[Immunological studies of the activity of Aspergillus flavus Link. I. Antigen analysis and evaluation of its chemical composition and toxicity]. / Badania immunologicznej aktywnosci Aspergillus flavus link. I. Otrzymywanie antygenów, ocena skladu chemicznego i ich toksycznosci.

The aim of this study was to get insight into chemical structure and toxigenicity of antigenic preparations obtained from A. flavus Link strain isolated from industrial environment. A microbiol multiplication and an antigenic fractions preparation scheme is presented. The method proposed allows to obtain antigens from culture filtrate (APP), mycelial extract (AEM), and two subfractions obtained from AEM: supernatant--AS and precipitated--API. The strain tested did not show aflatoxigenic activity and antigenic fractions obtained were free of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2 in concentrations detectable by thin-layer chromatography. A chemical composition of the antigenic fractions was tested. A content, depending on fractions, of proteins ranged from 32.0 to 74.5 micrograms/ml, of sugars from 15.0-44.5 micrograms/ml, phosphorus 0.5-1.5 micrograms/ml, and nitrogen 2.5-4.9 micrograms/ml. Toxicity of APP and AEM antigens designated for laboratory animals immunisation was also determined. The values of LD50 for APP preparation was 2.00 mg/mouse and for AEM - 2.75 mg/mouse. These data give evidence of moderate toxicity of these preparations.

[Study of immunological activity of Aspergillus flavus Link. II. Immunogenicity, antigenic properties and evaluation of cross reactions of Aspergillus flavus antibodies with Aspergillus fumigatus antigens]. / Badania immunologicznej aktywnosci Aspergillus flavus link. II. Immunogennosc i antygenowosc, ocena krzyzowej immunoreaktywnosci przeciwcial dla A. flavus z antygenami A. fumigatus.

The aim of this study was to determine immunogenic and antigenic properties of tested strain. Chemically characterised AEM and APP antigens were used for immunisation of laboratory animals. Immunogenic, antigenic and multideterminant character of tested preparations was shown by immunodiffusion technique. It was found that AEM and its two fractions AS and API share common immunodeterminant what requires additional studies on their further separation. Using techniques described in this study no antigenic relationship was found between tested A. flavus strain and antigens derived from A. fumigatus and A. candidus. Multideterminant character of AEM and APP was confirmed by rockett immunoelectrophoresis, defining 6 different immunodeterminants for APP and 9-10 determinants for AEM, showing by the method used as separate precipitation arcs. In this study a fused rockett immunoelectrophoresis was highly appreciated as an usefull technique for investigation of fungal antigens. The results obtained require further confirmation by testing human sera. They indicate that it would be usefull to apply other antigens than derived from A. fumigatus and A. candidus for clinical diagnostic of Aspergillosis and related diseases.

[Studies of immunological activity of Aspergillus flavus Link. III. Presence of antibodies against fungal antigens in the sera of persons from selected groups]. / Badania immunologiczej aktywnosci Aspergillus flavus link. III. Obecnosc przeciwcial skierowanych przeciw antygenom grzybowym w surowicach wybranych grup ludzi.

The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of antibodies against antigens of A. flavus (APP, AEM, AS, API), A. fumigatus and A. candidus. One hundred and fifty two sera of individuals connected with industrial environment were tested, in which A. flavus was permanently isolated: 339 sera of healthy controls-blood donors of city of Poznan, and 24 sera of patients with confirmed or suspected Aspergillosis were also included in the study. The sera were tested for a presence of specific antibodies by immunoprecipitation in 1% agar gel, by using inactivated sera and above mentioned antigens. In a group of people having permanent contact with A. flavus, antibodies to antigens derived from this genus were present in 4.6% of individuals while against A. fumigatus antigens in 0% and A. candidus 0.7%. In blood donors group 5 times lower percentage of sera having anti-A. flavus antibodies was found and a complete lack of detectable antibodies for other two genera. The results of the studies of patient sera indicate a necessity of broadening a set of fungal antigens used for an investigation of this type of sera. Antibodies against A. flavus were found in three patients and for A. fumigatus in 7 patients. One patient had antibodies for both genera and two patients had antibodies against A. flavus lacking antibodies against A. fumigatus. The results of this study indicate that antigens of A. flavus should be included into serodiagnosis of Aspergillosis.

[Presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria and fungi in the cooling-lubricating emulsion used in the aluminum sheet rolling process]. / Obecnosc potencjalnie chorobotwórczych bakterii i grzybów w emulsji chlodzaco-smarujacej stosowanej w procesie walcowania blachy aluminiowej.

Microbiological tests of aluminium rolling water-oil emulsion reveal high level of contamination: relatively anaerobic bacteria 10(6)-10(8) cells/ml, fungi and yeasts 10(3)-10(4) cells/ml, and also anaerobic bacteria Desulfovibrie sp. reducing sulfates to hydrogen sulfide. In emulsion samples there were present bacterial strains potentially dangerous to health, belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae, Vibrionaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Bacillaceae. The fungi and yeasts found in the emulsion were identified as: Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Cladosporium sp., Cephalosporium sp., Candida sp. The emulsion sprayed in aerosol in air of the mill was the infecting source for the workers. The emulsion was protected by a biocid and thus the growth of potentially pathogenic microorganisms was inhibited.

Experimental infection in rabbits evoked by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae treated with gentamicin, amikacin and sisomicin.

Rabbits were infected with freshly isolated strains of Ps. aeruginosa, P. mirabilis, E. coli or K. pneumoniae and treated with gentamicin, amikacin or sisomicin in a controlled study. Therapeutic results were evaluated by survival of animals and viable counts of etiologic bacteria in several tissues after sacrification of treated animals at the same time. Sisomicin was the drug of choice for Ps. aeruginosa and P. mirabilis infections, when compared with amikacin and gentamicin. Its action is practically equal to that of amikacin in K. pneumoniae infection. Sisomicin appeared less active in E. coli infections than amikacin, but was superior to gentamicin.