Collagen types I and II distribution: a relevant indicator for the functional properties of articular cartilage in immobilised and remobilised rabbit knee joints.

The objective of the present work was to study changes in collagen type I and type II distribution in the articular cartilage of immobilised and remobilised rabbit knee joints. Twenty-four adult male rabbits were divided into three groups. One of the groups was a control group with free movement. The right knee joints of animals of the other two groups were immobilised for 4 weeks, followed by a period of 10 weeks of remobilisation for animals of group 3. Collagen type I and type II in the articular cartilage of tibial medial condyle of the right knee joint were estimated immunohistochemically in all groups. A degenerative process was evident after 4 weeks of immobilisation of rabbit knee joint leading to a partial shift in the density of collagen composition from type II to type I. After a period of 10 weeks of remobilisation, regenerative processes, evidenced by a restoration of collagen type II to normal, proceeded on top of degenerative processes, evidenced by the significantly higher content of collagen type I compared with normal. The present study pointed to the importance of assessment of collagen distribution as a relevant indicator for the functional properties of articular cartilage in immobilised and remobilised joints.

Foreign body in tracheal bronchus simulating bronchogenic cancer.

A foreign body in the bronchial tree may mimic many pathological conditions. We present a case of a 62-year-old patient with a foreign body in the tracheal bronchus simulating bronchogenic cancer. After the removal of the foreign body, there has been a gradual regression of the foreign body induced inflammatory changes. To the best of our knowledge, a similar case has not been reported in the English medical literature.

Simultaneous surgical management of iatrogenic pharyngeal perforation and distal esophageal malignancy.

Instrumental perforation of the pharynx with distal obstruction is a complex problem. A fistula is not likely to close in the presence of distal obstruction. The stenotic lesion needs to be treated in addition to the perforation. We report a 83-year-old female patient who underwent three-stage total esophagectomy and right cervical pharyngo-gastric anastomosis for iatrogenic pharyngeal perforation and distal esophageal malignancy. The radical surgical approach has the advantage of treating the immediate crisis due to perforation and also treating the stricture for which the esophagoscopy was originally performed.

Characterization of two Escherichia coli isolates associated with poult enteritis and mortality syndrome.

Two colonial types (1 and 2) of Escherichia coli are represented predominantly in cultures isolated from turkey poults with poult enteritis and mortality syndrome (PEMS). Biotype codes determined using two systems (BBL: 36570 and 34560 for colony types 1 and 2, respectively; API-20E: 5144572 and 5144512 for colony types 1 and 2, respectively) clearly establish these organisms as E. coli. These isolates were not clearly divergent from the general profile for E. coli, but colony type 2 differs from colony type 1 with regard to its negative reactions for ornithine decarboxylase and the fermentation of dulcitol, rhamnose, sucrose, and melibiose, suggesting that it is atypical. Colony type 1 is nonserotypable and nonmotile, whereas colony type 2 is serotyped as O136: motile because it has H antigens associated with flagella. Capsular antigens were not found, but thin capsules were seen on cells from both colony types in stained preparations. Cultural morphology was different with colony type 1 having a circular, mucoid, raised morphology and colony type 2 having an irregular, flat, rough morphology. Colony type 1 has a doubling time at 37 C of about 20 min, whereas colony type 2 doubles in 30 min. Furthermore, colony type 1 is a potent colicin producer, but colony type 2 is not a colicin producer. Both E. coli isolates have resistance profiles for multiple antibiotics. Each strain responds to third generation fluoroquinolone antibiotics by changing their biotypes and become resistant after culturing once in their presence. These E. coli are proposed as possible etiological links in the complex series of events that take place in poults susceptible to PEMS.

Prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni in eggs and poultry meat in New York State.

The presence of Campylobacter jejuni was tested for but not isolated from any of 276 eggs sampled from 23 egg farms in New York State. The presence of C. jejuni was evaluated in broilers, kosher broilers, spent layers, Peking ducks, and turkeys. Four of five poultry dressing plants tested showed positive growth of C. jejuni on the 25-carcass samples at various stages of processing. Twenty to 100% of live birds sampled contained C. jejuni on the skin but 90 to 100% were contaminated after scalding and defeathering operations from contaminated birds and equipment. A three to four-fold increase in carcass contamination was observed after evisceration. The number of C. jejuni on the carcasses decreased after washing and chilling. The organisms did not survive the salting, rinsing, and chilling operations in a kosher processing plant. Several pieces of equipment, i.e., shackles, eviscerating troughs, and cooling tanks were contaminated with C. jejuni. This study illustrates how C. jejuni may be transmitted from the live bird to the final poultry product.

Effect of an elevated level of carbon dioxide containing atmosphere on the growth of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria at 2, 7, and 13 C.

The effect of 80% CO2 (balance air) on the survival and growth of microorganisms most often associated with spoilage and foodborne disease in poultry carcasses was compared to air at 2, 7, and 13 C. The CO2 atmosphere substantially retarded the growth of the total bacterial load in uninoculated ground chicken meat and parts at all temperatures when compared to air; however, temperature had a larger overall effect than atmosphere. Ground chicken meat and synthetic broth were inoculated (greater than 10(4) cells/ml or g) with Pseudomonas fragi, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, or Clostridium sporogenes and the influence of 80% CO2 and incubation temperature studied. With the exception of Cl. sporogenes, 80% CO2 was inhibitory when compared to air at any given temperature. In most cases, CO2 was more inhibitory at 2 C than at 7 or 13 C. The Cl. sporogenes inoculum failed to grow above initial inoculum levels in any combination of temperature and atmosphere, but samples packed in 80% CO2 had higher numbers of colony forming units than air-packaged samples. This study does not indicate that modified atmosphere packaging of refrigerated poultry in elevated CO2 atmospheres increases the microbial hazards when compared to air at the same temperature.

The frequency of salmonellae on duck eggs.

Total plate counts on washed duck eggs from a breeder farm on Long Island were less than 30/shell during the winter (January to February) of 1982. Clean unwashed eggs had counts less than 9 X 10(1)/shell, whereas dirty unwashed eggs had counts as high as 9 X 10(5)/shell. Our results showed that washing with a chlorine sanitizer (under commercial conditions) was highly effective in reducing surface bacterial counts on egg shells. Prolonged storage reduced bacterial counts on clean eggs, but it did not significantly affect loads on dirty eggs. No salmonellae could be detected on shells or in the magma of all eggs examined. In a second trial (March 1982) bacterial loads on washed and clean duck eggs from six different breeder farms were low, ranging from too few to count to 10(2)/shell. A higher proportion of dirty eggs were heavily contaminated with counts ranging from 10(5) to 10(6)/shell, but no salmonellae were detected either on shells or in magma. In the third trial (May 1982) bacterial determinations on eggs from breeder ducks that were not confined followed the pattern of the second trial. However, in this trial Salmonella enteritidis was detected on dirty egg shells in four of six farms. In a fourth trial (May 1983), bacterial loads on washed and nest-clean eggs from the same breeder farms (not confined) ranged between 10(2) to 10(3)/shell and 10(2) to 10(4)/shell, respectively. S. enteritidis and S. badar were recovered from washed, nest clean, and dirty eggs in two of six farms. We conclude that proper egg washing and confinement of duck breeders should minimize the problem of salmonellosis in ducklings.