Inhibition of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli adhesion to HeLa cells by serum of infants with diarrhea and by cord serum

We have studied the effect of serum from infants with diarrhea and of cord serum on the localized adherence of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) to HeLa cells. Serum samples from 16 infants with diarrhea due to EPEC of serotypes O55:H6, O111: H-, O111:H2, O119:H6 and O142:H6 were used. The adherence ability of EPEC strains belonging to serotypes identical to (homologous) or different from (heterologous) those isolated from the infants' feces was highly inhibited by samples of infant serum collected both during the acute phase of the illness and upon discharge from the hospital. These data confirm the development of antibodies against EPEC adhesins and the cross-reaction between different EPEC serotypes. Cord serum inhibited the localized adherence of EPEC strains at different levels according to the serotype of the strain studied. These results suggest that the placental transfer of adhesin-related antibodies does not protect the newborn against EPEC infections, since half of our patients were less than 30 days old

Invasive and enterotoxic properties in Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli strains isolated from humans and animals

Invasive properties of 15 strains of thermotolerant Campylobacter (12 C. jejuni and 3 C. coli) were studied using HeLa cells cultures. In four of them (3 C. jejuni and 1 C. coli), randomly selected, intestinal perfusion experiments were conducted in order to asses enterotoxigenicity. All strains were able to invade HeLa cells. The number of invaded HeLa cells ranged from 3 to 46 percent. In addition to their invasive properties, the 4 strains used in perfusion experiments were able to induce either a net secretory flux or an impaired sodium transport

Inhibition of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli adherence to Hela cells by immune rabbit sera

We have studied the effect of immune rabbit sera on the localized (LA) and diffuse (DA) adherence to Hela cells of 10 enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) strains belonging to serogroups 055, 086, 0111, 0119, and 0142. Anti-La1 serum, obtained by rabbit immunization with an E. coli strain harboring a cloned DNA fragment from an EPEC LA plasmid, strongly inhibited the adherence of all serogroups but one (0142). Similar results were obtained with anti-LA2 serum, which is anti-0111 serum absorbed with a non-adherence 0111:H-EPEC strain. In contrast, non-absorbed anti-055 and anti-0111 sera showed an inhibitory effect mainly on the adherence of homologous strains. Except for one experiment diffuse adherence was not inhibited by any antiserum used. The inhibitory effect of immune sera on localized adhere3nce does not seem to be correlated with plasmid curing sinceadherence plasmid pMS49 proved to be stable a after treatment with anti-055 and anti-0111 sera. The cross-inhibition of adherence by anti-LA sera suggests that localized adherence-related adhesions of the 0.55, 0.86, 0111, and 0119 strains share similar antigens

Use of ampicilin plus ranitidine for Helicobacter pylori gastritis

Helicobacter pylori (formerly Campylobacter pylori) is now recognized as an etiological factor in gastritis and duodenal ulcers and probably also gastric ulcers. Eradication of the bacteria is fundamental to avoid ulcer relapse. Although bismuth salts have been shown to be effective for treatment, they are not commercially available in Brazil. We report an attempt to treat patients with Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis with ampicilin (1000 mg twice daily for one month) and compare the results with the conventional treatment used in Brazil (ranitidine, 300 mg daily for one month) and with a combination of the two drugs. We studied 44 patients with histologically confirmed gastritis and with Helicobacter pylori, who were examined at the beginning and after one month of treatment. Ampicilin associated with ranitidine was better than ampicilin or ranitidine alone for the treatment of gastritis. Although ampicilin may be more efficient in patients with lower acid output we did not find a statistically significant difference between these two groups (ampicilin vs drug combination), perhaps owing to the small number of patients studied. When ampicilin was with ranitidine there was 25% normalization of the histological picture of the gastric mucosa. We conclude that ampicilin in combination with ranitidine may be a useful treatment for Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis

A study of the gram-negative bacterial flora in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Twenty-eight patients with active definite primary ankylosing spondylitis and fifty-four healthy control subjects were studied. The HLA-B27 antigen was found in 75% of patients and 3.7% of control. Fecal samples from these subjects were cultured for gram-negative enteric bacteria on two occasions within one month. Positive cultures for Klebsiella sp were found in 32.1% of patients and in 22.2% of healthy controls, but this difference was not statistically significant. All obther microorganisms detected were qualitatively and quantitatively similar in both groups. Significantly increased mean values of serum IgA levels were found in the patient group when compared with the control group (P<0.01). The mean serum IgG and IgM levels did not differ statistically between the two groups. There was no correlation between any laboratory or clinical parameter and presence of Klebsiella sp carriage in ankylosing spondylitis patients. These data are consistent with the view that a long time elapses between exposure to a trigger facter and clinical manifestations of the disease

Campylobacter pylori in dyspeptic patients

The presence of Campylobacter pylori in gastric mucosa of patients with dyspeptic complaints has been described. The association of the symptoms and endoscopic and histopathologic alterations with the presence of the bacterium still remains unknown. 117 patients were studied with respect to dyspeptic symptoms, endoscopic and histopathologic examinations, microbiological analysis and urease test to detect Campylobacter pylori. Campylobacter pylori was found in 77 per cent of all patients. Of these 36.8 per cent had normal gastric mucosa and 84.7 per cent presented gastritis. There was no association between the symptoms, the endoscopic and histological findings.

Rotavirus identification in jejunal juice and stools of acute and chronic forms of infantile gastroenteritis

The present study investigates, by means of a combined enzyme immunoassay for rotaviruses and adenoviruses (EIARA), the occurrence of rotaviruses in stools and jejunal juices from 31 children with acute diarrhea and 18 with chronic diarrhea. Stools from 8 acute cases contained rotaviruses (26%). In two of these cases rotaviruses were also detected in the jejunal juice. In the chronic diarrhea group we identified rotaviruses in the stools of one patient and in the jejunal juice of another. Some of the electropherotypes of the rotaviruses identified showed different patterns of RNA migration. Abnormalities of the jejunal mucosa were characterized in 6 acute rotavirus-positive cases. No morphological or functional abnormalities of the intestinal mucosa were observed in the chornic diarrhea rotavirus-positive cases

Flora nao enteropatogenica isolada do liquido duodenal de 67 crianças diarreicas / Study of the duodenal liquid regarding to the non enteropathogenic microflora from children with diarrhoea

Este trabalho teve como objetivo o estudo bacteriologico do liquido duodenal, em relaçao a flora nao enteropatogenica de crianças com diarreia aguda ou protraida. Simultaneamente ao liquido duodenal foram estudadas as fezes dessas crianças. O liquido duodenal foi colhido atraves de sonda nasogastrica esteril. Os materiais foram estudados atraves de metodos convencionais de cultura. Realizou-se a contagem de colonias/ml para o liquido duodenal. Os microrganismos nao enteropatogenicos isolados do liquido duodenal foram coliformes e bacterias nao fermentadoras, em concentraçao entre 10 ao cubo e 10 a quarta potencia e superiores a 10 a quinta potencia bacterias/ml do liquido duodenal. Todos os microrganismos, com exceçao das bacterias nao fermentadoras, foram isoladas com maior frequencia das fezes, independente do isolamento ou nao de enteropatogenos. Todos os microrganismos, com exceçao de Escherichia coli nao enteropatogenica e Morganella morganii, foram isolados com maior frequencia de casos de diarreia protraida. Verificamos que houve alteraçao quali e quantitativa da microflora isolada do liquido duodenal, tanto em casos negativos, quanto em casos positivos, para algum enteropatogeno. fatores como etiologia nao detectada, peristaltismo alterado, intubaçao prolongada, patogenicidade desconhecida de algum dos microrganismos isolados, poderiam explicar a alteraçao da microflora isolada, podendo ser esta, inespecifica, sem papel relevante quanto ao processo diarreico

Isolamento de "Campylobacter fetus" ssp. "jejuni" em criancas normais e com diarreia. / Isolation of Campylobacter fetus ssp. jejuni in normal and diarrheal children

A frequencia de isolamento de Campylobacter fetus ssp. jejuni nas fezes de criancas normais e com diarreia foi estudada na cidade de Sao Paulo. Foram estudadas 125 criancas divididas em tres grupos: 1) Controle; 2) Diarreia aguda e 3) Diarreia cronica.A frequencia de isolamento de campylobacter foi a seguinte: grupo 1: 5,3%; grupo II: 9,3% e grupo III: 6,1%.Estes dados permitem-nos enfatizar a necessidade da pesquisa de Campylobacter de forma rotineira em criancas com diarreia aguda

Isolation of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in water and sewage in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

A pesquisa de Escherichia coli enterotoxigenica em esgoto aguas superficiais e agua potavel contaminada revelou a presenca dessa bacteria em sete (1,9%) das 365 amostras de esgoto e em 12 (2,4%) das 495 amostras de agua examinadas. Todas as cepas, com excecao de uma, produziram somente enterotoxina termolabil e nenhuma delas apresentou os fatores de colonizacao CFA/I e CFA/II. A maioria das cepas foi sensivel aos antibioticos testados. Grande diversidade de sorotipos foi encontrada, alguns dos quais associados com diarreia em humanos

Estudo bacteriologico em sinusites maxilares. / Bacteriological study in maxillary sinusitis

Os autores apresentam um estudo bacteriologico em infeccoes sinusais, atraves de material colhido por puncao transmeatica inferior do seio maxiliar. Em 26 pacientes estudados, 27% das culturas foram negativas; 61,5% revelaram a presenca de 1 ou mais germes anaerobios, de forma isolada ou associada com germes anaerobios; e apenas 11,5% apresentaram somente germes anaerobios, unicos ou multiplos

ENT plasmids, COL plasmids and drug resistance in Escherichia coli strains of human origin.

Dezoito amostras de Escherichia coli produtoras de toxina LT, isoladas de criancas, foram estudadas em relacao a resistencia a drogas e producao de colicinas, hemolisinas e H2S. Oito amostras eram sensiveis as drogas utilizadas e negativas em relacao as demais caracteristicas. Uma amostra somente produziu colicina. As outras nove linhagens apresentaram diferentes padroes de resistencia (1 a 7 drogas) e uma delas tambem produziu colicina. Foi observado atraves de experimentos de conjugacao que em seis dessas amostras os plasmidios R eram transferidos e 4 delas tambem transferiam o plasmidio Ent. A producao de colicina pelos transconjugantes so foi observada atraves de estudos de cotransferencia. Esses estudos e eletroforese em gel de agarose mostraram que nas seis amostras os genes que cidificam para LT, colicinas e resistencia a drogas estao localizados em plasmidios independentes.Foi observado que a transferencia de plasmidios R ocorreu nas 4 amostras e do plasmidio Ent em 3 das amostras resistentes, isoladas de criancas com diarreia enquanto que a transferencia desses plasmidios e menor entre as amostras resistentes isoladas de criancas sadias

MILi - um meio para a realizacao dos testes de motilidade, indol e lisina descarboxilase. / MILi - a medium for detection of motilily, indole, and lysine decarboxylase

Foi proposto um meio para a identificacao de entrobacterias, denominado MILi, que informa quanto aos testes de motilidade, producao de indol e lisina descarboxilase.Utilizando 316 amostras de enterobacterias, os testes do MILi, apos 20-24h de incubacao, foram avaliados atraves de uma comparacao com os testes dos meios convencionais, incubados por periodos de tempo indicados para cada caso. Os testes de motilidade e indol do MILi mostraram 100% de concordancia com os testes dos meios convencionais. Para os MILi e agar lisina com ferro (LIA). Considerando as 3 reacoes os testes do meio MILi apresentaram 99,9% de concordancia com os testes dos meios convencionais

Escherichia coli strains producing LT toxin isolated from processed food.

Nove linhagens de E. coli isoladas de hamburgers, quibes ou linguicas cruas e produtoras da toxina LT foram estudadas quanto a resistencia a drogas e producao de colicina, hemolisina e H2S. Cinco linhagens mostraram-se sensiveis as drogas utilizadas e negativas as demais caracteristicas. Tres linhagens apresentaram o fenotipo SmTcHlyCol LT e uma o fenotipo SmTcHly LT. Essas quatro linhagens foram conjugadas com a E. coli K12 MA335. Os genes de resistencia a drogas foram transferidos em todos os experimentos de conjugacao. Duas linhagens transferiram o plasmidio Col, uma linhagem o plasmidio Hly e a terceira o plasmidio Ent. As evidencias sao de que as caracteristicas estudadas estao localizadas em plasmidios independentes

Atividade comparada da cefoperazona e cinco cefalosporinas frente a 628 amostras de enterobacterias, Pseudomonas e Staphylococcus. / Comparative activity of cefoperazone and five other cephalosporins against 628 strains of Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus

CIM50 e CIM90 da cefoperazona e outras cinco cefalosporinas (cefoxitina, cefamandol, cefazolina, cefalexina e cefaloridina) foram analisadas frente a 628 amostras de: Escherichia coli, K. pneumoniae S. enteritidis, Shigella, Enterobacter, P. microbilis, P. morgani, Serratia, Citrobacter, Pseudomonas, S. aureus e S. epidermidis. Este estudo confirmou o amplo espectro de acao da cefoperazona que, ao contrario das outras cefalosporinas, apresentou excelente atividade contra P. aeruginosa. Em relacao as demais amostras, sua atividade foi superior ou semelhante as outras cefalosporinas, com excecao das amostras de S. enteritidis, que foram relativamente resistentes a cefoperazona e as cefalosporinas, com excecao da cefoxitina