A one-year survey of respiratory and urinary pathogens and their antimicrobial susceptibility.

A one-year (1993) survey of the distribution of pathogens causing respiratory and urinary infections and their antimicrobial susceptibility was performed. The most common bacteria isolated from the lower respiratory tract of patients in a district general hospital were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (35.9%) and Staphylococcus aureus (21.4%). About half of the Pseudomonas strains revealed a resistance to imipenem and gentamicin, whereas almost all Staphylococcus strains were resistant to penicillin G. The most common isolates from urine of in and out-patients were Escherichia coli (32.3% and 39.8%) and Enterococcus faecalis (16.6% and 14.2%). Escherichia coli strains were largely susceptible to almost all chemoantibiotics tested, whereas Enterococcus faecalis demonstrated a high resistance pattern. Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from urine were more sensitive to chemoantibiotics than respiratory strains and the susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from hospitalized or out-patients was different. A periodic monitoring system devised to give information about the circulation of bacteria and the chemoantibiotic resistance in a local context would be useful to assess the local trends and select drugs for therapy.

Genetic analysis of chromosome 13 deletions in BCR/ABL negative chronic myeloproliferative disorders.

Chromosomal deletions of band 13q14 occur recurrently in BCR/ABL negative chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPD), including myelosclerosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM), polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET), juvenile chronic myeloid leukemia (JCML), and the so-called BCR/ABL- chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The RBI tumor suppressor locus, mapping to 13q14, has long since been hypothesized as the important gene. In this report, we have determined the frequency of 13q14 deletions at the molecular level in a large panel of BCR/ABL- CMPD at different disease stages and performed a detailed genetic analysis of gross rearrangements/deletions and point mutations of the RBI gene in these disorders. Our data show that molecular deletions of 13q14 are detected in a relatively large fraction of BCR/ABL- CMPD (38%), that they appear to be more frequent in MMM than in other BCR/ABL- CMPD, and that they may be present at diagnosis or occur during blastic evolution of the neoplasia. The RBI gene displayed a germline configuration in all BCR/ABL- CMPD tested, suggesting that 13q14 deletions in these disorders affect a tumor suppressor locus distinct from RBI.

Rapid identification of mycobacteria from culture using acridinium-ester-labelled DNA probes.

OBJECTIVES: Our study used newly developed acridinium-ester-labelled DNA (AE-DNA) probes on 183 mycobacterial isolates, performing the tests on 12B Bactec vials and Loewenstein-Jensen (LJ) slants. METHODS: The probe results were verified using the conventional method as a reference. RESULTS: The probe for M. tuberculosis complex correctly identified 131 of 133 M. tuberculosis isolates, with two false negatives and no false positives, for a sensitivity of 98.5% and a specificity of 100%. The M. gordonae probe correctly identified 27 out of 27 M. gordonae isolates, with no false negatives and one false positive, for a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 90.9%. One hundred sixty-eight of the 183 isolates were screened in accordance with an algorithm, designed primarily for the rapid detection and identification of M. tuberculosis. CONCLUSION: The use of the algorithm considerably reduced detection time: M. tuberculosis strains were identified within 16.2 +/- 2.3 days, while identification by conventional method required 35.7 +/- 5.5 days. Probe testing resulted in a cost increase of 67.8%.

[Contribution of the serum anti-mycobacterial IgG measurement to the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Personal cases]. / Contributo della determinazione delle IgG sieriche antimicobatteriche alla diagnosi di tubercolosi. Casistica personale.

Data of a transversal research on 36 suspected tuberculosis (tb) inpatients of St. Luigi Hospital are reported. Serum antimycobacterial antibodies Class IgG to A60 were measured by means of ELISA. Final diagnosis was tb in 19 subjects, while 9 had a tb history over different years. Sensitivity was 78.94% and specificity 75%. According to with other recent reports, our results are poorly discriminating. However, the test, if valued with other clinical data, can contribute to the ascertainment of tb.

[Phenomenon of primary resistance of Koch's bacillus: report on cases assembled at the pneumological hospital S. Luigi in Turin from 1972 to 1975]. / Il fenomeno della resistenza primaria del bacillo di Koch: casistica raccolta nell'ospedale pneumologico S. Luigi di Torino dal 1972 al 1975

In this work the authors stress the importance reached in recent years by the primary resistance phenomenon in pulmonary consumption, and they explain the results pointed out by the examination of 171 antibiograms effected from 1972 to 1975 on patients with pathological forms ascertained for the first time. They conclude by underlining the reduction of the primary resistance when employing common antibiotics and, on the contrary, its rise with the use of the rifampicin which has recently been introduced in therapy; lastly they put into evidence the epidemiological importance of the phenomenon itself.

[A new colorimetric test in oncologic diagnosis: experiences and evaluation criteria]. / Un nuovo test colorimetrico nella diagnostica oncologica: esperienze e criteri valutativi

The authors have examined a new colorimetric test, set up by Nixon in 1973 and appropriately modified by them. They have found out 80,14% positive reactions in 146 cases of neoplasms and 82,54% negative reactions in 126 patients suffering from tubeycular and different diseases; lastly 95% negative reactions in apparently healthy individuals. According to the authors' opinion, this test seems to be useful in the diagnosis of neoplasms, when joined, of course, with other diagnostic means now in use.