Antibiotic resistance of streptococcus pneumoniae from meningitis children in Damascus

Beta-Iactam resistance by Streptococcus pneumoniae is becoming a significant threat to the public health worldwide. However, data concerning antibiotic susceptibility patterns in Syria have not been published. Therefore, we isolated between September 2003 and May 2004, 25 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae recovered from the cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] of children with pneumococcal meningitis reported to the Children's hospital in Damascus.The susceptibility of the strains were tested against 10 antibiotics using disk diffusion method and against 6 antibiotics using broth macrodilution method and breakpoints from the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards [NCCLS] were used. 64% of the strains were resistant to penicillin whereas 0% resistant to ceftriaxone, cefotaxime and amoxicillin-clavulanate. Resistant to erythromycin and tetracycline was detected in 16%, and 48% of the strains were resistant to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, 0% resistant to vancomycin and imipenem and 4% resistant to ticarcillin. Multi-drug resistant S. pneumoniae was 24% and was much higher in penicillin-resistant strains than in penicillin-susceptible strains. We recommend performing susceptibility tests to all S. pneumoniae isolates to set a susceptibility pattern and choose the optimal antibacterial agent for treatment

Serum anti-p53 antibodies in patients with atherosclerosis

The aim of this study was the detection of Anti-p53 antibodies in sera of atherosclerotic patients. The total number of patients was 53. All patients had been undergone to coronary aorta bypass operations. The age of patients ranged 34 to 73 years, mean ages was 55.98. 46 males and 7 females. 84.9% of them were smokers. We withdrew 5 ml of blood for each patient, into dry tube. After the clot was formed, we centrifuged the tube to obtain the serum. The sera then were put in sterile eppendorf tube in freezer [-80°C]. Then, we transferred, the sera in box with dry ice, to medical biochemistry and molecular biology center in university of the Saarland, Homburg / Saar, Germany. Enzyme linked Immunosorbent assay [ELISA] was used to detect anti-p53 antibodies in sera. We used Kit from Biodiagnstics company. The Only one sample was positive for anti-p53 antibodies. we can not, depend on the detection of anti-p35 antibodies, evaluate the alterations in the p53 gene or the abnormalities of p53 protein itself, if it is wild or muted protein, or whether there is difference in the p53 concentration in the atherosclerotic arteries

Laboratory diagnosis of mycoplasma in gential infections

In this study the prevelance of Mycoplasma Hominis and ureaplasma urealyticum was determined by culture, out of [922] cervical specimens taken from 8 groups of women included: healthy women [as a control group], patients with cervicitis, patients with pelvic inflamatory disease, patients with repetitive spontaneous abortions, patients with primary and secondery infertility, by using [Mycomplasma-Lyo] kit. The effect of using the loop and making a curettage on the Percentage of isolation of these Mycoplasmas in cervicitis cases were determined. Also there was a following of unexplained repetitive spontaneous abortion cases, where pregnancy was successful to the end in [5] cases out of [15] cases by adminstering antibiotics effective against ureaplasma urealyticum. Serological diagnosis of these Mycomplasmas was made in all previous cases by using [MSS Serology] kit. We made a similar study of [144] specimens [urine, urithral secretions, semen] taken from two groups of males: healthy males [as a control group], males suffering from urithritis. The rate of isolation of these Mycoplasmas was compared with the rate of existance of Neisseria Gonorheae and Trichomonas Vaginalis in cases of previous urithritis