Circulation, 1993 Feb, 87(2 Suppl), I121 - 6 Bacterial endocarditis in patients with aortic stenosis, pulmonary stenosis, or ventricular septal defect; Gersony WM et al.; BACKGROUND . All of the 2,401 patients with aortic stenosis (AS), pulmonary stenosis (PS), or ventricular septal defect (VSD) admitted to the First Natural History Study of Congenital Heart Defects between 1958 and 1965 were eligible for the Second Natural History Study . Most patients with severe defects were managed surgically, and most with mild defects were managed medically . Final examination in the first study was carried out 8 years after admission . METHODS AND RESULTS . For AS, the incidence rate of bacterial endocarditis (BE) was 27.1 per 10,000 person-years . The incidence rate was 15.7 per 10,000 person-years for those managed medically and 40.9 per 10,000 person-years for those managed surgically . Most patients managed surgically had severe AS, and severity was more important to the risk of BE than the method of management . For PS, only one of the 592 patients with PS experienced BE . For VSD, the incidence rate of BE was 14.5 per 10,000 person-years . Size of the VSD was not associated with risk of BE . The risk of BE before closure of the VSD was more than twice that after surgery . CONCLUSIONS . The incidence rate of BE was nearly 35-fold the population-based rate . The increased incidence in patients with AS after valvotomy was a function of severity of the defect and not a function of surgery . Presence of aortic regurgitation in patients with AS did not increase the risk of developing BE . Surgical closure of VSD lowered the risk of BE. Infect Immun, 1993 Feb, 61(2), 399 - 410 Cell-mediated immunity to Bordetella pertussis: role of Th1 cells in bacterial clearance in a murine respiratory infection model; Mills KH et al.; A murine respiratory infection model was used to study the mechanism of protective immunity to Bordetella pertussis . We found that nude mice, which are deficient in T cells, developed a persistent infection and failed to clear the bacteria after aerosol inoculation . In contrast, normal adult nonimmune mice cleared a respiratory infection approximately 35 days after challenge . Before bacterial clearance, antipertussis antibody levels in serum were low or undetectable, whereas consistent antigen-specific T-cell responses were demonstrated throughout the course of infection . The in vitro responses detected in immune spleen cells were mediated by a population of CD4+ major histocompatibility complex class II-restricted Th1-like cells that secreted interleukin-2 and gamma interferon but not interleukin-4 . Adoptive transfer of immune spleen cells into nude or sublethally irradiated immunosuppressed mice before challenge resulted in bacterial clearance within 14 to 21 days . In contrast, injection of serum from convalescent mice before challenge only marginally reduced the bacterial load early in the course of infection . Furthermore, transfer of enriched T cells or purified CD4+ T cells but not CD8+ T cells from immune mice conferred a high level of protection . Recipients of CD4+ T cells cleared the bacteria from the lungs within 20 days of challenge, at which time B . pertussis-specific antibodies in the serum were undetectable . Although we do not rule out a contribution of mucosal immunoglobulin A, our findings suggest that cellular responses mediated by CD4+ Th1 cells play an important role in protective immunity to B . pertussis. J Biochem Biophys Methods, 1993 Feb, 26(1), 81 - 6 Sensitive silver-staining detection of bacterial lipopolysaccharides in polyacrylamide gels; Kittelberger R et al.; For sensitive detection of bacterial lipopolysaccharides in the nanogram range, three almost identical silver-staining methods are often used, which are based on ammoniacal silver solutions and an acidic developer . We modified a method used for proteins, based on neutral silver nitrate solution and an alkaline developer, for the visualization of lipopolysaccharides in polyacrylamide gels, which yields better sensitivity and is much less prone to formation of non-specific background staining than the acidic developer-based silver stains. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand, 1993 Feb, 72(2), 99 - 102 A longitudinal follow-up of bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy; Platz-Christensen JJ et al.; Bacterial vaginosis (BV) has been considered by many investigators to be a risk factor for preterm labor . We have followed vaginal pH and the persistence of clue cells in Papanicolaou stained smears in 119 pregnant women during the course of pregnancy . Of 19 patients with clue cells in their smears during the first trimester, 11 (58%) still had clue cells at the second visit during the third trimester . Of the 100 patients without clue cells during their first trimester, none exhibited clue cells during the third trimester . If the persistence of clue cells is truly a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcome, screening in the first trimester would identify a risk group of 15% . This risk group diminishes to 9% at the time of the third trimester . Vaginal pH > 4.5 had a recovery sensitivity of 76% and specificity of 83% . If clue cells can be considered as the identifying standard for bacterial vaginosis, the sensitivity and specificity of pH is 89% and 94%, respectively . The establishment of the diagnosis of BV during pregnancy and, in some cases, the treatment of the condition may be important as routine procedures in the antenatal center. Br J Audiol, 1993 Feb, 27(1), 43 - 52 Hearing impairment in children after bacterial meningitis: incidence and resource implications; Fortnum H et al.; A retrospective review over ten years of childhood cases of bacterial meningitis treated in two hospitals in Nottingham revealed 301 cases: 88.4% of these children survived . The audiological and clinical hospital records of the survivors were examined to see if the children had been assessed for hearing impairment following the illness . Results indicate that 202/261 (77.4%) of the survivors remaining in the local area had had a formal hearing assessment . Fifteen of these children (7.4% of those assessed) suffered some degree of sensorineural or mixed hearing loss as a direct consequence of meningitis . The impairments ranged from mild unilateral to profound bilateral and the affected children were aged between 0 (i.e . infection at birth) to 15 years . The data indicate that bacterial meningitis of any type can result in sensorineural hearing impairment of any degree in a child of any age . A significantly increased risk of hearing impairment was found for children aged less than one month or over 5 years, for children with associated hydrocephalus, for children admitted between October and March, for those in hospital longer than 16 days and for those with a cerebro-spinal fluid glucose concentration of < or = 2.2 mmol/l . No differential increased risk was noted for different causative pathogens . Abnormal tympanograms indicative of conductive hearing impairment were measured at the first visit in 45% of children attending for hearing assessment . These conductive losses resolved in 75% of cases . These data suggest that an English health district, with a total population of 250,000, would need to provide annual resources for about 30-40 appointments for children after meningitis . Over a period of 5 years it might provide hearing aids for three children and a cochlear implant for one child . Bacterial meningitis is the single most important cause of acquired sensorineural hearing impairment in children and every attempt should be made to assess the child's hearing as soon after recovery as possible. Zentralbl Hyg Umweltmed, 1993 Feb, 194(1-2), 134 - 43 {Relevant problems of persistent bacterial infections}; Vanek E; The persistance of human bacterial infections is influenced by different factors and varies in duration . Besides genetical defects of the immune system the persistance of bacteria may also be enfavored by underlying diseases also . Regarding the duration of the persistance the long or even life long lasting infections are of special clinical, epidemiological and public health interest . The topic deals with present problems only, the tuberculosis is excluded and discussed in another presentation. Nature, 1993 Jan 28, 361(6410), 359 - 62 Phagocytic processing of bacterial antigens for class I MHC presentation to T cells; Pfeifer JD et al.; Class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules present antigens that are produced within the presenting cell or penetrate from the vacuolar system into the cytosol for processing . Most studies of exogenous antigen processing have used soluble antigens, which are not efficiently presented by class I MHC molecules and do not elicit CD8 T-cell responses in vivo . But particulate antigen preparations with no known mechanism for cytosolic penetration can also elicit CD8 T-cell responses in vivo . We report here that phagocytosis of bacteria with no mechanism for cytosolic penetration also results in presentation of bacterial antigens by class I MHC molecules . Moreover, this mechanism is resistant to cycloheximide and Brefeldin A, which block the classical class I processing pathway . These results suggest a novel vacuolar class I processing pathway for exogenous phagocytic antigens. Eur J Pharmacol, 1993 Jan 26, 231(1), 13 - 21 Involvement of thromboxane A2 in bronchial hyperresponsiveness but not lung inflammation induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide in guinea pigs; Arimura A et al.; We examined both a possible association of bronchial hyperresponsiveness with lung inflammatory responses and the role of thromboxane (Tx) A2 in these responses after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure in guinea pigs treated with metyrapone, a cortisol synthesis inhibitor . The increase in bronchial responsiveness to i.v . acetylcholine was transient, with a peak at 2 h after LPS exposure, which was associated with increases in TxB2 and tumor necrosis factor in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid . However, the levels of 6-keto-prostaglandin (PG) F1 alpha, interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 in BAL fluid, and the influx of leukocytes in airway and pulmonary edema were not associated with bronchial hyperresponsiveness . Oral administration of S-1452, a selective TxA2 receptor antagonist, markedly suppressed bronchial hyperresponsiveness without affecting cellular responses, pulmonary edema and production of PGs and cytokines . These findings suggest that LPS-induced bronchial hyperresponsiveness is dependent on secondarily generated TxA2, which appears to be independent of lung inflammation. J Biol Chem, 1993 Jan 25, 268(3), 1921 - 30 Activating and inhibitory mutations in the regulatory domain of CheB, the methylesterase in bacterial chemotaxis; Stewart RC; In the chemotaxis system of Escherichia coli, CheB promotes sensory adaptation by interacting with the chemotaxis receptor-transducer proteins to catalyze removal of their gamma-glutamyl methyl ester groups . CheB is comprised of two functional domains; the C-terminal domain contains the methylesterase active site, and the N-terminal domain regulates the activity of this active site . The chemotaxis system controls CheB methylesterase activity via a mechanism involving phosphorylation of the CheB regulatory domain by the chemotaxis protein kinase CheA . To further explore the communication between the regulatory and methylesterase domains of CheB, I generated mutations in the CheB regulatory domain that affect methylesterase activity in vitro . Three of these mutations (D11K, E58K, and E91K) caused increased methylesterase activity in the absence of phosphorylation, and several other mutations (R42H, R73H, and K107R) caused decreased methylesterase activity in the purified proteins . Several of these mutations (D10N, D11K, R42H, E58K, and K107R) also affected the phosphorylation biochemistry of CheB by reducing the rate of CheA-mediated phosphorylation of CheB and/or by decreasing the autodephosphorylation rate of CheB . In addition, all of these mutations diminished the ability of excess CheA to inhibit CheB methylesterase activity . The locations of these mutations in the deduced three-dimensional structure of the CheB N-terminal domain indicate that the region of the protein surrounding the putative phosphorylation site plays important roles in its interaction with the CheB C-terminal domain as well as in its interactions with CheA. J Biol Chem, 1993 Jan 25, 268(3), 1684 - 9 Precise location of the Cu(II)-inhibitory binding site in higher plant and bacterial photosynthetic reaction centers as probed by light-induced absorption changes; Yruela I et al.; Light-dependent absorption change at 325 nm, ascribed to QA activity, was strongly reduced in the presence of Cu(II) in oxygen-evolving core complex . This change was much less affected in the presence of the herbicide 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU), indicating that the Cu(II)-binding site is different from that of the DCMU and that Cu(II) blocks QA reduction . Cu(II) did not eliminate the absorption change at 545 nm, ascribed to pheophytin reduction, in Na2S2O4-treated oxygen-evolving core and D1-D2-cytochrome b559 complexes . This indicates that Cu(II) does not affect the electron transport between P680 and pheophytin . Moreover, the activity of the bacterial reaction center probed by the absorption change at 790 nm was inhibited by Cu(II), but the signal at 530 nm, associated to the reduction of bacteriopheophytin in Na2S2O4-treated reaction center, was not inhibited . We conclude that Cu(II) impaired the photosynthetic electron transport between pheophytin and QA in both higher plants and photosynthetic bacteria . Cu(II) would bind to an amino acid(s) highly conserved in non-oxygenic and oxygenic reaction centers, which is(are) necessary for the electron transfer between pheophytin and QA . Based on the atomic structure of the bacterial reaction center several schemes of possible Cu(II) binding are shown. Biochemistry, 1993 Jan 19, 32(2), 567 - 72 Expression of the mature and the pro-form of human sterol carrier protein 2 in Escherichia coli alters bacterial lipids; Matsuura JE et al.; Sterol carrier protein 2 (SCP2) is a protein that is believed to be involved in the intracellular transport of cholesterol and phospholipids . Expression in mammalian COS cells of a cDNA encoding SCP2 revealed that the mature protein is synthesized as a pro-form containing a 20-residue amino-terminal leader sequence . The function of this presequence is currently not known, and pro-SCP2 is generally not detected in tissues . In order to obtain large quantities of pro-SCP2 as well as the mature form of human SCP2, Escherichia coli expression plasmids were constructed . Both proteins were produced in high yield (10-30% of the total cell protein) and were found in the supernatant fraction after cell lysis . Recombinant human SCP2 and pro-SCP2 were purified to homogeneity by acid precipitation followed by ion-exchange chromatography . Both recombinant human SCP2 and pro-SCP2 had sterol exchange activity similar to that seen with SCP2 purified from rat liver . In addition, the lipid content of SCP2- and pro-SCP2-producing E . coli was analyzed . Acidic lipids were significantly increased in the transfected cells . Specifically, fatty acids were increased 2-3-fold, phosphatidylglycerol was increased 2-fold, and lipid A was increased 3-4-fold, while neutral lipids were decreased 2-3-fold as compared to control cells . This alteration of the lipid composition of E . coli expressing SCP2 or pro-SCP2 is consistent with the proposed role for SCP2 in intracellular lipid movement. Biochemistry, 1993 Jan 19, 32(2), 404 - 11 Mechanism of bacterial bioluminescence: 4a,5-dihydroflavin analogs as models for luciferase hydroperoxide intermediates and the effect of substituents at the 8-position of flavin on luciferase kinetics; Eckstein JW et al.; Bioluminescence catalyzed by bacterial luciferases was measured using FMN, iso-FMN (6-methyl-8-nor-FMN), and FMN analogs carrying the following substituents at position 8: -H, -Cl, -F, SMe, SOMe, -SO2Me, or -OMe . The first-order rate constants for the decay of light emission correlate with the one-electron oxidation potentials of the 4a,5-dihydro forms of the FMN analogs . To determine the values of these potentials, isoalloxazine (flavin) derivatives having the 4a,5-propano-4a,5-dihydro structure and -H, -CH3, -Cl, -OCH3, and -NH2 as substituents at position 8 have been synthesized as models for the 4a-peroxy-4a,5-dihydroflavin intermediates occurring during catalysis by the flavin-dependent monooxygenase luciferase . The tetrahydropyrrole ring between positions 4a and 5 of these isoalloxazine derivatives stabilizes the 4a,5-dihydroflavin by impeding formation of the thermodynamically more stable 1,5-dihydro form . One-electron oxidation potentials (Eobs) were measured by cyclic voltammetry and used to determine the empirical coefficients in the Swain equation . On the basis of this, the one-electron oxidation potentials of 4a,5-propano-4a,5-dihydro analogs with other substituents in position 8 were calculated (Ecalc) . The bioluminescence reaction rate is fastest with FMN analogs of lowest oxidation potential; i.e., the slope of the correlation is negative . This indicates that in the rate-limiting step the 4a,5-dihydroflavin moiety donates negative charge . The results are compatible with an intramolecular, chemically initiated electron exchange luminescence mechanism for the bacterial luciferase reaction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Biochim Biophys Acta, 1993 Jan 15, 1161(1), 52 - 8 The unfolding and attempted refolding of the bacterial chaperone protein groEL (cpn60); Price NC et al.; The unfolding of the bacterial chaperone protein groEL (cpn60) in solutions of guanidinium chloride (GdnHCl) has been studied . From the results of CD, fluorescence and light scattering, it is clear that major structural transitions in the protein occur over the range 1.0-1.5 M GdnHCl . The ATPase activity of the protein is lost at lower concentrations (0.75 M) . After denaturation in concentrations of GdnHCl above 1.5 M, removal of the denaturing agent by dialysis results in very nearly complete regain of secondary structure (as judged by CD), but not the regain of correct tertiary or quaternary structure, or ATPase activity . The product was shown to be very sensitive to proteolysis by thermolysin, unlike the native protein, and not to show enhanced binding of ANS, a characteristic property of the 'molten globule' state of proteins . The results are discussed in relation to current information concerning the assembly of the groEL protein. Res Exp Med (Berl), 1993, 193(2), 117 - 22 Phospholipase-resistant phosphatidylcholine reduces intra-abdominal adhesions induced by bacterial peritonitis; Snoj M et al.; The majority of intra-abdominal adhesions develop postoperatively or following peritonitis . We have previously shown that L-phosphatidylcholine reduces postoperative peritoneal adhesions in rats . In the present study, we examined whether adhesion formation after bacterial peritonitis is also reduced by L-phosphatidylcholine or by DL-alpha-phosphatidylcholine, which is degraded only 50% by phospholipase A2 . Peritonitis was induced in the rat by caecal ligation and double puncture; cecotomy was performed 12, 15, or 18 h later . Adhesions were assessed blindly by a scoring system 7 days after cecotomy . When cecotomy was scheduled for 18 h after caecal ligation and puncture, the 7-day mortality was 90% (n = 20) . When cecotomy was performed at 12 h, no mortality was seen; however, the adhesion score was low (2.3 +/- 0.7) . When cecotomy was performed 15 h after caecal ligation and puncture, the mortality was 25% and the adhesion score was 4.3 +/- 0.9 . This figure was reduced significantly by intraperitoneal instillation of L-phosphatidylcholine or DL-alpha-phosphatidylcholine for 3 subsequent days . However, the mortality increased by L-phosphatidylcholine (P < 0.01), whereas mortality after DL-alpha-phosphatidylcholine remained at 30% . We conclude that administration of both L-phosphatidylcholine and DL-alpha-phosphatidylcholine decrease adhesion formation after bacterial peritonitis. Neuroendocrinology, 1993, 57(2), 257 - 61 Prostaglandin E2 and bacterial lipopolysaccharide stimulate bioactive interleukin-1 release from rat hypothalamic explants; Navarra P et al.; While interleukin-1 (IL-1) is intimately involved in locally modulating the acute inflammatory response, it is also able to influence processes at remote sites, i.e., in an endocrine manner . While there is as yet little evidence that IL-1 can cross the blood-brain barrier, many effects such as fever, increased slow-wave sleep, anorexia and the modulation of neuroendocrine function suggest an action of circulating IL-1 at regulatory sites within the hypothalamus . However, there is accumulating evidence for IL-1 originating within the central nervous system (CNS), and it is currently unclear as to whether the neurally mediated manifestations of the acute inflammatory response are due to activation of central or peripheral (circulating) IL-1 . In this study we have characterized the release of IL-1 from rat hypothalamic explants, and we have investigated the effects of putative modulators of IL-1 release, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the prostaglandins E2 (PGE2) and F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) . After 1 h of incubation, IL-1-like activity in hypothalamic supernatants ranged between 175 and 2,304 munits/mg of protein; this was substantially inhibited by the addition to the bioassay system of antibodies (1:200) against IL-1 alpha, but not against IL-1 beta . LPS and PGE2 significantly stimulated IL-1 release at 100 and 1 ng/ml respectively, whereas PGF2 alpha had no effect in the range of doses tested . It is therefore concluded that the control of hypothalamic IL-1 release may be investigated by means of acute rat hypothalamic explants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Indian J Med Res, 1993 Jan, 97, 32 - 4 Evaluation of direct gas-liquid chromatography of CSF in rapid diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis; Mirdha BR et al.; A comparison of culture and lactic acid level from 50 patients suffering from bacterial meningitis and 25 controls was done to evaluate the role of direct GLC analysis of CSF for early diagnosis of bacterial meningitis . The study revealed that the CSF lactic acid level was higher in 48 out of 50 cases . Only in 30 patients the causative agent of the disease could be established by conventional techniques . Quantitative estimation of lactic acid was found to be useful. Ann Ital Med Int, 1993 Jan-Mar, 8(1), 29 - 34 Hematological changes in infectious diseases . Hematological consequences of bacterial, protozoal and spirochetal infections (2); Quaglino D et al.; A number of distinct hematological alterations take place in the presence of infectious diseases . This review seeks to provide a diagnostic guide and prognostic criteria for the clinician in the light of the concomitant hematological changes occurring in course of acute and chronic viral, bacterial, spirochetal and protozoal infections . The authors emphasize the fact that although certain broad principles may be applied to each type of infection, these principles may have to be interpreted with considerable latitude in any individual case, on account of the variable factors of virulence and resistance . The careful examination of blood films and bone marrow smears, supplemented when appropriate by cytochemical reactions, may be useful in the differential diagnosis of various infective states and in assessing both the severity of the pathological condition and the response of the patient. Zentralbl Chir, 1993, 118(3), 145 - 52 {The importance of lectins for formation of tumor metastases and bacterial infection processes}; Beuth J et al.; Adhesion of bacteria and adhesion of tumor cells have much in common, especially the participation of lectins in this process . In the future it might be possible to inhibit the metastatic process into the liver (e.g . during surgical operations of malignant tumors) and bacterial adherence to mucosal linings or plastic devices by blocking of adhesion molecules (lectins) with appropriate glycoconjugates . Initial clinical trials are very promising. Eur Surg Res, 1993 Jan-Feb, 25(1), 11 - 9 The role of bile and bile acids in bacterial translocation in obstructive jaundice in rats; Ding JW et al.; Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups in which group 1 received a sham operation (controls), groups 2-5 underwent common bile duct ligation and transection 14 days before the experiments . Two days prior to the studies, animals in groups 1 and 2 received saline orally, while groups 3-5 received an oral administration of either cholic acid, deoxycholic acid or whole bile . Specimens were taken for bacterial culture, and blood was collected for endotoxin assay . The rate of positive bacterial cultures from mesenteric lymph nodes in jaundiced saline-treated animals was significantly higher (p < 0.05) as compared with both controls and the other jaundiced animals treated with either bile or bile acids . Assays were positive for endotoxin in the jaundiced saline-treated group, whereas they were negative in both controls and bile- or bile-acid-treated animals . We conclude that oral administration of cholic acid, deoxycholic acid or whole bile inhibited bacterial translocation and endotoxin absorption in obstructive jaundice in the rat. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1993 Jan, 63(1), 77 - 83 Effect of bacterial lipopolysaccharide on the content of lipid peroxidation products in lungs and other organs of mice; Nowak D et al.; The influence of lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli (LPS, 17 mg/kg body weight) on the lipid peroxidation process in organs of mice was studied . The content of conjugated dienes (CD), lipid peroxides (LP), malondialdehyde (MDA) (all three lipid peroxidation by-products), peroxidase (PO) activity and wet-to-dry weight ratio in lungs, heart, spleen, kidneys and liver were determined 1.5 h after intravenous injection of LPS . Animals observed at this time-point had reduced activity and decreased body temperature by about 2 degrees C, however, all analysed organs did not reveal any changes of wet-to-dry weight ratio comparing to organs from mice injected with sterile, pyrogen free 0.9% NaCl . Only extracts from heart and lungs showed significant increase in the tissue level of at least two lipid peroxidation products . The heart content of CD, MDA, and LP was about 1.5-, 1.3-, and 2.4-fold higher than in control group . In lungs CD and MDA increased 3.3- and 1.3-times but in spleen only content of LP was elevated . In these organs the suppression of PO activity was also observed . Liver and kidneys did not reveal any convincing enhancement of lipid peroxidation process and alterations of PO activity . Since free radical reactions are involved in lipid peroxidation process and inactivation of PO these results suggest that heart, lungs and spleen are the organs mostly exposed to oxidative stress during the first 1.5 h after single injection of LPS in mice. Scand J Infect Dis, 1993, 25(1), 101 - 5 Hyponatremia and adrenocortical function in patients with severe bacterial infections; Faber M et al.; Hyponatremia occurs frequently in patients with severe infections though its cause has not been established . Recent studies have reported that in some patients with septicemia, adrenocortical insufficiency is present . To ascertain whether occurrence of hyponatremia and adrenocortical insufficiency might be related, we studied 40 patients with septicemia (11 in septic shock) . A short corticotropin test was used for assessing the adrenocortical function . Though both adrenocortical failure (in 5 patients) and hyponatremia (serum sodium concentration < 125 mmol/l in 3 patients) occurred, there was no apparent relationship between the entities. Int Rev Exp Pathol, 1993, 34 Pt B, 183 - 92 Immune-mediated injury in bacterial meningitis; Frei K et al.; Cytokines are involved in the host response to bacterial infections . In bacterial meningitis, intrathecal synthesis of TNF-alpha and IL-1 is likely to contribute to CNS injury by recruitment and activation of inflammatory cells with subsequent release of toxic factors, such as reactive oxygen intermediates and excitatory amino acids (glutamate), leading to neuronal cell death with neurologic sequelae . In rats with experimental meningitis, pretreatment with TGF-beta inhibits cerebrovascular changes and brain edema formation in the early, TNF-alpha-independent phase . Provided its local production in bacterial infection, TGF-beta may comprise a host factor interfering with immune pathologic events altering the integrity of the endothelial barrier. APMIS, 1993 Jan, 101(1), 1 - 17 Interferon-gamma and resistance to bacterial infections; Czarniecki CW et al.; Since its initial description as an antiviral, it has become clear that Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) has potent immunoregulatory and cell growth regulatory activities . As a result of these additional activities, it is now apparent that IFN-gamma plays a major role in regulation of bacterial infections . IFN-gamma can be both induced by bacteria and bacterial products; endogenous IFN-gamma production has been shown to play a protective role in the natural host response to several bacterial infections; and administration of exogenous IFN-gamma is effective in the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections in numerous animal model systems . Although it is now clear that IFN-gamma plays a role in regulation of bacterial infections, the mechanisms of its anti-bacterial effects in vivo remain to be established due to the pleiotropic nature of IFN-gamma activity. Clin Exp Rheumatol, 1993 Jan-Feb, 11(1), 61 - 4 Influence of the bacterial flora on collagen-induced arthritis in susceptible and resistant strains of rats; Breban MA et al.; Collagen-induced arthritis is an experimental model for rheumatoid arthritis which can be elicited in susceptible strains of rats by intradermal injection of native type II collagen . In order to investigate whether bacterial flora may alter the pathogenic response to type II collagen, we have immunized germ-free (GF) male rats from either highly resistant Fisher (F344) or highly susceptible Dark Agouti (DA) strains . The disease was markedly enhanced in GF DA as compared to conventional (CV) DA rats . The humoral response was also stronger in GF rats of both strains . Neither GF nor CV F344 developed arthritis, although GF F344 exhibited later inflammation of the tail . These data support a suppressive influence of bacterial flora on collagen-induced arthritis. Actas Urol Esp, 1993 Jan, 17(1), 84 - 5 {Acute focal bacterial nephritis in a case of AIDS}; Angulo JC et al.; Presentation of one case of bacterial acute focal nephritis (acute lobe nephrosis) in a parenterally drug-abuser, HIV-infected male . From the clinical point of view, the picture was interpreted as acute hepatitis, and the lesion was detected by ultrasound techniques . A right side location, relative lack of urological symptoms and coexistence of a chronic liver disease contributed to the diagnostic error . Failure of initial response to therapy with antibiotics coincided with the lesion migration . Eventually, the case evolved favourable with conservative treatment. Z Gastroenterol, 1993 Jan, 31(1), 3 - 7 Breath hydrogen excretion in patients with alcoholic liver disease--evidence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth; Bode C et al.; The hydrogen breath test has been used to investigate the incidence of small-bowel bacterial overgrowth in 45 chronic alcoholics and in 60 controls with no history of alcohol abuse . In the group of patients with alcoholic liver disease, the percentage of cases with bacterial overgrowth was almost three times (37.8%) that of controls not abusing alcohol (13.3%; p < 0.001) . A separate evaluation of alcoholics with cirrhosis in comparison with those without cirrhosis, revealed no significant difference in the incidence of bacterial overgrowth (42.9% and 33.3%; p > 0.05) . Some 16.7% of the controls and 8.9% of the patients with alcoholic liver disease were classified as "non-excreters" . Among patients with alcoholic liver disease, the mouth-to-caecum transit time was prolonged by 21.5% in comparison with the controls not abusing alcohol (p < 0.025) . The results suggest that bacterial overgrowth might contribute to the functional and/or morphological abnormalities of the small intestine commonly found in patients with chronic alcohol abuse. Yeast, 1993 Jan, 9(1), 71 - 5 Functional expression of bacterial beta-glucuronidase and its use as a reporter system in the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica; Bauer R et al.; The use of beta-glucuronidase (beta-GUS) as a reporter and sensitive detection system for Yarrowia lipolytica was studied . The Escherichia coli gusA gene was expressed under control of the homologous LEU2 promoter in a transcriptional fusion . An NcoI restriction site was introduced at the translational start-ATG, conserving the most favorable context for initiation of translation . The chimeric LEU2'-gusA gene was integrated into the LEU2 locus by homologous recombination . The beta-GUS assay was very sensitive and highly reproducible, using the cytosolic fraction or a total cell extract as the source of enzyme . In a leucine-free medium, beta-GUS activity was at a high, constant level, independent of growth phase . In transformants grown on complete medium, beta-GUS activity was reduced about three-fold, but doubled during logarithmic growth . No intrinsic beta-GUS activity was detectable in untransformed Y . lipolytica and no effect of beta-GUS expression on growth was observed . beta-GUS-producing Y . lipolytica cells could be directly detected on media plates containing X-gluc (5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-beta-D-glucuronide). J Rheumatol, 1993 Jan, 20(1), 123 - 7 Glycosylation of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein in systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and acute bacterial infection: value in differential diagnosis; Fassbender K et al.; Agarose based affinity immunoelectrophoresis with free concanavalin A (Con-A) as ligand was used to examine the microheterogeneity of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein in sera of patients with systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and acute bacterial infections . In JRA, a decreased proportion of Con-A reactive alpha 1-acid glycoprotein variants was found when compared to healthy control . In contrast, acute bacterial infection showed an increased reactivity . Investigation of glycosylation may be useful in the differential diagnosis of systemic onset JRA and acute bacterial infection. J Gastroenterol Hepatol, 1993 Jan-Feb, 8(1), 116 - 8 Bacterial invasion into the colonic mucosa in ulcerative colitis; Ohkusa T et al.; This study investigated interactions between mucosal lesions and bacterial invasion in ulcerative colitis using the acridine-orange staining method . In all 16 cases of ulcerative colitis, the mucosa was found to be invaded by small rods and cocci . In five of 10 controls, bacteria were seen only adhering to the mucosa and no bacteria were detected in the five remaining cases . It is suggested that the presence of bacteria in the colonic mucosa may be a factor responsible for the persistence or aggravation of ulcerative colitis. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1993 Jan, 59(1), 1 - 6 Identification and ecology of bacterial communities associated with necroses of three cactus species; Foster JL et al.; To compare the bacterial communities residing in necrotic tissues of columnar cacti of the Sonoran Desert, isolates from 39 organ pipe, 19 saguaro, and 16 senita cacti were obtained . The isolates were clustered into 28 conspecific groups on the basis of their fatty acid profiles . The distributions of the individual bacterial isolates varied among cactus species . Seven of the 28 species groups were unique to a particular cactus species, whereas 8 species groups were found in all three cacti . The effective number of bacterial species for each cactus species was positively correlated with both the chemical complexity and glucose concentration of the plant tissues . The effective number of bacterial species and bacterial distribution patterns were compared with those known for communities of cactophilic yeasts . The observed bacterial distribution patterns are most likely due to differences in the chemical compositions of the three cactus species. Res Vet Sci, 1993 Jan, 54(1), 25 - 31 Pathology associated with meningoencephalitis during bacterial kidney disease of salmonids; Speare DJ et al.; The neural pathology associated with spontaneous cases of bacterial kidney disease (BKD), in five species of commercially reared salmonids, was investigated histopathologically and with immunofluorescence . Patterns of localisation of the causative organism of BKD within the central nervous system suggest that haematogenous spread to the meninges, particularly the tela choroidea posterior, the tela choroidea and vascularised capsule of the saccus dorsalis and epiphysis of the epithalamus, and the saccus vasculosus of the hypophysis, appears to be a frequent route by which the central nervous system becomes infected . Retrograde extension from the posterior uvea to the floor of the diencephalon along the epineurium and perineurium of the optic nerve also may be a mechanism of neural invasion . Extension appeared to occur from these sites into adjacent areas of the meninges, the neural parenchyma and ventricles . Demonstration of bacteria within salmonid ependymal cells, as well as the apparent ability of salmonid ependymal cells to respond metaplastically suggest a similarity to mammalian type III ependymal cells (tanycytes) . Based on this study, it is apparent that teleosts can survive protracted severe brain damage . This, combined with the apparent similarities of neural response to infection between the salmonids used in this study and higher vertebrates, suggests that teleosts may be a useful lower vertebrate model for studying the pathogenesis and sequelae of bacterial meningitis. Biochem J, 1993 Jan 1, 289 ( Pt 1), 169 - 72 The effect of treatment of the rat with bacterial endotoxin on gluconeogenesis and pyruvate metabolism in subsequently isolated hepatocytes; Jones CG et al.; The effect of treatment of rats with bacterial endotoxin on gluconeogenesis and the flux through pyruvate kinase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), pyruvate carboxylase and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) was measured in isolated hepatocytes, prepared from animals starved for 18 h, incubated in the presence of 1 mM pyruvate . The lipopolysaccharide reduced gluconeogenesis by 50% and lowered the flux through pyruvate kinase, PEPCK and pyruvate carboxylase by comparable amounts . There was no effect of endotoxaemia on PDH flux, indicating that the lowered rate of gluconeogenesis is not the result of a redistribution of pyruvate metabolism between oxidation and carboxylation . The results confirm that a stimulation of pyruvate kinase activity following treatment with lipopolysaccharide is not involved in the inhibition of gluconeogenesis, but that the effect resides at the level of phosphoenolpyruvate formation . The most favoured mechanism for the inhibition of glucose synthesis is via an inhibition of PEPCK and subsequent feedback inhibition of pyruvate carboxylase, although a secondary effect at the level of the mitochondria and pyruvate carboxylase cannot be excluded. FASEB J, 1993 Jan, 7(1), 161 - 7 Clustering of modified nucleotides at the functional center of bacterial ribosomal RNA; Brimacombe R et al.; An aryl trifluoromethyl diazirine photoreactive derivative was attached to the 2-thiocytidine residue at position 32 of tRNA(IArg) and this derivatized tRNA was bound to Escherichia coli 70S ribosomes . After irradiation at 350 nm the site of cross-linking to the 16S RNA was analyzed by our standard procedures and found to lie within the secondary structural element comprising bases 956-983; this region contains two modified nucleotides at positions 966 and 967 . Similarly, an aryl azido photoreactive derivative was attached to the phenylalanine residue of Phe-tRNA(Phe), and the derivatized aminoacyl tRNA was bound to the ribosome either at the A- or the P-site . In both cases, after irradiation at 250 nm, the cross-link site was localized to position 2439 of the 23S RNA; in the secondary structure of the latter the neighboring nucleotide 2442 is base-paired to a modified nucleotide at position 2069 . Taken together with other cross-linking data, these results now directly implicate a total of 27 out of the 29 modified nucleotides in E . coli 16S and 23S RNA as lying within or close to the functional center of the ribosome. Mikrobiyol Bul, 1993 Jan, 27(1), 20 - 6 {Determination of bacterial antigens by latex agglutination tests in cultured cerebrospinal fluid specimens from bacterial meningitis}; Ayaslioglu E et al.; Between December 1988 and February 1991, the latex agglutination test was evaluated for its ability to detect the antigens of N . meningitidis, S . pneumoniae and H . influenzae in the samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 57 patients with bacterial meningitis . Totally antigens were detected in 34 of 42 (80.9%) patients with bacterial meningitis proven by culture . Latex agglutination was positive in 60% of CSFs for N . meningitidis, 88.2% of CSFs for S . pneumoniae and 100% of CSFs for H . influenzae . Antigens were detected in 7 of 9 (77.8%) patients with no bacterial organisms grown on CSF culture but seen on microscopy after Gram staining . No antigens were identified in CSFs of 4 patients with culture and gram stain negative . 32-48 hours after the treatment started, the CSF samples were obtained again from 11 patients and antigens were detected in 9 of them. Am J Surg, 1993 Jan, 165(1), 195 - 200; discussion 200-1 Reduction of bacterial translocation with oral fibroblast growth factor and sucralfate; Gianotti L et al.; The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and sucralfate to prevent bacterial translocation after burn injury . Four groups of Balb/c mice (n = 10/group) were treated by gavage with bFGF (10 micrograms/kg/d), sucralfate (15 mg/kg/d), bFGF plus sucralfate, or saline for 4 days prior to receiving a gavage with 1 x 10(10) 14C-radiolabeled Escherichia coli and a 20% full-thickness burn . Four hours after burn, the mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, spleen, and blood were harvested aseptically . For each tissue, the number of viable bacteria and radionuclide counts of the translocated 14C-labeled E . coli were measured, and the percentage of translocated organisms that remained alive was calculated . The results indicated that treatment with either bFGF or sucralfate alone had a partial effect on translocation, whereas the combined treatment with bFGF plus sucralfate significantly decreased the magnitude of translocation in all tested tissues (p < 0.05, ANOVA), which was associated with complete preservation of gut mucosal integrity . None of the treatments affected the ability of the host to kill translocated bacteria when the results were compared with those of the controls . The additive effect of the combined therapy may be due to the high affinity of sucralfate for bFGF, decreasing the degradation of bFGF by gastric acid. Biochimie, 1993, 75(1-2), 79 - 87 Effect of over-expression of bacterial ribonuclease H on the utility of antisense MYC oligodeoxynucleotides in the monocytic leukemia cell line U937; Rosolen A et al.; RNase H has been clearly implicated in vitro in mediating some antisense effects . In vivo evidence is limited to experiments performed in Xenopus oocytes in which antisense oligonucleotides are microinjected . In other mammalian cell systems scant data have been obtained to support or deny a role for RNase H as an antisense mediator in vivo . These experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that RNase H mediates the MYC antisense-induced reduction in MYC protein observed in the human monocytic leukemia cell line U937 . A bacterial RNase H-containing episomal replicon was constructed and stable transfectants were obtained which expressed E coli RNase H in their cytoplasm at a 10-fold higher level than endogenous RNase H . These cells failed to demonstrate heightened sensitivity to MYC antisense (phosphorothioate, end capped and phosphodiester) compared with untransfected or E coli RNase H antisense transfected cells . PCR analysis of each transfectant treated and untreated with MYC antisense failed to demonstrate the appearance of truncated MYC mRNA . These results do not support a role for RNase H in the mediation of MYC antisense-induced MYC protein reduction and growth inhibition in U937 cells. J Cell Biochem, 1993 Jan, 51(1), 41 - 6 Response regulation in bacterial chemotaxis; Lukat GS et al.; The signal transduction system that mediates bacterial chemotaxis allows cells to modulate their swimming behavior in response to fluctuations in chemical stimuli . Receptors at the cell surface receive information from the surroundings . Signals are then passed from the receptors to cytoplasmic chemotaxis components: CheA, CheW, CheZ, CheR, and CheB . These proteins function to regulate the level of phosphorylation of a response regulator designated CheY that interacts with the flagellar motor switch complex to control swimming behavior . The structure of CheY has been determined . Magnesium ion is essential for activity . The active site contains highly conserved Asp residues that are required for divalent metal ion binding and CheY phosphorylation . Another residue at the active site, Lys109, is important in the phosphorylation-induced conformational change that facilitates communication with the switch complex and another chemotaxis component, CheZ . CheZ facilitates the dephosphorylation of phospho-CheY . Defects in CheY and CheZ can be suppressed by mutations in the flagellar switch complex . CheZ is thought to modulate the switch bias by varying the level of phospho-CheY. Gynecol Obstet Invest, 1993, 36(1), 21 - 4 Collagenolytic effect of disintegrated bacterial cell extracts on the human amniotic membrane at term pregnancy; Norstrom A et al.; Bacterial ascending from the cervix may infect the membranes and amniotic fluid, contributing to their premature rupture . In the present in vitro study, isolated amniotic membranes were exposed to different concentrations of disintegrated bacterial cells . Collagenolysis was estimated by the ratio of acid-soluble/insoluble hydroxyproline . The amniotic membrane proteins were separated by electrophoresis after incubation with 14C proline and disintegrated bacterial cells . The proportion of soluble hydroxyproline increased with the bacterial concentration used, and the radioactivity decreased in proteins of the 30- to 80-kD range . The data support the notion that bacteria contain collagenolytic enzymes affecting human amniotic membranes. Probl Tuberk, 1993, (5), 35 - 7 {Effect of HLA- genotype on bacterial colonization and antigenemia in patients with infiltrative pulmonary tuberculosis}; Pospelov LE et al.; 150 patients with infiltrative tuberculosis (IT) and 135 healthy subjects were subjected to HLA-typing . Clinico-immunogenetic correlations provided evidence for significantly higher incidence of antigens A11, B12, Cw2, DR2, DR5 in IT patients versus healthy subjects . Antigens Cw3 and DR2 occur more frequently in progressive disease . IT patients disseminating M . tuberculosis carry more frequently antigens HLA-DR2, those with L-forms DR5, with antigenemia antigens HLA-DR2 and DR4. Respiration, 1993, 60(6), 313 - 8 Salivary immunoglobulin A production in chronic bronchitis patients given an orally administered bacterial extract; Spiropoulos K et al.; The concentration of secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) has been measured by the immunodiffusion method in 28 chronic bronchitis patients (group A) and in 11 comparable patients receiving corticosteroid therapy (0.5 mg/kg/day prednisone; group B) . The measurements have been taken before and after oral administration of Broncho-Vaxom which is an extract of bacteria that usually cause infection of the respiratory tract . The mean concentration of secretory IgA in the saliva was increased by over 130% after the 10-day administration of the preparation to group A patients . This increase was statistically significant between the 12th and 40th day after the beginning of the treatment (p < 0.001) . It fell to initial levels after 1 month in 15 patients (group A2) who received a single treatment course . In 13 patients (group A1) who received a second treatment course, beginning 1 month after termination of the first course, the high concentration of IgA in saliva persisted for at least 3 months . The saliva IgA was increased by over 35% in 11 chronic bronchitis patients (group B) who received corticosteroid therapy . In this group of patients the rise of IgA levels began later than in group A . The IgA fell to initial level after 1 month in 5 patients (group B2) who received a single treatment course . In 6 patients (group B1) who received a second treatment course the high concentration persisted longer . The saliva level of IgA in groups A and A1 was higher than in groups B and B1 (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively) . No differences of IgA in the saliva between groups A2 and B2 were found during the study. HPB Surg, 1993, 7(2), 99 - 110 The effect of biliary decompression on bacterial translocation in jaundiced rats; Ding JW et al.; Patients with obstructive jaundice are prone to septic complications after biliary tract operations . Restoring bile flow to the intestine may help to decrease the complication rate . The present study is aimed at evaluating the effect of biliary decompression on bacterial translocation in jaundiced rats . Sixty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to six groups subjected to common bile duct ligation (CBDL) and transection (groups 2-6) or sham operation (group 1) . In groups 1 and 2 the incidence of enteric bacterial translocation was determined 2 weeks after sham operation or CBDL . In groups 3-6, biliary decompression was achieved by performing a choledochoduodenostomy after 2 weeks of biliary decompression . Bacterial translocation was then studied 1, 2, 3 and 5 weeks following biliary decompression . The rate of bacterial translocation to mesenteric lymph nodes in obstructive jaundice was significantly higher as compared with controls and decreased with time to nil three weeks following biliary decompression . The incidence of bacterial translocation was closely correlated (r = 0.844; p = 0.034) with serum alkaline phosphatase activity and seemed to fit with the morphological changes noted in the small intestine . The decrease in bacterial translocation, however, lags behind the recovery of liver function as measured by routine liver function tests and antipyrine clearance . Obstructive jaundice thus promotes bacterial translocation in the rat . Biliary decompression gradually decreases the rate of bacterial translocation. Padiatr Grenzgeb, 1993, 31(4), 195 - 7 Acute obstructive respiratory diseases (ARD) and bacterial complications of ARD (pneumonia, sinusitis) in infants and children associated with human herpesvirus-6 infection; Wiersbitzky S et al.; The existence of catharreal respiratory symptoms (such as pharyngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis etc.) is established as the usual manifestation of "exanthema subitum" due to acute human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection . But so far pneumonia, purulent sinusitis, purulent otitis media and/or acute obstructive bronchitis (bronchiolitis) in infants and children have not been described . Here we report the results of observations of 2 children with bronchopneumonia/sinusitis maxillaris and severe bronchiolitis associated with an acute HHV-6 infection . Other respiratory viruses were excluded as agents causing the ARD. Scand J Infect Dis, 1993, 25(4), 435 - 40 White blood cell and differential counts in acute respiratory viral and bacterial infections in children; Korppi M et al.; White blood cell (WBC) and differential counts were studied in 201 children hospitalized for acute viral or bacterial respiratory infection . The aetiology of infection was studied with a comprehensive set of serological tests . WBC and granulocyte counts were higher in patients with bacterial infection than in those with viral infection . Lymphocyte counts, by contrast, had no such aetiological association . The 95% confidence limits for WBCs and granulocytes distinguished bacterial and pneumococcal cases completely from viral cases with no bacterial involvement . The sensitivity of WBC counts, as well as granulocyte or lymphocytes counts, for distinguishing bacterial from viral cases was low at all cut-off levels . Specificity, in contrast, was 86% and 95% for WBCs at the cut-off levels 15.0 and 20.0 x 10(9)/l, and 84% and 97% for granulocytes at the cut-off levels 10.0 and 15.0 x 10(9)/l, respectively . It is concluded that high WBC and granulocyte counts are clear evidence of the bacterial aetiology of respiratory infection, but low or normal values do not rule it out . Lymphocyte counts are of no value for distinguishing between viral and bacterial infections. Gynecol Obstet Invest, 1993, 36(3), 181 - 4 Metronidazole combined with nystatin (vagitories) in the prevention of bacterial vaginosis after initial treatment with oral metronidazole; Pulkkinen P et al.; In a double-blind trial comprising 66 patients we assessed the effect of metronidazole-nystatin vagitories on the prevention of bacterial vaginosis (BV) in women using IUD as a contraceptive method after an initial oral single dose of 2.0 g metronidazole and 7 days of intravaginal metronidazole-nystatin or placebo treatment . The prophylactic treatment consisted of metronidazole-nystatin or placebo vagitories applied at bedtime for 3 days after menstruation over 6 consecutive menstrual periods . The patients were randomized in two study groups: a treatment group of 32 patients (group A) and a placebo group of 34 patients (group B) . The overall objective cure rate after the initial treatment was 97% in group A and 91% in group B . After 6 months of follow-up, the overall cumulative objective cure rate in group A was 100%, and 76% in group B . The single-dose oral treatment was well tolerated and no notable side effects were recorded. Int Urol Nephrol, 1993, 25(3), 221 - 8 Imaging studies on acute focal bacterial nephritis; Sawamura T et al.; Two cases of acute focal bacterial nephritis (AFBN) are reported . The first patient was a 35-year-old man and the diagnosis was made by ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) . The second patient was a 40-year-old man and was diagnosed by US, CT and renal biopsy . They were treated with antibiotics and showed rapid improvement in both clinical symptoms and renal masses. Br J Neurosurg, 1993, 7(4), 367 - 76 Bacterial intracranial aneurysms; Aspoas AR et al.; This is a retrospective study of 25 patients with bacterial intracranial aneurysms treated in a single department over a 20-year period . The clinical presentation, investigation and treatment of these patients is discussed . The outcome of the treatment is assessed and is thought to be not as poor as previously reported. Vaccine, 1993, 11(9), 919 - 24 Induction of T-cell immunity to oligosaccharide antigens immobilized on crystalline bacterial surface layers (S-layers); Smith RH et al.; Immunization of Balb/c mice with conjugates of oligosaccharide haptens and crystalline bacterial surface-layer proteins (S-layers) primed the mice for a strong, hapten-specific, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response . Conjugates of haptens with bovine serum albumin produced only weak DTH responses but, when mixed with aluminium hydroxide, elicited DTH responses comparable to those against S-layer conjugates . Surface-layer conjugates also elicited strong anti-hapten DTH responses when administered by an oral/nasal route . Apparently, the natural assembly of S-layer proteins into large, two-dimensional arrays endows them with intrinsic adjuvant properties. Drugs Exp Clin Res, 1993, 19(4), 143 - 50 Pre-irradiation haematological effects of the bacterial extract Broncho-Vaxom and postirradiation acceleration recovery from radiation-induced haematopoietic depression; Mackova NO et al.; Effects of the bacterial extract Broncho-Vaxom (BV), free of endotoxin, on haematopoietic parameters of peripheral blood, bone marrow, spleen and thymus were investigated in normal and irradiation-myelosuppressed C57BL/6 mice . BV in normal (nonirradiated) mice induced transient lymphocytopenia and increased granulocytes, particularly neutrophils, six to nine hours after administration . Elevated numbers of peripheral blood macroreticulocytes were observed during the third hour . In the splenic red pulp, enhancing haemopoietic activity, foci of fibroblasts began to appear more frequently from the first hour to 24 h . In lymphatic follicles of the spleen and thymus, the incidence of macrophages or monocytes began to increase three hours after BV application . Twenty-four hours later thymus weight decreased by 27% . In the bone marrow, enhanced proliferation of eosinophils was observed from hour nine, with maximum proliferation at hour 24 . BV treatment 24 h before irradiation had a notable radio-protective effect, manifested by accelerated haemopoietic recovery during the postirradiation period . Accelerated myelopoiesis, erythropoiesis and megakaryocytopoiesis resulted in accelerated peripheral blood recovery . However, BV had no effect on thymus reparation as suggested by similar effects in BV protected and BV nonprotected animals during the entire period which followed a 6.5 Gy dose. Probl Tuberk, 1993, (4), 42 - 4 {Effect of immozymase inhalation on the detection of bacterial discharge in pulmonary tuberculosis}; Krasnov VA et al.; Administration of immosimase, a proteolytic enzyme complex developed in Russia, provoked active Tb discharge when the latter is occult in cases of destructive tuberculosis . Inhalation of the preparation enriches the patients' sputum with the bacilla . This permitted active tuberculosis diagnosis in additional 28% of the examinees. Zh Nevropatol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, 1993, 93(4), 31 - 4 {The importance of the method of atomic absorption spectrometry in the diagnosis of brain edema-swelling in bacterial meningoencephalitis}; Iarosh OA; Nuclear absorption spectrometry was used to quantify concentrations of some metals in the liquor from 70 patients with bacterial meningoencephalitis and in different portions of the brain in 10 deceased patients . By calculation of the difference between dry and wet tissue mass after its drying the authors assessed watering of the brain compartments . The correlation analysis demonstrated a relationship between content of metals and later in the brain . Determination of metal (K, Na, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mn) concentrations in the liquor correlating with water content in the brain followed by calculation of the diagnostic coefficients is indicative of the brain edema and swelling degree that helps prognosticate the outcome of the inflammation. Zh Nevropatol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, 1993, 93(4), 28 - 31 {Subdural exudate in bacterial meningitis in children}; Sorokina MN et al.; A subdural exudate (SE) complicating bacterial meningitis in 28 children was diagnosed by the findings at diaphanoscopy, subdurography, thermography, CT, EEG, echo-EG, rheo-EG in the evidence of aggravating neurological symptoms . SE drainage was carried out in all the cases, in 20 patients it was bilateral . CNS age-specific anatomicophysiological features responsible for emergence of the exudate primarily in the anterior hemispheric compartments subject to consequent atrophy are considered when assessing mechanisms of the exudate development in infants. Crit Rev Immunol, 1993, 13(3-4), 225 - 46 Molecular and cellular basis of genetic resistance to bacterial infection: the role of the early T-lymphocyte activation-1/osteopontin gene; Patarca R et al.; The realization that soluble mediators of immune function, termed cytokines, can interact with nonimmunological cells has led to new insights into the role of the immune system in regulating cell growth and differentiation of other organ systems . The additional finding that dysregulation of these interactions can lead to a variety of clinical disorders has opened the possibility of new forms of therapy . A recent example of this aspect of cytokine biology comes from studies of a protein designated early T-lymphocyte activation-1/osteopontin (Eta-1/Op), which may play an essential role in immune resistance to certain bacterial and viral pathogens . Analysis of the structure of this protein has revealed that it is almost identical to several proteins associated with neoplasia and bone structure/function . The purpose of this review is to provide a summary of our current knowledge regarding the structure and function of Eta-1/Op and the potential relationship of this gene to several clinical disorders. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1993-94, 64(3-4), 205 - 29 Software tools and databases for bacterial systematics and their dissemination via global networks; Canhos VP et al.; The dynamic expansion of the taxonomic knowledge base is fundamental to further developments in biotechnology and sustainable conservation strategies . The vast array of software tools for numerical taxonomy and probabilistic identification, in conjunction with automated systems for data generation are allowing the construction of large computerised strain databases . New techniques available for the generation of chemical and molecular data, associated with new software tools for data analysis, are leading to a quantum leap in bacterial systematics . The easy exchange of data through an interactive and highly distributed global computer network, such as the Internet, is facilitating the dissemination of taxonomic data . Relevant information for comparative sequence analysis, ribotyping, protein and DNA electrophoretic pattern analysis is available on-line through computerised networks . Several software packages are available for the analysis of molecular data . Nomenclatural and taxonomic 'Authority Files' are available from different sources together with strain specific information . The increasing availability of public domain software, is leading to the establishment and integration of public domain databases all over the world, and promoting co-operative research projects on a scale never seen before. Antibiot Khimioter, 1993 Jan, 38(1), 68 - 72 {Evaluation of the effectiveness of antiseptic prevention of bacterial involvement}; Koval'chuk VP et al.; Infectious complications markedly decrease the efficacy of surgical and contact correction of the vision because of insufficient activity of the drugs used for prophylaxis and treatment of eye infections . Efficacy of decamethoxin, chlorhexidin, catapole, fogucide, thionium and some specific formulations from abroad was compared in decontamination of soft contact lens (SCLs) . It was shown that the chemical sterilization by the tested substances did not change the optical properties of the SCLs . The results of the clinical trials with decamethoxin solutions in prophylaxis and treatment of purulent inflammatory diseases of the eye are presented. Cell Mol Biol Res, 1993, 39(7), 635 - 45 Nucleolar protein B23: bacterial expression, purification, oligomerization and secondary structures of two isoforms; Umekawa H et al.; Protein B23 is an abundant nucleolar phosphoprotein and putative ribosome assembly factor . Two forms of the protein, B23.1 and B23.2, contain 292 and 257 amino acids, respectively, and differ only in their C-terminal sequences . The two B23 isoforms have been produced in Escherichia coli using the pKK223-3 expression vector and purified to near homogeneity . The purification utilized ammonium sulfate fractionation followed by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, heparin-Sepharose and Bio-Rad Q . By combined gel filtration and sedimentation analyses, both B23.1 and B23.2 formed multimers of Mr 210 to 255 kDa (apparent hexamers), suggesting that the differences in C-terminal ends of of the isoforms do not affect oligomerization . The oligomerization was not dependent on disulfide bond formation . The circular dichroism spectra of recombinant proteins B23.1 and B23.2 were similar suggesting that the carboxyl-terminal difference in the two proteins does not markedly influence overall secondary structure . Using routines for fitting the CD spectra to those of basis vectors the recombinant B23 isoforms appeared to be composed predominantly of beta-sheet and beta-turn secondary structures . Protein B23 from HeLa cell nuclei was recently shown to have a high affinity for the HIV-1 Rev protein . Using sucrose density gradient centrifugation it was shown that both recombinant proteins B23.1 and B23.2, as well as B23.1 isolated from Novikoff hepatoma nucleoli, were capable of binding the Rev protein. Plant Cell Physiol, 1993 Jan, 34(1), 161 - 4 Expression in yeast of a fusion gene composed of the promoter of a heat-shock gene from Arabidopsis and a bacterial gene for beta-glucuronidase; Takahashi T et al.; Production of a functional beta-glucuronidase (GUS) protein was induced by exposure of exponentially growing yeast cells to heat shock after transformation of the GUS gene under the control of the promoter of the heat-shock gene, HSP18.2, from Arabidopsis . Yeast cyr and bcy mutations appeared to have essentially no effect. Akush Ginekol (Sofiia), 1993, 32(2), 18 - 20 {Congenital bacterial infections in newborn infants--the incidence and diagnostic criteria}; Pramatarova T et al.; On the basis of the practical experience in the intensive care unit of the University Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology an attempt is made to establish the importance of a number of criteria for the diagnosis and prognosis of antenatal infection in newborn babies . In the survey included 578 newborn infants for the period I . 1990-IV 1991 . The study determines the factors with the greatest diagnostic value and highest incidence with antepartal infections . The conclusion is made that an exact diagnosis requires the evaluation of a full screening for connatal infection and the presence of a whole complex of factors. Biodegradation, 1993, 4(1), 51 - 7 Role of electron-donating cosubstrates in the anaerobic biotransformation of chlorophenoxyacetates to chlorophenols by a bacterial consortium enriched on phenoxyacetate; Gibson SA et al.; A bacterial consortium that anaerobically mineralized phenoxyacetate, with transient production of phenol as an intermediate, was obtained from a methanogenic aquifer site near the Norman, OK municipal landfill . This consortium was able to convert the eight halogenated chlorophenoxyacetates tested to the corresponding chlorophenols . The chlorophenols were not subsequently metabolized . The addition of reduced substrates increased the rate of degradation of all chlorophenoxyacetates, with 78% of mono- and di-chlorinated substrates being transformed to chlorophenols in butyrate-amended cultures, compared to less than 37% transformed in unsupplemented cultures . Butyrate increased the transformation of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetate from 10% to 20% . An experiment evaluating the effects of several compounds on the side-chain cleavage reaction of 3-chlorophenoxyacetate showed that addition of compounds which readily act as hydrogen donors (butyrate, crotonate, ethanol, propionate, and hydrogen) resulted in 2 to 5 times the amount of 3-chlorophenoxyacetate transformed compared to controls with no amendment, formate had a slight stimulatory effect, and acetate and methanol had no effect . Butyrate addition also increased the rate of phenoxyacetate degradation, resulting in transient phenol accumulation not observed in butyrate-unamended controls . These results support the hypothesis that the side-chain cleavage of phenoxyacetate is a reductive process that is stimulated by the oxidation of reduced cosubstrates. Adv Immunol, 1993, 53, 267 - 89 Recognition of bacterial endotoxins by receptor-dependent mechanisms; Ulevitch RJ; Research performed during the past 5 years has provided a considerable amount of evidence to support the contention that the initial interaction of LPS (lipid A) with cells is mediated by distinct plasma membrane proteins . Some of these interactions may be solely involved in removal and eventual degradation of LPS whereas others may play a critical role in transmembrane signaling . Interactions that appear to be limited to a removal function have been assigned to the lipoprotein scavenger receptor or CD18 where R-form LPS, lipid A, or partial lipid A structures such as lipid IVa appear to be the preferred ligands; S-form LPS appears not to interact with these membrane proteins . Whether these interactions reflect events that occur in vivo remains to be definitively established . Moreover, the scavenger receptor and CD18 do not have a role in mediating LPS-induced transmembrane signaling . Photochemical crosslinking studies performed by Morrison and colleagues and by Dziarski (1991a,b) have revealed an LPS-binding membrane protein with an apparent molecular weight 70,000-80,000 . This protein binds the lipid A of LPS as well as the carbohydrate backbone of peptidoglycan . Studies with monoclonal antibodies to this protein show that the presence of antibody blocks LPS binding, suggesting that engagement of this protein leads to transmembrane signaling . However, a definitive evaluation of the role of this protein in mediating LPS effects will require complete purification and/or gene cloning . Perhaps the most important advance in our understanding of how LPS acts is derived from the studies of Ulevitch, Tobias, and colleagues wherein the LBP/CD14-dependent pathway of cell stimulation has been identified . This pathway has particular importance for LPS recognition and signaling by cells such as monocytes/macrophages or polymorphonuclear leukocytes that constitutively express CD14 . The importance of the LBP/CD14-dependent pathway has been definitively demonstrated by experiments using immunologic, biochemical, and molecular biologic approaches . Available data are consistent with a model for a heterodimeric LPS receptor that consists of CD14 and an as yet unidentified additional protein(s) . Clearly a major goal for future research will be to elucidate fully the additional proteins involved in recognition of LPS. Mol Biol (Mosk), 1993 Jan-Feb, 27(1), 64 - 71 {Interaction of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase with oligoribonucleotides, homologous to "10"- and "35"- segments of the SPC promotor of bacterial genes}; Savinkova LK et al.; It was shown previously that E . coli RNA polymerase in a highly selective manner recognizes and binds 11-14-mere oligodeoxyribonucleotides related to the "-10" region of the nontranscribed DNA strand of bacterial gene promoters . The oligodeoxyribonucleotides cover the Pribnow box with flanking nucleotides up to the transcription start . These affinity oligodeoxyribonucleotides inhibit competitively the transcription of bacterial DNA carried out by E . coli RNA polymerase . The present work has demonstrated that E . coli RNA polymerase is not capable of binding the oligoribonucleotides homologous to the affinity oligodeoxyribonucleotides related to the "-10" area of the spc promoter, but binds the oligoribonucleotides which are complementary to the latter . The oligoribonucleotides with a high affinity for the E . coli RNA polymerase strongly inhibit transcription of the bacterial DNA . Attachment of alkylating groups to the 5'-ends of the affinity oligodeoxy- and oligoribonucleotides provides their covalent binding to the E . coli RNA polymerase subunits . It was shown that the modified affinity 32P-labelled oligodeoxyribonucleotide is covalently bound to the sigma-subunit while the modified affinity 32P-labelled oligoribonucleotide is covalently bound to the beta'beta-subunits of the E . coli RNA polymerase . It is suggested that the affinity oligoribonucleotides can be transcribed from the non-transcribed DNA strand in the region of the open complex and functions presumably as a primer which is splitted later from the nascent RNA or as a regulator of transcription. Int Immunol, 1993 Jan, 5(1), 29 - 36 Oral administration of a bacterial immunomodulator enhances murine intestinal lamina propria and Peyer's patch lymphocyte traffic to the lung: possible implications for infectious disease prophylaxis and therapy; Ruedl C et al.; LW50020, a bacterial immunomodulator, is a preparation consisting of seven bacteria, commonly causing respiratory disease . When given orally, LW50020 has been shown to enhance the host defense of the respiratory tract . Intestinal lamina propria lymphocytes (LPL), Peyer's patch lymphocytes (PPL), and splenocytes from BALB/c mice gavaged either with LW50020 or carrier alone were isolated, labeled with either H33342, a supravital nuclear fluorochrome, or 51Cr, and injected i.v . into untreated, age-matched BALB/c mice . Two hours later, spleen, liver, lung, kidneys, Peyer's patch, and mesenteric lymph nodes of the recipients were harvested and screened for the presence of labeled cells . LPL from mice gavaged with carrier only (controls) migrated preferentially to the lung, PPL equally well to the lung, and the spleen and splenocytes were found mostly in the spleen . LPL and PPL from LW50020-treated mice were found in significantly larger numbers in the lungs of recipients than LPL and PPL from control animals . Both labeling techniques gave roughly the same results . Sixty-five per cent of LPL in the lung were Thy-1.2+ and 20% B cells . These findings should contribute to the understanding of parameters necessary for the assessment of the mode of action and efficacy of immunomodulation and vaccination via the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. Ethiop Med J, 1993 Jan, 31(1), 63 - 70 Recurring bacterial infection in a teenager: an Ethiopian case of common variable immunodeficiency revealed by the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis; Woldemariam D et al.; A case of common variable immunodeficiency observed in an Ethiopian 13 year old girl who, from the age of 9 months, suffered from repeated, severe bacterial infections, but overcame viral infections normally, is reported . The immune defect bore upon the terminal stage of the differentiation of the B-lymphocytes, whose number was normal but which were unable to synthesize immunoglobulin in vitro . Replacement therapy with gammaglobulins controlled infection . The differential diagnosis of recurrent bacterial infection in the tropical context and means of early diagnosis are discussed. Trans Assoc Am Physicians, 1993, 106, 1 - 12 Promoter of the mouse gene encoding calcium-independent nitric oxide synthase confers inducibility by interferon-gamma and bacterial lipopolysaccharide; Xie QW et al.; We have proved that iNOS is regulated by induction of transcription . The induction of iNOS mRNA requires synthesis of an intermediary protein(s) and probably involves action of a protein kinase or kinases . We have cloned and sequenced a 1.7-kilobase pair fragment from the 5'-flanking region of the iNOS gene and proved that this region contains a promoter which confers inducibility of iNOS by LPS and IFN-gamma. Microbiol Immunol, 1993, 37(12), 953 - 60 Antigen-specific proliferative response of peritoneal exudate lymphocytes primed with antigen and bacterial lipopolysaccharide: the roles of Ia+ accessory cells and IL-2; Nitta T et al.; In vitro antigen-specific proliferation was investigated in a lymphocyte population that had been taken from the peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) of C3H/HeN mice (Iak) primed in vivo with both bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and horse red blood cells (HRBC) and had been purified by passage through a nylon fiber column (Nfc) . The proliferative response of the Nfc-passed lymphocytes primed with HRBC and LPS {T(HRBC+LPS) cells} depended on the dose of antigen in the cultures, and the response was higher than that of cells prepared from mice primed with HRBC alone {T(HRBC) cells} . No response was seen in the cells prepared from the LPS-primed mice {T(LPS) cells} or normal mice {T(N) cells} . The response of the T(HRBC) cells was abolished by previous treatment of the cells with anti-Iak antibody and complement (C), whereas the response of the T(HRBC+LPS) cells was retained after the same treatment, indicating that the Ia- T(HRBC+LPS) cells can proliferate in response to antigen in spite of Ia+ accessory cell-depletion . Supernatants from the cultures of Ia- T(HRBC+LPS) cells in the presence of HRBC showed abundant IL-2 activity, while those of Ia- T(HRBC) cells did not . The IL-2 should be produced by the L3T4 cell population in T(HRBC+LPS) cells in response to antigen, since the previous treatment of the cells with anti-L3T4 antibody and C abrogated the production.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1992 Dec 30, 189(3), 1417 - 23 The expression of milligram amounts of functional human 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor in a bacterial expression system; Kumar R et al.; We expressed milligram amounts of functional human 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor in a bacterial expression system in which the cloned cDNA for the hVDR was expressed under the control of bacterial T7 polymerase . The hVDR protein comprised approximately 60% of total bacterial protein . It migrated on polyacrylamide-sodium dodecyl sulfate gels with an M(r) of 48,000 . It had the predicted amino acid composition and amino acid sequence analysis . The expressed protein was bound by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) with a Kd in the nanomolar range . It sedimented on sucrose density gradients at 3.5S . Furthermore, the expressed protein bound to the osteocalcin vitamin D response element (VDRE) as assessed by a gel mobility shift assay . The expression of large amounts of hVDR protein should allow for the use of this protein in structure-function and x-ray crystallography studies. Biochemistry, 1992 Dec 15, 31(49), 12345 - 52 Amyloid fibril formation requires a chemically discriminating nucleation event: studies of an amyloidogenic sequence from the bacterial protein OsmB; Jarrett JT et al.; The sequence of the Escherichia coli OsmB protein was found to resemble that of the C-terminal region of the beta amyloid protein of Alzheimer's disease, which seems to be the major determinant of its unusual structural and solubility properties . A peptide corresponding to residues 28-44 of the OsmB protein was synthesized, and its conformational properties and aggregation behavior were analyzed . The peptide OsmB(28-44) was shown to form amyloid fibrils, as did two sequence analogs designed to test the sequence specificity of fibril formation . These fibrils bound Congo red, and two of the peptides showed birefringence . The peptide fibrils were analyzed by electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy . Subtle differences were observed which were not interpretable at the molecular level . The rate of fibril formation by each peptide was followed by monitoring the turbidity of supersaturated aqueous solutions . The kinetics of aggregation were characterized by a delay period during which the solution remained clear, followed by a nucleation event which led to a growth phase, during which the solution became viscous and turbid due to the presence of insoluble fibrils . The observation of a kinetic barrier to aggregation is typical of a crystallization event . The delay period could be eliminated by seeding the supersaturated solution with previously formed fibrils . Each peptide could be nucleated by fibrils formed from that same peptide, but not by fibrils from closely related sequences, suggesting that fibril growth requires specific hydrophobic interactions . It appears likely that this repeated sequence motif, which comprises most of the OsmB protein sequence, dictates the structure and possibly the function of that protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) J Biol Chem, 1992 Dec 15, 267(35), 25208 - 12 Molecular cloning, cDNA sequence, and bacterial expression of human glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase; McKnight GL et al.; Glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase (GFAT) has recently been shown to be an insulin-regulated enzyme that plays a key role in the induction of insulin resistance in cultured cells . As a first step in understanding the molecular regulation of this enzyme the human form of this enzyme has been cloned and the functional protein has been expressed in Escherichia coli . A 3.1-kilobase cDNA was isolated which contains the complete coding region of 681 amino acids . Expression of the cDNA in E . coli produced a protein of approximately 77 kDa and increased GFAT activity 4.5-fold over endogenous bacterial levels . Recombinant GFAT activity was inhibited 51% by UDP-GlcNAc whereas bacterial GFAT activity was insensitive to inhibition by UDP-GlcNAc . On the basis of these results we conclude that: 1) functional human GFAT protein was expressed, and 2) the cloned human cDNA encodes both the catalytic and regulatory domains of GFAT since the recombinant GFAT was sensitive to UDP-GlcNAc . Overall, the development of cloned GFAT molecular probes should provide new insights into the development of insulin resistance by allowing quantitation of GFAT mRNA levels in pathophysiological states such as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and obesity. FEMS Microbiol Lett, 1992 Dec 15, 79(1-3), 509 - 16 Variation in O-antigens, niche-specific selection and bacterial populations; Reeves PR; Bacterial populations usually consist of distinct clones, often apparently adapted to specific niches . A formal model is developed whereby niche-specific selection maintains the polymorphisms involved in clonal adaptation . Infrequent transfer of non-adaptive alleles to a clone is balanced by the selection for the resident adaptive allele . The model can account for the extensive polymorphism in surface antigens observed in bacteria, and also for the existence of sympatric clones of pathogenic species which differ in host range and/or mode of pathogenesis . Niche-specific selection combined with low levels of genetic transfer can also account for the high level of neutral variation in bacteria, and indirectly for their ability to respond rapidly to environmental changes. J Dairy Sci, 1992 Dec, 75(12), 3452 - 4 Relationship between rumen bacterial concentrations and total numbers; Dehority BA et al.; Based on data from 33 sheep, bacterial concentrations per gram of rumen contents were correlated highly with total bacterial numbers (r = .99) . Diets ranged from all forage to 90% concentrate . Similar data were obtained from cattle fed a corn silage diet (r = .95); however, the slope of the regression lines differed between species . Weight of rumen contents was correlated poorly with total bacterial numbers. Am J Dis Child, 1992 Dec, 146(12), 1484 - 7 Cranial computed tomographic scans have little impact on management of bacterial meningitis; Friedland IR et al.; OBJECTIVE--To assess which clinical features predict an increased likelihood of an abnormal computed tomographic (CT) scan and how frequently CT influences management of bacterial meningitis . DESIGN--Retrospective patient series . SETTING--University-affiliated hospitals in Dallas, Tex . PATIENTS--Three hundred thirty-seven children with bacterial meningitis, of whom 107 (32%) had undergone CT scans . RESULTS--One or more abnormalities were found in 52% of the initial scans . The most frequent indication for CT at our institution was persistent or secondary fever, and in 56% of these children, subdural effusion or empyema was noted . However, findings on CT rarely predicted a need for intervention . In contrast, children with focal seizures or focal neurologic signs were more likely to have brain parenchymal changes . Scans in 19 patients (12%) prompted surgical intervention, most commonly drainage of a subdural collection . The conditions of only nine children (8.4% of those who had undergone CT scans) improved following intervention that was initiated because of findings on CT . CONCLUSIONS--Although CT scans are frequently abnormal in children with meningitis, CT seldom reveals findings that require specific intervention. Biochemistry, 1992 Dec 8, 31(48), 12233 - 40 Gene synthesis, bacterial expression, and 1H NMR spectroscopic studies of the rat outer mitochondrial membrane cytochrome b5; Rivera M et al.; The gene coding for the water-soluble domain of the outer mitochondrial membrane cytochrome b5 (OM cytochrome b5) from rat liver has been synthetized and expressed in Escherichia coli . The DNA sequence was obtained by back-translating the known amino acid sequence {Lederer, F., Ghrir, R., Guiard, B., Cortial, S., & Ito, A . (1983) Eur . J . Biochem . 132, 95-102} . The recombinant OM cytochrome b5 was characterized by UV-visible, EPR, and 1H NMR spectroscopy . The UV-visible and EPR spectra of the OM cytochrome b5 are almost identical to the ones obtained from the overexpressed rat microsomal cytochrome b5 {Bodman, S . B . V., Schyler, M . A., Jollie, D . R., & Sligar, S . G . (1986) Proc . Natl . Acad . Sci . U.S.A . 83, 9443-9447} . The one-dimensional 1H NMR spectrum of the OM cytochrome b5 indicates that the rhombic perturbation of the ferric center is essentially identical to that in the microsomal beef, rabbit, chicken, and rat cytochromes b5 . Two-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy (NOESY) and one-dimensional NOE difference spectroscopy were used to assign the contact-shifted resonances that correspond to each of the two isomers that result from the rotation of the heme around its alpha-gamma-meso axis . The assignment of the resonances allowed the determination of the heme orientation ratio in the OM cytochrome b5, which was found to be 1.0 +/- 0.1 . It is noteworthy that the two cytochromes b5 that have similar populations of the two heme isomers (large heme disorder) originate from the rat liver. FEMS Microbiol Lett, 1992 Dec 1, 78(2-3), 159 - 64 Potassium ions and changes in bacterial DNA supercoiling under osmotic stress; Meury J et al.; Escherichia coli transiently increases both the {ATP}/{ADP} ratio and the negative supercoiling of plasmid DNA when it is shifted to high osmolarity . Here we report that a mutant lacking all saturable K+ transport systems increases the negative supercoiling of the plasmid DNA under upshock but cannot further relax DNA . The mutant dnaK756 behaves like the K+ transport mutant. Am J Physiol, 1992 Dec, 263(6 Pt 2), R1235 - 40 A critical role for central vasopressin in regulation of fever during bacterial infection; Cridland RA et al.; Previous investigations on the antipyretic properties of arginine vasopressin have used bacterial endotoxins or pyrogens to induce fever . Because these experimental models of fever fail to mimic all aspects of the responses to infection, we felt it was important to examine the role of endogenously released vasopressin as a neuromodulator in febrile thermoregulation during infection . Therefore the present study examines the effects of chronic infusion of a V1-receptor antagonist or saline (via osmotic minipumps into the ventral septal area of the brain) on a fever induced by injection of live bacteria . Telemetry was used for continuous measurement of body temperature in the awake unhandled rat . Animals infused with the V1-antagonist exhibited fevers that were greater in duration compared with those of saline-infused animals . These results support the hypothesis that vasopressin functions as an antipyretic agent or fever-reducing agent in brain . Importantly, they suggest that endogenously released vasopressin may play a role as a neuromodulator in natural fever. Int J Biol Macromol, 1992 Dec, 14(6), 343 - 7 Susceptibilities of bacterial cellulose containing N-acetylglucosamine residues for cellulolytic and chitinolytic enzymes; Ogawa R et al.; Detailed characterization of enzyme susceptibility of bacterial cellulose containing N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residues (N-AcGBC) which possess high susceptibility for cellulase and lysozyme and slight susceptibility for chitinase was studied . Turbidimetric lysozyme assay of N-AcGBC showed that (i) the susceptibilities of various N-AcGBCs for lysozyme were proportional to GlcNAc content, and (ii) N-AcGBC homogenates were divided into two groups based on the rate of turbidity reduction (not dependent on GlcNAc content) . High reactivity of N-AcGBC for lysozyme would arise from fine microfibrils characteristic of bacterial cellulose (BC) and random distribution of GlcNAc residues in N-AcGBC because water soluble oligomers of N-AcGBC produced by lysozymic hydrolysis did not inhibit lysozyme activity; however, the random distribution of GlcNAc seemed to result in the slight susceptibility of N-AcGBC for chitinase . The rate of cellulolytic turbidity reduction of N-AcGBC was slower than that of BC, which arose from the inhibition for binding of cellulase by GlcNAc residues. Biotechniques, 1992 Dec, 13(6), 866 - 9 pGSTag--a versatile bacterial expression plasmid for enzymatic labeling of recombinant proteins; Ron D et al.; We report on the construction of a plasmid, pGSTag, that directs the expression in E . coli of a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein that contains a high affinity phosphorylation site by protein kinase-A (PK-A) . The fusion protein, following purification from crude bacterial lysates by substrate affinity chromatography, can be labeled in vitro to high specific activity with purified PK-A and 32P-gamma-ATP . Because labeling takes place while the fusion protein is immobilized on a solid support, the unincorporated label and enzyme can be washed away . Using the leucine-zipper domains of cAMP response element binding (CREB) proteins and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)-like proteins as a model system, we show that the labeled protein, after elution from the affinity resin, can be used as a probe to detect interacting (dimerizing) species in a nitrocellulose-based ligand blot assay . The utility of this system for the creation of labeled protein probes is discussed. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1992 Dec, 58(12), 4080 - 2 Direct extraction of bacterial plasmids from food for polymerase chain reaction amplification; Andersen MR et al.; In this report we describe a simple and rapid technique using DNA affinity columns that permits direct extraction of bacterial plasmids from a variety of foods for polymerase chain reaction amplification . The procedure was used to detect virulent enteroinvasive Escherichia coli in several artificially seeded matrices, including seafoods, greens, dairy products, enrichment media, and water . Polymerase inhibitors present in both foods and enrichment media were removed efficiently. Arch Oral Biol, 1992 Dec, 37(12), 1007 - 12 An in vitro study of polymorphonuclear leucocyte-mediated injury to human gingival keratinocytes by periodontopathic bacterial extracts; Sugiyama E et al.; Human gingival keratinocytes were cultured and, after the first passage, subjected to cell detachment assays with polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) and/or sonic extracts from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Y4, and Eikenella corrodens 1073 . The effector-to-target cell ratio was 30:1 . Bacterial extracts alone caused no disruption of keratinocyte monolayers . PMNs alone also caused only minimal detachment after 14 h incubation . Adding A . actinomycetemcomitans to the PMN-keratinocyte co-cultures at the concentration of 100 micrograms/ml caused dramatic cell detachment . The effect of A . actinomycetemcomitans was heat labile and not inhibited by polymyxin B . Cell detachment was inhibited by alpha 1-antitrypsin, whereas catalase and superoxide dismutase could not prevent it . No lysis of keratinocytes was observed after incubation, as judged by 51Cr release . E . corrodens had little effect even at the concentration of 1000 micrograms/ml . H2O2 and partially purified PMN elastase also caused detachment of keratinocytes . These data indicate that PMNs can cause non-lytic detachment of keratinocytes when interacting with certain bacteria. J Bioenerg Biomembr, 1992 Dec, 24(6), 547 - 53 Photophosphorylation elements in halobacteria: an A-type ATP synthase and bacterial rhodopsins; Mukohata Y et al.; Photophosphorylation in halobacteria is carried out by two rather simple elements: an A-type ATP synthase and light-driven ion-pumping bacterial rhodopsins . The unique features of halobacterial ATP synthase, mostly common to archaebacteria (A-type), and of new members of the bacteriorhodopsin family are introduced along with studies performed in the authors' laboratory . This is the story of how we found that the A-type ATP synthase is close to V-type ATPase but far from F-type ATPase, although all three ATPases are believed to have the same ancestor . Archaerhodopsins, the new members of the proton-pumping retinal proteins, were found in Australian halobacteria and have been used in a comparative study of bacterial rhodopsins. Am Rev Respir Dis, 1992 Dec, 146(6), 1598 - 9 Bacterial tracheitis with upper airway obstruction in a patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Valor RR et al.; Bacterial tracheitis after an upper viral respiratory infection is a well-recognized entity in the pediatric literature . Bacterial tracheitis has only recently been reported in adults, and it is a potentially life-threatening illness . We report a case of bacterial tracheitis in a patient with AIDS. Biochemistry, 1992 Dec 1, 31(47), 11748 - 54 Partial reactions of bacterial D-amino acid transaminase with asparagine substituted for the lysine that binds coenzyme pyridoxal 5'-phosphate; Yoshimura T et al.; In bacterial D-amino acid transaminase (EC 2.6.1.21) replacement of Lys-145, which is covalently linked to the coenzyme pyridoxal 5'-phosphate in the wild-type enzyme, by an Asn residue gave a mutant enzyme (K145N) that slowly performed each half-reaction, as determined by spectral measurements . With the wild-type enzyme, the kinetics of these events were so rapid that pre-steady-state conditions were needed for their determination . The internal aldimine between coenzyme and Lys-145 was rapidly reduced with NaCNBH3 in the wild-type enzyme, whereas in the mutant enzyme the coenzyme, which is not covalently linked to the protein, was more resistant to reduction; the reduced forms of both wild-type and mutant enzymes were inactive . With large amounts of the K145N mutant enzyme and either amino acid or keto acid substrate alone, the formation of some reaction intermediates, i.e., the external aldimine with D-alanine and the ketimine with alpha-ketoglutarate, can be measured by conventional spectroscopy . Suicide substrates also induced slow spectral shifts of the E-PLP form of the enzyme . For the K145N enzyme, exogenous amines affected only the rate of the transaldimination but not the removal of the alpha-proton of the substrate . These results suggest that in the mutant enzyme some amino acid side chain other than Lys-145 performs this function . In order to identify this site, the K145N mutant enzyme was completely inactivated by the radiolabeled suicide substrate D-serine . Peptide mapping of tryptic digests showed that Lys-267 was the modified site.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Ann Emerg Med, 1992 Dec, 21(12), 1502 - 4 Bilateral cortical blindness: an unusual presentation of bacterial endocarditis; Lawrence-Friedl D et al.; We report the case of a 37-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department with the initial complaint of complete blindness . The patient was found to have bilateral ruptured occipital mycotic aneurysms as a sequela of bacterial endocarditis . This case is unique in several aspects . Although blindness may be a presenting neurologic symptom, it is exceedingly rare . To our knowledge, bilateral cortical blindness secondary to mycotic aneurysm rupture has not been reported previously. Protein Expr Purif, 1992 Dec, 3(6), 512 - 7 Expression of a group II phospholipase A2 from the venom of Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus in Escherichia coli: recovery and renaturation from bacterial inclusion bodies; Lathrop BK et al.; A synthetic gene encoding the Group II phospholipase A2 (PLA2) from the venom of Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus has been constructed and expressed with high efficiency in Escherichia coli . No enzymatic activity was recovered when the polypeptide contained the initiator Met residue . Replacement of an Asn residue penultimate to the initiator Met with Ser or Gly permitted removal of the initiator Met by the endogenous methionine aminopeptidase . The amino-terminal serine (N-Ser) and amino-terminal glycine PLA2's were isolated from intracellular inclusion bodies and were renatured with 25% recovery . Automated Edman degradation confirmed the removal of the initiator Met and confirmed the sequence of the first 40 residues of N-Ser PLA2 . The recombinant proteins were purified to apparent homogeneity and showed the same specific activity as the wild-type protein . N-Ser PLA2 demonstrated the same kinetics of activation as the wild type enzyme on large vesicles of zwitterionic lipid. Acta Neurol Scand, 1992 Dec, 86(6), 596 - 8 IgG paraproteins in neurological diseases: lack of association with neurotropic viral/bacterial antigens; Mavra M et al.; In this study we tested the hypothesis that IgG paraproteins in neurological diseases might be regarded as an anti-idiotypic response raised by a nervous system antigen associated with certain neurotropic agents . After initial ELISA screen, positive samples from 34 neurological patients who had paraproteins in their CSF and serum on routine IEF investigation, were tested by immunoblot technique for the presence of specific monoclonal immunoglobulin G (IgG) against eight different neurotropic antigens . Only one patient had specific monoclonal IgG against herpes simplex virus . The results of this study did not confirm our hypothesis . Further study of IgM/IgA paraproteins is indicated. FEMS Microbiol Immunol, 1992 Dec, 5(5-6), 261 - 70 Pathways controlling the superoxide response during phagocyte differentiation: involvement of arachidonic acid and Ca2+ in the response to bacterial endotoxin; Leaver HA et al.; In contrast to the phorbol ester oxidative response, which only develops during dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO)-induced differentiation of the human leukemic myeloblast HL-60 cell-line, the endotoxin response was observed in undifferentiated and differentiated cells . The Ca2+ response to endotoxin, detected in both differentiated and undifferentiated HL-60 cells, consisted of a transient 10-50 nM increase in intracellular Ca2+ . A very slow, irreversible increase in intracellular Ca2+ was detected at high 1-100 micrograms/ml endotoxin concentrations, and this effect, and the inositol phosphate response, correlated with the surfactant activities of various endotoxins and Lipid A . Arachidonic acid and sodium arachidonate 1-50 microM stimulated a large 200-500 nM and transient Ca2+ response in undifferentiated HL-60 cells, which was significantly greater than that elicited by 1-50 microM eicosapentaenoic acid, and was not observed at similar concentrations of arachidonic acid methyl ester or myristic acid . These concentrations (1-50 microM) of arachidonic acid were observed to have surfactant activities on the plasma membrane . At lower arachidonic acid concentrations a marked potentiation of both Ca2+ and oxidative responses to the chemotactic peptide fMet-Leu-Phe was detected . It is possible that the arachidonic acid released during phospholipase A2 activation of neutrophils may be involved in cellular cross-talk and, at higher concentrations, in directly activating Ca2+ and superoxide production . It is also possible that previously reported effects of endotoxin at high concentrations are an in vitro artefact of surfactant properties of endotoxin. FEMS Microbiol Immunol, 1992 Dec, 5(5-6), 249 - 59 The role of inositol lipids in the activation of monocytes by interleukin-1 and bacterial endotoxin; Rotondo D et al.; The effect of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) on the activation of phosphoinositidase C (PIC) and on prostaglandin E2 release was studied in monocytes (M phi) . Both IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta increased the release of PGE2 in a concentration-dependent manner, with EC50s of 0.48 nM and 0.12 nM, respectively . Intact M phi were prelabelled with {3H}inositol and the formation of inositol phosphates (IPs) was estimated by ion exchange chromatography . PIC activity was estimated directly by measuring the conversion of {3H}phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate to aqueous soluble radioactivity by M phi homogenates . IL-1 alpha (5.8 nM) increased the accumulation of IPs within 1-4 minutes and increases in IP3 and IP4 occurred before the increase in IP1+2 whereas LPS only increased the IPs level after at least 30 min . IL-1 alpha increased PIC activity in M phi homogenates within 15 min with an EC50 of 0.58 nM and IL-1 beta (0.1 nM) also increased activity . Neither IL-1 alpha nor IL-1 beta affected the PIC activity of membrane or cytosolic fractions . LPS decreased activity in all fractions . These data indicate that IL-1, but not LPS, can directly lead to an increased activity of PIC which may be involved in eicosanoid formation in M phi. EMBO J, 1992 Dec, 11(13), 5079 - 90 Transposase-induced excision and circularization of the bacterial insertion sequence IS911; Polard P et al.; We have investigated the role of three IS911-specified proteins in transposition in vivo: the products of the upstream (OrfA) and downstream (OrfB) open reading frames, and a transframe protein (OrfAB) produced by -1 translational frameshifting between orfA and orfB . The production of OrfAB alone is shown to lead both to excision and to circularization of the element and to be sufficient for intermolecular transposition into a plasmid target . Simultaneous and independent production of OrfA is shown to stimulate OrfAB-mediated intermolecular transposition while greatly reducing the appearance of transposon circles . We have not been able to detect a role for OrfB . Although under certain conditions, the vector plasmid undergoes precise resealing after IS911 excision, the data suggest that this is not normally the case and that the donor plasmid is not generally conserved . The use of IS911 derivatives carrying mutations in the terminal 2 bp suggested that circle formation represents a site-specific intramolecular transposition event . We present a model which explains both intra- and intermolecular transposition events in terms of a single reaction mechanism of the 'cut and paste' type. J Urol, 1992 Dec, 148(6), 1944 - 50 Local motor responses to bradykinin and bacterial chemotactic peptide formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) in the guinea-pig isolated renal pelvis and ureter; Maggi CA et al.; The local motor response to bradykinin and the bacterial chemotactic peptide, formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) was investigated in the guinea-pig isolated renal pelvis and ureter in relation to possible activation of capsaicin-sensitive primary afferent nerves and release of sensory neuropeptides . Both bradykinin (1 nM-10 microM) and FMLP (10 nM-10 microM) produced a concentration-dependent positive inotropic effect in the isolated renal pelvis which was unaffected by in vitro capsaicin desensitization . The response to bradykinin was antagonized by HOE 140, a bradykinin receptor antagonist, while it was unaffected by MEN 10,376, a tachykinin receptor antagonist, hCGRP(8-37) a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist and N-t-BOC-Phe-DLeu-Phe-DLeu-Phe (BPLPLP), an FMLP antagonist . The response to FMLP was blocked by BPLPLP while it was unaffected by HOE 140, MEN 10,376 or hCGRP(8-37) . Indomethacin (10 microM) enhanced the response to both bradykinin and FMLP . Bradykinin transiently activated rhythmic contractions in the isolated ureter . The response to bradykinin was blocked by HOE 140 and was unaffected by in vitro capsaicin desensitization, indomethacin, MEN 10,376 or BPLPLP . FMLP had no motor effect on the resting ureter but when rhythmic background contractions were evoked by the addition of 100 nM endothelin 1, it produced a transient suppression of ureteral motility . This inhibitory effect was unchanged by in vitro capsaicin desensitization or HOE 140 while it was abolished by indomethacin or BPLPLP pretreatment . Both bradykinin and FMLP evoked the release of CGRP-like immunoreactivity in the renal pelvis . The effect of bradykinin but not that of FMLP was abolished by indomethacin . By contrast neither bradykinin nor FMLP did evoke a significant CGRP-LI release in the ureter . It is concluded that bradykinin and FMLP affect pyeloureteral motility through specific and independent pathways . The local motor responses produced by these chemical stimulants are independent from the release of sensory neuropeptides from capsaicin-sensitive primary afferent neurons . Direct neurochemical evidence was obtained for activation of capsaicin-sensitive primary afferents in the renal pelvis: such a mechanism could be involved in the genesis of ureteral pain whenever bradykinin or FMLP come into contact with sensory nerves in the pyeloureteral wall. Mol Cell Endocrinol, 1992 Dec, 90(1), 33 - 8 Thyroid-specific and hormone-dependent expression of rat thyroglobulin promoter fused with bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene in transgenic mice; Skinner CA et al.; The minimal promoter of rat thyroglobulin (TG) gene (168 bp) was fused with bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene, and transgenic mice carrying the TGCAT gene were produced . The minimal promoter is sufficient for thyroid-specific and hormone-dependent expression of TGCAT in transgenic mice . Deletion of a region between -128 and -92 bp (TGII), which is not required for the expression of TGCAT in transient expression assays but whose sequence is most extensively conserved among different species, appears to decrease frequency of the expression of TGCAT in transgenic mice . However, the same deletion apparently has no significant effect on TG promoter activity in stably transformed rat FRTL-5 cells. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1992 Dec, 23(4), 606 - 20 Immunological studies on some bacterial and parasitic diseases in Thailand; Chaicumpa W; Over the past two decades a wide range of immunological studies have been carried out on organisms responsible for causing serious bacterial and parasitic diseases in Thailand . Particular emphasis has been placed on cholera, where investigations have been directed towards vaccine development and rapid diagnosis and on diagnosis of typhoid and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli . In the area of parasitic diseases emphasis has been directed especially to immunodiagnosis of helminthic diseases, including gnathostomiasis, paragonimiasis, opisthorchiasis, strongyloidiasis and trichinellosis . These studies are reviewed in this report. Biochem Int, 1992 Dec, 28(6), 1021 - 8 Expression of salivary mucin bacterial aggregating activity: difference with caries; Piotrowski J et al.; The low and high molecular weight mucin forms were isolated from saliva of individuals with different caries status and assessed for their bacterial aggregating potential towards S . mutans and S . sanguis . The high molecular weight mucin from both groups exhibited similar protein and carbohydrate content, but the level of covalently bound fatty acids was lower in the caries-resistant group . The mucin from caries-resistant group showed only a weak inhibitory potential, while no inhibitory activity was observed with the mucin of caries-susceptible group . The low molecular weight mucins from both groups, while displaying compositional similarities, showed a marked variation in the bacterial aggregating activity, and the titer of the mucin from caries-resistant group was at least 128-fold greater than that of caries-susceptible group . The results demonstrate that the bacterial aggregating epitope of salivary mucins is expressed to a greater extent in caries-res