Evaluation of cytokines produced by β-hemolytic streptococcus in acute pharyngotonsillitis / Avaliação das citosinas produzidas por estreptococos β-hemolíticos em faringotonsilites agudas

INTRODUCTION: The most common pathogen in bacterial pharyngotonsillitis is group A β-hemolytic streptococcus, although groups B, C, F,and G have also been associated with pharyngotonsillitis.OBJECTIVE: To assess the levels of the cytokines TNF-α, IL-6,IL-4, and IL-10 in bacterial pharyngotonsillitis caused by group A and non-A (groups B, C, F and G) β-hemolytic streptococcus.METHODS: The study was conducted at a pediatric emergency care unit. The sample comprised children (5-9 years old) with acute bacterial pharyngotonsillitis diagnosed between December of 2011 and May of 2012. The research involved collection of blood samples from the patients, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detection of TNF-α, IL-6,IL-4, and IL-10, and collection of two oropharyngeal swabs for bacterial isolation. Additionally, the medical history of the study participants was also collected.RESULTS: In the studied group (mean age: 5.93 years), higher pharyngotonsillitis incidence was observed in the female gender (64.76%). Higher incidence of tonsillar exudates was observed with groups A and C. No statistically significant differences in cytokine levels were observed among groups. However, the group A and the control group showed a difference in the IL-6 level (p = 0.0016).CONCLUSIONS: The Groups A and C showed higher cytokine levels than the Groups B and control, suggesting similar immunological patterns.

INTRODUÇÃO: O patógeno mais comumente associado à faringotonsilite bacteriana é o estreptococo β-hemolítico do grupo A, a despeito dos grupos B, C, F e G terem também sido associados com a faringotonsilite.OBJETIVO: Determinar os níveis das citosinas TNF-α, IL-6, IL-4, e IL-10 na faringotonsilite bacteriana causada pelos estreptococos β-hemolíticos do grupo A e não-A (grupos B, C, F e G).MÉTODO: O estudo foi conduzido em uma emergência pediátrica. A amostra estudada compreendeu crianças (entre 5 e 9 anos) com faringotonsilite aguda bacteriana diagnosticada entre dezembro de 2011 e maio de 2012. A pesquisa envolveu a coleta de amostras sanguíneas dos pacientes, a detecção, através do ELISA, de TNF-α, IL-6, IL-4, and IL-10, além da coleta de dois swabs orofaríngeos para isolamento bacteriano. Adicionalmente foi coletada a história médica dos participantes do estudo.RESULTADOS: No grupo estudado (idade média: 5,93 anos), a maior incidência de faringotonsilite foi observada no gênero feminino (64,76%). Foram detectadas maiores incidências de exsudatos tonsilares nos grupos A e C. Não foram observadas diferenças estatisticamente significantes dos níveis de citosinas entre os grupos. Porém os grupos A e o controle mostraram diferença nos níveis de IL-6 (p = 0.0016).CONCLUSÕES: Os grupos A e C mostraram maiores níveis de citosinas que os grupos B e o controle, sugerindo mecanismos imunológicos similares.

Effect of a probiotic mixed culture on texture profile and sensory performance of Minas fresh cheese in comparison with the traditional products / Efeito de uma cultura probiótica mista sobre o perfil de textura e o desempenho sensorial de queijo Minas frescal, em comparação aos produtos tradicionais

The effect of a mixed probiotic culture on instrumental texture, and on sensorial and related properties of Minas fresh cheese during refrigerated storage was investigated. Three cheese-making trials were prepared: T1, with the traditional type O starter culture (Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis + L. lactis subsp. cremoris), T2 with only lactic acid and T3, with lactic acid and the probiotic ABT culture (Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 + Bifidobacterium animalisBb-12 + Streptococcus thermophilus). Instrumental texture profile analysis and related properties were monitored during storage for up to 21 days. Lb. acidophilus and B. animalis were present in high levels throughout storage of cheeses T3, above 6 log cfu.g-1, threshold required for probiotic activity, and stimulation of the La-5 growth was observed. Cheeses with added probiotic ABT culture, as well as those made adding lactic acid only, showed to be less brittle and with more favorable sensorial features, due to higher pH values. Results indicated that the use of probiotic ABT culture complementary to lactic acid for the purpose of substituting the type O (Lc. lactis subsp. lactis + Lc. lactis subsp. cremoris) culture, traditionally employed for Minas cheese production, is advantageous.

Efeito de uma cultura probiótica mista sobre o perfil de textura e o desempenho sensorial de queijo Minas frescal, em comparação aos produtos tradicionais. O presente trabalho investigou o efeito de uma cultura probiótica mista sobre a textura instrumental, as características sensoriais e as propriedades relacionadas de queijoMinas frescal durante seu armazenamento refrigerado. Três variáveis de elaboração de queijo Minas frescal foram estudadas: T1, empregando-se a cultura lática mesofílica tradicional tipo O (Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis + L. lactis subsp. cremoris), T2,produzido somente com ácido lático e T3, empregando-se ácido lático e a cultura probiótica ABT (Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 + Bifidobacterium animalis Bb-12 + Streptococcus thermophilus). O perfil de textura instrumental e as propriedades relacionadas foram monitorados durante 21 dias de armazenamento dos queijos. As populações de Lb. acidophilus e de B. animalis estiveram elevadas durante o armazenamento do queijo T3, acima de 6 log UFC.g-1,população mínima requerida para apresentar efeito probiótico, e foiobservado um estímulo da multiplicação de La-5. Os queijos produzidos com a cultura probiótica ABT, assim como aqueles somente com ácido lático, apresentaram-se menos frágeis e com atributos sensoriais mais favoráveis, devido ao pH mais elevado. Os resultados indicaram ser vantajoso o emprego da cultura probiótica ABT complementarmente ao ácido lático para o propósito de substituição da cultura tipo O (Lc. lactis subsp. lactis + Lc. lactis subsp. cremoris), tradicionalmenteempregada para a produção de queijo Minas frescal.

Prevention of streptococcal pharyngitis by anti-Streptococcus pyogenes bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS) produced by Streptococcus salivarius.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Streptococcus salivarius is a numerically prominent member of the human oral microbiota that produces a variety of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS) having in vitro inhibitory activity against S. pyogenes. Our previous studies of S. salivarius isolates from children using a deferred antagonism BLIS production (P)-typing scheme showed that the 9 per cent of children having large populations of P-type 677 S. salivarius experienced fewer S. pyogenes acquisitions than either the 11 per cent of children having predominant P-type 226 populations or the 60 per cent of children with largely non-inhibitory (P-type 000) S. salivarius. Amongst the other BLIS P-types detected were a number of strongly-inhibitory (P-type 777) S. salivarius. In the present study the inhibitory agents produced by prototype strains of P-types 226, 677 and 777 S. salivarius are compared. METHODS: The prototype BLIS-producing S. salivarius strains SN, 20P3, and K12 were isolated from tongue swabbings. BLIS P-typing was done using standard procedures. The BLIS molecules were purified and characterized. RESULTS: S. salivarius SN (P-type 226) produces a heat-labile muramidase. S. salivarius 20P3 (P-type 677) produces the 2315 Da lantibiotic salivaricin A and S. salivarius K12 (P-type 777) produces two lantibiotics; salivaricin A2 (2368 Da) and salivaricin B (2733 Da). INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The P-type 777 S. salivarius strain produced salivaricin A2 and salivaricin B. The combined production of two anti-S. pyogenes BLIS activities by this strain indicates that it could be adopted as a colonizing strain in bacterial interference trials.

Evaluación de la actividad de cultivos probióticos sobre Listeria monocytogenes durante la producción y almacenamiento de yogur / Evaluation of the activity of probiotic cultures over Listeria monocytogenes during the production and storage of yogurt

The effect of probiotic cultures over Listeria monocytogenes during the production and storage of yogurt was evaluated. A yogurt mixture (10.6 per cent non-fat solid liquids, 3 per cent fat and 0.3 per cent gelatin) was prepared, homogenized and pasteurized. Yogurt was inoculated with 0, 10(2), 10(4) and 10(6) CFU/mL of L. monocytogenes and 0.02 per cent of traditional lactic culture YC 180 (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus) and probiotic culture ABY-1 (Bifidobacterium longum, B. bifidum, B, infantis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus thermophilus y Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus). It was incubated for 3 h at 43 degrees C until pH reached an approximate value of 4.8, followed by refrigeration at 5 degrees C for 21 days. During fermentation, samples were taken every hour, and during storage every 3 days, analyzing pH and lactic, bifidobacteria and pathogen count for each time. It was demonstrated that there was no significant simple effect for the type of culture used (ABY-1 and YC 180) (p = 0.684) over the amount of L. monocytogenes present in yogurt during the fermentation and storage periods. The presence of bifidobacteria in the ABY-1 culture did not present a significant effect over L. monocytogenes. Neither the effect of time presented a significant effect over L. monocytogenes (p = 0.448). In this case, the ABY-1 and YC 180 cultures present a bacteriostatic effect over the pathogen. The probiotic cultures had a bacteriostatic but not bactericidal effect over L. monocytogenes. This is not related to the protective effect of these cultures in bowel, since in-vivo conditions favor the production of antimicrobial substances, such as bacteriocins that act over pathogens.

Consideraciones sobre el aislamiento en exudados vaginales de Streptococcus morbillorum / The isolation of Streptococcus morbillorum from vaginal exudates

De el estudio de 195 exudados vaginales enviados por el Servicio de Ginecologia de este hospital, durante el periodo 1988-1990, hemos seleccionado aquellos en los que el cultivo fue positivo para estreptococos, 58 (30 por ciento) de los cuales 26 (44.8 por ciento) correspondia a Streptococcus morbillorum, 9 (15.5 por ciento) a Gardnerella vaginalis, 5 (8.6 por ciento) a Enterococcus faecalis-durans, y a Streptococcus agalactiae, 3 (5.1 por ciento) a Streptococcus mitis y Styreptococcus milleri, 2 (3.4 por ciento) a Streptococcus bovis y Streptococcus cremoris y 1 (1.7 por ciento) a Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus equinus y Strptococcus sanguis II respectivamente. En todos los casos se observó antecedentes de actuacción medicoquirurjica en el tracto genital, y en el 52,8 por ciento de los casos fuè concomitante con el diagnostico clinico-micologico de candidiasis vaginal. La identificacción bacteriologica se realizó mediante el sistema API 20 STREP (sistema api bioMérieux GmbH, Nüttingen, Alemania) dando un patron tipico ("excelente identificacción") para el Streptococcus morbillorum.

The effect of subminimal inhibitory concentrations of penicillin on growth rate and haemolysin activity of group G Streptococcus

The influence of the subminimal inhibitory concentrations (1/3 and 1/4 of the MIC) of penicillin on growth rate and on haemolysin production of a strain of group G Streptococcus was studied. It was shown that 1/3 of the MIC almost completely inhibited the bacterial growth, but it was not able to inhibit haemolysin activity in the culture supernate. The generation time of bacteria grown in 1/4 of the MIC was approximately twice longer than that of the control culture. In all cultures, the haemolysin, after being produced (or liberated), reached a peak and decreased to low levels, which could suggest that group G Streptococcus produces some end products of metabolism that are able to inhibit haemolysin activity

Producción de aminas no volátiles por cepas de enterococos / Production of non-volatile amines by strains of enterococci

En años recientes ha surgido un marcado interés por los problemas relacionados con la presencia de aminas no volátiles en distintos tipos de quesos, en especial desde la puesta en evidencia de un "síndrome del queso". Dado que no ha sido aún totalmente aclarada la capacidad de los distintos grupos microbianos empleados en los procesos de caseificación para producir estas aminas, se estudió la capacidad de producción de tiramina, triptamina e histamina de cepas de enterococos de probable utilización para la elaboración de "startes". Se esayaron 41 epas de enterococos, cultivándolas en leche sola y en leche con el agregado de los aminoácidos precursores. La extracción y análisis cromatográfico para detectar la presencia de animas se llevaron a cabo según el método indicado por Colonna y col. Se determinó que sólo bajos porcentajes de cepas de Streptococcus faecalis subsp. liquefaciens y de Streptococcus durans (34 y 11%, respectivamente) produjeron trazas de tiramina y triptamina al desarrolar en leche sola. En cambio, cuando se cultivaron en presencia de los aminoácidos precursores, elevados porcentajes de cepas de todas las especies produjeron tiramina en altas concentraciones, y porcentajes variables de ellas produjeron triptamina en concentraciones no superiores a 200 ppm. Todas las cepas ensayadas resultaron incapaces de producir histamina, en las dos condiciones de cultivo estudiadas. Se puede concluir que existe una alta probabilidad de que los enterococos produzcan tiramina ...