J Infect Dis, 1983 Nov, 148(5), 844 - 54 Pathogenesis of Shigella diarrhea . VIII . Evidence for a translocation step in the cytotoxic action of Shiga toxin; Jacewicz M et al.; Shigella toxin interacts with HeLa cells by binding to a glycoprotein cell surface receptor and, after a lag period, inactivates the 60S ribosomal subunit and inhibits protein synthesis . The lag period may be due to energy-dependent translocation of the toxin to the interior of the cells . This step was investigated with agents known to inhibit glucose metabolism, mitochondrial energy production, or macromolecular synthesis and with drugs that alter the cytoskeletal system or lysosomes . Metabolic inhibitors reduced both cytotoxicity and binding of the toxin . All agents tested except actinomycin D also diminished endocytosis . Effects on cytotoxicity were partially reversed in the presence of the membrane permeabilizer dimethylsulfoxide . Various cytochalasins, colchicine, vinca alkaloids, chloroquine, and steroids also reduced the activity of the toxin . These diverse agents are probably acting on a common pathway affecting the internalization and/or intracellular processing of shigella toxin . Translocation of this toxin apparently occurs by endocytosis from the cell surface. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Nov, (11), 17 - 21 {Interaction of Shigella sonnei phase-I strains carrying F'- or R386 plasmids with continuous HeLa- and L-line cells}; Miroliubova LV et al.; The region of S . sonnei chromosome, located to the left of the gene lac I, has been found to be linked with the capacity of these bacteria for penetrating epithelial cells: this capacity is sharply suppressed in transconjugates carrying plasmids F' which cover the above-mentioned chromosomal region in recipients . The loss of virulence by transconjugates with transferred plasmids F'lac is not linked with the transfer of F factor proper, as those transconjugates which have acquired plasmids F' from E . coli donor strains K = 12 X 363 or F'his 131, not covering the lactose region to the left of the gene lac I, retain their virulence . The transfer of plasmid R 386 having no analogs of bacterial chromosomal genes leads to the loss of virulence due to the oss of the invasive capacity of bacteria. Bioorg Khim, 1983 Nov, 9(11), 1568 - 77 {Theoretical conformation analysis of specific O-antigenic polysaccharides . Polysaccharide of Shigella dysenteriae of serotype 2}; Lipkind GM et al.; Theoretical conformational analysis of Shigella dysenteriae serotype 2 polysaccharide containing repeating unit: -4Gal beta 1-3GalNAc alpha 1-3(GlcNAc alpha 1-4)GalNAc alpha 1-4Glc alpha 1- has been carried out . It is shown that spatial forms of the polymer are determined by conformational states of Glc alpha 1-4Gal links which form the internal bends of the chain . The structures of low energy are shown to be left three-fold helices with an axially projected repeat of approximately 12 A . N-Acetamide groups of side residues alpha-D-GlcNAc are the most accessible for intermolecular interactions and may determine immunological specificity of the polysaccharide. J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Nov, 18(5), 1183 - 9 Monoclonal antibodies specific for O-antigenic polysaccharides of Shigella flexneri: clones binding to II, II:3,4, and 7,8 epitopes; Carlin NI et al.; Hybrid cells producing monoclonal antibodies against the O-antigens of Shigella flexneri were obtained by polyethylene glycol-mediated fusion of myeloma cells and lymphocytes from BALB/c mice immunized with whole heat-killed S . flexneri bacteria of serotypes 2a and 2b . Clones were selected for their binding specificity to structurally defined S . flexneri lipopolysaccharides (LPS) . The following three groups were identified as recognizing three different epitopes: monoclonal antibodies binding to (i) S . flexneri LPS with the II:3,4 antigens, (ii) S . flexneri LPS with the II:3,4 antigens and the II:7,8 antigens, and (iii) S . flexneri LPS with the 7,8 group antigen only . Of cloned and characterized antibodies, more than 90% had either the mu or gamma 3 heavy chain and 98% had the kappa light chain . The exquisite specificity of each monoclonal antibody preparation was in complete contrast to the polyclonal specificities seen in sera from immunized rabbits . Even absorbed rabbit S . flexneri typing sera contained antibodies reacting with several different LPS, i.e., they were not type antigen specific . Ascites from immunoglobulin G monoclonal antibody preparations representing the three different specificities were used for sensitizing Staphylococcus aureus Cowan 1 bacteria and were used in coagglutination . In testing 211 clinical isolates of all different serotypes of S . flexneri, the reagents were shown to be sensitive and specific in correctly identifying all S . flexneri II and 7,8 antigen-containing strains with no false positives . Two isolated immunoglobulin M antibody clones specific for the II:3,4 and 7,8 antigens were used as successfully for identification by direct slide agglutination . These results suggest that the monoclonal reagents are superior to conventional typing antisera. Carbohydr Res, 1983 Oct 28, 122(2), 257 - 67 Immunochemical studies on Shigella dysenteriae type 10 bacterial polysaccharide; Pal JN et al.; On graded hydrolysis and Smith degradation, the O-somatic polysaccharide isolated from Shigella dysenteriae type 10 bacteria yielded four oligosaccharides which were characterized by methylation studies . Immunochemical studies using constituent monosaccharides and the oligosaccharides indicated that the sugar grouping leads to 3)-ManNAc-(1 leads to 3)-Rha-(1 leads to 4)-GlcNAc-(1 leads to was the immunodominant part in the polysaccharide molecule, and that 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-mannose contributed maximally to the immunological specificity of the macromolecule. Sem Hop, 1983 Oct 6, 59(35), 2453 - 6 {Fiessinger-Leroy-Reiter's syndrome : serological conversion for Yersinia enterocolitica type 9, positive serodiagnosis for Shigella flexneri and Chlamydia}; Pieron R et al.; A case of Reiter disease in a HLA B27 positive man with urethritis followed by polyarthritis is reported . During the disease, serologic conversion for Yersinia enterocolitica type 9 was detected as well as positive serologic tests for Shigella flexneri and Chlamydia . The features of reactive arthritis related to Yersinia and the etiologies of Reiter disease are recalled. Sem Hop, 1983 Oct 6, 59(35), 2441 - 5 {Serodiagnosis of Yersinia infections in cirrhotic patients . Study apropos of 73 patients}; Grivaux M et al.; It is well-known that cirrhosis is a predisposing factor to Yersinia septicemia . This study includes 73 cirrhotics and shows a high number of positive serologic tests (47/73 : 64.4%) . However, there is no correlation with clinical features or bacteriological findings . The most frequent serotypes, i.e . pseudotuberculosis IV and enterocolitica 0:9, differ from those which are usually found in Yersinia septicemias . Iron overload in cirrhosis, increased intestinal load of gram-negative bacilli and possible latent bacteremia may partly explain these results . However, the role probably played by as yet poorly known cross-reactions between Yersinia and other pathogens (Shigella, E . Coli...) must be underscored . The authors conclude that slightly positive, stable, serodiagnostic tests have little meaning in cirrhotics. Nurse Pract, 1983 Oct, 8(9), 35 - 42 Sexually transmitted diseases in homosexual men; Wolbert J; Due to the number of sexual encounters and variety of practices, men who have homosexual experiences have increased incidence and prevalence rates of many diseases . Diseases that are covered here include hepatitis A and B, syphilis, gonorrhea, condylomata accuminata, herpes simplex, AIDS (acquired immune-deficiency syndrome) and several enteric diseases, namely amebiasis, giardiasis, shigellosis and salmonellosis . An overview of each disease is included along with diagnostic testing and treatment regimens . This report concludes with a system of risk assignment and recommendations for frequency of sexually transmitted disease screening. Am J Dis Child, 1983 Oct, 137(10), 985 - 7 Convulsions in shigellosis . Evaluation of possible risk factors; Ashkenazi S et al.; We studied 158 children with culture-proven shigellosis, 37 (23.4%) of whom had convulsions . Historical, clinical, and laboratory data were compared between patients with and without convulsions to define risk factors for the development of seizures . Age was the most important predisposing factor . The highest incidence of shigellosis associated with convulsions was found in children between 6 months and 4 years of age . Peak body temperature and a family history of convulsions also independently affected the development of seizures . Sex and Shigella strain showed differences between the groups but failed to reach statistical significance. Mol Immunol, 1983 Oct, 20(10), 1089 - 93 Immunochemical studies on a polysaccharide from Shigella dysenteriae type 2; Basu S et al.; The polysaccharide isolated from Shigella dysenteriae type 2, strain NCTC 566, on Smith degradation and graded hydrolysis yielded three oligosaccharides which were characterised using methylation studies . Using homologous rabbit antiserum and the monosaccharides that constituted the polysaccharide and the oligosaccharides isolated from it and the cross-reactions in some type-specific pneumococcal antisera, immunochemical specificities of different sugar groupings in the polysaccharide molecule were determined . These results indicated that N-acetylglucosamine was the immunodominant sugar in the polysaccharide and the oligosaccharide isolated from the Smith-degraded product and having the structure (formula; see text) gave maximum inhibition of the specific precipitation. J Hyg (Lond), 1983 Oct, 91(2), 273 - 6 Colicine production as an epidemiological marker for Shigella sonnei; Vlajinac H et al.; The reliability of colicine typing of Shigella sonnei: as an epidemiological marker has been investigated . Strains from 13 of 110 excretors showed variation in type as determined by typing serial isolates and in 14 of 106 epidemics there was a lack of uniformity in typing results . The simultaneous presence of two types was found in 11.4% of patients . In vitro variation was seen after 10 days in 6.8% of isolates from 44 stools; variation had risen to 9% when isolates were re-examined after one month . These results suggest that restrictions should be placed on the use of colicine typing as an epidemiologic tool. Infect Immun, 1983 Oct, 42(1), 202 - 7 Effect of parenteral immunization on the local immunoglobulin A response of the intestine to Shigella flexneri antigens; Keren DF et al.; Most traditional methods of immunization involve parenteral vaccines . Using a chronically isolated ileal loop model as the probe, we examined the effect of a primary parenteral immunization on the local immune response of the intestine . Secretions from isolated ileal loops of rabbits given a primary parenteral immunization with Shigella flexneri without adjuvant showed a small, but definite, specific immunoglobulin A (IgA) response locally, whereas a vigorous serum antigen-specific IgG response was elicited . Also, stronger antigen-specific IgG activity was detected in secretions of parenterally immunized animals than from animals given shigella only by oral immunization . No local IgA or IgG memory response could be elicited by prior parenteral priming with S . flexneri antigens . Lastly, no increase in the primary local IgA response was found in secretions from animals given an oral dosage regimen previously shown to prime for mucosal memory and then challenged with a single parenteral dose of the same antigen . These studies demonstrate that without adjuvant, parenteral doses of S . flexneri antigens elicit both specific serum and local immune responses, but they are not able to prime for a mucosal memory response upon subsequent mucosal challenge . The implications of these findings for programs that use parenteral vaccination to protect against mucosal diseases are discussed. Ann Microbiol (Paris), 1983 Sep-Oct, 134B(2), 269 - 76 {Differentiation of Shigella flexneri serotype 6 from serotypes 1-5 by electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing of their elastases}; Goullet P et al.; Among Shigella flexneri serotypes, serotype 6 (28 strains) was individualized from serotypes 1 to 5 (43 strains) by electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing of esterases . The taxonomic status of S . flexneri serotype 6 should be reconsidered in light of this work. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Sep, (9), 60 - 3 {Effect of the transfer of F1 plasmids of various lengths on Shigella sonnei virulence}; Nastichkin IA et al.; The influence of F' plasmids of different length, carrying the genetically characterized Escherichia coli K-12 chromosomal regions, on the virulence of S . sonnei has been studied . The study has revealed that in S . sonnei (in contrast to S . flexneri) the chromosome carries a recessive gene located in the area of the lactose operon; this gene is essential for the capacity of bacteria for causing keratoconjunctivitis, which has been proved by the transfer of F' plasmids of different length . The above gene is functionally independent of the influence of the F factor as such, as the transconjugants which receive the so-called "intermediate" plasmids carrying the E . coli K-12 chromosomal genes from lac I to tsx retain their virulence . The above gene (or genes) on the chromosome of S . sonnei has been localized to the left of the gene lac I. Rev Infect Dis, 1983 Sep-Oct, 5 Suppl 4, S692 - 701 Classification of pathogenic Escherichia coli according to serotype and the production of virulence factors, with special reference to colonization-factor antigens; Evans DJ Jr et al.; Multiple criteria are required to classify Escherichia coli isolates according to pathogenic grouping . There are three groups associated with intestinal illness . Acute watery diarrhea is the hallmark of enterotoxigenic E . coli, the majority of which belong to a small set of specific serotypes harboring plasmids encoding for the production of heat-stable enterotoxin and/or heat-labile enterotoxin and also for a fimbrial colonization-factor antigen . Bacterial dysentery is caused by specific, nonmotile Shigella-like E . coli serogroups identifiable by the property of tissue invasiveness . Specific virulence factors have not been defined for the traditional enteropathogenic E . coli serogroups, although the ability to colonize and overgrow the intestine appears to be of primary importance in this group . E . coli associated with extraintestinal infections generally belong to serogroups and serotypes other than those noted above; the virulence factors of these E . coli include polysaccharide capsular antigens, hemolysin, and fimbrial colonization factors that are antigenically complex and different from those of the enterotoxigenic E . coli. Mol Biol (Mosk), 1983 Sep-Oct, 17(5), 1103 - 7 {Topology of the structural proteins of long tail fibers of phages T4D, DDVIh+ and DDVIh}; Kretova AF et al.; Topology of the products of the genes 34, 35, 36 and 37 of the bacteriophage T4D long tail fibers were determined with the aid of monospecific antibodies . The antibodies against gene product 34 were the only to interact with the proximal part of long tail fibers, but the distal part bound the antibodies against 35, 36 and 37 . Product of the gene 35 is located at the joint-site with the distal part and binds the distance not more than 75 A long . Gene product 36 is located between these of 35 and 37 and occupy the region about 150 A . The capability of the antibodies obtained against the above-mentioned proteins were tested ot bind with long tail fibers diagnostic phages DDVIh+ and DDVIh Shigella disentheriae . We could'nt mark any difference in binding of the antibodies against gene 34, 35 and 36 product with DDVI phages and T4D . The distal part of the fibers of DDVIh bound the antibodies against product of gene 37 as T4D . Nevertheless DDVIh+ possesses only few antigenic sites relative to product of gene 37 of T4 . The changes in the distal part of long tail fibers of h-strain DDVI may lead to the broadening of the host specifity of this virus. J Gen Microbiol, 1983 Sep, 129 (Pt 9), 2715 - 26 Enzyme polymorphism and genetic population structure in Escherichia coli and Shigella; Ochman H et al.; Electrophoretically demonstrable variation in 12 enzymes was studied in more than 1 600 isolates of Escherichia coli from human and animal sources and in 123 strains of the four species of Shigella . All 12 enzymes were polymorphic; and the number of allozymes (mobility variants), which were equated with alleles, averaged 9.3 per locus in E . coli . For Shigella species, the mean number of alleles was 2.9 per locus . Some 77% of the allozymes recorded in Shigella were shared with E . coli . A total of 302 unique genotypic combinations of alleles over the 12 loci (electrophoretic types, ETs) was distinguished, of which 279 represented E . coli and 23 were Shigella . Among electrophoretic types, mean allelic diversity per locus was 0.52 for E . coli and 0.29 for Shigella . It was estimated that there are, on the average, about 0.3 detectable codon differences per locus between pairs of strains of E . coli and Shigella, which is roughly equivalent to 1.2 amino acid differences per enzyme . Evidence that the enzyme loci studied are a random sample of the genome is provided by a significant positive correlation between estimates of genetic divergence between pairs of strains obtained by DNA reassociation tests and estimates of genetic distance between the same strains based on electrophoresis . A principal components analysis of allozyme profiles revealed that the 302 ETs fall into three overlapping clusters, reflecting strong non-random associations of alleles, largely at four loci . Each of the four ETs of E . coli that have been most frequently recovered from natural populations has an allozyme profile that is very similar to, or identical with, the hypothetical modal ET of one of the groups . ETs of Shigella fall into two of the groups . No biological significance can at present bbe attributed to the genetic structure revealed by Multilocus electrophoretic techniques . The electrophoretic data are fully compatible with other molecular and more conventional evidence of a close affinity between E . coli and Shigella, and they raise questions regarding the present assignments of certain strains to species . In support of evidence from DNA reassociation tests and serotyping, the present study suggests that S . sonnei is homogeneous in chromosomal genotype. J Bacteriol, 1983 Sep, 155(3), 949 - 55 Expression of hydroxamate and phenolate siderophores by Shigella flexneri; Payne SM et al.; Shigella flexneri strains were assayed for the ability to synthesize and utilize phenolate and hydroxamate siderophores . The hydroxamate aerobactin was synthesized by all isolates tested, whereas phenolates were only rarely produced . Expression of aerobactin was accompanied by production of a single iron-regulated outer membrane protein (Mr = 74,000) . This protein was not produced by a mutant defective in aerobactin utilization and may serve as the aerobactin receptor . Phenolate (enterobactin)-producing strains synthesized three additional outer membrane proteins (Mr = 74,000, 81,000, and 83,000) in response to iron starvation . These proteins are the same apparent size as those produced by Escherichia coli K-12 strains . Ent sequences are apparently present in strains which do not synthesize this compound . Although normally silent, ent genes can be activated in Ent- strains to produce Ent+ variants . These laboratory variants are phenotypically indistinguishable from clinical Ent+ isolates. Carbohydr Res, 1983 Aug 16, 120, 25 - 42 {Synthesis of beta-L-rhamnoside linked oligosaccharides of lipopolysaccharides from Shigella flexneri serotype 6}; Paulsen H et al.; The synthesis of the trisaccharide O-beta-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 leads to 4)-O-beta-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 leads to 2)-L-rhamnopyranose (14) and the tetrasaccharide O-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-galactopyranosyl)-(1 leads to 2)-O-{beta-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 leads to 4)}-O-beta-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 leads to 2)-L-rhamnopyranose (21) is described . The latter structure has been proposed as the repeating unit of the O-specific side-chain of the lipopolysaccharide obtained from Shigella flexneri Serotype 6 . The key-intermediate was 4-O-acetyl-2-O-allyl-3-O-benzyl-alpha-D-rhamnopyranosyl bromide, which was first linked to benzyl 3,4-di-O-benzyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside, to give a blocked beta-linked disaccharide . This was O-deacetylated and coupled with 2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl bromide at O-4' to afford benzyl O-(2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-beta-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-(1 leads to 4)-O-(2-O-allyl-3-O-benzyl-beta-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-(1 leads to 2)-3,4-di-O-benzyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside (11), which was deprotected to give 14 . Deallylation of 11 and coupling with 6-O-acetyl-2-azido-3,4-di-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl bromide led to a protected tetrasaccharide from which 21 was obtained . The method of catalysis by silver silicate was employed to obtain the beta-glycosidic linkage of all monosaccharide units. Eur J Biochem, 1983 Aug 15, 134(3), 517 - 21 Cell-wall lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli 0114:H2 . Structure of the polysaccharide chain; Dmitriev BA et al.; The O-specific polysaccharide of the 0114 antigen (lipopolysaccharide) of Escherichia coli 0114 and oligosaccharides obtained from it by Smith degradation and hydrogen fluoride solvolysis were analyzed, using proton and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and methylation . The results indicated that the 0114 polysaccharide has the tetrasaccharide repeating unit alpha-N-acetylglucosamine(1 leads to 4) beta-3,6-dideoxy-3-(N-acetyl-L-seryl)aminoglucose(1 leads to 3) beta-ribofuranose(1 leads to 4)galactose . In the polysaccharide the repeating units are joined through beta 1 leads to 3-galactosyl linkages . This structure is compared with that of the serologically cross-reacting Shigella boydii 08 antigen and the serological similarity is discussed. J Med Microbiol, 1983 Aug, 16(3), 381 - 5 Gain of ornithine decarboxylase activity by a strain of Shigella flexneri serotype 6 on the introduction of an R plasmid; Dodd CE et al.; The introduction of R plasmid S-a into a strain of Shigella flexneri serotype 6 resulted in the strain gaining the ability to decarboxylate ornithine . The possible reasons for the phenomenon are discussed and the result is compared with that obtained previously when the introduction of R plasmids into a different strain of the same species resulted in enhanced gas production from a range of carbohydrates. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Jul, (7), 64 - 70 {Comparative immunomorphological study of the immunogenic activity of dysentery vaccines produced by different methods}; Belaia IuA et al.; The morphological study of the ophthalmic mucosa of guinea pigs immunized locally with different dysentery vaccines has demonstrated the advantages of live dysentery vaccine prepared from Shigella sonnei 6S over heated vaccine and Shigella antigen extracts . The protective properties of dysentery vaccines, their capacity for protecting the mucous membrane from the penetration and intracellular multiplication of shigellae correlates with the degree of the manifestation of vaccine-induced plasmatocellular reaction in the epithelial and subepithelial zones . The importance of the virulence of the strains used for the preparation of vaccines, as well as the method of their preparation, for the immunogenic potency of vaccines is shown. Vopr Med Khim, 1983 Jul-Aug, 29(4), 117 - 22 {Isoelectric focusing of DNA-methylases from Shigella sonnei 47}; Suchkov SV et al.; Fractionation of bacterial methylases was studied by means of isoelectrofocusing technique . The method exhibited high accuracy, efficiency and reproducibility in studies of methylases from Shigella sonnei 47 . High column capacity and distinct focusing effect increased the experimental advantages of work with various amounts of protein as compared with ion exchange chromatography . By means of the isoelectrofocusing technique three methylases were detected in the strain S . s o n n e i 47, which were dissimilar in their isoelectric points at pH 6.5, 8.4 and 9.8 . These findings indicate the heterogeneous pattern of enzyme methylation in the strain studied . Complete removing of endogenous DNA was the main precondition for correct fractionation of methylases by means of the isoelectrofocusing technique . A procedure is described for purification of S . s o n n e i 47 methylases from traces of endogenous DNA by affinity chromatography on heparin-Sepharose. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1983 Jul, 46(1), 32 - 6 Flies as a source of enteric pathogens in a rural village in Thailand; Echeverria P et al.; The village of Ban Pong in northeastern Thailand was studied from January through December 1981 to determine the importance of flies as a source of enteric pathogens . The number of flies (predominantly Musca domestica) increased in kitchens and animal pens in the hot dry spring, when the incidence of diarrhea was highest in the village . Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Shigella spp., non-O1 Vibrio cholerae, and Vibrio fluvalis were isolated from fly pools in yards (69%), animal pens (38%), bathrooms (35%), and kitchens (8%) . Enterotoxigenic E . coli was isolated from one fly pool in May and from another in June, when the incidence of such infections was highest in the village . Flies often carry and presumably disseminate enteric pathogens in rural Thailand. Infect Immun, 1983 Jul, 41(1), 430 - 3 Isolation and characterization of monoclonal antibodies to Shiga toxin; Griffin DE et al.; Hybridoma cell lines which produce monoclonal antibodies to Shiga toxin from Shigella dysenteriae 1 were prepared . The monoclonal antibodies were all of the immunoglobulin G1 isotype and differed in their ability to neutralize cytotoxicity and to bind to Shiga toxin in a solid-phase radioimmunoassay . When used for immunoblot analysis, these antibodies were able to identify specifically both nicked and unnicked Shiga toxin in crude lysates of S . dysenteriae. Gastroenterology, 1983 Jul, 85(1), 12 - 6 Increased colonic adenylate cyclase activity in active ulcerative colitis; Rachmilewitz D et al.; To investigate the pathogenesis of diarrhea in ulcerative colitis, colonic adenylate cyclase activity was determined in patients and normal subjects . Basal adenylate cyclase activity in 19 patients with active disease {61.5 +/- 9.6 (mean +/- SE) pmol cyclic adenosine monophosphate/mg protein . 10 min} was two times higher (p less than 0.01) than its activity in colonic mucosa of 30 normal subjects or 10 ulcerative colitis patients in remission {31.4 +/- 2.0 and 23.6 +/- 1.9 pmol cyclic adenosine monophosphate/mg protein . 10 min, respectively} . The enzyme activity was stimulated to the same extent in all groups by sodium fluoride, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, or by substitution in the assay mixture of guanosine triphosphate by its hydrolysis-resistant analogue--GTP gamma S . Prostaglandin E2 significantly stimulated the enzyme activity in tissue obtained from normal subjects, patients with shigellosis, and ulcerative colitis patients in remission while it had no effect on adenylate cyclase activity in colonic mucosa of patients with active ulcerative colitis . These results suggest that stimulation of colonic adenylate cyclase activity, possibly secondary to the reported enhanced colonic prostanoid synthesis, may contribute to the diarrhea in ulcerative colitis. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Jul, (7), 89 - 92 {Use of the coagglutination reaction for identifying Shigella flexneri}; Khazenson SL; The data on the use of the coagglutination test for the identification of Sh . flexneri are presented . The influence of different methods for the treatment of antisera on their heterologous reactions was studied and the advantage of coagglutinating reagents was revealed . 9 variants of coagglutinating preparations were obtained; their use made it possible to reduce the consumption of antisera and in some cases avoid their absorption . The problem of Sh . flexneri classification is discussed. Aust N Z J Med, 1983 Jun, 13(3), 275 - 6 Plesiomonas shigelloides septic arthritis complicating rheumatoid arthritis; Gordon DL et al.; A patient with severe seropositive rheumatoid arthritis and hepatic cirrhosis developed septic arthritis of his knees . Plesiomonas shigelloides was isolated from joint fluid, blood, and also from the gut . The patient's joint symptoms responded to treatment with oral trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, but he died of uncontrolled gastrointestinal bleeding five days later. Scand J Gastroenterol, 1983 May, 18(4), 537 - 43 Whole-gut transit time and its relationship to absorption of macronutrients during diarrhoea and after recovery; Molla A et al.; Whole gut transit time (TT) was measured in 68 children aged up to 5 years (29 cholera, 17 rotavirus, 13 enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, and 9 Shigella) during acute stages of diarrhoea and 2 weeks after recovery . Absorption of calories, fat, protein, and carbohydrates contained in a normal Bangladeshi diet was studied for 72 h after the first appearance of a charcoal marker in the stool, both during acute diarrhoea and 2 weeks after recovery . Mean TT varied from 5.5 to 7.3 h during the acute stage and from 14.1 to 15.5 h during the recovery period of diarrhoea of all aetiologies; the increase in the TT was significant as expected (P less than 0.001) . Correlation coefficients were calculated between TT and the coefficients for absorption of fat, nitrogen, calories, and carbohydrates in the acute and recovery stages of cholera, rotavirus, E . coli, and Shigella . No significant relation was found between TT and absorption of nutrients in any stage of diarrhoea of any aetiology . The results of this study suggest that the mechanism for absorption of nutrients is independent of the whole-gut transit time . Further studies are necessary to identify the role of transit of a meal and its absorption along the whole gut. Ann Microbiol (Paris), 1983 May-Jun, 134A(3), 295 - 318 Molecular comparison of virulence plasmids in Shigella and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli; Sansonetti PJ et al.; Virulent isolates of Shigella dysenteriae and Shigella boydii harboured a 140 Mdal plasmid which was either absent or deleted in spontaneously avirulent strains . Together with previous data concerning S . sonnei, S . flexneri and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli, the present results established the general role of extrachromosomal elements in the virulence of such enteroinvasive species . Among different species, these virulence plasmids showed unrelated endonuclease cleavage patterns, whereas hybridization experiments showed that homologous sequences were present throughout the molecules . These plasmids may therefore have derived from a common ancestor molecule which overcame evolutionary alterations in restriction sites . Furthermore, intraspecies and intraserotype comparison of these plasmids by endonuclease cleavage demonstrated highly conserved sequences . The consequences of these data for evolution, epidemiology and diagnosis of Shigella and enteroinvasive E . coli are discussed. Infect Immun, 1983 May, 40(2), 675 - 83 Purification and characterization of a Shigella dysenteriae 1-like toxin produced by Escherichia coli; O'Brien AD et al.; A toxin from an enteropathogenic strain of Escherichia coli (E . coli H30) was purified to apparent homogeneity from cell lysates . The steps used to isolate the E . coli H30 toxin included French pressure-cell disruption of bacteria grown in iron-depleted media . Affi-Gel Blue chromatography, chromatofocusing, and anti-Shiga toxin affinity chromatography . The mobilities of the subunits of radioiodinated E . coli H30 toxin and Shiga toxin observed after the two toxins were subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were identical . In the absence of 2-mercaptoethanol, a narrow band was seen at Mr 31,500 (+/- 1,000), and a wide heavy band was observed between Mr 4,000 and 15,000 . In the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol, bands were seen at Mr 31,500 (+/- 1,000), 27,000, and 4,000 to 15,000 . Other similarities between purified E . coli H30 and Shiga 60R toxins included identical isoelectric points (7.03 +/- 0.02); comparable biological activities, i.e., cytotoxicity, lethality for mice, and enterotoxicity; and the same relative heat stabilities (up to 65 degrees C for 30 min) . Nevertheless, the two toxins had apparently different molecular weights as determined by sucrose gradient analysis, by gel filtration, and by cross-linking experiments with dimethyl suberimidate . The Mr of native E . coli H30 toxin estimated from cross-linking studies was 48,000, whereas the estimated Mr of Shiga 60R toxin was 58,000 . These results suggest that like the cholera-E . coli-heat-labile toxin family, a family of Shiga-like toxins exists. J Gen Microbiol, 1983 May, 129 (Pt 5), 1513 - 25 A cryptic plasmid from Shigella sonnei; Croft JE et al.; pNZ500 is a 1.5 kb cryptic plasmid from a Shigella sonnei isolate . It was introduced into Escherichia coli by cotransformation, where it is maintained at about 30 copies per chromosome equivalent . Hybridization studies show that pNZ500 exhibits a high level of sequence similarity to other 1.5 kb plasmids found in different S . sonnei isolates but shares no homology with larger S . sonnei plasmids . pNZ500 shares a small degree of sequence homology with pBR322 and with pAC184 . The homology with pBR322 is restricted to sequences close to the ori-bom region of this plasmid . Nevertheless, pNZ500 maintenance in E . coli is not dependent on DNA polymerase I activity, and does depend on continuing protein synthesis . pNZ500 encodes two polypeptide gene products whose monomer molecular weights are 24500 and 18000 . The examination of host cells for the expression of possible plasmid phenotypes revealed no differences between cells bearing pNZ500 and plasmidless cells. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Apr, (4), 42 - 5 {Effect of the development phase and growth rate of a Shigella sonnei population on the reproduction of homologous bacteriophage}; Voroshilova NN et al.; This study showed that the minimum latent period (20 minutes) of the intracellular multiplication of dysentery bacteriophage S-9 in the population of S . sonnei substrate strain under the conditions of static heterogeneous surface batch cultivation was observed at the end of the lag phase and at the growth acceleration phase, in the first and second thirds of the exponential curve, while the maximum latent period (35-40 minutes) was observed at the stationary phase . The maximum yield of phage S-9 from one infected bacterial cell (628.3 +/- 116.8) was registered during the first third of the phase of the exponential growth of the bacterial population and the minimum yield (18.66 +/- 6.6), at the beginning of the lag phase . The significant direct correlation between the specific growth rate of the bacterial population and the yield of the phage from one infected bacterial cell at the end of the lag phase, at the growth acceleration and deceleration phases, as well as the significant inverse correlation between the yield of the phage and the time of the generation of the bacterial population at the growth acceleration phase were established. J Infect Dis, 1983 Apr, 147(4), 771 - 5 Shigella infections in the United States, 1974-1980; Blaser MJ et al.; During the seven-year period 1974-1980, 93,516 Shigella isolates from humans were reported to the Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, through a nationwide surveillance system . Over the past 30 years, the reported incidence of shigellosis has been declining in contrast to that reported for salmonellosis . Shigella sonnei (group D) now accounts for approximately 70% of the Shigella isolates reported, since most of the decline has been due to the increasingly less frequent infections caused by Shigella flexneri (group B); Shigella dysenteriae infections are now uncommon . The highest reported rates of shigellosis are from the western states and among children from one to five years of age . Among the total population of the United States, the ratio of S . flexneri to S . sonnei isolates was 0.28 among persons from one to 19 years of age and 0.45 among persons greater than or equal to 20 years of age; among American Indians the proportion of S . flexneri was much greater, the corresponding ratios being 2.1 and 2.9, respectively; in both groups the ratios for children younger than one year of age resembled those obtaining for adults . Age-related acquisition of immunity to S . sonnei may explain these observations. Infect Immun, 1983 Apr, 40(1), 340 - 50 Characterization of virulence plasmids and plasmid-associated outer membrane proteins in Shigella flexneri, Shigella sonnei, and Escherichia coli; Hale TL et al.; The 140-megadalton plasmids of Shigella flexneri serotypes 1, 3, and 5, in addition to the 120-megadalton plasmid of Shigella sonnei, are associated with virulence . The present study showed that a 140-megadalton plasmid is also associated with virulence in Escherichia coli . When these plasmids were cleaved with EcoRI or BamHI restriction endonucleases, considerable homology was evident in plasmids from S . sonnei strains, whereas only a few common fragments were observed among the S . flexneri and enteroinvasive E . coli plasmids . Nitrocellulose filter hybridization demonstrated that, despite variations in restriction sites, all these plasmids shared a considerable complement of homologous sequences . Minicell-producing strains were obtained by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine mutagenesis . Transmission electron microscopy of infected HeLa cells showed that minicells from invasive strains retained the invasive phenotype . Sixteen polypeptides were labeled when S . flexneri 5 minicells were incubated with {35S}methionine . Fourteen of these plasmid-coded polypeptides were associated with the outer membrane in invasive strains of S . flexneri 5, and nine polypeptides of similar molecular weight were labeled in the outer membrane of invasive strains of S . flexneri 3, S . sonnei, and E . coli . Seven of the S . flexneri 5 polypeptides were not labeled in a noninvasive strain which had sustained a large deletion in the virulence-associated plasmid, and none were labeled in minicells which no longer harbored this plasmid. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Apr, (4), 67 - 72 {Causes of the nonspecific reactions with antigenic erythrocyte diagnostic reagents}; Dulatova MV et al.; The causes leading to the appearance of positive reactions in diagnostic titers (1:200 and higher), registered in the sera of healthy persons in tests carried out with the use of experimental and commercial lots of Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri antigenic diagnostic reagents, are analyzed . The study has shown that the appearance of nonspecific reactions may be due to the influence of the initial state of the microbial culture (the biomass used as raw material for the production of sensitin), the method of the isolation of the antigen and its sensitizing dose, the kind of the erythrocyte carrier, the method of erythrocyte fixation and the temperature conditions of the passive hemagglutination test . The ways for the elimination of positive seroconversions are outlined. J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Apr, 17(4), 681 - 4 Antigenic relationships between the enteroinvasive Escherichia coli O antigens O28ac, O112ac, O124, O136, O143, O144, O152, and O164 and Shigella O antigens; Cheasty T et al.; Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli strains have been found in the following O serogroups: O28ac, O112ac, O124, O136, O143, O144, O152, and O164 . The biochemical reactions of these enteroinvasive E . coli strains are often similar to those of Shigella strains, and identification may be difficult . The problem of differentiation and identification is further complicated by the sharing of antigenic components . The antigenic relationships between these O antigens and those of all the established and provisional Shigella serovars were examined . O antigen identity was demonstrated between E . coli O124 and Shigella dysenteriae 3 and between E . coli O152 and provisional Shigella serovar 3341:55 . Reciprocal relationships were found between E . coli O112ac and S . dysenteriae 2, S . boydii 1, S . boydii 15, between E . coli O136 and S . dysenteriae 3, and between E . coli O164 and S . dysenteriae 3 . A one-way relationship was demonstrated between E . coli O136 and S . boydii 1 . The remaining enteroinvasive E . coli O serogroups showed no significant antigenic relationships with any Shigella serovar. J Infect Dis, 1983 Apr, 147(4), 711 - 23 Genetic transfer of a mucosal adherence factor (R1) from an enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strain into a Shigella flexneri strain and the phenotypic suppression of this adherence factor; Cheney CP et al.; Escherichia coli strain RDEC-1 avidly adheres to rabbit ileal brush borders . Two separate experiments were designed to determine whether pili promote this adherence . (1) Adherence of strain RDEC-1 was phenotypically suppressed by changing the culture medium . Loss of adherence was correlated with the absence of pili . Thus, growth of strain RDEC-1 in Penassay broth (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.) promoted both adherence and expression of pili on greater than or equal to 90% of organisms, whereas growth in brain-heart infusion medium suppressed adherence and reduced the percentage of piliated organisms to less than or equal to 13% . (2) The adherence ability of strain RDEC-1 was genetically transferred to previously nonadherent and nonpiliated Shigella flexneri . The Shigella exconjugants that inherited the adherence ability were uniformly piliated, while all nonadherent Shigella exconjugants were nonpiliated . Finally, the pili on both RDEC-1 and the Shigella exconjugant strains were shown to be distinct from type 1 pili . Therefore, unique pili confer upon strain RDEC-1 the ability to adhere to rabbit intestinal brush borders. Carbohydr Res, 1983 Mar 16, 114(1), 123 - 35 Immunochemical studies on Shigella dysenteriae type 9 bacterial polysaccharide; Pal J et al.; On graded hydrolysis and Smith degradation, the O-somatic polysaccharide isolated from Shigella dysenteriae type 9 bacteria, strain NCTC 7919, yielded five oligosaccharides which were characterized . The positions of the O-acetyl and pyruvic acetal groups in the repeating unit were identified . Immunochemical studies indicated that D-galactose is the immunodominant sugar in the polysaccharide, and one of the oligomers, having the structure Gal-(1 leads to 3)-GlcNAc-(1 leads to 3)-Gal-(1 leads to 4)-Man, showed maximum inhibition of the homologous precipitation. Pediatr Infect Dis, 1983 Mar-Apr, 2(2), 127 - 30 Shigellosis in day care centers: use of plasmid analysis to assess control measures; Tacket CO et al.; Spread of shigellosis within day care centers is difficult to control, and illness may spread into the community . We investigated two sequential outbreaks of diarrhea caused by multiply resistant Shigella sonnei in children at day care centers in 2 neighboring counties in Florida . We used plasmid analysis to identify a single epidemic strain causing both outbreaks and to assess the control measures used . One of the control measures, keeping ill children from attending the center, did not prevent spread of illness in the community. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Mar, (3), 83 - 7 {Experimental study of the preventive properties of immune milk containing Shigella antibodies}; Vasser NR et al.; The protective properties of the mammary gland secretions of cows immunized with Shigella sonnei into the udder were studied . As a model for this study the intranasal and intraperitoneal infection of white mice was used . Immune milk was found to have pronounced protective properties against S . sonnei . When introduced intraperitoneally, this milk protected the animals infected with S . sonnei from death . When introduced intranasally, it not only protected the animals from death, but perceptibly inhibited the development of the pathological process in the pulmonary tissue, preventing the multiplication of shigellae and accelerating the elimination of the infective agents from the lungs of the infected animals . As a rule, the degree of protective action was determined by the level of antibodies to shigellae in the substrate under test. J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Mar, 17(3), 521 - 3 Enterotoxigenic and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli strains belonging to a new O group, O167; Gross RJ et al.; A new Escherichia coli O group, O167, is described . Its O antigen is related to that of Shigella boydii 3 . A total of 29 strains belonging to the new O group were examined . Three strains were determined to be invasive by the Sereny test and by tissue culture tests and were non-enterotoxigenic . All three were nonmotile and failed to decarboxylate lysine . A total of 26 strains were noninvasive . Of these, 25 were motile, 24 decarboxylated lysine, and 19 were enterotoxigenic, 17 producing heat-stable enterotoxin only and 2 producing heat-labile enterotoxin only . This is the first description of the occurrence of enterotoxigenic and enteroinvasive strains in the same E . coli O group. Infect Immun, 1983 Mar, 39(3), 1392 - 402 Alterations in the pathogenicity of Escherichia coli K-12 after transfer of plasmid and chromosomal genes from Shigella flexneri; Sansonetti PJ et al.; A 140-megadalton plasmid (pWR110), which has previously been associated with virulence in Shigella flexneri, was transferred to Escherichia coli K-12 . Segments of S . flexneri chromosomal material were then transferred to the plamid-bearing K-12 strains . The virulence of these transconjugant hybrids was assessed in the HeLa cell model, in ligated rabbit ileal loops, or in the Sereny test . A K-12 strain which harbored only pWR110 invaded HeLa cells, produced minimal lesions in the rabbit ileal mucosa, and was negative in the Sereny test . Plasmid-containing K-12 hybrids which had incorporated various shigella chromosomal regions gave differential reactions in the rabbit ileal loops and in the Sereny test . Analysis of these transconjugants indicated that three regions were linked with virulent phenotypes . These included the his region (when the genes responsible for O-antigen synthesis were cotransferred) and the kcp locus (linked to the lac-gal region) . Either of these chromosomal regions was sufficient to allow invasion of the rabbit ileal mucosa . In addition to both of these regions, another shigella chromosomal segment linked to the arg and mtl loci was necessary for fluid production in the rabbit ileal loop and for a positive Sereny reaction . Thus, derivatives of an E . coli K-12 strain, constructed by the stepwise conjugal transfer of a large plasmid and three chromosomal segments from S . flexneri, appeared to contain the necessary determinants for full pathogenicity in a variety of laboratory models. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1983 Mar, 80(6), 1751 - 5 Multilocus genetic structure in natural populations of Escherichia coli; Whittam TS et al.; A survey of allozyme variation at 12 enzyme loci in 1,705 clones of the genetic species Escherichia coli (including four species of Shigella) from natural populations revealed 302 unique allele combinations (electrophoretic types) . Single-locus diversity estimates fall within the range predicted by the neutral allele theory of molecular evolution, but the combination of alleles in electrophoretic types are highly nonrandom, as indicated by a test of association over all loci and by evidence of complex linkage disequilibria in several four-locus combinations . These linkage disequilibria reflect genetic differentiation of E . coli into three groups of strains . Because of restricted recombination, both the stochastic extinction of lines and selective differences between particular genetic combinations may have contributed to the evolution of subspecific structure in E . coli. Jpn J Med Sci Biol, 1983 Feb, 36(1), 27 - 37 Isolation and pathogenicity of provisional serovar 1621-54 of "Shigella" from imported cynomolgus monkeys; Takasaka M et al.; The provisional serovar 1621-54 of "Shigella" was isolated from 36 (13.2%) of 273 cynomolgus monkeys newly imported into Tsukuba Primate Center for Medical Science (TPC) from Indonesia during the period from 1980 through 1981 . The biochemical properties of the isolates were in good agreement with those of previously described provisional "Shigella" serovar 1621-54 . Clinically, 13 (36.1%) of 36 monkeys being positive for the organisms excreted diarrheal stools on arrival at TPC . In addition, the organisms were isolated also from three other monkeys contracting dysentery during the quarantine period at TPC . One of them died 2 days after the onset of dysentery . Histopathological findings of this case were essentially the same as those of Shigella-infected monkeys . Pathogenicity of the isolates was examined in three experimental infection models; (1) the infection model using cultured HeLa-S3 cells, (2) the keratoconjunctival infection model of the guinea pig, and (3) the intestinal infection model of the cynomolgus monkey . All the strains tested showed positive results in these experimental models, causing intracellular penetration and multiplication in HeLa-S3 cell cultures, keratoconjunctivitis in guinea pigs, and dysentery in cynomolgus monkeys . These results indicate that provisional "Shigella" serovar 1621-54 is a causative agent of dysentery in man as well as in monkeys. J Clin Pathol, 1983 Feb, 36(2), 121 - 6 Infections in British clinical laboratories 1980-81; Grist NR; This survey through the Association of Clinical Pathologists was continued and extended for 1980-81, with the help of the Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences . Hepatitis maintained a low attack rate of 26/100 000 person-years, including only three cases of hepatitis B probably attributable to laboratory work (attack rate 9) . Nineteen cases of tuberculosis (attack rate 56) included 14 of probable occupational origin (attack rate 41) half of which involved post-mortem or mortuary work . Thirteen bacterial infections of the bowel (attack rate 38, predominantly shigellosis) involved almost exclusively microbiology MLSOs, with 10 attributed to laboratory work (attack rate 29) . The seven other infections included 4 of occupational sepsis in morbid anatomy and post-mortem workers . There appears to be scope for improvement in bacteriological bench techniques particularly at the faeces bench and for reduction in the hazards of tuberculosis and sepsis for morbid anatomy and mortuary workers. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Feb, (2), 40 - 4 {Morphological characteristics of phagolysis of S- and R-forms of Shigella flexneri}; Voskun SE et al.; The differences in the character and time of the lysis of S . flexneri S- and R-mutant cells have been detected by the method of time-lapse microfilming . The asymmetry of the phagolysis of the S-form of shigellae infected with phage F1 has been revealed. J Med Microbiol, 1983 Feb, 16(1), 37 - 43 Role of heat labile antigens of Shigella flexneri in HeLa cell invasion; Bhogale SR et al.; In studies of the role of surface antigens of Shigella flexneri in HeLa cell invasion, three antisera were employed to block the invasion . Antisera against live (ALS) and boiled (ABS) S . flexneri blocked invasion very effectively . Reduction in the numbers of intracellular shigellae was always accompanied by reduction in the number adherent to the cells, indicating the importance of adhesion in the invasive process . Anti-live absorbed antiserum (ALAS) prepared by exhaustive absorption of ALS with boiled S . flexneri blocked adhesion and invasion at dilutions of 20 or 50; the efficiency of the absorption was indicated by absence of agglutinating and anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antibodies . S . flexneri LPS did not block adhesion and invasion even at a concentration of 1.0 mg/ml . Hence it was concluded that heat-labile surface antigens are important in adhesion and invasion of HeLa cells by S . flexneri . Antiserum against heat stable antigen (ABS) probably blocks adhesion by steric hindrance. J Hyg (Lond), 1983 Feb, 90(1), 27 - 32 Plasmid-determined antibiotic resistance in Shigella flexneri isolated in England and Wales between 1974 and 1978; Frost JA et al.; The majority of Shigella flexneri strains isolated in England and Wales are from infections contracted abroad . Most of these strains are drug-resistant, over 75% being resistant to streptomycin and sulphonamides, sulphonamides alone or streptomycin, sulphonamides and tetracyclines . A selection of resistant strains was tested for resistance transfer and the plasmids identified were characterized by compatibility grouping . Streptomycin and sulphonamide resistance was usually determined by a non-autotransferring plasmid which may be mobilized by standard transfer factors, or by the plasmid which conferred tetracycline resistance where this was present . The remaining resistant strains were predominantly resistant to four or more drugs . These strains carried autotransferring plasmids of a variety of compatibility groups, of which groups B, I1 and FII were the most common. Infect Immun, 1983 Feb, 39(2), 505 - 13 HeLa cell invasiveness and O antigen of Shigella flexneri as separate and prerequisite attributes of virulence to evoke keratoconjunctivitis in guinea pigs; Okamura N et al.; Many rough mutants selected from isogenic smooth virulent and avirulent strains of Shigella flexneri were examined for virulence, using tissue culture infection and Sereny tests . Many of the rough mutants isolated from a virulent smooth strain were capable of penetrating tissue culture cells but incapable of producing a positive Sereny test . In contrast, we could not obtain from smooth avirulent strains any rough mutants capable of penetrating HeLa cells . Chemical analysis of lipopolysaccharide of some representative rough strains showed several patterns of sugar composition with a range of from Ra to Re chemotypes . There was no correlation between HeLa cell invasiveness and chemotypes of lipopolysaccharides, thus indicating little significance of oligosaccharides of the rough core as well as O antigens in the ability of S . flexneri to penetrate HeLa cells . When these invasive rough strains were given O antigen genes from a smooth avirulent Shigella Hfr strain, most of the transconjugants that expressed O antigens regained the ability to evoke keratoconjunctivitis in guinea pigs . We also examined the chromosomal loci of HeLa cell invasion by transferring carbohydrate fermentation genes of Escherichia coli K-12 Hfr and found two chromosomal loci, the rha and lac-gal regions, which control the ability to penetrate HeLa cells . These results suggested that O antigens and ability to penetrate tissue culture cells are independent and prerequisite attributes of virulence in Shigella flexneri to evoke keratoconjunctivitis in guinea pigs. J Biol Chem, 1983 Jan 10, 258(1), 643 - 8 Injection of DNA into liposomes by bacteriophage lambda; Roessner CA et al.; Small unilamellar vesicles (75-100 nm diameter) and large liposomes (greater than 1 micron in diameter) were prepared containing the lamB protein, an outer membrane protein of Escherichia coli and Shigella which serves as the receptor for bacteriophage lambda . Bacteriophage were observed to bind to these liposomes and vesicles by their tails and in most cases the heads of the bound bacteriophage appeared empty or partially empty of DNA . The lambda DNA was usually only partially ejected from the bacteriophage head when small unilamellar liposomes were used, presumably because the vesicles are too small to contain all the DNA . The partially ejected DNA was not susceptible to DNase unless the vesicle bilayer was first disrupted suggesting that DNA injection of phage DNA into the vesicle had occurred . After disruption of these vesicles on electron microscope grids, the bacteriophage are seen to have partially empty heads and a small mass of DNA associated with their tails . Using larger liposomes prepared by the fusion of lamB bearing vesicles with polyethylene glycol and n-hexyl bromide, the heads of most of the bound bacteriophage appeared to be completely empty of DNA . Disruption of these preparations on electron microscope grids revealed circular arrays of empty-headed bacteriophage surrounding DNA which had apparently been contained within the intact liposomes . These results indicate that high molecular weight DNA can be entrapped within liposomes with high efficiency by ejection from bacteriophage lambda . The possible use of these DNA-containing liposomes to facilitate gene transfer in eukaryotic cells is discussed. Microbiol Immunol, 1983, 27(6), 479 - 84 Conjugal transferability of multiple resistance in Shigella strains; Tanaka T et al.; Shigella strains isolated in Japan between 1971 and 1979 were surveyed for drug resistance and distribution of R plasmids . Of 2,510 strains, 89.3% were resistant to either one or various combinations of four drugs, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, and sulfanilamide . About 66% of the Shigella isolates were quadruply resistant . The frequency of isolation of R plasmids from quadruply resistant Shigella strains was the highest when compared with other strains resistant to various combinations of the four drugs . The conjugal transferability of 204 quadruply resistant strains isolated between 1977 and 1979 was tested by various mixed-culture methods . Among the total strains examined, 70.6% carried transferable resistance when tested by the conventional broth culture method, 90.2% transferred their resistance when, in addition the replica-plating method was used and 97.5% could transfer their resistance when the membrane filter method was also used . Although the remaining five strains could not transfer their resistance by any of the mixed culture methods, the drug resistance of four of the five strains was mobilized by the concomitant presence of F-tet or T-kan plasmid . These results indicate that almost all of the quadruple resistance in Shigella isolates was mediated by plasmid. G Batteriol Virol Immunol, 1983 Jan-Jun, 76(1-6), 43 - 7 {Action of various bacterial endotoxins on pleurisy and pulmonary edema induced by thiourea}; Altavilla D et al.; Administration of E . coli LPS prior to 3.5 mg/Kg dose of thiourea has been reported to protect rats against pulmonary edema and pleural effusion . However, LPS of Shigella sonnei (either in phase I or II) did not show any protective effect . These data might suggest a different mechanism of endotoxins on membranes. Chromosoma, 1983, 88(4), 307 - 14 Properties of DNA rosettes and their relevance to chromosome structure; Leon P et al.; We have studied the spreading conditions that lead to the formation of rosettes in DNA and chromatin preparations from the amphibians Bufo marinus and Bolitoglossa subpalmata and the bacterium Shigella . Both nuclear preparations and extensively deproteinized DNA produced rosettes . The longest fibers and the most symmetric rosettes were observed in amphibian nuclear spreadings . In this procedure purified nuclei were submitted immediately to Kleinschmidt spreading over various types of hypophase . Distilled-water hypophases were most conducive for rosette production or stability . Rosettes were observed with cytochrome C as the basic protein, but not with ribonuclease A and bovine serum albumin . We cannot prove that all rosettes are artifacts of the spreading procedure, but we believe that at least some result from the expansion of compact DNA doughnuts and other structures that are apparently formed in the presence of basic proteins in salt concentrations over 40 mM (Olins and Olins 1971; Manning 1979) . The dilute hypophase requirements is explainable by the assumption that dilution and spreading effects unfold a compact precursor . Occasionally we have detected structures that appear to be intermediates in the process of doughnut unfolding and that illustrate a procedure that may give rise to rosettes. Bull World Health Organ, 1983, 61(4), 641 - 52 Interventions for the control of diarrhoeal diseases among young children: measles immunization; Feachem RG et al.; PIP: The effects of measles immunization on diarrhea morbidity and mortality are reviewed using data from field studies and theoretical calculations . 2 types of measles-associated diarrhea are distinguished: with-measles diarrhea, which starts between 1 week prerash-onset and 4 weeks postrash-onset, and postmeasles diarrhea, which starts 4-26 weeks postrash-onset . The etiology of these measles-associated diarrheas is unknown, but some evidence points towards a frequently severe and dysenteric form of disease, with Shigella playing a major role . Theoretical calculations indicate that measles immunization, at the age of 9-11 months, with coverage of between 45-90% can avert 44-64% of measles cases, 0.6-3.8% of diarrhea episodes, and 6-26% of diarrhea deaths among children under age 5 . The cost of measles immunization is in the range of US$2-15 (1982 prices)/child vaccinated . The impact of measles immunization on diarrhea mortality may be partly additional to the impact of oral rehydration because it averts deaths that are not prevented by oral rehydration . Community research is urgently needed to confirm or reject these theoretical suppositions, to clarify the etiology of measles-associated diarrhea, and to determine the cost-effectiveness of measles immunizations as an intervention to reduce diarrhea mortality . author's modified Acta Microbiol Hung, 1983, 30(2), 147 - 53 Studies of enterotoxin of Shigella dysenteriae type 1 . I . Effect of aeration on the production of enterotoxin and suitability of laboratory animals for its biological assay; Asnani PJ et al.; Shigella dysenteriae type 1 was used to study the influence of aeration on enterotoxin production and the suitability of laboratory animals for the toxin assay . The enterotoxin produced under aerobic shake culture conditions gave a gut dilatory response of 1.436 but that obtained in aerobic and anaerobic stationary cultures exerted no activity . The toxin fractionated on Sephadex G-150 column was more effective than that obtained by ammonium sulphate precipitation . Only Sephadex column fraction II had a toxic activity . Among the three laboratory animal models tested, the rabbit ileal loop was suitable for the assay of toxin . The skin permeability test was unsatisfactory for enterotoxicity assay. Acta Microbiol Hung, 1983, 30(2), 113 - 7 Change in phage-sensitivity of Shigella flexneri strains . I . Changes in virulence and phage-sensitivity; Kerekes L et al.; In the course of repeated passaging of virulent Shigella flexneri cultures in liquid media, avirulent variants and variants of reduced virulence appeared . They were easily recognizable by their colonial morphology . The avirulent variants became sensitive to certain phages not lysing the original virulent strains . The change of phage-sensitivity among the variants with no or decreased virulence was significant: chi 2 = 64.25; P less than 0.001 . The amplification of phage-sensitivity developed in 15% of the originally avirulent cultures . No association was found between the loss of virulence and a specific phage-sensitivity pattern . In the majority of the cases sensitivity to phage Ms2 developed during the passages, but it was observed in some of the original strains, too . With few exceptions, sensitivity to phage Ms2 was associated with the total or partial degradation of the specific antigen and the antigenic structure detectable by S . flexneri factor sera . These exceptions were cultures with maintained or decreased virulence. Scand J Gastroenterol Suppl, 1983, 84, 99 - 105 Antimicrobial therapy of travellers' diarrhoea; Dupont HL et al.; Two trials were carried out to evaluate antimicrobial agents in the therapy of travellers' diarrhoea . In the first, 72 students were given 500 mg bicozamycin (BI), a poorly absorbable drug, q.i.d . for three days and 68 were given a placebo . In the second, 37 students were given trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole (160 mg TMP-SMX 800 mg), 38 TMP (200 mg), and in 35 a placebo was given b.i.d . for five days . Diarrhoea lasted on average 28 hours in those receiving BI compared to 64 hours in the placebo group (p = 0.00009) . Significant shortening of diarrhoea after taking BI was seen for all subjects with illness, as well as those with ETEC diarrhoea, shigellosis and for those with unknown causes of illness . A significant clinical response was also noted in all categories of diarrhoea for both TMP-SMX and TMP when compared to placebo group. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1983 Jan, (1), 110 - 4 {Specificity of the antibody neutralization reaction in indicating Shigella antigens}; Nurkina NM et al.; The specificity and sensitivity of the antibody neutralization test in the diagnosis of dysentery have been studied . This test has proved to be highly specific in experimental and clinical trials . The antibody neutralization test is more effective than the methods of the isolation of shigellae . The accuracy of this test can be increased by the elimination of different antierythrocyte agents from the secretions of persons under examination. Pediatr Infect Dis, 1983 Jan-Feb, 2(1), 21 - 6 Shigellosis with bacteremia: a report of two cases and a review of the literature; Martin T et al.; It is widely believed by both physicians and microbiologists that bacteremia is a rare event in shigellosis . We report two cases of shigellosis with positive blood cultures and review 68 cases reported in the literature between 1963 and 1981 . We suggest that detection of bacteremia in shigellosis may be facilitated by a greater awareness of the following findings . 1 . Eighty-seven percent of all cases of shigellosis with bacteremia reported in the literature during the 18-year period reviewed occurred in pediatric patients under 16 years of age . The majority of detected shigellemia cases were in children under 5 years of age . 2 . Bacteremia is frequently intermittent and its detection is aided by collection of serial blood cultures with an adequate volume of blood . 3 . Positive blood cultures were obtained most frequently on Days 1 to 2 and on Days 5 to 7 following onset of symptoms . 4 . The case fatality rate of reported shigellemia cases was 46% . Although some of these findings may reflect a patient selection bias of cases reported in the literature, we believe that a greater awareness among clinicians and microbiologists of the potential value of blood cultures in the diagnosis and management of shigellosis will eventually lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of this infectious disease. Arch Dis Child, 1983 Jan, 58(1), 70 - 1 Fulminating encephalopathy associated with Shigella flexneri infection; Sandyk R et al.; Three cases of rapidly fatal encephalopathy associated with Shigella flexneri infection are reported . There was a lack of severe intestinal involvement and absence of metabolic derangement . In all 3 patients, areas of necrosis were present throughout the brains; and in one case pontine haemorrhages and demyelination were seen . This report supports the evidence of a particular neurotoxic effect in shigellosis. J Immunol Methods, 1983, 56(1), 75 - 83 Use of UV-irradiated bacteriophage T6 to kill extracellular bacteria in tissue culture infectivity assays; Shaw DR et al.; We have utilized 'lysis from without' mediated by UV-inactivated bacteriophage T6 to eliminate extracellular bacteria in experiments measuring the internalization, intracellular survival and replication of Yersinia pestis within mouse peritoneal macrophages and of Shigella flexneri within a human intestinal epithelial cell line . The technique we describe has the following characteristics: (a) bacterial killing is complete within 15 min at 37 degrees C, with a greater than 10(3)-fold reduction in colony-forming units (CFU); (b) bacteria within cultured mammalian cells are protected from killing by UV-inactivated T6; (c) the mammalian cells are not observably affected by exposure to UV-inactivated T6 . This technique has several advantages over the use of antibiotics to eliminate extracellular bacteria and is potentially widely applicable in studies of the interactions between pathogenic bacteria and host phagocytic cells as well as other target tissues. J Immunol, 1983 Jan, 130(1), 380 - 4 Animal toxicity of Shigella dysenteriae cytotoxin: evidence that the neurotoxic, enterotoxic, and cytotoxic activities are due to one toxin; Eiklid K et al.; The lethal effect to rabbits and mice of Shigella dysenteriae toxin and the ability of the toxin to induce fluid accumulation in rabbit ileal loops were studied in relation to the cytotoxic activity . The relative concentrations of the three activities were approximately the same in a crude toxin preparation and in purified, electrophoretically homogenous toxin . The cytotoxic and lethal activities eluted identically from a high pressure liquid chromatography column and migrated at the same rate in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under nondenaturing conditions . The cytotoxic, lethal, and enterotoxic activities were inactivated to essentially the same extent upon incubation for few minutes at 80 degrees C and upon treatment with urea . Graded precipitation of Shigella toxin with different amounts of an antiserum to Shigella toxin in each case removed essentially the same fraction of the cytotoxic, the lethal, and the enterotoxic activity . The data indicate that one molecular entity is responsible for the three biologic effects of Shigella toxin studied . After i.v . injection, the LD50 dose was estimated to be 2.2 ng/kg in rabbits and 450 ng/kg in mice. Infect Immun, 1983 Jan, 39(1), 270 - 4 Shigella dysenteriae 1 cytotoxin: periplasmic protein releasable by polymyxin B and osmotic shock; Donohue-Rolfe A et al.; Treatment of Shigella dysenteriae 1 either with the antibiotic polymyxin B or by osmotic shock resulted in the release of 80 to 90% of the cytotoxin activity of the organism . Under the conditions employed, the release of toxin activity was accompanied by the appearance of a periplasmic enzyme, 5'-nucleotidase . There was no significant release of cytoplasmic contents, assessed by measurement of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity . The release of cytotoxin and 5'-nucleotidase by polymyxin B were both dependent on the duration of incubation with, and the concentration of, the antibiotic . In terms of specific activity (cytotoxin activity per milligram of protein), the polymyxin B and osmotic shock extracts were 20- to 30-fold more active than crude toxin preparation derived from a whole-cell lysate . The data strongly support a periplasmic location for Shiga cytotoxin and the utility of the polymyxin B extraction to obtain starting material for toxin purification. Bioorg Khim, 1983 Jan, 9(1), 60 - 73 {Bacterial antigenic polysaccharides . 12 . Structure and 13C NMR spectrum of the polysaccharide chain of Shigella boydii type 8 lipopolysaccharide}; L'vov VL et al.; A specific acidic polysaccharide was isolated from Sh . boydii type 8 antigenic lipopolysaccharide after mild hydrolysis followed by chromatography on Sephadex G-50 . The polysaccharide consists of D-glucuronic acid, D-galacturonic acid, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose and 2-amino-1,3-propanediol residues in 1:1:1:1:1 ratio . From the results of methylation analysis, partial acid hydrolysis and Smith degradation, the structure of the repeating unit of the specific polysaccharide was deduced as: (Formula: see text) . The 13C NMR spectra of native, O-deacetylated and carboxyl-reduced polysaccharides, as well as the spectrum of oligosaccharide produced by Smith degradation were interpreted . The 13C NMR data fully confirmed the structure of the polysaccharide repeating unit. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz), 1983, 31(5), 701 - 5 Anti-infectious properties of the complex of bivalent copper with 3-mercapto-2-hydroxypropyl ether of dextran (C-79); Wieczorek Z et al.; The anti-infectious activity of the C-79 preparation was examined on mice intravenously infected with Shigella sonnei dysentery of phase I . The activity of the preparation was determined taking into account the number of bacteria cultured from the organs of the examined animals and the number of animals surviving the infection as compared with the control . C-79 preparation administered to the mice before the infection was observed to protect then from death almost in 100% . The activity of the preparation differed according to the strategy of administration. Acta Microbiol Hung, 1983, 30(2), 119 - 23 Changes in phage-sensitivity of Shigella flexneri strains . II . The F-like character of Ms2-sensitive variants; Kerekes L et al.; Variants sensitive to male specific phage Ms2 appeared among Ms2 non-sensitive Shigella flexneri cultures in the course of liquid medium passages . Sensitivity to Ms2 was lost on acridine orange treatment and was transferable into Ms2 non-sensitive variants . The Ms2 sensitive variants had fimbrial antigen . Electron microscopy showed that Ms2 phages were adsorbed on the F-like fimbriae of these variants . It was assumed that F-like plasmids determining F-like fimbrial antigen were carried by these variants. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1982 Dec, (12), 69 - 72 {Effectiveness of erythrocytic diagnostic reagents in indicating Shigellae}; Suslova MIu et al.; The possibility of the preparation of dysentery antibody diagnostic reagents on the basis of adsorbed sera is shown . Such diagnostic reagents permit to determine 200000-600000 microbial bodies or 0.0008-0.0016 microgram of the antigen per ml . The use of antigenic erythrocytic diagnostic reagents for the indication of shigellae is expedient in the second variant of the passive hemagglutination inhibition test in the following modification: immune sera should be diluted not 2-fold, but only 1.5-fold; the material to be tested for the presence of shigellae should be added to these dilutions in a double volume. Environ Health Perspect, 1982 Dec, 46, 7 - 12 Waterborne outbreak control: which disinfectant? Akin EW, Hoff JC, Lippy EC. Drinking water disinfection was shown to be an important public health measure around the turn of the century . In the United States, it was perhaps the single most important factor in controlling typhoid fever, a waterborne disease that was rampant throughout the world during the last century . It may also be assumed that disinfection was important in limiting the number of cases of other diseases known to be capable of waterborne transmission, i.e., cholera, amebiasis, shigellosis, salmonellosis, and hepatitis A . Even though modern treatment has eliminated water as a major vehicle of infectious disease transmission, outbreaks still occur . In fact, the annual number has been increasing since 1966 . Interruption in chlorination or failure to achieve adequate levels of chlorine residual is the most often identified deficiency of the involved water supplies . This finding indicates that waterborne microbial pathogens remain as a potential health threat and underscores the importance of disinfection . From the outset, chlorination has been the drinking water disinfectant of choice in the country . Numerous studies have demonstrated its ability to inactivate bacterial, viral, and protozoal pathogens when applied under proper conditions . However, the finding that chlorinated organics that are potentially carcinogenic are formed has prompted an evaluation of alternative disinfectants . The viable alternatives to chlorine currently under consideration for widespread use are ozone, chlorine dioxide, and chloramines . In terms of biocidal efficiency, ozone is the most potent of the three . Chlorine dioxide is about the equivalent of free chlorine in the hypochlorous acid form but much more efficient than the hypochlorite form of free chlorine . The chloramines are weaker biocides than hypochlorite . Although this general order of ranking of efficiency holds for diverse types of microorganisms, quantitative comparisons vary with different microorganisms and experimental conditions. J Clin Microbiol, 1982 Dec, 16(6), 1000 - 2 New provisional serovar of Shigella boydii; Gross RJ et al.; Ten bacterial strains are described that give biochemical reactions characteristic of the genus Shigella but do not belong to any of the established or provisional serovars . The strains ferment mannitol and are antigenically indistinguishable . They do not possess any of the group antigens of Shigella flexneri, and it is therefore proposed that they be regarded as members of a new provisional serovar of Shigella boydii . Strain E16553 is designated as the test strain for the new serovar. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1982 Dec, (12), 65 - 9 {Use of coagglutination for serotyping Shigella dysenteriae and Shigella boydii}; Khazenson SL et al.; The coagglutination test was used to identify Shigella boydii and Shigella dysenteriae . A trial was carried out with 13 native rabbit antisera to S . boydii and 10 antisera to S . dysenteriae, as well as with coagglutinating reagents prepared from these antisera . The use of coagglutinating reagents was shown to ensure the complete specificity of the results, to prevent the adsorption of diagnostic antisera and to decrease their consumption 50 times . The importance of the coagglutination test for the identification of shigellae is discussed. J Infect Dis, 1982 Dec, 146(6), 763 - 9 Production of Shigella dysenteriae type 1-like cytotoxin by Escherichia coli; O'Brien AD et al.; Strains of Escherichia coli previously implicated or proven to be causes of diarrhea were examined for production of a toxin similar to that of Shigella dysenteriae type 1 (Shiga) . Organisms grown in an iron-depleted broth were lysed by pressure disruption followed by ultracentrifugation . Saline-dialyzed extracts were tested for cytotoxic effects on HeLa cells that were neutralizable with antiserum to Shiga toxin . Among the 13 E . coli strains so analyzed, 11 made a Shiga-like cytotoxin in levels ranging from trace (two avirulent isolates) to amounts equivalent to S . dysenteriae type 1 (two noninvasive strains that did not make E . coli heat-labile or -stable enterotoxins but were isolated from infants with diarrhea) . As with extracts of Shiga toxin, lysates of these E . coli strains that produced high levels of Shiga-like toxin were enterotoxic for rabbits, paralytic and lethal for mice, and inhibited protein synthesis in HeLa cells . Thus, these data suggest that Shiga-like toxin may be another heretofore undiscovered factor in the pathogenesis of diarrhea caused by some E . coli strains. Carbohydr Res, 1982 Nov 16, 110(1), 69 - 75 Structural studies on a carbohydrate chain isolated from the lipopolysaccharide of Shigella boydii type 8; Siraj-ul-Islam S et al.; The lipopolysaccharide isolated from the cells of Shigella boydii type 8 bacteria gave precipitin bands against homologous antisera on Ouchterlony plates, whereas the carbohydrate-containing fractions obtained from it did not . One of the fractions was obtained in major proportion and contained 23.5% of sugars . A structure was assigned to the carbohydrate chain in this material by using the results of methylation, periodate oxidation, and deamination studies. Clin Pediatr (Phila), 1982 Nov, 21(11), 645 - 8 Incidence of convulsions and encephalopathy in childhood Shigella infections . Survey of 117 hospitalized patients; Avital A et al.; Of 117 children ill enough to be hospitalized with Shigella gastroenteritis, 53 per cent had neurologic symptoms, the majority during the onset of high fever: 11 per cent had convulsions alone, 22 per cent had encephalopathy alone, and 20 per cent had convulsions and encephalopathy . The neurologic manifestations preceded the gastrointestinal symptoms in one fourth of the patients . Shigella sonnei was the predominant organism found in this study, especially in patients with neurologic symptoms. Res Commun Chem Pathol Pharmacol, 1982 Nov, 38(2), 221 - 33 Cardiovascular effects of Shigella sonnei endotoxin in the rat; Foca A et al.; Shigella sonnei lipopolysaccharide (LPS), either in phase I (extracted from the smooth strains), or in phase II (extracted from the rough strains) reduced mean arterial pressure and heart rate following a 640 micrograms/Kg intravenous (iv) bolus injection in the urethane-anesthetized rat . Lower doses were without significant effects . Escherichia coli LPS (640 micrograms/Kg iv) produced a greater and more prolonged hypotension, however the negative chronotropic effect was less severe . The iv injection of the lipid A moiety of the LPS molecule of Shigella sonnei resulted in a more pronounced hypotensive effect than that obtained with the parent LPS, thus showing that lipid A is the vasodilatating fraction of the molecule . When lipid A was injected in rats pretreated with aspirin or with naloxone, the hypotensive effect was significantly reduced and the decrease in heart rate was reverted in tachycardia . In atropine-pretreated, surgically bivagotomized rats, iv injection of lipid A was followed by a long-lasting pressor effect . The date indicate that Shigella sonnei endotoxin has cardiovascular effects, mainly due to its lipid A moiety of the molecule . The hypotensive effect involves a wide range of mechanisms. Arch Ophthalmol . 1982 Oct;100(10):1618=21. Conjunctival immunopathologic and ultrastructural alterations . Occurrence in Reiter's syndrome; Purcell JJ Jr et al.; Immunoprotein deposition has been demonstrated in the synovium of patients with Reiter's syndrome . Because of this fact and the controversy regarding the nature and cause of the conjunctivitis in Reiter's syndrome, conjunctival biopsy specimens were taken from eight patients with classic Reiter's syndrome . These specimens were examined histopathologically, immunopathologically, and ultrastructurally . Our findings indicated that perivasculitis and vasculitis were present, preponderantly with elements of the cell mediated immune system . Genetically susceptible persons (namely, those with positive HLA-B27 antigen) exposed to an agent (Shigella or Chlamydia) may trigger an immune response in which vasculitis and perivasculitis plays a predominant role. N Engl J Med, 1982 Sep 30, 307(14), 841 - 4 Treatment of travelers' diarrhea with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and with trimethoprim alone; DuPont HL et al.; We conducted a double-blind treatment study of 110 adults from the United States who were attending summer classes in Guadalajara, Mexico, and had diarrhea (four or more unformed stools in 24 hours, or three or more unformed stools per eight-hour period plus one or more additional clinical indicators of enteric infection) . Thirty-seven patients received trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) (160 mg of TMP and 800 mg of SMX), 38 were given TMP alone (200 mg), and 35 took a placebo twice daily for five days . By the end of the first 24 hours of treatment, patients taking either TMP/SMX or TMP alone passed fewer unformed stools than did patients given placebo (P = 0.0002 and P = 0.01, respectively) . Abdominal pain and nausea were reduced in both treatment groups . The beneficial effect was seen in treatment of Escherichia coli-induced diarrhea, shigellosis, and diarrhea not associated with an enteropathogen . Five per cent of patients given TMP/SMX, 8 per cent of those given TMP, and 49 per cent of those given placebo were considered treatment failures (P less than 0.001 for both active drugs as compared with placebo) . Early treatment with TMP/SMX or TMP is an alternative to prophylactic use of drugs for travelers' diarrhea. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1982 Sep, 252(4), 525 - 34 Toxic factors of Aeromonas hydrophila and Plesiomonas shigelloides; Hostacka A et al.; In detail, exoproducts of Aeromonas hydrophila and Plesiomonas shigelloides were studied on the pathogenesis of diarrhoea . Enterotoxin, hemolysin and a cytotoxic factor were found in a fraction of culture filtrates of Aeromonas hydrophila with a molecular weight of approximatley 60,000 . Apart there from a cytotoxic factor was also found in a fraction with molecular weight above 100,000 . This fraction contained also endotoxin which was hemolytic, too . Enterotoxic activity was expressed by an accumulation of fluid in the ligated ileal loop and by increased vascular permeability in the skin of rabbit . Activation of adenylate cyclase was not found . Cytotoxic activity was represented by hemorrhagic reaction in the skin of rabbit, in some cases by sanguinous and mucous fluid in the ligated ileal loop and by significant morphological alterations on Vero cells leading to the death of cells . Culture filtrates of Plesiomonas shigelloides show only very low activity in biological experiments . Separation and purification steps led to a more concentrated and active material. Am J Trop Med Hyg, 1982 Sep, 31(5), 1015 - 20 Patterns of Shigella infection in families in rural Bangladesh; Boyce JM et al.; To assess the mode of transmission of Shigella infection in rural Bangladesh, questionnaire and culture surveys were conducted in baris (neighborhoods) where persons with diarrhea associated with Shigella infection and index controls with non-Shigella diarrhea lived . Nineteen percent of persons in Shigella baris and 7% of persons in control baris were infected during the survey periods (P less than 0.001) . The prevalence of Shigella infection was highest for children 1-9 years of age and for females than 39 years and was not related to socioeconomic status, family size or household crowding . Use of surface water for drinking was not a risk factor for Shigella infection; in fact, use of river water was more frequent in control baris . Both household and bari contacts of Shigella index cases frequently excreted different serotypes from that excreted by the person with the index case . In Shigella baris, families with infection were significantly more likely than uninfected families to have a history of an overnight stay away from home by a family member during the previous week . These observations suggest there were multiple introductions of Shigella into some families and that the epidemiology of Shigella infection for families in rural Bangladesh differs from that observed for families living in more industrialized countries. Vet Pathol Suppl, 1982 Sep, 7, 163 - 70 Clinicopathological studies of gastrointestinal disease in macaques; Holmberg CA et al.; Evaluation of mortality during a two-year period at a primate colony indicated that 34% of nonexperimental deaths in macaques one year of age and older were due to gastrointestinal disease . Of deaths related to gastrointestinal disease, 12% had acute gastric dilatation, 18% had shigellosis, 12% had nontuberculous mycobacterial disease, and 58% were of undetermined cause . Histologic evaluation of the alimentary tract indicated that the large intestine was the most common site of anatomical change in monkeys that had diarrhea at the time of death . Monkeys that had a single terminal episode of diarrhea had less gastric inflammatory lesions than those that had multiple episodes of diarrhea in the last year of life. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1982 Sep, 252(4), 507 - 13 Outbreak of enterocolitis caused by an enteroinvasive E . coli (serotype O 164, synonym serotype 147); Neubauer M et al.; An outbreak of severe dysentery-like disease developed in a pensioners' home in autumn 1979, with 30 out of 75 exposed persons becoming involved . The agent was E . coli O 164 (serotype 147) resembling Shigella in some of its properties . Positive cultivations were obtained from 18 patients out of a total of 54 subjects examined . The isolates produced keratoconjunctivitis in guinea-pigs . An unusual feature marking the onset of the illness in about half of the patients was a transient paresis of the lower extremities . The outbreak was suppressed with peroral neomycin . This was the second instance of E . coli O 164 isolation in Czechoslovakia and the first record of its ability to cause an epidemic process. Vet Pathol Suppl, 1982 Sep, 7, 1 - 8 Early colonic lesions in experimental Shigella infection in rhesus monkeys: revisited; Takeuchi A; Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), given 3 X 10(8) to 5 X 10(10) Shigella flexneri 2a orally, developed signs of acute shigellosis within 24 hours . A diffuse acute colitis was well established at 48 hours . The inflammatory reaction was confined to the mucosa . The submucosa showed only edema . The shigellae were found predominantly in the columnar cells of the surface epithelium, less frequently in those of the crypt, and least frequently in the lamina propria . Shigella bacilli invaded the columnar cells from the intestinal lumen . The bacilli multiplied within epithelial cells and spread laterally to adjacent epithelial cells and penetrated the lamina propria . The bacterial invasion affected epithelial cells unevenly and resulted in the disappearance of goblet cells and pyknotic shrinkage of the surface epithelial cells . Epithelial cells had abnormal and accelerated exfoliation which resulted in multifocal epithelial defects . There was a distinct correlation between the quantity of bacilli present in tissues and the intensity of the inflammatory response . The small intestines were spared. J Clin Microbiol, 1982 Sep, 16(3), 432 - 6 Confirmation of aerogenic strains of Shigella boydii 13 and further study of Shigella serotypes by DNA relatedness; Brenner DJ et al.; Shigella boydii 13 strains are separable from other Shigella and Escherichia coli strains on the basis of DNA relatedness . From this observation, it was possible to confirm the existence of aerogenic S . boydii 13 strains . DNA relatedness studies also showed that strains of E . coli and strains representing all other serotypes of Shigella, including provisional strains, belong to the same genetic species. Vet Pathol Suppl, 1982 Sep, 19 Suppl 7, 163 - 70 Clinicopathological studies of gastrointestinal disease in macaques; Holmberg CA et al.; Evaluation of mortality during a two-year period at a primate colony indicated that 34% of nonexperimental deaths in macaques one year of age and older were due to gastrointestinal disease . Of deaths related to gastrointestinal disease, 12% had acute gastric dilatation, 18% had shigellosis, 12% had nontuberculous mycobacterial disease, and 58% were of undetermined cause . Histologic evaluation of the alimentary tract indicated that the large intestine was the most common site of anatomical change in monkeys that had diarrhea at the time of death . Monkeys that had a single terminal episode of diarrhea had less gastric inflammatory lesions than those that had multiple episodes of diarrhea in the last year of life. Vet Pathol Suppl, 1982 Sep, 19 Suppl 7, 1 - 8 Early colonic lesions in experimental Shigella infection in rhesus monkeys: revisited; Takeuchi A; Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), given 3 x 10(8) to 5 x 10(10) Shigella flexneri 2a orally, developed signs of acute shigellosis within 24 hours . A diffuse acute colitis was well established at 48 hours . The inflammatory reaction was confined to the mucosa . The submucosa showed only edema . The shigellae were found predominantly in the columnar cells of the surface epithelium, less frequently in those of the crypt, and least frequently in the lamina propria . Shigella bacilli invaded the columnar cells from the intestinal lumen . The bacilli multiplied within epithelial cells and spread laterally to adjacent epithelial cells and penetrated the lamina propria . The bacterial invasion affected epithelial cells unevenly and resulted in the disappearance of goblet cells and pyknotic shrinkage of the surface epithelial cells . Epithelial cells had abnormal and accelerated exfoliation which resulted in multifocal epithelial defects . There was a distinct correlation between the quantity of bacilli present in tissues and the intensity of the inflammatory response . The small intestines were spared. J Infect Dis, 1982 Aug, 146(2), 177 - 83 Epidemiologic and clinical features of patients infected with Shigella who attended a diarrheal disease hospital in Bangladesh; Stoll BJ et al.; The epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of 412 patients infected with Shigella from a systematic sample of approximately 100,000 patients attending Dacca Hospital, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, between December 1, 1979, and November 30, 1980, were reviewed . Shigella was isolated from 11.6% of the 3,550 patients in the sample and was the second most common isolate in patients over two years old . Two clinical presentations of shigellosis were found: (I) watery diarrhea occurring in younger children and associated with a shorter duration of illness and with more vomiting and dehydration and (2) dysentery with stool blood and abdominal pain . These different presentations may reflect two mechanisms in the pathogenesis of shigellosis or different stages of the disease . The most useful signs and symptoms for the diagnosis of shigellosis were stool with blood and abdominal pain in all patients and the absence of watery diarrhea and vomiting in patients over one year old . Simple visual inspection of stool for blood correctly identified 44% of all patients infected with Shigella. Infect Immun, 1982 Jun, 36(3), 966 - 1005 Purification and biological characterization of shiga toxin from Shigella dysenteriae 1; Brown JE et al.; Shiga toxin has been purified in milligram quantities to near homogeneity from cell lysates of Shigella dysenteriae 1 strain 3818-0 . Purification involved an initial ultracentrifugation, ammonium sulfate fractionation, chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose, gel filtration, and preparative isoelectric focusing in sucrose gradients . The purified toxin was resolved by discontinuous polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis into a major cytotoxic protein band and a closely migrating, cytotoxic protease-nicked minor band . Antiserum generated by immunization with glutaraldehyde-inactivated toxin was shown to be monospecific against S . dysenteriae cell lysates . This highly purified toxin was cytotoxic to HeLa cells, enterotoxic in rabbit ileal loops, and lethal to mice . Monospecific antiserum to the toxin neutralized completely these toxin activities in both purified toxin preparations and crude shigella cell lysates. Ann Microbiol (Paris), 1982 May-Jun, 133(3), 351 - 5 Plasmid-mediated invasiveness of "Shigella-like" Escherichia coli; Sansonetti PJ et al.; Invasive Escherichia coli is a "Shigella-like" microorganism which causes a dysenteric syndrome through invasion of the human colonic epithelium . Representative strains of different serotypes were studied in order to determine whether plasmids are involved in their virulence . All invasive E . coli strains, irrespective of serotype, were found to harbour a large plasmid of approximately 140 Mdal . Spontaneous variants of serotypes O143 and O124 had lost this plasmid and had become avirulent, i.e . could neither penetrate into HeLa cells nor produce a keratoconjunctivitis in guinea-pigs . pWR110, a Tn5-labelled virulence plasmid of Shigella flexneri, was transferred into these avirulent variants, thus restoring their virulence and demonstrating that S . flexneri and invasive E . coli share a common extrachromosomal control of their ability to penetrate into cells. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1982 May, (5), 75 - 9 {Antigens of Shigella dysenteriae serovars 3-7 . IV . Immunochemical study of the exotoxin}; Ianishevskaia MN; The exotoxins of Sh . dysenteriae, serovars 3 and 7, possess antigenic and serological properties and are characterized by the heterogeneous antigenic structure which distinctly differs from the structure of O-antigen in its immunochemical properties . These exotoxins consist of thermolabile and thermostable components . The thermolabile exotoxin fraction is a lethal toxin . The thermostable exotoxin fraction, obtained from the cultures of Sh . dysenteriae in the S-form, corresponds to O-antigen and forms an insignificant admixture in the concentrated exotoxins . The thermostable fraction of the exotoxins of S--R mutants differs from O-antigen by its serological specificity. J Clin Microbiol, 1982 May, 15(5), 869 - 72 Plesiomonas shigelloides overgrowth in the small intestine; Penn RG et al.; An 83-year-old male presented with chronic diarrhea and protein malnutrition associated with Plesiomonas shigelloides overgrowth in the small intestine . This overgrowth was related to achlorhydria and small-bowel diverticula . Tests for heat-labile and heat-stable enterotoxin were negative on the P . shigelloides isolated from both the small bowel aspirate (3 x 10(8) bacteria per ml) and the patient's stool . The patient responded satisfactorily to tetracycline, to which this unusual isolate was susceptible in vitro . The ability to correctly identify and determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of P . shigelloides in the setting of small-bowel overgrowth will help determine appropriate therapy. Acta Paediatr Scand, 1982 May, 71(3), 457 - 65 Colonization of the upper jejunum by enteropathogenic and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in paediatric diarrhoea; Stintzing G et al.; Aspirated fluid from the upper jejunum was obtained by intubation of 27 children with diarrhoea and 7 control children without diarrhoea . The aspirated jejunal fluid was analysed for total counts of viable aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms . Gram-negative aerobic bacteria were typed biochemically and analysed for the production of heat-labile and heat-stable enterotoxin . Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) strains of serogroups 0111, 055 and 0127 were detected in the stools of nine patients and the respective strains concomitantly in the upper jejunum (10(3)-10(8) bact/ml) in 7 patients with diarrhoea . In 6 patients from whom isolates of enterotoxigenic E . coli (ETEC) were obtained, there were high total viable counts of non-enterotoxigenic bacteria in the upper jejunum and ETEC were recovered from this location in 3 cases . Enterotoxigenic Klebsiella was recovered from faeces but not from upper jejunum in one case . Compared to the controls, the total number of bacteria in the upper jejunum were 100-1000 times higher in patients with enteropathogenic E . coli (EPEC) or enterotoxigenic E . coli (ETEC) . In another 11 cases with diarrhoea caused by Shigella, rotavirus or of unknown aetiology, the total viable counts of bacteria were similar to those of the controls . Five patients with severe EPEC diarrhoea received antibodies for 5 days . The patients improved clinically, and the EPEC strain had disappeared from the upper jejunum when they were reexamined . In conclusion, in EPEC diarrhoea a colonization of the upper jejunum by the causative organism seemed to take place, while in ETEC diarrhoea, there appeared to be a nonspecific contamination by enteric bacteria. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {A}, 1982 May, 252(1), 52 - 6 Further colicin types of Shigella sonnei detected with specific indicator strains; Old DC et al.; When 1420 isolates of Shigella sonnei recovered in Dundee, Scotland between 1971 and 1976 were examined with indicator strains of known immune status, four new colicin types, not previously described among the 26 types of Horak (8), were observed . The types were: 11 variant (colicins B, M), 4 variant (Ib, B, M), SH1 (E3) and SH3 (E5) . Only type 4 variant strains were of epidemiological significance in the Dundee area. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1982 May, (5), 41 - 3 {Characteristics of the pKMR plasmids found in Shigella flexneri}; Korotiaev AI et al.; The clinical isolate of Sh . flexneri 1b, resistant to 5 antibiotics and sulfonamides, has been studied by the method of conjugation and found to have a group of transfer-suppressed pKMR-plasmids: pKMR 204-1 (Ap Sm Tc Cm Km Su), pKMR 204-2 (Sm Km Su), pKMR 204-5 (Km Su) and pKMR 204-7 (Sm Tc Cm Km Su), whose molecular weight was 99, 71.2, 73.8 and 59.5 Md respectively . The treatment of the plasmids with restriction endonuclease BamHI has revealed that plasmids pKMR 204-2 and pKMR 204-5 are definitely related to plasmid KMR 204-1, being its deletion mutants . At the same time plasmids pKMR 204-1 and pKMR 204-7 differ in their sensitivity to endonuclease BamHI and stably coexist within the same cell, thus seeming to belong to different compatibility groups. Carbohydr Res, 1982 Apr 16, 102, 241 - 52 Structural studies on a polysaccharide from Shigella dysenteriae type 7; Ghosh TK et al.; The polysaccharide obtained from the O-somatic antigen of Shigella dysenteriae type 7 (strain NCTC 519/66) contains D-glucose, D-galactose, and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose in the mole ratios of 2:1-1 . From the results of methylation, periodate oxidation, graded hydrolysis, and deamination studies, the structure assigned to the repeating unit of the polysaccharide is as follows, (formula: see text) Oxidation studies with chromium trioxide revealed the nature of the anomeric linkages of some of the sugar residues in the polysaccharide. Nucleic Acids Res, 1982 Apr 10, 10(7), 2367 - 78 The nucleotide sequence coding for major outer membrane protein OmpA of Shigella dysenteriae; Braun G et al.; The nucleotide sequence of the ompA gene from Shigella dysenteriae has been determined and the amino acid sequence of the pro-OmpA protein predicted . Sequence comparison between the ompA genes of S.dysenteriae and Escherichia coli showed that features such as mRNA secondary structure and codon usage, as well as polypeptide function, have been conserved during evolution . The pro-OmpA protein of S.dysenteriae consists of 351 residues, as opposed to the 346 of the E.coli protein and also shows several amino acid changes . These changes have been used to interpret differences in the biological activity of the two proteins. J Biochem (Tokyo), 1982 Apr, 91(4), 1147 - 54 Characterization of a ColE1-like plasmid isolated from Shigella sonnei; Lee HT et al.; A multicopy plasmid, 4.7 kb in size, was isolated from Shigella sonnei and named pKY1 . This plasmid produces a colicin E1-like bacteriocin (colicin E1*) in E . coli cells . The cells harboring pKY1 are immune not only to this bacteriocin but also to colicin E1, and the cells harboring Co1E1 show immunity to colicin E1* as well . Although these two plasmid DNAs have different cleavage maps and are compatible with each other, pKY1 shows partial DNA homology with ColE1 DNA . In this paper, we report the isolation and properties of several Tn3 inserted pKY1 mutants, and propose a preliminary genetic map of pKY1 . It was also found that this plasmid is not capable of self-transmission and is poorly mobilized by the F factor. South Med J, 1982 Apr, 75(4), 492 - 3 Shigella enterocolitis and acute renal failure; Goldfarb JP et al.; Although acute renal failure secondary to infections is relatively common in adult patients, uremia requiring dialysis has not previously been reported in an adult patient with shigella enterocolitis . Our patient, infected with S flexneri, had severe renal failure without any evidence of sepsis, rhabdomyolysis, or the hemolytic-uremic syndrome . Antibiotic therapy with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole appeared to play a role in his eventual recovery. J Hyg (Lond), 1982 Apr, 88(2), 285 - 93 An outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by both rotavirus and Shigella sonnei in a private school in Rio de Janeiro; Sutmoller F et al.; In May 1980 an extensive outbreak of gastroenteritis occurred in a private school in the city of Rio de Janeiro . Examination of faeces and paired sera showed that this outbreak was caused by both rotavirus and a virulent strain of Shigella sonnei . In the first 19 stool samples collected seven (37%) had rotavirus only, six (32%) had Sh . sonnei only, while four (21%) had both agents . Examination of the second and third stool collections revealed only the presence of Sh . sonnei . The 18 paired sera showed seroconversion for rotavirus in four cases (22%) and in seven cases (39%) for Sh . sonnei . The overall attack rate of the disease was approximately 75%, the nursery and kindergarten having higher attack rates . Students in all grades became sick at the same time, and the unimodal curve of the onset dates of symptoms indicates a common source outbreak . Evidence suggested a contaminated water supply. J Nat Prod, 1982 Mar-Apr, 45(2), 123 - 7 Antibacterial substance from Carica papaya fruit extract; Emeruwa AC; Ripe and unripe Carica papaya fruits (epicarp, endocarp, seeds and leaves) were extracted separately and purified . All the extracts except that of leaves produced very significant antibacterial activity on Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Shigella flexneri . The MIC of the substance was small (0.2-0.3 mg/ml) for gram-positive bacteria and large (1.5-4 mg/ml) for gram-negative bacteria . The substance was bactericidal and showed properties of a protein . Other proteins previously found in C . papaya did not show antibacterial activity. Rev Infect Dis, 1982 Mar-Apr, 4(2), 533 - 9 Prevention of travelers' diarrhea with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole; DuPont HL et al.; One hundred forty-seven students from the United States were given trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ; 160 mg of TMP and 800 mg of SMZ) twice daily for 21 days after their arrival in Mexico . They were watched for the development of diarrhea during the 21 days and for an additional eight days after the termination of TMP-SMZ therapy . Diarrheal illness occurred in 11 (16%) of 67 students taking TMP-SMZ and in 44 (55%) of 80 students receiving a placebo; the differences were significant (P less than 0.001) . Milder symptoms not quite satisfying the criteria for illness were also less common in the group receiving the active drug: 23% vs . 69% (P less than 0.001) . The drug appeared to prevent infection by fully virulent enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (strains producing heat-stable toxin and those producing heat-labile toxin) and perhaps by shigella strains . During the eight days of follow-up after drug administration, 14 students (26%) who had taken TMP-SMZ and two (2.5%) who had taken the placebo experienced diarrhea (P less than 0.05) . Twelve subjects (14%) in the TMP-SMZ group and one subject (1%) in the placebo group developed a generalized rash that necessitated discontinuance of the drug . The eruption occurred after 9-16 days of drug administration (mean, 10 days) . This study shows that TMP-SMZ taken twice daily can prevent travelers' diarrhea for up to three weeks . Diarrhea will develop, however, if the drug is stopped while the risk remains. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1982 Mar, (3), 21 - 4 {Nonspecific Shigella suppression of delayed hypersensitivity}; Borisov VA et al.; Experimental study in mice has revealed that live virulent shigellae, in contrast to killed ones, suppress the secondary immune response to guinea pig splenocytes, manifested as delayed type hypersensitivity . This suppression is caused by disturbances in the process of the realization of the existing immunological memory: avirulent shigellae have been proved to cause no such effect. Infect Immun, 1982 Mar, 35(3), 1151 - 4 Immunochemical and cytotoxic activities of Shigella dysenteriae 1 (shiga) and shiga-like toxins; O'Brien AD et al.; Toxins in culture supernatants and bacterial lysates of S . dysenteriae 1 and S . flexneri were quantitated by a cytotoxicity assay and a newly developed radioimmunoassay . Cytotoxin titers paralleled toxin antigen levels . Thus,