Aerobic microbiological study in term pregnant women with premature rupture of the membranes: a case-control study.

To determine the aerobic microorganisms related to premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) in term pregnant women, a case-controlled study was performed on pregnant women delivered at Rajavithi Hospital between November 1, 1996 and July 30, 1997. Two hundred and twenty pregnant women with PROM and 220 pregnant women without PROM were recruited by simple random sampling. The diagnosis of rupture of the membrane was made by history and by positive microscopic ferning and pH testing performed during speculum examination. The demographic characteristics were not statistically significantly different between both groups. We could not isolate any organisms (35.9% in the study group and 49.5% in the control group). Candida albicans and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the only two significant differences demonstrated between the study and control group (p<0.05). Candida albicans, the most prevalent organism in the study group, demonstrated significant difference between the study and control group (14.5% and 7.7% respectively) (p<0.05). Klebsiella pneumoniae demonstrated significant difference between the study and control group (7.30% and 4.10% respectively) (p<0.05). Gardnerella vaginalis, the most prevalent organism in the control group, showed no significant difference between the control and study group (16.40% and 14.10% respectively) (p=0.547).

Gel-filtration chromatography of Salmonella protein antigens and their implication in immunodiagnosis.

Crude Barber protein (Bp) antigens were prepared from Salmonella typhi, S. krefeld and S. derby by an original method that has been described previously. These antigens were subjected to gel-filtration chromatography using Sephadex G-200. A sharp peak that eluted together with the void volume was thus separated from a broad second peak that eluted from the column at positions equivalent to 118,000 to 12,000 daltons. The proteins eluted in the latter peak were arbitrarily divided into 5 fractions and, together with the first peak, subjected to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoprecipitation with both homologous and heterologous rabbit antisera. The extent of immunological cross reactivities was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The preliminary results obtained by this technique showed species-specific protein antigens to have molecular weights ranging between 36,000 and 68,000 daltons.