APMIS, 1990 Apr, 98(4), 320 - 6 Antimicrobial susceptibility of Acinetobacter strains identified by DNA-DNA hybridization; Tjernberg I; The in vitro activity of 21 antimicrobial agents against 143 Acinetobacter strains (belonging to 12 different DNA hybridization groups) was studied . Of the antibiotics tested, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, doxycycline and imipenem had the lowest MICs . For most antibiotics there was a considerable overlap of the MICs between the DNA groups; however, some differences in antimicrobial susceptibility between DNA groups were found . Strains of DNA groups 2 (A . baumannii) and 13 (unnamed) were most resistant, and strains of DNA groups 8 (A . lwoffii) and 5 (A . junii) less resistant . Many DNA groups contain both saccharolytic and non-saccharolytic strains but in the present study no differences in antimicrobial susceptibility were found between strains of a particular DNA group with regard to this property. J Appl Bacteriol, 1990 Apr, 68(4), 335 - 44 The aerobic psychotrophic populations on meat and meat contact surfaces in a meat production system and on meat stored at chill temperatures; Nortje GL et al.; At a city abattoir, a wholesaler and 10 different supermarkets, surface microbiological samples were taken of carcasses, hands and apron fronts of members of staff and equipment (mincers and saws) . In addition, minced meat, packaged and displayed in chilled cabinets, was also sampled . Carcasses, personnel surfaces and equipment were monitored by a modified agar sausage technique . From each of the highest dilution psychotrophic plate counts, five colonies were selected randomly, isolated and identified (1265 in total) . Microbes developing on chilled meat were also isolated from other surfaces in the production chain . On chilled meat (51%) and at the abattoir (36%) pseudomonads were the predominant organisms followed by the Gram-positive cocci on chilled meat and by Acinetobacter, Moraxella and Alcaligenes spp . at the abattoir . At the wholesaler Gram-positive cocci (32%) predominated, followed by Alcaligenes, Moraxella and Alcaligenes spp . Pseudomonas, Alcaligenes, Neisseriaceae and related genera, Gram-positive cocci, species from the coryneform groups of bacteria and yeasts were identified from all the surfaces monitored . Identification with the API NE20 was unsatisfactory . Enterbacteriaceae, lactobacilli and endospore-forming bacteria were identified occasionally, but their significance as contaminating organisms seems low . No Salmonella spp . were identified. Int J Biol Macromol, 1990 Apr, 12(2), 145 - 52 Production of exopolysaccharides by Acinetobacter strains in a controlled fed-batch fermentation process using soap stock oil (SSO) as carbon source; Shabtai Y; The production of two extracellular capsular heteropolysaccharides by two different Acinetobacter strains has been studied in separate controlled fermentation processes with a view to their industrial applications as specific dispersing agents . The first, emulsan, is an extracellular polyanionic amphipathic heteropolysaccharide (MW 10(6) D) made by A . calcoaceticus RAG-1 . It forms and stabilizes oil in water emulsions . The other, biodispersan (PS-A2), is another extracellular zwitterionic heteropolysaccharide (MW 51 kD) made by A . calcoaceticus A2 . This polysaccharide disperses big solid limestone granules forming micron-size water suspension . Both polysaccharides are synthesized within the cells, exported to their outer surface to form an extracellular cell-associated capsule and released subsequently into the growth medium . The polymers were produced in a computer-controlled fed-batch intensively aerated fermentation process . A commercially available and cheap fatty acids mixture (soap stock oil) served as the carbon source, and was fed in coordination with the required nitrogen . The coordinated feed of carbon and nitrogen was operated on the basis of two metabolic correlations: The first correlation related the cell protein produced and the ammonium nitrogen consumed with the outcoming coeffients of 24 and 21 mM NH3/g protein for the emulsan and the biodispersan fermentations respectively . The second correlation linked the consumption of the fatty acids with that of the nitrogen source dictating the appropriate C/N ratio of the feed into the operating fermentor . These ratios were 7.7 g C/g N for the emulsan fermentation and 8.5 gC/g N in the case of the biodispersan production process.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) J Hosp Infect, 1990 Apr, 15(3), 219 - 27 The survival of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus inoculated on fingertips and on formica; Musa EK et al.; When inoculated on the fingers of three volunteers, strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var . anitratus survived better than strains of var . lwoffii; 60 min after an inoculum of 10(4) cfu/finger, washings yielded between 2.6 x 10(1) (for a sporadic strain of var . lwoffii) and 7.2 x 10(2) cfu/finger (for an epidemic strain of var . anitratus) . All five test strains survived better on formica than on skin, and from an inoculum of 10(4) cfu, between 6.4 x 10(2) and 2.2 x 10(3) cfu/finger were recoverable 60 min later . After inoculation of formica sheets, both strains of var . lwoffii could still be recovered in low numbers 24 h later, and two of the three strains of var . anitratus 60 h later . These findings suggest the presence of hitherto unrecognized antibacterial activity of skin against Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and suggest that outbreaks may be sustained by hand transmission . The ability of these organisms to survive desiccation on formica supports the proposal that transmission by air, dust or fomites may hitherto have been underestimated for this species. J Hosp Infect, 1990 Apr, 15(3), 203 - 17 Enteral hyperalimentation as a source of nosocomial infection; Thurn J et al.; Microbial growth in enteral nutrition solutions (ENS) has frequently been documented . To determine the relation of this contamination to nosocomial infection, we prospectively studied 24 intensive care unit patients who received enteral feeding . Cultures of solutions were obtained while refrigerated and during administration as well as pharyngeal and rectal cultures from patients at the start of enteral nutrition and serially during administration . Most patients (10/16, 62.5%) receiving solutions mixed on the ward and 3/14 (21.4%) receiving solutions prepared elsewhere appeared to become colonized (0.05 less than P less than 0.10) by organisms initially isolated from feeds . By antibiotic susceptibility and plasmid analysis, eight patients were found to be colonized by 11 organisms identical to those which were first isolated from ENS . Two of these patients had ENS-associated pneumonias caused by Acinetobacter baumannii . Solutions often contained multiple Gram-negative bacilli similar to those recovered from nurses' hands and blenders, in numbers up to 1 x 10(8) ml-1 . We conclude that ENS may be an important source of nosocomial infection . Uniform microbial criteria for ENS should be developed and methods to limit contamination should be utilized. Am J Med, 1990 Mar 23, 88(3C), 7S - 11S; discussion 38S-42S Aztreonam susceptibility testing . A retrospective analysis; Parry MF; Aztreonam is a structurally and immunologically unique beta-lactam antibiotic with activity exclusively against aerobic gram-negative micro-organisms . Between 1983 and 1988, its antimicrobial spectrum was evaluated against more than 5,800 fresh clinical isolates at a 300-bed community teaching hospital . Only 1.1 percent of Enterobacteriaceae isolates were resistant to aztreonam over the five-year study period, an incidence similar to that observed with aminoglycoside antibiotics . Aztreonam was found to be more active than third-generation cephalosporins and comparable with mezlocillin against Enterobacter spp., Morganella, and Citrobacter freundii . Although aztreonam was somewhat less active against nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli, such as Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter, overall more than 90 percent of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were susceptible . Ceftazidime was the most active beta-lactam tested against nonfermenters . Against aerobic gram-positive cocci, aztreonam possessed no clinically useful activity . No significant change in susceptibility to aztreonam was observed over the five-year study period for Enterobacteriaceae . For third-generation cephalosporins, however, a trend toward increased resistance was noted, particularly for Enterobacter spp . and C . freundii . A 50 percent increase in resistance to aztreonam was observed over the five-year study period for nonfermenters, particularly P . aeruginosa and Acinetobacter anitratus . Similar increases in resistance were seen with other beta-lactams and gentamicin . Based on its potent in vitro activity, aztreonam appears to be a useful agent and a desirable alternative to aminoglycoside antibiotics for the treatment of pure aerobic gram-negative bacillary infections, or as a component in combination therapy against mixed infections. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 1990 Mar 15, 196(6), 902 - 6 Bacterial flora of the vagina and uterus of healthy cats; Clemetson LL et al.; Bacterial culturing was conducted on samples from the reproductive tracts of 53 clinically healthy female cats . Aerobic bacteria were isolated from 52 of 53 vaginal swab samples and from 2 of 29 uterine swab samples . Anaerobic bacteria were detected in 4 of 30 vaginal and 1 of 29 uterine cultures . The aerobic bacteria included species of Acinetobacter, Actinomyces, Corynebacterium, Escherichia, Haemophilus, Klebsiella, Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus . Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, Streptococcus canis, and E coli were the most common organisms and were isolated from 56%, 52%, and 44% of the vaginal samples, respectively . Anaerobes isolated from vaginal samples included 3 species of Bacteroides and 2 isolates of Peptococcus . The single uterine anaerobe isolate was a Lactobacillus sp . The number of bacterial species isolated from each vaginal culture ranged from 1 to 8 (mean, 3) . The number of colony forming units tended to vary inversely with the number of bacterial species detected in each sample. Presse Med, 1990 Mar 3, 19(8), 357 - 61 {Epidemiology of Acinetobacter and resistance to antibiotics at hospitals . A 5-year evaluation}; Joly-Guillou ML et al.; The growing number of Acinetobacter strains in hospitals and the rapid increase of their resistance to antibiotics have prompted us to undertake a long-term epidemiological study of this resistance at the Bichat hospital, Paris . Between 1971 and 1984, the resistance of Acinetobacter to antibiotics had already progressed, with only some antibiotics (imipenem, ceftazidime, tobramycin and amikacin) remaining active . During the following 5 years (1984-1988) a study of 1056 strains demonstrated a further increase of resistance and showed how serious the problem was in intensive care units . During the last few years, there has been a considerable increase in the proportion of multiresistant strains, reaching 84 per cent with beta-lactam antibiotics and 64 per cent with aminoglycosides . At present, in most cases the only effective treatment is imipenem, and no antibiotic is active in 5.5 per cent of the cases . Studies of lysotypes, enzymes and phenotypic resistance of bacterial strains completed the epidemiological approach, showing the presence of dominant lysotypes . Two predominant lysotypes are associated with multiresistance of Acinetobacter strains responsible for nosocomial infections. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1990 Mar-Apr, 13(2), 79 - 91 In vitro studies of ciprofloxacin and survey of resistance patterns in current isolates; Fernandes CJ et al.; We studied the activity of ciprofloxacin and other antibiotics against both routine and multiresistant (multi-R) clinical isolates . Ciprofloxacin inhibited more than 98% of most species of Enterobacteriaceae at a concentration of 2 micrograms/ml . Only Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, and to a much lesser degree, Providencia and Serratia, were resistant . Most Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were susceptible . Only 1% of staphylococci were resistant; the test panel included 1200 MRSA . For most species of streptococci, the MIC90 was 1 microgram/ml; for enterococci, it was 2 micrograms/ml . We also surveyed resistance in our current isolates . Resistance to ciprofloxacin has increased in A . calcoaceticus and Providencia, and in Streptococcus pneumoniae and group B streptococci . Ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates tended to show increased resistance to other antibiotics, including aminoglycosides and, later, cephalosporins. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1990 Mar, 34(3), 494 - 5 Cross resistance to ciprofloxacin and other antimicrobial agents among clinical isolates of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus biovar anitratus; Shalit I et al.; Using an agar dilution assay, for 66 of 104 (63.5%) clinical isolates of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus biovar anitratus, the MIC of ciprofloxacin was greater than or equal to 1.0 micrograms/ml . Cross resistance was demonstrable to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin (P less than 0.001), amikacin (P less than 0.01), cefotaxime (P less than 0.001), azlocillin (P less than 0.001), ceftazidime (P less than 0.001), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (P less than 0.001), and minocycline (P less than 0.05) . The mean MIC of ciprofloxacin for drug-susceptible isolates was consistently lower than that for resistant isolates; however, these differences were significant only for amikacin (P = 0.036). Gene, 1990 Mar 1, 87(1), 45 - 51 Analysis and nucleotide sequence of an origin of DNA replication in Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and its use for Escherichia coli shuttle plasmids; Hunger M et al.; A shuttle plasmid for Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Escherichia coli has been constructed from a cryptic A . calcoaceticus lwoffi plasmid and pBR322 . It is transformed to A . calcoaceticus BD413 by natural competency, yielding about 10(6) transformants per microgram of plasmid DNA . The ApR and TcR genes of pBR322 are functional in A . calcoaceticus . A gene bank was constructed from chromosomal A . calcoaceticus DNA and the shuttle plasmid . Direct transformation to A . calcoaceticus yielded about 95% recombinants, indicating a sixfold enrichment of recombinant plasmids compared to E . coli . One clone complementing a trpE mutation carried a 20-kb insertion and transformed with a 30-fold higher efficiency when compared to the vector . A deletion analysis of the shuttle plasmid indicates that 2.2 kb is necessary for autonomous replication and stable maintenance in A . calcoaceticus . No rearrangements of the DNA or loss of plasmids are found in that organism, even in the absence of selective pressure, when this sequence is present . A further insertional inactivation analysis creating lacZ transcriptional fusions suggests that the origin of replication (ori) is contained within about 1350 bp . Analysis of beta-galactosidase production in A . calcoaceticus indicates that only a weak promoter activity is directed out of one end of this ori . Its sequence contains A + T-rich regions, an 18-bp element with nearly perfect palindromic symmetry and eleven repeats of the consensus sequence, AAAAAATAT, eight of which are clustered within 360 bp . However, no open reading frames or significant homologies to other ori were found. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi (Taipei), 1990 Mar, 45(3), 181 - 5 {Clinical evaluation of fosfomycin}; Lan CK; A total of 15 patients with a variety of infectious disease were treated with fosfomycin in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaoshiung . The drug was administered by iv drip infusion in doses of 204g per day for 5-28 days . The clinical response was satisfactory in 6 (100%) of 6 patients with urinary tract infection, 8 (80%) of 10 with septicemia and 1 with pneumonia . Overall, fosfomycin was effective in 13 (86%) of all patients treated . Except for 1 isolate of the pathogen, B . fragilis, and another 1 isolate of oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, all the other 16 pathogens isolated, including Escherichia coli, Aeromonas, Klebsiella . Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were successfully eradicated . Only 1 case developed skin rash . So fosfomycin is a useful agent and gram (-) organisms including oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Bacteriol, 1990 Mar, 172(3), 1267 - 70 Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase inhibitor in cell extracts of Pseudomonas carboxydovorans; Do YS et al.; Extracts of heterotrophically grown cells of Pseudomonas carboxydovorans were found to contain an inhibitor of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CO-DH) . The inhibitor activity was not detected in CO-autotrophically grown cells . The inhibitor was extremely stable to heat treatment based on the extent of inhibition of CO-DH activity . The extent of inhibition was proportional to the amount of cell extract added to the reaction mixture . The inhibition was independent of a prior incubation period of the extracts with CO-DH . The inhibitor was precipitable with ammonium sulfate, phenol, and trichloroacetic acid . It was passed through benzoylated dialysis tubing and Amicon ultrafiltration membrane YM2 . Denaturing and nondenturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of CO-DH inactivated by inhibitor revealed that the mobilities of native enzyme and subunits were identical to those of active CO-DH . The inhibitor-treated CO-DH retained its original antigenic sites and exhibited enzyme activity upon activity staining . The CO-DH inhibitor of P . carboxydovorans was also active on CO-DHs from Pseudomonas carboxydohydrogena, Acinetobacter sp . strain JC1, and Pseudomonas carboxydoflava. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 1990 Mar, 32(6), 686 - 9 Expression of an Erwinia sp . gene encoding diphenyl ether cleavage in Escherichia coli and an isolated Acinetobacter strain PE7; Liaw HJ et al.; An Acinetobacter strain PE7 with the ability to grow on salicyclic acid and to degrade diphenyl ethers was isolated from a petroleum waste pit in Louisiana . A cloned Erwinia sp . dpe gene encoding diphenyl ether cleavage was introduced into PE7 in order to enhance its degradative ability . A broad-host-range expression plasmid, pDPE2388, was constructed by inserting an SspI-HpaI fragment from a dpe gene-containing plasmid, pDPE7321, into the kanamycin resistance gene of plasmid pKT230 . The DNA fragment contained the dpe gene flanked between sp6 and T7 promoters . Transconjugants of pDPE2388 plasmid into PE7 were isolated . Expression of the dpe gene in Escherichia coli or PE7 displayed a degradative ability to cleave the following diphenyl ethers: 4-chlorodiphenyl ether, 4-nitrodiphenyl ether, and 4-hydroxydiphenyl ether. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1990 Feb, 25(2), 221 - 6 The in-vitro activity of ceftibuten against 475 clinical isolates of gram-negative bacilli, compared with cefuroxime and cefadroxil; Bragman SG et al.; The in-vitro activity of ceftibuten was compared with cefuroxime and cefadroxil against 475 clinically-significant, epidemiologically-distinct isolates of Gram-negative bacilli: 170 from blood, 212 from urine and 93 from a supplementary collection of multiply-resistant strains known to have resistance plasmids, to have caused sporadic or epidemic nosocomial infection, or both . Ceftibuten MICs ranged from 0.003 to greater than 32 mg/l, with a modal MIC of 0.01 mg/l: 95% of all isolates had ceftibuten MIC values of less than or equal to 8 mg/l, the sensitivity breakpoint suggested by the manufacturer . Ninety per cent of isolates had MICs of less than or equal to 1 mg/l and 49% had MICs of less than or equal to 0.03 mg/l . All isolates of Klebsiella, Serratia, Proteus and Providencia spp., and Morganella morganii had MIC values of 8 mg/l or less . Only two of 124 isolates of Escherichia coli tested, and only one of 23 Citrobacter spp., had MICs of greater than 8 mg/l (16, 16 and greater than 32 mg/l respectively) . Resistance MIC greater than 16 mg/l) was more frequent among Enterobacter and Acinetobacter spp . Thirteen of 52 Enterobacter spp., and seven of 18 Acinetobacter calcoaceticus had MICs of at least 32 mg/l . MIC ranges, modal MICs and MIC90s indicated that ceftibuten was, with the exception of only two strains, consistently more active in-vitro than cefuroxime, which was in turn more active than cefadroxil. J Appl Bacteriol, 1990 Feb, 68(2), 123 - 32 Changes in bacterial populations during red tides caused by Mesodinium rubrum and Gymnodinium catenatum in North West Coast of Spain; Romalde JL et al.; Heterotrophic bacterial communities associated with four red tides caused by Mesodinium rubrum and Gymnodinium catenatum in two Galician Rias (North West Spain) were examined . Three of these were produced by the Mesodinium rubrum and the causative organism of a toxic bloom was Gymnodinium catenatum . In early stages of all the blooms, the diversity decreased but the total marine bacterial counts increased by one or two logs . Vibrio numbers were also incremented by two logs in two blooms of M . rubrum, while in the other bloom of this organism and in the red tide caused by G . catenatum a decrease in number of these bacteria was observed . A total of 116 bacterial strains were identified at the genus level and grouped into 12 phena . During the decomposition processes of two blooms of M . rubrum a zooplanktonic-type bacterial succession was observed (Vibrio, pseudomonads and Moraxella-Acinetobacter) . On the other hand, during decomposition of the other red tide of M . rubrum and the bloom of G . catenatum, a typical phytoplanktonic-type succession occurred, as Pseudomonas and Moraxella groups became dominant for all the process . These results support the conflicting taxonomical position of M . rubrum . After the blooms, the changes in the community point towards the restablishment of the normal bacterial flora of the estuary (increase in diversity and decreases of bacterial numbers) . Only the Vibrio strains, isolated from the non-toxic first and second red tides, displayed cytotoxic activities . A relationship among bacterial cytotoxicity and toxic effects of blooms cannot therefore be established. J Bacteriol, 1990 Feb, 172(2), 956 - 66 DNA sequences of genes encoding Acinetobacter calcoaceticus protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase: evidence indicating shuffling of genes and of DNA sequences within genes during their evolutionary divergence; Hartnett C et al.; The DNA sequence of a 2,391-base-pair HindIII restriction fragment of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus DNA containing the pcaCHG genes is reported . The DNA sequence reveals that A . calcoaceticus pca genes, encoding enzymes required for protocatechuate metabolism, are arranged in a single transcriptional unit, pcaEFDBCHG, whereas homologous genes are arranged differently in Pseudomonas putida . The pcaG and pcaH genes represent separate reading frames respectively encoding the alpha and beta subunits of protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase (EC 1.13.1.3); previously a single designation, pcaA, had been used to represent DNA encoding this enzyme . The alpha and beta protein subunits appear to share common ancestry with each other and with catechol 1,2-dioxygenases from A . calcoaceticus and P . putida . Marked conservation of amino acid sequence is observed in a region containing two histidyl residues and two tyrosyl residues that appear to ligate iron within each oxygenase . In some regions within the aligned oxygenase sequences, DNA sequences appear to be conserved at a level beyond the extent that might have been demanded by selection at the level of protein . In other regions, divergence of DNA sequences appears to have been achieved by substitution of DNA sequence from one genetic segment into another . The results are interpreted to be the consequence of sequence exchange by gene conversion between slipped strands of DNA during evolutionary divergence; mismatch repair between slipped strands may contribute to the maintenance of DNA sequence in divergent genes. J Clin Microbiol, 1990 Feb, 28(2), 170 - 6 Species, biotype, and bacteriophage type determinations compared with cell envelope protein profiles for typing Acinetobacter strains; Bouvet PJ et al.; Species, biotypes, and phage types were determined for 120 Acinetobacter strains from clinical or environmental sources or from culture collections . These characteristics were compared with cell envelope protein profiles obtained by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in previous studies . A considerable heterogeneity of species and types was observed by use of the various methods, in particular among strains from different sources . Acinetobacter baumannii was the most commonly found species in isolates from clinical sources, followed by Acinetobacter species 3 . Nine biotypes were observed among A . baumannii strains . Further differentiation within most species and biotypes was achieved by protein profile typing and, to some extent, phage typing . Of 120 strains, 49 (41%) were not typeable by phages . Consistent results for the various classification methods were obtained for strains from common sources . Biotyping seemed an appropriate method for the screening of strains, whereas protein profile and phage typing could serve as additional methods to establish the identity or nonidentity of strains . Results of this study suggest that the combination of the typing methods is useful in epidemiological studies. J Hosp Infect, 1990 Feb, 15(2), 177 - 82 An outbreak of Acinetobacter respiratory tract infection resulting from incomplete disinfection of ventilatory equipment; Cefai C et al.; An outbreak of multiresistant Acinetobacter anitratus respiratory tract infection occurred over a 30-day-period in six patients admitted to an intensive care unit . Standard precautions failed to curtail the outbreak, which was finally attributed to ineffective disinfection of reusable ventilator tubing. J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol, 1990, 34(1), 73 - 6 Concerning the sensitivity of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus; Jedlickova Z et al.; The strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, var . anitratus (A . c . a.) were isolated in the nosocomial environment as an opportune pathogen . The therapy of choice may be determined after in vitro tests . Our results show following therapeutical possibilities: beta-lactam antibiotics--cephalosporins of IIIrd generation (cefotaxime), also combinations of antimicrobials have shown good results: amoxycillin or ticarcillin with clavulanic acid . Best synergistic effect was found in combination ticarcillin-amikacin. Jpn J Antibiot, 1990 Jan, 43(1), 14 - 22 {Evaluation of imipenem/cilastatin sodium in the treatment of respiratory tract infections}; Shimokata K et al.; Imipenem/cilastatin sodium (IPM/CS) was administered to 55 patients with respiratory tract infections (RTI) . A clinical evaluation of IPM/CS was carried out in 51 patients, 28 with pneumonia, 4 with pulmonary abscess, 1 with pyothorax, 6 with bronchitis, 9 with bronchiectasis, 1 with diffuse panbronchiolitis and 2 with RTI with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the clinical efficacy rate was 78.4% . Causative organisms were isolated in 23 strains out of 20 patients, such as Staphylococcus aureus 4 strains, Staphylococcus epidermidis 1 strain, Streptococcus pneumoniae 1 strain, Branhamella catarrhalis 1 strain, Haemophilus influenzae 2 strains, Klebsiella pneumoniae 4 strains, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 6 strains, Pseudomonas sp . 1 strain, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus 1 strain, Acinetobacter sp . 1 strain and glucose non-fermentative Gram-negative rod 1 strain . An eradication rate of 70.6% was obtained . An overall eradication rate of main causative organisms in RTI including S . aureus, S . pneumoniae, H . influenzae and K . pneumoniae was 75.0% . Clinical adverse effects were observed in 5 patients, and these were eruption in 2, itching in 1, vomiting in 1 and drug fever in 1 . Abnormalities in laboratory test results were observed in 8 patients . These disappeared or returned to normal values after completion or discontinuation of IPM/CS administration . IPM/CS appears to be a useful antibiotic for the treatment of RTI, especially severe infections. Kansenshogaku Zasshi, 1990 Jan, 64(1), 66 - 75 {Studies on respiratory infections in primary care clinic (II) . Distribution and antibiotic sensitivity to 45 agents of bacteria isolated from patients with respiratory infections visiting a doctor in private practice}; Watanabe A et al.; The bacteriology of the isolates from the sputum or the throat swab of patients with respiratory infections visiting a doctor in private practice in Sendai city during the period from March in 1988 to February in 1989 was documented, and their sensitivity to 45 antimicrobial agents was determined . Of the 568 patients, 514 cases had acute pharyngitis, 8 cases each had acute tonsillitis and acute bronchitis, 7 cases were acute pneumonia, 6 cases had herpangina, 18 cases had hand-foot-mouth disease with the signs of respiratory infections, 5 cases had varicella with the signs of respiratory infections and 2 cases were mumps with the signs of respiratory infections . Three hundred strains of potential (greater than or equal to 10(7) CFU/ml) pathogens were recovered from 293 of the 568 cases, which consisted of 124 strains of Haemophilus influenzae, 58 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, 45 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, 26 strains of Branhamella catarrhalis, 25 strains of Streptococcus pyogenes, 9 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae and 13 strains of other species, not including non-fermentile gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus . Staphylococcus aureus and other strains were documented simultaneously in 6 out of 7 cases in which multi-organisms were recovered . Many strains of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from young patients throughout the year . On the other hand many strains of Branhamella catarrhalis were isolated from elderly patients in winter . The sensitivity of 45 antimicrobial agents of 231 of 300 strains was determined by sensitivity disks (EIKEN, Japan) . No strain of the Haemophilus influenzae in this study was resistant to ampicillin . None of the Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes was resistant to ampicillin or cefazolin . None of the Staphylococcus aureus was resistant to cloxacillin, cefazolin, gentamicin or ofloxacin . We conclude from the above results that antibiotic-resistant strains are found presumably only in a very few cases in primary care clinic. Mol Biol Evol, 1990 Jan, 7(1), 74 - 81 An evolutionary comparison of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus trpF with trpF genes of several organisms; Ross CM et al.; The deduced amino acid sequence of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus N-(5'-phosphoribosyl) anthranilate isomerase (PRAI), which is coded by trpF, was compared with TrpF of Caulobacter crescentus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Neurospora crassa, and Aspergillus nidulans . Sixty percent of identical or similar amino acids were located in alpha/beta TIM (triose-phosphate isomerase) barrels and in residues important in substrate binding and catalysis . In addition, the analysis of trpF genes presented here supports a model by which fusion between separate trpC and trpF genes arose in some cases by in-frame deletions. Br J Dermatol, 1990 Jan, 122(1), 23 - 8 The effect of bacterial products on human fibroblast and keratinocyte detachment and viability; Taylor D et al.; An in vitro model has been developed to study the effect of soluble bacterial products on the viability and detachment of skin cell types utilized cultured grafts . Microbial products prepared from clinical isolates of bacterial species which most commonly colonize burn lesions showed marked variation in their ability to detach and kill both keratinocytes and fibroblasts . All three isolates of Acinetobacter spp . tested were effective in causing detachment and death of keratinocytes and fibroblasts, whereas Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Enterobacter spp . tested had little, or no, effect on detachment or viability for either skin cell type . Four Staphylococcus aureus isolates elicited variable strain-dependent results with regard to detachment and viability . One isolate possessed activity specific for keratinocyte detachment and death . These results indicate the possible undesirable effects such bacterial species may have on graft success in colonized burn wounds. Zentralbl Gynakol, 1990, 112(14), 921 - 3 {Acinetobacter as a problem pathogen in patients with long-term tocolysis}; Brezinka C et al.; A hospital outbreak of Acinetobacter Calcoaceticus in a ward with patients with intravenous tokolysis is reported . Within 2 months 9 pregnant women who had tokolysis for premature labour developed septic fever that only subsisted after the administration of tokolysis was stopped . In 7 cases blood culture was positive for Acinetobacter Calcoaceticus . This endemic outbreak was responsible for premature deliveries in four cases, leading top post partum death of two infants . Source identification was inconclusive, no further outbreaks have occurred since the reported endemic occurrence . Dangers of nosocomial infections in patients with intravenous tokolysis are discussed. Surg Gynecol Obstet, 1990, 171 Suppl, 19 - 23 How and why aztreonam works; Rittenbury MS; Aztreonam is the first monocyclic beta-lactam antibiotic (monobactam) to be tested clinically . Its synthetic structure determines specific areas of activity, including enhanced activity against Pseudomonas species, exceptional activity against gram-negative bacteria, stability to beta-lactamases and lack of activity against gram-positive bacteria--all of which can be directly related to its chemical composition . Aztreonam has a high affinity for the protein-binding protein 3 (PBP-3) of aerobic gram-negative bacteria . Most of these organisms are inhibited and killed at low concentrations of the drug . Aztreonam binds poorly to PBP sites of the aerobic gram-positive and anaerobic bacteria and consequently has relatively poor inhibitory effects against these bacteria . In vitro, minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) values against almost all of the Enterobacteriaceae and against Neisseria and Haemophilus strains are typically below 1 microgram per milliliter . MIC values against Pseudomonas aeruginosa of 8 micrograms per milliliter are comparable with those of other antipseudomonal beta-lactams and the acylureidopenicillins . As combination therapy with amino-glycosides, aztreonam acts in synergy against P . aeruginosa, Acinetobacter and gentamicin-resistant gram-negative rods . Aztreonam is widely distributed in the body tissues and fluids, and the average elimination half-life is 1.7 hours . Intramuscular dosing results in peak serum levels in approximately one hour, while intravenous dosing results in peak levels within five minutes . After a 2 gram dose given intravenously, MIC90 values for most of the Enterobacteriaceae are exceeded for eight hours, and those for P . aeruginosa, for almost six hours . The steady-state volume of distribution is approximately 0.18 liter per kilogram . Concentrations above the MIC90 for most gram-negative bacteria are also present within bone, prostate and cerebrospinal fluid . Between 60 and 70 per cent of the drug is excreted unchanged in the urine, resulting in concentrations approximating 3,000 micrograms per milliliter two hours after a 1 gram dose given intravenously . Serum clearance of aztreonam is directly proportional to creatinine clearance . Dosage adjustment must, therefore, be made in the presence of reduced clearance . Dosing varies between 0.5 and 2.0 grams every six to 12 hours, depending on the severity of the infection . The characteristics of aztreonam suggest that it is a useful nonnephrotoxic drug for treatment of aerobic gram-negative infection. Scand J Infect Dis Suppl, 1990, 68, 64 - 9 Clinical experience with parenteral and oral ofloxacin in severe infections; Kanellakopoulou K et al.; This study included 107 patients who were given ofloxacin at daily doses of 400-800 mg for 10 days to 12 months for treatment of a variety of infections . 77 patients were given ofloxacin orally and 30 received it intravenously . Infections treated were bronchopneumonia (29), chronic bronchitis with acute exacerbation (15), chronic osteomyelitis with exacerbation (20), soft tissue infections (13), complicated urinary tract infections (7), chronic prostatis with exacerbation (7), malignant external otitis (4), or other infections (12) . Pathogens included Pseudomonas aeruginosa (39), Acinetobacter spp . (9), various Enterobacteriaceae (30), Haemophilus influenzae (26), pneumococci (1) and Staphylococcus aureus (4) . MICs of ofloxacin ranged from less than 0.06-2 mg/l . Clinically, 69% of the patients were cured, 18% improved and 13% failed to respond . Bacteriologically, pathogens were eradicated in 70%, persisted in 16% and relapsed in 14% . Resistance during therapy developed almost exclusively in P . aeruginosa strains (17.9%) . The following adverse reactions were reported: gastrointestinal disturbances (6), rash plus facial oedema (1), abnormal liver function tests (5) and leukopenia (1) . It is concluded that ofloxacin is suitable for treatment of a variety of infections, ranging from serious life threatening infections in ICU patients to chronic ones that require prolonged therapy. Chemotherapy, 1990, 36(4), 259 - 67 In vitro activity of cefepime, a new parenteral cephalosporin, against recent European blood isolates and in comparison with piperacillin/tazobactam; Dornbusch K et al.; Cefepime, a new parenteral cephalosporin with broad antibacterial spectrum and stability to the hydrolysis to many bacterial beta-lactamases, was tested against recent blood culture isolates (369 strains of gram-negative bacilli and 131 strains of staphylococci) collected in 29 European laboratories by the microdilution method in Mueller-Hinton broth . Cefepime was very active against the gram-negative bacilli (MIC50 less than or equal to 0.016-0.064 mg/l; MIC90 0.064-4 mg/l) and less active against Pseudomonas (MIC50 4 mg/l; MIC90 greater than 16 mg/l) or Acinetobacter (MIC50 and MIC90 greater than 16 mg/l) . The staphylococci were also inhibited (MIC50 8 mg/l; MIC90 16 mg/l) . Cefepime was very active against bacteria producing different plasmid-encoded beta-lactamases (MIC 0.016-0.5 mg/l) . Piperacillin was not active against the latter strains (MIC from 2 to greater than 64 mg/l), but the presence of the beta-lactamase inhibitor tazobactam restored the activity of piperacillin . The bactericidal activity of cefepime and piperacillin/tazobactam against beta-lactamase-producing strains was confirmed by the killing curve technique. Rev Ig Bacteriol Virusol Parazitol Epidemiol Pneumoftiziol Bacteriol Virusol Parazitol Epidemiol, 1990 Jan-Mar, 35(1), 59 - 64 {The advantages of agglutination and precipitation tests used in the serological diagnosis of meningitis due to H . influenza type B}; Mihancea N et al.; During the period January 1985-July 1988, 532 purulent CSF taken from patients with meningitis, aged between 3 weeks and 91 years, were studied by microscopic examination, cultivation and for H . influenzae type B (HITB) also by coagglutination (COA), counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) and double immunodiffusion (DID) in agarose gel . Positive CSFs were taken from the patients aged 1 month-24 years old, of which 76% from children under 5 years old, and 42% from children under one year . 65.9% of the patients were males; the disease was more frequent in the first and last 4 months of the year, with the highest incidence in April . 12 bacterial spectra were found: N . meningitidis--62.97%, Str . pneumoniae--9.77%, H . influenzae type B--8.27%, and also Salmonella, E . coli, Staphylococcus, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, beta-hemolytic Streptococcus, Alcaligenes, Proteus and Enterobacter in 4.70; the rest of 14.28% had indefinite etiology . H . influenzae was evidenced in CSF by microscopic examination in 3.38%, by cultivation in 3.94%, and the soluble antigen of HITB by COA in 8.27%, by CIE in 8.08% and by DID in 7.33% . The sensibility order of the tests was: COA, CIE, DID, cultivation and microscopic examination . The COA and CIE techniques are recommended for the current use in examination of the purulent CSF due to their simplicity, rapidity, sensibility, specificity and possibility of establishing the diagnosis when the bacteriologic techniques are negative. Acta Microbiol Hung, 1990, 37(3), 319 - 23 Complex typing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated in an intensive care unit {a note}; Barcs I et al.; A total of 2637 Gram-negative facultatively pathogenic bacteria were isolated in the Laszlo Central Hospital for Infectious Diseases during a 5-year-period from clinical samples of patients of the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit; 28 further strains were cultured from hospital personnel and fomites . Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella and Acinetobacter spp . were most frequently isolated . Complex typing (determination of O serogroup, phage pattern, pyocin type, antibiogram and plasmid pattern) of P . aeruginosa strains showed the predominance of serogroup O11 (62%), but the isolates differed from each other by other characteristics . Conjugation experiments showed no common resistance plasmids in the tested population. J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol, 1990, 34(3), 289 - 98 Analysis of factors which determine the existence of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in a saprophytic phase; Litvin VYu et al.; Data are presented on the effects of a variety of abiotic and biotic environmental factors on the existence and changes in the numbers of Y . pseudotuberculosis . Experiments with sterile soil showed that Y . pseudotuberculosis populations were resistant over a wide range of major abiotic factors: temperature (0-30 degrees C), humidity (15-50%), pH (5.9-9.0) . Although exerting some effect on the duration of different growth phases, the above abiotic factors did not influence, within the tested range, the general nature of populational dynamics of the microbe . Comparative experiments carried out in sterile and natural soil specimens using an RNA-polymerase mutant warranted the conclusion that the numbers of Y . pseudotuberculosis in soil (water) are largely controlled by the biotic components of ecosystems, including microflora and microfauna . Y . pseudotuberculosis was shown to exist in the environment (vegetable storehouses and substrate of rodent nests) in association with bacteria belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae as well as the genera Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas . Endosymbiotic relationships are described between Y . pseudotuberculosis and the free-living infusorian Tetrahymena pyriformis which sustains microbial populations in the soil (water). J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol, 1990, 34(1), 77 - 80 The antimicrobial activity of Fleroxacin RO 23-6240, a third generation fluoroquinolone derivative, tested in vitro; Laznickova T et al.; The broad antimicrobial spectrum of Fleroxacin RO 23-6240 was tested on a panel of bacterial and several mycobacterial species . Staph . aureus strains, gramnegative bacteria E . coli, Kl . pneumoniae, Salmonella spp . were found to be rather susceptible to the tested preparation in vitro . The same was true of those species which are known to feature strong natural resistance, e.g . Ps . aeruginosa and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus . As regards mycobacteria, complete susceptibility was recorded for 10 M . tuberculosis strains, 17 M . kansasii strains and 4 strains of M . fortuitum . Only two of the eleven tested strains of the complex M . avium-intracellulare were found to be susceptible and one M . chelonae strain tested proved resistant . Due to their broad spectrum and strong bactericidal effects, chinolone preparations can be anticipated to assume an everincreasing significance in the future. Jpn J Antibiot, 1990 Jan, 43(1), 23 - 30 {Clinical evaluation of therapy for aspiration pneumonia with imipenem/cilastatin sodium}; Kikuchi N et al.; In an open, prospective, multicenter trial the clinical efficacy of imipenem/cilastatin sodium (IPM/CS) for the treatment of 14 cases with aspiration pneumonia was investigated . The mean age was 75.4 years old . Diseases of central nervous system were present in 11 cases, cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary diseases and diabetes mellitus in 2 cases each respectively . Seven cases were community-acquired and another seven were hospital-acquired . Six cases were moderate and 8 cases were severe . Causative organisms were determined in 9 cases (64.3%), multiple causative organisms were isolated in 3 cases . Isolated organisms were Staphylococcus aureus (4), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3), Klebsiella pneumoniae (3), Escherichia coli (1), Acinetobacter calcoaceticus (1) . Detection of anaerobes was not attempted . Clinical effects of IPM/CS were excellent in 3, good in 8, fair in 2, poor in 1, the efficacy rate was thus 78.6% . P . aeruginosa was isolated from 2 out of 3 cases in which therapy with IPM/CS failed . Monotherapy with IPM/CS appears to be highly effective for cases of aspiration pneumonia, but the disease due to IPM-resistant P . aeruginosa is an exception. Haematol Blood Transfus, 1990, 33, 525 - 30 Prevention of infection in acute leukemia; Maschmeyer G et al.; In a randomized study comparing cotrimoxazole plus colistin with ciprofloxacin, each in combination with nonabsorbable antimycotics, the incidence of major infections in terms of septicemias and pneumonias as well as of minor infections and episodes of unexplained fever (FUO) was higher in patients treated with ciprofloxacin . In cases of microbiologically documented infections, gram-positive cocci dominated by far . In surveillance cultures of oral washings and of feces, gram-negative enterobacteria were only rarely detected; however, large numbers of cultures were positive for Acinetobacter species . There were four cases of documented Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients not receiving cotrimoxazole . The incidence of documented mycotic infections as well as the detection of fungi in surveillance cultures was similar in both treatment groups . A decrease in the number of adverse events, especially of allergic reactions, could not be achieved by the administration of ciprofloxacin . In conclusion, cotrimoxazole plus colistin in combination with nonabsorbable antimycotics remains the standard regimen for prevention of infection in patients with acute leukemia undergoing aggressive remission induction therapy . A detailed analysis of study II will be prepared for publication. Medicina (B Aires), 1990, 50(2), 102 - 6 {Peritonitis in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis . Microbiological and clinical evaluation}; Predari SC et al.; In 1976, Popovich et al . described a technique of peritoneal dialysis using bottled dialysate . Later Oreopoulos et al . modified the technique by using plastic bags . But peritonitis still is a major and potentially serious complication of peritoneal dialysis . We have evaluated a) microbiologic diagnostic methods for infectious peritonitis, b) incidence of etiologic agents, and c) the evolution during antimicrobial treatment . Eighteen patients with chronic renal failure of diverse causes were followed from initiation of the CAPD program since January 1981 until June 1988 . There were 80 episodes of infectious peritonitis during 17 patient-years of dialysis with an overall incidence of peritonitis of 4.7 episodes/patient-year . The total volume centrifuged technique and culture of sediment showed a sensibility of 85% in 73 episodes where cultures were obtained . The 59.1% of episodes of peritonitis were caused by gram negative bacilli; 11.6% were due to Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Gram positive cocci accounted for 37.3% . These results are different from those found in other countries because most of our patients had received antimicrobial agents which probably changed their body flora, some did not have manual ability, others were of bad hygienic habits and finally, all of them had frequent contact with hospital environment . The species most frequently isolated were coagulase negative staphylococci (12.8%), probably from patients' skin flora . (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Drugs Exp Clin Res, 1990, 16(11), 549 - 56 CTX and its desacetyl derivative (des-CTX): interaction with some representative beta-lactamases and their related pattern of resistance to newer selected clinical isolates; Amicosante G et al.; In this study the kinetic features of cefotaxime (CTX) and desacetyl-cefotaxime towards several representative beta-lactamases were investigated . Desacetyl-CTX was more stable to hydrolysis in comparison with cefotaxime for all the investigated enzymes . However, a cephalosporinase produced in Acinetobacter was progressively inactivated by both CTX and des-CTX . After prolonged incubation, dialysis partially restored the enzyme activity . Finally, both compounds were tested against selected resistant strains . It is concluded that des-CTX, because of either poor hydrolysis or prolonged half-life in body fluids, could contribute in vivo to the good antimicrobial properties of cefotaxime. Infection, 1990, 18 Suppl 3, S155 - 67 {Antibacterial activity and beta-lactamase stability of eleven oral cephalosporins}; Bauernfeind A et al.; Oral cephalosporins (cefixime, cefdinir, cefetamet, ceftibuten, cefpodoxime, loracarbef, cefprozil, cefuroxime, cefaclor, cefadroxil and BAY 3522) were compared by their antibacterial profile including stability against new beta-lactamases . Both activity and antibacterial spectrum of compounds structurally related to third generation parenteral cephalosporins (of the oximino class) were superior to established compounds . Activity against staphylococci was found to be highest for cefdinir, cefprozil and BAY 3522 . Cefetamet, ceftibuten and cefixime demonstrate no clinically meaningful antistaphylococcal activity while the other compounds investigated demonstrate intermediate activity . The antibacterial spectrum was broadest for cefdinir and cefpodoxime . New oral cephalosporins are equally inactive as established compounds against Enterobacter spp., Morganella, Listeria, Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter spp., methicillin-resistant staphylococci, Enterococcus spp., penicillin-resistant pneumococci and anaerobes . New extended broad-spectrum betalactamases (TEM-3, TEM-5, TEM-6, TEM-7, SHV-2, SHV-3, SHV-4, SHV-5, CMY-1, CMY-2, and CTX-M) are active against the majority of oral cephalosporins . Ceftibuten, cefetamet, cefixime and cefdinir were stable against some of these enzymes even to a higher extent than parenteral cephalosporins . New oral cephalosporins should improve the therapeutic perspectives of oral cephalosporins due to their higher activity against pathogens marginally susceptible to established compounds (higher multiplicity of maximum plasma concentrations over MICs of the pathogens) and furthermore by including in their spectrum organisms resistant to established absorbable cephalosporins (e.g . Proteus spp., Providencia spp., Citrobacter spp., and Serratia spp.). Biomed Biochim Acta, 1990, 49(5), 339 - 45 {A membrane-bound alanine aminopeptidase from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus . 3 . Inhibition of the enzyme.}; Jahreis G et al.; The alanine aminopeptidase from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus is inhibited by SH-reagents like p-hydroxymercuribenzote, Ellman's reagent, N-bromosuccinimide, and metal chelating agents like 1,10-phenanthroline . The AAP is competitively inhibited by L-amino acids such as leucine, phenylalanine, and valine having hydrophobic side chains . Bacitracin (Ki = 2.0.10(-6) mol/l) inhibits AAP stronger than puromycin (Ki = 8.0.10(-6) mol/l) . In contrast, the Aeromonas aminopeptidase (EC 3.4.11.10) is stronger inhibited by bestatin (Ki = 1.8.10(-8) mol/l) than the membrane-bound AAP from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus . However, the binding of bestatin by both membrane-bound enzymes . Acinetobacter-AAP and microsomal aminopeptidase M (EC 3.4.11.2), with Ki values of 8.10(-6) mol/l is in the same range. J Hosp Infect, 1990 Jan, 15(1), 83 - 93 Nosocomial outbreaks due to amikacin-resistant tobramycin-sensitive Acinetobacter species: correlation with amikacin usage; Buisson Y et al.; Fifty-seven patients in the Val-de-Grace hospital were infected or colonized with amikacin-resistant, tobramycin-sensitive Acinetobacter spp . between January 1985 and December 1987 . This resistance phenotype was attributed to the recently described 3'-O-aminoglycoside phosphotransferase (APH(3')-VI), on the basis of substrate profile and DNA-DNA hybridization, and was mainly encountered in various biotypes of A . baumannii isolated from patients . It was also encountered in saprophytic A . johnsonii isolates from the hands of 11 healthy workers among the medical staff, which provided evidence for the dissemination of an epidemic gene among different biotypes and species of Acinetobacter . A retrospective epidemiological survey showed a significant correlation between amikacin consumption and case incidence in the wards where cross-infection had occurred. SAAS Bull Biochem Biotechnol, 1990 Jan, 3, 27 - 31 Natural transformation in Acinetobacter calcoaceticus; Shanley MS et al.; Acinetobacter calcoaceticus is a metabolically versatile microorganism that is naturally competent for DNA uptake and incorporation . We have exploited the natural state of competency for studies involving the cloning, organization and expression of genes encoding catabolic enzymes . A . calcoaceticus is able to take up, at high efficiency, genetically engineered DNA, incorporate the DNA and stably maintain and express the DNA . Sequence analysis of cloned A . calcoaceticus DNA reveals a great deal of internal repetition and secondary structure, but no specific sequences associated with uptake appear to be present . Uptake and transformation occurs in solid and liquid medium, at a wide range of DNA concentrations and with little restriction barrier to the source of the transforming DNA. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 1990 Jan, 32(4), 414 - 7 Biotransformation of alkyl and aryl carbonates . Microbial degradation; Andreoni V et al.; An enriched mixed culture was successfully grown on model alkyl and aryl carbonates . These compounds were degraded by microorganisms at different rates . P-Chlorophenyl-2-octyl carbonate and p-nitrobenzyl-2-octyl carbonate were metabolized through the formation of p-chlorophenol and p-nitrobenzyl alcohol respectively . A strain of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus isolated from the mixed culture utilized phenyl-2-octyl carbonate by an intracellular hydrolase to phenol and 2-octanol which were further metabolized. Am J Med, 1989 Dec 29, 87(6C), 57S - 60S A comparative evaluation of oral ofloxacin versus intravenous cefotaxime therapy for serious skin and skin structure infections; Gentry LO et al.; In a single-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial, 100 successive patients were enrolled with serious skin and soft-tissue infections, whose illnesses had precipitated an initial hospital admission or an extension of inpatient care . There were 93 evaluable patients who received either ofloxacin, 400 mg orally every 12 hours plus an intravenously administered placebo every eight hours, or cefotaxime, 2.0 g intravenously every eight hours plus an orally administered placebo every 12 hours . The average length of therapy was 12 days . Both patient groups had similar demographics and underlying conditions . Wound infection was the most common diagnosis, followed by abscess, cellulitis, and trophic ulcer . Multiple pathogens were commonly isolated from infected sites (1.4 pathogens/patient) . The most common pathogen was Staphylococcus aureus, followed by Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, Proteus/Providencia spp., and Enterobacter spp . Persistence of the initial pathogen at the end of therapy was observed in 22.5 percent of the cefotaxime-treated group, but in only 10 percent of the ofloxacin-treated group . There was one clinical failure in the cefotaxime group, caused by a susceptible strain of Enterobacter cloacae, and there was one clinical failure in the ofloxacin group, in which the patient had an Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var . anitratus wound infection and subsequently developed a P . aeruginosa superinfection . Adverse experiences, including rash, insomnia, and nausea, occurred in 16 percent of the patients in each group . It was concluded that oral ofloxacin is as safe and efficacious as parenteral cefotaxime in the treatment of serious skin and skin structure infections. Zentralbl Bakteriol, 1989 Dec, 272(2), 231 - 41 A comparative assay of epidemiological markers for Acinetobacter strains isolated in a hospital; Giammanco A et al.; A comparative assay for epidemiological evaluation of three different Acinetobacter typing procedures, i.e . biotyping, phage-typing, and the analysis of the bacterial envelope protein profiles, was carried out using sixty-four multiresistant Acinetobacter strains isolated from clinical specimens . The antibiotic susceptibility of the strains was also considered . After geno-species identification, biotyping allowed the recognition of a relatively large and long-lasting presence, at an Intensive Therapy Unit, of two A . baumannii biotypes . Phage-typing and the analysis of the susceptibility to antibiotics allowed for the differentiation of strains belonging to different geno-species and biotypes, and in some cases also to the same biotypes . On the contrary, the analysis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the cell-envelope proteins failed to show any diversity not only within, but also between some of the biotypes of A . baumannii, the most prevalent species of the genus in the hospital environment. Electrophoresis, 1989 Dec, 10(12), 848 - 52 Lipopolysaccharide-protein interactions: determination of dissociation constants by affinity electrophoresis; Borneleit P et al.; An affinity electrophoresis system is described to allow determination of dissociation constants of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-protein complexes . The LPS ligand is incorporated into polyacrylamide gels by addition to the polyacrylamide-N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide polymerization mixture . Quantitative evaluation revealed formation of immobile protein-ligand complexes . The method was applied both to R- and S-form LPS from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus . For a heat-modifiable outer membrane protein with Mr 18,000 from strain 69V the dissociation constant was determined to be 0.5 mM (EDTA-salt extracted R-LPS) and 0.3 mM (phenol-chloroform-petrolether extracted R-LPS) . In comparison, for another A . calcoaceticus strain, CCM 5593, a higher dissociation constant of 1.0 mM (phenol-chloroform-petrolether extracted R-LPS) -indicative of lower affinity - was obtained . When S-LPS from A . calcoaceticus 69V was incorporated into the affinity gels, a dissociation constant of 0.02 mM was determined which indicates much stronger interactions than those exerted by R-LPS forms. J Clin Microbiol, 1989 Dec, 27(12), 2713 - 6 Acinetobacter baumannii serotyping for delineation of outbreaks of nosocomial cross-infection; Traub WH; A total of 152 clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii from 152 patients were identified by carbon source utilization tests and examined serologically . Polyclonal rabbit immune sera against A . baumannii strains were used in checkerboard tube agglutination tests, and 20 serovars were identified . One (serovar 19) cross-reacted with genospecies 3 (serovar 3), a closely related member of the genus Acinetobacter . Several outbreaks of nosocomial cross-infection caused by serovars 4 and 10 were delineated. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1989 Dec, 55(12), 3247 - 9 Isolation of microorganisms capable of degrading isoquinoline under aerobic conditions; Aislabie J et al.; Isoquinoline-degrading microbial cultures were isolated from oil- and creosote-contaminated soils . The establishment of initial enrichment cultures required the use of emulsified isoquinoline . Once growth on isoquinoline was established, isoquinoline emulsification was no longer required for utilization of isoquinoline as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen by these cultures . An isoquinoline-degrading Acinetobacter strain was isolated from one of the enrichment cultures . The degradation of isoquinoline was accompanied by the accumulation of a red cell-associated pigment and of 1-hydroxyisoquinoline, which was further degraded to unknown intermediary ring-cleavage products and carbon dioxide. Am J Med, 1989 Nov 30, 87(5A), 191S - 194S Intravenous ciprofloxacin or ceftazidime in selected infections . A prospective, randomized, controlled study; Villavicencio J et al.; In a prospective, randomized, controlled study, the effectiveness and safety of intravenous ciprofloxacin was compared with those of ceftazidime in the treatment of tissue infections . A total of 52 patients received intravenous ciprofloxacin 200 mg twice daily (26 patients) or ceftazidime 1 to 2 g every eight to 12 hours (26 patients) . This was followed, respectively, by oral ciprofloxacin or another suitable drug when improvement was seen . Informed consent was obtained from all patients . Cultures and laboratory determinations were performed initially and repeated periodically as indicated . Both groups were comparable in age, sex, number of infected sites, and instance of nosocomial infections (27 total) . Severe infections occurred in six ciprofloxacin and 12 ceftazidime patients (p = 0.056) . There were 13 patients in the ciprofloxacin group and six in the ceftazidime group with accompanying diseases (p = 0.032) . Patients were treated with ciprofloxacin or ceftazidime for infections of the urinary tract (eight and two patients, respectively), skin or soft tissues (15 and 17 patients), pelvis (one and zero patients), lower respiratory tract (one and one patients), intra-abdominal (zero and three patients), and bacteremia (three and five patients) . Two patients in each group had two sites of infection . Causative organisms were as follows: 15 gram-positive cocci (90 percent minimal inhibitory concentration: ciprofloxacin, 0.5; ceftazidime, 16.0 micrograms/ml) and 55 gram-negative rods (44 Enterobacteriaceae, nine Pseudomonas aeruginosa; 90 percent minimal inhibitory concentration: ciprofloxacin, 0.25; ceftazidime, 8.0 micrograms/ml) . Resistance emerged in one patient treated with ciprofloxacin (Acinetobacter sp.) and 12 treated with ceftazidime (four Enterococcus, two Staphylococcus aureus, six other) . Intravenous treatment was longer with ceftazidime (11.5 days versus 5.6 days for the ciprofloxacin group, p less than 0.0005), but the total duration of therapy was similar (12.9 versus 14.1 days, p value not significant) . Resolution or improvement occurred in 23 ciprofloxacin and 26 ceftazidime sites of infection (p value not significant) . Death occurred in two ceftazidime-treated patients (due to bacterial infection) and one ciprofloxacin-treated patient (at the induction of anesthesia) . Adverse experiences were more common in the ceftazidime group as compared with the ciprofloxacin group (22 versus 15 patients, p = 0.026) . Ciprofloxacin eradicated 25 of 31 causative organisms, whereas ceftazidime eradicated 30 of 41 (p value not significant) . Intravenous ciprofloxacin was at least as effective as ceftazidime . Patients treated with ciprofloxacin may need added coverage for anaerobes, but the drug's excellent activity against nosocomial pathogens and its availability in oral form allow for an early change to oral therapy without compromising effectiveness coupled with added savings and convenience. Can J Microbiol, 1989 Nov, 35(11), 1065 - 7 Bacterial colonization of domestic reverse-osmosis water filtration units; Payment P; We have analyzed the bacterial content of water from the reservoirs of 300 reverse-osmosis units installed in households . The heterotrophic plate counts on R2A medium (20 and 35 degrees C) ranged from 0 to 10(7) colony forming units per millilitre (cfu/mL) . Most reservoirs contained water with bacterial counts between 10(4) and 10(5) cfu/mL . The bacteria identified were Pseudomonas (not aeruginosa), Alcaligenes or Moraxella, Acinetobacter, Flavobacterium, and Chromobacterium . This report emphasizes the importance of bacterial colonization by heterotrophic bacteria in water reservoirs from domestic reverse-osmosis units. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1989 Nov, 24(5), 689 - 98 Mechanisms of gentamicin resistance in gram-negative bacilli in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Moaz A et al.; A survey was undertaken of the prevalence and mechanisms of gentamicin resistance in Gram-negative bacilli in Riyadh . Gentamicin resistance, as assessed by the Stokes method, occurred in less than 2% of isolates of Escherichia coli, about 10-25% of most other enterobacteria, about 40% of Acinetobacter spp . and about 25% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa . This finding of relatively low rates of gentamicin in Enterobacteriaceae was surprising in view of the unregulated use of antibiotics until recent years . AAD(2'') was by far the most commonly detected aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme in the enterobacteria . However Providencia spp . always produced AAC(2') and there was an association between Serratia spp and AAC(6') . Enzymes were less frequently detected in Acinetobacter spp . and Pseudomonas spp . AAD(2'') was also the most common enzyme in Pseudomonas spp . but was never found in Acinetobacter spp . Non-enzymatic resistance played an insignificant role in the resistance of Enterobacteriaceae in Riyadh, but may be more important in Pseudomonas spp. Biochem J, 1989 Nov 1, 263(3), 913 - 9 Purification and characterization of benzaldehyde dehydrogenase I from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus; Chalmers RM et al.; Benzaldehyde dehydrogenase I was purified from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus by DEAE-Sephacel, phenyl-Sepharose and f.p.l.c . gel-filtration chromatography . The enzyme was homogeneous and completely free from the isofunctional enzyme benzaldehyde dehydrogenase II, as judged by denaturing and non-denaturing polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis . The subunit Mr value was 56,000 (determined by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis) . Estimations of the native Mr value by gel-filtration chromatography gave values of 141,000 with a f.p.l.c . Superose 6 column, but 219,000 with Sephacryl S300 . Chemical cross-linking of the enzyme subunits indicated that the enzyme is tetrameric . Benzaldehyde dehydrogenase I was activated more than 100-fold by K+, Rb+ and NH4+, and the apparent Km for K+ was 11.2 mM . The pH optimum in the presence of K+ was 9.5 and the pI of the enzyme was 5.55 . The apparent Km values for benzaldehyde and NAD+ were 0.69 microM and 96 microM respectively, and the maximum velocity was approx . 110 mumol/min per mg of protein . Various substituted benzaldehydes were oxidized at significant rates, and NADP+ was also used as cofactor, although much less effectively than NAD+ . Benzaldehyde dehydrogenase I had an NAD+-activated esterase activity with 4-nitrophenol acetate as substrate, and the dehydrogenase activity was inhibited by a range of thiol-blocking reagents . The absorption spectrum indicated that there was no bound cofactor or prosthetic group . Some of the properties of the enzyme are compared with those of other aldehyde dehydrogenases, specifically the very similar isofunctional enzyme benzaldehyde dehydrogenase II from the same organism. J Hosp Infect, 1989 Nov, 14(4), 363 - 8 An outbreak of acinetobacter septicaemia in a neonatal intensive care unit; Ng PC et al.; We describe an outbreak of Gram-negative septicaemia due to a rare, non-fermenting, aerobic organism, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var . lwoffi . The outbreak occurred on a neonatal unit and was confined to babies who were receiving parenteral nutrition . Seven babies developed septicaemia within 24 hours . The source of the outbreak was never firmly established, but contamination of the parenteral nutrition fluid was considered most likely . All 7 babies recovered uneventfully after a week's course of intravenous ceftazidime . Thrombocytopenia was an unexpected feature of this infection. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1989 Nov-Dec, 12(6), 481 - 8 Comparative in vitro activity of piperacillin combined with the beta-lactamase inhibitor tazobactam (YTR 830); Eliopoulos GM et al.; Combination with tazobactam substantially enhanced the activity of piperacillin against routine isolates of staphylococci, various Enterobacteriaceae, Acinetobacter anitratus, and Bacteroides fragilis . Tazobactam enhanced the activity of piperacillin more than fourfold against Pseudomonas aeruginosa spp . harboring eight of 12 plasmid-mediated beta-lactamases. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1989 Nov, 33(11), 1980 - 8 In vitro activity of AT-4140 against clinical bacterial isolates; Kojima T et al.; The activity of AT-4140, a new fluoroquinolone, was evaluated against a wide range of clinical bacterial isolates and compared with those of existing analogs . AT-4140 had a broad spectrum and a potent activity against gram-positive and -negative bacteria, including Legionella spp . and Bacteroides fragilis . The activity of AT-4140 against gram-positive and -negative cocci, including Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, was higher than those of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and norfloxacin . Its activity against gram-negative rods was generally comparable to that of ciprofloxacin . Some isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MIC of methicillin, greater than or equal to 12.5 micrograms/ml) were resistant to existing quinolones, but many of them were still susceptible to AT-4140 at concentrations below 0.39 micrograms/ml . The MICs of AT-4140, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and norfloxacin for 90% of clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant S . aureus were 0.2, 12.5, 6.25, and 100 micrograms/ml, respectively . AT-4140 was bactericidal for each of 20 clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at concentrations near the MICs . AT-4140 inhibited the supercoiling activity of DNA gyrase from E . coli. J Bacteriol, 1989 Oct, 171(10), 5410 - 21 Characterization of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus catM, a repressor gene homologous in sequence to transcriptional activator genes; Neidle EL et al.; Two structural genes needed for catechol degradation, catA and catB, encode the respective enzymes catechol 1,2-dioxygenase (EC 1.13.11.1) and muconate cycloisomerase (EC 5.5.1.1) . Catechol is an intermediate in benzoate degradation, and the catA and catB genes are clustered within a 17-kilobase-pair (kbp) region of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus chromosomal DNA containing all of the structural genes required for the conversion of benzoate to tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates . catA and catB were transcribed in the same direction and were separated by 3.8 kbp of DNA . The 3.8-kbp sequence revealed that directly downstream from catA and potentially transcribed in the same direction were two open reading frames encoding polypeptides of 48 and 36 kilodaltons (kDa) . Genetic disruption of these open reading frames did not discernably alter either catechol metabolism or its regulation . A third open reading frame, beginning 123 bp upstream from catB and transcribed divergently from this gene, was designated catM . This gene was found to encode a 28-kDa trans-acting repressor protein that, in the absence of cis,cis-muconate, prevented expression of the cat structural genes . Constitutive expression of the genes was caused by a mutation substituting Arg-156 with His-156 in the catM-encoded repressor . The repressor protein proved to be a member of a diverse family of procaryotic regulatory proteins which, with rare exception, are transcriptional activators . Repression mediated by catM was not the sole transcriptional control exercised over catA in A . calcoaceticus . Expression of catA was elicited by either benzoate or cis,cis-muconate in a genetic background from which catM had been deleted . This induction required DNA in a segment lying 1 kbp upstream from the catA gene . It is likely that an additional gene, lying outside the region containing the structural genes necessary for benzoate metabolism, contributes to this control. Electrophoresis, 1989 Oct, 10(10), 680 - 5 Characterization of bacterial genospecies by computer-assisted statistical analysis of enzyme electrophoretic data; Picard B et al.; A computer-assisted statistical treatment of the electrophoretic data obtained from the analysis of two dehydrogenases and 27 kinds of esterases produced by strains belonging to the taxonomically complex genus Acinetobacter is described . The 12 genospecies were clearly separated from each other by correspondence analysis . For each genospecies the distances of the strains from their barycenter were computed and typical isolates suitable for use as reference strains were determined . This approach is suitable for the systematic study of other procaryotic or eucaryotic organisms. J Med Assoc Thai, 1989 Oct, 72(10), 577 - 82 Hygienic status of food handlers; Dumavibhat B et al.; The study demonstrated bacterial species on hands and nails of food-handlers before and after hand-washing . Those were Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Micrococcus spp., Bacillus spp., Diphtheroid, Aeromonas hydrophila, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas spp., Proteus mirabilis, Serratia spp., Citrobacter freundii . Before hand washing, each food-handler harboured one to eight bacterial species . After hand-washing (eight with water from plastic boxes, 97 from pipe water, 57 out of 97 (58.8%) used soap or detergent with water), disappearance of one to four bacterial strains from hands and nails were found in 47.6 per cent of food-handlers . Cultures of water used for washing from eight plastic boxes yielded Staph . spp., Strep . spp., Aeromonas hydrophila, Kleb.pneumoniae, Acinetobacter anitratus, Enterobacter cloacae . From pipe water, Diphtheroid in 4, 4.1 per cent Micrococcus in 1, 1.03 per cent were shown . Comparing bacterial species found in food-handlers with long nails and short nails, 4-8 more species were revealed in the former than the latter for 35.7 per cent . After hand-washing, there was recontamination of bacterial species in 17 food-handlers . This was probably due to dirty napkins or dresses during hand-drying or from water in plastic boxes. J Hosp Infect, 1989 Oct, 14(3), 233 - 43 Epidemic iatrogenic Acinetobacter spp . meningitis following administration of intrathecal methotrexate; Kelkar R et al.; We report the first outbreak of Acinetobacter species meningitis in a group of children with acute leukaemia following the administration of intrathecal chemotherapy . Eight of twenty patients receiving methotrexate injections on a single day developed signs and symptoms of meningitis within 18 h of treatment, and cases were clustered by time of administration . A cohort study comparing case and non-case patients did not identify any specific host factor associated with meningitis . Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var anitratus was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of five patients; three patients died . Our investigation determined that the methotrexate was extrinsically contaminated by reused needles, used for reconstitution and administration, which had been inadequately sterilized . Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var anitratus was isolated from an autoclaved needle and a vial of methotrexate used for chemotherapy; these and the clinical isolates had similar antibiograms . After introduction of single-use disposable needles no subsequent cases occurred. Res Microbiol, 1989 Oct, 140(8), 531 - 40 Glucose dehydrogenase activity in Acinetobacter species; Bouvet PJ et al.; A study of D-glucose oxidation by Acinetobacter species was carried out . Glucose-oxidizing strains were found distributed among almost all Acinetobacter species . 14C-glucose oxidation kinetics by non-proliferating cells with separation of oxidation products (14C-gluconate) by DEAE-cellulose paper chromatography was studied . Inhibition of glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) activity by 11 carbohydrates (mono- and disaccharides) and determination of the kinetic parameters showed that glucose oxidation was due to the action of membrane-bound GDH (inactive in vivo on disaccharides) . On the basis of GDH inhibition patterns obtained, two groups were individualized . The first group of strains (identified as A . calcoaceticus, A . baumannii, A . lwoffii, A . johnsonii and Acinetobacter species 3, 9, 10 and 11) showed a greater affinity for glucose than the second group (A . haemolyticus, A . junii and Acinetobacter species 6 and 12) . Restoration of GDH activity after addition of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) was studied in 187 strains previously found unable to oxidize glucose . GDH activity of 150 out of 166 strains identified as A . baumannii, A . johnsonii, A . lwoffii and Acinetobacter species 11 and 12 was restored . Eighteen of 21 strains identified as A . haemolyticus and Acinetobacter species 6 were unable to produce acid from glucose after addition of PQQ . Our results confirm that the former taxonomic scheme for the genus Acinetobacter (2 species differing only by glucose oxidation) is untenable and that, accordingly, identification of Acinetobacter strains at the species level must be performed using more modern methods, i.e . carbon source utilization tests. J Bacteriol, 1989 Oct, 171(10), 5542 - 50 Cloning, sequencing, and expression of the gene for NADH-sensitive citrate synthase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Donald LJ et al.; The structural gene for the allosteric citrate synthase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been cloned from a genomic library by using the Escherichia coli citrate synthase gene as a hybridization probe under conditions of reduced stringency . Subcloning of portions of the original 10-kilobase-pair (kbp) clone led to isolation of the structural gene, with its promoter, within a 2,083-bp length of DNA flanked by sites for KpnI and BamHI . The nucleotide sequence of this fragment is presented; the inferred amino acid sequence was 70 and 76% identical, respectively, with the citrate synthase sequences from E . coli and Acinetobacter anitratum, two other gram-negative bacteria . DEAE-cellulose chromatography of P . aeruginosa citrate synthase from an E . coli host harboring the cloned P . aeruginosa gene gave three peaks of activity . All three enzyme peaks had subunit molecular weights of 48,000; the proteins were identical by immunological criteria and very similar in kinetics of substrate saturation and NADH inhibition . Because the cloned gene contained only one open reading frame large enough to encode a polypeptide of such a size, the three peaks must represent different forms of the same protein . A portion of the cloned P . aeruginosa gene was used as a hybridization probe under stringent conditions to identify highly homologous sequences in genomic DNA of a second strain classified as P . aeruginosa and isolates of P . putida, P . stutzeri, and P . alcaligenes . When crude extracts of each of these four isolates were mixed with antiserum raised against purified P . aeruginosa citrate synthase, however, only the P . alcaligenes extract cross-reacted. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1989 Sep, 33(9), 1617 - 9 Antimicrobial drug susceptibility of clinical isolates of Acinetobacter species (A . baumannii, A . haemolyticus, genospecies 3, and genospecies 6); Traub WH et al.; A total of 144 clinical isolates of Acinetobacter species, i.e., A . baumannii (n = 60), genospecies 3 (n = 48), A . haemolyticus (n = 12), and genospecies 6 (n = 24), were examined comparatively with the agar dilution method of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards for susceptibility to 25 antimicrobial drugs . Only minor species differences were noted. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1989 Sep, 24 Suppl A, 47 - 55 In-vitro activity of meropenem against clinical isolates obtained in Canada; Clarke AM et al.; The in-vitro activity of meropenem, a new parenteral carbapenem, was compared with that of imipenem, ceftazidime, cefotaxime, piperacillin, gentamicin and, where appropriate, other antibiotics against recent clinical isolates and characterized beta-lactamase producers . MICs were determined by a standard agar dilution procedure and two inocula (10(4) and 10(6) cfu) were used throughout . Meropenem inhibited 90% of isolates of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, indole-positive Proteus spp., Enterobacter spp., Serratia marcescens and Providencia stuartii at less than or equal to 0.25 mg/l and was four- to 16-fold more active than imipenem against these species . Against the enteric pathogens Salmonella typhi, Shigella sonnei, Yersinia enterocolitica and Campylobacter jejuni, meropenem was four- to eight-fold more active than imipenem, inhibiting all isolates at less than or equal to 0.03 mg/l . Meropenem was also more active than imipenem against Haemophilus influenzae (MIC90 0.06 mg/l) but had similar activity against the Bacteroides fragilis group (MIC90 0.25 mg/l), against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC90 2 mg/l) and against streptococci . Imipenem was four-fold more active than meropenem against Acinetobacter spp . and two- to eight-fold more active against all species of staphylococci tested . Both meropenem and imipenem were inactive against Ps . (Xanthomonas) maltophilia. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1989 Sep, 24 Suppl A, 239 - 50 Bactericidal activity of meropenem and interactions with other antibiotics; Ferrara A et al.; MICs of meropenem for selected clinical isolates of bacteria were determined . Killing curves were performed on strains of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staph . aureus (MRSA), methicillin-resistant Staph, epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Citrobacter freundii and Acinetobacter spp . A reduction of greater than or equal to 3 x log10 in viable cells was observed at 4 and 6 h of exposure to 4 and 8 x MIC, and this was usually maintained at 24 h (with a few exceptions for methicillin-resistant Staph, epidermidis and Ent . cloacae) . At the MIC and twice the MIC regrowth tended to occur at 24 h although this varied from strain to strain . The interaction with other antibiotics was determined by the chequerboard technique . Usually an additive or synergistic effect was observed when meropenem or imipenem was used in combination with an aminoglycoside against Gram-negative species, while in a few cases antagonism occurred in combination with beta-lactams . Against Staph, aureus, MRSA and Staph, epidermidis synergism was usually obtained with combinations with teicoplanin or vancomycin and either synergism or addition with combinations with rifampicin, co-trimoxazole or ciprofloxacin. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol, 1989 Sep, 10(9), 402 - 7 The inanimate environment of an intensive care unit as a potential source of nosocomial bacteria: evidence for long survival of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus; Getchell-White SI et al.; Environmental surface and personnel hand impression cultures were obtained during 13 sampling periods in the University of Virginia Pediatric Intensive Care Unit to document potential reservoirs of nosocomial pathogens . In 78 environmental cultures Staphylococcus aureus was found eight times and gram-negative bacilli ten times . The patient chart cover was the most commonly contaminated surface . Acinetobacter calcoaceticus was found in five of ten cultures positive for gram-negative bacilli . Thirty of 59 hand cultures were positive for S aureus and gram-negative bacilli; nurses and residents had both, respiratory therapists only gram-negative bacilli, and A calcoaceticus was the most commonly isolated bacterium of potentially nosocomial significance (14/30) . Laboratory investigation of bacterial survival revealed that gram-negative bacilli survived on a dry formica surface from a few hours up to three days but Acinetobacter survived up to 13 days . Since A calcoaceticus has been implicated in many nosocomial infections, its long survival on a dry surface may be an additional factor in its transmission in hospitals and suggests that more attention be paid to environmental surfaces as a source of significant nosocomial pathogens. Crit Care Med, 1989 Sep, 17(9), 882 - 5 Incidence and etiology of pneumonia acquired during mechanical ventilation; Jimenez P et al.; A total of 77 consecutive patients submitted to mechanical ventilation (MV) for greater than 48 h in a respiratory ICU (RICU) were studied to investigate the incidence, etiology, and consequences of ventilator-associated pneumonia . Eighteen (23%) patients developed a bacterial pneumonia after 5.6 +/- 1.0 days (mean +/- SEM; range 2 to 17) of MV . Three additional cases were demonstrated at autopsy, raising the incidence to 27% . Overall, the mean duration of MV increased from 9.7 +/- 0.9 to 32.2 +/- 5.1 days (p less than .0001) when pneumonia developed . A longer period of hospital stay before RICU admission and the presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were significant characteristics of patients with pneumonia when compared to patients without nosocomial pulmonary infection . One or more etiological agents were identified in 14 patients from the pneumonia group by means of a highly specific technique (protected brush catheter, transthoracic needle aspiration, pleural fluid, and/or blood cultures) . The predominant pathogens isolated were Gram-negative bacilli (Acinetobacter sp . and Pseudomonas sp.) . Half of the cases were polymicrobial . Compared to other series, our results may reflect with more accuracy the actual incidence of nosocomial pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients, since we used highly accurate techniques along with autopsy findings which allowed us to confirm or discard the diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia. Res Microbiol, 1989 Sep, 140(7), 447 - 54 Acetylaminofluorene-labelled ribosomal RNA for use in molecular epidemiology and taxonomy; Grimont F et al.; The use of acetylaminofluorene-labelled 16 + 23S rRNA (from Escherichia coli) is described for determining rRNA-gene-restriction patterns . The labelled probe allowed molecular fingerprinting of bacteria belonging to diverse phylogenetic branches (Enterobacteriaceae, Haemophilus, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Brucella, Leptospira, Cytophaga, Campylobacter, Methylophaga) . The labelled probe can be stored frozen (-20 degrees C) for at least a year and can endure vacuum dessication, ethanol precipitation or lyophilization. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1989 Sep, 24 Suppl A, 57 - 72 In-vitro activity of meropenem against clinical isolates in a multicentre study in Italy; Schito GC et al.; A multicentre in-vitro study was undertaken to evaluate the susceptibility of bacterial pathogens isolated in different Italian hospitals to meropenem . A total of 1399 aerobic and 452 anaerobic strains was analysed . Comparative agents were imipenem, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, piperacillin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, amikacin, plus vancomycin when appropriate . The MIC ranges (mg/l) of meropenem were: 0.015-2 for Klebsiella spp., Proteus spp., Morganella morganii and Providencia spp.; less than 0.008-1 for Escherichia coli; 0.016-32 for Serratia spp.; 0.03-2 for Enterobacter spp . and Citrobacter spp.; 0.03- greater than 128 for Acinetobacter anitratus; 0.03-32 for Pseudomonas spp.; less than 0.008-0.5 for Haemophilus spp . and Neisseria spp.; 0.015-64 for Staphylococcus spp.; 0.06- greater than 128 for Enterococcus spp.; less than 0.008-0.25 for Streptococcus spp.; 0.016-8 for Fusobacterium spp.; 0.03-8 for Bacteroides spp.; less than 0.06-0.5 for anaerobic Gram-positive cocci; 0.08-2 for Clostridium spp . Meropenem exhibited superior antibacterial activity against the aerobic and anaerobic strains tested when compared to the other beta-lactam drugs . The new carbapenem was as active as ciprofloxacin and more active than imipenem and the aminoglycosides against Enterobacteriaceae and Ps . aeruginosa . It was also more active than ciprofloxacin against most strains of Gram-positive cocci . Meropenem was slightly less potent than imipenem against staphylococci and enterococci, with the exception of oxacillin-susceptible Staph . aureus against which meropenem and imipenem exhibited similar antibacterial activity. Gene, 1989 Sep 1, 81(1), 55 - 64 Firefly luciferase as a reporter enzyme for measuring gene expression in vegetative and symbiotic Rhizobium meliloti and other gram-negative bacteria; Palomares AJ et al.; A DNA segment carrying a cDNA copy of the luciferase gene (luc) of the North American firefly Photinus pyralis, fused to the lambda PR promoter and expressed in Escherichia coli {de Wet et al., Proc . Natl . Acad . Sci . USA 82 (1985) 7870-7873}, was inserted into a broad-host-range plasmid vector and established in a variety of Gram-negative bacteria . Luciferase activity, expressed from the lambda PR promoter, was detected in both intact cells and extracts prepared from cells of strains of Rhizobium meliloti, R . phaseoli, R . fredii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Azotobacter vinelandii . The highest levels of activity, determined by measurements of both intact cells and extracts, were observed for P . aeruginosa and the three species of Rhizobium examined . Expression of luciferase activity also was relatively high in R . meliloti bacteroids of mature alfalfa nodules . This activity was readily detectable in intact nodules using x-ray film or in extracts prepared from purified bacteroids. J Clin Microbiol, 1989 Sep, 27(9), 2057 - 61 Use of low-frequency-cleavage restriction endonucleases for DNA analysis in epidemiological investigations of nosocomial bacterial infections; Allardet-Servent A et al.; Epidemiological investigations of bacterial infections are generally based on multiple phenotypic markers that are often difficult to verify . A more general and reliable method is genomic DNA analysis by restriction endonucleases . However, the commonly used endonucleases produce too many fragments for correct separation by agarose electrophoresis . In contrast, simple electrophoretic patterns are obtained after genomic DNA digestion by low-frequency-cleavage restriction endonucleases and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, making it easier to compare numerous strains from the same species . This technique was used to investigate an Acinetobacter calcoaceticus outbreak in a urologic department and bronchial colonization of artificially ventilated patients by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an intensive care unit . The method allowed a clear distinction between epidemic and self-contaminating strains in these different epidemiological situations. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1989 Sep-Oct, 12(5), 441 - 3 Antibacterial activity and beta-lactamase stability of MDL 19,592, an oral cephalosporin; Yu KW et al.; We compared the in vitro activity and beta-lactamase stability of MDL 19,592, an orally absorbed cephalosporin, with that of cephalexin and cefaclor . It inhabited Staphylococcus aureus at less than or equal to 4 micrograms/ml, Streptococcus pyogenes at 0.25 microgram/ml, sero groups B, C and G streptococci at 1 microgram/ml, and Streptococcus pneumoniae at 2 micrograms/ml . It was slightly more active than cefaclor and cephalexin . MDL 19,592 did not significantly inhibit Enterobacteriaceae, enterococci, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter spp . strains (MIC greater than or equal to 32 micrograms/ml) . MDL 19,592 was not hydrolyzed by the plasmid beta-lactamases TEM-1 and SHV-1 of Klebsiella but was hydrolyzed by the TEM-3, Staphylococcus aureus beta-lactamase, and the chromosomal-mediated Enterobacter cloacae P99 enzymes. Zhonghua Zheng Xing Shao Shang Wai Ke Za Zhi, 1989 Sep, 5(3), 199 - 200, 238-9 {Analysis of microbiological flora in the blood and wounds of burn patients}; Li GH; 1266 strains of bacteria and fungi from wound surface and 321 strains from blood specimens were compared from 1980 to 1987 . The results showed that Gram-negative bacilli were obviously more than Gram-positive cocci . Staph . aureus and Ps . aeruginosa remained the most important agents of infective complications . E . coli and E . aerogenes increased steadily and Proteus decreased gradually in burn infection . The ratios of various species of bacteria from wound surface were roughly proportional to that from blood specimens . This paper suggests that prevention and treatment of infection caused by Staph . aureus and Ps . aeruginosa are highly important, control of infection resulted from E . coli and E . aerogenes must be emphasized, and Acinetobacter and Fungi infection must be further studied . The care of burned wounds is very important for prevention and treatment of septicemia . Factors resulting in change of germ flora are also discussed in this paper. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 1989 Sep, 8(9), 832 - 7 Bacteremia and fungemia in the immunocompromised patient; Kiehn TE; Considerable changes have occurred during the 1980s in the clinical nature and diagnosis of bacteremia and fungemia in the immunocompromised patient . Cancer patients with prolonged neutropenia, many with indwelling catheters, and AIDS patients with both T-cell and B-cell deficiencies have changed the spectrum of organisms causing septicemia . There has been a shift to infection with gram-positive bacteria, including mycobacteria, and water-borne organisms, including Acinetobacter spp . and Pseudomonas spp . New blood culture systems, including a lysis-centrifugation system and radiometric methods utilizing resin broth media, remove antagonistic antimicrobial agents, and the lysis-centrifugation system routinely provides quantitation of organisms from the blood . Quantitation has been used to identify sources of infection, to differentiate contamination from true infection, and to monitor the course of antibiotic treatment. Ann Ig, 1989 Sep-Oct, 1(5), 1145 - 56 {Control of infection in the odontostomatologic field . Possibility of decontamination of critical surfaces}; Sebastiani Annicchiarico L et al.; After a brief description of the sources and procedures of transmission of infections in the odontostomatological field, the Authors illustrate the degree of contamination of a range of surfaces presented by odontological instruments . This is followed by a description of the possibility of a disinfecting treatment using two products one based on iodoform and the other on quaternary ammonium . Prior to this disinfection treatment, the surfaces examined presented a level of microbial contamination (according to the Griffiths scale) for the most part defined as "acceptable with certain reservations" or as "unacceptable", with the almost constant finding of Staphylococci (S . Haemolyticus, aureus, hominis and cohnii) and very frequently of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, as well as various types of Pseudomonas (Ps . cepacea, maltophilia, and aeruginosa) . The disinfection treatment carried out on these same surfaces had a positive effect, leading to a reduction in microbial findings of at least 98% both using energetic disinfectants based on iodoform products, and also milder disinfectants based on quaternary ammonium . Accordingly since both substances used almost constantly reduced the microbial presence despite the different disinfecting action involved, the Authors conclude that not only the use of specific substances but even the mere action of mechanical cleaning may play a fundamental role in the decontamination of surfaces. J Appl Bacteriol, 1989 Aug, 67(2), 157 - 63 A novel method for the identification and distinction of the beta-lactamases of the genus Acinetobacter; Hood J et al.; The characterization of the chromosomal beta-lactamases of Acinetobacter has proved difficult because of the poor focusing of these enzymes in conventional isoelectric focusing on polyacrylamide gels . We describe a novel isoelectric focusing method, which employs an agarose gel incorporating a detergent with sorbitol and urea, to examine the beta-lactamases produced by eight clinical strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus; we have identified four different beta-lactamases . The molecular masses of each of the beta-lactamases was estimated and most of them ranged from 600,000 to greater than 1,000,000 . These are the largest beta-lactamases so far described and their size is likely to be one reason for their poor solubility in conventional polyacrylamide systems. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1989 Aug, 33(8), 1167 - 73 In vitro and in vivo antibacterial activities of AT-4140, a new broad-spectrum quinolone; Nakamura S et al.; AT-4140, 5-amino-1-cyclopropyl-6,8-difluoro-1,4-dihydro-7-(cis-3,5- dimethyl-1-piperazinyl)-4-oxoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid, showed broad and potent antibacterial activity . Its MICs for 90% of the strains tested were 0.1 to 0.78 micrograms/ml against gram-positive organisms, such as members of the genera Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Enterococcus, and 0.0125 to 1.56 micrograms/ml against gram-negative organisms, such as members of the family Enterobacteriaceae and the genera Pseudomonas, Branhamella, Campylobacter, Haemophilus, and Neisseria . Its MICs were 0.025 to 0.78 micrograms/ml against glucose nonfermenters, such as members of the genera Xanthomonas, Acinetobacter, Alcaligenes, Moraxella, Flavobacterium, and Brucella; 0.2 to 0.78 micrograms/ml against anaerobes, such as Clostridium perfringens and Bacteroides fragilis; 0.0125 to 0.05 micrograms/ml against Legionella spp.; 0.0125 to 0.2 micrograms/ml against Mycoplasma spp.; 0.031 to 0.063 micrograms/ml against Chlamydia spp.; and 0.1 to 0.3 micrograms/ml against Mycobacterium spp . The potencies of AT-4140 against gram-negative organisms were comparable to those of ciprofloxacin and higher than those of ofloxacin, enoxacin, and norfloxacin . The potencies of AT-4140 against gram-positive organisms, glucose nonfermenters, anaerobes, Mycoplasma spp., Chlamydia spp., and Mycobacterium spp . were generally higher than those of the quinolones with which AT-4140 was compared . AT-4140 showed good oral efficacy against systemic infections with Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in mice . Its efficacy was better when a daily dose was given once than when it was given in two doses . Good efficacies of the orally administered drug were also observed in pulmonary, dermal, and urinary tract infection models in mice . The in vivo efficacies of AT-4140 were equal to or better than those of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, enoxacin, and norfloxacin. J Clin Pathol, 1989 Aug, 42(8), 853 - 7 Use of protein profiles to identify Acinetobacter calcoaceticus in a respiratory care unit; Dijkshoorn L et al.; The presence of acinetobacters in a respiratory care unit was prospectively studied because of an increase in the number of isolations of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus . Cell envelope protein electrophoresis was used to distinguish strains . Eleven protein patterns were observed in isolates from patients and their environment . One pattern (pattern 1) was seen in several patients and environmental samples . Another pattern (pattern 2) was identified repeatedly in samples from skin and mucous membranes of patients in the same ward . After thorough cleaning was undertaken throughout the unit, the pattern 1 strain was no longer cultivated from clinical samples . It is concluded that cell envelope protein electrophoresis is a useful method for tracing epidemic strains of A calcoaceticus. Am J Kidney Dis, 1989 Aug, 14(2), 101 - 4 Acinetobacter peritonitis during chronic peritoneal dialysis; Galvao C et al.; Among gram-negative bacilli isolated during peritonitis in chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD), Pseudomonas species are most common but Acinetobacter species are nearly as frequent . A survey of more than 450 patient-years' experience with CPD revealed 23 episodes of Acinetobacter peritonitis (AP), making this the second most common form of gram-negative peritonitis . Concomitant break in sterile technique and exit-site/tunnel infection were infrequent . AP appeared as the first peritonitis episode in five cases and as the second in six cases, and the duration of CPD at the time of AP ranged from less than 1 to greater than 56 months . However, AP was noted to appear shortly after treatment of another peritonitis episode or shortly after CPD access placement, within 2 months in 11 cases (47%) and within 3 months in 14 cases (61%) . Treatment with intraperitoneal antibiotics succeeded in 21 cases (91%) without CPD interruption or catheter removal, with tobramycin or gentamicin alone in 16 cases, and with combined aminoglycoside and penicillin or cephalosporin in six cases . In two cases intraperitoneal antibiotics alone were insufficient therapy: one case with concomitant tunnel infection and dialysate leak and one case with bacteremia while receiving corticosteroids . The time-dependent incidence of AP suggests opportunistic infection during a vulnerable period in the first 2 to 3 months following another peritonitis episode, but AP also appears amenable to intraperitoneal antibiotic therapy alone without interruption of the CPD routine in the majority of cases. Biochemistry, 1989 Jul 25, 28(15), 6276 - 80 Quinoprotein D-glucose dehydrogenase of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus respiratory chain: membrane-bound and soluble forms are different molecular species; Matsushita K et al.; Acinetobacter calcoaceticus is known to contain soluble and membrane-bound quinoprotein D-glucose dehydrogenases, while other oxidative bacteria contain the membrane-bound enzyme exclusively . The two forms of glucose dehydrogenase were believed to be the same enzyme or interconvertible forms . Previously, Matsushita et al . {(1988) FEMS Microbiol . Lett 55, 53-58} showed that the two enzymes are different with respect to enzymatic and immunological properties, as well as molecular weight . In the present study, we purified both enzymes and compared their kinetics, reactivity with ubiquinone homologues, and immunological properties in detail . The purified membrane-bound enzyme had a molecular weight of 83,000, while the soluble form was 55,000 . The purified enzymes exhibited totally different enzymatic properties, particularly with respect to reactivity toward ubiquinone homologues . The soluble enzyme reacted with short-chain homologues only, whereas the membrane-bound enzyme reacted with long-chain homologues including ubiquinone 9, the native ubiquinone of the A . calcoaceticus . Furthermore, the two enzymes were distinguished immunochemically; the membrane-bound enzyme did not cross-react with antibody raised against the soluble enzyme, nor did the soluble enzyme cross-react with antibody against the membrane-bound enzyme . Thus, each glucose dehydrogenase is a molecularly distinct entity, and the membrane-bound enzyme only is coupled to the respiratory chain via ubiquinone. Biochem J, 1989 Jul 15, 261(2), 415 - 21 Reversible thermal inactivation of the quinoprotein glucose dehydrogenase from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus . Ca2+ ions are necessary for re-activation; Geiger O et al.; The soluble form of the homogeneous quinoprotein glucose dehydrogenase from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus is reversibly inactivated at temperatures above 35 degrees C . An equilibrium is established between active and denatured enzyme, this depending on the protein concentration and the inactivation temperature used . Upon thermal inactivation the enzyme dissociates into the prosthetic group pyrroloquinoline quinone and the apo form of glucose dehydrogenase . After inactivation at 50 degrees C active enzyme is re-formed again at 25 degrees C . Ca2+ ions are necessary for the re-activation process . The velocity of re-activation depends on the protein concentration, the concentration of the prosthetic group pyrroloquinoline quinone and the Ca2+ concentration . The apo form of glucose dehydrogenase can be isolated, and in the presence of pyrroloquinoline quinone and Ca2+ active holoenzyme is formed . Even though native glucose dehydrogenase is not inactivated in the presence of EDTA or trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-NNN'NH-tetra-acetic acid, Ca2+ stabilizes the enzyme against thermal inactivation . Two Ca2+ ions are found per subunit of glucose dehydrogenase . The data suggest that pyrroloquinoline quinone is bound at the active site via a Ca2+ bridge . Mn2+ and Cd2+ can replace Ca2+ in the re-activation mixture. Trop Gastroenterol, 1989 Jul-Sep, 10(3), 158 - 66 Etiology of acute childhood diarrhoea in Calcutta; Chatterjee BD et al.; Of the 152 cases of acute diarrhoea, 124 (81.5%) revealed potential pathogens . Altogether 27 (21.2%) out of 127 strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter, Proteus and Acinetobacter produced enterotoxin . Single pathogenic bacteria (40 cases 26.3%), parasite (6; 6%), rota virus (6; 6%), toxigenic bacteria (19; 12.5%) and mixed agents (37; 24.24.3%) were recorded in 108 cases (71.0%) . Another 14 (9.2%) cases exclusively revealed moderate to heavy growth of suspected enteric pathogens like K . pneumoniae, Proteus, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, anaerogenic E . coli and Citrobacter and 2 (1.3%) had high counts of T' . hominis . Of the known pathogens, the preponderance of A . hydrophila (24.4%), rota virus (15.7%) and Aeromonas hydrophila (14.0%) in 1-4 y, Vibrio cholerae (45.6%) and Trichuris trichiura (13.0%) in 4-14 y age group is highlighted . Other pathogenic bacteria were non-01 V . cholerae (3.2%), V . parahaemolyticus (2.6%), V . fluvialis (0.6), Plesiomonas shigelloides (3.9%), Salmonella (2.6%), Shigella (1.9%), EPEC (1.9%), EEC (5.2%) and Campylobacter jejuni (3.9%) and the parasites were Entamoeba histolytica (2.6%) and Giardia intestinalis (2.6) . Comparative study of age matched controls with those of diarrhoea suggested the pathogenic role of E . histolytica and T . hominis. Kyobu Geka, 1989 Jul, 42(7), 525 - 8 {Three cases of traumatic lung cyst}; Suzuki T et al.; There are few reports of nonpenetrating blunt chest trauma causing traumatic lung cyst . Three young male cases of traumatic lung cysts from motor vehicle accident were reported . Two of them, 25 and 17 years old male, had benign clinical courses by conservative management . But in another case of 25-year-old male, lung abscess followed infection of lung cyst occurred despite antibiotic therapy . A left lower lobectomy and a partial resection of left upper lobe was performed 46 days after the injury . Culture of the contents of the abscess confirmed Acinetobacter . His subsequent recovery was uneventful and he was discharged one month after the operation. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1989 Jul, 33(7), 1072 - 7 In vitro activities of a dual-action antibacterial agent, Ro 23-9424, and comparative agents; Beskid G et al.; The in vitro activity of the dual-action antibacterial agent Ro 23-9424 was compared with those of cefotaxime, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, fleroxacin, imipenem, and amikacin against 358 aerobes and anaerobes . The MIC ranges, MICs for 50 and 90% of the strains (MIC50s and MIC90s), and percentage of strains susceptible for each agent at the recommended susceptible MIC breakpoint were determined for each genus . The MIC90s (micrograms per milliliter) of the agents against members of the family Enterobacteriaceae were as follows: ciprofloxacin, 0.063; Ro 23-9424, fleroxacin, and imipenem, 0.5; ceftazidime, 2; amikacin, 4; and cefotaxime, 16 . The MIC90s (micrograms per milliliter) against Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter spp . were as follows: ciprofloxacin, 2; ceftazidime and imipenem, 8; Ro 23-9424, 16; fleroxacin, 32; amikacin, 64; and cefotaxime, 128 . Against gram-positive bacteria, excluding the enterococci, the MIC90s (micrograms per milliliter) were as follows: ciprofloxacin, 1; imipenem, 4; Ro 23-9424 and fleroxacin, 8; amikacin, 64; and ceftazidime and cefotaxime, greater than 128 . Against gram-positive bacteria, including the enterococci, the MIC90s changed only for the following agents: Ro 23-9424, 16 micrograms/ml; and amikacin, 128 micrograms/ml . Strains of Branhamella catarrhalis, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae were 100% susceptible to Ro 23-9424, cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, and fleroxacin, while the other three agents showed somewhat less activity only against N . gonorrhoeae . Against anaerobes, imipenem was the most effective agent, while the activities of the other six agents were variable. Infection, 1989 Jul-Aug, 17(4), 272 - 4 In vitro activity of sulbactam plus ampicillin against hospital isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci and Acinetobacter species; Frank U et al.; The antimicrobial susceptibility of 54 recent clinical isolates of coagulase-negative slime- and non-slime-producing staphylococci and 52 Acinetobacter spp . to sulbactam, ampicillin and the combination of both drugs with a 1:1 ratio was studied by means of an agar dilution test . The coagulase-negative staphylococci showed resistance against sulbactam alone, whereas ampicillin as a single agent was nearly as active as sulbactam plus ampicillin (mode of MIC and MBC 0.03 and 4 mg/l vs . 1 mg/l; geometric mean of MIC and MBC 0.38 and 0.56 vs . 0.26 and 0.38 mg/l, respectively) . Among slime-producing or non-slime-producing strains, there was no difference in the susceptibility against ampicillin alone compared to the sulbactam/ampicillin combination, with the exception of the higher MBC (mode: 4 mg/l) for slime-producing strains . Both ampicillin and the sulbactam/ampicillin combination were more active against non-slime-producing than slime-producing strains with modes of MIC and MBC of 0.03 vs . 1 or 4 mg/l . Acinetobacter spp . were susceptible to sulbactam alone (mode of MIC and MBC 1 mg/l; geometric mean of MIC and MBC 1.51 and 2.98, respectively), but resistant to ampicillin . However, the sulbactam/ampicillin combination was highly active against Acinetobacter spp . (mode of MIC and MBC 0.5 and 2 mg/l; geometric mean of MIC and MBC 0.74 and 2.08 mg/l, respectively). APMIS, 1989 Jul, 97(7), 595 - 605 Clinical strains of Acinetobacter classified by DNA-DNA hybridization; Tjernberg I et al.; A collection of Acinetobacter strains consisting of 168 consecutive clinical strains and 30 type and reference strains was studied by DNA-DNA hybridization and a few phenotypic tests . The field strains could be allotted to 13 DNA groups . By means of reference strains ten of these could be identified with groups described by Bouvet & Grimont (1986), while three groups were new; they were given the numbers 13-15 . The type strain of A . radioresistens--recently described by Nishimura et al . (1988)--was shown to be a member of DNA group 12, which comprised 31