[Influence of obstetric factors on the quality of cord blood units collected for allogeneic transplantation].

Umbilical cord blood (CB) as a source of haematopoietic stem cells for allogeneic transplantation has many advantages over bone marrow and peripheral blood, however, a main limitation to its use in clinical setting is cell numbers. This study aimed to assess the impact of mother/neonatal factors on the quality of CB units, collected for allogeneic transplantation. We analyzed 33 CB units collected in University Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynaecology "Maichin dom" and donated to the National public bank for stem cells, University Hospital "Alexandrovska", Sofia. A significant increase (p < 0.001) of total nucleated cell (TNC) values was found after CB processing. A trend of higher values of CD34+ cells was observed in CB units obtained from vaginal deliveries compared to Cesarian section births, and from female newborns compared to their male counterparts. CD34+ cell number positively correlated with CD34+ percentage and TNC count. Our preliminary data demonstrate the need of a large retrospective evaluation of different obstetric factors in order to establish criteria for appropriate selection in our country of umbilical cord blood donors for public banking.

[Neonatal complications of children born after in vitro fertilization].

The purpose of this report is to compare the neonatal indices and the frequency of neonatal pathology in children, born after in vitro fertilization with those after natural conception. The study, which is a retrospective one, comprises all newborns from the three maternity hospitals of Pleven (University hospital, Saint Marina Obstetrical clinic, Avis-Medica Hospital) for the last 2 years. The comparative indices of the babies in the two groups are: birth weight and gestation age at birth, morbidity by separate nosological units: asphyxia, intraamniotic infection, intrauterine growth retardation, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, congenital anomalies etc.), multiple births. The maternity age, delivery pattern, mean hospital stay and mortality are discussed too. The results are compared with other international data.

[Clinical efficacy of a new method for LEEP conization with pistol-shaped electroknife].

The aim of this study is to establish clinical efficacy of a new method for LEEP conization of uterine cervix. The study is open, retrospective, performed at Department of General and Oncogynecology - Military Medical Academy (Sofia, Bulgaria) for the duration from 2007 till Mar 2010. The study includes 37 women at age from 19-50 years with proved high grade CIN (included Ca coil uteri in situ) by abrasion or biopsy. Medical history was collected from all patients enrolled in the study as well as gynecological examination and colposcopy was performed to them. A LEEP with short intra venues anesthesia was performed to the patients. An innovation system for LEEP conization and generator for monopolar currency ERBE VIO 300D was used. The follow up visit was performed one month after the treatment procedure and included gynecological examination and colposcopy (positive/negative atypical colposcopy results). The clinical efficacy of the method was evaluated on the base of histological results. The patients whose histological results show negative endocervical margins were accepted for cured. From 37 patients in total with different stage of dysplasia and carcinoma in situ hospitalized at Clinic of surgical gynecology for surgical treatment, in 33 (89%) there are negative endocervical margins. These patients formed the cured group. In four patients (10.8%) were discovered histological evidences for positive endocervical margins. The LEEP was not the final operative procedure for them. They were included in the uncured group. The final results achieved from the study about the efficacy of the used method LEEP has statistical significance (d.f .= 1, X2 = 2.82, p < 0.05). The data shows that the LEEP eliminate completely the affected by malignant process areas of cervix uteri. The LEEP can be used as a common surgical method in the treatment of the women with high stage of pre-carcinoma and carcinoma in situ coli uteri.

[Prevention of anemia of prematurity].

Anemia of prematurity is seen in infants of less than 32 weeks' gestation. This anemia is due to low erythropoietin level and endogenous insufficiency of iron and vitamins. Administering of recombinant human erythropoietin, iron and vitamins in time is logic prevention alternative. The aim of our study is to examine the frequency of late haemotransfusions as an indicator of this prevention. We have investigated 181 children, who were born before the 32nd gestational week and who were distributed in two groups: group A (with prevention) and group B (without prevention). We found no significant difference in the frequency of the late transfusions between the two groups, but the results of the prevention in the most mature infants were better than those of the infants who were born before the 30th gestational week.

Microbiological quality of freshly shot game in Germany.

In the framework of a project on the hygiene status of freshly shot game 289 samples were microbiologically analysed: 127 samples from wild boars, 95 from roe deer and 67 from red deer. The microbiological parameters evaluated were the mesophilic aerobic count (APC), which showed mean log10-counts of 2.6cfu/cm(2) for roe deer, 2.9cfu/cm(2) for red deer and 3.2cfu/cm(2) for wild boars and the numbers of Enterobacteriaceae, which gave mean log10-values of 2.1cfu/cm(2) for all three species with differing ranges. The concentrations of coagulase positive staphylococci were >2.0 log10cfu/cm(2) between 3.2 and 6.3%, according to species. Listeria was found in 14 samples and three samples gave a positive result for Campylobacter. Salmonella was not found in any of the samples analysed.

Anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 microbicide cellulose acetate 1,2-benzenedicarboxylate in a human in vitro model of vaginal inflammation.

The sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is facilitated by inflammation and related epithelial barrier perturbation. Microbicides for vaginal applications are currently being developed to reduce the risk of HIV-1 transmission. However, little is known about their interference with epithelial immune function. In recent clinical trials, nonoxynol-9 (N-9), a virucide with a long history of intravaginal use as a contraceptive, failed to protect against HIV-1 possibly due to mucosal inflammatory damage. Cellulose acetate 1,2-benzenedicarboxylate, also named CAP (for "controls AIDS pandemic"), is an anti-HIV-1 microbicide selected from pharmaceutical excipients that are regarded as safe for oral administration but have not been assessed for potential effects on inflammatory factors in the vaginal environment. Here we use a sensitive human cell culture system to evaluate proinflammatory profiles of soluble CAP in reference to N-9 and known epithelial activators such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and bacterial lysates. Within 6 h of exposure, TNF-alpha and N-9 triggered NF-kappaB and AP-1/cFos activation and upregulated interleukins and an array of chemokines by vaginal and polarized cervical epithelial cells. The induced proinflammatory status continued after removal of stimuli and was confirmed by enhanced transepithelial neutrophil migration. While sustaining stability and anti-HIV-1 activity in the epithelial environment, CAP did not increase the production of proinflammatory mediators during or after exposure, nor did it modify the epithelial resistance to leukocyte traffic. CAP attenuated some TNF-alpha-induced responses but did not interfere with epithelial cytokine responsiveness to gonococcal determinants. The described system may be useful for predicting proinflammatory side effects of other microbicide candidates for vaginal application.

Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and staphylococcal enterotoxins in raw pork and uncooked smoked ham--a comparison of classical culturing detection and RFLP-PCR.

In many countries Staphylococcus aureus is considered to be the second or third most common pathogen causing outbreaks of food poisoning, only outnumbered by Salmonella spp. and in competition with Clostridium perfringens. Often the consumption of ham or meat containing staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE) is identified as cause of the illness. Thus, to gain an insight into the prevalence of S. aureus and its emetic enterotoxins in raw pork and uncooked smoked ham and to investigate how the prevalence of the pathogen is influenced during the fabrication process, a total of 135 samples of raw pork, salted meat and ready-for-sale uncooked smoked ham were examined for the prevalence of S. aureus and staphylococcal enterotoxins A to D (SEA-SED). To this means classical cultural methods were employed as well as molecular biological techniques (PCR) and the results were compared. In 25.9% of all samples S. aureus was detected by culture whereas 51.1% of the samples showed a positive result when PCR was used for the detection of the pathogen. Fresh meat was contaminated most often. By PCR, 62.2% were identified as being S. aureus positive compared to 57.7% positive samples using the cultural technique. The detection rate during the fabrication process declined significantly. The pathogen was cultivated from 8.9% of the salted meat samples. Here, 55.6% of the samples reacted positively in the PCR, and finally, in approximately a third of the ready-for-sale smoked hams, S. aureus genes were found. From 11.1% of these samples, the pathogen could be isolated by culture. From these results, we conclude that the PCR used in this study is more sensitive than the classical cultural method. By PCR, one or more staphylococcal enterotoxin genes were found in 24 of the 135 examined samples. This means that 34.8% of the staphylococcal strains identified using the PCR technique were enterotoxigenic. Using the SET-RPLA, a percentage of 28.6% enterotoxigenic isolates was ascertained. No staphylococcal enterotoxin formation was detected by the SET-RPLA in ready-for-sale ham, although SE-genes were found by PCR. The detection of SE-genes by PCR is faster and easier to perform than the SET-RPLA.

Prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in poultry and poultry meat in Germany.

Of 509 samples from poultry flocks, 209 isolates (41.1%) were Campylobacter positive. The number of positive cases in broiler carcasses was 45.9%. Of 52 pheasants investigated, 25.9% were Campylobacter positive. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from 86 (42.0%) poultry flock samples, 47 (43%) broiler samples and 15 (28%) wild pheasant samples. C. coli was found at a rate of 1.2% in poultry flocks, 13% in broilers and 21% in pheasants.

[Campylobacter spp. in the surroundings of poultry meat production-- incidence and chinolone resistance]. / Campylobacter spp. im Rahmen der Geflügelfleischgewinnung-Vorkommen und Chinolon-Resistenz.

The incidence of Campylobacter in poultry meat production and in poultry meat gives cause for increasing concern in this field. Results of studies about clinical cases of Campylobacter in humans show a growing tendency. With poultry and foal mainly C. jejuni and C. coli are isolated, while C. jejuni has been identified as one of the most frequent bacterial pathogens of enteritis in humans also. Of altogether 509 samples from poultry herds, 209 isolates (41.1%) were Campylobacter positive. Tests in slaughter-houses showed that there are various factors that influence the contamination of the carcass during the process of slaughtering. The number of positive cases with chicken carcass is about 45.9% which is higher than with the animals, flocks. Of 52 pheasants 25.9% were Campylobacter positive. During the last 3 years Campylobacter isolates showed a growing Chinolone resistance (19.14% in butchered roast chicken and 28.5% in pheasants.

[Plasmid profiles of different Salmonella serovars from poultry flocks in Germany]. / Plasmidprofile verschiedener Salmonella-Serovare aus Geflügelbeständen in Deutschland.

151 salmonella isolates belonging to 6 serotypes and originating from diverse material collected in broiler chicken farms, hatcheries and poultry slaughteries in Northern Germany during 1984 and 1990 were investigated for their plasmid DNA content. This is the first report describing plasmids of S. saint-paul, isolated from poultry lines. The different plasmids of 22 Md, 3.1 Md, 2.4 Md and 1.1 Md molecular weight can be used for further epidemiological studies of salmonellosis in poultry. The 62 Md plasmid of S. typhimurium and the 36 Md plasmid of S. enteritidis have been found to be serovar specific. The smaller plasmids (m. w. less than 5.0 Md), found in S. virchow and S. blockley can be used for further epidemiological studies.