Nasal carriage of superantigen producing Staphylococcus aureus and its role in pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma

Staphylococcal enterotoxins can act as allergens and stimulate production of specific IgE with subsequent development of allergic manifestations. In addition, they act as superantigens that induce cytokine secretion with more increase of IL-4/IFN-gamma ratio causing augmentation of allergic reactions. Herein we tested the hypothesis that exposure to Staphylococccus aureus and its enterotoxins induces immunological changes that contribute to the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma. This study included 45 air way allergic patients, and 45 controls. The following were done: intradermal allergy skin testing, invitro effect of staphylococcal enterotoxin B [SEB] on cytokine secretion from separated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, detection of nasal carriage of S. aureus and its enterotoxin production by ELISA and serum levels of total IgE, SEB-specific IgE and eosinophil cationic protein [ECP] were measured. We found that nasal carriage of enterotoxin producing S. aureus in allergic patients was significantly higher than in control. Blood eosinophilia, total IgEand ECP levels were significantly higher in S. aureus nasal carrier than non-carrier patients. On in vitro exposure of PBMCs to [SEB], IFN-gamma secretion was significantly less in patients than control and IL-4 secretion was significantly more in patients than control. SEB-specific IgE was detected in 15.6% of patients and not detected in control. There was a significant positive correlation between SEB-specific IgE level in patients and markers of severity of allergic reaction including blood eosinophilia, ECP and total IgE level. This study suggests that nasal carriage of enterotoxin producing S. aureus has a potential role in the development and severity of allergic airway diseases

Prevalence of fungal chest infection among workers in Sharkia cotton ginner and rice haller factories

In this study 100 exposed workers of the cotton ginner and the rice huller factories were examined clinically, mycologically by sputum culture, and immunologically for detection of precipitins in their sera against mould antigen. Sixty workers in the cotton ginner factory included 40 symptomatic and 20 asymptomatic workers, while in the rice huller factory 25 workers were symptomatic and 15 were asymptomatic, 20 matched control workers not exposed to the cotton and rice dust were examined. In addition air samples were collected from different departments of the cotton and rice factories searching for fungi; especially [Aspergillus species], Mucor and Rhizopus. Different species of fungi could be isolated from the sputae of many workers; Asp. mgier, Asp. flavus, Asp. fumigatus, Rhizopus and Mucor. The precipitin tests were positive in 18 cases out of 100 cases examined [18%]

Comparative study on urinary tract infection I Evaluation of methods of collection, microscopy and chemical methods

This study included six hundred and thirty individuals.Urine specimenswerecollected by four methods [606 mid-stream, 55 suprapublically aspirated, 52 catheter and 4 bag specimens].Mid- stream method provided a reliable representative specimen for urinary tract flora. This study evaluated microscopy and chemical methods as screening methods of testing urine specimens for bacteriuria. Out of 146 specimens that yielded >103 cfu/ml by standard quantitative culture, 127 and 117 were detected by direct [unspun urine] phase contrast microscopy and direct gram staining, respectively.However, 88 and 75 were detected by phase contrast microscopy and gram staining of the sediment, respectively. Three chemical methods were evaluated; griess nitrite test and test for hypoglucosuria [Uriglox]. Nitrite test was found to be the most effective chemical method