Correlation between bacterial population and axillary and plantar bromidrosis: study of 30 patients.

Although studies on the chemistry of odors are expanding to identify the chemical structures of odorous substances, there are no universal standards as yet to measure odor and intensity of bromidrosis. Clinical evaluation can be made on a subjective scoring from 0 to 3 prior to prescription of an antiseptic soap. In order to appreciate the correlation between the intensity of bromidrosis (BI) and bacterial activity, a study was carried out with both clinical and bacterial assessment in thirty patients with axillary or plantar BI. Odor intensity was evaluated by two physicians using a score from 0 to 3 (i.e. absent, minor, moderate, major), meanwhile bacterial composition and density were assessed before and after 10 days of hygiene using an antiseptic detergent (trichlocarbanilide) provided on the first visit. Baseline count of diphtheroids/cm2 was 35.104 and baseline micrococci average was 32.104/cm2. At the end of the study, the reduction of odor intensity was observed in 20 patients (67%) without any change in sweat production. The clinical improvement correlated with a reduction of both micrococci (70%) or diphtheroids (73%) as compared with initial data. In patients presenting persistant bromidrosis, the bacterial count/cm2 did not significantly decrease and remained above 104 diphtheroids/cm2. Thus, this study suggests that body odor may be at least indirectly correlated to microbia counts with a bacteria threshold of BI ranging around and above 104.

Spiroplasma turonicum sp. nov. from Haematopota horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) in France.

Strain Tab4cT, a helical prokaryote that was isolated from the body of a Haematopota sp. fly collected in Champchevrier, Indre-et-Loire, Touraine, France, was found to be a member of the class Mollicutes. The cells of strain Tab4cT were small, motile helices that were devoid of a cell wall. The organism passed through filters with mean pore diameters as small as 0.20 mm. Strain Tab4cT grew rapidly in liquid SP-4 medium at both 30 and 37 degrees C. The organism fermented glucose but did not hydrolyse arginine or urea, and did not require serum for growth. In preliminary electrophoretic analyses, the cell protein patterns of strain Tab4cT were distinct from those of 14 other spiroplasmas found in mosquitoes, deer flies and horse flies from Europe and the Far-East. In reciprocal metabolism inhibition and deformation serological tests, employing antigens and antisera representative of spiroplasma groups I-XXXIII (including all sub-groups), plus ungrouped strains BARC 1901 and BARC 2649, no serological relationship with Tab4cT was found. The G + C content of the DNA of strain Tab4cT was about 25 +/- 1 mol% and its genome size was 1.305 kbp. It is proposed that spiroplasma strain Tab4cT be assigned to group XVII (presently vacant) and that strain (ATCC 700271T) is the type strain of a new species, Spiroplasma turonicum.

Spiroplasma diminutum sp. nov., from Culex annulus mosquitoes collected in Taiwan.

Initially, strain CUAS-1T (T = type strain), which was isolated from a frozen triturate of Culex annulus mosquitoes collected in Taiwan, was thought to be a member of spiroplasma group VII. This placement was based on the spiroplasma deformation test titer observed when strain CUAS-1T spiroplasmas were tested with Spiroplasma monobiae MQ-1T antiserum. The results of subsequent reciprocal spiroplasma deformation, metabolism inhibition, and growth inhibition tests clearly revealed that strain CUAS-1T is not serologically related to previously described spiroplasma groups (groups I to XXIV) and thus is a representative of a new group, group XXV. Strain CUAS-1T was characterized by using the minimal standards for mollicute species descriptions. During logarithmic-phase growth, strain CUAS-1T cells are characteristically very short helices with 1.5 to 2 helical turns (1 to 2 microns), highly motile, and bounded by a single trilaminar membrane and form granular colonies with satellites when the organism is grown aerobically on MID medium containing 1.6% agar. Growth in MID broth occurs at temperatures ranging from 10 to 37 degrees C, and the optimum temperature is 30 degrees C. Substrate utilization tests revealed that cholesterol is required for growth, that glucose is hydrolyzed, and that arginine is not hydrolyzed both in the presence and in the absence of glucose. The genome of strain CUAS-1T is 1,080 kbp long, and the guanine-plus-cytosine content is 26 +/- 1 mol%. On the basis of the results of our studies we propose that strain CUAS-1T (group XXV) should be placed in a new species, Spiroplasma diminutum. Strain CUAS-1 (= ATCC 49235) is the type strain of S. diminutum.

Cloning, sequencing and expression of Pseudomonas testosteroni gene encoding 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase.

We describe the cloning, sequencing and expression of the 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 alpha-HSD) gene of Pseudomonas testosteroni. A genomic library of P. testosteroni total DNA constructed from SauIIIA digests ligated to an lambda gt11 vector was probed with a polyclonal antibody raised against purified enzyme. Subclones derived from a recombinant phage containing a 1746 bp insert were sequenced and found to contain an open reading frame of 696 bp that corresponds to a protein of 231 amino acid residues. A search for homologous proteins was performed. No similarity was observed when comparing 3 alpha-HSD with known members of the short-chain dehydrogenase family. However a small proteic fragment (80 amino acids) shows homology with the N-terminal sequence of bacterial L7/L12 ribosomal proteins.

[Cloning of genes coding for 3-alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and for (3-17)-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas testosteroni]. / Clonage des gènes codant pour la 3 alpha-hydroxystéroïde déshydrogénase et pour la (3-17)beta-hydroxystéroïde déshydrogénase de Pseudomonas testosteroni.

A genomic library of Pseudomonas testosteroi total DNA constructed from SauIIIA digests ligated to a lambda gt11 vector was probed with different polyclonal antibodies raised against purified 3 alpha-HSD and (3 beta-17 beta)-HSD. Two different clones reacting with one antibody were selected. The clone reacting with (3-17)beta-HSD antibody contained a 2,661-base pair insert and was found to contained an open reading frame of 765 base pair that corresponds to a protein of 254 amino-acid residues. A 1,492-base pair was inserte in pBR 322 plasmid vector; the recombinant bacterie over expressed the (3-17)beta-HSD gene. The clone reacting with 3 alpha-HSD antibody contained a 1746 base pair insert which contained an open reading frame of 696 base pairs that corresponds to a protein of 231 amino-acid residues. A search for homologous proteins was performed. Distant similarities were found between (3-17)beta-HSD and members of the short-chain alcool dehydrogenase (SCAD) family but no similarity was observed between 3 alpha-HSD and proteins of this family.

Cloning, DNA sequencing and expression of (3-17)beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas testosteroni.

We describe the cloning, sequencing and overexpression of the (3-17)beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase gene of Pseudomonas testosteroni. A genomic library of Ps. testosteroni total DNA constructed from SauIIIA digests ligated to a lambda gt11 vector was probed with polyclonal antibody raised against purified enzyme. Subclones derived from a recombinant phage containing a 2661-base-pair insert were sequenced and found to contain an open reading frame of 765 base pairs that corresponds to a protein of 254 amino acid residues. A 1492-base-pair fragment was inserted into pBR322 plasmid vector and used to construct a strain of E. coli HB101 that overexpressed the steroid dehydrogenase gene.

[Sensitivity to various antibiotics of spiroplasmas isolated from mosquitoes in France]. / Sensibilité à divers antibiotiques de six souches de spiroplasmes isolés de moustiques en France.

Spiroplasmas are helical mycoplasmas that play a significant role in plant diseases. They are also found in arthropods that are likely to bite humans, such as ticks and mosquitoes. These arthropods can act as vectors and therefore may be of epidemiologic significance. Furthermore, mainly on the grounds of morphologic evidence, spiroplasmas have been incriminated in the genesis of human Creutzfeld-Jacob disease. We recovered six strains of Spiroplasma sp. from 1927 female mosquitoes. In vitro susceptibility of each strain to the following antibiotics was studied: tetracycline, oxytetracycline, doxycycline, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, rifampin, kanamycin, gentamicin and pefloxacin. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by dilution in liquid SP4 medium using microtiter plates. Plates were incubated for 24 to 48 hours at 30 degrees C. The inoculum contained approximately 5 X 10(5) CFU/ml. Each of the six strains was found to be highly susceptible to tetracycline, oxytetracycline, doxycycline, erythromycin, chloramphenicol and pefloxacin (MICs less than or equal to 0.16 microgram/ml, 0.63 microgram/ml, 0.08 microgram/ml, 0.16 microgram/ml and 0.32 microgram/ml respectively). On the opposite, the strains exhibited resistance to rifampin and variable degrees of susceptibility to kanamycin (12.5 micrograms/ml less than MIC less than 50 micrograms/ml) and gentamicin (3.12 micrograms/ml less than MIC less than 50 micrograms/ml). From our results, spiroplasmas seem to have more or less the same susceptibility to antibiotics as mycoplasmas.

[Spiroplasmas and hematophagous arthropods; prospects in tropical pathology]. / Spiroplasmes et arthropodes hématophages; perspectives en pathologie tropicale.

Spiroplasmas are original wall-free prokaryotes which exhibit motility and a helical shape although lacking any cell wall or motile apparatus. They are known by phytopathologists because some of them are responsible for severe arthropod-borne plant diseases, such as Spiroplasma citri, the etiologic agent of "citrus stubborn disease". Other spiroplasmas are pathogenic for a number of insects: drosophila, bees and beetles. More recently spiroplasmas were also isolated from ticks, mosquitoes, horse-flies and deer-flies opening a new chapter in medical pathology. These agents are of possible great significance in Tropical Medicine.

[Isolation of Spiroplasma in France (Savoie, North Alps) from mosquitoes of Aedes genus]. / Isolement de Spiroplasmes en France (Savoie, Alpes du Nord) à partir de moustiques du genre Aedes.

Six strains of Spiroplasma sp. were isolated from Aedes mosquitoes collected in France, in the northern part of the Alps. As these isolates came from anthropophilic species of mosquitoes, the possible epidemiological and pathological importance of such observations is briefly discussed. No virus was isolated from these same mosquitoes.

[Yersinia enterocolitica septicemia occurring in a hospital milieu. A case with septic shock in an immunocompromised patient]. / Septicémie à Yersinia enterocolitica survenue en milieu hospitalier. Une observation avec choc septique chez un malade immunodéprimé.

A case of Yersinia enterocolitica septicemia is reported. This case is unusual as the infection was apparently acquired within the hospital and septic shock occurred during the course. Immunodeficiency, which is nearly consistent in similar observations and was established in the index case, was apparently caused by protein-calorie deficiency, without any of the usual associations reported in the literature.

[A case report of septicaemia due to Campylobacter fetus variety intestinalis on a cancerous patient (author's transl)]. / Un cas de septicémie à Campylobacter fetus variété intestinalis chez un cancéreux.

The authors report a case of Campylobacter fetus septicaemia from a cancerous patient. The bacterium was isolated from three blood cultures. The infection characteristics are briefly discussed.