[Comparison of various diagnostic kits and antigens for the detection of chlamydial antibodies in the serum of patients with respiratory diseases] . / Porovnanie rôznych diagnostických súprav a antigénov pre dokaz chlamýdiových protilátok v sérach pacientov s respiracnými ochoreniami.

Examination of sera of patients with respiratory diseases did not reveal any substantial difference in detection of chlamydial antibodies by ELISA using two commercial kits (Chlamydia STAT and rRLISA) demonstrating IgG antibodies and two corpuscular antigens prepared from Chlamydia psittaci and Chlamydia pneumoniae in the Institute of Virology, SAS, in Bratislava detecting whole serum antibodies. However, higher sensitivity of rELISA diagnostic kit was found when analyzing immunoglobulin classes, namely in case of IgG antibodies. Results of ELISA were in a great majority of cases, confirmed by examination of sera by microimmunofluorescence test, corpuscular antigens from the Institute of Virology being somewhat more sensitive than the commercial Micro-IF test kit. (Tab. 4, Ref. 23.)

Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates: susceptibility to some antibiotics and surface hydrophobicity.

The susceptibility of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated from the respiratory tract (55), urinary tract (19) and other human body sites (8) to the antibiotics, amoxycillin/clavulanate, cefuroxime, ceftazidime, gentamicin, norfloxacin, colistine, cotrimoxazole and oxolinic acid, as well as their surface hydrophobicity, were studied. The strains expressed a very high sensitivity to the antibiotics (94.7-100%). The surface hydrophobicity of the strains was evaluated by means of three assays and was minimal. The hydrophobicity manifested by adherence to xylene ranged between 0 and 10% for 96.4% of the respiratory strains, and for 100% of the urinary and other sites. Weak binding of Congo red (10-29 micrograms/10(10) cells) showed 96.4% of respiratory isolates as well as 100% of the urinary and other strains. Results of the salt aggregation test showed that 96.4% of respiratory strains and 100% of urinary and other strains aggregated only at 1.5 M, 2 M or higher concentrations.

[The effect of rotating magnetic fields on the growth of Deal's guinea pig sarcoma transplanted subcutaneously in guinea pigs]. / Sledovanie vplyvu rotujúceho magnetického pol'a na rast Dealsovho morcacieho sarkómu subkutánne transplantovaného morcatám.

The effect of rotating magnetic field (RMF) was studied on the growth of Deals' guinea pig sarcoma (DGPS) transplanted subcutaneously into the inguen of guinea pigs. The 0.2 ml of transplanted suspension contained 1.5-2.0 x 10(6) of vital DGPS cells. Over a period of 24 days the animals were daily two times exposed to RMF for 3 hours. The animals were sacrificed in chloroform anesthesia, the inguinal tumors, lungs and hearts were removed and weighed. The following findings were recorded: 1. RMF inhibited the growth of DGPS cells in experimental guinea pigs compared to control animals (p < 0.001); 2. In the experimental animals DGPS cells did not metastasize into the lung parenchyma; 3. The pathological characteristics of the tumors in the experimental and control group of guinea pigs tended to be different. (Tab. 3, Ref. 14.)

[Use of ELISA for the detection of IgG antibodies to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the diagnosis of tuberculosis]. / Vyuzitie ELISA na dokaz IgG-protilátok proti Mycobacterium tuberculosis v diagnostike tuberkulozy.

The presence of mycobacterial antibodies of IgG type was determined in serum, cerebrospinal fluid and pleural puncture fluid by using ELISA and soluble antigens of the strain Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. In patients suffering from tuberculosis the most frequently found titer was 1:320 and above. This titer was however found also in 30% of healthy subjects of the control group and 29% of patients with other than tuberculous disease. The sensitivity of the test was 0.7692 and its specificity 0.4594. On examining cerebrospinal fluid of patients with suspect tuberculous meningitis, positive titers of 1:640 and 1:1280 were found in two cases, while the titers of all the other patients were definitely negative. In both cases with positive titers there was also a high antibody titer in serum and additionally also culture positivity or positive biological test was evidenced. This combination of examinations allows prompt administration of antituberculous therapy in case of positivity. The results obtained in examining pleural puncture fluid and serum are open to discussion.

[Different effects of a weak static and a weak rotating magnetic field on the growth of mycobacteria]. / Rozdielne pôsobenie slabého statického a slabého rotujúceho magnetického pol'a na rast mykobaktérií.

The authors studied the effect of weak static and weak rotating magnetic field of the same intensity on the growth of some slow- and some fast-growing mycobacteria and on the course of the enzymatic reaction of iron reduction by fast-growing mycobacteria. The experiments yielded the following results: 1. Weak rotating magnetic field inhibited totally the growth of all mycobacteria tested. In the weak static magnetic field the mycobacteria exhibited, after the initial phase of growth depression, full growth comparable to that in controls. 2. The enzymatic reaction of iron reduction by mycobacteria was blocked in the weak rotating magnetic field, whereas in the weak static magnetic field the final phase of this process was comparable to the results obtained in controls.

[Pulmonary autoantibodies in bronchial asthma patients undergoing cave and climate therapy in Bystrá]. / Lungenautoantikörper bei Patienten mit Asthma bronchiale, die einer Speleo- und Klimatherapie in Bystrá unterworfen wurden

Pulmonary autoantibodies were determined by us in the sera of 37 patients who underwent a 6-week speleo- and climatotherapy in the cave of Bystrá. The titres found in both groups of patients showed no difference. Global evaluation revealed a high incidence of pulmonary autoantibodies. We saw a direct relationship between the titre and the degree of severity of the disease or the clinical condition. The demonstration of circulating pulmonary autoantibodies in bronchial asthma is possibly not only of diagnostic value but also of prognostic importance.