Characterization of Mycobacterium species by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

A rapid method has been standardized for extraction and SDS-PAGE analyses of mycobacterial cellular protein. Complex patterns were reproducibly obtained of the 31 reference strains or clinical isolates studied, belonging to 11 species. These patterns were species specific; thus this method could be an easy tool for mycobacterial strain characterization.

[Lipid pneumonia and superinfection by Mycobacterium fortuitum. Apropos of a case]. / Pneumonie lipidique et surinfection par Mycobacterium fortuitum. A propos d'un cas.

We report a case of lipoid pneumonia complicated by supra-infection with Mycobacterium fortuitum. The diagnosis of a lipoid pneumonia was suggested by the CT Scanner which showed a negative density in the pneumonic tissue. The supra-infection by the mycobacterium dit not change the radiological opacities which stayed the same following a cure of the mycobacterial infection. A histo-pathological study showed evidence of macrophages with voluminous lipid inclusions but equally the atypical mycobacteria were associated with a giant cell-epithelioid reaction. In patients with a lipoid pneumonia the possibility of an infection should be considered and a supra-infection with an atypical mycobacterium should be looked for. At the same time, when a bacteriological study of sputum or fibreoptic aspiration of a rapidly growing mycobacterium is obtained this should raise the possibility of oil inhalations. Alveolar lavage seems to be a technique which seems to be entirely appropriate to obtain the diagnosis of the two concomitant disorders.

[Mycobacterium chelonei cutaneous infections. General review apropos of a case]. / Infections cutanées à Mycobacterium chelonei. Revue générale à propos d'un cas.

Mycobacterium chelonei is a facultative pathogen which exists as a saprophyte in the environment and rarely produces clinical manifestations in humans. We describe a 62-year-old woman, long-term treated with low-dose steroids for severe asthma, who presented sporotrichoid-like lesions on one leg. These lesions appeared two months after a cat-scratch and were present for six months. Histological examination showed acute inflammation with polymorphonuclear infiltration without tuberculoid granuloma nor caseation necrosis. Ziehl-Neelsen stains were negative. Mycobacteria were found by direct examination and Mycobacterium chelonei chelonei was identified by culture. Treatment with isoniazid, rifampicin and ethambutol was given for one month and followed by complete resolution of the lesions, though each of these antibiotics was not effective in vitro. The literature about Mycobacterium chelonei infections is reviewed and the role of the antibiotherapy in clinical recovery is discussed.

[Value of the study of fibrinogen affinity in the identification of Staphylococcus aureus. Results of a multicenter study]. / Valeur de la recherche de l'affinité pour le fibrinogène pour l'identification de Staphylococcus aureus. Résultats d'une étude multicentrique.

The passive haemagglutination reaction for detecting the Staphylococcus aureus fibrinogen affinity was done in a collaborative study. The test was compared to the major tests used in medical microbiology. The test was as efficient as the protein A or coagulase tests. Its simplicity, rapidity and specificity make it a useful tool for the diagnosis of this species.