Proteus

Rheumatol Int, 1998, 17(5), 203 - 5
Antibiotic sensitivity and proticine typing of Proteus mirabilis strains associated with rheumatoid arthritis; Wilson C et al.; Urinary isolates of Proteus mirabilis, obtained from 49 RA patients and 44 healthy controls, were tested for susceptibility to antibiotics by the disc diffusion method . In addition, P . mirabilis isolates were also tested for proticine production and sensitivity (p/s) typing by the inhibition of growth of each test isolate against 13 reference strains of P . mirabilis . The P . mirabilis isolates from both RA patients and healthy controls were highly susceptible to norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim, but less to minocycline . The urine of RA patients contained fewer different types of P . mirabilis strains than those isolated from healthy controls . All of the strains found in the RA patients were proticine producers (P < 0.001), mostly of proticine 3 (P < 0.005) . The presence of such strains provides evidence of a sub-clinical upper urinary tract infection with P . mirabilis in some RA patients . Therapeutic intervention in RA with relevant antibiotics requires evaluation.

Infect Immun, 1998 Jun, 66(6), 2410 - 9
Cytochalasin-induced actin disruption of polarized enterocytes can augment internalization of bacteria; Wells CL et al.; Cytochalasin-induced actin disruption has often been associated with decreased bacterial internalization by cultured epithelial cells, although polarized enterocytes have not been systematically studied . In assays using confluent polarized HT-29 enterocytes, cytochalasin D appeared to increase internalization of wild-type Salmonella typhimurium, Proteus mirabilis, and Escherichia coli . HeLa and HEp-2 epithelial cells, as well as HT-29 and Caco-2 enterocytes, were used to clarify this unexpected observation . Resulting data showed that cytochalasin D was associated with increased internalization of S . typhimurium and P . mirabilis by both HT-29 and Caco-2 enterocytes and with increased internalization of E . coli by HT-29 enterocytes; with either HeLa or HEp-2 cells, cytochalasin was associated with no change or a decrease in internalization of these same bacterial strains . Cytochalasin caused decreased internalization of Listeria monocytogenes by HT-29, Caco-2, HeLa, and HEp-2 cells, indicating that cytochalasin did not consistently augment bacterial internalization by polarized enterocytes . Fluorescein-labeled phalloidin confirmed marked disruption of filamentous actin in cytochalasin-treated HT-29, Caco-2, HeLa, and HEp-2 cells . Cytochalasin had no noticeable effect on epithelial viability but caused distorted apical microvilli, cell rounding, and separation of adjacent enterocytes in confluent cultures (with a corresponding decrease in transepithelial electrical resistance) . Scanning electron microscopy showed that cytochalasin-induced enhanced bacterial internalization was associated with preferential bacterial adherence on the exposed enterocyte lateral surface . Colchicine, used to disrupt microtubules, had no noticeable effect on bacterial internalization by HT-29 or Caco-2 enterocytes . These data indicated that for HT-29 and Caco-2 enterocytes, cytochalasin-induced disruption of filamentous actin might augment internalization of some bacterial species by a mechanism that appeared to involve exposure of the enterocyte lateral surface.

Eur Radiol, 1998, 8(4), 585 - 7
A mild form of Proteus syndrome; Hauer MP et al.; Proteus syndrome is a rare congenital hamartomatous syndrome . We report on the clinical and radiological appearances of a boy in order to illustrate the typical signs which include subcutaneous masses, in mild forms partial gigantism of hands and feet, hemihypertrophy, and bony abnormalities . We discuss how to make the definitive diagnosis on the basis of using a known rating scale, important aspects of differential diagnosis and clinical features, and diagnostic management.

J Pediatr Orthop, 1998 May-Jun, 18(3), 337 - 45
Gigantism of the foot: our experience in seven cases; Turra S et al.; We report our experience in seven patients with congenital gigantism of the foot with the following diagnoses: neurofibromatosis (two), fibrolipomatosis (two), Proteus syndrome (two), and idiopathic localized gigantism (one) . Our purpose is to introduce a new classification of foot gigantism, based on the concept of "neuroinduction." In our experience, intraoperative examination and subsequent histologic examination show consistently pathologic findings in the plantar nerve and its terminal branches in the foot affected by gigantism . Limited surgical treatment was used in five patients . To prevent forefoot enlargement and recurrence of deformity, we suggest complete ray resection . We evaluated our results using radiographs, functional status, and cosmetic considerations.

Ann Plast Surg, 1998 May, 40(5), 528 - 32
Pediatric peripheral neuropathy in proteus syndrome; Choi ML et al.; Proteus syndrome is a rare congenital disorder comprised of subcutaneous and internal hamartomas, pigmented skin nevi, skull exostoses, hemihypertrophy, and macrodactyly of the hands and feet . A 5-year-old girl diagnosed with Proteus syndrome presented with distal median compression neuropathy with the primary complaint of severe pain involving the left hand . Surgical exploration of the hand revealed a lipofibromatous hamartoma of the median nerve . The transverse carpal ligament was released and epineurectomy of the median nerve was performed . The patient remains symptom free at the 9-month follow-up . This report is the first description of a hamartoma directly involving a peripheral nerve in Proteus syndrome . Decompression of the nerve with the removal of the fibrofatty neural sheath resulted in the resolution of the symptoms in this patient . The surgeon should consider this approach as a potential first line of treatment before a more radical resection of the nerve is contemplated.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1998 Apr, 41(4), 435 - 42
An in-vitro study of carbapenem-induced morphological changes and endotoxin release in clinical isolates of gram-negative bacilli; Horii T et al.; One hundred clinical isolates, including Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris and Proteus mirabilis, were exposed to carbapenems (imipenem, panipenem, meropenem and biapenem) at 0.5 x MIC for 3 h, then their morphology was examined and endotoxin release determined . Ceftazidime, which induces filament formation, was used as a control . Scanning electron microscopy showed that these carbapenems induced formation of spherical or ovoid cells, except for P . aeruginosa treated with meropenem and biapenem; these latter cells had a 'bulge' midway along them and we have termed them 'oval-centred' . There was a relationship between morphology and the amount of endotoxin released following exposure to carbapenems or ceftazidime . Of all the species investigated, P . aeruginosa showed the most variable morphological changes . P . aeruginosa exposed to biapenem were longer oval-centred in shape, and released significantly more endotoxin than those exposed to imipenem, panipenem (spherical) or meropenem (shorter oval-centred cells) (P=0.030, 0.017 and 0.002, respectively) . In all strains except P . aeruginosa, carbapenems induced significantly less endotoxin release than ceftazidime (P < 0.05).

Zentralbl Chir, 1998, 123(1), 46 - 52
{Risk factors and pathogenic microorganisms in patients with insufficient esophagojejunostomy after gastrectomy}; Schardey HM et al.; It was the aim of the study to find by retrospective analysis of data from totally gastrectomized patients risk factors for the development of esophago-jejunal anastomotic leakage, that may be avoidable or influenced therapeutically . PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study design was retrospective involving 838 patients with total gastrectomy for gastric cancer from the years 1973-1993 . In 134 cases leakage of the esophago-jejunostomy occurred . The relative risk for the development of leakage associated with individual parameters was determined by comparing the data from 704 patients without leakage to the data from 134 patients presenting with this complication . For a subgroup of 86 patients with anastomotic leakage microbiological data of swabs taken from the anastomoses were available, which were evaluated with respect to potentially pathogenic bacilli . RESULTS: The overall leakage rate of esophago-jejunal anastomoses was 15.9% (n = 134) . The mortality rate during this time period amounted to 14.3% . Leakage was a most highly significant factor for mortality (p = 0.0001) . Significant risk factors for leakage of the esophago-jejunostomy were tumors of the cardia, splenectomy, a duration of operating time of more than 5 hours and manual suture technique compared to stapler anastomoses . Tumor unrelated associated disease, tumor stage and a history of other preexisting gastric diseases were not associated with an increased relative risk . At the time of the initial clinical manifestation of leakage the following pathogenic bacilli could be isolated from leaking anastomoses with decreasing incidence: E . coli, S . aureus, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae a.o . The bacterial spectrum has not changed during the observation period of 20 years . SUMMARY: With the exception of the choice of suture techniques the identified clinical risk factors cannot be avoided or influenced therapeutically due to a lack of potentially curative treatment alternatives . In contrast potentially pathogenic bacilli associated with leakage can be prevented from coming in contact with anastomoses thereby preventing infection and leakage.

Zhonghua Nei Ke Za Zhi, 1996 Oct, 35(10), 668 - 72
{The evaluation of cefmetazole in clinical use . The study group of cefmetazole in clinical use}; Si C et al.; To study the clinical effect of cefmetazole (CMZ), we treated with CMZ 1,926 patients with various infections involving the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, liver and biliary tract, skin and soft tissue and others . The marked effect rate was 56.5%, and the effect rate 33.7% . The sensitivity test of CMZ was also performed in vitro . Staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus, staphylococcus epidermis, E . coli, S . typhi, B . salmonella, B . shigella, B . Klebsiella pneumoniae, B . proteus, etc . were sensitive to CMZ . Injecting CMZ can prevent the infection of operation . The study of the adverse reaction of CMZ showed, an adverse reaction rate of 4.2% (the gastrointestinal tract, allergy, kidney and nervous system) . These results suggested that CMZ is an antibiotic of broad spectrum, high efficacy and low toxicity . It is effective in treating sensitive bacterial infection, unknown pathogenic infection and mixed bacterial infection, and preventing infection in surgery.

Arch Esp Urol, 1998 Mar, 51(2), 160 - 2
{Lithiasis in megacalyosis}; Monreal Garcia De Vicuna F et al.; OBJECTIVE: To review our series of lithiasis associated with megacalyosis, a rare disease entity . METHODS/RESULTS: The clinical records of patients treated from 1976 to 1994 were reviewed . Of 39 cases of megacalyosis, 27 were associated with lithiasis and was slightly more prevalent in males (59.3%) . Struvite and whewelite calculi were more prevalent and 40.7% also had urinary tract infection, E . coli, Pseudomonas and Proteus being the most frequent pathogens . ESWL with hyperhydration was the most frequently utilized treatment . CONCLUSIONS: Megacalyosis is an embryogenic anomaly of Malpighi's pyramids that is associated with lithiasis in 69.2% of our series, frequently localized to the left side . We have found no significant difference according to sex or a hereditary component . IVP is the principal diagnostic method for megacalyosis . The frequent association of urinary tract infection should be taken into account when instituting treatment.

J Neurosurg, 1998 May, 88(5), 895 - 7
Abscess formation within a parasagittal meningioma . Case report; Eisenberg MB et al.; The authors present the case of a 78-year-old woman who developed right lower-extremity paralysis after a focal seizure . Neuroradiological studies revealed a small parasagittal meningioma, which at the time of resection was found to contain a bacterial intratumoral abscess secondary to Proteus mirabilis . This is only the second reported case of intratumoral abscess formation in a meningioma and the first such occurrence to be reported in an otherwise healthy, immunocompetent individual.

Cell Biol Int, 1997 Sep, 21(9), 565 - 73
ADHESION-DEPENDENT F-ACTIN PATTERN IN AMOEBA PROTEUS AS A COMMON FEATURE OF AMOEBAE AND THE METAZOAN MOTILE CELLS
Gr&ecedil;becka L, Pomorski P, Gr A, Lopatowska A.
Adhesion and movement of Amoeba proteus are both dependent on the appropriate arrangement of the F-actin cytoskeleton and on the presence of the cell nucleus . In this study the F-actin organization was examined by routine FITC-phalloidin staining and confocal laser microscopy in intact amoebae and in their nucleated and anucleated fragments, at different levels of cell adherence to the substratum . In the adhering and migrating intact cells and nucleated cell fragments dot-like aggregates of F-actin are scattered over the ventral side at sites close to the substratum . In the case of de-adhesion of nucleated specimens this pattern disappears and F-actin is accumulated in the cell centre and/or dispersed in the cytoplasm . The same actin distribution, without ventral dots, is found in the anucleated fragments which usually fail to attach to the substratum . Re-adhesion of anucleated fragments, induced by a modified substratum or spontaneous, is accompanied by restoration of actin dots at the lower cell side . It is concluded that: (1) adhering specimens of A . proteus display the same dot-like actin pattern on the ventral cell side, as many metazoan motile cells; (2) organization or disorganization of this pattern may occur independently of the presence of the cell nucleus, under the control of cell adhesion to the substratum .

Pediatr Surg Int, 1998 Mar, 13(2-3), 146 - 8
Does circumcision alter the periurethral bacterial flora?
Wijesinha SS, Atkins BL, Dudley NE, Tam PK.
A prospective study of 25 boys who underwent circumcision for medical reason was performed . Specimens of periurethral bacterial flora were taken before operation as well as 3 weeks after surgery, so that each boy acted as his own control . Before circumcision, 13 (52%) harboured uropathogenic organisms (Escherichia coli and other coliforms, Enterococcus spp, Proteus spp, Pseudomonas spp, and Klebsiella spp); after circumcision, none of the boys had uropathogens, the only organisms cultured from the periurethral region being skin commensals . We postulate that circumcision converts a 'cul-de-sac' that is a reservoir of organisms capable of causing ascending urinary tract infection into a surface colonised by natural skin organisms . This study provides circumstantial evidence supporting the idea that circumcision in well-selected patients may confer protection from urine infection.

J Rheumatol, 1998 Apr, 25(4), 743 - 7
Antibodies to Klebsiella pneumoniae in Dutch patients with ankylosing spondylitis and acute anterior uveitis and to Proteus mirabilis in rheumatoid arthritis; Blankenberg-Sprenkels SH et al.; OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the association between increased humoral reactivity against Klebsiella and HLA-B27 associated diseases could be confirmed in Dutch patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and acute anterior uveitis (AAU) . METHODS: Under coded conditions sera from Dutch patients with AS, AAU, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and from HLA-B27 positive and negative healthy controls were studied for IgA anti-Klebsiella (K54) and IgG anti-Proteus antibodies with the indirect immunofluorescence assay on whole bacteria fixed in suspension with paraformaldehyde . Each group consisted of at least 17 sera . RESULTS: IgA anti-Klebsiella antibody titers were elevated in AS and HLA-B27 negative AAU compared to the HLA-B27 positive and negative controls or patients with active RA (p < 0.001) . Furthermore, patients with active RA had elevated levels of IgG antibodies against P . mirabilis compared to every other test or control group (p < 0.001) . There was no significant difference between the AS and RA patients in terms of serum C-reactive protein levels, although these were significantly elevated in both compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001), suggesting that the antibody elevations were not due to a nonspecific inflammatory effect . The same sera were blindly tested with negative results by 2 other centers . The discrepancies are probably the result of differences in the methods used . CONCLUSION: Our data support the hypothesis that Klebsiella are involved in the pathogenesis of AS and AAU and that the same might be true for Proteus in RA.

Med Dosw Mikrobiol, 1997, 49(3-4), 169 - 76
{Establishing the types of Dienes compatibility in clinical Proteus mirabilis strains}; Jozefowicz-Piatkowska H; The aim of the study was to use the Dienes phenomenon for the differentiation of Proteus mirabilis strains isolated from urine by the method of making possible their typing . The subject of the study were 351 strains of Proteus mirabilis obtained from the laboratory of the Institute of Pediatrics, Medical Academy in Lodz . For establishing of the compatibility type 18 indicator strains were taken, each of them had action antagonistic towards all other ones . The results were read according to the presence or absence of the demarcation line between indicator strains and the studied strain . Out of 351 strains in 190 (54%) the reactions were compatible with one or more indicator strains . They were classified into 30 Dienes compatibility types . In the view of the simplicity and easy performance the method can be used in every microbiological laboratory.

J Mol Biol, 1998 Feb 27, 276(3), 603 - 23
Crystal structure of tryptophanase; Isupov MN et al.; The X-ray structure of tryptophanase (Tnase) reveals the interactions responsible for binding of the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) and atomic details of the K+ binding site essential for catalysis . The structure of holo Tnase from Proteus vulgaris (space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with a = 115.0 A, b = 118.2 A, c = 153.7 A) has been determined at 2.1 A resolution by molecular replacement using tyrosine phenol-lyase (TPL) coordinates . The final model of Tnase, refined to an R-factor of 18.7%, (Rfree = 22.8%) suggests that the PLP-enzyme from observed in the structure is a ketoenamine . PLP is bound in a cleft formed by both the small and large domains of one subunit and the large domain of the adjacent subunit in the so-called "catalytic" dimer . The K+ cations are located on the interface of the subunits in the dimer . The structure of the catalytic dimer and mode of PLP binding in Tnase resemble those found in aspartate amino-transferase, TPL, omega-amino acid pyruvate aminotransferase, dialkylglycine decarboxylase (DGD), cystathionine beta-lyase and ornithine decarboxylase . No structural similarity has been detected between Tnase and the beta 2 dimer of tryptophan synthase which catalyses the same beta-replacement reaction . The single monovalent cation binding site of Tnase is similar to that of TPL, but differs from either of those in DGD.

Curr Microbiol, 1998 Mar, 36(3), 164 - 70
Flies and their bacterial loads in greyhound dog kennels in Kansas; Urban JE et al.; Breeders of greyhound dogs traditionally feed racing animals and nursing bitches raw meat, and that meat generally is obtained frozen from commercial renderers . Previous studies have shown that the rendered meat is frequently contaminated with enteric bacteria, including Salmonella spp., and that during thawing the rendered meat is exposed to filth flies common in dog kennels . Nursing greyhound pups tend to experience a high morbidity and mortality from intestinal infections, and we attempted to determine in this study whether enterics could be spread to pups through contaminated flies . At intervals during 1995 and 1996, flies were trapped or were net-collected from 10 dog breeding kennels in the region around Abilene, KS . Trapped flies were identified and counted to determine population numbers, and netted flies were cultured in tetrathionate broth and streaked to medium selecting for Salmonella sp . and other lactose-negative Gram (-) bacteria . The relative numbers of different fly species varied with the sampling method, but traps and sweep nets produced similar proportions of the different fly species . Blow flies were twice as likely to be contaminated with enteric bacteria as any other fly . The most common enteric bacteria found were Proteus spp., followed by Providencia spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Salmonella spp . The incidence of Salmonella and Proteus spp . seemed to correlate more with accessibility of flies to dog excrement than to rendered meat . The apparent high incidence of enteric contamination of filth flies clearly implicates them as vectors of enteric diseases in kennels.

Heart Lung, 1998 Mar-Apr, 27(2), 146 - 8
Proteus penneri urosepsis in a patient with diabetes mellitus; Latuszynski DK et al.; Proteus penneri has been isolated from many different clinical sources, including surgical wound infections, urine, and blood . We describe the first reported case of P . penneri nosocomial urosepsis in a patient with diabetes . P . penneri was subsequently isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and a pulmonary artery catheter tip.

Pharmazie, 1998 Mar, 53(3), 190 - 2
Antimicrobial activity of organic thiosulfates (Bunte salts); Stefanska JZ et al.; A number of organic thiosulfates (Bunte salts) were prepared from appropriate primary bromides or iodides . In the case of substrates with long aliphatic chains, an addition of benzyltrimethylammonium chloride as phase transfer catalyst was very successful . The Bunte salts obtained were tested for antibacterial and fungicidal activity by means of the agar disc-diffusion method and by assignation of the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) . It was found that the microorganisms Proteus vulgaris, Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus showed the highest sensitivity . Biological activity of the compounds studied was dependent on the length of the aliphatic chain . Among the investigated compounds, aliphatic thiosulfates with 10-13 carbon atom chain were the most potent.

J Membr Biol, 1998 Mar 15, 162(2), 127 - 38
Molecular mechanisms of polymyxin B-membrane interactions: direct correlation between surface charge density and self-promoted transport; Wiese A et al.; We have studied the interaction of the polycationic peptide antibiotic polymyxin B (PMB) with asymmetric planar bilayer membranes via electrical measurements . The bilayers were of different compositions, including those of the lipid matrices of the outer membranes of various species of Gram-negative bacteria . One leaflet, representing the bacterial inner leaflet, consisted of a phospholipid mixture (PL; phosphatidylethanolamine, -glycerol, and diphosphatidylglycerol in a molar ratio of 81:17:2) . The other (outer) leaflet consisted either of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from deep rough mutants of PMB-sensitive (Escherichia coli F515) or -resistant strains (Proteus mirabilis R45), glycosphingolipid (GSL-1) from Sphingomonas paucimobilis IAM 12576, or phospholipids (phosphatidylglycerol, diphytanoyl-phosphatidylcholine) . In all membrane systems, the addition of PMB to the outer leaflet led to the induction of current fluctuations due to transient membrane lesions . The minimal PMB concentration required for the induction of the lesions and their size correlated with the charge of the lipid molecules . In the membrane system resembling the lipid matrix of a PMB-sensitive strain (F515 LPS/PL), the diameters of the lesions were large enough (d = 2.4 nm +/- 8%) to allow PMB molecules to permeate (self-promoted transport), but in all other systems they were too small . A comparison of these phenomena with membrane effects induced by detergents (dodecyltriphenylphosphonium bromide, dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, sodiumdodecylsulfate) revealed a detergent-like mechanism of the PMB-membrane interaction.

J Chemother, 1998 Feb, 10(1), 22 - 4
Two nosocomial strains of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia transferring antibiotic resistance to Proteus mirabilis P-38 recipient strain; Blahova J et al.; In this report we describe a specific transfer of carbenicillin and cephaloridine resistance determinants from two different strains of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: No . 215 and 221 isolated from two critically ill patients treated in different Intensive Care Units of a large University Hospital in Ostrava, Czech Republic . These strains were resistant to flouroquinolones and the following beta-lactam drugs: carbenicillin, cephaloridine, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, cefepime, imipenem, meropenem and aztreonam . Both strains transferred carbenicillin and cephaloridine resistance determinants, with rather different frequency, to Proteus mirabilis P-38 . All carbenicillin-selected transconjugants were found by an indirect selection method to be co-resistant to cephaloridine only . In a second cycle of transfers Proteus mirabilis R+ strains directly transferred carbenicillin and cephalothin determinants to Escherichia coli K-12 No . 185 nal+ lac+ recipient strain.

J Indian Med Assoc, 1997 Sep, 95(9), 500 - 4
Pre-labour rupture of membrane: the histological study of membrane and bacteriological profile; Banerjee S et al.; One hundred two (102) cases of pre-labour rupture of membrane (PROM) were studied and special attention was given to the histological study of the amniotic membrane as well as to the bacteriological study of high vaginal flora, cervical flora and flora of amniotic fluid, in search of probable causes or factors leading to PROM . The incidence was found to be 3.16% in the age group of 20-25 years without any relation to parity; and the duration of gestation was 38 to 40 weeks in most of the cases . The histological study revealed: (a) Focally denuded amniotic epithelium, focally separated amniotic epithelium from chorion layer, lesser density of focal squamoid change of the epithelium and thicker chorion layer probably indicating focal immaturity of the chorio-amnion, (b) lesser thickness of collagen layer, focal hydropic degeneration and mild cellular infiltrate, (c) presence of focal hyaline degeneration and focal calcification of chorio-amnion . Microbial culture revealed: (a) Higher rate of positive culture in high vaginal swab, cervical swab and amniotic fluid showing presence predominantly of Esch coli, Strept haemolyticus, klebseilla species, Staph aureus, Strept non-haemolyticus, proteus species and pseudomonas species against that of positive cultures in the control cases, (b) no anaerobic bacteria from high vaginal swab, cervical swab or from amniotic fluid . It was presumed that focal immaturity of chorio-amnion or focal irregularity in the chorio-amnion at the microscopical level, focal degeneration of collagen superadded with bacterial infection, however mild, could be the factors leading to weakness in the tensile strength of chorio-amnion, again leading to PROM, in the face of stress factors of foetal origin.

Infect Immun, 1998 Apr, 66(4), 1759 - 63
MrpB functions as the terminator for assembly of Proteus mirabilis mannose-resistant Proteus-like fimbriae; Li X et al.; Insertional mutagenesis studies of mrpB, a putative pilin-encoding open reading frame of the mrp gene cluster, which encodes mannose-resistant Proteus-like (MR/P) fimbriae of Proteus mirabilis, indicate that MrpB functions as the terminator for fimbrial assembly.

J Perinatol, 1998 Jan-Feb, 18(1), 28 - 30
Microbiology of necrotizing fasciitis associated with omphalitis in the newborn infant; Brook I; OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to report the aerobic and anaerobic microbiology of periumbilical necrotizing fasciitis in newborn infants . STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review was done of the author's 20-year experience . RESULTS: Specimens obtained from 11 newborn infants with periumbilical necrotizing fasciitis were cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria . A total of 38 bacterial isolates was recovered: 21 aerobic and facultative and 17 anaerobic . Aerobic or facultative bacteria only were present in 1 specimen (9%), anaerobes only in 2 (18%), and mixed aerobic and anaerobic flora in 8 (73%) . Multiple organisms were recovered from all instances and the number of isolates varied from two to six (average 3.5 isolates per specimen) . The predominant isolates were Peptostreptococcus sp . (7 isolates); Bacteroides fragilis group (6); streptococcus group B (4); and Staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus group D, Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis (3 each) . All patients underwent extensive debridement and resection, and they received supportive and antimicrobial therapy . Six (55%) of the patients died . CONCLUSIONS: These findings illustrate the polymicrobial aerobic-anaerobic flora of periumbilical necrotizing fasciitis.

Microbiol Immunol, 1998, 42(1), 47 - 9
Response of blood platelets to Proteus mirabilis lipopolysaccharide; Wachowicz B et al.; The effects of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Proteus mirabilis on the production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and the generation of superoxide radicals (O2) by pig blood platelets were studied in vitro . The effect of LPS on TBARS formation in platelets was dependent on the concentration of endotoxin . LPS at concentrations above 0.1 microg/10(8) platelets caused the production of TBARS concomitant with the generation of superoxide radicals . The responses of platelets to LPS suggest that endotoxin, like thrombin (a strong platelets agonist), stimulates an enzymatic cascade of platelet arachidonate via cyclooxygenase and produces thromboxane A2 (TXA2) concomitant with malonyldialdehyde (MDA).

Microbiol Immunol, 1998, 42(1), 7 - 14
Structural and immunochemical studies of two cross-reactive Proteus mirabilis O-antigens, O6 and O23, containing beta1-->3-linked 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose residues; Cedzynski M et al.; A marked serological cross-reactivity was observed by ELISA and a precipitation test between anti-Proteus mirabilis O23 serum and the lipopolysaccharide as well as the O-specific polysaccharide from the Proteus mirabilis strain belonging to serogroup O6 . The structures of the O-specific polysaccharides were elucidated using chemical and NMR spectroscopic analyses, and the only common component, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranose (beta-D-GlcNAc), was revealed, which was suggested to be responsible for the cross-reactivity observed . Both anti-O23 and anti-O6 sera were shown to react with 1, 3-Linked beta-D-GlcNAc-containing O-antigen from Salmonella enterica ssp . arizonae O59 also . The lack of reactivity of Smith-degraded P . mirabilis O6 O-specific polysaccharide with homologous antiserum indicated the crucial role of alpha-D-glucuronic acid in specific antibody binding.

Am J Med Genet, 1998 Mar 5, 76(2), 145 - 9
Alice Vance ("Das Bärenweib"): a historical case of Nievergelt syndrome; Urban M et al.; Several malformed individuals were presented at the World Exhibition in Antwerp in 1894 . Among them was Mrs . Alice Vance from Mount Pleasant, Texas, with congenital limb defects, and Mr . Eugen Berry, who had asymmetrical, monstrous enlargement and macrodactyly of the feet, i.e., Proteus syndrome . After the World Exhibition Mrs . Vance presented herself to the public in Castan's Panopticon imitating a bear . She became famous under the stage name "Das Barenweib" ("the bear-like woman") and was examined by several German clinicians, and her malformations were considered to be of high scientific interest . Mrs . Vance had mesomelic dwarfism and her mother was known to have similar malformations . Her limb deficiencies were generally considered a unique congenital condition those days, and the diagnosis of "a maternally inherited malformation of the forearms and the shanks" {Daffner 1898: Munch Med Wochenschr 25:782} was made . Virchow {1897: Verh Berl Ges Ethnol Urgeschichte 29:624}, feeling attacked by a daily newspaper stating that the physicians as well as the police of Berlin had missed the diagnosis of an "English disease," eventually exercised his authority and diagnosed Alice Vance as a "phocomelic." Clearly, she was not a phocomelic according to past and current definition of this term . Thus, from a historical point of view, the story illustrates how pressure from the daily press altered the definition of an up-to-then precisely defined medical term for decades . According to the clinical data and an X-ray report available from the literature, Alice Vance had a dominantly inherited type of mesomelic dwarfism . We propose the diagnosis of Nievergelt syndrome.

FEBS Lett, 1998 Feb 20, 423(2), 122 - 4
Site-directed mutagenesis of the Proteus mirabilis glutathione transferase B1-1 G-site; Casalone E et al.; In order to investigate the roles of near N-terminus Tyr, Cys, and Ser residues in the activity of bacterial glutathione transferase (GSTB1-1) site-directed mutagenesis was used to replace the following residues: Tyr-4, Tyr-5, Ser-9, Cys-10, Ser-11, and Ser-13 . The results presented here show that, unlike all other alpha, mu, pi, theta and sigma classes of glutathione transferases so far investigated, GSTB1-1 does not utilise any Tyr, Ser or Cys residue to activate glutathione . These results also suggest that the bacterial glutathione transferases may require classification into their own class.

J Clin Microbiol, 1998 Mar, 36(3), 641 - 7
Reduction of carriage of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in cattle by inoculation with probiotic bacteria; Zhao T et al.; Bacteria inhibitory to Escherichia coli O157:H7 were isolated from cattle and evaluated for their potential for reducing carriage of E . coli O157:H7 in calves . Eighteen of 1,200 bacterial isolates from cattle feces and intestinal tissue samples were screened and determined to inhibit the growth of E . coli O157:H7 in vitro . Seventeen of the isolates were E . coli and one was Proteus mirabilis . None produced Shiga toxin . Genomic DNA fingerprinting by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed 13 distinguishable profiles among the 18 isolates . Two calves inoculated perorally with a mixture of all 18 isolates (10(10) CFU) appeared to be normal and did not develop signs of clinical disease throughout a 25- to 27-day observation period . These bacteria colonized segments of the gastrointestinal tract and were in feces at the termination of the experiment (25 and 27 days postinoculation) at levels of 50 to 200 CFU/g . Fifteen cannulated calves were studied to determine the efficiency of the probiotic bacteria in reducing or eliminating the carriage of E . coli O157:H7 . Nine calves served as controls, with each animal receiving perorally 10(10) CFU of E . coli O157:H7 . E . coli O157:H7 was detected intermittently in the rumen samples from all control animals throughout 3 weeks postinoculation, whereas E . coli O157:H7 was shed at various levels in feces continuously throughout the experiment (mean, 28 days) . E . coli O157:H7 was isolated from the rumens and colons of eight of nine and nine of nine calves, respectively, at the termination of the study . Six calves each received perorally 10(10) CFU of probiotic bacteria and then 2 days later received 10(10) CFU of E . coli O157:H7 . E . coli O157:H7 was detected in the rumen for only 9 days postinoculation in two animals, for 16 days in one animal, for 17 days in two animals, and for 29 days in one animal . E . coli O157:H7 was detected in feces for only 11 days postinoculation in one animal, for 15 days in one animal, for 17 days in one animal, for 18 days in one animal, for 19 days in one animal, and for 29 days in one animal . At the end of the experiment (mean, 30 days), E . coli O157:H7 was not recovered from the rumen of any of the six animals treated with probiotic bacteria; however, E . coli O157:H7 was recovered from the feces of one of the animals . This animal was fasted twice postinoculation . These studies indicate that selected probiotic bacteria administered to cattle prior to exposure to E . coli O157:H7 can reduce the level of carriage of E . coli O157:H7 in most animals.

FEMS Microbiol Lett, 1998 Feb 15, 159(2), 145 - 50
Expression of the carboxypeptidase T gene from Thermoactinomyces vulgaris in stable protoplast type L-forms of Proteus mirabilis; Bushueva AM et al.; The structural gene of the carboxypeptidase T (cpt) was successfully expressed in cell wall-less L-form cells of Proteus mirabilis . The DNA sequence encoding the PhoA leader peptide was fused with a truncated cpt gene encoding the mature enzyme . The modified gene in a pUC-based kanamycin resistance vector under the control of the lac promoter was transformed into L-form cells of P . mirabilis . They were able to produce the recombinant CpT both as a secretory and as a cell-bound insoluble form . The co-secretory processing of the PhoA leader peptide was quite efficient . The yield of the secreted CpT was not less than 20 mg l-1 and should be improvable.

FEMS Microbiol Lett, 1998 Mar 1, 160(1), 81 - 6
Purification and characterization of a novel glutathione transferase from Ochrobactrum anthropi; Favaloro B et al.; Glutathione transferase was purified from Ochrobactrum anthropi and its N-terminal sequence was determined to be MKLYYKVGACSLAPHIILSEAGLPY . The apparent molecular mass of the protein (24 kDa) was determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis . The amino acid sequence obtained showed similarities with known bacterial glutathione transferases in the range of 72-64% . Immunoblotting experiments performed with antisera raised against glutathione transferase from O . anthropi did not show cross-reactivity with two bacterial glutathione transferases belonging to Serratia marcescens and Proteus mirabilis.

Infect Immun, 1998 Mar, 66(3), 923 - 6
Structural properties of lipopolysaccharides from Rickettsia typhi and Rickettsia prowazekii and their chemical similarity to the lipopolysaccharide from Proteus vulgaris OX19 used in the Weil-Felix test; Amano KI et al.; The lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) isolated from typhus group (TG) rickettsiae Rickettsia typhi and Rickettsia prowazekii were characterized by chemical analysis and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) followed by silver staining . LPSs from two species of TG rickettsiae contained glucose, 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid, glucosamine, quinovosamine, phosphate, and fatty acids (beta-hydroxylmyristic acid and heneicosanoic acid) but not heptose . The O-polysaccharides of these LPSs were composed of glucose, glucosamine, quinovosamine, and phosphorylated hexosamine . Resolution of these LPSs by their apparent molecular masses by SDS-PAGE showed that they have a common ladder-like pattern . Based on the results of chemical composition and SDS-PAGE pattern, we suggest that these LPSs act as group-specific antigens . Furthermore, glucosamine, quinovosamine, and phosphorylated hexosamine were also found in the O-polysaccharide of the LPS from Proteus vulgaris OX19 used in the Weil-Felix test, suggesting that they may represent the antigens common to LPSs from TG rickettsiae and P . vulgaris OX19.

Shock, 1998 Feb, 9(2), 121 - 7
Transmucosal passage of bacteria across rat intestinal epithelium in the Ussing chamber: effect of nutritional factors and bacterial virulence; Kurkchubasche AG et al.; Transmucosal passage of bacteria across the intestine, the essential and prerequisite step for bacterial translocation, cannot be effectively studied using in vivo models of translocation . We have adapted the Ussing chamber into a fresh, sterile organ culture system that can facilitate the study of bacterial-epithelial interactions . Intestinal membranes were mounted in the Ussing chamber and perfused with a solution rich in putative mucosal micronutrients . The transmembrane potential difference was constantly monitored as a marker of intestinal integrity . Transmucosal passage of various bacteria across the normal intestinal epithelium was quantitated, and the mucosal membrane was examined by light and transmission electron microscopy . The addition of potassium cyanide to the mucosal perfusate resulted in an irreversible loss of potential difference . Oxygen deprivation also led to a precipitous drop in potential difference, but it was reversible with prompt reoxygenation . In contrast, intestinal membranes perfused with a solution consisting of Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium + 20 mM glutamine maintained their potential difference for a sustained period (>180 min) . Both the viability and structural integrity of the ileal intestinal membrane were maintained in culture ex vivo using this perfusate . Qualitative differences were observed in the mechanism of transmucosal passage of mild to moderately virulent bacteria such as Escherichia coli C-25 and Proteus mirabilis M-13, which pass through the intestinal epithelium without causing overt damage to the mucosa, and more virulent organisms such as Salmonella typhimurium, which cause extensive mucosal damage by light and transmission electron microscopy . The Ussing system should provide a useful model of intact organ culture for the study of the mechanisms of bacterial translocation and the pathogenesis of enteric infections.

Int Immunol, 1998 Jan, 10(1), 7 - 15
H2M3wt-restricted, Listeria monocytogenes-immune CD8 T cells respond to multiple formylated peptides and to a variety of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria; Nataraj C et al.; A subset of H2M3wt-restricted, Listeria monocytogenes (LM)-immune CD8 effectors recognize antigen-presenting cells (APC) preincubated with heat-killed LM . The responsible product, which we have previously designated heat-killed Listeria-associated antigen (HAA), is extremely hydrophobic and resistant to proteolytic degradation . Despite the protease resistance of HAA, we now report that HAA-immune clones are uniformly responsive to fMIGWII, a formylated oligopeptide derived from the recently described LM product, lemA . While fMIGWII was by far the most potent peptide tested, over half our clones also responded to the LM-derived peptide fMIVII and cross-reactive responses to two other unrelated formylated peptides at concentrations of <1 microM were frequently observed . One of these peptides (fBlaZ) did not share any amino acid in common with fMIGWII except N-formyl methionine at position 1 . Unformylated variants of the same peptides were inactive . HAA-immune CD8 cells also responded in an H2M3wt-restricted manner to APC pretreated with heat-killed or live preparations of other gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria such as Streptococcus pyogenes (SP) and Proteus vulgaris (PV) . Unlike fMIGWII which is water soluble and protease sensitive, the native antigens extracted from SP and PV, like HAA, were very hydrophobic and proteinase K resistant, presumably reflecting in each case the association of cross-reactive polypeptides with bacterial lipid or phospholipid . Thus, HAA/lemA-immune, H2M3wt-restricted effectors can respond to a variety of formylated peptides and bacterial antigens in vitro . Similar cross-reactions in vivo might have physiologically significant implications.

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 1998 Jan, 49(1), 51 - 8
Expression and secretion of functional miniantibodies McPC603scFvDhlx in cell-wall-less L-form strains of Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli: a comparison of the synthesis capacities of L-form strains with an E . coli producer strain; Kujau MJ et al.; The paper describes the synthesis of the phosphorylcholine-binding miniantibody McPC603scFvDhl x in cell-wall-less L-form strains of Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis . Cells of these strains were transformed with the plasmid pACK02scKan, carrying the miniantibody (miniAb) coding sequence under the control of the lac promoter . L-form transformants of both species were able to synthesize the functional miniAb as an extracellular soluble product . The highest quantities were obtained by P . mirabilis L-form strains after induction with 5 mM isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) . Yields of 45-75 mg/l total antibody protein and of 10-18 mg/l functional miniAb were estimated in the growth medium of shaking cultures 40-80 h after induction with IPTG . About 10% of the active miniAb remained cell-bound . The yields of functional miniAb could be optimized by lowering the growth temperature from 37 degrees C to 26-32 degrees C and by supplementation of the medium with 80 mM sodium fumarate . A comparison of the specific activities revealed that the P . mirabilis L-form strains have a similar synthesis capacity (2-4 mg functional miniAb/g cell dry weight) to that of the producer strain E . coli RV308 . The results show that the processes of correct folding and assembling of the miniAb molecules are possible without the periplasmic compartment.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1997 Dec, 40 Suppl A, 59 - 62
The role of fluoroquinolones in respiratory tract infections; Grossman RF; Quinolones, because of their excellent pharmacokinetic properties, high antimicrobial activity and low incidence of side-effects, have been broadly accepted for the treatment of many infections . Because of perceived limitations against Streptococcus pneumoniae and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus there has been some reluctance to use them for respiratory tract infections . Ciprofloxacin is the drug of choice for malignant external otitis, a disease caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and it has also been used successfully for the treatment of chronic otitis media where P . aeruginosa, S . aureus and Proteus mirabilis are main pathogens . Quinolones are as efficacious as the beta-lactams and cephalosporins in the treatment of acute sinusitis but most clinicians will not use quinolones for this indication . Acute bacterial exacerbations of chronic bronchitis respond to antimicrobial therapy and quinolones have been demonstrated to be at least equivalent to second- and third-generation cephalosporins, co-amoxiclav and beta-lactams . Recently published guidelines in Canada, USA and Great Britain do not recommend quinolones for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia except for patients with life-threatening disease requiring ICU admission . A quinolone in combination with an aminoglycoside and macrolide is a regimen that can be used as initial empirical therapy until the results of microbiological investigations are available . For patients with severe hospital-acquired pneumonia, where multiply resistant aerobic Gram-negative bacilli are a consideration, a quinolone in combination with an antipseudomonal penicillin or cephalosporin has been recommended . In the absence of P . aeruginosa, monotherapy with a quinolone is at least as effective as third-generation cephalosporins or imipenem . Early switch therapy from parenteral antibiotics to oral fluoroquinolone has been demonstrated to be very successful.

Biochemistry (Mosc), 1997 Dec, 62(12), 1444 - 7
Structure of a neutral O-specific polysaccharide of the bacterium Proteus mirabilis O24; Senchenkova SN et al.; Lipopolysaccharide of the bacterium Proteus mirabilis O24 was found to have a neutral O-specific polysaccharide chain containing D-galactose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose in ratios 1:2:1 . On the basis of 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, including two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (COSY), H-detected 1H, 13C heteronuclear multiple-quantum coherence (HMQC), and nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY), the following structure of the branched tetrasaccharide repeating unit of the O-specific polysaccharide was established: -->3)-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1-->4)-beta-D-GalpNAc-(1-->4)-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1--> {formula: see text} beta-D-Galp.

Biochimie, 1997 Nov, 79(11), 667 - 71
Structural analysis of compound I in hemoproteins: study on Proteus mirabilis catalase; Jouve HM et al.; Ferryl catalysis has attracted considerable interest, because a diverse variety of enzymes use ferryl intermediates to perform difficult chemistry . The structure of the reactional intermediate compound I of Proteus mirabilis catalase (PMC) has been solved using time-resolved X-ray diffraction techniques and single crystal microspectrophotometry . Formation of compound I is characterized by significant changes in the absorbance spectrum, and the creation of an oxoferryl group on the distal side of the heme . This group is clearly visible in the X-ray electron density maps . An unidentified electron density, likely to be an anion because of the nature of its environment, appears during the reaction, in a site distant from the heme . The structure of compound I in PMC is compared with that of compound I in cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP).

Eur J Clin Pharmacol, 1997, 53(3-4), 251 - 5
Penetration of ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and ofloxacin into the aqueous humours of patients by different topical application modes; von Keyserlingk J et al.; OBJECTIVE: A prospective study was undertaken to determine the transcorneal penetration of three topically applied fluoroquinolones into aqueous humour . METHODS: Two hundred and twenty-four patients undergoing cataract extraction received 0.3% ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin or ofloxacin eye drops by two different administration modes with different frequencies and intervals of application . At the beginning of cataract extraction (0.5-3 h after the last drop), 50-100 microliters aqueous fluid was aspirated from the anterior chamber and immediately stored at -80 degrees C . Antibiotic concentrations were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography . RESULTS: Generally, topical ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin yielded aqueous humour levels higher than topical norfloxacin . The highest concentrations of all tested fluoroquinolones were measured after using an application mode, in which one drop was given every 15 min between 0600 hours and 0800 hours, prior to operation . When applied by this mode, ciprofloxacin achieved a mean aqueous level of 0.380 (+/- 0.328) microgram.ml-1 (range 0.033-1.388 micrograms.ml-1), norfloxacin 0.182 (0.118) microgram.ml-1 (range 0.038-0.480 microgram.ml-1) and ofloxacin 0.564 (0.372) microgram.ml-1 (range 0.064-1.455 micrograms.ml-1) . These mean concentrations were above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC90), concentrations required for inhibition of 90% of pathogen strains in vitro of gram-negative bacteria, such as Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli . Therapeutic values above the MIC90 of Staphylococcus epidermidis, the pathogen causing eye infections most frequently, were reached by 67.5% of patients after ofloxacin and by 41% after ciprofloxacin, but never after norfloxacin treatment . CONCLUSION: Of the currently available topical fluoroquinolones, ofloxacin achieved the highest aqueous humour concentration . This fluoroquinolone may be an useful ophthalmic agent for topical antibacterial management, but it does not seem to be prophylactically effective against Streptococcus pneumoniae or Pseudomanas aeruginosa.

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod, 1998 Jan, 85(1), 82 - 5
Proteus syndrome . A case report of a hamartomatous syndrome with severe mandibular hemihypertrophy; Pinto PX et al.; Proteus syndrome is a rare congenital hamartomatous malformation that is characterized by a wide range of deformities, including craniofacial deformities . Skin and skeletal developmental malformations are common and may assume tremendous proportions . The syndrome is often mistaken for other, more commonly recognized conditions, including neurofibromatosis . The soft-tissue masses in Proteus syndrome are not nerve tumors but are usually hamartomatous proliferations . The case report describes its varied manifestations, which include significant craniofacial dysmorphism, and discusses the differential diagnosis and management.

Rev Neurol, 1997 Oct, 25(146), 1572 - 4
{Neurophysiological aspects of Proteus syndrome}; Manquillo A et al.; INTRODUCTION: The Proteus Syndrome was defined in 1983 by Wiedeman . However, the first case mentioned in the literature was that of Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, presented by Sir Frederick Treves in 1884 . It is a rare pathological condition . Its multiple clinical features include; partial gigantism of hands and/or feet, pigmented nevi, hemihypertrophy of the body, tumors, skeletal anomalies, growth disorders and visceral anomalies . Hereditary transmission has not been clearly defined . Diagnosis and treatment require the participation of experts from several medical and surgical specialties . CLINICAL CASE: We present a case sent to our hospital for the surgical correction of cranio-facial malformations . Epileptic crises post-operatively indicated the need for neurological and neuro-physiological study . This was done by means of conventional electro-encephalography: brainstem, somato-sensorial and visual auditory evoked potentials, together with imaging techniques which showed the structural and functional asymmetry of the central nervous system at both cerebral and brainstem levels . CONCLUSIONS: Few neuro-physiological studies are included in the literature we reviewed for this paper . Therefore we do not know whether the functional anomalies of the central nervous system which we describe should be considered to be part of the syndrome.

Nuklearmedizin, 1997 Aug, 36(5), 183 - 6
{Simultaneous use of different nuclear medical examinations in Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome--vs . Proteus syndrome}; Rink T et al.; A three-year-old male patient presented already at his birth a disproportion macrosomia of the left foot and a large, nodular nevus flammeus in the left hip region, which led to the tentative diagnosis of a Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome . In the following years, both changes showed a continuous progression, with distinct soft-tissue swelling as well as papillomatous and verruciform vegetations of the nevus . Additionally, large, plain subcutaneous masses developed under the right shoulder, and a macrodactyly of the first and second left toe could be observed . Although several examinations had been performed in the meantime, the tentative diagnosis could not be confirmed up to that time . On the occasion of a severe local infection in the hip region, which led to the consideration of a surgical therapy, a radionuclide lymphography, a blood pool scintigraphy including dynamic phlebography and ventriculography as well as a bone scintigraphy were performed . These examinations were done simultaneously at one day in order to avoid a longer period of immobilization . The findings led to the diagnosis of a large lymphangioma, which could be confirmed histologically after surgery . In consideration of all results, the basic disorder seems to be the rare proteus syndrome rather than a Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome.

FEMS Microbiol Lett, 1997, 147(1), 157 - 62
Effect of anaerobic environment on the glutathione transferase isoenzymatic pattern in Proteus mirabilis; Allocati N et al.; When Proteus mirabilis was cultured anaerobically in the presence of nitrate as terminal electron acceptor, a dramatic reduction of glutathione transferase production occurred . The analysis of the glutathione affinity purified materials in terms of substrate specificity, SDS-PAGE pattern, IEF pattern and immunoblotting revealed that a significantly different glutathione transferase pattern also occurred: two new glutathione transferase forms with an isoelectric point at pH 4.8 and 5.0 appeared . Their N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis as well as the ability to bind to a glutathione affinity column indicate that major differences between anaerobic and aerobic glutathione transferase forms are mainly located in the C-terminal region of the primary structure . In contrast, no significant changes occurred in the production of glutathione transferase isoenzymes when P . mirabilis was grown anaerobically in the absence of a terminal electron acceptor . These results support the idea that bacterial glutathione transferase expression is not strictly related to the absence of oxygen stress.

Folia Microbiol (Praha), 1997, 42(5), 441 - 4
Isolation and characterization of heavy metals resistant bacteria from Lagos Lagoon; Olukoya DK et al.; A total of 228 bacteria with an ability to resist toxic heavy metals were isolated from 8 selected sites of the Lagos Lagoon . The bacteria isolated were Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Streptococcus sp., Moraxella sp., Escherichia coli, Proteus sp., Klebsiella sp . and Salmonella sp . The heavy metals to which resistance was recorded were mercury, lead, zinc, cobalt, copper and chromium . The lagoon sites from which the highest number of resistant bacteria were isolated were Marina and Ebute-Ero . The heavy metal to which most bacteria were resistant was cobalt, while the least was chromium . The significance of the result is discussed in relation to the Nigerian environment and human health.

Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz), 1997, 45(5-6), 435 - 41
Structural and immunochemical studies on the O-specific polysaccharide of Proteus penneri strain 15; Zych K et al.; On the basis of sugar analysis and 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, it was shown that the O-specific polysaccharide of Proteus penneri strain 15 has a trisaccharide repeating unit, including an acetal-linked pyruvic acid residue, and is structurally identical to the capsular polysaccharide of Proteus vulgaris strain ATCC 49990 . Serological studies supported this conclusion and demonstrated the presence in the homological antiserum of both anti-core and anti-O chain antibodies reacting with a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) epitope containing N-acetylglucosamine and galactose residues.

Can J Microbiol, 1997 Nov, 43(11), 1054 - 62
Isolation, purification, and characterization of the major autolysin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Watt SR et al.; The major (26 kDa) autolysin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was purified to apparent homogeneity by a combination of preparative electrophoresis, ion-exchange, and dye-ligand chromatographies . This purification was facilitated by the development of a spot-assay that involved the spotting and subsequent incubation of autolysin samples on polyacrylamide gels containing peptidoglycan . The pl of the 26-kDa autolysin was determined to be between 3.5 and 4 and disulfide bonds within the enzyme were essential for activity . The autolysin catalyzed the release of reducing sugars from the peptidoglycans of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli indicating it to be a beta-glycosidase . It was ineffective at hydrolysing the peptidoglycan from Gram-positive bacteria and the O-acetylated peptidoglycans from either Proteus mirabilis or Staphylococcus aureus . The N-terminal sequence of the purified autolysin was determined to be His-Glu-Pro-Pro-Gly . The 26-kDa autolysin together with a 29-kDa autolysin was determined to be secreted into the medium by a mechanism that involves the production and release of surface membrane vesicles during normal growth, but the enzymes were not found free and active in culture broth supernatants.

J Eukaryot Microbiol, 1997 Nov-Dec, 44(6), 614 - 9
A symbiont-produced protein and bacterial symbiosis in Amoeba proteus; Pak JW et al.; Gram symbiotic X-bacteria present in the xD strain of Amoeba proteus as required cell components, synthesize and export a large amount of a 29-kDa protein (S29x) into the host's cytoplasm across bacterial and symbiosome membranes . The S29x protein produced by E . coli transformed with the s29x gene is also rapidly secreted into the culture medium . Inside amoebae, S29x enters the host's nucleus as detected by confocal and immunoelectron microscopy, although it is not clear if S29x is selectively accumulated inside the nucleus . The deduced amino-acid sequence of S29x has a stretch of basic amino acids that could act as a nuclear localization signal, but there is no signal peptide at the N-terminus and the transport of S29x is energy independent . The functions of S29x are not known, but in view of its prominent presence inside the amoeba's nucleus, S29x is suspected to be involved in affecting the expression of amoeba's nuclear gene(s).

Vet Res, 1997 Nov-Dec, 28(6), 581 - 8
Pharmacokinetics of fosfomycin in chickens after a single intravenous dose and tissue levels following chronic oral administration; Aramayona JJ et al.; This paper describes the pharmacokinetics of fosfomycin following a single i.v . bolus dose (10 mg/kg of body weight) in broiler chickens . Serial blood samples were collected up to 5 h post-administration . Fosfomycin serum concentrations were determined by a microbiological method, using Proteus mirabilis as the test microorganism . The serum concentration versus time curves after i.v . administration followed a biexponential decline . The main pharmacokinetic variables were t1/2 lambda l = 23 min, t1/2 lambda n = 112 min, VDarea = 575 +/- 190 mL/kg and CLb = 3.12 +/- 0.44 mL.min-1.kg-1 . Tissue levels of fosfomycin in kidney, liver, lung, muscle, heart, fat, gizzard and serum were also determined after oral chronic administration of the drug in drinking water (150 micrograms/mL) . During the oral chronic administration period, high FOS concentrations in serum were maintained (mean 6.1 +/- 1.1 micrograms/mL), but a significant decline over time could be observed (P < 0.05) . Fosfomycin was detected in all tissues except muscle, with mean concentrations ranging from 0.63 microgram/g in fat to 13.48 micrograms/g in kidney . Twenty-four hours after the treatment was finished, fosfomycin levels were below the assay detection limit in all tissues tested.

Infect Immun, 1998 Jan, 66(1), 330 - 5
Use of green fluorescent protein to assess urease gene expression by uropathogenic Proteus mirabilis during experimental ascending urinary tract infection; Zhao H et al.; Proteus mirabilis, a cause of complicated urinary tract infection, expresses urease when exposed to urea . While it is recognized that the positive transcriptional activator UreR induces gene expression, the levels of expression of the enzyme during experimental infection are not known . To investigate in vivo expression of P . mirabilis urease, the gene encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) was used to construct reporter fusions . Translational fusions of urease accessory gene ureD, which is preceded by a urea-inducible promoter, were made with gfp (modified to express S65T/V68L/S72A {B . P . Cormack et al . Gene 173:33-38, 1996}) . Constructs were confirmed by sequencing of the fusion junctions . UreD-GFP fusion protein was induced by urea in both Escherichia coli DH5alpha and P . mirabilis HI4320 . By using Western blotting with antiserum raised against GFP, expression level was shown to correlate with urea concentration (tested from 0 to 500 mM), with highest induction at 200 to 500 mM urea . Fluorescent E . coli and P . mirabilis bacteria were observed by fluorescence microscopy following urea induction, and the fluorescence intensity of GFP in cell lysates was measured by spectrophotofluorimetry . P . mirabilis HI4320 carrying the UreD-GFP fusion plasmid was transurethrally inoculated into the bladders of CBA mice . One week postchallenge, fluorescent bacteria were detected in thin sections of both bladder and kidney samples; the fluorescence intensity of bacteria in bladder tissue was higher than that in the kidney . Kidneys were primarily infected with single-cell-form fluorescent bacteria, while aggregated bacterial clusters were observed in the bladder . Elongated swarmer cells were only rarely observed . These observations demonstrate that urease is expressed in vivo and that using GFP as a reporter protein is a viable approach to investigate in vivo expression of P . mirabilis virulence genes in experimental urinary tract infection.

J Ethnopharmacol, 1997 Nov, 58(3), 143 - 7
Antimicrobial activity of Micromeria nervosa from the Palestinian area; Ali-Shtayeh MS et al.; Organic and aqueous solvent extracts and fractions of Micromeria nervosa (Desf.) Benth . (Labiatae) were investigated for antimicrobial activities on several microorganisms including bacteria and yeast . The different extracts differed significantly in their antimicrobial activities with the ethanolic extract being most active, followed by ethyl acetate and petroleum ether extracts . The least active extract was the aqueous . No significant difference between the different test microorganisms in their susceptibility to different extracts, with Candida albicans being the most susceptible to ethanolic extract giving 1.5 times the effect of nystatin . One of the main active ingredients of M . nervosa was isolated and identified as carvacrol . No significant difference in antimicrobial activity was found between carvacrol and its isomer thymol . The most susceptible test microorganism was Proteus vulgaris to carvacrol, and P . vulgaris and C . albicans to thymol . The least susceptible bacterium to both fractions was Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal or fungicidal concentrations (MBC or MFC) were determined for both compounds.

Med Dosw Mikrobiol, 1997, 49(1-2), 83 - 7
{Bacterial flora in chronic inner ear infections in adults}; Radosz-Komoniewska H et al.; The aim of the study was to analyse microbiologically middle ear exudate obtained from 56 patients, aged 17 to 83 years, treated for chronic otitis media . Aerobic bacteria only were found 49 patients (87,5%) . Mixed aerobic and anaerobic isolates were recovered from 7 patients (12,5%) . The most common bacteria isolated from the middle ear exudate, in descending order frequency, were Staphylococcus aureus (45%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (34%), Proteus mirabilis (16%) and Prevotella melaninogenica (9%) . Other organisms were isolated less frequently . In 34 patients only one isolate was recovered, in 22 patients the isolated bacteria coexisted with other microorganisms.

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1997 Nov, 29(3), 129 - 32
Transferable antibiotic resistance in nosocomial Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain; Blahova J et al.; Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (298/85) was isolated from the extensively inflamed conjunctiva of a neonate in a regional hospital in Ostrava, Czech Republic . It was resistant to all available antibiotics except cefepime and trimethoprim . The donor S . maltophilia strain 298/85 transferred carbenicillin and cephaloridine resistance determinants to recipient strains of Escherichia coli K-12 3110 rif+ and Proteus mirabilis P-38 rif+ . All transconjugant colonies were co-resistant also to kanamycin, cefotaxime, and aztreonam . Active hydrolysis of imipenem in the original strain was inhibited by ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid, and hydrolysis of cefotaxime and aztreonam in the original strain and in the E . coli K-12 transconjugant was inhibited by clavulanate . In contrast, ceftazidime was hydrolyzed by the original strain and was not inhibited by clavulanate, indicating a different character of the resistance to cefotaxime or aztreonam and ceftazidime.

Chemotherapy, 1997 Nov-Dec, 43(6), 424 - 9
Inhibition of motility and adherence of Proteus mirabilis to uroepithelial cells by subinhibitory concentrations of amikacin; Tawfik AF et al.; The effect of subinhibitory concentrations of amikacin on Proteus mirabilis motility and adherence to human uroepithelial and to HeLa cells was compared with that of gentamicin . In addition, the effect of both antibiotics on cell surface hydrophobicity was also examined . Exposure of bacterial cells in the logarithmic phase to one fourth of amikacin or gentamicin at one fourth of their respective minimal inhibitory concentrations causes the inhibition of swarming and motility of Proteus strains . Amikacin significantly reduced adhesion of Proteus strains to human uroepithelial cells and gentamicin exerts the same effect to a lesser extent . Such inhibitory concentrations of amikacin or gentamicin had no significant effect on the attachment ability of these strains to HeLa cells compared to the nontreated cells . Treatment of the bacterial cells with amikacin or gentamicin changed significantly the cell surface hydrophobicity towards the hydrophilic state compared to nontreated cells, and it was found to be strain dependent . Since motility and attachment ability are considered as pathogenic traits, these data indicate the impact of amikacin on the virulence factors especially in urinary tract infections with Proteus strains.

Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi, 1996 Oct, 17(5), 275 - 7
{Etiological investigation on diarrhoeal diseases in the rural area of Suixian county, Yu Dong plain in China}; Shen GJ et al.; To study the etiology of diarrhoeal diseases in the rural area, we carried out a study on diarrhoeal diseases in two natural villages . 15 kinds of diarrhoeal pathogens including 172 strains were isolated from 318 patients with diarrhoea making the isolation rate 49.37%; 12 kinds of diarrhoeal pathogens and 69 strains were isolated from 310 healthy controls and the isolation rate was 22.26%; 6 kinds of diarrhoeal pathogens and 44 strains were isolated in 405 samples obtained from the envronmenfal samples . The major pathogens isolated from various samples were ETEC (LT) and proteus, followed by Shigella, Rotavirus . Analysis on the pathogenetic agents and preventive measurements were also carried out.

J Basic Microbiol, 1997, 37(5), 361 - 70
The simultaneous production of both Hly- and Hpm-like hemolysins is characteristic of the Proteus penneri species; Serwecinska L et al.; Clinical isolates of Proteus penneri were tested for the presence of genes encoding hemolytic activity . Strains possessing DNA sequences similar to the hlyCABD genes in Escherichia coli were found . Each secreted a 110 kDa protein which reacted with a specific anti-HlyA antiserum . Southern blotting analysis revealed that the HindIII restriction fragment pattern for the hlyCABD genes of these strains was conserved . Similarly, the chromosomal location of these genes is relatively conserved based on the pattern of NotI digested DNA fragments separated by pulsed field gel electrophoresis . One strain carried an additional copy of the hlyCABD determinant which was mapped on a second NotI genomic fragment . All strains contained also chromosomally encoded sequences related to the hpmBA genes originally cloned from Proteus mirabilis . All strains produced a 166 kDa exoprotein detected in immunoblots with a specific antiserum raised against HpmA hemolysin . The hpmBA genes were located on other NotI fragments than hlyCABD genes . In contrast to the other Proteae, the simultaneous production of both hemolysins seems to be a common characteristics of Proteus penneri isolates.

J Med Microbiol, 1997 Oct, 46(10), 819 - 24
Production and characterisation of monoclonal antibodies to heat-shock protein 60 of Helicobacter pylori; Yamaguchi H et al.; Two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), designated as H9 (IgG2a) and H20 (IgM), directed against heat-shock protein 60 (HSP60) of Helicobacter pylori strain TK1029 were established . Affinity-purified antigens cross-reacted in immunoblots with MAb H9 and MAb H20 respectively . These antigens also reacted with the 3C8 MAb previously established in this laboratory, which recognised Yersinia enterocolitica HSP60 . By amino-acid sequence analysis, the N-terminal amino-acid sequence of the protein recognised by both H9 and H20 MAbs was confirmed as the amino-acid sequence of H . pylori HSP60 reported previously . Both MAbs reacted with nine strains of H . pylori in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblot analysis . In addition, MAb H9 reacted with extracts of other bacteria including H . mustelae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio cholerae, Serratia marcescens, Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli and Shigella sonnei . In contrast, MAb H20 reacted only with strains H . pylori . These results suggest that both the species-specific epitope recognised by MAb H20 and the common epitope recognised by MAb H9 exist on HSP60 of the bacterial cell . Both MAbs also reacted with the 60-kDa protein in the lysate of human gastric carcinoma (MKN45) cells . It was shown by immunohistochemical staining that gastric epithelial cells of four out of six biopsy specimens examined stained positively with MAb H20 . These results suggest that there is a common epitope in H . pylori HSP60 and human gastric epithelial cells.

ASAIO J, 1997 Sep-Oct, 43(5), M842 - 7
An infection inhibiting urinary catheter material; Whalen RL et al.; Catheter associated bacteriuria is a common infection in hospitals and nursing homes . An infection inhibiting catheter material for fabricating urinary catheters is being developed . The material consists of silicone rubber elastomer compounded with chlorhexidene gluconate (CHG) matrix . The antibiotic is released in sustained fashion over at least 4 weeks . A method was established for adding CHG to silicone rubber . To protect the CHG, it is suspended in a water soluble wax that also modulates CHG release from the elastomer . It was found that CHG is randomly dispersed in the elastomer and that the primary release mechanism is by diffusion . The antibacterial activity of the material with a range of 0.1 to 5% CHG by weight was examined using in vitro zone inhibition testing . The new material demonstrated significant inhibitory activity against three pathogens tested (Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Staphylococcus epidermidis.) . The release rate of CHG was measured in vitro using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) . With 5% CHG loading, the antibiotic was released at a steady rate of approximately 8.4 mg/cm2/day for periods extending beyond 4 weeks . This new material for urinary catheters has the potential to provide protection against infection and surface colonization.

Eur Urol, 1997, 32(3), 375 - 9
Focal xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis: partial nephrectomy as definitive treatment; Osca JM et al.; OBJECTIVES: We report 11 cases of focal xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (FXGP), a disease that is very uncommon . The aim of the present work is to assess the effectivity of conservative treatment . MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eleven of the 82 cases of XGP (12.5%) diagnosed between 1970 and 1995 presented the focal form (FXGF) . Clinical features, laboratory findings, radiological imaging studies, surgical treatment and follow-up were evaluated . RESULTS: FXGP occurred in middle-aged women (female/male ratio 4.5:1) who had a history of calculosis, urinary infections produced by Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis, or urinary tract abnormalities . FXGP was unilateral in all cases . The most frequent symptom was flank pain . Some hematological and biochemical parameters were altered . Intravenous urography and sonography revealed calculosis, hydronephrosis or renal mass, but these findings are nonspecific . Only abdominal CT scan can establish the correct diagnosis . Five of these patients (45.5%) underwent partial nephrectomy at our hospital . During the follow-up, patients showed no relapse in the ipsilateral or contralateral kidney . Serum parameters were in normal range . CONCLUSION: When FXGP is diagnosed, local excision is recommended in all cases, since relapse in the affected kidney is unusual.

J Physiol Paris, 1997 Apr, 91(2), 75 - 9
Population-specific behavioral electrosensitivity of the European blind cave salamander, Proteus anguinus; Schlegel P et al.; In nine salamanders from different Slovenian populations of the urodele Proteus anguinus, including three specimens of its 'black' variety, P anguinus parkelj, thresholds of an overt avoidance response to electrical field stimuli were estimated as a function of frequency (continuous sine-waves in water) . Thresholds down to 0.3V/cm (ca 100 nA/cm2) and up to 2 mV/cm (670 nA/cm2), at 'best frequencies' of around 30 Hz were found . Sensitivity covered a total frequency range of below 1 Hz, excluding DC, up to 1-2 kHz with up to 40 dB higher thresholds . Thresholds and tuning curves are compared with those of a Proteus population raised in captivity for more than 35 years . The biological significance and the apparently still ongoing evolution of the electrical sense in urodeles, ie in the genus Proteus, are interpreted in terms of comparative sensory physiology and ethological ecology as a result of more recent evolutionary diversification during and since glaciation in the Pleistocene.

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 1997 Aug, 16(8), 563 - 7
Five-year prospective study of bacteraemic urinary tract infection in a single institution; Bishara J et al.; In order to determine the epidemiology, microbiology, and outcome of bacteraemia originating in the urinary tract in hospitalised patients, a prospective study was conducted in a large general hospital in Israel . Data from all patients with bacteraemia were collected prospectively, and a subgroup of patients with bacteraemia secondary to urinary tract infection was analysed . There were 702 episodes of bacteraemia secondary to urinary tract infection during a five-year period (33.9% of all episodes of bacteraemia) . The mean age of the patients was 76 years, and the male:female ratio was 0.9:1.0 . The most common pathogens were Escherichia coli (52%), Klebsiella spp . (14%), and Proteus spp . (9%) . Pseudomonas spp . were isolated from 8% of all patients, from 19% of those who had received antibiotics, and from 15% of males . Enterococcus spp . were isolated from 4% of males but from no females . Five percent of the episodes were polymicrobial, and 16% of the infections were hospital acquired . On logistic multivariate regression analysis, predictors of mortality were: hospitalisation in a medical department, hospital-acquired infection, inappropriate empiric antibiotic treatment, presence of decubitus ulcer(s), respiratory or renal failure, and elevated urea and decreased albumin levels.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1997 Sep, 40(3), 445 - 8
Concentrations of prophylactic ceftriaxone in abdominal tissues during pancreatic surgery; Martin C et al.; Ceftriaxone concentrations in abdominal tissues were evaluated after administration as antibiotic prophylaxis for pancreatic surgery . Ten patients were given ceftriaxone (1 g i.v.) 30 min before surgery . Ceftriaxone concentrations in fatty tissues ranged from 2.5 to 6.2 microg/g . Ceftriaxone concentrations were 6.0 +/- 8.6 microg/g in pancreatic tissues, 2.1 +/- 2.5 mg/L in pancreatic fluid, 1179 +/- 1271 mg/L in pancreatic bile, and 18 +/- 16 microg/g in the liver . In fatty tissues, 8-10 patients had tissue levels greater than the MIC90 for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and the 10 patients had tissue levels greater than the MIC90 for Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis . In other tissues, penetration was greater than the MIC90 for potential pathogens in 50-100% of the patients.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1997 Sep, 40(3), 365 - 70
Permeability to carbapenems of Proteus mirabilis mutants selected for resistance to imipenem or other beta-lactams; Villar HE et al.; An imipenem-resistant mutant of Proteus mirabilis lacked a 26 kDa outer membrane protein (OMP) . It has previously been postulated that this protein is a porin, but the present mutant, which was cross-resistant to mecillinam but not to other beta-lactams, proved as permeable to carbapenems as its parent . A mecillinam-selected mutant had similar cross-resistance yet retained the 26 kDa OMP, confirming that this protein was not important to resistance . In contrast, cefoxitin-selected mutants retained the 26 kDa protein but had diminished expression of major 41 and 44 kDa OMPs and showed reduced uptake of carbapenems, although this promoted resistance only when a carbapenemase was also present . We conclude that the imipenem-selected mutant owed its resistance to some factor other than porin loss, probably to a lesion in penicillin-binding protein 2.

Hautarzt, 1997 Jun, 48(6), 414 - 6
{Torus mandibularis}; Nolte A et al.; Solitary or bilateral, symptomless exostoses on the lingual surface of the mandibule are called mandibular torus . It is mainly seen in young males and has a benign clinical course . The etiopathology is not known . Both genetic and environmental factors such as the anatomy of the lower jaw are considered . Syndromes associated with facial exostoses such as Proteus syndrome or Gardner's syndrome should be clinically excluded . A 40-year-old man with exostoses of the jaw is reported . With this case report we would like to draw attention to a disease which has rarely been described in the German dermatological literature.

Indian J Exp Biol, 1997 Mar, 35(3), 300 - 1
Antimicrobial potentiality of a new beta-lactum antibiotic fosfomycin; Dastidar SG et al.; Antimicrobial action of penicillin and some of its derivatives including fosfomycin was studied with respect to 225 strains of Gram-positive and Gram negative bacteria . Fosfomycin was found to possess somewhat less activity against Staphylococcus aureus compared with other penicillins; however, it showed powerful activity towards Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp . and Proteus mirabilis.

J Eukaryot Microbiol, 1997 Sep-Oct, 44(5), 412 - 9
Evidence for symbiont-induced alteration of a host's gene expression: irreversible loss of SAM synthetase from Amoeba proteus; Choi JY et al.; Symbiont-bearing xD amoebae no longer produce a 45-kDa cytoplasmic protein that functions as S-adenosylmethionine synthetase in symbiont-free D amoebae . The absence of the protein in xD amoebae is attributable to xD amoeba's failure to transcribe the corresponding gene as a result of harboring bacterial symbionts . However, xD amoebae have about half the level of enzyme activity found in D amoebae, indicating that they use an alternative source for the enzyme . xD amoebae originated from D amoebae by bacterial infection and now depend on their symbionts for survival . xD amoebae exhibit irreversible nucleolar abnormalities when their symbionts are removed, suggesting that X-bacteria supply the needed enzyme . A monoclonal antibody against the 45-kDa protein was produced and used as a probe in cloning its corresponding cDNA . The product of the cDNA was found to have S-adenosylmethionine synthetase activity . These results show how symbiotic X-bacteria may become essential cellular components of amoeba by supplementing a genetic defect for an amoeba's house-keeping gene that is brought about by an action of X-bacteria themselves . This is the first reported example in which symbionts alter the host's gene expression to block the production of an essential protein.

Can J Microbiol, 1997 Aug, 43(8), 709 - 17
The expression of nonagglutinating fimbriae and its role in Proteus mirabilis adherence to epithelial cells; Tolson DL et al.; Proteus mirabilis is a common causative agent of human urinary tract infections, especially in catheterized patients and in those patients with structural abnormalities of the urinary tract . In addition to the production of hemolysin and urease, fimbriae-mediated adherence to uroepithelial cells and kidney epithelium may be essential for virulence of P . mirabilis . A single P . mirabilis strain is capable of expressing several morphologically distinct fimbrial species, which can each be favoured by specific in vitro growth conditions . The fimbrial species reported to date include mannose-resistant/Proteus-like fimbriae, ambient temperature fimbriae, P . mirabilis fimbriae, and nonagglutinating fimbriae (NAF) . Here, using intact bacteria or purified NAF as immunogens, we have generated the first reported NAF-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) . Bacteria expressing NAF as their only fimbrial species adhered strongly to a number of cell lines in vitro, including uroepithelial cell lines . Binding of P . mirabilis was markedly reduced following preincubation with NAF-specific mAbs and Fab fragments . The presence of NAF with highly conserved N-terminal sequences on all P . mirabilis strains so far examined, combined with the ability of both anti-NAF mAbs and purified NAF molecules to inhibit P . mirabilis adherence in vitro, suggests that NAF may contribute to the pathogenesis of P . mirabilis.

Mol Microbiol, 1997 Aug, 25(3), 597 - 604
A motile but non-swarming mutant of Proteus mirabilis lacks FlgN, a facilitator of flagella filament assembly; Gygi D et al.; A TnphoA mutant of Proteus mirabilis was isolated, which had lost the ability to swarm, yet was still motile . The transposon had inserted into flgN, a flagella gene encoding a 147-amino-acid protein of undefined function . Proteus flgN is arranged in an operon with the class III anti-sigma28 gene, flgM, flanked by the class II genes, flgA, flgBCD and flhBA, and a novel putative virulence-related gene . The flgN mutation caused a substantial reduction in cell surface-associated flagellin, particularly during differentiation to the normally hyperflagellated swarm cell . This was not due to an effect on flagella gene expression or a typical defect in the flagella export apparatus as there was no class III gene downregulation by FlgM feedback, or intracellular flagellin accumulation . Loss of FlgN nevertheless caused a severe reduction in the incorporation of pulse-labelled flagellin into the membrane/flagellum fraction of differentiating cells . Substantial amounts of both non-oligomeric flagellin and flagellin degradation products appeared in the extracellular medium, although the few mature filaments made by the mutant were no more sensitive to proteolysis than those of the wild type . FlgN appeared soluble and active in the cytosol . The data suggest that the function of FlgN is to facilitate the initiation of flagella filament assembly, a role that may be especially critical in attaining the much higher concentration of surface flagellin required for swarming . Proteus FlgN has leucine zipper-like motifs arranged on potential amphipathic helices, a feature conserved in cytosolic chaperones for the exported substrates of flagella-related type III virulence systems . While gel filtration of FlgN from the soluble cell fraction did not establish an interaction with flagellin, it indicated that FlgN may associate with an unknown component and/or form an oligomer.

Cell Motil Cytoskeleton, 1997, 38(1), 38 - 53
Chemotaxis of Amoeba proteus in the developing pH gradient within a pocket-like chamber studied with the computer assisted method; Korohoda W et al.; A new "U" shaped, pocket-like chamber was used to observe the chemotactic responses of individual cells . This method permits monitoring of both the development of the concentration gradient of a tested substance and cell locomotion . We investigated the chemotactic responses of Amoeba proteus and observed that the amoebae moved in positively and negatively developing {H+} gradients towards the solution of lower pH in a pH range 5.75-7.75 . The chemotactic response of amoebae to {H+} gradients required the presence of extracellular calcium ions . It was blocked and random locomotion was restored by the replacement of calcium with magnesium in the cell medium . Time-lapse video recording and data processing were accomplished with computer-assisted methods . This made it possible to compare selected methods of data presentation and analysis for cells locomoting in isotropic and anisotropic conditions . The cell trajectories were determined and displayed in circular diagrams, lengths of cell tracks and final cell displacements were estimated and a few parameters characterizing cell locomotion were computed.

J Bacteriol, 1997 Sep, 179(17), 5585 - 8
Negative feedback from a Proteus class II flagellum export defect to the flhDC master operon controlling cell division and flagellum assembly; Furness RB et al.; The Proteus mirabilis flagellum class I flhDC operon was isolated, and its transcript was shown to originate from a sigma70 promoter 244 bp 5' of flhD and 29 bp 3' of a putative cyclic AMP receptor protein-binding site . Expression of this regulatory master operon increased strongly as cells differentiated into elongated hyperflagellated swarm filaments, and cell populations artificially overexpressing flhDC migrated sooner and faster . A class II flhA transposon mutant was reduced in flagellum class III gene expression, as would be expected from the FlgM anti-sigma28 accumulation demonstrated in Salmonella typhimurium, but was unexpectedly also reduced in cell elongation . Here, we show that levels of flhDC transcript were ca . 10-fold lower in this flagellum export mutant, indicating that in cells defective in flagellum assembly, there is additional negative feedback via flhDC . In support of this view, artificial overexpression of flhDC in the flhA mutant restored elongation but not class III flagellum gene transcription.

Rev Neurol, 1997 Sep, 25 Suppl 3, S250 - 8
{Neurocutaneous syndromes with vascular alterations}; de Felipe I et al.; There are several syndromes in which neurological and cutaneous alterations of vascular origin, among other symptoms, occur . The key point of this fact is that these cutaneous signs permit early diagnosis, thus helping in further recognition of more complex syndromes and preventing unnecessary, harmful and costly diagnostic procedures or having to wait until the appearance of neurological signs . Therefore, these diseases should be classified attending to the most notorious vascular lesions they show, though they may show other less frequent cutaneous vascular lesions . In this way, these syndromes can be classified as associated with nevus flammeus (Sturge-Weber, Shapiro-Shulman, Bonnet-Dechaume-Blanc, Cobb, Klippel-Trenaunay, Fegeler, Robert), cavernous hemangiomas (Maffucci, blue-rubber-bleb-nevus, Proteus, Bannayan-Zonana, Riley-Smith, familial cavernous angiomatosis, POEMS syndrome), capillary hemangiomas (Rubinstein-Tayabi, Coffin-Siris, PHACE syndrome), telangiectasia (congenital telangiectatic cutis marmorata, Rendu-Osler-Weber, ataxia telangiectasia, Cockayne, De Sanctis-Cacchione), livedo reticularis (Sneddon, Divry-van-Bogaert), angioqueratoma (Fabry disease, Fucosidosis) and hemangioblastoma (Von Hippel-Lindau) . Though we have tried that these vascular lesions should be named as angiomas if they are malformations and hemangiomas if they are benign neoplasias, they are called following morphological aspects rather than other criteria, due to their unknown origin.

Biochemistry, 1997 Aug 19, 36(33), 10311 - 9
Mechanisms of action of bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein BPI on reconstituted outer membranes of gram-negative bacteria; Wiese A et al.; The mechanisms of interaction of the recombinant N-terminal portion of bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein, rBPI21, with various planar asymmetric and symmetric bilayer membranes, including the lipid matrix of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, were investigated via electrical measurements . For the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) leaflet of the outer membrane, isolated deep rough mutant LPS of Escherichia coli strain F515 (F515 LPS) and Proteus mirabilis strain R45 (R45 LPS) were used . The addition of rBPI21 to the LPS side of asymmetric LPS/phospholipid membranes, as well as to black lipid membranes made from dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (DOPG), led to membrane rupture . The innermembrane potential difference resulted in a slight increase from 0 to 5 mV for symmetric DOPG membranes but changed for asymmetric F515 LPS/PL membranes from -36 to +8 mV and for R45 LPS/PL membranes from -37 to -5 mV following the addition of rBPI21 . In all cases, the addition of rBPI21 led to an increase in membrane current . The effect of rBPI21 on the innermembrane potential difference of LPS/PL membranes was significantly reduced in the presence of 40 mM MgCl2 (shift from -36 to -31 mV for F515 LPS) . On the basis of these results and from our studies on the interaction of rBPI21 with lipid monolayers and aggregates {Wiese, A., et al . (1997) Biochemistry 36, 10301-10310}, a model is discussed explaining how the observed membrane rupture, increase of membrane current, and change of transmembrane potential as induced by rBPI21 may contribute to bacterial dysfunction.

Am J Med Genet, 1997 Aug 8, 71(2), 167 - 71
Multiple, juxtasutural, cranial hyperostoses and cardiac tumor: a new hamartomatous syndrome?
Nishimura G, Nishimura J.
We report on a Japanese girl with multiple cranial hyperostoses and a cardiac tumor, both of which manifested in early childhood . Unique juxtasutural lesions characterized the cranial findings, including a chain of almost symmetrical osseous protuberances involving the frontozygomatic and frontoparietal junctions, and discrete bony bumps on the right occipitoparietal junction and left temporo-occipital junction . These lesions histologically consisted of thickened mature bone intervened with sparse fibrous tissues, mimicking osteoma . The cardiac mass remained pathologically unknown, but was shown to have fatty elements on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) . The patient showed no evidence of gnathic hyperostoses, ophthalmological abnormalities, skin lesions, or other visceral abnormalities, which ultimately precluded known hamartomatous syndromes with craniofacial hyperostoses, such as Gardner and Proteus syndromes . Yet regional Proteus syndrome could not be completely excluded . The craniofacial deformity as a sequel of hyperostoses in our patient superficially resembled that of X-linked calvarial hyperostosis; however, the vacuolated histiocytes that characterized the hyperostotic lesions were not found in our patient . The present disorder may represent a hitherto unknown hamartomatous syndrome.

Biochemistry, 1997 Aug 5, 36(31), 9356 - 64
EPR investigation of compound I in Proteus mirabilis and bovine liver catalases: formation of porphyrin and tyrosyl radical intermediates; Ivancich A et al.; Compound I of Proteus mirabilis and bovine liver catalases (PMC and BLC, respectively) were studied combining EPR spectroscopy and the rapid-mix freeze-quench techniques . Both enzymes, when treated with peroxyacetic acid, form a catalytic intermediate which consists of an oxoferryl porphyrin pi-cation radical . In PMC this intermediate is semistable, and an unexpected reversible equilibrium under pH influence takes place between two forms of compound I with different coupling between the oxoferryl and the porphyrin pi-cation radical . At acid pH, one form has a ferromagnetic character as in Micrococcus luteus compound I . At neutral pH, another form with a much smaller coupling, reminiscent of the horse radish peroxidase compound I, is detected . The approximate midpoint, estimated for these changes in the range 5.3 < pH < 6.0, approaches the pKa value of an histidyl residue . The residues possibly involved in the transformation are discussed in terms of the known structure of PMC compound I . The EPR spectrum of BLC compound I (pH 5.6), obtained in the millisecond time scale (40 ms), also showed a mixture of two forms which, most probably, correspond to two different magnetic exchange interactions, as in the case of PMC . Taken together, the low-temperature electronic absorption and the EPR spectra of BLC compound I formed in the 0.04-15 s range show that the porphyrin pi-cation radical disappears and, instead, a tyrosyl radical is formed . ENDOR experiments confirm our previously estimated hyperfine couplings to the C2,6 and C3,5 ring protons and the beta-methylene protons of the purported tyrosyl radical . Candidates for such a tyrosyl radical are discussed in connection with the possible electron transfer pathways between the heme active site and the NADPH cofactor.

Eur J Biochem, 1997 Aug 1, 247(3), 951 - 4
Structure of the O-specific polysaccharide of Proteus vulgaris O25 containing 3-O-{(R)-1-carboxyethyl}-D-glucose; Knirel YA et al.; The O-specific polysaccharide of Proteus vulgaris O25 was studied by acid hydrolysis and by 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopies, including one-dimensional NOE and two-dimensional COSY and heteronuclear 13C,1H correlation (HETCOR) spectroscopy . The polysaccharide was found to contain 3-O-{(R)-1-carboxyethyl}-D-glucose (D-RGlc), and the following structure of the pentasaccharide repeating unit was established: {structure in text}

J Appl Microbiol, 1997 Aug, 83(2), 175 - 80
Carbenicillin-hydrolysing penicillinase mediated by a plasmid of Proteus mirabilis and its relationship to the PSE-type enzymes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Ito Y et al.; The nucleotide sequence of a carbenicillin-hydrolysing (carbenicillinase) gene occurring in an endogenous plasmid, pCS229, of Proteus mirabilis was determined . The amino acid sequence of the mature enzyme, comprising 271 amino acids with a molecular mass of 29,506 Da, was deduced . The pCS229 carbenicillinase showed only 46.4% similarity, in the overall amino acid sequence, to the chromosomal carbenicillinase of Pr . mirabilis GN79; however, the enzyme showed about 98% similarity to a Pseudomonas-specific plasmid-encoded carbenicillinase, PSE-4, that was isolated from Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Only five of 271 amino acids differed from those of PSE-4 . This study proved the close relationship between the carbenicillinase genes distributed in Pr . mirabilis and Ps . aeruginosa.

J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth, 1997 Aug, 11(5), 565 - 70
Concentration of cefamandole in plasma and tissues of patients undergoing cardiac surgery: the influence of different cefamandole dosage; Menges T et al.; OBJECTIVE: To develop an improved regimen of antibiotic prophylaxis in cardiac surgery, three antibiotic prophylactic regimens for patients scheduled to have elective cardiothoracic surgery involving a median sternotomy were evaluated . DESIGN: A prospective, randomized, unblinded study . SETTING: A university teaching hospital . PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-nine men scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with extracorporeal circulation (ECC) were included in the study . INTERVENTIONS: The patients were selected at random to receive 2 g of cefamandole (CM) at induction of anesthesia (group 1, n = 24), or 2 g of CM at the beginning of anesthesia followed by an additional dose (2 g) immediately after onset of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) (group 2, n = 22), or 4 g of CM just at the initiation of anesthesia (group 3, n = 23) . Samples from the mammary artery, sternum, and plasma were obtained at various intervals after injection of the antibiotic (10 minutes intravenously) to compare antibiotic levels, assayed for CM concentrations, with high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and plasma bactericidal activity as well as infectious complications in these sites as a function of time for the three groups . MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There were no significant differences in biometric data, duration of hospitalization, or management of cardiopulmonary bypass, including urinary tract drainage and infusion volume . The mean plasma t1/2 (distributive or alpha-phase) before bypass was 51.7 +/- 16.7 minutes for group 1 and 2 patients and 54.9 +/- 15.9 minutes for group 3 patients . CM plasma values were significantly higher in group 2 (170.3 +/- 105.8 micrograms/mL) than in groups 1 and 3 (111.8 +/- 42.2 micrograms/mL, 101.2 +/- 57.2 micrograms/mL) at the end of bypass periods (p < 0.05) . The antibiotic contents of mammary artery and sternum samples of group 2 (15.6 +/- 4.7 micrograms/mL, 9.5 +/- 4.7 micrograms/mL) were significantly higher after completion of CPB compared with group 1 (5.7 +/- 1.9 micrograms/mL, 3.8 +/- 2.9 micrograms/mL) and group 3 (6.3 +/- 3.5 micrograms/mL, 3.6 +/- 1.8 micrograms/mL) (p < 0.05) . There were no significant differences in distribution of micro-organisms among the three groups, but two patients of groups 1 and 3 with plasma and tissue CM levels below minimal inhibitor concentration (MIC90) for Hemophilus influencea, E coli, Proteus ssp and Klebsiella ssp after completion of CPB, respectively, developed a pneumonia postoperatively caused by Hemophilus influencea (1), E coli (1) and Klebsiella ssp (2) (p < 0.05) . CONCLUSIONS: It would be preferable to infuse the antibiotic shortly before the operative procedure . However, to keep tissue and plasma CM values more than MIC90 for common pathogens during the time period studied, a second infusion of 2 g of CM administered after onset of CPB suggests better protection against the risk of microbial infections . Therefore, the findings might be important for the choice of antibiotic prophylaxis, particularly for high-risk patients.

Acad Emerg Med, 1997 Aug, 4(8), 797 - 800
Utility of urine and blood cultures in pyelonephritis; Thanassi M; OBJECTIVE: To determine how often the results of urine and blood cultures led to changes in antibiotic therapy for patients discharged from the hospital with the diagnosis of pyelonephritis . METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed of consecutively admitted patients, 10-90 years old, with an ICD-9 discharge diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis . All patients were admitted to a university-based, tertiary care center and a large HMO medical center from 1993 to 1994 . The association of urine and blood culture results with a change in antibiotic therapy was assessed . RESULTS: Of the 194 patients who met inclusion criteria, 189 (97%) had urine cultures obtained at the time of admission and 139 (71%) had blood cultures obtained . Ampicillin, gentamicin, or both were given as initial antibiotics 81% of the time, and isolated organisms from urine or blood were sensitive to the empiric antibiotics 95% of the time . Most (171/189; 90%) urine cultures were positive, but only 9 (5%) of these led to a change in antibiotic therapy . 80% of the urinary pathogens were Escherichia coli, 5% Enterococcus, 5% Proteus, and 4% Klebsiella . Only 40 (29%) of the 139 blood cultures were positive; none prompted a change in antibiotics . There were no cases in which blood and urine cultures grew different pathogens . CONCLUSIONS: Urine cultures are useful in directing antibiotic therapy in patients with the discharge diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis and support a change in therapy in 5% of cases . Among the patients in this study, blood cultures results did not lead to changes in antibiotic therapy . These findings warrant prospective, multicenter evaluation.

J Bacteriol, 1997 Aug, 179(15), 4741 - 6
A nonswarming mutant of Proteus mirabilis lacks the Lrp global transcriptional regulator; Hay NA et al.; Proteus swarming is the rapid cyclical population migration across surfaces by elongated cells that hyperexpress flagellar and virulence genes . The mini-Tn5 transposon mutant mns2 was isolated as a tight nonswarming mutant that did not elongate or upregulate flagellar and hemolysin genes . Individual cell motility was retained but was reduced . The transposon had inserted in the gene encoding the global transcriptional regulator Lrp (leucine-responsive regulatory protein), expression of which was upregulated in differentiating swarm cells . Swarming was restored to the lrp mutant by artificial overexpression of the flhDC flagellar regulatory master operon . Lrp may be a key component in generating or relaying signals that are required for flagellation and swarming, possibly acting through the flhDC operon.

FEBS Lett, 1997 Jul 14, 411(2-3), 221 - 4
Structures of the O-antigens of Proteus bacilli belonging to OX group (serogroups O1-O3) used in Weil-Felix test; Ziolkowski A et al.; Structures of the O-specific polysaccharide chains of lipopolysaccharides from Proteus group OX strains (serogroups O1-O3) used as antigens in Weil-Felix test for diagnosis of rickettsiosis, were established . From them, the acid-labile polysaccharide of Proteus vulgaris OX19 (O1) is built up of the following branched pentasaccharide repeating units connected via a phosphate group: {structure in text} where QuiNAc stands for 2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxyglucose (N-acetylquinovosamine) . The basis of serospecificity of the Proteus group OX antigens and their cross-reactivity with human anti-rickettsial antibodies is discussed.

J Infect, 1997 Jul, 35(1), 55 - 62
Recurrent bacterial meningitis: a 6-year experience in adult patients; Hosoglu S et al.; Ten adult patients with recurrent bacterial meningitis (RBM) of 22 episodes were diagnosed and treated at the Dicle University Hospital from January 1990 to December 1995 . Apart from 22 episodes of RBM these patients had an additional 25 episodes treated at other hospitals . The RBM attacks developed after closed head trauma in four patients, asplenia and chronic otitis media in one patient, chronic otitis media and oto-mastoiditis in one patient, chronic maxillary sinusitis in one patient, chronic mastoiditis in one patients, and suppurative foci of facial bones caused by shrapnel pieces and no predisposing condition in one patient . In 10 RBM episodes, Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and/or blood culture, and in one episode Proteus vulgaris was isolated from CSF and otitis media suppuration . In the four episodes both cultures were negative, but direct microscopy showed Gram-positive diplococci on Gram-staining . Three of the patients died from meningitis-related complications.

Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 1997 Jul, 117(1), 83 - 90
Multicenter study of the efficacy and safety of oral ciprofloxacin in the treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media in adults . The French Study Group; Gehanno P; Chronic suppurative otitis media is a common and potentially dangerous clinical condition that is difficult to treat because the most common infecting organisms are often resistant to many antibiotics . Recently, fluoroquinolones such as ciprofloxacin have provided a new therapeutic possibility, offering a wide range of antibacterial activity and proven concentration in the middle ear . Therefore in the current study, we assessed the efficacy and safety of oral ciprofloxacin (500 mg twice daily for 10 days) in the treatment of suppurative chronic otitis media in adults . One hundred sixty-four patients were enrolled during a 3-month period by 49 ear, nose, and throat physicians in general practice . The mean duration of symptoms was 158 months, with the acute exacerbation lasting 72.5 days . Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus mirabilis were most commonly isolated . At the end of treatment, the otorrhea had disappeared in 104 of the 155 (67.1%) evaluated patients . The bacteriologic eradication rate was 64.5% . After 4 weeks of follow-up care, 93.2% of patients had no recurrence of infection . In 4 patients, treatment was discontinued prematurely after an adverse event . We conclude that ciprofloxacin is an effective and well-tolerated general practice treatment for suppurative chronic otitis media in adults.

Carbohydr Res, 1997 Jun 20, 301(3-4), 213 - 20
The structure of the capsular polysaccharide from a swarming strain of pathogenic Proteus vulgaris; Rahman MM et al.; The structure was determined for the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) isolated from a swarming strain of Proteus vulgaris, CP2-96, which was obtained from the spleen of an infected mouse . The CPS was extracted from the cell pellet by hot water, precipitated with ethanol, and further purified by gel-permeation chromatography . The structure was established by glycosyl composition and linkage analyses, and by NMR spectroscopy . The sequence of the glycosyl residues was determined by a NOESY experiment . The CPS is composed of a tetrasaccharide repeating unit with the following structure: OAc {symbol: see text} 4 -->4)-beta-D-Glcp-(1-->3)-beta-D-GalpNAc-(1-->2)-alpha-D-Glcp-(1-->4)-al pha- D-GlcpA-(1-->.

J Paediatr Child Health, 1997 Jun, 33(3), 264 - 6
Proteus syndrome; Ng SC et al.; This female Asian (Malay) baby had clinical features of Proteus syndrome . She had a large right facial lipolymphangioma with hyperpigmentation of the overlying skin . There was a smaller lymphangioma over the left side of her neck with excess nuchal folds, macrodactyly and bilateral talipes equinovarus . Despite the extensive hemifacial swelling, there was no evidence of upper respiratory tract obstruction . Generalized seizures developed on the sixth day of life which were controlled with phenobarbital . The lymphangiomas were excised without recurrence.

Med Hypotheses, 1997 Jun, 48(6), 511 - 5
Bartonellosis and human immunodeficiency disease (AIDS): L-forms as persisters, activating factors, and mechanism of disease; Sood FH et al.; Bartonella, genus Proteus, can cause immunodepressive disease . The organisms, in parasitized red blood cells, may invade the brain and every other system and space in the human body . Bartonella henselae is proposed to have a role in the pathogenesis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) encephalopathy . Bartonella bacilliformis produces two known toxins that can induce spasm and angiomatosis, respectively, and manifest as diseases associated with symptomatic AIDS . The skin lesions of bartonellosis may be mistaken clinically and histologically for Kaposi's sarcoma . Bacteria of the genus Proteus produce L-forms: their elementary bodies may be mistaken for what are called the 'human immunodeficiency viruses' (HIV) . Antibiotics, especially penicillin, induce bacteria to produce L-forms . Air pollution and high sugar, salt and fat diets are factors that may increase the lipid content of microbes that produce toxins and L-forms that may persist or revert to bacterial form.

Int J Dev Biol, 1997 Jun, 41(3), 533 - 5
Thyroid hormone receptors in perennibranchiate amphibians; Safi R et al.; Thyroid hormone has long been known to induce metamorphosis in amphibians . The understanding of the molecular steps controlling the completion of metamorphosis has nevertheless been hampered by the complexity of this event . The comparison of organisms in which metamorphosis does or does not occur, may provide clues into the molecular cascade that control it . Up to now the available data suggest that perennibranchiate amphibians retain their larval characters mainly because their tissues do not respond to thyroid hormones . In such a context the recent identification of a thyroid hormone receptor alpha in the perennibranchiate Proteus anguinus is provocative (Ho Huynh et al., Int . J . Dev . Biol . 40:537-543, 1996) . In the present paper, we provide evidences that this recently described sequence is in fact a sequence from Xenopus laevis . Indeed, we identified the authentic thyroid hormone receptors of both alpha and beta types in two perennibranchiate species Necturus maculosus and Proteus anguinus . The various controls required to ascertain the authenticity of a developmental gene cloned by PCR or RT-PCR analysis are presented . The results reported in the present paper are relevant with phylogenetical analysis . This induces our team to conclude that the Proteus TR alpha sequence reported by Ho Huynh et al . (1996) reflects a contamination of the RT-PCR by Xenopus laevis material.

J Mol Evol, 1997 Jun, 44(6), 595 - 604
Thyroid hormone receptor genes of neotenic amphibians; Safi R et al.; Since thyroid hormones play a pivotal role in amphibian metamorphosis we used PCR to amplify DNA fragments corresponding to a portion of the ligand-binding domain of the thyroid hormone receptor (TR) genes in several neotenic amphibians: the obligatory neotenic members of the family Proteidea the mudpuppy Necturus maculosus and Proteus anguinus as well as two members of the facultative neotenic Ambystoma genus: the axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum and the tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum . In addition, we looked for TR genes in the genome of an apode Typhlonectes compressicaudus . TR genes were found in all these species including the obligatory neotenic ones . The PCR fragments obtained encompass both the C and E domains and correspond to alpha and beta genes . Their sequences appear to be normal, suggesting that there is no acceleration of evolutionary rates in the TR genes of neotenic amphibians . This result is not surprising for Ambystomatidae, which are known to respond to T3 (3,3',5-triiodothyronine) but is not in agreement with biochemical and biological data showing that Proteidea cannot respond to thyroid hormones . Interestingly, by RT-PCR analysis we observed a high expression levels of TRalpha in gills, intestine, and muscles of Necturus as well as in the liver of Ambystoma mexicanum, whereas TRbeta expression was only detected in Ambystoma mexicanum but not in Necturus . Such a differential expression pattern of TRalpha and TRbeta may explain the neoteny in Proteidea . The cloning of thyroid-hormone-receptor gene fragments from these species will allow the molecular study of their failure to undergo metamorphosis.

Tierarztl Prax, 1997 May, 25(3), 257 - 60
{Results of bacteriologic and mycologic investigations of otitis media in dogs}; Breitwieser F; This study describes the bacteriological and mycological investigation of 212 ear swab samples of dogs with an otitis externa . 11 samples were sterile . Malassezia pachydermatis could be cultivated in 72.1% of all samples, in 21.9% of these cases in pure culture . In 27.9% of all samples only bacteria were found . Coagulase-positive haemolytic Staphylococcus and Malassezia pachydermatis were isolated together in 31.8% of all ear swab samples . Pseudomonas aeruginosa could be detected in 22.9%, haemolytic Streptococcus in 8.0% . The evaluation of antibiograms showed little resistance of staphylococcus to most common antibiotics or chemotherapeutics respectively, but the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and especially Proteus spec . was only inhibited by a few substances.

Biochemistry (Mosc), 1997 May, 62(5), 509 - 13
Structure of the O-specific polysaccharide of the bacterium Proteus mirabilis O13 containing a novel component: an amide of D-galacturonic acid with N(epsilon)-(1-carboxyethyl)lysine; Shashkov AS et al.; An acidic O-specific polysaccharide was obtained by mild degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of the bacterium Proteus mirabilis O13 and found to contain D-galactose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, and N(epsilon)-(1-carboxyethyl)-N(alpha)-(D-galacturonoyl)lysine . On the basis of full acid hydrolysis and 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, including two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (COSY), H-detected heteronuclear 1H, 13C multi-quantum coherence (HMQC), and rotating-frame nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (ROESY), the following structure of the branched trisaccharide repeating unit of the polysaccharide was established {structure: see text}

Biochemistry (Mosc), 1997 May, 62(5), 461 - 8
Structure of the acid-labile galactosyl phosphate-containing O-antigen of the bacterium Proteus vulgaris OX19 (serogroup O1) used in the Weil-Felix test; Senchenkova SN et al.; The structure of the O-specific polysaccharide chain of Proteus vulgaris OX19 lipopolysaccharide which determines the O1 specificity of Proteus and is used in the Weil-Felix test for diagnostics of rickettsiosis was established . On the basis of 1H- and 13 C-NMR spectroscopy, including two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (COSY), H-detected 1H, 13C heteronuclear multiple-quantum coherence (HMQC), and rotating-frame nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (ROESY), it was found that the polysaccharide consists of branched pentasaccharide repeating units containing D-galactose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose, and 2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-D-glucose (QuiNAc, two residues), which are connected to each other via a phosphate group (P): {formula: see text} . The polysaccharide is acid-labile, the glycosyl phosphate linkage being cleaved at pH 4.5 (70 degrees C) to give a phosphorylated pentasaccharide with a galactose residue at the reducing end . Structural analysis of the oligosaccharide and a product of its dephosphorylation with 48% hydrofluoric acid using 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry confirmed the structure of the polysaccharide.

West Afr J Med, 1997 May-Jun, 16(2), 85 - 7
The cost effective medical treatment of suppurative otitis media in a Nigerian environment; Amadasun JE; The microbes isolated from the cultures taken from the discharging ears of 63 patients with Otitis media treated in a hospital in Warri in 1991 were analysed . Pseudomonas, streptococcus, Staphylococcus and Proteus were the major organisms isolated in order of their prevalence . All show highest sensitivity to Gentamycin . The author found 24 aural preparations in the MIMS of 1992 and checked the availability and cost of these in the Nigeria environment and came out with the possible cost effective suggestions for the treatment of acute otitis media in this environment based on these micro-organisms.

Lett Appl Microbiol, 1997 May, 24(5), 355 - 60
The construction and application of a lux-based nitrate biosensor; Prest AG et al.; A plasmid-borne transcriptional fusion between the Escherichia coli nitrate reductase (narG) promoter and the Photorhabdus luminescens lux operon provides E . coli with a highly bioluminescent phenotype in the presence of nitrate . This E . coli biosensor can detect nitrate to a level of 5 x 10(-5) mol l-1 (0.3 ppm), levels relevant to those levels encountered in brewing water . Since induction of the narG promoter requires NarL, the plasmid-based sensor can also be used to interrogate enteric bacteria for the presence of functional homologues of this E . coli regulatory protein . Obesumbacterium proteus, an important bacterial brewery contaminant, failed to provide nitrate-dependent bioluminescence demonstrating divergence in this organism from E . coli in the mechanism of nitrate reductase regulation.

J Med Microbiol, 1997 May, 46(5), 407 - 12
The ability of a Proteus mirabilis strain to invade the bloodstream is independent of its proticine production/proticine sensitivity type; Senior BW; Proteus mirabilis strains frequently infect the upper urinary tract and some progress to invade the bloodstream . In an attempt to determine if these were features only of particular strains of P . mirabilis, isolates from the blood of 38 unrelated patients, many of whom had an underlying urinary tract infection, and eight from different sources and sites within the upper urinary tract, were analysed by proticine production/proticine sensitivity (p/s) typing . Twenty-six different p/s types were found among the 38 isolates from blood and seven among the eight isolates from the upper urinary tract . The p/s types found previously to be associated frequently with virulence for the upper urinary tract were not found . Analyses of the frequency of occurrence of the different p/s types and of their distribution showed no evidence that the p/s characteristics of a P . mirabilis strain conferred any advantage on its ability to infect the upper urinary tract or invade the bloodstream.

J Biol Chem, 1997 Apr 4, 272(14), 9123 - 30
Two distinct chondroitin sulfate ABC lyases . An endoeliminase yielding tetrasaccharides and an exoeliminase preferentially acting on oligosaccharides; Hamai A et al.; Crude enzyme obtained from chondroitin sulfate-induced Proteus vulgaris NCTC 4636 has been fractionated into 1) an endoeliminase capable of depolymerizing chondroitin sulfate and related polysaccharides to produce, as end products, a mixture of Delta4-unsaturated tetra- and disaccharides and 2) an exoeliminase preferentially acting on chondroitin sulfate tetra- and hexasaccharides to yield the respective disaccharides . Isolation of the two enzymes was achieved by a simple two-step procedure: extracting the enzymes from intact P . vulgaris cells with a buffer solution of nonionic surfactant and then treating the extract by cation-exchange chromatography . Each of the enzymes thus prepared was apparently homogeneous as assessed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and readily crystallized from polyethylene glycol solutions . Both enzymes acted on various substrates such as chondroitin sulfate, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, and dermatan sulfate at high, but significantly different, initial rates . They also attacked hyaluronan but at far lower rates and were inactive to keratan sulfate, heparan sulfate, and heparin . Our results show that the known ability of the conventional enzyme called "chondroitinase ABC" to catalyze the complete depolymerization of chondroitin sulfates to unsaturated disaccharides may actually result from the combination reactions by endoeliminase (chondroitin sulfate ABC endolyase) and exoeliminase (chondroitin sulfate ABC exolyase).

J Chemother, 1997 Apr, 9(2), 89 - 94
Tazobactam-piperacillin compared with sulbactam-ampicillin, clavulanic acid-ticarcillin, sulbactam-cefoperazone, and piperacillin for activity against beta-lactamase-producing bacteria isolated from patients with complicated urinary tract infections; Nomura S et al.; The antibacterial activity of tazobactam-piperacillin was compared with that of sulbactam-ampicillin, clavulanic acid-ticarcillin, sulbactam-cefoperazone and piperacillin against beta-lactamase-producing bacteria isolated from patients with complicated urinary tract infections . Tazobactam-piperacillin showed a broad antibacterial spectrum against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria . The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC90) of tazobactam-piperacillin were 6.25 micrograms/ml against Escherichia coli, 1.56 micrograms/ml against Proteus mirabilis, 3.13 micrograms/ml against Proteus vulgaris, 6.25 micrograms/ml against methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, and 6.25 micrograms/ml coagulase-negative methicillin-susceptible staphylococci . Against all beta-lactamase-producing bacteria tested the antibacterial activity of tazobactam-piperacillin was at least 4- to 64-fold stronger than that of piperacillin, clavulanic acid-ticarcillin, and sulbactam-ampicillin, and similar to or greater than that of sulbactam-cefoperazone except for E . coli.

Infect Immun, 1997 Apr, 65(4), 1327 - 34
Proteus mirabilis mannose-resistant, Proteus-like fimbriae: MrpG is located at the fimbrial tip and is required for fimbrial assembly; Li X et al.; The mannose-resistant, Proteus-like (MR/P) fimbria, responsible for mannose-resistant hemagglutination, is a virulence factor for uropathogenic Proteus mirabilis . Based on known fimbrial gene organization, we postulated that MrpG, a putative minor subunit of the MR/P fimbria, functions as an adhesin responsible for hemagglutination, while MrpA serves as the major structural subunit for the filamentous structure . To test this hypothesis, an mrpG mutant was constructed by allelic-exchange mutagenesis and verified by PCR and Southern blotting . The mrpG mutant was found to be negative for hemagglutination, while wild-type strain H14320 and the complemented mutant were positive . Western blots with antiserum raised against an overexpressed MrpG'-His6 fusion protein showed that MrpG was present in the fimbrial preparations of both the wild-type strain and the complemented mutant but absent in that of the mrpG mutant . The mrpG mutant was significantly less virulent in a CBA mouse model of ascending urinary tract infection . Western blots with antiserum to whole MR/P fimbriae showed that MrpA protein was also missing from the fimbrial preparation of the mrpG mutant . Using immunogold electron microscopy, we found that the normal MR/P-fimbrial structure was absent in the mrpG mutant, suggesting that MrpG is essential for initiation of normal fimbrial formation . In the wild-type strain, MrpG protein was localized to the tips of the fimbriae or at the surface of the cell when antiserum raised against overexpressed MrpG was used . Given the tip localization, MrpG may be required for initiation of assembly of MR/P fimbriae but does not appear to be the fimbrial adhesin.

Am J Orthop, 1997 Apr, 26(4), 275 - 8
Spinal canal compromise in Proteus syndrome: case report and review of the literature; Ring D et al.; A 24-year-old Vietnamese man with Proteus syndrome presented to the emergency department with progressive paraplegia and underwent urgent operative decompression of an angiolipomatous mass compressing the spinal cord . The associated spinal deformity and difficulty in imaging the mass, together with the paucity of discussion regarding the spinal cord sequelae of this rare syndrome in the literature, made this an extremely challenging case . Spinal cord compromise in patients with Proteus syndrome can result from either infiltration of the spinal canal by an angiolipomatous mass or canal narrowing as a result of vertebral hypertrophy . Regardless of the cause, the prognosis for neural recovery remains poor.

J Bacteriol, 1997 Apr, 179(7), 2433 - 4
The rtn gene of Proteus vulgaris is actually from Escherichia coli; Hall BG; The rtn gene, identified as coming from Proteus vulgaris ATCC 13315, is present in Escherichia coli K-12, and over a 440-bp region of rtn is identical to the published Proteus sequence, with the exception of a single G insertion . It was not possible to verify the presence of rtn in P . vulgaris.

Carbohydr Res, 1997 Mar 5, 298(3), 229 - 35
Structure of the O-specific polysaccharide of Proteus penneri strain 25 containing N-(L-alanyl) and multiple O-acetyl groups in a tetrasaccharide repeating unit; Arbatsky NP et al.; Based on sugar and methylation analyses, O-deacetylation, Smith degradation, and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, including 2D COSY, 1H-detected 1H, 13C heteronuclear single-quantum coherence (HSQC), and 1H-detected 1H, 13C heteronuclear multiple-bond connectivity (HMBC) experiments, the following structure of the O-specific polysaccharide of Proteus penneri strain 25 was established: {formula: see text} where D-GlcN(L-Ala) is 2-(L-alanylamido)-2-deoxy-D-glucose.

Harefuah, 1997 Mar 2, 132(5), 323 - 5, 382
{Maggot therapy for gangrene and osteomyelitis}; Mumcuoglu KY et al.; 5 patients with diabetic-foot were treated by maggot therapy . The most serious case was in a 75-year-old man who had gangrene and osteomyelitis of the right foot . Proteus mirabilis, Enterococcus sp., Providencia stuartii and Staphylococcus spec . (coagulase positive) were isolated from lesions which did not respond to antibiotic therapy . The patient had twice refused amputation but agreed to maggot therapy . Larvae of the sheep blowfly Phoenicia (Lucilia) sericata were used for twice-weekly treatment over a period of 7 months . Sterile larvae were applied to the wound and replaced every 3-4 days . After 4 months of treatment, the necrotic tissue around the toes and on the sole of the foot detached from the healthy tissue . During the last 3 months of treatment the larvae removed the remaining infected tissue . As therapy progressed, new layers of healthy tissue covered the wound . The offensive odor associated with the necrotic tissue and the intense pain in the foot decreased significantly . At the end of therapy, during which there were no complaints of discomfort, he was able to walk . In the 4 other patients who had relatively superficial gangrene, the maggots debrided the wounds within 2-4 weeks . Thereafter treatment was continued with antibiotics . Maggot therapy can be recommended in cases of intractable gangrene and osteomyelitis, when treatment with antibiotics and surgical debridement have failed.

Braz J Med Biol Res, 1997 Mar, 30(3), 363 - 7
Mini-Mu insertions in the tetracycline resistance determinant from Proteus mirabilis; Magalhaes VD et al.; The inducible tetracycline resistance determinant isolated from Proteus mirabilis cloned into the plasmid pACYC177 was mutagenized by insertion of a mini-Mu-lac phage in order to define the regions in the cloned sequences encoding the structural and regulatory proteins . Three different types of mutants were obtained: one lost the resistance phenotype and became Lac+; another expressed the resistance at lower levels and constitutively; the third was still dependent on induction but showed a lower minimal inhibitory concentration . The mutant phenotypes and the locations of the insertions indicate that the determinant is composed of a repressor gene and a structural gene which are not transcribed divergently as are other known tetracycline determinants isolated from Gram-negative bacteria.

Z Orthop Ihre Grenzgeb, 1997 Mar-Apr, 135(2), 174 - 8
{Proteus syndrome: a case report}; Reize P et al.; The Proteus-syndrome is a recently described congenital hamartomatosis consisting of numerous clinical features of great variety . Mainly affected are the musculo-skeletal system, primarily by hemihypertrophy, macrodactyly and exostoses, and the skin and the subcutaneous tissue, primarily by pigmented naevi and subcutaneous tumors . The differential diagnosis includes other malformation syndromes, e . g . Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome and other hamartomatosis . Surgical intervention and treatment is difficult because of a frequency of complications and recurrences . This article describes clinical manifestations of Proteus syndrome, differential diagnosis and therapeutic strategies.

J Accid Emerg Med, 1997 Mar, 14(2), 111 - 3
Non-operative management of a splenic laceration in a patient with the Proteus syndrome; Ceelen W et al.; An adult patient with the Proteus syndrome sustained a grade III splenic laceration after falling off a horse . Clinical features of this rare disorder include subcutaneous and visceral hamartomatous tumours . The patient also suffered from chronic intravascular coagulation associated with extensive haemangiomatosis (Kasabach-Merritt syndrome) . Considering the visceral anomalies and abnormal coagulation, a non-operative approach was preferred despite considerable transfusion requirement, and the patient successfully underwent embolisation of the splenic artery . This is the first reported case of splenic injury in a patient with Proteus syndrome.

Am J Rhinol, 1997 Mar-Apr, 11(2), 133 - 7
Bacteriology of ethmoid sinus in chronic sinusitis; Jiang RS et al.; This study was designed to study the bacteriology of the ethmoid sinus in chronic sinusitis with a new sampling method to decrease nasal contamination . The anterior nose was disinfected with povidone-iodine solution . Then, the sample of ethmoid sinus was obtained with a cotton-tip stick through a cannula that was put into the ethmoid cavity after removing ethmoid bulla . Thirty-nine patients of chronic sinusitis were included with a total of 69 specimens . Fifty-eight bacterial isolates were recovered . The cultural rate was 60.9% . The most frequently isolated bacteria were Streptococcus viridans, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, and Hemophilus parainfluenzae . Conversely, only three isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis were obtained . The results show that the new sampling method used in this study could decrease the chance of nasal contamination and might, at the same time, make the study of the bacteriology of the ethmoid sinus more accurate.

Hinyokika Kiyo, 1997 Mar, 43(3), 227 - 8
{A case of bladder calculus due to a ruptured balloon fragment of a Foley catheter}; Ohashi H; I report a case of bladder calculus developing on a ruptured balloon fragment of the Foley catheter as the nidus . A 65-year-old man suffering from cerebral infarction had been managed with an indwelling urethral Foley catheter for one month . Since the balloon could no longer be deflated, the Foley catheter was removed after rupturing the balloon by overinflation . Four months later, a 3-cm bladder calculus was detected on the plain abdominal roentgenogram . Transurethral cystolitholapaxy revealed a ruptured balloon fragment buried in the core of the calculus . Urine culture was positive for Proteus mirabilis and the stone composition was struvite.

Hinyokika Kiyo, 1997 Mar, 43(3), 207 - 11
{Experimental bladder stone production by human uropathogenic bacteria}; Arai Y et al.; To investigate the formation of infection stones by 5 bacterial species isolated from patients with urinary calculi, such as Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli, a zinc disc was implanted and 10(6) bacteria were surgically inoculated at the same time into the bladder of male Wistar rats (10 rats per group) . Urinary pH was measured on days 1, 3, 5 and 7 . The rats were killed on day 7 and the bladder examined for the formation of infection stones . Infection stones were formed in all rats inoculated with P . mirabilis (mean stone weight 29.7 mg), and in 60% of those inoculated with S . saprophyticus (9.7 mg) . Small bladder stones were formed in 30% of the rats inoculated with K . pneumoniae and 25% of those inoculated with P . aeruginosa . No bladder stones were formed in the rats inoculated with E . coli . Urinary pH was increased by P . mirabilis and S . saprophyticus but was unaffected by the other species . In conclusion, P . mirabilis and S . saprophyticus play a significant role in the formation of infection stones.

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev, 1997 Mar, 61(1), 65 - 89
Potential virulence factors of Proteus bacilli; Rozalski A et al.; The object of this review is the genus Proteus, which contains bacteria considered now to belong to the opportunistic pathogens . Widely distributed in nature (in soil, water, and sewage), Proteus species play a significant ecological role . When present in the niches of higher macroorganisms, these species are able to evoke pathological events in different regions of the human body . The invaders (Proteus mirabilis, P . vulgaris, and P . penneri) have numerous factors including fimbriae, flagella, outer membrane proteins, lipopolysaccharide, capsule antigen, urease, immunoglobulin A proteases, hemolysins, amino acid deaminases, and, finally, the most characteristic attribute of Proteus, swarming growth, enabling them to colonize and survive in higher organisms . All these features and factors are described and commented on in detail . The questions important for future investigation of these facultatively pathogenic microorganisms are also discussed.

Mol Microbiol, 1997 Mar, 23(5), 1009 - 19
In vivo phase variation of MR/P fimbrial gene expression in Proteus mirabilis infecting the urinary tract; Zhao H et al.; Proteus mirabilis, associated with complicated urinary tract infection, expresses mannose-resistant/Proteus-like (MR/P) fimbriae . Expression of these surface structures, which mediate haemagglutination and have a demonstrated role in virulence, undergoes phase variation . By DNA sequence analysis, a 252 bp invertible element was found in the intergenic region between mrpl, the putative site-specific recombinase gene, and mrpA, the primary structural subunit gene . The invertible segment is flanked by identical 21 bp inverted repeats and the presumptive half-sites for recombinase binding show homology to those recognized by FimB and FimE encoded by the Escherichia coli fim (Type 1 fimbriae) gene cluster . When amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from static broth cultures expressing MR/P fimbriae, the switch region was found in both ON and OFF positions . When PCR was used to amplify agar cultures which do not express the fimbriae, the switch region was OFF only . A canonical sigma 70 promoter inside the invertible element drives the transcription of mrpA when in the ON position; in the OFF position it is directed away from mrpA but does not appear to drive expression of mrpI . The mrpI gene was able to confer inversion of the mrp switch region in trans from both ON to OFF and OFF to ON . To examine the position of the switch in vivo, urine, bladder, and kidneys from mice transurethrally infected with P . mirabilis were used to prepare template DNA for PCR amplification . In the absence of urolithiasis (urease-mediated stone formation), the switch was found 100% in the ON position, a condition never observed following in vitro culture . We conclude that MR/P phase variation is regulated at the transcriptional level by the action of MrpI on an invertible element and that there is strong selective pressure for the expression of MR/P fimbriae in vivo.

J Bacteriol, 1997 Mar, 179(5), 1780 - 6
Roles of the tnaC-tnaA spacer region and Rho factor in regulating expression of the tryptophanase operon of Proteus vulgaris; Kamath AV et al.; To localize the DNA regions responsible for basal-level and induced expression of the tryptophanase (tna) operon of Proteus vulgaris, short deletions were introduced in the 115-bp spacer region separating tnaC, the leader peptide coding region, from tnaA . Deletions were incorporated into a tnaA'-'lacZ reporter construct containing the intact tna promoter-leader region . Expression was examined in Escherichia coli . Deletions that removed 28 to 30 bp from the region immediately following tnaC increased basal-level expression about threefold and allowed threefold induction by 1-methyltryptophan . A deletion removing 34 bp from the distal segment of the leader permitted basal and induced expression comparable to that of the parental construct . The mutant with the largest spacer deletion, 89 bp, exhibited a 30-fold increase in basal-level expression, and most importantly, inducer presence reduced operon expression by ca . 60% . Replacing the tnaC start codon or replacing or removing Trp codon 20 of tnaC of this deletion derivative eliminated inducer inhibition of expression . These findings suggest that the spacer region separating tnaC and tnaA is essential for Rho action . They also suggest that juxtaposition of the tnaC stop codon and the tnaA ribosome binding site in the 89-bp deletion derivative allows the ribosome that has completed translation of tnaC to inhibit translation initiation at the tnaA start codon when cells are exposed to inducer . These findings are consistent with results in the companion article that suggest that inducer allows the TnaC peptide to inhibit ribosome release at the tnaC stop codon.

Recenti Prog Med, 1997 Feb, 88(2), 65 - 8
{Urinary tract infections: risk factors and therapeutic trends}; Margariti PA et al.; Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very common in medical practice . Women have a high prevalence of UTIs, approximately 50 times higher than men . A large proportion of this prevalence is probably caused by anatomic and physical factors Chemical analysis of urine composition, examination of the urinary sediment and the bacterial colony counts are of great value for diagnosis and therapy . The patients may be benefit from antibiotic doses . In addition to trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMZ), amoxicillin and cephalosporins, the authors observed a new drug: fluoroquinolones . These drugs derived by nalidixic acid and included: ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, lomefloxacin, norfloxacin, pefloxacin and rufloxacin . They are sinergistic against most Gram positives and negatives including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus mirabilis . Fluoroquinolone is an antibacterial agent that is effective in treating urinary tract infections . It is usually administered orally and is well absorbed after oral ingestion . Quinolones are preferable to TMP/SMZ because of their greater antibacterial activity that occurred in about 82% of women . A dose of quinolones (400 mg daily for 3 days) has been particularly effective in the treatment of UTIs . The amoxicillin-clavulanic acid can be used for treatment even if increased antibiotic resistance . The efficacy, relative safety and low cost of quinolones predispose to utilize its like the first treatment choice.

Analyst, 1997 Feb, 122(2), 179 - 84
Detection and analysis of the growth characteristics of Proteus vulgaris with a bulk acoustic wave ammonia sensor; Tan H et al.; A bulk acoustic wave ammonia sensor to monitor the growth of Proteus vulgaris is described . The corresponding bacterial growth response equation was derived based on the basic growth characteristics of P . vulgaris, and was verified experimentally . The application of the equation to the estimation of kinetic parameters (such as the asymtote, the maximum specific growth rate and the lag time) was accomplished successfully . The generation time is 33.3 min at 37 degrees C . The influence of temperature on bacterial growth was also investigated and the activation energy of P . vulgaris growth was estimated . Furthermore, the initial bacterial concentrations were determined based on the linear relationship between the inflection time, ti, and the logarithm of the initial bacterial concentration in the range 10(2)-10(7) (cells ml-1) . The results were in good agreement with those from the pour plate count method and the precision was better than that of the frequency detection time method.

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 1997 Feb, 6(2), 113 - 20
Analysis of human urine for pyridine-N-oxide metabolites of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone, a tobacco-specific lung carcinogen; Carmella SG et al.; 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is a potent pulmonary carcinogen in rodents and is believed to be a causative factor for lung cancer in smokers . NNK also may be involved in oral cancer etiology in users of smokeless tobacco products . Pyridine-N-oxidation of NNK and its major metabolite, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL), produces NNK-N-oxide and NNAL-N-oxide, respectively, which are detoxification products of NNK metabolism and are excreted in the urine of rodents and primates . Our goal is to develop a panel of urinary biomarkers to assess the metabolic activation and detoxification of NNK in humans . In this study, we developed methodology to analyze human urine for NNK-N-oxide and NNAL-N-oxide . The key step in the method was conversion of the N-oxides to NNK and NNAL by treatment with Proteus mirabilis . The resulting samples were then analyzed essentially by methods that we have described previously . 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-4-(3-pyridyl-N-oxide)-1-butanol (iso-NNAL-N-oxide) was used as internal standard . Levels of NNAL-N-oxide in smokers' urine ranged from 0.06 to 1.4 pmol/mg creatinine, mean +/- SD 0.53 +/- 0.36 pmol/mg creatinine . Its presence was confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry . NNK-N-oxide was not detected in smokers' urine . Levels of NNAL-N-oxide in the urine of smokeless tobacco users ranged from 0.02 to 1.2 pmol/mg creatinine, mean +/- SD 0.41 +/- 0.35 pmol/mg creatinine . The amounts of NNAL-N-oxide in urine were less than 20% of those of {4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)but-1-yl}-beta-O-D-glucosiduronic acid (NNAL-Gluc) and were approximately 50% as great as those of free NNAL . These results demonstrate that pyridine-N-oxidation is a relatively minor detoxification pathway of NNK and NNAL in humans . The method was applied to analysis of urine from 11 smokers who consumed a diet containing watercress . In an earlier study (S.S . Hecht et al., Cancer Epidemiol., Biomarkers & Prev., 4: 877-884, 1995), we showed that consumption of watercress, a source of phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), caused an increase in urinary excretion of NNAL plus NNAL-Gluc . This was attributed to inhibition of alpha-hydroxylation of NNK by PEITC, as seen in rodents in which PEITC also inhibits the pulmonary carcinogenicity of NNK . However, PEITC also could have inhibited pyridine-N-oxidation of NNK and NNAL . The urine of these smokers was analyzed for NNAL-N-oxide . The results demonstrated that watercress consumption had no effect on levels of NNAL-N-oxide in urine, supporting the conclusion that PEITC does inhibit the metabolic activation of NNK in humans.

J Bacteriol, 1997 Feb, 179(3), 775 - 83
Lack of functional complementation between Bordetella pertussis filamentous hemagglutinin and Proteus mirabilis HpmA hemolysin secretion machineries; Jacob-Dubuisson F et al.; The gram-negative bacterium Bordetella pertussis has adapted specific secretion machineries for each of its major secretory proteins . In particular, the highly efficient secretion of filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) is mediated by the accessory protein FhaC . FhaC belongs to a family of outer membrane proteins which are involved in the secretion of large adhesins or in the activation and secretion of Ca2+-independent hemolysins by several gram-negative bacteria . FHA shares with these hemolysins a 115-residue-long amino-proximal region essential for its secretion . To compare the secretory pathways of these hemolysins and FHA, we attempted functional transcomplementation between FhaC and the Proteus mirabilis hemolysin accessory protein HpmB . HpmB could not promote the secretion of FHA derivatives . Likewise, FhaC proved to be unable to mediate secretion and activation of HpmA, the cognate secretory partner of HpmB . In contrast, ShlB, the accessory protein of the closely related Serratia marcescens hemolysin, was able to activate and secrete HpmA . Two invariant asparagine residues lying in the region of homology shared by secretory proteins and shown to be essential for the secretion and activation of the hemolysins were replaced in FHA by site-directed mutagenesis . Replacements of these residues indicated that both are involved in, but only the first one is crucial to, FHA secretion . This slight discrepancy together with the lack of functional complementation demonstrates major differences between the hemolysins and FHA secretion machineries.

Mol Gen Genet, 1997 Jan 27, 253(4), 415 - 27
A locus coding for putative non-ribosomal peptide/polyketide synthase functions is mutated in a swarming-defective Proteus mirabilis strain; Gaisser S et al.; We describe a large bacterial locus that, unusually, encodes components typically required for both the non-ribosomal synthesis of peptides and also polyketide/fatty acid synthase function . Two tandem ABC transporter genes in this putative nrp (non-ribosomal peptide/polyketide) operon suggest that the principal product may be secreted . Immediately distal to the nrp operon is a gene, irpP, encoding a small peptide similar to the Bacillus ComX pheromone that in its mature, extracellular form increases expression of unlinked non-ribosomal peptide synthesis genes . Transcription of both the nrp operon and irpP was up-regulated in iron-limiting culture conditions, consistent with the presence of a putative Fur repressor-binding site 5' of irpP . The locus was isolated from Proteus mirabilis as the site of a TnphoA insertion causing impaired swarm cell differentiation and an aberrant swarming pattern . The mutation was in one of the transporter genes, but a comparable swarming defect resulted from interposon disruption of the putative nrp synthetase gene.

Rheumatol Int, 1997, 17(1), 11 - 6
Antibody responses to gut bacteria in ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis; Tiwana H et al.; Specific immunoreactive anti-Klebsiella antibodies are found in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a significant proportion of whom have occult inflammatory bowel disease . Molecular mimicry between Klebsiella or other bacterial antigens and HLA-B27 has been suggested in the pathogenesis of AS . The specificity of increased immunoreactivity against Klebsiella remains to be assessed against the abundant anaerobic bacterial flora, present either in healthy controls or in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) . Total immunoglobulin (Ig; IgG, IgA, IgM) immunoreactivity was measured by ELISA against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli and ten anaerobic isolates of the predominant normal bowel flora in 35 patients with active AS, 60 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (30 CD, 30 UC), 60 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 60 healthy controls . Ig immunoreactivity to K . pneumoniae was significantly elevated in AS (P < 0.001), CD (P < 0.001) and UC (P < 0.001) patients compared with RA patients and healthy controls . Furthermore, Ig immunoreactivity to P . mirabilis was significantly elevated only in RA patients, compared with the other inflammatory groups (P < 0.001) and controls (P < 0.001) . There was no significant antibody response against E . coli or the ten obligate anaerobes in any of the test groups . The data suggested an increased immune response to Klebsiella in patients with AS, UC, CD and to Proteus in patients with RA . The specificity of these responses in some patients supported a possible role for enteric Klebsiella in the pathogenesis of AS and Proteus in RA . The role of Klebsiella in inflammatory bowel disease requires further study.

Biochemistry (Mosc), 1997 Jan, 62(1), 21 - 7
Structural and serological studies of the O-antigen of the bacterium Proteus mirabilis OXK (serogroup O3) used in the Weil-Felix test; Swierzko AS et al.; Sugar analysis and 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopic studies showed that various strains of Proteus mirabilis OXK used as antigens in the Weil-Felix test for serodiagnosis of rickettsiosis (scrub typhus) produce lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) with the same O-specific polysaccharide chain having the following structure: {formula: see text} where GlcA and GalA are glucuronic and galacturonic acids, respectively . This polysaccharide which defines the O3 specificity of Proteus and has been found earlier in an unclassified P . mirabilis strain S1959, contains an amide of D-galacturonic acid with L-lysine which plays an important role in manifesting the immunospecificity . A cross-reaction was observed in ELISA between sera from patients with scrub typhus, caused by the bacterium Orientia (Rickettsia) tsutsugamushi, and purified LPS of P . mirabilis OXK, thus suggesting that the common epitope involved in the Weil-Felix test is located on P . mirabilis OXK LPS . Rabbit anti-P . mirabilis OXK antibodies did not cross-react with LPS-lacking O . tsutsugamushi strain Gilliam in dot-blotting and Western blotting, and the nature of the rickettsial antigen responsible for the Weil-Felix reaction remains unknown.

Biochemistry (Mosc), 1997 Jan, 62(1), 15 - 20
Structural and serological studies of the O-antigen of the bacterium Proteus vulgaris OX2 (serogroup O2) used in the Weil-Felix test; Cedzynski M et al.; Based on monosaccharide analysis and 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, the following structure of the O-specific polysaccharide chain of Proteus vulgaris OX2 lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which defines the O2 specificity of Proteus, was established: {formula: see text} where L-QuiNAc is N-acetyl-L-quinovosamine (2-acetamido-2,6-dideoxy-L-glucose) . Various strains of P . vulgaris OX2 used in the Weil-Felix test for serodiagnosis of rickettsiosis (spotted fevers, except for Rocky Mountain spotted fever) were shown to produce LPS with the same O-specific polysaccharide, which differs structurally and serologically from LPS of P . vulgaris OX19 used as antigen for serodiagnosis of typhus and Rocky Mountain spotted fever . O-Acetyl groups present in the polysaccharide are not important for manifesting the immunospecificity . ELISA confirmed that the epitope responsible for the cross-reactivity between sera from patients with Japanese spotted fever and P . vulgaris OX2 cells is located on the P . vulgaris LPS . At the same time, no cross-reaction was observed between rabbit anti-P . vulgaris OX2 antibodies and the spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsial cells . Therefore, human anti-SFG rickettsial antibodies and rabbit anti-P . vulgaris OX2 antibodies may bind to distinct epitopes on P . vulgaris OX2 LPS, and no epitope recognized by rabbit anti-P . vulgaris OX2 antibodies is present on the LPS or any other surface antigen of SFG rickettsiae.

An Med Interna, 1997 Jan, 14(1), 33 - 4
{Alkaline encrusted cystitis secondary to Proteus mirabilis infection in a HIV infected patient}; Cano Sanchez A et al.; We described for the first time an alkaline encrusting cystitis in a patient with the acquired immune deficiency . This is an entity characterized by severe dysuria and long standing urinary frequency, alkaline urine and radiographically visible calcification of the urinary bladder . It has been observed in patients with permanent Foley catheter, persistent infections due to microorganisms with urolytic activity, urinary bilharziosis or tuberculosis, or malignant bladder tumors . None of these entities were described and the patient had all conditions for this syndrome.

Surg Today, 1997, 27(4), 376 - 8
False aneurysm of the axillary artery caused by graft infection: report of a case; Yamamoto K et al.; A 77-year-old man presented to our hospital following the sudden onset of left subclavicular swelling, 8 years after undergoing subtotal removal of an axillofemoral bypass . Computed tomography revealed a rupture of the left axillary artery with the formation of a false aneurysm . Emergency surgery was performed in the form of an extraanatomic, axillo-axillary bypass with resection of the false aneurysm . Prior to removal of the false aneurysm, the subclavian artery was ligated via a left thoracotomy to minimize blood loss . The pathogen was identified as Proteus mirabilis, which is a rare causative organism for prosthetic graft infection . This case report demonstrates that total removal of the graft with revascularization should be performed for graft infections.

Brain Behav Evol, 1997, 49(3), 132 - 6
Tuning of electroreceptors in the blind cave salamander, Proteus anguinus L; Schlegel PA et al.; The blind cave salamander's (Proteus anguinus L.) sensitivity for electrical fields was determined by recordings from afferent fibers coming from ampullary electroreceptors . The animals were stimulated with single rectangular or continuous sinusoidal electrical signals passed through the cave water in the experimental tank . Best threshold sensitivities of the fibers for both kinds of signals were in the same range (0.1-0.5 mV/cm = 30-150 nA/cm2) . The fibers showed phase-locked responses to rostrally cathodic phases of rectangular or sinusoidal stimuli and suppression to anodal phases . Units were tuned to 'best frequencies' (B.F., sine waves) between 20 and 40 Hz . Any functional, i.e . phase-related, firing or suppression of firing occurs in a total frequency range of less than 0.1 to around 100 Hz . This frequency range of tuning in the primary fibers was the same as found in the behavior, and this therefore reflects the peripheral sensory properties . Electrical sensitivity might be of special value for these cave dwelling animals, as they may detect and recognize prey animals by means of the prey's electrical field spreading into the surroundings, i.e . its electromyogram.

Brain Behav Evol, 1997, 49(3), 121 - 31
Behavioral sensitivity of the European blind cave salamander, Proteus anguinus, and a Pyrenean newt, Euproctus asper, to electrical fields in water; Schlegel PA; In the urodeles Proteus anguinus and Euproctus asper, thresholds of an overt avoidance response to weak electrical field stimuli (continuous sine-waves) were measured as a function of frequency . Thresholds down to 0.1 mV/cm (30 nA/cm2) were found in P . anguinus and 2 mV/cm (600 nA/cm2) in E . asper at 'best frequencies' (B.F.) of 20-30 Hz, but sensitivity covered a total frequency range of below 0.1 Hz to 1-2 kHz, with up to 70 dB higher thresholds . Average thresholds of 1 mV/cm in P . anguinus and 40 mV/cm in E . asper were more than 30 dB apart and significantly different . Both species were sensitive to galvanic DC-pulses, clicks, and noise bursts with intensities of about the same order of magnitude . Specimens of the transparent catfish, Kryptopterus (Siluridae) reacted in the same frequency range as found for Proteus and Euproctus, and had still lower thresholds, down to 0.02 mV/cm (1.5 nA/cm2) . The biological significance and possibly still ongoing evolution of the electrical sense in urodeles is interpreted in terms of comparative sensory physiology and more recent, still speculative, evolutionary diversification during and since the Pleistocene.

J Clin Pathol, 1997 Jan, 50(1), 50 - 3
Increased soluble ICAM-1 concentration and impaired delayed-type hypersensitivity skin tests in patients with chronic liver disease; Pirisi M et al.; AIMS/BACKGROUND: Soluble ICAM-1 may act as an antagonist of the membrane bound form, which is essential for the adhesion of leucocytes to endothelial cells . The aim of this study was to investigate whether the presence of high concentrations of soluble ICAM-1 are related to the impairment of delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions . METHODS: The study population comprised 73 patients (53 men and 20 women) with chronic liver disease (19 with chronic hepatitis, 36 with cirrhosis and 18 with hepatocellular carcinoma), and 21 age-matched controls (11 men and 10 women) . Serum soluble ICAM-1 was measured using an enzyme immunoassay . Skin tests for seven different antigens (tetanus, diphtheria, streptococcus group C, tuberculin, Candida, tricophyton, and proteus) were considered positive when diameters > or = 2 mm were recorded; the diameters of positive tests were added to calculate a cumulative score . RESULTS: Patients with chronic liver disease had fewer positive skin tests (median 2) and a lower cumulative score (median 7) than controls (median 3 and 12, respectively) . Multivariate analysis suggested the existence of an independent association between alkaline phosphatase and anergy to skin tests and between soluble ICAM-1 concentrations and the cumulative score . CONCLUSIONS: The strong association observed between increased soluble ICAM-1 concentrations and impairment of delayed-type hypersensitivity skin tests suggests that soluble ICAM-1 may be implicated in the immune depression seen in patients with chronic liver disease.

Pediatr Dermatol, 1997 Jan-Feb, 14(1), 1 - 5
Proteus syndrome: new findings in seven patients; del Rosario Barona-Mazuera M et al.; Seven children with Proteus syndrome (PS) are reported . The majority of clinical findings coincide with what is reported in the literature . New findings were blue sclerae, telecanthus, epiblepharon, endotropy, hemimegaly of the optic nerve, occipital dysmyelination and compression of the corpus callosum, craneosynostosis, decalcification and thinning of the cortical layer of long bones, and talipes equinus . The clinical findings, possible etiology, differential diagnosis, and treatment of PS are discussed.

Rheumatol Int, 1997, 16(5), 187 - 9
Correlation between anti-Proteus antibodies and isolation rates of P . mirabilis in rheumatoid arthritis; Wilson C et al.; In a survey of 89 RA patients, carried out under code, Proteus mirabilis was isolated from the urine of 63% (47/75) of female (P < 0.001) and 50% (7/14) of male patients (P < 0.001), compared to a frequency of isolation in healthy women of 32% (38/119) and 11% (13/115) in healthy men . There was no significant difference in isolation rates between 37 non-RA patients and healthy controls . Sera from 20 patients with RA and 20 healthy controls were tested against P . mirabilis and Escherichia coli by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay . Antibodies against P . mirabilis but not to E . coli were significantly higher in the RA patients than in healthy controls (P < 0.001) . Furthermore, a positive correlation was found between high anti-Proteus antibody levels in serum samples and the number of Proteus colony-forming units obtained from urine specimens of the 20 RA patients (r = +0.714, P < 0.001) . These results support the suggestion of an aetiopathogenic role for P . mirabilis in RA.

Indian J Med Res, 1997 Jan, 105, 39 - 42
Elevated levels of anti-proteus antibodies in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis; Wanchu A et al.; We carried out this study to determine if our patient population with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has elevated levels of antibodies to gut bacteria . Seventy patients with RA were categorised as being either active or inactive on clinical grounds . Antibodies to the H and O antigens of Proteus mirabilis and Salmonella typhi were determined by tube agglutination method in these patients, 18 patients with osteoarthritis and 82 healthy controls . There was no significant difference in the anti-proteus antibody titres between both the control groups and patients with inactive disease . However, antibody levels among patients with active disease were significantly higher than controls (P < 0.001) . There was no significant difference in anti-salmonella antibody titres among the various disease and control groups . Elevated antibody levels could suggest a role for Proteus as an etiological agent in RA.

Eur J Pediatr, 1997 Jan, 156(1), 33 - 4
Spinal osteomyelitis caused by Proteus mirabilis in a child; de Weerd W et al.; Osteomyelitis due to Proteus mirabilis is rare . Spinal osteomyelitis caused by this organism has only been described in adults . This is the first paediatric case of P . mirabilis vertebral osteomyelitis.

Arch Surg, 1997 Jan, 132(1), 13 - 8
Characteristics of thoracic duct lymph in multiple organ dysfunction syndrome; Sanchez-Garcia M et al.; OBJECTIVE: To investigate the presence of endotoxin, bacteria, and potential humoral and cellular mediators in thoracic duct lymph and peripheral blood in patients with severe refractory multiple organ dysfunction . DESIGN: Convenience sample . SETTING: General intensive care unit of a university hospital . PATIENTS: Two men and 2 women were studied after a mean of 7.25 days (range, 6-9 days) of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome . The primary injury was thoracic in 1 patient and abdominal in 3 patients . INTERVENTION: The thoracic duct was cannulated with a 7F catheter and samples of lymph and peripheral blood were obtained . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Simultaneous lymph and serum levels of lipopolysaccharide, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1 beta, and interleukin-6, and activation markers on T lymphocytes . RESULTS: Lipopolysaccharide and cytokine levels were low in lymph and serum, except for a mean lymph-to-serum ratio of 53.4 for interleukin-1 beta . There was phenotypical evidence of intense polyclonal T-lymphocyte activation in both lymph and peripheral blood with increased lymph-to-peripheral blood ratios . Increased percentages in lymph of CD45RA + CD45RO + lymphocytes were observed . In 1 patient, Proteus mirabilis grew simultaneously in lymph, pancreatic necrosis fluid, and a central venous catheter tip . All simultaneous blood cultures were negative . CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide evidence of the participation of the gut-associated lymphatic tissue in the pathogenesis of the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, suggesting that T-cell activation and cytokine production occur at the gut level . Future studies are needed to confirm and extend our findings.

Arch Dermatol, 1997 Jan, 133(1), 77 - 80
Patchy dermal hypoplasia as a characteristic feature of Proteus syndrome; Happle R et al.; BACKGROUND: The diagnostic criteria of Proteus syndrome include various lesions of localized overgrowth such as digital gigantism, hemihyperplasia with unilateral macrocephaly, epidermal nevus, and mesodermal hamartomas such as lipoma, lymphangioma, hemangioma, or fibroma . Hyperplasia of the plantar dermal tissue may result in a characteristic cerebriform appearance . However, hypoplastic lesions involving various tissues such as subcutaneous fat or muscles also may be observed in this syndrome . This paradoxical phenomenon has so far been underestimated, and the presence of circumscribed lesions of dermal hypoplasia has been entirely ignored . OBSERVATIONS: We report 4 cases of Proteus syndrome associated with large patches of dermal hypoplasia, resulting in a more prominent appearance of venous vasculature . CONCLUSIONS: Patchy dermal hypoplasia appears to be a characteristic feature within the spectrum of Proteus syndrome . The anomaly should not be confused with partial lipohypoplasia that may likewise be associated with this multisystem birth defect . From a review of the literature, we conclude that patchy dermal hypoplasia may have occurred in several previous cases . In the future, recognition of this cutaneous anomaly may help to establish the diagnosis in otherwise doubtful cases . To explain the coexistence of lesions of dermal hyperplasia and hypoplasia, we propose the genetic concept of "twin spotting." At the gene locus of Proteus syndrome the embryo would carry 1 allele giving rise to dermal overgrowth, whereas the corresponding allele would be responsible for a diminished proliferation of cutaneous fibroblasts . Somatic recombination may result in 2 different populations of cells homozygous for either allele.

J Rheumatol, 1997 Jan, 24(1), 109 - 14
Antibodies to Klebsiella, Proteus, and HLA-B27 peptides in Japanese patients with ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis; Tani Y et al.; OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from Japan have antibodies to Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis and to assess whether such antibodies are activated against peptides sharing sequences with HLA-B27 . METHODS: Serum samples from 152 Japanese patients, 52 with AS, 50 with RA, and 50 healthy controls, were tested against 3 bacteria (K . pneumoniae, P . mirabilis, and Escherichia coli) and 3 synthetic peptides (HLA-B27, pullulanase-D, and scrambled pullulanase-D control peptide) by ELISA under coded conditions . Samples were tested for elevations in IgG, IgA, and IgM antibody classes in patients with active AS or RA, in patients with RA with probable disease, and in patients with inactive AS . Disease activity was determined by an elevated serum C-reactive protein (> 10 mg/l) level and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (> 20 mm/h) . RESULTS: Patients with active AS showed specific elevations in serum IgA antibody levels against K . pneumoniae compared to patients with RA and controls (p < 0.001) . No such elevation was seen in the IgG and IgM antibody classes . Patients with inactive AS showed no elevation in any class of antibody against K . pneumoniae compared to controls or patients with RA . Patients with active or probably active RA showed significant elevations in IgG antibody levels against P . mirabilis compared to AS and controls (p < 0.001) . Patients with AS (active or inactive), RA (active or probably active), and controls showed no elevations in any antibody class to E . coli . Both active and inactive AS patients had specific autoantibodies against HLA-B27 peptide compared to patients with RA and controls (active AS: IgG, IgA, IgM, p < 0.001; inactive AS: IgG and IgA, p < 0.001) . Patients with active AS had IgG and IgA antibodies against pullulanase-D peptide, which contains a sequence that cross reacts with HLA-B27 compared to controls (p < 0.001) . CONCLUSION: These results provide the first evidence of AS and RA patients in Japan having specific elevations of antibody to K . pneumoniae and P . mirabilis, respectively . This suggests that K . pneumoniae in AS and P . mirabilis in RA may play a role in triggering and/or exacerbating these diseases.

Am J Med Genet, 1996 Dec 11, 66(2), 150 - 3
Sutural exostoses, rib hyperostoses, craniosynostosis, mental retardation with focal fat deposition: Proteus syndrome?
Christianson AL, Van Allen MI.
We report on a 3-year-old boy with cartilaginous exostoses of the cranial sutures, rib hyperostosis, macrocephaly, metopic craniostenosis, epibulbar dermoid, hyperpigmented macules on the neck, focal fat deposition, and mild mental retardation with marked speech delay . Several of these manifestations were reported previously as an "unknown" by Thanos et al . {1977}, with additional clinical information and a diagnosis of Proteus syndrome {Cohen, 1993}.

Am J Med Genet, 1996 Dec 11, 66(2), 144 - 9
Hemihypertrophy, hemimegalencephaly, and polydactyly; Reardon W et al.; We present clinical and neuropathological details of a patient with hemihypertrophy and hemimegalencephaly who may have Proteus syndrome . The observation of polysyndactyly in the case indicates either that polysyndactyly is a rare manifestation in Proteus syndrome, or that a separate condition, mimicking Proteus syndrome and pursuing a similar clinical course, might exist.

FEBS Lett, 1996 Dec 2, 398(2-3), 297 - 302
Structural and serological studies of the O-specific polysaccharide of the bacterium Proteus mirabilis O10 containing L-altruronic acid, a new component of O-antigens; St Swierzko A et al.; An acidic O-specific polysaccharide from the lipopolysaccharide of Proteus mirabilis O10 contains 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose, D-galacturonic acid, and L-altruronic acid, the last-named sugar having not been found hitherto in O-antigens . Structure of a branched tetrasaccharide repeating unit of the polysaccharide was established by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, including two-dimensional COSY and rotating-frame NOE spectroscopy . The lateral L-altruronic acid residue plays the immunodominant role in manifestation of the O10 specificity of Proteus, whereas a disaccharide fragment of the main chain in common with the O-specific polysaccharide of P . mirabilis O43 provides the one-way serological cross-reactivity between anti-O10 serum and O43-antigen.

Acta Anaesthesiol Sin, 1996 Dec, 34(4), 239 - 42
Acquired tracheomalacia--a case report; Kang FC et al.; Tracheomalacia is a condition characterized by weakness of the tracheal walls and supporting cartilage . It may be congenital, occurring in association with other lesions, such as vascular ring, tracheoesophageal fistula, dyschondroplasia, congenital cysts or tumors, or it may be acquired, most commonly as a result of protracted endotracheal intubation and less often of irradiation, trauma or neoplasm . We present a case of acquired tracheomalacia in a 15-year-old boy, a victim of Proteus syndrome (hemihypertrophy, subcutaneous tumors, and macrodactyly), who had congenital scoliosis with secondary chronic restrictive pulmonary disease, for which he was admitted to our hospital for surgical correction of the spine . Unfortunately, his conditions, particularly of respiratory, worsened after the operation, which called for an emergent tracheostomy . During the procedure, high airway pressure and CO2 retention developed, and an extreme narrowing of the tracheal lumen was revealed by fiberoptic bronchoscopy . Acquired tracheomalacia was diagnosed . The probable mechanisms, diagnostic tests, and treatments of tracheomalacia are hereunder discussed.

Bioorg Khim, 1996 Dec, 22(12), 891 - 3
{Expression of synthetic gene for human angiogenin in E . coli cells}; Nikonova AA et al.; A synthetic gene for human angiogenin was cloned into pRTang under control of the Proteus mirabilis recA promoter . After induction with mitomycin C, Escherichia coli cells transformed with pRTang produced an additional 14.2-kDa protein . According to electrophoretic and immunochemical analyses, this protein was identical to human angiogenin.

Korean J Parasitol, 1996 Dec, 34(4), 239 - 46
Glutamate dehydrogenase antigen detection in Plasmodium falciparum infections; de Dominguez N et al.; The usefulness of malaria diagnosis by Plasmodium falciparum GDH (NADP+), obtained by affinity chromatography, is demonstrated in ELISA assays, testing IgG antibodies against GDH (NADP+) from patients with acute malaria, who have had two or more episodes of malaria, or from sera of hyperimmune patients . GDH (NADP+) thermal stability was demonstrated in a high heat resistance assay . The immunofluorescence assay demonstrated that anti-culture (P . falciparum) supernatant serum and anti-GDH (NADP+) of Proteus spp . recognized epitopes in Venezuelan isolates, and Colombian and Brasilian malarial strains . The antigen is soluble, with high specificity, is a potent immunogen and is thermoresistant.

Infect Immun, 1996 Dec, 64(12), 5332 - 40
Construction of a flagellum-negative mutant of Proteus mirabilis: effect on internalization by human renal epithelial cells and virulence in a mouse model of ascending urinary tract infection; Mobley HL et al.; To examine the role of flagella in pathogenesis of urinary tract infection caused by Proteus mirabilis, we constructed a nonmotile, nonswarming flagellum mutant of strain WPM111 (an hpmA hemolysin mutant of strain BA6163, chosen because of its lack of in vitro cytotoxicity in renal epithelial cell internalization studies) . A nonpolar mutation was introduced into the flaD gene, which encodes the flagellar cap protein . This mutation does not affect the synthesis of flagellin but rather prevents the assembly of an intact flagellar filament . In in vitro assays, the genetically characterized nonmotile mutant was found to be internalized by cultured human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells in numbers less than 1% of those of the flagellated parent strain . Internalization of the nonmotile mutant was increased significantly (14- to 21-fold) by centrifugation onto the monolayer . To assess virulence in vivo, CBA mice were challenged transurethrally with 10(7) CFU of P . mirabilis BA6163 (wild type) (n = 16), WPM111 (hpmA mutant) (n = 46), or BB2401 (hmpA flaD mutant) (n = 46) . Differences in quantitative cultures between the parent strain and the hemolysin-negative mutant were not significant . However, the hpmA flaD mutant was recovered in numbers approximately 100-fold lower than those of the hmpA mutant or the wild-type parent strain and thus was clearly attenuated . We conclude that while hemolysin does not significantly influence virulence, flagella contribute significantly to the ability of P . mirabilis to colonize the urinary tract and cause acute pyelonephritis in an experimental model of ascending urinary tract infection.

In Vivo, 1996 Nov-Dec, 10(6), 601 - 6
Effects of acridines on bacterial plasmid replication and endotoxin; Barbe J et al.; Different amino- and imino-acridines were systematically synthesized . The antibacterial, antiplasmid, antimotility and endotoxin complexing effect of acridines were studied, when antibacterial effect of the compounds was compared on E . coli . Aminoderivatives were more active than imino-acridines . The N-heptyl-9-imino-acridine was able to select lon minus mutants in the E . coli culture, however, the other acridines tested were ineffective in this respect . The iminoacridines inhibited the motility of Proteus vulgaris more effectively than aminoderivatives . The antimotility action of the acridines was also dependent on the ionic content of the media . The antiplasmid effect was measured on an F-prime plasmid of E . coli LE140 strain . Iminoacridines had a more powerful antiplasmid effect than the amino-substituted derivatives . The majority of the compounds inhibited the intercellular plasmid transfer from E . coli . Kmr donor to a Na-azide resistant recipient . In this test the aminosubstituted derivatives were shown to be more effective inhibitors of conjugation than the imino-substituted compounds . Endotoxin formed complexes with N-butylamino . N-propy-lamino and imidoderivatives . However, complex formation of N-ethyl-, N-heptyl-, N-diethylaminoethyl- and N-diethylamino-propyl-acridines were different . Correlations between molecular orbitals and the antibacterial effects are also discussed.

Microb Pathog, 1996 Nov, 21(5), 395 - 405
Defined mutants of Proteus mirabilis lacking flagella cause ascending urinary tract infection in mice; Legnani-Fajardo C et al.; A clinical isolate of Proteus mirabilis (Pr 990) and an isogenic non-flagellate allelic replacement mutant (Pr M9) were tested for their ability to cause infection in the ascending mouse model of urinary tract infection . Wild-type Pr 990 differentiates into swarmer cells in brain-heart infusion broth . Pr M9 neither has flagella nor does it apparently differentiate into swarmer cells after subculturing . The infectivity of both strains from an initial culture and the sixth subculture was assessed in the ascending urinary tract infection mouse model . Infection was ascertained by determining colony forming units from kidney and bladder homogenates from individual mice 7 days after inoculation . In all cases the nonflagellate mutant Pr M9 was at least as infective as Pr 990 . Using bacteria from the first culture, Pr M9 infected 61.5% and Pr 990 infected 45.5% of mice tested . The levels of viable counts were similar between the Pr M9 and the Pr 990 infections . Using bacteria from the sixth subculture, Pr M9 infected 75% and Pr 990 infected 76.5% of mice tested . Again viable counts were similar . Pr 990 increased in infectivity from the first to the sixth subculture, whereas Pr M9 did not, but this may be a reflection of the high initial rate of infectivity with first culture Pr M9 . These results suggest that neither flagella nor swarmer cells are required for P . mirabilis infectivity in ascending urinary tract infections in mice.

Microb Pathog, 1996 Nov, 21(5), 379 - 94
Molecular analysis of the bvg-repressed urease of Bordetella bronchiseptica; McMillan DJ et al.; Bordetella bronchiseptica is a ureolytic mammalian respiratory pathogen . We have investigated the regulation of urease in B . bronchiseptica and the potential role of this enzyme in eukaryotic invasion and intracellular survival . Our results indicate urease is a bordetella virulence repressed gene . Urease activity in virulent B . bronchiseptica BB7865 is up-regulated from basal levels by 5 gl1 magnesium sulphate at 37 degrees C . At 30 degrees C, urease activity remained at basal levels, even in the presence on magnesium sulphate, suggesting a second temperature dependent mechanism of urease regulation was also operating . Urease was not inducible by 10 mM urea nor up-regulated in nitrogen limiting conditions . To evaluate the role of urease in intracellular invasion and survival urease-negative mutants of B . bronchiseptica BB7865 and B . bronchiseptica BB7866 were created by transposon mutagenesis, and compared to the urease-positive parental strains in a HeLa cell invasion assay . We demonstrate that increasing the concentration of urea in the assay increased survival of the urease-positive but not urease-negative strains after 24 h, suggesting that urease does have a role in intracellular survival . Partial DNA sequence analysis of an 11.0 kb EcoRI DNA fragment encoding urease activity revealed an open reading frame containing 50%, 45%, 45%, and 41% homology to the UreA urease subunit protein of Klebsiella aerogenes, Proteus vulgaris, Helicobacter pylori and Proteus mirabilis respectively . We also show Bordetella pertussis to contain sequences homologous with a DNA probe containing the gene encoding UreA of B . bronchiseptica indicating the possible presence of cryptic urease genes in this species.

J Bacteriol, 1996 Nov, 178(22), 6525 - 38
Periodic phenomena in Proteus mirabilis swarm colony development; Rauprich O et al.; Proteus mirabilis colonies exhibit striking geometric regularity . Basic microbiological methods and imaging techniques were used to measure periodic macroscopic events in swarm colony morphogenesis . We distinguished three initial phases (lag phase, first swarming phase, and first consolidation phase) followed by repeating cycles of subsequent swarming plus consolidation phases . Each Proteus swarm colony terrace corresponds to one swarming-plus-consolidation cycle . The duration of the lag phase was dependent upon inoculation density in a way that indicated the operation of both cooperative and inhibitory multicellular effects . On our standard medium, the second and subsequent swarm phases displayed structure in the form of internal waves visible with reflected and dark-field illumination . These internal waves resulted from organization of the migrating bacteria into successively thicker cohorts of swarmer cells . Bacterial growth and motility were independently modified by altering the composition of the growth medium . By varying the glucose concentration in the substrate, it was possible to alter biomass production without greatly affecting the kinetics of colony surface area expansion . By varying the agar concentration in the substrate, initial bacterial biomass production was unaffected but colony expansion dynamics were significantly altered . Higher agar concentrations led to slower, shorter swarm phases and longer consolidation phases . Thus, colony growth was restricted by higher agar concentrations but the overall timing of the swarming-plus-consolidation cycles remained constant . None of a variety of factors which had significant effects on colony expansion altered terracing frequencies at 32 degrees C, but the length of the swarming-plus-consolidation cycle was affected by temperature and medium enrichment . Some clinical isolates displayed significant differences in terracing frequencies at 32 degrees C . Our results defined a number of readily quantifiable parameters in swarm colony development . The data showed no connection between nutrient (glucose) depletion and the onset of different phases in swarm colony morphogenesis . Several observations point to the operation of density-dependent thresholds in controlling the transitions between distinct phases.

Nat Struct Biol, 1996 Nov, 3(11), 951 - 6
Ferryl intermediates of catalase captured by time-resolved Weissenberg crystallography and UV-VIS spectroscopy; Gouet P et al.; Various enzymes use semi-stable ferryl intermediates and free radicals during their catalytic cycle, amongst them haem catalases . Structures for two transient intermediates (compounds I and II) of the NADPH-dependent catalase from Proteus mirabilis (PMC) have been determined by time-resolved X-ray crystallography and single crystal microspectrophotometry . The results show the formation and transformation of the ferryl group in the haem, and the unexpected binding of an anion during this reaction at a site distant from the haem.

Carbohydr Res, 1996 Oct 23, 293(1), 71 - 8
Structure of a new N-acetylisomuramic acid-containing O-specific polysaccharide of Proteus penneri strains 19 and 35; Senchenkova SN et al.; O-Specific polysaccharides, together with oligosaccharide products of their degradation, were isolated by GPC after mild acid delipidation of lipopolysaccharides of Proteus penneri strains 19 and 35 . The polysaccharides had the same trisaccharide repeating unit containing one residue each of D-galactose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, and 2-acetamido-3-O-{(S)-1-carboxyethyl}-2-deoxy-D-glucose (N-acetylisomuramic acid) . On the basis of 1D and 2D 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, including 2D correlation spectroscopy (COSY), rotating-frame NOE spectroscopy (ROESY), and H-detected heteronuclear 1H,13C multiple-quantum coherence (HMQC), the following structure of the repeating unit was established: {formula: see text} . The oligosaccharide products formed by cleavage of the glycosidic linkage of GlcNAc represent a chemical trisaccharide repeating unit of the polysaccharide and its oligomer homologs . The ease of hydrolysis of the polysaccharide is associated with the closeness of the glycosyl group and the lactic acid residue in N-acetylisomuramic acid . The polysaccharides studied are structurally related to the O-specific polysaccharides of P . penneri strains 62 and 71 studied by us earlier.

Infect Immun, 1996 Oct, 64(10), 4390 - 5
Proteus mirabilis ambient-temperature fimbriae: cloning and nucleotide sequence of the aft gene cluster; Massad G et al.; Uropathogenic Proteus mirabilis produces at least four types of fimbriae . Amino acid sequences from two peptides, derived by tryptic digestion of the structural subunit of one type of these fimbriae, the ambient-temperature fimbriae, were determined: NVVPGQPSSTQ and LIEGENQLNYNA . PCR primers, based on these sequences and that of the N terminus, were used to amplify a 359-bp fragment . A cosmid clone, isolated from a P . mirabilis genomic library by hybridization with the 359-bp PCR product, was used to determine the nucleotide sequence of the atf gene cluster . A 3,903-bp region encodes three polypeptides: AtfA, the structural subunit; AtfB, the chaperone; and AtfC, the outer membrane molecular usher . No fimbria-related genes are evident either 5' or 3' to the three contiguous genes . AtfA demonstrates significant amino acid sequence identity with type 1 major fimbrial subunits of several enteric species . The 359-bp PCR product hybridized strongly with all Proteus isolates (n = 9) and 25% of 355 Escherichia coli isolates but failed to hybridize with any of 26 isolates among nine other uropathogenic species . Ambient-temperature fimbriae of P . mirabilis may represent a novel type of fimbriae of enteric species.

Planta Med, 1996 Oct, 62(5), 419 - 22
Cytotoxic and antibacterial activities of sesquiterpene lactones isolated from Tanacetum praeteritum subsp . praeteritum; Goren N et al.; Ten sesquiterpene lactones and one sesquiterpene isolated from Tanacetum praeteritum subsp . praeteritum: 1 alpha, 6 alpha -dihydroxyisocostic acid methyl ester (2), 1 alpha-hydroxy-1-deoxoarglanine (3), douglanin (5), santamarin (6), reynosin (7), 1-epitatridin B (8), ludovicin A (10), armexin (12), armefolin (13), armexifolin (14), and 3 alpha-hydroxyreynosin (15) were tested against the human lung carcinoma cell line GLC4 and the colorectal cancer cell line COLO 320 as well as against the bacteria Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus, beta-hemolytic Streptococcus, and the yeast Candida albicans . In addition, two germacranolides tatridin A (16) and tamirin (17) were included in the study . All compounds showed cytotoxic activity (IC50 = 124 microM) but most of them were not effective in the antimicrobial tests.

Vestn Otorinolaringol, 1996 Sep-Oct, (5), 39 - 42
{Dependence of immunological reactivity on blood groups and microflora in patients with chronic purulent otitis media}; Zemskov AM et al.; Immunological investigation (1-2 level tests with monoclonal antibodies) of 246 OMPC patients has discovered a relationship between the degree of immunological disorder, blood group and microflora . Patients carrying AII and ABIV, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus were more immunologically compromised . These findings may help in the choice of profile immunocorrector.

Biokhimiia, 1996 Sep, 61(9), 1554 - 62
{Structure of O-specific polysaccharide from Proteus mirabilis O10, containing a new component of O-antigens--L-altruronic acid}; Shashkov AS et al.; An acidic O-specific polysaccharide was obtained by mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of Proteus mirabilis O10 and studied after full acid hydrolysis and carboxyl reduction by 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, including two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (COSY), H-detected heteronuclear 1H,13C multi-quantum coherence (HMQC), and rotating-frame nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (ROESY) . It was found that the polysaccharide contains 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose, D-galacturonic acid, and L-altruronic acid, and the following structure of the branched tetrasaccharide repeating unit of the polysaccharide was established: {sequence: see text}

Acta Chir Belg, 1996 Sep-Oct, 96(5), 217 - 22
Indications and results of pleuropulmonary decortications in the university hospital of Kinshasa; Mushegera CK et al.; In a retrospective and prospective study the authors assess factors influencing postoperative results in patients operated on for pachypleuritis with late referral to the hospital . There were 78 cases in the retrospective (1970-1984) and 28 cases in the prospective (1985-1992) parts of the study . The total number of treated cases is 106 (75 males and 31 females) . There were 32 children (> 15 years of age) and 74 adults (< or = 15 years) . General condition was good in 45 patients (11 children and 34 adults) and poor in 61 patients (21 children and 40 adults) . Ninety percent of the patients were operated on at least one month after the appearance of their symptoms . Eighty-one patients (75.4%) had an empyema secondary to bronchopulmonary infection (34 tuberculous) . Other etiologies were: thoracic trauma: 23 cases (19 open and 4 internal); miscellaneous: 2 cases . The commonest isolated organisms were S . aureus, (21.4%), Klebsiella (21.4%) Pseudomonas (13%), Proteus mirabilis, P . vulgaris, P . aeruginosa (11.9%), E . coli (8.4%) and Pyocyaneus (5.9%) . In all cases, a total decortication was performed . Good result was achieved in 55/106 (51.8%) . There were 39/106 (36.9%) poor results and 12 operative deaths (11.3%) . No correlation could be found between results and age, sex or etiology . A significant correlation appeared between duration of symptoms and postoperative results . The longer the delay; the worse the results.

Arch Ital Urol Androl, 1996 Sep, 68(4), 251 - 62
Clinical observations on 2086 patients with upper urinary tract stone; Trinchieri A et al.; The present series comprises 2086 consecutive patients who were studied in a stone clinic during a period of 15 years . Each patient was subjected to a comprehensive protocol including a fully biochemical investigation . Calcium stones were by far the commonest accounting for 61% of cases; infection, uric acid/calcium oxalate and cystine stones accounted respectively for 24%, 8%, 5% and 2% . Nephrolithiasis was more prevalent in males with the male to female ratio 1:0.76, on the other hand infection stones were more frequent in females with the male to female ratio 1:1.6 . The peak age incidence of renal calcium stones occurred in the third to fifth decades, although about 3.4% reported onset of disease in the first and second decades of life . The onset of cystine stones was always in the first and second decades, while uric acid stones affected older patients . Renal stones were recurrent in about 50% of cases . In a retrospective analysis it was found the interval to first recurrence to be less than 5 years in about half patients . The cystine and uric acid groups had the highest rate of recurrence . In patients with calcium stones a definite metabolic or mechanical cause for their stones was found respectively in 8.2% and 10.1% . Particularly primary hyperparathyroidism was revealed in 2.8% . A metabolic defect could be found in 54% of the patients with idiopathic calcium stones . In these patients with idiopathic calcium stones the prevalence rate of hypercalciuria was 33% . In patients with uric acid stones and with mixed uric acid/calcium oxalate stones a definite metabolic cause for their stones was found respectively in 9.5% and 4.1% whereas an underlying disease of the urinary tract was diagnosed respectively in 8.5% and 6.2% . In patients with struvite stones the incidence of persistent infection was 46% (Proteus 18%) . In this group the presence of an underlying disease of the urinary tract was diagnosed in 18.8% whereas a definite metabolic disease was demonstrated in 8.5%, a urinary risk factor for metabolic stone disease in 42% and a previous episode of metabolic stone disease in 33%.

Semin Nephrol, 1996 Sep, 16(5), 425 - 34
Struvite calculi; Cohen TD et al.; Although calcium oxalate stones are the most common type of calculi found in the United States, struvite or infection stones are quite common and generally pose a difficult treatment dilemma . The presence of urinary infection with a urease-producing organism is necessary for these stones to form . Proteus species account for the majority of infections that cause struvite stones in all age ranges . However, other organisms also produce urease and may be detected in conjunction with struvite calculi . Factors that may predispose one to urinary tract infections increase the likelihood of struvite stone formation . Several options are available for the treatment of existing struvite calculi . Smaller stones may be treated with primary shock-wave lithotripsy, whereas larger stones are more appropriately managed with percutaneous or combination procedures . Medical therapy to prevent recurrent stone formation is also an essential part of the treatment of these patients, as the risk of stone recurrence is extremely high . Antibiotic therapy and urease inhibitors perhaps offer the best form of preventative treatment available today.

Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol, 1996 Sep, 234(9), 547 - 52
Immunological profiles in patients with acute retinal necrosis; Rochat C et al.; PURPOSE: Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) is a newly recognized disease caused by human commensal viruses of the herpes family (herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus and cytomegalovirus) occurring in apparently immunocompetent patients . As at least three viruses can cause ARN, the modification in the host-virus interaction at the origin of the disease most probably comes from the host . A review of 216 reported cases of ARN showed that there were signs of impaired cellular immunity in 16% of these cases . The purpose of this study was to investigate immune parameters in ARN . METHODS: In nine HIV-negative ARN patients who were not under steroid or immunosuppressive therapy, the following prospective immunological investigations were performed: (1) skin testing for delayed-type hypersensitivity to seven common antigens (Candida, diphtheria, purified protein derivative tuberculin Proteus, Streptococcus, tetanus, Trichophyton); (2) lymphocytic proliferative responses in vitro to these antigens and to three mitogens; (3) determination of blood lymphocyte sub-populations by flow cytometry . RESULTS: Cutaneous anergy was found in five of seven tested cases . The lymphocyte proliferative index was less than 20% of the index of a control group for all antigens in three of nine cases, and for three or more antigens in eight of nine cases . In eight of nine cases there was a relative increase of B-lymphocytes, and in seven of nine cases B-lymphocytes were also increased in absolute numbers . In all nine cases one or more of these parameters were abnormal . CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that ARN may develop in association with an imbalance of the immune system characterized by an impaired cellular response and/or a maintained or increased humoral response.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1996 Sep, 40(9), 2152 - 9
Recovery of active beta-lactamases from Proteus vulgaris and RTEM-1 hybrid by random mutagenesis by using a dnaQ strain of Escherichia coli; Hosseini-Mazinani SM et al.; Proteus vulgaris and RTEM-1 beta-lactamases that belong to molecular class A with 37% amino acid similarity were examined to find the relationship between amino acid residues and activity of enzymes . MICs of ampicillin were > 2,000 micrograms/ml for Escherichia coli cells producing these enzymes . We have made 18 hybrid genes by substituting the coding region of the P . vulgaris beta-lactamase gene with the equivalent portions from the RTEM-1 gene . Most of these hybrids produced inactive proteins, but a few hybrid enzymes had partial or trace activity . From one of the hybrid genes (MIC of ampicillin, 100 micrograms/ml), we recovered three kinds of active mutants which provided ampicillin MICs of 1,000 micrograms/ml by the selection of spontaneous mutations in a dnaQ strain of E . coli . In these mutants, Leu-148, Met-182, and Tyr-274 were replaced with Val, Thr, and His, respectively . These amino acids have not been identified as residues with functional roles in substrate hydrolysis . Furthermore, from these hybrid mutants, we obtained a second set of mutants which conferred ampicillin MICs of 1,500 micrograms/ml . Interestingly, the second mutations were limited to these three amino acid substitutions . These amino acid residues which do not directly interact with substrates have an effect on enzyme activity . These mutant enzymes exhibited lower K(m) values for cephaloridine than both parental enzymes.

Eur J Biochem, 1996 Aug 15, 240(1), 245 - 51
The structure of the O-specific polysaccharide of Proteus penneri 52; Sidorczyk Z et al.; An acidic O-specific polysaccharide isolated from Proteus penneri 52 contains D-galacturonic acid, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose in the ratio 1:2:2 . On the basis of sugar analysis and NMR spectroscopy, which included one-dimensional TOCSY, two-dimensional COSY, heteronuclear 13C, 1H-COSY, and rotating-frame NOE spectroscopy, the following structure of the pentasaccharide repeating unit of the O-specific polysaccharide was established: {sequence: see text} Cross-reactivity of the anti-P-penneri 52 O-serum with other strains of P . penneri isolated in Germany . Poland, USA, and Canada is discussed and a new Proteus serogroup is proposed.

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem, 1996 Aug, 60(8), 1365 - 7
Partial interfacial activation of Proteus vulgaris lipase overexpressed in Escherichia coli; Kim HK et al.; An expression plasmid carrying an alkaline lipase gene from Proteus vulgaris was constructed . The lipase content in Escherichia coli cells harboring the expression plasmid reached about 22% of total soluble protein . The purified enzyme displayed a partial interfacial activation toward p-nitrophenyl butyrate (PNPB).

J Korean Med Sci, 1996 Aug, 11(4), 332 - 4
Preputial condition and urinary tract infections; Kim KK; Recently, an increase in incidences of urinary tract infections in uncircumcised male infants has been reported . However, determining what is the best management for the prepuce of newborns and infants is still to be solved . I investigated prospectively how much foreskins are retracted with age and what correlations it has with urinary tract infection in 122 males children below 15 years of age . Under 6 months of age, the majority of the foreskins were unretractable . As they got older, over 3 years of age, their prepuces became retractable . The incidence of bacteriuria was 11.4% in uncircumcised but none in circumcised and hypospadias . In 8 patients showing bacteriuria, their foreskins were retracted below 25% in length . Among them, 5 patients, in whom E . coli were grown in their urine, showed radiologic renal abnormalities and suffered from high fever indicating systemic infection . However, the other 3 cases infected by Proteus mirabilis in their urine complained of only local penile symptoms.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1996 Aug, 38(2), 183 - 91
Characterization of an inhibitor-resistant enzyme IRT-2 derived from TEM-2 beta-lactamase produced by Proteus mirabilis strains; Bret L et al.; Ten clinical isolates of Proteus mirabilis were found to produce an inhibitor-resistant TEM beta-lactamase (IRT) in association with a TEM-1 enzyme . The IRT enzyme was derived from TEM-2 . The blaIRT gene differs from blaTEM-2 gene by one point mutation which leads to the amino-acid substitution Arg-->Ser at position 244, as observed for the original IRT-2 enzyme derived from TEM-1 reported in Escherichia coli . This is the first report of an IRT beta-lactamase derived from TEM-2.

Eur J Pediatr Surg, 1996 Aug, 6(4), 249 - 51
Proteus syndrome associated with a sacrococcygeal teratoma; a rare combination; Zachariou Z et al.; We report on an 5-year-old boy with a Proteus syndrome known since his second year of life . Hidden in a lipomatous tumor we excised a sacrococcygeal teratoma which must have been present since birth . This is the first case, out of about 50 published Proteus cases, of a patient with Proteus syndrome and sacrococcygeal teratoma.

Mol Microbiol, 1996 Aug, 21(3), 643 - 55
Activation of transcription at divergent urea-dependent promoters by the urease gene regulator UreR; D'Orazio SE et al.; The Proteus mirabilis and plasmid-encoded urease loci contain seven contiguous structural and accessory genes (ureDABCEFG) and the divergently transcribed ureR, which codes for an AraC-like transcriptional activator . Previously, it was shown that the plasmid-encoded ureR to ureD intergenic region contained divergent promoters (ureRp and ureDp) . Transcription from these promoters required both the effector molecule urea and the activator protein UreR . In this report, we demonstrate that the P . mirabilis urease gene cluster contains similar divergent urea- and UreR-dependent promoters . The ureR gene products from either urease locus were able to activate transcription at both the plasmid-encoded and P . mirabilis promoters . The minimal concentration of urea required to activate transcription at ureRp or ureDp from either gene cluster was approximately 4 mM . The transcriptional start sites for the plasmid-encoded and P . mirabilis divergent promoters were similar in an Escherichia coli DH5 alpha background, as determined by primer-extension analysis . However, in P . mirabilis HI4320, transcription of ureR initiated predominately at an alternative site . Physical mapping and inhibition studies were used to localize the UreR-binding sites within the plasmid-encoded ureRp and ureDp intergenic sequences to regions of 68 bp and 86 bp, respectively . Gel shift analysis demonstrated that UreR bound to a 135 bp fragment in the approximate centre of the plasmid-encoded ureR to ureD intergenic region . The results presented here suggest that the P . mirabilis and plasmid-encoded urease gene clusters utilize similar mechanisms of transcriptional activation in response to urea.

Eur J Biochem, 1996 Aug 1, 239(3), 871 - 80
Structural analysis of unsaturated hexasaccharides isolated from shark cartilage chondroitin sulfate D that are substrates for the exolytic action of chondroitin ABC lyase; Sugahara K et al.; The enzymatic action of highly purified chondroitin ABC lyase from Proteus vulgaris is dependent on the size of the substrate, and the enzyme does not cleave tetrasaccharides, irrespective of their sulfation profiles {Sugahara, K., Shigeno, K., Masuda, M., Fujii, N., Kurosaka, A . & Takeda, K . (1994) Carbohydr . Res . 255, 145-163} . To characterize the enzyme action in more detail, we isolated nine sulfated hexasaccharides from commercial shark cartilage chondroitin sulfate D, after partial digestion with highly purified chondroitin ABC lyase, by means of gel chromatography and HPLC on an amine-bound silica column . Structural analysis by 500-MHz H-NMR spectroscopy, and enzymatic digestion in conjunction with HPLC, demonstrated that these hexasaccharides, with the common core saccharide structure delta 4 HexA (alpha 1-3)GalNAc(beta 1-4)GlcA(beta 1-3)GalNAc(beta 1-4) GlcA(beta 1-3)GalNAc(where delta 4 HexA and GlcA represent 4-deoxy-alpha-L-threo-hex-4-enepyranosyluronic acid and glucuronic acid, respectively) bear three or four sulfate groups in different combinations . In the hexasaccharides, the D, disaccharide unit GlcA2-SO3 (beta 1-3) GalNAc4SO(3-) which is characteristic of chondroitin sulfate D, was arranged on the reducing side of the A disaccharide unit GlcA(beta 1-3)GalNAc4SO(3)-, and thus formed an A-D tetrasaccharide sequence GlcA(beta 1-3)GalNAc4SO(3)-(beta 1-4)GlcA2SO(3)-(beta 1-3) GalNAc6SO(3)- . Analysis of the degradation products of these hexasaccharides with highly purified chondroitin ABC lyase indicated that the enzyme preferentially acted on the unsaturated hexasaccharides in an exolytic fashion and removed an unsaturated disaccharide unit from the non-reducing termini, irrespective of the sulfation profiles of the hexasaccharides.

FEBS Lett, 1996 Jul 15, 390(1), 95 - 8
Antimicrobial activity of a 13 amino acid tryptophan-rich peptide derived from a putative porcine precursor protein of a novel family of antibacterial peptides; Lawyer C et al.; It has long been speculated that porcine cathelin is an N-terminal fragment of a longer precursor protein which possesses antimicrobial activity . In an attempt to find such a precursor, a cDNA clone was recently isolated and sequenced by screening a cDNA library from porcine bone marrow . In order to identify the functional activity of the putative protein encoded by an open reading frame, we have synthesized various lengths of peptides that correspond to the C-terminal region of the protein and examined them for their antimicrobial activities . We found that a 13 amino acid tryptophan-rich region with the sequence of VRRFPWWWPFLRR had strong antimicrobial activity with a wide spectrum . It showed potency against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Proteus mirabilis, and Streptococcus group D as well as Aspergillus fumigatus . The action of this peptide is bactericidal rather than bacteriostatic and this activity is completely inhibited by 2 mM MgCl2 . Our results indicate that the previously identified putative precursor encoded by the isolated cDNA indeed possesses a potent antimicrobial activity and that this 13 amino acid synthetic peptide is considered to be a potentially effective drug against various infectious agents.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1996 Jul-Aug, (4), 26 - 30
{The development of a Proteus mirabilis macrocolony on a solid nutrient medium}; Bondarenko VM et al.; As revealed in this study, the macrocolony of Proteus mirabilis, formed on solid culture medium, may consist both of the main part and of sporadically appearing dissociating subcolonies, considerably differing one from another . The outer edge of the main part of the macrocolony of swarming cells is represented by bacteria located in three perpendicular directions . The next intermediate area consisting of two layers is represented by bacteria oriented, as a rule, in one direction . The center of the colony is made up of short microbial cells . Between the upper layer and the surface of agar an original subpopulation of microbial cells, forming a separate layer, has been detected; together they determine the planar sandwich-like architectonics of the macrocolony.

Indian J Exp Biol, 1996 Jul, 34(7), 706 - 9
Fungicidal and insect controlling properties of Proteus strain RRLJ 16, isolated from tea, Camellia sinensis (L) O Kuntze, plantations; Bezbaruah B et al.; A strain of Proteus RRLJ 16, isolated from acid (pH 4.5-5.5) iron rich tea (Camellia sinensis) plantation soil, produced siderophores with single absorption peak at 370 nm when cultured in iron free medium . Extracted crude fraction of siderophores and live cultures showed in vitro antibiosis against five species of pathogenic fungi . When the strain was cultured in a normal bacteriological medium without iron stress, it produced an insect repellent compound . The culture filtrate sprayed (dilution of 1:100 in water) on tea plants infected with pink mites or green flies, the insect populations disappeared from the plants . Termite galleries sprayed similarly showed no termite activity after 24 hr of spraying . No reinfestation by insects was observed on treated plants for more than one year.

J Biochem (Tokyo), 1996 Jul, 120(1), 98 - 103
Purification and characterization of the Proteus vulgaris BlaA protein, the activator of the beta-lactamase gene; Ishiguro K et al.; Induction of the expression of the beta-lactamase gene, blaB, is regulated by the blaA gene located just upstream of blaB in the opposite direction in Proteus vulgaris . The expression of the blaA gene is negatively autoregulated by its own product BlaA, the activator of the blaB gene . The P . vulgaris BlaA protein shares high amino acid homology with the LysR family members, which are prokaryotic transcriptional activators that possess a putative helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif . To characterize its function, we purified the BlaA protein to homogeneity from Escherichia coli carrying the expression plasmid of the blaA gene driven by the tac promoter . The gel shift assay and DNaseI footprinting showed that purified BlaA specifically bound to the blaA promoter region, which resides immediately upstream of that of blaB . The binding region contained an inverted repeat, including a T-N11-T sequence which is similar to the LysR motif (T-N11-A) that is conserved in some LysR family members {Goethals et al . (1992) Proc . Natl . Acad . Sci . USA 89, 1646-1650} . We also showed that the BlaA protein forms a dimer in solution, using glycerol gradient centrifugation and glutaraldehyde crosslinking.

Ann Rheum Dis, 1996 Jul, 55(7), 437 - 41
Increased serum and synovial fluid antibodies to immunoselected peptides in patients with rheumatoid arthritis; Dybwad A et al.; OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of potential immunoselected phages displaying random peptides in addition to possible antigen leads in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by assaying the levels of synovial fluid (SF) and serum antibodies to synthetic peptides . METHODS: Serum and SF antibodies from patients and controls were measured using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) . RESULTS: Sera and SF from RA patients reacted significantly more strongly to a 12 amino acid peptide, EFHELGDIAIAA, that shares a significant homology with collagen type IX, than did SF and sera from control groups (p < 0.0209 and p < 0.0115, respectively) . In addition, the humoral responses to a 15 amino acid peptide, GGYGDGGAHGGGYGG, derived from the glycine-rich cell wall protein (GRP) 1.8, and to a 16 amino acid synthetic peptide, LGSISESRRALQDSQR, derived from the Proteus haemolysin protein were significantly stronger in RA patients compared with healthy individuals (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0011, respectively) . CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that peptide phage libraries can be used as tools for the identification of the (auto)antigen leads that may be responsible for the initiation, perpetuation, or both, of the immune response in patients with RA.

Am J Med, 1996 Jun 24, 100(6A), 76S - 82S
Treatment of urinary tract infections: selecting an appropriate broad-spectrum antibiotic for nosocomial infections; Sharifi R et al.; Clinical and in vitro data indicate that cefepime, a fourth-generation cephalosporin, may be a valuable addition in the treatment of serious infections . In this study, hospitalized patients with complicated and uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI), for which parenteral therapy was appropriate, were enrolled in a 2:1 ratio open, randomized trial comparing the efficacy and safety of cefepime and ceftazidime . A total of 180 patients, including 6 with concurrent bacteremia, were evaluated for their response to cefepime (n = 118) or ceftazidime (n = 62), both of which were administered by intravenous infusion or intramuscular injection in doses of 500 mg every 12 hours . In cases of complicated UTI, cefepime produced a satisfactory clinical response in 83 of 93 (89%) patients and eradicated 83 of 98 (85%) pathogens . A satisfactory clinical response to ceftazidime was experienced by 43 of 50 (86%) patients; and in 39 of 50 (78%) cases pathogens were eradicated . In uncomplicated cases, the clinical response and bacterial eradication rates for cefepime were 23 of 25 (92%) and 22 of 26 (85%), respectively, and for ceftazidime 12 of 12 (100%) and 11 of 12 (92%) . Of the 6 patients with concomitant bacteremia, 5 received cefepime and 1, ceftazidime . The infecting organisms, Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis, were eradicated in all cases, although one cefepime-treated patient had an unsatisfactory clinical response . The most common adverse events in both groups were headache, diarrhea, and vomiting; most events were unrelated to therapy . Adverse events forced only a 2% withdrawal of patients in either group . There was local tolerance to both agents, and abnormalities in laboratory values were judged to be clinically insignificant . The results of this study indicate that cefepime can be used safely and successfully to treat both complicated and uncomplicated nosocomial infection of the urinary tract, including cases associated with concurrent bacteremia . Moreover, its safety profile appears comparable to those of other cephalosporins, and local tolerance is similar to that of ceftazidime . No patient in either group required discontinuation of therapy because of local intolerance at the infusion or injection site.

Indian J Med Sci, 1996 Jun, 50(6), 192 - 5
Bacteriological patterns of chronic suppurative otitis media in Ludhiana; Greval RS et al.; A series of 300 cases of chronic suppurative otitis media encountered in Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana was surveyed for type specificity to determine latest trends of bacterial prevalence in Ludhiana . Punjab Pseudomonas, staphylococcus and proteus head the list . The problem of resistance is discussed in the present context.

Glycobiology, 1996 Jun, 6(4), 433 - 7
Separation of bacterial capsular and lipopolysaccharides by preparative electrophoresis; Kim JS et al.; Preparative gel electrophoresis was used to separate and purify extracellular, capsular and lipopolysaccharides (EPSs, CPSs, and LPSs, respectively) from crude bacterial extracts . The procedure effectively separates CPS from LPSs . In addition discreet size ranges of these various polysaccharides can be isolated . The 'rough' (R-type), 'smooth' (S-type), and 'semi-smooth' LPSs were separated from one another . In addition different size classes of 'semi-smooth', or S-type LPS, can be separated . This procedure was demonstrated for diverse bacterial species, including the soil bacteria Rhizobium fredii, and the enteric bacterial species, Salmonella enteritidis and Proteus mirabilis . In the latter case, it was also possible to separate capsular polysaccharide from its lipid-bound form.

Int J Dev Biol, 1996 Jun, 40(3), 537 - 43
Cloning and expression of a thyroid hormone receptor alpha 1 in the perennibranchiate amphibian Proteus anguinus; Ho Huynh TD et al.; We demonstrated the presence of thyroid hormone receptor alpha mRNAs in tissues of the perennibranchiate amphibian Proteus anguinus, which is insensitive to thyroid hormone . From P . anguinus muscle we cloned and sequenced the 3' coding and untranslated region of a cDNA corresponding to a thyroid hormone receptor alpha 1 . Using cDNA-PCR and in situ hybridization, we showed a tissue-specific expression of thyroid hormone receptor alpha genes, which was not upregulated by thyroid hormone as opposed to that observed in the TH-sensitive species, Xenopus laevis.

Scand J Urol Nephrol, 1996 Jun, 30(3), 235 - 9
Focal xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis presenting as renal tumour in children . Case report with a review of the literature; Marteinsson VT et al.; Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) is a specific form of chronic inflammatory kidney disease which may involve both sexes at any age . The disease presents either in the diffuse form or less commonly as a focal process which is almost impossible to differentiate from renal malignancy . XGP usually occurs in association with urinary tract obstruction, infection and/or renal stones . Symptoms are often vague and non-specific . The most common offending organisms are E . coli and Proteus mirabilis . In reviewing the literature we have found 197 cases in children during the last thirty years, and of these only 15 (7.6%) were of the focal form . A case of focal xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis in a 6-year-old boy is reported which demonstrates the diagnostic difficulties encountered in this disease . We emphasize the importance of XGP in the differential diagnosis of renal tumours in children with recurrent or therapy-resistant urinary tract infection in spite of no evidence of renal stone, poorly or absent function in the kidney or urinary tract obstruction.

J Commun Dis, 1996 Jun, 28(2), 101 - 6
Bacterial infections in burns patients: a three years study at RML Hospital, Delhi; Sharma S et al.; A study was undertaken at RML Hospital, Delhi to examine the bacterial infections of burn cases and determine the antibiograms of the isolates to commonly used antimicrobial agents . A total of 489 pus samples from as many patients received, over a period of three years (January 1992 to December, 1994) yielded 793 isolates . Pseudomonas sp . was the commonest (53.9%) followed by Klebsiella sp . (35.1%) Staphylococcus aureus (30.6%) Proteus sp . (23.5%) . Esch . coli (14.1%) and others (4.9%) . The most resistant isolate to commonly used antimicrobial was Klebsiella sp . (16.4%), followed by Esch . coli (15.4%) Pseudomonas sp . (15.2%) Proteus sp . (7.8%) and Staphylococcus aureus (4.6%) . The infection of burn wounds with multiple organisms, with superadded problem of drug resistance, indicate the institution of a drug policy by the hospitals for burns patients.

Br J Rheumatol, 1996 Jun, 35(6), 592 - 4
Antibodies to four gram-negative bacteria in rheumatoid arthritis which share sequences with the rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility motif; Tiwana H et al.; The bacteria Proteus, Serratia, Escherichia and Pseudomonas possess sequences resembling the rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility sequence EQRRAA, but antibodies were elevated only to Proteus in 66 RA patients (P<0.001) when compared to 61 active ankylosing spondylitis patients and 60 controls.

Gene, 1996 May 24, 171(1), 89 - 93
The s29x gene of symbiotic bacteria in Amoeba proteus with a novel promoter; Pak JW et al.; Gram-symbiotic bacteria (called X-bacteria), present in the xD strain of Amoeba proteus as required cell components, synthesize and export a large amount of a 29-kDa protein, S29x . S29x is exported into the host's cytoplasm across the bacterial membranes and the symbiosome membrane . The complete nucleotide (nt) sequence of the s29x gene of X-bacteria has been determined, and the promoter sequence and tsp have also been identified . The gene has a nonconventional promoter with putative nt sequences different from the known consensus sequences . When Escherichia coli cells are transformed with s29x, the gene is expressed and the product is secreted into the culture medium . Functions of S29x are not fully known, but it is suspected that S29x plays an important role in the symbiotic relationship between amoebae and X-bacteria.

FEBS Lett, 1996 May 20, 386(2-3), 247 - 51
Structures of new acidic O-specific polysaccharides of the bacterium Proteus mirabilis serogroups O26 and O30; Shashkov AS et al.; The polysaccharide chains of the lipopolysaccharides of the Proteus mirabilis serogroups O26 and O30 were studied using sugar and methylation analysis and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, including two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy and rotating-frame NOE spectroscopy . The polysaccharides were found to be acidic due to the presence of D-galacturonic acid and its amide with L-lysine in serogroup O26 or D-glucuronic acid in serogroup O30, and the structures of their tetrasaccharide repeating units were established . The O26-specific polysaccharide is structurally and serologically related to the O-specific polysaccharide of P . mirabilis O28, which includes amides of D-GalA with L-lysine and L-serine {Radziejewska-Lebrecht, J . et al . (1995) Eur . J . Biochem . 230, 705-712}.

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, 1996 May-Jun, 91(3), 293 - 8
The associated microflora to the larvae of human bot fly Dermatobia hominis L . Jr . (Diptera: Cuterebridae) and its furuncular lesions in cattle; Sancho E et al.; The microflora associated to furuncular lesions, larvae and pupae of Dermatobia hominis, as well as the relationships between parasite, host and microflora associated, as a comprehensive microsystem, has been studied . One hundred and two furuncular myiasis due to D . hominis larvae in several breeds of cattle were studied and the following bacterial species were significant: Staphylococcus aureus, S . epidermidis, S . warneri, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli . Closely related, the microflora associated to 141 samples from first, second, third instar larva and both external surface and larval cavities has been studied . The representative associated microflora to the larvae were: S . aureus, B . subtilis, S . hycus and Moraxella phenylpiruvica, Moerella wisconsiensis, Proteus mirabilis and P . vulgaris, M . phenylpiruvica, M . wisconsiensis, P . mirabilis and P . rettgeri were the representative microflora associated to 64 pupae of D . hominis.

Cent Eur J Public Health, 1996 May, 4(2), 98 - 101
Differentiation of Proteus mirabilis and Proteus vulgaris strains by means of proticine typing: a longitudinal epidemiological study; Sekaninova G et al.; In the years 1979, 1980, 1982-83, 1986-87 and 1992-93, 673 strains of P . mirabilis and 25 strains of P . vulgaris were isolated from the urinary tracts of patients at a Teaching Hospital in Brno . In 1982-83 and 1992-93, strains of P . mirabilis and P . vulgaris were isolated from the urine and faeces of two groups of Brno population and used as controls . Using the P/S typing method, 94.7% of hospital isolates and 85.5% of control strains could be differentiated by their types . The strains that could not be typed (8.2%) were classified as PO/SO or N types; in the remaining strains, 182 various P/S types could be distinguished . The strains that could not be typed occurred more frequently in control groups (48 out of 337) than in hospital isolates (37 out of 698) . Over the whole period, P5/S6, S7, S9 and P1/S2, S11 were the prevailing P/S types of hospital isolates and were placed, together with related types, in groups P5 and P1, respectively . In 1982-83, a significant shift (p < 0.01) from the initially prevailing P5/S6, S7, S9 type to the P1/S2, S11 type of P . mirabilis was recorded . Approximately one third of the hospital isolates in all the periods examined was found to be sporadic, with the exception of 1992-93 when the sporadic strains doubled in frequency (p < 0.01) . In control strains, the frequency of sporadic types was twice that of the hospital isolates (p < 0.01) in 1982-83 and, 1992-93, it was equal to the frequency of hospital isolates . This implied a fall in the presence of hospital-acquired strains in the last period of study.

Anesteziol Reanimatol, 1996 May-Jun, (3), 71 - 3
{Intensive antibacterial therapy of multiple trauma}; Kamalov EKh et al.; Septic complications are considered among the main causes of death in patients with multiple injuries . In intensive care units their incidence is 33% of all cases . A total of 655 samples of sputum, blood, and urine from 224 patients were examined . The principal agents of septic infections were gram negative aerobic bacilli Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus . The spectrum of activity of penicillins and aminoglycosides has appreciably changed . A decrease of contamination may be attained by arranging a special "cleansing" intensive care unit with continuous exchange of air free of bacteria, a regimen of an operative room, and use of solely cephalosporines combined with fluoroquinolones.

Biokhimiia, 1996 May, 61(5), 800 - 6
{Structure of the O-specific polysaccharide from Proteus mirabilis O30}; Shashkov AS et al.; Based on acid hydrolysis, methylation, and one- and two-dimensional 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, including homonuclear and 1H, 13C heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy (COSY) and rotating-frame nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (ROESY); it was found that the O-specific polysaccharide chain of the lipopolysaccharide of the bacterium Proteus mirabilis O30 is a hexosamino-glucuronan built up of tetrasaccharide repeating units having the following structure: {formula: see text} The degree of O-acetylation of 2-acetamido-2-deoxyglucose is about 70%.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1996 May, 40(5), 1311 - 3
Concentrations of ceftriaxone (1,000 milligrams intravenously) in abdominal tissues during open prostatectomy; Martin C et al.; Ceftriaxone concentrations in abdominal tissues were evaluated at different stages of open prostatectomy . Ceftriaxone was administered as antibiotic prophylaxis, and 15 consecutive patients were given a single dose of ceftriaxone (1,000 mg intravenously in 1 min) 30 min before surgery . Ceftriaxone concentrations in tissue were determined at three stages of the surgical procedure; upon the opening of the abdominal cavity, during the prostatectomy, and upon the closure of the abdominal cavity . Samples of the following tissues or sample were assayed: epiploic and abdominal-wall fat; Retzius' space, bladder, and prostate tissue; and urine . During the different stages of the surgical procedure, for all patients, and in the different tested tissues, ceftriaxone concentrations greater than or equal to the cutoff point (4 micrograms/g of tissue) were measured . The highest concentrations were obtained in the bladder (43 +/- 18 micrograms/g) and in the prostate (35 +/- 18 micrograms/g) . In fatty tissues, concentrations were between 13 +/- 5 and 22 +/- 8 micrograms/g . All patients (15 of 15) had ceftriaxone levels in tissue greater than the MICs for the potential pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Proteus mirabilis) . In conclusion, during open prostatectomy and after the use of a single dose of ceftriaxone (1,000 mg), high antibiotic levels were obtained throughout the surgical procedure in the tissues potentially involved in postoperative infection.

Microb Drug Resist, 1996 Spring, 2(1), 135 - 40
The role of O-acetylation in the metabolism of peptidoglycan in Providencia stuartii; Payie KG et al.; The gentamicin 2'-N-acetyltransferase {EC 2.3.1.59; AAC(2')-Ia} of Providencia stuartii was shown to contribute to the O-acetylation of peptidoglycan and mutants that either under- or overexpress the aac(2')-Ia gene was characterized phenotypically to possess either lower or higher levels of peptidoglycan O-acetylation, respectively, compared to the wild-type . These mutants were subjected to scanning electron microscopy . P . stuartii PR100, with 42-44% peptidoglycan O-acetylation compared to 54% for the wild-type, appeared as irregular rods . In direct contrast, strains PR50.LM3 and PR51, with increased levels of peptidoglycan O-acetylation (63 and 65%, respectively), appeared as coccobacilli or chain formers, respectively . Zymogram analysis of the autolysins produced by another member of the closely related Proteeae group of bacteria, Proteus mirabilis, indicated the presence of three classes of enzymes: one that acts preferentially on native, O-acetylated peptidoglycan, a second that hydrolyses non-O-acetylated peptidoglycan, and a third that is not distinguished by the two forms of substrate . On the basis of the apparent morphological changes directly related to levels of O-acetylation combined with the presence of different classes of autolysins, a model is proposed that invokes the role of this modification in the control of autolysins for the maintenance of the structure of the peptidoglycan sacculus.

Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin, 1996 Apr, 14(4), 215 - 9
{Evaluation of chromogenic medium CPS ID2 (bioMérieux) in urine cultures}; Navarro F et al.; BACKGROUND . The aim of the study was to evaluate the chromogenic agar plate CPS ID2 (bioMerieux) and determine its cost-benefit ratio . METHODS . A total of 2,193 urinary sediments were processed . The urine culture was carried out in CPS ID2 agar and in cystine-lactose electrolyte deficient (CLED) agar, when needed . Identification of the microorganisms was performed following standard microbiologic procedures through biochemical tests prepared in our laboratory . The identification, from CPS ID2 agar, by direct detection in medium of four metabolic activities: beta-glucuronidase, beta-glucosidase, deaminase, and indol production, was performed following to manufacturer's instructions . RESULTS . A total of 289 urine cultures were positive, 18 were negative and 34 were contaminated samples . The identification, directly performed from the colonies detected in CPS ID2 agar, was correct in 96% of 166 Escherichia coli, in 92% of 24 Proteus mirabilis and in 97% of 38 enterococci . CPS ID2 agar exhibited 94% and 100% sensitivity and specificity, respectively in E . coli identification, 92% and 100% in P . mirabilis and 97% and 99% in Enterococcus . The use of this new media, CPS ID2, in our laboratory, implies a budgetary increment . However, if commercial galleries are used for routine identification, the cost will be reduced using this new media . CONCLUSIONS . The CPS ID2 agar allows the isolation and direct identification of the most frequent urinary tract pathogens: E . coli, P . mirabilis and Enterococcus in primary isolation medium . Using this medium, bacteriologists will be able to save time and reagents when identifying the most common uropathogens . Furthermore, the use of this medium would reduce costs in some laboratories.

Lett Appl Microbiol, 1996 Apr, 22(4), 283 - 7
Variations in the fluorescence intensity of intact DAPI-stained bacteria and their implications for rapid bacterial quantification; Ross J et al.; As current techniques for the quantification of bacteria are laborious and often imprecise, instrumental approaches such as sedimentation field-flow fractionation (SdFFF) are attractive . In this technique, fluorogenic dyes specific for nucleic acids are used to identify bacterial cells . Bacterial biomass can be quantified directly with SdFFF if the specific fluorescence of bacterial cells is constant . The effect of different growth conditions on the specific fluorescence of one strain each of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis and Staphylococcus epidermidis stained with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole was examined . Specific fluorescence varied over a 500-fold range, from 0.22 to 103 arbitrary fluorescence units per cell . Specific fluorescence was highest when cells were in log phase, and lowest when cells were in stationary phase . Specific fluorescence decreased when cells harvested in log phase were starved for 7 d in a carbon-free minimal medium, and increased rapidly (within 2 h) after cells were relieved from carbon limitation . Such variations in specific fluorescence must be considered when using gross fluorescence as a direct indicator of bacterial numbers in the SdFFF technique for quantifying bacterial biomass . Moreover, they have serious implications for the application of fluorescence techniques in other instrumental approaches for bacterial enumeration in environmental samples.

Biometals, 1996 Apr, 9(2), 131 - 7
Production of superoxide dismutases from Proteus mirabilis and Proteus vulgaris; Dayton TM et al.; Proteus mirabilis and Proteus vulgaris expressed a combination of superoxide dismutase (Sod) activities, which was assigned to FeSod1, FeSod2 and MnSod for P . mirabilis, and FeSod, MnSod and CuZnSod for P . vulgaris . Production of the Sod proteins was dependent on the availability of iron, whether cells were grown under anaerobiosis or aerobiosis and growth phase . Nalidixic acid and chloramphenicol inhibited cell growth and the iron- and dioxygen-dependent production of Sod . These results support the involvement of metal ions and redox status in the production of Proteus Sods.

Childs Nerv Syst, 1996 Apr, 12(4), 224 - 7
Lymphangiolipoma of the thoracic spine in a pediatric patient with Proteus syndrome; Whitley JM et al.; Proteus syndrome is a rare hamartomatous disorder involving macrodactyly, hemihypertrophy, and subcutaneous lymphangiomas; fewer than 25 cases have been reported worldwide . We report a case of a thoracic epidural lymphangiolipoma in a 5-year-old boy with Proteus syndrome . Computerized axial tomography (CT) of the thoracic spine revealed a left posterior mediastinal mass that extended into the spinal canal through adjacent neural foramina . No sign of spinal cord compression was observed despite the extensive volume of tumor within the spinal canal . Surgical debulking utilizing a T3-10 laminectomy resulted in gross total resection of the tumor . Microscopic examination of the surgical specimen revealed a lymphangiolipoma . No previous report of spinal cord involvement has been reported in this syndrome . A detailed discussion of the phenotypic features and probable mode of genetic transmission is included.

J Laryngol Otol, 1996 Apr, 110(4), 319 - 21
Glycerol and ichthammol: medicinal solution or mythical potion?
Nilssen E, Wormald PJ, Oliver S.
Glycerol and ichthammol (G & I) has been used for generations by otologists . However, there is a paucity of information on both its mode of action and its anti-bacterial properties . The aim of this paper was to ascertain firstly, what the most common organisms found in discharging ears were and secondly, what antibacterial activity G & I had against these organisms . All ear swabs from 1992-1994 in our unit were reviewed to ascertain the prevalence of the commonly isolated organisms . Fresh isolates of these organisms were collected and plated onto agar with wells of glycerol, ichthammol and a combination of both as used in clinical practice . The diameters of the zones of inhibition observed after incubation were measured in millimetres . Common isolates were: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabalis, Streptococcus pyogenes in descending order of frequency . Pure glycerol showed no significant zones of inhibition against any of the organisms tested . The average zones of inhibition for G & I and ichthammol alone were for Staphylococcus aureus 15 mm and 18 mm and for Streptococcus pyogenes: 16 mm and 23 mm . Ichthammol alone was significantly more effective than G & I (p < 0.001) . There was no significant activity against Proteus mirabalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The therapeutic benefit of G & I is due in part to the inherent anti-bacterial activity of ichthammol against the Gram positive organisms as well as its anti-inflammatory action and the dehydrating effect of the glycerol.

Kansenshogaku Zasshi, 1996 Apr, 70(4), 371 - 6
{A case of psoas abscess associated in the elderly}; Yamamoto T et al.; A case of psoas abscess associated with diabetes mellitus in the elderly is reported . A 81-year-old male who had been followed for cerebral thrombosis, diabetes mellitus and basal cell carcinoma was admitted to our hospital because of high fever . Leukocytosis, a positive CRP test and pyuria were seen . Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli were detected by urine and blood culture, respectively . He was treated with antibiotic therapy for urinary tract infection and sepsis . After starting treatment, a low grade fever continued . On the twenty first hospital day he developed pyrexia again, and a large abscess was demonstrated in the right psoas muscle by pelvic couputed tomography . The abscess was drained and a specimen from it yielded E . coli on culture . Treatment with antibiotics and drainage resulted in symptomatic improvement . In Japan, 82 cases of psoas abscess have been reported from 1990 to 1994 . Four cases of these reports were above eighty years old . The experience with this case indicates the necessity of adequate care in cases of elderly diabetes complicated by psoas abscess.

Planta Med, 1996 Apr, 62(2), 160 - 2
Two flavones from Artemisia giraldii and their antimicrobial activity; Zheng WF et al.; Two new flavones, 4',6,7-trihydroxy-3',5'-dimethoxy-flavone (2) and 5',5- dihydroxy-3',4',8-trimethoxyflavone (3) were isolated from Artemisia giraldii and their structures were identified by spectroscopic methods . These two new flavones showed antibiotic activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Sarcina lutea, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus sp . Aspergillus flavus, and Trichoderma viride.

Ophthalmology, 1996 Apr, 103(4), 575 - 8
Endophthalmitis in patients with retained lens fragments after phacoemulsification; Kim JE et al.; PURPOSE: To review the treatment and outcomes of patients presenting with concurrent endophthalmitis and retained lens fragments after phacoemulsification . METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients presenting with culture-proven endophthalmitis and retained lens fragments after phacoemulsification between 1990 and 1994 . RESULTS: Five patients were identified with culture-proven endophthalmitis and retained lens fragments after phacoemulsification . In all patients, coagulase-negative staphylococci were cultured from the vitreous fluid . One patient also had positive cultures for Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli . The interval between cataract surgery and treatment ranged from 5 days to 6 months . Echography was beneficial in showing retained lens fragments in five of five patients when media opacities obscured the view of the fundus . Four patients had vitrectomy and removal of retained lens fragments during their initial treatment . The fifth patient was treated with intravitreal antibiotics alone and continued to have marked inflammation, eventually requiring vitrectomy for removal of the retained lens fragments . A final visual acuity of 20/400 or better was achieved in four of the five patients . CONCLUSIONS: Patients may present with endophthalmitis in the setting of retained lens fragments after phacoemulsification . In such cases, the preferred initial management may be pars plana vitrectomy, removal of retained lens fragments, and injection of intraocular antibiotics . In eyes with endophthalmitis and opaque media, echography is a useful screening modality.

Int Endod J, 1996 Mar, 29(2), 99 - 107
An in-vitro study of smear layer removal and microbial leakage along root-canal fillings; Behrend GD et al.; The objective of this study was to determine the effect of removal of the smear layer on canal obturation as measured by penetration of bacteria from a coronal direction . Fifty-four extracted human teeth were decoronated and instrumented in a uniform manner . Following instrumentation the root canals of 20 teeth were rinsed with 17% EDTA and 5.25% NaOCl to remove the smear layer before obturation . A second group of 20 teeth were flushed with NaOCl alone . The teeth of both groups were obturated with Thermafil plastic carriers and Roth's sealer . The root canals of another 10 teeth, five rinsed with EDTA and five without, were obturated with Thermafil without sealer . Two teeth serving as positive controls were instrumented but not obturated, while another set of two were sealed coronally and apically to serve as negative controls . The root surface of each tooth was sealed with nail varnish . A small chamber was thoroughly sealed around the coronal aspect of each tooth so that bacteria placed therein could move only through the obturated canal space . Each tooth was placed in a test tube containing sterile trypticase soy broth (TSB) . An inoculum of Proteus vulgaris in TSB was placed in each coronal chamber at five day intervals and daily observations were made for bacterial growth in the apical reservoir for 21 days . Both positive control teeth showed bacterial penetration after 24 h . Neither of the two negative control teeth demonstrated penetration for the duration of the study . The frequency of bacterial penetration through teeth obturated with intact smear layer (70%) was-significantly greater than that of teeth from which the smear layer had been removed (30%) P < 0.05 . All but one tooth obturated without sealer exhibited bacterial penetration, irrespective of the presence or absence of smear layer . Removal of the smear layer enhanced sealability as evidenced by increased resistance to bacterial penetration.

Br J Urol, 1996 Mar, 77(3), 347 - 51
Long-term catheterization of the bladder: prevalence and morbidity; Kohler-Ockmore J et al.; OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence and morbidity of long-term catheterization (LTC) of the urinary bladder . PATIENTS AND METHODS: A postal survey was conducted over two successive years from February 1989 to determine the incidence of LTC in three Bristol Health Districts with a total population of 827,595 . During the first year the number of patients requiring emergency treatment for complications of LTC was also monitored over a 6-month period . In the second year, 54 patients were selected from the first survey and each was visited by one investigator every 2 weeks for 12 weeks to obtain information on catheter management, the incidence and type of complications, the attitudes of the patients or carers about the catheter and to assess the pH and microbiology of the patient's urine . RESULTS: The initial surveys identified 457 and 467 patients with long-term catheters during the 2 years, respectively; there were similar numbers of men and women in both years . The survey of catheter complications recorded 506 emergency referrals during the 6 months and the detailed study of 54 patients showed that 48% experienced catheter blockage, 37% reported urine by-passing the catheter and 30% noted haematuria . Patients found the catheter uncomfortable and depended on nursing support . Catheter blockage was associated with bladder stones, a high urinary pH and the presence of Proteus spp in the urine . CONCLUSION: The prevalence and high morbidity of LTC cause a considerable demand on the available District and Hospital nursing services; most patients with long-term catheters are elderly, disabled or debilitated and more nurses need to be trained in the technique of catheterization and the management of the catheterized patient . Further research is required to reduce the morbidity of LTC by investigating measures to reduce catheter blockage and encrustation at the urine/biomaterial interface.

Res Microbiol, 1996 Mar-Apr, 147(3), 167 - 74
Study of a melanic pigment of Proteus mirabilis; Agodi A et al.; The present study sought to determine whether the pigment produced by Proteus mirabilis from the L-forms of various aromatic amino acids under aerobic conditions is melanic in nature . It is a black-brown pigment which behaves like a melanin in many respects, namely solubility features, bleaching by oxidizing agents and positive response to the Fontana-Masson assay . In the present study, for the first time, it was shown by electron spin resonance analysis that a bacterial melanin is able to act as a free radical trap, as was previously demonstrated for other melanins . Scanning electron microscopy studies showed a specific organized structure of the pigment as rounded aggregates of spherical bodies . DNA hybridization data did not reveal, in the P . mirabilis genome, any nucleotide sequence related to Shewanella colwelliana mel A, one of the two melanogenesis systems already defined at the molecular level in bacteria . Results obtained from experiments on pigment production inhibition suggest a possible role of tyrosinase in P . mirabilis melanogenesis . In conclusion, from the bulk of our results, it appears that the pigment produced by P . mirabilis is melanic in nature.

J Infect, 1996 Mar, 32(2), 103 - 7
Abnormal phagocytic function in children under one year of age; Kearns AM et al.; The action of white blood cells (WBC) against Proteus mirabilis was assayed in 22 children following meningitis or septicaemia and compared with that in control groups of: (1) adult volunteers, (2) children undergoing minor surgical procedures for non-infective conditions, and (3) children being investigated for suspected renal disease . WBC bacterial killing tests were normal in all 55 adult volunteers . Abnormal results were obtained in 11 of 22 (50%) children with meningitis or septicaemia, 10 of 21 (47.6%) children undergoing surgery and six of 13 (46%) children with suspected renal disease, thereby indicating that there were no significant differences in phagocytic function among these three groups . Of children aged 1 year or less, 75% had abnormal phagocytic function . The significance of this finding is discussed.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1996 Mar-Apr, (2), 68 - 71
{The immune reactivity of patients with chronic bronchitis on vaccinal therapy}; Sukhovskaia OA et al.; The treatment of 17 patients having chronic obstructive bronchitis with a combined vaccine resulted in a rise in the number of T lymphocytes and T suppressors, as well as a simultaneous increase in their functional activity, in these patients . Moreover, an increase in the ingestive activity of neutrophils and in the concentration of immune complexes was registered . Treatment with the vaccine containing Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus and Escherichia coli antigens facilitated an increase in the titers of antibodies to most antigens contained in the vaccine and in the resistance of the body to infection . Vaccinal therapy made it possible to achieve a significant prolongation of the period of remission.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1996 Feb 15, 219(2), 441 - 4
Methanol extracts LPS from deep rough bacteria; Nurminen M et al.; Several rough strains of Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica and Proteus mirabilis were cultivated in the presence of (14C)acetate, which incorporated into their phospholipids and lipopolysaccharide . Phospholipids were removed from the cells with ethanol extraction . However, as shown by thin layer chromatography, methanol additionally extracted remarkable quantities of lipopolysaccharide from deep rough strains, but not from bacteria containing complete or nearly complete core.

Cell Biol Toxicol, 1996 Feb, 12(1), 1 - 9
Cytotoxicity of polyamines to Amoeba proteus: role of polyamine oxidase; Schenkel E et al.; It has been shown that oxidation of polyamines by polyamine oxidases can produce toxic compounds (H2O2, aldehydes, ammonia) and that the polyamine oxidase-polyamine system is implicated, in vitro, in the death of several parasites . Using Amoeba proteus as an in vitro model, we studied the cytotoxicity to these cells of spermine, spermidine, their acetyl derivatives, and their hypothetical precursors . Spermine and N1-acetylspermine were more toxic than emetine, an amoebicidal reference drug . Spermine presented a short-term toxicity, but a 48-h contact time was necessary for the high toxicity of spermidine . The uptake by Amoeba cells of the different polyamines tested was demonstrated . On the other hand, a high polyamine oxidase activity was identified in Amoeba proteus crude extract . Spermine (theoretical 100%) and N1-acetylspermine (64%) were the best substrates at pH 9.5, while spermidine, its acetyl derivatives, and putrescine were very poorly oxidized by this enzyme (3-20%) . Spermine oxidase activity was inhibited by phenylhydrazine (nil) and isoniazid (approximately 50%) . Mepacrine did not inhibit the enzyme activity at pH 8 . Neither monoamine nor diamine oxidase activity (approximately 10%) was found . It must be emphasized that spermine, the best enzyme substrate, is the most toxic polyamine . This finding suggests that knowledge of polyamine oxidase specificity can be used to modulate the cytotoxicity of polyamine derivatives . Amoeba proteus was revealed as a simple model for investigation of the connection between cytotoxicity and enzyme activity.

FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol, 1996 Feb, 13(2), 113 - 21
Structural and immunochemical studies on the lipopolysaccharide of the 'T-antigen'-containing mutant Proteus mirabilis R14/1959; Bartodziejska B et al.; In DOC-PAGE, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Proteus mirabilis R14/1959 (Rb-type) mutant showed a ladder-like migration pattern indicating the presence of a high molecular weight polysaccharide chain . The isolated polysaccharide, called T-antigen because of similarity with the T1 chain of Salmonella friedenau LPS, contained D-glucose, D-galacturonic acid (D-GalA), and D-GlcNAc in molar ratios 2:1:1 and was structurally different from the O-antigen of the parental S-strain P . mirabilis S1959 but identical to the O-antigen of another S-strain Proteus penneri 42 . The importance of a D-GalA(L-Lys)-containing epitope, most likely present in the core region of LPS, and of GalA present in the T-antigen chain in manifesting the serological specificity of P . mirabilis R14/1959 were revealed using rabbit polyclonal homologous and heterologous R- and O-specific antisera and the appropriate antigens, including synthetic antigens which represent partial structures of various Proteus LPS.

J R Soc Health, 1996 Feb, 116(1), 27 - 9
Typing of proteus from patients with bacteriuria; Clarke SC et al.; Forty-five strains of Proteus mirabilis isolated from hospital in-patients, out-patients and community patients with significant bacteriuria, were investigated to determine whether a predominant type was present using the Dienes test . Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of the 45 strains of Proteus mirabilis were also determined . There were 38 different Dienes types which shows that there is no predominant type of Proteus amongst the isolates examined in this study . This suggests that there is no predominant type of Proteus mirabilis in the community and hospital acquired bacteriuria . The antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of an isolate was not a useful marker for typing because susceptibility patterns between different Dienes types were so similar.

Am J Gastroenterol, 1996 Feb, 91(2), 333 - 5
Aerobic and anaerobic microbiology of infected hemorrhoids; Brook I et al.; OBJECTIVES: To study the aerobic and anaerobic microbiology of infected hemorrhoids . METHODS: Retrospective review of the clinical microbiology records . RESULTS: Aspirates of pus from infected hemorrhoids in 19 patients showed bacterial growth . Anaerobic bacteria only were recovered in six (32%) specimens, aerobic bacteria only in one (5%), and mixed aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in 12 (63%) . Sixty-eight isolates were recovered: 39 anaerobes (2.1 isolates per specimen) and 29 aerobes (1.5 per specimen) . The predominant anaerobes were Bacteroides sp . (13 isolates, including 10 Bacteroides fragilis groups) and 13 Peptostreptococcus sp . The predominant aerobes were Escherichia coli (7), Proteus sp . (5), group D streptococci (4), and Pseudomonas sp . (3) . CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the polymicrobial nature and predominance of anaerobic bacteria in infected hemorrhoids.

J Bacteriol, 1996 Feb, 178(4), 1053 - 60
Distinct roles of the N-terminal and C-terminal precursor domains in the biogenesis of the Bordetella pertussis filamentous hemagglutinin; Renauld-Mongenie G et al.; The 220-kDa Bordetella pertussis filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) is the major exported protein found in culture supernatants . The structural gene of FHA has a coding potential for a 367-kDa protein, and the mature form constitutes the N-terminal 60% of the 367-kDa precursor . The C-terminal domain of the precursor was found to be important for the high-level secretion of full-length FHA but not of truncated analogs (80 kDa or less) . The secretion of full-length and truncated FHA polypeptides requires the presence of the approximately 100-amino-acid N-terminal domain and the outer membrane protein FhaC, homologous to the N-terminal domains of the Serratia marcescens and Proteus mirabilis hemolysins and their accessory proteins, respectively . By analogy to these hemolysins, it is likely that the N-terminal domain of the FHA precursor interacts, directly or indirectly, with the accessory protein during FHA biogenesis . However, immunogenicity and antigenicity studies suggest that the N-terminal domain of FHA is masked by its C-terminal domain and therefore should not be available for its interactions with FhaC . These observations suggest a model in which the C-terminal domain of the FHA precursor may play a role as an intramolecular chaperone to prevent premature folding of the protein . Both heparin binding and hemagglutination are expressed by the N-terminal half of FHA, indicating that this domain contains important functional regions of the molecule.

Folia Med (Plovdiv), 1996, 38(3-4), 63 - 9
Preoperative treatment of children with chronic suppurative otitis media; Karov I; 259 patients with chronic suppurative otitis media were bacteriologically assessed . 12 bacterial strains were isolated in 196 of the cases . The most common species present was Staphylococcus - 77 (39%) cases, followed by Proteus vulgaris isolated in 36 (18%) cases, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 33 (17%) cases . The flora in 25 cases (18%) yielded two bacterial strains with identical oxygen demands, and a mixture of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus in 32% . In 60.6% of cases the flora was sensitive to ototoxic antibiotics (gentamycin, kanamycin and neomycin), especially to gentamycin - 29.9% . The highest sensitivity of the flora to non-ototoxic antibiotics was to chlorocid (in 25.5% of the cases) . Topical and systemic treatment were administered based on antibiogram and the inflammation and the otorrhea were controlled in 91.4% of the cases . No or little effect was found in the patients with cholesteatoma (8.6%) . A conclusion was made that the monoflora was the commonest in the ear effusion (87%), comprising facultative anaerobes, present in 63.8%, anaerobes in 18.8%, and aerobes, mainly Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in 17.4% . The combined (topical and systemic) treatment based on antibiogram is effective in the preoperative management of the inflammation.

Postepy Hig Med Dosw, 1996, 50(5), 511 - 3
{Serologic cross reactions between strains of Proteus mirabilis belonging to serogroup O43 I O10}; Cedzynski M et al.; In this work an epitope has been determined on lipopolysaccharide of Proteus mirabilis O43 . This epitope is recognized by specific antibodies.

Postepy Hig Med Dosw, 1996, 50(5), 507 - 9
{Serologic studies of cross reactions between strains of Proteus mirabilis OXK (prO 10/52) and Proteus mirabilis S1959}; Swierzko AS et al.; Strong cross-reactions are described between Proteus mirabilis strains having the same structures of repeating units of their O-specific polysaccharides . These strains are used in routine diagnosis of rickettsiae.

Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz), 1996, 44(4), 235 - 40
Comparison of serological reactions of Rickettsiae-infected patients and rabbit anti-Proteus OX antibodies with Proteus OX2, OX19 and OXK lipopolysaccharides; Amano K et al.; The reactivity of anti-Rickettsiae human antibodies with Proteus OX cells is used as a presumptive rickettsial diseases diagnostic test Weil-Felix reaction . In presented studies we compare the reactivity of human anti-Rickettsiae and rabbit anti-Proteus antibodies with series of Proteus OX2, OX19 and OXK lipopolysaccharides (LPS) . Polyclonal rabbit anti-OX2, anti-OX19 and anti-OXK sera reacted only with the homologous LPS--OX2, OX19 and OXK, respectively . The antibodies of Japanese spotted fever patients were less specific and reacted with OX2 as well as OX19 LPS . The antibodies of scrub typhus patients recognized Proteus OXK LPS, only . The serological reactions of O-antigen of P . mirabilis S1959 indicated that this, previously serologically not classified, strain may belong to the OXK group . Bacteria, used in the studies, came from the American, Japanese and European strain collections . The series of OX2, OX19 and OXK LPS, isolated from these Proteus strains, presented pattern of electrophoretic mobility and serological reactivities specific for each of OX-group types.

Acta Microbiol Pol, 1996, 45(2), 161 - 8
Studies of antibiotic resistance of rough and smooth Proteus mirabilis strains and influence of polymyxin E on their lipopolysaccharide composition; Kaca W et al.; The influence of type of bacterial culture media on antibiotic resistance of Proteus mirabilis R and S forms, was tested . P . mirabilis S1959 (S form), R45 and R110 strains (Re and Ra mutant, respectively) cultivated in media supplemented with 10% heat inactivated bovine serum were resistant to ampicillin, amoxicillin, nalidixic acid and nitroxoline . Proteus strains cultivated in media without serum were sensitive to these antibacterial agents . The presence of serum did not change the polymyxin E (colistin) resistance of there Proteus strains tested . The effects of the presence of colistin (1000 U/ml) in culture media on Proteus lipopolysaccharide composition was studied . The content of uronic acids and phosphate residues in lipopolysaccharides isolated from bacteria cultivated in the presence of colistin (LPS-col), were lower than in control LPSs . The contents of 4-amino-4-deoxy-L-arabinose decreases in S1959 LPS-col, increases in R110 LPS-col and remains unchanged in R45 LPS-col . These results indicate that the presence of colistin in cultivation media exerts an influence on the contents of charged components of LPSs isolated from polymyxin E-resistant Proteus R and S strains.

Eur Urol, 1996, 30(4), 498 - 501
Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis in children: conservative management; Rodo J et al.; OBJECTIVES: Three new cases of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis are described in children . METHODS: Laboratory examinations including white and red blood cell counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, renal function, urinalysis and cystography were performed . RESULTS: All of the patients had a palpable abdominal mass . Urine culture was positive (Proteus mirabilis) in only 1 patient . Associated urological abnormalities were found in 2 cases . Urographically a functionless kidney was encountered in 2 children and a renal mass in the other . None could be diagnosed preoperatively . CONCLUSIONS: Although nephrectomy has been said to be the treatment of choice, conservative treatment can be successful as shown by 1 of our patients.

Bacteriol Virusol Parazitol Epidemiol, 1996 Jan-Jun, 41(1-2), 47 - 50
{THe etiology of pleuropneumopathies in infants and small children}; Spineanu R et al.; In a follow-up study during 20 years (1975-1994) we observed, beside clinical aspects, the evolution of pleuropneumopathies in infants and small children (1-3 years of age), and the etiology of these infections . The casuistry includes 456 children-237 infants (51,97%) and 219 small children, between 1-3 years of age (48,02%), which were admitted in Clinical Children's Hospital from Oradea (Clinical Hospital for Children) with pleuropneumopathies . 4 intervals of time were analyzed comparatively, each of 5 years, starting with a number of 235 cases in the first one and reaching only 45 observations in the last one . The etiology was dominated by coagulase-negative and coagulase-positive Staph, aureus (34,20-60,40%), Strept . pneumoniae (14,10-40,00%) . From the Gram negative bacteria, there were identified Kl . pneumoniae (2,20-9,80%), Pseudomonas sp . (2,20-5,19%), E . coli and Proteus sp . (1,70-2,20%) . There were 2,90-9,85% of cases with a potential of pathogenicity, in various associations . In the last 10 years, the number of cases with unprecised etiology is growing (22,50-33,30%) probably because of the implication of anaerobe and coagulase-negative staphylococci, no tests of isolation and identification being made for them.

Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz), 1996, 44(2-3), 179 - 85
Structure of the O-specific polysaccharide chain and serological characterization of the Proteus penneri 62 lipopolysaccharide compared with the lipopolysaccharides of the P . penneri strains; Sidorczyk Z et al.; The chemical structure of the O-specific polysaccharide chain of Proteus penneri 62 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) containing N-acetylisomuramic acid was established using acid hydrolysis, solvolysis with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy . Cross reactivity of the anti-O-serum P . penneri 62 with a number of other strains of the same species isolated in the USA, Canada, Germany and Poland is discussed.

Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz), 1996, 44(1), 39 - 44
Inhibition of mouse liver cytochrome P-450 by gram-negative bacteria lipopolysaccharides; Kaca W et al.; The ability of bacterial endotoxins, of different origin, to modify the level of mouse liver cytochrome P-450 was investigated . Endotoxins, (lipopolysaccharides, LPSs) were isolated from Proteus, Escherichia, Salmonella, Bacteroides and Coxiella strains . The most potent inhibitor of cytochrome P-450 activity was S . typhi 0101 LPS, which at a dose of 1 microgram/mouse reduced the cytochrome P-450 activity to 59% . E . coli O55:B5, S . typhimurium, P . mirabilis O3, and C . burnetii LPSs, at dose 10 micrograms/mouse, decrease cytochrome P-450 level from 56 to 69% . B . ovatus LPS significantly suppressed the expression of cytochrome P-450 only at the highest dose used-100 micrograms/mouse . The comparison of inhibitory activity of P . mirabilis complete, S and R types of LPSs indicate that lipid A portion of LPSs are sufficient to decrease the cytochrome P-450 level . However, the core oligosaccharide of LPS significantly enhance that inhibition . The isolated O-specific polysaccharide part of P . mirabilis O3 LPS did not decrease cytochrome P-450 level . The comparison of biological activity of Proteus LPSs, tested by chromogenic Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) test, demonstrated the enhancement effect of O-polysaccharide part of tested LPSs.

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol, 1996, 253(6), 364 - 6
Susceptibility of microorganisms isolated from chronic suppurative otitis media to ciprofloxacin; Altuntas A et al.; In order to evaluate the susceptibility of the microorganisms isolated from chronic suppurative otitis media to ciprofloxacin, cultures of specimens from 127 patients with chronic suppurative otitis media and their antibiotic sensitivity results were examined . The most common aerobic isolates were Pseudomonas sp., Proteus sp., and Staphylococcus aureus with recovery rates of 40.7%, 21.6% and 19.1% respectively . Sensitivity results showed that 6.2% of Pseudomonas isolates, 2.9% of Proteus isolates, 10% of Staphylococcus aureus isolates and 8.3% of Escherichia coli isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin.

Clin Rheumatol, 1996 Jan, 15 Suppl 1, 57 - 61
Molecular mimicry: the geographical distribution of immune responses to Klebsiella in ankylosing spondylitis and its relevance to therapy; Ebringer A et al.; The discovery that HLA-B27 is linked to ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and HLA-DR1/DR4 to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has provided new approaches to the study of the possible causation of these diseases . Several theories have been proposed to explain these associations but only one, namely "molecular mimicry", has provided a specific aetiological agent for each of these diseases . Molecular mimicry between HLA-B27 and two molecules in Klebsiella microbes: nitrogenase and pullulanase D has been reported whilst in Proteus microbes, the haemolysin molecule shows sterochemical similarity to HLA-DR1/DR4 . Elevated immune responses to Klebsiella microbes have been demonstrated in AS patients from 10 different countries and this wide geographical distribution suggests that the same aetiological agent is probably acting in producing this condition . Furthermore RA patients show similar immune responses to Proteus microbes . Whether AS or RA are caused by these bacteria can only be resolved by tissue typing all rheumatological patients early, in the course of their disease and then assessing their response to antibiotic chemotherapy in longitudinal studies involving double-blind crossover trials . It is possible that in the future, the course of AS or even RA could be modified by adequate antibiotic chemotherapy or even diets which affect the substrates on which these bacteria grow.

Clin Rheumatol, 1996 Jan, 15 Suppl 1, 52 - 6
IgA antibodies in HLA-B27 associated acute anterior uveitis and ankylosing spondylitis; Sprenkels SH et al.; Acute anterior uveitis (AAU) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are, like reactive arthritis (ReA), strongly associated with HLA-B27 . Mucosal infections play a role in the pathogenesis of ReA . To investigate whether these microorganisms are also involved in the pathogenesis of AAU and AS, we examined blood samples from patients with AAU, AS or both, and healthy controls for presence of antibodies against Klebsiella pneumoniae (K 30), Salmonella enteritidis and S . typhimurium, Chlamydia trachomatis, Proteus mirabilis and Borrelia burgdorferi . The IgA, IgG and IgM classes of these antibodies were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay . No significant differences were found in the frequency in which these antibodies occurred in HLA-B27 positive patients with AAU or AS and healthy controls . However, IgA antibodies against K . pneumoniae (p < 0.01) and IgA and IgG antibodies against P . mirabilis (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05) were detected more frequently in HLA-B27 negative patients with AAU than in healthy controls . The results of this study are in contrast with various earlier reports in which antibodies against Klebsiella strains were more frequently found in patients with HLA-B27 associated ankylosing spondylitis than in healthy controls.

Cell Motil Cytoskeleton, 1996, 33(1), 22 - 9
Intracellular pressure is a motive force for cell motion in Amoeba proteus; Yanai M et al.; The cortical filament layer of free-living amoebae contains concentrated actomyosin, suggesting that it can contract and produce an internal hydrostatic pressure . We report here on direct and dynamic intracellular pressure (P(ic)) measurements in Amoeba proteus made using the servo-null technique . In resting apolar A . proteus, P(ic) increased while the cells remained immobile and at apparently constant volume . P(ic) then decreased approximately coincident with pseudopod formation . There was a positive correlation between P(ic) at the onset of movement and the rate of pseudopod formation . These results are the first direct evidence that hydrostatic pressure may be a motive force for cell motion . We postulate that contractile elements in the amoeba's cortical layer contract and increase P(ic) and that this P(ic) is utilized to overcome the viscous flow resistance of the intracellular contents during pseudopod formation.

Radiats Biol Radioecol, 1996 Jan-Feb, 36(1), 58 - 62
{Determination of radioresistance of microbes of different species irradiated separately and jointly}; Mal'tsev VN et al.; Radioresistance of lactose positive and lactose negative Esch . coli, lactose positive Esch . coli and proteus, yellow sarcina and white staphylococcus, white and pink yeasts, white and yellow staphylococcus was studied after irradiation and seeding on hard media using separate and combined methods . In most cases radioresistance of the microbes did not depend of exposure conditions . However, lactose positive Esch . coli irradiated with proteus increased proteus radioresistance to its own standard . Yellow staphylococcus cannot form yellow pigment after irradiation with a dose of 1000 Gy.

Biokhimiia, 1996 Jan, 61(1), 24 - 33
{Structure of a new lysine-containing O-specific polysaccharide from Proteus mirabilis O26}; Shashkov AS et al.; The composition and structure of the O-specific polysaccharide chain of the bacterium Proteus mirabilis O26 lipopolysaccharide have been studied using one- and two-dimensional 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, including homonuclear correlation spectroscopy (COSY), H-detected 1H,13C heteronuclear multi-quantum coherence and rotating-frame nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy . It has been found that the polysaccharide is acidic due to the presence of D-galacturonic acid (D-GalA) residues, part of which are O-acetylated, while the other part form an amide with the alpha-amino group of L-lysine and is built up of tetrasaccharide repeating units having the following structure: {formula: see text} The P . mirabilis O26 polysaccharide is structurally similar to the O-specific polysaccharide of P . mirabilis O28 studied earlier by us and containing amides of D-galacturonic acid with L-lysine and L-serine.

J Basic Microbiol, 1996, 36(2), 89 - 98
Synthesis and secretion of recombinant penicillin G acylase in bacterial L-forms; Gumpert J et al.; L-form strains of Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli lacking the cell wall represent an alternative prokaryotic cell system for the production of recombinant proteins (KLESSEN et al . 1988, LAPLACE et al . 1988a, 1989b) . We could demonstrate that they are also able to synthesize the enzyme penicillin G acylase (PAC)1) . PAC was processed and secreted into the medium by recombinant L-form strains . The synthesis of PAC was growth-associated and stably regulated . Expression, secretion, and processing were not temperature-dependent and occurred at 26 degrees C, 32 degrees C and even 37 degrees C . The expression vector pHC1 carried the pac gene under the control of the lac UV promotor and a kanamycin resistance gene . It could be maintained in L-form cells, showing low structural as well as segregational instability . The secretion of the biologically active enzyme into the medium indicated that the postranslational processing of the PAC molecule, including the excision of a 54 amino acid spacer peptide between the alpha and beta subunit, is not carried out in the periplasmic space, but occurs at the cytoplasmic membrane or autocatalytically.

Ann Pathol, 1996, 16(1), 53 - 5
{Bifocal lesion of striated muscle (hamartoma or focal myositis) in the course of Proteus syndrome}; Nodari F et al.; We report a case of bifocal recurrent lesion developed in muscles of the left thigh in a 5 year-old-girl with Proteus syndrome (rare congenital hamartomatous disorder) . We discuss the diagnosis of focal myositis versus hamartoma . The clinical and morphological features favour the second hypothesis.

FEMS Microbiol Lett, 1996 Jan 1, 135(1), 117 - 21
Characterization of an alkaline lipase from Proteus vulgaris K80 and the DNA sequence of the encoding gene; Kim HK et al.; A facultatively anaerobic bacterium producing an extracellular alkaline lipase was isolated from the soil collected near a sewage disposal plant in Korea and identified to be a strain of Proteus vulgaris . The molecular mass of the purified lipase K80 was estimated to be 31 kDa by SDS-PAGE . It was found to be an alkaline enzyme having maximum hydrolytic activity at pH 10, while fairly stable in a wide pH range from 5 to 11 . The gene for lipase K80 was cloned in Escherichia coli . Sequence analysis showed an open reading frame of 861 bp coding for a polypeptide of 287 amino acid residues . The deduced amino acid sequence of the lipase gene had 46.3% identity to the lipase from Pseudomonas fragi.

Arch Bronconeumol, 1995 Dec, 31(10), 494 - 500
{Cystic fibrosis: a microbiological study over an 8-year period}; Ferrer Marcelles A et al.; OBJECTIVE: To study the microbiology of cystic fibrosis in our hospital for the period from 1985 to 1992 . MATERIAL AND METHODS: The number of samples analyzed totalled 1,034, most of which were sputum and nasopharyngeal aspirates belonging to 113 patients (49 women and 64 men) . The average age was 10 years (range: 15 days-33 years) . RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Only 1.7% of the samples were negative . Normal flora were found in 10.8% and one or more potentially pathogenic microorganisms were found in the remaining 87.4% . Colonies were over 10(6) UFC/ml in size in 77.8% of the quantified cultures . The most frequently identified microorganisms in the population overall were P . aeruginosa (53.9%), S . aureus (30.3%) and H . influenzae (22.0%) . In patients less than 12 months old, however, the most common isolations were of S . pneumoniae and B . catarrhalis; cultures from patients older than 16 years old most often yielded filiform fungi, mainly Aspergillus spp . We found no strains of Legionella spp . and P . cepacia was found in only 3 cases, in which the clinical outcome was good . In addition to the 3 most common organisms, we recorded several consecutive isolations of Proteus mirabilis, Xanthomonas maltophilia and Serratia marcescens in patients older than 11 years old; this finding suggests that given the improved survival of cystic fibrosis patients over the coming years and the antibiotic pressure placed on them, there may be slight changes in the bacterial ecology typical of this disease . No strain of S . aureus proved resistant to methicillin, but P . aeruginosa was shown to be resistant to gentamycin (58.2%) among the aminoglycosides and also to some of the beta-lactams considered to be effective, as follows: 25.2% to piperacillin, 22.6% to ceftazidime and even 19.8% to aztreonam . There was slight resistance of ciprofloxacin (6.3%).

Am J Med Genet, 1995 Nov 6, 59(2), 164 - 7
Hemifacial hyperplasia with meningeal involvement: a variant of proteus syndrome?
Haramoto U, Kobayashi S, Ohmori K.
We report on a sporadic case of hemifacial hamartomatous hyperplasia . The patient is male, and has sebaceous nevus-like skin change, subcutaneous lipomatous mass, cranial bone hyperplasia, and bony change of meninges . His lesion involves the anterior half of the face and cranial base, and, medially, is delimited by the midline . No case has been found identical to this in the literature, particularly with respect to the unusual meningeal lesion . However, without this meningeal lesion the rest of the manifestations are not uncommon in Proteus syndrome . Also, this case may be an indication of somatic mosaicism, lethal in its nonmosaic state . Thus, this case may be thought of as a variant of Proteus syndrome.

Ann Acad Med Singapore, 1995 Nov, 24(6), 823 - 9
Corneal ulcers in two institutions in Singapore: analysis of causative factors, organisms and antibiotic resistance; Tan DT et al.; The aim of this study was to determine the causative factors, organisms and antibiotic resistance in patients with bacterial keratitis in Singapore . We analysed retrospectively 103 cases of bacterial keratitis admitted to the Singapore General Hospital or the Singapore National Eye Centre during a 21-month period from March 1992 to December 1993 . Contact lens wear represented the largest single predisposing factor (35 eyes, 34.0%), followed by ocular trauma (28 eyes, 27.2%) and pre-existing ocular disease (28 eyes, 27.2%) . Thirteen of the twenty-eight cases of trauma-related keratitis were work-related injuries . Gram-negative organisms formed the largest group (41 cultures, 80.4%), with Pseudomonas aeruginosa being the most common organism identified (30 eyes) . Pseudomonas was also responsible for 78.6% of all contact lens ulcers (11 out of 14 eyes) . Resistance to gentamicin was only encountered in 1 case of Proteus mirabilis keratitis . All cases of Pseudomonas infection and 3 of the 10 Gram-positive cases were also resistant to chloramphenicol . All Gram-positive cases were sensitive to cephalosporins . Contact lens wear and ocular trauma are the major preventable risk factors for bacterial keratitis in young sighted eyes in Singapore . Gentamicin continues to be the antibiotic of choice for Gram-negative corneal infections in view of the low incidence of resistance . The routine use of chloramphenicol as the topical antibiotic of choice for corneal infection is not recommended due to the high resistance in Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms locally.

Mycoses, 1995 Nov-Dec, 38(11-12), 477 - 80
Macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of an African Blastomyces dermatitidis strain; Mercantini R et al.; This report describes the macro- and microscopic characteristics of a strain of Blastomyces dermatitidis isolated in an Italian hospital from a Libyan patient suffering from cutaneous blastomycosis . The fungus was isolated with great difficulty because of the presence of a Proteus species on the lesion . Conversion of the mycelial into the yeast-like phase achieved the best results, using Columbia ANC culture medium . After 5-6 days, this transformation was only partial and presented swollen hyphae and yeast-like cells . The biological characteristics were typical of B . dermatitidis strains of African origin . The differences between African and North American strains are confirmed, in agreement with findings already reported in the literature.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1995 Nov, 36(5), 845 - 50
Activity of biapenem (LJC 10627) against 51 imipenem-resistant bacteria and selection and characterisation of biapenem-resistant mutants; Piddock LJ et al.; For wild-type bacteria the activity of biapenem was similar to that of imipenem, but for 51 imipenem-resistant strains meropenem was more active than either . When penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP 2a) was expressed in Staphylococcus aureus biapenem had reduced activity . Mutant bacteria with decreased susceptibility to biapenem were selected in agar . Most of the mutant Gram negative bacteria were unstable and readily reverted to susceptible . The mutant Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa lacked an outer membrane protein . Biapenem-resistant S . aureus could be selected only from MRSA.

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol, 1995 Nov, 33(3), 197 - 205
A prevalence study of ear problems in school children in Kiambu district, Kenya, May 1992; Hatcher J et al.; Information on the prevalence of hearing impairment and related ear pathologies in children in sub-Saharan Africa is scarce . A pilot study for a clinical trial of simple treatments for chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) in school children in Kiambu district, Kenya, provided information on the prevalence of hearing impairment and ear pathologies . Five-thousand-three-hundred-sixty-eight children from 57 randomly chosen primary schools in Kiambu district were examined . Simple otoscopy was performed by clinical officers with specialty training in ENT, and hering testing was performed by trained nurses, using a hand held field audiometer . Microbiological specimens were obtained from those children with CSOM . Five-point-six percent of the children had a hearing impairment of > 30 dB HL in one or both ears, with 2.2% having bilateral hearing impairment . Two-point-four percent had at least one perforated tympanic membrane, and 1.1% had CSOM . Eight-point-six percent of the children had wax obstructing the tympanic membrane . There is evidence of a relationship between hearing impairment and both CSOM and wax obstructing the tympanic membrane . The most common organisms found were Pseudomonas spp . (34%), Proteus spp . (34%) and Eschericia coli (19%) . These results are comparable with other studies in Africa and indicate a considerable burden of ear disease in Kiambu district, Kenya.

APMIS, 1995 Nov, 103(11), 818 - 22
Inhibition of growth of Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli in urine in response to fasting and vegetarian diet; Kjeldsen-Kragh J et al.; It has recently been shown that serum antibody levels against Proteus mirabilis decreased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who improved clinically during treatment with 7-10 days of fasting followed by a one-year vegetarian diet . As P . mirabilis is commonly implicated in urinary tract infections, this study was carried out to examine whether fasting and vegetarian diet may influence the growth of P . mirabilis and Escherichia coli in urine . Urine samples were collected from 22 patients who were referred to a health farm for various reasons . The dietary regimen recommended by the health farm consisted of fasting for 7 to 10 days followed by a vegan diet . The growth of both bacteria in urine samples collected after 8 days was significantly slower than in samples collected at baseline . In urine samples collected after 18 days growth was also reduced, although not significantly for E . coli . Our results show that dietary manipulation may reduce the ability of urine to support the growth of P . mirabilis and E . coli.

J Forensic Sci, 1995 Nov, 40(6), 990 - 3
In-vitro production of ethanol in urine by fermentation; Sulkowski HA et al.; Driving while under the influence of alcohol (DUI) can lead to serious injuries to the intoxicated driver and surrounding individuals, in addition to revocation or suspension of driving privileges . The accuracy and interpretation of the testing procedures may be compromised if an individual's urine contains sugar, and either bacteria or yeast . Under these conditions, ethanol can be produced in vitro, producing a result that may be erroneously indicative of DUI . In this study three yeast species and six bacterial species were added to a blank urine sample devoid of any alcohol or sugar . Samples were incubated at 0, 25, and 35 degrees C for 24, 48, and 144 hours in the presence of one of four different sugars . Ethanol concentrations were assayed using an enzymatic alcohol dehydrogenase assay . Results showed that when glucose was used as a substrate, all yeast species (Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida sp . not albicans) and three bacterial species (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis) were capable of producing ethanol while the other three (Enterococcus sp., Staphylococcus sp . not aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were not . The rate of ethanol production is temperature dependent and can be inhibited by storage of samples at 0 degrees C or the use of approximately 1% sodium fluoroide as an antimicrobial agent . Many of these species were also able to use other substrates (sucrose, fructose, and galactose) to produce ethanol by fermentation.

FEMS Microbiol Lett, 1995 Oct 15, 132(3), 271 - 6
Heavy metal effects on Proteus mirabilis superoxide dismutase production; Eickhoff J et al.; Proteus mirabilis expressed three superoxide dismutase activities, which depended on the level of soluble iron and dioxygen in the culture medium . Cadmium and lead decreased production of super oxide dismutase in liquid culture and on solid medium . A fourth super oxide dismutase activity appeared in extracts from cells grown in the presence of cadmium . These results support the idea of an interaction between toxic metal ions and putative iron- and redox-dependent regulatory systems.

J Rheumatol, 1995 Oct, 22(10), 1825 - 8
Elevation in anti-Proteus antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis from Bermuda and England; Subair H et al.; OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from Bermuda and England have an increased anti-Proteus antibody titer when compared to healthy Bermudian and English controls, and to ascertain whether any increase in antibody titer is specific by testing 4 other microbes, Escherichia coli and 3 normal anaerobic bowel bacteria . METHODS: Antibody titers were measured by ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence (IIFA) under coded conditions . RESULTS: Elevated titers of anti-Proteus antibodies were demonstrated in 34 patients with active RA from Bermuda when compared to 33 healthy Bermudian controls by ELISA (p < 0.001) and IIFA (p < 0.001) . An elevation of anti-Proteus antibodies was also observed in 34 patients with RA from England when compared to 30 healthy English controls again by ELISA (p < 0.001) . A similar antibody elevation in 31 patients with RA from England was observed when compared to 30 healthy controls when measured by IIFA (p < 0.001) . However, there was no significant elevation in antibody titers against E . coli or the 3 normal bowel flora isolates in the patients with RA from both countries compared to their respective controls, when measured by ELISA . CONCLUSION: A specific elevation in the immune response to Proteus mirabilis has been demonstrated in patients with RA from both Bermuda and England . However, this study cannot distinguish between antibody association with disease per se and association with disease activity . The role of Proteus in RA and the effect of anti-Proteus therapy in patients with RA merits further study.

Avian Dis, 1995 Oct-Dec, 39(4), 873 - 8
Identification of Salmonella enteritidis from experimentally infected hens using a colorimetric DNA hybridization method; Cotter PF et al.; Identification of Salmonella enteritidis from cloacally challenged commercial laying hens was studied by comparing bacterial isolations using conventional methods with detection by the use of the GENE-TRAK colorimetric DNA probe assay . More positive test results were obtained using the latter on days 14, 28, and 42 postchallenge, but the difference between the two methods was not statistically significant . Over the duration of the experiment, positive cloacal samples were statistically more frequent from a commercial strain of white leghorn hens when compared with a commercial brown egg-producing strain (28/60 vs . 9/57; chi-square 1 df = 12.9, P < 0.001) . Eggs having various shell defects were produced by the infected hens only after Salmonella challenge . These defects included, in order of frequency, elongated shape, thin shells, off-white color (tints), small size, wrinkles, and pimples . No Salmonella could be recovered from 193 defective eggs, nor were positive isolates made from additional tests performed on 50 normal eggs . Proteus sp . was isolated from 10 eggs, however . Our observations demonstrate that the GENE-TRAK colorimetric method is comparable with conventional bacteriology for the identification of Salmonella in cloacal samples taken from laying hens . Moreover, the two methods demonstrate the existence of breed differences in susceptibility to S . enteritidis challenge.

West Afr J Med, 1995 Oct-Dec, 14(4), 255 - 8
Bacterial causes of acute osteomyelitis in sickle cell anaemia: changing infection profile; Aken'Ova YA et al.; The bacterial causes of osteomyelitis were reviewed on 25 patients with sickle cell anaemia using blood culture and direct wound swab . Age range was 2 to 45 years with a median of 23 years . Klebsiella species were cultured in 45% of the blood samples . Staphylococcus aureus was responsible in 20%, Salmonella species in 8% and Streptococcus pyogenes was cultured in 4% of the samples . From direct wound swab culture, Klebsiella was responsible for 36%, Staphylococcus aureus 28% and coagulase Negative Staphylococcus 24% . Proteus species were responsible for 8% and Salmonella was cultured in 4% . The highest number of patients presenting with osteomyelitis occurred in the second decade . From (culture) sensitivity tests, ceftazidine and Ofloxacine were found to be the most effective antibacterial drugs . The preponderance of Klebsiella indicates a change in the previously accepted pattern of infection in which Salmonella species were considered to be the main causative organism.

Mol Microbiol, 1995 Oct, 18(1), 63 - 75
Expression of flagella and motility by Shigella; Giron JA; Since the discovery of Shigella as the aetiologic agent of acute dysentery almost 100 years ago, this organism has been described as a non-motile and nonflagellated organism that invades the human colonic mucosa . In this study, the production of flagella by prototypic strains of all four Shigella species and, moreover, by fresh clinical isolates was demonstrated by electron microscopy . The flagellum of Shigella (flash) is approximately 10 microns long and 12-14 nm in diameter and is typically seen emanating from one pole of the bacterium . Flash is composed of a putative structural polypeptide subunit of 33-38 kDa that shares immunological similarities with Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Proteus mirabilis flagellins, and with the recently described recombinant Shigella flagellins (FliCSS and FliCSF) expressed in E . coli K-12 . A fliCSS-specific oligo probe hybridized with all four Shigella species, while a fliCSF probe hybridized with all Shigella flexneri and Shigella dysenteriae strains, but not with all Shigella sonnei or Shigella boydii strains, indicating genetic divergence among their flagellin genes . Shigella exhibits motility in low-concentration motility agar under physiological growth conditions . The expression of flash and motility appears to be strictly regulated by unidentified genetic and environmental factors . These heretofore undescribed features may allow the bacteria to circumvent the natural intestinal mucosal defences leading to bacterial colonization and disease . The motility of shigellae may represent an evolutionary adaptation important for bacterial survival.

J Vet Pharmacol Ther, 1995 Oct, 18(5), 363 - 9
Plasma and urine disposition and dose proportionality of ceftiofur and metabolites in dogs after subcutaneous administration of ceftiofur sodium; Brown SA et al.; Nine male dogs (10.3-13.5 kg body weight) were randomly assigned to three groups of three dogs each and administered ceftiofur sodium subcutaneously as a single dose of 0.22, 2.2, or 4.4 mg ceftiofur free acid equivalents/kg body weight . Plasma and urine samples were collected serially for 72 h and assayed for ceftiofur and metabolites (derivatized to desfuroylceftiofur acetamide) using high-performance liquid chromatography . Urine concentrations remained above the MIC90 for Escherichia coli (4.0 micrograms/mL) and Proteus mirabilis (1.0 micrograms/mL) for over 24 h after doses of 2.2 mg/kg (8.1 micrograms/mL) and 4.4 mg/kg (29.6 micrograms/mL), the interval between treatments for ceftiofur sodium in dogs, whereas urine concentrations 24 h after dosing at 0.22 mg/kg (0.1 mg/Ib) were below the MIC90 for E . coli and P . mirabilis (0.6 microgram/mL) . Plasma concentrations were dose-proportional, with peak concentrations of 1.66 +/- 0.0990 micrograms/mL, 8.91 +/- 6.42 micrograms/mL, and 26.7 +/- 1.07 micrograms/mL after doses of 0.22, 2.2, and 4.4 mg/kg, respectively . The area under the plasma concentration versus time curve, when normalized to dose, was similar across all dosage groups.

J Biomed Mater Res, 1995 Oct, 29(10), 1185 - 91
An improved model for bacterial encrustation studies; Sarangapani S et al.; A comparative evaluation of various biomaterials for their resistance to bacterial colonization and encrustation in infected urine is an important area in urological biomaterials research . This article describes an in vitro dynamic perfusion system that allows four reactors containing 24 1-in . catheter samples (6 per reactor) to be simultaneously perfused at a constant flow rate by synthetic urine . A common urease-producing urinary pathogen, Proteus mirabilis, was maintained at a level of 10(6) colony-forming units/mL for 7 days in the dynamic perfusion reactors . The pH and bacterial population were monitored every 24 h and the percentage of encrustation on latex and hydrogel-coated commercial catheter materials gave reproducible results in three different runs, 15.2 +/- 3.65% and 13.8 +/- 2.58%, respectively . A major issue of inlet clogging due to ascending bacteria or ammonia has been rectified using a dismountable inlet assembly . An incubator coupled with a cooling system allowed accurate temperature maintenance of 37 degrees C in all four reactors . Results from scanning electron microscopy of some latex samples are also presented.

Cell Biol Int, 1995 Oct, 19(10), 847 - 54
Differences in the motility of Amoeba proteus isolated fragments are determined by F-actin arrangement and cell nucleus presence; Grebecka L et al.; Isolated fragments produced by bisection of Amoeba proteus differ by their position in the original cell and by the presence or absence of the cell nucleus . Immediately after the operation, both types of anterior fragments preserve the former motory polarity, and do not interrupt locomotion . In the same time, all posterior fragments stop, round up and fail to react stimuli . In the second phase of experiment, these anterior fragments, which had no nucleus ceased to move, whereas the nucleated posterior ones resumed locomotion . It was demonstrated, that the behaviour of a fragment is primarily determined by the peripheral F-actin distribution, which is different depending on the origin of the fragment either from the anterior or from the posterior cell region . Later, the "inherited" F-actin distribution may be stabilized or reorganized in the presence of the nucleus, or desorganized in its absence.

J Bacteriol, 1995 Oct, 177(20), 5790 - 8
Molecular analysis of a metalloprotease from Proteus mirabilis; Wassif C et al.; Proteus mirabilis is known for its ability to differentiate from swimmer to swarmer cells, a process crucial for the pathogenesis of these bacteria during urinary tract infections . Among the many virulence factors produced during swarmer cell differentiation is an extracellular metalloprotease . A cosmid containing a large fragment of P . mirabilis chromosomal DNA was obtained by measuring protease expression in recombinant Escherichia coli . The recombinant and native enzymes were purified to over 95% homogeneity from culture supernatants by use of phenyl-Sepharose affinity chromatography and found to be identical . The activity of the 55-kDa enzyme was stimulated by divalent cations (Ca2+ > Mg2+) and inhibited by a chelator of these cations . The enzyme possesses substrate specificity for both serum and secretory forms of immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) and IgA2 as well as IgG and, unlike classic IgA proteases, digested to completion both human and mouse IgA . Following subcloning, a 5-kb DNA fragment encoding recombinant protease activity was identified by insertional mutagenesis with Tn5 . Four open reading frames were identified within this 5-kb region by limited nucleotide sequence analysis of DNA flanking the transposon . The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the metalloprotease structural gene (zapA) were obtained . Computerized homology studies revealed that the P . mirabilis metalloprotein is a member of the serralysin family of proteases and may be part of an operon comprising genes encoding an ATP-dependent ABC transporter in addition to the metalloprotease . The relevance of the metalloprotease to swarmer cell differentiation and pathogenicity is discussed.

Transfusion, 1995 Oct, 35(10), 871 - 3
Retrograde transmission of Proteus mirabilis during platelet transfusion and the use of arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction for bacteria typing in suspected cases of transfusion transmission of infection; Engstrand M et al.; BACKGROUND: When bacteria are found, after a platelet transfusion, in the recipient's blood as well as in the platelet concentrate (PC), a causal relationship is normally suspected, with the PC as the causative agent . The other alternative, that the patient has bacteremia and contaminated the PC, is less well documented in the literature . CASE REPORT: Arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) was used for testing strains of Proteus mirabilis isolated from a patient's blood before and after a platelet transfusion and from the PC . Because of a febrile reaction after a platelet transfusion, bacterial culture was performed on the PC used, showing growth of P . mirabilis . The same species was found in the patient's blood after the transfusion . Posttransfusion sepsis caused by a contaminated PC was suspected, and anti-sepsis treatment was given to the recipient . Later, it became apparent that the patient had had bacteremia before the transfusion and that P . mirabilis was one of the species in the isolate . With AP-PCR, the identity of the three P . mirabilis isolates could be distinguished . CONCLUSION: AP-PCR is a useful technique for distinguishing the identity of bacterial isolates from patients and blood components . A patient with bacteremia can contaminate a PC in conjunction with a platelet transfusion . With AP-PCR, the PC could be ruled out as the cause of the posttransfusion sepsis.

J Bacteriol, 1995 Oct, 177(19), 5653 - 60
Proteus mirabilis urease: operon fusion and linker insertion analysis of ure gene organization, regulation, and function; Island MD et al.; Urease is an inducible virulence factor of uropathogenic Proteus mirabilis . Although eight contiguous genes necessary for urease activity have been cloned and sequenced, the transcriptional organization and regulation of specific genes within the Proteus gene cluster has not been investigated in detail . The first gene, ureR, is located 400 bp upstream and is oriented in the direction opposite the other seven genes, ureDABCEFG . The structural subunits of urease are encoded by ureABC . Previously, UreR was shown to contain a putative helix-turn-helix DNA-binding motif 30 residues upstream of a consensus sequence which is a signature for the AraC family of positive regulators; this polypeptide is homologous to other DNA-binding regulatory proteins . Nested deletions of ureR linked to either ureD-lacZ or ureA-lacZ operon fusions demonstrated that an intact ureR is required for urea-induced synthesis of LacZ from either ureA or ureD and identified a urea-regulated promoter in the ureR-ureD intergenic region . However, lacZ operon fusions to fragments encompassing putative promoter regions upstream of ureA and ureF demonstrated that no urea-regulated promoters occur upstream of these open reading frames; regions upstream of ureR, ureE, and ureG were not tested . These data suggest that UreR acts as a positive regulator in the presence of urea, activating transcription of urease structural and accessory genes via sequences upstream of ureD . To address the role of the nonstructural regulatory and accessory genes, we constructed deletion, cassette, and linker insertion mutations throughout the ure gene cluster and determined the effect of these mutations on production and regulation of urease activity in Escherichia coli . Mutations were obtained, with locations determine by DNA sequencing, in all genes except ureA and ureE . In each case, the mutation resulted in a urease-negative phenotype.

Int J Syst Bacteriol, 1995 Oct, 45(4), 870 - 1
Replacement of NCTC 4175, the current type strain of Proteus vulgaris, with ATCC 29905 . Request for an opinion; Brenner DJ et al.; The current type strain of Proteus vulgaris, NCTC 4175 (= ATCC 13315), differs substantially from typical strains of this species both biochemically and chemotaxonomically . DNA relatedness studies revealed that strains previously classified as P . vulgaris belong to six genomospecies . One of these genomospecies contains strains that are negative in indole, salicin, and esculin reactions (biogroup 1) and has been named Proteus penneri . A second genomospecies, which is most frequently isolated from human urine, contains typical P . vulgaris strains that are positive in indole, salicin, and esculin reactions (biogroup 2) . The members of the remaining four genomospecies are indole positive and negative in salicin and esculin reactions (biogroup 3) . Of 36 biogroup 3 strains studied, only strain NCTC 4175T (T = type strain) and one other strain, CDC 1732-80, belong to genomospecies 3 . To retain NCTC 4175 as the type strain of P . vulgaris would restrict this species to these two strains, whose origins are unknown . This would mean that hundreds of strains for which the description of P . vulgaris was written and which have been representatives of this species for the past 50 years would have to be renamed as members of a new species . To prevent this confusion, we request that biogroup 2 reference strain ATCC 29905 (= CDC PR1) replace NCTC 4175 as the type strain of P . vulgaris.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1995 Sep 27, 1252(1), 172 - 6
Simulations of electron transfer in the NADPH-bound catalase from Proteus mirabilis PR; Bicout DJ et al.; Catalase-bound NADPH both prevents and reverses the accumulation of compound II, an inactive form of catalase that is generated from the normal active intermediate form (compound I) when catalase is exposed to a steady flow of hydrogen peroxide . The mechanism for the regeneration reaction is unknown although NADPH could act either as a one-electron or a two-electron donor . Recently, a reaction scheme has been proposed in which the formation of compound II from compound I generates a neighboring radical species within the protein . NADPH would then donate two electrons, one to compound II for reduction of the iron and the other to the protein free radical . In this paper, we report calculations to find the dominant electron tunneling pathways between NADPH and the heme iron in the catalase from the peroxide-resistant mutant of Proteus mirabilis . Two major tunneling pathways are found which fuse together on Ser-196 . It is suggested that the sequence Gly-Ser of the loop that divides the beta 5-strand is the key element for shielding a radical amino acid.

Rozhl Chir, 1995 Sep, 74(6), 273 - 6
{Effects of the most frequently used solutions and ointments in routine surgical practice}; Bravo C et al.; The authors tested the effect of local antiseptics commonly used at the Clinic of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery in Brno on bacteria which most frequently infect extensive skin defects . The experiments were carried out in vitro and in vivo in a group of experimental animals . In vivo the effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated, in vitro also the effect on Proteus mirabilis . The authors found that 0.1% Persteril, Peru balsam, and Dermazine ung./Lek Co./exerted a very favourable effect on the tested microorganisms . A weaker effect was recorded after Vishnevsky balsam and 0.5% Rivanol . 0.5% gentian violet and 3% boricacid had no effect on P . aeruginosa, 0.05% permanganate and 2% Jodonal had no effect on staphylococci.

Antibiot Khimioter, 1995 Sep, 40(9), 35 - 7
{Sensitivity of bacteria of the genus Proteus to antibiotics}; Vereshchagin IA et al.; Antibiotic susceptibility of 481 cultures of the bacteria belonging to the genus Proteus isolated within 1990-1994 from children with enterocolitis was studied . The study included 10 antibiotics . The efficacy of the antibiotic therapy in 388 children with the above disease was estimated . It was shown that the Proteus isolates were most frequently susceptible to kanamycin, gentamicin and carbenicillin . When used clinically in the treatment of children with Proteus enterocolitis, the antibiotics proved to be the most efficient agents.

Urol Nefrol (Mosk), 1995 Sep-Oct, (5), 14 - 7
{The efficacy of bacteriophage preparations in treating inflammatory urologic diseases}; Perepanova TS et al.; Urinary infection is the most commonly encountered hospital infection . Antibacterial therapy promotes selection and dissemination of polyresistant microorganism strains, development of intestinal dysbacteriosis, reduction of intestinal contamination resistance . Clinical and bacteriological efficacy of urinary infection treatment with bacteriophage preparations (pyocyanic, proteus, staphylococcal, coliphage, combined pyobacteriophage) was studied . Sensitivity of the infective agent phage isolated from urological patients was tested before treatment . The preparations were adapted to recently isolated agents from urological patients to raise phage sensitivity of the strains . A total of 293 strains were studied . Phage sensitivity made up 68.9% . Bacteriophage preparations were used both locally and orally in 46 patients with acute and chronic urogenital inflammation . Bacteriological efficacy amounted to 84%, clinical one to 92% . It is inferred that phagotherapy is effective and safe therapeutic modality in the treatment of urinary infection in monotherapy and in combination with antibiotics.

J Med Microbiol, 1995 Sep, 43(3), 176 - 84
The detection of raised levels of IgM to Proteus mirabilis in sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis; Senior BW et al.; An analysis by ELISA of 100 rheumatoid factor (RF)-positive sera selected at random from a collection of sera from patients with various auto-immune diseases and joint pains, and 100 RF-negative sera from the same collection matched by patient age and gender, showed that the RF-positive sera had highly significantly (p < 0.0001) raised levels of IgM antibody, but not IgG antibody, to Proteus mirabilis over those of the RF-negative sera . This response was subsequently found to be associated with sera from patients who clinically had rheumatoid arthritis (RA) . Sera from the RA patients had significantly greater amounts (p = 0.026) of IgM antibody to P . mirabilis than to the other organisms tested and these values were also highly significantly different (p < 0.0001) from P . mirabilis IgM antibody levels in matched RF-negative sera . Sera from RA patients also had significantly greater amounts of IgA to P . mirabilis (p < 0.0001) and greater amounts of IgM to Escherichia coli (p < 0.0001) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (p < 0.0001) than those in matched RF-negative sera . Other classes of antibody to these organisms and all classes of antibody to Pseudomonas aeruginosa were not raised in the sera of RA patients over those of RF-negative controls . The IgM response in RA patients was not specific for only one O serotype of P . mirabilis but was associated with all 11 different O serotypes of P . mirabilis tested and those of other Proteus spp . Moreover, the IgM antibodies to Proteus spp . appeared to be independent from C-reactive protein and RF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Microbiol Rev, 1995 Sep, 59(3), 451 - 80
Molecular biology of microbial ureases; Mobley HL et al.; Urease (urea amidohydrolase; EC 3.5.1.5) catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea to yield ammonia and carbamate . The latter compound spontaneously decomposes to yield another molecule of ammonia and carbonic acid . The urease phenotype is widely distributed across the bacterial kingdom, and the gene clusters encoding this enzyme have been cloned from numerous bacterial species . The complete nucleotide sequence, ranging from 5.15 to 6.45 kb, has been determined for five species including Bacillus sp . strain TB-90, Klebsiella aerogenes, Proteus mirabilis, Helicobacter pylori, and Yersinia enterocolitica . Sequences for selected genes have been determined for at least 10 other bacterial species and the jack bean enzyme . Urease synthesis can be nitrogen regulated, urea inducible, or constitutive . The crystal structure of the K . aerogenes enzyme has been determined . When combined with chemical modification studies, biophysical and spectroscopic analyses, site-directed mutagenesis results, and kinetic inhibition experiments, the structure provides important insight into the mechanism of catalysis . Synthesis of active enzyme requires incorporation of both carbon dioxide and nickel ions into the protein . Accessory genes have been shown to be required for activation of urease apoprotein, and roles for the accessory proteins in metallocenter assembly have been proposed . Urease is central to the virulence of P . mirabilis and H . pylori . Urea hydrolysis by P . mirabilis in the urinary tract leads directly to urolithiasis (stone formation) and contributes to the development of acute pyelonephritis . The urease of H . pylori is necessary for colonization of the gastric mucosa in experimental animal models of gastritis and serves as the major antigen and diagnostic marker for gastritis and peptic ulcer disease in humans . In addition, the urease of Y . enterocolitica has been implicated as an arthritogenic factor in the development of infection-induced reactive arthritis . The significant progress in our understanding of the molecular biology of microbial ureases is reviewed.

Eur J Biochem, 1995 Sep 1, 232(2), 558 - 62
The structure and serological specificity of Proteus mirabilis O43 O antigen; Cedzynski M et al.; On the basis of sugar analysis and NMR spectroscopy, including selective spin-decoupling, one-dimensional NOE, two-dimensional homonuclear and 13C,1H-heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy, the following structure of the acidic O-specific polysaccharide of Proteus mirabilis O43 was established: -->4)-alpha-D-GalpA-(1-->3)-alpha-D-GalpA-(1-->3)-alpha-D-Gl cpNAc-(1-->4)-alpha - D-Glcp-(1-->, where GalA is galacturonic acid and Galp is galactopyranose . No serological cross-reactivity was observed between lipopolysaccharides of P . mirabilis O43 and other studied Proteus strains, except for P . mirabilis O10 . The O-specific polysaccharide of P . mirabilis O43 was serologically active in precipitation and inhibition tests but the activity was lost after periodate oxidation . These data suggest that the O43 specificity is determined by a wide epitope with the immunodominant role of 4-substituted D-Glc or/and D-GalA, which are destroyed by periodate oxidation.

J Immunol, 1995 Sep 1, 155(5), 2387 - 95
Initiation of the phosphocholine-specific response to Proteus morganii . B cell transfectants expressing unmutated VH/VL can respond to stimulation by P . morganii antigen; Penner SJ et al.; We wished to resolve a paradox of how the response to the phosphocholine (PC) determinant of Proteus morganii could be initiated from a precursor B cell whose receptor, in unmutated form as Ab, appears to be unable to bind Ag . Unmutated VH and unmutated VL constructs were co-transfected into the B cell lymphoma M12.4 to study stimulation via membrane lg (mlg) . The same VH construct was expressed in an L+, H- hybridoma line to characterize Ab binding . The unmutated Ab showed no detectable binding in ELISA to the PC-containing Ag from P . morganii PC(PM) . By contrast, the unmutated mlg mediated mobilization of calcium in response to the PC(PM) Ag . Single-positive B cell lines of mlgM, mlgD double-positive lines were all capable of responding . The degree of signaling depended greatly on high receptor number, and only a fraction of cells in the population responded . Inhibition of the PC(PM)-induced calcium response by free PC indicated that the response was Ag-specific . A transfectant B cell line expressing moderate levels of a high affinity, mutated mlgM readily responded to PC(PM) . These observations indicate that the unmutated lg as a receptor is capable of interacting with PC(PM) and suggest that the immune response to PC(PM) could originate from the precursor B cell expressing the unmutated mlg . The role of mlgD vs mlgM is discussed in terms of the requirement for high receptor number in the signaling process.

J Oral Pathol Med, 1995 Sep, 24(8), 383 - 4
Proteus syndrome: association with gingival hyperplasia; Arendorf TM et al.; A 9-year old Black boy with gigantism of the hands and feet, and recurrent gingival hyperplasia, diagnosed as Proteus syndrome is presented . The oral manifestations of this syndrome are described . To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of gingival hyperplasia associated with Proteus syndrome.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1995 Aug 22, 1263(2), 154 - 8
Conserved amino acid residues in the primary structure of ribosomal protein S20 from selected gram-negative bacteria; Nemec A et al.; Partial DNA sequences encoding ribosomal protein S20 have been determined for a number of Gram-negative bacteria including three species of Aeromonas, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, and Salmonella typhimurium and compared to the known sequence from Escherichia coli . The derived amino acid sequence is well conserved, particularly in the C-terminal one-third of S20 . In contrast, there is much less conservation of the nucleotide sequence or potential secondary structure in the corresponding mRNA.

Biol Pharm Bull, 1995 Aug, 18(8), 1053 - 6
Helicobacter pylori urease inhibition by rabeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor; Tsuchiya M et al.; We investigated the inhibitory effects of four gastric proton pump inhibitors (PPIs): rabeprazole, a novel benzimidazole PPI, omeprazole, lansoprazole and AG-2000, on the urease activity of Helicobacter pylori (H . pylori) . Their 50% inhibitory concentrations (I50s) were found to be 0.29, 5.4, 9.3 and 0.3 microM respectively . Rabeprazole and omeprazole were also potent inhibitors of Jack bean and Proteus mirabilis cellular ureases . The thioether derivative of rabeprazole, one of its metabolites, had no inhibitory effect on H . pylori urease, despite being reported as a more potent inhibitor of H . pylori growth than rabeprazole . The inhibitory effect of rabeprazole was prevented completely and reversed considerably by the addition of sulfhydryl compounds, such as beta-mercaptoethanol, glutathione and dithiothreitol . Moreover, the addition of beta-mercaptoethanol recovered the urease activity inhibited by rabeprazole . From these results, we expected that rabeprazole inhibited H . pylori urease activity by forming disulfide bonds between it and the active site of the enzyme.

Br J Rheumatol, 1995 Aug, 34(8), 727 - 31
Characteristics of ulcers of the small bowel induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the rat: implications for clinical practice; Collins AJ et al.; Small bowel ulcers were created in the rat after the oral administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) . Of the six NSAIDs tested, indomethacin and diclofenac alone were associated with such damage which did not occur in a simple dose-related fashion . Bacteria were observed by electron microscopy in an active state of division in the base of the ulcers . When grown aerobically these were shown to be strains of Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis . Anatomically, NSAID-induced ulcers were found throughout the length of the bowel although more abundant in the proximal half . In vivo and in vitro sensitivity to antibiotics suggested that in addition to the bacteria identified, anaerobic beta-lactamase-producing organisms also have an important role in ulcer production in this model . This rat model of NSAID-induced gut toxicity is discussed in relation to the human situation, particularly for patients who take NSAIDs and who have an iron-deficiency anaemia and blood in their faeces, but no lesions in either the upper or lower bowel.

Infect Immun, 1995 Jul, 63(7), 2697 - 705
Enhancement of uptake of lipopolysaccharide in macrophages by the major outer membrane protein OmpA of gram-negative bacteria; Korn A et al.; Monoclonal antibodies (MAb) to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and to the major outer membrane protein OmpA from Proteus mirabilis were generated and used to monitor the kinetics of uptake in macrophages of LPS as well as LPS bound to OmpA . Uptake was measured by a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in a microtiter culture system . The MAb were of various immunoglobulin G subclasses and showed strong reactivities with their antigens . Four hybridoma clones recognizing LPS and three recognizing OmpA from P . mirabilis 19 were selected for the present study on the basis of reactions in ELISA and Western blot (immunoblot) analyses . In the uptake assay, it was possible to differentiate between antigen on the cell surface and antigen which had been internalized . Uptake of LPS by macrophages was relatively rapid during the first 4 h of culture and then progressed more slowly over the remaining 24-h observation period . The level of detection of LPS in this assay system was in the nanogram range . When macrophages were pulsed with LPS for 30 min and subsequently washed to remove antigen not bound to the cells, the amount of LPS detectable on the macrophage surface decreased progressively for 3 h after the pulse, which indicated internalization of the antigen . Thereafter, LPS rose to an increased level on the cell surface . The rate of uptake of LPS was more rapid when it was in complex with OmpA . When the fate of OmpA was monitored in the same LPS-protein complexes by use of MAb to OmpA in a pulse experiment, the level of protein measured on the cell surface decreased after an initial rise, which again indicated internalization, but the protein did not reappear on the cell surface in a form detectable with the MAb . Compared with the LPS monitoring system, detection of OmpA associated with macrophages was weak, although the MAb to OmpA reacted strongly with the protein in the ELISA and Western blot analyses.

Eur J Cell Biol, 1995 Jul, 67(3), 199 - 208
The nuclear membrane-associated honeycomb structure of the unicellular organism Amoeba proteus: on the search for homologies with the nuclear lamina of metazoa; Schmidt M et al.; In the protozoon Amoeba proteus, a complex and highly organized structure with the morphology of a honeycomb is associated with the nucleoplasmic surface of the nuclear membrane . We have tested whether this structure exhibits similarity to the nuclear lamina of metazoic organisms . First, we have shown that the honeycomb layer is composed of 3 to 5 nm thick protein fibrils resistant to treatment with detergent, high salt, and digestion with nucleases, thus possessing properties typical for karyoskeletal elements . However, in contrast to the meshwork of lamin filaments in somatic cells of metazoic organisms, the honeycomb layer is not tightly anchored to the nucleoplasmic side of pore complexes, or to the inner nuclear membrane . Second, in microinjection experiments we investigated whether fluorescently labeled lamins of Xenopus laevis (lamins A and LI) and Drosophila melanogaster (lamin Dmo) were able to associate in vivo with the Amoeba proteus honeycomb structure . In microinjected amoeba these three lamins were efficiently transported into the nucleus, but did not associate with the nuclear envelope . Our results suggest that the Amoeba proteus nuclear envelope, including the honeycomb layer, does not contain proteins exhibiting high homologies to lamins of metazoan species thus preventing the localized assembly of microinjected lamins along the nuclear periphery.

Trends Microbiol, 1995 Jul, 3(7), 280 - 4
Swarming and pathogenicity of Proteus mirabilis in the urinary tract; Mobley HL et al.; Proteus mirabilis is best known for its pattern of swarming differentiation on agar plates, as well as for its association with the development of renal stones in patients with urinary tract infection . Urease and flagella appear to contribute most significantly to virulence, with fimbriae playing a more subtle role, whereas hemolysin does not appear to contribute significantly to pathogenesis.

Pathol Int, 1995 Jul, 45(7), 530 - 5
Regional Proteus syndrome: report of an autopsy case; Horie Y et al.; An uncommon autopsy case involving Proteus syndrome with multiple hamartomatous lesions in a 52 year old woman is reported . At birth, hemihypertrophy was noted on the right side of the face . Leiomyoma of the urinary bladder was extirpated at 37 years of age . She died of sepsis due to a brain abscess . At autopsy, diffuse asymmetrical lipomatosis was noted on the right side of the face, scalp, lip, oral mucosa, tongue and on the left side of the cerebellar peduncle . Multiple meningiomas, cavernous hemangiomas and osseous hypertrophy overlapped in the intracranial regions . The present case is considered as a regional type of Proteus syndrome displaying a somatic mosaicismPublication Types:

Case Reports

Genetic Engineering, Amino Acid, Molecular Microbiology, Microorganism, Bioreactor, Microbes, Growth Medium, Bacterium, Yeast, Microbiology, Prokaryote, Microorganisms, Bioremediation, Bacteriology, a, Genome, k, Bacteria, t, Cell Biology, j, Microbe, o, Biofilter, Anthrax, Bioreactors, b, Neisseria, a, Microbiological, s, Eubacter, s, Antimicrobials, p, Antibiotics, y, Bacterium, v, Enterococci, c, Escherichia coli, m, Bacillus subtilis, e, Antibiotic, c, Serratia, b, S. cerevisiae, e, E. coli, c, Microorganisms, h, Phages, e, Gram negative, s, Bacterium, p, Lactobacillus, y, P. aeruginosa, s, C. albicans, b, Bacillus, m, Antibacterial, e, Vibrio, s, Cell culture, e, Gram positive, s, Bacterial, s, Klebsiella, p, Clostridium, Typhus,

Scientific Publications - Work Done by Microbiology Reader Bioscreen C
Agricultural Microbiology Anaerobic Microbiology Antimicrobial Susceptibility Artificial Atmosphere Bioassay of Antibiotics Biofilm Microbiology Bioreactor Technology Biotechnology Cell Biology Clinical Microbiology Environmental Microbiology Experiments with Yeast	Fermentation Food Microbiology Functional Genomics Gene Technology Growth Media Development Growth Rate and Lag Time Industrial Microbiology Medical/Pharmaceutical Field Microbiological Assay Microbiological Research Microbiology of Cosmetics go to a specific theme...	Military Microbiology Molecular Microbiology Mutagenicity and Genotoxicity Oral Microbiology Patents Postantibiotic Studies Soil Microbiology Spore Microbiology Veterinary Microbiology Waste/Wastewater Treatment Water Microbiology Wine Microbiology

� 2005 Transgalactic Ltd (manufacturer of Bioscreen C software) | Privacy Statement | P.O. Box 1393, 00101 Helsinki, Finland, phone: +358 9 85172920, fax: +358 9 8749481, e-mail: microbiology@bionewsonline.com

Last modified: May 25, 2005