Arch Oral Biol, 1984, 29(1), 81 - 5 Morphological changes in the bacterium Bacteroides melaninogenicus subspecies melaninogenicus isolated from the human mouth and grown in culture without added blood components; Okuda K et al.; Striking polymorphism in the cellular morphology could be induced by removal of blood components from the liquid growth medium, but the cells of Bacteroides gingivalis and B . melaninogenicus subspecies intermedius did not exhibit polymorphism when grown under these conditions . The major changes observed with light microscopy were an increase in cell size and extreme polymorphism . Electron microscopy of the polymorphic forms of B . melaninogenicus subspecies melaninogenicus strains showed that such cells lacked both the outer cell membrane and peptidoglycan layer . Serum promoted the growth of these strains, suggesting that some blood component is either conducive to the synthesis of the cell wall or masks an unknown inhibitor for cell-wall synthesis contained in the medium. Infect Immun, 1984 Jan, 43(1), 189 - 94 Piliated Bacteroides fragilis strains adhere to epithelial cells and are more sensitive to phagocytosis by human neutrophils than nonpiliated strains; Pruzzo C et al.; Fifteen unencapsulated B . fragilis strains isolated from human infections were examined for their capability to hemagglutinate erythrocytes of different species . Seven strains were found to hemagglutinate guinea pig and human (A,B,O) erythrocytes . This hemagglutination was resistant to treatment with D-mannose and several other sugars . Hemagglutinating strains were also capable of adhering to human epithelial cells and cultured human cell line (Intestine 407) and were 6- to 20-fold more adhesive than non-hemagglutinating strains . Pilus-like structures were found in negative-stained preparations on the hemagglutinating (and adhesive) strains but not on the others . Hemagglutinating and adhesive bacteria were 3- to 7-fold more sensitive to phagocytosis and 5- to 10-fold more sensitive to killing by human neutrophils than non-hemagglutinating ones. Arch Oral Biol, 1984, 29(7), 559 - 64 Characterization of a trypsin-like protease from the bacterium Bacteroides gingivalis isolated from human dental plaque; Yoshimura F et al.; A trypsin-like, membrane-bound protease from Bacteroides gingivalis was solubilized by Triton X-100 and partially purified by a combination of DEAE-Sepharose and aminophenylmercuric Sepharose chromatography, by taking advantage of the thiol group on the enzyme . The purified enzyme hydrolysed the synthetic substrates benzoyl-L-arginine-p-nitroanilide (L-BAPA), benzoyl-D,L-arginine-beta-naphthylamide (BANA) and tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester, as well as bovine serum albumin and ovalbumin, but not tosyl-L-lysine methyl ester . The enzyme activity was enhanced by SH-reagents and was inhibited to different degrees by SH-inhibitors, chelators and microbial low-molecular-weight inhibitors such as leupeptin, antipain and chymostatin . These microbial inhibitors could be of practical use as ligands for affinity chromatography for further purification . The possible involvement of the protease in periodontal diseases is also discussed. Jpn J Antibiot, 1983 Dec, 36(12), 3325 - 35 {Clinical evaluation of tinidazole on anaerobic infections in the field of obstetrics and gynecology}; Cho N et al.; The bacteriological and clinical effect of tinidazole (TDZ) was evaluated in 16 cases of intrauterine, intrapelvic and vulvar infection caused by anaerobic organisms and the following results were obtained . Anaerobes were detected in 16 cases, including 1 case with anaerobes alone and 15 cases with mixed anaerobes and aerobes . Eight different species and 24 strains were detected . A single species was isolated from 9 cases, 2 species from 6 cases and 3 species from 1 case . The main species detected were Bacteroides fragilis and Peptostreptococcus spp . of which 9 strains (37.5%) each were isolated . Escherichia coli and B . fragilis was the most frequently occurring combination . The peak MIC values of TDZ were 0.78 micrograms/ml for B . fragilis and 1.56 micrograms/ml for Peptostreptococcus spp . Most other organisms were also sensitive to TDZ . The bacteriological response of the anaerobic infections to TDZ was 87.5% and overall clinical efficacy was 87.5% . Few side effects were observed. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Dec, 24(6), 936 - 40 Cefoxitin inactivation by Bacteroides fragilis; Cuchural GJ Jr et al.; We have surveyed the susceptibility of 1,575 clinical isolates of the Bacteroides fragilis group of organisms to cefoxitin and eight other antimicrobial agents . Eleven isolates, 0.7% of the total, were highly cefoxitin resistant and had minimum inhibitory concentrations of greater than or equal to 64 micrograms/ml . These isolates were also resistant to other beta-lactam antibiotics . Of 11 isolates, 4 were able to inactivate cefoxitin in broth cultures, as measured by microbiological and high-pressure liquid chromatography assays . Two distinct patterns of cefoxitin breakdown products were detected by high-pressure liquid chromatography analysis . The beta-lactamase inhibitors clavulanic acid and sulbactam failed to show synergism with cefoxitin . These data demonstrate that members of the B . fragilis group have acquired a novel resistance mechanism enabling them to inactivate cefoxitin. J Bacteriol, 1983 Dec, 156(3), 1012 - 8 Effect of heme on Bacteroides distasonis catalase and aerotolerance; Gregory EM et al.; Parallel increases in intracellular catalase activity and resistance to extracellular H2O2 and to hyperbaric O2 toxicity were observed when Bacteroides distasonis VPI 4243 (ATCC 8503, type strain) was grown in either complex or defined medium containing graded amounts of hemin . Virtually all of the cells with high catalase activity (greater than 200 U/mg) remained viable upon exposure at 37 degrees C to 100-lb/in2 O2 on agar surfaces for 1 h, whereas low-catalase cells (less than 10 U/mg) lost 1.2 log units of viable cells during that treatment . Upon exposure to 500 microM H2O2, high-catalase cells lost 0.4 log units of the initial viable colonies during the same period in which low-catalase cells lost 3 log units of viable cells . The superoxide dismutase activity was the same in each test culture . These data support the role of intracellular catalase in protecting B . distasonis from oxidative damage resulting from hyperbaric oxygenation or H2O2 exposure . Catalase activity elicited by adding hemin to cells grown previously in medium lacking hemin was inhibited only 40% by prior incubation of the cells with chloramphenicol (30 micrograms/ml) and only 22% with rifampin (5 micrograms/ml) . A model which is consistent with these data involves the production of an apocatalase in cells grown in low-hemin medium . Addition of hemin to the cells would result in a rapid chloramphenicolor rifampin-insensitive stimulation of catalase activity followed by further de novo biosynthesis of catalase. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Dec, 24(6), 925 - 9 Properties of novel beta-lactamase produced by Bacteroides fragilis; Yotsuji A et al.; Bacteroides fragilis strains were isolated from clinical specimens . B . fragilis G-237 was highly resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics due to beta-lactamase production . The purified enzyme from this strain gave a single protein band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . The isoelectric point was 4.8, and the molecular weight was estimated to be 26,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . The enzyme activity was inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate and iodine but not by clavulanic acid or sulbactam . The purified enzyme showed a unique substrate profile by hydrolyzing at a high rate most of the cephalosporins, including cephamycin derivatives, penicillins, and imipenem (formerly imipemide, N-formimidoyl thienamycin, or MK 0787). J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Dec, 12 Suppl D, 47 - 51 Susceptibility of anaerobic bacteria to imipenem; Tally FP et al.; The in vitro susceptibility of 157 anaerobic bacteria to imipenem was compared with that to cefoxitin, latamoxef (moxalactam) and clindamycin . The isolates were cultured from clinical specimens submitted to Tufts Anaerobic Laboratory between January 1981 and March 1983 . Two strains of Bacteroides fragilis only, were highly resistant to imipenem . The incidence of cefoxitin resistance in the Bact . fragilis group has increased at Tufts-New England Medical Center . The data indicate that imipenem is the most active beta-lactam drug against anaerobic bacteria, including Bact . fragilis group of organisms . The only difference, since our original studies with thienamycin, is the recognition of two imipenem-resistant strains of Bact . fragilis. Scand J Dent Res, 1983 Dec, 91(6), 458 - 64 Isolation and ultrastructure of Bacteroides sp . with external cell-wall layer (S-layer) in periapical osteitis; Ranta H et al.; Bacteroides sp . was isolated in human periapical osteitis and shown to be biochemically closely related to B . ruminicola ssp . brevis and B . capillus . Electron microscopic examination revealed an external cell-wall layer (S-layer) . The fractionation of cells by various methods gave partially purified sheets corresponding to the observed layer with a hexagonal molecular arrangement. Drugs, 1983 Dec, 26(6), 520 - 9 Antimicrobial drugs used in the management of anaerobic infections in children; Brook I; Optimum antimicrobial therapy effective against anaerobes is required to rapidly resolve infections due to these organisms and to prevent serious complications . Selection of antimicrobial therapy should be based on clinical experience and presumptive evidence until culture and sensitivity tests are available . If an abscess should develop, surgical drainage (when possible) is of paramount importance . Antimicrobial therapy for anaerobic infections should usually be given for prolonged periods because of the tendency for relapse, and should include coverage for aerobic bacteria whenever they are present . Penicillin G remains the drug of choice for most anaerobic infections except those caused by beta-lactamase-producing Bacteroides spp . such as B . fragilis and B . melaninogenicus, and some strains of Fusobacterium varium, which can be resistant . Other antimicrobials which are available for treatment of anaerobic infections in paediatric patients, and are generally active against B . fragilis, are carbenicillin, ticarcillin, chloramphenicol, clindamycin and cefoxitin . Experience in the use of metronidazole suggests that it could be a very valuable antimicrobial agent in the treatment of anaerobic infections . Experience with synergistic antimicrobial combinations in the treatment of anaerobic infections is limited; only experimental data are available suggesting synergism between penicillin and aminoglycosides against some Bacteroides spp . beta-Lactamase-producing anaerobic bacteria may protect other penicillin-susceptible bacteria in mixed infections . This phenomenon may explain penicillin failure in eradicating mixed infections. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1983 Dec, 46(6), 1252 - 7 Purification and characterization of mucopolysaccharidase from an oral strain of Bacteroides sp; Taniguchi H et al.; A mucopolysaccharidase in the cell extract of an oral strain of Bacteroides sp . was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose column chromatography, gel filtration on Sephadex G-200, and isoelectric focusing . Specific activity increased 110-fold and recovery was 2% . The molecular weight was determined to be 89,000 by gel filtration, and the isoelectric point was 7.0 . The optimum pH for the activity was 6.5 . The enzyme was inactivated by heating at 60 degrees C for 5 min . The purified mucopolysaccharidase degraded hyaluronic acid more rapidly than chondroitin and chondroitin sulfate A and C . However, it had no activity against chondroitin sulfate B, heparin, and heparan sulfate . Since unsaturated disaccharides were derived from the enzyme substrate, this enzyme was considered to be a mucopolysaccharide lyase. J Infect Dis, 1983 Dec, 148(6), 1083 - 9 Mechanism of action of metronidazole on Bacteroides fragilis; Sigeti JS et al.; Metronidazole (10 micrograms/ml) was rapidly bactericidal when added to log-phase cultures of Bacteroides fragilis strain 2624 . DNA synthesis stopped immediately after addition of metronidazole, whereas synthesis of RNA and protein continued at linear rates for at least 60 min . Gel electrophoresis of DNA extracted from metronidazole-treated cells revealed no nicking or strand breakage in either the 2.9- or 2.0-megadalton plasmid of strain 2624 . Also, no degradation of chromosomal DNA was seen . DNA polymerase activity, measured in vitro, was not diminished by prior treatment of the cells with metronidazole . Thus, the primary action of metronidazole is a rapid inhibition of DNA replication . The DNA remains structurally intact, DNA polymerase activity is not directly affected, and cells retain metabolic activity, synthesizing RNA and protein at unaltered rates. J Bacteriol, 1983 Dec, 156(3), 1366 - 8 Effect of oxygen and UV irradiation on nucleic acid and protein syntheses in Bacteroides fragilis; Schumann JP et al.; Macromolecular synthesis in Bacteroides fragilis was decreased by oxygen . DNA degradation and synthesis were inhibited by UV irradiation and oxygen, but RNA and protein syntheses were relatively unaffected. Surg Neurol, 1983 Dec, 20(6), 453 - 5 Brain abscess due to penicillin- and clindamycin-resistant Bacteroides melaninogenicus; Villar LA et al.; The case of a patient with severe anaerobic infection, a brain abscess, is presented . The causative organism was a penicillinase-producing, clindamycin-resistant strain of Bacteroides melaninogenicus . Treatment with adequate doses of penicillin G failed . Findings in this case suggest caution when basing therapy on the untested assumption that B . melaninogenicus is routinely susceptible to penicillin and clindamycin therapy. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Nov, 12(5), 515 - 8 Activity of trimethoprim (TMP), sulphamethoxazole (SMX) and the combination against Bacteroides fragilis group isolates; Jackson-York GL et al.; The in-vitro efficacy of trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) was tested against 59 isolates belonging to the Bacteroides fragilis group of bacteria and was shown to be dependent upon the inoculum size . With an inoculum of 3 X 10(5) colony forming units (cfu), 98% of these isolates were susceptible to the combination, whereas with a higher inoculum of 10(6) cfu, 88% were susceptible . None of the isolates were susceptible to less than 2 mg/l of TMP, whereas 57 (97%) were susceptible to SMX at the lower inoculum and 21 (36%) at the higher inoculum . These data indicate that TMP/SMX has moderate activity against organisms of the Bact . fragilis group when tested at an inoculum of 10(6) cfu. Aust Vet J, 1983 Nov, 60(11), 331 - 4 Classification of Bacteroides nodosus by agglutination tests; Claxton PD et al.; One thousand two hundred and sixty seven isolates of Bacteroides nodosus from 292 sheep in 58 flocks were examined . Of these, 1260 could be classified by slide agglutination into 8 serogroups designated A to H . Up to 6 serogroups were detected in individual flocks, with up to 4 serogroups being detected in a single foot . Of the 292 sheep examined, 38 (13%) carried mixed serogroup infections . Determination of the range of serological types infecting a flock frequently required the examination of a number of isolates from each of a number of sheep . Cross-tube agglutination tests carried out on 44 isolates and their antiserums indicated that members of some serogroups could be divisible into subgroups or serotypes . These results suggested that 16 or more serotypes of B . nodosus might exist . The nature of the antigens responsible for both slide and tube agglutination reactions needs to be determined. J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Nov, 18(5), 1282 - 4 Vancomycin as a selective agent for isolation of Bacteroides species; van Winkelhoff AJ et al.; Thirty saccharolytic and asaccharolytic black-pigmented Bacteroides strains were tested for their susceptibility to vancomycin . All asaccharolytic strains appeared to be partly or completely inhibited at a concentration of 7.5 micrograms/ml, whereas most saccharolytic strains were resistant to this concentration . The use of vancomycin in Bacteroides selective media is discussed. Infect Immun, 1983 Nov, 42(2), 783 - 8 Enhancement of experimental ulcerative colitis by immunization with Bacteroides vulgatus; Onderdonk AB et al.; Previous studies with the guinea pig model for ulcerative colitis have shown that the inducing agent, carrageenan, does not provoke ulcerations in germfree guinea pigs, but animals monoassociated with Bacteroides vulgatus develop cecal ulcerations when fed carrageenan . In an effort to define the role of B . vulgatus in this model system, conventional guinea pigs were immunized with B . vulgatus before carrageenan treatment . Immunized animals developed both circulating antibody and positive skin tests for the homologous antigen . A comparison of B . vulgatus-immune and nonimmune carrageenan recipients after 30 days of carrageenan treatment revealed ulcerations of the ceca and large intestine in both groups, but the immune group developed more severe lesions than the nonimmune group . The most severe intestinal lesions were detected in B . vulgatus-immune animals fed both carrageenan and daily doses of viable B . vulgatus . Immune recipients of B . vulgatus alone did not develop ulcerations, but showed histological evidence of intestinal inflammation . Lesions observed in B . vulgatus-immune animals were most severe in the colon and rectum, in contrast to more severe cecal lesions detected in nonimmune carrageenan recipients . Similar experiments with Bacteroides fragilis as an antigen for immunization showed no difference between immune and nonimmune groups . These results suggest that immunization with B . vulgatus enhances the severity of carrageenan-induced colitis. J Bacteriol, 1983 Nov, 156(2), 859 - 66 Isolation and characterization of two chondroitin lyases from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron; Linn S et al.; Two chondroitin lyases were isolated from the colon anaerobe Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron . Both enzymes had similar molecular weights (104,000 and 108,000) and similar isoelectric points (8.0 and 7.9, respectively) . Both enzymes were active against chondroitin sulfates A, B, and C and unsulfated polysaccharides, such as chondroitin and hyaluronic acid, although one of the enzymes was twice as active against chondroitin as the other enzyme . Both had similar Km values for chondroitin sulfates A and C (40 to 70 micrograms/ml) and for chondroitin (300 to 400 micrograms/ml) . Neither enzyme could degrade the highly sulfated mucopolysaccharide heparin, but heparin was a potent inhibitor of the activity of both enzymes . Although enzymes I and II were similar in many respects, a comparison of peptides resulting from partial digestion with N-chlorosuccinimide or papain demonstrated that the two proteins are not related. J Clin Periodontol, 1983 Nov, 10(6), 563 - 78 Clinical and microbiological effects of subgingival restorations with overhanging or clinically perfect margins; Lang NP et al.; The close association between restorations with overhanging margins and chronic destructive periodontitis has been known for many years . However, the mechanisms by which overhanging restorations will interact in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease are still unknown . Generally it is accepted that overhanging restorations contribute to the promotion of the disease process by virtue of their capacity to retain bacterial plaque . The purpose of the present study was to determine if the placement of subgingival restorations with overhanging margins results in changes in the subgingival microflora . 9 dental students with clean teeth and clinically healthy gingivae (GI less than 0.1) gave their consent to participate in the study . 5 MOD cast gold onlays with 1 mm proximal overhanging margins were placed in mandibular molars for 19-27 weeks . They were replaced in a cross-over design by 5 similar onlays with clinically perfect margins which served as controls . Another 5 onlays were placed in reverse order in the remaining patients . Prior to and every 2-3 weeks after insertion, subgingival microbiological samples were obtained by inserting a fine sterile paper point for 30 sec into the gingival sulcus subjacent to the restoration . The predominant cultivable flora was determined using continuous anaerobic culturing techniques . Following the placement of restorations with overhanging margins, a subgingival flora was detected which closely resembled that of chronic periodontitis . Increased proportions of Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria, black-pigmented Bacteroides and an increased anaerobe: facultative ratio were noted . Following the placement of the restorations with clinically perfect margins, a microflora characteristic for gingival health or initial gingivitis was observed . Black-pigmented Bacteroides were detected in very low proportions (1.6-3.8%) . These changes in the subgingival microflora were obvious irrespective of whether the restorations with the overhanging margins were placed in the first period of the experiment or following the cross-over . Clinically, increasing gingival indices were detected at the sites where overhanging margins were placed . Bleeding on gentle probing always preceded the peak level of black-pigmented Bacteroides . Loss of attachment was not detected in any site . Changes in the subgingival microflora after the placement of restorations with overhanging margins document a potential mechanism for the initiation of periodontal disease associated with iatrogenic factors. Can J Microbiol, 1983 Nov, 29(11), 1532 - 8 Galactosamine inhibition of protein synthesis in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron; Salyers AA et al.; Galactosamine does not support growth of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron . Despite this, galactosamine was more effective than utilizable carbohydrates such as glucose in preventing synthesis of the inducible enzymes alpha-glucosidase and chondroitin lyase . Galactosamine also stopped overall protein synthesis . By contrast glucose and other utilizable carbohydrates increased the rate of protein synthesis . Addition of glucose to bacteria which had been treated with galactosamine restored the ability of the bacteria to synthesize protein and to produce inducible enzymes . Moreover, when B . thetaiotaomicron was incubated with {1-14C}galactosamine for 30 min at 37 degrees C, about one-third of the label which was taken up by the cells comigrated with glucosamine-6-phosphate on a thin-layer chromatogram . Thus galactosamine appears to be phosphorylated by the bacteria . After 2 h incubation of the bacteria with {1-14C}galactosamine, there was a significant increase in the amount of label which could be extracted from acidified extracellular fluid with diethyl ether . This indicates that galactosamine can be metabolized to the level of volatile fatty acids . The rate of uptake of galactosamine and the amount of labeled fatty acids produced from galactosamine were both much lower than the values obtained when glucosamine was the substrate . Thus, although some metabolism of galactosamine occurs, the rate is apparently too slow to enable galactosamine to support growth of B . thetaiotaomicron. J Clin Pathol, 1983 Nov, 36(11), 1229 - 32 Continuous opacity monitoring of the growth of bacteria under strict anaerobic conditions; O'Grady F et al.; A newly designed instrument is described which generates continuous records of the opacities of six bacterial cultures growing under strict anaerobic conditions . Additions (for example, of antibacterial agents) or withdrawal of culture (for example, for viable counting) can be made at any time without breach of anaerobiosis . Use of the instrument is illustrated by growth curves obtained from small inocula of two strict anaerobes, Bacteroides asaccharolyticus and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius and by the effects on the growth curve of Bacteroides fragilis of adding various concentrations of metronidazole at different times. Can J Surg, 1983 Nov, 26(6), 504 - 7 Are first-generation cephalosporins effective for antibiotic prophylaxis in elective surgery of the colon? Lewis RT, Allan CM, Goodall RG, Marien B, Park M, Lloyd-Smith W, Wiegand FM. First-generation cephalosporins have recently declined in popularity as antibiotics for prophylaxis in elective surgery of the colon, but their efficacy has not been defined precisely . In a prospective randomized study, 44 patients who underwent elective colonic operations received, preoperatively, cefazolin in a parenteral dose adequate to kill aerobic coliforms . Six had wound infections; Bacteroides fragilis was grown, along with other organisms, from all these wounds . In contrast, only 1 of 57 similar patients had a wound infection after receiving, preoperatively, erythromycin base and metronidazole orally--directed at anaerobic bacteria . Local contamination, predominantly by anaerobic bacteria, is the main cause of wound infection after elective surgery of the colon . Even in what seems to be adequate dosage, first-generation cephalosporins are not antibiotics of first choice for preventing wound infections after these operations. Infect Immun, 1983 Nov, 42(2), 459 - 70 Antigenic heterogeneity of Bacteroides intermedius as recognized by monoclonal antibodies; Gmur R et al.; Four hybrid cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies against antigens of Bacteroides intermedius were generated by fusing murine NSI cells with splenocytes from a rat immunized with B . intermedius strain OMZ248 . An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to analyze the distribution of the recognized antigens on 39 strains from various Bacteroides species and on 5 strains from other genera . Only Bacteroides species B . intermedius, B . loescheii, B . melaninogenicus, and B . corporis were found to express at least one of the recognized antigens . Strains of the two asaccharolytic black-pigmenting Bacteroides species were negative . Among the strains capable of binding to one or more of the monoclonal antibodies, five groups with different reactivity patterns could be distinguished . Two of the monoclonal antibodies were specific for B . intermedius . The B . intermedius strains were metabolically almost identical, expressed at least three of the recognized antigens, and fell into three distinct antibody reactivity groups, suggesting a tentative separation of this species into three new serogroups . Oral and nonoral isolates of B . intermedius were, however, not distinguished by the monoclonal antibodies . One monoclonal antibody was directed against an antigen strongly expressed on all saccharolytic black-pigmenting Bacteroides strains tested so far, thus confirming the previously noted antigenic relationship between the species which had emerged from the former B . melaninogenicus subsp . intermedius and B . melaninogenicus subsp . melaninogenicus groups. J Appl Bacteriol, 1983 Oct, 55(2), 247 - 52 Characterization of black-pigmented Bacteroides strains isolated from animals; Laliberte M et al.; The aims of the study were: the isolation of strains of black-pigmented Bacteroides from the gingival sulcus of different animals, their biochemical and immunological characterization and comparison of their properties for classification within the genus . A total of 104 strains, isolated from cats, dogs, racoons and a jaguar, were characterized on the basis of fermentation of carbohydrates, metabolic end products, haemagglutination studies, enzymatic activities, catalase production and indirect immunofluorescence . No differences were observed between the strains regardless of their animal origin . The strains did not ferment carbohydrates, produce phenylacetic acid, show an array of enzyme activities or agglutinate sheep red blood cells . They were catalase-positive and so differed from the human oral strains of Bact . gingivalis . Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that the animal strains shared at least one major antigen with Bact . gingivalis but none with Bact . asaccharolyticus . Apart from their catalase activity, the animal strains isolated were similar to those of human Bact . gingivalis strains. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Oct, 12 Suppl C, 63 - 8 Potentiation of phagocytosis of Bacteroides fragilis following incubation with clindamycin; Howard RJ et al.; We studied the effect of clindamycin on phagocytosis of Bacteroides fragilis (MIC = 0.05 mg/l) . In the in-vitro test system phagocytosis of Bact . fragilis was less than 11% for the first 30 min of incubation . At 60 min, 25-50% of Bact . fragilis were phagocytosed . At 90 min, phagocytosis increased to 60% of the bacterial inoculum and did not increase thereafter . When clindamycin (0.02 mg/l) was incubated with neutrophils for 2 h prior to exposure to bacteria, there was no increase in phagocytosis . When clindamycin (0.02 mg/l) was incubated with bacteria for 2 h before exposure to neutrophils, phagocytosis increased to 23.1 +/- 5.9 (S.D.) per cent at 30 min compared to 1.1 +/- 15.1% (P less than 0.05) for bacteria not exposed to clindamycin . There was no difference in phagocytosis between the two groups at 60 and 90 min . One-fifth the MIC (0.01 mg/l) but not 0.004 mg/l also led to increased phagocytosis at 30 min but not at 60 min if previously incubated with clindamycin . Thus, clindamycin potentiates phagocytosis of Bact . fragilis . It can act directly on bacteria and promote phagocytosis, although the clinical importance of this last mode of action is not currently known. J Infect Dis, 1983 Oct, 148(4), 667 - 75 Quantitative variability in requirements for opsonization of strains within the Bacteroides fragilis group; Bjornson AB et al.; Requirements for opsonization of various strains within the species Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Bacteroides vulgatus, and Bacteroides distasonis were investigated . The minimal concentration of normal human serum that facilitated maximal uptake by human peripheral leukocytes of 14C-labeled strains ranged from 5% to 80% . Heated (56 C at 30 min) serum produced less uptake than untreated serum, suggesting that complement was required for opsonization . Using human serum depleted of C4 by immunoadsorption as the source of opsonins, predominant utilization of the alternative complement pathway during opsonization was established . Acidic polyanionic exopolymer on the strains was also assessed by ruthenium red staining, electron microscopy, and India ink wet mounts . Strains of the species B thetaiotaomicron, B vulgatus, and B fragilis possessed exopolymer, and a unique configuration of this material was observed on two strains that resisted opsonization . Utilization of classical and/or alternative complement pathway activity during opsonization was not related to the presence of exopolymer. J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Oct, 18(4), 1001 - 2 Rapid detection of clindamycin resistance in Bacteroides spp; Murray PR et al.; High-level resistance to clindamycin can be accurately detected by the Wadsworth disk identification test . Of the 98 isolates of the Bacteroides fragilis group that were tested, 90 were inhibited by the 60-micrograms erythromycin disk and had clindamycin minimal inhibitory concentrations of less than or equal to 3.2 micrograms/ml . Of the remaining eight isolates, all were resistant to the erythromycin disk and had clindamycin minimal inhibitory concentrations of greater than or equal to 100 micrograms/ml. Acta Pathol Microbiol Immunol Scand {B}, 1983 Oct, 91(5), 371 - 2 Evaluation of the Anaerobe-Tek system for the identification of Bacteroides and Fusobacterium species; Vege A et al.; Reference strains and clinical isolates of Bacteroides and Fusobacterium species were examined by the Anaerobe-Tek System (A/T-system) . Of 104 strain, only 57 (54.8%) were identified correctly to species level . 38 strains (36.5%) were incorrectly identified and for 9 strains (8.7%) there were no codes in the manufacturers' data base manual . The results indicate that, in our hands, the A/T-system in its present form, is not suitable for the identification of clinical isolates of Bacteroides and Fusobacterium species. Eur J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Oct, 2(5), 459 - 62 Experimental animal model of surgical wound infection applicable to antibiotic prophylaxis; Moesgaard F et al.; Wound infection, defined as accumulation of pus draining spontaneously or after opening of the wound, developed in 19 out of 22 guinea pigs (86%) after intraincisional contamination with 10(7) Escherichia coli plus 10(8) Bacteroides fragilis before wound closure . Antibiotic prophylaxis with gentamicin plus clindamycin significantly reduced the wound sepsis rate from 86% to 29% (p less than 0,001) . Pus for bacteriological studies was available in all cases of wound infection but one, and culture always revealed both Escherichia coli and Bacteroides fragilis . The animal model presented employs widely accepted criteria for wound infection, and avoids culture of tissue homogenates. J Surg Res, 1983 Oct, 35(4), 351 - 3 The effect of iron on mixed infection of Bacteroides fragilis and Escherichia coli in mice; Ward CG et al.; Survival of an infected animal is improved in a mixed infection when Bacteroides fragilis is the bacterial species acting as a microbial antagonist against Escherichia coli . The protective effect afforded an animal by B . fragilis against E . coli is altered when ferric ammonium citrate is added to the injected mixed culture . In mice an E . coli concentration of 10(9) produced zero survival; the concentration 10(8) produced 40% survival; the concentration 10(7) and less produced 100% survival . Bacteroides fragilis concentrations of 10(8) and less did not kill the 15- to 20-g mouse within 5 days . Mice were given ip injections of the constant amount of 10(8) E . coli and serially diluted amounts of B . fragilis beginning with 10(8) organisms/ml . There was 40% survival in the 10(8) E . coli controls and 96% survival in the animals receiving 10(8) E . coli plus B . fragilis . The addition of ferric ammonium citrate to 10(8) E . coli plus B . fragilis reduced animal survival from 96 to 63%. Sex Transm Dis, 1983 Oct-Dec, 10(4 Suppl), 374 - 81 Persistence of Mycoplasma hominis after therapy: importance of tetracycline resistance and of coexisting vaginal flora; Koutsky LA et al.; In past studies Mycoplasma hominis has persisted after treatment with placebo, penicillins, or rifampin in 88-97% of women and 49-77% of men with infections of the lower genital tract . Among women with nonspecific vaginitis, M . hominis persisted in only a third of those treated with metronidazole as compared with at least 70% of those treated with ampicillin (P = 0.01), even though M . hominis is resistant in vitro to metronidazole and to its acid and hydroxy metabolites . Persistence of M . hominis after treatment with metronidazole was significantly associated with persistence of Bacteroides species in the vagina (P = .03) . These results suggest that colonization of the vagina with M . hominis is partly dependent on other components of the vaginal microbial flora . In prior studies, M . hominis has persisted in zero to 50% of women and in zero to 30% of men after treatment with tetracycline or lincomycin, but the role of tetracycline resistance in treatment failure was not defined . The susceptibility of M . hominis to tetracycline is bimodal; and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tetracycline for strains isolated before or soon after treatment was greater than or equal to 16 micrograms/ml for seven (78%) of nine that did persist and for two (17%) of 12 that did not persist after tetracycline therapy for cervicitis in women (P = .002) . The MIC of tetracycline was greater than or equal to 16 micrograms/ml for two (12%) of 17 isolates from women in Seattle in 1972-1973, as compared with 27 (34%) of 79 isolates from Seattle men and women in 1979-1982.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) J Appl Bacteriol, 1983 Oct, 55(2), 305 - 13 Quantitative test for Bacteroides nodosus pilus protein by an agglutination-absorption test; Every D; A pili agglutination-absorption test (PAAT) was developed for the quantitative measurement of pilus protein in cultures of Bacteroides nodosus and to quantify pili yields during purifications . The test was calibrated by recording the amount of pilus protein required to absorb a measurable amount of anti-pili antibody from antiserum . The amount of anti-pilus antibody in absorbed and unabsorbed serum was specifically measured by a Bact . nodosus K-agglutination test . The PAAT could be calibrated using any combination of crude or pure pili preparations and specific anti-pili serum or non-specific anti-Bact . nodosus serum . This had advantages over the use of radioimmunoassay (RIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques for measurement of pili because they require the use of highly purified reagents for calibration . The minimum quantity of pilus protein measurable by PAAT was 0.1 microgram per test which was similar in sensitivity to that reported for RIA and ELISA . The reagents used in PAAT were stable for at least six months . The amount of pilus protein per bacterium as measured by PAAT was directly proportional to the average number of pili per bacterium as measured by electron microscopy . The test was Bact . nodosus serotype specific. Infect Immun, 1983 Sep, 41(3), 1373 - 5 Bactericidal activity of a granule extract from human polymorphonuclear leukocytes against Bacteroides species; Pruul H et al.; The microbicidal activity of an acetate extract of human polymorphonuclear leukocyte granules was tested against Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides vulgatus, Bacteroides distasonis and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron . All strains tested were killed by the extract, and there were no significant differences between the different Bacteroides species. J Infect, 1983 Sep, 7(2), 153 - 5 Bacteroides aortitis and aneurysm formation following arteriography; Sheehan JP; Aortitis, aneurysm formation and rupture following translumbar aortography in a middle-aged man is described . The infecting organism was found to be the anaerobe bacteroides, a hitherto undocumented pathogen in this condition. Immun Infekt, 1983 Sep, 11(5), 169 - 76 {Anaerobic infections in internal medicine}; Werner H; Virtually all anaerobic infections arise endogenously . Underlying conditions often associated with anaerobic infections are diabetes mellitus, corticosteroid therapy, leukopenia, immunosuppression, vascular disease, tissue anoxia and aerobic infection . Various enzymes and other materials produced by the anaerobes act as virulence factors . There is an impressive incidence of anaerobic bacteria in infections involving the lung and pleural space, in liver abscesses, biliary tract infections, skin and soft-tissue infections and bacteremia . Location of infection, previous therapy with aminoglycoside antibiotics and other clues suggest that a given patient may have an anaerobic infection . Whenever possible, a specimen should be obtained by needle and syringe to avoid normal flora . Specimens must be transported to the laboratory under anaerobic conditions . Therapy involves the use of antimicrobials, preferably drugs with a high activity against beta-lactamase-producing Bacteroides spp. Scand J Gastroenterol, 1983 Sep, 18(6), 783 - 9 Serum antibodies to Bacteroides species in chronic inflammatory bowel disease; Tvede M et al.; It has been proposed that the presence of elevated serum titres against various Bacteroides species among patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (CIBD) may yield aetiological, pathogenic, or prognostic information . Using a crossed immunoelectrophoretic method, we investigated circulating antibodies against four Bacteroides species in 122 patients with CIBD (80 with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 42 with Crohn's disease (CD)) and in 32 patients with the irritable colon syndrome . In this cross-sectional study we found raised titre scores (greater than 0) among 26% of the patients with CD, among 46% of the patients with UC, and among 34% of the patients with the irritable colon syndrome . These differences are not significant . There were no correlations between the antibody titres and the duration of the disease, the clinical disease activity, or the site of the disease . Furthermore, the antibody titres yielded no prognostic information as to the necessity of surgery--that is, colectomy and/or small-bowel resection. Can J Microbiol, 1983 Sep, 29(9), 1184 - 9 Phenylacetic acid production by Bacteroides gingivalis from phenylalanine and phenylalanine-containing peptides; Bourgeau G et al.; Phenylacetic acid production and growth of Bacteroides gingivalis were directly proportional to the trypticase content of the medium . L-Phenylalanine enhanced phenylacetic acid production; 5 mg L-phenylalanine per millilitre stimulated maximum production of phenylacetic acid . Peptides (2-4 amino acids) containing L-phenylalanine also stimulated phenylacetic acid production as did phenylpyruvic acid . Resting cell suspensions of B . gingivalis also produced phenylacetic acid when incubated aerobically in the presence of L-phenylalanine and phenylpyruvic acid . Hydrocinnamic acid (3-phenylpropionic acid) and phenyllactic acid were also produced by resting cell suspensions . Our results suggest that L-phenylalanine and phenylpyruvic acid are both precursors to phenylacetic acid. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1983 Sep, 46(3), 642 - 8 Effect of soluble carbohydrates on digestion of cellulose by pure cultures of rumen bacteria; Hiltner P et al.; The rate of cellulose digestion in the presence of either glucose or cellobiose was studied for the three predominant species of cellulolytic rumen bacteria: Ruminococcus albus, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, and Bacteroides succinogenes . When a soluble carbohydrate was added to cellulose broth, the lag phase of cellulose digestion was shortened . Presumably, this was due to greater numbers of bacteria, because increasing the size of the inoculum had a similar effect . Cellulose digestion occurred simultaneously with utilization of the soluble carbohydrate . The rate of cellulose digestion slowed markedly for B . succinogenes and R . flavefaciens and slowed less for R . albus after the cellobiose or glucose had been utilized, and was accompanied by a decrease in pH . Both the rate and the extent of cellulose digestion were partially inhibited when the initial pH of the medium was 6.3 or below . R . albus appeared to be less affected by a low-pH medium than were B . succinogenes and R . flavefaciens . When a soluble carbohydrate was added to the fermentation during the maximum-rate phase of cellulose digestion, the rate of cellulose digestion was not affected until after the soluble carbohydrate had been depleted and the pH had decreased markedly . Prolonged exposure of the bacteria to a low pH had little if any effect on their subsequent ability to digest cellulose . Cellulase activity of intact bacterial cells appeared to be constitutive in nature for these three species of rumen bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1983 Sep, 46(3), 596 - 604 Purification and characterization of 1-nitropyrene nitroreductases from Bacteroides fragilis; Kinouchi T et al.; We isolated four nitroreductases from Bacteroides fragilis GAI0624 and examined their physicochemical and functional properties . Two major enzyme activities were found in the adsorbed and unadsorbed fractions from DEAE-cellulose column chromatography . The adsorbed fraction was subjected to Sephadex G-200 column chromatography, and two further activities were separated . One has high nitroreductase activity (nitroreductase I), and the other has low activity and relatively high molecular weight (nitroreductase III) . The nitroreductase I fraction was subjected to hydroxylapatite and chromatofocusing column chromatography, and nitroreductase I was purified about 416-fold with a yield of 6.77% . The unadsorbed fraction from DEAE-cellulose column chromatography was subjected to Sepharose 2B and Sepharose 6B column chromatography . Two enzyme activities were obtained by the Sepharose 6B column chromatography . One has high activity (nitroreductase II), and the other has low activity (nitroreductase IV) . Nitroreductase II was rechromatographed by Sepharose 6B gel filtration and purified about 178-fold with a yield of 9.65% . The four enzymes (nitroreductases I, II, III, and IV) were shown to be different by several criteria . Their molecular weights, determined by gel filtration, were 52,000, 320,000, 180,000, and 680,000, respectively . The substrate specificity, the effect on mutagenicity of mutagenic nitro compounds, of nitroreductases I, III, and IV was relatively high for 1-nitropyrene, dinitropyrenes, and 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide, respectively, but nitroreductase II had broad specificity . Nitroreductase activity required a coenzyme; nitroreductases II, III, and IV were NADPH linked, but nitroreductase I was NADH linked . All enzyme activity was enhanced by addition of flavin mononucleotide and inhibited significantly by dicumarol, p-chloromercuribenzoic acid, o-iodosobenzoic acid, sodium azide, and Cu2+.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Sep, 24(3), 420 - 4 Minimal inhibitory concentrations of various antimicrobial agents for human oral anaerobic bacteria; Baker PJ et al.; The minimal inhibitory concentrations of a series of antimicrobial agents for human oral organisms were determined under anaerobic growth conditions by an agar dilution assay . With the exception of black-pigmented Bacteroides spp., minimal inhibitory concentrations for oral isolates were similar to those for non-oral isolates of organisms of the same or closely related species. J Biol Buccale, 1983 Sep, 11(3), 271 - 8 {Proportion and frequency of 3 kinds of anaerobic bacteria in relation to the gingival index}; Mayrand D et al.; The proportion and frequency of three groups of particular bacteria (Bacteroides, Fusobacterium and spirochetes) were studied in relation to the gingival index on the sites from which they were sampled . Seventy eight samples collected from 40 individuals were studied together with measurements of the gingival index and the pocket or sulcus depth . The samples were dispersed by ultrasonic treatment, diluted and cultured on a non-selective medium . The identification of the species was done by biochemical tests and by analysis of the metabolic products with gas chromatography . As a whole, our results support the hypothesis of an important change in the microbial flora from a clinical healthy status (with predominant Gram positive facultative anaerobic bacteria) to disease (with predominant Gram negative strict anaerobic bacteria) . Furthermore the results suggest that Bacteroides gingvalis as well as Fusobacterium nucleatum and spirochetes through their high frequency and important proportion at the affected sites played an etiological role in the pathogenesis of gingivitis and periodontis Man. Res Vet Sci, 1983 Sep, 35(2), 171 - 4 Detection of the extracellular proteases of Bacteroides nodosus in polyacrylamide gels: a rapid method of distinguishing virulent and benign ovine isolates; Kortt AA et al.; The extracellular proteases of Bacteroides nodosus were separated electrophoretically on polyacrylamide slab gels at pH 8 . 8 . Proteolytic activity was detected by placing the gel slab on a layer of gelatin-agar and allowing hydrolysis of the gelatin to occur . After two hours at 37 degrees C, the unhydrolysed gelatin was precipitated with mercuric chloride in acid . The proteolytic zymograms of 14 benign strains were identical . The zymograms of 10 virulent strains yielded two closely related sets of proteases . The reproducible difference observed between the respective zymograms readily provides a rapid diagnostic test to assist in the identification of benign and virulent strains of B nodosus. J Bacteriol, 1983 Sep, 155(3), 1171 - 7 Purification and characterization of a bacteriocin from Bacteroides fragilis; Hayes TJ et al.; A bacteriocin produced by Bacteroides fragilis 1356 was purified from culture medium and characterized . The spectrum of the inhibitory activity of this bacteriocin was species specific . The bacteriocin was recovered from the initial stages of purification as a complex, greater than 2 X 10(7) daltons in mass, containing protein, lipid, and carbohydrate . The dissociation of this complex by 6.0 M guanidine hydrochloride permitted further purification of the bacteriocin by removal of lipid and carbohydrate . Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that the purified bacteriocin was homogeneous, with a relative molecular weight of 5,000 . The activity of the purified bacteriocin was not affected by RNase, DNase, phospholipase A, pancreatic lipase, or dextranase, but was destroyed by trypsin, proteinase K, heat (80 degrees C, 30 min), or a pH below 5 or above 8 . Amino acid analysis indicated a predominance of acidic and polar amino acids. Res Vet Sci, 1983 Sep, 35(2), 130 - 7 Effect of pilus dose and type of Freund's adjuvant on the antibody and protective responses of vaccinated sheep to Bacteroides nodosus; Stewart DJ et al.; Groups of sheep were immunised twice with one or other of six vaccines consisting of purified pili from Bacteroides nodosus at three dose levels (10, 38 and 154 micrograms) and emulsified with either complete (CFA) or incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) . Beginning one month after vaccination the sheep were homologously challenged on irrigated pasture, with naturally transmitted foot rot for a period of 26 weeks . Statistical analyses of the number of feet per sheep with severe foot rot demonstrated that there was a significant effect of vaccinal dose but neither an adjuvant effect nor an interaction between dose and adjuvant . Similar conclusions were reached when the titres of antipilus agglutinins in the serum were analysed . By both criteria the responses to doses of 154 and 38 micrograms of pili were significantly better than to 10 micrograms, but not significantly different from each other . The IFA vaccines caused less reaction at the sites of injection than the CFA vaccines and within the former the vaccines containing 10 and 38 micrograms pilus produced less reaction than those containing 154 micrograms . Hence a vaccine containing 38 micrograms of purified pili in IFA is nearly optimal for homologous protection against severe foot rot and is acceptable in terms of the reaction at the injection site. J Periodontol, 1983 Sep, 54(9), 557 - 62 Bacterial IgG and IgM antibody titers in acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis; Chung CP et al.; IgG AND IgM ANTIBODY TITERS to eight bacterial isolates were measured by indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA in sera from acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (ANUG) patients during the acute phase, from ANUG patients during the convalescent phase, from patients with gingivitis and from subjects with normal gingiva . Subjects were matched with respect to age and sex . Compared to the gingivitis and healthy groups, the ANUG groups exhibited significantly higher IgG and IgM titers to intermediate-sized spirochetes and higher IgG titers to Bacteroides melaninogenicus subsp intermedius . The findings support recent studies showing that these organisms are major bacterial components in ANUG lesions . They also suggest that these bacteria proliferate above-normal levels several weeks or months prior to the clinical onset of ANUG. Am J Vet Res, 1983 Sep, 44(9), 1676 - 81 Purification, characterization, and serologic characteristics of Bacteroides nodosus pili and use of a purified pili vaccine in sheep; Lee SW et al.; Hair-like appendages (pili) were isolated and purified from Bacteroides nodosus, the etiologic agent of foot rot disease in sheep . Microscopic and biochemical analyses indicated that pili from organisms isolated in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States are morphologically and structurally similar . Pili are filamentous assemblies of identical protein subunits . Using specific antisera raised in rabbits against pili, 7 antigenic types were identified . A geographic pattern in the distribution of the pilus serotypes was not evident . In a preliminary vaccine trial, sheep vaccinated with purified pili developed resistance to challenge exposure to B nodosus . Protection was correlated positively with the serum anti-pilus antibody titers. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 1983 Aug 15, 183(4), 434 - 7 Susceptibility of Bacteroides nodosus to various antimicrobial agents; Gradin JL et al.; The susceptibility of 18 strains of Bacteroides nodosus to 21 antimicrobial agents was tested in vitro . Penicillin was the most effective antibiotic tested . Other antibiotics tested, in order of relative efficacy, were cefamandole, clindamycin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, sodium cefoxitin, tylosin tartrate, nitrofurazone, tinidazole, and dihydrostreptomycin sulfate . Tests of solutions of 4 antibiotics in 70% ethanol indicated that ethanol served primarily as a diluent and did not contribute substantially to the curative effect of such topical medications on foot rot lesions in sheep . Of the chemicals commonly used in foot baths for treatment of ovine foot rot, copper sulfate was most effective, followed by zinc sulfate, then formalin . Several commercial disinfectants and iodine were quite effective against B nodosus, whereas 5.25% sodium hypochlorite and 70% ethanol alone were relatively ineffective. Br J Vener Dis, 1983 Aug, 59(4), 255 - 9 Anaerobes in genitourinary infections in men; Masfari AN et al.; Urethral and sub-preputial swabs from 150 men were examined . There was a strong association between the isolation of anaerobic bacteria, particularly Bacteroides spp, and a clinical diagnosis of balanoposthitis, non-specific urethritis (NSU), or both . Aerobic bacteria formed the predominant flora in 28 healthy controls whereas anaerobes were predominant in specimens from 79 patients with balanoposthitis, from 24 with NSU, and from 19 with both . Bacteroides spp were the commonest isolates in all patient groups; B asaccharolyticus, B melaninogenicus ss intermedius, B ureolyticus, and B bivius were the most common species . The results obtained with the two swabs were identical except that Gardnerella vaginalis was isolated from the urethral swab only in five patients. Eur J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Aug, 2(4), 327 - 34 Antibiotic-induced modification of Bacteroides fragilis and its susceptibility to phagocytosis by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes; Gemmell CG et al.; Bacteroides fragilis grown in the presence of sub-inhibitory concentrations of clindamycin was shown to be altered its degree of encapsulation and susceptibility to phagocytosis by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes . Little polysaccharide capsule could be demonstrated either by light or transmission electron microscopy when the bacteria were grown anaerobically for four hours in the presence of 1/2 MIC of clindamycin . Such clindamycin-grown cells could be opsonized by normal human serum, and although less complement was consumed in the process, were more effectively taken up by the leukocytes than bacteria grown in the absence of the drug (45% versus 24%) . It was also shown that drug treatment caused significant cellular leakage in the presence of serum, the 3H-label appearing extracellularly . In addition there was greater loss of viability of the bacterial cells grown in the presence of the drug and subsequently exposed to the leukocytes for 60 min. J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Aug, 18(2), 428 - 9 Immune response to Bacteroides ureolyticus in a patient with brain abscess; Lalitha MK et al.; A high titer (1:256) of agglutinating antibodies against Bacteroides ureolyticus was demonstrated in a 35-year-old woman with brain abscess, using a microagglutination test . Tests done with B . ureolyticus and heterologous sera as well as with heterologous strains and the patient's serum were negative . Circulating antibody to B . ureolyticus has not been reported previously. Biochem J, 1983 Aug 1, 213(2), 485 - 94 Isolation and characterization of an endo-beta-galactosidase from Bacteroides fragilis; Scudder P et al.; Six strains of Bacteroides fragilis were examined and all found to produce endo-beta-galactosidase, an enzyme that hydrolyses internal beta-galactosidic linkages of oligosaccharides belonging to the poly-N-acetyl-lactosamine series, with the common structure GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 3Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc/Glc . The enzyme was produced without the addition of an inducer such as keratan sulphate . It was purified 7000-fold from the culture supernatant and obtained with a yield 4-10-fold greater than from sources described previously . The specificity of the enzyme towards bovine corneal keratan sulphate, milk oligosaccharides and the glycolipids lacto-N-neotetraosylceramide and lacto-N-tetraosylceramide closely resembled that of the endo-beta-galactosidase isolated from Escherichia freundii . A novel observation was that both enzymes hydrolysed the type 2 sequence, Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 3Gal beta 1 leads to 4Glc, at about twice the rate of the type 1 isomer, Gal beta 1 leads to 3GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 3Gal beta 1 leads to 4Glc . Because of the ease of purification of the enzyme and high yield in the absence of contaminating glycosidases and proteinases, Bacteroides fragilis is a valuable source of endo-beta-galactosidase for the structural analysis of carbohydrate chains. Br J Exp Pathol, 1983 Aug, 64(4), 345 - 53 Intra-abdominal abscess formation in mice: quantitative studies on bacteria and abscess-potentiating agents; Nulsen MF et al.; A model of intra-abdominal (IA) abscess formation has been developed in mice . Intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of a mixture of a potentiating agent (autoclaved colonic and caecal contents (ACC), 0.2 mg dry wt/mouse or sterile bran, 1 mg dry wt/mouse), Escherichia coli (1 X 10(6) colony forming units (cfu)/mouse) and Bacteroides fragilis (5 X 10(8) cfu/mouse) induced abscesses in 98% of mice inoculated . The abscesses persisted for at least 4 weeks in 60% of inoculated animals, and for 10 weeks in 36% . From 1 to 5 abscesses per mouse were found . Abscess formation was quantified by weighing the dissected abscesses and by culturing bacteria from them . Histologically, the abscesses were characterized by a central region of polymorphonuclear leucocytes, often with a thin mononuclear phagocyte infiltrate surrounding it, and an outer wall of vascularized connective tissue . Fluorescent antibody studies demonstrated that antigens from both bacterial species were distributed throughout the abscess . At the concentrations used, neither ACC nor sterile bran induced formation in the absence of viable bacteria. J Infect Dis, 1983 Aug, 148(2), 322 - 9 Perforated and gangrenous appendicitis: an analysis of antibiotic failures; Heseltine PN et al.; The relationships between resistant pathogens, serum levels of gentamicin, and the outcomes of gangrenous or perforated appendicitis were analyzed in 147 patients . Failure to cure the infection occurred significantly more frequently among patients treated with cefoperazone or cefamandole than among those treated with clindamycin and gentamicin in combination . The failures were associated with recovery of resistant Bacteroides fragilis from intraoperative cultures . Pseudomonas species were also associated with failures, their in vitro susceptibility not correlating with clinical cure . Patients with gentamicin peak serum levels of less than 6 micrograms/ml in the first three days were not more likely to be associated with failure than were patients with higher levels . These clinical observations indicate that antibiotic therapy of intra-abdominal sepsis should include antibiotics with in vitro activity against B fragilis and that precise adjustments of gentamicin levels may not improve outcome . In addition, Pseudomonas species may play a significant role in some of these infections. J Appl Bacteriol, 1983 Aug, 55(1), 71 - 80 Numerical taxonomy of some non-saccharolytic and saccharolytic Bacteroides species; Knivett VA et al.; Various Bacteroides spp . were examined by physiological tests, presence of specific enzymes, antibiotic sensitivity, menaquinone composition and a few miscellaneous tests . The data matrix containing 58 strains and 55 unit characters was examined using Gower's similarity coefficients (SG) and included matching negative character states and multistate characters . The highly saccharolytic strains were separated from the less saccharolytic and non-fermentative strains at the 55% similarity level; while at the slightly higher level of 63% strains of Capnocytophaga (formerly Bact . ochraceus) were recovered as a compact phenon distinct from other saccharolytic species . The phenogram was divided into 6 clusters at 72% similarity level . Most of the 'Bact . fragilis group' of species clustered in one phenon while Bact . melaninogenicus ssp . melaninogenicus, Bact . bivius and a new species, Bact . denticola, formed another group . Another phenon comprised the saccharolytic non-pigmented species closely related to Bact . oralis such as Bact . buccalis and Bact . pentosaceus . The less saccharolytic strains of Bact . melaninogenicus ssp . intemedius and Bact . disiens were recovered in a distinct phenon . The low affinity (less than 55% similarity) between the two subspecies of Bact . melaninogenicus emphasised the need for reclassifying these taxa into separate species . The non-fermentative and very weakly saccharolytic strains formed good taxospecies . The separation of this cluster into three subclusters is in excellent agreement with chemotaxonomic data now available. Gastroenterology, 1983 Jul, 85(1), 30 - 4 Effect of human colonic microsomes and cell-free extracts of Bacteroides fragilis on the mutagenicity of 2-aminoanthracene; Tasich M et al.; It has been previously demonstrated that whereas the microsomal fraction of rat colonic tissue and cell-free extract of Bacteroides fragilis alone do not convert 2-aminoanthracene into a mutagen, both together have this capacity in a model using the Ames technique . The aim of the present study was to extend these observations to human colonic tissue and to compare colonic mucosa with other tissues . It was found that whereas colonic microsomal fraction and cell-free extract of Bacteroides fragilis alone possessed little activating capacity with regard to 2-aminoanthracene, both together activated 2-aminoanthracene into a mutagen in this model . The microsomal fraction of other tissues, such as kidney, brain, muscle, and gastric and ileal mucosae, possessed activities similar to colonic mucosa. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Jul, 24(1), 1 - 4 Bactericidal activities of new beta-lactam antibiotics against Bacteroides fragilis; Yu PK et al.; The bactericidal activities of cefoxitin, cefoperazone, cefotaxime, moxalactam, mezlocillin, and piperacillin were determined in duplicate against low and high inocula of each of 10 Bacteroides fragilis strains . Antibiotic concentrations resulting in 99.9% killing were established by quantitation of the inocula just before anaerobic incubation of tests and by subcultures of volumes sufficient to accurately determine less than or equal to 0.1% survivors . Inoculum effects on inhibitory and bactericidal activities were least for cefoxitin and greatest for cefoperazone and cefotaxime . Bactericidal-to-inhibitory concentration ratios of greater than or equal to 8 occurred most frequently with mezlocillin and piperacillin, regardless of inoculum size; however, 55% of the strains tested at the low inoculum size and 38% of those tested at the high inoculum size against the six antibiotics had bactericidal-to-inhibitory concentration ratios of greater than or equal to 4. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1983 Jul, 46(1), 75 - 80 Neuraminidase in Bacteroides fragilis; Berg JO et al.; A neuraminidase from Bacteroides fragilis was purified 542-fold by isoelectric focusing, adsorption chromatography on Affi-Gel 202, and gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-200 . On isoelectric focusing the neuraminidase was resolved into three differently charged fractions with pI values of 6.8, 7.1, and 7.4 . The major component of pI 7.1 was used for further purification . The purified enzyme had optimal activity at pH 6.4 with N-acetylneuraminlactose as the substrate . Its molecular weight, determined by Sephadex G-200 gel filtration chromatography, was 92,000 . The neuraminidase hydrolyzed terminal neuraminic acid residues from N-acetylneuraminlactose, fetuin, bovine submaxillary mucin, and porcine stomach lining mucin . A new method for the detection of neuraminidase activity is described which is based on rocket affinoelectrophoresis . It utilizes the differences in the interaction of sialylated and desialylated mucin with Helix pomatia lectin, enzymatic activity being detected by formation of affinorockets after incubation of the neuraminidase with bovine submaxillary mucin. Can J Microbiol, 1983 Jul, 29(7), 790 - 6 Alpha-ketoglutarate metabolism by cytochrome-containing anaerobes; Caldwell DR et al.; During growth in the presence of tracer amounts of exogenously supplied alpha-keto{1-14C}glutarate (AKG) or alpha-keto {5-14C}glutarate, cytochrome-containing Bacteroides fragilis strain 2044 and Bacteroides vulgatus strain 8482 incorporated extremely small amounts of radioactivity into cell macromolecules and protoheme . Under identical conditions, Bacteroides "l" strain 7CM and Bacteroides buccae strain J1 incorporated substantial label from {5-14C}AKG, but not {1-14C}AKG, into cellular macromolecules and protoheme . Bacteroides succinogenes strain S85 incorporated radioactivity from both {1-14C}AKG and {5-14C}AKG into cell macromolecules, but only label from {5-14C}AKG appeared in protoheme . Selenomonas ruminantium strain HD1 and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens strain D1, both of which are devoid of cytochromes, incorporated substantial label from both {1-14C}AKG and {5-14C}AKG into cell macromolecules, but failed to incorporate label from either position into protoheme . Bacteroides ruminicola sp . brevis strain GA33 incorporated label from both {1-14C}AKG and {5-14C}AKG into both cell macromolecules and protoheme . A substantial portion of the heme synthesized by this organism may be formed by the "plant" pathway involving the intact use of the AKG carbon skeleton . Major differences exist in the manner and extent of AKG utilization among cytochrome-containing anaerobes and between these organisms and bacteria devoid of cytochromes obtained from similar environments. J Infect Dis, 1983 Jul, 148(1), 156 - 9 Antibiotic and clavulanic acid treatment of subcutaneous abscesses caused by Bacteroides fragilis alone or in combination with aerobic bacteria; Brook I et al.; A subcutaneous abscess model was utilized in investigating the usefulness of various antimicrobial combinations in the treatment of mixed aerobic-anaerobic infections in mice . The infected animals were treated for seven days with single or combined antimicrobial therapy . The single agents used were penicillin, clavulanic acid, oxacillin, metronidazole, and gentamicin . The antimicrobial combinations used were penicillin plus clavulanic acid and metronidazole plus penicillin, oxacillin, or gentamicin . Administration of a single agent was effective in treating abscesses caused by a single susceptible organism . The only effective therapies for mixed infections were the combinations of penicillin plus clavulanic acid or metronidazole plus gentamicin . This study demonstrated the efficacy of penicillin and clavulanic acid in the treatment of infections caused by Bacteroides fragilis alone or in combination with beta-lactamase-producing aerobic bacteria. J Clin Pathol, 1983 Jul, 36(7), 823 - 8 Early detection of bacterial growth in blood culture by impedance monitoring with a Bactometer model 32; Buckland A et al.; A Bactometer model 32 was evaluated for use in early detection of bacterial growth . Experiments with simulated cultures showed that 2 ml of broth introduced into the Bactometer module wells could detect 10(2) and 10(6) CFU/ml in 6 h and 2 h respectively . Both Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) and Fastidious Anaerobic broths supported good growth . Detection of nine of 10 organisms inoculated at approximately 10(6) CFU/ml in BHI were detected within 8.5 h . A culture of Bacteroides fragilis failed to grow under these conditions . Of 189 blood cultures, tested by incubation of 2 ml of BHI, 18 were positive by both conventional and Bactometer methods . False-positive or false-negative specimens were not observed using the Bactometer . Use of the Bactometer enables growth detection at least 12 h earlier than culture methods. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Jul, 12(1), 89 - 92 Activity of cefotaxime and metronidazole against bacteroides and Escherichia coli alone and in mixed culture; Soriano F et al.; The activity of cefotaxime and metronidazole against one strain of Escherichia coli and three of Bacteroides has been studied . A fixed cefotaxime concentration (8 mg/l) did not kill E . coli in presence of Bacteroides due to degradation of the drug by the anaerobe . However, the presence of metronidazole in the same system killed Bacteroides strains very effectively and prevented the degradation of cefotaxime which killed E . coli. J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Jul, 18(1), 18 - 22 Reaction of clinical isolates and typed strains of the family Bacteroidaceae with rabbit anti-Bacteroides sera examined by radial immunodiffusion; Shaefer DF et al.; Antisera were produced which were reactive with Bacteroides fragilis, B . gingivalis, or B . melaninogenicus subsp . melaninogenicus . Anti-B . gingivalis serum exhibited strong reactions with strains of homologous species and reacted with only one other species, B . thetaiotaomicron . Antigens shared by organisms of the B . fragilis group and B . melaninogenicus subspecies of the Bacteroidaceae must be considered when serological methods are used for their identification. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Jun, 23(6), 947 - 9 Modified broth-disk surveillance of clindamycin-resistant Bacteroides fragilis group; Zar FA; The modified broth-disk susceptibility test was used to assess the incidence of clindamycin resistance in the Bacteroides fragilis group . Over a 34-month period, 544 isolates were tested, 21 (4%) of which were found to be resistant . There was no significant difference in resistance among the six species, and resistance did not increase with time . In a 12-disk assay, the concentrations of clindamycin achieved approximated the concentrations expected (expected breakpoint, 4.8 micrograms/ml). Br J Vener Dis, 1983 Jun, 59(3), 182 - 5 Isolation and identification of anaerobic organisms from the male and female urogenital tracts; Moss S; Since Bacteroides spp may play an important role together with Gardnerella vaginalis in the pathogenesis of non-specific vaginitis and balanoposthitis, anaerobic organisms were isolated and identified from 34 female and 20 male patients attending a department of genitourinary medicine, and the results compared with the clinical findings and the presence of other routinely isolated pathogens . Twenty-three different organisms were recovered from 13 of the 20 men; of these organisms, 20 were of the Bacteroides spp . Most isolates were of the B melaninogenicus/oralis group, which forms part of the commensal vaginal flora in women . A definite association between the presence of anaerobes and other pathogens needs to be firmly established, as this obviously causes important complications in treating these conditions. Z Kinderchir, 1983 Jun, 38(3), 159 - 62 Metronidazole plus cefazolin versus cefazolin in gangrenous and perforated appendicitis in childhood--a prospective randomised trial; Miholic J et al.; 59 children with gangrenous (n = 11) or perforated (n = 48) appendicitis underwent a prospective, randomized trial and received cefazolin or cefazolin plus metronidazole . Whereas postoperative abscesses developed in 44% of the controls, they were seen in 7% of the children who had received metronidazole (p less than 0.001) . Relaparotomy for intestinal obstruction had to be performed in 11% and 13% of the cases respectively . The germ most frequently isolated from the abscesses was Bacteroides fragilis. Biochemistry, 1983 May 10, 22(10), 2518 - 23 Modification of pyruvate, phosphate dikinase with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate: evidence for a catalytically critical lysine residue; Phillips NF et al.; Pyruvate, phosphate dikinase from Bacteroides symbiosus is strongly inhibited by low concentrations of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate . The inactivation follows pseudo-first-order kinetics over an inhibitor concentration range of 0.1-2 mM . The inactivation is highly specific since pyridoxine and pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate, analogues of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, which lack an aldehyde group, caused little or no inhibition even at high concentrations . The unreduced dikinase-pyridoxal 5'-phosphate complex displays an absorption maxima near 420 nm, typical for Schiff base formation . Following reduction of the Schiff base with sodium borohydride, N6-pyridoxyllysine was identified in the acid hydrolysate . When the enzyme was incubated in the presence of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and reducing agent, the ATP/AMP, Pi/PPi, and pyruvate/phosphoenolpyruvate isotopic exchange reactions were inhibited to approximately the same extent, suggesting that the modification of the lysyl moiety causes changes in the enzyme that affect the reactivity of the pivotal histidyl residue . Phosphorylation of the histidyl group appears to prevent the inhibitor from attacking the lysine residue . On the other hand, addition of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate to the pyrophosphorylated enzyme promotes release of the pyrophosphate and yields the free enzyme which is subject to inhibition. Can J Microbiol, 1983 May, 29(5), 504 - 17 Partial characterization of the extracellular carboxymethylcellulase activity produced by the rumen bacterium Bacteroides succinogenes; Groleau D et al.; In cultures of Bacteroides succinogenes, in which cellulose was the source of carbohydrate, from 70 to 80% of the carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) activity was present in the culture fluid . The crude extracellular enzyme readily hydrolyzed acid-swollen cellulose with the production of glucose and cellobiose . Of this extracellular CMCase, 50-62% was associated with sedimentable membrane fragments, 9-13% with nonsedimentable material with a molecular weight greater than 4 X 10(6), and 28-38% with molecules having a molecular weight of approximately 45 000 . Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, revealed that both the nonsedimentable and the sedimentable fraction had complex protein compositions . The nonsedimentable and sedimentable CMCase fractions, after treatment with Triton X-100, were subjected to PAGE in the presence of 0.2% (w/v) Triton X-100 . The results indicated the presence of fast- and slow-migrating CMCases in the former, and of a slow-migrating CMCase in the latter . An apparently uncharged CMCase, which probably corresponded to the slow-migrating component by PAGE, was partially purified from the concentrated culture supernate by solubilization in Triton X-100 and chromatography on DEAE--Sepharose, CM--Sepharose, and Phenyl--Sepharose . The partially purified CMCase had a pH optimum of 5.6-6.6 and a temperature optimum of 50 degrees C. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 May, 11(5), 393 - 400 Pyruvate dehydrogenase activity and metronidazole susceptibility in Bacteroides fragilis; Tabaqchali S et al.; Pyruvate dehydrogenase activity was present and comparable (giving a colour change of 202-673 od units/min/g protein in our assay system) in two clinical strains of Bacteroides fragilis exhibiting reduced sensitivity to metronidazole (MIC 2-8 mg/l at 48 h) in a resistant strain (Ingham's) of Bact . fragilis (MIC 64/mg/l) and in two sensitive strains of Bact . fragilis (MIC 0.5 mg/l) . Pyruvate dehydrogenase activity was not detected in a capnocytophaga strain (sensitive to 50 micrograms disc of metronidazole), in Escherichia coli or in 'Bact . fragilis' strain (Britz) AM24s (MIC greater than 64 mg/l) . Further testing of AM24s strain indicated that it was not Bact . fragilis but a facultatively anaerobic Gram-negative rod . Pyruvate dehydrogenase activity therefore, is similar in sensitive and resistant strains of Bact . fragilis and is unlikely to be related to the mechanism of resistance to metronidazole. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 May, 23(5), 726 - 30 Sequence homology of clindamycin resistance determinants in clinical isolates of Bacteroides spp; Marsh PK et al.; The sequence homology of clindamycin resistance (Clnr) determinants was studied in 16 Clnr Bacteroides strains . The isolates were surveyed for plasmid content, homology with the Clnr determinant of pBFTM10, and ability to transfer Clnr . The Clnr DNA probes used in the Southern hybridizations were pBFTM10 and a plasmid derivative containing an EcoRI fragment of pBFTM10 cloned into Escherichia coli . A total of 13 of 16 Clnr strains also carried tetracycline resistance, and 15 of 16 Clnr Bacteroides isolates showed homology with the Clnr determinant of pBFTM10 . These data suggest that the previously characterized Clnr determinant of pBFTM10 is widely distributed in nature and may be found on either a plasmid or the chromosome . The Clnr Bacteroides fragilis strain which lacked homology with pBFTM10 also had different transfer properties; thus, more than one type of Clnr determinant may exist in Bacteroides spp. Jpn J Antibiot, 1983 May, 36(5), 1025 - 32 {Fundamental and clinical studies of T-1982 (cefbuperazone) in the field of obstetrics and gynecology}; Ikeda M et al.; Tissue concentrations of T-1982 (cefbuperazone) at 100-220 minutes after the completion of 1 g/60 minutes dripping infusion were 8.9-10.6 micrograms/g in the uterus, ovary and oviduct . These concentrations were higher than 80% MIC of the causative organisms, including E . coli, K . pneumoniae, P . mirabilis, Bacteroides and Peptococcus isolated from infections in the field of obstetrics and gynecology . The T-1982 concentration in the retroperitoneal space exudate reached a peak value of 19.6 micrograms/ml at 2 hours after the completion of 1 g/60 minutes dripping infusion and decreased at a constant rate . We administered T-1982 at 2 g per day for a period of 7-9 days to 3 patients with gynecological infectious diseases . All cases proved to respond effectively . No side effects and abnormal laboratory findings were observed. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1983 May, 254(3), 405 - 12 Intravenous injection of mice with bacteroides fragilis and Escherichia coli: role of Thioglycollate medium in the infectious process; Rodloff AC et al.; Mice were intravenously infected with E . coli, B . fragilis, and combinations of both, and the bacterial contents of livers, kidneys, and spleens were monitored from the first up to the 9th day postinfection . If Thioglycollate medium was added to otherwise sublethal doses of E . coli, the inoculum was able to induce severe and for some animals lethal infections . B . fragilis was not capable to produce prolonged infections; however, when given together with E . coli and Thioglycollate medium, both bacteria were recovered from some animal organs even on day 9 postinfection . Employing this experimental model of a mixed anaerobic/facultative bacterial infection, previous reports attributing animal lethality to E . coli were confirmed, but a synergism between E . coli and B . fragilis could not be demonstrated. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Apr, 23(4), 536 - 40 Susceptibility of the Bacteroides fragilis group in the United States in 1981; Tally FP et al.; The minimal inhibitory concentrations of nine antimicrobial agents was determined for over 750 clinical isolates of the Bacteroides fragilis group of anaerobic bacteria collected from nine centers in the United States during 1981 . High resistance rates were documented for cefoperazone, cefotaxime, and tetracycline . Cefoxitin had the best activity of the beta-lactam antibiotics, whereas moxalactam and piperacillin had good activities . The resistance rate for clindamycin was 6% . There were no metronidazole- or chloramphenicol-resistant isolates encountered . There were significant differences in susceptibility among the various species of the B . fragilis group, particularly with moxalactam, cefoxitin, and clindamycin . Clustering of clindamycin-, piperacillin-, and cefoxitin-resistant isolates was observed at different hospitals . The variability of resistance rates with the beta-lactam antibiotics and clindamycin indicates that susceptibility testing of significant clinical isolates should be performed to define local resistance patterns. J Bacteriol, 1983 Apr, 154(1), 287 - 93 Use of randomly cloned DNA fragments for identification of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron; Salyers AA et al.; Randomly cloned fragments of DNA from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron were used as hybridization probes for differentiation of B . thetaiotaomicron from closely related Bacteroides species . HindIII digestion fragments of DNA from B . thetaiotaomicron (type strain) were inserted into plasmid pBR322 and labeled with {alpha-32P}dCTP by nick translation . These labeled plasmids were screened for hybridization to HindIII digests of chromosomal DNA from type strains of the following human colonic Bacteroides species: B . thetaiotaomicron, Bacteroides ovatus, reference strain 3452-A (formerly part of B . distasonis), Bacteroides uniformis, Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides vulgatus, Bacteroides distasonis, Bacteroides eggerthii, and reference strain B5-21 (formerly B . fragilis subsp . a) . Two of the five cloned fragments hybridized only to DNA from B . thetaiotaomicron . Each of these two fragments hybridized to the same DNA restriction fragment in five strains of B . thetaiotaomicron other than the strain from which the DNA was cloned . One of the cloned fragments (pBT2) was further tested for specificity by determining its ability to hybridize to DNA from 65 additional strains of colonic Bacteroides. J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1983 Apr, 36(4), 423 - 8 The beta-lactamases of genus Bacteroides; Tajima M et al.; Two hundred anaerobic isolates from clinical specimens were examined for beta-lactamase production by Nitrocefin methodology . Altogether, 77 strains were beta-lactamase producers . Organisms belonging to Bacteroides melaninogenicus group, i.e., B . intermedius and B . bivius, were found to have a significant frequency of beta-lactamase production . Substrate profile and sensitivity to the beta-lactamase inhibitors, sulbactam, clavulanic acid, cloxacillin, and cefmetazole, a cephamycin derivative, were determined for these enzymes . All enzymes hydrolyzed cephalosporins more rapidly than penicillins . Cefmetazole was not hydrolyzed at all . Strains of B . fragilis, B . thetaiotaomicron, B . uniformis, B . ovatus and B . oralis produced beta-lactamases sensitive to all four inhibitors . Strains of B . intermedius, B . bivius and B . disiens produced enzymes of different nature which were inhibited only by cefmetazole . B . vulgatus enzyme was inhibited by three of the four inhibitors . These results suggest that the beta-lactamases of the genus Bacteroides may be classified by substrate profile and inhibitor pattern. J Periodontol, 1983 Apr, 54(4), 197 - 209 Rapidly progressive periodontitis . A distinct clinical condition; Page RC et al.; We report radiographic, clinical, historical, and laboratory observations on seven patients selected to illustrate the features and characteristics of rapidly progressive periodontitis, with the aim of establishing this disease as a distinct clinical entity . This form of periodontitis is seen most commonly in young adults in their twenties, but it can occur in postpubertal individuals up to approximately 35 years of age . During the active phase, the gingival tissues are extremely inflamed and there is hemorrhage, proliferation of the marginal gingiva, and exudation . Destruction is very rapid, with loss of much of the alveolar bone occurring within a few weeks or months . This phase may be accompanied by general malaise, weight loss, and depression, although these symptoms are not seen in all patients . The disease may progress, without remission, to tooth loss, or alternatively, it may subside and become quiescent with or without therapy . The quiescent phase is characterized by the presence of clinically normal gingiva that may be tightly adapted to the roots of teeth with very advanced bone loss and deep periodontal pockets . The quiescent phase may be permanent, it may persist for an indefinite period, or the disease activity may return . Most patients with rapidly progressive periodontitis have serum antibodies specific for various species of Bacteroides, Actinobacillus, or both, and manifest defects in either neutrophil or monocyte chemotaxis . Affected patients generally respond favorably to treatment by scaling and open or closed curettage, especially when accompanied by standard doses of antibiotics for conventional time periods . A small minority of patients do not respond to any treatment, including antibiotics, and the disease progresses inexorably to tooth loss even in the presence of aggressive periodontal therapy and maintenance . At the present time it is not possible to distinguish prior to treatment which individuals will respond to therapy and which will not. J Periodontol, 1983 Apr, 54(4), 236 - 46 Bacterial antibody titers in ligature-induced periodontitis in beagle dogs; Chung CP et al.; Serum antibodies to indigenous bacteria in ten beagle dogs were examined over a 7-month period during the development of ligature-induced periodontitis . Gram-negative strains comprised approximately 75% of the cultivable periodontitis microflora with a predominance of black-pigmented Bacteroides species . A total of 44 bacterial strains representing the predominant cultivable subgingival beagle dog microflora was selected for antibody determination . The IgG and, in some cases, IgM serum antibody titers to these organisms were determined by indirect immunofluorescence . The antibody titers to most test strains remained unchanged during the experimental period . Gram-negative bacteria generally exhibited lower titers than the Gram-positive bacteria . Especially low titers were found for the black-pigmented Bacteroides . Four dogs that developed the most severe periodontitis showed about 2-fold higher IgG titers to some Gram-negative anaerobic rods in the pre-ligation period than dogs that developed a more moderate periodontitis . These data suggested a possible diagnostic value of such antibody determinations . However, the overall finding of the present study was that serum antibody titers to key periodontopathic organisms remained low throughout the experiment . This result may suggest that the rapid periodontal destruction in ligature-induced periodontitis is due in part to an inadequate antibody response against the infecting microorganisms and their pathogenic products. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Apr, 11(4), 325 - 31 Penicillin-binding proteins in Bacteroides fragilis and their affinities for several new cephalosporins; Botta GA et al.; The penicillin-binding protein (PBP) composition in two strains of Bacteroides fragilis has been investigated using 14C-cefotaxime . This microorganism is unique among the bacteria so far investigated, which show a number of PBPs ranging from 5 to 8 in possessing only three PBPs . It lacks the PBP with molecular weight (MW) lower than 50,000 daltons, which, at least in Escherichia coli, has been demonstrated not to be essential for cell growth and division . The affinities of several cephalosporins including cefoxitin, latamoxef (moxalactam), cefoperazone and cefotaxime for the Bact . fragilis PBPs have been determined by in-vitro competition experiments . The results obtained suggest that further studies with competition experiments performed using intact, growing cells may be useful to ascertain the killing targets of beta-lactam antibiotics in bacteria. Aust Vet J, 1983 Apr, 60(4), 111 - 6 Quantitation by ELISA of pili and sheep antibodies to the pili of Bacteroides nodosus; Fahey KJ et al.; ELISA systems have been developed to quantitate the isotypic antibody response of sheep naturally infected with B . nodosus isolate 198 or injected with pili from isolate 198 in oil emulsion vaccines . The predominant humoral antibody detected following vaccination was IgG1, with substantially lower amounts of IgG2 and IgM . The antibody response was relatively specific for the pilus antigen from isolate 198 . Although weak cross reactivities were detected with antiserums to some other isolates, ELISA IgG antibody titres in excess of 200 offer a tentative identification of the isolates of B . nodosus involved in natural outbreaks of footrot . A related ELISA was also developed to quantitate the amount of pili in cell suspensions and crude preparations of pili used in vaccines. Jpn J Antibiot, 1983 Mar, 36(3), 509 - 21 {Bacteriological and clinical evaluation of cefoxitin in the treatment of infections in 39 obstetric and gynecological patients}; Kaseki S et al.; A total of 39 patients was admitted to the obstetric and gynecological wards of Nagoya University Hospital and the University's 5 related hospitals during the period from July 1981 to March 1982 . The efficacy of cefoxitin sodium was evaluated in the 39 patients with a wide variety of obstetric and gynecological infections . The findings are the follows: Of the 39 patients, the responses in 7 were judged "excellent", 28 "good" and 4 "poor" with the clinical efficacy rate of 89.7% . The causative pathogens in 23 of the cases were isolated from clinical materials submitted to the Institute of Anaerobic Bacteriology, School of Medicine, Gifu University . In these 23 cases, it was found that 8 were due to aerobic bacteria only (34.8%), 8 mixed aerobic-anaerobic bacteria (34.8%) and the remaining 6 anaerobic bacteria only (26.1%), i.e . a substantial percentage (60.9%) was due to anaerobic bacteria or mixed aerobic-anaerobic bacteria . Cefoxitin was active against most strains of Bacteroides spp . and was not affected by the inoculum size . On the other hand, most strains of Bacteroides spp . were resistant to cefazolin when the inoculum size was increased from 10(6)/ml to 10(8)/ml . Lincomycin was also found to be active against many fo the strains of Bacteroides spp . Cefoxitin and cefazolin were fairly active against anaerobic bacteria other than Bacteroides spp., while these same bacteria were resistant to sulbenicillin and many of them showed resistance to lincomycin . Cefoxitin was well tolerated and no untoward side effects were observed . The clinical and bacteriological results indicate that cefoxitin is a very effective antibiotic in the treatment of a wide variety of obstetric and gynecological infections and is a suitable choice as initial antibiotic therapy in these conditions. J Gen Microbiol, 1983 Mar, 129 (Pt 3), 557 - 63 Differentiation between gram-negative anaerobic bacteria by pyrolysis gas chromatography of lipopolysaccharides; Dahlen G et al.; Lipopolysaccharides extracted by phenol-water from nine strains of Gram-positive anaerobic bacteria (Bacteroides . Fusobacterium and Veillonella), have been examined by means of pyrolysis gas chromatography . Lipopolysaccharides were fragmented into a group of low molecular weight components and four characteristic high molecular fractions probably consisting of hydrocarbons from the lipid part of the material . The latter fractions were specific for each of the genera tested . At the species level characteristic differences were also found although a limited number of strains were tested . Due to the high reproducibility of the technique, the potential of using the method in differentiating Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria was indicated. Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Mar-Apr, 5(2), 235 - 45 Recent developments in the management of anaerobic infections; Bartlett JG; Anaerobic bacteria are recognized with increasing frequency as etiologic agents in a variety of infectious diseases . The pathogenic significance of these microbes is supported by experimental studies with animals, chemotherapeutic trials, and definition of specific virulence factors by microbial analysis . In vitro sensitivity tests show that many clinically significant anaerobic species are resistant to penicillin; susceptibility to an expanding array of alternative antimicrobial agents is quite variable . Nevertheless, clinical trials suggest that several antibiotic regimens are equally effective . These studies provide guidelines for empiric selection of agents, although in vitro studies or the unique properties of some drugs must be considered in occasional cases . Several commonly accepted tenets held in the past may now be challenged: some abscesses do not require surgical drainage; plasmids conferring resistance to clindamycin in Bacteroides fragilis appear prevalent in some institutions; clindamycin may be the preferred agent for treatment of serious anaerobic pulmonary infections; and metronidazole is the only new agent advocated for anaerobic infections that offers potential advantages over prior agents. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Mar, 11(3), 245 - 9 The influence of steroids on the penetration of antibiotics into brain tissue and brain abscesses . An experimental study in rats; Kourtopoulos H et al.; The interaction between glucocorticoids and antibiotics in the treatment of brain abscesses has been examined in rats . After stereotactic inoculation of Bacteroides melaninogenicus in the right frontal lobe to induce abscess formation, the animals were divided into two groups those treated with antibiotics alone and those treated with both antibiotics and corticosteroids . The antibiotics used, injected 4 days after the bacterial inoculation, were benzylpenicillin, 3H-lymecycline and 14C-metronidazole . The left hemisphere in each animal served as control . Finally a group of animals were inoculated in the right hemisphere with saline and served as controls . Antibiotic assays showed that the use of steroids reduced antibiotic concentration in uninfected and infected tissue with significant reduction in the infected tissue of animals treated with benzylpenicillin and lymecycline . In animals treated with metronidazole, no significant alteration of concentration levels was found . The use of steroids in the treatment of brain abscesses seems to only partially inhibit adequate concentrations of antibiotics in brain tissue dependent upon the antibiotics used. J Infect Dis, 1983 Mar, 147(3), 551 - 8 Genetic analysis of clindamycin resistance in Bacteroides species; Guiney DG Jr et al.; The genetic basis of clindamycin and tetracycline resistance in species of Bacteroides was studied in 13 resistant clinical isolates; 10 isolates were resistant to high levels of clindamycin (greater than 160 micrograms/ml) and three were resistant to low levels of clindamycin (5-20 micrograms/ml) . All of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline . None of the strains with low-level clindamycin resistance could transfer resistance to either antibiotic . Three isolates resistant to high levels of clindamycin transferred tetracycline resistance to a sensitive Bacteroides fragilis recipient, and one of these (strain 1126) also transferred high-level clindamycin resistance . None of the transfer-proficient strains of Bacteroides contained plasmid DNA . However, DNA homology was detected by hybridization between the clindamycin resistance plasmid pBF4 isolated in France and sequences in our high-level clindamycin-resistant strains from California . A common homologous 4.8 megadalton EcoR1 fragment was identified in the whole cell DNA of the transfer-proficient strain 1126 of B . fragilis and two other species of the B . fragilis group. J Bacteriol, 1983 Mar, 153(3), 1180 - 6 Digestion of proteoglycan by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron; Kuritza AP et al.; It has been shown previously that Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, a human colonic anaerobe, can utilize the tissue mucopolysaccharide chondroitin sulfate as a source of carbon and energy and that the enzymes involved in this utilization are all cell associated (A . A . Salyers and M . B . O'Brien, J . Bacteriol . 143:772-780, 1980) . Since chondroitin sulfate does not generally occur in isolated form in tissue, but rather is bound covalently in proteoglycan, we investigated the extent to which chondroitin sulfate which is bound in such a sterically hindered complex can be utilized by intact bacteria . Intact cells of B . thetaiotaomicron were able to digest chondroitin sulfate in proteoglycan, although at a slightly slower rate than free chondroitin sulfate . Prior digestion of proteoglycan with trypsin to produce small fragments of protein with several chondroitin sulfate chains attached did not increase the rate at which the bound chondroitin sulfate was digested . Accordingly, the slower rate of digestion was probably due to attachment of chondroitin sulfate chains to the protein backbone rather than to steric hindrance by other components of the proteoglycan . When proteoglycan which had been incubated with intact bacteria was treated with sodium borohydride to release the undigested fragments of chondroitin sulfate from the protein backbone, the size and composition of the fragments indicated that intact bacteria were able to digest all but three monosaccharides of the chondroitin sulfate chains . Thus, despite steric hindrance due to attachment of the chondroitin sulfate chains to the protein backbone, digestion of bound chondroitin sulfate by intact bacteria was nearly complete. J Clin Periodontol, 1983 Mar, 10(2), 137 - 47 Plaque-host imbalance in severe periodontitis . A discussion based on two cases; Newman HN et al.; One child and one adult with severe periodontitis were investigated for relevant systemic factors and predominant periodontal pocket bacteria . The child had a chronic neutropenia, the adult late yaws, a chronic iron deficiency and possibly rheumatoid arthritis . The predominant organisms in both pocket floras were gram-negative cocci showing occasional filament formation and resembling strains of Bacteroides asaccharolyticus and possibly Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans described by others . There were indications that the flora was determined by the host response rather than vice versa and that thorough systemic investigation may aid the efficient diagnosis and treatment of patients with severe periodontitis. J Antimicrob Chemother, 1983 Mar, 11(3), 207 - 15 Ornidazole compared to phenoxymethylpenicillin in the treatment of orofacial infections; von Konow L et al.; A double blind, randomized study comprising 60 patients was undertaken to compare the efficacy of ornidazole to that of phenoxymethylpenicillin in the treatment of orofacial infections . Thirty patients received ornidazole 500 mg orally every 12 h for seven days and were all cured in less than seven days . Five of the 30 patients receiving penicillin, 800 mg orally every 12 h for seven days, did not respond satisfactorily to the treatment given . In two of these instances, beta-lactamase-producing penicillin-resistant Bacteroides strains were isolated . In the present study, ornidazole was found to be more efficient than penicillin in the treatment of orofacial infections . Anaerobes were isolated from all specimens except four that yielded no growth . Anaerobes only were isolated from 65% of the specimens . Since ornidazole was efficient in all cases when given, it is concluded that anaerobic bacteria are the causal pathogens in most orofacial infections. Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Mar-Apr, 5 Suppl 1, S90 - 7 Empiric antibiotic therapy for intraabdominal infections; Nichols RL; Intraabdominal sepsis most frequently follows penetrating or blunt abdominal trauma or perforated appendicitis or diverticulitis . The initial escape of the endogenous gastrointestinal microflora into the peritoneal cavity results in peritonitis and secondary septicemia, which is frequently followed by localized intraabdominal abscesses . These infections are most frequently polymicrobial and relate directly to the unique endogenous microflora at the various levels of the gastrointestinal tract . The treatment of intraabdominal sepsis is primarily centered around prompt, appropriate surgical intervention . parenterally administered antibiotics are also required to decrease the chance of local bacterial invasion or septicemia . The choice of the appropriate agent(s) to be used initially, before culture and sensitivity reports are available, depends primarily on the clinical presentation . Clinical and experimental studies of intraabdominal sepsis have largely stressed the use of antibiotic agents that have a spectrum of activity effective against both the aerobic coliforms and anaerobic Bacteroides fragilis. Br J Surg, 1983 Mar, 70(3), 155 - 7 Prophylaxis of post-appendicectomy sepsis by metronidazole and ampicillin: a randomized, prospective and double-blind trial; Lau WY et al.; Two hundred and eighty-three patients were admitted to a randomized, prospective and double-blind trial of the effect of the addition of ampicillin to metronidazole in the prophylaxis of post-appendicectomy wound sepsis . Nineteen out of 142 patients in the metronidazole and ampicillin group developed wound sepsis compared with 33 out of 141 patients in the metronidazole group . The difference is statistically significant . Early cases, including normal, acutely inflamed and gangrenous appendices, received 2 doses of antibiotics . In late cases with perforation and abscess formation, the antibiotics were continued for 1 week . The difference in wound infection in each of these 2 subgroups was also statistically significant . The commonest organisms isolated from the appendicular fossa and the infected wounds were Escherichia coli and Bacteroides fragilis. Arch Surg, 1983 Feb, 118(2), 181 - 4 Relative efficacy and critical interval of antimicrobial agents in experimental infections involving bacteroides fragilis; Bartlett JG et al.; Activity of seven antimicrobial agents was examined using a mouse model of a subcutaneous infection that involved Bacteroides fragilis . Untreated mice had encapsulated abscesses with approximately 10(10) bacteria . Pharmacokinetic studies showed that all drugs tested penetrated into abscesses to provide mean peak levels that were 17% to 53% of mean peak serum levels . In vivo efficacy v 15 strains was measured by the reduction in counts of viable organisms when treatment was initiated one hour after challenge . This showed that the most active agents, in order of activity, were metronidazole hydrochloride, clindamycin phosphate, moxalactam disodium, and cefoxitin sodium . A delay in treatment of eight to 120 hours after challenge showed a noticeable reduction in activity, except with metronidazole . It is presumed that bacteria within an abscess are in a stationary growth phase, and this has an important influence on in vivo efficacy. J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1983 Feb, 36(2), 109 - 14 Thiotetromycin, a new antibiotic . Taxonomy, production, isolation, and physicochemical and biological properties; Omura S et al.; A new antibiotic, thiotetromycin, has been isolated from the culture filtrate of Streptomyces sp . OM-674 by solvent extraction and silica gel chromatography . The molecular formula of the antibiotic has been determined as C13H18O2S on the basis of elemental analysis and its high resolution mass spectrometry . The antibiotic contains a thiotetronic acid in the molecule and possesses a selective activity against Bacteroides fragilis. Eur J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Feb, 2(1), 43 - 9 Experimental intraabdominal abscess formation by Escherichia coli and bacteroides fragilis; Hagen JC et al.; An improved animal model of intraperitoneal abscess formation was developed in order to study the role of Bacteroides fragilis and Escherichia coli . Both microorganisms were found to independently cause abscesses, although Bacteroides fragilis-induced abscesses were invariably minute . The combined inoculation of these microorganisms resulted in the induction of intraabdominal abscesses larger than those formed by Bacteroides fragilis or Escherichia coli alone . However, the size difference between abscesses produced by Escherichia coli alone and by the combination of both organisms was not statistically significant . The animal model defined in this study differed from earlier models in that use of the complex sterile cecal contents can be avoided . This allows for a more precise evaluation of the contribution of each organism to the pathogenic process of intraabdominal abscess formation. Arch Surg, 1983 Feb, 118(2), 227 - 31 Prophylactic antibiotics in colon surgery; Edmondson HT et al.; One hundred twenty-three patients undergoing elective colon surgery were prospectively and randomly assigned to receive either three 1-g perioperative doses of intramuscular cephaloridine or three 1-g preoperative doses of both oral erythromycin base and neomycin sulfate . All patients had their bowels thoroughly cleansed mechanically . The groups were comparable in age and nutritional status . Eight wound infections occurred in the 65 patients receiving cephaloridine (12.3%) v one in the 58 receiving erythromycin and neomycin (1.7%) . The difference was statistically significant . Eight of nine infected patients had only wound infections; the majority of cultures yielded Bacteroides fragilis . Serum and tissue antimicrobial concentrations were determined in the first 70 randomized patients at operation . Mean (+/- SD) cephaloridine levels were 14.7 +/- 10.2 and 10.5 +/- 10.0 mg/L in serum and tissue, respectively, compared with 1.98 +/- 1.58 and 0.699 +/- 1.146 mg/L for serum and tissue erythromycin levels. Jpn J Antibiot, 1983 Feb, 36(2), 221 - 6 {The distribution of cefotiam in body fluid}; Kitou M et al.; All subjects were patients with malignant tumors on the gastroenterological system and in whose cases there were marked ascites (Table 1) . In the study, each patient was subjected to the intravenous drip infusion of CTM 1 g for a period of 1 hour . Samples of peripheral venous blood and ascites were taken 4 times, at 1 hour after completion of infusion, and at 2, 3 and 4 hours . The test samples were kept at -80 degrees C until the CTM contents were determined (Fig . 1) . Determination results 1 . Blood concentrations of CTM decreased with the passage of time (Fig . 2) . 2 . There was hardly any difference in the concentration of CTM in ascites between the 1 hour and 4 hour samples . Furthermore, the concentration was maintained which exceeded the MIC against intestinal flora, including Escherichia coli, without Pseudomonas and Bacteroides (Fig . 3, Table 2) . 3 . The higher serum creatinine levels were the greater the concentration of CTM in blood (Fig . 5) . 4 . The maximum blood and ascites concentration of CTM indicated a correlation coefficient of 0.809, P less than 0.01 (Fig . 6) . These results led to the following conclusions: 1 . If 1 hour intravenous drip infusion of CTM 1 g/100 ml is to be carried out against postoperative peritoneal infection, such administration at interval less than 5-hours would not be reasonable . 2 . The peritoneal invasion of malignant tumor is not a factor in the inhibition of CTM transition from blood to ascites. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 1983 Feb 1, 145(3), 342 - 9 Comparative study of piperacillin versus cefoxitin in the treatment of obstetric and gynecologic infections; Sweet RL et al.; Piperacillin sodium (Pipracil, Lederle Laboratories, Wayne, New Jersey), a new semisynthetic penicillin, demonstrated in vitro activity against a broad spectrum of clinical pathogens . It is active against most strains of the clinically important gram-negative aerobic or facultative bacteria and against virtually all the clinically important anaerobic organisms, including Bacteroides fragilis and Bacteroides bivius . This broad antibacterial spectrum suggested that piperacillin might be an effective single antimicrobial agent for the treatment of mixed aerobic/anaerobic infections in obstetric and gynecologic patients . In t