Preliminary results of Cytos 2 experiment.

Cytos 2 experiment, carried out during the French-Soviet manned flight (July 1982), has studied the antibiotics sensitivity of bacteria cultivated in vitro during the orbital flight. The results show an increase of the antibiotics resistance and a larger thickness of the cellular envelope for the inflight cells. The increase of antibiotics resistance can be related to a stimulating effect of space on the cell growth rate or to changes of the cellular envelope structure.

A simple method for the evaluation of antiseptic and disinfectant virucidal activity.

A simple method for evaluating the virucidal activity of water-soluble antiseptic and disinfectant products using poliovirus type 1 (Sabin strain) is described. Using a commercial concentrator, kinetic studies of four products were carried out. It was shown that 2% glutaraldehyde and 5% povidone iodine are rapidly virucidal. 0.2% glutaraldehyde and 2.5% noxythiolin (37 degrees C) are considerably less effective. 0.05% chlorhexidine digluconate has no virucidal activity.

[Comparison of 2 antiseptic soaps used for preoperative showers]. / Comparaison de deux savons antiseptiques utilisés pour douches opératoires.

This study was carried out in cardiovascular surgery wards and a single operating room. Two different antiseptic scrubs, A and B, were used for two showers given 48 and 24 hours respectively prior to surgery. A scrub (chlorhexidine digluconate 40 mg/ml) was used in 61 patients and B scrub (benzalkonium chloride 5 mg/ml) in 52, for a total of 113 participants. Clinical and bacteriological evaluations show statistically significant superiority of A scrub.

[In vitro virucidal activity of antiseptics and disinfectants. III. Dilution-ultrafiltration-reconcentration technic]. / Activité virucide in vitro des antiseptiques et désinfectants. III. Technique par dilution-ultrafiltration-reconcentration.

The method for in vitro investigation of virucidal activity of antiseptics (ATS) of disinfectants (DSF) using dilution-ultrafiltration-reconcentration includes two phases following contact of the virus with ATS or DSF: termination of antiviral activity by sudden cold dilution, and one or more filtrations on an immersible molecule separator designed to bring the tested agent's concentration below the cytotoxic level and to reconcentrate the treated viral suspension. Advantages of this technique are the following: precision of time of contact between virus and ATS or DSF, reconcentration of the viral suspension which partly offsets the termination dilution, relative simplicity, and study of true virucidal activity. Drawbacks are: inappropriateness for some agents such as povidone-iodine, and, in some instances, unreliability of immersible separators. Apart for those obtained with povidone-iodine, results are comparable to those yielded by simple dilution or gel filtration, particularly for glutaraldehyde, chlorhexidine and noxythiolin.

[Haemagglutinins and adhesins of Escherichia coli strains isolated from urine: inhibitory effect of sub-inhibitory concentrations of tetracycline, doxycycline and minocycline. Preliminary results ]. / Hémagglutinines et adhésines des Escherichia coli isolés des urines. Effet inhibiteur du chlorhydrate de tétracycline, de doxycycline et de minocycline à concentrations sub-inhibitrices. Résultats préliminaires.

The present work concerned the study of the sub-minimal inhibitory doses of tetracyclin, doxycyclin and minocyclin on both hemagglutinating activity and adhesion capacity demonstrated in three E. coli strains isolated from urine. Two different types of hemagglutinins, mannose-resistant (HAMR) and mannose-sensitive (HAMS), were associated in two strains; HAMR was present in the third strain. Adhesion capacity was detected, in vitro, with uroepithelial cells spontaneously eliminated in urine. Whatever the antibiotic used, HAMR titers clearly decreased. In contrast, the effect of these antibiotics on the HAMS titers was inconstant, according to the bacterial strain or the antibiotic used. Adhesion capacity was inhibited particularly in the presence of tetracyclin and doxycyclin. Minocyclin was not a very good inhibitor molecule. The analysis of coefficient of correlation showed that the ability of adhering to uroepithelial cells was related to the HA titers. But it is impossible to say if the same bacterial structure migt be considered as mediator for both HA and adhesion capacity.

Comparison between oral and systemic antibiotics and their combined use for the prevention of complications in colorectal surgery.

Ninety patients were included in this prospective randomized trial. Each required electric colorectal surgery and was prepared for operation with oral preoperative antibiotic therapy, systemic peroperative therapy, or by a combination of both. The number of each type of septic postoperative complication and their total did not differ between the group treated by oral antibiotics prior to operation and the group treated peroperatively with systemic antibiotic therapy. The total number of septic complications (wall abscesses, fistulas, subdiaphragmatic abscesses, septicemia, peritonitis), however, was significantly less (P less than 0.05) in the group treated by both preoperative oral antibiotics and peroperative systemic antibiotic therapy (3.3 per cent) than in either groups treated only orally preoperatively (30 per cent) or by systemic antibiotic therapy during the operation (23 per cent). The combination of oral antibiotic therapy prior to operation and of systemic peroperative antibiotic therapy, therefore, presents the most effective prophylactic effectiveness.

Malignant external otitis and polymorphonuclear leukocyte migration impairment. Improvement with ascorbic acid.

Malignant external otitis (MEO) is a rare disease due to a Pseudomonas infection of the external ear occurring in an elderly patient with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. Its high mortality raises the question of an alteration of the defense mechanisms of the body. A 58-year-old man was affected with MEO, and after several months of unsuccessful treatment, a study of the function of his polymorphonuclear neutrophil leukocytes (PMNs) revealed a defect of the migration capability. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) was proved in vitro to be able to improve the results of the migration test. The patient was treated for one month with ascorbic acid and, parallel to the normalization of the chemotaxis test results, the ear lesions healed. The mechanism of such an alteration of the PMN function, implying several factors (the active infection, old age, and diabetes mellitus), is still unclear. Nevertheless, it is certainly important to test the PMN function in patients with MEO and treat them with immunomodulators.

[Epstein-Barr virus infections in pregnancy. The serological profile of active infections in pregnant women. Their possible relationship with perinatal mortality (author's transl)]. / Les infections à virus Epstein-Barr (EBV) au cours de la grossesse. Profil sérologique des infections actives chez la femme enceinte. Ses relations possibles avec la pathologie périnatale.

A significant number of cases of deaths and of perinatal misfortunes are still of unknown origin. The role of pathological infection is probably important in these cases and particularly those in the Torch group of viruses, and among these, as has been shown by epidemiological and virological tests, the Epstein-Barr virus (E.B.V.). The authors have undertaken a prospective study based on serology, looking for E.B.V. antibodies in pregnancy. 1,164 women were studied and 74 of these had perinatal abnormalities. There is a significant relationship between active E.B.V. infection and mishaps in pregnancy.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in human pathology. II. Serologic profiles of EBV infections.

Antibodies to EBV induced intracellular antigens, (VCA, EA, NA) and VCA-IgM antibodies have been investigated to define EBV serologic profile of 245 individuals. This profile was a first studied in EBV primary infections. In infectious mononucleosis, the efficiency of EBV serodiagnosis is lower than Paul Bunnel Davidsohn reaction (PBD) : primary infection profile is only characterised in 80% of the positive PBD infectious mononucleosis (IM). On the other hand, EBV antibodies are preponderant for diagnosis in other clinical manifestations of EBV primary-infection were PBD is not alwasy positive (47%). EBV antibodies of patients with various diseases and antibodies of normal subjects show different profiles. By interpretation of these profiles one discuss the possibility to characterize reinfection, and either latent or active persistant infection.