ABSTRACT
Human immunodeficiency virus infection is not a common cause of Guillain-Barre syndrome. Guillain-Barre syndrome with cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis has been associated with early human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, occasionally as the presenting manifestation. We report a case of 73-year-old Korean malen with acute motor axonal variant of Guillain-Barre syndrome during chemotherapy for HIV- related Burkitt's lymphoma. This is the first report of Guillain-Barre syndrome occurringed within HIV infection in Korea.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Axons , Burkitt Lymphoma , Guillain-Barre Syndrome , HIV , HIV Infections , Korea , LeukocytosisABSTRACT
Biofilms are microbial communities that form on a surface and are surrounded by extracellular polymeric substances. Candida biofilms are a cause of infections associated with medical devices. In the present study, an attempt was made to evaluate a significance of biofilm formation ability (BF) in virulence of C. albicans. C. albicans of 98 isolates, 24 commensal strains obtained from the oral cavities of healthy volunteers, 29 from blood culture, 25 from urine culture, and 20 from vaginal candidiasis, were assayed for BF, an ability to adhere to epithelial cells (ADH), cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), and germ tube forming rate (GT). The relationships of BF with CSH, ADH, and GT were statistically examined. A positive correlation between BF and ADH was obtained, but the correlation (r=0.326) was relatively low. To assess BF as a factor contributing for candidiasis, mice lethality test was performed. The 10 isolates with the highest BF (mean survival rate, 24%) allow to kill mice more than those with the 10 lowest BF (mean survival rate, 47%). In addition, clinical strains isolated from blood culture, urine culture, and vaginal candidiasis showed higher BF than oral commensal strains. These results suggest BF may represent a virulent characteristic of C. albicans.
Subject(s)
Animals , Mice , Biofilms , Candida , Candida albicans , Candidiasis , Epithelial Cells , Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions , Polymers , Survival RateABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although malaria-specific antibody or antigen test is useful for the diagnosis of malaria infection, its cost-effectiveness has to be concerned in the area where malaria prevalence is very low. We created a panel test composed of malaria non-specific parameters, namely hematology autoanalyzer-derived results with or without addition of HDL-cholesterol data, and evaluated its usefulness in comparison with malaria-specific antibody test. METHODS: For 395 patients tested for malaria smear, the hematology parameters such as platelet count, NRBC (%) and VCS (volume, conductivity, scattering) parameters of WBC, and HDL-cholesterol data were analyzed. Statistical significance of each parameter and that of panel test with or without addition of HDL-cholesterol were evaluated. RESULTS: Malaria antibody test showed sensitivity of 97.1% and specificity of 99.1%. Each parameter of platelet count, NRBC (%), D parameter and HDL-cholesterol showed sensitivity of 86.8%, 41.2%, 81.8%, and 70.6%, and specificity of 85.9%, 96.3%, 72.3%, and 81.7%, respectively. Panel test without including HDL-cholesterol showed sensitivity of 91.2% and specificity of 81.6%, and that including HDL-cholesterol showed sensitivity of 91.2% and specificity of 86.2%. CONCLUSIONS: The malaria non-specific panel test composed of hematology autoanalyzer-derived parameters showed relatively good, but slightly lower sensitivity than that of malaria-specific antibody test. It might be used as a screening test for the diagnosis of malaria infection, and addition of HDL cholesterol improved little the usefulness of the panel test.
Subject(s)
Animals , Humans , Autoanalysis , Biomarkers , Cholesterol, HDL/blood , Diagnosis, Differential , Hematologic Tests/economics , Malaria, Falciparum/blood , Plasmodium falciparum/isolation & purification , ROC Curve , Reagent Kits, Diagnostic , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
Rhizobium radiobacter, which has been previously discribed as Agrobacterium radiobacter, is a group of phytopathogenic organisms widely distributed in soil. Over the past decade, increasing number of infections due to Rhizobium radiobacter has been reported. Rhizobium radiobacter is now recognized as rare human pathogens affecting mostly immunocompromised hosts and is an opportunistic pathogen often associated with indwelling catheters. We report a case of bacteremia due to Rhizobium radiobacter in an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patient. The patient was admitted for fever. In the blood culture, Rhizobium radiobacter was isolated. These symptoms and signs were successfully resolved with antibiotics.
Subject(s)
Humans , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome , Agrobacterium tumefaciens , Anti-Bacterial Agents , Bacteremia , Catheters, Indwelling , Fever , Immunocompromised Host , Rhizobium , SoilABSTRACT
Rhizobium radiobacter, which has been previously discribed as Agrobacterium radiobacter, is a group of phytopathogenic organisms widely distributed in soil. Over the past decade, increasing number of infections due to Rhizobium radiobacter has been reported. Rhizobium radiobacter is now recognized as rare human pathogens affecting mostly immunocompromised hosts and is an opportunistic pathogen often associated with indwelling catheters. We report a case of bacteremia due to Rhizobium radiobacter in an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patient. The patient was admitted for fever. In the blood culture, Rhizobium radiobacter was isolated. These symptoms and signs were successfully resolved with antibiotics.
Subject(s)
Humans , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome , Agrobacterium tumefaciens , Anti-Bacterial Agents , Bacteremia , Catheters, Indwelling , Fever , Immunocompromised Host , Rhizobium , SoilABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD), the most frequently identified cause of nosocomial diarrhea, results from the overgrowth of cytotoxin (toxin B)-producing strains. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quantitative culture of Clostridium difficile to improve the laboratory diagnosis of CDAD. METHODS: The quantitative culture and cytotoxin gene results were evaluated based on the findings of colonoscopy and/or histology of the biopsy specimens. RESULTS: Among the 402 specimens with cytotoxin-positive isolates, 301 (74.9%) contained > or =106 CFU/mL of C. difficile. Nine (60%) of the 15 pseudomembranous colitis patients yielded > or =106 CFU/mL of toxigenic isolate. The proportion of cytotoxin gene-positive isolates was higher in the specimens with > or =106 CFU/mL of C. difficile than in those with 102-<103 CFU/mL (86.5% vs. 66.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative culture may aid in the interpretation of toxigenic C. difficile culture results, and reduce false positivity, thus avoiding unnecessary treatment.
Subject(s)
Humans , Biopsy , Clinical Laboratory Techniques , Clostridioides difficile , Clostridium , Colonoscopy , Diagnosis , Diarrhea , Enterocolitis, PseudomembranousABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Infections due to antimicrobial resistant bacteria pose serious problem in the care of the patients in intensive care units, oncology and hematology. It was to determine the prevalent species and cefpirome susceptibilities of the current isolates from these patients. METHODS: Bacteria isolated from patients in the intensive care units, oncology and hematology in a fertiary care university hospital in 1997 were analyzed for the prevalent species. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the strains, most of which were isolated in 1997, was tested by the NCCLS agar dilution method. RESULTS: The proportion of potential pathogens isolated were: Staphylococcus aureus 16.1%, Acinetobacter baumannii 13.6%, Enterobacter-Serratia-Citrobacter group 12.1%, Enterococcus spp. 11.0% and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 10.4%. The lowest resistance rates were : A.baumannii to ampicillin/sulbactam (38%), P. aeruginosa to ceftazidime (37%), Providencia spp. to ceftriaxone (7%), S. marcescens to ceftazidime and cefpirome (10%), and E. coli (3%), K. pneumoniae (10%), E. cloacae (17%) and C. freundii (7%) to cefpirome. All isolates of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae were susceptible to cefpirome. CONCLUSION: The in vitro test suggests that cefpirome should be more useful than the other generations of cephalosporins for the treatment of various nosocomial infections including those due to the 3rd generation cephalosporin-resistant E. cloacae, S. marcescens, C. freundii and penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae.