Efficacy of probiotics as an adjuvant agent in eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection and associated side effects.

The intestinal tract is a host to various types of bacteria that are essential to health. Interactions between intestinal bacteria, i.e. the normal microbiota of the host's intestine, have been a subject of intensive research, as they may influence disease cycles. Recent studies of selected probiotic species and their therapeutic benefits have suggested a potential efficacy in treatment of several gastrointestinal illnesses, including Helicobacter pylori infection. The increasing evidence from these clinical studies supports the promising role of probiotics in improving the treatment of H. pylori by increasing eradication rates as well as decreasing the adverse effects of current medication therapy. However, many unsolved questions remain which require high quality trials on specific probiotic strains in the future. The main part of this review will focus on the effects of supplementary probiotic products during standard triple H. pylori therapy.

Molecular analysis and susceptibility pattern of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains in emergency department patients and related risk factors in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become widespread in the hospital and in the community. Nasal colonization with MRSA has been identified as a risk factor for MRSA infection. AIM: To determine the prevalence of nasal colonization with MRSA among adult patients in the emergency department (ED) by considering the risk factors for MRSA carriage and antibiotic susceptibility patterns. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 810 patients in the ED in Kashan, Iran. A questionnaire concerning the risk factors for MRSA colonization was completed for each patient. Specimens were obtained from the anterior nares. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used for SCCmec typing, and a PCR assay was used to detect Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes. MRSA susceptibility to amikacin, clindamycin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, penicillin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, erythromycin, tetracycline, vancomycin and cefoxitin was determined by the disc diffusion method. FINDINGS: Two hundred and ninety-six (36.5%) and 26 (3.2%) out of 810 patients were S. aureus and MRSA nasal carriers, respectively. Of these, nine (34.6%), seven (26.9%), two (7.7%), two (7.7%), two (7.7%), one (3.8%) and one (3.8%) MRSA isolates were classified as type V, III, I, IVb, IVh, II and IVa, respectively, and seven (26.9%) MRSA isolates were non-typeable. PVL genes were not detected. All MRSA isolates were multi-drug resistant. CONCLUSION: A significant association was found between previous hospitalization, use of urinary and/or venous catheters and MRSA colonization. Further work on the epidemiology and risk factors for MRSA nasal colonization may be useful to guide the treatment and prevention of MRSA infections.

Influence of sericin/TiO2 nanocomposite on cotton fabric: part 1. Enhanced antibacterial effect.

Sericin as a biological material was extracted from raw silk by boiling in hot water and nano-TiO2 was dispersed in its solution. The prepared finishing agents with and without polycarboxylic acid cross-linking agents were treated on cotton fabric using pad-dry-cure. Presence of sericin, nano-TiO2, and cross-linking agents on cotton fabric was confirmed by at least one of the following experimental FTIR, SEM, EDX, and XRD. The antibacterial activity and the durability of modified cotton fabrics were investigated against one Gram-positive bacterium (Staphylococcus aureus) and one Gram-negative bacterium (Escherichia coli). The finishing treatment on the cotton fabric was more effective against S. aureus than E. coli. The fabrics treated with nano-TiO2 were possessed more activity against bacteria as compared to sericin and also considerably improved with given nanocomposite. The antibacterial activity of treated fabrics with cross-linking agents has not been considerably changed after 20 and 40 launderings. The fabrics treated with given nanocomposites did not dramatically affect the breaking strength.

Molecular epidemiology of aminoglycosides resistance in acinetobacter spp. With emergence of multidrug-resistant strains.

BACKGROUND: Acinetobacter spp. is characterized as an important nosocomial pathogen and increasing antimicrobial resistance. Our aim was to evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility and aminoglycosides resistance genes of Acinetobacter spp. isolated from hospitalized patients. METHODS: Sixty isolates were identified as Acinetobacter species. The isolates were tested for antibiotic resistance by disc diffusion method for 12 antimicrobials. The presence of aphA6, aacC1 aadA1, and aadB genes were detected using PCR. RESULTS: From the isolated Acinetobacter spp. the highest resistance rate showed against amikacin, tobramycin, and ceftazidim, respectively; while isolated bacteria were more sensitive to ampicillic/subactam. More than 66% of the isolates were resistant to at least three classes of antibiotics, and 27.5% of MDR strains were resistant to all seven tested classes of antimicrobials. The higher MDR rate presented in bacteria isolated from the ICU and blood samples. More than 60% of the MDR bacteria were resistance to amikacin, ceftazidim, ciprofloxacin, piperacillin/tazobactam, doxycycline, tobramycin and levofloxacin. Also, more than 60% of the isolates contained phosphotransferase aphA6, and acetyltransferase genes aacC1, but adenylyltransferase genes aadA1 (41.7%), and aadB (3.3%) were less prominent. 21.7% of the strains contain three aminoglycoside resistance genes (aphA6, aacC1 and aadA1). CONCLUSION: The rising trend of resistance to aminoglycosides poses an alarming threat to treatment of such infections. The findings showed that clinical isolates of Acinetobacter spp. in our hospital carrying various kinds of aminoglycoside resistance genes.

Beijing genotype and other predominant Mycobacterium tuberculosis spoligotypes observed in Mashhad city, Iran.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to understand the molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis in Khorasan province of Iran was studied by spoligotyping 113 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates. The spoligotyping results were in comparison to the word Spoligotyping Database of Institute Pasteur de Guadeloupe (SpolDB4). Spoligotyping data from Iran has rarely been described and there is limited information on the major circulating clades of M. tuberculosis in Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Spoligotyping was performed on 113 M. tuberculosis isolates from Mashhad patients between November 2004 and September 2005. RESULTS: The study found 57 spoligopatterns. 17 clusters and 32 true orphan genotype. The biggest cluster with 13 isolates had not been previously reported. The Beijing genotype was seen in eight (7.1%) isolates. CONCLUSIONS: Genotyping and Spoligotyping gives a unifying framework for both epidemiology and evolutionary analysis of M. tuberculosis populations.

Antimicrobial resistance among Escherichia coli strains isolated from healthy and septicemic chickens.

There is a clear association between heavy antimicrobial consumption in poultry industry and the recovery of resistant bacteria. This was a case-control study of 396 E. coli strains isolated from clinically affected broiler chickens and 132 strains from healthy controls to compare the antimicrobial resistance rates. Antimicrobial resistance testing of 525 avian E. coli strains isolated in Kashan-Iran showed very high levels of resistance to 11 antimicrobials tested, especially to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (98.7%) and to ciprofloxacin (69.7%). The prevalence rate of resistant E. coli to ciprofloxacin and erythromycin in the samples isolated from chickens with colibacillosis was significantly higher than healthy controls. In addition, to prevent the emergence of cross-resistance with human enteric pathogens, controlled use of these antimicrobial agents in veterinary practice is recommended.

Increasing resistant coagulase negative staphylococci in bovine clinical mastitis.

The aim of this study was to determine Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (CNS) and other bacteria for their resistance to antimicrobial agents approved for the control of pathogens involved in clinical bovine mastitis. This descriptive study was done on 106 milk samples obtained from clinical mastitis in dairy cattle husbandry from April 2006 through August 2006 in Kashan, Iran. From the total of 106 milk samples collected from clinical mastitis, 96 (90.6%) lead to positive culture. Coagulase negative Staphylococci isolated in 51 out of 96 samples (53.1%), Staphylococcus aureus isolated in 21 out of 96 (21.9%), gram negative bacilli isolated in 14 out of 96 (14.6%) and Enterococci isolated in 4 (4.2%). The highest rate of resistant CNS observed to penicillin (56.6%) and the highest rate of sensitivity to enrofloxacin 100%, followed by kanamycin, streptomycin and neomycin, 92.2, 82.3 and 82.3%, respectively. The highest rate of resistance S. aureus exhibited to penicillin (66.6%); while the highest rate of sensitivity showed to trimethoprim-sulphamethoxasole (81%), followed by kanamycin and enrofloxacin both at 76.2%. The highest rate of resistance gram negative bacilli exhibited to ampicillin and erythromycin at 71.4%. Their highest rate of sensitivity observed to enrofloxacin (78.6%), followed by kanamycin, (71.4%). In recent years, CNS is emerging as important minor mastitis pathogens and can be the cause of substantial economic losses. The high resistance rate to penicillin and other antibiotics found in this study emphasize the importance of identification of CNS when a bovine clinical mastitis is present.