First antimicrobial resistance data and genetic characteristics of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from Estonia, 2009-2013.

Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection with major public health implications and Neisseria gonorrhoeae has developed resistance to all antimicrobials introduced for treatment. Enhanced surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in N. gonorrhoeae is crucial globally. This is the first internationally reported antimicrobial resistance data for N. gonorrhoeae from Estonia (44 isolates cultured in 2009-2013). A high prevalence of resistance was observed for azithromycin, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline. One and two isolates with resistance and decreased susceptibility to the last remaining first-line treatment option ceftriaxone, respectively, were identified. It is crucial to implement surveillance of gonococcal antimicrobial resistance (ideally also treatment failures) in Estonia.

Guidelines for the laboratory diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis infections in East European countries.

The present guidelines aim to provide comprehensive information regarding the laboratory diagnosis of infections caused by Chlamydia trachomatis in East European countries. These recommendations contain important information for laboratory staff working with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and/or STI-related issues. Individual East European countries may be required to make minor national adjustments to these guidelines as a result of lack of accessibility to some reagents or equipment, or laws in a specific country.

A new probiotic cheese with antioxidative and antimicrobial activity.

The aim of our study was to develop an original probiotic cheese based on the Estonian open-texture, smear-ripened, semisoft cheese "Pikantne." Cheese was produced by two methods using cheese starter cultures (Probat 505) in combination with 0.04% of probiotic Lactobacillus fermentum strain ME-3 (10(9) cfu/mL) with high antimicrobial activity and antioxidative properties. The probiotic Lactobacillus was added into milk simultaneously with starter cultures (cheese A) and into drained curd (cheese B). After addition of probiotic L. fermentum ME-3, the cheese composition, flavor, and aroma were comparable to the control cheese (score values = 4.5, 4.2, and 3.7 for control cheese, cheese A, and cheese B, respectively). Cheese A, which had good sensory properties, was chosen for further testing of viability and probiotic properties. The probiotic strain was found to withstand the technological processing of cheese, surviving and sustaining moderate antimicrobial and high antioxidative activity throughout ripening and storage (the ripened cheese contained approximately 5 x 10(7) cfu/g viable ME-3 cells), although the viability of the ME-3 strain incorporated into the cheese showed a slight decrease between d 24 and 54 after cheese preparation. Semisoft cheese "Pikantne" serves as a suitable carrier of antimicrobial and antioxidative L. fermentum ME-3.

[Lactobacillus flora and colonization resistance]. / Laktoflora i kolonizatsionnaia rezistentnost'.

Lactobacillus flora of healthy persons and the properties influencing the protective function of lactobacilli are described. It was shown that the species and quantitative composition of the Lactobacillus flora in healthy persons was characterized by individual features and the Lactobacillus flora of separate microbiotopes was different. Furthermore, the properties defining the protective function of lactobacilli in the host: colonization capacity, direct antimicrobial activity and interference with other protective mechanisms were also different in separate species and even strains.

[The defense function of the digestive tract lactoflora]. / Zur Abwehrfunktion der Lactoflora des Verdauungstraktes.

Lactobacilli can belong to the gut flora or to the flora associating with gastrointestinal epithelial surfaces. They play an important role within the microbial defense mechanisms taking part in the colonization resistance and in the decontamination of the host. Lactobacilli affect the immune response. They accelerate the revival of the small intestinal epithelial cells. Those strains of lactobacilli with distinct antagonistic properties with lysozyme activity and resistance against lysozyme often develop a compact glycocalyx. They are endowed with a high adhesion capacity. The intestinal lactoflora consists of several species with different defense properties.

[Effect of antibiotics on the adhesive properties of microorganisms and an available model for its study]. / Nekotorye aspekty vliianiia antibiotikov na adgezivnye svoistva mikroorganizmov i dostupnaia model' ego izucheniia.

The effect of benzylpenicillin, ampicillin, bicillin-3, carbenicillin, levomycetin, erythromycin, streptomycin and kanamycin on the adhesive properties of 9 test microbes including 5 strains of Lactobacillus from human microflora, 3 uropathornic strains of E. coli and 1 strain of S. aureus was studied with the method developed by the authors. The method is based on the use of formalinized human erythrocytes as macroorganism cells. It was shown that the antibiotic inhibitory effect on adhesion depended on mechanism of action of the antibiotics and their concentration, was associated with the level of the microbial adhesion and did not depend on the microbial sensitivity to the drugs.

[Erythrocyte adhesiveness in cosmonauts]. / Issledovanie adgezivnosti éritrotsitov kosmonavtov.

The adhesive property of red blood cells of cosmonauts was investigated during various stages of their professional activity. The study was carried out using three test microorganisms: L. casei A6, L. brevis A16 and L. buchneri A14. The results show that the adhesive property of red blood cells varies during different periods of space flight. In contrast to long-duration flights, short-term flights cause greater changes in this parameter. During readaptation the adhesion of red blood cells was significantly increased as compared to that preflight and immediately postflight.

[Adhesive and hemagglutinating properties of lactobacilli]. / Adgezivnye i gemaggliutiniruiushchie svoistva laktobatsill.

The study of the adhesive and hemagglutinating properties of the strains of different Lactobacillus species isolated from the human digestive tract and sour milk products were carried out. 49 strains of 9 Lactobacillus species were studied; of these, 10 strains had been isolated from saliva, 11 strains from feces, 7 strains from milk and 5 strains from sour cream. 11 collection strains and 2 strains used in the production of lactobacterin served as controls. Adhesion was studied in vitro on human red blood cells used as a model. Red blood cells used in the experiments had been taken from 23 donors aged 25-52 years. Lactobacilli were found to have certain inter and intraspecific differences in their adhesiveness. The adhesiveness of the lactobacilli isolated from human feces was considerably greater than that of the strains isolated from sour milk products and of the collection strains. Only the strains of lactobacilli with low adhesiveness possessed pronounced hemagglutinating properties.