Role of throat penicillin producing organisms in recurrence of rheumatic carditis

Sixty two rheumatic carditis patients two had previously one or more attacks of rheumatic fever, documented by the revised Jones criteria, were followed up for 2 years. Patients were subjected to strict prophylactic regimen of 4 and 2 weekly injection of Benzathine penicillin [BPG] during the first and second year respectively. Throat swabs were taken just before the injection and on suspicion of throat Streptococcal infections. The isolated organism [Staphylococcus aureus, H. lnfluenzae and Bacteroides species] were tested for beta-Lactamase production. Serum penicillin potency was assayed at the end of second, third and fourth week after penicillin injection. Repeated throat cultures revealed frequent association of both group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcal and penicillinase producing organism from the patients having higher rates of recurrence [P<0.001 and P<0.01 for first and second year respectively, the results also showed that adequate serum penicillin activity does not mean throat free of group A beta-hemolytic Streptococci and beta-Lactamase producing organisms [P>0.05]. From these results we can conclude that pharyngeal beta-Lactamase, producing organism can protect group A beta-hematolytic Streptococci from the lethal effect of penicillin, even if take in a regular frequent regimen. By turn this will lead to failure of penicillin prophylaxis and recurrence of rheumatic carditis. It is thus evident that throat swab is essential for detecting these organisms in every patient with subsequent use of beta-Lactamase resistance drugs either as a therapy or a prophylaxis

Dermatophytosis clinical, mycological and immunological studies

The cell mediated immune response, as detected by E. rossette and lymphocyte blast transformation test, was evaluated among 54 proven dematophytosed patients and 32 healthy controls. The results proved that T. Cell percentages and lymphocyte blast transformation test showed no significant difference between controls and patients [P> 0.01]. Studies on the role of other cellular immune response tests in those patients are processing

Prevalence of urinary tract infection during pregnancy: a clinical, epidemiological and bacteriologic study

This study was carried out on 300 pregnant and 200 nonprenant women among those attending Maternal and Child Health Center in Mansoura City. They were aged 18 to 40 years, non pregnant cases were properly matched as regard age, socioeconomic level, residence and parity. All women were interviewed, examined clinically and investigated as regard urinary tract infection [UTI], urine samples were collected, examined by routine chemical and microsocpic examination, cultured and the isolated organisms were identified by conventional methods. The prevalence of [UTI] in pregnant women was 15.3%, while it was 6.5% in non pregnant women, with an Estimate Risk 2.35. The prevalence of [UTI] increases with the progress of age and duration of pregnancy. It was double in multipara than in primipara. Rural women had [UTI] prevelance double that of urban women. The commonest type of pathogenic bacterial isolated from both pregnant and non pregnant women was E. coli [21.7% and 38.5%] respectively. Potentially pathogenic organisms were present in significant level in 47.8% and 46.2% in pregnant and the non pregnant women. This study revealed that Diabetes M. triple the risk of [UTI] development and aggrevates the pathological abnormalities and permits the growth of significant number of pathogenic organisms

record on L.interogans serovar canicola in human and dogs in Dakahlia governorate

In addition to rats, dogs could be the source and reservoir for human leptospirosis both in rural and urban localities [Helsey et al. 1988]. L. canicola was reported to be responsible for human leptospirosis up to 12% of recorded cases [Lecour et al. 1989]. Leptospirosis as a clinical diagnosis is not well known by the physicians, the initial diagnosis is usually wrong because the sporadic occurance of the disease, diagnosis on admission was correct in only 18% of cases [Ziegier 1987] Various organ manifestations could be presented, febrile, toxi-infectious syndrome, liver, renal, meningeal [Kunchev et al. 1988]. This work was done to estimate the prevalence of the leptospiral infection in our locality and the prevalent causative serovar

Mutagenesis of candida albicans by N-Methyl N-Nitro-N-Nitroso guanidine, ultraviolet and acriflavine

N-methyl-N-nitro N-nitroso guanidine [MNNG], Acriflavine [A C] and Ultraviolet [UV] have been used to induce mutation in 4 clinical isolates of C. albicans. Sixteen stable mutants were isolated with MNNG, 11 with AC and 4 mutants with UV. The most lethal effect was recorded, with MNNG [99.48%] and the least lethal action was with UV [77.70%]. UV gives the highest percentage of revertant [73.3%]. The results showed marked differences between the 4 strains to the mutagenic effects of MNNG, AC and UV. These differences could be attributed to differences in the genetic background of the four strains

Incidence of rubella, herpes simplex, and cytomegalovirus antibodies in mentally retarded children

This work was done on 48 children with unclassifiable mental retardation, in addition to 48 normal healthy children as a control. All cases were in vestigated for the presence of rubella, herpevirus and cytomegalovirus lgG antibodies using ELISA technique. lgG antibody levels for test and control groups respectively were 2.14 +/- 1.62 and 2.62 +/- 1.75 for rubella, 1.140 +/- 628 and 1.472 +/- 0.381 for herpes virus and 0.401 +/- 0.208 and 0.368 +/- 0.164 for CMV denoting that there is no significant difference in antibody levels between test and control groups. Similarly, it was found that there is no significant difference in the level of these antibodies between cases with microcephaly and normocephaly, cases with and without deafness and cases with and without ophthalmic defects in test group cases. Accordingly, we can say that there is no clinical association between any of these viruses [evaluated by lgG antibody levels] at one hand and mental retardation or its manifestation, represented by microcephaly, deafness and ophthalmic defects, on the other hand

Risks of occupational exposure to gram negative bacteria in the sewage sludge

78 employees at 3 sewage treatment plants and 2 drinking water plants at Mansoura locality were interviewed for the presence of specific medical symptoms, white blood cell count and serum immunoglobulin concentrations [IgG and IgM] were determined. Also the number and species of the air borne gram -ve bacteria were studied in order characterize exposure to aerosols of sewage water. Diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms, serum immunoglobulins IgG and IgM were reported in significant higher proportion in sewage workers together with the increased numbers of air borne gram -ve bacilli