Nouv Presse Med, 1981 Feb 26, 10(8), 654 - 6 {Combined cefotaxime-amikacin treatment of infectious episodes in acute leukaemia patients with therapeutically-induced bone marrow aplasia (author's transl)}; Guy H et al.; In view of the clinical results obtained in severe septicaemia due to Gram-negative organisms, cefotaxime and amikacin combination was used in leukaemic patients with chemotherapeutic aplasia . 30 infectious episodes were treated in 22 cases of acute myeloid leukaemia, one case of acute flare-up in chronic leukaemia and 7 cases of acute lymphoid leukaemia . Cefotaxime was administered at daily doses of 100 mg/kg to the first 4 patients and of 60 mg/kg to the remaining 26 patients by infusion every 6 hours . Amikacin was administered at a daily dose of 15 mg/kg by the same route . 24 excellent results, 4 failures and 1 doubtful result were observed . Tolerance was very good . A new infection appeared in 9 patients during prolonged treatment (mean: 13,7 days) . Cefotaxime appears to be a treatment of choice for infective conditions observed in chemotherapeutic aplastic leukaemia . A cure rate of 80% with amikacin combination can be obtained, but, in vivo, resistant pathogens (Streptococcus, group D) or poorly sensitive organisms (Pseudomonas aeruginosa + Bacteroides fragilis: 1 case) may be selected . Then, a new antibiotic treatment, based on accurate bacteriological results, could be given with success. J Biol Chem, 1981 Feb 25, 256(4), 1861 - 6 The importance of inorganic phosphate in regulation of energy metabolism of Streptococcus lactis; Mason PW et al.; This paper is concerned with the control of glycolysis in nongrowing Streptococcus lactis 7962 . Changes were measured in the concentrations of glycolytic intermediates, intracellular inorganic phosphate (Pi), and adenine nucleotides following addition of glucose to cells that were in a starved condition . We find that intracellular Pi is a major factor in the control of glycolysis . In starved cells, the intracellular Pi concentration is high, greater than 40 mM . The large phosphoenolpyruvate pool that exists in starved cells can be explained as a result of inhibition of pyruvate kinase by the high concentration of Pi . On the other hand, in cells that are metabolizing glucose at a steady state rate, the cellular Pi concentration is low and pyruvate kinase is active . Upon depletion of glucose from the medium, the metabolite concentrations return to the values originally found in the starved state . This glucose depletion raises the intracellular Pi which again leads to inhibition of pyruvate kinase and the consequent buildup of the P-enolpyruvate pool. Am J Med, 1981 Feb, 70(2), 247 - 51 Pneumococcal pericarditis: a persisting problem in contemporary diagnosis; Berk SL et al.; We reviewed the clinical and laboratory features of six patients with pericarditis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae who were admitted to Boston City Hospital . The diagnosis of pneumococcal pericarditis was delayed or missed entirely during life in all patients . The frequent absence of pericardial friction rubs and cardimegaly on chest roentgenograms contributed to the difficulty in recognizing this illness . Electrocardiograms and physical examinations of the heart almost always disclosed abnormalities, but they were not sufficiently specific to suggest pericarditis, and patients were often thought to have had an acute complication of arteriosclerotic heart disease . Review of the English literature since 1945 supports the recent experience in our hospital that the diagnosis of pneumococcal pericarditis may be elusive. Am Heart J, 1981 Feb, 101(2), 174 - 6 Virulent streptococcus viridans bacterial endocarditis; Hosea SW; A particularly virulent form of bacterial endocarditis due to Streptococcus viridans is described in selected patients . The diagnosis of purulent pericarditis and myocardial abscess is delineated . In addition, emphasis is placed on early surgical intervention in the appropriate management of these potentially lethal complications. South Med J, 1981 Feb, 74(2), 144 - 6 Mixed Streptococcus pneumoniae and gram-negative bacillary pneumonia in the elderly; Berk SL et al.; Of 24 elderly patients with Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia confirmed by transtracheal aspiration, six had concomitant infection with gram-negative aerobic bacilli . All six patients were elderly men with underlying cardiopulmonary disease . Three had had recent prior episodes of gram-negative pneumonia and four had previously received antibiotics . The clinical, laboratory, and epidemiologic characteristics of these six patients with mixed bacterial pneumonia are reported. Obstet Gynecol, 1981 Feb, 57(2), 233 - 7 Use of umbilical cord blood culture for detection of neonatal bacteremia; Polin JI et al.; Rapid and accurate detection of neonatal bacteremia is an important part of the management of the neonate with suspected sepsis . This study compared the incidence of positive umbilical cord blood cultures (UCBCs) to the incidence of positive peripheral venous blood cultures and determined whether a meticulous UCBC technique prevented contamination of culture specimens . Six UCBCs of the 200 sampled were positive . Three cultures exhibited delayed growth (more than 48 hours) and were not considered clinically significant . In 2 of the 3 remaining positive cultures were organisms considered contaminants; the third culture correlated to the infant's peripheral venous blood culture (alpha-hemolytic streptococcus), showing evidence of bacteremia . From these data the authors conclude that 1) meticulous and fastidious collection of UCBCs prevents contamination of culture specimens, and 2) the UCBC may prove to be a satisfactory alternative to the postnatal peripheral venous blood culture for detection of neonatal bacteremia. J Bacteriol, 1981 Feb, 145(2), 729 - 35 Purification and properties of endo-alpha-1,3-glucanase from a Streptomyces chartreusis strain; Takehara T et al.; An enzyme hydrolyzing the water-insoluble glucans produced from sucrose by Streptococcus mutans was purified from the culture concentrate of Streptomyces chartreusis strain F2 by ion-exchange chromatography on diethylaminoethyl cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose columns and gel filtration on Bio-Gel A-1.5m . The purification achieved was 6.4-fold, with an overall yield of 27.3% . Electrophoresis of the purified enzyme protein gave a single band on a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel slab . Its molecular weight was estimated to be approximately 68,000, but there is a possibility that the native enzyme exists in an aggregated form or is an oligomer of the peptide subunits, have a molecular weight larger than 300,000 . The pH optimum of the enzyme was 5.5 to 6.0, and its temperature optimum was 55 degrees C . The enzyme lost activity on heating at 65 degrees C for 10 min . The enzyme activity was completely inhibited by the presence of 1 mM Mn2+, Hg2+, Cu2+, Ag2+, or Merthiolate . The Km value for the water-insoluble glucan of S . mutans OMZ176 was an amount of glucan equivalent to 1.54 mM glucose, i.e., 0.89 mM in terms of the alpha-1,3-linked glucose residue . The purified enzyme was specific for glucans containing an alpha-1,3-glucosidic linkage as the major bond . The enzyme hydrolyzed the S . mutans water-insoluble glucans endolytically, and the products were oligosaccharides . These results indicate that the enzyme elaborated by S . chartreusis strain F2 is an endo-alpha-1,3-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.59). Gastroenterology, 1981 Feb, 80(2), 375 - 9 Prevention of sepsis-induced gastric lesions in dogs by cimetidine via inhibition of gastric secretion and by prostaglandin via cytoprotection; Odonkor P et al.; The cytoprotective and acid-inhibitory effects of cimetidine and 16,16-dimethyl PGE2 were evaluated in a septic canine erosive gastritis model . In 21 dogs, total gastric fistulas were created, and after a 3-wk recovery period, basal, food-, and pentagastrin-stimulated acid output were measured . Then bacterial peritonitis was created by the intraperitoneal instillation of Pseudomonas, Bacteroides, Streptococcus Fecalis, Klebsiella and canine gallbladder bile . In 5 dogs no drug were given throughout the septic period while in 16 dogs either cimetidine, 6 or 12 mg/kg i.m . every 6 h, or 16,16-dimethyl PGE2, 0.2 or 0.4 microgram/kg i.m . every 6 h, was given 24 h before the induction of peritonitis and continued for 3 days . All 21 dogs had positive blood cultures on the 1st septic day . In the control animals, basal, food-, and pentagastrin-stimulated acid output significantly increased during the first 2 septic days, and gastroscopy demonstrated bleeding acute fundic erosions . Cimetidine decreased basal, food-, and pentagastrin-stimulated acid output in a dose-related manner, and only with the higher dose did it prevent gastric mucosal damage . 16,16-Dimethyl PGE2, 0.4 microgram/kg, significantly decreased acid output and prevented gastric mucosal damage . 16,16-Dimethyl PGE2 0.2 microgram/kg, although having no apparent effect on basal, food-, and pentagastrin-stimulated acid output, prevented the development of acute gastric erosions . Thus, in the canine septic model, acid output significantly increases during sepsis . Cimetidine prevents the development of sepsis-induced gastric erosions by inhibition of acid secretion and 16,16-dimethyl PGE2 by cytoprotection. Jpn J Antibiot, 1981 Feb, 34(2), 161 - 70 {Therapeutic experience with cefadroxil syrup in acute infections, especially scarlet fever, in pediatric field (author's transl)}; Minamitani M et al.; Clinical effects were investigated on cefadroxil powder for syrup (containing 100 mg of cefadroxil per 1 g) for acute bacterial infections (mostly scarlet fever) in the field of pediatrics, and the results were obtained as follows . Cefadroxil was applied in 100 cases of scarlet fever . Among 49 cases administered 30-39 mg/kg/day, the results were excellent in 34 cases and good in 15 cases, efficacy ratio being thus 100% . Among 38 cases administered 40-49 mg/kg/day, the results were excellent in 33 cases, and good in 5 cases, efficacy ratio being thus 100% . Out of 4 cases administered 20-29 mg/kg/day, the results were excellent in 3 cases and good in 1 case, while out of 9 cases administered 50-59 mg/kg/day, excellent in 4 cases and good in 5 cases . Among 78 cases of scarlet fever from which beta-hemolytic Streptococcus was proven from swab liquid of palatal tonsil, 67 cases received cefadroxil at a daily dose of 30-49 mg/kg, and the bacteria turned to negative the next day of administration in 72 cases, 2 days later in 6 cases . Cefadroxil was administered at a daily dose of 46 mg/kg for 7 days in 1 case of SSS syndrome of which Staphylococcus aureus was proven from skin lesion, and local bacteria turned to negative, as well as clinical effect was excellent . No pathogen was proven in 1 case of acute tonsillitis, maybe because ampicillin (ABPC) and cefazolin (CEZ) were administered before cefadroxil treatment, and yet a clinical efficacy was judged by administering cefadroxil at a daily dose of 46 mg/kg, though no clinical improvement was observed with the prior antibiotics . As to the side effects of cefadroxil in 102 cases, a slight vomiting was noticed in 6 cases, though the administration could be continued, and a slight rise of GOT or GPT was observed respectively in 3 cases and 1 case, all of which were recovered without abnormal clinical findings . Among the patients of scarlet fever, after beta-hemolytic Streptococcus became negative, reelimination or recurrence was noticed in 2 cases, but these patients were cured completely by readministration of cefadroxil or administration of amoxicillin (AMPC) . Cefadroxil powder for syrup was absorbed quite well, its serum levels were maintained for long, and it was easily administered in children . Considering from its superior antibacterial activity, cefadroxil may be expected to be useful for a remedy in slight or middle infections of children. Farmaco {Sci}, 1981 Feb, 36(2), 102 - 8 {Synthesis and in vitro antibacterial activity of N-methylnitrone and nitrovinyl derivatives of some N-substituted 2-chloroindol-3-carboxaldehydes}; Gatti R et al.; N-methylnitrones and nitrovinyl derivatives from 1-substituted-2-chloroindol-3-carboxaldehydes were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial activity . Some nitrovinyl derivatives displayed good in vitro activity against Gram-positive bacteria; the compound (II e), 1-(o-chlorobenzyl)-2-chloro-3-(2-nitroethenyl)indole, was more active than nitrofurantoin against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes . Some structure-activity relationships are discussed. Clin Exp Immunol, 1981 Feb, 43(2), 417 - 24 A radioimmunoassay for serum and gingival crevicular fluid antibodies to a purified protein of Streptococcus mutans; Smith R et al.; A solid-phase radioimmunoassay was developed to measure serum IgG antibodies to a purified protein antigen I/II prepared from Streptococcus mutans . The assay was specific to this antigen and significant binding of 125I-radiolabelled antiserum was found only in sera from rhesus monkeys immunized with the antigen I/II but not in sham-immunized monkeys or those immunized with streptococcal antigen III . A very significant correlation was found in serum IgG antibodies tested by the radioimmunoassay and an immunofluorescent technique (r = 0.88, P less than 0.001) . The sensitivity of the double-layer radioimmunoassay was increased 10 times by the addition of a third antibody layer and this enabled gingival crevicular fluid antibodies to be measured . Comparison of paired samples of serum and crevicular fluid revealed a very significant correlation between IgG antibodies to streptococcal antigen I/II in the the two fluids (P less than 0.001) . These findings suggest that serum antibodies can reach the tooth surface via gingival crevicular fluid. Harefuah, 1981 Feb 1, 100(3), 129 - 30 {Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal sepsis in childhood}; Nutman J et al.; One of two children admitted with septicemia due to group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus died following a very fulminant course . This organism may cause overwhelming disease in newborn infants, as well as in children with diseases which compromise the immune system . Group A streptococcus, though very sensitive to penicillin, can cause severe and rapidly progressive illness even in previously normal children, unless recognized and treated promptly. Jpn J Antibiot, 1981 Feb, 34(2), 200 - 4 {Sensitivity of group B Streptococcus to various antibiotics (author's transl)}; Teramoto T et al.; Group B Streptococcus was isolated from the clinical materials of the patients examined in the Kobe Central Municipal Hospital, in 1974 to 1979 . 1 . Clinical isolates were all resistant to bacitracin . 2 . Serotypes of 19 isolates were type III in 12 strains, Ia in 3, Ic in 2 and untypable in 2 . 3 . The MICs were determined to 15 antibiotics, and the results showed that penicillin G was the best and in the order of decreasing potency, cefotaxime, ampicillin, ceftizoxime and cefoperazone . 4 . Compared with group A Streptococcus, the sensitivity of group B Streptococcus to penicillin G and ampicillin was inferior by 2 to 3 tubes . 5 . Based on the above results, the significance of the cephalosporin antibiotic of the third generation, particularly cefotaxime, was evaluated in the treatment of infectious diseases of the newborn infants. Pediatrics, 1981 Feb, 67(2), 292 - 5 Pneumococcal sepsis in childhood leukemia and lymphoma; Allen JB et al.; Forty episodes of sepsis in 28 patients with leukemia or lymphoma were reviewed . Streptococcus pneumoniae accounted for 14 episodes and was the most frequent etiologic agent isolated . Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus accounted for an additional 16 episodes . No patients with pneumococcal sepsis died whereas the overall mortality was 25% . Five of the patients with pneumococcal sepsis had polymorphonuclear leukocyte counts less than 500/cu mm . All patients in remission who had pneumococcal sepsis had a leukocytosis in response to their infection . Foci in patients with pneumococcal sepsis were identified in 50% of the episodes and all were confined to the respiratory tract. Aust N Z J Surg, 1981 Feb, 51(1), 52 - 5 Oesophageal microbial flora in carcinoma of the oesophagus; Lau WF et al.; In 79 patients, with carcinoma of the oesophagus, oesophageal aspirates obtained at oesophagoscopy were cultured for aerobic and anaerobic organisms in an attempt to identify the microbial flora . The aspirate culture was correlated with the pathogens isolated when infective complications developed after operation . Bacteroides were isolated from the oesophagus in 39.2% of patients, streptococcus in 10.1% and coliform organisms in 7.6% . No growth was obtained in 35.4% patients . Forty-one patients underwent oesophageal resection . Six of these had the complication of empyema thoracis in the postoperative period . Two patients had identical organisms isolated from the oesophagus and the empyema . B . melaninogenicus was cultured from the pleural fluid in two patients whose oesophageal aspirate culture yielded no growth . Six patients developed wound infection, all with anastomotic cutaneous fistula . There was no demonstrable relationship between the organisms isolated from two sources . Prophylactic antibiotic administration should be directed against the bacteroides, since it is the most common organism isolated from within the oesophagus. Infect Immun, 1981 Feb, 31(2), 808 - 15 Mutanolysin-induced spheroplasts of Streptococcus mutants are true protoplasts; Siegel JL et al.; A method is described for the preparation of protoplasts of Streptococcus mutans BHT . The muralytic enzyme mutanolysin was prepared free of contaminating proteinases and shown to completely dissolve cell walls of this strain . Whole cells were converted to stabilizable protoplasts by using the enzyme in an isotonic medium containing 40% raffinose . Experiments using {3H}thymidine and {14C}leucine as cytoplasmic pool markers revealed only minimal (10%) leakage during a 1-h incubation . Examination by electron microscopy revealed the apparent absence of structural cell wall on the enlarged spherical bodies . Quantitative chemical analyses of membranes prepared by lysing protoplasts demonstrated only very small amounts of rhamnose and trace amounts of galactose . These sugars are the principal components of the BHT cell wall polysaccharide . Also, there were only small amounts of peptidoglycan components (e.g., N-acetylglucosamine) in the purified membranes obtained by this method. Am Fam Physician, 1981 Feb, 23(2), 117 - 22 Group B streptococcus; Alcoff JM; The Group B streptococcus has only recently been recognized as a cause of serious clinical disease, especially in infants under three months of age . These organisms are normally found in the female genital tract and also exist, at a lower rate, in male urethras . During labor and delivery, they are transmitted to the fetus in utero or during passage through the birth canal . Group B streptococcal infections in infants are associated with high mortality and sequelae rates despite antibiotic administration. Am J Otolaryngol, 1981 Feb, 2(1), 19 - 21 Acute otitis media in children eight years old and older: a reappraisal of the role of Hemophilus influenzae; Schwartz RH et al.; The bacteriology of acute otitis media in 18 children eight to 17 years of age was investigated through the use of culture of middle ear exudate obtained by tympanic membrane puncture . Equal numbers of children had either Hemophilus influenzae (six) or Streptococcus pneumoniae (six) in the middle ear exudate . Acute otitis media in children through adolescence should be treated with antibiotics known to be effective against H . influenzae. Scand J Dent Res, 1981 Feb, 89(1), 19 - 25 Streptococcus mutans in plaque and saliva and the development of caries; Kohler B et al.; Plaque samples from 10 different tooth surfaces of 10 schoolchildren with varied caries experience (DFS 10-33) were collected five times during 2.5 years . The samples were examined with an immunofluorescent technique for identification and enumeration of Streptococcus mutans serotypes c/e/f and d/g . At each sampling occasion the children were scored for caries . A stimulated saliva sample was also collected and the number of S . mutans per ml saliva was determined . The saliva level of S . mutans was shown to reflect the prevalence and proportion of this microorganism on the selected surfaces . Five surfaces carried S . mutans at each sampling . Four of these surfaces showed progressive cries S . mutans infection was also found to precede the development of incipient caries on four surfaces . Eighty percent of the surfaces that stayed sound were only transiently carriers of S . mutans in mainly very low numbers . Serotype c/e/f dominated in prevalence and proportion on the surfaces with a history of caries during the study. J Dent Res, 1981 Feb, 60(2), 187 - 92 Fluoride accumulation by oral microorganisms; Gaugler RW et al.; Ten laboratory strains of oral microorganisms and 17 recent clinical isolates were examined for their ability to concentrate fluoride from a 1 ppm (0.05 mM NaF( fluoride solution . The laboratory strains concentrated the ion from two- to six-fold over the surrounding media . Clinical isolates of Actinomyces concentrated the ion to similar levels to the laboratory strains of this organism; however, clinical isolates of Streptococcus mutans and S . sanguis concentrated the fluoride significantly less than any of the laboratory strains examined. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand {B}, 1981 Feb, 89(1), 25 - 8 Antibiotic sensitivity pattern of recent clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae; Zackrisson G et al.; Antimicrobial susceptibility of 180 recent isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae was determined by microdilution technic . There was a high degree of susceptibility to both penicillin G and cefuroxime, except for one strain which required 0.25 microgram/ml . All strains were inhibited by 0.06 microgram/ml of ampicillin, clindamycin and erythromycin . When tested against doxycycline 97.2% of the strains were inhibited by 1.0 microgram/ml . 8 microgram/ml inhibited all strains . Three of the strains were chloramphenicol-resistant with MIC more than 8 microgram/ml . These strains could be shown to inactivate chloramphenicol . All strains but three were susceptible to 20/l microgram/ml of sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim. J Gen Microbiol, 1981 Feb, 122(Pt 2), 217 - 25 Separation and characterization of a protein antigen from cells of Streptococcus mutans; Zanders ED et al.; A protein antigen, I/II, was purified from cells and culture supernatants of Streptococcus mutans (serotype c) by solubilization in urea followed by ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration . Immunological activity was retained after further purification by preparative sodium dodecyl sulphate--polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS--PAGE) . The sedimentation coefficient was estimated to be approximately 8.7S by sucrose gradient centrifugation . The use of staining procedures, as well as the linear migration of this protein through different concentrations of acrylamide during SDS--PAGE, indicated that the antigen is probably not a glycoprotein . A lower molecular weight protein containing the free antigen I determinant was shown to have extensive homology with intact antigen I/II which implied that the former was a degradation product of the intact 185 000 dalton antigen I/II . Antigen II, although previously defined by its resistance to proteases, could be further digested with trypsin after denaturation by SDS--PAGE . Antigen I/II could not be correlated with a group of glucosyltransferases isolated from whole cells and culture supernatants . The cell surface location of antigen I/II was established by the lactoperoxidase-catalysed iodination of intact cells followed by protein analysis using SDS--PAGE . Previously, the potential importance of antigen I/II has been established by its immunogenicity and capacity to induce a protective immune response against dental caries. Immunology, 1981 Feb, 42(2), 175 - 83 Potentiation of natural killer activity of human lymphocytes by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and its protein A; Kasahara T et al.; Cytotoxic activity of human lymphocytes against the myeloid cell line K-562 was augmented greatly by 24-h incubation with Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I bacteria (SpA CoI) and its protein A . This effect was not observed when these stimulants were added after preincubation, suggesting that this activity was different from so-called lectin-induced cellular cytotoxicity . Potentiation required at least 12 to 18 h incubation of lymphocytes with these stimulants . Macrophage depletion did not affect the potentiation by protein A or SpA coI, although the potentiation by poly I:C or OK-432, an immunopotentiator of Streptococcus pyogenes was completely reduced . Further cell separation procedures revealed that neither T cells nor FcR- cells, which showed little natural killer (NK) activity, were enhanced by protein A or SpA coI . On the other hand, (a) null cells which were obtained from nylon column (NC)-passed fraction by depleting T cells and surface membrane Ig-positive cells, and (b) FcR+ E- cells which were obtained from NC-passed fraction by depleting FcR- cells and T cells, showed marked NK activity by themselves and were further augmented by these stimulants . FcR+ E+ cells failed to show NK activity even if they were stimulated by these stimulants . Thus, it was found that protein A and SpA CoI, as well as human interferon, could stimulate NC-non-adherent, FcR+, E- NK cells and potentiate markedly their NK activity. JAMA, 1981 Jan 23-30, 245(4), 369 - 70 Vaccination-Associated relapse of immune thrombocytopenia; Kelton JG; Many patients with immune thrombocytopenia require splenectomy to achieve remission . They are therefore at risk for postsplenectomy septicemia and should receive vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae . In experiment situations, antigens contained within this vaccine cell initiate a polyclonal B-lymphocyte activation and increased production of specific and nonspecific antibodies . In certain animal models, a polyclonal B-lymphocyte stimulatory response can trigger an autoimmune disorder . Two patients with immune thrombocytopenia had relapses of their immune thrombocytopenia after the administration of pneumococcal and influenza vaccines . These observations suggest that patients with a history of immune thrombocytopenia should be monitored after vaccination. JAMA, 1981 Jan 23-30, 245(4), 357 - 9 Evaluation of the buffy-coat smear for rapid detection of bacteremia; Reik H et al.; Buffy-coat smears prepared from 599 blood samples, obtained simultaneously with blood for culture, were examined for bacteria . Each blood sample was quantitatively cultured on chocolate agar . Twenty-one blood cultures (3.6%) from 17 patients were positive . Two (11.7%) of the 17 patients had positive buffy-coat smears . One patient had two positive smears, for a total of three positive buffy-coat smears from 21 positive blood cultures . Chart reviews were performed for two patients with positive buffy-coat smears, three patients with positive blood cultures (containing the same organisms as the two study patients) but negative buffy-coat smears, and six additional patients who had had positive buffy-coat smears between 1974 and 1979 . Of the eight patients with positive smears, six (75%) were infected with Gram-positive cocci, three of which were Streptococcus pneumoniae . Mortality was 100%. Carbohydr Res, 1981 Jan 15, 88(1), 119 - 34 Oxidized saccharides as inhibitors of alpha-glucan synthesis by Streptococcus mutans glucosyltransferase; Ono K et al.; Specific inhibition by periodate-oxidized dextrans of the synthesis of alpha-glucan by S . mutans glucosyltransferase prompted a search for structurally related inhibitors that might be effective as anticaries agents . Clinical dextran derivatives in which from 5 to 50% of the D-glucose units were oxidized acted as potent and specific enzyme-inhibitors, as did 10%-oxidized derivatives of dextran fractions ranging in mol . wt . from 10(4) to 2 X 10(6) . Within these limits, differences in oxidation or molecular weight did not significantly affect the high inhibitory potency of the derivatives . In contrast, periodate oxidation of (1 leads to 6)-alpha, (1 leads to 3)-alpha-, and (1 leads to 4)-alpha-linked oligosaccharides containing less than approximately 15 D-glucose units, and of sucrose and structurally related trisaccharides, yielded derivatives that were poor inhibitors . Enzymic hydrolysis of oxidized dextrans caused a loss of their inhibitory power and indicated that, to act as specific inhibitors, oxidized molecules must contain at least 16 to 20 D-glucosyl residues . The similar, minimum size required in order that unoxidized oligosaccharides may act as efficient acceptors in the glucosyltransferase reaction suggests that the inhibitory potencies of oxidized derivatives may reflect their relative abilities to bind at the acceptor site of the enzyme. Carbohydr Res, 1981 Jan 15, 88(1), 107 - 17 D-Glucosyltransferase of Streptococcus mutans: isolation of two forms of the enzyme that bind to insoluble dextran; Figures WR et al.; The D-glucosyltransferase from Streptococcus mutans 6715 has been separated into three enzymic fractions that differ in their binding to dextran and in their synthesis of dextran from sucrose . One enzymic fraction (AFF-I) does not bind to insoluble dextran, and it produces an insoluble D-glucan . Fraction AFF-IIU was eluted from a dextran affinity-column by either dextran or urea, whereas fraction AFF-IID was eluted only by dextran . Both of these fractions produce insoluble D-glucans from sucrose. J Bacteriol, 1981 Jan, 145(1), 661 - 3 Purification of Streptococcus group C bacteriophage lysin; Raina JL; A simple procedure for the purification of Streptococcus group C phage lysin to apparent homogeneity is described . The electrophoretically pure, enzymatically stable polypeptide of 98,000 molecular weight converted Streptococcus (groups A, F, and H) cells into spheroplasts within 5 min at 0 degrees C or within less than a minute at 37 degrees C. Am J Nephrol, 1981, 1(2), 97 - 104 Newer modifications of peritoneal dialysis: options in the treatment of patients with renal failure; Price CG et al.; Experience with peritoneal dialysis for the treatment of 69 patients suffering from renal failure is reported . Chronic intermittent peritoneal dialysis (CIPD) was used in 49 patients, and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) in 34 patients . CAPD was well accepted by patients, and resulted in maintenance of laboratory parameters in a range similar to that achieved by hemodialysis and by CIPD . However, peritonitis occurred with a higher incidence in CAPD (one per 7.2 patient-months) than in CIPD (one per 19.2 patient-months) . All episodes of peritonitis were caused by only 40% of the patients, and in CAPD, patients who developed peritonitis in the first 4 weeks of treatment were the most likely to develop repeat episodes . An organism was identified in 81% of cases, of which 50% were due to Staphylococcus, 16% due to Streptococcus, 5% due to Candida and the remaining 29% were due to gram-negative organisms . In addition to CAPD, we introduced an automated modification of prolonged-dwell peritoneal dialysis (PDPD) that is applicable to a larger number of patients . In 11 patients PDPD proved comparable to CAPD in ameliorating the laboratory parameters measured, but was associated with lower incidence of peritonitis (one per 18.2 patient-months). Microbiol Immunol, 1981, 25(12), 1229 - 42 Characterization of solubilized products from the cell wall of Streptococcus pneumoniae during autoplast formation; Ohno N et al.; The structure of the cell wall of Streptococcus pneumoniae R36a was investigated by means of chemical analysis of the solubilized products formed during autoplast formation . By autoplast formation, almost all of the cell wall components were solubilized as the end products within several hours . Analysis of the solubilized products revealed that the pneumococcal cell wall consists of three macromolecular components, teichoic acid-glycopeptide I (TA-GP I), teichoic acid-glycopeptide II (TA-GP II), and glycopeptide (GP-III) . The molecular size of TA-GP I was larger than that of TA-GP II . TA-GP I and TA-GP II were constituted of similar components, galactosamine, 2-acetamido-4-amino-2, 4, 6-trideoxyhexose, glucose, ribitol, choline, phosphate, and peptidoglycan components, but the ratio of teichoic acid to glycopeptide in TA-GP II was higher than that in TA-GP I . TA-GP II was solubilized more slowly than TA-GP I and GP III during autoplast formation . The assembly of the cell wall by TA-GP I and II, and GP III is discussed in connection with the action of autolysin. Microbios, 1981, 30(121-122), 171 - 80 Mixed culture studies of Streptococcus mitis and oral enterococci; Vernazza TR et al.; Strains of Streptococcus mitis and oral enterococci were grown in mixed culture in 0.5% peptone, 1.0% peptone and 1.0% peptone supplemented with 0.5% glucose . In all three media the enterococci inhibited the S . mitis strains . The inhibition was strongest in the glucose supplemented broths, probably due to pH toxicity . Inhibition in the unsupplemented broths was not similarly caused, but no other inhibitory factors could be isolated from these culture. Eur Neurol, 1981, 20(5), 374 - 9 Immunoglobulin characterization by bacterial absorption of antibrain antibodies in multiple sclerosis; Ryberg B et al.; Complement-fixing (CF) antibrain antibodies are frequently found in serum and CSF in multiple sclerosis (MS) . They represent several specificities and appear to be synthesized on both sides of the blood-brain barrier . Five sera and six CSF samples from 11 MS patients, representing 6 different specificities of antibodies, were absorbed with a series of bacterial strains with affinity for various immunoglobulins . Reactivity with brain preparations was eliminated by absorption with the following IgG absorbents: Staphylococcus aureus strain Cowan I, group A streptococcus strain A R1, and group G streptococcus strain G 148, but not by absorption with strains with low or no affinity for IgG . The results indicate in all tested samples the IgG1 and/or IgG2 nature of the antibrain antibodies. Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex, 1981 Jan-Feb, 38(1), 119 - 29 {Familial incidence of post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis}; Martinez J et al.; The investigation on siblings of AGN patients has shown a streptococcus carrier evidence of 45%, while glomerulonephritis incidence was 15% . These data allowed us to classify our population as highly susceptible to bacterial dissemination and to the development of non-suppurative complications . Renal compromise was clinical and histologically classified . Subclinical forms showed glomerular lesions of mesangial localization, while clinical forms exhibited variable degrees of cellular proliferation . All patients recovered except one who died of a rapidly progressive form. Can J Comp Med, 1981 Jan, 45(1), 20 - 5 The serological response of foals to vaccination against strangles; Srivastava SK et al.; A group of 100 foals was given either a commercial bacterin or an autogenous vaccine consisting of whole cells and an acid extract of Streptococcus equi . During the study, some of the foals developed clinical strangles . Various sets of sera were collected from these foals prevaccination, during vaccination, postvaccination and postinfection . The serological response of these foals was measured by passive haemagglutination and long chain tests . In foals which remained healthy, the highest titres were reached within one to two months postvaccination with a passive haemagglutination 10 x log2 mean titre of 6.78 and the long chain indices of 4.41 . These levels persisted for 120 days postvaccination . Those foals which had clinical strangles exhibited lower passive haemagglutination titres (3.78) at one to two months postimmunization, but rose significantly after recovery . Four ponies immunized with formalinized Str . equi bacterin showed a partial protection against the challenge infection . The passive haemagglutination titres, long chain indices and serum bactericidal activity in these ponies were highest at 35 days postvaccination but did not increase after infection. Boll Ist Sieroter Milan, 1981, 60(1), 15 - 20 {Multicenter study on the distribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains in Italy}; De Bac C et al.; Pneumococcal serotyping by quellung reaction has been performed in five Italian areas on 267 strains, isolated from throat swab, sputum, blood, liquor, etc . 37 serotypes have been identified . The most frequent types resulted 19, 6, 3, 20, 9, 4 (in 50% of total samples), with no difference from those detected in other European countries . The proportion of type 19 was the highest among all age group, in four out of five different areas and in bacteremic pneumonia and meningitis . 36 strains were isolated from infection sites among which type 19 resulted more frequent than in isolates from throat swab and sputum (27.7% versus 16.1%) . Pneumococcal serotyping should be routinely done in the light of forthcoming use of polysaccharide vaccine. J Dairy Sci, 1981 Jan, 64(1), 123 - 9 Variation in Wisconsin Mastitis Test Scores of bucket milk samples and relationship to bacterial infections; Bodoh GW et al.; Sources of variation in the Wisconsin Mastitis Test were studied in 4739 bucket milk samples from 111 cows in one herd during 103 days . Quarters of cows were classified infected or uninfected through bacteriologic assays of quarter milk samples . Quarters were uninfected in 70.4% of the cow-quarter-days and infected with Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae in 1.4 and .9% of the quarter samples . Scores of all cow-days averaged 8.5 . Wisconsin Mastitis Test scores of cow-days having no pathogens averaged 5.8 . Correlation of duplicate samples was .97 . Repeatability of monthly tests was .67 . Days within month of lactation, month within age group, cow within age, and age differed . Older cows averaged higher Wisconsin Mastitis Test scores . Scores for uninfected cow-days did not differ with age . Scores were higher by 5.5 units in cows with infected quarters than in those with no infected quarters . The increase was greater with S . aureus or S . agalactiae present than with less virulent pathogens . In a cost-utility analysis, Wisconsin Mastitis Test was inefficient in detecting infected cows with a single test. Jpn J Antibiot, 1981 Jan, 34(1), 95 - 101 {Serotypes and drug-susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from clinical specimens (author's transl)}; Oguri T et al.; Serotypes and antibiotic susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae from various clinical specimens from Jan . 1979 to July 1980 were examined . (1) The serotype of the organism widely distributed, and predominant serotypes were type 6, type 15, type 19, type 3 and type 23 . Strains of type 2, 12 and 25, which were used as pneumococcal vaccine, were not found . (2) From the results of susceptibility test the most active drug was PCG among penicillins and CER among cephalosporins . There was one strain which was resistant to PCG and CER as well as CP and TC . Sixty-five% and 48% of the strains were resistant to TC and CP respectively . Almost of the strains were sensitive to macrolides and LCM . The occurrence of resistant strains to CP, TC, EM and LCM varied to the serotypes. Rev Infect Dis, 1981 Jan-Feb, 3(1), 98 - 109 Intermittent or continuous therapy of experimental meningitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae in rabbits: preliminary observations on the postantibiotic effect in vivo; Sande MA et al.; The relative effectiveness of bolus vs . constant intravenous administration of equivalent doses of penicillin G in killing bacteria in vivo was studied in a rabbit model of meningitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae . Samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum were obtained from 30 rabbits at intervals of less than or equal to 8 hr after treatment for determination of antibiotic concentrations and titers of viable bacteria in the CSF . When penicillin G was given by continuous infusion (10(5) units/hr after an initial 10(5)-unit loading dose), concentrations of drug in serum and CSF reached a steady state in 1 hr . With intermittent bolus administration of 4 x 10(5) units every 4 hr, higher peak and lower trough concentrations were achieved, and these concentrations paralleled those in the CSF . Although an initial acceleration in bactericidal rate was observed with the bolus infusion between the first and second hour of therapy, after the second hour the rate of bacterial killing was identical for the two methods of administration . The duration of therapy required for sterilization of the CSF was dependent only on the bacterial count before treatment and not on the mode of drug administration . The effect of single bolus intravenous administration of ampicillin was examined in experimental pneumococcal meningitis . Ampicillin was given at various dosages (3.25-62.5 mg/kg), and frequent samples of CSF were obtained for determination of concentrations of pneumococci and ampicillin . A long postantibiotic effect was observed in the CSF of all animals, and this effect consistently was longer than that observed in vitro. Infect Immun, 1981 Jan, 31(1), 78 - 87 Effect of fructose and other carbohydrates on the surface properties, lipoteichoic acid production, and extracellular proteins of Streptococcus mutans Ingbritt grown in continuous culture; Hardy L et al.; Streptococcus mutans Ingbritt was grown in a chemostat at destined dilution rates in either 0.5% fructose or 0.5% sorbitol and at destined pH values in 0.5% fructose . The yield of cells was affected by the carbohydrate source, as well as by the pH, with the lowest yield being at pH 5.5 in 0.5% fructose . Fructose-grown cells showed greater susceptibility to lysis by a muramidase than the corresponding glucose-grown cells, but there were no marked differences in the lytic susceptibilities of the corresponding cell wall preparations or in the serological reactivities of wall lysates with antiserum to S . mutans Ingbritt . The greatest amounts of cellular lipoteichoic acid were obtained at high dilution rates in both fructose and sorbitol, as well as at high pH values in fructose . The greatest amounts of extracellular lipoteichoic acid were found at low dilution rates, as estimated by rocket immunoelectrophoresis and also by hemagglutination . Three major extracellular protein components were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and the effects of growth conditions on these components were determined . Results for batch-grown cultures showed that there was genotypic variation in the susceptibility of cells to lysis by a muramidase . The enhancement of lipoteichoic acid production by fructose and sorbitol in batch cultures was not identical in representative strains of S . mutans serotype c, nor was the effect of fructose found uniformly in representative strains of the different S . mutans serotypes. Infect Immun, 1981 Jan, 31(1), 61 - 70 Antibody responses of monkeys to oral and local immunization with Streptococcus mutans; Walker J; Monkeys were immunized with Streptococcus mutans by a number of routes in an attempt to elicit exclusively a secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) response . Antibody responses were detected by a sensitive radioimmunoassay . Monkeys primed subcutaneously and boosted submucosally with formolized cells of S . mutans had high serum IgG, IgA, and IgM radioimmunoassay titers and only slight salivary IgG titers . Instillation of killed cells of S . mutans into the right parotid salivary duct elicited good IgG, IgA, and IgM responses in both the right parotid saliva and serum, but only a weak IgM response was detected in the left parotid saliva . Administration of killed cells of S . mutans in enterically coated capsules did not elicit a detectable antibody response or have a discernible effect on the antibody response to subsequent immunization by instillation . No increase in antibody titer was detected in the serum or whole saliva from monkeys orally immunized with enterically coated capsules containing viable S . mutans or in the serum, whole saliva, or intestinal contents from monkeys immunized with uncoated capsules containing killed cells of the same organism . These results do not support the concept that oral immunization with S . mutans is effective in stimulating a generalized secretory IgA response in primates. Infect Immun, 1981 Jan, 31(1), 345 - 51 Use of combined immunization routes in induction of a salivary immunoglobulin A response to Streptococcus mutans in Macaca fascicularis monkeys; Linzer R et al.; Various combinations of immunization routes were examined for ability to elicit or prolong (or both) a salivary secretory immunoglobulin A response to Streptococcus mutans strain Ingbritt (serotype c) in Macaca fascicularis monkeys . Intraductal (i.d.), per os (p.o.), and subcutaneous (s.c.) routes were utilized . Four groups of three to five monkeys each were immunized by the following schedules: group I--p.o., s.c., i.d.; group II--i.d., p.o., i.d.; group III--s.c., p.o., i.d.; and group IV--control . Immune responses in the serum and parotid fluid were quantitated by using passive hemagglutination assays with purified serotype-specific polysaccharide and by indirect immunofluorescent staining assays . Both s.c . and i.d., but not p.o., routes resulted in detectable serum antibody responses . Only i.d . immunization resulted in a measurable salivary response . Indirect immunofluorescent staining revealed specific secretory immunoglobulin A antibodies in the parotid fluid which correlated with passive hemagglutination titers . The p.o . procedures used in this study did not result either in a prolonged immune response or in measurable tolerance related to the humoral or secretory immune system. Infect Immun, 1981 Jan, 31(1), 228 - 35 Evaluation of the opsonic requirements for phagocytosis of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes VII, XIV, and XIX by chemiluminescence assay; Matthay KK et al.; A luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence assay was used to investigate opsonic requirements for phagocytosis of STreptococcus pneumoniae serotypes VII, XIV, and XIX . After opsonization with whole immune sera (with antibody and total complement pathway), heat-inactivated immune sera (with antibody alone), or magnesium dichloride-ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid-chelated immune sera (with antibody and alternative complement pathway), live S . pneumoniae cells were incubated at 37 degrees C with normal polymorphonuclear leukocytes while serial chemiluminescence measurements were recorded . The amount of chemiluminescence observed correlated closely with evidence of phagocytosis as observed by microscopy . Complement was required for efficient opsonization, since all three serotypes showed a slower rise and less integral chemiluminescence after opsonization with heat-inactivated serum as compared with whole serum . The alternative pathway provided opsonic activity equal to that of the total complement pathway for type XIX, but only intermediate activity for types VII and XIV . Type-specific antibody was also required for effective opsonization of all three serotypes since chemiluminescence was markedly reduced when bacteria were opsonized with antibody-depleted serum (serum absorbed with type-specific S . pneumoniae cells at 4 degrees C) . Thus, chemiluminescence proved to be an effective means of defining the requirement for both antibody and complement in the opsonization and phagocytosis of S . pneumoniae. Infect Immun, 1981 Jan, 31(1), 160 - 8 Nature of the cross-protective antigen in subcellular vaccines of Streptococcus pneumoniae; Au CC et al.; Studies have been carried out to investigate the nature of the antigen present in subcellular extracts of a rough strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae A662b which has been shown to confer protection in mice against challenge with smooth, virulent organisms of the homologous and heterologous serotypes . The finding that whole, heat-killed cells were also capable of immunizing mice against challenge with organisms of heterologous serotypes suggests that the immunogen is present on the surface of the rough pneumococcal cell . Ribosomes purified by sucrose gradient centrifugation were not protective, but material recovered in the pellet retained activity . Subcellular extracts prepared from spheroplasts with a partial absence of cell wall showed decreased protective capacity, and extracts prepared from wall-deficient protoplasts were not protective . Crude cell walls evidenced cross-serotype protection, but purified walls did not protect . These results are interpreted as suggesting that the active moiety in the subcellular vaccine is present on the surface of rough pneumococci and is either a wall antigen that must be part of a larger macromolecular complex to be immunogenic, or a substance associated with the cell wall that is present in crude, but not purified, cell wall fractions. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1981, 249(4), 466 - 82 {Influence of physical parameters on the production of streptococcal extracellular proteins in cultures with stabilized pH . I . Communication: pH-dependence of extracellular protein production (author's transl)}; Ozegowski JH et al.; The influence of the pH of the medium on growth and production of extracellular proteins was examined in a group C streptococcus (SA . equisimilis strain H 46 A) . The pH values employed ranged from 5.0 to 8.5 and the analytical methods used included the determination of enzyme activities, isoelectric focusing, crossed-immunoelectrophoresis, and SDS electrophoresis . The strain is able to grow in the entire pH range used, with maximum growth occurring at pH 6.5 . The amount of extracellular proteins elaborated depended on both the pH of the medium and the biomass produced . A specific pH range was defined for optimum production of all enzymes examined . With the exception of streptodornase and NAD-glycohydrolase, the pH optimum for product formation was generally in the neutral and weakly alkaline range . Active proteinase was formed only a pH 6.0, leading to gross degradation of most of the other proteins in the culture medium . At pH values ranging from 6.5 to 7.5, isoelectric focusing revealed the production of 28 different extracellular proteins, and crossed immunoelectrophoresis demonstrated 30 to 32 antigens . The number of extracellular products produced greatly declined at pH values above and below this range . Under optimum conditions, the main extracellular product at H 46 A was streptokinase, followed by deoxyribonuclease A. Arch Oral Biol, 1981, 26(12), 1015 - 25 Microbial surface interactions: reduction of the haemagglutination activity of the oral bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum by absorption with Streptococcus and Bacteroides; Falkler WA Jr et al.; Oral strains of Fusobacterium nucleatum showed haemagglutination (HA) of sheep red blood cells and attachment of HA-active F . nucleatum fragments to other microorganisms allowed a means of studying microbial surface interactions . HA-active sonicated fragments (SF) prepared from F . nucleatum were mixed with whole cell suspensions of 48 bacterial strains and, after incubation, the whole cells were separated from the non-absorbed fragments by differential centrifugation . Attachment of F . nucleatum fragments to the cells was indicated by a reduction in the HA activity of the SF in the supernatant fluid remaining after absorption with whole cells . HA activity of the microbial cells used for absorption and the detection of F . nucleatum fragments on these cells by an indirect fluorescent antibody technique provided further evidence of attachment . Of the 48 strains tested, 10 absorbed F . nucleatum HA-active fragments . They included Bacteroides gingivalis, Bacteroides fragilis subsp . distasonis, Bacteroides corrodens, Streptococcus morbillorum, Streptococcus sanguis (Blackburn and JC 74) and Streptococcus mutans AHT, BHT, 10449 and 6715 . Chelators revealed that F . nucleatum attached to the microorganisms via a Ca2+-dependent interaction . Sugar inhibition demonstrated that F . nucleatum attached to the microorganisms via a D-galactose-containing moiety on their surface . A reduction in the absorption of F . nucleatum HA-active fragments by Strep . mutans grown in a higher concentration of sucrose was observed. Zentralbl Bakteriol A, 1981, 249(2), 190 - 4 Lethal effect of CAMP-factor and UBERIS-factor--a new finding about diffusible exosubstances of streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus uberis; Skalka B et al.; CAMP-factor, the exosubstance of Streptococcus agalactiae, and UBERIS-factor, the exosubstance of Streptococcus uberis, exerted lethal effect when administered parenterally to rabbits and white mice . A single intravenous dosis of 1,500 activity units per 1 kg body weight resulted in rapid death of the rabbits . To kill mice, the intravenous or intraperitoneal dosis had to be 45 times higher in relation to the body mass . After formaldehyde treatment, both streptococcal exosubstances were deprived of their lethal effect as well as of their synergistic hemolytic activity with the staphylococcal beta-toxin. Vopr Onkol, 1981, 27(6), 27 - 32 {Cross-reacting antigen common to stratified squamous epithelium and Streptococcus group A in tumors of epidermal origin}; Silagadze DG et al.; A tissue-specific basal-cell antigen of stratified squamous epithelium which enters into cross reaction with group A streptococcus polysaccharide was detected in the cytoplasm of human basal- and squamous-cell tumor cells which are associated histogenetically with skin epithelium . However, it was not found in the cells of entodermal tumors (stomach and intestinal adenocarcinoma) . Considering earlier reports on the detection of cross reacting antigen in experimental ectodermal tumors, these results suggest the development of an additional histogenetical method of differential diagnosis of human tumors which arise in ectodermal tegumental epithelium. Z Erkr Atmungsorgane, 1981, 156(2), 176 - 9 {Anaerobic bacteria in bronchopulmonary diseases (author's transl)}; Nyiredy G et al.; Report on the results of cultivating bronchial secretion for anaerobic bacteria . It was collected from 1005 not selected patients with various lung diseases by using a special canula allowing to obtain the specimen under sterile conditions . In 228 patients (22.7%) anaerobic germs could be identified predominantly potentially pathogenic being: Fusobacterium nucleare (91), Veillonella (36), Pepto-streptococcus (23) . Above all, they could be found in patients with bronchial carcinoma, bronchiectasis, chronic bronchitis and pulmonary abscess . Most of them were sensible to penicillin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline. Res Commun Chem Pathol Pharmacol, 1981 Jan, 31(1), 185 - 8 Localisation of 125I-labelled streptolysin O of Streptococcus pyogenes in mice; Shibl AM et al.; The fate of 125I-labelled Streptolysin O injected intravenously into mice was studied . After 2 hours only 5% of the injected label remained in the blood . The highest concentration of radioactivity was consistently observed in the liver and kidneys . The labelled toxin was degraded in the liver but its greatest toxic effect took place in the kidneys. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1981 Jan, 19(1), 91 - 100 Genetic study of plasmid-associated zonal resistance to lincomycin in Streptococcus pyogenes; Malke H et al.; The phenomenon of zonal resistance to lincomycin, which is characteristic of most clinical isolates with lincomycin resistance in Streptococcus pyogenes, has been studied . These strains grow within a defined concentration range of lincomycin (approximately 60 to 200 microgram/ml), or at lincomycin concentrations below the minimal inhibitory concentration for susceptible strains . It is shown that the zonal growth phenomenon is a stable phenotype and results from induction of resistance only within the zonal concentration range of lincomycin . These strains also possess inducible resistance to erythromycin which is nonzonal in character . One-step mutations to constitutive resistance have been isolated which are of two types: constitutive for lincomycin or for erythromycin, but not for both . Those strains with constitutive erythromycin resistance retain their zonal resistance for lincomycin . Mutants doubly constitutive for both lincomycin and erythromycin can be obtained by a second mutational step from either of the singly constitutive mutants . Satellite deoxyribonucleic acid has been shown to be present in the zonal resistant strains . A plasmid, pSM10419, of 14.9 megadaltons, has been isolated from one of the doubly constitutive mutants and used to jointly transform Streptococcus sanguis strain Challis to constitutive resistance to both lincomycin and erythromycin . From this, a multicopy plasmid of reduced size, pSM10 (5.4 megadaltons), which retains its resistance phenotype, has been isolated and mapped with restriction endonucleases HindIII (three sites), EcoRI (one site), KpnI (one site), and HpaI (one site) . The staphylococcal plasmid pC221 (2.9 megadaltons; chloramphenicol resistant) has been fused to pSM10 at the EcoRI site resulting in a chimeric plasmid, pSM10221 (8.3 megadaltons), which retains resistance to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, and lincomycin . pSM10 is therefore suggestive as an effective cloning vehicle for the genus Streptococcus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1981 Jan, 19(1), 166 - 9 Mutational loss of susceptibility to mutacin GS-5 in Streptococcus pyogenes: surface protein in a tolerant variant; Franker CK; A variant (S4340) nonsusceptible to mutacin GS-5 was previously obtained from a strain of Streptococcus pyogenes susceptible to this bacteriocin . The variant was found to adsorb as much bacteriocin as parent cells and exhibit similar susceptibility to seven antibiotics and two detergents . Electrophoretic analysis of protein dissociated from mutant cells by brief sonication revealed the presence of a 74,000-dalton polypeptide not discernible in profiles obtained from susceptible parent cells . The precise role of this tolerance-associated marker remains to be determined . The protein does not appear to be an exported product transiently associated with the cell envelope. Immunobiology, 1981, 158(4), 330 - 7 Interaction of streptococcal cell wall components with fibrinogen . I . adsorption of fibrinogen by immobilized T-proteins of streptococcus pyogenes; Schmidt KH et al.; Immobilized streptococcal T1-, T3- and T4-proteins to AH-Sepharose 4B were tested for their ability to absorb human fibrinogen . Purified fibrinogen and plasma samples were used for affinity chromatography . T1-protein was able to retain specifically fibrinogen from plasma . T4-protein bound fibrinogen in a similar manner, but it was not as specific as T1-protein . T3-protein failed to bind purified fibrinogen as well as fibrinogen from plasma . Adsorption of fibrinogen was accomplished using a 0.05 M phosphate/0.2 M NaCl/0.02% NaN3/pH 7.0 buffer system followed by elution with 0.05 M PO4/1 M NaCl/0.02% NaN3 to remove non specifically bound components . Retained components were eluted with 8 M Urea/0.025 M NaOAc, pH 5 and the fractions analyzed for fibrinogen content by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . The presence of fibrinogen was determined by observations of the characteristic A alpha, B beta and gamma chain bands. Microbiol Immunol, 1981, 25(2), 183 - 94 On the immunogenicity of ribosomes and ribosomal proteins isolated from Klebsiella pneumoniae and Streptococcus pneumoniae; Robert D et al.; The two pathogenic species Streptococcus pneumoniae and Klebsiella pneumoniae were used to analyze the immunogenic role of proteins in ribosomal preparations . The protective activity of ribosomes prepared from either strain and further purified by washing with high-salt concentrations, followed or not by sucrose gradient separation of the particles, was identical to that of crude unwashed ribosomes . Similarly, no substantial alteration of the level of protection was observed after treatment with the antibiotic puromycin . Therefore, the immunizing efficacy of ribosomes does not appear to be due either to the nonribosomal proteins adsorbed at the surface of organelles or to the growing polypeptide chain . It seems rather to be attributable to the structural ribosomal proteins themselves, which were indeed shown to induce alone a significant level of protection. Immunogenetics, 1981, 13(1-2), 39 - 56 Inheritance patterns of idiotype expression: maternal-fetal immune regulatory networks; Olson JC et al.; The production of Id-1, a cross-reactive idiotype associated with rat anti-group . A streptococcal carbohydrate antibodies, by 11 strains of rats indicates that genes coding for Id-1 are in the germline . Its expression, however, follows a complex inheritance pattern . It was our intent in these studies to determine if immune responsiveness of streptococcus (GASV) immunized females could alter Id-1 expression of GASV-immunized progeny, and, in turn, introduce complications in Id-1 inheritance patterns . - We observed that Id-1-specific immune reactivity of GASV-immunized females could induce significant alterations in Id-1 production by progeny . The relationship between maternal and progeny Id-1 was complex, reflecting the complexity of autologous regulation of Id-1 production, and could be the opposite of what one would predict based upon parental transfer of Id-1 regulatory genes . The nongenetic nature of the maternal regulatory influence was confirmed by foster-mother studies . - We conclude that antigen-induced maternal immune responsiveness can exert a permanent regulatory influence on idiotype expression by progeny and consequently introduce error in to the interpretations of idiotype inheritance patterns . The recognition of this maternal regulatory influence also lends further support to Jerne's hypothesis that idiotype-specific immune networks play a significant role in the regulation of immune responsiveness in vivo. Rev Infect Dis, 1981 Jan-Feb, 3(1), 150 - 3 Controlled comparative trial of bacampicillin and amoxicillin in therapy of bacterial infections of the lower respiratory tract; Finegold SM et al.; In this study the efficacy of bacampicillin and amoxicillin in treatment of bacterial lower respiratory tract infection were compared . Thirty-eight patients were treated with bacampicillin (800 mg twice a day), and 39 were treated with amoxicillin (500 mg three times a day) . Conditions treated included pneumonia, exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, and bronchiectasis . The two groups were roughly comparable in terms of demographic factors and clinical diagnosis . The most common pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae and Hemophilus influenzae; isolates of S . pneumoniae were somewhat more prevalent in the group treated with bacampicillin . All patients in both groups were either cured or improved clinically . The offending pathogen was eliminated except for two strains of H . influenzae in the group treated with amoxicillin . There were mild adverse effects, including two cases of diarrhea, in four patients treated with amoxicillin . Two patients treated with bacampicillin had mild adverse effects; no diarrhea was encountered . Minor abnormalities of laboratory test results that possibly were related to therapy were encountered in eight of the patients treated with bacampicillin and three of the patients treated with amoxicillin. Infect Immun, 1981 Jan, 31(1), 391 - 5 Effects of route and time of administration of antiserum on protection of mice from lethal infection due to group B Streptococcus type III; Stanton BF et al.; The present study examines a mouse model of infection due to group B Streptococcus serotype III (GBS-III) as to the route and timing of antiserum administration for protection and quantitation of bacteremia with and without antiserum . Data for these parameters are contrasted with those after challenge with serotype Ia of group B Streptococcus (GBS-Ia) . An intraperitoneal injection of GBS organisms and protective antiserum from a single syringe can be used to create an animal model of disease . Intraperitoneal injection of GBS-III resulted in bacteremia at 0.5 h both in animals who did not receive antiserum (17.4 X 10(2) +/- 7.6 X 10(2) colony-forming units per ml of blood samples) and in animals who received antiserum (19.3 X 10(1) +/- 6.8 X 10(1) colony-forming units per ml) . Although intraperitoneal injection of GBS-Ia also resulted in bacteremia evident by 0.5 h in unprotected animals (30.1 X 10(2) +/- 3.8 X 10(2) colony-forming units per ml), no bacteremia occurred in protected recipients of this organism . Bacteremia due to GBS-Ia and GBS-III logarithmically increased until at least 7 h . Bacteremia due to GBS-III in protected animals was cleared by 24 h . Protection against GBS disease did not require simultaneous or proximate administration of the organism and the antiserum . Mice could be protected from death after intraperitoneal challenge with GBS-III or GBS-Ia by antiserum administered intravenously or intraperitoneally from 6 h before to 2.5 h after challenge. Arch Invest Med (Mex), 1981, 12(1), 141 - 51 Screening for ampicillin resistant Hemophilus influenzae and penicillin resistant Streptococcus Pneumoniae in healthy carriers; Guiscafre H et al.; 800 samples of pharyngeal exudate were taken from healthy children and 28 healthy intrafamilial contacts of children with meningitis caused by H . influenzae type b . H . influenzae type be was isolated in 8.7 per cent of nursery children, H . influenzae type e in 0.12 per cent and non typifiable H . influenzae in 5.8 per cent . On intrafamilial contacts, 32 per cent had H . influenzae type b and non typifiable in 3.5 per cent . Percent age of ampicillin resistant H . influenzae type b was 14 per cent . No strains were found resistant to chloramphenicol . S . pneumoniae was isolated in 37 per cent of pharyngeal exudate samples . 25.5 per cent of strains tested were penicillin sensitive; 74.5 per cent has a decrease sensitivity . Based on these results we consider chloramphenicol to the the first drug of choice for treatment of severe H . influenzae infections and penicillin for S . pneumoniae infections recommending in the latter higher doses when dealing with central nervous system infections. Arch Oral Biol, 1981, 26(12), 1005 - 13 Extracellular polysaccharide synthesized by the oral bacterium Streptococcus mutans of serotype a to e in vitro; Trautner K et al.; Extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) synthesized in vitro by Streptococcus mutans belonging to serotypes a, b, c, d and e was shown to consist mainly of glucan . Only strains of type b and e regularly produced substantial amounts of fructan, too . Strains of type d synthesized significantly higher quantities of glucan than strains of the other types per gram of bacterial mass . The percentage of insoluble glucan was lowest in samples from strains of type a and c, and highest in samples from strains of type d . In contrast to the insoluble glucan, the linkage pattern of the soluble glucan of the five types showed only small differences . The percentage of alpha-1,3-linked glucose units was highest in the insoluble glucan from strains of type d and e, and lowest in glucan from type c . The differences were significant . Incubation of Strep . mutans under various culture conditions showed that the quantities and composition of EPS formed depend on the culture condition used . The effect of culture conditions, however, was similar for all strains . Therefore the differences found with respect to the quantities and composition of EPS synthesized in vitro by Strep . mutans of different types are apparently type-dependent. Acta Odontol Scand, 1981, 39(5), 267 - 74 Bacterial growth on dental restorative materials in mucosal contact; Orstavik D et al.; Test specimens of amalgam, gold, porcelain, heat-cured acrylic resin, and human enamel were made to fit into cavities prepared in acrylic pontics of maxillary bridges . One side of the specimen was in close contact with the mucosa . Plaque was allowed to accumulate on the specimens for 27 to 48 days, and adherent bacteria were then quantified by cultivation on selective and non-selective media . The inflammatory status of the mucosa overlying the specimens were monitored by exudation measurements . Lower total numbers of bacteria were recovered from acrylic specimens than from the other materials used, including enamel . There were also significant subject differences in bacterial recovery . Test specimens in contact with inflamed mucosa yielded less total numbers of bacteria, but higher numbers of Streptococcus mutans, than did specimens exposed to mucosa with no or negligible exudation. Acta Odontol Scand, 1981, 39(2), 79 - 82 Microbial adhesion to surfaces with different surface charges; Larsson K et al.; The adhesion behaviour of Streptococcus sanguis was studied on well-defined stearic and behenic acid multilayers which were prepared by depositing fatty acids on a solid substrate according to the Langmuir-Blodgett technique . Using this technique and by adjustment of the substrate pH it was possible to form outer surfaces consisting of either close-packed methyl or carboxyl end-groups . Thus adhesion was studied on non-polar surfaces formed by the methyl end-groups and on high density negatively charged surfaces formed by carboxyl groups . Under the experimental conditions the non-polar surfaces showed the same degree of adhesiveness as the reference (metal), whereas adhesion was completely inhibited on multilayers with a high negative surface charge . The significance of these results is discussed with regard to dental plaque formation. Acta Odontol Scand, 1981, 39(2), 61 - 6 Association between bacterial agglutinins and immunoglobulin A in human saliva; Olsson J et al.; Two distinct peaks were obtained when human parotid saliva was separated on a Sepharose 2B column . The bacterial agglutinating activity was concentrated to the void volume fractions whereas the IgA was found in the beginning of the second, large peak . Unfractionated saliva as well as the pooled agglutinin fractions, or a mixture of agglutinin and IgA, all induced the aggregation of KPSK2, a Streptococcus mutans serotype c strain . By adding anti-human-IgA antiserum to the whole saliva or to the mixture of agglutinin and IgA, the aggregation reaction could be eliminated . In order to achieve this effect the agglutinin and IgA had to be mixed prior to the addition of anti-IgA . Addition of anti-IgA antiserum to the agglutinin fraction only did not impair the aggregation of bacteria . The homologous reactions with anti-IgG antiserum did not give any inhibition effect . However, when human IgG was added to the saliva, or to the agglutinin, before the addition of anti-IgG, the aggregation of KPSK2 was again impaired . The data in this paper indicate that the agglutinins and the IgA antibodies in saliva may be normally associated with each other. Acta Odontol Scand, 1981, 39(2), 115 - 23 Two-hour bacterial colonization of dental luting cements in vivo; Orstavik D et al.; Test specimens of zinc phosphate, polycarboxylate, zinc oxide-EBA, silico-phosphate and resin cements were carried in the mouth for 2 hours . The bacteria adhering to the cement specimens were quantified after culture on selective and non-selective, solid media . Significantly fewer bacteria could be recovered from the EBA cement than from the other cement types . All cement specimens, as well as samples from tooth surfaces, showed selective enrichment of Actinomyces viscosus compared with the proportion of this organism in saliva . The silicophosphate and particularly the polycarboxylate cement were poor substrates for the adhesion of Streptococcus mutans . Scanning electron micrographs revealed heavy accumulations of coccoid and filamentous organisms on zinc phosphate cement surfaces . Fewer bacteria, mainly cocci, were seen on the polycarboxylate and silico-phosphate cements, whereas the micrographs of the EBA and resin cement surfaces were difficult to interpret. Mol Gen Genet, 1981, 182(1), 87 - 94 Enrichment of DNA polymerase III activity in a DNA membrane complex purified from Pneumococcus: the possible existence of subcomplexes; Firshein W et al.; Three DNA polymerase activities, one related to DNA pol III, have been extracted from a DNA membrane complex purified from Streptococcus pneumoniae . DNA pol III was purified 3300-fold, DNA pol II 2800-fold and DNA pol I 1800-fold . Based on inhibition analysis with a drug known to inhibit DNA pol III activity in Gram positive organisms . 6(p-hydroxyphenyl azo) uracil (HpU), 55% of the total DNA polymerase activity is represented by pol III . In contrast, only 3-5% of the total DNA polymerase activity is inhibited by HpU in crude extracts . The purification of the DNA membrane complex from pneumococcus is modified from an earlier procedure (Firshein 1972) . The modified procedure results in the separation of three distinct DNA-protein-phospholipid subcomplexes of which the one described above contains most of the radioactivity derived from cells pulsed for a short time with (3H)-thymidine . Proteins are involved in binding DNA in each complex and the conformation of DNA in each complex may be different . All of the subcomplexes contain DNA polymerase activity partially sensitive to HpU . These results provide direct evidence for the structural integrity of a complex that may be involved in DNA replication in vivo. Pharmacol Ther Dent, 1981, 6(1-2), 45 - 56 In vitro evaluation of antibiotics in the treatment of periodontal disease; Mashimo PA et al.; To assess the antibiotic sensitivity of subgingival microflora, chloramphenicol sodium succinate, clindamycin hydrochloride hydrate, disodium carbenicillin, doxycycline hyclate, erythromycin, minocycline hydrochloride, penicillin -G, spiramycin adipate, tetracycline hydrochloride and metronidazole were examined . Eleven patients with periodontitis were selected for sampling . Subgingival plaque samples were taken from three sites on each patient . Anaerobic incubation of the plaque samples for ten days was made on the blood agar plates which contained 0.1 microgram/ml and 5 microgram/ml of each antibiotic substance, respectively . According to the results of viable counts on the plates, it was determined that penicillin, tetracycline, doxycycline, and minocycline were most effective antibiotics with which to control the periodontal plaque organisms . Resistant organisms against those four antibiotics were generally Streptococcus species . "anaerobic vibrios", and Veillonella parvula . Some of the oral anaerobic isolates were also tested against all antibiotics at the concentration of 1 microgram/ml of each . Minocycline and clindamycin were the two most effective antibiotics against anaerobic subgingival purified strains and chloramphenicol was the least effective. Mol Gen Genet, 1981, 181(1), 57 - 62 Monomer plasmid DNA transforms Streptococcus pneumoniae; Saunders CW et al.; The covalently closed (CC) monomer form of plasmid pMV158 was found to transform pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae) and to do so with two-hit kinetics . The evidence came from analysis of the behavior of the transforming activity in fractions from preparative gel electrophoresis . Activity in the first major peak to elute (i) co-eluted with monomer CC as detected on analytical gels, (ii) banded as CC in dye-buoyancy gradients, (iii) sedimented with the velocity expected for monomer CC, and (iv) gave two-hit kinetics as functions of both concentration and time of exposure of the cells to DNA . A second major peak of activity behaved physically as though mostly due to dimer CC forms and gave single-hit response curves . Because almost no dimer was detectable optically on analytical gels of starting preparations, its specific activity was high relative to that of the monomers. Anesth Analg (Paris), 1981, 38(11-12), 645 - 50 {The subclavian vein catheter related infections (author's transl)}; Kannisto K et al.; The aim of the present investigation was to study the possible means to prevent the subclavian vein catheter related infections . The tip of the catheter and the part situating at the skin puncture were cultured using the semiquantitative culture method . The growth of the micro-organisms was divided into three groups: classical pathogenic, opportunistic and non pathogenic . We did not find any growth in 64 p . cent of the catheters . The puncture site gave growth in 15 p . cent, the catheter tip in 6,5 p . cent and both of them in 14 p . cent In this study four cases (1,5 p . cent) of septicemias were found . In these cases Streptococcus fecalis was the most common microorganism . The aim of the semiquantitative culture method was to differentiate a real catheter related infection and contamination . The real infection was found only in 32 catheter tips though growth was seen in 54 catheter tips . According to this investigation it seems that the most important factor in preventing catheter related infections was strict sterility during the catheter placement as well as during the maintenance . A small dose of heparin probably reduces the formation of fibrin sleeve around the catheter tip and thus prevents infections . The time the patient is catheterized is also of importance, patients with catheter related septicemia had twice as long duration than cases without growth of catheter tip. Microbios, 1981, 31(123), 31 - 8 A synergistic increase in Bacillus subtilis 168 transformation produced by the presence of heterologous W23 DNA; Heard JT Jr et al.; Transformations utilizing a 168-like recipient and mixtures of homologous and heterologous DNA lead to an unexpected increase in the number of transformants when the two DNAs are in equal concentration . The absolute requirement for native heterologous DNA to produce the effect was demonstrated . The increase may be due to a helping effect analogous to that found in Streptococcus. Ann Acad Med Singapore, 1981 Jan, 10(1), 11 - 3 Bacterial meningitis--a five year review 1975--1979; Nadarajah M; In a five year period 142 cases of bacterial meningitis were reported, of which 50 per cent were children under the age of four years and a third of the children were neonates . The commonest organism isolated was Streptococcus pneumoniae, there being 28 cases . The incidence of Klebsiella organism causing meningitis has been on the increase, and 20 cases were reported within this period . There has been a change in pattern of neonatal meningitis, with group B streptococcal infection predominating over the gram negatives. Arch Neurol, 1981 Jan, 38(1), 43 - 5 Effect of CSF on bacterial growth; Agbayani MM et al.; The growth patterns of five potentially pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, group B beta-hemolytic streptococcus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and a commonly encountered, nonpathogenic microorganism (S epidermidis) were compared using CSF, trypticase soy broth (TSB), and a phosphate buffer . Each grew less in CSF than in TSB . Escherichia coli was least affected with a median difference of 2 logarithms between CSF and TSB at 24 hours of growth, whereas S epidermidis was markedly inhibited, with a median difference of 6.85 logarithms . The differences among the remaining four organisms ranged from 3.86 to 5.94 logarithms, all significantly greater than that for E . coli . Similar results were obtained at 48 hours of growth . The non-support of bacterial growth by CSF may constitute a host defense mechanism . The basis of these observations may be the presence of inhibitors or the absence of nutrients required for bacterial growth in the CSF. Med Decis Making, 1981, 1(3), 239 - 46 The diagnosis of strep throat in adults in the emergency room; Centor RM et al.; Adult patients who presented to an urban emergency room complaining of a sore throat had cultures and clinical information recorded . Models were constructed, using logistic regression analysis, of both a positive culture for Group A beta streptococcus and a positive guess by a resident . The model of a positive culture consisted of four variables--tonsillar exudates, swollen tender anterior cervical nodes, lack of a cough, and history of fever . Patients with all 4 variables had a 56% probability of a positive culture; 3 variables, 32%; 2 variables, 15%; 1 variable, 6.5%; and 0 variables, 2.5% . The model of a positive guess by a resident demonstrated an over-reliance on physical exam and an underuse of history . The model of a positive culture allows stratification of patients to assist clinicians in the management strategies. Microbios, 1981, 32(129-130), 143 - 53 Factors affecting polysaccharide storage in group A Streptococcus pyogenes in non-proliferating cell suspensions; McFarland CR et al.; Optimal conditions for intracellular polysaccharide (IPS) storage by non-proliferating suspensions of group A Streptococcus pyogenes are described . Concentrations of yeast extract and acid-hydrolysed casein which did not support measureable growth prevented bacterial death during storage . For optimal storage, high concentrations of maltose were required to antagonize the inhibitory effect of medium glucose released by intracellular amylomaltase activity . Stabilization of cell washing solutions with 0.5 M sucrose and the minimal storage medium with 8.0% w/v polyethylene glycol MW 6,000 was required for optimal culture viability and IPS storage . The stabilization effect prevented loss of small purine or pyrimidine-containing compounds required for IPS storage as indicated by culture water-shock treatment. Mol Gen Genet, 1981, 183(1), 7 - 12 Nonsense mutations in the amylomaltase gene and other loci of Streptococcus pneumoniae; Weinrauch Y et al.; Maltose-negative mutations in the amylomaltase gene of Streptococcus pneumoniae were examined for the presence of nonsense mutations . Out of 28 single-site mutants tested, 3 were shown to be suppressible by an amber suppressor previously found by Gasc et al . (1979) . In the presence of the suppressor these mutants manifested 10--30% of wild type amylomaltase activity . In addition to the amylomaltase governed by malM, and the maltosaccharide phosphorylase governed by malP (which maps to the side of malM distal to the regulatory gene, malR), a new maltose-inducible protein, governed by another gene, malX, was observed in gel electrophoretic patterns . The malX gene maps on the side of malM proximal to the malR gene . The approximate molecular weights of the amylomaltase, phosphorylase and malX polypeptides are 62,000, 87,000 and 50,000, respectively . There appear to be no polar effects of the nonsense mutations in the malM gene on synthesis of the gene products of either malP or malX . In a search for nonsense mutants at other loci, one was found in the end gene, which governs the major endonuclease, a membrane enzyme . None were detected among 5 mismatch-repair defective hex mutants analyzed. Allerg Immunol (Leipz), 1981, 27(1), 22 - 7 {Investigations about the immunobiology of m-proteins of Streptococcus pyogenes . IV . Cell-mediated immunity of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) against streptococcal antigens (author's transl)}; Knoll H et al.; Cell-mediated immunity was tested in monkeys (Macaca mulatta) immunized with highly purified M-proteins by means of the lymphocyte transformation reaction . Lymphocytes from immunized and nonimmunized monkeys were stimulated with PAL-M-Proteins . IC-M-proteins were completely free of mitogenicity and no lymphocyte stimulation was to be found after immunization with 1.6 mg . Erythrogenic toxins of strain NY5 were able to stimulate lymphocytes of monkeys unspecifically. Gene, 1981 Jan-Feb, 13(1), 65 - 73 Cloning of Streptococcus pneumoniae DNA: its use in pneumococcal transformation and in studies of mismatch repair; Claverys JP et al.; EcoRI fragments of the amiA locus in Streptococcus pneumoniae were cloned either into a derivative of lambda or into pBR325 plasmid . Mutations in the amiA locus confer resistance to aminopterin . Pneumococcal DNA fractions were enriched for the desired EcoRI fragments by agarose gel electrophoresis . Recombinant clones were detected directly by transformation with DNA and lambda plaques or from single-colony lysates containing pBR325 . The use of cloned DNA in pneumococcal transformation has revealed a number of features pertinent to transformation in general, and also the mismatch repair process . High transformation levels can be achieved, from 40 to 80% of a competent culture . These high levels of transformation with cloned DNA made in a foreign host are taken to confirm the absence of restriction effects on transformation in S . pneumoniae . At saturation, similar transformation levels are obtained with hybrid phage or hybrid plasmid DNAs, but the DNA amount required is 20 to 25 times lower for hybrid plasmid than for hybrid phage, probably because plasmid DNA is 10 times shorter than phage DNA . There is no "end effect" with intact hybrid DNA, i.e . similar transformation levels are achieved for markers whatever their map position on the cloned pneumococcal fragment . Cloned DNA has been used to study the action of the mismatch repair process (hex system) . The presence of two mismatches in the same cell is not enough to saturate the hex system, and is not enough to kill the colony-forming center (cfc). Infect Immun, 1981 Jan, 31(1), 151 - 9 Virulence of Streptococcus mutans: characterization of a serotype g antigen-defective mutants and its revertants; Otake S et al.; A mutant of Streptococcus mutans 6715 HSR, which is defective in serotype antigen and designated C307, was shown to exhibit full virulence on buccal, sulcal, and proximal surfaces similar to that of 6715 HSR . In addition, this bacterium caused significant decay on the lingual surfaces . Its colonial morphology and certain biochemical activities which may be related to caries production were distinct from those of 6715 HSR . This mutant adsorbed to saliva-treated hydroxyapatite beads in greater amounts and aggregated in the presence of either sucrose or dextran in excess of that seen with the parent strain . The abilities of C307 to grow and to produce acid from sucrose and to adhere to glass surfaces were similar to that of 6715 HSR . Although revertants of C307 exhibited biological activities and a content of serotype g antigen similar to that of 6715 HSR, the virulence pattern was still unlike the parent strain . These results suggest that the serotype g antigen is not required for the adherence of cells to smooth surfaces or for caries formation and that the loss of this antigen may alter the surface of cells causing enhanced ability of the cells to aggregate and to adsorb to saliva-treated hydroxyapatite beads. Infection, 1981, 9(5), 220 - 2 Serotypes and antimicrobial susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae in West Germany; Milatovic D et al.; Two-hundred-and-six strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae were isolated in eight centers in West Germany . The prevalent serotypes were: 19, 3, 6, 7, 23 and 15 . Seventy-five percent of the strains tested were antigenically identical to the pneumococcal types included in the 14-valent vaccine Pneumovax . Susceptibility testing revealed resistance to tetracycline (11% of the isolates), co-trimoxazole (7%) and chloramphenicol (2%) . Seven percent of the isolates were relatively resistant to penicillin (MIC 0.1-1.0 mg/l). Pharmacol Ther Dent, 1981, 6(3-4), 99 - 107 The effect of surfactants upon the activity and distribution of glucosyltransferase in Streptococcus mutans 6715; Wernette CM et al.; A modified Somogyi-Nelson procedure was used to determine the amount of reducing sugar produced during the reaction of S . mutans 6715 glucosyltransferase (GTF) with sucrose . This technique is an indirect measure of GTF activity and was used to determine the effects of the surfactants glycerol monolaurin (GML) and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) upon crude extracellular GTF . GML at 5, 10, and 15 micrograms/ml reduced culture filtrate GTF enzyme activity to an average of 81% of the control value . SLS at the only concentration tested (15 micrograms/ml) also caused a reduction, resulting in a GTF activity level that was 82% of the control value . Secondly, S . mutans 6715 cultures were grown in a medium containing Tween 80, or SLS . The cell-free culture filtrate and the cell-pellet were assayed separately for GTF activity . GML in the medium produced a decrease in culture filtrate GTF activity and an increased cell-pellet activity . The total (whole culture) activity for culture broths was 89% to 90% of the control value when 5, 10, or 15 micrograms/ml GML were added . Tween 80 supplemented culture medium resulted in increased culture filtrate GTF, while levels measured in the cell-pellet were decreased . Overall, Tween 80 caused a large increase in whole culture GTF activity . Cell cultures containing SLS at 15 micrograms/ml resulted in no change in the GTF activity as compared to the control, nor was there any change in the percent of GTF in the culture filtrate versus the percent which was in the cell-pellet . Higher concentrations of SLS could not be tested due to the inhibitory effect on cellular growth. Ann Anesthesiol Fr, 1981, 22(3), 265 - 9 {Prognostic importance of skin tests in high-risk patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit}; Francois G et al.; This report involves the study of skin test carried out using five antigens (tuberculin, candidin, -haemolytic streptococcus, staphylococcus albus, pertussis bacillus) in 33 patients hospitalised in a polyvalent intensive care unit with two criteria of inclusion:--associated excretion of 20 g of nitrogen or more per hour;--severe infectious complications (either pneumonia or septicaemia) . Three patient populations were found: true anergism (all skin tests negative), relative anergism (one test only positive) and reactive (at least two tests positive) . Results were analysed at two levels . With regard to the value of the tests: the use of candidin or of haemolytic streptococcus alone would have sufficed to classify the patients within the same groups with two exceptions . Secondly, from a prognostic standpoint, the study confirmed data in the literature . There was a significant between the anergic and reactive groups in terms of survival . This applied both to tests performed at the time of admission of the patients as well as those repeated one week later. Boll Soc Ital Biol Sper, 1980 Dec 15, 56(23), 2460 - 6 {In vivo and in vitro activity of Streptococcus faecium extract on Herpes simplex virus}; Bonina L et al.; The effects of substance or substance extracted from Str . faecium SF 68 on HSV-1 are evaluated . The "in vivo" assay show that bacterial extract introduced i.p . in mice simultaneously with HSV-1 brought about 100% of survival, but bacterial extract after virus challenge brought about complete mortality of mice . "In vitro" assays show that bacterial extract reduce significantly PFU number . It seemed that Str . faecium extract affected the virus at the stage of adsorption on the host cells. J Infect Dis, 1980 Dec, 142(6), 923 - 33 Epidemiologic studies of Streptococcus pneumoniae in infants: acquisition, carriage, and infection during the first 24 months of life; Gray BM et al.; A natural history study of pneumococcal infection in 82 infants followed from birth is reported . Longitudinal carriage patterns were determined by serial throat and nasopharyngeal cultures . Seventy-nine of 82 infants carried one or more types during the study period . The first type was acquired by a mean age of six months, and the duration of carriage decreased with successive types carried . Acquisition of new types peaked in winter months, but carriage rates fluctuated throughout the year . Thirty-one pneumococcal infections were documented in 24 infants: 28 episodes of otitis media, two of bacteremia, and one of meningitis . Types causing disease were similar to commonly carried types (6, 14, 19 and 23) . However, infection usually occurred within one month of acquisition of a new type and was seldom associated with prolonged carriage . In terms of exposure to new strains, 15% (31 of 196) of acquisitions resulted in disease. J Infect Dis, 1980 Dec, 142(6), 903 - 9 The critical role of complement in experimental pneumococcal sepsis; Hosea SW et al.; Using a guinea pig model fo bacteremia due to Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 7, opsonization by the classical and alternative pathways of complement activation was studied in immune and nonimmune animals . Depletion of the alternative complement pathway and complement components C3-C9 resulted in a significant, lethal defect of intravascular clearance in both normal and immune animals . Preopsonization corrected the initial clearance defect in complement-depleted animals . Maximal rates of clearance of bacteremia occurred in immune, normal animals, Immune, C4-deficient animals had clearance curves similar to normal, nonimmune animals . Thus, optimal clearance of pneumococcal bacteremia requires an intact alternative an classical pathway of complement activation . In the nonimmune animal, the alternative pathway provides the primary host defense against infection, whereas after immunization, optimal clearance of bacteremia requires an intact classical pathway of complement activation . However, immunization does not alter the lethal clearance defect in complement-depleted animals. Immunology, 1980 Dec, 41(4), 857 - 64 Oral immunization with Streptococcus mutants in rhesus monkeys and the development of immune response and dental caries; Lehner T et al.; The oral route of immunization with Streptococcus mutants was compared with the subcutaneous route in rhesus monkeys . Significant levels of serum IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies in Strep . mutans were elicited only in monkeys immunized subcutaneously . Similarly, the skin delayed hypersensitivity reaction to Strep . mutans was elicited only in the subcutaneously immunized monkeys . Oral immunization induced a modest increase in salivary IgA antibodies to Strep . mutans, though a slight increase in IgA antibodies was also found in the saliva of all other groups of immunized and control monkeys . A small though not significant reduction in dental caries was found in the monkeys immunized orally, whereas subcutaneous immunization with Strep . mutans consistently elicited a significant reduction in caries . Oral feeding of Strep . mutans failed to induce tolerance to a subsequent subcutaneous challenge by the same organism . Furthermore, sequential subcutaneous followed by oral immunization had little effect on the titre of salivary or serum antibodies. J Exp Med, 1980 Dec 1, 152(6), 1459 - 72 Systemic tolerance and secretory immunity after oral immunization; Challacombe SJ et al.; Diminished systemic immune reaction after ingestion of antigen has been reported in several animal models . Conversely, it has been reported recently that oral immunization may lead to the production of secretory antibodies . To determine whether these events could occur concurrently, CBA/J mice were immunized intragastrically with varying doses of ovalbumin (OVA) and Streptococcus mutans . After 7 d, the animals were challenged systemically with antigen in complete adjuvant and 8 d later serum and saliva taken, and the draining lymph nodes assayed for a proliferative response . Intragastric doses of 1 mg OVA or 10(9) S . mutans led to significant suppression of the proliferative response, and intragastric doses of 10 mg OVA or 2.5 X 10(9) S . mutans led to the production of detectable salivary antibodies using hemagglutination . Serum antibodies were not detected after intragastric administration of OVA or S . mutans . Suppression of the proliferative response could be detected from 2-60 d after intragastric administration of OVA, and 2-21 d after S . mutans . Prior intragastric immunization with heterologous antigens did not suppress the response to OVA or S . mutans . Transfer of 40 X 10(6) mesenteric lymph node cells from mice given 20 mg OVA or 10(9) S . mutans led to suppression of the proliferative response in syngeneic recipients . Salivary antibodies wer removed by absorption with anti-IgA, but not anti-IgG or IgM, indicating that they were of the IgA class . It appears that intragastric administration of soluble or particulate antigens in mice may lead to the concurrent induction of salivary antibodies and systemic suppression. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 1980 Dec 1, 138(7 Pt 1), 793 - 6 Transplacental ampicillin: inhibitory concentrations in neonatal serum; Kraybill EN et al.; Concentrations of ampicillin were measured in maternal serum at delivery, in cord serum, and in neonatal serum sampled at 1, 4, and 8 hours after ampicillin had been administered prophylactically to 22 mothers who were undergoing cesarean section . The concentrations of ampicillin in maternal serum at delivery ranged from 4.6 to 50 micrograms per milliliter and were inversely related to the time between administration of the drug and delivery . Concentrations in cord serum ranged from 4.4 to 23 micrograms/ml and were lower than those in corresponding maternal samples in all but two cases . The ratios of cord/maternal concentrations of ampicillin ranged from 0.16 to 1.3 and were directly related to the time which had elapsed between administration of ampicillin and delivery . The mean concentration of ampicillin in cord and neonatal serum declined exponentially in the 8 hours after infusion; it exceeded the minimal inhibitory concentration against Escherichia coli for 4 hours and against Listeria monocytogenes and group B streptococcus for at least 8 hours. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1980 Dec, 18(6), 882 - 6 Effect of meningitis and probenecid on the penetration of vancomycin into cerebrospinal fluid in rabbits; Krontz DP et al.; This study examined the effects of experimental pneumococcal meningitis and probenecid administration on the penetration of parenterally administered vancomycin into cerebrospinal fluid in rabbits . Bacterial killing was also examined in infected animals . Meningitis was induced by intracisternal inoculation of Streptococcus pneumoniae . Vancomycin was administered in a loading dose followed by a continuous intravenous infusion for 6 h . Serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples were obtained at 0, 2, 4, and 6 h for antibiotic assays and quantitative cultures . Meningitis significantly enhanced the penetration of vancomycin into cerebrospinal fluid, but probenecid administration had no effect . In normal rabbits, at 6 h the mean percent penetration (cerebrospinal fluid concentration/serum concentration x 100%) +/- the standard deviation was 1.9 +/- 0.9% in the nonprobenecid group (n = 10) and 1.9 +/- 1.1% in the probenecid group (n = 9) . In rabbits with experimental pneumococcal meningitis, the mean percent penetration at 6 h was 3.9 +/- 2.6% in the nonprobenecid group (n = 11) and 4.3 +/- 2.1% in the probenecid group (n = 9) . Mean bacterial titers in the cerebrospinal fluid of infected animals decreased by more than 3.0 log 10 colony-forming units per ml in both the nonprobenecid and the probenecid groups. J Clin Microbiol, 1980 Dec, 12(6), 772 - 5 Comparison of media and culture techniques for detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae in respiratory secretions; Wu SC et al.; We compared the relative efficacy of three methods for the isolation of Streptococcus pneumoniae in lower respiratory secretions . Based on results from 294 clinical specimens, we found that S . pneumoniae was isolated at a frequency of 65% with 5% sheep blood agar or 5% sheep blood agar containing 5 micrograms of gentamicin per ml, both incubated in 5% CO2 . Anaerobic incubation of 5% sheep blood agar enhanced the recovery rate of S . pneumoniae to 93% . The improved efficacy with anaerobic incubation is due to the greater ease of recognition of the larger and more mucoid colonies of S . pneumoniae, and to the suppression of the growth of other oral bacteria present in the respiratory sections. J Dent Res, 1980 Dec, 59(12), 2038 - 46 Location of Streptococcus mutans in the dentinal tubules of open infected root canals; Kouchi Y et al.; Seventy-six teeth from open canals were extracted to prepare serial longitudinal sections . The sections were made from apical portions of the teeth and stained . Ninety similar teeth were extracted to prepare dentinal splinters with files from the enlarged infected canal . The splinters were spread on a selected medium to grow S . mutans . S . mutans was detected in 48.7% of the 76 teeth examined . The distance of invasion of S . mutans in the dentinal tubules revealed by immunofluorescence averaged 509 micrometer from the canal wall and reached 1150 micrometer, depending on the serogroups of S . mutans . Unidentified germs in the sections which were demonstrated by Gram's stain invaded further than S . mutans . The frequency of appearance of the serogroups of S . mutans was 32.6% (d), 27.9% (c), 24.4% (a), and 15.5% (b). J Infect Dis, 1980 Dec, 142(6), 803 - 10 Streptococcal adherence to pharyngeal cells of children with acute rheumatic fever; Reed WP et al.; The adherence of strains of group A Streptococcus to pharyngeal cells from Egyptian children with acute rheumatic fever (RF) was examined . Nine RF-associated and eight unassociated streptococcal strains were tested in vitro for adherence to pharyngeal cells from 11 patients with acute RF and eight normal subjects . RF-associated streptococcal strains adhered more avidly to pharyngeal cells of patients with acute RF (mean, 11.8 bacteria/cell) than did unassociated strains (mean, 5.9 bacteria/cell; P less than 0.05) . The difference in mean adherence could be attributed to certain RF-associated strains . There was no significant difference in adherence when pharyngeal cells from controls were used . Furthermore, one RF-associated streptococcal strain was found to adhere considerably more avidly to pharyngeal cells of patients with RF than to those of controls. Immunology, 1980 Dec, 41(4), 903 - 11 Factor affecting the in vitro assessment of opsonization: a study of the kinetics of opsonization using the technique of phagocytic chemiluminescence; Williams AJ et al.; The importance of several factors involved in the investigation of opsonic defects was studied using phagocytic Luminol-dependent chemiluminescence . The range for the opsonization of zymosan and bakers' yeast by serum from healthy individuals was wide and kinetic studies showed comparative differences for different periods of incubation, serum concentrations and particles . Decay in the opsonic activity of serum stored at different temperatures was demonstrated and its clinical implications emphasized . By using techniques to ablate independently the classical and alternative pathways of complement activation, the contribution of these to the opsonization of zymosan, Staphylococcus aureus (NCTC 6571), Pseudomonas aeruginosa and group B streptococcus (NCTC 11080) by normal and hypogammaglobulinaemic serum at a concentration of 7% was assessed . By comparison of the results obtained for different periods of incubation between particle and serum, the need for consideration of this parameter when assessing opsonic activity was shown . The results using the chemiluminescence assay were compared with those using other methods and were found to correlate well. Pediatrics, 1980 Dec, 66(6), 873 - 5 Community acquisition of group B Streptococcus by infants of colonized mothers; Gardner SE et al.; Forty-six infants of women known to be colonized by group B Streptococcus (GBS) during the third trimester of pregnancy were not colonized by GBS at the time of discharge from the hospital nursery . At 6 to 8 weeks of age, two of these infants (4.3%) were found to harbor GBS . The rate of community acquisition of GBS by uncolonized infants appears to be low. Crit Care Med, 1980 Dec, 8(12), 716 - 20 Early onset group B streptococcus neonatal septicemia and respiratory distress syndrome: characteristic features of assisted ventilation in the first 24 hours of life; Modanlou HD et al.; Clinical features and assisted ventilation (AV) aspects of 10 neonates with early onset group B streptococcus (GBS) septicemia were compared with those of 12 randomly selected newborns with severe respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) . Initial chest radiograph in the GBS group was interpreted as RDS in seven of 10 cases . Although 9 of the 10 neonates with early onset GBS were preterm, they were of a significantly higher mean birth weight (p < 0.01) and the mean gestational age (p < 0.005) . The duration of rupture of fetal membranes was not significantly different between the two groups . Contrary to neonates with severe RDS, who gradually developed hypoxia necessitating AV, the neonates with early onset GBS required AV because of persistent apnea, shock, and respiratory insufficiency . During the first 24 h of life, neonates with early onset GBS were more acidotic, had significantly higher PaCO2 and lower PaO2 values, and required significantly higher peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) on the respirator (po < 0.01) while on AV, although the oxygen requirement was similar. J Dent Res, 1980 Dec, 59(12), 2076 - 9 The inhibitory effect of hydrolytic products of starch on in vitro colonization by Streptococcus mutans; Balekjian AY et al.; Synthetic culture medium containing potato starch and 1 gm% sucrose, with and without human parotid saliva, were pre-incubated . Filtrates from these mixtures were then incubated with Streptococcus mutans . S . mutans colonization on glass rods was suppressed in the cultures using filtrates from saliva and starch interaction . No inhibition was noted in filtrates pre-treated with parotid saliva in the absence of starch . The results suggest that the hydrolysis of starch by saliva yields by-products which inhibit in vitro S . mutans colonization. Infect Immun, 1980 Dec, 30(3), 766 - 72 Immunochemical properties of antigen-specific monkey T-cell suppressor factor induced with a Streptococcus mutans antigen; Lamb JR et al.; Antigen-specific suppressor factor could be released from monkey suppressor T cells induced in vitro with a protein antigen isolated from the carcinogenic bacterium Streptococcus mutans . The suppressor activity was due to the factor itself and not to carryover of free antigen . Characterization of the monkey factor revealed it to have a molecular weight of ca . 70,000, and to contain a constant region and determinants encoded by the major histocompatibility complex . The presence of immunoglobulin determinants could not be demonstrated . However, by virtue of its adsorption to specific antigen, an antigen-combining site was shown to be present . The possible regulatory role of streptococcal antigen-specific suppressor factor in protection against dental caries is discussed. South Med J, 1980 Dec, 73(12), 1647 - 9 Nutritionally deficient Streptococcus: investigation of the hidden culprit in culture-negative endocarditis; Weinberg MS et al.; Subacute bacterial endocarditis in a 72-year-old woman was found to be caused by nutritionally deficient ("satelliting") Streptococcus sanguis . The organism, which required pyridoxal compounds or thiol substitutes, was identified after the application of relatively unusual but simple laboratory procedures . Normally, the organism's nutritional requirements would be fulfilled by components of the human blood that are used to inoculate clinical blood cultures, provided that the dilutional effect of the media is less than 10 . The difficulty of diagnosis in such cases appears to lie in the laboratory inability to identify the organisms, rather than in failure to grow in properly obtained blood cultures. J Bacteriol, 1980 Dec, 144(3), 1168 - 73 Effects of penicillin on macromolecular synthesis and surface growth of a tolerant streptococcus as studied by computer reconstruction methods; Higgins ML et al.; Strains of Streptococcus mutans are very susceptible to growth inhibition by benzylpenicillin, but are tolerant to lysis when exposed to even high concentrations of this drug . These properties enabled this study of S . mutans GS-5 surface growth and peptidoglycan, ribonucleic acid, protein, and deoxyribonucleic acid syntheses in the absence of osmotic stabilization . Inhibition of syntheses of peptidoglycan, ribonucleic acid, and protein was dose dependent . Synthesis of peptidoglycan was most susceptible . Substantial but less severe inhibitions of ribonucleic acid and protein syntheses rapidly followed decreased peptidoglycan synthesis, whereas inhibition of deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis was delayed and minimal . Computer-assisted reconstructions of surface growth zones and poles observed in electron micrographs of replicas were performed and indicated that at low concentrations of benzylpenicillin (0.03 micrograms/ml), growth sites reached abnormally large sizes and surface/volume ratios . The observed shifts in surface/volume ratio were attributed to an inhibition of the normal constrictive division mechanism . The poles of these cells also increased in size over those of the controls, but the relatively smaller change in surface/volume ratio confirmed the visual impression that the shape of the poles was much less altered than the shape of the growth s