Campylobacter

Neuroepidemiology, 2003 Jul-Aug, 22(4), 245 - 8
A descriptive study of Guillain-Barré syndrome in high and low Campylobacter jejuni incidence regions of Michigan: 1992-1999; Church Potter R et al.; The incidence rate of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) was compared between high and low Campylobacter jejuni incidence counties in Michigan, USA, between 1992 and 1999 . Data on GBS was obtained from cases reported to the Michigan Department of Community Health . Poisson confidence intervals were used to compare incidence rates . There was no significant difference in the overall rate between high and low C . jejuni incidence regions in Michigan . Though no differences in age-specific, gender-specific, and seasonal rates were significant, GBS was more common in spring and summer in the high C . jejuni incidence region than in the low C . jejuni incidence region . Differences in the distribution of cases by age group and gender are described, though no difference was statistically significant .

J Clin Microbiol, 2003 Jun, 41(6), 2537 - 46
Species-specific identification of campylobacters by partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing; Gorkiewicz G et al.; Species-specific identification of campylobacters is problematic, primarily due to the absence of suitable biochemical assays and the existence of atypical strains . 16S rRNA gene (16S rDNA)-based identification of bacteria offers a possible alternative when phenotypic tests fail . Therefore, we evaluated the reliability of 16S rDNA sequencing for the species-specific identification of campylobacters . Sequence analyses were performed by using almost 94% of the complete 16S rRNA genes of 135 phenotypically characterized Campylobacter strains, including all known taxa of this genus . It was shown that 16S rDNA analysis enables specific identification of most Campylobacter species . The exception was a lack of discrimination among the taxa Campylobacter jejuni and C . coli and atypical C . lari strains, which shared identical or nearly identical 16S rDNA sequences . Subsequently, it was investigated whether partial 16S rDNA sequences are sufficient to determine species identity . Sequence alignments led to the identification of four 16S rDNA regions with high degrees of interspecies variation but with highly conserved sequence patterns within the respective species . A simple protocol based on the analysis of these sequence patterns was developed, which enabled the unambiguous identification of the majority of Campylobacter species . We recommend 16S rDNA sequence analysis as an effective, rapid procedure for the specific identification of campylobacters.

J Clin Microbiol, 2003 Jun, 41(6), 2289 - 93
Prevalence of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli among children with and without diarrhea in Switzerland; Pabst WL et al.; In a prospective study between July 1999 and September 2000, stool specimens of children below the age of 16 years with (n = 187) and without (n = 137) diarrhea were tested for the presence of enterovirulent bacteria by standard culture methods and by PCR . Targets for the PCR were the plasmid pCVD432 for enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC), the verotoxin 1 and verotoxin 2 genes for enterohemorrhagic E . coli, ipaH for enteroinvasive E . coli (EIEC) and Shigella spp., genes coding for heat-stable and heat-labile toxins for enterotoxigenic E . coli (ETEC), and the eaeA gene for enteropathogenic E . coli . The following bacteria could be associated with diarrhea: Salmonella enterica (P = 0.001), Campylobacter spp . (P = 0.036), ETEC (P = 0.012), and EAEC (P = 0.006) . The detection of EAEC, ETEC, and S . enterica was strongly associated with a history of recent travel outside of Switzerland . EAEC isolates were found in the specimens of 19 (10.2%) of 187 children with diarrhea and in those of 3 (2.2%) of 137 children without diarrhea (P = 0.006) and were the most frequently detected bacteria associated with diarrhea . Among the children below the age of 5 years, the specimens of 18 (11.9%) of 151 with diarrhea were positive for EAEC, while this agent was found in the specimens of 2 (2.2%) of 91 controls (P = 0.007) . Enteropathogenic E . coli isolates were found in the specimens of 30 (16.4%) of the patients and in those of 15 (10.9%) of the controls, with similar frequencies in all age groups (P > 0.05) . We conclude that EAEC bacteria are involved in a significant proportion of diarrhea cases among children . Children younger than 5 years of age are more often affected by EAEC than older children.

Mol Microbiol, 2003 Jun, 48(6), 1579 - 92
Structural, genetic and functional characterization of the flagellin glycosylation process in Helicobacter pylori; Schirm M et al.; Mass spectrometry analyses of the complex polar flagella from Helicobacter pylori demonstrated that both FlaA and FlaB proteins are post-translationally modified with pseudaminic acid (Pse5Ac7Ac, 5,7-diacetamido-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-l-glycero-l-manno -n o n-ulosonic acid) . Unlike Campylobacter, flagellar glycosylation in Helicobacter displays little heterogeneity in isoform or glycoform distribution, although all glycosylation sites are located in the central core region of the protein monomer in a manner similar to that found in Campylobacter . Bioinformatic analysis revealed five genes (HP0840, HP0178, HP0326A, HP0326B, HP0114) homologous to other prokaryote genes previously reported to be involved in motility, flagellar glycosylation or polysaccharide biosynthesis . Insertional mutagenesis of four of these homologues in Helicobacter (HP0178, HP0326A, HP0326B, HP0114) resulted in a non-motile phenotype, no structural flagella filament and only minor amounts of flagellin protein detectable by Western immunoblot . However, mRNA levels for the flagellin structural genes remained unaffected by each mutation . In view of the combined bioinformatic and structural evidence indicating a role for these gene products in glycan biosynthesis, subsequent investigations focused on the functional characterization of the respective gene products . A novel approach was devised to identify biosynthetic sugar nucleotide precursors from intracellular metabolic pools of parent and isogenic mutants using capillary electrophoresis-electrospray mass spectrometry (CE-ESMS) and precursor ion scanning . HP0326A, HP0326B and the HP0178 gene products are directly involved in the biosynthesis of the nucleotide-activated form of Pse, CMP-Pse . Mass spectral analyses of the cytosolic extract from the HP0326A and HP0326B isogenic mutants revealed the accumulation of a mono- and a diacetamido trideoxyhexose UDP sugar nucleotide precursor.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2003 Jun, 69(6), 3492 - 9
Rapid detection of Campylobacter coli, C . jejuni, and Salmonella enterica on poultry carcasses by using PCR-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Hong Y et al.; Contamination of retail poultry by Campylobacter spp . and Salmonella enterica is a significant source of human diarrheal disease . Isolation and identification of these microorganisms require a series of biochemical and serological tests . In this study, Campylobacter ceuE and Salmonella invA genes were used to design probes in PCR-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), as an alternative to conventional bacteriological methodology, for the rapid detection of Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, and S . enterica from poultry samples . With PCR-ELISA (40 cycles), the detection limits for Salmonella and Campylobacter were 2 x 10(2) and 4 x 10(1) CFU/ml, respectively . ELISA increased the sensitivity of the conventional PCR method by 100- to 1,000-fold . DNA was extracted from carcass rinses and tetrathionate enrichments and used in PCR-ELISA for the detection of Campylobacter and S . enterica, respectively . With PCR-ELISA, Salmonella was detected in 20 of 120 (17%) chicken carcass rinses examined, without the inclusion of an enrichment step . Significant correlation was observed between PCR-ELISA and cultural methods (kappa = 0.83; chi-square test, P < 0.001) with only one false negative (1.67%) and four false positives (6.67%) when PCR-ELISA was used to screen 60 tetrathionate enrichment cultures for SALMONELLA: With PCR-ELISA, we observed a positive correlation between the ELISA absorbance (optical density at 405 nm) and the campylobacter cell number in carcass rinse, as determined by standard culture methods . Overall, PCR-ELISA is a rapid and cost-effective approach for the detection and enumeration of Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria on poultry.

Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol, 2003 Apr, 17(2), 219 - 39
Arthritis associated with enteric infection; Hill Gaston JS et al.; Reactive arthritis is classically seen following infection with enteric pathogens such as Yersinia, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Shigella . Inflammatory arthritis has also been described following other enteric infection with organisms such as Clostridium difficile, Brucella and Giardia . Furthermore, arthritis is seen in Whipple's disease, caused by the actinomycete Tropheryma whippelii . This chapter reviews the current understanding of these conditions (with the exception of Brucella, which is discussed in a subsequent chapter) . The epidemiology is reviewed, and the contribution of both host and organism to the aetiology and pathogenesis is discussed with particular discussion of the role of HLA-B27 in host susceptibility . Recent work exploring evidence for traffic of pathogenic organisms to the joint is highlighted . A practical approach to the diagnosis and management of the condition is then formulated based, where possible, on clinical trial evidence.

J Clin Periodontol, 2002, 29 Suppl 3, 10 - 21; discussion 37-8
Can presence or absence of periodontal pathogens distinguish between subjects with chronic and aggressive periodontitis? A systematic review; Mombelli A et al.; OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent the presence or absence of periodontal pathogens can distinguish between subjects with chronic and aggressive periodontitis . MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic review of cross sectional and longitudinal studies providing microbiological data both from patients with chronic periodontitis (ChP) and aggressive periodontitis (AgP) at a subject level . Strict inclusion criteria were applied . The presence or absence of five microorganisms was selected as primary study parameters: Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (AA), Porphyromonas gingivalis (PG), Prevotella intermedia (PI), Bacteroides forsythus (BF), and Campylobacter rectus (CR) . RESULTS: The presence or absence of AA could be evaluated in 11 papers . In seven papers the presence or absence of PG could be analysed . Subject specific data on PI were available from six studies . Two studies could be used regarding the presence or absence of BF, and two regarding CR . Sensitivity and specificity of every microbiological test were individually calculated for each selected study, assuming that the clinical diagnosis of AgP or ChP was the true status the tests attempted to detect . AgP was considered to be the condition of interest and ChP was considered equivalent to 'non-AgP' . Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) diagrams were constructed using these data . ROC diagrams indicated the limited discriminatory ability of all of the test parameters to identify subjects with AgP . An additional assessment showed that the highly leukotoxic variant of AA was uniquely associated with patients suffering from aggressive periodontitis . However, in a high proportion of patients diagnosed with AgP the presence of this variant could not be detected . CONCLUSION: The presence or absence of AA, PG, PI, BF or CR could not discriminate between subjects with AgP from those with ChP.

Int J Food Microbiol, 2003 Jul 15, 84(1), 105 - 9
Campylobacter jejuni contamination on broiler carcasses of C . jejuni-negative flocks during processing in a Japanese slaughterhouse; Miwa N et al.; At a slaughterhouse, we determined the Campylobacter jejuni status of each broiler flock coming from different farms by culturing cecal contents of representative birds, and examined the prevalence of C . jejuni on carcasses during processing . Then, C . jejuni isolates from the carcasses were typed with RAPD PCR and compared with those from the cecal contents of a C . jejuni-positive flock . C . jejuni was not isolated from the carcasses of C . jejuni-negative flocks processed before the C . jejuni-positive flock, and C . jejuni was isolated from the carcasses of C . jejuni-negative flocks processed after the C . jejuni-positive flock . RAPD PCR type of the isolates from the carcasses of C . jejuni-negative flocks was the same as those from the cecal contents of the previously processed C . jejuni-positive flock . Our results suggest that the carcasses of the C . jejuni-negative flocks were contaminated with C . jejuni strains originating from the intestines of the previously processed C . jejuni-positive flock.

Trends Microbiol, 2003 May, 11(5), 233 - 8
Campylobacter--a tale of two protein glycosylation systems; Szymanski CM et al.; Post-translational glycosylation is a universal modification of proteins in eukarya, archaea and bacteria . Two recent publications describe the first confirmed report of a bacterial N-linked glycosylation pathway in the human gastrointestinal pathogen Campylobacter jejuni . In addition, an O-linked glycosylation pathway has been identified and characterized in C . jejuni and the related species Campylobacter coli . Both pathways have similarity to the respective N- and O-linked glycosylation processes in eukaryotes . In bacteria, homologues of the genes in both pathways are found in other organisms, the complex glycans linked to the glycoproteins share common biosynthetic precursors and these modifications could play similar biological roles . Thus, Campylobacter provides a unique model system for the elucidation and exploitation of glycoprotein biosynthesis.

J Pak Med Assoc, 2003 Mar, 53(3), 125 - 9
Seasonal variation in bacterial pathogens isolated from stool samples in Karachi, Pakistan; Alam M et al.; OBJECTIVE: To determine the seasonal variation of the commonly isolated bacterial pathogens in stool samples . MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study was undertaken of all the stool samples submitted from within Karachi to the Aga Khan University Hospital Laboratory over a period of five years (January 1997- December 2001) in order to determine the commonly isolated bacterial pathogens and to predict their seasonal variation . RESULTS: A total of 16379 stool samples were included in this review . Bacterial isolates were found in 6670 stool samples (culture detection rate=40.7%) . The mean age at the time of culture of each sub-group was < or = 1 year group (6.58 +/- 3.1 months), 1-5 years (2.13 +/- 0.94 years), 5-14 years (8.3 +/- 2.6 yrs) and adults (43.2 +/- 18.5 years) . Male: Female ratio was 1.2:1 . Vibrio cholera 01 Ogawa (32.8%), Campylobacter jejuni (17.3%), Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (9.9%), Salmonella paratyphi b (6.6%) and Shigella flexneri (6.2%) were the most common organisms isolated . These organisms show a distinct seasonal variation with summer predilection . CONCLUSION: In contrast to the previous studies from South Asia, which have identified E . coil, followed by Vibrio cholerae as the most common enteric isolates, we found Vibrio cholera 01 Ogawa followed by Campylobacter jejuni as the most common enteric pathogens isolated in an urban setting . It is important to consider seasonal variation when empirically treating diarrheal diseases in our region.

Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr, 2003 Jun, 59(Pt 6), 1087 - 9 Epub 2003 May 23.
Cloning, preliminary characterization and crystallization of nucleoside hydrolases from Caenorhabditis elegans and Campylobacter jejuni; Versees W et al.; The nucleoside hydrolases (NHs) are a family of nucleoside-modifying enzymes . They play an important role in the purine-salvage pathway of many pathogenic organisms which are unable to synthesize purines de novo . Although well characterized in protozoan parasites, their precise function and mechanism remain unclear in other species . For the first time, NHs from Caenorhabditis elegans and Campylobacter jejuni, which are representatives of mesozoa and bacteria, respectively, have been cloned and purified . Steady-state kinetics indicate a different substrate-specificity profile to previously described hydrolases . Native diffraction data sets were collected from crystals of NH from each organism . The hexagonal crystals (space group P6(2)22 or P6(4)22) of NH from C . elegans diffracted to a resolution of 2.8 A, while the data set from the orthorhombic crystals (space group I222 or I2(1)2(1)2(1)) of NH from C . jejuni could be processed to 1.7 A resolution . The unit-cell parameters were a = b = 102.23, c = 117.27 A in the former case and a = 101.13, b = 100.13, c = 81.37 A in the latter.

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci, 2002 Sep-Oct, 6(5), 99 - 100
New born chicks can serve as an experimental animal model for human campylobacteriosis; Chattopadhyay UK; Campylobacter enteritis is an emerging food borne zoonotic disease . Improperly cooked chicken serve as a potential source for this infection . Diarrheogenic potential of Campylobacter jejuni is tested either by in-vivo rat ileal loop (RIL) test or by molecular methods . This study reveals that 3-day-old chicks can serve as an animal model for toxigenic C . jejuni.

J Environ Health, 2003 May, 65(9), 20 - 1, 24, 26
Campylobacter jejuni enteritis associated with consumption of raw milk; Peterson MC; An outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni enteritis occurred among people who had attended a meal where raw milk was served . A case control study was conducted using instances of illness as cases; those who attended the event but did not become ill served as controls . Thirteen of 20 people who had attended the meal became ill . C . jejuni was cultured from five of six stools that were submitted . Raw milk consumption was strongly associated with illness (p = .0072, Fisher exact test) . Although C . jejuni outbreaks associated with milk can be prevented with pasteurization, they still occur in association with raw milk consumption.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2003 Jun, 47(6), 2027 - 9
Antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter jejuni subsp . jejuni strains isolated from humans in 1998 to 2001 in Montréal, Canada; Gaudreau C et al.; The rates of resistance of 51 to 72 human strains of Campylobacter jejuni subsp . jejuni isolated annually from 1998 to 2001 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, varied from 1 to 12% for erythromycin, 43 to 68% for tetracycline, and 10 to 47% for ciprofloxacin . In the last years of the study, there was a significant increase in the rate of resistance to ciprofloxacin (P = 0.00003) but not in the rate of resistance to erythromycin (P = 0.056) or tetracycline (P = 0.095) compared to the rate obtained in the first years . All 51 C . jejuni strains isolated in 2001 were susceptible to gentamicin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, imipenem, and meropenem . From 1999 to 2001, 74 strains of C . jejuni acquired abroad were significantly more resistant to ciprofloxacin than 109 strains of C . jejuni acquired locally (66 versus 9%, P < 0.00001) but were not significantly more resistant to erythromycin (1 versus 6%, P = 0.15) or to tetracycline (55 versus 58%, P = 0.87).

Dig Dis Sci, 2003 Mar, 48(3), 561 - 9
Identification of beta-subunit of bacterial RNA-polymerase--a non-species-specific bacterial protein--as target of antibodies in primary biliary cirrhosis; Roesler KW et al.; Several observations suggest that bacteria induce autoimmunity in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) . Since no PBC-specific bacterial species could be identified, it can be speculated that the triggers are non-species-specific bacterial proteins . This hypothesis would imply that several or even all bacterial species can trigger PBC . Therefore, we investigated whether PBC exhibits immune reactions to non-species-specific bacterial antigens . Yersinia enterocolitica O3 was screened for the presence of proteins that were labeled by immunoblotting using PBC sera . We focused our investigations on a 160-kDa protein, which was further enriched and characterized by partial N-terminal amino acid sequencing . The prevalence of antibodies to this protein was determined by immunoblotting in a variety of diseases . The 160-kDa protein was identified as the beta-subunit of bacterial RNA-polymerase, a highly conserved bacterial protein with a very high degree of sequence identity among all bacterial species . Antibodies to the beta-subunit of bacterial RNA polymerase were specific for this protein . Until now no mammalian protein could be found that cross-reacts with these antibodies . The prevalence of antibodies to the beta-subunit of bacterial RNA polymerase (ARPA) using the protein from Yersinia enterocolitica O3 (serum dilution 1:1000) was: healthy controls (HC, N = 101) 7.9%, primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC, N = 61) 32.8%, autoimmune hepatitis type 1 (AIH, N = 46) 26.1%, alcoholic liver cirrhosis (ALC, N = 44) 9.1%, Crohn's disease (CD, N = 38) 7.9%, ulcerative colitis (UC, N = 24) 8.3%, primary sclerosing cholangitis + UC (PSC/UC, N = 11) 0%, acute yersiniosis (Yers, N = 36) 19.4%, acute infection with Campylobacter jejuni (Camp, N = 10) 0%, acute Q-fever (QF, N = 16) 6.25%, chronic hepatitis C (HCV, N = 39) 7.7%, c-ANCA-positive vasculitis (Vasc, N = 40) 15%, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, N = 28) 10.7%, and malaria tropica (MT, N = 24) 16.7% . There was no significant difference between PBC and AIH . The group of autoimmune liver diseases (PBC + AIH, N = 107, 29.9%) differed highly significantly from HC, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (CD + UC + PSC/UC, N = 73, 6.8%), ALC, and HCV and also differed significantly (P = 0.01) from the group with bacterial and parasitic diseases (Yers + Camp + QF + MT, N = 86,13.95%) and from the group with Vasc + SLE (N = 68,13.2%) . Testing of ARPA using the protein from E . coli yielded nearly identical results . In conclusion, an increased prevalence of antibodies to the beta-subunit of bacterial RNA polymerase, a highly conserved non-species-specific bacterial protein, can be found in primary biliary cirrhosis, but also in autoimmune hepatitis type I . These findings do not add an argument for a bacterial trigger of PBC . Rather, they suggest that ARPA belong to the pool of natural antibodies that are up-regulated in autoimmune liver diseases.

Oral Microbiol Immunol, 2003 Jun, 18(3), 199 - 201
Periodontal pathogens in subgingival plaque of HIV-positive subjects with chronic periodontitis; Patel M et al.; Many putative periodontal pathogens associated with periodontal disease in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients also occur in non-HIV-infected individuals . This study examined the prevalence of eight periodontal pathogens in HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients with chronic periodontitis using the 16s RNA polymerase chain reaction technique . The results showed a significant prevalence of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola among HIV-negative patients compared to HIV-positive patients . Sixty percent of the patients in both groups were colonized by five to six species . Odds ratio analysis revealed a statistically significant positive association between three of the 28 possible combinations in the HIV-positive group . They included Prevotella nigrescens/Campylobacter rectus, P . nigrescens/P . gingivalis and P . nigrescens/T . denticola . Although the prevalence of periodontal pathogens is similar in both the groups, the combination of certain periodontal pathogens may be responsible for chronic periodontitis seen in HIV-infected adults.

Int J Paediatr Dent, 2003 May, 13(3), 193 - 7
Accidentally induced periodontitis in primary dentition: longitudinal examinations of periodontal bacteria and clinical conditions; Ooshima T et al.; Periodontitis is very rare in the primary dentition although it can be accidentally induced in young children . The purpose of this study was to describe a case of periodontitis in a 4-year-old child, which was accidentally induced by insertion of small plastic tubes into the dental cervix of the primary incisors during play, and to discuss the clinical, radiographic, and microbiological findings . Removal of the plastic tubes resulted in resolution of the periodontal condition . Prevotella nigrescens and Campylobacter rectus were detected in subgingival plaque samples from the affected teeth at every examination, whereas Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Prevotella intermedia, and Bacteroides forsythus were never found during the two-year observation period . The clinical and microbiological results suggest that the type of periodontitis caused by such an incidence is not progressive, unlike other periodontal diseases such as prepubertal and juvenile periodontitis.

J Appl Microbiol, 2003, 94(6), 1003 - 14
PCR detection of seven virulence and toxin genes of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolates from Danish pigs and cattle and cytolethal distending toxin production of the isolates; Bang DD et al.; AIMS: To study the prevalence of seven virulence and toxin genes, and cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) production of Campylobacter jejuni and C . coli isolates from Danish pigs and cattle . METHODS AND RESULTS: The presence of the cadF, ceuE, virB11, flaA, cdtA, cdtB, cdtC and the cdt gene cluster among 40 C . jejuni and C . coli isolates was detected by polymerase chain reaction . The CDT production of the isolates was determined on Vero, colon 205 and chicken embryo cells . The cadF, flaA, ceuE and cdtB genes were detected from 100% of the isolates . The cdtA and cdtC genes were found in 95.0 and 90.0% of the isolates, respectively . The cdt gene cluster was detected in 82.5% isolates . Only 7.5% of the isolates were positive for virB11 . Ninety-five per cent of the isolates produced CDT in Vero and colon 205 cell assays, and 90% of the isolates produced CDT in chicken embryo cell assays . CONCLUSIONS: High prevalence of the cadF, ceuE, flaA and cdtB genes was found . Data of the prevalence of cdt genes was consistent with the CDT titres produced by the isolates . Campylobacter coli from pigs produced high CDT titres . SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The high prevalence of seven virulence and toxin genes demonstrated that these putative pathogenic determinants are widespread among Campylobacter isolates from pigs and cattle . Campylobacter coli isolates from pigs produced much higher CDT titres compared with C . coli isolates from other sources suggesting that C . coli may be particularly adapted to or associated with this species.

J Food Prot, 2003 May, 66(5), 798 - 803
Comparison of recovery methods for freeze-injured Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Campylobacter coli in cell suspensions and associated with pork surfaces; Chang VP et al.; Cells injured as a result of freezing, heating, and acidification treatments may not grow during conventional microbiological procedures owing to the presence of selective agents, compounds, or dyes in the media, impairing the cell's ability to repair itself and grow . Injured cells can be recovered by combining selective and nonselective media into a single system . With such combinations, the diffusion of the selective compounds or dyes is controlled, allowing for the resuscitation of injured cells of interest while also inhibiting the growth of undesirable background microflora . In this study, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Campylobacter coli suspended in buffer or associated with pork surfaces were subjected to a freeze-thaw cycle (-15 degrees C for 24 h, 4 degrees C for 4 h) . Following treatments, freeze-injured cells were plated on appropriate media for the overlay (OV), thin agar layer (TAL), and Lutri plate (LP) recovery methods . The levels of L . monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium recovered from cell suspensions and pork surfaces by the TAL, OV, and LP methods following freeze treatments were not statistically different (P > 0.05) from recovery levels associated with nonselective media . Conversely, levels of pathogens on selective media were significantly reduced compared with those for the other methods employed . The TAL method's recovery of C . coli was not significantly different from that achieved with the nonselective media . Overall, the results presented in this study demonstrate that the TAL method not only was easier to perform, but also allowed improved isolation of single colonies for further characterization . This study may provide researchers with better methods to determine the effectiveness of industry-employed chilling processes in reducing pathogenic bacteria associated with red meat surfaces.

Avian Pathol, 2003 Feb, 32(1), 33 - 7
Phenotypic and genotypic differentiation of Campylobacter spp . isolated from Austrian broiler farms: a comparison; Jauk V et al.; An identification scheme based on restriction fragment length polymorphism of polymerase chain reaction products (PCR-RFLP) was developed to differentiate isolates of the genera Campylobacter, Arcobacter and Helicobacter . Based on the 16S rRNA gene of these genera, PCR amplified a 1216-bp fragment . The amplicons were digested with the restriction enzymes RsaI and EcoRV . Additional differentiation was obtained using a PCR-assay based on the hippuricase gene . Genotyping was performed on several reference strains from the National Collection of Typing Culture (NCTC), London, and on 130 field isolates . In parallel, a phenotypic differentiation was performed, in order to compare the results . In 119 cases (91.5%) the results obtained from the genotypic characterization were concordant with those from phenotypic testing . Co-infections with Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in two samples and seven hippurate-negative C . jejuni-strains were identified by the genotypic method . Furthermore, PCR-RFLP assays identified an atypical isolate as Campylobacter fetus/hyointestinalis.

Neurology, 2003 May 13, 60(9), 1514 - 8
Anti-GM1 antibody IgG subclass: a clinical recovery predictor in Guillain-Barré syndrome; Koga M et al.; OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the anti-GM1 antibody IgG subclass (IgG1 to 4) is associated with clinical profiles and patterns of recovery in Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) . METHODS: The IgG subclassification of anti-GM1 antibody was examined and compared with clinical data on 42 GBS patients positive for the antibody . RESULTS: Frequent anti-GM1 antibody subclasses were IgG1 (76%) and IgG3 (31%) . IgG1 antibody was associated with preceding gastroenteritis and Campylobacter jejuni serology, whereas IgG3 antibody was associated with preceding respiratory infection . Although the severity at nadir was similar for IgG1- and IgG3-positive patients, the percentage of patients who could not walk independently was greater for the IgG1-positive group 1 month (42 vs 0%; p = 0.02), 3 months (28 vs 0%), and 6 months (25 vs 0%) after onset . Rapid recovery within 1 month occurred frequently in the patients with the IgG3 antibody but rarely in those with the IgG1 antibody (67 vs 11%; p = 0.003) . CONCLUSIONS: The IgG1 subclass of anti-GM1 antibody is a major subtype indicative of slow recovery, whereas isolated elevation of IgG3 subclass antibody titer suggests rapid recovery . Variation in subclass patterns may depend on which pathogen precipitates GBS.

Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis, 2002 Fall, 2(3), 137 - 43
A comparison of Campylobacter jejuni enteritis incidence rates in high- and low-poultry-density counties: Michigan 1992-1999; Potter RC et al.; To compare the incidence of Campylobacter jejuni enteritis in high- and low-poultry-density counties in Michigan between the years 1992 and 1999, an ecological study was conducted in the state of Michigan . A log-linear model was used to compare yearly, seasonal, age, and gender-specific incidence rates between county groupings . Counties with a high poultry density had a higher overall incidence of C . jejuni enteritis, particularly among children and young adults, compared with counties with low poultry density . The findings suggest that living in high-poultry-density counties is associated with higher odds for C . jejuni enteritis . This may be due to occupational exposure among poultry workers in these counties, but the findings in children suggest that indirect or environmental exposures may also play a role . Future studies should be conducted to investigate these issues.

Commun Dis Public Health, 2003 Apr, 6(1), 6 - 17
Study of cleaning standards and practices in food premises in the United Kingdom; Sagoo SK et al.; A study was undertaken to determine the microbiological status of surfaces used in the preparation of ready-to-eat foods, and to assess cleaning standards and practices in food premises in the UK . A total of 6,533 environmental samples were examined from 1,502 catering (such as restaurants, cafes, and sandwich bars) or retail premises (such as butchers, delicatessens, and bakers): 2,033 samples from chopping/cutting boards, 2,009 from worktop surfaces, 1,359 from food containers, and 1,132 from cleaning cloths . Cleaning cloths were more heavily contaminated with bacteria (Aerobic Colony Count (ACC), Enterobacteriaceae, E . coli, and Staph . aureus) compared to surfaces sampled . Campylobacter spp . were detected in two (0.2%) and Salmonella spp . from one (0.1%) of the cleaning cloths . Surfaces that were visually dirty, wet, last cleaned over 24 hours ago, and boards that were scored or damaged were found to have higher levels of bacteria . A hazard analysis system was in place in most (70%) food premises visited, and in 52% it was documented . Most managers (89%) had received some form of food hygiene training . Documented cleaning schedules and cleaning records were only present in approximately half (55% and 44%, respectively) of the premises . Most did not have separate implements for cleaning raw and ready-to-eat food areas (67%), or stored cleaning equipment for high risk (ready-to-eat food) areas away from those used in low risk (raw, non ready-to-eat food) areas (70%) . Deficiencies in the correct use of cleaning products, such as the minimum contact time for disinfectants, were identified . Surface samples (chopping/cutting boards, worktops, and food containers) and cleaning cloths with ACC levels in excess of 10(3) cfu/cm2, swab or ml were associated with premises that did not have management food hygiene training, hazard analysis, cleaning schedules or cleaning records in place, and with little or no confidence in the food business management of food hygiene as indicated by Local Authority Inspectors' Confidence in Management scores.

Neurogenetics, 2003 Apr, 4(3), 147 - 9 Epub 2003 Feb 11.
Immunoglobulin KM genes in Guillain-Barré syndrome; Pandey JP et al.; Guillain-Barre syndrome is associated with antecedent Campylobacter jejuni infection . Only a minority of the infected individuals, however, develops the disease, implying a role for genetic factors in conferring susceptibility . To determine the role of immunoglobulin KM genes (genetic markers of the constant region of kappa chains) in the etiology of this syndrome, we genotyped 83 patients and 196 healthy controls from Norway for KM1 and KM3 alleles by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism . The frequency of KM3 homozygotes was significantly increased in patients compared with controls (86.7% vs . 74%, P=0.01, odds ratio=2.3) . Conversely, the frequency of KM1/KM3 heterozygotes was significantly decreased in patients compared with controls (13.3% vs . 26%, P=0.01, odds ratio=0.4) . These results suggest that KM genes may be relevant to the etiology of Guillain-Barre syndrome.

J Neurol Sci, 2003 Jun 15, 210(1-2), 99 - 103
Longitudinal changes of anti-ganglioside antibodies before and after Guillain-Barré syndrome onset subsequent to Campylobacter jejuni enteritis; Odaka M et al.; Anti-ganglioside antibodies frequently are present in sera from patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) during the acute phase, but no patients in whom anti-ganglioside antibodies were tested before the onset of the syndrome have been reported . We describe the first case of GBS subsequent to Campylobacter jejuni infection, in which longitudinal changes in anti-ganglioside antibody titers were measured before and after the onset of limb weakness . Serum antibody titers against GM1 (IgM/IgG), GM1b (IgM/IgG), GalNAc-GD1a (IgM/IgG), and GD1b (IgG) were highest on the day of onset, but negative before onset . Anti-C . jejuni IgG and IgA antibody titers paralleled those of the anti-ganglioside antibodies, indicative that C . jejuni infection triggered anti-ganglioside antibody production . Press et al . {J . Neurol . Sci . 190 (2001) 41} reported that anti-ganglioside antibody titers peaked during the recovery phase, but our findings are counter to theirs . We speculate that anti-ganglioside antibodies are the primary effectors of nerve damage in GBS.

J Neurol Sci, 2003 Jun 15, 210(1-2), 41 - 5
Anti-GM1b IgG antibody is associated with acute motor axonal neuropathy and Campylobacter jejuni infection; Ogawara K et al.; Anti-GM1 and anti-GM1b antibodies are frequently present in patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) and accordingly, the two antibodies often coexist in the same patient . In order to study clinical and laboratory features of anti-GM1b-positive GBS, we analyzed the data of patients with anti-GM1b IgG antibody but no anti-GM1 IgG antibody . Of 86 consecutive patients, 10 had anti-GM1b antibody alone and frequently had acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN, 80%) and Campylobacter jejuni infection (60%) . Of 10 patients with anti-GM1 antibody alone, four had AMAN, and two had C . jejuni infection . These results showed that GM1b could be a target molecule of autoantibody in the AMAN form of GBS subsequent to C . jejuni infection.

J Dent, 2003 May, 31(4), 275 - 81
Bacterial penetration through canals of endodontically treated teeth in the presence or absence of the smear layer; Clark-Holke D et al.; OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study is to determine if the smear layer affects the passage of bacteria through or around obturating material as evidenced by penetration of bacteria through and out the canal . Specifically, this study focused on determining the effect of the smear layer on the magnitude of bacterial penetration through the apical foramen . METHODS: Thirty extracted, maxillary central or lateral incisors were collected . Teeth were randomly assigned (10 teeth per group) to three groups: (1) smear layer removed, (2) smear layer present, and (3) negative control . Canal preparation and obturation using lateral condensation, gutta percha, and AH 26 sealer was performed on all of the teeth . Removal of the smear layer was accomplished by rinsing with 17% EDTA . The model systems consisted of an upper chamber attached to the cemento-enamel junction and a lower chamber at the apices of the teeth . Standardized bacterial suspensions containing Fusobacterium nucleatum, Campylobacter rectus, and Peptostreptococcus micros were inoculated into the upper chambers . Models were incubated anaerobically at 37 degrees C . At various times over a 60-day period, samples were taken from the lower chamber and spiral-plated on selective-differential media to determine numbers and types of bacteria . RESULTS: Leakage results were as follows: (1) smear layer present-6/10 leaked; (2) smear layer removed-0/10 leaked; (3) negative control-0/10 leaked . Profiles of bacterial leakage were similar among the groups . F . nucleatum was the predominant microorganism . CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that removal of the smear layer reduced the leakage of bacteria through the root canal system.

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 2003 Apr 18, 52(15), 340 - 3
Preliminary FoodNet data on the incidence of foodborne illnesses--selected sites, United States, 2002; Antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter species from retail raw meats; Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USAThe antimicrobial susceptibilities of 378 Campylobacter isolates were determined . Resistance to tetracycline was the most common (82%), followed by resistance to doxycycline (77%), erythromycin (54%), nalidixic acid (41%), and ciprofloxacin (35%) . Campylobacter coli displayed significantly higher rates of resistance to ciprofloxacin and erythromycin than Campylobacter jejuni, and Campylobacter isolates from turkey meat showed a greater resistance than those from chicken meat.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2003 May, 69(5), 2864 - 74
In vivo tracking of Campylobacter jejuni by using a novel recombinant expressing green fluorescent protein; Mixter PF et al.; Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of food-borne disease in developed countries . The goal of this study was to develop a plasmid-based reporter system with green fluorescent protein (GFP) to facilitate the study of C . jejuni in a variety of niches . C . jejuni transformants harboring the pMEK91 GFP gene (gfp)-containing vector were readily detectable by both fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry . Given the ease of detecting these organisms, additional experiments were performed in which BALB/c mice were injected intraperitoneally with C . jejuni harboring the gfp-containing vector . Four hours after injection of the mice, flow cytometry analyses determined that C . jejuni synthesizing GFP were predominantly associated with granulocytes . More specifically, the proportion of CD11b(+) Gr-1(+) lavage neutrophils with green fluorescence ranged from 99.7 to 100%, while the proportion of CD11b(+) Gr-1(-) lavage macrophages ranged from 77.0 to 80.0% . In contrast, few CD11b(-) CD45R(+) B lymphocytes from the lavage of the C . jejuni-injected mice were associated with green-fluorescent C . jejuni (proportions ranged from 0.75 to 0.77%) . Cell-free C . jejuni was recovered from tissue homogenates after intraperitoneal injection . Macrorestriction profiling with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis identified a genotypic variant of the C . jejuni F38011 wild-type isolate . In vivo this variant displayed a phenotype identical to that of the wild-type isolate . In summary, we demonstrate that C . jejuni associates with marker-defined cellular subsets in vivo with a novel gfp reporter system and that C . jejuni genotypic variants can be isolated from both in vitro and in vivo systems.

Int Microbiol, 2003 Mar, 6(1), 5 - 9 Epub 2003 Mar 06.
Enteric pathogens and soil: a short review; Santamaria J et al.; It is known that soil is a recipient of solid wastes able to contain enteric pathogens in high concentrations . Although the role of soil as a reservoir of certain bacterial pathogens is not in question, recent findings show that soil may have a larger role in the transmission of enteric diseases than previously thought . Many of the diseases caused by agents from soil have been well characterized, although enteric diseases and their link to soil have not been so well studied . Gastrointestinal infections are the most common diseases caused by enteric bacteria . Some examples are salmonellosis ( Salmonella sp.), cholera ( Vibrio cholerae), dysentery ( Shigella sp.) and other infections caused by Campylobacter jejuni, Yersinia sp . and Escherichia coli O157:H7 and many other strains . Viruses are the most hazardous and have some of the lowest infectious doses of any of the enteric pathogens . Hepatitis A, hepatitis E, enteric adenoviruses, poliovirus types 1 and 2, multiple strains of echoviruses and coxsackievirus are enteric viruses associated with human wastewater . Among the most commonly detected protozoa in sewage are Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia intestinalis and Cryptosporidium parvum . This article reviews the existing literature of more than two decades on waste disposal practices that favor the entry of enteric pathogens to soil and the possible consequent role of the soil as a vector and reservoir of enteric pathogens.

Rheumatology (Oxford), 2003 Sep, 42(9), 1083 - 8 Epub 2003 Apr 16.
Health problems following Campylobacter jejuni enteritis in a Lancashire population; Zia S et al.; OBJECTIVES: Campylobacter jejuni enteritis can lead to musculoskeletal, neuropathic or other health sequelae . We investigated the coexistence, seasonal occurrence, strain-type associations and impact on work capacity of different health problems following C . jejuni enteritis in a Lancashire population during 1999 and 2001 . METHODS: A semistructured questionnaire was used to characterize health problems that occurred in the community after laboratory-confirmed episodes of C . jejuni enteritis . The questionnaire was posted to all adults in the Preston and Chorley area who developed C . jejuni enteritis in 1999 or 2001 . All Campylobacter isolates from this population were serotyped . RESULTS: Several types of sequelae occurred consistently in both years, including the coexistence of musculoskeletal and neuropathic problems . There was no evidence of C . jejuni strain-type associations or seasonal preponderance for any type of sequela . The overall health impact of C . jejuni enteritis, as measured by workdays lost, was high in this population . CONCLUSIONS: A variety of health problems occur consistently following C . jejuni enteritis and substantially increase morbidity due to campylobacteriosis in the community.

Epidemiol Infect, 2003 Apr, 130(2), 323 - 33
A one-year study of campylobacter carriage by individual Danish broiler chickens as the basis for selection of Campylobacter spp . strains for a chicken infection model; Bang DD et al.; From February 1999 to February 2000, 1,250 individual broiler chickens representing 125 broiler flocks originating from 62 broiler farms in Denmark were screened for campylobacter carriage . Every month, 10 flocks were tested for campylobacter carriage . The swabs were tested individually and as a pooled sample representing the flocks . Campylobacter spp . carriage was detected from 512 (40.9%) broiler chickens originating from 63 (50.4%) positive flocks . Campylobacter carriage by both individual chickens and flocks showed seasonal variation . Campylobacter jejuni was the dominant species (95.5%) . Campylobacter isolates were typed using Penner heat-stable serotyping and flaA-typing methods . Data of campylobacter carriage by individual chickens and data generated by the use of different typing methods contributed to a better understanding of the dynamics of campylobacter infection within the broiler flocks . C . jejuni Penner heat-stable serotype HS2, flaA-type 1 was the most common type found in Danish broiler chickens.

J Med Microbiol, 2003 May, 52(Pt 5), 417 - 9
Inhibition of Helicobacter pylori growth in vitro by Bulgarian propolis: preliminary report; Boyanova L et al.; Bee glue (propolis) possesses antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anaesthetic and immunostimulating activities . The aim of the study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect of Bulgarian propolis on Helicobacter pylori growth in vitro . Activity of 30% ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) against 38 clinical isolates of H . pylori was evaluated by using the agar-well diffusion method . Ethanol was used as a control . In addition, the effect of propolis on the growth of 26 H . pylori and 18 Campylobacter strains was tested by the disc diffusion method . Mean diameters of H . pylori growth inhibition by the agar-well diffusion method, using 30, 60 or 90 microl EEP or 30 microl ethanol per well, were 17.8, 21.2, 28.2 and 8.5 mm, respectively . EEP was significantly more active than ethanol against H . pylori (P < 0.001) . The results obtained by the disc diffusion method were similar . The use of moist propolis discs resulted in mean diameters of growth inhibition of 21.4 mm for H . pylori and 13.6 mm for Campylobacter spp . Dried propolis discs exhibited antibacterial effect against 73.1% of H . pylori isolates, with a considerable zone of growth inhibition (> or = 15 mm) in 36.4% of isolates . Using dried propolis discs resulted in mean diameters of growth inhibition of 12.4 mm for H . pylori and 11.6 mm for Campylobacter spp . In conclusion, Bulgarian propolis possesses considerable antibacterial activity against H . pylori, and can also inhibit the growth of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli . The potential of propolis in the prevention or treatment of H . pylori infection is worth further extensive evaluation.

J Infect Dis, 2003 May 1, 187(9), 1460 - 8 Epub 2003 Apr 09.
Diarrhea incidence and farm-related risk factors for Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter jejuni antibodies among rural children; Belongia EA et al.; Serum samples were obtained from 215 farm-resident children and 396 non-farm-resident children living in a defined rural Wisconsin population . Antibodies to Campylobacter jejuni and Escherichia coli O157:H7 lipopolysaccharide (O157 LPS) immunoglobulin G were measured, and the incidence of clinic visits for diarrheal illness was determined . Risk factors were assessed in a telephone interview . There were 363 children (59%) with C . jejuni antibodies (seropositive for >or=2 immunoglobulin classes) and 86 (14%) with O157 LPS antibodies . Increasing age and farm residence were independently associated with C . jejuni seropositivity by multivariate analysis . O157 LPS antibodies were independently associated with increasing age, female sex, manure contact, and sheep contact . The incidence of clinically recognized diarrhea was similar among children with and without antibodies to C . jejuni and O157 LPS, but the clinic visit rate for diarrhea was 46% lower among farm-resident children . These results are consistent with reduced occurrence of clinical illness from repeated antigenic stimulation in a farm environment.

J Biol Chem, 2003 Jul 4, 278(27), 24509 - 20 Epub 2003 Apr 25.
Detection of conserved N-linked glycans and phase-variable lipooligosaccharides and capsules from campylobacter cells by mass spectrometry and high resolution magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy; Szymanski CM et al.; Glycomics, the study of microbial polysaccharides and genes responsible for their formation, requires the continuous development of rapid and sensitive methods for the identification of glycan structures . In this study, methods for the direct analysis of sugars from 108 to 1010 cells are outlined using the human gastrointestinal pathogen, Campylobacter jejuni . Using capillary-electrophoresis coupled with sensitive electrospray mass spectrometry, we demonstrate variability in the lipid A component of C . jejuni lipooligosaccharides (LOSs) . In addition, these sensitive methods have permitted the detection of phase-variable LOS core structures that were not observed previously . High resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) NMR was used to examine capsular polysaccharides directly from campylobacter cells and showed profiles similar to those observed for purified polysaccharides analyzed by solution NMR . This method also exhibited the feasibility of campylobacter serotyping, mutant verification, and preliminary sugar analysis . HR-MAS NMR examination of growth from individual colonies of C . jejuni NCTC11168 indicated that the capsular glycan modifications are also phase-variable . These variants show different staining patterns on deoxycholate-PAGE and reactivity with immune sera . One of the identified modifications was a novel -OP=O(NH2)OMe phosphoramide, not observed previously in nature . In addition, HR-MAS NMR detected the N-linked glycan, GalNAc-alpha1,4-GalNAc-alpha1,4-{Glc-beta1,3-}GalNAc-alpha1,4-GalNAc-alpha1,4-GalNAc-alpha1,3-Bac, where Bac is 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-d-glucopyranose, in C . jejuni and Campylobacter coli . The presence of this common heptasaccharide in multiple campylobacter isolates demonstrates the conservation of the N-linked protein glycosylation pathway in this organism and describes the first report of HR-MAS NMR detection of N-linked glycans on glycoproteins from intact bacterial cells.

Arthritis Res Ther, 2003, 5(1), R1 - 8 Epub 2002 Oct 11.
Investigation of infectious agents associated with arthritis by reverse transcription PCR of bacterial rRNA; Cox CJ et al.; In reactive and postinfectious arthritis the joints are generally sterile but the presence of bacterial antigens and nucleic acids has been reported . To investigate whether organisms traffic to affected joints in these conditions, we performed reverse transcription PCR using universal primers to amplify any bacterial 16S rRNA sequences present in synovial fluid . Bacterial sequences were detected in most cases, even after treatment of the synovial fluid with DNase, implying the presence of bacterial RNA and therefore of transcriptionally active bacteria . Analysis of a large number of sequences revealed that, as reported in rheumatoid arthritis, most were derived from gut and skin commensals . Organisms known to have triggered arthritis in each case were not found by sequencing the products obtained using universal primers, but could in some cases be shown to be present by amplifying with species specific primers . This was the case for Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Chlamydia trachomatis . However, in arthritis thought to be related to Campylobacter infection the sequences obtained were not from Campylobacter jejuni or C . coli, but from other Campylobacter spp . that are not known to be associated with reactive arthritis and are probably present as commensals in the gut . We conclude that although rRNA from reactive arthritis associated organisms can be detected in affected joints, bacterial RNA from many other bacteria is also present, as was previously noted in studies of other forms of inflammatory arthropathy.

Paediatr Drugs, 2003, 5(5), 279 - 90
Acute gastroenteritis in children : what role for antibacterials?
Phavichitr N, Catto-Smith A.
The aim of this article is to define the currently accepted role of antibacterials in the treatment of acute gastroenteritis in children . Most cases of acute gastroenteritis in children are viral, self-limited, and need only supportive treatment . Appropriate fluid and electrolyte therapy, with close attention to nutrition, remain central to therapy.Antibacterial therapy serves as an adjunct, to shorten the clinical course, eradicate causative organisms, reduce transmission, and prevent invasive complications . Selection of antibacterials to use in acute bacterial gastroenteritis is based on clinical diagnosis of the likely pathogen prior to definitive laboratory results . Antibacterial therapy should be restricted to specific bacterial pathogens and disease presentations . In general, infections with Shigella spp . and Vibrio cholera should usually be treated with antibacterials, while antibacterials are only used in severe unresponsive infections with Salmonella, Yersinia, Aeromonas, Campylobacter, Plesiomonas spp., and Clostridium difficile . Antibacterials should be avoided in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection . However, empiric therapy may be appropriate in the presence of a severe illness with bloody diarrhea and stool leucocytes, particularly in infancy and the immunocompromised.The benefits and risks of adverse drug reactions should be weighed before prescribing antibacterials . Moreover, a major concern is the emergence of antibacterial-resistant strains due to the widespread use of antibacterial agents.

Acta Trop, 2003 Apr, 86(1), 41 - 54
Domestic poultry-raising practices in a Peruvian shantytown: implications for control of Campylobacter jejuni-associated diarrhea; Harvey SA et al.; Raising poultry at home is common in many periurban communities in low-income countries . Studies demonstrate that free-range domestic poultry increase children's risk of infection with diarrhea-causing organisms such as Campylobacter jejuni . Corralling might reduce risk, but research on the socioeconomic acceptability of corralling is lacking . To explore this issue, we studied local knowledge and practices related to poultry-raising in a Peruvian shantytown . Our objectives were to understand: (1) . motives for raising domestic poultry; (2) . economic and cultural factors that affect the feasibility of corralling; and (3) . local perceptions about the relationship between domestic poultry and disease . During 1999-2000, we met with community health volunteers and conducted ethnographic and structured interviews with residents about poultry-raising practices . We then enrolled 12 families in a 2-month trial of corral use during which field workers made biweekly surveillance visits to each family . Most participants reported that they raise birds because home-grown poultry and eggs taste better and are more nutritious and because they enjoy living around animals . Some want to teach their children about raising animals . To prevent theft, many residents shut their birds in provisional enclosures at night, but most stated that birds are healthier, happier, and produce better meat and eggs when let loose by day . Many view bird feces in the house and yard as dirty, but few see a connection to illness . Residents consider chicks and ducklings more innocuous than adult birds and are more likely to allow them inside the house and permit children to play with them . After extensive orientation and technical assistance, participants were willing to corral birds more often . But due to perceived disadvantages, many kept birds penned only intermittently . Additional food and water costs were a significant obstacle for some . Adequate space, bird care and corral hygiene would also need to be addressed to make this intervention viable . Developing a secure, acceptable and affordable corral remains a challenge in this population.

Acta Microbiol Pol, 2002, 51(4), 313 - 26
Immunological characterization of the Campylobacter jejuni 72Dz/92 cjaD gene product and its fusion with B subunit of E . coli LT toxin; Wyszyznska A et al.; Campylobacter jejuni 72Dz/92 cjaD gene, orthologue of C . jejuni NCTC 11168 cj0113, C . jejuni M275 omp18 and C . jejuni ATCC 29428 omp18, has been cloned, sequenced and analysed from the viewpoint of its immunological attributes . Neither the 5' nor 3' fragment of the cjaD encodes protein capable of reacting with anti-Campylobacter antibodies . Several fusions of the cjaD with eltB, which encodes B subunit of the E . coli LT toxin, have been constructed . The hybrid proteins, which differ in respect to their cellular localization, retain the ability to react with GM1 and are recognized by the antibodies specific for both moieties of the proteins . The fusion protein equipped with signal sequence, reveals a stronger affinity to GM1 than its equivalent which is unable to cross the inner membrane . Two recombinant plasmids (pUWM405 expressing both LTB and CjaD proteins and pUWM299 containing cjaD gene fused into 3' end of Escherichia coli eltB gene lacking signal sequence) were introduced into avirulent Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strain where they are stably maintained.

J Environ Qual, 2003 Mar-Apr, 32(2), 383 - 92
Pathogen survival in swine manure environments and transmission of human enteric illness--a review; Guan TY et al.; The influence of zoonotic pathogens in animal manure on human health and well-being as a direct or indirect cause of human enteric illness is examined . Available international data are considered, but the study is focused on the developing situation in western Canada, where it is certain there will be further rapid growth in livestock numbers, particularly hogs . Major pathogens considered are Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Yersinia, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia . Canada is now the leading exporter of pork internationally, but recent increases in production contrast with constant domestic levels of pork consumption and declining levels of foodborne illness caused by pork . Effects of increased levels of manure production are not quantifiable in terms of effects on human health . The presence of major pathogens in manure and movement to human food sources and water are considered on the basis of available data . Survival of the organisms in soil, manure, and water indicate significant variability in resistance to environmental challenge that are characteristic of the organisms themselves . Generally, pathogens survived longer in environmental samples at cool temperatures but differences were seen in liquid and solid manure . Based on actual data plus some data extrapolated from cattle manure environments, holding manure at 25 degrees C for 90 d will render it free from the pathogens considered above.

Eur J Epidemiol, 2003, 18(1), 85 - 90
A 5-year study of the bacterial pathogens associated with acute diarrhoea on the island of Crete, Greece, and their resistance to antibiotics; Maraki S et al.; During a 5-year period (1995-1999) a total of 7090 stool samples obtained from patients with acute diarrhoea, mostly community-acquired, were examined for bacterial pathogens, in the Greek island of Crete . One or more enteric pathogens were isolated from 987 patients (14%) . Salmonella enterica were the most commonly isolated bacteria (6%), followed by Campylobacter spp . (4.2%), and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) (1.8%) . Yersinia enterocolitica (0.6%), Shigella spp . (0.3%), and Aeromonas hydrophila (0.04%), were less frequently isolated . Clostridium difficile was isolated from 65 out of 451 diarrhoeal specimens examined (14.4%) . Toxin B was detected in all cases . No verotoxigenic E . coli strains were identified . Resistance to ampicillin was observed in 31.5% of the Salmonella, 58.3% of the Shigella and 31.5% of the EPEC isolates . Resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was observed in 4.4% of the Salmonella, 30.5% of the Shigella, and 18.5% of the EPEC isolates . High percentages of resistance to quinolones (44.5% to norfloxacin, and 40.5% to ciprofloxacin), were found among Campylobacter isolates, while resistance to erythromycin was observed in 14.9% of them . With the present study we continue the surveillance of bacterial pathogens associated with diarrhoeal disease on the island of Crete.

J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2003 Apr, 111(4), 847 - 53
IgG antibodies against microorganisms and atopic disease in Danish adults: the Copenhagen Allergy Study; Linneberg A et al.; BACKGROUND: Seropositivity to food-borne and orofecal microorganisms (hepatitis A virus, Helicobacter pylori, and Toxoplasma gondii ), which are considered to be markers of poor hygiene, has been reported to be associated with a lower prevalence of atopy . In contrast, colonization of the gut with Clostridium difficile, a potential intestinal bacterial pathogen, in early childhood may be associated with a higher prevalence of atopy . OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between atopy and exposure to 2 groups of food-borne and orofecal microorganisms: (1) markers of a poor hygiene and (2) intestinal bacterial pathogens . METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based study of 15- to 69-year-olds living in Copenhagen, Denmark, was carried out in 1990 to 1991 . Atopy was defined as a positive test result for specific IgE to at least 1 of 6 inhalant allergens . Exposure to microorganisms was assessed as IgG seropositivity to microorganisms . RESULTS: Seropositivity to 2 or 3 markers of poor hygiene (hepatitis A virus, H pylori, and T gondii ) was associated with a lower prevalence of atopy (adjusted odds ratio, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3 to 0.8) . In contrast, seropositivity to 2 or 3 intestinal bacterial pathogens (C difficile, Campylobacter jejuni, and Yersinia enterocolitica ) was associated with a higher prevalence of atopy (adjusted odds ratio, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.6) . CONCLUSION: Exposure to markers of poor hygiene was associated with a lower prevalence of atopy, whereas exposure to intestinal bacterial pathogens was associated with a higher prevalence of atopy . These findings raise the hypothesis that different groups of food-borne and orofecal microorganisms may have different effects on the risk of atopy.

Infect Immun, 2003 May, 71(5), 2626 - 33
Induction of proinflammatory responses in the human monocytic cell line THP-1 by Campylobacter jejuni; Jones MA et al.; Campylobacter jejuni can cause an enteritis that is associated with an acute inflammatory response at the gut epithelial surface . The signals inducing inflammation are unknown . C . jejuni can penetrate the intestinal epithelial barrier and may then interact with leucocytes, potentially inducing proinflammatory responses . To investigate this, we studied the interaction of C . jejuni with the human monocytic cell line THP-1 and show that a range of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines is induced . These include interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor alpha . Responses can be induced by killed Campylobacter as well as live bacteria and do not depend on the cytolethal distending toxin . C . jejuni infection of THP-1 cells triggers both nuclear translocation of functional NF-kappa B and stimulation of IL-1 alpha, indicating that NF-kappa B-dependent and -independent stimulation is occurring . The extent of proinflammatory cytokine stimulation suggests that monocytes might significantly contribute to intestinal inflammation and disease pathology.

Infez Med, 2002 Jun, 10(2), 81 - 7
{Enteric infections in Perugia's area: laboratory diagnosis, clinical aspects and epidemiology during 2001}; Crotti D et al.; During 2001 we analyzed 523 stool specimens (330 children, 193 adults) of patients with recent diarrhoea . We processed all specimens for protozoa, rotavirus, adenovirus, toxin A of C . difficile, and usual enteropathogen bacteria . Salmonella prevailed in 12.8% of cases (16.4% among children, 6.7% among adults), Campylobacter in 9.9% (11.5% and 7.3%), C . difficile toxin A producer in 11.3% (13.7% and 8.1%); other bacteria generally prevailed in 2.4%, protozoa in 2.7% . Among children rotavirus prevailed in 41.4%, adenovirus in 3.6% . Enteritis prevailed in children between 1 and 6 years of age . All pathogens were reported during all the seasons, but salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis were more frequent during spring and summer, rotavirus infections during the winter . Non particular and/or specific correlations could be observed between clinical manifestations and pathogen agents; anyway only bacteria were identified among invasive enterites . Vomitus was more frequent in rotavirus infections . Finally the Authors suggest a rational and efficacious methodology for diagnosis of presumptive infectious diarrhoeas.

Emerg Infect Dis, 2003 Apr, 9(4), 489 - 92
Antimicrobial growth promoters and Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp . in poultry and swine, Denmark; Evans MC et al.; The use of antimicrobial growth promoters in Danish food animal production was discontinued in 1998 . Contrary to concerns that pathogen load would increase; we found a significant decrease in Salmonella in broilers, swine, pork, and chicken meat and no change in the prevalence of Campylobacter in broilers.

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd, 2003 Mar 29, 147(13), 590 - 4
{Nutrition and health--infections caused by food}; Hoogkamp-Korstanje JA; The annual incidence of food-borne infections in the Netherlands is estimated to be 250,000 or more; registration, however, is lacking . Meat, poultry, milk and eggs are contaminated primarily by intestinal animal commensals (Salmonella, Campylobacter, E . coli O157:H7, Yersinia enterocolitica) or secondarily by animals, humans and the environment during processing (typhoid fever, Shigella, Listeria, Clostridium, hepatitis A virus, Norwalk virus, parasites) . The guidelines for the prevention of contamination are insufficient . Intensity of production and the economic importance of fast, large-scale production are given priority over food safety . Information fails to reach the consumer.

J Clin Microbiol, 2003 Apr, 41(4), 1391 - 8
Prevalence of cytolethal distending toxin production in periodontopathogenic bacteria; Yamano R et al.; Cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) is a newly identified virulence factor produced by several pathogenic bacteria implicated in chronic infection . Seventy three strains of periodontopathogenic bacteria were examined for the production of CDT by a HeLa cell bioassay and for the presence of the cdt gene by PCR with degenerative oligonucleotide primers, which were designed based on various regions of the Escherichia coli and Campylobacter cdtB genes, which have been successfully used for the identification and cloning of cdtABC genes from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Y4 (M . Sugai et al., Infect . Immun . 66:5008-5019, 1998) . CDT activity was found in culture supernatants of 40 of 45 tested A . actinomycetemcomintans strains, but the titer of the toxin varied considerably among these strains . PCR experiments indicated the presence of Y4-type cdt sequences in these strains, but the rest of A . actinomycetemcomitans were negative by PCR amplification and also by Southern blot analysis for the cdtABC gene . In the 40 CDT-positive strains, Southern hybridization with HindIII-digested genomic DNA revealed that there are at least 6 restriction fragment length polymorphism types . This suggests that the cdtABC flanking region is highly polymorphic, which may partly explain the variability of the CDT activity in the culture supernatants . The rest of tested strains of periodontopathogenic bacteria did not have detectable CDT production by the HeLa cell assay and for cdtB sequences by PCR analysis under our experimental conditions . These results strongly suggested that CDT is a unique toxin predominantly produced by A . actinomycetemcomitans among periodontopathogenic bacteria.

J Food Prot, 2003 Apr, 66(4), 652 - 5
Reduction of Campylobacter jejuni on poultry by low-temperature treatment; Zhao T et al.; Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of acute bacterial gastroenteritis in the United States, with epidemiologic studies identifying poultry as a leading vehicle in human infection . Studies were conducted to determine rates of C . jejuni inactivation on poultry exposed to different cooling and freezing temperatures . A mixture of three strains of C . jejuni originally isolated from poultry was inoculated onto chicken wings at ca . 10(7) CFU/g . The results of the study revealed that the storage of wings at -20 and -30 degrees C for 72 h reduced the population of C . jejuni on wings by 1.3 and 1.8 log10 CFU/g, respectively . The results with regard to long-term freezing for 52 weeks revealed C . jejuni reductions of ca . 4 and 0.5 log10 CFU/g on wings held at -20 and -86 degrees C, respectively . Protocols were developed to superchill wings in Whirl-Pak bags with liquid nitrogen at -80, -120, -160, and -196 degrees C such that the internal portion of each wing quickly reached -3.3 degrees C but did not freeze . The results with regard to the superchilling of wings at different temperatures for 20 to 330 s (the time required for the wings to reach an internal temperature of -3.3 degrees C) revealed C . jejuni reductions of 0.5 log10 CFU/g for wings held at -80 degrees C, 0.8 log10 CFU/g for wings held at -120 degrees C, 0.6 log10 CFU/g for wings held at -160 degrees C, and 2.4 log10 CFU/g for wings held at -196 degrees C . The superchilling of wings to quickly cool meat to -3.3 degrees C (internal temperature) can substantially reduce C . jejuni populations at -196 degrees C when the wings are submerged in liquid nitrogen, but not at -80 to -160 degrees C when the wings are treated with vapor-state liquid nitrogen . The results of this study indicate that freezing conditions, including temperature and holding time, greatly influence the rate of inactivation of C . jejuni on poultry . The conditions used in the poultry industry to superchill poultry to a nonfrozen-state internal temperature are not likely to substantially reduce Campylobacter populations on fresh products.

Mol Microbiol, 2003 May, 48(3), 685 - 98
Structure and genotypic plasticity of the Campylobacter fetus sap locus; Tu ZC et al.; The Campylobacter fetus surface layer proteins (SLPs), encoded by five to nine sapA homologues, are major virulence factors . To characterize the sapA homologues further, a 65.9 kb C . fetus genomic region encompassing the sap locus from wild-type strain 23D was completely sequenced and analysed; 44 predicted open reading frames (ORFs) were recognized . The 53.8 kb sap locus contained eight complete and one partial sapA homologues, varying from 2769 to 3879 bp, sharing conserved 553-2622 bp 5' regions, with partial sharing of 5' and 3' non-coding regions . All eight sapA homologues were expressed in Escherichia coli as antigenic proteins and reattached to the surface of SLP- strain 23B, indicating their conserved function . Analysis of the sap homologues indicated three phylogenetic groups . Promoter-specific polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) and sapA homologue-specific reverse transcription (RT)-PCRs showed that the unique sapA promoter can potentially express all eight sapA homologues . Reciprocal DNA recombination based on the 5' conserved regions can involve each of the eight sapA homologues, with frequencies from 10(-1) to 10(-3) . Intragenic recombination between sapA7 and sapAp8, mediated by their conserved regions with a 10(-1)-10(-2) frequency, allows the formation of new sap homologues . As divergent SLP C-termini possess multiple antigenic sites, their reciprocal recombination behind the unique sap promoter leads to continuing antigenic variation.

J Appl Microbiol, 2003, 94(5), 886 - 92
Survival of Campylobacter jejuni strains of different origin in drinking water; Cools I et al.; AIMS: The aim of the study was to measure the survival of 19 Campylobacter jejuni strains of different origins, including two reference strains, four poultry-derived isolates, nine human isolates and four water isolates, in sterilized drinking water . METHODS AND RESULTS: Pure cultures of 19 C . jejuni strains were inoculated in sterile drinking water and incubated at 4 degrees C for 64 days . Survival was determined by culturability on both selective (Karmali agar) and non-selective {Columbia blood agar (CBA)} media . Culturability was shown to be strain and origin-dependent . Campylobacter jejuni showed prolonged survival on a non-selective than on a selective medium . CONCLUSIONS: The origin of the strain is a determining factor for the survival of C . jejuni in drinking water at 4 degrees C . Poultry isolates showed a prolonged survival, which could be an indication that these strains could play an important role in the transmission of campylobacteriosis through water . In addition, culture conditions are an important factor for evaluating the survival of C . jejuni in drinking water at 4 degrees C . The non-selective agar (CBA) allowed growth of C . jejuni over a longer period of time than the selective agar (Karmali) . Furthermore, an enrichment broth (Bolton) allowed the recovery of all 19 C . jejuni strains during the 64 days of incubation at 4 degrees C . SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study highlighted differences in culturability depending on culture conditions and on strain origin.

J Appl Microbiol, 2003, 94(5), 842 - 8
The microbiological quality of washing-up water and the environment in domestic and commercial kitchens; Mattick K et al.; AIMS: To determine the microbiological quality of washing-up water and the environment in domestic and commercial kitchens . METHODS AND RESULTS: Chicken meals were prepared by people without food safety training in their own kitchen (n = 52) or by trained staff in a commercial kitchen (n = 10) . Study participants then washed-up, cleaned the kitchen and completed a food hygiene questionnaire . The temperature and microbiological quality of the washing-up water, and the presence of pathogens in dishcloths, tea towels and other kitchen samples was determined . Of the raw chickens used in meal preparation, 96 and 13% were naturally contaminated with Campylobacter or Salmonella spp., respectively . In domestic kitchens, two of 45 sponges, dishcloths or scourers and one of 32 hand- or tea towels were contaminated with Campylobacter after washing-up and cleaning but none of the tap or sink swabs yielded pathogens . The mean washing-up water temperature in the domestic kitchens was 40.7 degrees C, whereas in the commercial kitchen it was 44.7 degrees C (P = 0.04) . Study participants who used hotter water (>/=40 degrees C) had lower levels of bacteria in their washing-up water . The aerobic plate counts of the washing-up water samples in domestic homes were usually between 105 and 106 CFU ml-1 but those associated with the commercial kitchen were consistently lower (P = 0.01) . Despite this, Campylobacter was detected in one of 10 washing-up water samples from the commercial kitchen but in none of the samples from domestic kitchens . CONCLUSIONS: Pathogenic microorganisms can be recovered relatively frequently from the kitchen environment . SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: By identifying factors that affect the number of microorganisms in washing-up water and the kitchen environment, evidence-based recommendations on implementing domestic food hygiene can be made.

Clin Microbiol Infect, 2003 Jan, 9(1), 69 - 72
Campylobacter jejuni O:19 serotype-associated Guillain-Barré syndrome in a child: the first case reported from Greece; Chatzipanagiotou S et al.; We present a case of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) following Campylobacter jejuni HS serotype O:19 infection in a child . Antibodies against C . jejuni and autoantibodies to the peripheral nerve gangliosides GM1 were positive, a pattern correlating well with the existence of an inflammatory neuropathy like GBS . The patient shared the HLA-B35 and HLA-DR8 antigens, which have been found to be increased in GBS patients with previous C . jejuni infection . As this is the first diagnosed C . jejuni-associated GBS case reported from Greece, further clinical and epidemiologic investigations are warranted.

Lett Appl Microbiol, 2003, 36(5), 277 - 81
Antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolates from broiler chickens isolated at an Irish poultry processing plant; Fallon R et al.; AIMS: The antibiotic susceptibility of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolates from broiler chickens were determined in order to evaluate the level of antibiotic resistance of Campylobacter species in the Irish poultry industry . METHODS AND RESULTS: Seventy-eight Camp . jejuni and 22 Camp . coli strains were examined for susceptibility to eight antibiotics using the disc diffusion assay . The highest level of resistance of the Camp . jejuni isolates was recorded to ampicillin (35.9%), followed by 20.5% to tetracycline, 20.5% to naladixic acid, 17.9% to ciprofloxacin, 10.2% to erythromycin, 2.5% to streptomycin and 1.2% to kanamycin . Multidrug resistance to two or more antibiotics was seen for 30.7% of Camp . jejuni strains . Resistance of the Camp . coli isolates was shown to ampicillin (9%) and tetracycline (18.2%) . CONCLUSIONS: The majority of Camp . jejuni strains were susceptible to antibiotics commonly used for human therapy . Camp . coli strains showed very low resistance levels and were susceptible to six of the eight antimicrobial agents studied . SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Levels of Camp . jejuni and Camp . coli antimicrobial resistance in Irish poultry production was assessed to determine the current situation in Ireland . The prevalence of antibiotic resistance of Campylobacter strains isolated from broiler chickens was low.

J Vet Diagn Invest, 2002 Jan, 14(1), 35 - 9
Effect of transport enrichment medium, transport time, and growth medium on the detection of Campylobacter fetus subsp . venerealis; Monke HJ et al.; The combination of medium and growth conditions, including transport enrichment medium (TEM), transport time, TEM incubation time, and growth medium, that best support Campylobacter fetus subsp . venerealis while inhibiting contaminants was studied . The 3 TEMs evaluated, Weybridge, Cary-Blair, and 0.85% saline solution, were inoculated with preputial smegma spiked with C . fetus subsp . venerealis and held in the laboratory for 4 or 24 hours before inoculation onto growth medium . The effect of overnight incubation at 37 C of the TEM was also evaluated . Median scores of C . fetus subsp . venerealis growth and microbial contaminant inhibition were compared within TEM, transport time, overnight incubation, and growth medium groups using the Mann-Whitney U-test and the Kruskal-Wallis test . The proportion of samples with any growth or contamination within each group was also compared using the chi-square test . Results suggest that the growth of C . fetus subsp . venerealis was influenced by 3 of the 4 criteria evaluated . Weybridge TEM more effectively maintained the organism than did either Cary-Blair or 0.85% saline solution (P < 0.001) . Transport time of 4 hours rather than 24 hours (P < 0.001) and avoiding overnight incubation of TEM at 37 C (P < 0.001) were associated with improved growth . Significant differences were not identified among growth media; however, Skirrow Campylobacter agar appeared to yield slightly better growth than did either blood agar or Greenbriar Plus agar . Contaminant growth was also influenced by 3 of the 4 variables . Weybridge TEM inhibited contaminant growth more effectively than did either Cary-Blair or 0.85% saline solution (P < 0.001) . Transport time was not associated with contaminant growth . Eliminating overnight incubation of TEM reduced contamination (P < 0.01) . Skirrow agar was preferred to both blood agar and Greenbriar Plus agar for suppression of contaminants on solid medium (P < 0.001) . These results suggest that the detection of C . fetus subsp . venerealis is enhanced when preputial smegma samples arrive at the diagnostic laboratory within 4 hours after inoculation into Weybridge TEM and are transferred to Skirrow agar the same day they arrive in the laboratory.

Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2003 Mar, 68(3), 70 - 80
Enhancement of disease and pathology by synergy of Trichuris suis and Campylobacter jejuni in the colon of immunologically naive swine; Mansfield LS et al.; Campylobacterjejuni, a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis, has different age distribution and disease expression in developing and developed countries, which may be due to the endemnicity of infection and the age of acquisition of immunity . Differences in disease expression are not solely dependent on the C . jejuni strain or virulence attributes . Another modulating factor in developing countries may be endemic nematode infections such as Trichuris, which drive type 2 cytokine responses and down-regulate type 1 immune responses . In this study, three-day-old germ-free pigs given dual infections with Trichuris suis and C . jejuni had more frequent, more severe diarrhea and severe pathology than pigs given no pathogens, only T . suis, or only C . jejuni . These pigs had significant hemorrhage and inflammatory cell infiltrates in the proximal colon where adult worms were found, and abscessed lymphoglandular complexes in the distal colon with intracellular C . jejuni . Pigs given only C . jejuni had mild clinical signs and pathology, and bacteria in feces or extracellular sites . Pigs given T . suis or no pathogens had no disease and minimal pathology . Thus, these agents synergized to produce significant disease and pathology, which was site specific.

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 2003 Jun, 61(5-6), 424 - 8 Epub 2003 Apr 09.
Emerging water-borne pathogens; Sharma S et al.; Emerging water-borne pathogens constitute a major health hazard in both developed and developing nations . A new dimension to the global epidemiology of cholera-an ancient scourge-was provided by the emergence of Vibrio cholerae O139 . Also, water-borne enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli ( E . coli O157:H7), although regarded as a problem of the industrialized west, has recently caused outbreaks in Africa . Outbreaks of chlorine-resistant Cryptosporidium have motivated water authorities to reassess the adequacy of current water-quality regulations . Of late, a host of other organisms, such as hepatitis viruses (including hepatitis E virus), Campylobacter jejuni, microsporidia, cyclospora, Yersinia enterocolitica, calciviruses and environmental bacteria like Mycobacterium spp, aeromonads, Legionella pneumophila and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been associated with water-borne illnesses . This review critically examines the potential of these as emerging water-borne pathogens . It also examines the possible reasons, such as an increase in the number of immunocompromised individuals, urbanization and horizontal gene transfer, that may underlie their emergence . Further, measures required to face the challenge posed by these pathogens are also discussed.

J Med Microbiol, 2003 Apr, 52(Pt 4), 345 - 8
Prevalence of 11 pathogenic genes of Campylobacter jejuni by PCR in strains isolated from humans, poultry meat and broiler and bovine faeces; Datta S et al.; Although many genes related to the pathogenicity of Campylobacter jejuni have been reported, the relationships between these genes and the sources of strains are not clear . In this study, the presence of 11 pathogenic genes responsible for the expression of adherence, invasion, colonization and cytotoxin production was examined in 111 C . jejuni isolated from human clinical samples, poultry meat, broiler faeces and bovine faeces . For most of the pathogenic genes, no difference in their presence in C . jejuni was found among the sources, but, for racR, wlaN and virB11, there were some variations among sources . The racR gene was present at rates of 98.2 (human clinical samples), 90.5 (poultry meat), 85.7 (broiler faeces) and 76.7 % (bovine faeces) . Detection rates for the wlaN gene were 25.0, 23.8, 4.7 and 7.7 % and those for the virB11 gene were 10.7, 9.5, 9.5 and 15.4 % in human clinical samples, poultry meat, broiler faeces and bovine faeces, respectively . One hundred and seven of 111 strains (96.4 %) carried from eight to 10 of the pathogenic genes . These data did not show remarkable differences in the presence of pathogenic genes carried by C . jejuni from various sources.

J Appl Microbiol, 2003, 94 Suppl, 104S - 113S
Cattle and sheep farms as reservoirs of Campylobacter; Stanley K et al.; AIM: This is a review of the natural Campylobacter colonization and transmission among ruminant livestock in the dairy farm environment . METHODS AND RESULTS: Using cultural detection methods and enumeration techniques the distribution of Campylobacter in ruminant animals at birth, on the farm, at slaughter and in the farm environment have been examined . Colonization and shedding rates are higher among young animals while patterns of shedding in adult animals may be seasonal . Stored and land-dispersed slurries provide a reservoir for scavenging birds and flies and a source for runoff . CONCLUSIONS: The dairy farm plays a significant role in the dissemination of Campylobacter subtypes that can cause disease in the human community . SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: An understanding of the role of the dairy farm in the environmental cycle of Campylobacter is required in order to devise intervention strategies.

J Vet Med B Infect Dis Vet Public Health, 2003 Mar, 50(2), 75 - 80
Effect of two commercial vaccines to Campylobacter fetus subspecies on heifers naturally challenged; Cobo ER et al.; Efficacy of two commercial vaccines containing Campylobacter fetus subspecies on heifers naturally challenged by service with an infected bull was tested . Sixteen heifers were vaccinated parentally two times with 3 weeks as interval, eight with commercial vaccine A and the other eight with commercial vaccine B . Eight other heifers were used as unvaccinated controls . Forty days after the first vaccine dose, the heifers were served by an infected bull during 60 days . Measure of systemic immune response and identification of the microorganism from genital secretions by culture and immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) were done . Vaccinated and control heifers had a poor reproductive performance (pregnancy rates were 2/8, 3/8 and 0/8 in groups A, B and C, respectively) and were infected by both methods during breeding time and after it . Moreover, one heifer in the groups B and C remained infected until 300 days post-breeding time . Neither vaccinated nor control heifers had an important increment of systemic antibody level . Only, they had a slight increment of antibody level after the breeding period and it may be because of natural stimulus by the infected bull during the copula . Culture and IFAT yielded high correlation on identification of C . fetus subspecies.

Biotechnol Prog, 2003 Mar-Apr, 19(2), 338 - 45
Containment of biogenic sulfide production in continuous up-flow packed-bed bioreactors with nitrate or nitrite; Hubert C et al.; Produced water from the Coleville oil field in Saskatchewan, Canada was used to inoculate continuous up-flow packed-bed bioreactors . When 7.8 mM sulfate and 25 mM lactate were present in the in-flowing medium, H(2)S production (souring) by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) was prevented by addition of 17.5 mM nitrate or 20 mM nitrite . Changing the sulfate or lactate concentration of the in-flowing medium indicated that the concentrations of nitrate or nitrite required for containment of souring decreased proportionally with a lowered concentration of the electron donor lactate, while the sulfate concentration of the medium had no effect . Microbial communities were dominated by SRB . Nitrate addition did not give rise to changes in community composition, indicating that lactate oxidation and H(2)S removal were caused by the combined action of SRB and nitrate-reducing, sulfide-oxidizing bacteria (NR-SOB) . Apparently the nitrite concentrations formed by these NR-SOB did not inhibit the SRB sufficiently to cause community shifts . In contrast, significant community shifts were observed upon direct addition of high concentrations (20 mM) of nitrite . Strains NO3A and NO2B, two newly isolated, nitrate-reducing bacteria (NRB) emerged as major community members . These were found to belong to the epsilon-division of the Proteobacteria, to be most closely related to Campylobacter lari, and to oxidize lactate with nitrate or nitrite as the electron acceptor . Thus the mechanism of microbial H(2)S removal in up-flow packed-bed bioreactors depended on whether nitrate (SRB/NR-SOB) or nitrite (SRB/NR-SOB as well as NRB) was used . However, the amount of nitrate or nitrite needed to completely remove H(2)S was dictated by the electron donor (lactate) concentration, irrespective of mechanism.

Chin Med J (Engl), 2003 Jan, 116(1), 11 - 4
A five-year follow-up study on the pathological changes of gastric mucosa after H . pylori eradication; Zhou L et al.; OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between H . pylori infection, gastric cancer and other gastric diseases through the changes in gastric mucosa and the status of different gastric diseases within 5 years after H . pylori eradication in H . pylori-positive subjects in a high incidence region of gastric cancer . METHODS: One thousand and six adults were selected from the general population in Yantai, Shandong province, a high incidence region for gastric cancer in China . Gastroscopy and Campylobacter-like organism (CLO) testing were performed on all subjects . Biopsy samples from the gastric antrum and body were obtained for histology and assessment of H . pylori infection . All H . pylori-positive subjects were then randomly divided into two groups: treatment group receiving Omeprazole Amoxicillin Clarythromycin (OAC) triple therapy and placebo as controls . These subjects were endoscopically followed up in the second and fifth year . We compared the endoscopic appearance and histology of the biopsy specimens from the same site obtained at the first and last visits . RESULTS: All 552 H . pylori-positive subjects were randomly and evenly divided into treatment group or control group . During the five-year follow-up, the numbers of patients who continued to be negative or positive for H . pylori were 161 and 198, respectively . Statistical analysis revealed that: (1) At the initial visit, there were no significant differences in the severity and activity of inflammation, atrophy and intestinal metaplasia between the biopsy specimens from the antrum and body respectively in both groups . (2) The severity and activity of inflammation in both the antrum and body were markedly reduced after H . pylori eradication (P = 0.000) . (3) Within five years after H . pylori eradication, intestinal metaplasia in the antrum either regressed or had no progression, while the proportion of intestinal metaplasia in the H . pylori-positive group increased significantly (P = 0.032) . (4) After H . pylori eradication, the atrophy in both the antrum and body had no significant regression . The P value was 0.223 and 0.402, respectively . CONCLUSIONS: H . pylori eradication results in remarkable reduction in the severity and activity of chronic gastritis, marked resolution of intestinal metaplasia in the antrum . On the other hand, continuous H . pylori infection leads to progressive aggravation of atrophy and intestinal metaplasia.

Dtsch Tierarztl Wochenschr, 2003 Feb, 110(2), 55 - 9
{Identification and differentiation of Campylobacter fetus subspecies by PCR}; Muller W et al.; The species Campylobacter (C.) fetus is divided into the subspecies venerealis and fetus, which differ in epidemiology and clinical importance . The differences between these subspecies make an accurate distinction essential . Differentiation of C . fetus by traditional microbiological methods is only based on two reactions (tolerance to glycin, Na selenite reduction), in which C . fetus ssp . venerealis reacts negatively . However, the value of both reactions is limited . We used a specific PCR-based assay for identifying and differentiating the two C . fetus subspecies, which was recently developed by HUM et al . (1997) . In this assay, a 764 bp amplicon is produced using primers MG3F and MG4R for both subspecies of C . fetus . In contrast to HUM et al . (1997), this amplicon was approximately 200 bp smaller . This discrepancy can't be explained . Afterwards, the primers VenSF and VenSR are used for differentiation . The identification of the sub-species venerealis is based on the presence of a 142 bp amplicon, which is not formed with subspecies fetus . The type strains of both C . fetus subspecies were used as positive controls . Non-specific reactions were not observed . In this PCR assay, 73 field strains were investigated (among them 24 C . fetus ssp . veneralis, 26 C . fetus ssp . fetus) . In these investigations, the method has proved its diagnostic suitability . The results of the traditional microbiological differentiation of the C . fetus field strains could be confirmed by the PCR assay . In future, the traditional phenotypic characterization of C . fetus subspecies remains indispensable, but this PCR assay constitutes a valuable method for the confirmation of these results.

Ann Ig, 2003 Jan-Feb, 15(1), 11 - 21
{Molecular typing by amplified fragment length polymorphism and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism , biotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility of Campylobacter jejuni}; Sammarco ML et al.; Molecular typing systems have provided invaluable information for tracking infectious agents through the food chain . These tools have been essential for understanding the epidemiology of gastrointestinal infectious diseases, therefore providing essential and evidence-based information for appropriate interventions and preventative measures . Two such molecular typing techniques based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that have been applied to the epidemiology of foodborne pathogens are, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis . Campylobacter is responsible for one of the most common bacteria foodborne gastrointestinal infections affecting humans, especially in developed countries . The object of this paper is to apply AFLP and RFLP analysis of the flagellin (flaA) gene to 18 isolates of Campylobacter jejuni from human sporadic cases in Italy . Results of these analyses were compared to the phenotypes of these isolates based on biotyping and antimicrobial resistance determinations . All isolates were typable by the four methods . The RFLP procedure was performed with DdeI and HinfI enzymes, and 12 and 8 distinct profiles respectively were recognised . AFLP analysis was more discriminatory, and recognised 16 different profiles . Results from AFLP were reproducible and applicable for definitive characterisation of C . jejuni isolated from different outbreaks . PCR-RFLP of the flaA gene represents a useful tool only to compare isolates within a single outbreak.

Anim Health Res Rev, 2002 Dec, 3(2), 95 - 105
Campylobacter colonization in poultry: sources of infection and modes of transmission; Sahin O et al.; Since its recognition as a human pathogen in the early 1970s, Campylobacter jejuni has now emerged as the leading bacterial cause of food-borne gastroenteritis in developed countries . Poultry, particularly chickens, account for the majority of human infections caused by Campylobacter . Reduction or elimination of this pathogen in the poultry reservoir is an essential step in minimizing the public health problem; however, farm-based intervention measures are still not available because of the lack of understanding of the ecological aspects of C . jejuni on poultry farms . Although Campylobacter is highly prevalent in poultry production systems, how poultry flocks become infected with this organism is still unknown . Many investigations indicate that horizontal transmission from environmental sources is the primary route of flock infections by Campylobacter . However, some recent studies also suggest the possibility of vertical transmission from breeder to progeny flocks . The transmission of the organism is not well understood, but it is likely to be through both vertical and horizontal transmission and may be affected by the immune status of the poultry host and the environmental conditions in the production system . Intervention strategies for Campylobacter infection in poultry should consider the complex nature of its transmission and may require the use of multiple approaches that target different segments of the poultry production system.

Environ Microbiol, 2003 Apr, 5(4), 219 - 30
Campylobacter and fluoroquinolones: a bias data set?
Silley P.
There is no universally accepted standard method for the isolation of Campylobacter spp . and it is considered that currently available isolation media are not yet optimal for the recovery of Campylobacter spp . from a range of sample types . Almost all methods incorporate antibiotics into the isolation media to inhibit growth of other bacteria within the sample . It is established that the incorporation of such antibiotics into isolation media will inhibit the growth of some Campylobacter spp . as well as other bacteria . The results of the use of such suboptimal isolation methods are that the isolates which 'survive' the isolation procedure will be those which: (i) are able to 'out compete' the rest of the bacteria in the sample, i.e . they are able to grow faster; (ii) are resistant to the antibiotics used in the isolation media; and (iii) are randomly selected by the laboratory technician as being a 'typical'Campylobacter spp . It is clear that such a procedure is intrinsically biased and will mean that species resistant to the antibiotics used in the media will be isolated . This introduces real doubt that the bacteria isolated are truly representative of those initially found on the sample . It is also becoming clear that Campylobacter spp . are rather difficult to isolate as pure cultures and many are in fact mixtures of more than one strain . Again this introduces great uncertainty as to the prevalence and distribution of respective species from the different sample types . This is especially true when considering isolation of Campylobacter spp . causing disease in man as there is no certainty that the selected isolate is that which was responsible for disease . The incorporation of antibiotics into the isolation media not only introduces the issue of species bias but perhaps more importantly exposes the Campylobacter spp . to a cocktail of antibiotics thereby providing the potential for them to 'switch on' antibiotic resistance mechanisms . It might be argued that this has always been the case for isolation of Campylobacter spp., however, we know that the antibiotic cocktails used in media over the last 10 years have changed and indeed there was a time when the filtration protocol which didn't use antibiotics was more widely used . As most reports in the literature do not state what methods were used to isolate Campylobacter spp . it is not possible to quantify any relationship between antibiotics used in the isolation media and susceptibility data . An approved method for Campylobacter susceptibility testing was not available until May 2002, all data generated prior to this date will have been generated using non-standard methods . As tremendous variability in the reproducibility data for Campylobacter spp . was observed during the development of the standard agar dilution susceptibility method, data generated with disk diffusion and broth microdilution methods must be considered with caution . It has been shown that, compared with the conventional agar dilution method, the E-test tends to give rise to lower minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for sensitive strains and higher MICs for resistant strains . There are no recommended antibiotic breakpoint concentrations for Campylobacter spp . A breakpoint is used to separate sensitive from resistant strains of bacteria and is thus crucial to any discussion of antibiotic resistance . This discussion is further complicated by introduction of the terms microbiological and clinical breakpoints . While a microbiological breakpoint can be a useful parameter with regard to identifying resistance factors it cannot on its own be used to predict whether that bacteria will respond to treatment from an appropriate antibiotic . Predicting clinical response is a function of the clinical breakpoint which considers the pharmacokinetic profile of the antimicrobial compound, i.e . the concentration of the antimicrobial compound in the body and the MIC . The National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) uses microbiological, pharmacokinetic and clinical data to establish breakpoints, without c and clinical data to establish breakpoints, without such considerations it is not possible to consider what is truly clinically sensitive and resistant . There are no reported studies that have systematically determined appropriate breakpoints for Campylobacter, there are data however, which relate MICs to clinical outcome . It is without dispute that microbiological resistance in Campylobacter spp . occurs as a result of mutation in the gyrA gene with single point mutations most frequently causing a four- to eightfold shift in the MIC . What is also clear is that if a high enough concentration of antimicrobial relative to MIC of the infecting organism can be achieved not only will the parent organism be killed but also the 'resistant' mutant . Considering the above and the concentrations of ciprofloxacin achieved in the gastro-intestinal tract it is not surprising that clinical cure can be demonstrated for organisms with an MIC of 32 microg ml(-1).

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd, 2003 Mar 1, 147(9), 399 - 403
{A man with Campylobacter endocarditis, treatable as Campylobacter fetus following identification}; Wong PL et al.; A 48-year-old Dutch patient presented with general malaise, recurrent fever and weight loss . Routine cultures identified a Campylobacter in two blood cultures . When initial treatment with clarithromycin failed, the patient developed endocarditis . DNA sequencing identified Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus (C . fetus) . The patient recovered after treatment of the infection with imipenem and gentamycin, based on the minimal inhibiting concentration . C . fetus is a rare cause of infection in humans and is mostly transmitted by handling infected animal material . The patient contracted the infection as a result of a puncture accident with a butcher's knife about a year previously whilst working in a slaughterhouse.

Int Endod J, 2003 Mar, 36(3), 174 - 80
Campylobacter gracilis and Campylobacter rectus in primary endodontic infections; Siqueira JF Jr et al.; AIM: A species-specific nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to investigate the occurrence of Campylobacter gracilis and C . rectus in primary root canal infections . METHODOLOGY: Samples were collected from 57 single-rooted teeth with carious lesions, necrotic pulps and radiographic evidence of periradicular disease . Twenty-eight cases were diagnosed as chronic asymptomatic periradicular lesions, 12 cases as acute apical periodontitis, and 17 cases as acute periradicular abscess . DNA was extracted from the samples and initially amplified using universal 16S rDNA primers . A second round of amplification using the first PCR products was performed to specifically detect C . gracilis or C . rectus in the samples . RESULTS: Campylobacter gracilis and C . rectus were, respectively, detected in 21.4 (6 of 28) and 30% (6 of 20) of the root canals associated with chronic asymptomatic periradicular lesions . Campylobacter gracilis was found in 16.7% (2 of 12) of the cases diagnosed as acute apical periodontitis, whilst C . rectus was found in 33.3% (two of six cases) . In the abscessed cases, C . gracilis and C . rectus were detected in 23.5 (4 of 17) and 11.8% (2 of 17) of the cases, respectively . No association of these species with clinical symptoms was observed (P > 0.01) In general, species-specific nPCR allowed the detection of C . gracilis in 21.1% (12 of 57) and C . rectus in 23.3% (10 of 43)of the samples taken from primary endodontic infections . CONCLUSIONS: Findings confirmed the assertion that both C . gracilis and C . rectus participate in infections of endodontic origin and suggest a pathogenetic role with regard to periradicular diseases.

J Vet Med Sci, 2003 Feb, 65(2), 161 - 70
Campylobacter spp in human, chickens, pigs and their antimicrobial resistance; Padungton P et al.; Campylobacter spp . have been identified as etiologic agents in outbreaks and sporadic cases of gastroenteritis in developed countries . In developing countries, most reported Campylobacter infections are in children . Previously reported prevalences of Campylobacter spp . in children in Southeast Asia range from 2.9% to 15% . The frequency and pattern of occurrence of Campylobacter spp . differ between developed and developing countries, especially in the number of cases reported in adults and the presence of any seasonal patterns in occurrence . Although the severity of Campylobacter infection in adults was different between developed and developing countries, the clinical symptoms of infection in adults resulting from infection in developing countries was similar to those in developed countries . Many different animal species maintain Campylobacter spp . with no clinical signs . There do not appear to be significantly different colonization rates of Campylobacter in food animals between developed and developing countries . The role of C . jejuni as a primary pathogen in farm animals is uncertain . C . jejuni can be found in feces of diarrheic and healthy calves and piglets . Campylobacter with resistance to antimicrobial agents have been reported in both developed and developing countries, and the situation seems to deteriorate more rapidly in developing countries, where there is widespread and uncontrolled use of antibiotics resistance was observed at high levels in food animals in both developed and developing countries . Studies suggested an association between antimicrobial use in food animals and the development of resistance in human isolates in developed countries.

J Microbiol Methods, 2003 May, 53(2), 245 - 52
Quantitative, multiplexed detection of bacterial pathogens: DNA and protein applications of the Luminex LabMAP system; Dunbar SA et al.; Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter jejuni are bacterial pathogens commonly implicated in foodborne illnesses . Generally used detection methods (i.e., culture, biochemical testing, ELISA and nucleic acid amplification) can be laborious, time-consuming and require multiple tests to detect all of the pathogens . Our objective was to develop rapid assays to simultaneously detect these four organisms through the presence of antigen or DNA using the Luminex LabMAP system . For nucleic acid detection, organism-specific capture probes corresponding to the 23S ribosomal RNA gene (rrl) were coupled covalently to LabMAP microspheres . Target molecules included synthetic complementary oligonucleotides and genomic DNA isolated from ATCC type strains or other well-characterized strains of each organism . Universal PCR primers were designed to amplify variable regions of bacterial 23S ribosomal DNA, yielding biotinylated amplicons of 86 to 109 bp in length . Varying quantities of targets were hybridized to the combined microsphere sets, labeled with streptavidin-R-phycoerythrin and analyzed on the Luminex(100) system . Results of nucleic acid detection assays, obtained in 30 to 40 min following amplification, correctly and specifically identified each bacterial species with a detection sensitivity of 10(3) to 10(5) genome copies . Capture-sandwich immunoassays were developed with organism-specific antibodies coupled to different microsphere sets . Microspheres were incubated with organism-specific standards and reactivity was assessed with biotinylated detection antibodies and streptavidin-R-phycoerythrin . In the immunoassays, microsphere-associated fluorescence was organism concentration dependent with detectable response at < or = 1000 organisms/ml and with no apparent cross-reactivity . We have demonstrated that the Luminex LabMAP system is a rapid, flexible platform capable of simultaneous, sensitive and specific detection of pathogens . The practical significance of this multiplexing approach would be to provide more timely, economical and comprehensive information than is available with conventional isolation and identification methodologies.

J Microbiol Methods, 2003 May, 53(2), 165 - 74
The use of NASBA for the detection of microbial pathogens in food and environmental samples; Cook N; The isothermal amplification method nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA), which amplifies RNA, has been reported as useful for the detection of microbial pathogens in food and environmental samples . Methods have been published for Campylobacter spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica ser . Enteritidis in various foods and for Cryptosporidium parvum in water . Both 16S rRNA and various mRNAs have been used as target molecules for detection; the latter may have advantages in allowing specific detection of viable cells . Most of the methods to detect pathogens in foods have employed enrichment in nutrient medium prior to NASBA, as this can ensure sensitivity of detection and encourage the detection of only viable target cells . Although a relatively recent method, NASBA has the potential for adoption as a diagnostic tool for environmental pathogens.

Oral Microbiol Immunol, 2003 Apr, 18(2), 79 - 87
Helicobacter pylori and Campylobacter rectus share a common antigen; Tanabe S et al.; AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of antigens with immunological cross-reactivity in periodontopathogenic bacteria and Helicobacter pylori, the pathogen associated with gastritis and peptic ulcers in human . MATERIALS AND METHODS/RESULTS: Among the putative periodontopathogens tested (Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Campylobacter rectus, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia and Treponema denticola), cross-reactive bands were only detected in C . rectus by SDS-PAGE/Western immunoblotting analysis using a polyclonal antibody directed to H . pylori cells . One of these cross-reactive antigens, a 64-kDa band antigen, also reacted with a monoclonal antibody directed to the human heat shock protein (HSP) 60 . The N-terminal amino acid sequence of this C . rectus protein revealed a high degree of homology with corresponding regions of other HSPs belonging to the HSP60 family, indicating that the 64-kDa antigen was a GroEL protein . The nucleotide sequence of the C . rectus GroEL protein coded for a 547 amino acid protein with a predicted size of 57.8 kDa . Comparison of the alignment of the deduced amino acid sequence of the GroEL protein of C . rectus with that of H . pylori showed a high degree of similarity throughout its length (76.8%) . GroEL protein from C . rectus possessed the ability to stimulate production of IL-6 by a confluent monolayer of human gingival epithelial cells and was cytotoxic when used at a high concentration . CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals an immunological relationship between H . pylori and C . rectus, and clearly indicates that one of the shared antigens is a GroEL protein possessing a biological activity that might play a role in the initiation and progression of periodontal disease.

FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol, 2003 Apr 1, 35(3), 263 - 7
Quantitative risk assessment of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods: the FAO/WHO approach; Rocourt J et al.; Quantitative microbiological risk assessment is a very new and unique scientific approach able to link, for the first time, data from food (in the farm-to-fork continuum) and the various data on human disease to provide a clear estimation of the impact of contaminated food on human public health . The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have recently launched risk assessment studies of a number of pathogen-food commodity combinations (Salmonella in eggs and in broiler chickens, Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods, Campylobacter in broiler chickens, Vibrio in seafood) to be used to lower the risk associated with these food-borne diseases and ensure fair practices in the international trade of food . The FAO/WHO Listeria risk assessment was undertaken in part to determine how previously developed risk assessments done at the national level could be adapted or expanded to address concerns related to L . monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods at an international level . In addition, after initiation of the risk assessment, the risk assessors were asked by the Codex Committee on Food to consider three specific questions related to ready-to-eat foods in general, which are: (1) . estimate the risk for consumers in different susceptible populations groups (elderly, infants, pregnant women and immunocompromised patients) relative to the general population; (2) . estimate the risk for L . monocytogenes in foods that support growth and foods that do not support growth under specific storage and shelf-life conditions; (3) . estimate the risk from L . monocytogenes in food when the number of organisms ranges from absence in 25 g to 1000 colonies forming units per gram or milliliter, or does not exceed specified levels at the point of consumption . To achieve these goals, new dose-response relationships and exposure assessments for ready-to-eat foods were developed . Preliminary data indicate that eliminating the higher dose levels at the time of consumption has a large impact on the number of predicted cases.

J Gastroenterol, 2003, 38(2), 111 - 20
Bacterial hemorrhagic enterocolitis; Ina K et al.; Bacterial diarrhea can be classified into two clinical entities, noninflammatory diarrhea and inflammatory diarrhea syndromes . The latter type of diarrhea is characterized by bloody and puruloid mucus stool, and is often accompanied by fever, tenesmus, and severe abdominal pain . Pathogenic bacteria causing the inflammatory diarrhea syndrome include Salmonella, Vibrio, Shigella, enteroinvasive and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, Yersinia, Chlamydia, and Clostridium difficile . The pathologic changes in the inflammatory diarrhea syndrome range from a superficial exudative enterocolitis to a transmural enterocolitis with overt ulceration . This syndrome is also designated as bacterial hemorrhagic enterocolitis because of its usual manifestation by bloody diarrhea . The diagnostic approach needs information on the patient's age, travel history, epidemiological associations, sexual practice, and medical history, including usage of antibiotics . Bacterial information can be obtained by microscopic study, culture, and the identification of specific bacterial toxins . Flexible colonoscopy with biopsy is useful for the differentiation of bacterial hemorrhagic enterocolitis from idiopathic ulcerative colitis and ischemic colitis . Physicians should be familiar with the diagnostic modalities used to detect the specific pathogens causing hemorrhagic bacterial enterocolitis; namely, bacterial culture, serology, histology, and nucleic acid technologies.

Water Sci Technol, 2003, 47(3), 33 - 8
Elucidation of potential transmission routes of Campylobacter in New Zealand; Savill M et al.; Campylobacter is the most commonly reported notifiable disease in New Zealand . The cost of Campylobacter infections in the country during 1994 was estimated as dollar 61.7M although the true cost was probably higher . Investigation of the main environmental reservoirs and routes of transmission to humans is necessary to formulate the most appropriate intervention strategies . This project investigated the reservoirs of Campylobacter in a defined geographical area within New Zealand and compared strains isolated from humans and environmental sources within this area as a prelude to investigating the likely transmission routes to humans . Campylobacter jejuni was commonly found in faeces from dairy cows, beef cattle, sheep and ducks, chicken carcasses, sheep offal and surface waters and C . coli was commonly found in sheep faeces . Preliminary analysis of Penner types was suggestive of transmission to humans from dairy and beef cattle and possibly from sheep.

Water Sci Technol, 2003, 47(3), 1 - 6
Drinking water contamination in Walkerton, Ontario: positive resolutions from a tragic event; Holme R; In May 2000, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter jejuni contaminated the drinking water supply in Walkerton, Ontario . Seven people died and over 2,000 were ill as a result . The Ontario Provincial Government set up a judicial Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the outbreak and also moved quickly to introduce a new Drinking Water Regulation that incorporated some significant requirements for drinking water providers . The Inquiry itself was in three parts: (a) part 1 related to the events that occurred in Walkerton and why the water contamination occurred; (b) part 1A related specifically to the role of the Provincial Government in the event; and (c) part 2 related to the future of drinking water safety in Ontario with potential to influence regulation on a wider basis . A number of other actions were taken after Walkerton . In August 2000, the Ontario Government, through the Regulatory body, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) (a) re-issued and revised the Ontario Drinking Water Objectives (ODWO) as the Ontario Drinking Water Standards (ODWS) and (b) introduced new regulations governing drinking water in Ontario--the Ontario Drinking Water Protection Regulation . One of the key features of the Drinking Water Protection Regulation was the requirement to produce an independent Engineers' Report on all water systems . This paper provides a unique perspective on the Walkerton tragedy and its aftermath . The author was active in many aspects of the resulting activity (Chair of the Ontario Water Works Association's (a section of the AWWA) Special Committee involved in Part 2 of the Walkerton Inquiry; author of several of the Engineers' Reports mandated by Regulation; reviewer on behalf of the Regulator of Engineers' Reports submitted by others) . The Engineers' Reports were of interest because (1) the drinking water providers (mostly municipalities) were mandated by regulation to complete the Reports by specific dates and are paying for the Reports, (2) the work had to be done by a registered professional engineer who is not an employee of the owner or the operator if a different entity and (3) the engineer had to sign a declaration that the Regulator could rely on the accuracy of the Report . In other words, the Municipality retained the Engineer and paid them to produce the Report--the Engineer essentially carried the liability while the Regulator had the final say in the acceptability of the Report, a sort of eternal triangle of responsibilities . The paper will outline how the drinking water profession in North America worked together to provide the Walkerton Inquiry with the benefit of its experience and knowledge of best practices to the benefit of consumers and the drinking water providers . It will also outline the procedures adopted to produce the independent Engineers' Reports and how the findings are being applied to further improve drinking water safety in Ontario, across Canada and in similar situations around the world.

East Afr Med J, 2002 Aug, 79(8), 423 - 6
Role of Campylobacter jejuni/coli in diarrhoea in Ile-Ife, Nigeria; Aboderin AO et al.; BACKGROUND: Campylobacter jejuni/coli are well established causative agents of diarrhoea . In Nigeria, gastroenteritis due to C . jejuni was first reported in northern part of the country in 1981 and the South-Western part in Ile-Ife in 1983 . OBJECTIVE: To re-examine the role of C . jejuni as an agent of diarrhoea after more than a decade at Ile-Ife, Nigeria and to determine the biological characteristics of local strains . DESIGN: A prospective case control study . SETTING: Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC) Ile-Ife, Nigeria . SUBJECTS: Three hundred and three children with diarrhoea and 100 children with other medical conditions other than diarrhoea were randomly selected . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Isolation of C . jejuni/coli from stool samples collected from the patients and controls . Biological characteristics of the isolates . RESULTS: Fifty eight (19.1%) and 6% of the patients and controls, had the organism respectively . Campylobacter coli accounts for 53.3% of isolates . All the isolates were susceptible to erythromycin and there was no evidence of beta-lactamase production . CONCLUSION: Campylobacter jejuni is an important diarrhoea agent in our environment and should be considered strongly in children with diarrhoea . Complete characterization of local, strains is necessary.

Vet Microbiol, 2003 May 19, 93(2), 121 - 32
Phenotypic and molecular characterization of bovine Campylobacter fetus strains isolated in Brazil; Vargas AC et al.; The objective of the present study was to characterize the phenotypic and molecular aspects of Campylobacter fetus strains isolated from bovine herds with reproductive problems . Thirty-one Brazilian field isolates, together with one reference strain of each subspecies of C . fetus, were analyzed . The strains were submitted to phenotypic identification followed by subspecies characterization using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and numeric evaluation of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) separated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) . Phenotypically, 4 isolates (12.1%) were classified as C . fetus subsp . fetus, and 29 isolates (87.9%) were classified as C . fetus subsp . venerealis . However, according to molecular analysis, only 1 isolate (3.0%) was classified as C . fetus subsp . fetus (the reference strain), whereas 32 isolates (97.0%) were considered C . fetus subsp . venerealis . SalI digestion of C . fetus genomic DNA, obtained from the 33 strains, yielded 7-10 DNA fragments ranging in size from 40 to 373kb, with 12 distinct patterns . Furthermore, the numeric analysis by neighbor-joining of the DNA from the 33 strains resulted in a dendrogram in which 2 distinct groups were identified . It was concluded that phenotypic characterization of C . fetus subspecies might lead to erroneous classification of field isolates . Although RFLP-PFGE is a powerful and reliable technique to characterize C . fetus, it has the inconvenience of being time consuming and laborious . Whereas PCR, besides providing rapid results, was found to be reliable and convenient for the characterization of field isolates of C . fetus.

J Food Prot, 2003 Mar, 66(3), 512 - 7
Rapid detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 inoculated in ground beef, chicken carcass, and lettuce samples with an immunomagnetic chemiluminescence fiber-optic biosensor; Liu Y et al.; A biosensor was evaluated with regard to its usefulness in the rapid detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 inoculated in ground beef, chicken carcass, and romaine lettuce samples . The biosensor consisted of a chemiluminescence reaction cell, a fiber-optic light guide, and a luminometer linked to a personal computer in conjunction with immunomagnetic separation . The samples inoculated with E . coli O157:H7 were first centrifuged and suspended in buffered peptone water and then incubated with anti-E . coli O157 antibody-coated magnetic beads and horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled anti-E . coli O157 antibodies to form antibody-coated bead-bacterium-HRP-labeled antibody sandwich complexes . Finally, the sandwich complexes were separated from the samples in a magnetic field and reacted with luminol in the reaction cell . The number of E . coli O157:H7 cells was determined by collecting the HRP-catalyzed chemiluminescence signal from the bead surface through a fiber-optic light guide and measuring the signal with a luminometer . The chemiluminescence biosensor was specific for E . coli O157:H7 in samples containing other bacteria, including Salmonella Typhimurium, Campylobacter jejuni, and Listeria monocytogenes . The chemiluminescence signal was linear on a log scale from 10(2) to 10(5) CFU of E . coli O157:H7 per ml in samples . Detection could be completed within 1.5 h without any enrichment . The detection limits for ground beef, chicken carcass, and lettuce samples were 3.2 x 10(2), 4.4 x 10(2), and 5.5 x 10(2) CFU of E . coli O157:H7 per ml, respectively.

J Food Prot, 2003 Mar, 66(3), 403 - 9
Microbiological study of ready-to-eat salad vegetables from retail establishments uncovers a national outbreak of salmonellosis; Sagoo SK et al.; The increasing availability of bagged prepared salad vegetables reflects consumer demand for fresh, healthy, convenient, and additive-free foods that are safe and nutritious . During May and June 2001 a study of retail bagged prepared ready-to-eat salad vegetables was undertaken to determine the microbiological quality of these vegetables . Examination of the salad vegetables revealed that the vast majority (3,826 of 3,852 samples; 99.3%) were of satisfactory or acceptable microbiological quality according to Public Health Laboratory Service microbiological guidelines, while 20 (0.5%) samples were of unsatisfactory microbiological quality . Unsatisfactory quality was due to Escherichia coli and Listeria spp . (not Listeria monocytogenes) levels in excess of 10(2) CFU/g . However, six (0.2%) samples were of unacceptable microbiological quality because of the presence of Salmonella (Salmonella Newport PT33 {one sample}, Salmonella Umbilo {three samples}, and Salmonella Durban {one sample}) or because of a L . monocytogenes level of 660 CFU/g, which indicates a health risk . In each case, the retailer involved and the UK Food Standards Agency were immediately informed, and full investigations were undertaken . Nineteen cases of Salmonella Newport PT33 infection were subsequently identified throughout England and Wales . The outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport PT33 isolated from the salad and from humans had a unique plasmid profile . Campylobacter spp . and E . coli O157 were not detected in any of the samples examined . The presence of Salmonella, as well as high levels of L . monocytogenes, is unacceptable . However, minimally processed cut and packaged salad is exposed to a range of conditions during growth, harvest, preparation, and distribution, and it is possible that these conditions may increase the potential for microbial contamination, highlighting the necessity for the implementation of good hygiene practices from farm to fork to prevent contamination and/or bacterial growth in these salad products.

Rheum Dis Clin North Am, 2003 Feb, 29(1), 21 - 36, v-vi
Role of bacteria and HLA-B27 in the pathogenesis of reactive arthritis; Yu D et al.; Strictly speaking, "reactive arthritis" is a conventional term with no study-verified definition . This review will focus on the type of arthritis that is induced by the following species: Chlamydia, Shigella, Salmonella, Yersinia, and Campylobacter . The types of arthritis caused by these pathogens share a clinical pattern that is common in the spondyloarthropathies, especially undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy and Reiter's syndrome . All these diseases, including ankylosing spondylitis, must also share major pathogenetic pathways.

Trop Gastroenterol, 2002 Apr-Jun, 23(2), 72 - 5
Bacterial profile of dairy products sold in Chandigarh; Vaishnavi C et al.; Gastrointestinal infections are known to occur due to bacterial contamination of dairy products . A total of 141 dairy products viz . kulfi, ice cream and softy samples were investigated bacteriologically . Staphylococcus was the predominant organism isolated followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Campylobacter . Two of the samples also yielded Yersinia . The total bacterial counts obtained ranged from 2 x 10(1) to 5.2 x 10(11) colony forming units per ml (CFU/ml) for kulfi, 4 x 10(1) to 9 x 10(9) CFU/ml for ice cream and 2 x 10(1) to 2 x 10(10) CFU/ml for softy samples . The high degree of bacterial contamination seen indicates poor hygienic conditions and faults in manufacturing/handling of dairy products during and after processing and production.

J Appl Microbiol, 2003, 94(4), 733 - 7
Microbiological examination of ready-to-eat stuffing from retail premises in the north-east of England . The 'Get Stuffed' survey; Richardson IR et al.; AIMS: To establish the microbiological quality of ready-to-eat stuffing from retail premises in the north-east of England . To establish threshold levels of bacteria in the product for acceptance as a ready-to-eat food . To determine the relationship between the microbiology of the product and production processes . METHODS AND RESULTS: A microbiological study of ready-to-eat stuffing using validated methods was performed on 147 samples from 139 retail premises . The determinants investigated were as follows: aerobic colony count, Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus spp., Salmonella spp . and Campylobacter spp . Results indicate that using current guidelines 76.3% were satisfactory, 15.6% were acceptable and 8.2% were of unsatisfactory quality . CONCLUSIONS: Unsatisfactory results were due to high aerobic colony counts, E . coli, Enterobacteriaceae and S . aureus . There were significant associations between bacteriological quality and temperature of storage, food hygiene training, product discard policy and confidence in management scores . SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The microbiology of ready-to-eat stuffing suggests that this is a relatively safe product . It is suggested that the product be placed in food category 3 in the current guidelines for ready-to-eat foods.

J Immunol, 2003 Mar 15, 170(6), 3074 - 80
Differential distribution of HLA-DQ beta/DR beta epitopes in the two forms of Guillain-Barré syndrome, acute motor axonal neuropathy and acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP): identification of DQ beta epitopes associated with susceptibility to and protection from AIDP; Magira EE et al.; Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), an acute, immune-mediated paralytic disorder affecting the peripheral nervous system, is the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis in the post-polio era . GBS is classified into several subtypes based on clinical and pathologic criteria, with acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) and acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) being the most common forms observed . To better understand the pathogenesis of GBS and host susceptibility to developing the disease, the distribution of HLA class II Ags along with the seroreactivity to Campylobacter jejuni were investigated in a population of GBS patients from northern China . Using DNA-based typing methods, 47 patients with AMAN, 25 patients with AIDP, and 97 healthy controls were studied for the distribution of class II alleles . We found that the DQ beta RLD(55-57)/ED(70-71) and DR beta E(9)V(11)H(13) epitopes were associated with susceptibility to AIDP (p = 0.009 and p = 0.004, respectively), and the DQ beta RPD(55-57) epitope was associated with protection (p = 0.05) from AIDP . These DQ beta/DR beta positional residues are a part of pockets 4 (DQ beta 70, 71, DR beta 13), 6 (DR beta 11), and 9 (DQ beta 56, 57, DR beta 9); have been demonstrated to be important in peptide binding and T cell recognition; and are associated with other diseases that have a pathoimmunological basis . Class II HLA associations were not identified with AMAN, suggesting a different immunological mechanism of disease induction in the two forms of GBS . These findings provide immunogenetic evidence for differentiating the two disease entities (AMAN and AIDP) and focuses our attention on particular DR beta/DQ beta residues that may be instrumental in understanding the pathophysiology of AIDP.

J Clin Microbiol, 2003 Mar, 41(3), 1062 - 8
Comparison of broth microdilution, E Test, and agar dilution methods for antibiotic susceptibility testing of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli; Luber P et al.; A standardized broth microdilution method was compared to the E test and an agar dilution method for the antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Campylobacter jejuni and C . coli isolates . A group of 47 human clinical isolates, 37 isolates from retail poultry, and 29 isolates from living turkeys (total, 113 isolates) was included in the study . These encompassed 92 C . jejuni and 21 C . coli strains . The MICs of six antimicrobial agents were determined by the broth microdilution and E test methods, and the strains of human origin were additionally tested by the agar dilution method . In general, broth microdilution MICs agreed within 1 log(2) MIC increment with 90.0% of E test results and 78.7% of agar dilution test results . The agar dilution method gave much lower gentamicin MICs than the broth microdilution method, but the data were significantly (P < 0.01) correlated and there was 100% agreement in the sensitivities and specificities in the comparison of the tests . The broth microdilution method had the highest sensitivity for analysis of the susceptibilities of Campylobacter to nalidixic acid and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole . The MICs of ciprofloxacin and erythromycin complied numerically by all three methods . The classification of the results and the correlation of the data demonstrated a high degree of agreement . All methods were equally suitable for the testing of the sensitivity of Campylobacter to tetracycline . Thus, the broth microdilution method appears to be an easy and reliable method for determination of the MICs of antibiotics for C . jejuni and C . coli, and it may offer an interesting alternative to MIC determination by the agar dilution technique or the E test.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2003 Mar, 69(3), 1391 - 6
Detection and typing of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli and analysis of indicator organisms in three waterborne outbreaks in Finland; Hanninen ML et al.; Waterborne outbreaks associated with contamination of drinking water by Campylobacter jejuni are rather common in the Nordic countries Sweden, Norway, and Finland, where in sparsely populated districts groundwater is commonly used without disinfection . Campylobacters, Escherichia coli, or other coliforms have rarely been detected in potential sources . We studied three waterborne outbreaks in Finland caused by C . jejuni and used sample volumes of 4,000 to 20,000 ml for analysis of campylobacters and sample volumes of 1 to 5,000 ml for analysis of coliforms and E . coli, depending on the sampling site . Multiple samples obtained from possible sources (water distribution systems and environmental water sources) and the use of large sample volumes (several liters) increased the chance of detecting the pathogen C . jejuni in water . Filtration of a large volume (1,000 to 2,000 ml) also increased the rate of detection of coliforms and E . coli . To confirm the association between drinking water contamination and illness, a combination of Penner serotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (digestion with SmaI and KpnI) was found to be useful . This combination reliably verified similarity or dissimilarity of C . jejuni isolates from patient samples, from drinking water, and from other environmental sources, thus confirming the likely reservoir of an outbreak.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2003 Mar, 69(3), 1383 - 90
A real-time PCR assay for the detection of Campylobacter jejuni in foods after enrichment culture; Sails AD et al.; A real-time PCR assay was developed for the quantitative detection of Campylobacter jejuni in foods after enrichment culture . The specificity of the assay for C . jejuni was demonstrated with a diverse range of Campylobacter species, related organisms, and unrelated genera . The assay had a linear range of quantification over six orders of magnitude, and the limit of detection was approximately 12 genome equivalents . The assay was used to detect C . jejuni in both naturally and artificially contaminated food samples . Ninety-seven foods, including raw poultry meat, offal, raw shellfish, and milk samples, were enriched in blood-free Campylobacter enrichment broth at 37 degrees C for 24 h, followed by 42 degrees C for 24 h . Enrichment cultures were subcultured to Campylobacter charcoal-cefoperazone-deoxycholate blood-free selective agar, and presumptive Campylobacter isolates were identified with phenotypic methods . DNA was extracted from enrichment cultures with a rapid lysis method and used as the template in the real-time PCR assay . A total of 66 samples were positive for C . jejuni by either method, with 57 samples positive for C . jejuni by subculture to selective agar medium and 63 samples positive in the real-time PCR assay . The results of both methods were concordant for 84 of the samples . The total time taken for detection from enrichment broth samples was approximately 3 h for the real-time PCR assay, with the results being available immediately at the end of PCR cycling, compared to 48 h for subculture to selective agar . This assay significantly reduces the total time taken for the detection of C . jejuni in foods and is an important model for other food-borne pathogens.

Poult Sci, 2003 Feb, 82(2), 251 - 8
Molecular characterization of fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter spp . isolated from poultry; Nawaz MS et al.; Campylobacteriosis, an infectious disease caused by Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, is treated by fluoroquinolone antibiotics in clinical practices . However, use of these drugs in animal husbandry may select for fluoroquinolone-resistant campylobacters and, thereby, compromise the clinical treatment of infection . In this study, 21 fluoroquinolone-resistant campylobacters were isolated from poultry samples . Morphological and biochemical characteristics indicated that 19 isolates were C . jejuni and two were C . coli . All isolates were resistant to multiple antibiotics but sensitive to chloramphenicol and gentamicin . These isolates were characterized at the molecular level by amplifying the flagellin gene (flaA) by PCR . The PCR protocol amplified a 1.7-kb flaA gene from all isolates . RFLP analysis of the 1.7-kb amplicons after digestion with DdeI yielded four distinct patterns . The 21 fluoroquinolone-resistant campylobacter isolates were further characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and compared with the PFGE patterns of nine fluoroquinolone-sensitive campylobacter strains . Four of the 21 fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates were untypable by the PFGE protocol . The PFGE analysis with SalI or SmaI indicated that seven or five, respectively, of the 17 resistant isolates had identical macrorestriction profiles (mrps) . However, PFGE analysis with a combination of SalI and SmaI indicated that four of the 17 isolates had similar macrorestriction profiles . The PFGE patterns of the 17 fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates were different from the nine sensitive campylobacter strains.

Int Immunol, 2003 Mar, 15(3), 373 - 82
Expansion of human gammadelta T cells after in vitro stimulation with Campylobacter jejuni; Van Rhijn I et al.; Campylobacter jejuni is currently the prime cause of food-borne bacterial gastro-enteritis . An important complication of C . jejuni enteritis is Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), an immune-mediated disorder of peripheral nerve tissue . Because little is known about T cell reactivity to C . jejuni, we have analyzed the in vitro immune response of normal individuals against five isolates of C . jejuni representing five different serotypes . We found a preferential expansion of peripheral blood gammadelta T cells after exposure to crude sonicates of all five C . jejuni serotypes . Expansion of gammadelta T cells was dependent on the presence of CD4+/alphabeta+ T cells in the cultures or addition of exogenous IL-2 or IL-15 . C . jejuni stimulation was mediated via the TCR and appeared to be induced by a non-proteinaceous bacterial antigen, most likely of phosphoantigenic origin.

J Bacteriol, 2003 Mar, 185(6), 2009 - 16
Gene expression profile of Campylobacter jejuni in response to growth temperature variation; Stintzi A; The foodborne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni is the primary causative agent of gastroenteritis in humans . In the present study a whole genome microarray of C . jejuni was constructed and validated . These DNA microarrays were used to measure changes in transcription levels over time, as C . jejuni cells responded to a temperature increase from 37 to 42 degrees C . Approximately 20% of the C . jejuni genes were significantly up- or downregulated over a 50-min period after the temperature increase . The global change in C . jejuni transcriptome was found to be essentially transient, with only a small subset of genes still differentially expressed after 50 min . A substantial number of genes with a downregulated coexpression pattern were found to encode for ribosomal proteins . This suggests a short growth arrest upon temperature stress, allowing the bacteria to reshuffle their energy toward survival and adaptation to the new growth temperature . Genes encoding chaperones, chaperonins, and heat shock proteins displayed the most dramatic and rapid upregulation immediately after the temperature change . Interestingly, genes encoding proteins involved in membrane structure modification were differentially expressed, either up- or downregulated, suggesting a different protein membrane makeup at the two different growth temperatures . Overall, these data provide new insights into the primary response of C . jejuni to surmount a sudden temperature upshift, allowing the bacterium to survive and adapt its transcriptome to a new steady state.

Cell Microbiol, 2003 Mar, 5(3), 165 - 74
JlpA of Campylobacter jejuni interacts with surface-exposed heat shock protein 90alpha and triggers signalling pathways leading to the activation of NF-kappaB and p38 MAP kinase in epithelial cells; Jin S et al.; Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of acute bacterial gastroenteritis in humans . The mechanism by which C . jejuni interacts with host cells, however, is still poorly understood . Our previous study has shown that the C . jejuni surface lipoprotein JlpA mediates adherence of the bacterium to epithelial cells . In this report, we demonstrated that JlpA interacts with HEp-2 cell surface heat shock protein (Hsp) 90alpha and initiates signalling pathways leading to activation of NF-kappaB and p38 MAP kinase . Gel overlay and GST pull down assays showed that JlpA interacts with Hsp90alpha . Geldanamycin, a specific inhibitor of Hsp90, and anti-human Hsp90alpha antibody significantly blocked the interaction between JlpA and Hsp90alpha, suggesting a direct interaction between JlpA and HEp-2 cell surface-exposed Hsp90alpha . The treatment of HEp-2 cells with GST-JlpA initiated two signalling pathways: one leading to the phosphorylation and degradation of IkappaB and nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB; and another one to the phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase . The activation of NF-kappaB and p38 MAP kinase in HEp-2 cells suggest that JlpA triggers inflammatory/immune responses in host cells following C . jejuni infection.

Epidemiol Infect, 2003 Feb, 130(1), 23 - 32
Campylobacter spp . in Icelandic poultry operations and human disease; Stern NJ et al.; We describe the observed relationship of campylobacter in poultry operations to human cases in a closed environment . During 1999 in Iceland, domestic cases of campylobacteriosis reached peak levels at 116/100,000 and in 2000 dropped to 33/100,000 . Approximately 62% of broiler carcass rinses were contaminated with Campylobacter spp . in 1999 . During 2000, only 15% of the broiler flocks tested Campylobacter spp . positive . In 2000, carcasses from flocks which tested positive on the farms at 4 weeks of age were subsequently frozen prior to distribution . We suggest that public education, enhanced on-farm biological security measures, carcass freezing and other unidentified factors, such as variations in weather, contributed to the large reduction in poultry-borne campylobacteriosis . There is no immediate basis for assigning credit to any specific intervention . We continue to seek additional information to understand the decline in campylobacteriosis and to create a risk assessment model for Campylobacter spp . transmission through this well defined system.

Epidemiol Infect, 2003 Feb, 130(1), 1 - 11
The study of infectious intestinal disease in England: socio-economic impact; Roberts JA et al.; To assess the socio-economic impact of infectious intestinal disease (IID) on the health care sector, cases and their families, cases of IID ascertained from a population cohort component and those presenting to general practices were sent a socio-economic questionnaire 3 weeks after the acute episode . The impact of the illness was measured and the resources used were identified and costed . The duration, severity and costs of illness linked to viruses were less than those linked to bacteria . The average cost per case of IID presenting to the GP was Pound Sterling253 and the costs of those not seeing a GP were Pound Sterling34 . The average cost per case was Pound Sterling606 for a case with salmonella, Pound Sterling315 for campylobacter, Pound Sterling164 for rotavirus and Pound Sterling176 for SRSV . The estimated cost of IID in England was Pound Sterling743m expressed in 1994/5 prices . The costs of IID are considerable and the duration of the illness was found to be longer than previous reports have suggested.

J Rheumatol, 2003 Mar, 30(3), 459 - 64
Infections preceding early arthritis in southern Sweden: a prospective population-based study; Soderlin MK et al.; OBJECTIVE: To detect evidence of infections preceding early arthritis in Southern Sweden and to compare the clinical outcome of remission during a 6-month followup for patients with and without signs of prior infection . METHODS: Adult patients with arthritis of less than 3 months' duration were referred from primary health care centers to rheumatologists . All patients were systematically screened for infections caused by Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis, Yersinia enterocolitica, Campylobacter jejuni, Borrelia burgdorferi, Chlamydia trachomatis, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and parvovirus B19 . RESULTS: Seventy-one patients were included in this study . Twenty-seven (38%) patients had reactive arthritis (ReA), 17 (24%) undifferentiated arthritis, 15 (21%) rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 4 (6%) psoriatic arthritis, and the rest (11%) other diagnoses . Of all the patients, 45% had evidence of a recent infection preceding the arthritis, as indicated by laboratory tests and/or disease history . C . jejuni dominated the ReA group . The occurrence of recent C . trachomatis, B . burgdorferi, C . pneumoniae, and parvovirus B19 infections was low . Overall, 58% of the patients went into remission during the 6-month followup . Of the patients with a preceding infection, 69% went into remission as compared to 38% of the patients without a preceding infection (p = 0.011) . Thirty-three percent of the patients with RA were in remission after 6 months . CONCLUSION: In this population-based cohort, 45% of the patients presenting with a new-onset arthritis had had a prior infection . Campylobacter ReA dominated the ReA group . There were only a few cases preceded by infections by C . trachomatis, B . burgdorferi, C . pneumoniae, and parvovirus B19 infections . Remission during the first 6 months was especially frequent in the group of patients with a prior infection, but the remission rate was relatively high even for arthritis without prior infection.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2003 Mar, 47(3), 1125 - 8
PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis for detection of point mutations associated with macrolide resistance in Campylobacter spp; Vacher S et al.; A 23S rRNA gene fragment in domain V was sequenced from 30 clinical isolates of Campylobacter spp., including 22 resistant to macrolides . Two point mutations associated with erythromycin resistance were identified at positions 2074 and 2075 on the 23S rRNA gene (homologous to A2142C and A2143G mutations in Helicobacter pylori) in which an adenine residue is also replaced with a cytosine and a guanine residue, respectively . A combined PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique was developed to detect these mutations by using the BsaI and BceAI enzymes.

Emerg Infect Dis, 2003 Feb, 9(2), 267 - 70
Fluoroquinolone resistance in Campylobacter jejuni isolates in travelers returning to Finland: association of ciprofloxacin resistance to travel destination; Hakanen A et al.; Ciprofloxacin resistance was analyzed in 354 Campylobacter jejuni isolates collected during two study periods (1995-1997 and 1998-2000) from travelers returning to Finland . The increase in resistance between the two periods was significant among all isolates (40% vs . 60%; p<0.01), as well as among those from Asia alone (45% vs . 72%; p<0.01).

Rev Argent Microbiol, 2002 Oct-Dec, 34(4), 199 - 204
{Campylobacter jejuni and C . coli in aborted swine: comparison between phenotypic identification and polyacrylamide gel protein profiles}; Giacoboni GI et al.; Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli were isolated from aborted pig fetuses which proceeded from different animals and farms between February 2000 and March 2001 . Seven Campylobacter jejuni biotype II, three biotype I and one Campylobacter coli biotype I were identified by phenotypic tests and Lior's scheme . To corroborate and compare the phenotypic results, 7.5, 10 and 12.5% polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) were used under reducing conditions . Characteristic bands of hypervariable dense zone within C . jejuni and C . coli species were observed in all the whole cell protein extracts with differences in mobility . It was possible to establish differences between identical phenotypic Campylobacter isolates and different protein profile from fetuses of the same litter . SDS-PAGE is a stable and reproducible method to establish differences between Campylobacter strains and is considered applicable for the differentiation of the wide variability of Campylobacter species for epidemiologic purposes.

J Infect Dis, 2003 Feb 15, 187(4), 691 - 4 Epub 2003 Jan 29.
Use of an open-reading frame-specific Campylobacter jejuni DNA microarray as a new genotyping tool for studying epidemiologically related isolates; Leonard EE 2nd et al.; Findings from use of an open-reading frame-specific Campylobacter jejuni DNA microarray to investigate genetic diversity among clinical isolates associated with 5 independent clusters of infection were compared with data from random amplified polymeric DNA (RAPD) and Penner serotyping analyses . The DNA microarray provides a highly specific epidemiological typing tool for analysis of C . jejuni isolates and reveals both divergent and highly conserved gene classes among isolates.

J Food Prot, 2003 Feb, 66(2), 319 - 23
Determination of ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid resistance in Campylobacter jejuni with a fluorogenic polymerase chain reaction assay; Padungtod P et al.; A fluorogenic polymerase chain reaction assay for the gyrA gene was used to determine the frequency of a Thr-86 mutation in Campylobacter jejuni isolates from food animals and humans in northern Thailand and to investigate the correlation between this mutation and bacterial resistance to fluoroquinolones . Eighty-four isolates of C . jejuni were used: 65 from healthy chickens on farms, 16 from chickens at the slaughterhouse, 1 from chicken meat at the market, and 1 from a healthy farm worker . The microbroth dilution technique was used for in vitro susceptibility testing . MIC breakpoints established by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System were used to categorize the resistance of C . jejuni to ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid . Sixty of the 84 C . jejuni isolates tested carried the Thr-86 mutation in the gyrA gene . All isolates with ciprofloxacin MICs of > or = 2 mg/liter carried the mutation, and no isolates with nalidixic acid MICs of < or = 16 mg/liter carried the Thr-86-to-Ile mutation . There was a very strong association between ciprofloxacin resistance and the presence of the mutation (kappa = 0.971, P < 0.01) . The association between the presence of the Thr-86-to-Ile mutation and nalidixic acid resistance was weaker (kappa 0.859: P < or = 0.01).

J Food Prot, 2003 Feb, 66(2), 272 - 9
Establishment of a microbiological profile for an air-chilling poultry operation in the United States; Fluckey WM et al.; The microbiological profile of an air-chilling poultry process was investigated from the farm through the processing plant . Within a 1-year period, nine broiler flocks from four different farm sources were studied . Numbers of total aerobes, coliforms, psychrotrophic organisms, E . coli Biotype I (generic E . coli), Salmonella spp., and Campylobacter spp . were determined for multiple sampling sites on the farm as well as in the processing plant . Farm samples were collected the day before the chickens were slaughtered at the plant . The same flock was sampled at the plant on the day of slaughter . Sites located before evisceration (BE), after evisceration (AE), and after chilling (AC) were sampled . Results indicated a positive correlation between contamination of ceca with Salmonella on the farm and the presence Salmonella in carcass samples from the plant for all three types of sampling sites . The in-plant trend for total aerobes, coliforms, and generic E . coli revealed a significant decrease from counts obtained before evisceration to those obtained for the (AC) final product when flock variations were taken into account . The average coliform counts were 3.91, 3.27, and 2.59 log10 CFU/ml of rinse for BE, AE, and AC samples, respectively . Generic E . coli counts were 3.74, 3.08, and 2.20 log10 CFU/ml of rinse for BE, AE, and AC samples, respectively . No reductions in numbers of Campylobacter or Salmonella were observed during processing, which suggests that practical intervention strategies for lowering pathogen levels are critical on a multilevel basis at the farm and in the plant.

Ethiop Med J, 2002 Oct, 40(4), 353 - 64
Isolation of potential bacterial pathogens from the stool of HIV-infected and HIV-non-infected patients and their antmicrobial susceptibility patterns in Jimma Hospital, south west Ethiopia; Awole M et al.; Diarrhea is a major clinical problem in HIV-infected patients . There is a need to monitor antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of enteric bacterial pathogens in order to ensure appropriate treatment and control of infections . The objectives of this study was to identify and determine the magnitude of potential enteric pathogens including Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter and other species in HIV-infected and HIV-non-infected patients with diarrhea, to evaluate the current antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the clinical isolates and the association of enteric bacterial pathogens in HIV infected patients with diarrhea . A cross-sectional study was conducted from Feb-July 2001 on 372 consecutive HIV seropositive and seronegative patients presenting at Jimma hospital for different illnesses . Patients were selected based on their serological tests for HIV . Sample of faeces specimens were collected and inoculated onto standard culture media as well as onto Skirrow's medium for isolation of Campylobacter species . Salmonella and Shigella species were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using disc agar diffusion technique recommended by Kirby-Bauer . Stool specimens were also smeared and stained by Zehl-Neelson staining technique for the identification of Mycobacterium species . Among the 99 HIV-infected patients with diarrhea, 25 (25.0%) of them had enteric bacteria among which 8(8.1%) were Salmonella, 4(4.0%) Shigella and 13(13.1%) Campylobacter species . Mycobacterium species were identified in 3(3.0%) of stool specimens obtained from HIV-infected patients with diarrhea and another 3 species were detected in HIV-infected patient without diarrhea . Salmonella species were isolated with higher prevalence in HIV-infected than in HIV non-infected patients . These Salmonella isolates were 100% susceptible to Amikacin, Gentamicin, Nalidixic acid and Kanamycin while Shigella isolates were 100% susceptible for Gentamycin and Kanamycin only . Unlike Salmonella, Shigella and Campylobacter species showed higher prevalence rates in HIV non-infected patients . Enteric bacterial pathogens account for about one fourth diarrhea in HIV infected patients in Jimma hospital . The finding of this investigation also confirmed earlier observations of wide spread resistance to the commonly used drugs in this region.

J Mol Biol, 2003 Mar 7, 326(5), 1361 - 72
RpoD promoters in Campylobacter jejuni exhibit a strong periodic signal instead of a -35 box; Petersen L et al.; We have used a hidden Markov model (HMM) to identify the consensus sequence of the RpoD promoters in the genome of Campylobacter jejuni . The identified promoter consensus sequence is unusual compared to other bacteria, in that the region upstream of the TATA-box does not contain a conserved -35 region, but shows a very strong periodic variation in the AT-content and semi-conserved T-stretches, with a period of 10-11 nucleotides . The TATA-box is in some, but not all cases, preceded by a TGx, similar to an extended -10 promoter.We predicted a total of 764 presumed RpoD promoters in the C.jejuni genome, of which 654 were located upstream of annotated genes . A similar promoter was identified in Helicobacter pylori, a close phylogenetic relative of Campylobacter, but not in Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, or six other Proteobacterial genomes, or in Staphylococcus aureus . We used upstream regions of high confidence genes as training data (n=529, for the C.jejuni genome) . We found it necessary to limit the training set to genes that are preceded by an intergenic region of >100bp or by a gene oriented in the opposite direction to be able to identify a conserved sequence motif, and ended up with a training set of 175 genes . This leads to the conclusion that the remaining genes (354) are more rarely preceded by a (RpoD) promoter, and consequently that operon structure may be more widespread in C.jejuni than has been assumed by others.Structural predictions of the regions upstream of the TATA-box indicates a region of highly curved DNA, and we assume that this facilitates the wrapping of the DNA around the RNA polymerase holoenzyme, and offsets the absence of a conserved -35 binding motif.

Int J Food Microbiol, 2003 May 15, 82(3), 281 - 7
Occurrence and resistance to antibiotics of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in animals and meat in northeastern Italy; Pezzotti G et al.; A study was carried out in northeastern Italy during 2000 and 2001 to investigate the occurrence of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in animals, cattle, pigs, and broilers, and raw meat, beef, pork, and chicken . Campylobacter spp . were detected in 53.9% of the cattle, 63.5% of the pigs, and 82.9% of the broilers examined . Chicken meat was frequently contaminated (81.3%), while lower rates were found in pork meat (10.3%) and beef (1.3%) . The resistance to antibiotics of the strains was also investigated, and compared to that of human clinical isolates . C . coli was generally more resistant than C . jejuni . Resistance to quinolones was frequently observed in C . coli isolated in chicken meat (78.6%); slightly lower rates were found in C . jejuni isolated in broilers (42.2%), chicken meat (52.8%), and humans (38.2%) . C . coli was also frequently resistant to tetracycline in all sources, while resistance to streptomycin was most frequently observed in pig isolates (89.4%).

J Periodontol, 2003 Jan, 74(1), 123 - 8
Ecological and immunopathological implications of oral bacteria in Helicobacter pylori-infected disease; Okuda K et al.; Increasing evidence has linked colonization by Helicobacter pylori with the development of gastritis and peptic ulcer disease . H . pylori resides primarily in the gastric mucosa without invading the gastric epithelium, causing persistent mild gastric inflammation . There are many reports examining the relationship between colonization by microorganisms in the stomach and oral cavity . We found that some oral bacteria are able to trap H . pylori cells, but oral bacteria inhibit H . pylori growth in vitro . In cases where H . pylori was detected in oral cavity samples, including oral cancer surface samples, we suggested that this species had colonized the stomach and were present in the oral cavity only as a transient organism . We demonstrated that periodontopathic Campylobacter rectus strains posses proteinaceous antigens, including heat shock proteins that share antigenicity with antigens of H . pylori strains . These cross-reactive antigens between H . pylori and C . rectus may be related to the induction of immunopathological responses in periodontal tissues and the stomach . We concluded that H . pylori could not survive in the human oral cavity; however, there would be an interrelationship between periodontal disease due to C rectus and stomach diseases due to H . pylori.

Infection, 2003 Jan, 31(1), 19 - 23
Barbecued chicken causing a multi-state outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni enteritis; Allerberger F et al.; BACKGROUND: Although the microbiological safety of food has improved, food-borne disease remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Europe . PATIENTS AND METHODS: We investigated an outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni enteritis attributed to chicken meat, affecting five out of six people attending a private barbecue party in Germany . Patients fell ill in Germany, in Liechtenstein and in Austria . 80% of the cases had been exposed to barbecued chicken; the case that denied having eaten chicken was the party host, who also handled all the food . Three of four patients submitting stool specimens had culture-confirmed C . jejuni infection . RESULTS: The chicken meat was purchased in the Tyrol (Austria) and originated from a flock of 55600 chickens raised in Carinthia (Austria) . Caecal swabs were obtained in 7 weeks later from 22 chicken at the incriminated farm: 18 of the 22 samples yielded C . jejuni . The same day, six carcasses out of 22000 slaughtered animals from the incriminated farm were tested and all six food samples yielded C . jejuni . Outbreak-associated human isolates yielded pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns indistinguishable from each other and from the meat isolates, but different from four human control strains and from 13 of 16 isolates from caecal swabs . CONCLUSION: Our data show that the outbreak clone had been colonizing the slaughterhouse and was cross-contaminating chickens there . The geographic mobility of people and food necessitates proper epidemiologic investigations to avoid overestimation of the proportion of sporadic occurrence of campylobacteriosis.

J Appl Microbiol, 2003, 94(3), 449 - 55
Probiotic properties of human lactobacilli strains to be used in the gastrointestinal tract; Fernandez MF et al.; AIMS: The study of two human strains of Lactobacillus to be used as probiotics in the gastrointestinal tract . METHODS AND RESULTS: The Lactobacillus acidophilus UO 001 and Lact . gasseri UO 002, were resistant to the gastrointestinal conditions (pH 2 and 3, presence of pepsin, pancreatin or bile salts), the resistance was enhanced in the presence of skimmed milk . Additionally, adhered to Caco-2 cells through glycoproteins in Lact . gasseri and carbohydrates in the case of Lact . acidophilus . These strains are able to inhibit the growth of certain enteropathogens: Salmonella, Listeria and Campylobacter without interfering with the normal microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract, as stated by using the mixed culture and the spot agar test . Finally, strongly adherent Lact . gasseri were found to inhibit the attachment of Escherichia coli O111 to intestinal Caco-2 cells under the condition of exclusion . CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the two strains of Lactobacillus from human origin present important properties for survival in, and colonization of, the gastrointestinal tract, that give them potential probiotic . SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Two strains of Lactobacillus isolated from human vagina of healthy premenopausal women could be promising candidates to be used in the preparation of probiotic products and for their use as health-promoting bacteria.

BMJ . 2003 Feb 15;326(7385):357.
Short and long term mortality associated with foodborne bacterial gastrointestinal infections: registry based study; Helms M et al.; OBJECTIVES: To determine the excess mortality associated with infections with Salmonella, Campylobacter, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Shigella and to examine the effect of pre-existing illness . DESIGN: Registry based, matched cohort study . SETTING: Denmark . PARTICIPANTS: 48 857 people with gastrointestinal infections plus 487 138 controls from the general population . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: One year mortality among patients with gastrointestinal infections compared with controls after adjustment for comorbidity . RESULTS: 1071 (2.2%) people with gastrointestinal infections died within one year after infection compared with 3636 (0.7%) controls . The relative mortality within one year was 3.1 times higher in patients than in controls . The relative mortality within 30 days of infection was high in all four bacterial groups . Furthermore, there was excess mortality one to six months after infection with Yersinia enterocolitica (relative risk 2.53, 95% confidence interval 1.38 to 4.62) and from six months to one year after infection with Campylobacter (1.35, 1.02 to 1.80) and Salmonella (1.53, 1.31 to 1.79) . CONCLUSIONS: Infections with all these bacteria were associated with an increased short term risk of death, even after pre-existing illnesses were taken into account . Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Yersinia enterocolitica infections were also associated with increased long term mortality.

FEMS Microbiol Lett, 2003 Jan 28, 218(2), 211 - 22
The genetics of glycosylation in Gram-negative bacteria; Power PM et al.; In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in reports of glycosylation of proteins in various Gram-negative systems including Neisseria meningitidis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Campylobacter jejuni, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Caulobacter crescentus, Aeromonas caviae and Helicobacter pylori . Although this growing list contains many important pathogens (reviewed by Benz and Schmidt {Mol . Microbiol . 45 (2002) 267-276}) and the glycosylations are found on proteins important in pathogenesis such as pili, adhesins and flagella the precise role(s) of the glycosylation of these proteins remains to be determined . Furthermore, the details of the glycosylation biosynthetic process have not been determined in any of these systems . The definition of the precise role of glycosylation and the mechanism of biosynthesis will be facilitated by a detailed understanding of the genes involved.

Rev Esp Quimioter, 2002 Jun, 15(2), 152 - 7
{Antimicrobial resistance of clinical strains of Salmonella enterica isolated in Zaragoza}; Olivera S et al.; In order to identify any changes in the incidence of Salmonella enterica serotypes and their resistance to a variety of antimicrobial agents, we conducted a retrospective study of all the strains isolated from stool samples at Hospital Clinico Universitario Lozano Blesa in Zaragoza from 1997 to 2000 . We observed an increase in the number of isolates of Salmonella and Campylobacter and a decrease in other enteropathogens . Enteritidis was the most frequently isolated serotype (55.2%), showing an increasing tendency (from 44.1% in 1997 to 60.6% in 2000) . Hadar, glostrup and virchow showed the highest rate of resistance to nalidixic acid . Enteritidis also showed an important increase in resistance to nalidixic acid (from 17.6% in 1997 to 41.4% in 2000) . Typhimurium showed the highest resistance levels to ampicillin, chloramphenicol and cotrimoxazole . No resistance to fluoroquinolones or to cefotaxime was detected, with the exception of 0.5% of the S . enteritidis strains, which showed resistance to fluoroquinolones.

Lett Appl Microbiol, 2003, 36(3), 168 - 72
Growth and reduction of microorganisms in sediments collected from a greywater treatment system; Ottosson J et al.; AIMS: To study the effects of competitive microbiota, temperature and nutrient availability on Salmonella, Enterococcus, Campylobacter spores of sulphite reducing anaerobes and bacteriophages MS2 and phiX174 in sediments from a greywater treatment system . METHODS AND RESULTS: Standard culture methods were used . Bacteria died off rapidly under normal conditions (20 degrees C, competitive microbiota) but remained stable or grew in the other conditions studied . When the sediments became nutrient depleted after 2 weeks, a log-linear die-off was observed for Salmonella, which was higher at 20 degrees C than at 4 degrees C . Bacteriophage decay was shown to be log-linear from day 0, with T90 values ranging from 9 (phiX174, 20 degrees C) to 55 days (phiX174, 4 degrees C) . The MS2 phage had a significantly higher decay rate in tyndallized sediments (T90 = 17 days) than in original sediments (T90 = 47 days) (P < 0.001), with temperature not shown to affect the decay rate . Spores of sulphite-reducing anaerobes were not significantly reduced during the study period (35 days) . Campylobacter died-off rapidly or entered a viable but non-culturable state and subsequently results were not provided . CONCLUSIONS: Competition was the most important factor to suppress pathogenic bacterial growth in an eutrophic environment . When nutrient depleted conditions prevailed, temperature was more important and log-linear decay of microorganisms could be observed . SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: These findings suggest that the normally occurring microbiota will suppress pathogenic bacterial growth in nutrient rich sediments . With lower nutrient status, temperature is the more important factor in reducing pathogens.

Poult Sci, 2003 Jan, 82(1), 169 - 73
Effect of broiler age, feed withdrawal, and transportation on levels of coliforms, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli and Salmonella on carcasses before and after immersion chilling; Northcutt JK et al.; A study was conducted to determine effects of bird age at slaughter, feed withdrawal, and transportation on levels of coliforms, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella on carcasses before and after immersion chilling . Broilers were processed at 42, 49, and 56 d of age after a 12-h feed withdrawal period or a 0-h feed withdrawal period (full fed) . At each age, broilers were processed from two commercial farms previously identified as Campylobacter positive . One week before slaughter, broilers were gavaged with nalidixic acid-resistant Salmonella . During bleeding, cotton plugs were inserted into the cloaca of each carcass . Whole-carcass rinses (WCR) were performed before and after immersion chilling with 20 ppm sodium hypochlorite, and rinses were analyzed for coliforms, Campylobacter, E . coli and Salmonella . Log10 counts for coliforms, Campylobacter, and E . coli were (P < 0.05) affected by bird age at slaughter . Feed withdrawal (FW) affected only Campylobacter on carcasses of older broilers (56 d of age) . Chilling with sodium hypochlorite resulted in log10 reductions of 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and 0.5 for coliforms, Campylobacter, E . coli, and Salmonella, respectively . Under the conditions of this experiment, it appears that contamination on the exterior of birds entering the processing facility is critical to carcass bacterial counts . Moreover, carcass bacterial counts did not vary when microbial counts of broilers were comparable . FW may increase prechill carcass counts for E . coli and Campylobacter, but it appears to have no effect on postchill carcass counts when sodium hypochlorite is used in the chilling operation.

J Vet Med Sci, 2003 Jan, 65(1), 129 - 31
Characterization of Campylobacter lanienae from pig feces; Sasaki Y et al.; To isolate Campylobacter spp., the feces of healthy cattle, pigs, and broilers were examined between June 1999 and January 2000 . Campylobacter lanienae strains were isolated from the feces of healthy pigs, but not from the feces of cattle or broilers . In six C . lanienae isolates, there was only 21-38% DNA-DNA homology to Campylobacter hyointestinalis subsp . lawsonii strain NCTC 12901 . Thus, the primary host of C . lanienae is likely to be the pig and C . lanienae appears to be a species distinct from C . hyointestinalis subsp . lawsonii . In addition, an intervening sequence of 226 bp in the 16S rRNA gene was found in four isolates.

Microbiology, 2003 Jan, 149(Pt 1), 153 - 65
Maximal adherence and invasion of INT 407 cells by Campylobacter jejuni requires the CadF outer-membrane protein and microfilament reorganization; Monteville MR et al.; The binding of Campylobacter jejuni to fibronectin (Fn), a component of the extracellular matrix, is mediated by a 37 kDa outer-membrane protein termed CadF for Campylobacter adhesion to fibronectin . The specificity of C . jejuni binding to Fn, via CadF, was demonstrated using antibodies reactive against Fn and CadF . More specifically, the anti-CadF antibody reduced the binding of two C . jejuni clinical isolates to immobilized Fn by greater than 50 % . Furthermore, a C . jejuni wild-type isolate, in contrast to the isogenic CadF mutant, was found to compete with another C . jejuni wild-type isolate for host cell receptors . Given the relationship between the pericellular Fn matrix and the cytoskeleton, the involvement of host cell cytoskeletal components in C . jejuni internalization was also examined . Cytochalasin D and mycalolide B microfilament depolymerizing agents resulted in a significant reduction in C . jejuni invasion . Studies targeting paxillin, a focal adhesion signalling molecule, identified an increased level of tyrosine phosphorylation upon C . jejuni infection of INT 407 cells . Collectively, these data suggest CadF promotes the binding of C . jejuni to Fn, which in turn stimulates a signal transduction pathway involving paxillin.

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 2003 Jan, 45(1), 69 - 71
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Campylobacter jejuni: a comparison between Etest and agar dilution method; Oncul O et al.; The susceptibility of Campylobacter jejuni strains (n = 50) against nine antimicrobials were determined in comparison with Etest (AB BIODISK, Solna, Sweden) and agar dilution method to further investigate the correlation between the two methods . All the strains were isolated from stool samples of patients with diarrhea in 1998 and found to be highly susceptible (>84%) to ampicillin, tetracycline, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin and erythromycin . The essential agreement between two methods was 66.6% (+/-1 log(2) dilution) and 85.5% (+/-2 log(2) dilution) . The agreement of susceptibility categories was higher at 94.4%.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2003 Feb, 69(2), 1181 - 6
Specific detection of Arcobacter and Campylobacter strains in water and sewage by PCR and fluorescent in situ hybridization; Moreno Y et al.; The aim of this study was to evaluate PCR and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques for detecting Arcobacter and Campylobacter strains in river water and wastewater samples . Both 16S and 23S rRNA sequence data were used to design specific primers and oligonucleotide probes for PCR and FISH analyses, respectively . In order to assess the suitability of the methods, the assays were performed on naturally and artificially contaminated samples and compared with the isolation of cells on selective media . The detection range of PCR and FISH assays varied between 1 cell/ml (after enrichment) to 10(3) cells/ml (without enrichment) . According to our results, both rRNA-based techniques have the potential to be used as quick and sensitive methods for detection of campylobacters in environmental samples.

Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen, 2002 Dec 10, 122(30), 2850 - 2
{Outbreak of campylobacteriosis among soccer players}; Stamnes O et al.; BACKGROUND: Last year Rosenborg Ballklub won the Norwegian Premier League Championship in a nerve-racking match against Lillestrom Sportsklubb . Lillestrom ended the season in 2nd place . The results may possibly have been caused by the cancellation of a match scheduled between Lillestrom and Odd Grenland . MATERIAL AND METHODS: This article describes the problem and consequences that can occur when 14 players on a Premier League team contract diarrhoea and present with vomiting either before or during a football match . RESULTS: With Campylobacter infection jejuni amply documented, the Norwegian Football Union found it necessary to cancel the match between the two Premier League teams, a decision that led to heated discussion in the media . A common opinion was that an intestinal infection, even one that affected so many players, was insufficient reason to cancel a match . INTERPRETATION: It is always difficult to foresee the consequences of continued physical activity by those infected with intestinal bacteria . It is difficult to know at what point the footballer's health may be a risk either during or after infection.

J Biol Chem, 2003 Apr 18, 278(16), 14112 - 20 Epub 2003 Jan 31.
Campylobacter jejuni binds intestinal H(O) antigen (Fuc alpha 1, 2Gal beta 1, 4GlcNAc), and fucosyloligosaccharides of human milk inhibit its binding and infection; Ruiz-Palacios GM et al.; The most common cause of infant mortality is diarrhea; the most common cause of bacterial diarrhea is Campylobacter jejuni, which is also the primary cause of motor neuron paralysis . The first step in campylobacter pathogenesis is adherence to intestinal mucosa . We found that such binding was inhibited in vitro by human milk and, with high avidity, by alpha1,2-fucosylated carbohydrate moieties containing the H(O) blood group epitope (Fuc alpha 1,2Gal beta 1,4GlcNAc em leader ) . In studies on the mechanism of adherence, campylobacter, which normally does not bind to Chinese hamster ovary cells, bound avidly when the cells were transfected with a human alpha1,2-fucosyltransferase gene that caused overexpression of H-2 antigen; binding was specifically inhibited by H-2 ligands (lectins Ulex europaeus and Lotus tetragonolobus and H-2 monoclonal antibody), H-2 mimetics, and human milk oligosaccharides . Human milk oligosaccharides inhibited campylobacter colonization of mice in vivo and human intestinal mucosa ex vivo . Campylobacter colonization of nursing mouse pups was inhibited if their dams had been transfected with a human alpha1,2-fucosyltransferase gene that caused expression of H(O) antigen in milk . We conclude that campylobacter binding to intestinal H-2 antigen is essential for infection . Milk fucosyloligosaccharides and specific fucosyl alpha1,2-linked molecules inhibit this binding and may represent a novel class of antimicrobial agents.

J Periodontal Res, 2003 Feb, 38(1), 64 - 72
Detection of Campylobacter rectus in periodontitis sites by monoclonal antibodies; Ihara H et al.; Campylobacter rectus, a gram-negative, microaerophilic, and motile bacterium, has been proposed to play a pathogenic role in human periodontitis . Surface components, such as the flagellum, surface layer (S-layer), and cytotoxin, have been reported as possible virulence factors of the microorganism . In the present study, monoclonal antibodies against surface components of this bacterium were produced to detect and investigate the pathogenic potential of C . rectus in periodontitis . Two monoclonal antibodies, designated CRT-1 and CRT-2, recognized a peculiar 150 kDa S-layer protein by immunoblot analysis . The CRT-2 antibody reacted to all C . rectus strains tested, except for the S-layer negative strain of the species {C . rectus ATCC 33238 S-layer (-) strain} . The CRT-3 antibody reacted to a 60-kDa protein in C . rectus and also cross-reacted with Campylobacter showae ATCC 51164 and CCUG 11641 strains . Using the dot-blot method, we were able to detect C . rectus using the CRT-2 antibody when as few as 103 organisms were present in a subgingival dental plaque sample . Detection of C . rectus in plaque samples correlated significantly with clinical findings such as probing depth (P < 0.001), bleeding on probing (P < 0.001), and gingival index (P < 0.001) . These findings indicate that infection by C . rectus may be an important indicator of periodontal disease status.

Epidemiol Infect, 2002 Dec, 129(3), 635 - 45
Salmonella and campylobacter contamination of raw retail chickens from different producers: a six year survey; Wilson IG; Between 1995 and 2000, a prospective survey was undertaken to investigate the levels of contamination of raw retail chickens (n = 1,127) with salmonella and campylobacter . The levels of contamination over the 6-year period were 11 % (95 % CI +/- 6.5%) for salmonella, and 57% (95% CI +/- 95%) for campylobacter . S . Bredeney (20%) and S . Enteritidis (18%) were the dominant serovars . Although salmonella contamination was higher than in an earlier survey we conducted (7%), since 1998 it has declined to 6% . Many S . Enteritidis isolates (43%) were associated with one large integrated poultry organization that appears to have successfully managed the contamination, and the serovar has not been isolated since 1998 . Contamination ranged from 0 to 44% between different producers . There was no significant difference between producers contributing large and small numbers of samples, although some small producers had much poorer contamination rates than others . S . Bareilly, S . Bredeney, S . Enteritidis and S . Virchow showed associations with particular producers . Campylobacter contamination remains high . Contamination ranged from 47 to 81% between different producers . This study did not show a temporal association between contamination of chickens and human campylobacter infections, indicating that many cases of human campylobacteriosis, particularly during seasonal peaks, do not originate from chickens . Control measures that have reduced salmonella contamination have been largely ineffective against campylobacter and new interventions are needed . Most raw chickens are contaminated with these pathogens, and communicating the importance of minimizing this risk to caterers and the public is vital in reducing human infections.

Epidemiol Infect, 2002 Dec, 129(3), 435 - 43
High resolution genotyping of Campylobacter jejuni strains by macrorestriction analysis with XhoI and polymerase chain reaction targeting enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequences: can we predict the zoonotic potential of strains?
Moser I, Lentzsch P, Rieksneuwoehner B, Schwerk P, Wieler LH.
Campylobacter jejuni isolates of human, canine, feline, bovine and poultry origin were investigated for their genomic diversity using O-antigen typing (n = 271), SmaI (n = 158) and XhoI (n = 158) macrorestriction analysis and ERIC-PCR (n = 107) . The O-antigens O:1/44, O:2, O:4 complex, O:37 . O:40 were identified and 53.7% of the human and 56.1% of the animal strains were typable with the available antisera . Two ERIC-PCR pattern groups were generated representing human and animal strains as well as those exclusively of animal origin . XhoI macrorestriction analysis also distinguished 'human' and 'non-human' strain clusters, but by SmaI restriction mainly serotype-associated clusters were found . In conclusion, genomic differences may occur between 'human' and 'non-human' strains and this may reflect their potential to overcome the barrier from animals to humans.

Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2003 Jan, 68(1), 70 - 80
Enhancement of disease and pathology by synergy of Trichuris suis and Campylobacter jejuni in the colon of immunologically naive swine; Mansfield LS et al.; Campylobacter jejuni, a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis, has different age distribution and disease expression in developing and developed countries, which may be due to the endemnicity of infection and the age of acquisition of immunity . Differences in disease expression are not solely dependent on the C jejuni strain or virulence attributes . Another modulating factor in developing countries may be endemic nematode infections such as Trichuris, which drive type 2 cytokine responses and down-regulate type 1 immune responses . In this study, three-day-old germ-free pigs given dual infections with Trichuris suis and C jejuni had more frequent, more severe diarrhea and severe pathology than pigs given no pathogens, only T . suis, or only C jejuni . These pigs had significant hemorrhage and inflammatory cell infiltrates in the proximal colon where adult worms were found, and abscessed lymphoglandular complexes in the distal colon with intracellular C jejuni . Pigs given only C jejuni had mild clinical signs and pathology, and bacteria in feces or extracellular sites . Pigs given T . suis or no pathogens had no disease and minimal pathology . Thus, these agents synergized to produce significant disease and pathology, which was site specific.

Can J Microbiol, 2002 Nov, 48(11), 995 - 1007
Campylobacter fetus adheres to and enters INT 407 cells; Graham LL; Campylobacter fetus is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen of humans and ungulates and is normally transmitted via ingestion of contaminated food or water with infection resulting in mild to severe enteritis . However, despite clinical evidence that C . fetus infection often involves transient bacteremic states from which systemic infection may develop and the frequent isolation of C . fetus from extra-intestinal sites, this organism displays very poor invasiveness in in vitro models of infection . In this study, immunofluorescence microscopy and gentamicin protection assays were used to investigate the ability of six clinical isolates and one reference strain of C . fetus to adhere to and invade the human intestinal epithelial cell line, INT 407 . During an initial 4-h infection period, all C . fetus strains were detected intracellularly using both techniques, though adherence and internalization levels were very low when determined from gentamicin protection assays . Microscopy results indicated that during a 4-h infection period, four of the five clinical strains tested were adherent to 41.3-87.3% of INT 407 cells observed and that 25.2-34.6% of INT 407 cells contained intracellular C . fetus . The C . fetus reference strain displayed the lowest levels of adherence and internalization . A modified infection assay revealed that C . fetus adherence did not necessarily culminate in internalization . Despite the large percentage of INT 407 cells with adherent bacteria, the percentage of INT 407 cells with intracellular bacteria remained unchanged when incubation was extended from 4 h to 20 h . However, microscopy of INT 407 cells 24 h postinfection (p.i.) revealed that infected host cells contained clusters of densely packed C . fetus cells . Gentamicin protection assays revealed that intracellular C . fetus cells were not only viable 24 h p.i . but also that C . fetus had increased in number approximately three- to fourfold between 4 and 24 h p.i., indicative of intracellular replication . Investigation of the role of the host cell cytoskeleton revealed that pretreatment of host cells with cytochalasin D, colchicine, vinblastine, taxol, or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) did not impact upon C . fetus adherence or internalization of INT 407 cells . Microscopy indicated neither rearrangement nor colocalization of either microtubules or microfilaments in INT 407 cells in response to C . fetus adherence or internalization . Together, these data indicate that clinical isolates of C . fetus are capable of adhering, entering, and surviving within the nonphagocytic epithelial cell line, INT 407.

Ugeskr Laeger, 2003 Jan 13, 165(3), 235 - 9
{Excess mortality associated with antibiotic resistant Salmonella typhimurium}; Helms M et al.; INTRODUCTION: The use of antimicrobials in food production has been associated with drug-resistance in foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella and Campylobacter . However, little is known about the health impact of antimicrobial drug-resistance in these pathogens . In a matched cohort study, we determined the mortality associated with drug-resistance in Salmonella Typhimurium . MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data from the Danish Surveillance Registry for Enteric Pathogens were linked with the Civil Registration System and the Danish National Patient Registry . By survival analysis, the two-year mortality among patients was compared with a matched sample of the general Danish population adjusted for differences in comorbidity . RESULTS: Among 2047 cases of S . Typhimurium, 59 deaths were identified . Patients with pan-susceptible strains of S . Typhimurium were 2.3 times (95 per cent confidence interval {CI} 1.5-3.5) more likely to die in the two-year follow-up period after infection than persons in the general Danish population . Patients infected with strains resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfonamide, and tetracycline were 4.8 times (95 per cent CI 2.2-10.5) more likely to die, whereas quinolone-resistance was associated with a 10.3 times (95 percent CI 2.8-37.8) higher mortality than the general population . DISCUSSION: Overall, infections with S . Typhimurium were associated with excess mortality . Patients infected with multi-drug resistant strains had a tendency towards higher mortality than patients infected with non-multiresistant strains . Particular risk was associated with quinolone-resistance in foodborne S . Typhimurium, and the excess mortality among patients infected with multi-drug resistant S . Typhimurium could be attributed to additional quinolone resistance in many of the multi-drug resistant isolates.

J Infect Dis, 2003 Jan 15, 187(2), 260 - 9 Epub 2003 Jan 06.
Campylobacter transmission in a Peruvian shantytown: a longitudinal study using strain typing of campylobacter isolates from chickens and humans in household clusters; Oberhelman RA et al.; Campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of pediatric diarrhea in developing countries-free-ranging chickens are presumed to be a common source . Campylobacter strains from monthly surveillance and diarrhea cases were compared by means of restriction-fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), rapid amplified polymorphic DNA, and Lior serotyping . RFLP analysis of 156 human and 682 avian strains demonstrated identical strains in chickens and humans in 29 (70.7%) of 41 families, and 35%-39% of human isolates from diarrhea and nondiarrhea cases were identical to a household chicken isolate . Isolation of the same RFLP type from a household chicken and a human within 1 month was highly protective against diarrhea (odds ratio, 0.07; P<.005) . Campylobacter strains from symptomatic humans were unlikely to be identical to strains recently carried by household chickens, limiting the potential benefits from household-based control measures.

Wei Sheng Wu Xue Bao, 2000 Feb, 40(1), 80 - 4
{Study on the physicochemical properties of Campylobacter jejuni enterotoxin}; Wu R et al.; Precipitate of Campylobacter jejuni cytotonic enterotoxin(CE) performed in an 80% saturated solution of ammonium sulfateit indicated that there were some little molecular proteins except the 68 kD main band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE), whereas the eluate from GM1 ganglioside affinity column chromatography exhibited only one 68 kD band on SDS-PAGE . The results suggest that CE mainly be consisted of 68 kD protein . The toxin is heat-labile, pH dependent and resistant to trypsin, It could be completely inactivated by heating at either 56 degrees C and 60 degrees C for 30 min or 100 degrees C for 15 min . The activity was maximum at pH 6.0 and was completely inactivate at pH 3.0 and pH 9.0, and rapidly reduced after storage over 3 d at 4 degrees C . The anti-LT serum could completely inhibited the activity of CE.

J Periodontol, 2002 Dec, 73(12), 1444 - 50
IgG subclass specific antibody response to periodontopathic organisms in HIV-positive patients; Yeung SC et al.; BACKGROUND: We previously reported an increased rate of progression of periodontal disease over an 18-month period in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive subjects compared to controls . The mechanism for disease progression and rapid tissue loss was unknown . Data on the microbiological studies failed to show any significant difference in the microbial characteristics of the periodontal lesions in HIV-positive patients compared to HIV-negative controls . Immunological analysis had identified neutrophils as an important component of the host defense against periodontal infection, especially against rapid tissue loss . Serum IgG reactivities to periodontal pathogens in HIV-positive patients with periodontitis were reduced . Other data provided circumstantial evidence to suggest that IgG subclass (IgG2) specific antibody might assist bacterial clearing in periodontal infection . The aim of the current study was to examine the specific IgG subclass antibody response to a panel of periodontopathic organisms: Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), Prevotella Intermedia (Pi), Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn), Campylobacter rectus (Cr), and Bacteroides forsythus (Bf) in HIV-positive patients compared to HIV-negative controls . METHODS: Sera from 120 HIV-positive patients (40 periodontitis, 69 gingivitis, and 11 no oral diseases) were tested for IgG subclass specific antibody response to the above listed 6 organisms using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay . Data were compared with those obtained from 40 HIV-negative control subjects (35 periodontitis, 2 gingivitis, and 3 no oral diseases) . RESULTS: In the HIV-positive group, a consistently high response rate was found in IgG1 to all the bacteria tested . In addition, high levels of IgG3 and IgG4 to Pg and IgG1 and IgG2 to Pi were also present . However, no significant difference was detected among the periodontitis, gingivitis, and no oral disease subgroups . When the periodontitis patients from the HIV-positive group were compared to the HIV-negative group, no difference in the antibody levels and response rates was noted . CONCLUSION: We conclude that in HIV-positive patients, the specific IgG subclass antibody response to periodontopathic organisms was similar to that of HIV-negative subjects.

J Food Prot, 2003 Jan, 66(1), 130 - 61
Consumer food handling in the home: a review of food safety studies; Redmond EC et al.; Epidemiological data from Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand indicate that a substantial proportion of foodborne disease is attributable to improper food preparation practices in consumers' homes . International concern about consumer food safety has prompted considerable research to evaluate domestic food-handling practices . The majority of consumer food safety studies in the last decade have been conducted in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (48%) and in the United States (42%) . Surveys (questionnaires and interviews), the most frequent means of data collection, were used in 75% of the reviewed studies . Focus groups and observational studies have also been used . One consumer food safety study examined the relationship between pathogenic microbial contamination from raw chicken and observed food-handling behaviors, and the results of this study indicated extensive Campylobacter cross-contamination during food preparation sessions . Limited information about consumers' attitudes and intentions with regard to safe food-handling behaviors has been obtained, although a substantial amount of information about consumer knowledge and self-reported practices is available . Observation studies suggest that substantial numbers of consumers frequently implement unsafe food-handling practices . Knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and self-reported practices did not correspond to observed behaviors, suggesting that observational studies provide a more realistic indication of the food hygiene actions actually used in domestic food preparation . An improvement in consumer food-handling behavior is likely to reduce the risk and incidence of foodborne disease . The need for the development and implementation of food safety education strategies to improve specific food safety behaviors is reviewed in this paper.

Lett Appl Microbiol, 2003, 36(2), 106 - 10
Reference isolates for the clonal complexes of Campylobacter jejuni; Wareing DR et al.; AIMS: To identify and make available through the National Collection of Type Cultures (NCTC) a set of reference isolates for the clonal complexes of Campylobacter jejuni . METHODS AND RESULTS: The development of a multilocus sequence typing scheme for C . jejuni enabled the genetic characterization of a large number of isolates (n = 814) from cases of human disease, animals, birds and their food products . The nucleotide sequence data were used to assign each isolate an allelic profile or sequence type (ST) and examine the C . jejuni population structure in terms of clonal complexes . The clonal complexes consisted of an abundant central or founder genotype (ST), after which the complex was named, together with very closely related, generally less abundant genotypes differing from the founder at one, two or three loci . The clonal complex is an informative unit for the study C . jejuni epidemiology . It provides data which enabled the choice of 13 C . jejuni founder isolates for submission to the NCTC as a representative cross-section of the C . jejuni population . CONCLUSIONS: These 13 isolates provide a defined resource for further research into aspects of C . jejuni biology such as genomic diversity, virulence and adaptation to particular hosts or environmental survival . SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: This isolate collection is available through the NCTC and provides a resource for further research.

J Bacteriol, 2003 Feb, 185(3), 1010 - 7
The iron-binding protein Dps confers hydrogen peroxide stress resistance to Campylobacter jejuni; Ishikawa T et al.; We identified and characterized the iron-binding protein Dps from Campylobacter jejuni . Electron microscopic analysis of this protein revealed a spherical structure of 8.5 nm in diameter, with an electron-dense core similar to those of other proteins of the Dps (DNA-binding protein from starved cells) family . Cloning and sequencing of the Dps-encoding gene (dps) revealed that a 450-bp open reading frame (ORF) encoded a protein of 150 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 17,332 Da . Amino acid sequence comparison indicated a high similarity between C . jejuni Dps and other Dps family proteins . In C . jejuni Dps, there are iron-binding motifs, as reported in other Dps family proteins . C . jejuni Dps bound up to 40 atoms of iron per monomer, whereas it did not appear to bind DNA . An isogenic dps-deficient mutant was more vulnerable to hydrogen peroxide than its parental strain, as judged by growth inhibition tests . The iron chelator Desferal restored the resistance of the Dps-deficient mutant to hydrogen peroxide, suggesting that this iron-binding protein prevented generation of hydroxyl radicals via the Fenton reaction . Dps was constitutively expressed during both exponential and stationary phase, and no induction was observed when the cells were exposed to H(2)O(2) or grown under iron-supplemented or iron-restricted conditions . On the basis of these data, we propose that this iron-binding protein in C . jejuni plays an important role in protection against hydrogen peroxide stress by sequestering intracellular free iron and is expressed constitutively to cope with the harmful effect of hydrogen peroxide stress on this microaerophilic organism without delay.

J Microbiol Methods, 2003 Mar, 52(3), 305 - 13
Application of single-strand conformation polymorphism and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis for fla sequence typing of Campylobacter jejuni; Hein I et al.; Campylobacter jejuni is a frequent cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in humans all over the world . Several molecular typing methods are used to study the epidemiology of Campylobacter spp . infections . The aim of the present study was to investigate the application of single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis as rapid primary subtyping methods for C . jejuni . A variable fragment from the 3' end of the flaA to the 3' end of the intergenic region, separating the flaA and flaB genes, was subjected to SSCP and DGGE analysis . A total of 48 clinical C . jejuni isolates, 49 C . jejuni strains isolated from poultry, 2 strains isolated from ducks and 1 strain isolated from a pheasant were assigned to 24 distinct SSCP patterns . Sequence analysis of the respective DNA fragments revealed that every different fla sequence type could be distinguished by SSCP . DGGE proved to be equally discriminatory . Both methods can be applied as primary subtyping methods, because pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis further differentiated isolates belonging to the same fla sequence types.

Vet Microbiol, 2003 Apr 2, 92(3), 225 - 35
Colonisation phenotype and colonisation potential differences in Campylobacter jejuni strains in chickens before and after passage in vivo; Ringoir DD et al.; Campylobacter jejuni strains isolated from chicken faeces and from humans suffering from gastroenteritis were used to determine the colonisation phenotypes and colonisation potential of these strains in chickens . Five different colonisation types were observed ranging from immediate and sustained colonisation to completely non-colonising . Phenotype one showed immediate colonisation with prolonged excretion of viable C . jejuni bacteria . Phenotype two showed delayed colonisation with prolonged excretion of viable C . jejuni bacteria . Phenotype three showed immediate colonisation and delayed clearing of viable C . jejuni bacteria . Phenotype four showed delayed colonisation and delayed clearing of viable C . jejuni bacteria . Strains of phenotype five could not colonise chickens . Inoculum levels to obtain maximum caecal colonisation for each phenotype for strains cultured in vitro and in vivo was also determined . Following passage in vivo through a chicken, the minimum inoculum required for sustained colonisation dropped approximately 1000-fold, however, the colonisation phenotype remained unchanged before and after a passage in vivo.

Microb Drug Resist, 2002 Winter, 8(4), 335 - 43
Selection and characterization of fluoroquinolone-resistant mutants of Campylobacter jejuni using enrofloxacin; Payot S et al.; Significant levels of fluoroquinolone resistance were obtained in Campylobacterjejuni isolates after an unique step of selection using enrofloxacin . An Asp90-to-Asn and a Thr86-to-Ile change in the gyrase subunit GyrA were found associated with a low (MIC < or = 8 /microg/ml) or a high (MIC > or = 16 microg/ml) level of resistance to ciprofloxacin, respectively . An association of both mutations conferred a higher level of resistance (MIC > or = 128 microg/ml) . Further steps of selection increased the MICs of fluoroquinolones but did not result in a multiple antibiotic resistance phenotype . The Thr86-to-Ile change was found to confer different levels of resistance, pointing out other mechanisms of resistance . However, sequencing revealed no mutation in gyrB, and several attempts did not enable any amplification of the parC gene coding for topoisomerase IV, suggesting an absence of this secondary target in C . jejuni . In addition, no difference in the major outer membrane protein expression was found among the isolates . Furthermore, the use of the recently identified efflux pump inhibitor Phe-Arg-beta-naphthylamide did not result in a significant decrease of fluoroquinolone MICs or change in the frequency of isolation of enrofloxacin-resistant mutants, and thus appears ineffective against fluoroquinolone-resistant C . jejuni isolates . Results obtained during ciprofloxacin accumulation studies confirmed that efflux probably plays a minor role in fluoroquinolone resistance of C . jejuni.

Clin Exp Immunol, 2003 Jan, 131(1), 169 - 73
Reactive arthritis and serum levels of mannose binding lectin -- lack of association; Locht H et al.; The purpose was to evaluate the possible association of serum mannose binding lectin (s-MBL) levels on type of triggering microbe, duration of diarrhoea, incidence and course of reactive arthritis (ReA) caused by Salmonella, Yersinia and Campylobacter . Sixty patients with ReA of 1-228 months duration, 173 patients with ReA or uncomplicated enterocolitis caused by Campylobacter, 226 sera from patients with elevated antibody levels against Salmonella, Yersinia or Campylobacter, and 114 blood donors were tested for s-MBL using ELISA technique, both direct mannan binding assay and sandwich ELISA . s-MBL was compared with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and with the ability of activating complement C4 . Among the 114 donors 9% had s-MBL <50 microg/l, 16% had from 50-500 microg/l and 75% had >500 microg/l . The distribution of s-MBL levels in the three-patient groups did not differ significantly from the controls . There were no indications that low s-MBL was associated with prolonged duration of arthritis, diarrhoea or individual bacterial infections . The two MBL assays were comparable with respect to serum concentrations, indicating that the actual circulating MBL was also functionally active . s-MBL exhibited acute phase reactant behaviour and correlated to CRP level, but only in patients with s-MBL concentrations exceeding 1000 microg/l . MBL in 10 randomly selected ReA sera were tested for the ability to activate complement C4 . The results did not differ from those of donor controls . This study demonstrates that the distributions of s-MBL levels in serum among patients with ReA are not different from donor controls . The course, outcome or triggering bacteria are not associated with a particular level of s-MBL.

J Clin Microbiol, 2003 Jan, 41(1), 463 - 6
Epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibilities of 111 Campylobacter fetus subsp . fetus strains isolated in Québec, Canada, from 1983 to 2000; Tremblay C et al.; The epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibilities of 111 Campylobacter fetus subsp . fetus strains isolated from 103 patients from 1983 to 2000 in Quebec, Canada, were determined . The median number of patients infected annually with this bacteria was seven, with an incidence of 0.1 per 100,000 population . The male-to-female ratio was 1.1 to 1.0 . The patients originated from 13 of the 18 Quebec socioeconomic regions . The age range of the patients was 6 months to 90 years old, 53% being > or = 70 years old and 2% being <20 years old . The isolation site was blood for 69% of the patients, stools for 20%, and other body fluids for 11% of them . Three patients suffered a relapse, with the same strain being isolated from the same site at different times as confirmed by pulse-field gel electrophoresis . All isolates were susceptible to ampicillin, gentamicin, meropenem, and imipenem, with 90% minimal inhibitory concentrations of 4, 1, 0.12, and < or = 0.06 microg/ml, respectively . Three percent and two percent of the strains were, respectively, resistant and intermediate to ciprofloxacin . Thirty-four percent of the strains were resistant to tetracycline . There was a nonsignificant increase in resistance to ciprofloxacin (P = 0.27) and to tetracycline (P = 0.65) in recent years . The percentages of intermediate and resistant MICs were, respectively, 12 and 1% for cefotaxime and 71 and 0% for erythromycin . All strains were beta-lactamase negative.

J Clin Microbiol, 2003 Jan, 41(1), 330 - 6
Evaluation of 11 PCR assays for species-level identification of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli; On SL et al.; We examined the sensitivity and specificity of 11 PCR assays described for the species identification of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli by using 111 type, reference, and field strains of C . jejuni, C . coli, and Campylobacter lari . For six assays, an additional 21 type strains representing related Campylobacter, Arcobacter, and Helicobacter species were also included . PCR tests were initially established in the laboratory by optimizing conditions with respect to five type and reference strains of C . jejuni, C . coli, and C . lari . One PCR test for C . coli failed to give appropriate results during this initial setup phase and was not evaluated further . The remaining 10 assays were used to examine heated lysate and purified DNA templates as appropriate of well-characterized type, reference, and field strains of C . jejuni (n = 62), C . coli (n = 34), and C . lari (n = 15) . The tests varied considerably in their sensitivity and specificity for their respective target species . No assay was found to be 100% sensitive and/or specific for all C . jejuni strains tested, but four assays for C . coli gave appropriate responses for all strains examined . Between one and six strains of C . jejuni gave amplicons in four of seven C . jejuni PCR tests only where purified DNA was used as the template; corresponding results were seen with one strain of C . coli in each of three assays for the latter species . Our findings indicate that a polyphasic strategy for PCR-based identification should be used to identify C . jejuni and C . coli strains . The data may assist laboratories in selecting assays suited for their needs and in designing evaluations of future PCR tests aimed to identify these species.

J Clin Microbiol, 2003 Jan, 41(1), 174 - 80
Detection, isolation, and molecular subtyping of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter jejuni associated with a large waterborne outbreak; Bopp DJ et al.; The largest reported outbreak of waterborne Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the United States occurred in upstate New York following a county fair in August 1999 . Culture methods were used to isolate E . coli O157:H7 from specimens from 128 of 775 patients with suspected infections . Campylobacter jejuni was also isolated from stools of 44 persons who developed diarrheal illness after attending this fair . There was one case of a confirmed coinfection with E . coli O157:H7 and C . jejuni . Molecular detection of stx(1) and stx(2) Shiga toxin genes, immunomagnetic separation (IMS), and selective culture enrichment were utilized to detect and isolate E . coli O157:H7 from an unchlorinated well and its distribution points, a dry well, and a nearby septic tank . PCR for stx(1) and stx(2) was shown to provide a useful screen for toxin-producing E . coli O157:H7, and IMS subculture improved recovery . Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to compare patient and environmental E . coli O157:H7 isolates . Among patient isolates, 117 of 128 (91.5%) were type 1 or 1a (three or fewer bands different) . Among the water distribution system isolates, 13 of 19 (68%) were type 1 or 1a . Additionally, PFGE of C . jejuni isolates revealed that 29 of 35 (83%) had indistinguishable PFGE patterns . The PFGE results implicated the water distribution system as the main source of the E . coli O157:H7 outbreak . This investigation demonstrates the potential for outbreaks involving more than one pathogen and the importance of analyzing isolates from multiple patients and environmental samples to develop a better understanding of bacterial transmission during an outbreak.

J Clin Microbiol, 2003 Jan, 41(1), 15 - 26
Comparative genotyping of Campylobacter jejuni by amplified fragment length polymorphism, multilocus sequence typing, and short repeat sequencing: strain diversity, host range, and recombination; Schouls LM et al.; Three molecular typing methods were used to study the relationships among 184 Campylobacter strains isolated from humans, cattle, and chickens . All strains were genotyped by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and sequence analysis of a genomic region with short tandem repeats designated clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) . MLST and AFLP analysis yielded more than 100 different profiles and patterns, respectively . These multiple-locus typing methods resulted in similar genetic clustering, indicating that both are useful in disclosing genetic relationships between Campylobacter jejuni isolates . Group separation analysis of the AFLP analysis and MLST data revealed an unexpected association between cattle and human strains, suggesting a common source of infection . Analysis of the polymorphic CRISPR region carrying short repeats allowed about two-thirds of the typeable strains to be distinguished, similar to AFLP analysis and MLST . The three methods proved to be equally powerful in identifying strains from outbreaks of human campylobacteriosis . Analysis of the MLST data showed that intra- and interspecies recombination occurs frequently and that the role of recombination in sequence variation is 50 times greater than that of mutation . Examination of strains cultured from cecum swabs revealed that individual chickens harbored multiple Campylobacter strain types and that some genotypes were found in more than one chicken . We conclude that typing of Campylobacter strains is useful for identification of outbreaks but is probably not useful for source tracing and global epidemiology because of carriage of strains of multiple types and an extremely high diversity of strains in animals.

Environ Health Perspect, 2003 Jan, 111(1), 19 - 28
Pathogen survival trajectories: an eco-environmental approach to the modeling of human campylobacteriosis ecology; Skelly C et al.; Campylobacteriosis, like many human diseases, has its own ecology in which the propagation of human infection and disease depends on pathogen survival and finding new hosts in order to replicate and sustain the pathogen population . The complexity of this process, a process common to other enteric pathogens, has hampered control efforts . Many unknowns remain, resulting in a poorly understood disease ecology . To provide structure to these unknowns and help direct further research and intervention, we propose an eco-environmental modeling approach for campylobacteriosis . This modeling approach follows the pathogen population as it moves through the environments that define the physical structure of its ecology . In this paper, we term the ecologic processes and environments through which these populations move "pathogen survival trajectories." Although such a modeling approach could have veterinary applications, our emphasis is on human campylobacteriosis and focuses on human exposures to Campylobacter through feces, food, and aquatic environments . The pathogen survival trajectories that lead to human exposure include ecologic filters that limit population size, e.g., cooking food to kill Campylobacter . Environmental factors that influence the size of the pathogen reservoirs include temperature, nutrient availability, and moisture availability during the period of time the pathogen population is moving through the environment between infected and susceptible hosts . We anticipate that the modeling approach proposed here will work symbiotically with traditional epidemiologic and microbiologic research to help guide and evaluate the acquisition of new knowledge about the ecology, eventual intervention, and control of campylobacteriosis.

BMC Evol Biol . 2003 Jan 06;3(1):1.
No simple dependence between protein evolution rate and the number of protein-protein interactions: only the most prolific interactors tend to evolve slowly; Jordan IK et al.; BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that rates of protein evolution are influenced, to a great extent, by the proportion of amino acid residues that are directly involved in protein function . In agreement with this hypothesis, recent work has shown a negative correlation between evolutionary rates and the number of protein-protein interactions . However, the extent to which the number of protein-protein interactions influences evolutionary rates remains unclear . Here, we address this question at several different levels of evolutionary relatedness . RESULTS: Manually curated data on the number of protein-protein interactions among Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteins was examined for possible correlation with evolutionary rates between S . cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe orthologs . Only a very weak negative correlation between the number of interactions and evolutionary rate of a protein was observed . Furthermore, no relationship was found between a more general measure of the evolutionary conservation of S . cerevisiae proteins, based on the taxonomic distribution of their homologs, and the number of protein-protein interactions . However, when the proteins from yeast were assorted into discrete bins according to the number of interactions, it turned out that 6.5% of the proteins with the greatest number of interactions evolved, on average, significantly slower than the rest of the proteins . Comparisons were also performed using protein-protein interaction data obtained with high-throughput analysis of Helicobacter pylori proteins . No convincing relationship between the number of protein-protein interactions and evolutionary rates was detected, either for comparisons of orthologs from two completely sequenced H . pylori strains or for comparisons of H . pylori and Campylobacter jejuni orthologs, even when the proteins were classified into bins by the number of interactions . CONCLUSION: The currently available comparative-genomic data do not support the hypothesis that the evolutionary rates of the majority of proteins substantially depend on the number of protein-protein interactions they are involved in . However, a small fraction of yeast proteins with the largest number of interactions (the hubs of the interaction network) tend to evolve slower than the bulk of the proteins.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2003 Jan, 69(1), 711 - 4
Survival and resuscitation of ten strains of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli under acid conditions; Chaveerach P et al.; The culturability of 10 strains of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli was studied after the bacteria were exposed to acid conditions for various periods of time . Campylobacter cells could not survive 2 h under acid conditions (formic acid at pH 4) . The 10 Campylobacter strains could not be recovered, even when enrichment media were used . Viable cells, however, could be detected by a double-staining (5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl tetrazolium chloride {CTC}-4',6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole {DAPI}) technique, demonstrating that the treated bacteria changed into a viable but nonculturable (VBNC) form; the number of VBNC forms decreased over time . Moreover, some VBNC forms of Campylobacter could be successfully resuscitated in specific-free-pathogen fertilized eggs via two routes, amniotic and yolk sac injecting.

Pol J Vet Sci, 2002, 5(4), 223 - 5
Investigation on the inhibition of Campylobacter jejuni growth with the applications of some preservatives, medicines, herbs and herb preparations; Uradzinski J et al.; The aim of this study was to determine the influence of chosen preservatives, medicines, herbs and herb preparations on 39 Campylobacter jejuni strains, which were isolated from fresh poultry carcasses . De-Nol and ventrisol were used in the original concentration . Propolis, propolan, artecholin and aukalen were of pharmacies origin . The rest of substances examined were 10% water solutions . Out of 11 substances examined, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, De-Nol and ventrisol exerted the strongest inhibitory action on Campylobacter jejuni.

Bull Exp Biol Med, 2002 Sep, 134(3), 299 - 300
Detection of Campylobacter jejuni in healthy monkeys and monkeys with enteric infections by PCR; Kalashnikova VA et al.; Campylobacter were detected by PCR in feces of monkeys of different species (clinically healthy, with diarrhea, and dead from acute enteric infections) . High prevalence of these bacteria in monkeys was revealed . The incidence of C . jejuni DNA in monkeys with acute enteric infections was higher than in healthy animals (69.6 and 51.3%, respectively) . The highest percentage (92.3) of positive results was observed in Macaca mulatta with enteric diseases and in macaque dead of these diseases . The presence of C . jejuni in monkeys with diarrhea and the absence of pathogenic enterobacteria (Shigella, Salmonella, Yersinia) in feces probably attest to etiological relationship of acute enteric infections with Campylobacter.

J Infect, 2003 Jan, 46(1), 35 - 45
Enhanced surveillance of campylobacter infection in the North West of England 1997-1999; Sopwith W et al.; OBJECTIVES: To identify sources and routes of infection for sporadic cases of campylobacter infection in the North West of England . METHODS: Standard, structured questionnaires were used to gather epidemiological information from cases of campylobacter infection in the North West Region of England between 1997 and 1999 . The strains of campylobacter isolated from these cases were identified and typed using serotyping and phage typing methods . Analysis of combined serotype and epidemiological data is presented . RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Human campylobacter infection in the North West is seasonal and a new observation was a peak in cases in March each year . Drinking bird-pecked milk was a highly seasonal exposure that might be an indicator of environmental contamination with campylobacter . A possible environmental basis for seasonality of infection is discussed . Frequencies of risk exposures related to serotypes of cases are described and a potential association was demonstrated between Campylobacter jejuni HS6 and consumption of bird-pecked milk . Also, Campylobacter coli infections were more commonly associated with travel abroad than C . jejuni and a decreased proportion of C . jejuni HS2 and C . jejuni HS11 reported consumption of meat and unpasteurised milk (respectively) . Contact with a sick animal may be a significant risk exposure in younger age groups and in those who do not consume poultry or meat . It is clear from this and other studies that the sources and vehicles of human campylobacter infection are numerous and interventions that target a single risk factor are unlikely to impact significantly on the overall burden of disease.

Bioinformatics, 2003 Jan, 19(1), 125 - 34
Whole-proteome interaction mining; Bock JR et al.; MOTIVATION: A major post-genomic scientific and technological pursuit is to describe the functions performed by the proteins encoded by the genome . One strategy is to first identify the protein-protein interactions in a proteome, then determine pathways and overall structure relating these interactions, and finally to statistically infer functional roles of individual proteins . Although huge amounts of genomic data are at hand, current experimental protein interaction assays must overcome technical problems to scale-up for high-throughput analysis . In the meantime, bioinformatics approaches may help bridge the information gap required for inference of protein function . In this paper, a previously described data mining approach to prediction of protein-protein interactions (Bock and Gough, 2001, Bioinformatics, 17, 455-460) is extended to interaction mining on a proteome-wide scale . An algorithm (the phylogenetic bootstrap) is introduced, which suggests traversal of a phenogram, interleaving rounds of computation and experiment, to develop a knowledge base of protein interactions in genetically-similar organisms . RESULTS: The interaction mining approach was demonstrated by building a learning system based on 1,039 experimentally validated protein-protein interactions in the human gastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori . An estimate of the generalization performance of the classifier was derived from 10-fold cross-validation, which indicated expected upper bounds on precision of 80% and sensitivity of 69% when applied to related organisms . One such organism is the enteric pathogen Campylobacter jejuni, in which comprehensive machine learning prediction of all possible pairwise protein-protein interactions was performed . The resulting network of interactions shares an average protein connectivity characteristic in common with previous investigations reported in the literature, offering strong evidence supporting the biological feasibility of the hypothesized map . For inferences about complete proteomes in which the number of pairwise non-interactions is expected to be much larger than the number of actual interactions, we anticipate that the sensitivity will remain the same but precision may decrease . We present specific biological examples of two subnetworks of protein-protein interactions in C . jejuni resulting from the application of this approach, including elements of a two-component signal transduction systems for thermoregulation, and a ferritin uptake network.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2003 Jan, 47(1), 390 - 4
In vivo selection of Campylobacter isolates with high levels of fluoroquinolone resistance associated with gyrA mutations and the function of the CmeABC efflux pump; Luo N et al.; Enrofloxacin treatment of chickens infected with fluoroquinolone(FQ)-sensitive Campylobacter promoted the emergence of FQ-resistant Campylobacter mutants which propagated in the intestinal tract and recolonized the chickens . The recovered isolates were highly resistant to quinolone antibiotics but remained susceptible to non-FQ antimicrobial agents . Specific single-point mutations in the gyrA gene and the function of the CmeABC efflux pump were linked to the acquired FQ resistance . These results reveal that Campylobacter is hypermutable in vivo under the selection pressure of FQ and highlight the need for the prudent use of FQ antibiotics.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2003 Jan, 47(1), 102 - 5
Antimicrobial susceptibilities of Campylobacter strains isolated from Finnish subjects infected domestically or from those infected abroad; Rautelin H et al.; The in vitro susceptibilities of 678 Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli strains isolated from stool samples of the same number of Finnish subjects were studied . A total of 523 patients, representing inhabitants from throughout Finland, had not traveled abroad within the 2 weeks prior to becoming ill, whereas 155 persons had presumably acquired their infections abroad . The antimicrobial agents studied were erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, trovafloxacin, and moxifloxacin . The MICs of these antimicrobial agents were determined by the agar dilution method . The growth of all domestic isolates was inhibited by erythromycin at concentrations of 4 microg/ml, and for these isolates the fluoroquinolone MICs at which 90% of isolates are inhibited (MIC(90)s) ranged from 0.06 to 0.5 microg/ml . For the foreign isolates, the erythromycin MIC(90) was still low (4 microg/ml), but their susceptibilities to fluoroquinolones were clearly reduced (MIC(90)s, 8 to 64 microg/ml) . Of the four different fluoroquinolones studied, ciprofloxacin was the least active (MIC(90), 64 micro g/ml).

Emerg Infect Dis, 2002 Dec, 8(12), 1501 - 3
Increasing fluoroquinolone resistance in Campylobacter jejuni, Pennsylvania, USA,1982-2001; Nachamkin I et al.; Fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter jejuni has been observed worldwide and is now being seen in the United States . Among patients in our health-care system in Pennsylvania, fluoroquinolone-resistant C . jejuni were not observed from 1982 to 1992; however, resistance increased to 40.5% in 2001 . Resistance to erythromycin remains at a low level (<5%).

Infect Immun, 2003 Jan, 71(1), 541 - 5
Campylobacter jejuni cytolethal distending toxin promotes DNA repair responses in normal human cells; Hassane DC et al.; Cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) is a multisubunit protein found in various gram-negative bacterial pathogens of humans which is thought to cause cell death by direct DNA damage of host cells . We sought to determine if a cellular response to DNA damage could be detected by exogenous addition of the holotoxin . Exogenous addition of the Campylobacter jejuni 81-176 CDT to primary human fibroblasts resulted in formation of Rad50 foci, which are formed around double-stranded-DNA breaks . Moreover, such foci are formed in both proliferating and nonproliferating cells that are treated with C . jejuni CDT . Fibroblasts that were intoxicated and later stimulated to proliferate failed to divide and remained arrested in the G(1) phase of the cell cycle.

Avian Dis, 2002 Oct-Dec, 46(4), 985 - 8
Campylobacter colonization of the crops of newly hatched leghorn chicks; Ziprin RL et al.; We have studied colonization of crops in newly hatched leghorn chicks (a layer breed) by wild-type and mutant strains of Campylobacter jejuni . We established that the wild-type parent strain forms a stable population level within the crop and that the mutant strains will do likewise . Concentrations of mutant strains in the crop were usually below that of the wild-type parent strain and ranged from 10(3) to 10(5) colony-forming units . These results differ from results we have previously reported concerning cecal colonization, where these same mutant strains lacked colonizing ability . The present results, therefore, indicate that bacterial factors necessary for colonization of the crop are not the same as those needed for colonization of the cecum.

Avian Dis, 2002 Oct-Dec, 46(4), 919 - 24
Recovery of Campylobacter from segments of the reproductive tract of broiler breeder hens; Buhr RJ et al.; Three groups of >60-wk-old broiler breeder hens were assessed for the presence of Campylobacter within segments of the reproductive tract . In the first group, after stunned, the hens were bled, scalded, and defeathered, the reproductive tracts were aseptically excised from 18 hens, six from each of three adjacent floor pens that were feces positivefor Campylobacter . The reproductive tract segments (infundibulum, magnum-isthmus, shell gland, vagina, and cloaca) were pooled by pen . In the second group, 10 individual hens were sampled from the pens; the reproductive tract was divided into the following segments: magnum, isthmus, shell gland, vagina, and cloaca . For the third group, hens were obtained from two commercial farms that had been determined to be feces positive for Campylobacter, and the reproductive tract was divided into five segments, as described for the second group . Segments of the reproductive tract were placed into sterile plastic bags and suspended 1:3 (w/v) in Bolton enrichment broth, and serial dilutions were plated (0.1 ml) onto Campy-Cefex agar . The agar places were incubated at 42 C for 24 hr in a microaerobic atmosphere . In group 1, the pooled reproductive tract segments for hens from pen A were Campylobacter positive for the shell gland, vagina, and cloaca; hens from pen B were positive for the cloaca only; and hens from pen C were positive for the magnum-isthmus and doaca . In the second group, 9 of 10 cloaca samples were Campylobacter positive . Commercial hens in group 3 had campylobacter-positive cloaca samples (12/12), vagina (10/12), shell gland (7/12), isthmus (2/12), and magnum (4/12) . Campylobacter colonization of the reproductive tract of the hen could enable vertical transmission of Campylobacter from the hen to the chick.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 2003 Jan, 51(1), 19 - 26
Fluoroquinolone resistance in Campylobacter species from man and animals: detection of mutations in topoisomerase genes; Piddock LJ et al.; Consecutive isolates of quinolone-resistant campylobacter isolated over a 5 year period (1990-1995) from the faeces of patients with enteritis in Plymouth, UK, were examined for the epidemiology of mutations in gyrA (n = 127) . In addition, clinical isolates and poultry isolates from Germany, The Netherlands and other regions of the UK collected before 1995 were examined for mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining region of gyrA by single-stranded conformational polymorphism analysis and direct sequencing of a 270 bp fragment of PCR-generated DNA . The majority of isolates (173/208) carried a mutation at codon 86 in gyrA resulting in substitution of Ile for Thr; all of these were resistant to ciprofloxacin (MIC > or = 2 mg/L) . One isolate of Campylobacter jejuni had a mutation at Asp-90, and another had a double mutation at Thr-86 and Pro-104 . Only two resistant isolates showed no mutation in gyrA . A novel gyrA sequence was amplified from two Campylobacter lari and one C . jejuni, which exhibited a valine at codon 86 . Only 8/192 isolates had changes in gyrB; all were shown to relate to silent mutations in gyrB and presumably reflect natural polymorphisms in the gene.

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 2002 Nov, 44(3), 227 - 34
Surveillance of bacterial pathogens of diarrhea disease in Indonesia; Oyofo BA et al.; Emerging or reemerging infections due to bacterial disease may be a local, regional or global problem . Bacterial acute gastroenteritis is a potential cause of substantial morbidity in travelers and deployed U.S . military personnel . A surveillance study was conducted over a two-year period in Indonesia among 6760 patients with debilitating diarrheal diseases . Of the 6,760 patients, 587 (9%) of the patient stools were positive for bacteria . The proportions of bacteria isolated from the 587 patients were: Shigella flexneri (39%), Salmonella spp . (26%), Vibrio spp . (17%), S . sonnei (7%), Campylobacter jejuni (4.4%), Salmonella typhi (3%) and S . dysenteriae (2.3%) . Shigella flexneri was the most prevalent pathogen isolated, over Vibrio spp . No V . cholerae was isolated in the cities of Pontianak, Padang or Batam in Indonesia . Shigella dysenteriae reemergence was noted in Bali, Kalimantan, Batam and Jakarta after an absence of 15 years . Isolation of a high proportion of S . flexneri, and Vibrio spp . occurred during the rainy months . All bacterial isolates were susceptible to quinolones, with the exception of C . jejuni and Salmonella spp., which were resistant to ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and nalidixic acid . Our findings highlight the decline of V . cholerae, the rise of S . flexneri and the reemergence of S . dysenteriae in Indonesia . The study also documents the emergence of quinolone-resistant Campylobacter spp . in the Indonesia archipelago.

J Appl Microbiol, 2003, 94(1), 111 - 9
Resistance to quinolones in Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli from Danish broilers at farm level; Pedersen K et al.; AIMS: To investigate the prevalence of quinolone resistance among Campylobacter jejuni and Camp . coli isolates from Danish poultry at the farm level, as well as for the whole country . METHODS AND RESULTS: Data and isolates were collected from a national surveillance of Campylobacter in poultry . Quinolone resistance was investigated by determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to nalidixic acid and enrofloxacin . Among Camp . jejuni and Camp . coli combined, 7.5% were resistant to nalidixic acid . Quinolone resistance varied considerably from farm to farm, with 0% on some farms and almost 100% on others, but the resistance was evenly distributed geographically . With respect to isolates from farms where resistance was detected, quinolone resistance was higher among Camp . coli (28.7%) than among Camp . jejuni (11.3%) . PFGE typing of quinolone-resistant and quinolone-susceptible isolates from four farms indicated that certain resistant isolates belonged to specific clones that were able to persist on the farms during several rotations, even in the absence of selective pressure . Some clones were present and repeatedly isolated in both a quinolone-susceptible and quinolone-resistant variant . CONCLUSIONS: Overall, quinolone resistance among Campylobacter isolates from Danish broilers was 7.5% in 1998 and 1999; it was higher among Camp . coli than Camp . jejuni . Genetic diversity among resistant isolates was lower than among susceptible isolates, and certain clones existed in both a resistant and a susceptible variant . Some resistant clones appeared to persist on the farms and were repeatedly isolated from poultry flocks . SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The study is important for the understanding of persistence and dynamics of Campylobacter in broiler houses . It also highlights the extent, farm-to-farm variation and persistence of quinolone-resistant Campylobacter in broiler houses.

Oral Microbiol Immunol, 2002 Dec, 17(6), 379 - 87
Similarity of the oral microbiota of pre-school children with that of their caregivers in a population-based study; Tanner AC et al.; This study evaluated the similarity between the oral microbiota of young children and that of their adult caregivers . Oral samples from children (174 dentate and 18 pre-dentate) aged 6-36 months and their caregivers in Saipan were assayed using a DNA probe assay . Many species including Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, Actinomyces species, Campylobacter rectus, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, and Porphyromonas gingivalis were detected in dentate and pre-dentate children, whereas Bacteroides forsythus was detected only in dentate children . A higher percentage of children were positive for the detection of an individual species if the caregiver was also positive . There were significant relative risks of species detection between dentate children and their caregivers . By logistic regression, there were significant positive associations between species detection in caregiver and in child, but not between species detection and child age or maternal education level . In conclusion, dental pathogens were detected in young, including pre-dentate, children . The microbial profiles of children were strongly associated with the microbiota of their caregivers.

Clin Oral Investig, 2002 Dec, 6(4), 210 - 6 Epub 2002 Nov 09.
Correlations between bacterial levels in autologous subgingival plaque and saliva of adult Sudanese; Darout IA et al.; The aim of this study was to assess levels of oral bacteria and their correlations in paired samples of saliva and subgingival plaque in a population of adult Sudanese . Whole saliva and pooled subgingival plaque samples from six probing sites of one tooth in each jaw were obtained from 56 Sudanese adults (mean age 35.2+/-8.9 years) . Levels of 24 oral bacteria in the autologous saliva and pooled plaque sample of each subject were assessed by DNA probes and checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization . There were significantly ( P< or =0.01) higher percentages of subjects with > or =10(5) bacterial cells of Prevotella intermedia, Campylobacter rectus, Veillonella parvula, Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus anginosus, Streptococcus salivarius, and Leptotrichia buccalis and significantly ( P< or =0.01) lower percentages with Treponema denticola in saliva than in subgingival plaque . The detection frequencies at > or =10(6) bacterial cells were significantly higher for Selenomonas sputigena, S . anginosus, Streptococcus sanguis, and S . salivarius and significantly lower for Porphyromonas gingivalis in saliva than in subgingival plaque ( P< or =0.01) . Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, S . sputigena, S . sanguis, and Streptococcus mitis demonstrated significant ( P< or =0.05) positive correlations between their levels in plaque and saliva . This study indicates that the levels of P . gingivalis, F . nucleatum, S . sputigena, S . sanguis, and S . mitis correlate significantly in saliva and subgingival plaque and that higher accuracy of detection and assessment of the levels of these bacteria in the oral cavity may be achieved by concurrent sampling of saliva and subgingival plaque.

Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2002 Nov, 67(5), 533 - 8
An observational clinic-based study of diarrheal illness in deployed United States military personnel in Thailand: presentation and outcome of Campylobacter infection; Sanders JW et al.; Campylobacter is a leading cause of traveler's diarrhea in Thailand . Since resistance to quinolones is high among Campylobacter isolates, empiric therapy with quinolones for traveler's diarrhea may be ineffective in this region . We conducted an observational study among 169 U.S . military personnel with acute diarrhea and compared their microbiologic findings to those of 77 asymptomatic personnel deployed to Thailand in May 1998 . Of 146 pathogenic bacterial isolates, the most common were nontyphoidal Salmonella (n = 31), enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (n = 24), and C . jejuni/coli (n = 23) . Campylobacter was strongly associated with disease (odds ratio = 5.9; 95% confidence interval = 1.3-37.3), with a more severe clinical presentation, and with a reduced functional ability at presentation (P = 0.02) . In vitro resistance to ciprofloxacin was observed in 96% of the Campylobacter isolates . Sub-optimal treatment response to ciprofloxacin was observed in 17% of the cases of Campylobacter infection versus 6% due to other causes . These results highlight the importance of Campylobacter as a cause of severe traveler's diarrhea in Thailand and illustrates the ongoing problem with antibiotic-resistant strains and associated treatment problems.

Mol Cell Probes, 2002 Oct, 16(5), 359 - 69
Rapid PCR using nested primers of the 16S rRNA and the hippuricase (hip O) genes to detect Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in environmental samples; Bang DD et al.; Identification of sources Campylobacter infection in the poultry houses is in general problematic due to the lack of reliable methods to detect campylobacteria in environmental samples . Detection of campylobacteria in environmental samples by conventional culture methods is difficult and of limited sensitivity due to the use of selective media, the low number of bacteria in the samples and possibly also due to the presence of non-culturable or sub-lethally injured stages of the bacteria . The present paper describes a rapid PCR assay using nested primers of the 16S rRNA or the hippuricase (hip O) genes to detect Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in environmental samples . The sensitivity of the nested PCR was determined to be 0.01 pg/PCR, corresponding to 2-3 colony forming units (cfu) per ml . The nested PCR assays were applied to detect C . jejuni and C . coli in 269 environmental samples collected from ten broiler farms . The sensitivity, specificity and the usefulness of the PCR assay for detection of C . jejuni and C . coli in environmental samples are presented and discussed.

Genome Res, 2002 Dec, 12(12), 1961 - 73
A strategy to retrieve the whole set of protein modules in microbial proteomes; Le Bouder-Langevin S et al.; Protein homology is often limited to long structural segments that we have previously called modules . We describe here a suite of programs used to catalog the whole set of modules present in microbial proteomes . First, the Darwin AllAll program detects homologous segments using thresholds for evolutionary distance and alignment length, and another program classifies these modules . After assembling these homologous modules in families, we further group families which are related by a chain of neighboring unrelated homologous modules . With the automatic analysis of these groups of families sharing homologous modules in independent multimodular proteins, one can split into their component parts many fused modules and/or deduce by logic more distant modules . All detected and inferred modules are reassembled in refined families . These two last steps are made by a unique program . Eventually, the soundness of the data obtained by this experimental approach is checked using independent tests . To illustrate this modular approach, we compared four proteobacterial proteomes (Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, and Helicobacter pylori) . It appears that this method might retrieve from present-day proteins many of the modules which can help to trace back ancient events of gene duplication and/or fusion.

Med J Aust, 2002 Dec 2-16, 177(11-12), 614 - 8
Foodborne disease in the new millennium: out of the frying pan and into the fire?
Hall GV, D'Souza RM, Kirk MD.
About four million cases of foodborne infectious disease occur annually in Australia; new foodborne pathogens, such as enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli, are emerging . Climate change, combined with changes in how we produce and distribute food and how we behave as consumers, have the potential to affect foodborne disease in the coming century . Foodborne disease outbreaks are now more far-reaching (and sometimes global) due to modern mass food production and widespread food distribution . There are strong seasonal patterns for Salmonella and Campylobacter infection in Australia . Global warming may increase the incidence of infections, such as salmonellosis, and diseases caused by toxins, such as ciguatera.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 2002 Dec, 50(6), 889 - 93
Bactericidal activity of phlorotannins from the brown alga Ecklonia kurome; Nagayama K et al.; The bactericidal activity of phlorotannins from brown algae against food-borne pathogenic bacteria (25 strains), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (nine strains) and Streptococcus pyogenes (one strain) was examined and compared with that of catechins . In addition, the effect of the oral administration of phlorotannins on mice was investigated . Phlorotannins, which are oligomers of phloroglucinol, were extracted from thalli of the brown alga Ecklonia kurome and prepared by silicic acid chromatography . The bactericidal activity of polyphenols was determined using a broth microdilution method . Of the bacteria tested, Campylobacter spp . were the most susceptible to the phlorotannins . The MBCs of the crude phlorotannins, dieckol and 8,8'-bieckol (hexamers), and that of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) against Campylobacter jejuni were 50 mg/L, 0.03 micromol/mL and 0.03 micromol/mL, respectively . On the whole, the bactericidal effects of the phlorotannins were more pronounced than those of the catechins . The phlorotannins were as effective against MRSA as against the other bacteria tested . At twice the MBCs, all Vibrio parahaemolyticus were killed within 0.5-2 h . However, at the same concentration, catechins showed little bactericidal activity within 4 h . No effect on mice was observed with oral administration of the phlorotannins under the conditions tested.

Science, 2002 Nov 29, 298(5599), 1790 - 3
N-linked glycosylation in Campylobacter jejuni and its functional transfer into E . coli; Wacker M et al.; N-linked protein glycosylation is the most abundant posttranslation modification of secretory proteins in eukaryotes . A wide range of functions are attributed to glycan structures covalently linked to asparagine residues within the asparagine-X-serine/threonine consensus sequence (Asn-Xaa-Ser/Thr) . We found an N-linked glycosylation system in the bacterium Campylobacter jejuni and demonstrate that a functional N-linked glycosylation pathway could be transferred into Escherichia coli . Although the bacterial N-glycan differs structurally from its eukaryotic counterparts, the cloning of a universal N-linked glycosylation cassette in E . coli opens up the possibility of engineering permutations of recombinant glycan structures for research and industrial applications.

Med Clin (Barc), 2002 Nov 23, 119(18), 695 - 8
{Outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by Campylobacter jejuni transmitted through drinking water}; Godoy P et al.; BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to conduct a clinical-epidemiological and microbiological investigation into an outbreak of waterborne disease caused by Campylobacter jejuni due to the consumption of drinking water . PATIENTS AND METHOD: A historical cohort study was carried out among 237 residents of Torres de Segre (Lleida, Spain) who were selected using a systematic sample . We conducted a telephone interview about water consumption, symptoms and the onset of disease . We investigated samples of drinking water and stools from 14 patients . The risk associated with each water source was assessed by applying relative risk (RR) analysis at 95% confidence (CI) intervals . RESULTS: The overall attack rate was 18.3% (43/237) . The symptoms were: diarrhoea, 93.0% (18/43); abdominal pain, 80.9% (34/42); nausea; 56,1% (23/41); vomits, 42.9% (18/42), and fever, 11.9% (5/42) . Only 5.8% of patients contact with his physician.The consumption of drinking water was statistically associated with the disease (RR = 3.0; 95% CI, 1.7-5.3), while the consumption of bottled water (RR = 0.6; 95% CI 0.3-1.0) and water from other villages (RR = 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1-1.1) were a protection factor.The day of outbreak notification we did not detect any residual chlorine in the drinking water: it was qualified as no potable and we isolated Campylobacter jejuni in 8 samples stools . CONCLUSIONS: This research highlights the potential importance of waterborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis due to Campylobacter jejuni transmitted through untreated drinking water and suggests to need systematic controls over drinking water and the proper register of their results.

Int J Antimicrob Agents, 2002 Dec, 20(6), 451 - 6
Antibacterial activity of moxifloxacin against periodontal anaerobic pathogens involved in systemic infections; Milazzo I et al.; The in vitro activity of moxifloxacin was compared with that of penicillin G, amoxycillin/clavulanate, cefoxitin, erythromycin, clindamycin and metronidazole against 158 isolates associated with periodontal infections . MIC(50)/MIC(90) values of moxifloxacin were respectively 0.06/0.5 mg/l for Porphyromonas gingivalis (35), for Prevotella spp . (28) and Actinomyces spp . (35), 0.12/0.25 mg/l for Fusobacterium nucleatum (20) and 0.06/0.12 mg/l for Peptostreptococcus spp . (30) . The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) range of moxifloxacin for Bacteroides forsythus (6) and Campylobacter rectus (4) was 0.06-0.12 mg/l . The minimum bactericidal concentrations were equal to or 2-4 times the MIC values . Moxifloxacin produced a bactericidal effect at 8 h . Our results show that moxifloxacin has good antibacterial activity against periodontal pathogens comparable with that of cefoxitin and amoxycillin/clavulanate, and better than that of clindamycin, metronidazole and penicillin .

J Clin Microbiol, 2002 Dec, 40(12), 4792 - 6
Isolation of Campylobacter fetus subsp . fetus from a patient with cellulitis; Briedis DJ et al.; Campylobacter fetus subsp . fetus is a gram-negative, slender, spirally curved bacterial pathogen . It has been isolated from human blood, spinal fluid, and abscesses, but cellulitis associated with bacteremia is rare . We report its isolation from a blood culture of a human patient with cellulitis as well as difficulties encountered in determining the identity of the subspecies of C . fetus.

J Clin Microbiol, 2002 Dec, 40(12), 4744 - 7
Colony multiplex PCR assay for identification and differentiation of Campylobacter jejuni, C . coli, C . lari, C . upsaliensis, and C . fetus subsp . fetus; Wang G et al.; A multiplex PCR assay was used to simultaneously detect genes from the five major clinically relevant Campylobacter spp . Those genes selected were hipO and 23S rRNA from Campylobacter jejuni; glyA from each of C . coli, C . lari, and C . upsaliensis; and sapB2 from C . fetus subsp . fetus . The assay was evaluated with 137 clinical and environmental isolates and was found to be rapid and easy to perform and had a high sensitivity and specificity for characterizing isolates, even in mixed cultures.

J Clin Microbiol, 2002 Dec, 40(12), 4594 - 602
Campylobacter jejuni in black-headed gulls (Larus ridibundus): prevalence, genotypes, and influence on C . jejuni epidemiology; Broman T et al.; Campylobacteriosis is a zoonotic disease in which birds have been suggested to play an important role as a reservoir . We investigated the prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni subsp . jejuni in black-headed gulls (Larus ridibundus) in southern Sweden with the aim of examining the nature of C . jejuni infection in this bird species . Birds were sampled in four sampling series each year during 1999 (n = 419) and 2000 (n = 365) . Longitudinally sampled C . jejuni isolates from individual gulls were subjected to macrorestriction profiling (MRP) by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to investigate the genotypical stability during the natural course of infection . Furthermore, a subset (n = 76) of black-headed gull isolates was compared to isolates from broiler chickens (n = 38) and humans (n = 56) originating from the same geographic area . We found a pronounced seasonal variation in C . jejuni carriage, with the highest rates found in late autumn . MRP similarities were higher between isolates of human and broiler chicken origin, than between those of wild bird origin and either of the other two hosts . However, identical MRPs were found in two gull isolates and one human isolate after digestion with two restriction enzymes, strongly indicating that they may have been colonized by the same clone of C . jejuni . The MRPs most prevalent in gull isolates did not occur among isolates from humans and broiler chickens, suggesting the existence of a subpopulation of C . jejuni adapted to species-specific colonization or environmental survival.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2002 Dec, 68(12), 6220 - 36
Molecular subtype analyses of Campylobacter spp . from Arkansas and California poultry operations; Hiett KL et al.; Campylobacter isolates from diverse samples within broiler production and processing environments were typed by using flaA short variable region DNA sequence analysis . Sixteen flocks from four different farms representing two broiler producers in Arkansas and California were analyzed . Fourteen of the flocks (87.5%) were Campylobacter-positive; two remained negative throughout the 6-week rearing period . In general, multiple clones were present within a flock . Additionally, clones found within a flock were also present on the final product, although the diversity of Campylobacter spp . on the final product appeared to be reduced relative to that observed within the flock . Comparison of clones between flocks on the same farm revealed that some clones of Campylobacter persisted in multiple flocks . Furthermore, some clones were identified across the two farms that were under the same management . In two sampling periods, environmental isolates were positive for Campylobacter prior to flock shedding . Environmental samples associated with five additional flocks were positive for Campylobacter concomitantly with recovery of Campylobacter from the birds . Analysis of the environmental isolates that were positive prior to flock shedding demonstrated that in some instances the environmental isolates possessed genotypes identical to those of isolates originating from the flock, while in other cases the environmental isolates possessed genotypes that were distantly related to isolates obtained from the flock . Analyses of environmental isolates that tested positive concurrently with the positive isolates from the flocks demonstrated varied results; in some instances the environmental isolates possessed genotypes identical to those of isolates originating from the flock, while in other cases the environmental isolates possessed genotypes that were distantly related to isolates obtained from the flock . These data suggest that the external environment may contribute to Campylobacter contamination during poultry production and processing . However, environmental contamination with Campylobacter does not appear to be the sole contributing factor.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2002 Dec, 68(12), 5911 - 7
Prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter lari, and Campylobacter coli in different ecological guilds and taxa of migrating birds; Waldenstrom J et al.; A total of 1,794 migrating birds trapped at a coastal site in southern Sweden were sampled for detection of Campylobacter spp . All isolates phenotypically identified as Campylobacter jejuni and a subset of those identified as non-C . jejuni were identified to the species level by PCR-based techniques . C . jejuni was found in 5.0% of the birds, Campylobacter lari was found in 5.6%, and Campylobacter coli was found in 0.9% . An additional 10.7% of the tested birds were infected with hippurate hydrolysis-negative Campylobacter spp . that were not identified to the species level . The prevalence of Campylobacter spp . differed significantly between ecological guilds of birds . Shoreline-foraging birds feeding on invertebrates and opportunistic feeders were most commonly infected (76.8 and 50.0%, respectively) . High prevalence was also shown in other ground-foraging guilds, i.e., ground-foraging invertebrate feeders (11.0%), ground-foraging insectivores (20.3%), and plant-eating species (18.8%) . Almost no Campylobacter spp . were found in ground-foraging granivores (2.3%), arboreal insectivores (0.6%), aerial insectivores (0%), or reed- and herbaceous plant-foraging insectivores (3.5%) . During the autumn migration, a high proportion of samples from juveniles were positive (7.1% in passerines, 55.0% in shorebirds), indicating transmission on the breeding grounds or during the early part of migration . Prevalence of Campylobacter spp . was associated with increasing body mass among passerine bird species . Furthermore, prevalence was higher in short-distance migrants wintering in Europe than in long-distance migrants wintering in Africa, the Middle East, or Asia . Among ground-foraging birds of the Muscicapidae, those of the subfamily Turdinae (i.e., Turdus spp.) showed a high prevalence of Campylobacter spp., while the organism was not isolated in any member of the subfamily Muscicapinae (i.e., Erithacus and Luscinia) . The prevalence of Campylobacter infection in wild birds thus seems to be linked to various ecological and phylogenetic factors, with great variations in carriership between different taxa and guilds.

J Vet Med B Infect Dis Vet Public Health, 2002 Oct, 49(8), 388 - 93
Molecular diversity of Campylobacter coli and C . jejuni isolated from pigs at slaughter by flaA-RFLP analysis and ribotyping; Moore JE et al.; A population of porcine isolates of Camplobacter jejuni (n = 11) and C . coli (n = 17) were examined for genotypic relatedness employing ribotyping, as well as polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis of the flagellin (fla)A gene locus . PCR was employed to amplify a 533 bp fragment from the flaA gene, including the previously described short variable region (SVR), employing the novel primers, A2 and Al and successfully generated this amplicon for all wild-type strains examined (n = 28) of both C . jejuni and C . coli, as well as with both type strains, i.e . C . jejuni NCTC 11351 and C . coli NCTC 11366 . Individual genotypes were assigned to each isolate typed employing the four typing methods (flaA-RFLP(Hae) III, flaA-RFLP(Pst) I ribotyping(Hae) III and ribotyping(Pst) I) and were assigned an arbitrary genotype code in ascending alphabetical order in comparison with a database of established genotypes for each of the methods employed . This study showed that several flaA-RFLP and ribopatterns existed within C . jejuni and C . coli, and demonstrated a heterogeneous diversity of strains occurring in the pigs examined . Ribotyping of strains with 16S and 23S rRNA with Pst I and Hae III digested chromosomal DNA allowed subdivision of strains into nine and eight groups, respectively . RFLP analyses with Pst I and Hae III digests probed with the flaA gene probe allowed subdivision of strains into eight and eleven subtypes, respectively . Employment of RFLP with the flaA nucleic acid probe and Hae III digests produced the greatest amount of variation of any genotyping scheme employed . Although there was a high degree of variability demonstrated by both typing methods, most isolates ( > 60%) clustered into four main genotypes, i.e . genotypes A-D . FlaA-PCR-RFLP typing demonstrated that the majority of isolates, 67.9 and 60.7%, were included in these four main genotypes for Pst I and Hae III restriction digests, respectively, although there was a high prevalence (7/11; 63.6%) of fla(Hae) III genotype A occurring within the C . jejuni isolates . Likewise, ribotyping studies demonstrated that most isolates were clustered into these four main genotypes, accounting for 81.5 and 60.7% of isolates for Pst I and Hae III restriction digests, respectively . This may indicate that the clonal population of campylobacters within this pig population is largely composed of persistent and dominant types, with a smaller number of hypervariable subtypes . Such data may useful in determining epidemiological routes of transmission of campylobacters from animal to animal, as well as helping to identify virulence determinants in persistent subtype populations.

Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2002 Nov, 14(11), 1237 - 43
Omeprazole triple therapy versus omeprazole quadruple therapy for healing duodenal ulcer and eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection: a 24-month follow-up study; Mantzaris GJ et al.; OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of omeprazole triple therapy versus omeprazole quadruple therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection . DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, single-centre, investigator-blind study . SETTINGS: Departments of Gastroenterology and Histopathology, Evangelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece . METHODS: One hundred and forty-nine consecutive patients with active duodenal ulcer were randomized to receive omeprazole (20 mg b.d.), amoxicillin (1 g b.d.) and clarithromycin (0.5 g b.d.) (OAC, n = 78), or omeprazole (20 mg b.d.), colloidal bismuth subcitrate (120 mg q.i.d.), metronidazole (0.5 g t.i.d.) and tetracycline hydrochloride (0.5 g q.i.d.) (OBMT, n = 71) for 10 days . Patients' symptoms were scored, and compliance and treatment-related side effects were assessed . Endoscopy was performed before treatment and at 10-12 weeks and 12 months after treatment . H . pylori infection and its successful eradication were sought by histology, immunohistochemistry and campylobacter-like organisms (CLO) tests on multiple biopsies taken from the gastric antrum, corpus and fundus . Patients were re-evaluated clinically and underwent a C-urea breath test (UBT) at 21-24 months . Those with dyspepsia and/or recrudescence of H . pylori were re-endoscoped . RESULTS: Patient groups were comparable for age, sex, smoking, occasional use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and current or past bleeding episodes . Six and seven patients in the OAC and OBMT treatment groups, respectively, were lost to follow-up . Eight patients were non-compliant . Two ulcers in the OAC group and one in the OBMT group did not heal . By intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses, ulcer healing rates were 86% (67/78) and 97% (67/69), respectively, for the OAC group, and 82% (58/71) and 98% (58/59), respectively, for the OBMT group . H . pylori eradication at 10-12 weeks after treatment was 78% (61/78) and 88% (61/69) for OAC, and 65% (46/71) and 78% (46/59) for OBMT, by ITT and PP analyses, respectively (P > 0.1) . Side effects were more common with OBMT . Relapse rates of H . pylori were 3% and 2% for the first and second years, respectively . Four H . pylori-negative patients developed reflux symptoms, but only two developed erosive oesophagitis between 12 and 24 months . CONCLUSIONS: OAC and OBMT were equally effective in healing active duodenal ulcers and eradicating H . pylori, but OAC should be used as a first-line treatment because of its better tolerance.

Infect Immun, 2002 Dec, 70(12), 6665 - 71
Fibronectin-facilitated invasion of T84 eukaryotic cells by Campylobacter jejuni occurs preferentially at the basolateral cell surface; Monteville MR et al.; Previous studies have indicated that the ability to bind to fibronectin is a key feature in successful cell invasion by Campylobacter jejuni . Given the spatial distribution of fibronectin and the architecture of the epithelium, this suggests the possibility that C . jejuni cell invasion might preferentially occur at the basolateral cell surface . To test this hypothesis, we examined the interaction of C . jejuni with T84 human colonic cells . When grown under the appropriate conditions, T84 cells form a polarized cell monolayer . C . jejuni translocation of a T84 cell monolayer appeared to occur via a paracellular (extracellular) route as opposed to a transcellular (intracellular) route based on the finding that a C . jejuni noninvasive mutant translocated as efficiently as its isogenic parent . Additional studies revealed that two distinct C . jejuni wild-type isolates could compete with one another for host cell receptors, whereas a C . jejuni fibronectin-binding-deficient mutant could not compete with a wild-type isolate for host cell receptors . Further, C . jejuni adherence and internalization were significantly inhibited by antifibronectin antibodies but only when cells were first treated with EGTA to expose basolateral cell surfaces . Together, these results support the theory that C . jejuni invasion occurs preferentially at the basolateral surface of eukaryotic cells.

New Microbiol, 2002 Oct, 25(4), 405 - 12
Epidemiological study on Jordanian patients suffering from diarrhoea; Battikhi MN; Stool specimens from 1400 Diarrhoeal patients from the Jordanian population were examined for bacterial pathogens and Rotavirus during a four- year period (1997-2000) . Pathogenic bacteria were identified in 343 patients (24.5%), most often from children . Salmonella spp . was the most frequent isolated organism in 10.7% of the patient's cultures, followed by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) in 3.9%, Shigella spp . in 0.8% and Campylobacter spp . in 0.9% . Vibrio spp . was not identified in the stools tested . Resistance to ampicillin was observed in 42.2% of the Salmonella, 77.0% of the Shigella, and 31.0% of the EPEC isolates . Cotrimoxazole resistance was observed in 34.0% of the Shigella and 13.0% of the EPEC isolates and 77.0% of Campylobacter isolates . Rotavirus was identified in 373 samples (26.6%) of the patients

FEMS Microbiol Lett, 2002 Nov 5, 216(2), 201 - 9
Speciating Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolates from poultry and humans using six PCR-based assays; Burnett TA et al.; Six previously published polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays each targeting different genes were used to speciate 116 isolates previously identified as Campylobacter jejuni using routine microbiological techniques . Of the 116 isolates, 84 were of poultry origin and 32 of human origin . The six PCR assays confirmed the species identities of 31 of 32 (97%) human isolates and 56 of 84 (67%) poultry isolates as C . jejuni . Twenty eight of 84 (33%) poultry isolates were identified as Campylobacter coli and the remaining human isolate was tentatively identified as Campylobacter upsaliensis based on the degree of similarity of 16S rRNA gene sequences . Four of six published PCR assays showed 100% concordance in their ability to speciate 113 of the 116 (97.4%) isolates; two assays failed to generate a PCR product with four to 10 isolates . A C . coli-specific PCR identified all 28 hippuricase gene (hipO)-negative poultry isolates as C . coli although three isolates confirmed to be C . jejuni by the remaining five assays were also positive in this assay . A PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay based on the 16S rRNA gene was developed, which contrary to the results of the six PCR-based assays, identified 28 of 29 hipO-negative isolates as C . jejuni . DNA sequence analysis of 16S rRNA genes from four hipO-negative poultry isolates showed they were almost identical to the C . jejuni type strain 16S rRNA sequences ATCC43431 and ATCC33560 indicating that assays reliant on 16S rRNA sequence may not be suitable for the differentiation of these two species.

Carbohydr Res, 2002 Nov 19, 337(21-23), 2223 - 9
Structures of two polysaccharides of Campylobacter jejuni 81116; Muldoon J et al.; Campylobacter jejuni 81116 has been extensively investigated in studies on genes associated with the synthesis of Campylobacter lipopoly/lipooligosaccharides (LPS/LOS) . Despite these investigations, data on the chemical structure of polysaccharides from C . jejuni 81116 have been absent . The present study was undertaken to fill that void . Biomass was grown in large quantities on agar medium, harvested and extracted by hot phenol-water extraction . Subsequently, extracts were treated by DNase, RNase and proteinase K to remove contaminants . After mild acid treatment, followed by preparative gel-permeation and anion-exchange chromatography, fractions were isolated and studied by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, including 2D COSY, TOCSY, 1H,(13)C HMQC and HMBC experiments . These advanced investigations revealed the occurrence of two different polysaccharides in the approximate ratio of 3:1, each having a tetrasaccharide repeating unit . Polysaccharide A contained glucose, glucuronic acid and mannose, and is O-acetylated . Polysaccharide B contained glucose, galactose and N-acetylglucosamine . Importantly, polysaccharide A is acidic, whereas polysaccharide B is neutral . {carbohydrate structure: see text}

J Health Popul Nutr, 2002 Sep, 20(3), 230 - 4
Diarrhoeagenic bacterial pathogens in HIV-positive patients with diarrhoea in rural communities of Limpopo Province, South Africa; Obi CL et al.; Potential enteric bacterial pathogens in 60 HIV-positive patients with chronic diarrhoea in rural communities of the Limpopo Province, South Africa, were identified using standard microbiological methods . The Kirby-Bauer disk-diffusion method was employed to determine antibiograms of isolated bacteria . Results revealed that diarrhoeagenic bacterial agents were isolated from 48 (80%) of the 60 HIV-positive patients with diarrhoea . Forty-four (73.3%) and 16 (26.7%) of the 60 patients were female and male respectively in the age range of 17-55 years with a mean of 34 years . Bacterial pathogens isolated comprised Campylobacter species (20.0%), Plesiomonas shigelloides (16.6%), Aeromonas species (13.3%), and Escherichia coli, Shigella and Salmonella species (10.0% each) . No attempts were made to isolate parasites, fungi, or viruses . Antibiotic susceptibility profiles revealed resistance of the isolates to ampicillin, cephalothin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, and streptomycin . However, all (100%) of P . shigelloides and Salmonella species were sensitive to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin . Most isolates were susceptible to nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, and gentamicin, indicating the usefulness of these drugs, although antibiograms may not always correlate with clinical usefulness.

J Food Prot, 2002 Nov, 65(11), 1789 - 95
Lack of a cytolethal distending toxin among Arcobacter isolates from various sources; Johnson LG et al.; Arcobacter has been shown to be present in numerous different sources, including poultry, water, and humans exhibiting gastroenteritis . The production of a cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) has been documented in Campylobacter, Helicobacter, and other species . The polymerase chain reaction was used to screen Arcobacter isolates from poultry, cattle, irrigation water, and human diarrhea for the presence of CDT genes . Cell filtrates and sonic extracts were also tested for CDT-like activity on Chinese Hamster Ovary, HeLa, and Intestinal 407 (INT407) cells in culture . No CDT amplimers were observed in any of the Arcobacter isolates investigated . However, toxicity to HeLa and INT407 cells was observed and was subsequently analyzed for cell cycle arrest in the presence of the Arcobacter extracts with flow cytometry . Cells treated with Arcobacter sonic extracts and filtrates exhibited normal cell cycles, suggesting that CDT is not expressed by Arcobacter . Thus, Arcobacter was shown to produce an entity that was toxic to some cells in culture, but this entity was toxic in a manner different from that of Campylobacter CDT.

J Food Prot, 2002 Nov, 65(11), 1784 - 8
Sensitivity of three methods used in the isolation of Arcobacter spp . in raw ground pork; Ohlendorf DS et al.; Arcobacter, an aerotolerant Campylobacter-like organism, has been designated an emerging pathogen because of its newly recognized ability to cause diarrheal illness in both humans and animals and its presence in the human food supply . Because there is no standard isolation method for its detection, the true occurrence of this pathogen is largely unknown . In addition, the lack of a standardized isolation protocol limits the ability of investigators to compare field data . Arcobacter has been detected in whole muscle and ground pork at various levels by two different isolation methods (those of deBoer and Collins) . In this study, these methods were tested along with the Johnson-Murano (JM) method, developed in our laboratory . The sensitivity of each method was tested for ground pork inoculated with Arcobacter butzleri and Arcobacter cryaerophilus IA at levels of 10(4), 10(3), 10(2), and 10(1) CFU/g . Controls included tubes with uninoculated pork and broth tubes without pork . All samples that were morphologically similar to Arcobacter were analyzed by Gram staining and by catalase and oxidasereactions . Presumptive positive samples were confirmed by the polymerase chain reaction . The JM method was determined to be the most sensitive, detecting A . butzleri down to a level of 10(1) CFU/g in 100% of the samples and detecting A . cryaerophilus IA at a level of 10(1) CFU/g in 75% of samples . In a pure buffer system, the Collins method was as effective as the JM method in isolating both organisms to levels of 10(1) cells per g.

J Food Prot, 2002 Nov, 65(11), 1712 - 6
Identification of Campylobacter jejuni isolates from cloacal and carcass swabs of chickens in Thailand by a 5' nuclease fluorogenic polymerase chain reaction assay; Padungtod P et al.; A rapid 5' nuclease fluorogenic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for identifying Campylobacter jejuni was applied to Campylobacter isolates from chicken cloacal and carcass swabs collected from three chicken farms and a slaughterhouse in Thailand . The primers and the probe were based on the sequence of the gyrA gene in C jejuni . C . jejuni isolates were identified by fluorogenic PCR assay of bacterial cells directly from Campylobacter-selective agar medium . This assay allowed the identification of C . jejuni within 1 day after colonies appeared on selective media . The fluorogenic PCR assay yielded results comparable to those of the conventional test kit (kappa = 0.76) but required less time . When the two methods disagreed with regard to species identification, results were confirmed by PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism of 23S rRNA genes . In these instances, the fluorogenic PCR assay correctly identified more isolates of C . jejuni than did the conventional test kit (six of seven isolates were unidentifiable by the conventional test kit) . The fluorogenic PCR assay is a rapid and specific method that outperforms the conventional test kit in the identification of C . jejuni from environmental samples.

Brain, 2002 Dec, 125(Pt 12), 2591 - 625
Peripheral neuropathies and anti-glycolipid antibodies; Willison HJ et al.; This review charts the progress of anti-glycolipid antibodies in neuropathy, from their original discovery 20 years ago in immunoglobulin M paraproteinaemic neuropathy through to current discoveries mapping their relationship to subtypes of Guillain-Barre syndrome . Antibodies to >20 different glycolipids have now been associated with a wide range of clinically identifiable acute and chronic neuropathy syndromes . Particular progress has been achieved in understanding the link between acute motor axonal neuropathy and antibodies to GM1, GD1a, GM1b and GalNAc-GD1a, and between the cranial, bulbar and sensory variants of GBS and antibodies to the disialylated gangliosides GQ1b, GT1a, GD1b and GD3 . In addition to clinical and serological studies, the origins and measurement of anti-glycolipid antibodies and their relationships to similar carbohydrate structures on infectious organisms, particularly Campylobacter jejuni, are discussed in the context of a molecular mimicry hypothesis . The structure and nomenclature of relevant glycolipids are outlined, along with information on their localization in nerve, and the influence this has on clinical phenotypes . Major advances have been made in animal modelling of anti-glycolipid antibody-associated diseases, both in vitro and in vivo . This has advanced our understanding of the role of anti-GQ1b antibodies in Miller Fisher syndrome with particular respect to the motor nerve terminal as a potential site of injury, and led to the creation of rabbit models of anti-GD1b and anti-GM1 antibody-mediated sensory and motor neuropathy, respectively . With such information in place, it will now be possible to determine the precise mechanisms by which antibodies injure the different compartments of peripheral nerve and establish how a range of immunomodulating therapies, including current treatments, exert their therapeutic effects . Despite these very significant advances, considerable gaps in our knowledge persist, and it is likely that other pathogenic pathways operate in inflammatory neuropathy that are unrelated to glycolipid antibodies, although these are outside the scope of this review.

Genome Biol . 2002 Oct 29;3(11):RESEARCH0065 . Epub 2002 Oct 29.
Improved analytical methods for microarray-based genome-composition analysis; Kim CC et al.; BACKGROUND: Whereas genome sequencing has given us high-resolution pictures of many different species of bacteria, microarrays provide a means of obtaining information on genome composition for many strains of a given species . Genome-composition analysis using microarrays, or 'genomotyping', can be used to categorize genes into 'present' and 'divergent' categories based on the level of hybridization signal . This typically involves selecting a signal value that is used as a cutoff to discriminate present (high signal) and divergent (low signal) genes . Current methodology uses empirical determination of cutoffs for classification into these categories, but this methodology is subject to several problems that can result in the misclassification of many genes . RESULTS: We describe a method that depends on the shape of the signal-ratio distribution and does not require empirical determination of a cutoff . Moreover, the cutoff is determined on an array-to-array basis, accounting for variation in strain composition and hybridization quality . The algorithm also provides an estimate of the probability that any given gene is present, which provides a measure of confidence in the categorical assignments . CONCLUSIONS: Many genes previously classified as present using static methods are in fact divergent on the basis of microarray signal; this is corrected by our algorithm . We have reassigned hundreds of genes from previous genomotyping studies of Helicobacter pylori and Campylobacter jejuni strains, and expect that the algorithm should be widely applicable to genomotyping data.

Gut, 2002 Dec, 51(6), 832 - 41
Trends in indigenous foodborne disease and deaths, England and Wales: 1992 to 2000; Adak GK et al.; BACKGROUND: Commitment to food safety is evidenced by high profile governmental initiatives around the globe . To measure progress towards targets, policy makers need to know the baseline from which they started . AIM: To describe the burden (mortality, morbidity, new presentations to general practice, hospital admissions, and hospital occupancy) and trends of indigenous foodborne disease (IFD) in England and Wales between 1992 and 2000 . METHODS: Routinely available surveillance data, special survey data, and hospital episode statistics were collated and arithmetic employed to estimate the burden and trends of IFD in England and Wales . Adjustments were made for underascertainment of disease through national surveillance and for foreign travel . The final estimates were compared with those from the USA . RESULTS: In 1995 there were an estimated 2,365,909 cases, 21,138 hospital admissions, and 718 deaths in England and Wales due to IFD . By 2000 this had fallen to 1,338,772 cases, 20,759 hospital admissions, and 480 deaths . In terms of disease burden the most important pathogens were campylobacters, salmonellas, Clostridium perfringens, verocytotoxin producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) O157, and Listeria monocytogenes . The ratio of food related illness in the USA to IFD in England and Wales in 2000 was 57:1 . Taking into account population rates, this ratio fell to 11:1 and converged when aetiology and disease severity were considered . CONCLUSION: Reducing IFD in England and Wales means tackling campylobacter . Lowering mortality rates however also requires better control and prevention of salmonellas, Cl perfringens, L monocytogenes, and VTEC O157.

Int J Food Microbiol, 2003 Feb 15, 80(3), 231 - 40
Occurrence of Yersinia enterocolitica and Campylobacter spp . in slaughter pigs and consequences for meat inspection, slaughtering, and dressing procedures; Nesbakken T et al.; The purpose of the present investigation was to assess the occurrence of Yersinia enterocolitica and Campylobacter spp . in the lymphoid tissues and intestinal tract in pigs and the risk for contamination during the compulsory meat inspection procedures and the procedures during slaughtering and dressing . Another objective of the investigation was to compare traditional isolation methods, the use of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method (BUGS'n BEADS bacterial DNA isolation kit) and an ELISA method (VIDAS CAM) as tools in risk management in the slaughterhouse.The results indicate that the compulsory procedure for the incision of the submaxillary lymph nodes represents a cross-contamination risk for virulent Yersinia . In the screening of 97 animals in 1999, 5.2% of the samples were positive, and by the sampling of 24 samples in 2000-2001, 12.5% of the samples were positive . In the last case, Y . enterocolitica O:3 was found in the kidney region in one of the subsequent carcasses that was only touched by the meat inspection personnel before sampling . In addition, incision of the mesenteric lymph nodes might represent a cross-contamination risk since 8.3% of the samples were positive.The association between antibody titres and the occurrence of virulent yersiniae in the tonsils (21-18) was striking, with virulent yersiniae found in the tonsils in most pigs with high titres.The contents of the stomach, ileum, caecum, and colon also represent contamination risks for Y . enterocolitica O:3 if the slaughterhouse personnel cuts into the viscera with their knives by accident; the frequency of virulent Yersinia varied from 4.2% to 16.7% within these sections.Campylobacter was detected in the gastrointestinal tract of all pigs, and the high contamination of tonsils (66.7%) and intestinal tract (100%) might represent an occupational health hazard.There was no statistical difference between the traditional method for isolation of Y . enterocolitica {International Organization for Standardization, 1994 . Microbiology-General Guidance for the Detection of Presumptive Pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica (ISO 10273) . International Organization for Standardization, Geneve, Switzerland (16 pp.)} and the BUGS'n BEADS detection method for virulent Y . enterocolitica . Likewise, there was no statistical difference between the traditional method for isolation of Campylobacter spp . {Nordic Committee on Food Analysis, 1990 . Campylobacter jejuni/coli . Detection in Food . Method No . 119, 2nd ed . Nordic Committee on Food Analysis, Esbo (7 pp.)} and the BUGS'n BEADS detection method or the VIDAS CAM method for detection of Campylobacter spp .

J Mol Biol, 2002 Nov 1, 323(4), 763 - 70
Prediction, assessment and validation of protein interaction maps in bacteria; Wojcik J et al.; High-throughput proteomics technologies, especially the yeast two-hybrid system, produce large volumes of protein-protein interaction data organized in networks . The complete sequencing of many genomes raises questions about the extent to which such networks can be transferred between organisms . We attempted to answer this question using the experimentally derived Helicobacter pylori interaction map and the recently described interacting domain profile pair (IDPP) method to predict a virtual map for Escherichia coli . The extensive literature concerning E.coli was used to assess all predicted interactions and to validate the IDPP method, which clusters protein domains by sequence and connectivity similarities . The IDPP method has a much better heuristic value than methods solely based on protein homology . The IDPP method was further applied to Campylobacter jejuni to generate a virtual interaction map . An in-depth comparison of the chemotaxis pathways predicted in E.coli and C.jejuni led to the proposition of new functional assignments . Finally, the prediction of protein-protein interaction maps across organisms enabled us to validate some of the interactions on the original experimental map.

Commun Dis Intell, 2002, 26(3), 375 - 406
Enhancing foodborne disease surveillance across Australia in 2001: the OzFoodNet Working Group; Ashbolt R et al.; In 2000, the OzFoodNet network was established to enhance surveillance of foodborne diseases across Australia . OzFoodNet consists of 7 sites and covers 68 per cent of Australia's population . During 2001, sites reported 15,815 cases of campylobacteriosis, 6,607 cases of salmonellosis, 326 cases of shigellosis, 71 cases of yersiniosis, 61 cases of listeriosis, 47 cases of shiga-toxin producing E . coli and 5 cases of haemolytic uraemic syndrome . Sites reported 86 foodborne outbreaks affecting 1,768 people, of whom 4.0 per cent (70/1,768) were hospitalised and one person died . There was a wide range of foods implicated in these outbreaks and the most common agent was S . Typhimurium . Sites reported two international outbreaks; one of multi-drug resistant S . Typhimurium Definitive Type 104 due to helva imported from Turkey, and one of S . Stanley associated with dried peanuts from China . The National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health conducted a national survey of gastroenteritis . Preliminary data from interviews of 2,417 people suggests that the incidence of foodborne illness is significantly higher than previously thought . OzFoodNet initiated case control studies into risk factors for Campylobacter, Salmonella, Listeria, and shiga-toxin producing E . coli . OzFoodNet developed a foodborne disease outbreak register for Australia; established a network of laboratories to type Campylobacter; prepared a survey of pathology laboratories; reviewed Australian data on listeriosis; and assessed the usefulness of sentinel surveillance for gastroenteritis . This program of enhanced surveillance has demonstrated its capacity to nationally investigate and determine the causes of foodborne disease.

Intern Med, 2002 Oct, 41(10), 889 - 91
Fulminant Guillain-Barré syndrome after Campylobacter jejuni enteritis and monospecific anti-GT1a IgG antibody; Okuda B et al.; A 21-year-old man developed rapid progression of tetraplegia, bulbar palsy, and respiratory paralysis after Campylobacterjejuni enteritis . Based on the diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome, he received plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulin . Serum anti-GT1a IgG antibody which lacked cross-reactivity with GQ1b was detected . Four months after the onset, the patient still had severe muscle weakness of the lower limbs . This case suggests that anti-GT1a IgG antibody can be associated with severe paralysis in Guillain-Barre syndrome after C . jejuni enteritis.

Poult Sci, 2002 Oct, 81(10), 1473 - 7
Campylobacter and Salmonella populations associated with chickens raised on acidified litter; Line JE; Two commercially available acidifying litter treatments, aluminum sulfate (alum) and sodium bisulfate, were tested to determine their effects on Campylobacter and Salmonella colonization frequencies and populations associated with broilers raised on treated pine litter . To produce contaminated litter, broiler chicks were inoculated with two bacterial cocktails (multistrain mixtures of campylobacters and salmonellae) and were allowed to shed on the litter for about 6 wk . Upon bird removal, litter in duplicate pens was immediately treated with two levels of aluminum sulfate {3.63 or 7.26 kg/4.6 m2 (8 or 16 lb/50 ft2)} or sodium bisulfate 1.13 or 1.81 kg/4.6 m2 (2.5 or 4 lb/50 ft2)}; untreated pens served as controls . Immediately after treatment, day-of-hatch chicks were released in the pens . Frequency and populations of Campylobacter and Salmonella associated with ceca and whole carcass rinse (WCR) samples were determined for each duplicate pen at Weeks 1, 4, and 6 . Both levels of the aluminum sulfate and sodium bisulfate litter treatments tested significantly (P < 0.05) reduced Campylobacter colonization frequency and populations in the ceca . Significantly, no Campylobacter was recovered from WCR samples associated with high level aluminum sulfate-treated pens at any time; although control pens were 95, 78, and 38% positive at Weeks 1, 4, and 6, respectively . Salmonella colonization frequency and populations in the ceca were not significantly decreased by any of the treatments investigated . Although effective pathogen control will most likely require a combination of interventions, acidifying treatment of litter in poultry production may serve as a means to help control Campylobacter and to reduce horizontal transmission of pathogens in broiler flocks.

J Neurol Sci, 2002 Dec 15, 205(1), 83 - 4
Acute isolated bulbar palsy with anti-GT1a IgG antibody subsequent to Campylobacter jejuni enteritis; Onodera M et al.; We describe a patient with acute isolated bulbar palsy following enteritis . A 29-year-old man developed dysphagia and nasal voice without limb weakness, ataxia, or areflexia . High titres of serum anti-GT1a and anti-Campylobacter jejuni IgG antibodies were detected . He was treated with plasmapheresis, resulting in rapid clinical improvement . This case suggests that an acute isolated bulbar palsy may be caused by a pathology relating to Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), in which anti-GT1a IgG antibody may have a role.

Mol Microbiol, 2002 Oct, 46(2), 587 - 97
Structural heterogeneity of carbohydrate modifications affects serospecificity of Campylobacter flagellins; Logan SM et al.; Flagellin from Campylobacter coli VC167 is post-translationally modified at > or = 16 amino acid residues with pseudaminic acid and three related derivatives . The predominant modification was 5,7-diacetamido-3,5,7,9 - tetradeoxy - l - glycero - l - manno - nonulosonic acid (pseudaminic acid, Pse5Ac7Ac), a modification that has been described previously on flagellin from Campylobacter jejuni 81-176 . VC167 lacked two modi-fications present in 81-176 and instead had two unique modifications of masses 431 and 432 Da . Flagellins from both C . jejuni 81-176 and C . coli VC167 were also modified with an acetamidino form of pseudaminic acid (PseAm), but tandem mass spectrometry indicated that the structure of PseAm differed in the two strains . Synthesis of PseAm in C . coli VC167 requires a minimum of six ptm genes . In contrast, PseAm is synthesized in C . jejuni 81-176 via an alternative pathway using the product of the pseA gene . Mutation of the ptm genes in C . coli VC167 can be detected by changes in apparent Mr of flagellin in SDS-PAGE gels, changes in isoelectric focusing (IEF) patterns and loss of immunoreactivity with antiserum LAH2 . These changes corresponded to loss of both 315 Da and 431 Da modifications from flagellin . Complementation of the VC167 ptm mutants with the 81-176 pseA gene in trans resulted in flagellins containing both 315 and 431 Da modifications, but these flagellins remained unreactive in LAH2 antibody, suggesting that the unique form of PseAm encoded by the ptm genes contributes to the serospecificity of the flagellar filament.

Prev Vet Med, 2002 Nov 15, 55(4), 241 - 53
Risk factors for Campylobacter infection in Norwegian cats and dogs; Sandberg M et al.; Rectal swabs from healthy cats and dogs, and from dogs and cats with clinical diarrhoea were collected approximately every third month from May 2000 to June 2001 from six small-animal practices throughout Norway . A questionnaire was filled in for each animal . Of the 301 healthy cats sampled, 54 (18%) were positive for Campylobacter, compared to 5 out of 31 (16%) cats with diarrhoea . Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from 11 (3%), C . upsaliensis from 42 (13%) and C . coli from 2 (0.6%) of the cats sampled . Isolates from four cats (1%) could not be specified . Of the 529 healthy dogs, 124 (23%) were positive for Campylobacter, compared to 18 of 66 (27%) dogs with diarrhoea . C . jejuni was isolated from 20 (3%) and C . upsaliensis from 117 (20%) of the dogs sampled . Isolates from five dogs (0.8%) could not be specified . Eighteen out of the 20 investigated C . upsaliensis samples were resistant to streptomycin . The clinically healthy animals were included in the analysis to identify factors associated with Campylobacter prevalence . The cat model had low classification ability . The dog-data model indicated increased odds of infection with Campylobacter for dogs </=1 year, and in dogs sampled during the spring . No difference was observed between the prevalence of Campylobacter infections in cats and dogs with diarrhoea and healthy animals.

Eur J Biochem, 2002 Nov, 269(21), 5119 - 36
The structures of the lipooligosaccharide and capsule polysaccharide of Campylobacter jejuni genome sequenced strain NCTC 11168; St Michael F et al.; Campylobacter jejuni infections are one of the leading causes of human gastroenteritis and are suspected of being a precursor to Guillain-Barre and Miller-Fisher syndromes . Recently, the complete genome sequence of C . jejuni NCTC 11168 was described . In this study, the molecular structure of the lipooligosaccharide and capsular polysaccharide of C . jejuni NCTC 11168 was investigated . The lipooligosaccharide was shown to exhibit carbohydrate structures analogous to the GM1a and GM2 carbohydrate epitopes of human gangliosides (shown below): The high Mr capsule polysaccharide was composed of beta-d-Ribp, beta-d-GalfNAc, alpha-d-GlcpA6(NGro), a uronic acid amidated with 2-amino-2-deoxyglycerol at C-6, and 6-O-methyl-d-glycero-alpha-l-gluco-heptopyranose as a side-branch (shown below): The structural information presented here will aid in the identification and characterization of specific enzymes that are involved in the biosynthesis of these structures and may lead to the discovery of potential therapeutic targets . In addition, the correlation of carbohydrate structure with gene complement will aid in the elucidation of the role of these surface carbohydrates in C . jejuni pathogenesis.

Kansenshogaku Zasshi, 2002 Sep, 76(9), 721 - 9
{The incidence and the valuation of eaeA gene of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) or aggR gene of enteroaggregative E . coli (EAggEC) in the strains isolated from patients in sporadic diarrhea cases}; Katoh R et al.; To clarify the pathogenic role of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) or enteroaggregative E . coli (EAggEC), the possession of eaeA gene of EPEC or aggR gene of EAggEC in the strains isolated from 525 patients in sporadic diarrhea cases during 3 years (1998-2000) in Tama, Tokyo was investigated by a PCR method . The eaeA-positive E . coli strains were confirmed from 23 cases including 5 cases detected verotoxin-producing E . coli (VTEC), and those except VTEC strains (18 cases, 3.4%) were the 5th predominant enteropathogen following rotavirus, Campylobacter, adenovirus, and Salmonella . By age, 17 eaeA-positive cases were from children < 10 years of age, and noticeably, of which 9 were from infants < 24 months of age . On the other hand, although aggR-positive E . coli strains were detected from 11 cases (2.1%), of which 6 also were from infants < 24 months of age . Clinical symptoms of patients whom eaeA or aggR gene-positive E.coli was isolated as the only potential enteric pathogen were similar, showing a mild gastroenteritic features . Only one strain of eaeA-positive E . coli and 4 of aggR-strains were typed with the commercial O-antisera, which were O55, and O86, O111 or O126 . In antibiotic sensitivity tests for 9 agents, 22% of eaeA-strains and 91% of aggR-strains showed resistant, especially 10 aggR-strains had resistant to ABPC . These findings suggest that these organisms are a significant causative agents of infantile diarrhea and the PCR method is a useful procedure for the diagnosis of EPEC or EAggEC infectious disease.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2002 Nov, 46(11), 3669 - 75
In vitro activities of faropenem against 579 strains of anaerobic bacteria; Wexler HM et al.; The activity of faropenem, a new oral penem, was tested against 579 strains of anaerobic bacteria by using the NCCLS-approved reference method . Drugs tested included amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefoxitin, clindamycin, faropenem, imipenem, and metronidazole . Of the 176 strains of Bacteroides fragilis group isolates tested, two isolates had faropenem MICs of 64 micro g/ml and imipenem MICs of >32 micro g/ml . Faropenem had an MIC of 16 micro g/ml for an additional isolate of B . fragilis; this strain was sensitive to imipenem (MIC of 1 micro g/ml) . Both faropenem and imipenem had MICs of < or=4 micro g/ml for all isolates of Bacteroides capillosus (10 isolates), Bacteroides splanchnicus (13 isolates), Bacteroides ureolyticus (11 isolates), Bilophila wadsworthia (11 isolates), Porphyromonas species (42 isolates), Prevotella species (78 isolates), Campylobacter species (25 isolates), Sutterella wadsworthensis (11 isolates), Fusobacterium nucleatum (19 isolates), Fusobacterium mortiferum/varium (20 isolates), and other Fusobacterium species (9 isolates) . Faropenem and imipenem had MICs of 16 to 32 micro g/ml for two strains of Clostridium difficile; the MICs for all other strains of Clostridium tested (69 isolates) were < or =4 micro g/ml . Faropenem had MICs of 8 and 16 micro g/ml, respectively, for two strains of Peptostreptococcus anaerobius (MICs of imipenem were 2 micro g/ml) . MICs were < or =4 micro g/ml for all other strains of gram-positive anaerobic cocci (53 isolates) and non-spore-forming gram-positive rods (28 isolates) . Other results were as expected and reported in previous studies . No metronidazole resistance was seen in gram-negative anaerobes other than S . wadsworthensis (18% resistant); 63% of gram-positive non-spore-forming rods were resistant . Some degree of clindamycin resistance was seen in most of the groups tested.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2002 Nov, 46(11), 3660 - 4
Class 1 integron-associated tobramycin-gentamicin resistance in Campylobacter jejuni isolated from the broiler chicken house environment; Lee MD et al.; Using PCR, we screened 105 isolates of poultry-associated Campylobacter jejuni for the presence of class 1 integrons . Of those isolates, 21% (22 of 105) possessed the integrase gene, but only 5 isolates produced an amplicon in a 5'-3' conserved sequence PCR directed toward amplification of the resistance cassettes . DNA sequencing demonstrated that all five isolates possessed the aminoglycoside resistance gene, aacA4.

FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol, 2002 Oct 11, 34(2), 139 - 46
Enteropathogens associated with acute diarrhea in community and hospital patients in Jakarta, Indonesia; Oyofo BA et al.; The prevalence of bacteria, parasite and viral pathogens in 3875 patients with diarrhea in community and hospital settings from March 1997 through August 1999 in Jakarta, Indonesia was determined using routine bacteriology and molecular assay techniques . Bacterial pathogens isolated from hospital patients were, in decreasing frequency, Vibrio cholerae O1, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella spp . and Campylobacter jejuni, while S . flexneri, V . cholerae O1, Salmonella spp . and C . jejuni were isolated from the community patients . V . cholerae O1 was isolated more frequently (P<0.005) from the hospital patients than the community patients . Overall, bacterial pathogens were isolated from 538 of 3875 (14%) enrolled cases of diarrhea . Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli were detected in 218 (18%) of 1244 rectal swabs . A small percentage of enterohemorrhagic E . coli (1%) and of Clostridium difficile (1.3%) was detected . Parasitic examination of 389 samples resulted in 43 (11%) positives comprising Ascaris lumbricoides (1.5%), Blastocystis hominis (5.7%), Giardia lamblia (0.8%), Trichuris trichiura (2.1%) and Endolimax nana (0.5%) . Rotavirus (37.5%), adenovirus (3.3%) and Norwalk-like virus (17.6%) were also detected . Antimicrobial resistance was observed among some isolates . Bacterial isolates were susceptible to quinolones, with the exception of some isolates of C . jejuni which were resistant to ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid and norfloxacin . Data obtained from this community- and hospital-based study will enable the Indonesian Ministry of Health to plan relevant studies on diarrheal diseases in the archipelago.

J Agric Food Chem, 2002 Oct 23, 50(22), 6563 - 8
Speciation of thermotolerant Campylobacter isolates involved in foodborne disease by means of DNA restriction analysis and molecular probes; Barros-Velazquez J et al.; The molecular identification of several strains of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli involved in foodborne disease was carried out by investigating the restriction profiles of their chromosomal DNA and by DNA/DNA hybridization . Cleavage with EcoRV allowed the visualization of a 3 kb DNA fragment characteristic of C . jejuni, whereas restriction with ClaI allowed the identification of a 9.3 kb DNA fragment, also characteristic of C . jejuni, and a DNA duplet of 9.5-10 kb, specific to C . coli.Restriction analysis with enzyme BglII allowed the visualization of DNA fragments of 3.5, 4, and 6.7 kb, characteristic of C . jejuni . C . jejuni subsp . doylei strains investigated shared a higher genetic homology among themselves-as determined by DNA/DNA hybridization-than with C . jejuni subsp . jejuni . A DNA probe, initially designed by Korolik et al . (Korolik, V.; Coloe, P . J.; Krishnapillai, V . J . Gen . Microbiol . 1988, 134, 521-529), including a DNA fragment encoding an antigenic membrane protein of 31.5 kDa in C . jejuni, when used as probe, allowed the specific identification of all strains of C . jejuni through the detection of strong hybridization signals in two BglII DNA fragments of 2.3 and 2.5 kb, which were not observed in C . coli . Cleavage of chromosomal DNA with BglII-either alone or coupled with probing assays with specific probes-proved to be a valuable tool for the speciation of Campylobacter isolates involved in foodborne disease.

Water Sci Technol, 2002, 46(6-7), 311 - 6
Microbiological investigations of rainwater and graywater collected for toilet flushing; Albrechtsen HJ; Seven Danish rainwater systems were investigated with respect to the microbial water quality . The general microbiological quality (total numbers of bacteria (AODC)), and heterotrophic plate counts on R2A and Plate Count Agar in the toilets supplied with rainwater were approximately the same as in the reference toilets supplied with drinking water . However, in 12 of the 27 analysed samples one or more pathogens were observed (Aeromonas sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Legionella non-pneumophila, Campylobacter jejuni, Mycobacterium avium, and Cryptosporidium sp.) . These pathogens were not found in any of the reference toilets (32 toilets) . This means that the use of rainwater introduced new, potentially pathogenic microorganisms into the households which would normally not occur in toilets supplied with water from waterworks . Furthermore, four graywater systems were investigated where water from the shower and hand wash basin was reused . The graywater systems gave more problems in terms of bad smell and substantially higher numbers of E . coli and Enterococcus in some toilet bowls supplied with graywater.

J Food Prot, 2002 Oct, 65(10), 1660 - 2
Impediometric detection of Campylobacter coli; Moore JE et al.; The rapid automated bacterial impedance technique (RABIT) was examined as a method for the detection of two wild-type isolates of Campylobacter coli in broth media . Both isolates failed to produce a change in impedance that was sufficient for detection in any combination of six nonselective basal broth media, including Mueller-Hinton broth, nutrient broth no . 2, brain heart infusion broth supplemented with yeast extract (0.5% {wt/vol}), brucella broth, Campy broth supplemented with yeast extract (0.5% {wt/voll), and Whitley impedance broth, at 37 and 42 degrees C . Although the strains did proliferate in the media, changes in conductivity were very small (ranging from 0 to 1,000 microS) and were not significantly greater than the drift in conductance observed in the control broth medium . Additional work is therefore required to define a nonionic growth substrate that will produce charged ions upon metabolism that are detectable by RABIT.

J Food Prot, 2002 Oct, 65(10), 1545 - 60
Bactericidal activities of plant essential oils and some of their isolated constituents against Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica; Friedman M et al.; An improved method of sample preparation was used in a microplate assay to evaluate the bactericidal activity levels of 96 essential oils and 23 oil compounds against Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica obtained from food and clinical sources . Bactericidal activity (BA50) was defined as the percentage of the sample in the assay mixture that resulted in a 50% decrease in CFU relative to a buffer control . Twenty-seven oils and 12 compounds were active against all four species of bacteria . The oils that were most active against C . jejuni (with BA50 values ranging from 0.003 to 0.009) were marigold, ginger root, jasmine, patchouli, gardenia, cedarwood, carrot seed, celery seed, mugwort, spikenard, and orange bitter oils; those that were most active against E . coli (with BA50 values ranging from 0.046 to 0.14) were oregano, thyme, cinnamon, palmarosa, bay leaf, clove bud, lemon grass, and allspice oils; those that were most active against L monocytogenes (with BA50 values ranging from 0.057 to 0.092) were gardenia, cedarwood, bay leaf, clove bud, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, thyme, and patchouli oils; and those that were most active against S . enterica (with BA50 values ranging from 0.045 to 0.14) were thyme, oregano, cinnamon, clove bud, allspice, bay leaf, palmarosa, and marjoram oils . The oil compounds that were most active against C . jejuni (with BA50 values ranging from 0.003 to 0.034) were cinnamaldehyde, estragole, carvacrol, benzaldehyde, citral, thymol, eugenol, perillaldehyde, carvone R, and geranyl acetate; those that were most active against E . coli (with BA50 values ranging from 0.057 to 0.28) were carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, thymol, eugenol, salicylaldehyde, geraniol, isoeugenol, citral, perillaldehyde, and estragole; those that were most active against L monocytogenes (with BA50 values ranging from 0.019 to 0.43) were cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, thymol, carvacrol, citral, geraniol, perillaldehyde, carvone S, estragole, and salicylaldehyde; and those that were most active against S . enterica (with BA50 values ranging from 0.034 to 0.21) were thymol, cinnamaldehyde, carvacrol, eugenol, salicylaldehyde, geraniol, isoeugenol, terpineol, perillaldehyde, and estragole . The possible significance of these results with regard to food microbiology is discussed.

Infect Immun, 2002 Nov, 70(11), 6242 - 50
DNA sequence and mutational analyses of the pVir plasmid of Campylobacter jejuni 81-176; Bacon DJ et al.; The circular pVir plasmid of Campylobacter jejuni strain 81-176 was determined to be 37,468 nucleotides in length with a G+C content of 26% . A total of 83% of the plasmid represented coding information, and all but 2 of the 54 predicted open reading frames were encoded on the same DNA strand . There were seven genes on the plasmid in a continguous region of 8.9 kb that encoded orthologs of type IV secretion proteins found in Helicobacter pylori, including four that have been described previously (D . J . Bacon, R . A . Alm, D . H . Burr, L . Hu, D . J . Kopecko, C . P . Ewing, T . J . Trust, and P . Guerry, Infect . Immun . 68:4384-4390, 2000) . There were seven other pVir-encoded proteins that showed significant similarities to proteins encoded by the plasticity zones of either H . pylori J99 or 26695 . Mutational analyses of 19 plasmid genes identified 5 additional genes that affect in vitro invasion of intestinal epithelial cells . These included one additional gene encoding a component of a type IV secretion system, an ortholog of Cj0041 from the chromosome of C . jejuni NCTC 11168, two Campylobacter plasmid-specific genes, and an ortholog of HP0996 from the plasticity zone of H . pylori 26695.

Ann Rheum Dis, 2002 Nov, 61(11), 1012 - 6
Infectious background of patients with a history of acute anterior uveitis; Huhtinen M et al.; OBJECTIVE: To study the infectious background of patients with a history of acute anterior uveitis (AAU) and healthy control subjects . METHODS: Sixty four patients with previous AAU and 64 sex and age matched controls were studied . Serum antibodies to Salmonellae, Yersiniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Campylobacter jejuni, and Borrelia burgdorferi were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia pneumoniae by microimmunofluorescence test . Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), separated by density gradient centrifugation, were studied for Salmonella and Yersinia antigens by means of an immunofluorescence test, and for C pneumoniae DNA with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) . RESULTS: Neither prevalence nor levels of single microbial antibodies studied differed between the patients and control subjects, or between subgroups of patients created on the basis of clinical characteristics . In logistic regression analysis, the high number of recurrences (>10) of AAU was independently related to the presence of single or multiple bacterial antibodies (p=0.04) . None of the PBMC samples of the patients were positive for Yersinia or Salmonella antigens . C pneumoniae PCR was positive in a patient who was negative for C pneumoniae antibodies . CONCLUSION: Although neither the prevalence nor the levels of single microbial antibodies studied differed between the patients and the controls, current data suggest that the presence of single or multiple antibodies in patients with many recurrences of AAU compared with patients with none or few recurrences may be a sign of repeated infections, antigen persistence, or raised innate immune responsiveness.

Curr Protein Pept Sci, 2001 Dec, 2(4), 389 - 97
Trypanosomal dUTPases as potential targets for drug design; Hidalgo-Zarco F et al.; Parasites of the Trypanosomatidae family are responsible for diseases that afflict several million people worldwide . Currently there is an urgent need for new drugs against these diseases and an approach to drug discovery is the study of biochemical and structural properties of a potential target and the subsequent design of specific compounds . Trypanosomatid genes coding for enzymes which distinctively hydrolyze dUTP have been isolated by genetic complementation in Escherichia coli mutants defective in dUTPase activity . An analysis of these sequences from Leishmania major and Trypanosoma cruzi showed that no significant similarity could be established with the family of known dUTPases and that the five consensus motifs were absent . However, limited similarity was identified for three motifs present in an enzyme related in function the dCTPase-dUTPase from T phages and 35 percent identity with a putative dUTPase identified in the eubacteria Campylobacter jejuni . T . cruzi and L . major dUTPases were highly similar and catalyzed in a specific fashion the hydrolysis of dUTP . A detailed kinetic study of both enzymes revealed that dUDP is also an efficient substrate of the enzyme while other nucleotides are poorly hydrolyzed . The enzyme is essential for viability in Leishmania and is up-regulated by inhibitors of dTMP synthesis . Thus, a new family of dUTPases might exist in certain organisms that bear no sequence or structure similarity with eukaryotic enzymes accomplishing the same function and that may constitute potential drug targets for the development of specific inhibitors.

Ann Biol Clin (Paris), 2002 Sep-Oct, 60(5), 589 - 97
{Antiganglioside autoantibody profiles in Guillain-Barré syndrome}; Caudie C et al.; We established anti-ganglioside antibody profiles in GBS and studied the frequency, fine specificity and clinical correlate . IgG and IgM antibodies to 8 gangliosides were tested by immunodot-blot in 249 consecutive patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome with large variability in clinical expression, referred to our laboratory over a 8-year period . IgG and IgM anti-GM1 antibodies were measured by Elisa . Thin-layer chromatography overlayed by serum was used to control positivity . 89/249 GBS (36%) had characteristic anti-ganglioside antibody profile . Isotypes were, IgG (62%), IgG + IgM (26%) and IgM (12%) . Antecedent infections were found in 62% of GBS included more frequently Campylobacter jejuni and cytomegalovirus . Various autoantibody profiles were described with an immunodominant ganglioside . We detected 6 characteristic anti-ganglioside profiles with fine specificity and immunodominant ganglioside corresponding to 6 immuno-clinical variants of GBS: 1) anti-GM1 and GD1b IgG and IgG > IgM in the acute motor axonal neuropathy after Campylobacter jejuni infection in 41 GBS; 2) anti-GD1a IgG in 6 severe motor axonal GBS after Campylobacter jejuni infection; 3) selectively anti-GQ1b IgG in 17 typical Miller Fisher syndrome with areflexia, ataxia and ophthalmoplegia; 4) anti- GT1b ganglioside and polysialogangliosides IgG (n = 9) in two separate cranial nerve variants, ophthalmoplegic SGB and lower cranial nerve variants depending upon the presenting deficit; 5) anti-GD1b IgG in 5 pure ataxic sensory GBS (4%); 6) anti-GM2 IgM in 11 severe GBS with antecedent CMV infection (8%) . 34 GBS (14%) had low levels of anti-GM1 and GD1b IgM antibodies which are not disease specific and may simply represent part of the naturally occurring autoantibody population or a secondary response to disease . 126 GBS (50%) had no antibodies, predominantly in classical form . Associations between isotype, fine specificity and clinical presentation permit the definition of homogeneous immuno-clinical variants . Various autoantibody profiles with diagnostic and prognostic value are easy to perform by immunodot blot in acute peripheral neuropathies.

J Periodontal Res, 2002 Oct, 37(5), 375 - 9
Initial effect of controlled release chlorhexidine on subgingival microorganisms; Daneshmand N et al.; BACKGROUND: Little or no data exist on the ability of subgingival application of PerioChip (2.5 mg chlorhexidine gluconate in a biodegradable chip; Astra Pharmaceuticals, Westborough, MA, USA) to suppress periodontopathic microorganisms . The present study compared the subgingival microbiota of periodontitis sites receiving the chlorhexidine chip plus scaling and root planing (Sc/Rp) or Sc/Rp alone . METHODS: Seven males and six females, mean age 49 years, with moderate to advanced periodontitis participated in the study . In each patient, two bilateral pockets probing 6-7 mm were randomly assigned to treatment by chlorhexidine chip + Sc/Rp, or by Sc/Rp alone . Subgingival placement of chlorhexidine chips was carried out according to the manufacturer's instructions . Sc/Rp was performed with hand instruments for at least 10 min in each study tooth . Subgingival samples were collected by paper-points at baseline, at 2 weeks and at 4 weeks post-treatment . Anaerobic culture methods were used for microbial isolation and identification . The microbiologic examination was carried out blindly . Microbiological data were evaluated by a repeated measures analysis of variance . RESULTS: No statistical difference was found in total colony counts between subgingival sites treated with chlorhexidine chip + Sc/Rp and those treated with Sc/Rp alone . Also, the percentage of major periodontal pathogens (Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Bacteroides forsythus) and the percentage of total periodontal pathogens (A . actinomycetemcomitans, P . gingivalis, B . forsythus, Prevotella intermedia-group, Fusobacterium, Eubacterium, Campylobacter rectus, Peptostreptococcus micros, Eikenella corrodens, enteric rods) were not significantly different between the chlorhexidine chip + Sc/Rp group and the Sc/Rp group . At baseline, A . actinomycetemcomitans was recovered from 4 chlorhexidine chip + Sc/Rp sites and 2 Sc/Rp sites, P . gingivalis from 5 chlorhexidine chip + Sc/Rp sites and 4 Sc/Rp sites, and B . forsythus from 9 chlorhexidine chip + Sc/Rp and 7 Sc/Rp sites . At 4 weeks, A . actinomycetemcomitans was detected in 2 chlorhexidine chip + Sc/Rp sites but not in any site receiving Sc/Rp, P . gingivalis in 2 chlorhexidine chip + Sc/Rp sites but not in any Sc/Rp site, and B . forsythus in 1 chlorhexidine chip + Sc/Rp and in 2 Sc/Rp sites . CONCLUSION: The present data obtained from bilateral periodontitis lesions of 13 adults suggest that chlorhexidine chip treatment of adult periodontitis lesions provides little or no additional antimicrobial benefits compared to thorough Sc/Rp alone.

Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, 2002 Sep, 52(Pt 5), 1789 - 97
Genetic diversity and relationships of Campylobacter species and subspecies; Meinersmann RJ et al.; The existence of tremendous genetic diversity within Campylobacter species has been well documented . To analyse the population structure of Campylobacter and determine whether or not a clonal population structure could be detected, genetic diversity was assessed within the genus Campylobacter by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis of 156 isolates representing 11 species and subspecies from disparate sources . Analyses of electrophoretic mobility of 11 enzymes revealed 109 electrophoretic types (ETs) and 118 ETs when nulls were counted as an allele . Cluster analysis placed most ETs into groups that correlated with species . With nulls counted as alleles, 19 ETs were identified among 33 isolates of Campylobacter lari, 31 ETs among 34 isolates of Campylobacter coli and 43 ETs among 59 isolates of Campylobacter jejuni subsp . jejuni . Nine C . jejuni subsp . jejuni isolates, confirmed as this species by DNA-DNA hybridization, were hippuricase-negative . Reported linkage analyses were done with nulls ignored . Scores for mean genetic diversity (H) were high for the total population (mean H = 0.802) . Allelic mismatch-frequency distributions and allelic tracing pointed to possible genetic exchange between subpopulations . C . lari appears to be a panmictic species . Some pairs of species shared multiple alleles of certain loci, possibly indicating genetic exchange between species . Of the species tested, C . jejuni appeared to be the most active in sharing alleles . However, there was evidence of variable involvement in recombination by the different loci . Linkage analysis of loci in C . jejuni and C . coli revealed a clonal framework, with some loci tightly linked to each other . The loci appeared to occur in linkage groups or islands . Campylobacter may have a clonal framework with other portions of the genome involved in frequent recombination . Population genetic structure among Campylobacter is inconclusive and it remains to be seen if pathogenic types can be identified.

Lett Appl Microbiol, 2002, 35(4), 353 - 6
Evaluation of a commercial diagnostic PCR for the identification of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli; Englen MD et al.; AIMS: DuPont Qualicon recently developed a new PCR assay for the identification of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli . We evaluated the selectivity and utility of this assay compared with a PCR method already in use in our laboratory . METHODS AND RESULTS: A group of 133 Campylobacter isolates from poultry carcass rinse samples were screened using the commercial PCR and standard PCR . Identical results were found for 89.5% (119/133) of the isolates . However, 10.5% (14/133) gave conflicting results suggesting mixed cultures . These 14 strains were retested by both PCR methods . Of these, 78.6% (11/14) showed identical results for both PCR methods after retesting; the results for the remaining 21.4% (3/14) again indicated mixed cultures . CONCLUSIONS, SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: The new multiplex PCR is a rapid and accurate alternative to more conventional PCR methods . The persistence of mixed Campylobacter cultures noted in this study suggests certain strains may be very difficult to isolate clonally by standard culture methods.

J Med Microbiol, 2002 Sep, 51(9), 740 - 6
Thermo-tolerant Campylobacter fetus bacteraemia identified by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing: an emerging pathogen in immunocompromised patients; Woo PC et al.; Eight Campylobacter isolates that were able to grow at 25 degrees C and 42 degrees C and had the same biochemical profile were isolated from the blood of eight immunocompromised patients . Conventional biochemical tests were unable to determine whether they were isolates of thermo-tolerant C . fetus, H2S-negative C hyointestinalis, or a new Campylobacter species . Sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA genes showed that all eight isolates had the same nucleotide sequence and this was identical to that of C . fetus (GenBank accession no . AF219233) . All eight patients had underlying disease and two died despite antibiotic treatment . Because of the ability of C fetus to grow over a wide range of temperatures and a higher incidence of bacteraemia by this organism than C . jejuni in the past 5 years in Hong Kong, thermo-tolerant C fetus may be an emerging pathogen in immunocompromised patients in the years to come.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 2002 Oct, 50(4), 561 - 8
Ciprofloxacin resistance in Campylobacter jejuni: case-case analysis as a tool for elucidating risks at home and abroad; Campylobacter Sentinel Surveillance Scheme Collaborators; OBJECTIVE: To determine factors independently associated with the acquisition of a ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter jejuni infection . METHODS: Self-completion questionnaires were used to collect clinical, demographic and exposure data from cases of campylobacter infection reported to a sentinel surveillance scheme in England and Wales . Isolates from those cases were referred to the Public Health Laboratory Service Campylobacter Reference Unit for speciation, subtyping and antimicrobial resistance testing . Cases infected with a ciprofloxacin-resistant C . jejuni were compared with cases infected with a sensitive strain using case-case analysis . Single risk variable analysis and logistic regression analysis were employed . The analysis was restricted by travel status to control for the confounding effect of foreign travel . RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Over half (55%) of the campylobacter infections acquired abroad were resistant to ciprofloxacin, compared with 10% of UK-acquired strains {relative risk 5.23; 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.58-5.96} . For travel-associated cases, ciprofloxacin-resistant infections were independently associated with travel to Spain {odds ratio (OR) 6.87; 95% CI 3.52-13.38}, Portugal (OR 22.40; 95% CI 4.36-114.99) or Cyprus (OR 11.74; 95% CI 1.28-108.02), and the consumption of chicken (OR 4.95; 95% CI 2.12-11.56) or bottled water (OR 3.70; 95% CI 1.69-8.10) . Indigenous cases infected with a ciprofloxacin-resistant strain were more likely to report the consumption of pre-cooked cold meats (OR 2.13; 95% CI 1.44-3.13) . The risk of acquiring a ciprofloxacin-resistant campylobacter infection was strongly associated with foreign travel . Restricting the analyses by travel status revealed different sets of risk exposures for acquiring a resistant C . jejuni strain, suggesting that different intervention strategies will be required.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 2002 Oct, 50(4), 487 - 94
Comparison of the Etest and agar dilution for in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Campylobacter; Ge B et al.; The performance of the Etest and agar dilution for in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of Campylobacter spp . was evaluated using a quality control strain Campylobactor jejuni ATCC 33560, and 81 C . jejuni and 54 Campylobacter coli isolates recovered from retail raw meats . Seven antimicrobial agents: chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, erythromycin, gentamicin, nalidixic acid and tetracycline, were tested using the two methods, whereas azithromycin was tested using the Etest only . The correlation between the Etest and agar dilution MICs varied greatly depending on the antimicrobial agents tested . The overall agreement of MICs (+/-1 log(2) dilution) between the two methods was 61.9%, ranging from 21.4% for nalidixic acid to 92.6% for gentamicin . MICs obtained using the Etest were generally lower than those by agar dilution regardless of the species of organism tested . MIC(50) and/or MIC(90) values were at least one dilution lower for the Etest than for agar dilution when testing chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, erythromycin and nalidixic acid . Based on the agar dilution MICs, the resistant rate of the 135 Campylobacter isolates was highest for tetracycline (82.2%), followed by doxycycline (78.5%), nalidixic acid (21.5%), ciprofloxacin (20.7%) and erythromycin (17.0%) . None of the isolates demonstrated resistance to chloramphenicol or gentamicin . The study indicated that the Etest results were not in complete agreement with the agar dilution test . Although the Etest has been proven to be a satisfactory testing method, its use for Campylobacter susceptibility testing requires further standardization . The study also showed that C . jejuni and C . coli isolates resistant to antimicrobials used for treating campylobacteriosis were common in retail raw meats.

Vet Rec, 2002 Sep 14, 151(11), 317 - 20
Trends in antimicrobial susceptibility among isolates of Campylobacter species in Ireland and the emergence of resistance to ciprofloxacin; Lucey B et al.; Measurements were made of the susceptibility to six commonly prescribed antibiotics, including erythromycin, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin, of 130 isolates of Campylobacterjejuni and 15 isolates of Campylobacter coli cultured from human and poultry sources during 2000 . The results were compared with the results from a collection of strains isolated between 1996 and 1998 . The levels of resistance to erythromycin remained low, 2 per cent and 4.4 per cent for the human and poultry isolates, respectively . Resistance to tetracycline had increased to 31 per cent and 24.4 per cent from 13.9 per cent and 18.8 per cent for the human and poultry isolates, respectively . However, the resistance to ciprofloxacin of the strains isolated during 2000 had increased to 30 per cent, whereas between 1996 and 1998 there had been no resistance to this agent among human isolates, and only 3.1 per cent resistance among poultry isolates . The molecular basis for this resistance has been shown to be the result of a single amino acid substitution, Thr-86-Ile, in the gyrA subunit of DNA gyrase in Cjejuni . A subset of 59 isolates was tested by molecular methods and all of the 25 phenotypically resistant isolates possessed this substitution . None of the human isolates had been treated with ciprofloxacin before their laboratory isolation.

Rinsho Shinkeigaku, 2002 Jan, 42(1), 38 - 41
{A case of meningoencephalitis and spondylodiscitis caused by Campylobacter fetus subsp . fetus infection}; Ozeki T et al.; Campylobacter fetus subsp . fetus (C . fetus) is a gram-negative, curved, rod-shaped microaerophile, occasionally may cause meningitis or meningoencephalitis in humans . This report documents the case of 49-year-old man with lumbar spondylodiscitis and meningoencephalitis caused by C . fetus infection . On admission, the patient was delirious and severe inflammatory reactions were seen in his serum . Cerebrospinal fluid (CFS) revealed normal glucose concentration and moderate mononuclear leukocytosis . Campylobacter species, which was very difficult to be identified, was cultured from the blood and CSF . During his clinical course, the patient complained of severe back pain, and lumbar MRI showed low intensity in a T1-weighed image of the L4 and L5 vertebral bodies and high intensity in a T2-weighed image of the L4-5 disc . The patient was diagnosed with spondylodiscitis caused by C . fetus infection . Meningoencephalitis may have occurred as a secondary infection . Antibiotics were administered, and the patient's condition improved . To our knowledge, only a few cases of spondylodiscitis caused by C . fetus have been reported . A CSF glucose concentration in the normal range and mononuclear leukocytosis are atypical findings in patients with pyogenic meningitis . Therefore, neurologists must be fully aware of the possible symptoms and signs of C . fetus infection.

J Clin Pathol, 2002 Oct, 55(10), 749 - 53
Detection of campylobacter species: a comparison of culture and polymerase chain reaction based methods; Kulkarni SP et al.; AIMS: To investigate the optimal method for the detection of campylobacters from stool samples by comparing selective culture with membrane filtration and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) . METHODS: Three hundred and forty three stool samples were investigated by each of the three methods mentioned above . Selective culture was performed with charcoal cefoperazone desoxycholate agar plates . Membrane filtration was performed using cellulose triacetate membranes with 0.45 micro m pores placed on blood agar plates . Enteropathogenic campylobacters were detected using a PCR identification algorithm, consisting of screening PCRs and species identification using a PCR enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (PCR-ELISA), both based on the 16S rRNA gene . RESULTS: Of the 343 samples tested, 23 were positive by one or more method . Of these, 17 were positive by selective culture, 12 by membrane filtration, and 20 by the PCR identification algorithm . A total of 18 of 23 positives were identified as C jejuni and/or C coli by the PCR identification algorithm, compared with 14 identified to the genus level by selective culture, and 10 by membrane filtration . Among the remaining five positive samples, one C hyointestinalis was detected only by the PCR identification algorithm; one C upsaliensis was detected only by the PCR identification algorithm; one Campylobacter sp was detected by membrane filtration and selective culture and later identified as C concisus; one Campylobacter sp was detected by membrane filtration alone and later identified as Arcobacter sp; and one Campylobacter sp detected only by selective culture was lost to study and therefore not speciated . There was no significant difference between detection by selective culture and the other two methods . However, detection by PCR was significantly better than by membrane filtration (0.05 > p > 0.02) . CONCLUSION: The PCR identification algorithm can detect and identify Campylobacter spp to the species level and the result is obtained on the same day . However, PCR is expensive, labour intensive, and does not provide an isolate for further identification or typing . Selective culture is as good as the PCR identification algorithm for the detection of the two most common species, C jejuni and C coli, and it is cheap and practical . However, it does miss the less common species, results take 48 hours, and identification is only to the genus level . Membrane filtration showed a low sensitivity compared with the other methods and is not appropriate for the diagnostic laboratory, although it was the only method to detect the Arcobacter sp . The optimum method for the detection of campylobacters from stool samples in the diagnostic laboratory remains selective culture.

Mol Microbiol, 2002 Sep, 45(6), 1463 - 72
The tetracycline resistance protein Tet(o) perturbs the conformation of the ribosomal decoding centre; Connell SR et al.; Tet(o) is an elongation factor-like protein found in clinical isolates of Campylobacter jejuni that confers resistance to the protein-synthesis inhibitor tetracycline . Tet(o) interacts with the 70S ribosome and promotes the release of bound tetracycline, however, as shown here, it does not form the same functional interaction with the 30S subunit . Chemical probing demonstrates that Tet(o) changes the reactivity of the 16S rRNA to dimethyl sulphate (DMS) . These changes cluster within the decoding site, where C1214 is protected and A1408 is enhanced to DMS reactivity . C1214 is close to, but does not overlap, the primary tetracycline-binding site, whereas A1408 is in a region distinct from the Tet(o) binding site visualized by cryo-EM, indicating that Tet(o) induces long-range rearrangements that may mediate tetracycline resistance . Tetracycline enhances C1054 to DMS modification but this enhancement is inhibited in the presence of Tet(o) unlike the tetracycline-dependent protection of A892 which is unaffected by Tet(o) . C1054 is part of the primary binding site of tetracycline and A892 is part of the secondary binding site . Therefore, the results for the first time demonstrate that the primary tetracycline binding site is correlated with tetracycline's inhibitory effect on protein synthesis.

J Coll Physicians Surg Pak, 1996 Jan-Feb, 6(1), 43 - 6
Breast feeding may protect children against Campylobacter jejuni associated diarrhoea; Shahid M et al.; PIP: To investigate the bacterial etiology of infant diarrhea in Karachi, Pakistan, 180 rectal swab samples collected from diarrhea patients under 5 years of age and 30 samples from age- and sex-matched healthy children were analyzed . Enteropathogenic organisms were isolated from 70 case samples (38.9%) . The two most common etiologic agents were Campylobacter jejuni (19.4%) and Aeromonas hydrophilia (6.1%) . Salmonella, Shigella, and Yersina appear to have a limited incidence in this age group . None of the control specimens yielded any enteropathogen . Breast-fed infants had a significantly lower risk of enteric infection . A pathogen was isolated in 26.0% of samples from breast-fed children with diarrhea compared with 46.8% of samples from bottle-fed diarrhea patients . All C jejuni infections identified in this study involved bottle-fed children . Boiled water was used to prepare infant formula in only 31.1% of these patients . These findings are consistent with those of other studies showing a decreased rate or severity of diarrhea in breast-fed infants . Mothers should be encouraged to breast feed their infants or, if this is not possible, to use boiled water for the preparation of infant formula .

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2002 Oct, 68(10), 5151 - 4
Double-staining method for differentiation of morphological changes and membrane integrity of Campylobacter coli cells; Alonso JL et al.; We developed a double-staining procedure involving NanoOrange dye (Molecular Probes, Eugene, Oreg.) and membrane integrity stains (LIVE/DEAD BacLight kit; Molecular Probes) to show the morphological and membrane integrity changes of Campylobacter coli cells during growth . The conversion from a spiral to a coccoid morphology via intermediary forms and the membrane integrity changes of the C . coli cells can be detected with the double-staining procedure . Our data indicate that young or actively growing cells are mainly spiral shaped (green-stained cells), but older cells undergo a degenerative change to coccoid forms (red-stained cells) . Club-shaped transition cell forms were observed with NanoOrange stain . Chlorinated drinking water affected the viability but not the morphology of C . coli cells.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2002 Oct, 68(10), 4835 - 40
Bacterial hemoglobins and flavohemoglobins for alleviation of nitrosative stress in Escherichia coli; Frey AD et al.; Escherichia coli MG1655 cells expressing novel bacterial hemoglobin and flavohemoglobin genes from a medium-copy-number plasmid were grown in shake flask cultures under nitrosative and oxidative stress . E . coli cells expressing these proteins display enhanced resistance against the NO(.) releaser sodium nitroprusside (SNP) relative to that of the control strain bearing the parental plasmid . Expression of bacterial hemoglobins originating from Campylobacter jejuni (CHb) and Vitreoscilla sp . (VHb) conferred resistance on SNP-challenged cells . In addition, it has been shown that NO(.) detoxification is also a common feature of flavohemoglobins originating from different taxonomic groups and can be transferred to a heterologous host . These observations have been confirmed in a specific in vitro NO(.) consumption assay . Protein extracts isolated from E . coli strains overexpressing flavohemoglobins consumed authentic NO(.) more readily than protein extracts from the wild-type strain . Oxidative challenge to the cells evoked nonuniform responses from the various cell cultures . Improved oxidative-stress-sustaining properties had also been observed when the flavohemoglobins from E . coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Deinococcus radiodurans, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were expressed in E . coli.

Child Trop . 1985;(158):10.
Aetiological forms; Guerin N; PIP: At least 25 etiologic agents have been implicated in acute diarrhea . In children, the most common are the rotaviruses, enterotoxigenic escherichia coli, campylobacter jejuni, salmonallae, and shigellae . For example, an attempt was made to isolate enteropathogenic micro-organisms in children under 2 years of age hospitalized in Ethiopia with severe or moderate dehydration . A causal agent was identified in 70% of the 175 cases analyzed . 49% of these cases involved rotavirus infections, 19% included E . coli, and 13% involved campylobacter .

Clin Exp Immunol, 2002 Oct, 130(1), 101 - 6
Long-term antibody responses following human infection with Campylobacter jejuni; Cawthraw SA et al.; Epidemiological evidence suggests prior infection of humans by Campylobacter jejuni leads to protection against disease following further exposure . It is known that infections elicit strong antibody responses following the onset of disease and that antibody levels are elevated in putatively immune populations . To determine if systemic and mucosal antibodies induced by a confirmed infection remain at elevated levels for prolonged periods, repeat serum, saliva and urine samples were taken from campylobacter patients from 1 week and up to a year postinfection . Antibodies were monitored by ELISAs using three different antigen preparations: acid-glycine extracts (AE) of C . jejuni strain 81116 and an aflagellate mutant (R2), and a whole-cell R2 sonicate, and by Western blotting . Levels of serum IgG antibodies against 81116AE and R2 sonicate, but not R2AE, remained significantly raised over time when compared to a comparison population . Serum anti-sonicate IgA antibody levels were initially significantly raised but decreased over time to levels similar to the comparison group . There were no significant differences in levels of salivary IgA against the AEs . Anti-sonicate salivary IgA and IgG levels were initially significantly higher than in the comparison group . Both declined over time but the IgG levels remained significantly higher . Significant correlations were seen between serum IgG levels and age and duration of illness . Serum antibodies against flagellin, 40 kDa and 29 kDa antigens were still detectable in most patients up to a year postinfection, as were salivary antibodies to flagellin, the major outer-membrane protein and a 40 kDa antigen.

Indian J Matern Child Health, 1991, 2(4), 127 - 30
A study of medico social profile of under five children suffering from diarrhoeal diseases; Mahendraker AG et al.; PIP: In India, 76 of 290 children (26.2%) under five admitted to the pediatric wards of Command Hospital Pune during April-October 1986 suffered from various diarrheal diseases . Boys were more likely to be afflicted with a diarrheal disease than girls (63.16% vs . 36.84%) . Health workers made home visits after hospital discharge . Diarrheal illness was more frequent among the lower socioeconomic classes than the upper classes (65.81% for social class III and 22.37% for social class IV vs . 3.94-7.88 for social classes I-II; p 0.001) . The incidence of diarrhea was inversely proportional to maternal literacy status (42.1% for illiteracy, 32.89% for primary school, 10.53% for middle school, 9.21% for secondary school, and 5.27% for higher education) . A family size of no more than 4 was associated with a higher incidence of diarrhea than larger family sizes (72.36% vs . 25% for 5-6; 2.64% for 6; p 0.05) . Yet, diarrhea was more common in overcrowded households than in non-crowded households (73.68% vs . 26.32%; p 0.05) . The most common signs and symptoms in children with diarrheal diseases were dehydration (78.95%), fever (75%), and vomiting (73.68%) . Children younger than 24 months who were exclusively breast fed made up a smaller proportion of diarrhea cases than their counterparts who were not exclusively breast fed (20.75% vs . 79.25%) . Most diarrheal disease cases (67-92%) suffered from various grades of malnutrition . Laboratory personnel isolated pathogenic organisms from only 36.84% of cases . The most common pathogens were Ascaris lumbricoides (10.54% of all cases), Giardia lamblia (7.89%), and Campylobacter jejuni (5.26%) . 50% of mothers did not know anything about oral rehydration therapy (ORT) . Of the mothers who did know about it, only 26.32% were using ORT . These findings highlight the great need for health education on ORT for mothers .

Dev Sante, 1993, (103), 4 - 6
{Infections in malnourished infants and children}; Reinert P; PIP: Malnutrition, one of the world's greatest health problems, is a factor in the death of millions of children each year . Infection is the cause of death in over half these cases . Dietary deficiency, especially of protein, causes serious disturbances in the immune system . The mucus and cutaneous surfaces are the first affected . Studies of the respiratory mucus demonstrate frequent breaches which allow germs to penetrate . Antibodies are synthesized in reduced quantities, lymphocyte counts are often diminished, and reaction with infectious agents is poor . The phagocyte function of polynucleated cells is poor . Malnutrition is often associated with war, ignorance, poverty, and poor hygiene . Deficiencies of iron, vitamin A, and zinc may aggravate immune deficits . Ingestion of contaminated water is the main cause of diarrhea, which is very frequent among the malnourished and may be more serious than among adequately nourished individuals . Colibacillus and salmonella are most frequently isolated . Germs such as shigella, campylobacter, and rotavirus have the same incidence as in well nourished children . Pneumonia is responsible for 4 million deaths in children under 5 annually and is more common in the malnourished . The pathogenic agents may be pneumococci, Hemophilus, or staphylococci . Tuberculosis is also frequent, especially in zones with a prevalence of AIDS . Diagnosis of tuberculosis with cutaneous tests is difficult in the malnourished . Regardless of the pathogenic agent, pneumonia is more serious in the malnourished, and the need for treatment is more urgent . Urinary infections may occur in 10-25% of malnourished children vs . 2% of healthy children . The colibacillus is the most frequent cause . Specticemias, the most severe of infections, are not rare in the malnourished and are usually caused by Salmonella or the colibacillus . 20% of malnourished children are affected by infections acquired in the hospital . Among viral infections affecting them are measles and herpes . The fatality rate from measles may reach 25% in malnourished children . Parasitoses are frequent, but they do not seem to be more serious in malnourished children than in the general population . It is imperative in treating malnourished children to observe rigorous hygiene, use clean water, treat infections early, avoid hospital infections, and apply all available vaccines .

J Lab Clin Med, 2002 Sep, 140(3), 135 - 41
Multiresistant clones of Salmonella enterica: The importance of dissemination; Davis MA et al.; Increasing anitmicrobial resistance among foodborne pathogens has prompted calls for the reduction of anitmicrobial use in livestock to prevent future emergence or resistance . In the case of Salmonella enterica, clonal dissemination may play a more critical role in regional changes in antimicrobial resistance in Salmonellae than antimicrobial selection pressure . Multi-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium definitive type 104 (mr-DT104) emerged from an unknown location and was disseminated globally during the 1980s and 1990s . Other clones of Salmonella Typhimurium and non-Typhimurium Salmonellae have demonstrated an ability to disseminate widely . The clonal epidemiology of mr-DT104 is in contrast with that of Campylobacter jejuni, in which antimicrobial resistance is polyclonal and seems to develop in response to local antimicrobial pressures . The epidemiology of mr-DT104 is more similar to that of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which is also characterized by international transmission of a few clonal subtypes . Control measures for multiresistant disseminated clones of Salmonellae must focus on the interruption of dissemination in order to be effective.

Hepatol Res . 2002 Oct;24(2):205.
Campylobacter-associated Guillain-Barré syndrome after orthotopic liver transplantation for hepatitis C cirrhosis: a case report; Colle I et al.; Guillain-Barre syndrome is characterized by acute paralysis and ascending neuropathy due to an inflammatory attack on the myelin of peripheral nerves . About 2/3 of patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome have an infection 1-3 weeks before the onset of the symptoms . Guillain-Barre syndrome has rarely been reported after solid organ transplantation (18 cases with three cases after liver transplantation), and these cases are mostly related to a CMV infection . We describe a 64-year-old male patient who developed Guillain-Barre syndrome related to a Campylobacter fetus enteritis, 70 days post liver transplantation . Although the patient received tacrolimus as immunosuppressant agent and is hepatitis C positive, we can conclude that the Campylobacter infection was probably the primary trigger for the development of Guillain-Barre syndrome . As T-cell response is depressed in our patient and cross-reactive antibodies (anti-ganglioside GM-1) exists after Campylobacter infection, we suppose that a humorally mediated attack is responsible for Guillain-Barre syndrome after solid organ transplantation . A review of the literature is performed.

Poult Sci, 2002 Sep, 81(9), 1371 - 7
Effect of high-temperature inside-outside spray on survival of campylobacter jejuni attached to prechill chicken carcasses; Li Y et al.; Prechill chicken carcasses, inoculated with Campylobacter jejuni, were sprayed in an inside-outside birdwasher at 20, 55, or 60 C, with or without 50 ppm chlorine, in a poultry processing pilot plant . Carcasses were sprayed for 12 s at 80 pounds per square inch (psi) . Next, carcasses were placed in a chiller filled with 50 ppm chlorinated ice water at 4 C for 50 min . Most probable numbers of C . jejuni were determined based on chicken carcass wash water before and after the spray treatment . The skin color of chicken carcasses was measured . The results of this study showed that the 55 and 60 C water spray treatments significantly reduced C . jejuni by more than 0.78 log cfu/carcass compared with the 20 C water spray treatment . However, all of the 50 ppm chlorine spray treatments at three different temperatures were not significantly different . The skin color of chicken carcasses did not change significantly after the spray treatments at temperatures less than 60 C . The chilling process with 50 ppm chlorinated ice water at 4 C further reduced more C . jejuni (approximately 1 log cfu/carcass) among the water spray treatments but did not result in greater reduction of C . jejuni among the chlorine spray treatments.

Avian Dis, 2002 Jul-Sep, 46(3), 535 - 41
Identification of a new source of Campylobacter contamination in poultry: transmission from breeder hens to broiler chickens; Cox NA et al.; Campylobacter jejuni, a foodborne pathogen closely associated with market poultry, is considered to be the most frequent agent of human gastroenteritis in the United States . The pathways involved in the contamination of poultry flocks, vertical transmission and/or horizontal transmission, are unclear . In this study, Campylobacter isolates from two independent commercial broiler breeder flocks, as well as from their respective progeny, were characterized and compared by PstI ribotype analysis and by DNA sequence analysis of the short variable region (SVR) of the flaA gene (flaA SVR) . Campylobacter isolates originating from one set of breeder hens and the feces from their respective progeny demonstrated identical ribotype patterns as well as identical flaA SVR DNA sequences, thereby suggesting that these isolates were clonal in origin . Ribotype analysis of Campylobacter isolates from the second set of breeder hens and processed carcasses from their offspring resulted in two patterns . Sequence analysis placed these isolates into two closely related groups and one distant group, similar to the ribotype analysis . These results demonstrate that Campylobacter isolates from commercial broiler breeder flocks and from the respective broiler progeny may be of clonal origin and that breeder hens can serve as a source for Campylobacter contamination in poultry flocks.

Vet Pathol, 2002 Sep, 39(5), 605 - 7
Campylobacter-induced fetal death in a rhesus monkey; Baze WB et al.; A pregnant 4-year-old rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) was presented with a history of acute vaginal bleeding . Physical examination revealed an open cervix . An ultrasound scan demonstrated a viable early third-trimester fetus, approximately 16 weeks of gestational age . Hematology results showed that the monkey was anemic, with a normal leukogram and Dohle bodies . A subsequent cervical culture was positive for Campylobacter fetus . The fetus died 3 days later, and a necropsy of the fetus and placenta was performed . Microscopic examination of the placenta revealed villitis, perivillitis, and deciduitis with S-shaped and gull wing-shaped bacteria . C . fetus was considered the cause of the placental lesions and fetal death; however, the pathogenesis of the infection (hematogenous vs . ascending from the maternal genital tract) was not clear . This is the first report of a Campylobacter-induced fetal death in the rhesus monkey . Because macaques can be asymptomatic carriers and Campylobacter-induced diarrhea is common, this finding has implications for breeding success in nonhuman primate breeding colonies.

Protein Sci, 2002 Oct, 11(10), 2285 - 96
CxxS: fold-independent redox motif revealed by genome-wide searches for thiol/disulfide oxidoreductase function; Fomenko DE et al.; Redox reactions involving thiol groups in proteins are major participants in cellular redox regulation and antioxidant defense . Although mechanistically similar, thiol-dependent redox processes are catalyzed by structurally distinct families of enzymes, which are difficult to identify by available protein function prediction programs . Herein, we identified a functional motif, CxxS (cysteine separated from serine by two other residues), that was often conserved in redox enzymes, but rarely in other proteins . Analyses of complete Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Methanococcus jannaschii, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae genomes revealed a high proportion of proteins known to use the CxxS motif for redox function . This allowed us to make predictions in regard to redox function and identity of redox groups for several proteins whose function previously was not known . Many proteins containing the CxxS motif had a thioredoxin fold, but other structural folds were also present, and CxxS was often located in these proteins upstream of an alpha-helix . Thus, a conserved CxxS sequence followed by an alpha-helix is typically indicative of a redox function and corresponds to thiol-dependent redox sites in proteins . The data also indicate a general approach of genome-wide identification of redox proteins by searching for simple conserved motifs within secondary structure patterns.

J Appl Microbiol, 2002, 93(4), 541 - 7
The prevalence and number of Salmonella in sausages and their destruction by frying, grilling or barbecuing; Mattick KL et al.; AIMS: To determine the prevalence and number of Salmonella and Campylobacter in sausages and to evaluate their destruction during cooking . METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-two packs of uncooked economy or catering sausages, comprising 53 packs of frozen and 109 of chilled sausages, were purchased in Devon between March and July 2000 . All were tested for the presence of Salmonella and 51 packs of chilled sausages were also examined for the presence of Campylobacter spp . To investigate the heat tolerance of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium DT104 in sausage-meat, chilled, handmade and frozen sausages were inoculated with approx . 1.5 x 10(4) bacterial cells per sausage (approximately 300 cfu g(-1)) and then cooked by frying, grilling or barbecuing . The levels of creatinine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase in uncooked and cooked sausages were measured to evaluate their potential as indicators of adequate cooking and, therefore, pathogen elimination . Salmonella were detected in 7.5% of frozen and 9.1% of the chilled sausages (8.6% overall) but Campylobacter spp . were not isolated . After cooking, a visual assessment suggested that all of the sausages were thoroughly cooked . Despite this, barbecuing and frying sometimes allowed Salmonella cells to survive and the temperature profiles during cooking indicated that the lethal range was sometimes not reached . The enzyme levels tested were not reliable indicators of the inactivation of bacterial pathogens because Salmonella were sometimes isolated from sausages with low values of all three enzymes . CONCLUSIONS: Salmonella spp . are present in a significant proportion of sausages and are not always killed during the cooking process . SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: These findings have clear implications for public health.

Nippon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi, 2002 Aug, 99(8), 925 - 34
{CT evaluation of infectious colitis}; Horiki N et al.; Computed tomography (CT) is useful for evaluating the diagnosis of gastrointestinal disease, such as infectious colitis, in patients with severe pain and bloody diarrhea . During the 7 years between November 1993 and October 2000, 34 patients with infectious colitis (18 male, 16 female; mean age 42 +/- 19 yrs), received emergency CT and colonoscopy because of severe abdominal pain and dysentery . The following organisms were isolated: pathogenic Escherichia coli (12), 6 of which were O157:H7 (O-157), Salmonella species (11), Campylobacter species (5), Vibrio parahaemolyticus (3), Yersinia enterocolotica (2) and Shigella species (1) . Thickening of the intestinal wall greater than 10 mm was seen in the ascending colon in the 6 cases with E . coli O 157, in 5/11 cases with Salmonella, 4/5 with Campylobacter and 1/6 with non-O157 pathogenic E . Coli . Marked intestinal wall thickening, greater than 20 mm, was seen in the ascending colon of the 4 of the patients with an O-157 infection . In all patients with O-157 colitis, slight ascites was noted in the pelvic space . In additions, ascites was also seen in 3/13 patients with Salmonella and 1/5 patients with Campylobacter colitis . The CT findings, in the patients with infectious colitis, are non-specific but knowledge and recognition of the findings will help in patient evaluation and proper treatment.

Aust Vet J, 2002 Aug, 80(8), 497 - 502
Concurrent spirochaetal infections of the feet and colon of cattle in Japan; Shibahara T et al.; OBJECTIVE: To describe spirochaetal infections in the feet and colon of cattle affected with papillomatous digital dermatitis (PDD) and colitis respectively . PROCEDURE: Eighty-two slaughtered animals were macroscopically examined for the presence of PDD . Tissues of two cattle affected with PDD were examined by histology, immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy and bacteriology for spirochaetal infection . RESULTS: Two adult cattle (a 2-year-old beef bullock and 7-year-old Holstein dairy cow) were affected with PDD . Histologically, numerous argyrophilic and gram-negative filamentous or spiral spirochaetes were found deep in the PDD lesions . Epithelial and goblet cell hyperplasia and oedema of the lamina propria mucosa with macrophage and lymphocyte infiltration were observed in the caecum and colon in the cattle . Numerous spirochaetes were present in the crypts and some had invaded epithelial and goblet cells, and caused their degeneration . Immunohistochemically the organisms stained positively with polyclonal antisera against Treponema pallidum and Brachyspira (Serpulina) hyodysenteriae . Ultrastructurally, the intestinal spirochaetes were similar to the spirochaetes in PDD . They were 6 to 14 pm long, 0.2 to 0.3 pm wide and had 4 to 6 coils and 9 axial filaments per cell . Campylobacter species were isolated from the PDD and intestinal lesions, but spirochaetes were not . CONCLUSION: Concurrent infections with morphologically similar spirochaetal organisms may occur in the feet and colon of cattle in Japan.

J Microbiol Methods, 2002 Nov, 51(3), 369 - 77
Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 using immunomagnetic separation and absorbance measurement; Liu Y et al.; An assay system for detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was developed based on immunomagnetic separation of the target pathogen from samples and absorbance measurement of p-nitrophenol at 400 nm from p-nitrophenyl phosphate hydrolysis by alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1) on the "sandwich" structure complexes (antibodies coated onto micromagnetic beads--E . coli O157:H7-antibodies conjugated with the enzyme) formed on the microbead surface . The effects of immunoreaction time, phosphate buffer concentration, pH and temperature on the immunomagnetic separation of E . coli O157:H7 from samples were determined and the conditions used for the separation were 1-h reaction time, 1.0 x 10(-2) M PBS, pH 8.0 and 33 degrees C in this system . The effects of MgCl(2) concentration, Tris buffer concentration, pH and temperature on the activity of alkaline phosphatase conjugated on the immuno-"sandwich" structure complexes were investigated after immunomagnetic separation of the target pathogen and the conditions used for the enzymatic amplification were 1.0 x 10(-4) M MgCl(2), 1.0 M Tris buffer, pH 8.0, 28 degrees C and 30-min reaction time during the assay . The selectivity of the system was examined and no interference from the other pathogens including Salmonella typhimurium, Campylobacter jejuni and Listeria monocytogenes was observed . Its working range was from 3.2 x 10(2) to 3.2 x 10(4) CFU/ml, and the relative standard deviation was 2.5-9.9% . The total detection time was less than 2 h .

Harefuah, 2002 Aug, 141(8), 683 - 4, 763
{An outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni enteritis after farm visit in Haifa subdistrict}; Srour SF et al.; We report on an outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni (C . jejuni) gastroenteritis among children residing in Haifa subdistrict after a farm visit . This incident emphasizes the importance of this issue and our report suggests preventive measures to reduce the risk of transmission of enteric pathogens in such situations.

Microbiology, 2002 Sep, 148(Pt 9), 2753 - 63
Activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB by Campylobacter jejuni; Mellits KH et al.; Campylobacter jejuni is a food-borne pathogen responsible for infectious enterocolitis . The early-response transcription factor NF-kappa B triggers the expression of genes associated with cellular immune and inflammatory responses . Co-incubation of HeLa cells with viable C . jejuni leads to the activation of the transcription factor NF-kappa B as determined by specific induction of a cellular luciferase-based reporter . Boiled cell-free extracts of C . jejuni are also potent dose-dependent stimulators of NF-kappa B-dependent transcription, the levels of which can reach up to 1000-fold as compared with independent controls . Using both cultured HeLa cells and human colonic epithelial (HCA-7) cells, the activation of NF-kappa B by C . jejuni boiled extract has been monitored through the degradation of IKB alpha and DNA binding of the nuclear translocated p50/p65 heterodimer of NF-kappa B . These events are co-ordinated with elaboration of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 . Fractionation of the boiled C . jejuni extract suggests that the majority of the bioactive component has a molecular mass of 3 kDa or less, which is insensitive to proteinase K treatment.

Epidemiol Infect, 2002 Aug, 129(1), 227 - 31
Molecular epidemiology of nalidixic acid-resistant campylobacter isolates from humans and poultry by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and flagellin gene analysis; Wu TL et al.; To investigate the potential of poultry products as the source of human infections associated with quinolone-resistant campylobacters, 140 human and 75 poultry isolates of nalidixic acid-resistant campylobacters were collected between 1996 and 1998, and analysed by two molecular typing methods . By the analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphism of the flagellin gene, 33 distinct patterns were obtained, with 18 of which shared by both human (89%) and poultry (93%) isolates . By the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of SmaI-restricted macrofragments, 105 different profiles were obtained, and 11 were found in both human (40%) and poultry (23%) isolates . When the two typing methods were combined, 112 unique genotypes were obtained, 11 of which were shared by both populations, including 53 (38%) human isolates and 14 (19%) poultry isolates . Although domestic poultry products are still important sources of the quinolone-resistant campylobacter infections in humans, there are other factors that might contribute to these increasing infections simultaneously . A more stringent policy in the use of antimicrobial agents in food animals can no longer be ignored.

Epidemiol Infect, 2002 Aug, 129(1), 187 - 92
Prevalence of campylobacters in chicken flocks during the summer of 1999 in Finland; Perko-Makela P et al.; In order to determine the prevalence of campylobacter positive broiler flocks in Finland, every flock from all three major slaughterhouses was studied during the period from 1 May to 30 September 1999 . Caecal samples were taken in the slaughterhouses from five birds per flock . A total of 1132 broiler flocks were tested and 33 (2.9%) of those were campylobacter positive . Thirty-one isolates were C . jejuni and two isolates were C . coli . Isolates were serotyped for heat-stable antigens (Penner) and genotyped with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) . The most common serotypes were serotypes 6, 7, 12 and 4-complex . Together with SmaI and KpnI patterns there were 18 different PFGE genotypes . Simultaneous monitoring of chicken flocks and typing of the isolates produced data which can be used to study the epidemiology of campylobacters in chicken as well as their role in human infections.

FEMS Microbiol Lett, 2002 Aug 27, 214(1), 87 - 93
Use of a LightCycler gyrA mutation assay for identification of ciprofloxacin-resistant Campylobacter coli; Carattoli A et al.; A fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based assay has been employed to detect mutations at the 86 codon in the DNA gyrase A (gyrA) gene in Campylobacter coli strains . These mutations were associated with ciprofloxacin resistance in strains isolated in Italy in 2000 . The mutations in the gyrA gene were detected by real-time PCR amplification followed by hybridization with two fluorescent probes designed with sequences complementary to the wild-type C . coli gyrA gene . Mutation detection was performed by melting peak analysis of the probe-PCR product hybrid performed on a LightCycler (Roche Diagnostic) . This gyrA mutation assay allows a rapid and reproducible screening method of ciprofloxacin-resistant C . coli strains.

J Periodontal Res, 2002 Aug, 37(4), 307 - 15
Microbiological, immunological and genetic factors in family members with periodontitis as a manifestation of systemic disease, associated with hematological disorders; Okada M et al.; The microflora, immunological profiles of host defence functions, and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) findings are reported for a mother, son and daughter who were diagnosed as having 'periodontitis as a manifestation of systemic diseases, associated with hematological disorders' . Examinations were made of the bacterial flora from the periodontal pocket, neutrophil chemotaxis, neutrophil phagocytosis, and the genotypes (DQB1) and serotypes (DR locus) of HLA class II antigens . Phenotypic analyses of the peripheral lymphocytes were also conducted . The subgingival microflora from the mother was dominated by Gram-negative rods, especially Porphyromonas endodontalis, Prevotella intermedia/Prevotella nigrescens and Fusobacterium nucleatum . Subgingival microflora samples from the son and daughter were dominated by Gram-positive cocci and Gram-positive rods . Through the use of polymerase chain reaction, Campylobacter rectus and Capnocytophaga gingivalis were detected in all subjects, whereas Porphyromonas gingivalis, P . intermedia, and Treponema denticola were not detected in any subjects . All three subjects showed a remarkable level of depressed neutrophil chemotaxis to N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine, although their phagocyte function levels were normal, in comparison to healthy control subjects . Each subject had the same genotype, HLA-DQB1*0601, while the mother had HLA-DR2 and HLA-DR8, and the son and daughter had HLA-DR2 only . In summary, the members of this family showed a similar predisposition to periodontitis with regard to certain host defence functions . It is suggested that the depressed neutrophil chemotaxis that was identified here could be a significant risk factor for periodontitis in this family.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2002 Sep, 68(9), 4666 - 71
Quorum sensing and production of autoinducer-2 in Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in foods; Cloak OM et al.; Autoinducer molecules are utilized by gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria to regulate density-dependent gene expression by a mechanism known as quorum sensing . PCR and DNA sequencing results showed that Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli possessed luxS, which is responsible for autoinducer-2 (AI-2) production . Using a Vibrio harveyi luminescence assay, the production of AI-2 was observed in milk, chicken broth, and brucella broth by C . coli, C . jejuni, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 under different conditions.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 2002 Sep, 68(9), 4209 - 15
Environmental regulation of Campylobacter jejuni major outer membrane protein porin expression in Escherichia coli monitored by using green fluorescent protein; Dedieu L et al.; Porins allow exchanges between bacteria and their environment . In the gram-negative food-borne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni two porins, major outer membrane protein (MOMP) and Omp50, have been identified . MOMP is synthesized at a very high level under laboratory culture conditions, suggesting that its promoter functions very efficiently under these conditions . In Campylobacter samples, we observed that MOMP porin expression increased at a high temperature (42 degrees C) or a high pH (pH 8.5) compared to expression at a low temperature (31 degrees C) or an acidic pH (pH 5.5) . To study the regulation of MOMP expression at the transcriptional level, we constructed an momp-gfp fusion in which gfp expression was put under the control of the momp promoter . Interestingly, we observed the same pattern of regulation in Escherichia coli, as monitored by green fluorescent protein production, that was found in CAMPYLOBACTER: The ranges of pH and temperature tested are physiologically relevant, because they can be found in the digestive tracts of both birds and humans, which are both colonized by CAMPYLOBACTER: Our results suggest that a component of the regulatory mechanism is conserved in C . jejuni and E . coli . However, medium osmolarity and sodium salicylate did not have a significant effect on C . jejuni momp promoter activity in E . coli, suggesting that major regulatory elements of E . coli porin expression do not participate in MOMP regulation . In contrast, mechanisms involving DNA supercoiling may be involved, as shown by DNA gyrase inhibition assays . These findings are a step towards determining the role of outer membrane proteins in the adaptation of C . jejuni to its environment.

Nutr Rev, 2002 Aug, 60(8), 261 - 4
From the farm to the kitchen table: the negative impact of antimicrobial use in animals on humans; Hamer DH et al.; Antimicrobials used as growth promotion agents in the livestock and poultry industries appear to result in the spread of drug-resistant pathogens to humans such as vancomycin-resistant enterococci, fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter jejuni, and multidrug-resistant strains of Salmonella enterica . We present some epidemiologic evidence supporting this link and suggest that the use of antimicrobial agents for nontherapeutic purposes in food animals should be severely limited, if not banned altogether.

J Parasitol, 2002 Aug, 88(4), 738 - 45
Response of intestinal epithelial cells to Trichuris suis excretory-secretory products and the influence on Campylobacter jejuni invasion under in vitro conditions; Abner SR et al.; We previously developed a swine animal model in which natural host resistance to Campylobacter jejuni is altered by experimental infection with low numbers of the nematode Trichuris suis . Pigs naturally colonized with C . jejuni experience colitis because of the invasion of the bacterium approximately 21 days after exposure to T . suis . To better understand the mechanism of T . suis-dependent C . jejuni colitis, we evaluated the effects of T . suis excretory-secretory products (ESPs) on intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) and the influence of ESP on C . jejuni invasion in IECs under in vitro conditions . Viability assays revealed a dose-dependent cytotoxic response in ESP-treated IECs, particularly IPEC-1 and INT407 cells . Transepithelial electrical resistance dropped significantly in IPEC-1 cells treated on apical and basolateral surfaces, but not in those treated only on apical surfaces . Using the gentamicin-killing assay, reduced numbers of intracellular C . jejuni were recovered from IECs treated with ESP at 1 mg protein/ml concentration . This observation can be at least partially explained by a novel antibacterial activity in ESP . Contrary to our hypothesis, ESP at subtoxic concentrations did not enhance invasion . In addition to mechanical damage from worms, these results suggest that soluble products released by T . suis contribute to IEC damage at the site of worm attachment.

Emerg Infect Dis, 2002 Sep, 8(9), 949 - 55
Molecular characterization of Campylobacter jejuni clones: a basis for epidemiologic investigation; Dingle KE et al.; A total of 814 isolates of the foodborne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni were characterized by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and analysis of the variation of two cell-surface components: the heat-stable (HS) serotyping antigen and the flagella protein FlaA short variable region . We identified 379 combinations of the MLST loci (sequence types) and 215 combinations of the cell-surface components among these isolates, which had been obtained from human disease, animals, food, and the environment . Despite this diversity, 748 (92%) of the isolates belonged to one of 17 clonal complexes, 6 of which contained many (318, 63%) of the human disease isolates . Several clonal complexes exhibited associations with isolation source or particular cell-surface components; however, the latter were poorly predictive of clonal complex . These data demonstrate that the clonal complex, as defined by MLST, is an epidemiologically relevant unit for both long and short-term investigations of C . jejuni epidemiology.

Emerg Infect Dis, 2002 Sep, 8(9), 937 - 42
A case-case comparison of Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter jejuni infection: a tool for generating hypotheses; Gillespie IA et al.; Preventing campylobacteriosis depends on a thorough understanding of its epidemiology . We used case-case analysis to compare cases of Campylobacter coli infection with cases of C . jejuni infection, to generate hypotheses for infection from standardized, population-based sentinel surveillance information in England and Wales . Persons with C . coli infection were more likely to have drunk bottled water than were those with C . jejuni infection and, in general, were more likely to have eaten pate . Important differences in exposures were identified for these two Campylobacter species . Exposures that are a risk for infection for both comparison groups might not be identified or might be underestimated by case-case analysis . Similarly, the magnitude or direction of population risk cannot be assessed accurately . Nevertheless, our findings suggest that case-control studies should be conducted at the species level.

J Biol Chem, 2002 Nov 8, 277(45), 42530 - 9 Epub 2002 Aug 16.
Structure of the N-linked glycan present on multiple glycoproteins in the Gram-negative bacterium, Campylobacter jejuni; Young NM et al.; Mass spectrometry investigations of partially purified Campylobacter jejuni protein PEB3 showed it to be partially modified with an Asn-linked glycan with a mass of 1406 Da and composed of one hexose, five N-acetylhexosamines and a species of mass 228 Da, consistent with a trideoxydiacetamidohexose . By means of soybean lectin affinity chromatography, a mixture of glycoproteins was obtained from a glycine extract, and two-dimensional gel proteomics analysis led to the identification of at least 22 glycoproteins, predominantly annotated as periplasmic proteins . Glycopeptides were prepared from the glycoprotein mixture by Pronase digestion and gel filtration . The structure of the glycan was determined by using nano-NMR techniques to be GalNAc-alpha1,4-GalNAc-alpha1,4-{Glcbeta1,3-}GalNAc-alpha1,4-GalNAc-alpha1,4-GalNAc-alpha1,3-Bac-beta1,N-Asn-Xaa, where Bac is bacillosamine, 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxyglucopyranose . Protein glycosylation was abolished when the pglB gene was mutated, providing further evidence that the enzyme encoded by this gene is responsible for formation of the glycopeptide N-linkage . Comparison of the pgl locus with that of Neisseria meningitidis suggested that most of the homologous genes are probably involved in the biosynthesis of bacillosamine.

Med Dosw Mikrobiol, 2002, 54(2), 129 - 36
{Etiology of acute diarrheas in children from the Lodz region . I . Occurrence of etiologic agents}; Zurawska-Olszewska J et al.; The aim of this study was determination of the etiologic agents (bacterial, fungal or viral) of acute diarrheas in children from the Lodz region, suffering from acute diarrhoea during the period from October 1998 to February 2001 . Rotaviruses were detected by the latex test . Other microorganisms belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae and Vibrionaceae families, as well as the genera Listeria, Campylobacter, Candida, Staphylococcus were cultured on standard or selective culture media according to the NDH recommendations and identification by means of API system . Acute diarrhea in 155 small children below 6 years of age from the Lodz region were caused by rotaviruses (n = 42; 27%) . Enteropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli (n = 25; 16.1%) occupied the third place after Salmonella bacteria (n = 30; 19.3%--second place) . Among bacterial etiologic factors of diarrhea Campylobacter bacteria showed high frequency of occurrence (n = 22; 14.1%) . The investigations enabled identification both the mixed infections (n = 25; 16.1%) and more rare etiologic agents of diarrhea . CONCLUSIONS: 1 . Acute diarrhea in children from the region Lodz were most frequently caused by rotaviruses; 2 . Modern microbiological diagnostics of acute diarrhea in children should be multilateral, taking account of the mixed infections and expanding the routine search for bacteria of the genus Campylobacter.

Infect Immun, 2002 Sep, 70(9), 5299 - 303
Campylobacter jejuni from patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome preferentially expresses a GD(1a)-like epitope; Nachamkin I et al.; GM(1)- and GD(1a)-like ganglioside mimicry in Campylobacter jejuni lipooligosaccharide (LOS) is considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of Campylobacter-induced Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) . Compared with gastroenteritis-related isolates, GBS-related C . jejuni isolates were strongly associated with the expression of GD(1a)-like mimicry . The presence of a few genes involved in LOS ganglioside mimicry, cst-II, cgtA, and cgtB, was also associated with GBS-related strains . GD(1a)-like epitope expression may be an important virulence phenotype associated with the risk of developing GBS following campylobacter infection.

Infect Immun, 2002 Sep, 70(9), 5081 - 5
Ganglioside mimicry of Campylobacter jejuni lipopolysaccharides determines antiganglioside specificity in rabbits; Ang CW et al.; The core oligosaccharides of Campylobacter jejuni lipopolysaccharides (LPS) display molecular mimicry with gangliosides . Cross-reactive anti-LPS-antiganglioside antibodies have been implicated to show a crucial role in the pathogenesis of the Guillain-Barre and Miller Fisher syndrome . The specificity of the antiganglioside response is thought to depend on the oligosaccharide structure of the ganglioside mimic . To test this hypothesis and to investigate the potential of LPS from Campylobacter strains from enteritis patients to induce an antiganglioside response, we immunized rabbits with purified LPS from eight Campylobacter jejuni reference strains with biochemically well-defined distinct ganglioside mimics and determined the presence of antiganglioside antibodies . All rabbits produced immunoglobulin G (IgM) and IgG anti-LPS antibodies, and the specificity of the cross-reactive antiganglioside response indeed corresponded with the biochemically defined mimic . Most rabbits also had antibody reactivity against additional gangliosides, and there were slight differences in the fine specificity of the antibody response between rabbits that had been immunized with LPS from the same Campylobacter strain . High anti-LPS and antiganglioside titers persisted over a 10-month period . In conclusion, the structure of the LPS only partly determines the antiganglioside specificity . Other strain-specific as well as host-related factors influence the induction and fine-specificity of the cross-reactive anti-LPS-antiganglioside response.

Infect Immun, 2002 Sep, 70(9), 5008 - 18
Tolerance to self gangliosides is the major factor restricting the antibody response to lipopolysaccharide core oligosaccharides in Campylobacter jejuni strains associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome; Bowes T et al.; Guillain-Barre syndrome following Campylobacter jejuni infection is frequently associated with anti-ganglioside autoantibodies mediated by molecular mimicry with ganglioside-like oligosaccharides on bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) . The regulation of antibody responses to these T-cell-independent antigens is poorly understood, and only a minority of Campylobacter-infected individuals develop anti-ganglioside antibodies . This study investigates the response to gangliosides and LPS in strains of mice by using a range of immunization strategies . In normal mice following intraperitoneal immunization, antibody responses to gangliosides and LPS are low level but can be enhanced by the antigen format or coadministration of protein to recruit T-cell help . Class switching from the predominant immunoglobulin M (IgM) response to IgG3 occurs at low levels, suggesting B1-cell involvement . Systemic immunization results in poor responses . In GalNAc transferase knockout mice that lack all complex gangliosides and instead express high levels of GM3 and GD3, generation of anti-ganglioside antibodies upon immunization with either complex gangliosides or ganglioside-mimicking LPS is greatly enhanced and exhibits class switching to T-cell-dependent IgG isotypes and immunological memory, indicating that tolerance to self gangliosides is a major regulatory factor . Responses to GD3 are suppressed in knockout mice compared with wild-type mice, in which responses to GD3 are induced specifically by GD3 and as a result of polyclonal B-cell activation by LPS . The anti-ganglioside response generated in response to LPS is also dependent on the epitope density of the ganglioside mimicked and can be further manipulated by providing secondary signals via lipid A and CD40 ligation.

Pediatr Infect Dis J, 2002 Jun, 21(6), 575 - 6
Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens bacteremia in a young child; Rudensky B et al.; We report a case of Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens bacteremia in a young child who had no underlying disease . The case should alert microbiologists and physicians to an uncommon organism that is very often resistant to antibiotics normally prescribed empirically for infections caused by organisms of similar morphology and characteristics such as Campylobacter species.

Can Vet J, 2002 Aug, 43(8), 631 - 6
Occupational health and safety in small animal veterinary practice: Part I--nonparasitic zoonotic diseases; Weese JS et al.; Zoonotic diseases are an ever-present concern in small animal veterinary practice and are often overlooked . A variety of nonparasitic zoonotic diseases may be encountered in small animal practice, including cat scratch disease (bartonellosis), cat bite abscesses, rabies, leptospirosis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, salmonellosis, avian chlamydiosis, campylobacteriosis, dermatophytosis, and blastomycosis . These may cause human disease ranging from mild and self-limiting to fatal . The risk of development of a zoonotic disease can be lessened by early recognition of infected animals, proper animal handling, basic biosecurity precautions, and, most importantly, personal hygiene.

Angle Orthod, 2002 Aug, 72(4), 338 - 43
Microbial profile on metallic and ceramic bracket materials; Anhoury P et al.; The placement of orthodontic appliances creates a favorable environment for the accumulation of a microbiota and food residues, which, in time, may cause caries or exacerbate any pre-existing periodontal disease . The purpose of the present study was to compare the total bacterial counts present on metallic and ceramic orthodontic brackets in order to clarify which bracket type has a higher plaque retaining capacity and to determine the levels of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus spp on both types of brackets . Thirty-two metallic brackets and 24 ceramic brackets were collected from orthodontic patients at the day of debonding . Two brackets were collected from each patient; one from a maxillary central incisor and another from a maxillary second premolar . Sixteen patients who used metallic brackets and 12 patients who used ceramic brackets were sampled . Bacterial populations were studied using "checkerboard" DNA-DNA hybridization, which uses DNA probes to identify species in complex microbial samples . The significance of differences between groups was determined using the Mann-Whitney U-test . Results showed no significant differences between metallic and ceramic brackets with respect to the caries-inducing S mutans and L acidophilus spp counts . Mean counts of 8 of 35 additional species differed significantly between metallic and ceramic brackets with no obvious pattern favoring one bracket type over the other . This study showed higher mean counts of Treponema denticola, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum ss vincentii, Streptococcus anginosus, and Eubacterium nodatum on metallic brackets while higher counts of Eikenella corrodens, Campylobacter showae, and Selenomonas noxia were found on ceramic brackets.

J Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2002 Aug, 17(8), 834 - 8
{13C}-urea breath test without prior fasting and without test meal is accurate for the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection in Chinese; Ng FH et al.; BACKGROUND AND AIM: Conventional {13C}-urea breath test ({13C}-UBT) requires prior fasting and a test meal, which theoretically improves the accuracy of the test . However, recent studies have suggested that prior fasting and test meal may not be essential . We aimed to determine the accuracy of a new {13C}-UBT protocol without fasting in Chinese . METHODS: Dyspeptic patients referred for upper endoscopy were recruited . The gold standard for Helicobacter pylori infection was the combination of Campylobacter-like organism (CLO) test and histology . Group I (n = 213) patients underwent {13C}-UBT with prior fasting and with citrate acid test meal . Group II (n = 123) patients underwent {13C}-UBT without prior fasting but with test meal . Group III (n = 90) patients underwent {13C}-UBT without prior fasting and without test meal . RESULTS: The highest accuracy for groups I, II and III was 96.7, 95.1 and 95.5% using a cut-off value of 5.0, 5.5 and 3.5, respectively . The sensitivities and specificities were 97.4 and 95.8% in group I, 93.3 and 96.8% in group II, and 96.5 and 93.9% in group III, respectively . CONCLUSION: The {13C}-UBT protocols without prior fasting and either with or without test meal produce highly accurate and reliable results in the Chinese population.

J Trop Pediatr, 2002 Jun, 48(3), 142 - 8
Persistent diarrhoea: associated infection and response to a low lactose diet; Ashraf H et al.; Children aged 4-23 months with persistent diarrhoea received a low lactose diet, multivitamins, minerals and antibiotics for infection . Sixty-one (57 per cent) children improved with low lactose diet while 46 (43 per cent) failed . Children who failed were younger (8.9 +/- 3.5 vs . 11.3 +/- 4.4 months), had higher initial purging rate (146 +/- 102 vs . 109 +/- 102 g/kg/day) and consumed more ORS (138 +/- 77 vs . 95 +/- 79 g/kg/day) . A higher proportion of children in the failure group needed unscheduled intravenous fluid (48 vs . 20 per cent) and lost body weight (24 vs . 0 per cent) . Single and multiple stool pathogen were isolated from 44 and 45 per cent cases, respectively . Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli (66 per cent) was the most common pathogen isolated . Half of all pathogens including Campylobacter, rotavirus, cholera and non-typhoidal Salmonella were nosocomially acquired . Sixty four per cent of children had extraintestinal infections including acute lower respiratory infection (50 per cent), urinary tract infection (29 per cent) and septicaemia (11 per cent) . The presence of extraintestinal infections were significantly associated with failure . Overall, 91 per cent of children had either intestinal and/or extraintestinal infections.

Neth J Med, 2002 Apr, 60(3), 140 - 7
Hypogammaglobulinaemia: cumulative experience in 49 patients in a tertiary care institution; Van der Hilst JC et al.; In this paper, clinical data of 49 adult patients with agammaglobulinaemia (syn . hypogammaglobulinaemia), 15 cases of X-linked agammaglobulinaemia (XLA) and 34 of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) are reviewed . Although immunoglobulin substitution largely abolished life-threatening respiratory tract infections, considerable infectious and non-infectious morbidity was still encountered in these patients . Almost all patients suffered from chronic or recurrent upper and lower airway infections, mainly caused by Haemophilus influenzae and pneumococci . The lower respiratory tract infections led to cumulative damage to the respiratory tract, especially in XLA patients . Also the incidence of infections outside the respiratory tract (giardiasis, Campylobacter jejuni infections) was more common in XLA patients than in CVID patients . Nodular lymphoid hyperplasia was only found in CVID . A variety of other non-infectious complications were seen especially in CVID . Neoplastic complications occurred in nine patients (two cases of thymoma, two colorectal cancer, one gastric carcinoma, two haematological malignancies, two cases of skin cancer) . Six patients died (five XLA patients and one CVID patient, from infectious and non-infectious causes).

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