Int J Food Microbiol, 2001 Aug 15, 68(1-2), 53 - 9 Pre-harvest surveillance of Campylobacter and Salmonella in Danish broiler flocks: a 2-year study; Wedderkopp A et al.; In national surveillance programmes of broiler flocks carried out in Denmark during 1998 and 1999, 89,110 samples for Campylobacter representing 8911 broiler flocks were taken at 10 different abattoirs, and 44,550 samples for Salmonella were taken from the same flocks in the broiler houses at the farms . Of the swabs, 42.5% were Campylobacter positive . Most positive samples were found during July, August and September, while the lowest number of positive samples were found during January, February, March and April . Of the flocks, 5.5% were Salmonella positive, but no seasonal variation was observed . For each flock, the presence of Campylobacter and Salmonella was recorded in order to estimate the possible correlation between colonisation with the two pathogens . In conclusion, no significant effects on intensive cleaning and disinfection procedures on Campylobacter occurrence could be demonstrated, and no significant correlation between occurrence of Campylobacter and Salmonella infections in Danish broilers could be demonstrated which is in contrast to previous observations on concurrent colonisation of broilers with these two zoonotic pathogens. Syst Appl Microbiol, 1987, 9, 231 - 8 Phylogenetic diversity and position of the genus Campylobacter; Lau PP et al.; RNA sequence analysis has been used to examine the phylogenetic position and structure of the genus Campylobacter . A complete 5S rRNA sequence was determined for two strains of Campylobacter jejuni and extensive partial sequences of the 16S rRNA were obtained for several strains of C . jejuni and Wolinella succinogenes . In addition limited partial sequence data were obtained from the 16S rRNAs of isolates of C . coli, C . laridis, C . fetus, C . fecalis, and C . pyloridis . It was found that W . succinogenes is specifically related to, but not included, in the genus Campylobacter as presently constituted . Within the genus significant diversity was noted . C . jejuni, C . coli and C . laridis are very closely related but the other species are distinctly different from one another . C . pyloridis is without question the most divergent of the Campylobacter isolates examined here and is sufficiently distinct to warrant inclusion in a separate genus . In terms of overall position in bacterial phylogeny, the Campylobacter/Wolinella cluster represents a deep branching most probably located within an expanded version of the Division containing the purple photosynthetic bacteria and their relatives . The Campylobacter/Wolinella cluster is not specifically includable in either the alpha, beta or gamma subdivisions of the purple bacteria. Arch Pharm Res, 2001 Aug, 24(4), 316 - 22 Cloning, sequence analysis, and characterization of the astA gene encoding an arylsulfate sulfotransferase from Citrobacter freundii; Kang JW et al.; Arylsulfate sulfotransferase (ASST) transfers a sulfate group from a phenolic sulfate ester to a phenolic acceptor substrate . In the present study, the gene encoding ASST was cloned from a genomic library copy of Citrobacter freundii, subcloned into the vector pGEM3Zf(-) and sequenced . Sequencing revealed two contiguous open reading frames (ORF1 and ORF2) on the same strand and based on amino acid sequence homology, they were designated as astA and dsbA, respectively . The amino acid sequence of astA deduced from C . freundii was highly similar to that of the Salmonella typhimurium, Enterobacter amnigenus, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas putida, and Campylobacter jejuni, encoded by the astA genes . However, the ASST activity assay revealed different acceptor specificities . Using p-nitrophenyl sulfate (PNS) as a donor substrate, alpha-naphthol was found to be the best acceptor substrate, followed by phenol, resorcinol, p-acetaminophen, tyramine and tyrosine. BMC Microbiol . 2001;1(1):13 . Epub 2001 Jul 30. Phenotyping of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli by a quantitative antibiogram {MIC} typing scheme using Euclidean distances {QATED}; Moore JE et al.; BACKGROUND: Enteropathogenic Campylobacter jejuni and C . coli are presently the most common cause of acute bacterial gastroenteritis in the developed world . An understanding of sources and means of transmission of Campylobacter is an essential factor in order to reduce the incidence of Campylobacter-related gastroenteritis in man . Consequently a reproducible, sensitive and well-standardised typing scheme is critical in the successful discrimination of strains and in the subsequent investigations of outbreaks . For this purpose, a phenotypic typing scheme based on quantitative antibiogram determination based on Euclidean distance (QATED), was developed . RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The results obtained with this typing scheme demonstrated that individual livers of colonized pigs could be infected with multiple strains of Campylobacter spp . and subspecies types . In conclusion, phenotyping of Campylobacter jejuni and C . coli by QATED is a simple, inexpensive and discriminatory sub-species characterisation scheme, which may be useful in primary diagnostic clinical laboratories, where no specialist Campylobacter phenotyping or molecular genotyping schemes exist . It is especially suitable for food-borne outbreak investigations in the community, where a rapid and local response is required to aid with public health epidemiological investigations. J Clin Microbiol, 2001 Sep, 39(9), 3346 - 9 Sequence typing confirms that Campylobacter jejuni strains associated with Guillain-Barré and Miller-Fisher syndromes are of diverse genetic lineage, serotype, and flagella type; Dingle KE et al.; Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) and Miller-Fisher syndrome (MFS) are correlated with prior infection by Campylobacter jejuni in up to 40% of cases . Nucleotide sequence-based typing of 25 C . jejuni isolates associated with neuropathy permitted robust comparisons with equivalent data from approximately 800 C . jejuni isolates not associated with neuropathy . A total of 13 genetic lineages and 20 flaA short variable region nucleotide sequences were present among the 25 isolates . A minority of isolates (4 of 25) had the flaA short variable region nucleotide sequences that were previously proposed as a marker for GBS-associated isolates . These 4 isolates probably represented the Penner serotype 19 lineage, which has been proposed to have an association with GBS. Appl Environ Microbiol, 2001 Sep, 67(9), 4186 - 91 Survival of clinical and poultry-derived isolates of Campylobacter jejuni at a low temperature (4 degrees C); Chan KF et al.; Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in humans, and contamination of poultry has been implicated in illness . The bacteria are fastidious in terms of their temperature requirements, being unable to grow below ca . 31 degrees C, but have been found to be physiologically active at lower temperatures and to tolerate exposure to low temperatures in a strain-dependent manner . In this study, 19 field isolates of C . jejuni (10 of clinical and 9 of poultry origin) were studied for their ability to tolerate prolonged exposure to low temperature (4 degrees C) . Although substantial variability was found among different strains, clinical isolates tended to be significantly more likely to remain viable following cold exposure than poultry-derived strains . In contrast, the relative degree of tolerance of the bacteria to freezing at -20 degrees C and freeze-thawing was strain specific but independent of strain source (poultry versus clinical) and degree of cold (4 degrees C) tolerance. Appl Environ Microbiol, 2001 Sep, 67(9), 3951 - 7 Prevalence, antigenic specificity, and bactericidal activity of poultry anti-Campylobacter maternal antibodies; Sahin O et al.; Poultry are considered the major reservoir for Campylobacter jejuni, a leading bacterial cause of human food-borne diarrhea . To understand the ecology of C . jejuni and develop strategies to control C . jejuni infection in the animal reservoir, we initiated studies to examine the potential role of anti-Campylobacter maternal antibodies in protecting young broiler chickens from infection by C . jejuni . Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the prevalence of anti-C . jejuni antibodies in breeder chickens, egg yolks, and broilers from multiple flocks of different farms were examined . High levels of antibodies to the organism were detected in serum samples of breeder chickens and in egg yolk contents . To determine the dynamics of anti-Campylobacter maternal antibody transferred from yolks to hatchlings, serum samples collected from five broiler flocks at weekly intervals from 1 to 28 or 42 days of age were also examined by ELISA . Sera from the 1-day and 7-day-old chicks showed high titers of antibodies to C . jejuni . Thereafter, antibody titers decreased substantially and were not detected during the third and fourth weeks of age . The disappearance of anti-Campylobacter maternal antibodies during 3 to 4 weeks of age coincides with the appearance of C . jejuni infections observed in many broiler chicken flocks . As shown by immunoblotting, the maternally derived antibodies recognized multiple membrane proteins of C . jejuni ranging from 19 to 107 kDa . Moreover, in vitro serum bactericidal assays showed that anti-Campylobacter maternal antibodies were active in antibody-dependent complement-mediated killing of C . jejuni . Together, these results highlight the widespread presence of functional anti-Campylobacter antibodies in the poultry production system and provide a strong rationale for further investigation of the potential role of anti-C . jejuni maternal antibodies in protecting young chickens from infection by C . jejuni. Neurology, 2001 Aug 28, 57(4), 686 - 91 Miller Fisher syndrome and Haemophilus influenzae infection; Koga M et al.; OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS) and antecedent Haemophilus influenzae infection . BACKGROUND: Little is known about agents in prior respiratory tract infection of MFS, whereas antecedent upper respiratory symptoms are frequent . H . influenzae is a major pathogen that can cause human respiratory tract infection . METHODS: The authors used ELISA to detect serum antibody against the bacterium in 70 consecutive patients with MFS and 110 with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) . RESULTS: Serum anti-H . influenzae IgG and IgM antibody activities were significantly higher in the MFS group than in age- and sex-matched patients with other neurologic diseases (n = 62) and normal control subjects (n = 82) . The GBS group showed no significant increase in any class of antibody activities compared with control groups . Serologic evidence of recent infection was found in five (7%) of the patients with MFS and two (2%) of 110 patients with GBS, all of whom had a history of antecedent respiratory tract infection . They frequently showed ophthalmoplegia, but other neurologic features were not remarkable . Serum anti-GQ1b IgG antibody that had cross-reactivity with GT1a ganglioside was detected in six of these seven patients . Thin-layer chromatography with immunostaining showed that serum IgG from H . influenzae-seropositive patients with high anti-GQ1b and anti-GT1a IgG antibody titers bound to the lipopolysaccharide fraction extracted from the type b H . influenzae serostrain . These bands were also stained by anti-GT1a monoclonal antibody (GMR11), indicating that the lipopolysaccharide bears the GT1a epitope . CONCLUSIONS: These findings point to H . influenzae being an agent associated with MFS . Epitopic overlap between H . influenzae and human nerve tissue may be involved in the development of MFS much as GBS is associated with Campylobacter jejuni enteritis. Pathology, 2001 Aug, 33(3), 353 - 8 Diagnosis of enteric pathogens in children with gastroenteritis; McIver CJ et al.; The aim of this study was to determine the isolation trends of common and emerging pathogens in children over a 12-month period . The study group included 412 children under 6 years with diarrhoea who were either hospitalised, or seen in the outpatients department of The Sydney Children's Hospital . Pathogens were detected in 137 (33%) samples, with rotavirus most common (40%), followed by adenovirus (26%), astrovirus (12%), Campylobacter jejuni (12%), Salmonella spp . (10%) and Giardia lamblia (< 1 %) . Giardia-specific antigen (GSA) was detected in 11 of 382 (3%) using an enzyme immunoassay (EIA), and this included four samples in which cysts of G . lamblia were detected by microscopy . Using electron microscopy (EM), viruses were detected in 29 of 120 (24%) samples from hospitalised children and 53 of 171 (31%) outpatients (P = 0.23) . Amongst this subset, Norwalk-like viruses (NLVs) were detected by RT-PCR in 10 samples including six of 14 with small round viruses, one of seven with small viral-like particles (SVLPs), and three of 126 EM-negative samples . Lactoferrin, detected by EIA, was 59% more likely to be positive in samples infected with salmonella/campylobacter than in samples in which bacterial pathogens were not isolated . As an indicator for infection with these bacterial agents, the assay showed a sensitivity and specificity of 95 and 40.3%, respectively . A routine microbiological analysis of stools from children of this age group should include a screen for foodborne bacterial agents and rotavirus . Tests for adenovirus, astrovirus and NLVs should be secondary . The cost-effectiveness of including the EIAs for lactoferrin and G . lamblia in the routine testing protocol needs to be evaluated. Redox Rep, 2001, 6(3), 179 - 81 Intracellular redox status and antibiotic resistance in enterogastric micro-aerophilic bacteria: evidence for the 'scavenging of oxygen' hypothesis; Mendz GL et al.; Metronidazole and glutathione reduction activities were measured in situ in the micro-aerophilic bacteria Campylobacter coli and Helicobacter pylori employing 14N- and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy . The properties of these enzyme activities were investigated in matched pairs of strains with sensitive and resistant phenotypes to the antimicrobial metronidazole . The results indicated that the ability of each type of strain to reduce metronidazole corresponded to its sensitive or resistance phenotype . Higher levels of glutathione reduction and a significantly lower Ki for metronidazole were observed in sensitive strains compared to resistant strains . These findings suggested a relationship between the cellular machinery regulating intracellular redox status in C . coli and H . pylori, and the effects of metronidazole on these bacteria, which supported the 'scavenging of oxygen' hypothesis. J Endotoxin Res, 2000, 6(5), 341 - 59 Lipopolysaccharides in the development of the Guillain-Barré syndrome and Miller Fisher syndrome forms of acute inflammatory peripheral neuropathies; Prendergast MM et al.; Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), an acute inflammatory polyneuropathy, is preceded in most cases by an infectious illness, and Campylobacter jejuni, a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis, is the most common antecedent to GBS and its ocular variant, Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS) . O (Penner) serotyping is considered to distinguish between C . jejuni strains based on differences in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structure . Serotypes of C . jejuni uncommon in enteritis, such as serotype O:19 and O:41, have been associated with GBS . Chemical studies on the core oligosaccharide (OS) of C . jejuni LPSs from serotypes including O:1, O:2, O:4, O:10, O:19, O:23, O:36 and O:41 have revealed structures that mimic human gangliosides including GM1, GD1a, GD2, GD3, and GM2 . Research has focused on the view that molecular mimicry may be a factor in the pathogenesis of GBS . Serum antibodies against gangliosides, particularly GM1 ganglioside, are present in 30% of GBS patients, and are highly associated with MFS, but are generally absent in enteritis cases uncomplicated by neuropathy . Collective data from human and animal studies with anti-ganglioside antibodies suggest a pathogenic role for the antibodies . Many aspects of the pathogenesis of GBS are unclear, in particular how LPS is presented to T cells or the role of host factors in disease development. J Immunol Methods, 2001 Oct 1, 256(1-2), 11 - 8 Immunomagnetic separation methods for the isolation of Campylobacter jejuni from ground poultry meats; Yu LS et al.; Campylobacter jejuni is now recognized as a leading foodborne pathogen, for which poultry products constitute the main transmission route . Two alternative immunomagnetic beads (IMB) were tested for direct detection of C . jejuni ATCC 35918 in artificially inoculated ground poultry meats and culture suspension . Polyclonal anti-Campylobacter antibodies were used to coat tosylactivated Dynabeads . The same antibodies conjugated with biotin were used to label streptavidin-coated beads . After these beads were incubated with inoculated poultry slurry or culture suspension, Campylobacter-bead complexes were separated from other components with a magnet . The capture efficiency was tested by plating bead-captured cells and unbound cells in the supernatant onto Karmali agar . The effects of different coating procedures, incubation time (60, 90, 120 min), numbers of immunomagnetic beads (10(6) to 10(7)/ml) and innoculum levels (10(3) to 10(7) CFU/g or ml) were determined . Without pre-enrichment, this approach could detect 10(4) CFU/g of ground poultry meats . These methods represent a new approach to extracting, concentrating and isolating Campylobacter spp . directly from foods. Trends Microbiol, 2001 Aug, 9(8), 389 - 96 Campylobacter jejuni--microtubule-dependent invasion; Kopecko DJ et al.; Campylobacter jejuni is the leading bacterial cause of food-borne illness worldwide and a major cause of Guillain-Barre paralysis . Recent molecular and cellular studies of one well-characterized C . jejuni strain have begun to unravel the details of an unusual microtubule-dependent (actin-filament-independent) gut-invasion mechanism, through which at least some C . jejuni initiate disease . Although responsible for causing a human dysenteric syndrome remarkably similar to that triggered by Shigella spp., current evidence suggests that C . jejuni use some markedly different molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis compared with shigellae. Rev Environ Health, 2001 Apr-Jun, 16(2), 117 - 31 Direct exposure to animal enteric pathogens; Enriquez C et al.; Humans have very close interactions with working, food-producing, and companion animals . According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are more than one hundred million cat and dog pets in the United States . Furthermore, non-traditional pets like reptiles and exotic birds are not unusual companion animals in households . In addition to sharing with animals our living and/or working space and time, we also share, unfortunately, many disease causing microorganisms . In the past few years, we have become aware that several enteric pathogens that were thought to be mostly restricted to animals are a major cause of human disease . Examples of such pathogens include the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum and bacteria such as Campylobacter spp . This review will examine the characteristics of zoonotic enteric pathogens including bacterial (Helicobacter spp., Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., and verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli); parasitic (Toxoplasma gondii, Giardia spp., Cryptosporidium spp.); and viral (rotavirus, norwalk-like virus, hepatitis E virus), and the status of our knowledge with regard to the impact of such pathogens on human health. Clin Infect Dis, 2001 Sep 15, 33(6), 901 - 5 Epub 2001 Aug 21. Campylobacter jejuni enteritis; Baqar S et al.; We report the development of Campylobacter jejuni enteritis in a patient with preexisting humoral and cellular immune recognition of C . jejuni antigens . This is one of few studies in which the immunologic status of a person with regard to C . jejuni before and after C . jejuni infection is directly compared, and it is the only study of which we are aware that includes measurements of cellular immunity . The findings may be important to Campylobacter vaccine development efforts. Rheumatology (Oxford), 2001 Aug, 40(8), 920 - 7 Bacterial DNA in synovial fluid cells of patients with juvenile onset spondyloarthropathies; Pacheco-Tena C et al.; OBJECTIVE: To identify bacterial DNA in synovial fluid cells of patients with active juvenile onset spondyloarthropathy (SpA) . METHODS: The main group of study constituted 22 patients with juvenile onset SpA . In addition, five patients with adult onset SpA and nine with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were studied . Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with either genus- or species-specific primers was performed on synovial fluid cells to detect DNA sequences of Chlamydia trachomatis, Yersinia enterocolitica, Salmonella sp., Shigella sp., Campylobacter sp . and Mycobacterium tuberculosis . The presence of antibacterial antibodies in sera and synovial fluid was also determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay . RESULTS: The synovial fluid of nine patients with juvenile onset SpA, three with adult onset SpA and one with RA contained bacterial DNA . Five juvenile onset SpA samples had DNA of one single bacterium; two juvenile onset SpA and three adult onset SpA had DNA of two bacteria and two juvenile onset SpA had DNA of three bacteria . Overall, Salmonella sp . DNA was detected in seven synovial fluid samples, Shigella sp., Campylobacter sp . and M . tuberculosis were found in four samples each, and C . trachomatis was found in two . The bacterial DNA findings correlated with neither diagnosis nor disease duration . One RA synovial fluid had DNA of Campylobacter sp . Neither serum nor synovial fluid antibacterial antibodies correlated with DNA findings or clinical diagnosis . CONCLUSION: In this study, single and several combinations of bacterial DNA were identified in the synovial fluid of patients with long-term undifferentiated and definite juvenile onset SpA and adult onset SpA . Of relevance is that bacterial DNA corresponds to bacteria producing endemic disease in our population. Res Microbiol, 2001 Jul-Aug, 152(6), 577 - 82 Direct detection of thermotolerant campylobacters in chicken products by PCR and in situ hybridization; Moreno Y et al.; We have evaluated the use of PCR and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques for the detection of thermotolerant campylobacters in naturally contaminated chicken products . 16S rRNA sequence data was used to design two specific primers and an oligonucleotide probe for PCR and FISH analyses, respectively . The PCR protocol amplified a 439-bp fragment corresponding to a portion of specific 16S RNA gene from thermotolerant campylobacters . The detection range of the PCR assay varied between 10 cells (after enrichment) to 10(2) cells per mL (without enrichment) . FISH probes were able to identify thermotolerant Campylobacter species in 'spiked' and 'unspiked' naturally contaminated samples . PCR and FISH were performed on naturally contaminated samples and compared with the isolation of cells on selective media . The in situ hybridization technique was less sensitive than PCR, although its sensitivity of detection was increased considerably after 22 h of enrichment . These results confirm the usefulness of 16S rRNA-based techniques for the direct detection of campylobacters in food samples. Infect Immun, 2001 Sep, 69(9), 5921 - 4 Demonstration of polysaccharide capsule in Campylobacter jejuni using electron microscopy; Karlyshev AV et al.; Recently, we reported that Campylobacter jejuni, an important gastrointestinal pathogen, has the genetic determinants to produce a capsular polysaccharide (Karlyshev et al., Mol . Microbiol . 35:529-541, 2000) . Despite these data, the presence of a capsule in these bacteria has remained controversial . In this study we stain C . jejuni cells with the cationic dye Alcian blue and demonstrate for the first time by electron microscopy that C . jejuni cells produce a polysaccharide capsule that is retained in the coccoid form but is absent in a kpsM mutant. J Periodontol, 2001 Jul, 72(7), 945 - 52 Clinical periodontal findings and microflora profiles in children with chronic neutropenia under supervised oral hygiene; Okada M et al.; BACKGROUND: This is the first known case report that used a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method to help identify the oral microflora in patients with chronic neutropenia . In this study, we report clinical periodontal findings and microflora profiles of 2 children, 1 with severe congenital neutropenia (SCN, Kostmann type) and 1 with cyclic neutropenia (CN) . METHODS: The SCN patient had severe gingivitis, whereas the patient with CN had mild gingivitis in the gingival margins . Monthly oral cleaning instruction and review were performed without subsequent periodontal therapy . Oral hygiene conditions remained satisfactory and visible plaque was scarce, despite the persistence of mild gingivitis . Under supervised oral hygiene, we examined the presence of periodontal pathogens from patient plaque samples . RESULTS: By a PCR-based method, Prevotella nigrescens, Bacteroides forsythus, Campylobacter rectus, and Capnocytophaga gingivalis were detected in the SCN patient and P . intermedia, C . rectus, C . gingivalis, and C . sputigena in the CN patient, suggesting the existence of periodontal pathogens . Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and C . ochracea were not found in either patient . CONCLUSIONS: Use of 1% povidone iodine solution and local antibiotic application under supervised oral hygiene were helpful to improve gingival conditions in patients with chronic neutropenia. Mol Microbiol, 2001 Jul, 41(2), 477 - 87 Identification of the Helicobacter pylori anti-sigma28 factor; Colland F et al.; Flagellar motility is essential for colonization of the human gastric mucosa by Helicobacter pylori . The flagellar filament is composed of two subunits, FlaA and FlaB . Transcription of the genes encoding these proteins is controlled by the sigma28 and sigma54 factors of RNA polymerase respectively . The expression of flagellar genes is regulated, but no sigma28-specific effector was identified . It was also unclear whether H . pylori possessed a checkpoint for flagellar synthesis, and no gene encoding an anti-sigma28 factor, FlgM, could be identified by sequence similarity searches . To investigate the sigma28-dependent regulation, a new approach based on genomic data was used . Two-hybrid screening with the H . pylori proteins identified a protein of unknown function (HP1122) interacting with the sigma28 factor and defined the C-terminal part of HP1122 (residues 48-76) as the interaction domain . HP1122 interacts with region 4 of sigma28 and prevents its association with the beta-region of H . pylori RNA polymerase . Thus, HP1122 presented the characteristics of an anti-sigma28 factor . This was confirmed in H . pylori by RNA dot-blot hybridization and electron microscopy . The level of sigma28-dependent flaA transcription was higher in a HP1122-deficient strain and was decreased by the overproduction of HP1122 . The overproduction of HP1122 also resulted in H . pylori cells with highly truncated flagella . These results demonstrate that HP1122 is the H . pylori anti-sigma28 factor, FlgM, a major regulator of flagellum assembly . Potential anti-sigma28 factors were identified in Campylobacter jejuni, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Thermotoga maritima by sequence homology with the C-terminal region of HP1122. Clin Oral Implants Res, 2001 Aug, 12(4), 287 - 94 Treatment of peri-implantitis by local delivery of tetracycline . Clinical, microbiological and radiological results; Mombelli A et al.; The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical, microbiological and radiological effects of peri-implantitis therapy by local delivery of tetracycline . In 25 partially edentulous patients, 30 implants with radiographic evidence of circumferential bone loss, and peri-implant probing depths > or =5 mm were treated with polymeric tetracycline HCl-containing fibers . Clinical and microbial parameters were recorded at baseline, and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months (M) after treatment . Standardized radiographs were obtained at baseline, M3, and one year after treatment . Two patients were discontinued from the study after 180 days because of persisting active peri-implantitis with pus formation . The remaining subjects showed a significant decrease of mean peri-implant probing depth from 6.0 to 4.1 mm (M1, P<0.001), which was maintained over 12 months . In comparison to baseline, the bleeding tendency was significantly reduced after one month, and thereafter (P<0.001) . No significant recession of the mucosal margin was noted . The radiologically determined distance from the shoulder of the implant to the bottom of the bony defect decreased slightly, but not significantly, from 5.2 to 4.9 mm . At M1, M3 and M6, mean total anaerobic cultivable bacterial counts were significantly lower than at baseline (P<0.001) . A significant decrease in frequency of detection was noted for Prevotella intermedia/nigrescens, Fusobacterium sp., Bacteroides forsythus, and Campylobacter rectus (P<0.01) . Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Eikenella corrodens had very low baseline frequencies that could not be significantly suppressed further . In conclusion, therapy of peri-implantitis by local delivery of tetracycline had a positive effect on clinical and microbiological parameters. Ann Trop Med Parasitol, 2001 Jul, 95(5), 509 - 13 Dysentery in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus in Zimbabwe: an emerging role for Schistosoma mansoni and Escherichia coli O157? Gwavava C, Chihota VN, Gangaidzo IT, Gumbo T. Information on bloody diarrhoea in HIV-positives is scarce . A prospective study was therefore performed, in Zimbabwe, to determine and compare the pathogens associated with bloody diarrhoea in 25 antiretroviral-naive HIV-infected patients and 15 non-HIV-infected patients . Stool cultures and colonic biopsies were performed . Shigella was isolated from 18 (45%) of the subjects, Schistosoma mansoni from eight (16%), Escherichia coli H7:O157 from three (8%) and Campylobacter jejunii from two (5%) . There was no evidence of Salmonella, Entamoeba histolytica or cytomegalovirus infection . Shigella dysenteriae type-1 occurred more often in the HIV-negatives than the HIV-positives (P = 0.02) . Although HIV-associated bloody diarrhoea in Zimbabwe appears to be most frequently caused by Shigella, it may also be commonly the result of infection with Sc . mansoni or shiga-toxin-producing E . coli . A larger study specifically to examine the role of Sc . mansoni and E . coli O157 is warranted. Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci, 2000 Mar, 39(2), 47 - 9 Colitis in a female tamarin (Saguinus mystax); Chen PH et al.; An adult wild-caught female tamarin (Saguinus mystax) housed in a biomedical research facility was found moribund and extremely dehydrated, with severe diarrhea . She initially responded to supportive therapy but died 3 days later . Necropsy findings included hyperemia of the colonic mucosa, mesenteric lymphadenopathy, acanthocephalid parasites (Prosthenorchis elegans) embedded in the mucosa of the terminal ileum and cecum, and free filarid nematodes (Dipetalonema sp.) in the abdominal cavity . Campylobacter sp . was recovered from the colon . With the exception of changes associated with the parasites, significant histologic changes were limited to the colon . Changes consistent with acute enteric viral infection were found against a background of chronic inflammation . Enterocytes were variably hypertrophied, degenerate, and attenuated . Numerous epithelial syncytial cells were present, and some affected cells (uni- as well as multinucleated) contained intranuclear inclusions . Lymphoid follicles were mildly depleted and contained rare syncytia . Measles (Morbillivirus) infection was confirmed by using immunohistochemistry, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and Southern blot analysis . In contrast to the cutaneous rash, respiratory involvement, and low mortality characteristic of Old World monkeys with measles, severe diarrhea with high mortality occurs in New World monkeys with this disease . In addition, our case differs from previous reports of measles in New World monkeys in that syncytial cell formation apparently was limited to the colon of our animal. Emerg Infect Dis, 2001, 7(3 Suppl), 588 - 92 A one-year study of foodborne illnesses in the municipality of Uppsala, Sweden; Lindqvist R et al.; Surveillance was enhanced and a retrospective interview study performed in 1998-99 to determine incidence, causes, and costs of foodborne illnesses in Uppsala, Sweden . Sixty-eight percent of the detected foodborne illness incidents were single cases, and 32% were outbreaks . Most (85%) of the incidents came to the attention of the municipal authorities through telephone calls from affected persons . Calicivirus, Campylobacter spp., and Staphyloccocus aureus were the most common etiological agents; meat, meat products, and mixed dishes were the most implicated food categories . The incidence of foodborne illness was estimated to be 38 cases per 1,000 inhabitants per year . The estimated average costs per illness were 2,164 Swedish Krona (SEK) ($246) to society and 500 SEK ($57) to the patient . The annual cost of foodborne illnesses in Sweden was estimated to be 1,082 million SEK ($123 million). Acta Clin Belg, 2000 Nov-Dec, 55(6), 307 - 11 A Campylobacter coli foodborne outbreak in Belgium; Ronveaux O et al.; In May 1995, the Scientific Institute of Public Health was informed of an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness in a congregational school in the Brussels area . The field investigation identified 24 cases with mild to severe gastrointestinal and general symptoms of acute bacterial enterocolitis . Campylobacter coli was detected in the stools of 5 patients . A retrospective cohort study suggested that a mixed salad (containing ham and feta cheese) was the probable source of infection, but the route of contamination remained unknown . The rapid investigation of such episodes of collective foodborne infections is essential for the implementation of adequate control measures. Acta Clin Belg, 2000 Nov-Dec, 55(6), 300 - 6 Analysis of foodborne disease in Belgium in 1997; Van Loock F et al.; Foodborne disease represents a major problem for public health in industrialized countries, albeit with a low lethality . Foodborne diseases are defined as a group of viral, bacterial or parasitic gastrointestinal infections transmitted by means of food . Proper food-hygiene practices and surveillance of individual diseases and in particular outbreaks are the first steps in targeting their prevention . The incidence of this illness is difficult to estimate . In the Netherlands a yearly incidence of gastrointestinal infections of 500 per 1,000 inhabitants is estimated, of which most are foodborne . To set up priorities in the actions to undertake, to establish the most frequent risks, to develop preventive efforts and to answer to international requirements, accurate data on foodborne disease from Belgium are required . In order to co-ordinate the initiatives in the Belgian context, a working group was set up in 1995 . In 1997 a total of 2,013 persons with foodborne disease were identified as part of 140 outbreaks, 22 of which occurred with 10 cases or more . Salmonella Enteritidis (88 outbreaks) was identified as the main pathogen in foodborne disease, followed by S . Typhimurium (11), S . Hadar (4) . Eggs and meat products were identified as the main food-items involved, although it remains difficult to obtain proper intervention studies allowing to identify the specific cause(s) . In 1997, a total of 12,732 human Salmonella isolates and 5,617 Campylobacter isolates were identified by the respective national reference laboratories . Salmonella isolates from Belgium accounted in 1997 for more than a fifth of all Salmonella isolates in the EU . The final objective of the working group is the implementation of a surveillance system for all risk factors concerned with the development of food-related illness, including an early warning system and an efficient analysis of microbiological criteria relating to human health, food and food production, including livestock . An essential element of this surveillance is communication of the results, risks and measures for prevention between all the departments, institutions and public health authorities concerned. Pediatr Neurol, 2001 Jul, 25(1), 71 - 4 Three patients with ophthalmoplegia associated with Campylobacter jejuni; Kuroki S et al.; Cranial polyneuropathy is idiopathic in most patients . Idiopathic cranial polyneuropathy is an acute postinfectious syndrome, along with Guillain-Barre syndrome and Miller Fisher syndrome, in which the common preceding pathogen is Campylobacter jejuni . Serum anti-GQ1b antibodies are elevated in Miller Fisher syndrome and Guillain-Barre syndrome with ophthalmoplegia . Three patients with idiopathic cranial polyneuropathy with predominant ocular involvement are presented . C . jejuni isolated from stool specimens belonged to Penner serotypes O:4, O:23, and O:33 . Serum anti-GQ1b antibodies were elevated in all patients but demonstrated rapid reduction concomitant with clinical recovery . All patients recovered completely . Because both preceding C . jejuni infection and elevated anti-GQ1b antibodies decreasing with time were seen in all patients, the pathogenesis of idiopathic cranial polyneuropathy with ophthalmoplegia may be similar to that of Miller Fisher syndrome. Lasers Med Sci, 2001, 16(3), 218 - 23 Inhibition of interleukin-1beta production and gene expression in human gingival fibroblasts by low-energy laser irradiation; Nomura K et al.; Human gingival fibroblast (hGF) cells reside in gingival tissues which are challenged frequently by oral bacteria . Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from periodontal pathogens can penetrate gingival tissues and stimulate the production of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), which has been implicated in inflammation and bone resorption . The anti-inflammatory effects of low-energy laser irradiation have been reported, but the mechanisms of this biostimulatory effect have not been fully elucidated . Primary cultured hGF cells were challenged with LPS isolated from Campylobacter rectus, a known periodontal disease-associated pathogen, and irradiated by a Ga-Al-As diode low-energy laser (830 nm, 3.95-7.90 J/cm2) . The hGF cells cultured medium showed a marked elevation of IL-1beta production by LPS, which was significantly inhibited by laser irradiation in a dose-dependent manner . By reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis, this inhibitory effect was involved in the reduction of IL-1beta mRNA levels but not that of the IL-1beta converting enzyme. J Antimicrob Chemother, 2001 Aug, 48(2), 235 - 40 Antimicrobial susceptibilities of Campylobacter strains isolated from food animals in Belgium; Van Looveren M et al.; Campylobacter spp . are a frequent cause of diarrhoea in man, originating mostly from poultry . It has been suggested that the veterinary use of antibiotics is largely responsible for resistance in human isolates, particularly to quinolones . During a 6 month period from June to December 1998, 677 Campylobacter isolates were obtained from healthy poultry and pigs . Samples were taken at Belgian slaughterhouses . Species identification was performed by biochemical tests, multiplex PCR and SDS-PAGE of whole-cell proteins . The in vitro susceptibility to six antimicrobial drugs was determined by the agar dilution method . Campylobacter jejuni was found more often in poultry than Campylobacter coli (79% C . jejuni versus 21% C . coli) . In pigs the situation was reversed (6 versus 94%) . Erythromycin resistance was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in C . coli, particularly in C . coli isolated from pigs (67.2%) . Alarmingly high rates of resistance to ciprofloxacin were also noted, particularly for C . coli from broilers (62.1%) . The latter indicates that resistance of Campylobacter in humans could derive from animals. Acta Gastroenterol Belg, 2001 Apr-Jun, 64(2), 197 - 200 Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or indeterminate colitis--how important is it to differentiate? Geboes K. In most patients coming to the general practitioner or specialist with a history of bloody diarrhoea, bacteria or drugs are the most likely causative agents and it will be possible to make a diagnosis fairly easily . Because of differences in treatment, ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) must however seriously be considered especially in younger patients, with severe symptoms and whenever the history is prolonged . A variety of colitides may indeed be clinically confused with UC and CD . Pathological mimics that should not be missed include infectious diseases such as Campylobacter colitis, yersiniosis, amoebiasis and others; drug-induced diseases (due to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs...); diverticular disease-associated colitis; intestinal endometriosis; intestinal vasculitis and Behcet's disease and iatrogenic conditions such as graft-versus-host-disease and radiation colitis . In most situations a precise diagnosis of these conditions should be possible when all data are available . The term "indeterminate colitis" is used, when a diagnosis of chronic idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is suggested, but the differential diagnosis between UC and CD can not be solved . This occurs in approximately 5% of all patients with IBD . Diagnostic problems can occur in acute fulminant colitis, acute prolonged colitis, chronic relapsing disease and pouchitis . Indeterminate colitis is essentially a temporary diagnosis . Surgical and medical treatment of these patients can be difficult . When surgical treatment is indicated, the type of surgery must be seriously considered . The clinical course of patients with indeterminate colitis is usually more severe when compared with classical UC and these patients require often more severe medical treatment . Diagnostic problems can also arise in longstanding IBD, either UC and CD . Relapse of symptoms can be due to intercurrent infection (CMV is one of the candidates) . Medical treatment can influence the microscopic features and induce a discontinuous inflammation in UC, reminiscent of CD . In cases of doubt, the original biopsies should be reviewed to ascertain the diagnosis, and orient treatment. J Infect Dis, 2001 Sep 1, 184(5), 606 - 9 Epub 2001 Jul 26. Relationship of Campylobacter toxigenicity in vitro to the development of postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome; Thornley JP et al.; Campylobacter enteritis is associated with a significant risk of developing irritable bowel syndrome, but the mechanism is unknown . This study ascertained bowel symptoms in 93 patients 3 months after Campylobacter jejuni enteritis infection . The infecting organisms were cultured, and the effects of culture supernatants on toxin-sensitive epithelial cell monolayers (HEp-2, Green monkey kidney epithelial {Vero}, and CHO-K1) were investigated . In all, 50, 43, and 41 of the isolates showed toxigenic effects on HEp-2, CHO-K1, and Vero cells, respectively . Persistently changed bowel habit was reported by 9 of 50 persons with HEp-2 toxin-positive infections but by only 2 of 43 with isolates negative for toxin (chi2=4.0; P<.05) . Toxicity to HEp-2 and Vero cells was associated with significantly increased numbers of days with loose stools 6 months after C . jejuni enteritis infection (both, P<.05) . Thus, long-term symptoms that occur Campylobacter infection are significantly associated with bacterial toxicity. J Appl Microbiol, 2001 Aug, 91(2), 217 - 24 The ability of Fla-typing schemes to discriminate between strains of Campylobacter jejuni; Petersen L et al.; AIMS: The aim of this investigation was to compare the usefulness of two previously published flagellin PCR-RFLP typing (Fla-typing) techniques for the subtyping of Campylobacter jejuni strains, in terms of ease of use and discriminatory power . METHODS AND RESULTS: Six groups of isolates, which were epidemiologically unrelated but with similar Fla-types, and five groups of epidemiologically related poultry isolates, with similar PFGE profiles, were used in the comparison . The Fla-typing methods used varied in the number and length of fla-genes amplified and the restriction enzymes used . In addition, the use of separately amplified PCR fragments of both the flaA and flaB genes to generate RFLP profiles was investigated . CONCLUSION: The results clearly demonstrated that both previously published methods exhibit some advantages over the other . However, optimal discrimination was obtained by the use of separately amplified PCR fragments of both fla-genes . SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The subtyping of Camp . jejuni isolates is considered essential for epidemiological purposes . Genotyping methods are now more frequently used but have yet to be standardized . Fla-typing is a rapid and easy to use method with acceptable discriminatory power . However, the discriminatory power of the currently published Fla-typing techniques may be further improved by incorporating RFLP profiles of both fla-genes. Curr Gastroenterol Rep, 2001 Aug, 3(4), 285 - 92 Infectious complications of cirrhosis; Brann OS; Infectious complications in cirrhotic patients can cause severe morbidity and mortality . Bacterial infections are estimated to cause up to 25% of deaths in cirrhotic patients . The most frequent are urinary tract infection, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, respiratory tract infection, and bacteremia . It has been said that cirrhosis is the most common form of acquired immunodeficiency, exceeding even AIDS . The specific risk factors for infection in cirrhotic patients are low serum albumin, gastrointestinal bleeding, intensive care unit admission for any cause, and therapeutic endoscopy . Certain infectious agents are more virulent and more common in patients with liver disease . These include Vibrio, Campylobacter, Yersinia, Plesiomonas, Enterococcus, Aeromonas, Capnocytophaga, and Listeria species, as well as organisms from other species . Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is a frequent, severe, life-threatening complication of patients with ascites . Current observations and recommendations regarding treatment and prophylaxis are reviewed . A brief synopsis of miscellaneous infections encountered in cirrhotic patients is also included. Postepy Hig Med Dosw, 2001, 55(2), 211 - 32 {Molecular mimicry of bacterial polysaccharides and their role in etiology of infectious and autoimmune diseases}; Korzeniowska-Kowal A et al.; Molecular mimicry is one of the most important pathogenic factor of microorganism and is defined as a structural similarity of microbial molecules to host tissue contributing to the pathogenicity . Mimicry can be observed at the molecular, serological and functional level . In the review the infectious diseases have been discussed where the mimicry phenomenon may occur, and also autoimmune disease where due to the molecular mimicry bacterial structures are potent to induce adverse immune reactions . The cross-reacting molecules mimicking the host structures comprise colominic acid, sialic acid containing capsular polysaccharides of Streptococcus group B, phosphocholine containing antigen, lipopolysaccharides of Campylobacter jejuni contributing in induction of Guillain-Barre syndrome or Lewis antigen containing lipopolysaccharides of Helicobacter pylori inducing gut carcinoma . Knowledge on the phenomenon of molecular mimicry is important when new conjugate vaccine has to be constructed, because great care should be paid not to induce autoantibodies with synthetic immunogen . Investigation of microbial factors reveal that many autoimmune diseases are of infection etiology. Water Sci Technol, 2001, 43(12), 67 - 71 Waterborne epidemics in Finland in 1998-1999; Miettinen IT et al.; Fourteen waterborne epidemics occurred in Finland during 1998-1999 . About 7,300 illness cases were registered in these outbreaks . All except one of the waterborne epidemics were associated with undisinfected groundwaters . An equal number of waterborne epidemics occurred in public and private water systems, but most cases of illness occurred in public water systems . The three largest epidemics comprised 6,700 illness cases . Insufficient purification treatment unable to remove Norwalk-like viruses caused the only waterborne epidemic in a surface water plant . The main reasons for groundwater outbreaks were floods and surface runoffs which contaminated water . Norwalk-like viruses caused eight and Campylobacter three of the outbreaks . In two cases the epidemic ceased by the exhaustion of susceptible persons in the exposed community but in most cases it was terminated by changing the water source, boiling the drinking water, and starting chlorination. J Biol Chem, 2001 Sep 14, 276(37), 34862 - 70 Epub 2001 Jul 18. Identification of the carbohydrate moieties and glycosylation motifs in Campylobacter jejuni flagellin; Thibault P et al.; Flagellins from three strains of Campylobacter jejuni and one strain of Campylobacter coli were shown to be extensively modified by glycosyl residues, imparting an approximate 6000-Da shift from the molecular mass of the protein predicted from the DNA sequence . Tryptic peptides from C . jejuni 81-176 flagellin were subjected to capillary liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry with a high/low orifice stepping to identify peptide segments of aberrant masses together with their corresponding glycosyl appendages . These modified peptides were further characterized by tandem mass spectrometry and preparative high performance liquid chromatography followed by nano-NMR spectroscopy to identify the nature and precise site of glycosylation . These analyses have shown that there are 19 modified Ser/Thr residues in C . jejuni 81-176 flagellin . The predominant modification found on C . jejuni flagellin was O-linked 5,7-diacetamido-3,5,7,9-tetradeoxy-l-glycero-l-manno-nonulosonic acid (pseudaminic acid, Pse5Ac7Ac) with additional heterogeneity conferred by substitution of the acetamido groups with acetamidino and hydroxyproprionyl groups . In C . jejuni 81-176, the gene Cj1316c, encoding a protein of unknown function, was shown to be involved in the biosynthesis and/or the addition of the acetamidino group on Pse5Ac7Ac . Glycosylation is not random, since 19 of the total 107 Ser/Thr residues are modified, and all but one of these are restricted to the central, surface-exposed domain of flagellin when folded in the filament . The mechanism of attachment appears unrelated to a consensus peptide sequence but is rather based on surface accessibility of Ser/Thr residues in the folded protein. J Food Prot, 2001 Jul, 64(7), 982 - 6 Comparison of methods for recovery and enumeration of Campylobacter from freshly processed broilers; Line JE et al.; Most traditional Campylobacter detection and enumeration procedures are difficult and time consuming . Estimations of Campylobacter populations by the most probable number (MPN) method are especially laborious . The objective of this collaborative study, performed in duplicate in Agricultural Research Service and Food Safety Inspection Service laboratories, was to compare two MPN procedures (utilizing different selective enrichment broths and plating media) to the direct plating technique for enumeration of Campylobacter from freshly processed (postchill, postdrip) broiler chicken carcasses . Results obtained from the direct plating of carcass rinse samples on Campy-cefex agar were not significantly different (P > 0.05) from an MPN procedure employing Hunt's Campylobacter selective enrichment broth followed by recovery on modified Campylobacter charcoal differential agar . However, both of these procedures provided significantly (P < 0.05) better recovery than a second MPN procedure using Rosef's selective enrichment broth followed by plating on Mueller-Hinton blood agar with antibiotics . The direct plating method offers a more simple, less expensive, more rapid alternative to traditional MPN procedures for estimating Campylobacter populations associated with freshly processed broiler carcasses. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 2001 May-Jun, 40(1-2), 45 - 9 Activity of BMS284756 (T-3811) tested against anaerobic bacteria, Campylobacter jejuni, Helicobacter pylori and Legionella spp; Rhomberg PR et al.; BMS284756, a novel des-fluoro (6) quinolone (formerly T-3811), was tested for activity and spectrum using reference agar dilution (AD) and Etest (AB BIODISK, Solna, Sweden) methods . The antimicrobial activities of BMS284756, ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin, levofloxacin, and trovafloxacin were evaluated against Campylobacter jejuni (38 strains), Helicobacter pylori (21 strains), Legionella spp . (66 strains), and 197 anaerobic isolates . BMS284756 (MIC(90), 0.008 microg/mL) was four-fold more active than gatifloxacin and trovafloxacin against H . pylori strains . Gatifloxacin and BMS284756 (MIC(50), 0.03 microg/mL) were > or = two-fold more active than levofloxacin against C . jejuni, but their spectrums were judged equivalent overall (89.4% susceptible) . Against the Legionella spp., ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin (MIC(90), 0.25 microg/mL) had two-fold greater activity compared to gatifloxacin or BMS284756, but all strains were considered inhibited at clinically achievable levels . BMS284756 and trovafloxacin (MIC(90), 2 and 4 microg/mL, respectively) were four-to-eight-fold more potent than other comparators against the Gram-negative anaerobic species . Against the Gram-positive anaerobes (dominated by Clostridium difficile; 61 strains), BMS284756 activity was generally reduced, but equivalent or superior to trovafloxacin (68% inhibited at < or = 4 microg/mL) . Inter-method comparisons (Etest versus AD) of BMS284756 MIC values showed a high correlation for C . jejuni and anaerobes (93.3 to 97.6% +/- two log (2) dilution steps) . In conclusion, BMS284756 was very active against C . jejuni, H . pylori, Legionella spp . and most anaerobes, thus the potential role of this des-fluoro compound for treatment of infections caused by these fastidious species warrants further investigation. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 2001 May-Jun, 40(1-2), 11 - 9 Development of a ceuE-based multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for direct detection and differentiation of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in Thailand; Houng HS et al.; A novel ceuE-based multiplex PCR system was developed as an efficient diagnostics test to detect and differentiate C . jejuni and C . coli . There is no cross reactivity between C . jejuni and C . coli . In addition, the assay does not produce a positive signal from other enteric bacteria including Salmonella, Shigella and Escherichia coli strains . Campylobacter detection sensitivity was determined to be equivalent to previously reported PCR for other enteric bacteria . We also noticed that silicon dioxide extraction can improve Campylobacter detection sensitivity from infected stool samples . It was demonstrated that the PCR assay developed in this study had a much better Campylobacter detection rate than the traditional culturing method (77% versus 56%) . However, we also identified small numbers of culture positive stools (8%, or 16 out of 202 samples) that did not yield PCR positive results for Campylobacter . These PCR negative/culture positive stools were proven to be inhibitory to PCR amplification. Prev Vet Med, 2001 Jul 19, 50(1-2), 89 - 100 Risk factors for Campylobacter spp . contamination in French broiler-chicken flocks at the end of the rearing period; Refregier-Petton J et al.; Our objectives were to identify risk factors for contamination of French broiler flocks by Campylobacter . We used 75 broiler farms in western France . A questionnaire was administered to the farmers and samples of fresh droppings were taken to assess the Campylobacter status of the broiler flocks . 42.7% of the flocks were positive for Campylobacter spp . The risk of contamination of the broiler flocks by Campylobacter was increased in summer/autumn, in houses with static air distribution, when two or more people took care of the flock, in poultry farms with three or more houses and when the drinking water for the chickens was acidified . The presence of litter-beetles in the change room also increased the risk of contamination . The administration of an antibiotic treatment following a disease decreased the risk of a flock being contaminated by Campylobacter. Am J Epidemiol, 2001 Jul 15, 154(2), 166 - 73 Pathogenicity and convalescent excretion of Campylobacter in rural Egyptian children; Rao MR et al.; Campylobacter infection in developing countries has not received much public health attention because of the observation that infections are not associated with disease beyond the first 6 months of life . A cohort of 397 Egyptian children aged less than 3 years, who were observed twice weekly during 1995--1998, experienced an incidence of 0.6 episodes of Campylobacter diarrhea per child-year . A total of 13% of the Campylobacter diarrheal episodes were characterized by severe dehydration . Age-specific incidence rates (episodes per year) were 0.9 in infants aged less than 6 months, 1.5 in those 6--12 months, and 0.4 and 0.2 in the second and third years of life, respectively . Convalescent excretion of Campylobacter after a diarrheal episode might be enhancing transmission and contributing to this high incidence . Observed risk factors for Campylobacter diarrhea were poor hygienic conditions and the presence of animals in the house . Regardless of the child's age, a first infection by Campylobacter was associated with diarrhea (odds ratio = 2.45; 95% confidence interval: 1.61, 3.71); however, subsequent infections were associated with diarrhea only in children aged less than 6 months . This observation that natural infection did not confer protection during the first 6 months of life poses a challenge to vaccine development. Clin J Pain, 2001 Jun, 17(2), 110 - 4 Screening of patients with complex regional pain syndrome for antecedent infections; van de Vusse AC et al.; OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate whether Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type I (CRPS I) could be linked to any previous infection . PATIENTS: Fifty-two patients with CRPS I of one extremity were screened for the presence of antibodies against mostly neurotropic microorganisms . RESULTS: Of these 52 patients, none had antibodies against Treponema pallidum, Borrelia burgdorferi, or HTLV-1 . Only four patients were positive for Campylobacter jejuni . For cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex virus, and Toxoplasma gondii, seroprevalences were similar to control values . The total seroprevalence of Parvovirus B 19 in our CRPS population was 77%, which was significantly higher than in an independent Dutch population group (59%) . Seroprevalence in lower extremity CRPS 1 (94%) was significantly higher than in upper extremity CRPS I patients (68%) . In this study all patients were seropositive for varicella zoster virus (VZV) antibodies, but a high prevalence of VZV antibodies is similar to its prevalence in a normal population (>90%) . CONCLUSIONS: In this study we found a significantly higher seroprevalence of Parvovirus B19 in CRPS I and this is most striking in lower extremity CRPS I patients . Further serologic research in other geographic areas is needed to provide additional information about a potential role of Parvovirus B 19 or other microorganisms in the etiopathogenesis of CRPS I. J Appl Microbiol, 2001 Jul, 91(1), 38 - 46 Enumeration of Campylobacter in New Zealand recreational and drinking waters; Savill MG et al.; AIMS: To use a published polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for the detection and identification of thermotolerant Campylobacter species (Camp . jejuni, Camp . coli and Camp . lari) in tandem with a Most Probable Number (MPN) technique to enumerate these species in water samples . METHODS AND RESULTS: An initial study of 42 river water samples compared the use of conventional culture and PCR methods for the detection of Campylobacter in MPN enrichment tubes . It was found that all samples positive by culture were also positive by PCR . Thirty-seven percent more MPN tubes were positive by PCR compared with culture . The MPN/PCR technique was subsequently applied to 96 additional samples collected from rivers, drinking, roof and shallow ground water . Campylobacter was especially prevalent in river water (60% positive) and shallow ground water (75% positive) samples . Drinking water (29.2% positive) and roof water (37.5% positive) also contained Campylobacter, but the numbers detected were very low (maximum 0.3 and 0.56 MPN 100 ml-1, respectively) . CONCLUSION: River waters contained Campylobacter at higher levels than any other water type and in a high percentage of the samples . Although Campylobacter was present in treated drinking water, the levels detected were low . SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: These results suggest that water may act as a significant transmission route for human campylobacteriosis. Poult Sci, 2001 Jun, 80(6), 825 - 8 Detection of Campylobacter spp . in ceca and crops with and without enrichment; Musgrove MT et al.; The purpose of this experiment was to determine how sampling method (direct plating or enrichment) affected the rate of Campylobacter spp . isolation from crop and cecal samples . In four separate trials, 32 New York-dressed broiler carcasses were obtained from commercial plants (n = 128) . Crops and ceca were removed aseptically, direct plated, and enriched . Samples were direct-plated on Campy-Cefex plates that were incubated at 42 C for 36 to 48 h under a microaerobic atmosphere (5% O2, 10% CO2, 85% N2) . After direct plating, samples were enriched in Bolton broth at 37 C for 4 h and 42 C for 20 h under a microaerobic atmosphere before plating onto Campy-Cefex plates . Campylobacter spp . was detected in 95.3% of direct-plated crop samples and 99.2% of enriched crop samples . Campylobacter spp . was detected in 100% of direct-plated cecal samples and 63.3% of enriched cecal samples . All 128 crop and cecal samples were positive for the organism by one or both methods . Mean counts of Campylobacter spp . were 3.6 log10 cfu/g of crop sample and 6.8 log10 cfu/g of cecal sample . For these two sample types, both of which tend to be contaminated with many viable cells, direct plating is sufficient for isolation of Campylobacter . Direct plating also provides an estimate of contamination level . Enrichment of cecal samples resulted in a decreased rate of detection and did not allow estimation of numbers of Campylobacter . The large numbers of non-Campylobacter species that inhabit the intestinal tract may out-compete Campylobacter during enrichment, confounding detection. J Immunol, 2001 Jul 15, 167(2), 926 - 34 Negative selection of T cells by Helicobacter pylori as a model for bacterial strain selection by immune evasion; Wang J et al.; The majority of humans infected with Helicobacter pylori maintain a lifelong infection with strains bearing the cag pathogenicity island (PAI) . H . pylori inhibits T cell responses and evades immunity so the mechanism by which infection impairs responsiveness was investigated . H . pylori caused apoptotic T cell death, whereas Campylobacter jejuni did not . The induction of apoptosis by H . pylori was blocked by an anti-Fas Ab (ZB4) or a caspase 8 inhibitor . In addition, a T cell line with the Fas rendered nonfunctional by a frame shift mutation was resistant to H . pylori-induced death . H . pylori strains bearing the cag PAI preferentially induced the expression of Fas ligand (FasL) on T cells and T cell death, whereas isogenic mutants lacking these genes did not . Inhibiting protein synthesis blocked FasL expression and apoptosis of T cells . Preventing the cleavage of FasL with a metalloproteinase inhibitor increased H . pylori-mediated killing . Thus, H . pylori induced apoptosis in Fas-bearing T cells through the induction of FasL expression . Moreover, this effect was linked to bacterial products encoded by the cag PAI, suggesting that persistent infection with this strain may be favored through the negative selection of T cells encountering specific H . pylori Ags. Med Clin (Barc), 2001 Jun 2, 116(20), 761 - 4 {Anti-GQ1b antibodies: usefulness of its detection for the diagnosis of Miller-Fisher syndrome}; Rojas-Garcia R et al.; BACKGROUND: To study the presence of anti-GQ1b antibodies as a tool for the diagnosis of Miller-Fisher syndrome (MFS) . PATIENTS AND METHOD: We studied 54 patients with probable diagnosis of MFS and 10 patients diagnosed as Guillain-Barre syndrome plus ophthalmoplegia (1 case), Bickerstaff's encephalitis (1 case), relapsing ophthalmoplegia (7 cases) and relapsing diplopia (1 case) . Results were compared with 130 patients with other disimmune neuropathies . Antibodies were detected by ELISA and checked by thin layer chromatography . Campylobacter jejuni serology was studied using a complement fixation test . RESULTS: Diagnosis of MFS was confirmed in 38 patients . A 97.3% were positive for GQ1b, being all negative for Campylobacter jejuni serology . A second test after 4-5 weeks of nadir was negative in 84.2% (16/19), concomitant with clinical recovery . CONCLUSIONS: Anti-GQ1b antibodies are useful markers for the differential diagnosis of MFS, specially with some acute brainstem disorders . Testing must be performed during the first four weeks of clinical course . This correlation between the triad ataxia, arreflexia and ophthalmoplegia and anti-GQ1b antibodies confirms that they are highly specific of MFS. Clin Infect Dis, 2001 Aug 1, 33(3), 280 - 8 Epub 2001 Jul 05. Etiology of gastroenteritis in sentinel general practices in the netherlands; de Wit MA et al.; Data from a general practice-based, case-control study on gastroenteritis and the pathogens related to this disease were used to study the association between specific pathogens and the infected patients' ages and symptoms . For comparison, the occurrence of these pathogens in control patients, stratified by age, also is presented . In children with gastroenteritis who were <5 years of age, rotavirus (in 21% of patients) and Norwalk-like virus (NLV; in 15%) were the most common pathogens . Among patients who were 5-14 years of age, Campylobacter species (in 16% of patients) and Giardia lamblia (in 10%) were the most common pathogens . In the older patients, Campylobacter species was also the most common pathogen (8% to 15% of patients) . In addition, several symptoms in case patients were associated with specific pathogens . Blood in the stool was associated with infection with Campylobacter species . In patients with fever, Salmonella species, Campylobacter species, and rotavirus were detected relatively often . Vomiting was associated with NLV and rotavirus . This is the first study in The Netherlands and one of the first studies in the world that has investigated a broad range of pathogens recovered from an unselected population of patients who had consulted general practitioners because of gastroenteritis. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr), 2001 May-Jun, 29(3), 113 - 8 {Common variable immunodeficiency . Review}; Iglesias Alzueta J et al.; Common variable immunodeficiency (CVI) is a primary immunodeficiency characterized by deficient antibody production . The cause of this immunodeficiency is unknown; several in vitro studies have revealed a significant number of alterations that could explain the hypogammaglobulinemia present in this syndrome . Among those described are primary B cell alterations, numerical and functional T cell abnormalities, and defects in the interaction between accessory cells . The alteration typical of CVI is the failure of B lymphocytes to differentiate from antibody-producing cells, resulting in deficient immunoglobulin secretion . Among the T cell abnormalities described are a diminished proliferative response to mitogens and antigens, alterations in the level of production of several cytokines, especially reduction in the production of IL-2, diminished antigen-specific T cells and increase basal apoptosis after stimulation . Antigen presenting cells, monocytes and dendritic cells can also present alterations and contribute to deficient antigen response . The clinical manifestations of these patients is variable; most present recurrent bacterial infections due to encapsulated bacteria, especially sinusitis, otitis, bronchitis, and pneumonias . A few patients can present mycobacterial or fungal infection and occasionally Pneumocystis carinii . Viral infection is uncommon in these patients although some suffer recurrent herpes zoster infection . Clinical features of septicemia and central nervous system infections are less frequent . The incidence of digestive tract infections in these patients is high . The most common cause of diarrhea is Giardia lamblia; Salmonella, Shigella and Campylobacter are also common pathogens . Autoimmune disease is also more prevalent in these patients than in the general population . The most frequently associated diseases are hemolytic anemia, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and autoimmune neutropenia . Cancer is also frequently associated with CVI, the most common forms being lymphoproliferative syndromes, especially non-Hodgkin's lymphoma . Granulomas are a unusual manifestation in some patients with CVI; their localization varies but the most commonly affected organs are the spleen and lungs . Some authors have compared these granulomas with those characterizing sarcoidosis, especially when appearing in the lung . Diagnosis of CVI is usually by exclusion of other diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, immotile cilia syndrome or allergic processes . CVI should be suspected in all patients with recurrent bacterial infections especially those localized in the respiratory tract . Other primary immunodeficiencies which present clinical findings similar to CVI and which should be ruled out are selective IgG subclass deficiency, IgA deficiency and selective deficiency in the response to polysaccharide antigens with normal immunoglobulin levels . The serum hypogammaglobulinemia present in all patients with CVI provides the diagnostic key . The age at which clinical manifestations appear, the absence of familial antecedents and the presence of circulating B lymphocytes form the basis of the differential diagnosis between X-linked agammaglobulinemia and autosomal recessive forms . The treatment of choice of patients with CVI is treatment with human gamma-globulin . Currently, the most common route of administration is intravenous; these molecules have a half-life of approximately 21 days and a high degree of safety concerning the possible transmission of viral infections . Adverse reactions are generally few and clinically unimportant . The most frequently used doses oscillate between 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight every 2-4 weeks . Both the dose and its frequency should be personalized for each patient . Early diagnosis of patients with CVI, application of treatment with appropriate antibiotics for infections and treatment with gamma-globulins prevent long-term complications of this disease and dramatically improve the quality of life and life expectancy of these patients. J Clin Microbiol, 2001 Jul, 39(7), 2713 - 6 Basis of the superiority of cefoperazone amphotericin teicoplanin for isolating Campylobacter upsaliensis from stools; Byrne C et al.; The optimum method for isolating Campylobacter upsaliensis from stools has not been clearly defined . In a preliminary study, cefoperazone amphotericin teicoplanin (CAT) selective medium isolated six C . upsaliensis strains which were not detected using modified cefoperazone charcoal deoxycholate (mCCDA) . In order to identify the factors that underlie the superiority of CAT over mCCDA for isolating C . upsaliensis, we examined the effect of incubation time and antibiotic content of culture media on the growth of C . upsaliensis isolates using semiquantitative methods . The recovery of a subgroup of C . upsaliensis isolates from seeded stool specimens was also evaluated . Differences in growth of C . upsaliensis on CAT and mCCDA were modest and were not explained by the antibiotic profiles of the two media . Recovery of C . upsaliensis from spiked human feces on CAT was superior to that on mCCDA at lower concentrations of organisms (10(3) CFU/ml) . We conclude that although CAT is more suitable than mCCDA for the isolation of C . upsaliensis from stools, the superiority of CAT for detecting this organism is not accounted for by the antibiotic composition of the medium. J Clin Microbiol, 2001 Jul, 39(7), 2548 - 57 Genomic heterogeneity and O-antigenic diversity of Campylobacter upsaliensis and Campylobacter helveticus strains isolated from dogs and cats in Germany; Moser I et al.; A serotyping scheme based on heat-stable surface antigens was established for 101 Campylobacter upsaliensis and 10 Campylobacter helveticus strains isolated from 261 dogs and 46 cats of different ages originating from two geographically distinct regions in Germany . The prevalence of C . upsaliensis varied between 27.8% in juvenile dogs (<12 months of age) and 55.4% in adult dogs (P < 0.05) . Of the cats, 19.6% harbored C . upsaliensis, whereas 21.7% carried C . helveticus . Of the C . upsaliensis isolates from both host species, 93.1% belonged to five different serogroups, two of them being prevalent at rates of 47.5 and 27.7%, with different frequencies in both regions . Six (54.6%) of the C . helveticus isolates also belonged to serotypes found among C . upsaliensis strains, whereas five (45.4%) possessed an O antigen unique for C . helveticus . In contrast, a considerable degree of genomic diversity of the isolates was assessed by macrorestriction analyses with the endonucleases SmaI and XhoI, using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis as well as enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequence PCR (ERIC PCR) . Restriction with SmaI pointed towards the existence of clonal groups associated to some extent with serotypes, while restriction with XhoI disintegrated these groups to smaller noncoherent subgroups . Analysis of ERIC PCR profiles did not exhibit any associations with serotypes . In conclusion these data demonstrate the genomic heterogeneity among C . upsaliensis strains and indicate that the combination of SmaI restriction with serotyping is a useful tool to investigate the expansion of clonal groups of C . upsaliensis. J Clin Microbiol, 2001 Jul, 39(7), 2412 - 7 Helicobacter winghamensis sp . nov., a novel Helicobacter sp . isolated from patients with gastroenteritis; Melito PL et al.; From 1997 to 1999 seven isolates of Campylobacter-like organisms from five patients that were exhibiting symptoms of gastroenteritis, including fever, stomach malaise, and diarrhea, were investigated . The organisms were isolated from stool samples and found to exhibit a diverse colony morphology; hence multiple isolates were submitted from one of the patients . All isolates were found to be identical . The organisms were catalase, urease, alkaline phosphatase, and nitrate negative but oxidase and indoxyl acetate positive . They grew at 37 degrees C but not at 42 degrees C, and three of the isolates from two different patients were sensitive to nalidixic acid and cephalothin . Full 16S rRNA sequence analysis not only grouped these organisms within the Helicobacter genus but also differentiated them from previously identified Helicobacter species . The closest relative by phylogenetic analysis was Helicobacter sp . flexispira taxon 1 . Electron microscopy showed that these isolates had one or two bipolar flagella; however, the periplasmic fibers, a characteristic of the known Helicobacter sp . flexispira taxa, were not observed . The present isolates also lacked a flagellar sheath, a trait shared with four other Helicobacter spp., H . canadensis, H . mesocricetorum, H . pullorum, and H . rodentium . On the basis of the unique phenotypic properties of these isolates and 16S rRNA sequence analysis, we propose the classification of a new Helicobacter species, Helicobacter winghamensis sp . nov. J Clin Microbiol, 2001 Jul, 39(7), 2386 - 90 Evaluation of methods for subtyping Campylobacter jejuni during an outbreak involving a food handler; Fitzgerald C et al.; In October 1998, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assisted in an investigation of an outbreak of campylobacteriosis at a school in Salina, Kansas . Twenty-two isolates were submitted from the Kansas state public health laboratory to CDC, 9 associated with the outbreak and 13 epidemiologically unrelated sporadic isolates . Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using SmaI and SalI was initially used to validate the epidemiologic data . We then tested the ability of other subtyping techniques to distinguish the outbreak-associated isolates from unrelated sporadic isolates . The methods employed were somatic O serotyping, PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of flaA, DNA sequence analysis of 582 bp of flaA that included the short variable region (SVR), and sequencing of the entire flaA gene . PFGE was the most discriminatory technique, yielding 11 SmaI and 10 SalI restriction profiles . All outbreak isolates were indistinguishable by PFGE, somatic O serotyping, and sequencing of the 582-bp region of the flaA gene . fla typing by PCR-RFLP grouped one sporadic isolate with the outbreak strain . Analysis of the DNA sequence of a 582-bp segment of flaA produced strain groupings similar to that generated by PCR-RFLP but further differentiated two flaA PCR-RFLP types (with a 1-bp difference in the 582-bp region) . Two sporadic strains were distinct by flaA PCR-RFLP but differed only by a single base substitution in the 582-bp region . The entire flaA gene was sequenced from strains differing by a single base pair in the 582-bp region, and the data revealed that additional discrimination may in some cases be obtained by sequencing outside the SVR . PFGE was superior to all other typing methods tested for strain discrimination; it was crucial for understanding the Kansas outbreak and, when SmaI was used, provided adequate discrimination between unrelated isolates. Appl Environ Microbiol, 2001 Jul, 67(7), 3115 - 21 Comparison of genotypes and serotypes of Campylobacter jejuni isolated from Danish wild mammals and birds and from broiler flocks and humans; Petersen L et al.; The incidence of human infection with Campylobacter jejuni is increasing in most developed countries and the reason for this is largely unknown . Although poultry meat is considered to be a major source, it is evident that other reservoirs exist, possibly common to humans and poultry . Environmental sources are believed to be important reservoirs of Campylobacter infection in broiler chicken flocks . We investigated the potential importance of wildlife as a source of infection in commercial poultry flocks and in humans by comparing the serotype distributions, fla types, and macrorestriction profiles (MRPs) of C . jejuni isolates from different sources . The serotype distribution in wildlife was significantly different from the known distributions in broilers and humans . Considerable sero- and genotype diversity was found within the wildlife collection, although two major groups of isolates within serotype O:12 and the O:4 complex were found . Common clonal lines among wildlife, chicken, and/or human isolates were identified within serotype O:2 and the O:4 complex . However, MRPs of O:12 and O:38 strains isolated from wildlife and other sources indicated that some clonal lines propagated in a wide selection of animal species but were not detected in humans or broilers in this study . The applied typing methods successfully identified different clonal groups within a strain collection showing large genomic diversity . However, the relatively low number of wildlife strains with an inferred clonal relationship to human and chicken strains suggests that the importance of wildlife as a reservoir of infection is limited. Vet Microbiol, 2001 Sep 20, 82(2), 141 - 54 Serotype and genotype diversity and hatchery transmission of Campylobacter jejuni in commercial poultry flocks; Petersen L et al.; We investigated the genotype and serotype diversity of Campylobacter coli and C . jejuni in two parent flocks of adult hens and their offspring over two rotations in order to evaluate the role of hatchery mediated transmission and/or vertical transmission of campylobacters in broiler flocks . In total, 314 C . jejuni and 32 C . coli isolates from parent and broiler flocks and from the surroundings of broiler houses were typed by flagellin gene PCR/RFLP (fla-typing), and selected isolates were also typed by serotyping and macrorestriction profiling using PFGE (MRP/PFGE) . The combined typing results showed that the broiler flocks could be colonised by 1-3 different Campylobacter clones and parent flocks could be colonised by 2-6 different clones . C . coli was isolated from up to 36% of birds in one parent flock, whereas only C . jejuni was isolated from broiler flocks . C . jejuni clones from different flocks were clearly discriminated by fla-typing as well as by MRP/PFGE, except for a few cases where individual isolates belonging to two different clones were found to have altered fla-types . Similarly, one C . coli clone showed pronounced fla-type variation . The present results lead to the conclusion that vertical transmission or horizontal transmission via the hatchery are not significant transmission routes of C . jejuni to broiler chickens under Danish conditions . In the cases where more than one Campylobacter clone simultaneously colonised flocks, we found that the different clones coexisted in flocks rather than excluding each other. J Clin Periodontol, 2001 Jul, 28(7), 617 - 27 Untreated periodontal disease in Indonesian adolescents . Subgingival microbiota in relation to experienced progression of periodontitis; Timmerman MF et al.; BACKGROUND/AIMS: In an Indonesian population deprived of regular dental care, the experienced progression of disease between baseline (1987) and follow-up (1994) was investigated in relation to the composition of the subgingival microbiota at follow-up . At baseline the age ranged from 15 to 25 years . Clinical and microbiological evaluation was completed in 158 of the 167 subjects available at follow-up . METHODS: Plaque index (PI), pocket depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BOP), and attachment loss (AL) were scored at the approximal surfaces of all teeth and subgingival calculus on the approximal surfaces of the Ramfjord teeth only (number of sites with subgingival calculus: NSC) . A pooled sample of the deepest pocket in each quadrant was evaluated using microbiological culture techniques . RESULTS: At baseline the mean values of the clinical parameters were AL=0.35 mm, PI=1.01, BOP=0.80 PD=3.25 mm and NSC=6.04 and at follow-up AL=0.75 mm, PI=1.16, BOP=1.19, PD=3.34 mm and NSC=5.85 . All parameters except PD and NSC showed a statistically significant increase . At follow-up the prevalence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans was 40%, of Porphyromonas gingivalis 67%, of Prevotella intermedia 66%, of Fusobacterium nucleatum 79%, of Bacteroides forsythus 16%, of Campylobacter rectus 4%, and of P . micros 6% . No differences in clinical parameters were found between groups with or without these micro-organisms . In 129 subjects AL of > or =2 mm at > or =1 site was found . Logistic regression showed three significant odds-ratio's for experienced progressive periodontitis: Plaque index (12.2), gender (3.4) and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (2.9) . CONCLUSIONS: The results of this retrospective study suggest that plaque is the most important parameter related to experienced disease progression, and that the presence of A . actinomycetemcomitans may be associated with increased chance of disease progression. J Clin Periodontol, 2001 Jul, 28(7), 597 - 609 Change in subgingival microbial profiles in adult periodontitis subjects receiving either systemically-administered amoxicillin or metronidazole; Feres M et al.; AIM: The current investigation evaluated changes in levels and proportions of 40 bacterial species in subgingival plaque samples during, immediately after and up to 1 year after metronidazole or amoxicillin therapy combined with SRP . METHOD: After baseline clinical and microbiological monitoring, 17 adult periodontitis subjects received full mouth SRP and 14 days systemic administration of either metronidazole (250 mg, TID, n=8) or amoxicillin (500 mg, TID, n=9) . Clinical measurements including % of sites with plaque, gingival redness, bleeding on probing and suppuration, pocket depth (PD) and attachment level (AL) were made at baseline, 90, 180 and 360 days . Subgingival plaque samples were taken from the mesial surface of all teeth in each subject at baseline, 90, 180 and 360 days and from 2 randomly selected posterior teeth at 3, 7, and 14 days during and after antibiotic administration . Counts of 40 subgingival species were determined using checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization . Significance of differences over time was determined using the Quade test and between groups using ANCOVA . RESULTS: Mean PD was reduced from 3.22+/-0.12 at baseline to 2.81+/-0.16 (p<0.01) at 360 days and from 3.38+/-0.23 mm to 2.80+/-0.14 mm (p<0.01) in the amoxicillin and metronidazole treated subjects respectively . Corresponding values for mean AL were 3.21+/-0.30 to 2.76+/-0.32 (p<0.05) and 3.23+/-0.28 mm to 2.94+/-0.23 mm (p<0.01) . Levels and proportions of Bacteroides forsythus, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola were markedly reduced during antibiotic administration and were lower than baseline levels at 360 days . Counts (x10(5), +/-SEM) of B . forsythus fell from baseline levels of 0.66+/-0.16 to 0.04+/-0.02, 0.13+/-0.04, 0.10+/-0.03 and 0.42+/-0.19 in the amoxicillin group at 14, 90, 180 and 360 days respectively (p<0.001) . Corresponding values for metronidazole treated subjects were: 1.69+/-0.28 to 0.02+/-0.01, 0.20+/-0.08, 0.22+/-0.06 and 0.22+/-0.08 (p<0.001) . Counts of Campylobacter species, Eubacterium nodatum, Fusobacterium nucleatum subspecies, F . periodonticum and Prevotella nigrescens were also detected at lower mean levels during and immediately after therapy, but gradually increased after withdrawal of the antibiotics . Members of the genera Actinomyces, Streptococcus and Capnocytophaga were minimally affected by metronidazole . However, amoxicillin decreased the counts and proportions of Actinomyces species during and after therapy . CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that metronidazole and amoxicillin are useful in rapidly lowering counts of putative periodontal pathogens, but must be accompanied by other procedures to bring about periodontal stability. J Antimicrob Chemother, 2001 Jul, 48 Suppl 1, 77 - 80 Recommendations for susceptibility tests on fastidious organisms and those requiring special handling; King A; Fastidious organisms present problems in antimicrobial susceptibility testing related to particular cultural requirements or slow growth . Methods for commonly isolated fastidious organisms, including haemolytic streptococci, Neisseria spp . and Haemophilus spp., are included in the description of the standardized disc diffusion method . However, some further information is given here for Haemophilus influenzae and Neisseria spp . Other less commonly isolated fastidious organisms are detailed and modifications of the disc diffusion method are given for Campylobacter spp . and rapidly growing anaerobes . For those organisms where disc diffusion methodology is not recommended, Brucella spp., Helicobacter pylori and Leigionella spp., MIC determinations are often needed, although disc diffusion test results may be useful as screens for resistance . Where disc diffusion can be used it is important to use the correct medium and to include appropriate controls . Methodology is also given for testing isolates of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, which are affected by both medium and temperature. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 2001 Jul, 71(1), 123 - 4 Range of cross reactivity of anti-GM1 IgG antibody in Guillain-Barré syndrome; Koga M et al.; The cross reactivity of anti-GM1 IgG antibody with various gangliosides and asialo-GM1 in serum samples from 27 patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome was investigated . An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) absorption study showed that anti-GM1 IgG antibody cross reacted with asialo-GM1 in 52% of the patients, GM1b in 41%, GD1b in 22%, and GalNAc-GD1a in 19%, and that it did not cross react with GM2, GT1b, or GQ1b . The antibody that cross reacted with GD1b was associated with a high frequency of cranial nerve involvement and negative Campylobacter jejuni serology . Anti-GM1 IgG antibody has a broad range of cross reactivity which may contribute to various clinical variations of Guillain-Barre syndrome. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, 2001 May, 51(Pt 3), 819 - 26 Differentiation between Campylobacter hyoilei and Campylobater coli using genotypic and phenotypic analyses; Dep MS et al.; Genotypic and phenotypic methods were applied to investigate differences between the closely related species Campylobacter hyoilei and Campylobacter coli . A unique DNA sequence from C . hyoilei was used to design a specific PCR assay that amplified a DNA product of 383 bp for all C . hyoilei strains, but not other Campylobacter species, including C . coli . The PCR assay could detect 100 fg pure C . hyoilei DNA, 2 x 10(2) c.f.u . ml(-1) using cultured cells and 8.3 x 10(3) c.f.u . 0.1 g(-1) in faeces . The C . hyoilei sequence utilized for specific detection and identification of this species showed similarities to sequences from bacteriophages Mu, P2 and 186, suggesting lysogination of the ancestral C . hyoilei genome . Activities of a set of 15 enzymes that participate in a variety of cellular functions, including biosynthesis, catabolism, energy generation, maintenance of redox balance and phosphate utilization, were tested using sets of strains of C . hyoilei and C . coli . Comparison of mean rates of enzyme activities revealed significant differences between species in the values determined for seven of these activities . Both the genetic and phenotypic data indicate that C . hyoilei is a unique Campylobacter species. J Infect Dis, 2001 Jul 15, 184(2), 221 - 6 Epub 2001 Jun 08. Molecular population genetic analysis of Campylobacter jejuni HS:19 associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome and gastroenteritis; Nachamkin I et al.; Infection with Campylobacter jejuni serotype HS:19 is associated with the development of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) . To determine whether a particular HS:19 clone is associated with GBS, multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) was used to analyze a worldwide collection of isolates . There were 34 electropherotypes (ETs) in 3 phylogenetic clusters among 83 C . jejuni isolates . Cluster I contained all HS:19 strains, and a single ET (ET4) accounted for most HS:19 strains . HS:19 strains did not occur in any of the other clusters . ET4 contained isolates from different geographic locations, indicating global spread of this clone . Furthermore, ET4 contained isolates from patients with uncomplicated enteritis and GBS, as well as isolates from animal sources . The results of this study show that HS:19 strains comprise a clonal, although not monomorphic, population, which is distinct from non-HS:19 strains within C . jejuni . A unique clone associated with GBS was not identified by use of MLEE. J Infect Dis, 2001 Jul 15, 184(2), 215 - 20 Epub 2001 Jun 08. Absence of clonality of Campylobacter jejuni in serotypes other than HS:19 associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome and gastroenteritis; Engberg J et al.; Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is recognized as a complication that occurs after Campylobacter infection . Certain Penner serotypes, such as HS:19, are linked particularly to GBS in some parts of the world, and there is good evidence for restricted genetic diversity in these isolates . However, GBS also occurs after Campylobacter infection due to other serotypes . Therefore, we asked whether Campylobacter jejuni non-HS:19 serotypes associated with GBS have a clonal structure and differ from strains isolated from patients with Campylobacter gastroenteritis . A worldwide selected population of C . jejuni non-HS:19 strains associated with GBS and gastroenteritis was analyzed by use of multilocus enzyme electrophoresis, automated ribotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and flagellin gene typing . The results show that these isolates represent a heterogenic population and do not constitute a unique population across serotypes . No epidemiologic marker for GBS-associated strains was identified. Curr Microbiol, 2001 Sep, 43(3), 209 - 14 Potential intervention of Campylobacter jejuni in the modulation of murine immune response; Pancorbo PL et al.; Campylobacter jejuni has been reported to produce different toxins that may modulate the immune response in both animals and humans . The effect of C . jejuni enterotoxin on the immune response was investigated in two groups of Balb/c mice . One of them was inoculated intraperitoneally with 1010 colony forming units (CFU) of an enterotoxigenic strain (CCUG 7580), and the second one with a non-enterotoxigenic strain (CCUG 7440) . The number of polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells from spleen increased in both enterotoxigenic and non-enterotoxigenic strains as a consequence of C . jejuni infection . Notwithstanding, lymphocyte proliferation stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was increased by both enterotoxigenic and non-enterotoxigenic strains . Interleukin-2 (IL-2) production from splenic cells was increased significantly by infection with the enterotoxigenic strain . Both enterotoxigenic and non-enterotoxigenic strains reduced the splenic response to sheep erythrocytes; the response was significantly suppressed for immunoglobulin M (Ig M) and for immunoglobulin G (Ig G) synthesis . These results suggest that C . jejuni is able to modify some components of the immune response in mice, and also that the enterotoxigenic strain has more immunomodulating activity than the non-enterotoxigenic strain. J Food Prot, 2001 Jun, 64(6), 770 - 6 Survival and death of Salmonella typhimurium and Campylobacter jejuni in processing water and on chicken skin during poultry scalding and chilling; Yang H et al.; Salmonella Typhimurium and Campylobacter jejuni were inoculated in scalding water, in chilled water, and on chicken skins to examine the effects of scalding temperature (50, 55, and 60 degrees C) and the chlorine level in chilled water (0, 10, 30, and 50 ppm), associated with the ages of scalding water (0 and 10 h) and chilled water (0 and 8 h), on bacterial survival or death . After scalding at 50 and 60 degrees C, the reductions of C . jejuni were 1.5 and 6.2 log CFU/ml in water and <1 and >2 log CFU/cm2 on chicken skins; the reductions of Salmonella Typhimurium were <0.5 and >5.5 log CFU/ml in water and <0.5 and >2 log CFU/cm2 on skins, respectively . The age of scalding water did not significantly (P > 0.05) affect bacterial heat sensitivity . However, the increase in the age of chilled water significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the chlorine effect . In 0-h chilled water . C . jejuni and Salmonella Typhimurium were reduced by 3.3 and 0.7 log CFU/ml, respectively, after treatment with 10 ppm of chlorine and became nondetectable with 30 and 50 ppm of chlorine . In 8-h chilled water, the reduction of C . jejuni and Salmonella Typhimurium was <0.5 log CFU/ml with 10 ppm of chlorine and ranged from 4 to 5.5 log CFU/ml with 50 ppm of chlorine . Chlorination of chilled water did not effectively reduce the bacteria attached on chicken skins . The D-values of Salmonella Typhimurium and C . jejuni were calculated for the prediction of their survival or death in the poultry scalding and chilling. Neurology, 2001 Jun 12, 56(11), 1467 - 72 Gastroenteritis-associated Guillain-Barré syndrome on the Caribbean island Curaçao; van Koningsveld R et al.; BACKGROUND: The number of patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) who have been observed in Curacao, the Netherlands Antilles, may be increasing . METHODS: Clinical and serologic data were obtained from records of patients admitted between 1987 and 1999 and fulfilling National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke criteria for GBS . When possible, serum and stool samples were collected . The results were compared with a large Dutch epidemiologic study . RESULTS: The authors identified 49 patients, an overall crude incidence rate (IR) in Curacao of 2.53/100,000 inhabitants (95% CI 1.87 to 3.35) (Dutch study 1.18, rate ratio (RR) of 2.14, p < 0.001) . The IR in Curacao increased from 1.62 in 1987 to 1991 to 3.10 in 1992 to 1999, RR 5.22 (95% CI 2.48 to 10.2, p = 0.02) . The IR showed a curvilinear shape within a year . In comparison with the Dutch group, patients from Curacao had a more severe course of the disease, with a mortality rate of 23% (3.4% in the Dutch group, p < 0.001), a higher percentage of preceding gastroenteritis (p < 0.001), and less sensory involvement (p < 0.001) . In 8 of 10 serum samples, evidence was found for a recent infection with Campylobacter jejuni . CONCLUSIONS: The authors found a steady increase in incidence of GBS over the years in association with a more pronounced seasonal preponderance and a more severe course . The clinical characteristics suggest a role for C jejuni. Infect Immun, 2001 Jul, 69(7), 4358 - 65 CdtA, CdtB, and CdtC form a tripartite complex that is required for cytolethal distending toxin activity; Lara-Tejero M et al.; Campylobacter jejuni encodes a cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) that causes cells to arrest in the G(2)/M transition phase of the cell cycle . Highly related toxins are also produced by other important bacterial pathogens . CDT activity requires the function of three genes: cdtA, cdtB, and cdtC . Recent studies have established that CdtB is the active subunit of CDT, exerting its effect as a nuclease that damages the DNA and triggers cell cycle arrest . Microinjection of CdtB into target cells led to G(2)/M arrest and cytoplasmic distention, in a manner indistinguishable from that caused by CDT treatment . Despite this progress, nothing is known about the composition of the CDT holotoxin or the function of CdtA and CdtC . We show here that, when applied individually, purified CdtA, CdtB, or CdtC does not exhibit toxic activity . In contrast, CdtA, CdtB, and CdtC when combined, interact with one another to form an active tripartite holotoxin that exhibits full cellular toxicity . CdtA has a domain that shares similarity with the B chain of ricin-related toxins . We therefore proposed that CDT is a tripartite toxin composed of CdtB as the enzymatically active subunit and of CdtA and CdtC as the heterodimeric B subunit required for the delivery of CdtB. J Med Primatol, 2001 Feb, 30(1), 20 - 5 A prevalence survey for zoonotic enteric bacteria in a research monkey colony with specific emphasis on the occurrence of enteric Yersinia; Vore SJ et al.; Transmissible pathogenic and opportunistic zoonotic enteric bacteria comprise a recognized occupational health threat to exposed humans from non-human primates (NHPs) . In an effort to evaluate the occurrence of selected enteric organisms with zoonotic and biohazard potential in a research colony setting, we performed a prevalence study examining 61 juvenile and young adult rhesus macaques participating in a transplant immunology project . Primary emphasis was directed specifically to detection of pathogenic enteric Yersinia, less well-documented and reported NHP pathogens possessing recognized significant human disease potential . NHPs were surveyed by rectal culture during routine health monitoring on three separate occasions, and samples incubated using appropriate media and specific selective culture methods . Enteric organisms potentially transmissible to humans were subcultured and identified to genus and species . Significant human pathogens of the Salmonella/Shigella, Campylobacter, and enteric Yersinia groups were not isolated throughout the survey, suggesting prevalence of these organisms may generally be quite low. J Bacteriol, 2001 Jul, 183(13), 3958 - 66 The iron- and temperature-regulated cjrBC genes of Shigella and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli strains code for colicin Js uptake; Smajs D et al.; A cosmid library of DNA from colicin Js-sensitive enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) strain O164 was made in colicin Js-resistant strain E . coli VCS257, and colicin Js-sensitive clones were identified . Sensitivity to colicin Js was associated with the carriage of a three-gene operon upstream of and partially overlapping senB . The open reading frames were designated cjrABC (for colicin Js receptor), coding for proteins of 291, 258, and 753 amino acids, respectively . Tn7 insertions in any of them led to complete resistance to colicin Js . A near-consensus Fur box was found upstream of cjrA, suggesting regulation of the cjr operon by iron levels . CjrA protein was homologous to iron-regulated Pseudomonas aeruginosa protein PhuW, whose function is unknown; CjrB was homologous to the TonB protein from Pseudomonas putida; and CjrC was homologous to a putative outer membrane siderophore receptor from Campylobacter jejuni . Cloning experiments showed that the cjrB and cjrC genes are sufficient for colicin Js sensitivity . Uptake of colicin Js into sensitive bacteria was dependent on the ExbB protein but not on the E . coli K-12 TonB and TolA, -B, and -Q proteins . Sensitivity to colicin Js is positively regulated by temperature via the VirB protein and negatively controlled by the iron source through the Fur protein . Among EIEC strains, two types of colicin Js-sensitive phenotypes were identified that differed in sensitivity to colicin Js by 1 order of magnitude . The difference in sensitivity to colicin Js is not due to differences between the sequences of the CjrB and CjrC proteins. J Periodontol, 2001 May, 72(5), 666 - 71 Smoking affects the subgingival microflora in periodontitis; van Winkelhoff AJ et al.; BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking has been identified as one major risk factor for destructive periodontal disease . Scaling and root planing have been shown to be less effective in smokers with periodontitis . The aim of the present study was to compare the subgingival microbial flora of treated and untreated smokers and non-smokers . METHODS: Four independent adult patient groups with periodontitis were included in this investigation: 88 untreated smokers (U-S); 90 untreated non-smokers (U-NS); 119 treated non-smokers (T-NS); and 171 treated smokers (T-S) . Clinical variables included cumulative plaque index (CPI), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), cumulative bleeding index (CBI), and cumulative suppuration index (CSI) . Paper point samples from the deepest bleeding pocket in each quadrant of the dentition were analyzed for the presence and levels of 6 periodontal bacterial pathogens using anaerobic culture techniques . RESULTS: U-S showed a higher mean cumulative plaque index than U-NS (3.5 versus 2.7) . Mean PD and mean CAL were higher in the T-S in comparison to the T-NS group (7.0 versus 6.6 mm and 5.6 versus 4.7 mm, respectively) . Microbiological characteristics of U-S were a higher prevalence of Prevotella intermedia/nigrescens and higher mean levels of Peptostreptococcus micros (Pm) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) . T-S patients were characterized by higher prevalence of Bacteroides forsythus (Bf), Pm, and Campylobacter rectus (Cr) and higher mean levels of Pm and Fn . The mean percentage of B . forsythus tended to be higher in the T-S group than in the T-NS group (6.9% versus 5.6%) . The relative risk to be infected with Bf, Pm, and Cr was statistically higher in smokers (odds ratios: 1.9, 1.9, and 1.6, respectively) . The chance to find > or =10% of Bf, Pm, and/or Fn was 3.3 higher in smokers when A . actinomycetemcomitans and P gingivalis were absent . Detection of > or =20% Pm/Fn in treated patients was strongly associated with smoking (odds ratio 13.8, P= 0.002) . CONCLUSIONS: Smoking is a determining factor for the composition of the subgingival microflora in adult patients with periodontitis and may select for a specific cluster of periodontal pathogens, notably Bf, Pm, Fn, and Cr . On the basis of these observations, smoking, among other criteria, may be one parameter to use in deciding to treat refractory periodontitis in smokers with a systemic antibiotic therapy directed against smoking-associated periodontal bacteria. Microbios, 2001, 105(411), 77 - 85 Lactobacilli in human dental caries and saliva; Smith SI et al.; Samples (98 plaque and 72 saliva) from 93 patients with dental caries were investigated for Lactobacillus species which comprised 65 (62.5%) of 104 isolates . Yeasts (20.1%), Streptococcus spp . (8.7%), Staphylococcus spp . (2.9%) and a few unidentified species (5.8%), were also found . The Lactobacillus isolates were L . brevis (24.6%) L . fermentum (18.5%) L . casei (16.9%), L . delbrueckii (15.4%), L . plantarum (9.23%), L . acidophilus (7.69%), L . jensenii (4.62%), L . salivarius (1.54%) and L . gasseri (1.54%) . The most common species was L . brevis (24.6%) . The strains tested for beta-lactamase production showed 75.4% positive . All the Lactobacillus strains were tested for bacteriocin production against Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Shigella dysenteriae, S . sonnei, Klebsiella spp . and Campylobacter sp . All the lactobacilli except L . jensenii produced bacteriocin against at least one of the indicator organisms . The involvement of Lactobacillus in dental caries was established, although its role and mechanism is not well understood . The ability of Lactobacillus spp . to protect their host against certain diseases by inhibiting the growth of potential pathogens was evident. Parasitology, 2000, 121 Suppl, S23 - 38 Malnutrition and parasitic helminth infections; Stephenson LS et al.; The Global Burden of Disease caused by the 3 major intestinal nematodes is an estimated 22.1 million disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost for hookworm, 10.5 million for Ascaris lumbricoides, 6.4 million for Trichuris trichiura, and 39.0 million for the three infections combined (as compared with malaria at 35.7 million) (World Bank, 1993; Chan et al . 1994); these figures illustrate why some scarce health care resources must be used for their control . Strongyloides stercoralis is the fourth most important intestinal worm infection; its nutritional implications are discussed, and the fact that its geographic distribution needs further study is emphasized . Mechanisms underlying the malnutrition induced by intestinal helminths are described . Anorexia, which can decrease intake of all nutrients in tropical populations on marginal diets, is likely to be the most important in terms of magnitude and the probable major mechanism by which intestinal nematodes inhibit growth and development . We present a revised and expanded conceptual framework for how parasites cause/aggravate malnutrition and retard development in endemic areas . Specific negative effects that a wide variety of parasites may have on gastrointestinal physiology are presented . The synergism between Trichuris and Campylobacter, intestinal inflammation and growth failure, and new studies showing that hookworm inhibits growth and promotes anaemia in preschool (as well as school-age) children are presented . We conclude by presenting rationales and evidence to justify ensuring the widest possible coverage for preschool-age children and girls and women of childbearing age in intestinal parasite control programmes, in order to prevent morbidity and mortality in general and specifically to help decrease the vicious intergenerational cycle of growth failure (of low-birth-weight/intrauterine growth retardation and stunting) that entraps infants, children and girls and women of reproductive age in developing areas. Biol Pharm Bull, 2001 May, 24(5), 570 - 4 Cloning and sequencing of the astA gene encoding arylsulfate sulfotransferase from Salmonella typhimurium; Kang JW et al.; Arylsulfate sulfotransferase (ASST) transfers a sulfate group from a phenolic sulfate ester to a phenolic acceptor substrate . In the present study, the gene encoding ASST was cloned from a genomic library of Salmonella typhimurium . The gene was subcloned into the vector pKF3 and was sequenced . A recombinant clone harboring the gene was directly identified using a fluorescent assay . Sequencing revealed two contiguous open reading frames (ORFs) on the same strand . Based on amino acid sequence homology, ORF1 and ORF2 are designated as astA and dsbA, respectively . The deduced amino acid sequence of astA from S . typhimurium was highly similar to those of the Enterobacter amnigenus, Klebsiella, and Campylobacter jejuni ASSTs, encoded by the astA genes . However, an ASST activity assay revealed a different acceptor specificity . Using p-nitrophenyl su