenic strains, as well as saprophytes, were lyzed by these sera . L . pomona and L . grippotyphosa exhibited high resistance to cattle serum, the latter being also resistant to sheep serum. Mol Biochem Parasitol, 1983 Jun, 8(2), 145 - 63 Interstrain mitochondrial DNA polymorphism detected in Acanthamoeba by restriction endonuclease analysis; Bogler SA et al.; The genus Acanthamoeba includes pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains of amebas with unclear taxonomic and evolutionary relationships . To explore these relationships further, we have examined mitochondrial DNA fragment patterns obtained for 15 Acanthamoeba strains by use of five restriction endonucleases . The mitochondrial DNA molecules were circular, averaging 41.6 +/- 1.5 kilobase pairs . Fragments resulting from endonuclease digestion of the DNA were separated by agarose gel electrophoresis . Ten distinct families of electrophoretic patterns (digestion phenotypes) were observed . Seven phenotypes were found for seven strains considered nonpathogenic or of unknown pathogenicity . Three phenotypes were associated with pathogenic strains . One of these phenotypes included a single pathogenic strain, a second included one pathogen and one strain of unknown pathogenicity, and the third included five pathogenic strains . The latter five were of widespread geographic origin and previously were assigned to two different species . The results suggest that extensive nucleotide sequence diversity occurs among strains from a single species of Acanthamoeba, but that subgroups of strains with similar sequences also occur . Thus, restriction enzyme analysis can identify clusters of strains and may be a useful approach to classification in the genus . Improvements in classification should help clarify relationships among pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains. Infect Immun, 1983 May, 40(2), 640 - 6 Acquisition of alpha 1-Antitrypsin by a pathogenic strain of Trichomonas vaginalis; Peterson KM et al.; The interaction of alpha 1-Antitrypsin, the major serine protease inhibitor in plasma, with pathogenic Trichomonas vaginalis and the acquisition by trichomonads of this host protein from normal human plasma were investigated . alpha 1-Antitrypsin acquired by intact parasites could not be removed by repeated washings in phosphate-buffered saline . Saturation kinetics were observed after incubation of glutaraldehyde-fixed organisms with 125I-labeled alpha 1-antitrypsin . Evidence suggesting that specific parasite membrane sites were responsible for trichomonal acquisition of alpha 1-antitrypsin was obtained through competitive binding experiments using purified preparations of homologous versus heterologous plasma proteins . No evidence of degradation of bound antitrypsin by live parasites was observed . The avid binding of alpha 1-antitrypsin by pathogenic T . vaginalis after incubation in normal human plasma was demonstrated by using sensitive electrophoretic and immunodetection techniques . Radioimmunoprecipitation of intrinsically labeled, detergent-solubilized extracts of T . vaginalis incubated with monospecific antisera against alpha 1-antitrypsin and other human plasma proteins revealed the inability of parasites to biosynthesize any substance cross-reactive with host plasma proteins . Finally, T . vaginalis organisms pretreated with alpha 1-antitrypsin inhibited trypsin caseinase activity in an in vitro assay . The implications of these observations are discussed. Eur J Biochem, 1983 Apr 5, 131(3), 473 - 80 Quantitative double-label radiography of two-dimensional protein gels using color negative film and computer analysis; Goldman RC et al.; We have devised a method of data collection and computer analysis which allows utilization of the resolving power of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of proteins, in conjunction with the versatility of using two different radionuclides simultaneously . Cultures of Escherichia coli growing with exponential growth rate constants (mu) of 0.32 and 1.43 were labeled with {3H}leucine and {14C}leucine, respectively; these samples were mixed, and cell protein was separated on a two-dimensional gel . Spacial and quantitative data for both radionuclides were recorded on color negative film by radiographic exposure . Data for 14C alone were then collected photographically from the red-light-sensitive layer of the film using a red filter, while data for 3H and spillover of 14C were collected photographically from the blue-light-sensitive layer using a blue filter . These two data sets were analyzed by CINT, a computer program for analysis of two-dimensional gels, and quantitative data for 3H were calculated after determination of spillover of 14C in a manner analogous to quantification of 3H and 14C by liquid scintillation counting . Quantitative data from over 1000 protein spots representing from 0.002% to 10% of the total 3H or 14C, respectively, are available in a matter of hours . We have used this method to analyze the effect of growth rate and medium composition on the relative levels of individual proteins in a pathogenic strain of E . coli which contains group 111 O-antigen . As expected, the relative levels of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, protein chain elongation factors, ribosomal proteins, and the alpha-subunit of RNA polymerase are all increased with increased growth rate; the magnitude of these changes agreed with previous data derived using other strains of E . coli . Alterations in the levels of other proteins identified on the two-dimensional gels could be interpreted in terms of changes in medium composition . When compared to manual data collection by excising radiolabeled proteins and quantifying 3H and 14C in a liquid scintillation counter following combustion to H2O and CO2, respectively, this new method of data collection and computer analysis increases the resolution of data collection and decreases the time involved from days to hours. Cornell Vet, 1983 Apr, 73(2), 125 - 30 Infertility in heifers caused by pathogenic strain of Mycoplasma bovigenitalium; Saed OM et al.; Mycoplasma bovigenitalium (M . bovigenitalium, strain AL) was inoculated by insemination during estrous into the uterus or the cervix of 12 heifers . The inoculum consisted of a mixture of M . bovigenitalium (strain AL) and diluted semen taken from a highly fertile bull free of mycoplasma infection . Mycoplasma organisms were recovered 3 days postinoculation (PI) from the vaginal mucous of eight of 12 inoculated heifers, and at weekly intervals thereafter until the time of necropsy . All inoculated heifers had granular vulvovaginitis; some also had mucopurulent vaginal discharges . Six of the 12 infected heifers were inseminated more than once, yet none became pregnant . Macroscopic changes observed at necropsy in the genital tracts, in addition to granular vulvovaginitis, consisted of mucopurulent discharges emananting from the uterus, cervix, and vagina . All ovaries had corpora lutea . Mycoplasmas were recovered at necropsy from eight of the 12 heifers . Isolations were made from the vaginal wall, cervix, uterus, right and left oviducts, and the ovaries . All recovered mycoplasms were identified as M . bovigenitalium . It was concluded that M . bovigenitalium (strain AL) can cause inflammatory changes and infertility in heifers. J Clin Pathol, 1983 Apr, 36(4), 454 - 8 Demonstration of pathogenic bacteria in "sterile" inflammatory exudates; Bridger RC; One hundred and twenty-seven exudates from inflammatory processes, judged sterile after incubation on standard isolation media, were further investigated . This involved the exclusion of slow-growing strains by a further 48 hours incubation of the primary plates and subcultures from hypertonic broth that had been inoculated concurrently with the initial cultures . Over 80% of otherwise sterile exudates grew presumptive pathogens only after passage through the hypertonic broth and no further isolations resulted from extended incubation of the primary cultures . A history of current, or recent, antibiotic therapy commonly accompanied the demonstration of these aberrant strains and clinical remission of symptoms usually followed fresh antibiotic therapy directed solely against the revertant isolates. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1983 Apr, 254(2), 261 - 5 Activation of complement by leptospires and its bactericidal activity; Cinco M et al.; Bactericidal activity of complement was found to be effective on saprophytic Leptospira biflexa strains and not on Leptospira interrogans strains, by means of viable counting; the killing effect on saprophytic strains was probably due to a direct activation of the complement system via the alternative pathway . On the contrary the pathogenic strains seemed to activate the complement at a lower extent and were, in any case, resistant to the lytic action of the activated complement. Conn Med, 1983 Mar, 47(3), 138 - 41 The Dalkon Shield debate; Goodhue PA; PIP: The literature seems to have settled the controversy among physicians as to whether or not the Dalkon Shield is the real culprit in the relationship between IUD use and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) . This review of the literature suggests that all types of IUDs in use have the potential to enhance PID . The Dalkon Shield debate today is primarily between attorneys for A.H . Robins and attorneys for Plaintiffs who claim injury from PID and infected pregnancies . The National Law Journal on January 11, 1982 reported that in July 1979 a jury in Denver, Colorado awarded a patient $600,000 in compensatory damages and $6.2 million punitive damages against A.H . Robins, maker of the Dalkon Shield . Already verdicts and settlements against Robins in some 3200 cases have cost the company about $69 million . More than 1500 lawsuits are pending, seeking a total of $2.8 billion in compensatory and punitive damages from Robins . In view of this information another review of the literature is not superfluous . Clinical experience proved that the Dalkon Shield was the 1 IUD most likely not to be expelled . The disadvantages were pain on insertion and removal . Many of this doctor's patients, especially those who were nulliparous, experienced syncopal attacks on insertion . The clinical experience was also that the contraceptive failure rate was greater than the reported 1.1% . For these reasons Dalkon Shield insertions were stopped . Pelvic infection was not a determining factor in abandoning the use of the Dalkon Shield . A most damaging study for the Dalkon Shield appeared in June 1974 . Christian reported 5 midtrimester maternal deaths and 7 cases of septic abortion associated with IUD usage . The Dalkon Shield was involved in 10 cases, and 2 cases involved the Lippes Loop . This report created suspicion that there might be something about the design of the Dalkon Shield that allows dissemination of infection . June 28, 1974 Robins voluntarily suspended domestic distribution of the Dalkon Shield at the request of the US Food and Drug Administration, but there was no recall of the device until September 1980 . An extensive study in 1977 by Eschenbach et al . concluded that IUD users have a 4.4 times greater risk of developing PID than nonusers, and no particular type of IUD was found to be disproportionately associated with PID . Purrer et al . in 1979 published a 2nd in vitro study on IUD tails exposed to pathogenic bacteria . The study totally disagreed with the conclusions of Tatum that condemned the multifilament tail of the Dalkon Shield . In sum the Dalkon Shield debate is no longer of clinical significance . Angew Parasitol, 1983 Feb, 24(1), 55 - 9 Haematophagous behaviour of Menacanthus eurysternus (Mallophaga, Amblycera); Agarwal GP et al.; Haematophagous nature of some mallophagan species is of great concern to the scientists working in the field . Such species cause harm to the host directly by reducing vitality and productivity and indirectly by acting as reservoir and transmitter of pathogenic strains of infectious diseases . Menacanthus eurysternus infesting common myna Acridotheres tristis feeds exclusively on host blood obtained by piercing the quill of pin feathers and by gnawing through the epidermis . As much as 88.56% adults, 73.91% third instar nymphs, 66.66% second instar nymphs and 83.21% first instar nymphs were found feeding on the host blood, when examined microscopically . This mallophagan species does not harbour any triturating agent and is not involved in cannibalism or predation. Vopr Virusol, 1983 Jan-Feb, 28(1), 43 - 6 {Enzyme activity of the neuraminidase from various strains of the influenza A virus}; Mazhul' LA et al.; Some chemical properties of neuraminidase of the mouse-pathogenic strain A/PR/8/34 (H0N1) and the mouse-apathogenic strain A/Krasnodar/101/59 (H2N2) were studied . Neuraminidase of the pathogenic strain was shown to have a lower specific activity, lower resistance and lower sensitivity to the inhibiting effect of CI ions than neuraminidase of the nonpathogenic strain. Acta Chir Scand, 1983, 149(3), 307 - 13 The incidence of bacteria in gallbladder bile at acute and elective cholecystectomy; Truedson H et al.; Aerobic and anaerobic bacterial cultivation was carried out on gallbladder bile collected from all patients operated on with cholecystectomy during a 10-month period . Acute cholecystectomy was performed on 34 patients because of acute cholecystitis . Elective cholecystectomy was performed on 177 patients because of non-acute gallbladder pathology . Bacteria were found in gallbladder bile in 16.4% of patients with non-acute cholecystopathy compared to 58.8% of patients with acute cholecystitis (p less than 0.001) . An increased incidence of pathogenic bacteria was observed in the acute compared to the elective cholecystectomy material . The acute inflammatory process, its severity and the age of the patient seemed to be important factors which could be related to the increased occurrence of bacteria in the gallbladder bile . A higher incidence of postoperative morbidity and infectious complications was found in patients with pathogenic bacteria in gallbladder bile than in patients with no growth of bacteria or opportunistic bacteria in gallbladder bile. Ann Rech Vet, 1983, 14(4), 469 - 72 Role of nutrition in the pathogenesis of porcine Escherichia coli enterotoxaemia; Bertschinger HU et al.; The role of nutrition in the pathogenesis of E . coli enterotoxaemia was studied in weaned pigs inoculated with a field strain of E . coli O139:K82(B):H 4 . Feeds extremely low in nutrients (5% crude protein, 4.6 MJ/kg digestible energy, 17% crude fibre) completely prevented the disease by inhibiting proliferation of the pathogenic bacteria in the intestine . This protective effect of the diet could not be used for disease control, because the pigs did not develop immunity . A diet moderately low in nutrients (8% crude protein, 9 MJ/kg digestible energy, 11% crude fibre) allowed proliferation of the inoculated bacteria to the point, where most of the pigs developed solid immunity and losses were significantly reduced . This diet combined with inoculation of the pigs with herd specific organisms allowed control of the disease in the field. Acta Chir Scand, 1983, 149(3), 315 - 21 Elective cholecystectomy with intraperitoneal drain . A bacteriological evaluation; Truedson H et al.; The occurrence of bacteria in 108 patients operated on with elective cholecystectomy was investigated in specimens from preoperative skin, gallbladder bile, drain wound secretion and drainage fluid . Growth of bacteria in gallbladder bile was found in 13% and in drainage fluid in 46% of the patients . The occurrence of bacteria in drainage fluid was not correlated with the operative time or the experience of the surgeon . The presence of pathogenic bacteria in the drainage fluid in our investigation was related to increased amounts of drainage fluid and to increased incidence of infectious complications (manifest or suspected intra-abdominal abscess and wound infection) . Growth of bacteria analogous to those found in drainage fluid was observed in gallbladder bile (5% of the patients), in preoperative skin culture (12%) and in drain wound secretion (14%) . Most of the bacteria in the drainage fluid seemed to come from an exogenic source . However, in 35% of the patients with bacteria in the gallbladder bile analogous bacteria were demonstrated in the drainage fluid . Since an increased occurrence of bacteria in gallbladder bile has been found in patients with acute cholecystitis and in patients more than 60 years of age the use of intraperitoneal drain from a bacteriological point of view could thus be limited to these groups of patients. Ann Immunol (Paris), 1983 Jan-Feb, 134C(1), 25 - 30 Synergism between iron chelators and complement for bactericidal activity; Rivier D et al.; Iron-binding agents such as the plasma protein transferrin or the siderophore desferal from Streptomyces pilosus inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria, supposedly by interfering with iron uptake by those bacteria . This study shows that anti-Escherichia coli activity exerted by desferal and transferrin can be increased in a synergistic way by complement and anti-E . coli antibodies of normal serum. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 1983, 77(2), 248 - 53 Resistance to lysis by human serum of pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica; Reed SL et al.; A comparison was made of susceptibility to lysis by human sera among five non-pathogenic and 11 pathogenic strains of Entamoeba histolytica already characterized into zymodemes . The nonpathogenic strains were found to be uniformly susceptible to lysis . Nine of 11 pathogenic strains, including five strains isolated from liver abscesses, were found to be resistant to lysis by serum under identical conditions . Resistance to complement-mediated lysis may be an inherent property of most pathogenic strains and may prove to be a necessary virulence factor for dissemination. Intervirology, 1983, 19(1), 44 - 6 Cytogenetic effect of two strains of Junin virus in the guinea pig; Dulout FN et al.; The cytogenetic effect of two strains of Junin virus on bone marrow chromosomes of the guinea pig was studied . Animals infected with the attenuated strain XJ-Cl3 showed no differences from control animals . Guinea pigs inoculated with the pathogenic strain XJ exhibited a significant increase of abnormal cells, chromatid breaks, and chromosome fragments . The clastogenic ability of the XJ strain is similar to the reported effect of other viruses, while the XJ-Cl3 strain does not appear to be clastogenic. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1983 Jan, 80(1), 70 - 4 Characterization of an antigenic determinant of the glycoprotein that correlates with pathogenicity of rabies virus; Dietzschold B et al.; The pathogenicity of fixed rabies virus strains for adult mice depends on the presence of an antigenic determinant on the viral glycoprotein . Two virus-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies have been used to identify this determinant . All pathogenic strains of fixed rabies virus bind to these antibodies and are neutralized by them, whereas nonpathogenic strains fail to react with these monoclonal antibodies and are not neutralized by them . Antigenic variants of the rabies virus with altered glycoprotein were selected by growing virus in the presence of one monoclonal antibody, 194-2 . All variants that lost their ability to react with this antibody and an additional antibody, 248-8, were found to be nonpathogenic for adult mice . Analysis of tryptic peptides of the glycoproteins of pathogenic parent virus and nonpathogenic variants and the amino acid sequence of a specific variant tryptic peptide revealed that the change in pathogenicity corresponded to an amino acid substitution at position 333 of the glycoprotein molecule . The nucleotide sequence of the nonpathogenic variant glycoprotein gene contained a base change that confirmed the single amino acid substitution in the tryptic peptide replacing arginine-333 in the parental glycoprotein . We conclude that arginine-333 is essential for the integrity of an antigenic determinant and for the ability of rabies viruses to produce lethal infection in adult mice. Rev Argent Microbiol, 1983, 15(4), 219 - 22 {Infection of New World primates with Junín virus . IV . Aotus trivirgatus}; Samoilovich SR et al.; Owl monkeys (Aotus trivirgatus) were inoculated with XJ, a pathogenic strain of Junin virus, seeking new animal models for Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever . Nine monkeys were inoculated intramuscularly with 30 or 300,000 TCID50 of junin virus . Hematological and virological studies showed no alteration in blood elements such as red cell, reticular cell and platelets, up to 28 days after inoculation . Hemoglobin and hematocrit determinations also remained constant . However, significant neutropenia was seen at day 11 and minimal viremia was detected in some animals during the second and third week post-inoculation . No clinical or behavioral modifications were observed during the eighty-days observation period . Non-specific necropsy findings included pyelonephritis, pneumonitis, liver abscess and eosinophilic spleen infiltrate . All of these findings seem to be unrelated to Junin virus inoculation . No virus was present in organs of animals killed 29, 57 or 85 days post-inoculation . All nine owl monkeys developed serum neutralizing antibodies by day 22 . It is concluded that the owl monkey suffers a subclinical infection when inoculated with Junin virus, similar to that seen in other primate species (Saimiri sciureus and Alouatta caraya). Rev Argent Microbiol, 1983, 15(4), 205 - 12 {Development of the infection in guinea pigs infected with the attenuated variant XJO of Junín virus}; de Guerrero LB et al.; As previously shown, the XJO variant of Junin virus (JV) is attenuated and elicits in guinea pigs a lasting humoral response and resistance to the challenge with XJ pathogenic strain, during at least three months . In this paper the long term evolution of guinea pigs inoculated with XJO by im route was studied . Ten animals were infected with 10(3) PFU of XJO at day 0 (group I) and an other 10, at days 0 and 77 (group II) . Another 30 guinea pigs were inoculated with 10(2) PFU at day 0 (group III) and 30 at days 0 and 12 (group IV) . The animals were observed during 12 months . Circulating complement fixing (CF) and neutralizing (Nt) antibodies were measured at different periods pi in all groups, and lots of four guinea pigs from groups III and IV were challenged with 10(2) PFU of XJ strain at 120, 180, 240 and 360 days pi . Independently of the number of inoculations, the humoral response was similar in the four groups . CF antibodies appeared in all animals around 30 days pi in low values (1:4-1:8) and after a peak, which in a few animals reached 1:32-1:64, returned to previous levels by 12 months pi . Nt antibodies, first detected 15-20 days pi, reached maximum titers by 75-80 days pi, decreasing afterwards to a plateau which persisted throughout the 12 month period (Fig . 1A-B) . Probably the continuous presence of antibodies could account for the 100% resistance to the challenge with XJ pathogenic strain shown by these animals (table I).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Bull Eur Physiopathol Respir, 1982 Nov-Dec, 18(6), 885 - 92 {Quantitative bacteriology of sputum collected by a simple technic limiting salivary contamination}; Beck G et al.; A simple non-invasive method to improve the reliability of bacteriological analyses of sputum was evaluated in 25 patients with chronic bronchitis . This method consists of placing dental cotton swabs between the cheek and the gum and under the tongue at the level of the excretory salivary glands . Once these plugs are in place, the sputum is collected by coughing under the control of a physiotherapist . The quantitative bacteriological data from sputum collected by the "protected" and "unprotected" methods were compared with those from bronchial secretions collected by transtracheal aspiration, used as reference method . Oropharyngeal cells and commensal bacteria were isolated at a significantly lower frequency in sputum collected by the protected method . Considering the predominant pathogenic bacteria, an excellent correlation was obtained between transtracheal aspiration and sputum in 80% of cases when sputum was collected by protected method and in 68% of cases by unprotected method . In four patients, the transtracheal aspiration was sterile, while a potentially pathogenic organism associated with a high leukocyte numeration was identified in sputum . All the potential pathogens isolated in the positive transtracheal aspiration were recovered in the protected sputum (100%), but they could be associated with a non-predominant commensal flora (11 cases) or a potentially misleading pathogenic bacteria (2 cases). Infect Immun, 1982 Oct, 38(1), 360 - 7 Toxoplasmosis in immunoglobulin M-suppressed mice; Frenkel JK et al.; Mice challenged with a pathogenic strain of Toxoplasma gondii develop fatal infections . However, if such mice are initially treated with sulfadiazine (SD), they develop immunity and survive with chronic infections . The role of antibody (Ab) in establishing protective immunity against acute parasitemias and in maintaining chronic infections was investigated using B-cell-deficient (immunoglobulin M-suppressed), T-cell-deficient (athymic), and normal BALB/c mice . All mice not receiving SD treatment rapidly died (mean 7.5 days) after infection, but the majority (80%) of intact mice developed immunity during SD treatment and survived for over 5 months with chronic toxoplasmosis . Athymic mice rapidly died (mean 6.0 days) after the removal of SD treatment . Although all SD-treated immunoglobulin M-suppressed mice eventually died, they lived considerably longer (18 to 83 days) in the complete absence of antitoxoplasma Ab than unprotected mice (7 to 9 days) . Histopathological sections of liver, lung, brain, and other tissues showed that toxoplasma organisms gave rise to fatal lesions in all nonsurviving animals . The injection of Ab into acutely infected and athymic mice imparted no protection, but transfer of antitoxoplasma Ab (titer greater than 1:8,000) to immunoglobulin M-suppressed mice after SD treatment resulted in elimination of the parasites in 50% of the mice . Results of this study suggest that Ab may not be decisive in acute infections, but may be important in controlling long-term toxoplasmosis. Infect Immun, 1982 Oct, 38(1), 35 - 40 Purification of TR-b, a Reiter treponeme protein antigen precipitating with antibodies in human syphilitic sera; Petersen CS et al.; TR-b is a Reiter treponeme antigen, cross-reacting with an antigen in Treponema pallidum (Nichols pathogenic strain) . Sera from patients with secondary syphilis contain precipitating antibodies against TR-b . The isolation of TR-b from a bacterial sonic extract is described here . It involved five fractionation steps: anion-exchange chromatography (DE-52 Whatman), gel filtration (Ac-A-22 Ultrogel), and affinity chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose CL 4B, iminodiacetic acid-Sepharose CL 4B, and lysine-Sepharose 4B, respectively . The purified TR-b was enriched 199 times compared with the starting material, and the recovery was 12% . TR-b was shown to be a protein; it did not bind to a series of lectins, and by gel filtration and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the molecular weight was determined to be 610,000 to 630,000 . It was found by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to be composed of identical 70,000-dalton subunits . The isolated TR-b was immunologically pure when tested in crossed immunoelectrophoresis against polyspecific anti-Reiter immunoglobulin . The purified TR-b antigen was used for the production of a monospecific rabbit antiserum, giving strong fluorescence with both the Reiter treponeme and T . pallidum in an indirect immunofluorescence test. Klin Padiatr, 1982 Sep-Oct, 194(5), 295 - 7 Bacteriological quality control in a human milk bank; Ikonen RS et al.; The best nutrient for newborn babies is breast milk and preferably provided via breast feeding . Pooled human milk must be used when the babies' own mother's milk is not available . Very often pooled milk is pasteurised . Recent studies, however, suggest avoidance of any sterilisation procedures in view of the decreased nutritional value and loss of anti-infective benefits associated with heating of human milk . In this study a quality control system of banked human milk based on the recent literature is presented . The purpose of systematic bacteriological monitoring is to separate those milk samples contaminated with pathogenic bacteria from the bulk of the collected milk which has only light contamination with likely nonpathogenic skin bacteria . According to our new standards of classification, over 60 per cent of the collected milk proved to be sufficiently free of bacteria to be fed unheated to pre-term infants . Most of the remainder could be fed unheated to full-term infants and less than 10 per cent had to be pasteurised. Trop Anim Health Prod, 1982 Aug, 14(3), 127 - 40 Causal agents of bovine theileriosis in southern Africa; Uilenberg G et al.; One pathogenic and 4 mild bovine Theileria strains from southern Africa, all transmitted by Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, were compared amongst themselves as well as to bovine and buffalo strains of the T . parva complex from eastern and southern Africa and to bovine strains of T . taurotragi from Tanzania considered to be derived from eland antelope . Criteria used were parasitological, clinical, serological and cross-immunity characters . The mild strains are similar to bovine T . taurotragi . Serological evidence suggested that T . taurotragi is also infective to sheep . The pathogenic strain belongs to the T . parva complex; the latter consists of a series of types with different behaviour ranging from the lawrencei-type (of buffalo) causing Corridor disease, through the bovis-type causing Rhodesian malignant theileriosis to the parva-type causing classical East Coat fever . Seven cattle-tick passages of a bovis-type strain did not result in transformation into a parva-type . Four species of bovine Theileriae are now known to occur in southern Africa: T . parva (lawrencei- and bovis-types) and T . taurotragi, both transmitted by R . appendiculatus, and T . mutans and T . velifera both with Amblyomma spp . as vectors. J Gen Virol, 1982 Jul, 61 (Pt l), 101 - 4 The overall evolution of the H7 influenza virus haemagglutinins is different from the evolution of the proteolytic cleavage site; Bosch FX et al.; It has been shown previously that the pathogenicity of avian influenza A viruses depends strictly on the proteolytic cleavability of their haemagglutinins (HAs) in infected cells . In this communication, pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains of the H7 subtype have been studied by comparing the genetic relatedness of their HA genes . Some of the cleavable HAs of pathogenic strains were genetically more closely related to the uncleaved HAs than to other cleavable HAs . These data clearly demonstrate that the overall evolution of the H7 haemagglutinins is different from the evolution of the specific cleavage site. J Periodontol, 1982 Jul, 53(7), 446 - 8 Material adherent to probes during a periodontal examination . Light and electron microscopic observations; Barnett ML et al.; The material adherent to a periodontal probe during the examination of deep periodontal pockets was studied with light and electron microscopy . Most of the specimens contained bacteria with a morphology which has been associated with a pathogenic flora . The findings suggest that periodontal probes may have the potential of transmitting pathogenic bacteria from involved sites to other sites in the mouth, although it remains to be demonstrated that this will result in actual implantation of the organisms at the new sites. J Parasitol, 1982 Jun, 68(3), 457 - 62 Polymorphonuclear cell chemotaxis to secretions of pathogenic and nonpathogenic Trichomonas vaginalis; Mason PR et al.; Polymorphonuclear cell chemotaxis to secretions of pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains of Trichomonas vaginalis were investigated . Cells from three groups, laboratory workers, patients with urogenital symptoms, and asymptomatic patients attending an antenatal clinic, all showed greater response to secretions of pathogenic strains, when the secretion was dilute . At higher concentrations of secretion, responses to both strains were similar, except in the pregnant group, where increased chemotaxis to pathogenic strains was still evident. Trop Anim Health Prod, 1982 May, 14(2), 93 - 7 Mastitis survey in Bolivia; Edwards S et al.; Quarter milk samples were taken from 1,090 cows on 24 dairy farms in southeastern Bolivia . Nineteen per cent were positive in the milk quality test for subclinical mastitis, 12% for presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria and 4% for both . The prevalence of infection was related to management factors. Arch Microbiol, 1982 May, 131(3), 252 - 4 Age dependent alterations in phospholipid composition of a saprophytic and a pathogenic strain of Nocardia; Trana AK et al.; Nocardia polychromogenes (saprophytic) and Nocardia asteroides (pathogenic) showed characteristic patterns in changes of cellular lipids during growth . Total lipids and total phospholipids decreased with the age of the culture in the saprophytic strain, whereas in the pathogenic strain total lipids increased throughout the culture period and the total phospholipids decreased in the late stationary phase . The decrease in total phospholipids in saprophytic strain was reflected in the individual phosphatides . In the pathogenic strain, the phosphatidylinositomannoside content doubled in early stationary phase . Differences were observed in fatty acid composition of phosphatides at various stages of growth, but the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids remained unaltered. Infect Immun, 1982 May, 36(2), 830 - 3 Capsular material of Mycoplasma gallisepticum and its possible relevance to the pathogenic process; Tajima M et al.; A ruthenium red-staining capsule was observed on two pathogenic strains, but not on one nonpathogenic strain of Mycoplasma gallisepticum . The capsule appeared to mediate cytadsorption of mycoplasmas to the chicken tracheal epithelium without evidence of membrane fusion . No relationship was seen between the presence of capsule and hemagglutination titers of the strains examined. Fortschr Med, 1982 Apr 8, 100(13), 592 - 8 {What therapeutic possibilities exist in acute antibiotic-resistant and chronic infections}; Seifert J et al.; Since the rate of mortality in severe sepsis could not be changed in the last years even not by sophisticated antibiotics, and since the mutants of bacteria resistant to antibiotics are permanently increasing, other possibilities must be taken into considerations to prevent or to treat infections . The improvement of the patient's own immune resistance by active or passive immunizations seems to be a cooperative or alternative way to overcome severe and chronic infections . In animal experiments the efficacy of gammaglobulin treatment of a severe infection was tested . The positive result i.e . improvement of the mortality from 75% to 45%, stimulated to a controlled clinical study, in which severe infected patients were additionally treated with gammaglobulin and compared with those without gammaglobulin treatment . Patients with gammaglobulin treatment showed a much better outcome of their infection than control patients . The rate of infections as well as time of hospital stay and other clinical and laboratory parameters were markedly improved in gammaglobulin-treated patients . Also the principle of active immunization was tested in animal experiments . Guinea pigs were orally vaccinated with heat inactivated pathogenic bacteria . In a following challenge infection vaccinated animals survived in a high percentage whereas control animals died . This success in vaccinating animals did lead to a controlled clinical study with patients suffering from chronic bone infection . Patients were treated orally with heat inactivated bacteria over a time of 8 weeks . Not only laboratory data indicating an improved immune response were changed by the treatment but also the clinical findings . These results indicate clearly that infections can be treated not only by attacks against bacteria but also by the improvement of the patient's own bacterial resistance. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1982 Mar, 13(1), 91 - 5 Further studies on the susceptibility of new Taiwan foci of Oncomelania hupensis to geographic strains of Schistosoma japonicum; Lee KM et al.; Two known colonies of O.h chiui in Alilao and of O.h . formosana in Changhua and four new foci of snails in Nantou, Chiayi, Hualien and Taitung on Taiwan were exposed each to 5 miracidia of Changhua Zoophilic strain and Chinese, Philippine and Indonesian anthropopilic or human strains of S . Japonicum . The results showed that all four new foci demonstrated various degrees of susceptibility to this parasite . Infectivity of Chinese strain of S . japonicum in 4 new foci of snails is reported for the first time . Changhua race of O . hupensis was also found slightly susceptible to Chinese strain of the parasite . The average infection rate to both zoophilic and human strains of S . japonicum was 39.0%, 14.5%, 10.8% and 9.8% for Taitung, Chiayi, Hualien and Nantou snails respectively . Susceptible snails now been found in 7 counties and if by chance human pathogenic strains of the parasite were accidentally introduced into Taiwan, a public health problem could possibly develop. Arch Pathol Lab Med, 1982 Mar, 106(3), 108 - 11 Sporadic Legionellaceae pneumonia in renal transplant recipients . A survey of 70 autopsies, 1964 to 1979; Goldstein JD et al.; The discovery in recent years of previously unrecognized pathogenic bacteria now classified in the family Legionellaceae raised the possibility that significant but undetected infections from these organisms might have occurred in the past . The known susceptibility of immunosuppressed patients to these organisms led us to examine, by direct immunofluorescence, lung tissue from 70 autopsies of renal transplant recipients . Only two cases were detected, one each due to Legionella bozemanii (WIGA) and L micdadei (Pittsburgh pneumonia gent) . The lack of cases in this high-risk population contrasts with recent outbreaks at several other institutions and highlights the focal and frequently nosocomial distribution of these infections . A reservoir for these organisms probably did not exist at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston, during the 15-years period of this study. J Infect Dis, 1982 Mar, 145(3), 331 - 6 New attenuation marker for junin virus based on immunologic responses of guinea pigs; Galassi NV et al.; A new attenuation marker to distinguish a virulent strain (XJJV) from an attenuated strain (XJC13JV or XJOJV) of Junin virus by means of the humoral and cellular responses to unrelated antigens was studied in guinea pigs . Strain XJJV suppressed the humoral immune response, as shown by the lower titers of precipitating antibody to ovalbumin . The concomitant decrease in serum complement level contributed to a milder Arthus cutaneous reactivity . In contrast, the attenuated strains did not decrease the humoral response . The pathogenic strain suppressed cell-mediated immunity, as demonstrated by decreased contact sensitivity to 2,4-dinitro-1-fluorobenzene and by depression of delayed skin reactions to tuberculin purified protein derivative . When attenuated strains were used, such suppressive effects were not observed . For virulent strain XJJV, virus replication in lymphoid organs and immunosuppressive effects were correlated . These findings provide a further means to differentiate between virulent and attenuated strains of Junin virus for the purpose of vaccine control of Argentine hemorrhagic fever. Infect Immun, 1982 Feb, 35(2), 425 - 30 Cross-protection in nonhuman primates against Argentine hemorrhagic fever; Weissenbacher MC et al.; The susceptibility of the marmoset Callithrix jacchus to Tacaribe virus infection was investigated to perform cross-protection studies between Junin and Tacaribe viruses . Five marmosets inoculated with Tacaribe virus failed to show any signs of disease, any alterations in erythrocyte, leukocyte, reticulocyte, and platelet counts or any changes in hematocrit or hemoglobin values . No Tacaribe virus could be recovered from blood at any time postinfection . Anti-Tacaribe neutralizing antibodies appeared 3 weeks postinfection . The five Tacaribe-infected marmosets and four noninfected controls were challenged with the pathogenic strain of Junin virus on day 60 post-Tacaribe infection . The former group showed no signs of disease, no viremia, and no challenge virus replication, whereas the control group exhibited the typical symptoms of Argentine hemorrhagic fever, high viremia, and viral titers in organs . Soon after challenge, the Tacaribe-protected marmosets synthesized neutralizing antibodies against Junin virus . These results indicate that the marmoset C . jacchus can be considered an experimental model for protection studies with arenaviruses and that the Tacaribe virus could be considered as a potential vaccine against Junin virus. Natl Cancer Inst Monogr, 1982, 60, 229 - 33 Crown gall: tumor as a result of oncogenic DNA transfer; Schell J; It has been well documented that some viruses can cause neoplasmic transformations in animal cells because particular segments of the virus genome integrated in the animal cell DNA alter the differentiated state of these transformed cells . Therefore, the DNA of these viruses is oncogenic . Recent studies on so-called crown gall tumors in plants have shown that oncogenic DNA's need not always be of viral origin . Indeed, it was shown that these plant tumors result from the integration, maintenance, and expression in the plant cell nucleus of a specific DNA segment introduced in the plant cells by some pathogenic bacteria . Thus crown gall neoplastic transformation is a natural example of "genetic engineering" because it was shown that the growth of the tumor-inducing bacteria is stimulated by organic compounds (so-called "opines") excreted by the transformed plant cells . The bacterial DNA transferred to and expressed in the plant cells is directly responsible for the synthesis of the opines and for the tumorous character of the transformed plant cells . The bacterial oncogenic DNA (T-DNA) is a segment of an extrachromosomal element (Ti-plasmid) carried by the tumor-inducing bacteria . A complicated set of genes on the Ti-plasmid control the various steps involved in the tumorous transformation and are thus responsible for the transfer of the oncogenic T-DNA . A molecular study of the products of the T-DNA will allow us to have a better understanding of the control of growth and differentiation in eukaryotic cells . Furthermore, the Ti-plasmid can be used as a gene vector and thus allow the transfer of selected genes into plants. Arch Dis Child, 1982 Jan, 57(1), 59 - 62 Cefuroxime in the treatment of neonates; de Louvois J et al.; The new broad spectrum cephalosporin, cefuroxime, was used to treat 28 neonates with suspected or proved infection . All of them had had complications at birth or in early neonatal life which were known to predispose to infection . The treatment regimen consisted of intramuscular or intravenous cefuroxime (50 mg/kg twice a day) for 5 days . Previously, such infants would have received gentamicin with penicillin or ampicillin . Pathogenic or potentially pathogenic bacteria were isolated from 7 (25%) of them . All of these organisms were sensitive to cefuroxime . None of the babies had meningitis, but blood cultures from 2 gave positive results . There was significant clinical improvement in 27 of them after 5 days of treatment and each was well on discharge from hospital . Serum urea, total protein, albumin, and alanine transaminase levels were estimated before, during, and after cefuroxime treatment . There were no changes attributable to cefuroxime nor were any changes in haemoglobin, packed cell volume, or total differential white cell counts observed . There were no adverse clinical side effects . One hundred and ninety-four samples of serum were assayed for cefuroxime . The mean peak level after intramuscular injection (42.7 mg/l) was reached in 0.8 hours, and the mean trough level was 10.5 mg/l . The mean half-life of cefuroxime in infants aged less than 4 days was 5.8 hours . In 4 infants older than 8 days, it ranged from 1.6-3.8 hours . Half-life was not associated with birthweight . Cefuroxime is a safe, well-tolerated, and rapidly absorbed drug for the treatment of neonates with suspected or proved infections; it is a useful alternative to gentamicin, if the use of an aminoglycoside is not clearly indicated. Am Rev Respir Dis, 1982 Jan, 125(1), 53 - 7 Bacteriologic diagnosis of nosocomial pneumonia in primates . Usefulness of the protected specimen brush; Higuchi JH et al.; We evaluated the usefulness of a protected specimen brush (PSB) in obtaining uncontaminated lower respiratory tract material for bacteriologic examination in a primate model of oleic acid-induced acute diffuse lung injury and naturally occurring "nosocomial pneumonia." The bacterial cause of each pneumonia was established by either an immediate postmortem lung aspirate and/or antemortem blood culture . Bacterial pneumonia occurred in 12 of the 15 animals studied . The PSB cultures were sterile in 11 normal, intubated baboons and in 7 animals with non-pneumonic infiltrates by chest radiography . In each of these instances contamination of the specimen by proximal airway flora was avoided with the PSB . Among 10 baboons with bacteriologically documented pneumonias, the PSB cultures correctly identified the causative pathogen in 7 animals despite the presence of diffuse lung infiltrates radiographically, and multiple pathogenic bacteria in proximal airway secretions . Only 1 of 10 (10%) PSB specimens in these animals was contaminated with a possibly unrelated pathogen . The PSB largely avoided contamination of the culture specimen by proximal airway flora, and therefore should be useful in differentiating bacterial colonization of the airways from pneumonia in the presence of diffuse pulmonary infiltrates. Jpn J Antibiot, 1982 Jan, 35(1), 251 - 60 {Clinical results of 9,3"-diacetylmidecamycin in the field of pediatrics (author's transl)}; Shinozaki T et al.; MOM was administered at a daily dose of 20 to 40 mg/kg q.i.d . orally to 65 pediatric patients . These consisted of 37 cases of acute feverish respiratory tract infection, 13 cases of Mycoplasma infection, 1 case of scarlet fever and 14 cases of whooping cough . Forty pathogenic bacteria were isolated from the 37 patients with acute feverish respiratory tract infection and 1 pathogenic bacteria was isolated from the patient with scarlet fever . Thirty-five of these clinical isolates disappeared as a result of MOM administration . For these 65 cases, the clinical efficacy was good in 51 cases (78.5%), fair in 5 cases (all whooping cough) and poor in 9 cases . Twelve strains of St . pyogenes were isolated from 12 cases and 3 of these isolates persisted (25%) . Ten strains of S . aureus were isolated from 10 cases and 1 of these isolates persisted . Superinfection was observed in 3 cases, 2 of which were the same species . Although the clinical effect in the 40 mg/kg/day treatment group was superior to the effects in the 20 mg/kg/day and 30 mg/kg/day treatment groups, the difference was not statistically significant. Arch Oral Biol, 1982, 27(3), 183 - 91 Morphological, chemical and antigenic characterization of M-1 N-acetylmuramidase-digested cell walls of the oral pathogenic bacterium Actinomyces viscosus T14V and T14AV; Brown DA et al.; The cell walls were enzymically solubilized with M-1 N-acetylmuramidase . The minimum amount of enzyme required for maximum response was 70 micrograms/mg of wall . The action of the enzyme seemed localized, producing holes in the wall structure . Chemistry and morphology suggested that all of the wall was solubilized . Antigenically, anti-T14AV formed precipitates with 11-14 antigens from the solubilized walls, of which 3 are unique to strain T14AV . Many of these antigens have not been observed previously due to the physical and/or chemical degradation associated with the extraction procedures . Antisera prepared against strain T14V whole cells formed precipitates with only a few antigens common to both strains . The results suggest that immunological processing and/or surface localization of these antigens are different. Curr Med Res Opin, 1982, 8(4), 233 - 41 A histological, enzymatic and water-electrolyte study of the action of smectite, a mucoprotective clay, on experimental infectious diarrhoea in the rabbit; Rateau JG et al.; The histological, enzymatic and water-electrolyte modifications induced by the administration of smectite, a type of clay reputed to be mucoprotective, have been studied in the rabbit ileal mucosa during infection by saprophytic bacteria and toxigenic E . coli 0128B12 . Smectite diminished the bacterial mucolysis and the destruction of the luminal surface membranes of the intestinal epithelium by pathogenic bacteria, as evidenced by the elevation of the disaccharidase and alkaline phosphatase levels . As a result of these effects, the net ion fluxes and net fluid changes favour absorption . These results could account for the mechanism of action of smectite in infectious human diarrhoea. Trans Assoc Am Physicians, 1982, 95, 1 - 7 Pathogen-host jujitsu: phagocyte impotence caused by internalized bacterial adenylate cyclase; Confer DL et al.; Humans and animals infected with Bordetella species show evidence of impaired host defenses . These pathogenic bacteria produce a unique adenylate cyclase which enters human phagocytes and catalyzes the unregulated formation of cAMP, a known cellular inhibitor . This unique pathogen-host interaction may explain the unusual features of human B . pertussis infection and represents a powerful new probe for the investigation of cAMP-governed processes. Ann Rech Vet, 1982, 13(2), 143 - 8 {Behavior of an attenuated strain of Pigeon Herpesvirus 1 and pathogenic strains in successive infections of pigeons}; Vindevogel H et al.; Behaviour in pigeons of an attenuated strain of Pigeon herpesvirus 1 (PHV1) was studied . After the first infection, it multiplied in the animal to the same extent as the natural strain it was derived from but only provoked mild and irregular symptoms . It persisted in the animal after infection . Primary infection of the pigeon with a pathogenic strain of PHV1 prevented recurrence of the disease after re-infection but did not significantly decrease viral dissemination and did not prevent spontaneous re-excretion of the virus. Tijdschr Diergeneeskd, 1982 Jan 1, 107(1), 4 - 11 {Recombinant DNA and genetic manipulation, reality and fantasy (author's transl)}; Winkler KC; Genetic manipulation deliberately tries to influence the progeny of a living organism to achieve a human purpose . Well-known instances are artificial insemination and embryo transfer . The species barrier is not broken in this procedure and a surrogate mother is required in every case . In frogs, the nuclei og a number of fertilized ova may be replaced by the nuclei of vegetative cells of a single frog (a) and thus produce a clone of identical frogs (a) . This is impossible in mammals . Parts of plants and even cultures of vegetative plant cells may develop into complete plants . This fact is gratefully used for the rapid propagation of useful hybrids . The recombinant DNA procedure is a method by which particles of any DNA can be multiplied in a culture of bacteria . This DNA can consequently be cloned . The basic principles of the procedure are discussed . When the recombinant DNA technique is used, the species barrier is passed . It can only be used, however, to influence the heritable characteristics of unicellular organisms or vegetative cells in cultures . This may possibly include plants . The risks run by the investigator using this technique are much smaller than those to which he is exposed in the case of pathogenic bacteria . When non-pathogenic bacteria showing a high degree of biological containment are used, the hazard of spreading in the environment is small . This problem undoubtedly merits further attention in other organisms . Mammals cannot be 'clonized' or freaks produced using recombinant DNA procedures. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {B}, 1981 Dec, 174(5), 453 - 60 {To the multiplication ability of intestinal bacteria in water (author's transl)}; Daubner I et al.; In three series of laboratory tests, the influence exercised on intestinal bacteria by waste water from dairies, breweries, starch factories and the meat-processing industry, as well as by the individual potential nutritive substances such as casein, yeast autolysate, starch and bovine serum was examined in native and sterilised surface water . This was the continuation of the experiments with waste water from sugar factories . All substances tested so far can being about a growth of potentially and obligate pathogenic bacteria . However, the influence exercised by the different types of waste water and their potential nutritive substances varies . Yeast autolysate has the most striking effect, e.g . E . coli grow in the order of 4-5, P . aeruginosa in the order of 2-3, and in the order of 1-2 in the case of the 2 serotypes examined, S . enteritidis and S . schottmuelleri . A lesser effect was produced by casein, while the influence exercised by starch and bovine serum was minimal or nil . When nutritive substances are again added, the growth of all test organisms examined is less marked and it is mainly attributable to the action of yeast autolysate and casein . However, the possibility of a secondary increase of the potential infectiousness of the water under the influence of specific trophic conditions of the outfall, was clearly demonstrated. Vopr Virusol, 1981 Nov-Dec, (6), 746 - 9 {Damaging action of Venezuelan equine and Eastern equine encephalomyelitis viruses on the chromosome apparatus of mouse bone marrow cells}; Miriutova TL et al.; Cytogenetical study of bone marrow cells of mice infected with pathogenic and attenuated strains of Venezuelan (VEE) and Eastern (EEE) equine encephalomyelitis viruses was carried out to elucidate the pattern of changes of the chromosomal apparatus in the infected animals, and differences in the effect of strains with different degree of pathogenicity on the cell during mitosis . It was shown that inoculation of mice with pathogenic and attenuated VEE and EEE virus strains led to the appearance in the bone marrow of a larger number of aberrant cells . Both VEE virus strain induced a significant increase both of the total number of aberrant cells and of the cells with true aberrations . The pathogenic and attenuated EEE virus strains also caused a marked increase in the number of aberrant cells, but while the number of true aberrant cells is significant for the pathogenic strain, the attenuated strain causes an insignificant change in this parameter. Avian Dis, 1981 Oct-Dec, 25(4), 882 - 93 Natural killer cell activity in chickens exposed to Marek's disease virus: inhibition of activity in susceptible chickens and enhancement of activity in resistant and vaccinated chickens; Sharma JM; Chickens of 2 genetic lines (lines P and N) were inoculated with a pathogenic strain of Marek's disease (MD) virus (MDV) and chronologically examined for disease response and natural killer (NK) cell expression . The NK cell reactivity was assayed in an in vitro cytotoxicity assay in which effector cells from the spleen of test chickens were reacted with 51Cr-labeled LSCC-RP9 target cells . Chickens of line P developed progressive debilitating disease and a high incidence of gross tumors and death . The NK cell reactivity of line-P chickens infected with MDV was significantly lower than that of uninfected control hatchmates . In contrast, NK cell levels were significantly elevated in MDV-inoculated line-N chickens that were resistant to MD and in chickens of lines P or N that had been inoculated with herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT) . NK cell levels were also elevated in line P if chickens were vaccinated with HVT before infection with MDV . Inhibition of NK reactivity in susceptible chickens and elevation of reactivity in naturally resistant or vaccinated chickens may indicate a role for the NK cell system in regulating resistance to MD. Int J Gynaecol Obstet, 1981 Oct, 19(5), 409 - 12 Bacteriologic studies in second-trimester pregnancy termination: a comparison of intra- and extra-amniotic methods; Reichman J et al.; Vaginal and cervical cultures were obtained in 20 women undergoing intra-amniotic saline infusion and 20 women having extraamniotic saline infusion for second-trimester abortion . Following expulsion intrauterine cultures were taken and the patients were followed for signs of clinical infection . Sixty percent of the patients had pathogenic bacteria cultured intrauterine cultures after abortion and 7.5% had clinical infection . There was a positive correlation between infection-abortion time and pathogenic intrauterine cultures . No significant differences in the incidence of positive intrauterine cultures or clinical infection between the two groups were found . Of those patients with positive preabortion cultures 70% had identical pathogens cultured from the uterus after expulsion suggesting that most postabortal pathogens arise from endogenous vaginal and cervical sites rather than from exogenous sources. J Virol, 1981 Sep, 39(3), 823 - 34 Mouse hepatitis virus A59: mRNA structure and genetic localization of the sequence divergence from hepatotropic strain MHV-3; Lai MM et al.; The composition and structure of the mouse hepatitis virus (MHV)-specific RNA in actinomycin D-treated, infected L-2 cells were studied . SEven virus-specific RNA species with molecular weights of 0.6 X 10(6), 0.9 X 10(6), 1.2 X 10(6), 1.5 X 10(6), 3.0 X 10(6), 4.0 X 10(6), and 5.4 X 10(6) (equivalent to the viral genome) were detected . T1 oligonucleotide fingerprinting studies suggested that the sequences of each RNA species were totally included within the next large RNa species . The oligonucleotides of each RNA species were mapped on the 60S RNA genome of the virus . Each RNA species contained the oligonucleotides starting from the 3' end of the genome and extending continuously for various lengths in the 3' leads to 5' direction . All of the viral RNA species contained a polyadenylate stretch of 100 to 130 nucleotides and probably identical sequences immediately next to the polyadenylate . These data suggested that the virus-specific RNAs are mRNA's and have a stairlike structure similar to that of infectious bronchitis virus, an avian coronavirus . A proposal is presented, based on the mRNA structure, for the designation of the genes on the MHV genome . Using this proposal, the sequence differences between A59, a weakly pathogenic strain, and MHV-3, a strongly hepatotropic strain, were localized primarily in mRNA's 1 and 3, corresponding t genes A and C. Contact Dermatitis, 1981 Jul, 7(4), 177 - 9 Subacute parathion poisoning with erysipeloid-like lesion; Svindland HB; A case of subacute parathion poisoning with an erysipeloid-like eruption of the left index finger is reported . Laboratory investigations showed no growth of pathogenic bacteria and cholinesterase activity in the blood showed a rise 10 days after the poisoning . Further blood investigations 6 weeks later showed subnormal levels of cholinesterase activity indicating chronic parathion poisoning. Bull Soc Pathol Exot Filiales, 1981 Jul-Aug, 74(4), 391 - 3 {Mycobacteria in the digestive tract of pink Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber roseus, Pallas)}; Rollin PE et al.; Cloacal swabs were taken from 37 young wild Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber roseus, Pallas) in Camargue (South of France) . Neither pathogenic strain, nor environmental one were found . The absence of the latter could be attributed to the high NaCl levels of the ecosystems. Isr J Med Sci, 1981 Jul, 17(7), 669 - 73 Vaccination of chickens with nonpathogenic Mycoplasma gallisepticum as a means for displacement of pathogenic strains; Levisohn S et al.; Attempts to solve the problem of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (Mg) infection of poultry by a combination of eradication and antibiotic treatment have at best met with only partial success . As a result of the continuing economic burden of the disease, there has been a renewed interest in vaccination as a tool in the control of Mg . A particularly pressing problem exists in the commercial egg industry, where the occurrence of MG infection of layer hens at the onset of egg production leads to a marked depression in productivity . Vaccination with the F strain of Mg has been demonstrated to efficacious in the alleviation of this problem, and the procedure is widely employed in the USA . Under field conditions of vaccination the F strain was found to be virtually nonpathogenic, although challenge experiments show that it retains some pathogenicity . The strain is carried in the trachea of vaccinated layers for as long as one year, but only spreads slowly . A specific serological response to Mg is produced in response to vaccination . To some extent, this response is dose dependent, but it is quantitatively less than that produced by virulent strains introduced by the same route . It has been suggested that the continued presence of a nonvirulent Mg in the upper respiratory tract, and the concomitant local immunological response, may prevent infection by field strains of Mg . In fact, judicious vaccination procedures appear to lead to the displacement of pathogenic Mg by the vaccine strain . By these means, it may be possible to eradicate Mg from flocks while maintaining production. Isr J Med Sci, 1981 Jul, 17(7), 589 - 92 Attachment of mycoplasmas to erythrocytes: a model to study mycoplasma attachment to the epithelium of the host respiratory tract; Kahane I et al.; Mycoplasma pneumoniae, M . gallisepticum and M . pulmonis are pathogens of the respiratory tract . Their adherence to the host tissue is a prerequisite for manifestation of the disease . The attachment occurs between membrane components of the mycoplasmas and the host cells . In the attachment of M . pneumoniae and M . gallisepticum, binding sites of a protein nature of the mycoplasma membranes interact primarily with sialic acid residues of sialoglycoproteins of the host cell membranes . The latter was clearly indicated in studies on the pathogenic strain of M . pneumoniae and its nonpathogenic nonhemadsorbing mutants, and by the assessment of the direct binding of glycophorin {the major sialoglycoprotein of human red blood cells (RBC)} and other sialoglycoproteins to M . pneumoniae and M . gallisepticum . The components involved in the interaction of M . pulmonis with the host cells are not as well characterized, since the attachment is not affected by proteolytic treatment of the mycoplasmas, nor by removal of sialic acid residues from the host cell membranes . The attachment of the mycoplasmas to the host cells also occurs with nonviable organisms and can, in addition, by reproduced by isolated membranes . The binding sites of M . pneumoniae and M . gallisepticum were partially purified by affinity chromatography, using the high affinity of the binding sites for glycophorin . By this procedure the membranes were solubilized with detergents and chromatographed through glycophorin attached to Sepharose 4B as an affinity matrix . The binding sites retained the high affinity for glycophorin and bound to RBC membranes . Are the binding sites distributed throughout the membrane? Since the binding of the mycoplasma is via a polar structure (the tip or bleb), one may suggest that these structures harbor them . Experimental evidence for their distribution is being sought. Immun Infekt, 1981 Jul, 9(4), 121 - 30 {Bacteriological examination of bronchitis and pneumonia . Part II: quantitative analysis of homogenized sputum with respect to leucocytes, protein, erythrocytes and bacteria (author's transl)}; Schonard G et al.; This study is concerned with the value of bacteriological sputum examination by lower respiratory tract infections . Prominence was given to quantitative aspects; colony forming units and markers of infection as leucocytes, albumin and erythrocytes were determined from homogenized specimens . It turned out that numbers exceeding 10(6) per ml of pathogenic bacteria correlated in more than 90% with clinical evidence of bronchitis or pneumonia if cases with antibiotic treatment are not taken into account . There is, in addition to that, more than 90% correlation between the number of colony forming units of these sizes and a leucocyte count of more than 20 per 125 magnification field, which is significant of infection . The markers of infection mentioned above, can be determined by a simple semi-quantitative test-stick method . It was possible to show good relation between the number of leucocytes counted by microscope and the "Cyturtest" . Compared to the "routine method" especially pneumococcus and H . influenzae could be isolated much more frequently by applying the method of homogenizing sputum . The rough quantitative informations of the "routine method" did hardly coincide with the exactly determined bacterial numbers. Cancer, 1981 Jul 1, 48(1), 40 - 2 Endocarditis due to Eikenella corrodens in a patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia; Fainstein V et al.; A patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia in relapse and bacterial endocarditis due to Eikenella corrodens is described . After appropriate treatment was instituted, blood cultures became negative, but the patient died of intracerebral hemorrhage secondary to thrombocytopenia . The role of Eikenella corrodens as a pathogenic bacterium in immunocompromised hosts is described. J Environ Health, 1981 Jul-Aug, 44(1), 7 - 14 Hazard analysis critical control point approach: epidemiologic rationale and application to foodservice operations; Bryan FL; Operations in foodservice establishments that have contributed to foodborne disease have been identified during investigation of outbreaks . Examination of foodborne disease surveillance data discloses need for a new or modified approach to foodborne disease control . Recommended constituents of a new approach include (a) Hazard analysis to identify operations in which foods could become contaminated, to determine whether or not pathogens survive heat treatment, and to detect opportunities for pathogenic bacteria to multiply to concentrations that are dangerous to the consumer; (b) Identification of critical control points of the operation; (c) Implementation of appropriate control and preventive measures; (d) Monitor, routinely, operations at each critical control point. Clin Otolaryngol, 1981 Jun, 6(3), 159 - 64 Comparative studies of two systems of prophylactic antibiotics in head and neck surgery; Suarez Nieto C et al.; One hundred and seventeen patients undergoing operations on the head and neck were investigated for the causes of infection . There was a close relationship between the pre-operative culture and the risk of infection . There was a greater risk of infection (10.7%) when the pharynx was opened than when it was not (0.0%) . The operations most liable to infection are laryngopharyngectomy and those in which skin flaps are used . The isolation of pathogenic bacteria in the operative exudate did not in general predispose to the development of infection, which did not occur when these cultures were negative . Positive cultures obtained from the drain on 3 consecutive days were a significant indication that infection will probably occur. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1981 Jun, 19(6), 945 - 51 Enhanced susceptibility of Escherichia coli to intracellular killing by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes after in vitro incubation with chloramphenicol; Pruul H et al.; The effect of brief exposure to chloramphenicol of a pathogenic strain of Escherichia coli on susceptibility to normal human leukocytes was examined . Leukocytes killed chloramphenicol-pretreated E . coli more efficiently than they did untreated controls . Phagocytosis of pretreated bacteria, as measured by the uptake of radiolabeled bacteria and by direct visual count of engulfed bacteria, was not significantly increased . The decrease in viability was associated with enhanced intracellular killing of phagocytosed antibiotic-damaged bacteria . Chloramphenicol pretreatment altered the frequency distribution of intracellular bacteria by decreasing the number of leukocytes containing multiple stainable bacteria . Leukocytes failed to kill chloramphenicol-pretreated E . coli in the presence of phenylbutazone, which allowed an accumulation of intracellular bacteria . These results indicate that exposure of E . coli to chloramphenicol renders the bacteria more susceptible to intracellular killing and degradation. Z Plast Chir, 1981 Jun, 5(2), 123 - 9 {The effect of intubation, tracheotomy and central venous catheter on pneumonia and sepsis in burn patients}; Papp C et al.; In 58 patients with extensive deep dermal burns the consequences of intubation, tracheotomy and central venous catheter in respect to pneumonia and bacteriaemia were studied . The sputum of tracheotomized patients showed twice as many pathogenic bacteria as the sputum of patients with prolonged intubation . From 93 subclavian catheters under bacteriological control 16 (17%) showed pathogenic bacteria on the tip . An identity between the bacille found in the blood stream and on the catheter tip was only found in 21% . From this study it seems conclusively that prolonged intubation is generally preverable to tracheostomy in severely burned patients and that the venous catheter can not be the most frequent cause of bacteriaemia. Fertil Steril, 1981 Jun, 35(6), 666 - 70 Factors affecting sperm motility . VI . Sperm viability under the influence of bacterial growth in human ejaculates; Makler A et al.; The influence of bacterial growth on human sperm motility and viability was evaluated objectively with the multiple-exposure photography method . Experimental semen specimens, obtained from normal donors bh nonaseptic means of masturbation, were incubated with antibiotics at room temperature or body temperature for 24 hours . Although bacteria, grew in control specimens, were totally eradicated in all antibiotic-treated specimens, no significant difference was found between these groups with regard to sperm motility throughout the time of incubation . Sperm survival was not inhibited, nor was it extended as a result of suppression of bacterial growth . In both groups, survival time was much shorter in specimens incubated at body temperature than in those kept at room temperature . Sperm motility was not affected after 2 hours of incubation of fresh specimens with concentrations of various pathogenic bacteria similar to those found in severe prostatitis . The question of whether the use of antibiotics in the treatment of asthenospermia per se has a prognostic value is discussed. Onderstepoort J Vet Res, 1981 Jun, 48(2), 105 - 8 Attenuation of turkey meningo-encephalitis virus in BHK21 cells; Barnard BJ et al.; Turkey meningo-encephalitis virus was adapted to BHK21 cell culture . Cytopathic effects were characterized by rounding and detachment of cells within 48 hours . Attenuation was achieved by 41 successive passages in BHK21 cell cultures . Turkeys and Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica), kept under laboratory conditions and inoculated with the attenuated virus, did not develop symptoms of turkey meningo-encephalitis but reacted by the production of haemagglutination inhibition antibody . They resisted intracerebral challenge with pathogenic strains of turkey meningo-encephalitis virus. Lancet, 1981 May 16, 1(8229), 1093 - 4 Disinfection in upper-digestive-tract endoscopy in Britain; Axon AT et al.; A contaminated endoscope may infect patients at upper-gastrointestinal-tract endoscopy (oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy and endoscopic cholangio-pancreatography) either by the transmission of infection from one patient to another or by inoculation of potentially pathogenic bacteria which have multiplied in the instrument and ancillary equipment during storage . These dangers can be eliminated by careful disinfection with glutaraldehyde, other aldehyde disinfectants, or povidone-iodine . Few centres in Britain are using an effective disinfection procedure and of those who have used glutaraldehyde (the most widely employed) 37% have had serious problems with staff sensitivity . A quick, effective, and safe method for the disinfection of fibreoptic instruments is urgently needed. Scand J Immunol, 1981 May, 15(5), 459 - 65 Isolation and characterization of TR-c, an antigen of the Reiter treponeme precipitating with antibodies in syphilis; Sand Petersen C et al.; TR-c is a Reiter treponemal antigen that cross-reacts with an antigen in Treponema pallidum (Nichols pathogenic strain) . Sera from patients with secondary syphilis contain precipitating antibodies against TR-c . The isolation of TR-c from a crude bacterial sonicate involves five fractionation steps: anion exchange chromatography (DE-52 Whatman), gel filtration (Ac-A-22, Ultrogel), and affinity chromatography respectively on phenyl-Sepharose CL 4B, iminodiacetic acid-Sepharose CL 4B, and lysine-Sepharose 4B . The purified TR-c was enriched 320 times compared with the starting material, and the recovery was 22% . TR-c was shown to be a protein, it did not bind to a series of lectins, and by gel filtration and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and mol . wt was determined to be in the range of 630,000-730,000 . It was found by SDS-PAGE to be composed of identical subunits, each having a mol . wt of 48,000 . The isolated TR-c was immunochemically pure when tested in crossed immunoelectrophoresis against polyspecific anti-Reiter Ig . The purified TR-c antigen was used for production of a monospecific rabbit antiserum . Monospecific rabbit anti-TR-c gave strong fluorescence with both the Reiter treponeme and T . pallidum. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol, 1981 May-Jun, 90(3 Pt 1), 272 - 5 Discrimination of purulent from nonpurulent maxillary sinusitis . Clinical and radiographic diagnosis; Berg O et al.; For the rational treatment of sinusitis, it is essential to distinguish sinusitis of bacterial origin from that of other etiologies . In maxillary sinusitis, antral purulence indicates a significant amount of pathogenic bacteria, whereas the presence of bacteria seems to be of less or no relevance in nonpurulent sinusitis . Hence, from a therapeutic point of view one important diagnostic goal is the differentiation of purulent from nonpurulent sinusitis . In this respect clinical examination is fairly reliable . Sinus radiography cannot distinguish purulent from nonpurulent sinusitis and offers few advantages when deciding on antibiotic therapy . Antral aspiration offers the most comprehensive information on which to base a reliable diagnosis. Rev Argent Microbiol, 1981 May-Aug, 13(2), 59 - 68 {Experimental infection of guinea pigs with Tacaribe virus: effect on the functioning of the immunocompetent system}; Blejer J et al.; Tacaribe virus is the member most closely related to Junin virus within the Tacaribe complex . It has been demonstrated that both viruses are indistinguishable by complement-fixation, due to the high cross-reactivity . However, adult guinea pigs are highly sensitive to infection with the XJ pathogenic strain of Junin virus whereas Tacaribe virus is nonpathogenic for this species . Furthermore this last virus protects them against Junin virus . The XJ strain reduces the immune response of guinea pigs to many antigens . Both the humoral response and the hypersensitivity of the Arthus type have been reduced in infected animals . Considering that Tacaribe virus could be used as vaccine antigen, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of Tacaribe infection on the immune system of guinea pigs . The data reported here supports earlier findings showing that the XJ strain of Junin virus suppresses humoral immune response as indicated by lower precipitating antibody titers to ovoalbumin (which contributed to milder Arthus cutaneous reactivity) and a significant depression of plaque-forming cells to sheep erythrocytes . In contrast, Tacaribe-infected guinea pigs did not show detectable immunosuppression employing the same models . Similar results were found when the cell-mediated immunity was investigated . Tacaribe-infected guinea pigs had a normal immune response to contact sensitivity to 2-4 dinitro-1-fluorobenzene as demonstrated by measuring ear swelling and unmodified tuberculin reaction, after injection with complete Freund's adjuvant . Our results and those of previous investigations justify the consideration of Tacaribe immunization as an approach to the prophylaxis of Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever. J Biol Chem, 1981 Mar 25, 256(6), 2649 - 55 beta-lactamase from Streptomyces cacaoi . Purification and properties; Ogawara H et al.; A beta-lactamase was purified to an apparently homogeneous state from Streptomyces cacaoi . The molecular weight calculated from the mobility in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was 34,000 . pI was 4.7 and the optimal pH was 6.5 . The optimum temperature was found to be between 40 degrees C and 45 degrees C, but the enzyme lost activity above 50 degrees C . N-Bromosuccinimide was the strongest inhibitor among the reagents tested, followed by iodine . p-Chloromercuribenzoate showed a weak inhibitory effect . Diisopropylfluorophosphate and sodium chloride did not show any inhibitory effect on the enzyme . The beta-lactamase catalyzed the hydrolysis of methicillin and cloxacillin at two-thirds to one-third the rate of benzylpenicillin . On the other hand, the enzyme hydrolyzed cephalosporins and 7-methoxycephalosporin only slowly . With benzylpenicillin as a substrate, the Km increased sharply with decreasing pH and the pK alpha estimated from the Km versus pH curve was 6.5 to 7.0 . In contrast, with cloxacillin as a substrate, the Km showed a minimum at pH 7.5 . The Vmax changed with pH in a bell-shaped curve in the case of benzylpenicillin, but the Vmax for cloxacillin changed only within a small range . In addition, the ratio of the hydrolysis rate of benzylpenicillin and cloxacillin at 30 degrees C and 20 degrees C (V30 degrees/V20 degrees) was found to be 1.23 and 1.55, respectively . These results indicate that the S . cacaoi beta-lactamase behaves differently toward benzylpenicillin and cloxacillin, although both are penicillins . S . cacaoi seems to release beta-lactamase into the culture medium soon after its biosynthesis without retaining it in the membrane and the soluble fraction . The possible relationships between beta-lactamases from Streptomyces and those from pathogenic bacteria are discussed. Br J Obstet Gynaecol, 1981 Mar, 88(3), 308 - 13 The effect of pre-operative povidone iodine vaginal pessaries on vault infections after hysterectomy; Blackmore MA et al.; The frequency of clinical infection of the vaginal vault after hysterectomy was compared in two groups of patients, a study group treated with povidone-iodine vaginal pessaries for 36 hours pre-operatively and prepared with povidone-iodine preparations at the time of operation, and a control group given no preliminary treatment and prepared with chlorhexidine preparations at the time of operation . No significant difference was demonstrated between the two groups . Vault infection occurred in 32% of the entire series of patients (severe infection 14%) and infection correlated with the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the vagina . No significant differences in bacterial colonisation of the vagina between the two groups were demonstrated at any stage of the investigation . Preliminary preparation of the vagina with povidone-iodine pessaries is not recommended. J Protozool, 1981 Feb, 28(1), 56 - 9 Pathogenic and nonpathogenic Acanthamoeba spp . in thermally polluted discharges and surface waters; de Jonckheere JF; During spring and autumn, the total number of amoebae and the number of acanthamoeba species able to grow at 37 degrees C were determined in six thermally polluted factory discharges and the surrounding surface waters . The isolated Acanthamoeba strains were studied for growth in axenic medium, cytopathic effect in Vero cell cultures, and virulence in mice . Although more amoebae were isolated in autumn, the number of Acanthamoeba species was lower than in spring, when the percent of pathogenic strains among the isolates was highest . Higher concentrations of amoebae were found in warm discharges, and more virulent strains occurred in thermal discharges than in surface waters. Tijdschr Diergeneeskd, 1981 Jan 15, 106(2), suppl 3:38 - 45 Bovine serum albumin and cell counts in the diagnosis of subclinical udder infections; Verhoeff J et al.; Puncture of the milk cisterns was performed in 120 bacteriologically positive quarters of the forty-seven lactating dairy cows on three farms . This method was used to determine whether the existing infection was an infection of the teat canal or one of the udder . The results were related to the concentration of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and the cell count in the milk . Of the bacteriologically negative quarters, both BSA levels (91 per cent of the quarters the BSA concentration was 0.20 mg . per ml . of milk or less) and cell counts (in 92 per cent contained less than 500,000 cells per ml . of milk) were low . In cases of udder infection with primary pathogenic bacteria there was a marked increase in cell count (90 per cent more than 500,000 cells per ml . of milk), whereas the increase in BSA was rather small (51 per cent still contained 0.20 mg . BSA per ml . of milk or less) . While the difference in cell counts of milk from quarters with udder infections and teat canal infections with primary pathogenic bacteria was significant, the difference between the BSA levels of these two groups was not . Therefore, the cell count supplies more reliable information than does the BSA level of the milk . Of all infections, 23 per cent were found to be infections of the teat canal. Acta Chir Scand, 1981, 147(7), 513 - 8 Bacteriological findings in the first 12 hours following experimental missile trauma; Dahlgren B et al.; The purpose of this study was to investigate the rate and magnitude of bacterial growth in gunshot wounds following debridement one, 6 and 12 hours after infliction of a standardized missile trauma (spherical steel bullet, 0.88 g, 6.00 mm in diameter, impact velocity 1 000 m/sec) . 39 pigs were shot in one or both thighs (n of wound, 54) . The skin was not cleaned before the trauma but was disinfected preoperatively . Before trauma infliction, swab samples were taken from the nose, the rectum and the skin . At the operation, all muscle tissue judged to be devitalized was removed . Samples for bacteriological culturing were taken from the removed tissue and from the margins of the wound cavity . Isolated bacterial strains were classified and a semiquantitative evaluation of the number of, bacteria was performed . Bacterial growth in the devitalized tissue was indicated in about 70% of the wounds . Cultures from tissue judged as viable and left in the wound indicated contamination in 25% of the wounds in the 1-hour group, contamination in 37 and infection in 11% of the 6-hour group, and in the 12-hour group infection in 60 and contamination in 33% . The conclusion is that wound infection can be overcome by adequate surgical treatment within 6 hours but will be out of control after 12 hours' delay . Furthermore, the results indicate that the presence of a sparse mixed flora probably creates the necessary conditions for infection with other pathogenic strains. Ann Rech Vet, 1981, 12(2), 183 - 91 {Microscopic and ultramicroscopic lesions from experimental mycoplasma infection in respiratory tract of chickens . Possible difference between pathogenic and non pathogenic strains (author's transl)}; Charlier G et al.; For three weeks after experimental infection of trachea and scroll bone with Mycoplasma gallisepticum no lesions were detected in scroll bone, but only an abundant mucous secretion . Mycoplasmas were present and adhered to cilia of epithelial cells . In trachea an almost complete destruction of cilia was observed allowing swollen epithelial cells to appear with mycoplasmas adhering to villi . Strain W31 serotype C caused no lesions but cells and cilia were covered with a thick layer of mucous. Scand J Immunol, 1981, 13(2), 143 - 50 Antigenic analysis of Treponema pallidum: cross-reactions between individual antigens of T . pallidum and T . Reiter; Pedersen NS et al.; Seven antigens were demonstrated in the Nichols pathogenic strain of Treponema pallidum when tested by cross immunoelectrophoresis against rabbit antibodies raised by immunization with T . pallidum sonicate . Indirect evidence was obtained for the presence of two more T . pallidum antigens . Of the nine antigens six reacted with antibodies in a human syphilitic serum pool . Cross-reactions between individual T . Reiter antigens and the seven directly demonstrated T . pallidum antigens were studied by different immunoelectrophoretic techniques, using rabbit anti-T . Reiter Ig, rabbit anti-T . pallidum Ig, and human syphilitic serum pool . Of the seven T . pallidum antigens three were found in T . Reiter, three had epitopes identical to corresponding antigens in T . Reiter, and one had both cross-reacting and T . pallidum-specific epitopes . Human syphilitic serum had antibodies against two of the T . pallidum-specific antigens and against four T . pallidum antigens cross-reacting with antigens of T . Reiter. Zentralbl Bakteriol {B}, 1981 Jan, 172(4-5), 299 - 311 {Air pollution and biological defence (author's transl)}; Schlipkoter HW et al.; Differences of individual reactivity and, therefore, in the strength of effect air pollution exerts in different subjects of a population under study, are well known . Several experimental and epidemiologic results point to the possibility that this phenomenon is due to variations in the defence mechanisms of the human body . Some important findings relating to this problem are: Deterioration of lung clearance by inhalation of NO2 or lead chloride; damage to alveolar macrophages by air borne particulates in vitro and in vivo; enhanced activation or synthesis of the C'3 complement fraction under the influence of air pollutants; higher frequency of enlarged tonsils and lymph nodes, of pathogenic bacteria on tonsillar surfaces, and of relatively lower lysozyme concentrations in children living in urban or industrialized areas; decreased resistance to infections, elicited by inhalation of O3 or a lead aerosol; immuno-suppressive effect of heavy metals and organic compounds; allergic reactions against quite a number of chemicals; detoxification and toxification, e.g . formation of ultimate carcinogens, of organic molecules; induction or inhibition of the metabolism of benzo(a)pyrene by particulate extracts or by CO, NO2, and lead, resp.; deficiency of DNA--repair in disease conditions predisposing to the development of cancer; tendency, in allergics, to a relatively lower incidence of cancer; adaptation to the effects of CO or SO2 . These facts, and knowledge not cited here, are in favour of the existence of close connections between various defence mechanisms, air pollution, and its effects on the human organism. J Gen Virol, 1981 Jan, 52(Pt 1), 159 - 61 Protection of mice by an apathogenic strain HSV-1 against lethal infection by a pathogenic strain of HSV-1; Schroeder CH et al.; DBA/2 and C57BL/6 mice were infected intraperitoneally with two different strains of herpes simplex virus type 1, HSV-1 ANG and HSV-1 WAL . Unlike HSV-1 WAL, HSV-1 ANG was apathogenic by this mode of infection . Furthermore, infection with HSV-1 ANG protected mice of both inbred strains against infections with lethal doses of pathogenic HSV-1 WAL . This protection was observed when the apathogenic virus was given with the pathogenic virus or 4 to 24 h before it. Am J Epidemiol, 1980 Dec, 112(6), 814 - 9 Differing virulence of H1N1 and H3N2 influenza strains; Wright PF et al.; Sequential influenza A/Texas/77 (H3N2) and A/USSR/77 (H1N1) epidemics occurred during the winter of 1977-1978 in two populations under viral surveillance for influenza . In college students who reported to the Vanderbilt student health service, roughly equivalent amounts of typical influenzal disease were documented by virus isolation and total health service visits with both strains . However, considering that the college population was fully susceptible to the first introduction of H1N1 virus in 20 years and partially immune to H3N2 viruses through repeated exposure, A/USSR appeared to be a relatively less pathogenic strain . Stronger proof of this was seen in a closely monitored group of 200 largely seronegative infants and young children less than 4 years of age enrolled in an experimental vaccine clinic . In this young population, A/USSR caused no recognizable illness and A/Texas caused typical febrile respiratory disease . Thus, two influenza strains circulating in close temporal association differed in virulence when observed in carefully monitored susceptible populations. Zentralbl Bakteriol A, 1980 Nov, 248(2), 260 - 7 Cytotoxic activity of supernatant extracts of virulent and saprophytic leptospires; Cinco M et al.; Extracts from supernatants, obtained from culture of virulent strain PB-3 and saprophytic strain Isola Sacra 1, were assayed for cytotoxicity . A cytotoxic factor produced by the pathogenic strain was found to affect specifically the tested cells, at determined concentrations; on the other side a not clear and scarce cytotoxicity was shown for the extract from the saprophytic strain Isola Sacra 1 . Cytotoxic factor produced by strain PB-3 was heat resistant and trypsin sensitive, suggesting to be a thermostable protein . An inhibitory doses it induced a typical, cytopathic effect on the treated cells. J Pediatr, 1980 Nov, 97(5), 715 - 20 Rapid diagnosis of infections caused by beta-lactamase-producing bacteria by means of an enzyme radioisotopic assay; Yolken RH et al.; We developed a sensitive enzyme radioisotopic assay for the measurement of beta-lactamase, an enzyme produced by a number of pathogenic bacteria . This ERIA was 100-fold more sensitive than the commonly used iodometric or spectrophotometric assays for the measurement of beta-lactamase and, unlike these other assays, the ERIA was not significantly influenced by serum proteins or unlabeled penicillin . Clinical specimens consisting of blood, peritoneal, pleural, and cerebrospinal fluids from patients infected with beta-lactamase-producing organisms yielded positive ERIA tests; fluids from uninfected patients were negative . The ERIA takes approximately 90 minutes to perform, and offers great potential for the rapid diagnosis of serious bacterial infections caused by bacteria which produce beta-lactamase. J Laryngol Otol, 1980 Sep, 94(9), 1037 - 45 Serum immunoglobulins in patients with chronic tonsillitis; El-Ashmawy S et al.; In this work, the serum immunoglobulin (IgG, IgA, IgM and IgD) levels were determined in ten patients with chronic tonsillitis . The serum immunoglobulins were estimated before and two months after tonsillectomy, using the radial immuno-diffusion method . Ten normal individuals with intact tonsils were chosen as a control group . The patients had elevated serum levels of IgG and IgA . These high levels may be due to repeated antigenic stimulation . The IgM and IgD were not significantly higher than in the normal controls . The serum IgG level did decrease significantly following tonsillectomy; the other three immunoglobulins were reduced, but insignificantly . The fall in immunoglobulins may be due to a reduction in the antigenic load, to the removal of immunoglobulin-producing tissue, or to alteration in the oropharyngeal pathogenic bacteria . Tonsillectomy does not seem to compromise immunological integrity or the immunoglobulin-producting apparatus . Estimations of the serum immunoglobulin, or simply of IgA, may help us to select those candidates for adeno-tonsillectomy who will have a good prognosis, or at least to exclude those with an underlying sub-clinical immunodeficiency disease. Infect Immun, 1980 Sep, 29(3), 897 - 901 Interaction of Escherichia coli K88 antigen with porcine intestinal brush border membranes; Anderson MJ et al.; The fimbria-associated Escherichia coli antigen, K88, was purified to homogeneity as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunodiffusion . This polymeric antigen consists of noncovalently linked subunits, containing little or no carbohydrate, and has a monomeric molecular weight of 23,000 . When a binding assay employing differential filtration was used, K88 formed complexes with isolated porcine intestinal brush border membranes . The formation of complexes was inhibited by glycoproteins with terminal N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylgalactosamine residues and to a lesser extent by free N-acetylhexosamines . These amino sugars may play a role in the interaction of this pathogenic strain of E . coli with the intestinal epithelia of pigs. Clin Exp Immunol, 1980 Sep, 41(3), 547 - 58 Factors affecting the differential counting of human lymphocyte subpopulations in blood smears; Bratescu A et al.; We have previously used the antibody-mediated binding of bacteria to identify Ig-bearing cells and the natural binding of bacteria to identify several lymphocyte subpopulations . By using bacteria this identification can be carried out in conventional blood smears since bacteria are small and easily distinguished from all blood elements . To develop a standardized method for identification of lymphocyte subpopulations that may become useful in clinical laboratories, we investigated here several parameters that might affect the safety and accuracy of the test, and that might simplify the procedure . We found that: (1) the rosettes formed between bacteria and lymphocytes cannot be disrupted by vigorous handling; (2) the ability fo form rosettes is a stable property of the bacterial strains; (3) for optimal results the blood sample must not be stored for more than 4 hr at 25 degrees C and the entire procedure must be performed in medium supplemented with 6% bovine serum albumin; (4) a large excess of anti-Ig antibody is required for the optimal coating of bacteria to detect Ig-bearing cells; (5) both the antibody-coated bacteria and formaldehyde-fixed bacteria can be stored at 4 degrees C or at -20 degrees C for at least 6 months; (6) the buffy coat from the blood sample can be used instead of the whole blood to reduce the time required for reading the smears; and (7) some of the pathogenic bacteria can be killed by autoclaving without modifying their binding properties . A complete and simple method which uses the bacterial adherence for the identification of lymphocyte subpopulations in blood smears is presented. Arch Ophthalmol, 1980 Jul, 98(7), 1211 - 3 Ocular microbial flora in immunodeficient patients; Friedlaender MH et al.; The eyes of 20 patients with primary immunodeficiency syndromes were examined, and microbial cultures of their lids and conjunctivae were made . Nine patients had a history of recurrent external ocular infections, and six of these had active blepharitis or blepharoconjunctivitis at the time of examination . A single pathogenic bacterium was isolated from the lids and conjunctivae of six patients with a history of infection; a mixture of two possible pathogens was cultured from eyes of three other patients . Three of the nine patients with infections had impaired B-cell and intact T-cell immunity, whereas three patients had impaired B cell and T-cell immunity . Two patients had chronic granulomatous disease in which a defect in phagocytosis was the predominant immunologic abnormality, and one patient (with mucocutaneous candidiasis) had intact B- and T-cell function at the time of testing . Although the immunodeficient patients had a higher incidence of lid or conjunctival infection than 20 age-matched controls, the microbial flora of the lids and conjunctivae did not differ between the two groups. Jugosl Ginekol Opstet, 1980 May-Aug, 19(3-4), 191 - 4 {An analysis of complications and bacteriological and histological studies following extraction of an intrauterine contraceptive device (Beospir) which was inserted several years ago}; Kracunovic M et al.; Ninety-nine women with the average IUCD (Beospir type) insertion length of 45.2 months were investigated . Pathological changes were clinically evidenced in 9 women (9.09%) . Causes of the IUCD removal were bleeding in 4 women (4.04%) and pregnancy during the IUCD use in situ in 3 women (3.03%) . The IUCD and endometrium were bacteriologically and the endometrium also histologically analysed . In 58 women (58.58%) the endometrium and in 29 women (29.29%) the IUCD remained sterile . The dominant findings were facultatively pathogenic bacteria commonly present in the cervix . The infection, i.e . when the same kind of bacteria was found in the whole material, was evidenced in 6 women (6.06%), and this was also histologically confirmed . The same kind of bacteria were found in the IUCD and the endometrium . The histological analysis has shown that at the moment of the IUCD removal the endometrium was in physiological phases in 86 women (86.86%) . There was glandular hyperplasia in 4 (4,04%) women whose bacteriological vaginal flora was positive . By the Papanicolau test all the women belonged to group II . The IUCD produces no pathologic effect most probably because there is a cyclic renewal (regeneration) of the endometrium. Clin Allergy, 1980 May, 10(3), 277 - 84 Predictable clinical disorders related to serum and saliva Ig-levels and the number of circulating T cells in asthmatic chidren; Ostergaard PA; An examination was made of 221 children with bronchial asthma, who were divided into six groups according to serum and saliva Ig levels and the number of circulating T cells . Absence or small amounts of IgA and low or low-normal numbers of T cells were associated with (1) atopic dermatitis, (2) hypersensitivity to house dust mite and animal danders, (3) previous hospital admissions due to respiratory tract infections with pathogenic bacteria and (4) a high family incidence of allergic diseases . In a group of patients with IgA deficiency and elevated serum and saliva IgM, respiratory tract infections were not common, and furthermore, in another group of IgA-deficient patients with normal numbers of circulating T cells, atopic dermatitis was rare . In the latter patients, allergic rhinitis occurred very frequently, and in that respect they resembled a group of patients with combined high IgM/high IgE levels . Another group of asthmatic children with normal Ig levels represented an intermediate type of patient with regard to hypersensitivity to different allergens and family incidence of allergy on the one hand, and the occurrence of atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis on the other . Investigations on Ig levels and circulating T cells in asthmatic children may provide important clues into disease classification and mechanisms of such patients. MMW Munch Med Wochenschr, 1980 Apr 25, 122(17), 637 - 41 {Availability of cefotaxime . Pharmacokinetic studies on the distribution in central and various peripheral compartments (author's transl)}; Wittmann DH et al.; After 2 g as a bolus injection the concentration of Cefotaxime was determined in serum, bone, tissue fluid, peritoneal exudate and bile under clinical conditions in 43 patients with a mean age of 61 years . Pharmacokinetic constants were calculated using a modified two compartment model . The basis for these calculations was a mean serum curve from 299 serum samples . The geometric mean and deviation factors of time-dependent values in tissue and tissue fluid are presented . The results are compared to the minimal inhibitory concentrations of pathogenic bacteria . The clinical success in 121 severe infections at a dose of 2 g every 12 hours support the theoretical results of this study. J Anim Sci, 1980 Apr, 50(4), 610 - 6 Mastitis and udder abnormalities as related to neonatal lamb mortality in shed-lambed range ewes; Kirk JH et al.; Bacterial isolations were attempted from milk samples taken from 242 range ewes in a southwestern Idaho shed lambing enterprise . Eighty-five percent of the ewe milk samples had no pathogenic bacterial growth at lambing and 3 weeks later . The few organisms that were isolated did not appear to affect udder condition of the ewe or contribute to lamb mortality . Shed conditions did not affect the frequency of isolation of potentially pathogenic bacteria . The prevalence of udder abnormalities, however, did appear to have a positive association with ewes that lost theim lambs . The most frequent abnormality was a diffuse homogeneous induration of the udder . This hardening was apparently unrelated to bacterial isolation or the age of the ewes . Mastitis, either subclinical or clinical, did not appear to be a serious problem in this particular flock . Mastitis was not related to lamb mortality. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1980 Apr, 39(4), 681 - 5 Growth characteristics, cytopathic effect in cell culture, and virulence in mice of 36 type strains belonging to 19 different Acanthamoeba spp; De Jonckheere JF; A total of 36 strains belonging to 19 different species of Acanthamoeba were compared for temperature tolerance, ability