ABSTRACT
In four adult women with various clinical conditions, curved anaerobic bacilli, similar to organisms recently assigned to the new genus Mobiluncus, were isolated from extragenital sources. None of the patients presented symptoms or clinical abnormalities related to the genital tract. The clinical data of these cases are reported and the microbiological findings are briefly described.
Subject(s)
Bacteria, Anaerobic/isolation & purification , Bacterial Infections/microbiology , Abscess/microbiology , Adult , Female , Humans , Mastectomy/adverse effects , Mastitis/microbiology , Middle Aged , Pregnancy , Surgical Wound Infection/microbiology , Vagina/microbiology , Vaginitis/microbiologyABSTRACT
In order to determine if gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) on concentrated stool extracts could be substituted to cell culture assay for cytotoxicity, we prospectively studied 154 diarrhoeal stools submitted for detection of Clostridium difficile toxin. Isocaproic-positive samples were cultured on egg yolk agar supplemented with cycloserine, cefoxitin and fructose for isolation of C difficile, and on egg yolk agar plus kanamycin for isolation of other clostridium species. Of the 154 samples, 129 were GLC-negative (height of the isocaproic peak less than 1.2 cm) and were toxin-negative. Twenty-five stools yielded isocaproic acid; C difficile isolated from 13 of them, six of which were also toxin-positive. Four other isocaproic-positive samples yielded C bifermentans and C sordellii; all were toxin-negative. These results indicate that a negative GLC is an excellent screening test for excluding C difficile infection; positive results must be checked by toxin testing and culture since they are not necessarily associated with the presence of C difficile or its toxin.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Proteins , Bacterial Toxins/analysis , Clostridium Infections/diagnosis , Cytotoxins/analysis , Feces/analysis , Caproates/analysis , Chromatography, Gas , Clostridium/isolation & purification , Clostridium/metabolism , Diarrhea/microbiology , Feces/microbiology , HumansABSTRACT
Gas-liquid chromatography has been used directly on clinical specimens as a method for presumptive diagnosis of anaerobic infections. This technique proved to be valuable and reliable. Combined with a Gram stain, it offers the possibility to differentiate in less than 1 hour aerobic from anaerobic infections by means of detection of volatile fatty acids (short chain monocarboxylic acids) others than acetic acid.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Infections/diagnosis , Fatty Acids/analysis , Bacteria, Anaerobic/metabolism , Chromatography, Gas/methods , Fatty Acids, Volatile/analysis , Humans , SuppurationABSTRACT
We report the occurrence of Campylobacter jejuni peritonitis complicating C. jejuni enteritis in a patient treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Cure followed oral administration of erythromycin and intraperitoneal therapy with gentamicin.
Subject(s)
Campylobacter Infections/etiology , Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory/adverse effects , Peritoneal Dialysis/adverse effects , Peritonitis/etiology , Campylobacter fetus , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
A new diagnostic kit, which contains a polyvalent antiserum for either Bacteroides fragilis or Bacteroides melaninogenicus, was tested for reliability and specificity on 146 clinical samples of different origin. A correlation between the culture and immunofluorescence was observed for B. fragilis in 87.39% of cases and for B. melaninogenicus in 81.48% of cases. When pure cultures were tested, aerobically as well as anaerobically, false-positive reactions were observed with staphylococci and Clostridium ramosum spores. The well-defined morphology of these bacteria and spores allows for the elimination of any diagnostic error. The method is rapid, and the margin for error is limited. The test gives a semiquantitative idea of the number of bacteroides organisms present in the clinical specimens even in the presence of a mixed flora.
Subject(s)
Bacteroides Infections/diagnosis , Bacteroides fragilis/immunology , Bacteroides/immunology , Prevotella melaninogenica/immunology , Antibody Specificity , Bacteroides Infections/microbiology , Bacteroides fragilis/isolation & purification , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , Humans , Prevotella melaninogenica/isolation & purification , Reagent Kits, DiagnosticABSTRACT
A 71-year-old patient living in a street where major road works were taking place developed diffuse bronchopneumonia with changes in hepatic and renal biochemical tests. Since neutrophilia was moderate and all bacteriological investigations were negative, the patient was given erythromycin and was tested for antibodies directed against Legionella pneumophila. The titers of these antibodies rose from 32 to 2048 after one month. The patient was cured.
