Arch Dis Child, 1984 May, 59(5), 439 - 43 Neonatal group B streptococcal meningitis; Mulder CJ et al.; Bacteriological and clinical data on 68 children with neonatal group B streptococcal meningitis were analysed as part of a wider study of bacterial meningitis undertaken between 1976 and 1982 . Twenty five per cent of patients died and there was no difference in the mortality rate between early and late onset disease . Sixteen per cent of the infants weighed less than 2500 g at birth but in 50% no predisposing aetiological factor was found . Streptococcus agalactiae type III was isolated in 57% of the patients. J Dairy Res, 1984 May, 51(2), 239 - 49 Lipid composition of milks from cows with experimentally induced mastitis; Needs EC et al.; Changes in milk lipid composition were measured during the course of mastitis infections induced in cows by infusion of either Escherichia coli endotoxin or Streptococcus agalactiae into 2 quarters of the udder; untreated quarters were used as controls . Experiments were divided into 3 distinct phases: a pre infusion period during which several samples were collected before infusion; a post infusion period following infusion and corresponding to the occurrence of elevated cell counts in milk from infused quarters; a recovery period followed after a short pause and represented the return of the cell count in milk from infused quarters to the level in the corresponding controls . Milk total fatty acid composition was unaffected by the infusion . Free fatty acid (FFA) composition did, however, undergo some alteration . There was a significant increase in long-chain saturated acids in milk from infused quarters relative to the corresponding controls during the post infusion period . FFA concentration (mequiv./100 g fat) also increased significantly during this period although the net increase was only slight . Phospholipid and cholesterol concentrations were significantly higher post infusion in milk of infused quarters . The results suggest that changes in concentration and composition of those milk constituents synthesized and secreted by the mammary epithelium occur after secretion in the alveolar lumen and milk ducts. Infect Immun, 1984 May, 44(2), 287 - 91 Optimization of an hydroxyapatite adhesion assay for Streptococcus sanguis; Eifert R et al.; Previous studies have compared the adhesion of {3H}thymidine-labeled Streptococcus sanguis to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite (SHA) and buffer-coated hydroxyapatite (HA) beads . Although the hypotonic buffer used in these assays was adjusted to simulate saliva, it does not necessarily provide the optimal parameters for the quantitative estimate of adhesion under in vitro conditions . Optimization is necessary to provide the maximum sensitivity of the assay for detecting the effects of various salivas as well as for quantitating the effect of environmental growth conditions on the adhesion of S . sanguis to SHA and HA . A major distinction between the adhesion of S . sanguis to SHA and HA was observed when the bacterial concentration was varied . At high cell concentrations, the number of cells adhering to SHA was twice the number adhering to HA . Such differences were not detected at low cell concentrations . The optimal pH for the adsorption to both SHA and HA was 6 . Changes in the ionic strength or addition of mono- or divalent cations found in saliva had little effect on adhesion to HA . In contrast, high concentrations of monovalent cations inhibited adhesion to SHA . Anions such as carbonate, chloride, and sulfate did not have specific effects on adhesion, whereas acetate inhibited adhesion to both SHA and HA . Fluoride inhibited adhesion to both SHA and HA, suggesting an interaction between fluoride and hydroxyapatite . These results indicated that 2 mM phosphate buffer at a pH of 6 containing 5 mM KCl and 1 mM CaCl2 was the optimal buffer for studying the in vitro adhesion of S . sanguis to SHA. J Immunol, 1984 May, 132(5), 2174 - 6 Phosphorylcholine on Streptococcus pneumoniae R36a is responsible for in vitro polyclonal antibody secretion by human peripheral blood lymphocytes; Beckmann E et al.; We have shown that Pc on the C-polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae R36a is responsible for polyclonal PFC responses induced in vitro by this bacterium in humans . R36a grown in media containing EA instead of CL, and therefore having phosphorylethanolamine instead of Pc in their C-polysaccharide, were unable to induce substantial PFC responses . When EA-substituted bacteria were chemically conjugated with Pc, their ability to induce polyclonal PFC was restored . Specific removal of Pc from the surface of the bacteria by the use PLC also resulted in abrogation of the polyclonal antibody response . These data are consistent with our hypothesis that polyclonal activation resulting from R36a stimulation may be mediated by a recently described Pc-binding receptor that is distributed on the surface of a subpopulation of B lymphocytes in humans and mice. Plasmid, 1984 May, 11(3), 260 - 3 Two plasmid-determined restriction and modification systems in Streptococcus lactis; Chopin A et al.; Two restriction and modification systems were found in Streptococcus lactis strain IL594 which was found to contain 9 plasmids designated pIL1 to pIL9 . On the basis of protoplast-induced curing experiments, we showed that a restriction and modification system was related to the presence of pIL6 or pIL7 . The pIL6-determined restriction and modification system was confirmed by cotransfer of the plasmid and of the restriction and modification system to a plasmid-free, nonrestricting, and nonmodifying derivative of S . lactis IL594. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1984 Apr 27, 786(1-2), 42 - 8 The origin and composition of multiple forms of dextransucrase from Streptococcus sanguis; Grahame DA et al.; Multiple forms of purified dextransucrase have been observed in the presence of low detergent concentrations ( Luzio , G.A., Grahame , D . A . and Mayer, R.M . (1982) Arch . Biochem . Biophys . 216, 751-757) . We now show these forms to arise partly as a result of proteolysis, and partly due to incomplete dissociation of the enzyme . Upon 25 degrees C incubation of the crude enzyme, several new bands appeared with little or no change in total activity . The electrophoretic pattern of aged, crude enzyme was similar to that of partially purified enzyme . Specific detection of dextransucrase on SDS gels revealed a single polypeptide of 174 kDa, which is converted to a 156 kDa protein during the aging process . The observation indicates the occurrence of proteolysis . The polypeptide composition of several of the enzyme forms was determined by two-dimensional electrophoresis . Forms Ia and IIa are composed exclusively of 174 kDa polypeptides . Forms III and IVa consist of 156 kDa units, as does the newly observed form Ic . It is likely that form Ib contains both 174 and 156 kDa polypeptides . The results indicate that incomplete dissociation of aggregates of the 174 kDa unit accounts for all of the bands observed on native gels run on fresh culture extracts . Additional enzyme forms result from aggregation of the 156 kDa proteolysis product alone, and from aggregation with unproteolyzed units to form hybrid aggregates. Carbohydr Res, 1984 Apr 15, 127(2), 253 - 66 Inter-serotype comparison of polysaccharides produced by extracellular enzymes from Streptococcus mutans; Yakushiji T et al.; The biochemical and morphological characteristics of polysaccharides synthesized from sucrose by extracellular enzymes from D-glucose-grown Streptococcus mutans representing serotypes a-g were compared . The polysaccharides synthesized by the enzymes from serotypes a, d, and g formed visible aggregates and firmly adhered to glass surfaces, whereas those formed by the enzymes from serotypes b, c, e, and f floated homogeneously and were poorly adherent . The enzymes of serotypes a, d, and g produced large amounts of water-insoluble polysaccharides (IPs, D-glucans), and those of serotypes b, c, e, and f water-soluble polysaccharides (SPs, D-glucans and D- fructans ) . As compared with the IPs of serotypes b, c, e, and f, the IPs of serotypes a, d, and g (a) contained a higher proportion of (1----3)-alpha-D-glucosidic linkages and alpha-D-(1----3,6) branch linkages; (b) showed higher susceptibility to (1----3)-alpha-D-glucanase (serotype a excepted) and lower (1----6)-alpha-D-glucanase sensitivity; (c) contained larger amounts of high-molecular-weight fractions; (d) showed higher intrinsic viscosities (serotype b excepted); and (e) had lower S . mutans cell-agglutination activities . On electron-microscope observation, the IPs of all serotypes showed two fibrillar components; a double-stranded fibril, with short, fluffy protrusions extending out of its periphery, and a fine, single-stranded fibril . Thus, the serotypes could be divided into two major groups: a, d, and g; and b, c, e, and f . No similar grouping of serotypes was indicated by the chemical and morphological properties of SPs. N Engl J Med, 1984 Apr 12, 310(15), 982 - 4 Acute respiratory infections in children . A global public-health problem; Chretien J et al.; PIP: Accurate prevalence and incidence figures do not exist on a global basis, yet available data suggest that acute respiratory infections in children represent a problem of enormous magnitude . World Health Organization (WHO) data from 88 countries representing 1/4 of the world's population indicate that there are over 666,000 deaths annual from acute respiratory infections . Assuming that nonreporting countries have similar mortality rates, it can be calculated that there are at least 2.2 million deaths from acute respiratory infections throughout the world each year . Despite the enormity of the problem, relatively little is known about the factors that contribute to these deaths in children or adults, or about the extent to which they are due to unusual severity of the disease, lack of access to the health care system, and institutional or social factors . The causative agents are unknown . More knowledge is needed to mount an effective program for the prevention and treatment of acute respiratory infections . In Costa Rica mortality from this disease is 12 times higher in malnourished infants than in those of normal weight . Data from Papua, New Guinea indicate that Streptococcus pneumoniae and Hemophilus influenzae are common etiologic agents . More data of this kind are needed from different countries . Also needed is information on the availability and use of adequate medical care . People in developed countries run a greater risk of dying from lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases than do people in developing countries, but the chances of dying from acute respiratory infections generally exceed those of dying from lung cancer or cardiovascular disease in the developing countries . When evaluating the seriousness of a public health problem it is important to consider the number of years of life that have been lost as well as morbidity and mortality . If there are 2.2 million deaths in the world from acute respiratory infections in children under the age of 1 year, then each year there are almost 200 million death years lost because of acute respiratory infections in the world . Thus, on a global scale acute respiratory infections represent a public health problem of greater magnitude than either heart disease or cancer . The fact that the annual WHO budget for heart disease is at least 50 times higher than the budget for all forms of respiratory disease represents seriously misplaced priorities . Properly organized research programs into the etiologic agents involved in acute respiratory infection, together with data collection on other contributing factors, are required so that effective prevention and treatment programs can be initiated . Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1984 Apr, 25(4), 527 - 8 Infection caused by vancomycin-resistant Streptococcus sanguis II; Shlaes DM et al.; A patient with bacteremia caused by vancomycin-resistant Streptococcus sanguis II is presented . This rare occurrence suggests that vancomycin may not be a completely reliable antibiotic in the treatment of infections due to viridans species of the genus Streptococcus . Gram-positive isolates from blood and otherwise sterile body fluids should be tested for susceptibility to vancomycin. Acta Pathol Microbiol Immunol Scand {B}, 1984 Apr, 92(2), 89 - 92 Evidence for presence of a xylitol phosphotransferase system in Streptococcus mutans OMZ 176; Assev S et al.; A cariogenic bacterial strain, Streptococcus mutans OMZ 176, was found to be able to take up xylitol by a phosphotransferase system (pts) in spite of lack of ability to catabolize this pentitol . A metabolite with an Rf value in TLC similar to xylitol 5-phosphate was extracted from resting cells which had been exposed to 14C xylitol . Phosphatase treatment of this metabolite yielded xylitol . It is suggested that the inhibition of growth of Strep . mutans observed in several laboratories can be explained in terms of accumulation of xylitol phosphate (presumably xylitol 5-phosphate) inside the cells . It is furthermore suggested that xylitol is transported and phosphorylated through the fructose pts. Eur J Clin Microbiol, 1984 Apr, 3(2), 141 - 3 Six cases of acute appendicitis with secondary peritonitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae; Heltberg O et al.; In six previously healthy children and adults with typical acute appendicitis, Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from peritoneal swabs or periappendicular pus in pure culture (four patients) or together with intestinal flora . Pneumococci recovered by abdominal paracentesis are not pathognomonic of socalled primary or spontaneous peritonitis. Eur J Clin Microbiol, 1984 Apr, 3(2), 131 - 5 Efficacy of continuous versus intermittent administration of penicillin G in Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia in normal and immunodeficient rats; Bakker-Woudenberg IA et al.; An experimental Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia was used to study the influence of continuous versus intermittent administration of penicillin G on therapeutic efficacy in normal rats and in rats whose phagocytic capacities were impaired by decomplementation with cobra venom factor . Response to antibiotic treatment was evaluated with respect to numbers of bacteria in left lung, blood and pleural fluid . Penicillin treatment was started 36 h after bacterial inoculation, and continued for four days . With intermittent intramuscular administration of penicillin normal rats were cured after daily doses of 4 mg/kg at 12 h intervals, whereas decomplemented rats recovered only after daily doses of 100 or 102 mg/kg at 12 h or 8 h intervals, respectively . When penicillin was administered by way of continuous infusion, daily doses of 3.5 mg/kg were required for a cure of infections in both normal rats and in decomplemented rats . This treatment resulted in a constant level of 0.05 micrograms of penicillin per ml, which was slightly above the minimum bactericidal concentration for the infecting strain . These findings show that maintenance of bactericidal levels of penicillin were particularly important in curing severe infection in rats with impaired defense. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1984 Apr, 47(4), 724 - 30 Isolation and identification of adherent epimural bacteria during succession in young lambs; Mueller RE et al.; Successive changes in aerobic and anaerobic bacterial counts and changes in the generic composition of the epimural community in lambs from 1 to 10 weeks were determined . Bacterial culture counts revealed a predominantly anaerobic community, with the mean anaerobic count being 1.4 X 10(7) CFU/cm2 of tissue surface . The aerobic count was highest at 1 week of age and declined significantly thereafter to a mean of 1.8 X 10(4) CFU/cm2, thus representing only 0.13% of the mean anaerobic count after week 1 . Of the 345 strains isolated anaerobically at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks of age, 47, 32, 12, 32, 2, and 5% were capable of growth in a partially reduced medium, indicating a reduction in the number of facultative anaerobes with time . The majority of isolated strains were identified as belonging to genera commonly isolated from rumen contents . In some instances, however, strains did not correspond to previously described species, and some genera were present in proportions different from those expected in rumen fluid . At three of the sampling times, one genus was dominant, constituting 45 to 55% of the isolates . These dominant isolates were Streptococcus bovis, Bacteroides sp., and an anaerobic Streptococcus sp . for weeks 1, 2, and 10, respectively . During the transition period (weeks 4 to 8), two or more groups were codominant. Ann Ophthalmol, 1984 Apr, 16(4), 392 - 6 Suppurative interstitial ring keratitis due to streptococcus; Liesegang TJ et al.; Three cases of interstitial ring abscess of the cornea caused by different strains of streptococcus are described . These infections occurred in three different clinical settings: after penetrating trauma at the limbus, after a cataract operation, and in conjunction with keratoconjunctivitis sicca . The acute appearance of a light, interstitial ring not extending to the limbus in the post-traumatized eye should alert the clinician to the possibility that a streptococcus may be responsible . The ring frequently progresses rapidly to a total ring abscess with intraocular extension . The outcome was poor in all three patients. Am J Gastroenterol, 1984 Apr, 79(4), 287 - 90 Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis in two patients with peritoneovenous shunts; Camara DS et al.; We report two patients with cirrhosis and peritoneovenous shunts (LeVeen) in whom fatal Streptococcus pneumoniae sepsis and meningitis developed 10 months and 22 days, respectively, after insertion of the shunts . The association between pneumococcal bacteremia and meningitis is well established . The potential implications of a LeVeen shunt in increasing risk for meningitis are discussed. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg, 1984 Apr, 87(4), 493 - 502 Favorable ten-year experience with valve procedures for active infective endocarditis; Nelson RJ et al.; We have reviewed our 1972 to 1982 experience with valve procedures for infective endocarditis in 52 consecutive patients to evaluate the results of an interdisciplinary policy of early operation for uncontrolled complications . There were 47 patients with native valve endocarditis and five with prosthetic valve endocarditis . Twenty-seven were drug addicts and 25 were not . Thirty-seven (71%) required operation during the active phase of the disease and 15 during the inactive phase . Ninety-three percent of the addicts, 41% of the nonaddicts, and all patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis were in the active group . The distribution of infected valves was as follows: aortic, 21 active and 10 inactive; mitral, six active and three inactive; aortic and mitral, five active and two inactive; aortic and tricuspid, one active and none inactive; and tricuspid, four active and none inactive . Streptococcus was the most common infecting organism in both groups--predominantly group D in addicts and non-D in nonaddicts . Staphylococcus, gram-negative rods, and fungi occurred only in the active group . Indications for operation were congestive heart failure alone (19 active and 15 inactive), congestive heart failure and refractory infection or major emboli (nine active and none inactive), and resistant or refractory infection alone or with emboli (nine active and none inactive) . Periannular abscess or aneurysm formation was most frequent at the aortic valve site in patients with native valve endocarditis; it occurred in 13 of 25 patients (52%) in the active group and in one of 12 patients (8%) in the inactive group . Six patients with preoperative stroke syndromes underwent operation without neurological deterioration; two patients had rupture of cerebral mycotic aneurysms postoperatively . Hospital mortality was 8% (3/7) in the active group and 0% in the inactive group . The late actuarial survival rate was 64% at 5 years and 54% at 10 years . Seven of nine deaths in the addict group were related to continued drug use, with five deaths occurring in the first 18 months . These results support a policy of early operation for uncontrolled complications with attention to the particular problems of active endocarditis. J Med Microbiol, 1984 Apr, 17(2), 189 - 99 M-associated protein antibodies in patients with rheumatic fever; Martin DR et al.; Sequential serum samples obtained from 50 rheumatic fever subjects and from control individuals matched for time, age and geographical location were tested for antibodies against the M-associated protein antigens, MAP I and MAP II . Antibody titres were determined by the complement fixation test with a partially-purified extract of Streptococcus pyogenes serotype M30 as the MAP I antigen and an acid extract of serotype M48 as the MAP II antigen . Titres of MAP I antibody exceeded those of MAP II antibody in all but six rheumatic fever subjects . Anti-MAP I titres in excess of 40 were significantly more common in rheumatic fever subjects than in matched controls (p less than 0.001) or matched subjects with a diagnosis of acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (p less than 0.01) . Peak MAP I titres were present at the time of admission to hospital in the sera of 40 of the 50 rheumatic fever subjects . In the remainder peak titres occurred within 10 days . Antibody titres were maintained for a mean of 10.3 weeks before declining . Changes in MAP antibody titres were independent of changes in antistreptolysin O and anti-DNAase B titres . Normal children aged between 6 and 15 had higher MAP antibody titres than 2-5-year-old children . Rheumatic fever subjects had significantly higher mean titres of MAP I antibody than matched controls in each age group. Infect Immun, 1984 Apr, 44(1), 68 - 75 Biochemical and immunological differences between hydrophobic and hydrophilic strains of Streptococcus mutans; McBride BC et al.; Hydrophobic strains of Streptococcus mutans were compared with paired variants showing reduced hydrophobicity . Extracts of hydrophobic cells contained a number of high-molecular-weight proteins which were not present on cells with decreased hydrophobicity . The proteins were found in purified cell walls, suggesting that they are located on the bacterial surface . Trypsin treatment of whole cells destroyed the proteins and reduced the hydrophobicity . Chemical analysis did not reveal any marked differences in the proportion of cell wall constituents . The amino acid compositions and lipoteichoic acid contents of hydrophobic and hydrophilic cell walls were similar . Culture supernatants from the hydrophilic variants contained high-molecular-weight proteins similar to those extracted from the cell walls of the hydrophobic parent strains, indicating that the variants were impaired in their ability to incorporate the hydrophobicity-associated proteins into the cell wall . The dominant protein had a molecular weight of 190,000, similar to that of antigen I/II (B) of S . mutans. Infect Immun, 1984 Apr, 44(1), 141 - 4 Isolation of a Streptococcus mutans strain producing a novel bacteriocin; Hillman JD et al.; A strain of Streptococcus mutans has been isolated that produces a bacteriocin with novel properties . Its antibiotic spectrum includes 123 of 124 strains of S . mutans tested and a variety of other gram-positive microorganisms . Experiments with dialysis membranes indicate that the molecular weight of the bacteriocin is less than 1,000 . Mutants of the producer strain were obtained that are deficient in bacteriocin production or produce twofold elevated amounts . The ability of these strains to superinfect or preemptively colonize the oral cavities of rats correlated with the amount of bacteriocin they produced. J Infect Dis, 1984 Apr, 149(4), 575 - 83 The postantibiotic effect in the treatment of experimental meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in rabbits; Tauber MG et al.; The relevance of a postantibiotic effect in the treatment of pneumococcal meningitis was evaluated in a rabbit model . After administration of a single intravenous bolus of ampicillin at various dosages, such an effect was observed in all animals . The duration of this effect in vivo (2.5-18 hr) was consistently longer than that in vitro (1-4.3 hr); however, in rabbits the postantibiotic effect was eliminated by the administration of intravenous plus intracisternal beta-lactamase . In an assessment of the potential therapeutic benefit of the postantibiotic effect, the efficacy to two regimens of treatment with different intervals between doses was compared . One group of animals received ampicillin every 4 hr and another every 12 hr . With sufficiently high doses, drug concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid exceeded the minimal bactericidal concentration for most of the 4-hr interval but for only about one-third of the 12-hr interval . The rate of cure was similar for the two regimens and approximated 100% when peak drug concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid exceeded the minimal bactericidal concentration by at least 10-fold. Acta Odontol Scand, 1984 Apr, 42(2), 93 - 8 The alkaline and antibacterial effect of seven Ca(OH)2 liners in vitro; Forsten L et al.; The alkaline effect of seven Ca(OH)2 liners was studied, using extractions with unbuffered 0.9% NaCl solutions and buffered bacterial growth media . The antibacterial effect was studied by cultivating Streptococcus mutans in the presence of liner specimens . All liners made the NaCl solutions strongly alkaline (pH greater than 10), although MPC and Reolite released much less Ca than did Dycal, Life, Procal, Renew, and Reocap-E . The weaker alkaline effect of MPC and Reolite was shown by the extractions with the growth media . Consequently, these two liners were not able to prevent the growth of Str . mutans . No growth was observed in the presence of the other five liners, and the media remained alkaline during the 12-h incubation period . Regrowth of the bacteria grown in the presence of these effective liners showed that only Dycal could be considered bactericidal, whereas the four other liners acted bacteriostatically. Infect Control, 1984 Apr, 5(4), 170 - 2 A potential infection hazard associated with the use of disposable saline vials; Rutala WA et al.; Nosocomial respiratory tract infections have occasionally been associated with contaminated respiratory therapy devices and techniques . In the past two years, our hospital purchased disposable saline squeeze vials for use during suctioning of intubated patients . These vials have a cap which must be flipped or twisted-off by the user before the contents can be instilled into the patient's respiratory tract . We observed use of this item in our intensive care units (ICU) and studied the potential for contamination . ICU nurses use ungloved hand(s) to flip or twist-off squeeze vial cups resulting in skin contact with the vial opening . Cultures of nurses' hands and squeeze vial contents were obtained in the ICU where 24 nurses opened 92 vials in the manner previously described . Twenty-three percent of vial contents were contaminated and cultures revealed S . epidermidis, S . aureus, Streptococcus viridans and enterococcus . On six occasions, organisms recovered from vial contents were believed to be identical to organisms isolated from the hands of the nurse who opened the vial . When nurses used care in removing the saline vial cap, cultures of vial contents were sterile. J Immunogenet, 1984 Apr, 11(2), 159 - 63 Two unlinked genetic loci interact to control the human immune response to type III group B streptococcal antigen; Pandey JP et al.; Serum samples were collected from 30 healthy adult Caucasian volunteers before and after immunization with native type III polysaccharide of group B streptococcus . Serum antibody to this polysaccharide was measured and sera were typed for several Gm and Km(1) allotypes . A significant interactive effect of Gm(23) and Km(1) was found on immune responsiveness to native type III group B streptococcus polysaccharide antigen. Can J Biochem Cell Biol, 1984 Apr, 62(4), 151 - 61 The specific capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 15A (American type 30); Caroff M et al.; The specific capsular polysaccharide of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 15A (American type 30) is composed of D-galactose (three parts), D-glucose (one part), 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose (one part), phosphate (one part), and glycerol (one part) . Hydrolysis, periodate oxidation, methylation, optical rotation, and nuclear magnetic resonance studies showed that the polysaccharide is a high molecular weight linear polymer of a pentasaccharide repeating unit having the structure: (formula: see text) Infect Immun, 1984 Apr, 44(1), 124 - 9 Type-specific capsular antigen is associated with virulence in late-onset group B Streptococcal type III disease; Klegerman ME et al.; Strain differences have been postulated to explain the observation that group B Streptococcus type III (GBS III) late-onset disease occurs in only a fraction of colonized infants . To determine the distribution of type-specific polysaccharide antigen (Ag) in GBS III, Ag was measured by rocket immunoelectrophoresis in both supernatant fluids and EDTA extracts and by radial immunodiffusion in multiple HCl extracts of the pellet from cultures of 10 strains of GBS III . Capsular Ag was defined as the sum of Ag in EDTA extracts + Ag in multiple HCl extracts . Both Ag in EDTA extracts and Ag in supernatant fluids correlated with capsular Ag (r = 0.94) . GBS III strains were obtained from the blood of 19 infants with late-onset sepsis, from the cerebrospinal fluid or blood of 22 infants with late-onset meningitis, and from mucosal surfaces of both 18 infants and 12 mothers of infants with low levels of type-specific antibody and asymptomatic colonization . Mean values of Ag in supernatant fluids in strains from infants with late-onset sepsis (1.50 +/- 0.08 micrograms/ml) and late-onset meningitis (1.67 +/- 0.09 micrograms/ml) were significantly greater than those in asymptomatic colonization strains (1.14 +/- 0.05 micrograms/ml; P less than 0.001) . The number of organisms required for a 50% lethal dose in the chick embryo, determined in 29 strains, was inversely related to Ag in supernatant fluids (r = -0.60) . The demonstration that the quantity of capsular Ag produced by GBS III strains is related to their virulence in chick embryos and to their invasiveness in susceptible infants supports the hypothesis that Ag is a virulence factor in humans. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol, 1984 Apr, 17(1), 29 - 32 Group B streptococcus amnionitis with intact membranes associated with quintuplet delivery; Neri A et al.; Chorioamnionitis is a frequent cause of premature labour and delivery, as well as of maternal and neonatal mortality . Group B streptococcus (GBS) has emerged over the past decade as a common pathogen in the etiology of neonatal sepsis . The case of chorioamnionitis reported here is unusual for three reasons: the premature labour was associated with intact membrane and amniotic fluid infected with GBS; all 5 infants were contaminated with GBS and all infants survived . Chorioamniotitis with intact membranes raises some questions regarding the antepartum use of steroids (potent anti-inflammatory agents), etc . The likelihood of chorioamnionitis in spite of cervical mucus, intact membranes, and the bacteriostatic activity of the amniotic fluid should alert the obstetrician to take special precautions, such as weekly vaginal cultures and appropriate vaginal antimicrobial treatment, in cases of imminent premature delivery. Scand J Dent Res, 1984 Apr, 92(2), 127 - 33 Slide-scoring method for estimation of Streptococcus mutans levels in saliva; Alaluusua S et al.; A method was developed to facilitate the estimation of S . mutans levels in saliva . Paraffin-stimulated saliva was poured on a special slide coated with mitis-salivarius-sucrose agar . Two discs containing bacitracin (5 micrograms) were placed on the inoculated slide and the growth density of S . mutans around the bacitracin discs was scored after incubation in candle jars at 37 degrees C for 48 h . The obtained score values correlated well with the numbers of CFU of S . mutans per 1 ml of saliva estimated by a conventional method using mitis-salivarius-bacitracin agar . The experimental method was further tested by incubating the slides in an atmosphere created by CO2-generating tables that were placed into the cover tubes of the slides . These score values were similar to those after conventional incubation . The method is suggested for epidemiologic studies and in selecting persons at high risk for caries and in controlling the effectiveness of prophylactic measures of these patients. J Clin Microbiol, 1984 Apr, 19(4), 550 - 1 Detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae in lower respiratory tract specimens by anaerobic culture technique; Baesman RK et al.; The relative efficacy of aerobic and anaerobic culture techniques for the recovery of Streptococcus pneumoniae from 1,173 lower respiratory tract specimens was determined . Unlike previous studies, this investigation found no significant difference between the two techniques. J Clin Microbiol, 1984 Apr, 19(4), 457 - 9 Rapid detection of group B streptococcal antigen by monoclonal antibody sandwich enzyme assay; Morrow DL et al.; Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the most common cause of neonatal sepsis and meningitis . Infants at greatest risk to develop invasive disease are delivered to women colonized with GBS in their birth canals and lacking immunity to the colonizing serotype . We have investigated the sensitivity and specificity of a recently developed monoclonal antibody sandwich enzyme immunoassay for detection of GBS antigen . The sandwich enzyme immunoassay detected types II and III GBS at a concentration of 5 X 10(4) CFU/ml and types Ia and Ib GBS at 5 X 10(5) CFU/ml . No cross-reactions were noted when each of the GBS serotypes was reacted with antibodies of differing serotypes specificities . Type III GBS native antigen was detected at a concentration of 1 ng/ml . The sandwich enzyme assay is more sensitive than other methods currently in use for rapid detection of GBS and is serotype specific . This assay system should prove useful for the detection of GBS colonization during labor and for identification of neonates with invasive disease. Infect Immun, 1984 Apr, 44(1), 33 - 7 Degradation of human immunoglobulins by proteases from Streptococcus pneumoniae obtained from various human sources; Wikstrom MB et al.; The ability of Streptococcus pneumoniae to degrade human secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA), IgG, and IgM was tested in 102 strains by use of the thin-layer enzyme assay cultivation technique . The strains were isolated from patients with acute phases of otitis media, meningitis, and pneumonia as well as from symptomless carriers . An ability to degrade S-IgA, IgG, and IgM was revealed in 50, 84, and 96 strains, respectively . An IgG- and IgM-degrading ability of S . pneumoniae has not previously been reported . A concurrent degradation of the three immunoglobulins was revealed in 38 strains; degradation of two of them was revealed in 54 strains, and degradation of only one of them was revealed in 9 strains . One strain failed to degrade any of the immunoglobulins . Correlations were not found between the ability of the S . pneumoniae strains to degrade S-IgA, IgG, or IgM and the serotype affiliation or between the ability to degrade IgG or IgM and the origin of strains . However, the ability to degrade S-IgA was evident more often in strains isolated from symptomless carriers and from bronchial secretions of patients with acute pneumonia than it was in strains from patients with acute meningitis or acute otitis media or from the blood of patients with acute pneumonia . These latter findings may indicate a biological significance of S-IgA-degrading ability in bacterial colonization of mucosal surfaces. J Infect Dis, 1984 Apr, 149(4), 568 - 74 Antibacterial activity of beta-lactam antibiotics in experimental meningitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae; Tauber MG et al.; In order to define the characteristics of the antibacterial activity of beta-lactam antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial meningitis, the relationship between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drug concentrations and the rate of bacterial killing was investigated for penicillin G and four new cephalosporins in an animal model of meningitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae . All five drugs showed a significant correlation between increasing drug concentrations in CSF and increasing bactericidal rates . Minimal activity was observed in CSF at drug concentrations of approximately the broth minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) . Maximal activity occurred with CSF concentrations 10-30 times higher . In vitro tests did not reproduce the unique correlation of increasing drug concentrations and killing activity found in vivo . When evaluating new beta-lactam antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial meningitis, it is reasonable to establish a minimum standard of CSF drug concentrations of greater than or equal to 30 times the MBC against the infecting organism. Blood, 1984 Apr, 63(4), 949 - 57 Defective binding of the third component of complement (C3) to Streptococcus pneumoniae in multiple myeloma; Cheson BD et al.; Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) are at an increased risk for infections with bacteria that require opsonization with complement . Because Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most frequently encountered pathogen in these patients, we investigated the ability of serum from patients with MM to mediate the binding of C3b, the major opsonin of the complement system, to S . pneumoniae . S . pneumoniae types 3, 14, and 25 were chosen for study, since S . pneumoniae type 3 activates primarily the classical complement pathway (CCP), type 25 primarily the alternative complement pathway (ACP), and type 14 both pathways . S . pneumoniae were treated with normal serum or serum from 17 patients with MM, and the bound C3b was quantified with fluorescein-conjugated anti-C3 in a spectrophotofluorometric assay . Despite normal or elevated serum concentrations of C3, total hemolytic complement, and C-reactive protein in all of the MM sera, factor B in 16/17 such sera, and C4 in 14/17 MM sera studied, all 17 sera demonstrated a defect in C3b binding to type 3 (32.7% +/- 6% of normal) . In addition, serum from 15/17 patients bound decreased amounts of C3b to types 14 (39.6% +/- 8%) and 25 (52.2% +/- 8%) . Mixing normal serum with MM serum restored MM C3b binding activity to all three S . pneumoniae types, suggesting that the defect was related to a deficiency rather than an inhibitor of C3 activation . Although MM patients are unable to produce specific antibodies to bacterial antigens, the addition of anti-S . pneumoniae antibodies to MM serum did not enhance C3b binding to any of the S . pneumoniae types . However, when S . pneumoniae were opsonized in a mixture of MM serum and C3-depleted normal serum, C3b binding was restored to all three S . pneumoniae types, demonstrating that MM C3 functions normally in the presence of other normal serum factors . In the present studies, the MM C3b binding defect appeared to correlate with the incidence of S . pneumoniae infections . Serum from patients with a history of an S . pneumoniae infection bound significantly less C3 (20.5% +/- 4%) than those study patients without a history of an S . pneumoniae infection (55.8% +/- 8%) (p less than 0.0025) . Thus, MM serum has a defect in the activation of C3, and this may contribute to the increased susceptibility of MM patients to S . pneumoniae infections. Infect Immun, 1984 Apr, 44(1), 76 - 81 Characterization of polysaccharide antigens of Streptococcus mutans B13 grown under various conditions; Linzer R et al.; Bacteria may respond to changes in their environment by varying the synthesis of surface components . This study examined the effects of various culture conditions on two wall polysaccharides of Streptococcus mutans B13 (serotype d): serotype d antigen, a galactose-glucose polymer, and RGP antigen, a rhamnose-glucose polymer . Cells were grown in a chemostat at various dilution rates (D) and pH values, including D = 0.05, 0.1, and 0.5 h-1 at pH 6.0 and D = 0.1 h-1 at pH 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, and 7.5 . The cells were examined for protein and carbohydrate content by colorimetric assays and gas-liquid chromatography . Rantz-Randall extracts (120 degrees C, 30 min) and M-1 N-acetylmuramidase digests were prepared and examined for the presence of specific antigens by agar gel diffusion and quantitative precipitation assays . Cell preparations did not vary significantly with respect to total protein or carbohydrate content; however, cells grown at D = 0.1 h-1 and pH 7.5 had a significantly higher rhamnose content than did the other preparations . Rapidly growing cultures appeared to be more resistant to M-1 N-acetylmuramidase digestion than did slower-growing cultures . Agar gel diffusion studies demonstrated that both serotype d and RGP antigens were present in all samples, although significantly less RGP antigen was noted in the pH 7.5 culture . These observations were confirmed by quantitative precipitation assays . M-1 N-acetylmuramidase digests of the pH 7.5 culture were lacking in RGP precipitation activity although RGP inhibition activity was demonstrated . The data suggest that the cell content of serotype d antigen was relatively constant under the growth conditions tested, whereas the synthesis of RGP antigen was modified under conditions of high pH. Am J Med, 1984 Mar 30, 76(3A), 155 - 60 Comparative anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa activity of chemically modified and native immunoglobulin G (human), and potentiation of antibiotic protection against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and group B Streptococcus in vivo; Collins MS et al.; Immunoglobulin G intravenous is prepared by controlled reduction and alkylation of approximately four interheavy chain disulfide bonds per molecule . To determine if the protective activity of antibody modified by this process is diminished, mice were treated with identical doses of reduced and alkylated IgG and native IgG prepared from the same plasma pool . Three hours later mice were given a 10 percent body surface burn followed by challenge with the seven Fisher-Devlin-Gnabasik immunotypes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Against five of the seven immunotypes, the 50 percent protective doses were approximately 100 mg or less per kg body weight . Overall there was no significant difference in protection afforded to the mice by the two immunoglobulin preparations indicating that in vivo the activity of IgG against P . aeruginosa remains unimpaired by reduction and alkylation . In the second part of this study, immunoglobulin G intravenous significantly enhanced the activity of tobramycin and carbenicillin in the treatment of P . aeruginosa infection in burned mice and of penicillin G in the treatment of group B Streptococcus 1C infection in normal mice. S Afr Med J, 1984 Mar 17, 65(11), 432 - 5 Pyogenic liver abscess caused by Streptococcus milleri . Case reports; Allison HF et al.; In recent years Streptococcus milleri has emerged as an important cause of pyogenic liver abscess . Whether this represents a changing epidemiological pattern or merely reflects the more widespread application of routine anaerobic bacterial culture techniques is unclear . The isolation of Strept . milleri on culture of a blood specimen from a patient presenting with a pyrexial illness should alert the clinician to the possibility of an underlying liver abscess . Although it is isolated anaerobically this organism should not be mistaken for an obligate anaerobe, especially since it is resistant to metronidazole . Two cases of primary pyogenic liver abscess caused by this organism are reported. Carbohydr Res, 1984 Mar 15, 126(2), 271 - 7 Structure of the capsular polysaccharide from Streptococcus pneumoniae type 23; Roy A et al.; The capsular polysaccharide from Streptococcus pneumoniae Type 23 (S-23) was found to contain D-galactose, D-glucose, L-rhamnose, glycerol, and phosphorus in the ratios of 1:1:2:0.6:1 . Methylation analysis provided information about the linkages of the different sugar units . The sequence of the different sugar residues was confirmed by Smith degradation . Oxidation of S-23 with chromium trioxide indicated that all of the sugar units have the beta configuration . The results suggest the following structure for the repeating unit . (formula; see text) Arch Inst Cardiol Mex, 1984 Mar-Apr, 54(2), 131 - 6 {Infectious endocarditis in children}; Zghaib A et al.; he recent advances in surgical treatment of congenital heart disease, permits the survival of those cases to adult life . Infective endocarditis in the childhood is becoming increasingly important . We studied 32 cases in the pediatric cardiology ward at the INC between 1977 and 1981 . There was a male predominance of 62.5% . Rheumatic heart disease (40.7%), congenital heart disease (15.6%) and postoperative cases (43.7%) were the underlying conditions . There was an average time of 43 days delay from the first symptom to diagnosis . Blood cultures were taken in 29 cases (90.6%) . Only half of them were positive . Staphylococcus and streptococcus were the commonest isolates . Peripheral and pulmonary embolism (11 cases-34.4%) were the most frequent complications . In those cases with negative blood culture the most successful antibiotic combination was ampicillin or oxacillin plus aminoglucosides (56%) . There were 17 deaths (53%). Pediatr Infect Dis, 1984 Mar-Apr, 3(2), 129 - 32 Relatively penicillin-resistant pneumococcal infections in pediatric patients; Jackson MA et al.; Two hundred fifty-eight isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae obtained from 232 infants and children at Children's Medical Center, Dallas, from November 1, 1981, to March 31, 1983, were screened for susceptibility to penicillin . On 1-microgram oxacillin disks 21 strains (8%) had zones of inhibition of 17 mm or less, and the tube-dilution minimal inhibitory concentrations of penicillin were from 0.125 to 0.5 micrograms/ml . These strains were designated as relatively resistant S . pneumoniae (RRSP) . Prior therapy with a beta-lactam agent had occurred in 56% of patients with RRSP disease compared with 14% of randomly selected children with infections due to susceptible strains of S . pneumoniae (P = 0.009) . Fifteen children (6%) had diseases due to RRSP ranging from sepsis or meningitis to otitis media or conjunctivitis . Four children, including the two patients with meningitis, had unsatisfactory responses to therapy with a beta-lactam antibiotic . Vancomycin or chloramphenicol is preferred for therapy of disease due to RRSP. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol, 1984 Mar, 7(1), 39 - 49 Pneumococcal antibodies and complement during and after periods of recurrent otitis; Prellner K et al.; Streptococcus pneumoniae frequently accounts for acute purulent otitis media (AOM) episodes . Recurrences are common and are most often caused by pneumococci of groups 6, 19 and 23 . In 15 two-year-old children with recurrent AOM ( rAOM ) complement (C) components and antibodies against various pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides were analyzed during the acute phase of an AOM episode and 6 years later . Comparison was made with findings in non-otitis-prone children of comparable age . In contrast to non-otitis-prone children, 60% of children with rAOM had no detectable IgG antibodies against the pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides 6A or 19F . Analysis of C1 subcomponent complexes together with the finding of relatively low C1q concentrations gave evidence of disturbed C1 function in the acute phase of rAOM . At the 6-year follow-up antibodies against all the investigated pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides had increased in most of the children, but low IgG antibodies to type 6A polysaccharide were still more frequently found in the former rAOM children than in non-otitis-prone children . The C profiles had normalized at follow-up . These findings indicate a reduced ability in rAOM children to respond adequately with IgG antibodies to pneumococcal types encountered in rAOM . The combination of low antibody concentrations and the interference with the complement system and efficient opsonization through classical pathway activation could possibly contribute to the development of rAOM . J Infect Dis, 1984 Mar, 149(3), 449 - 52 Serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from blood cultures at Boston City Hospital between 1979 and 1982; Barry MA et al.; Serotypes of pneumococci causing bacteremia were examined from January 1979 through December 1982 . Of the 271 isolates recorded, 52% were from adults and 48% were from children . The rate of pneumococcal bacteremia for adults was 2.67 cases per 1,000 admissions; rates were not calculated for pediatric patients . The six most common pediatric types or groups (14, 19, 18, 6, 4, and 9) accounted for 90% of the total pediatric isolates, and the six most common adult types or groups (12, 9, 8, 4, 3, and 6) made up 55.3% of the total adult isolates . More than 96% of the pneumococcal types isolated from the blood cultures of pediatric patients are present in the 14-valent pneumococcal vaccine, compared with 72.7% of the adult isolates . The results demonstrate that most cases of pneumococcal bacteremia are caused by capsular types or groups present in the current vaccine and that minor changes in the types of pneumococci causing bacteremia have occurred during the past decade. Am J Ophthalmol, 1984 Mar, 97(3), 337 - 43 Infectious crystalline keratopathy; Meisler DM et al.; In three patients (three men, 44, 67, and 83 years old) an unusual keratopathy characterized by white, branching, crystalline stromal opacities produced lesions that were insidious, that increased in size slowly, and that were clinically and histopathologically associated with little corneal inflammation . Intraocular inflammation eventually became evident in two of the patients . The keratopathy developed while the patients were using topical corticosteroids . In two cases, histopathologic studies disclosed accumulations of gram-positive cocci in the corneal stroma; a viridans streptococcus agent was isolated on culture . In one case, the viridans streptococcus was determined to be a dextran producer, which may have contributed to the pathogenesis of the keratopathy . Despite aggressive treatment with a variety of drugs, epithelial healing, and resolution of the corneal infiltrate, residual scarring persisted in two cases and neovascularization and graft edema in one case each. Am J Kidney Dis, 1984 Mar, 3(5), 371 - 9 Glomerulonephritis in bacterial endocarditis; Neugarten J et al.; For a modern assessment of the clinical and morphologic features of glomerulonephritis accompanying bacterial endocarditis, postmortem and renal biopsy files were reviewed for the years 1965 to 1979, a period of changing epidemiology, etiology, and therapeutic regimens in infective endocarditis . The incidence of glomerulonephritis in 107 patients examined at postmortem was 22.4%; focal glomerulonephritis was present in 8.4%, diffuse glomerulonephritis in 14% . Glomerulonephritis occurred as frequently in acute as in subacute bacterial endocarditis . Staphylococcus aureus, which has replaced Streptococcus viridans as the predominant etiology of fatal bacterial endocarditis, was frequently associated with glomerulonephritis, especially in parenteral drug abusers . Renal functional impairment due to focal glomerulonephritis did not necessitate dialysis or contribute to the death of any patient . Presentation with advanced renal insufficiency due to diffuse glomerulonephritis was associated with both failure of antibiotic therapy to eradicate infection and failure to recover renal function . In patients with diffuse glomerulonephritis and less severe impairment of renal function, antibiotic therapy was successful in achieving bacteriologic cure, and complete recovery of renal function occurred in the majority . Features of persistent glomerular disease were frequent in patients with diffuse glomerulonephritis long after bacteriologic cure of endocarditis. Infect Immun, 1984 Mar, 43(3), 817 - 21 Oral implantation in humans of Streptococcus mutans strains with different degrees of hydrophobicity; Svanberg M et al.; The more hydrophobic, rough-colony-forming, streptomycin-resistant Streptococcus mutans parent strains GW Smr and LK Smr and the less hydrophobic, smooth-colony-forming, streptomycin-resistant variant strains GW36 Smr and LK36 Smr were implanted in oral cavities . Strains GW Smr and LK Smr implanted significantly better than strains GW36 Smr and LK36 Smr . The hydrophobicity of and the colony morphology formed by the different S . mutans strains did not seem to be affected throughout the experiment. Infect Immun, 1984 Mar, 43(3), 1106 - 9 Transport of glucose and mannose by a common phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system in Streptococcus mutans GS5; Liberman ES et al.; Decryptified cells of Streptococcus mutans GS5 transport glucose, mannose, and fructose by constitutive phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase systems (PTSs) . Although the non-metabolizable glucose analog 2-deoxyglucose is transported by a PTS, alpha-methylglucose is not taken up by strain GS5 . The transport of {14C}mannose and {14C}glucose was almost totally blocked by the heterologous sugars, indicating that these substrates may share a common PTS permease . {14C}fructose transport, however, was not inhibited by large excesses of glucose, indicating the existence of a separate fructose PTS . All "tight" glucose PTS- mutant clones studied were also unable to transport mannose, whereas some "leaky" glucose PTS- clones also were leaky for mannose phosphorylation . Fructose transport in most of these mutant strains was unimpaired, indicating that genetic lesions did not involve soluble (cytoplasmic) PTS components. Infect Immun, 1984 Mar, 43(3), 1085 - 7 Activation of human complement by the pneumococcal toxin pneumolysin; Paton JC et al.; Highly purified pneumolysin (at a concentration of 10 micrograms/ml) caused significant activation of human complement, as measured by conversion of C3 . Complement activation in the presence of pneumolysin was not observed in sera chelated with a combination of Mg2+ and ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N-tetraacetic acid, and activation was only slight in C2-deficient sera . This suggests that the toxin is capable of activating the classical complement pathway . Treatment of normal human serum with pneumolysin also significantly reduced its opsonic activity for Streptococcus pneumoniae. J Gen Microbiol, 1984 Mar, 130 ( Pt 3), 483 - 94 The effect of D2O on the growth and transforming activities of Streptococcus pneumoniae; Butler LO et al.; After an initial period of growth in medium made up in D2O, most strains of pneumococcus tested dramatically lost viability, the extent of the loss depending on the strain and on the amount of contaminating H2O in the D2O . This was followed by a recovery period . Once a strain was 'adapted', the ability to grow in D2O-medium without cell death was inherited, even after passage through H2O-medium, indicating the selection of mutants . Cultures that had not reached 'full adaptation' also exhibited cell death if transferred into either D2O-medium or H2O-medium, supporting the conclusion that the presence of hydrogen and deuterium together caused the toxicity . 'Adapted' cells exhibited an increased mutation frequency to a variety of antibiotic resistances, the propensity for this appearing in the death phase of 'adaptation' . The specific transforming activity of DNA preparations from cultures undergoing 'adaptation' decreased before DNA synthesis ceased indicating damage to the DNA . The integration efficiency of a low-efficiency marker also dropped during 'adaptation' before returning to the initial value when measured in a Hex- recipient, but remained constant in a Hex+ recipient, suggesting that the Hex system may be involved in repair of the DNA damage . 'Adapted' organisms showed evidence of possessing higher Hex activity and were also able to repair lesions caused by UV-irradiation better than the wild-type. Antibiotiki, 1984 Mar, 29(3), 205 - 8 {Protoplast isolation from a nisin-forming culture of Streptococcus lactis strain MGU}; Baranova IP et al.; A procedure for protoplasts of Str . lactis producing nisin was developed . The following lysing factors were used for obtaining the protoplasts: lycozyme, LE enzyme, lysosubtilin and an enzyme isolated from the culture fluid A . levoris . The use of the above factors in different combinations provided an increase in the number of the formed protoplasts from 1-2 in the field of the microscope vision to 15-20, which amounted to 25 per cent of the total number of the cells visible under microscope. Br Heart J, 1984 Mar, 51(3), 263 - 6 Echocardiographic features of bioprosthetic valve endocarditis; Nagata S et al.; Abnormal echocardiographic findings in seven cases of bioprosthetic valve endocarditis were confirmed in six at operation . The echocardiograms showed three cases with thickening and increased echo intensity (group 1) and four (group 2) in which vegetations were seen initially without either of the two features in group 1 . Two patients in group 1 had vegetations, the causative organism being a streptococcus . Staphylococcus epidermidis was the causative organism in three of the four cases in group 2; in two of these rapidly growing vegetations were detected . The large vegetations obstructed the ostium of the bioprosthetic valve . Thus if vegetations are detected in cases in which staphylococci are the causative bacteria surgery should be performed as soon as possible . In patients who develop a fever after bioprosthetic valve replacement and especially in those with evident bacteraemia echocardiography should be repeated frequently so that lesions may be detected early. Jpn J Antibiot, 1984 Mar, 37(3), 355 - 62 {Fundamental and clinical studies of ceftazidime in the field of pediatrics}; Terashima I et al.; We have studied ceftazidime (CAZ), a cephem antibiotic of the new generation, for its antibacterial activity against H . influenzae and clinical effects . Antibacterial activity: MICs of CAZ for 142 strains of H . influenzae including 11 ABPC-resistant strains which were clinically isolated, were determined, and the results were good for all the strains . Clinical effects: CAZ was administered to 9 children with infections . Suspected causative organisms were H . influenzae, E . coli, P . aeruginosa, group B Streptococcus and S . pneumoniae . Eradication of these organisms was confirmed in all the strains except for one in which the antibacterial effect of CAZ was unknown . Clinical efficacy was excellent or good in all the cases . No side effect was observed except for eosinophilia noted in 1 case. J Neurol Sci, 1984 Mar, 63(3), 381 - 91 Cerebrospinal fluid glucose and leukocyte responses in experimental meningitis; Hochwald GM et al.; The fall in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glucose and CSF leukocyte response was studied in cats with experimental meningitis . Klebsiella pneumoniae or Streptococcus pneumoniae were injected intracisternally, and the latter organisms were incubated with CSF in vitro . When 10(6)-10(9)K . pneumoniae were incubated with 4 ml of CSF, the time time necessary for the glucose to decrease to less than 10 mg/dl ranged from 6.5 to 2.5 h, at a rate proportional to the size of the inoculum . When the same numbers of bacteria were injected intracisternally, the time ranged from 9 to 3 h, and the CSF leukocyte response did not exceed 1200 WBC/mm3 . At this time, only minimal histological changes in brain and choroid plexus were seen . Twenty hours after intrathecal K . pneumoniae, large numbers of leukocytes (up to 4 X 10(4)/mm3) were recovered from the CSF . Regardless of the number of leukocytes, however, hypoglycorrhachia occurred when the CSF contained more than 10(7) bacteria/ml . At this interval, large numbers of leukocytes were seen invading the stroma of the choroid plexus, leptomeninges and perivascular spaces . When 10(8) S . pneumoniae were injected intracisternally, CSF glucose concentration decreased as rapidly as with K . pneumoniae . The spinal fluid leukocyte response to S . pneumoniae was, however, greater than that to K . pneumoniae . These results suggest that under the conditions of these studies, hypoglycorrhachia of bacterial meningitis is the result of metabolism of the bacteria with little contribution from the leukocytes. Prikl Biokhim Mikrobiol, 1984 Mar-Apr, 20(2), 285 - 9 {Determination of cell wall amino sugars in Streptococcus on a carbohydrate analyzer}; Bitko SA et al.; A method of determining aminosaccharides (muramic acid, glucosamine and galactosamine) by means of a carbohydrate analyzer "Biotronic" using the cation-exchange resin DC-6 A ("Durrum") was developed . Chromatographic conditions correspond to the conditions of neutral sugar analysis on a column with DCh-4 resin, that enables after a slight modification of the analyzer to pass from the determining of aminosaccharides to the determining of neutral sugars . The method was used for determining the carbohydrate composition of streptococcus cell walls . The results obtained allow to conclude that using this method one can get more information on the hydrocarbon composition of various biological objects than using the method of aminosaccharide determining by means of aminoacid anylyzer, which is widely in practice nowadays. J Clin Microbiol, 1984 Mar, 19(3), 366 - 70 Clinical laboratory and epidemiological investigations of a Streptococcus pyogenes cluster epidemic in a newborn nursery; Isenberg HD et al.; Streptococcus pyogenes, nontypable with available M antisera, T type 12, and reactive in the serum opacity test, produced various lesions in 10 newborn infants during a 2-month period . All infants except one were discharged from the nursery before overt disease manifestations . Colonization studies of newborn infants showed a streptococcal carrier rate of 19% (27 of 140) . Only 1 of 154 staff members yielded the same streptococcus from the throat, but it could not be implicated as the source for the outbreak . Cohorting of infants and chlorhexidine gluconate hand washing by staff members helped in terminating this cluster epidemic. Infect Immun, 1984 Mar, 43(3), 1041 - 6 Two mechanisms of inhibition of human lymphocyte proliferation by soluble yeast mannan polysaccharide; Nelson RD et al.; The literature on chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis contains multiple reports which suggest that loss of cell-mediated immunity in this disease may be related in part to the presence of an inhibitory factor(s) present in patient plasma . One such inhibitory factor has been suggested to be mannan polysaccharide released from the cell wall of the pathogen . The present report describes results of experiments to consider mechanisms by which yeast mannan influences proliferative responses of human lymphocytes . Mannan for these experiments was isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae . We observed that mannan-mediated inhibition of proliferative responses to a battery of stimuli (phytohemagglutinin, pokeweed mitogen, and Candida, mumps, streptococcus, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus antigens) was related in part to an effect of copper associated with the mannan and possibly to the superoxide dismutase activity of the mannan-copper complex . Mannan made deficient in copper by use of a copper-chelating resin appeared to inhibit only lymphoproliferation stimulated by the Candida antigen . These results suggest that inhibitory effects of yeast mannans on lymphoproliferative responses may involve at least two mechanisms, one related to hydrogen peroxide production augmented by mannan-copper complexes and another related to still unknown effects independent of the metal ligand . We propose that our results represent a significant novel observation which may be useful in understanding mechanisms of immunoinhibitory effects of C . albicans mannan. J Immunol, 1984 Mar, 132(3), 1336 - 40 Inhibition of antibody responses to phosphocholine by C-reactive protein; Nakayama S et al.; C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute phase serum protein in man that binds to the cell wall C-polysaccharide (PnC) of Streptococcus pneumoniae via phosphocholine (PC) determinants . We have previously shown that in mice CRP increases splenic clearance of PnC-coated autologous erythrocytes and S . pneumoniae, and increases survival after pneumococcal infection . Because CRP alters clearance of particulate PnC antigens, we tested its effect on immunization with pneumococci . Pretreatment of mice with 50 to 200 micrograms CRP 30 min before immunization with serotype 3 S . pneumoniae resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of the antibody response to PC . Both serum hemagglutinin and splenic PFC against PC were decreased in CRP-treated mice tested from 1 to 10 days after injection of antigen . CRP treatment had no effect on the antibody response to the serotype 3 capsular polysaccharide, another T-independent antigen . To determine whether CRP inhibition was related to altered processing of particulate antigen, mice were immunized with horse red blood cells (HRBC) conjugated with PC or PnC and the PFC responses to PC and HRBC were determined . CRP treatment resulted in specific inhibition of the PFC response to PC in both cases without affecting the response to HRBC . These results indicate that inhibition of the antibody response by CRP is not the result of altered antigen localization and processing, and that CRP may prevent immunization by masking determinants on bacterial or other surfaces. J Immunol, 1984 Mar, 132(3), 1305 - 10 TRF requirements for in vitro PFC responses to SRBC and R36a . I . TRF is distinct from IL 2 but indistinguishable from polyclonal BCSF; Eisenberg L et al.; In vitro PFC responses to the thymus-independent (TI) antigen Streptococcus pneumoniae R36a require T cell replacing factor(s) (TRF) . This requirement for TRF is as significant as for the thymus-dependent (TD) antigen SRBC . TRF is shown to be distinct from IL 2 by the following observations: 1) culture supernatants from the cloned T cell line L2, collected over an 8-day period after allogeneic stimulation, transiently contain IL 2 activity but maintain high levels of TRF activity throughout 192 hr; 2) L2V, a variant subclone of L2, produces much higher levels of TRF activity than the parental line but no detectable IL 2 activity; 3) the addition of IL2+, TRF- supernatants from the T cell hybridoma FS6-14.13 does not affect the L2V SF-driven PFC responses to R36a or SRBC; and 4) the addition of contaminating T cells to cultures containing T cell-depleted spleen cells, L2V SF, and antigen does not affect the PFC response . TRF does appear to be indistinguishable from polyclonal B cell stimulating factor (BCSF), which stimulates polyclonal PFC responses in the absence of antigen, mitogen, or anti-Ig . The TRF and BCSF activities of L2V SF could not be separated by ion-exchange, hydrophobic-interaction, and gel-filtration chromatography . TRF and BCSF have an apparent m.w . of approximately 40,000. J Bacteriol, 1984 Mar, 157(3), 934 - 6 Cloning in Streptococcus pneumoniae of the gene for DpnII DNA methylase; Lacks SA et al.; The gene coding for the pneumococcal DNA adenine methylase that recognizes the sequence 5'-GATC-3' was cloned in a strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae that lacked both restriction endonucleases DpnI and DpnII . The gene was cloned as a 3.7-kilobase fragment of chromosomal DNA from a DpnII-containing strain inserted in both possible orientations in the multicopy plasmid vector pMP5 to give recombinant plasmids pMP8 and pMP10 . Recombinant plasmids were selected by their resistance to DpnII cleavage . Cells carrying the recombinant plasmids modified phage in vivo so that it was restricted by DpnI- but not DpnII-containing hosts . They also showed levels of DNA methylase activity five times higher than that in cells of the original DpnII strain . No DpnII activity was observed in the clones; therefore, it was concluded that the insert did not contain an intact DpnII endonuclease gene and that methylation of host DNA did not turn on a latent form of the gene. Infect Immun, 1984 Mar, 43(3), 804 - 10 Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of the streptolysin O determinant from Streptococcus pyogenes: characterization of the cloned streptolysin O determinant and demonstration of the absence of substantial homology with determinants of other thiol-activated toxins; Kehoe M et al.; A gene bank of Streptococcus pyogenes Richards was constructed in Escherichia coli by using the bacteriophage replacement vector lambda L47.1, and hybrid phage expressing streptolysin O (SLO) were identified among the recombinants . DNA sequences encoding SLO were subcloned from an slo+ hybrid phage into a low-copy-number vector plasmid to yield an slo+ hybrid plasmid, pMK157 . This plasmid contains 5.6 kilobase pairs of cloned streptococcal DNA sequences, is stable, and expresses SLO at easily detectable levels in E . coli . Transposon gamma delta insertion mutants and in vitro-generated deletion mutants of pMK157 were isolated and analyzed . This analysis showed that a single gene is sufficient for production of SLO in E . coli and allowed this slo gene to be mapped to within +/- 100 base pairs . Two forms of the slo gene product, with molecular weights of 68,000 and 61,000, were detected in E . coli minicells harboring slo+ plasmids and by immunoblotting of E . coli whole cells harboring slo+ plasmids . Southern blotting hybridization experiments with the cloned SLO DNA sequences as probes failed to demonstrate homology between the cloned SLO determinant and DNA isolated from bacteria expressing thiol-activated cytolysins related to SLO. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1984 Mar, 47(3), 506 - 12 Cytoplasmic proteins of Streptococcus mutans (serotype c) and their interaction with fluoride; Yotis WW et al.; The protein profile of the cytoplasmic proteins of Streptococcus mutans GS-5 was determined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis . Use of this recently developed, high-resolution analytical tool showed in excess of 140 cytoplasmic proteins . The profile consisted of mostly acidic components with pI values between 3.70 and 5.30 and relative molecular weights mainly in the 13,000 to 90,000 range . With sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the proteins were resolved into 40 to 45 components . The binding of fluoride by the proteins reached a maximum value in 15 min, and it was linear with exogenous F- doses of up to 60 to 80 ppm per mg of protein (60 to 80 micrograms/g) . The proteins bound 22 to 138 times more F- from assay mixtures containing 1 mM CaCl2 than from assay mixtures containing such ions as HgCl2, ZnCl2, CuCl2, MgCl2, MnCl2, or SnCl2 . When NaF, SnF2, NH4F, CsF, (CH3)4NF, and Na2PO3F were used as sources of F- (adjusted to 10 ppm of F- in all cases), the proteins bound 2.1, 1.8, 1.6, 1.4, and 0.3 ppm of F- per mg of protein, respectively . Initial fractionation of the plasma proteins by preparative column isoelectric focusing indicated that proteins with pI values of 4.1 to 4.5 as well as those with pI values of 5.0 to 5.3 bound twice as much F- as did the proteins outside these pI values. J Dent Res, 1984 Mar, 63(3), 407 - 11 Virulence factors of Streptococcus mutans and dental caries prevention; Hamada S et al.; Streptococcus mutans possesses the abilities to adhere to pellicle-coated tooth surfaces and to form acids - two characteristics associated with the cariogenicity of this micro-organism . De novo synthesis of insoluble glucan by S . mutans glucosyltransferase from sucrose is essential in the adherence process . Therefore, agents which interfere with the adherence ability of S . mutans would be useful for controlling dental caries . In the present report, we have summarized our recent findings concerning virulence factors of S . mutans and means for prevention of S . mutans-induced dental caries. J Dent Res, 1984 Mar, 63(3), 397 - 400 Activity of Streptococcus mutans alpha-D-glucosyltransferases released under various growth conditions; Walker GJ et al.; The effect of a variety of growth conditions on extracellular D-glucosyltransferase (GTF) activity of Streptococcus mutans strains in continuous culture has been studied . Maximum GTF activity was found at low growth rates and at pH 6.5, and under this condition the predominant glucosyltransferase was GTF-S, an enzyme that synthesized soluble dextran . At high growth rates, the proportion of GTF-S decreased, and 50% or more of the total glucosyltransferase was GTF-I, an enzyme that synthesized water-insoluble (1 leads to 3)-alpha-D-glucan . Variation in the relative activities of GTF-S and GTF-I results in such diversity in the glucans synthesized from sucrose that it is virtually meaningless to describe a structural analysis of S . mutans glucan without specifying the conditions of growth of the organism. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1984 Mar, (3), 44 - 6 {Diagnostic pneumococcal sera and the serological typing of Streptococcus pneumoniae}; Raginskaia VP et al.; The technology of the preparation of 20 diagnostic pneumococcal antisera premitting the differentiation of S . pneumoniae by K-antigen in the slide agglutination test and the capsule swelling test has been developed . The data on S . pneumoniae K-types isolated from patients have been obtained. Infect Immun, 1984 Mar, 43(3), 876 - 8 Phosphorylcholine determinants in six pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides detected by monoclonal antibody; Sorensen UB et al.; The presence of phosphorylcholine in pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides was examined by using monoclonal antiphosphorylcholine antibody . Of the 83 known capsular types of Streptococcus pneumoniae, 6 types, viz., 24A, 27, 28F, 28A, 32F, and 32A, gave a positive capsular reaction (quellung) which could be inhibited by phosphorylcholine . The capsular polysaccharides of these six types, therefore, contain phosphorylcholine. J Biol Chem, 1984 Feb 25, 259(4), 2662 - 6 Free alpha-like material from bovine pituitaries . Removal of its O-linked oligosaccharide permits combination with lutropin-beta; Parsons TF et al.; Further characterization of the free alpha subunit immunoreactive material, not combined with beta subunit in extracts of bovine pituitaries, shows that the only significant modifications, relative to alpha subunits themselves, are the oligosaccharide O-linked to threonine-43, and heterogeneity of the carboxyl terminus . Removal of the O-linked carbohydrate with a mixture of glycosidases from Streptococcus pneumoniae results in an alpha-like material capable of combining with lutropin beta subunit and, thus, the presence of the oligosaccharide is responsible for the inability of the free alpha-like material to combine with beta subunits . Amino acid compositions of tryptic peptides spanning the entire sequence indicate no change in amino acid sequence of the free alpha-like material as compared to lutropin alpha . Further, based on the similar behavior reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography of the tryptic peptides as compared to their lutropin alpha counterparts, it is concluded that no additional post-translational modifications are present . The N-linked oligosaccharides of the free alpha-like material most likely contain terminal O-sulfated N-acetylhexosamines (as do the asparagine-linked carbohydrates from the pituitary hormones) as indicated by the presence of 3 mol of sulfate/mol of free alpha-like material and the resistance of these oligosaccharides to enzymatic deglycosylation . The O-linked oligosaccharide does not contain sulfated residues. J Dairy Sci, 1984 Feb, 67(2), 367 - 71 Mastitis therapy for cows elevated somatic cell counts or clinical mastitis; Timms LL et al.; Intramammary treatment with a broad spectrum antibiotic was evaluated for cows treated after a single high monthly somatic cell count of for cows with clinical mastitis . Forty-three quarters of 36 cows were treated after a high somatic cell count, and 56 quarters of 48 cows were treated after clinical symptoms . There was no significant decrease of cell count in response to treatment in the high somatic cell group . Organisms were isolated from 70% of the pretreatment quarter samples, but only 13% of the isolates were major pathogens . Bacteriological cure rate for major and minor pathogens combined was 23.3% . Treatment costs (antibiotics and discarded milk) were $38.19 per animal treated . Organisms were isolated from 70% of the pretreatment quarter samples of the clinical group . Forty-nine percent of the isolates were major pathogens . Bucket and quarter somatic cell counts decreased following treatment . Production rose posttreatment almost back to normal . Bacteriological cure rate was 21.6% for major and minor pathogens combined with 37% of the cured quarters becoming reinfected with minor pathogens during the monitoring period . The predominant minor pathogens isolated micrococci and coagulase negative staphylococci . The predominant major pathogens were Streptococcus uberis and coliforms. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1984 Feb, 25(2), 289 - 91 Broad host range of streptococcal macrolide resistance plasmids; Buu-Hoi A et al.; Four macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B resistance plasmids transferred into 13 recipients belonging to Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Listeria genera . The plasmids were stably maintained in all new hosts except Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria innocua and were identical to those found in the corresponding donor strains. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1984 Feb, 25(2), 263 - 7 Role of granulocytes in the prevention and therapy of experimental Streptococcus sanguis endocarditis in rabbits; Meddens MJ et al.; The contributions of granulocytes to the prevention and therapy of Streptococcus sanguis endocarditis with procaine benzylpenicillin (PBP) was investigated in rabbits . Depletion of granulocytes by treatment with mechlorethamine appeared to have no significant effect on either the prophylactic or therapeutic activities of PBP . Administration of 3,000 IU of PBP before inoculation with S . sanguis retarded the course of the endocarditis for only 24 h whether granulocytes were normal or depressed in numbers . Prophylaxis with either 15,000 or 30,000 IU of PBP was equally effective in non-granulocytopenic and granulocytopenic rabbits . Treatment of established infections with PBP at doses of 3,000 to 300,000 IU of PBP at 12-h intervals for 48 h was equally effective in rabbits with normal and depressed numbers of granulocytes . The effect of 3,000 IU of PBP was equivalent, however, to that of granulocytes alone, as shown by the fact that the numbers of CFU per gram of vegetation in the granulocytopenic rabbits treated with this dose of PBP and in the non-PBP-treated control rabbits were not significantly different. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1984 Feb, (2), 28 - 32 {Problems in dissociating strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae}; Vishniakova LA et al.; The processes of dissociation occurring under the influence of soluble starch and some substances with surface activity (Tween-80, cattle bile and sodium desoxycholate) in 4 pneumococcal strains (Nos . 204, 205, 1225, 1317) isolated from patients with acute and chronic inflammatory lung diseases have been studied in vitro . Stable pneumococcal R-forms have been obtained by treatment with 0.1% sodium desoxycholate and 0 . 5% bile and subsequent selection . The colonies of pneumococcal R-forms are characterized by a large size, a rough surface, uneven edges and pronounced alpha-hemolysis . The features typical of the population of these cultures are the polymorphism of cell element, the formation of long diplococcal chains, the almost complete disappearance of the capsule, as well as the negative results of the slide agglutination test and Neufeld s test with "omni" and typing pneumococcal antisera . Besides, the pneumococcal R-forms thus obtained have proved to be resistant to optochine (6 micrograms/ml) and bile (10-20%) and to possess low virulence. J Appl Bacteriol, 1984 Feb, 56(1), 179 - 81 A note on a modified membrane-Bovis agar for the enumeration of Streptococcus bovis by membrane filtration; Oragui JI et al.; A modified membrane-Bovis agar, containing a reduced quantity of sodium azide, for the isolation and enumeration of Streptococcus bovis is described and evaluated . Higher counts, with larger colonies, were obtained from water and sewage samples with this medium than with the original formulation. Antibiotiki, 1984 Feb, 29(2), 129 - 32 {Use of antibiotics and nitrofurans in treating acute and chronic cholecystitis}; Venger IK; Sixty-two patients with acute cholecystitis and 108 patients with chronic calculous cholecystitis were examined . High levels of contamination of the bile, gallbladder mucosa and gallstones were shown . E . coli, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus were most frequent among 20 species of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria . Preoperative sanation of the hepatoduodenal area with antibiotics did not result in complete elimination of the bacteria in the bile, gallbladder mucosa and gallstones . The use of nitrofurans and especially furazolidone and furagin in the preoperative period prevented the microbial growth in the specimens collected during the operations . The data of the study allow recommending the use of furazolidone and furagin for preoperative sanation of the biliferous tract. Antibiotiki, 1984 Feb, 29(2), 127 - 9 {Suppression of the adhesive properties of mucosal microflora by ampicillin in peptic ulcer}; Sytnik SI; Persistence of mucous bacteria in the mucosa of the stomach and duodenum was studied bacteriologically and electron microscopically in 132 patients with peptic ulcer . 235 microbial strains were isolated from the mucosa and its surface in 96 per cent of the patients . 80.8 per cent of the isolates belonged to different species of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus . The other 19.2 per cent of the isolates belonged to 9 rare bacterial species . 235 antibioticograms were analysed and it was shown that the predominating part of the isolates was mainly sensitive to ampicillin . Then follow ampiox, dicloxacillin and benzylpenicillin . Ampicillin was recommended for preoperative sanation of the stomach mucosa . 30 patients were given ampicillin orally in a dose of 0.25 g 4 times a day for 3 days before operations . It was found that the drug inhibited the adhesive properties of the mucous bacteria and even killed them. Virology, 1984 Feb, 133(1), 166 - 71 Nucleotide sequence at the termini of the DNA of Streptococcus pneumoniae phage Cp-1; Escarmis C et al.; The 5' ends of Cp-1 DNA, which have a covalently linked terminal protein, can be partially unblocked by treatment with 1 M NaOH (E . Garcia, A . Gomez, C . Ronda, C . Escarmis, and R . Lopez (1983) Virology 128, 92-104) and labeled with polynucleotide kinase and {gamma-32P}ATP . The sequence of the first 444 and 520 nucleotides at the termini of Cp-1 DNA has been determined . A 236-nucleotide-long inverted terminal repeat was found and, in addition, the 116 nucleotides following the repeat show 93% homology . The first 352 nucleotides at both ends have an adenine plus thymine content of 75% . More than 50% of the nucleotides of the sequenced regions are involved in repeats of a minimum of 8 nucleotides . Three promoter-like sequences were also found at each end of Cp-1 DNA. Am J Dis Child, 1984 Feb, 138(2), 186 - 91 Recurrent sepsis with deficiencies of C2 and galactokinase; Borzy MS et al.; A 4-year-old girl with recurrent, severe bacterial infections and absence of both the second component of complement and galactokinase was investigated for immunodeficiency . The C2 deficiency (C2D) was diagnosed after four major pyogenic infections . Results of studies of cellular and humoral immunity were normal, as were polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis and bactericidal activities and alternative-pathway hemolytic activity . Serum chemotactic and opsonic activities were deficient in this patient and in an older, asymptomatic sibling with C2D . Fresh-frozen plasma, administered during an episode of Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis, enhanced serum opsonic activity at 12 hours after infusion . To our knowledge, this is the first description of C2D in a patient with a documented second, unusual genetic defect. Can J Ophthalmol, 1984 Feb, 19(1), 25 - 8 Endophthalmitis and pars plana vitrectomy; Majerovics A et al.; A review of all cases of suspected endophthalmitis following cataract extraction seen at one referral hospital between 1979 and 1983 was conducted . Of the 13 cases, 7 were proven by culture to be bacterial endophthalmitis when organisms were grown from aspirates of the aqueous, the vitreous or both . Antibiotic therapy was administered by intravitreal, periocular, topical and systemic routes . In some cases vitrectomy was performed immediately after the diagnostic aspiration or within 24 hours . Poor visual outcome was associated with a long interval between onset of symptoms and admission to hospital, expulsive hemorrhage, retinal detachment or resistance of the microorganism to the intraocularly administered antibiotic . The two eyes that yielded gentamicin-resistant Streptococcus viridans and ended up with no light perception demonstrate the need for simultaneous intravitreal injection of two antibiotics. J Dent Res, 1984 Feb, 63(2), 111 - 3 Neuraminidase activity: a biochemical marker to distinguish Streptococcus mitis from Streptococcus sanguis; Murray PA et al.; Selected reference and freshly isolated strains of Streptococcus mitis (mitior) and Streptococcus sanguis were assayed for cell-associated neuraminidase activity by their ability to hydrolyze {3H-} sialyllactitol . A cell-associated neuraminidase was detected with S . mitis and S . sanguis serotype II (reclassified as S . mitis) but not with S . sanguis serotypes I and III . Neuraminidase activity of S . mitis correlated with this organism's inability to hydrolyze arginine, aesculin, and few, if any, sugars . The findings indicate that the presence of cell-associated neuraminidase activity is useful for the taxonomic classification of S . mitis. J Dairy Sci, 1984 Feb, 67(2), 421 - 6 Evaluation of a surfactant mixture C31G as a teat dip by a modified excised teat model; Amin MM et al.; A mixture of amphoteric surfactants with antimicrobial properties, C31G, was evaluated as a teat dip by a modified excised teat model . The model was modified to avoid misinterpretation of results from indigenous bacterial microflora on teats . In three experiments, bacterial numbers recovered from teats dipped in .75, 1.5, and 3.0% solutions of C31G were compared with bacteria recovered from undipped teats (negative controls) and teats dipped with 1.0% iodophor (an effective teat dip) . Mean log reductions of teat end concentrations of Staphylococcus, aureus, Streptococcus fecalis, and Escherichia coli were determined in each experiment . Efficacy was greatest for the 3.0% solution of C31G with mean log reductions (Log reduction = Log 10 of controls - Log 10 of dipped teats) 3.53 for Staphylococcus aureus, 2.89 for Streptococcus fecalis, and 3.16 for Escherichia coli . Iodophor (1%) yielded mean log reductions of 3.26 for Staphylococcus aureus, 2.16 for Streptococcus fecalis, and 2.83 for Escherichia coli . For all three organisms, number of viable organisms decreased with increasing concentrations of C31G . The efficacy of C31G should be evaluated in vivo. Infect Immun, 1984 Feb, 43(2), 536 - 42 Role of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent glucose phosphotransferase system of Streptococcus mutans GS5 in the regulation of lactose uptake; Liberman ES et al.; When Streptococcus mutans GS5 was grown in equimolar (5 mM) amounts of glucose and lactose, a classical diauxic growth curve was obtained . Glucose was taken up during the first growth phase, followed by a 60-min lag, and then lactose was transported . Synthesis of lactose phosphotransferase system (PTS) enzymes was repressed until the complete exhaustion of glucose, indicative of an inducer exclusion mechanism of repression . The enzyme phospho-beta-galactosidase, however, was found in small amounts even in the presence of glucose . Repression was not observed when GS5 was grown in equimolar amounts of fructose and lactose . Although fructose was taken up preferentially, synthesis of the lactose PTS occurred from the onset of growth in these sugars . It is proposed that a component of the glucose PTS may be a regulatory factor in lactose transport . Glucose PTS- mutants did not display diauxic growth in glucoselactose mixtures and, in fact, transported the disaccharide preferentially. Clin Pediatr (Phila), 1984 Feb, 23(2), 113 - 4 Purpura in occult pneumococcal bacteremia; Stern HP et al.; An unusual case of occult pneumococcal bacteremia is reported . A 4-month-old female presented with ascending purpura on the lower extremities as the only abnormal physical finding . All initial laboratory studies were normal; however, Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 6 was cultured from her blood within 18 hours and subsequently from the nasopharynx . This is the first reported case in humans of occult pneumococcal bacteremia presenting with the primary clinical finding of purpura . This entity has a well defined animal model in mice. Lab Anim Sci, 1984 Feb, 34(1), 86 - 90 Clinicopathologic study of six cases of meningitis and meningoencephalitis in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes); Solleveld HA et al.; Three fatal cases of purulent meningitis and one fatal case of thromboembolic necrotizing meningoencephalitis occurred in chimpanzees from the Primate Center TNO, The Netherlands . In addition, two apes had clinical signs of meningitis and were successfully treated . The severity of the residual hemiparesis and dysphagia in one of these two apes was such that it was killed for humane reasons . The histopathological diagnosis was chronic active meningoencephalitis . Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from five apes and Klebsiella pneumoniae from one . In the majority of cases, the primary site of infection was the upper respiratory tract . After reducing the population density, initiating a vaccination program using a commercially available human polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine, and changing the cleaning procedure of the animal facilities, no other cases of meningitis or meningoencephalitis have occurred in the chimpanzee colony in the ensuing 3.5 years. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1984 Feb, 47(2), 338 - 42 Cystine antagonism of the antibacterial action of lactoperoxidase-thiocyanate-hydrogen peroxide on Streptococcus agalactiae; Mickelson MN et al.; Cystine reduction in Streptococcus agalactiae, resulting in sulfhydryl formation, may account for antagonism of the antibacterial effect of lactoperoxidase-thiocyanate-hydrogen peroxide when cystine is present in excess of the amount needed for maximum growth . Accumulation of cystine by S . agalactiae and its reduction to form sulfhydryl compounds were demonstrated . The reduction of cystine appeared to occur by a couple reaction between glutathione reductase and glutathione-disulfide transhydrogenase activity, both of which were found in the supernatant fraction from cell homogenates . NADPH-specific glutathione reductase activity was found in the pellet and supernatant fractions from cell homogenates . Two sulfhydryls were formed for each mole of NADPH used during cystine reduction . The information presented offers a plausible explanation of how cystine, when present in excess of growth needs, may be reduced to generate sulfhydryl compounds which neutralize the antibacterial effect of lactoperoxidase-thiocyanate-hydrogen peroxide on S . agalactiae. Infect Immun, 1984 Feb, 43(2), 670 - 7 Teichoic acids of Streptococcus agalactiae: chemistry, cytotoxicity, and effect on bacterial adherence to human cells in tissue culture; Goldschmidt JC Jr et al.; The ratio of teichoic acid to lipoteichoic acid (LTA) in a strain of Streptococcus agalactiae type III was found to be 8:1, with the total amount of LTA being 0.1% of the dry weight of the organism . Purified teichoic acid contained D-alanine and possibly a small amount of D-glucose and was approximately 22 glycerol phosphate units in length . The linkage between each of these units was 1-3 . In addition, LTA contained a complex lipid, more glucose, and an unusually high content of a short-chain fatty acid, tridecanoic acid . This LTA was cytotoxic for a variety of human cell monolayers in tissue culture, including one derived from the human central nervous system . Established human cells were more sensitive than primary cell monolayers to this LTA, with as little as 12.5 micrograms of LTA per ml being cytotoxic for HeLa cells . Teichoic acid (250 micrograms/ml) was nontoxic under identical conditions . These cytotoxicity results suggest an LTA involvement in group B streptococcal pathogenesis . Also, the first model system for the study of group B streptococcal adherence to primary human embryonic amnion cells in tissue culture is detailed . This system was used to quantitate pronounced differences in tissue tropism between S . agalactiae and Streptococcus pyogenes and showed enhanced binding by this group A coccus over that of S . agalactiae for amnion cell monolayers . The adherence of both streptococcal species to only a portion (40%) of these amnion cells suggested that host cell receptor expression may vary for primary cells in vitro . Finally, this strain of S . agalactiae was shown to adhere to amnion cells by a non-LTA-mediated mechanism . The possibility of an LTA-mediated versus a protein-mediated adherence mechanism for host cells that is related to the virulence of S . agalactiae is discussed. Arch Neurol, 1984 Feb, 41(2), 214 - 6 Group B streptococcal meningitis appearing as acute deafness in an adult; Harburg TD et al.; A case of group B streptococcal meningitis developed in a previously healthy adult . The group B streptococcus may be underrecognized as a pathogen in human disease . Survival is good after appropriate therapy, with only six fatalities in 33 cases reported in the literature . However, our patient showed the unusual neurologic complication of bilateral deafness in group B meningitis in adults. Urol Clin North Am, 1984 Feb, 11(1), 131 - 9 Maternal and infant sexually transmitted diseases; Alexander ER; Sexually transmitted infection may result in serious damage to the reproductive tract of the mother, damage to the fetus, wastage of pregnancy, or illness or death of the infant . The effects of gonorrhea, Chlamydia trachomatis infection, mycoplasmal infections, group B streptococcus infections, syphilis, and viral infections are discussed separately for both mother and infant. Infect Immun, 1984 Feb, 43(2), 656 - 63 Adherence of Streptococcus sanguis to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite: evidence for two binding sites; Morris EJ et al.; The characteristics of bacterial adherence to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite were examined for a salivary aggregating strain of Streptococcus sanguis, strain 12, and for its nonaggregating variant, strain 12na . Both strains were found to adhere in similar numbers to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite that had been preincubated at 4 degrees C overnight . Preincubation of saliva-coated hydroxyapatite overnight at 37 degrees C reduced subsequent adherence of S . sanguis 12 by approximately 10%, whereas adherence of S . sanguis 12na was reduced by over 80% . Preincubation at 37 degrees C in the presence of neuraminidase reduced adherence of S . sanguis 12 by over 90% and caused some additional reduction in adherence of S . sanguis 12na . The data were analyzed with Langmuir isotherms, Scatchard plots, and Hill plots . Some evidence of cooperativity was seen . A peak in the Scatchard plot for S . sanguis 12 binding to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite preincubated at 4 degrees C disappeared after preincubation at 37 degrees C, suggesting the loss of a salivary receptor . Many more organisms were found to bind when adherence was measured by assays counting the number of organisms remaining in suspension after the beads had settled . These weakly binding organisms, which were removed by washing, demonstrated adherence characteristics similar to those of the firmly bound organisms . Both strains were strongly hydrophobic . It is proposed that the binding of S . sanguis 12 and 12na involves two types of receptor on the salivary pellicle . One type of receptor is stable at 37 degrees C, but sensitive to neuraminidase; the second type is inactivated by prolonged incubation at 37 degrees C . S . sanguis 12 may bind to both types of receptor, whereas S . sanguis 12na binds only to the second type . The neuraminidase-sensitive receptor might be involved in saliva-mediated aggregation. Endocrinology, 1984 Feb, 114(2), 411 - 7 The effect of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection on the binding of thyroxine to purified rat liver plasma membranes; Little JS; Hepatic plasma membranes were isolated from control and Streptococcus pneumoniae-infected rats in order to determine the effect of S . pneumoniae infection on the binding capacity and affinity of hepatic plasma membranes for T4 . Infection did not affect the purity or the yield of isolated membranes . A significant decrease in both total and free serum T4 was observed during infection . Scatchard analysis of membrane binding, determined under optimal conditions, confirmed the presence of high affinity, low capacity sites, as well as low affinity sites for T4 on membranes isolated from both control and infected rats . T4 maximum binding capacity (MBC) of the high affinity sites decreased significantly as the infection became more severe . However, the affinity of these receptors did not change . Neither MBC nor affinity of the low affinity sites was altered by infection . The observed decrease in the MBC of the high affinity binding sites for T4 on hepatic plasma membranes cannot account for the decrease in serum T4 or the hepatic metabolic alterations also known to occur during S . pneumoniae infection. Ann Rheum Dis, 1984 Feb, 43(1), 1 - 7 Infection and interferon production in systemic juvenile chronic arthritis: a prospective study; de Vere-Tyndall A et al.; Twenty-four episodes of disease exacerbation in 19 children suffering from systemic juvenile chronic arthritis were studied . Sixteen of these were preceded by an infection (chi 2 = 20.14, p less than 0.001), mostly of the upper respiratory tract . In the 10 cases seen during an infection causative agents were identified in 5 (herpes simplex, rhinovirus, and on 3 occasions streptococcus) . The total number of infections was not increased when compared with infection rates predicted by several reported studies . In the absence of clinical infection, specific antibody titres to a panel of microbial antigens were similar to those of a control group but with a trend toward higher titres in patients with hypergammaglobulinaemia . Interferon (IFN) responses were not defective, though sequential in-vitro IFN production from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM) fluctuated considerably in the same patients, occasionally being absent with no obvious clinical correlate . IFN-alpha was induced by stimulation with Newcastle disease virus (NDV), and the mean responses of the patients were significantly greater than those of controls . IFN-gamma production on phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation was similar in patients and control groups . IFN was not detected in any of the sera from patients or controls. Microbiol Immunol, 1984, 28(4), 407 - 13 Immunochemical characteristics of Streptococcus mutans serotype h carbohydrate antigen; Okahashi N et al.; Serotype h carbohydrate antigen was prepared from cell walls of Streptococcus mutans strain MFe28 of monkey origin . The h antigen was extracted from the cell walls with 5% trichloracetic acid at 4 C, and purified by DEAE-Sephadex A-25 ion exchange chromatography followed by Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration . The purified antigen was composed of galactose (75%), glucose (16%), and rhamnose (3%) . Although the antiserum against whole cells of S . mutans MFe28 gave a strong cross reaction with serotype d S . mutans, serotype h-specific antiserum could be obtained by adequate adsorption . The precipitin reactions and hapten inhibition test using serotype h-specific antiserum showed that galactose, glucose, and their derivative sugars were markedly potent inhibitors . It was concluded that the serotype h antigen is immunologically distinguishable from the known serotypes of S . mutans, although it is closely related to serotype d antigen of S . mutans. Microbios, 1984, 40(159), 41 - 4 Uptake of U-14C-glucose by Streptococcus mutans in the presence of saccharin; Linke HA et al.; The uptake of U-14C-glucose by resting cells of Streptococcus mutans OMZ-176 was studied in the presence of the artificial sweetener saccharin as well as sodium chloride . Glucose grown cells were resuspended in phosphate buffer (0.05 M, pH 7.8), and the uptake of U-14C-glucose was observed for 150 min in time intervals of 30 min, in the presence of 0.02 and 2.00 mg/ml of sodium saccharin as well as sodium chloride . As compared to the control and the sodium chloride treatments, sodium saccharin at the highest concentration range more than doubled the accumulation of radioactive labelled carbon within the cells. Med Microbiol Immunol (Berl), 1984, 172(4), 215 - 22 A Streptococcus mutans immunogen that reacts equally with S . mutans antibody of all serotypes; Everhart DL et al.; We have studied a possible immunogen from S . mutans that has the capability of producing antibody to S . mutans which reacts equally well with all serotypes . This immunogen, a ribosomal preparation, is immunogenic in mice, is antigenic with rabbit anti-S . mutans, and is antigenic with the human antibody that also reacts with S . mutans . The human antibody is of the IgG class and S-IgA class. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol, 1984, 11(1-2), 43 - 8 Vaginal and endocervical bacterial contamination in IUD users; Marino L et al.; The use of intrauterine devices is clearly related to a new aspect of infective pathology: bacterial contamination of the uterine cavity and its repercussions throughout the genital apparatus . Therefore the Authors decided to carry out a study of the vaginal and endocervical flora of 61 IUD users . This study has shown that pathogenic germs are present to a significant extent (82.3%) even when no clinical symptoms can be detected . The Group B streptococcus was detected in a high number of cases (10.6%) in the vaginal (9.8%) or endocervical tampon (11.5%). Am Rev Respir Dis, 1984 Jan, 129(1), 87 - 91 Early pulmonary granulocyte recruitment in response to Streptococcus pneumoniae; Vial WC et al.; Although polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) are a conspicuous histologic feature of clinical and experimental pneumococcal pneumonia, neither the mechanism nor the magnitude of recruitment of these cells to the lung following lesser pneumococcal challenge is known . We have, therefore, investigated the early process of recruitment of PMN to alveolar spaces after pulmonary inoculation of Streptococcus pneumoniae in doses less than those causing pneumonia . We injected Balb/c mice with water and varying inoculums of pneumococci via an endobronchial catheter . Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed on the inoculated lung at 0, 2, or 4 h after injection . Cellular response was measured and chemotactic activity was assayed on BAL supernatants at each time interval using the migration of human PMN through 3-micron filters in modified Boyden chambers by the leading front techniques . The BAL of normal and control animals (inoculum of sterile water only used for the control animals) yielded 5.03 +/- 1.51 X 10(2) and 0.17 +/- 0.04 X 10(5) PMN, respectively . The PMN recruitment at 4 h as a function of pneumococcal inoculum was described by the following equation: log PMN = 0.751 log Pn + 1.119 (r2 = 0.82, p less than 0.001) . The PMN were, therefore, recruited in a dose-dependent manner . That recruitment may be caused by chemotactic substance(s) was suggested by the significant correlation between the PMN response and the distance of in vitro migration: log PMN = 0.057 micron + 0.52 (r = 0.77, p less than 0.005) . We have defined quantitatively the recruitment of PMN to the lung after pneumococcal challenge.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Am Rev Respir Dis, 1984 Jan, 129(1), 82 - 6 The role of C5 in polymorphonuclear leukocyte recruitment in response to Streptococcus pneumoniae; Toews GB et al.; Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) play an important functional role in early pulmonary clearance of Streptococcus pneumoniae . The factors responsible for PMN recruitment to the lung after challenges with this organism are poorly defined . We used congenic C5-sufficient B10.D2/nSn (C5+) and C5-deficient B10.D2/oSn (C5-) mice to determine the importance of the C5 molecule in the PMN response to S . pneumoniae . The C5+ and C5- mice were injected with water and varying inoculums of pneumococci via an endobronchial catheter . Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed on the inoculated lung at 0 and at 4 h after injection . Cellular response was measured and chemotactic activity was assayed in BAL supernatants at each time interval using human PMN in modified Boyden chambers by the leading front technique . Clearance of bacteria was studied by quantitative lung culture . The C5+ mice recruited significantly more PMN after challenges with both 10(4) and 10(6) pneumococci than did the C5- mice (p less than 0.05), but significant PMN accumulation did occur in C5- mice . Similarly, C5+ mice generated significantly more intraalveolar chemotactic activity than did C5- mice (p less than 0.05) but chemotactic activity was present in both C5+ and C5- mice in checkerboard assays . Pulmonary clearance of bacteria was significantly impaired in the absence of C5 at both inoculums (p less than 0.05) . Our results indicate that the C5 molecule yields important PMN chemotaxins during the early time period after intrapulmonary inoculation of S . pneumoniae . However, PMN recruitment after this insult also results from other chemotaxins because both chemotactic activity and PMN recruitment occur within the alveoli of C5- mice. Am J Med Sci, 1984 Jan-Feb, 287(1), 65 - 70 Acute epiglottitis in adults; Khilanani U et al.; We treated four adults whose upper airway was compromised due to acute epiglottitis . We also reviewed the English literature for all reports of this condition in adults (18 years and older) . Among the 158 cases, the infectious etiology was identified in 29 (H . influenzae 20, Streptococcus pneumoniae six, H . parainfluenzae two, Streptococcus pyogenes one) . In the remaining cases, the etiology was uncertain . Bacteremia was documented in 23/32 patients (71.9%), but extra-epiglottic infections were strikingly rare (X = six) . The clinical manifestations were sore throat (100%), fever (88%), dyspnea (78%), dysphagia (76%), anterior neck cellulitis or tenderness (27%), hoarseness (21%), pharyngitis (20%) and anterior cervical lymphadenopathy (9%) . Complete airway obstruction ensued in 23 out of the 119 subjects (18.3%) who had respiratory difficulty . Overall mortality rate was 17.6% but it was 6.4% among the patients who were semi-electively tracheostomized or endotracheally intubated . These findings illustrate that antibiotics therapy active against H . influenzae is required in the treatment of acute epiglottitis in adults . Additionally, airway patency should be established when inspiratory stridor appears assuring uncomplicated recovery. J Fam Pract, 1984 Jan, 18(1), 117 - 8, 123-7 Bacterial sinusitis; Meyers BR; Sinusitis may occur secondary to infectious agents, allergens, or pollutants . Bacteriologic studies carried out from sinus punctures revealed that Streptococcus pneumoniae and Hemophilus influenzae are the most common bacterial pathogens isolated . Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes are not uncommon pathogens . Complications of sinusitis, including orbital cellulitis, usually are due to infection with Staphylococcus aureus and H influenzae . The recent increase in certain areas of the country of beta-lactamase-producing strains of H influenzae is noted . When the etiology remains to be determined in the patient with acute bacterial sinusitis, initial therapy with an oral cephalosporin seems warranted. Int J Cardiol, 1984 Jan, 5(1), 98 - 101 Aortic valve endocarditis complicated by complete heart block; Dunn HM et al.; A 34-year-old man with severe aortic incompetence caused by Streptococcus viridans developed severe central chest pain followed by complete heart block, multifocal ventricular extrasystoles, lengthening of the QTc and signs of cerebral emboli and pulmonary oedema . Early antibiotic therapy along with pacing, non-invasive investigations coupled with early surgery contributed significantly to the patient's survival. J Clin Microbiol, 1984 Jan, 19(1), 83 - 4 Identification of group C streptococcal antigen extracts with lectin-bound polystyrene particles; Slifkin M et al.; Crude extracts of Dolichos biflorus can be coupled to polystyrene particles to yield