Diagnosis of major bacterial causes of culture negative meningitis in children

The study included 250 patients admitted to fever hospitals in Egypt with suspected clinical signs and symptoms of bacterial meningitis, their age ranged from six months up to eleven years. Cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] samples isolated from patients were transported to the central health laboratories for confirmation of diagnosis. Physical, cytological, chemical examination for glucose and total protein concentration. Gram stained smear, culture on blood and chocolate agar were done. 62 [24.8%] CSF samples were culture negative and no bacterial organisms could be detected by direct gram stain. All these samples were further examined by latex agglutination and RT-PCR. Samples which found to be culture positive were excluded from this study. 15 samples of them [24.2%] were positive by RT-PCR.7 of them [46.6%] were Heamophilus influenza b [H. influenza b] and 8 samples of them [53.3%] were Streptcoccus pneumoniae [S. pneumoniae]. Out of 15 RT-PCR positive samples 12 of them [80%] were Latex positive, while 3 of them [20%] were Latex negative, one of the three was S. pneumoniae, while the others were H. influenza b by RT-PCR only. Out of 62 culture negative CSF samples 47 [75.8%] had a history of previous antibiotic use. 11samples of them [23.4%] were positive by latex agglutination [5 samples were H. influenza b and 6 samples were S. pneumonia] and 3 samples of them [6.3%] were positive by RT-PCR and negative by latex agglutination. Out of 15 RT-PCR positive samples, 8 of them were clear [53.3%], 3 of them were turbid [20%], and 4 of them were bloody [26.6%]. 10 CSF samples out of the 15 samples [66.6%] had normal cytological profile, 6 samples [40%] had normal CSF glucose levels and 3 samples [20%] had normal total CSF protein concentration

Human papillomavirus in patients with colorectal cancer

Human papillomavirus [HPV] has been considered to be an etiological agent for anogenital cancers, such as cervical cancer and possibly a subset of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of the study was to evaluate the presence of human papillomavirus DNA in colorectal carcinoma. The present study was carried out on 40 patients with hisopathologically confirmed primary colorectal cancer. These samples were obtained after surgical resection. Two samples were collected from each patient: one sample from the tumor site and the other one from normally appearing colorectal tissue. Detection of HPV- 16 and 18 was done using real- time PCR. HPV 16 was detected in only 1/40 [2.5%] tumor sample while all adjacent normal tissues were negative for it. HPV 18 was detected in 5/40 [2.5%] of tumor samples and in 10/40 [25%] of adjacent normal tissue. Total HPV [16/18] detection results were 6/40 [15%] in tumor tissue samples while they were detected in [10/40] 25% of normal tissue samples. None of the studied cases was infected by both HPV 16 and 18 simultaneously

Human parvovirus B19 infection in females with recurrent spontaneous abortions

Human parvovirus B19 is a small DNA virus that is transmitted mainly through contact with respiratory secretion or aerosols, but it may be transmitted to the fetus transplacentally from infected mother leading to many complications mainly fetal hydrops, intrauterine fetal death or spontaneous abortion. In this study we aimed at assessment of the relation between maternal human parvovirus B19 infection and recurrent spontaneous abortion [RSA] and comparing the serological diagnostic methods and PCR for diagnosis of B19 infection in females with RSA. Sera were collected from 50 patients with RSA [patients group] and 25 pregnant females without history of abortion [control group] and all sera were tested by nested PCR to detect B19 DNA and by EIA to detect B19 Ig M and Ig G. 19 DNA was detected in 58% in the patients group and in 4% in control group while B19 Ig M was positive in 6% of the patients group and 4% in the control group but B19 Ig G was positive in 62% and 8% of the patients and control groups respectively

Evaluation of il-8 level in hepatitis c infected patients: relation to combined peg-interferon/ribavirin treatment response

Background: Interferon [IFN] exhibits a potent antiviral activity in vitro and plays a major role in the, early defense against viruses. Like IFN, IL-8 is induced by viruses and appears in circulation during viral infections. It was found that IL-8 can inhibit IFN-a activity in 'a dose-dependent manner. It has been demonstrated that serum levels of IL-8 are elevated in patients with chronic HCV infection. The study aimed at assessment of serum levels of IL-8 in chronic HCV infected patients and comparing IL-8 levels after treatment between responder and non responder patients

Methodology: the study included 30 patients who were responders to combined treatment, 30 patients who were non-responders to combined treatment, 15 untreated cases of chronic HCV patients, and 15 healthy subjects. All included patients and controls were subjected to estimation of the serum levels of IL-8 using ELISA technique. The serum samples of both responders and non-responders were subjected to RT- PCR to detect HCV-RNA

Results: Group I [Responders] showed a mean value of IL-8 of4.2 + 1.9 pg/ml. Group 2 [Non-responders] showed a mean value of IL-8 of21.4 + 12.8 pg/ml. Group 3 [Healthy Controls] showed a mean value of IL-8 oft + l.4pg/ml. Group 4 [Untreated cases] showed a mean value of IL-8 of 7.1 + 4.1 pg/ml. We found that serum IL-8 level was significantly higher [p= 0.001] in non-responders than in responders. Also serum IL-8 was significantly higher [p = 0.001] in untreated cases than in healthy controls

Antimicrobial drug susceptibilities of pseudomonas aeruginosa under aerobic, anaerobic and biofilm conditions

Pseudomonas aeruginosa [P. aeruginosa] is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause many infections, such as respiratory tract infections, bacteraemia, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, cystic fibrosis, infections of burn, catheter infections and infections of heart valve. P. aeruginosa is highly resistant to many antibiotics by many mechanisms including development of active effluxmediated drug resistance, the formation of P. aeruginosa biofilms and exposure of the organisms to an environment which is anaerobic, acidic, and nutrient depleted that markedly enhances bacterial resistance to antibiotics agents. In the presented study we detected the effects of different growth conditions on susceptibility of P. aeruginosa to Piperacillin, Imipenem, Cefaclor, Ceftazidime, Ceftriaxone, Cefepime, Tobramycin and Ciprofloxacin. The MICs and MBCs of these antibiotics in an anaerobic planktonic suspension or in biofilm were 2 - 5 folds higher than in an aerobic planktonic suspension. Moreover many of these antibiotics became either non-effective or nonbactericidal as their MICs and / or MBCs exceeded the expected MIC sensitivity ranges of the used reference strain P. aeruginosa and / or their brakpoints