Activity of tigecycline against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli in Granada, Spain.

We evaluated the in vitro activity of tigecycline using the Etest and disk diffusion method according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines against clinical isolates of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) as well as for CTX-M-9 extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli and SHV ESBL-producing E. coli. All isolates were susceptible to tigecycline according to US Food and Drug Administration cut-off points. There were no differences in the activity of tigecycline between MSSA and MRSA isolates or between the presence of either type of ESBL. For each type of microorganism studied, we established the equation relating the minimum inhibitory concentration to the diameter of the zone of inhibition.

[A study of clinical response to antibiotic treatment in subjects with chronic bacterial prostatitis]. / Estudio de la respuesta clínica al tratamiento antibiótico en sujetos con prostatis bacteriana crónica.

A study was carried out on the clinical response to antibiotics in 105 patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis. Two groups of patients were compared in a retrospective study. The results of rectal examination, ultrasound scan, microbiological analysis, and response to different antibiotic therapy regimens were compared. There was a high incidence of perineal-testicular pain and sexual potency reduction; prostate congestion and pain on rectal examination were frequently reported. All the patients had positive microbial cultures, with Gram-negative microorganisms being predominantly isolated. Following the administration of different antibiotic therapy regimens, symptoms either disappeared or diminished, irrespective of whether positive cultures remained. A poorer clinical response was observed in patients with positive prostate ultrasound and rectal examination, and with isolated Gram-negative bacilli. No differences were observed between either group in clinical response to different antimicrobial regimens.

[Efficacy of two gene species in the serological diagnosis of Borrelia burgdorferi infections]. / Eficacia de dos genoespecies en el diagnóstico serológico de la infección por Borrelia burgdorferi.

BACKGROUND: There is phenotypic and genetic variability among the species Borrelia burgdorferi that produces Lyme disease. Three gene species and seven serotypes have been defined. AIM: To study the efficacy of two gene species in the serological diagnosis of Borrelia burgdorferi infections in Granada, Spain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One thousand sixty nine sera coming from 1,251 subjects without Lyme borreliosis were analyzed. These subjects were studied for health or pregnancy controls, differential diagnosis of viral disease, diagnosis of syphilis, neurological or rheumatic diseases. In all samples, antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi (B31 and Pko strains) and against Treponema pallidum were investigated. Screening tests (ELISA and hemagglutination) were followed by confirmations tests for positive samples (Western Blot IgG strain B31 and FTA-abs respectively). A clinical and laboratory follow up was done for subjects with positive serological tests. RESULTS: The global rate of positive antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi B31 was 8.31% and against the strain Pko was 0.64%. Western blot was negative in 36% of subjects with positive ELISA B31. The distribution of antibodies against the strain B31 was acute herpes virus infection in 16%, gestation in 3%, HIV infection in 6.4%, T pallidum infection in 36%, rheumatic diseases in 25%, neurological diseases in 17.5% and health controls in 7.4%. The percentage of positive Western Blot analyzes were 0.8, 2.1 and 0.4% respectively. A reversion of positive ELISA tests was observed in 6 subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The disparity in rates of antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi in different geographic regions may be due to differences in the serological tests used. The high rate of false positive ELISA tests underscores the need to use other serological tests.

[Correlation between the presence of cytomegalovirus antibodies and antigen in blood leukocytes for the diagnosis of primary active infection]. / Correlación entre la presencia de anticuerpos y antígeno de citomegalovirus en los leucocitos de sangre para el diagnóstico de la infección activa primaria.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infections measuring IgG or IgM antibodies has a high rate of false positive or negative results, specially in immunocompromised patients. AIM: To compare the diagnostic yield of antibodies against cytomegalovirus with the measurement of the antigen in peripheral leukocytes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty three blood samples coming from pediatric patients with suspected cytomegalovirus infections were analyzed. Low affinity IgG and IgM antibodies against Epstein Barr virus and cytomegalovirus, using indirect ELISA assays, and the virus antigen in peripheral leukocytes, using a commercial immunoperoxidase assay, were measured. RESULTS: Seven patients had positive IgM antibodies against cytomegalovirus. In five of these the viral antigen was detected in peripheral leukocytes. Twenty patients had positive antibodies against Epstein Barr virus, and in 16 patients all serologic tests were negative. CONCLUSIONS: There is not a good correlation between antibodies against cytomegalovirus and the detection of its antigen in patients with acute infections.

Seroepidemiology of measles, mumps and rubella virus infections in normal children and adults in southern Granada, Spain: response to a vaccination programme.

A seroepidemiological study of measles, mumps and rubella virus infection in normal children and adults in southern Granada, Spain, and the response to a vaccination programme was carried out. Protection from the mumps and rubella virus was reduced in the group of 3 to 7 year-old children vaccinated at age 15 months indicating the need for revaccination against rubella as well as the mumps virus.

[Activation of cell death in lymphocytes from individuals infected with HIV]. / Activación de la muerte celular en linfocitos de individuos infectados por el HIV.

BACKGROUND: In HIV infection, T cells depletion cannot only be explained by direct viral infection. Programmed cell death (PCD), also know as apoptosis or activation-induced cell death, may be responsible for the deletion of reactive T cells that contributes to HIV induced immunodeficiency. We studied the response of lymphocytes in vitro to different polyclonal and oligoclonal (superantigen) activators, and tested whether the stimulation of T cells from individual with HIV infection lead to cell death. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells, total T lymphocytes, TCD4+ and TCD8+ cells from 10 positive patients, 2 patients with AIDS and 10 negative individual for the virus were cultured in RPMI medium and subjected to stimulation with PHA, PWM and SEB (staphylococcus B enterotoxin). Trypan blue was used to distinguish viable from dead cells. RESULTS: TCD4+ cells from HIV-infected patients die after SEB or PWM activation (almost 40% from asymptomatic and 80% from AIDS), and do not die TCD8+ from the same individuals (around 10-15%), or T cells from seronegative controls. CONCLUSIONS: Lymphocytes from patients with HIV-infection showed as abnormal proliferative response to self-MHC class II restricted recall antigens and PWM whereas the response to PHA was conserved. Probably, apoptosis is triggered by an aberrant form of T cell activation in the mature TCD4+ cell population in HIV-infected individuals.

[Pattern of antimicrobial susceptibility of enterococci strains]. / Patrón de susceptibilidad a los antimicrobianos de cepas de enterococos.

Enterococci resistance to antimicrobials has increased lately. We studied the susceptibility to 12 antimicrobials of 150 enterococci strains coming from hospitalized and outpatients, using the agar dilution method. Teicoplanin, followed by imipenem and amoxicilin-clavulanic acid had the lower minimal inhibitory concentrations. No strains of E faecalis was resistant to ampicillin, whereas 14% of E faecium had minimal inhibitory concentrations over 8 micrograms/ml. The high minimal inhibitory concentrations of cefpirome (64 micrograms/ml) renders this antimicrobial useless in the treatment of enterococcal infections. Betalactamase production and resistance to glucopeptides were not detected. Antimicrobial susceptibility of strains coming for hospitalized or outpatients were similar.

[Acute infections caused by Epstein-Barr virus. Comparative study of various diagnostic methods]. / Infección aguda por virus de Epstein-Barr. Estudio comparativo entre diversos métodos de diagnóstico.

Comparative performance of four methods (IFI, IgM anti-VCA, Organon Teknika; ELISA, IgM anti VCA, Incstar Corp and Pharmacia Diagnostic Inc; ELISA IgM against a group of several antigens which principal component is EBNA, Behring Institute) to detect antibodies (Abs) against Epstein-Barr virus in 180 patients (group 1) with infectious mononucleosis with no heterophil Abs (Organon Teknika), 180 healthy subjects with no heterophil Abs (group 2) and 20 patients with infectious mononucleosis (group 3) and with positive heterophil Abs, were studied. In group 1, 10% of patients had IgM Abs, without differences IgM Abs. In group 3 all patients had IgM Abs with no differences in the methods studied. There were no differences in the performance of the evaluated methods to detect IgM against different antigens, but those which use a group of antigens from the virus could be more useful in patients immunologic disorders.

Comparison of in vitro activity of cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime alone and in combination against 320 gram-negative clinical isolates.

The antimicrobial activity of cefotaxime and its intermediate metabolite, desacetylcefotaxime, against 320 Gram-negative bacterial strains was analysed to investigate whether combination of the 2 substances led to increased bactericidal activity. The in vitro study of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) showed the combination to be more effective against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp. and Proteus mirabilis, requiring less than or equal to 50% of the concentration of cefotaxime alone to inhibit 90% of strains. For other micro-organisms the MIC90 for the combination was equal to or within 1 dilution of that for cefotaxime alone.