Evaluation of the Analytical Properties of the Diagon CoagXL Coagulation Analyzer.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate the analytical properties of the DIAGON CoagXL (Budapest, Hungary) coagulation system. METHODS: The study includes a total of 212 normal, 49 pathologic plasma samples sent to our laboratory. The par-tial thromboplastin time (PTT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) measurements were performed on the Diagon CoagXL and Stago StaR coagulometers. The precision, method comparison, carry-over, activity determination, and reference range verification studies were performed with Diagon CoagXL, the test analyzer. RESULTS: In the precision study performed with normal and pathologic plasma samples for the PT and aPTT tests, the within-day coefficient of variation (CV%) was 1.9 in the normal and 0.68 in the pathologic plasma for the PT, and for the aPTT it was 0.61 in the normal and 0.9 in the pathologic plasma. The between-day CV% was 1.6 in the normal plasma and 5.5 in the pathologic plasma for the PT and 3.7 in the normal plasma and 2.1 in the pathologic plasma for the aPTT. In the comparison study, the entire group mean ± standard deviation (mean ± SD) value for the INR was found to be 3.13 ± 1.26 in the CoagXL and 2.67 ± 0.82 in the StaR analyzer. The difference between these values was statistically significant (p < 0.006). For aPTT, mean ± SD value was found to be 39.44 ± 25.02 seconds (sec) in the CoagXL analyzer and 43.4 ± 27.63 sec in the StaR analyzer. The difference between these values was not statistically significant (p > 0.5). In the carryover study, the carryover value was -0.16 for the PT and 0 for the aPTT, which was under the allowable limit value (< 3 SD). In the percent activity determination study, regression equation of prothrombin activity (%) versus time (sec) was found as y = 341.6567 ± 37.1920x + 1.0913x2 (R2 = 0.97). The reference range verification analyses reveal that the manufacturer ranges were acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: Verification studies of CoagXL analyzer system was acceptable. But in comparison studies of PT we saw that there are still problems with recommended INR system.

Evaluation of new Beckman Coulter 25(OH) Vitamin D assay and potential improvement of clinical interpretation.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to assess the analytical performances of the newly developed Access2 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) total immunoassay on two analysers, DxI800 and Access2 (Beckman Coulter, Brea, CA, USA), and compare these two and a recalibrated Modular E 170 25(OH)D assay (Roche Diagnostics, Penzberg, Germany) with reference liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with special emphasis on clinical diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Beckman immunoassays were assessed for imprecision, accuracy, limit of blank (LoB), limit of detection (LoD), limit of quantitation (LoQ), linearity, interference, and carryover. One hundred and nineteen samples were run on DxI 800, Access2, and E 170, and agreement with the LC-MS/MS method was evaluated. RESULTS: DxI 800 and Access2 assays showed good performances in terms of LoB, LoD, LoQ, linearity, and interference. All immunoassays showed negative biases ranging from - 8.6% (DxI 800) to - 19.2% (Access2). DxI 800 and Access2 systems had proportional biases, and the E170 system had a constant bias with the largest random error. Concordance correlation coefficient values ranged from 0.941 (CI: 0.917-0.958) for DxI800 to 0.854 (CI: 0.811-0.889) for Access2. Kappa (κ) coefficients were found moderate for Dxl (0.709; CI: 0.581-0.837) and E170 (0.771; CI: 0.587-0.844) and fair for Access2 (0.572; CI: 0.428-0.716). CONCLUSIONS: All immunoassays can be used in routine 25(OH)D measurements, still fairly diagnosing patients' status. Recent standardization attempts seem not to contribute too much to clinical diagnosis. A clinical laboratory must at least be aware of its method to avoid misinterpretation of results.

Efficacy of Computed Tomography (CT) Attenuation Values and CT Findings in the Differentiation of Pleural Effusion.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of computed tomography (CT) findings for characterizing pleural effusions with the use of attenuation values. MATERIAL/METHODS: One hundred and twenty eight patients with pleural effusions on thoracic CT who underwent thoracentesisis within two weeks were studied. Pleural effusions were classified as exudates or transudates according to the Light's criteria. A region of interest was placed for the measurement of Hounsfield Unit (HU) values in the area of the greatest amount of effusion on each slice of the three slices used. CT features that were evaluated for distinguishing pleural exudates from transudates included pleural nodules, pleural thickening and loculation. RESULTS: Thirty three (26%) of the 128 pleural effusions were transudates and 95 (74%) were exudates. The mean HU values of the exudates (8.82±7.04) were significantly higher than those of the transudates (2.91±8.53), (p<0.001). No statistically significant difference was found between transudate and exudate patients in terms of pleural thickness, pleural nodules and loculation (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: HU values can help in differentiating exudative pleural effusions from transudative pleural effusions. Because of overlapping HU values, correlation with clinical findings is essential.

The effectiveness of BD Vacutainer® Plus Urinalysis Preservative Tubes in preservation of urine for chemical strip analysis and particle counting.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the stability of urine collected in preservative tubes for chemistry strip analyses and particle counting to determine whether the transport of urine samples with all of their constituents is possible. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 275 pathologic urine specimens were included. Each urine sample was evaluated after 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 hours of storage in BD Vacutainer(®) Plus Urinalysis Preservative (BD UAP) tubes and compared with refrigeration at 4 °C. All analyses were peformed on H-800 and FUS-200 automatic modular urine analyzers (Dirui Industry, Changchun, China). The kappa coefficients (κ), false positive (FP) and false negative (FN) rates were evaluated. κ > 0.8 was accepted as good agreement. RESULTS: Haemoglobin (Hb), leucocyte esterase (LE), and protein (Pro) analyses should be performed within 4 hours, whereas glucose (Glc) was stable until the end of 48 hours in both storage conditions. Nitrite (Nit) was well preserved in BD UAP tubes for 24 hours but was stable only up to 8 hours at 4 °C. Bilirubin (Bil) had very high FN rates even at 4 hours in both conditions. The particle counting showed high FN rates for white blood cells (WBC) and red blood cells (RBC), whereas squamous epithelial cells (EC) were stable up to 8 hours in both conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Preanalytical requirements for both urine chemical strip analyses and particle counting in a unique sample were not met in either condition. Thus, the transfer of urine samples for centralization of urinalysis is not yet feasible.

Is galectin-3 associated with urinary albumin excretion in type 2 diabetes?

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between galectin-3 and diabetes mellitus or renal function has recently been investigated. In this study, we tried to evaluate the association of galectin-3 in urinary albumin excretion levels in type 2 diabetic patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a group of 137 type 2 diabetes patients, the mean of the last three urinary microalbumin/creatinine ratios and galectin-3 levels were evaluated. The patient group was divided into three subgroups according to their level of albuminuria calculated with urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the galectin values of the three subgroups. Significant differences were observed between GFR results of group 1 vs. 3 (p < 0.0001) and group 2 vs. 3 (p = 0.0006), and serum creatinine results of group 1 vs. 3 (p = 0.0003) and group 2 vs. 3 (p < 0.0001). The three subgroups did not reveal any significant difference concerning the age, BMI, duration of DM, FPG, and HbA1c levels. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that serum galectin-3 values are not affected by the levels of urinary albumin excretion in DM patients. We could not find any relation between galectin-3 and the parameters of DM such as FPG, HbA1c, and duration of the disease. (Endokrynol Pol 2016; 67 (6): 580-584).

The relationship between serum adiponectin and resistin levels, insulin resistance and colorectal adenomas.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The relationship between adipocytokines and the development of colorectal cancer is well-documented. Our aim was to assess the relationship among serum adiponectin and resistin levels, insulin resistance, and colorectal adenoma to evaluate whether these parameters can be used as biomarkers to predict the development of colorectal adenoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional case-control study conducted in 32 patients with colorectal adenoma and 30 control subjects. Serum adiponectin and resistin levels, body mass index values, waist and hip circumferences and Homeostasis Model Assessment scores were measured. RESULTS: Resistin levels were slightly higher and adiponectin was slightly lower in patients with colorectal adenoma compared with controls; however, the differences in both parameters failed to reach statistical significance. The body mass index values and waist circumference of the patient group were significantly higher than controls (p=0.003 and p=0.002, respectively). Fasting serum insulin levels and Homeostasis Model Assessment scores of patients with colorectal adenoma were significantly higher than those of controls (p=0.02 and p=0.02, respectively). There was no relation between the number of colorectal adenomas and serum adiponectin or resistin levels. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that obesity and insulin resistance may contribute to the development of colorectal adenoma and that serum adiponectin levels and insulin resistance may not have a substantial predictive value for colorectal adenoma.

A Comparison of Three Widely Used Immunoassay Systems in Cortisol Measurement.

BACKGROUND: Interassay variability is one of the challenging issues of routine clinical laboratory practice. Commercial plasma cortisol immunoassays are also subject to this issue. In this study, we intended to evaluate the interchangeability of cortisol results of three widely used immunoassay systems. METHODS: The cortisol values of 150 serum samples measured by three immunoassay systems, Beckman Coulter DXI 800, Roche Modular E170, and Siemens Immulite 2500, were compared. RESULTS: A degree of proportional biases was observed between all three methods; DXI 800 showed the worst biases with the other two systems (slope values 0.67 and 0.77 with E170 and Immulite 2500, respectively). DXI 800 showed poor agreement with other methods (CCC: 0.83 and 0.87, respectively). There was a moderate agreement between E170 and Immulite 2500 (CCC: 0.92). CONCLUSIONS: All three methods showed a degree of variability among themselves. DXI 800 results were not interchangeable with the other two systems.

Normocalcemic hyperparathyroidism and insulin resistance.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether insulin resistance (IR) accompanies normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism (NCPHP). METHODS: Twenty-five patients with NCPHP and 25 age-, sex-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls were included the study. Patients were diagnosed NCPHP if their serum calcium (Ca) concentrations and ionized serum Ca levels were in the normal range but parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were inappropriately and persistently high. Subjects with 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels ≥20 ng/dL were included in the study. The upper limit of PTH was calculated using a nomogram for each subject. Patients and controls underwent a standard 75-gram oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). IR was assessed by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) and insulin sensitivity index (ISogtt). RESULTS: There were no differences between the demographic features of patients with NCPHP and the control group. IR frequency was not different between groups (P = .14). HOMA-IR was higher and ISogtt was lower in patients with NCPHP than the control group, but the differences were not significant (P = .17 and P = .22, respectively). We did not find any correlation between PTH and glucose metabolism markers (HOMA-IR, ISogtt, glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c], and BMI) in either of the groups. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that IR is not more common in patients with NCPHP, and PTH is not related to ISogtt or HOMA-IR.

Establishing reference intervals for D-dimer to trimesters.

OBJECTIVE: When D-dimer is used to evaluate suspected venous thromboembolism in pregnant patients, the reference interval of common population may cause misinterpretation. The present study aims to determine reference intervals of D-dimer in the three trimesters. METHODS: Four-hundred sixteen pregnant women and 32 non-pregnant women were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Reference group had comprised 123 pregnant in the first trimester (5-11 week), 164 pregnant in the second trimester (13-20 week) and 126 pregnant women in the third trimester (25-35 week). D-dimer levels were analyzed via immunoturbidimetric assay. RESULTS: If the threshold of 0.50 mg/L for diagnosis of VTE is used, 4.8% of pregnant women in the second trimester and 23.8% of pregnant women in the third trimester would have D-dimer levels exceeding this cut-off value. Reference intervals of D-dimer were determined as 0.11-0.40 mg/L; 0.14-0.75 mg/L and 0.16-1.3 mg/L in first, second and third trimester, respectively. CONCLUSION: The established D-dimer reference intervals for each trimester of pregnancy are different from those used in common population. These reference intervals may assist clinicians in making accurate clinical decisions. Further studies are needed to establish new cut-off values for the D-dimer to rule out VTE in each trimester.

Evaluation of soluble CD14 subtype (presepsin) in burn sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosing sepsis is difficult in burn patients because of the inflammatory mediators that alter postburn metabolic profile. Here, we compare a new marker presepsin with procalcitonin (PCT), c-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) in diagnosis and follow up of sepsis in burn patients. METHODS: Patients admitted to burn center of our institute were prospectively investigated. Presepsin, PCT, CRP and WBC levels were measured at admission and every 6h for first day and daily thereafter. At all timing samples, patients were classified as sepsis or non-sepsis according to the current American Burn Association Consensus Criteria (ABA) 2007. RESULT: 37 adult patients were evaluated. A total data of 611 time points were supplied. Sepsis time points differ significantly from non-sepsis in presepsin (p < 0.0001), PCT (p = 0.0012) and CRP (p < 0.0001) levels. Non-surviving patient results differ significantly from survivors in presepsin (p < 0.0001), PCT (p = 0.0210) and CRP (p = 0.0008). AUC-ROC % values for diagnosing sepsis were 83.4% for presepsin, 84.7% for PCT, 81.9% for CRP and 50.8% for WBC. Sepsis patients had significantly different presepsin, CRP and WBC but not PCT levels on their first day of sepsis compared to previous days. CONCLUSION: Plasma presepsin levels have comparable performance in burn sepsis.

Serum concentrations of CA 125, CA 15-3, CA 19-9 and CEA in normal pregnancy: a longitudinal study.

PURPOSE: Although cancer diagnosed during pregnancy is rare, the coexistence of pregnancy and malignancy becomes more common in view of prolongation of reproductive age. Therefore, it is important that the specificity of a tumor marker be evaluated during pregnancy to avoid misinterpretation in the follow-up of a pregnant cancer patient. The present study aims to investigate the serum concentrations of CA-125, CA 15-3, CA 19-9 and CEA in healthy pregnant women through gestation. METHODS: In this prospective study, we followed thirty healthy pregnant women. Blood samples were obtained during each trimester of pregnancy (10-12, 22-24 and 34-36 weeks). The maternal serum levels of CA-125, CA 15-3, CA 19-9 and CEA were measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. RESULTS: There was no difference between the first and second trimester serum levels of CA 125, CEA and CA 19-9. However, serum CA 125 levels in third trimester were found to be significantly elevated in pregnants compared to the second trimester (median values 19.6 vs. 15.6 IU/mL, p = 0,009). Similarly, the serum CEA levels in third trimester were significantly higher than those of second trimester (median values 1.1 vs. 0.7 ng/ml, p = 0.001). It is also found that CEA and CA 19-9 assay values were significantly elevated in the third trimester of pregnancy when compared with the first trimester of pregnancy (CEA median values 1.1 vs. 0.7 ng/ml, p = 0.02 and CA 19-9 median values 11.6 vs. 7.7 IU/mL, p = 0,02). Three trimester had statistically similar levels for serum CA 15-3 (median values 17.5, 19.7 and 18.3 U/mL, respectively). The four tumor markers assay values were found generally within the normal range. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that maternal serum levels of CA 125, CEA and CA 19-9 were increased during third trimester of pregnancy. However, these elevations were within the normal range. CA 15-3 is independent of gestation and reliable tumor markers in monitoring malignancy in pregnant patients.

Antimicrobial evaluation of indole-containing hydrazone derivatives.

There has been an increasing importance of drug-resistant pathogens in clinical microbiological and antibacterial research. Indoles and hydrazone-type compounds constitute important classes of compounds in the search for effective agents against multidrug-resistant microbial infections. In this study a series of 1-methylindole-3-carboxaldehyde hydrazone derivatives were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial activities using the two-fold serial dilution technique against Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolate, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Candida albicans. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the test compounds and the reference standards sultamicillin, ampicillin, fluconazole, and ciprofloxacin was determined. All compounds possessed a broad spectrum of activity having MIC values of 6.25-100 microg/ml against the tested microorganisms. Aromaticity and disubstitution of the phenyl ring with especially fluorine and chlorine atoms were found to be significant for the antimicrobial activity

Antibacterial activity of the essential oil of Satureja wiedemanniana against Bacillus species isolated from chicken meat.

The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil (EO) of Satureja wiedemanniana against Bacillus spp. isolated from chicken meat was investigated. Thirty-seven Bacillus strains were isolated from 15 chicken meat samples and examined for proteolytic and lipolytic activities by agar well diffusion assay. Of 37 Bacillus isolated from raw chicken samples, which based on a clear zone diameter of ≥ 6 mm in agar well diffusion assays for proteolytic activity, 19 Bacillus strains were selected for this study. Bacillus licheniformis T11(1) and Bacillus lentus T10(14) have high proteolytic activity (14.0 mm zone diameter), whereas B. licheniformis T4(2) and Bacillus mycoides T 5(5) have high lipolytic activity (12.0 mm zone diameter). Thirty-two components representing 98.10% of the composition of the S. wiedemanniana EO were identified using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Both S. wiedemanniana EO and its main component p-cymene exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against some Bacillus strains. The results of this study confirmed the possibility of using S. wiedemanniana EO as a protective agent to chicken meat. But, detail studies are still needed to elucidate the effects of S. wiedemanniana EO against other spoilage microorganisms.

Antimicrobial resistance profile of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from clinical samples and foods of animal origin.

Staphylococcus aureus has been well established as a clinical and epidemiological pathogen and can cause infections at many anatomical sites. Increasing insusceptibility to ß-lactams and the glycopeptides complicates the treatment of these infections. We isolated 584 strains of S. aureus from various clinical and animal origin food samples during (from January 2006 to December 2007) the survey. Resistance to 15 antibiotics frequently used in human medicine and veterinary practice was also determined. A remarkable level of penicillin resistance was detected in both clinical (98.3%) and food (92.0%) S. aureus isolates. But, there were no S. aureus strains that were resistant to vancomycin, teicoplanin, linezolid, and quinupristin/dalfobristin. The rate of resistance to tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, methicillin, gentamicin, tobramycin, norfloxacin, and moxifloxacin among the human and foods S. aureus isolates ranged from 50.3% to 56.3% and 1.4% to 9.5%, respectively. In our survey, in vitro susceptibility data suggested that the incidence of resistance among the S. aureus strains isolated from food were not remarkably high, excluding penicillin. Although the transfer of antibiotic resistance of S. aureus from foods to humans probably occurs less frequently than is generally assumed, the increasing prevalence of resistance in the strains of human origin may have important therapeutic implications.

Virulence properties and characterization of aeromonads isolated from foods of animal origin and environmental sources.

Aeromonas species are increasingly recognized as enteric pathogens, and they possess several virulence factors that may contribute to illness. In this work, the biochemical, enzymatic, and some virulence properties of 73 potentially pathogenic strains of Aeromonas spp. isolated from food and environmental sources were investigated to compare strains from different sources and establish the possible relationships between some phenotypic characters and pathogenicity. Virulence factors (hemolysin and siderophores), biochemical properties (Voges-Proskauer and lysine decarboxylase reactions), and enzymatic properties (lipase, phospholipase, protease, and DNase activities) were examined in these strains. Results indicated that 57% of the strains from environmental sources produced siderophores and hemolysin, whereas 39.0% of strains from food produced siderophores and 60.5% produced hemolysin. Protease, lipase, DNase, and phospholipase activities in strains isolated from food and environmental sources were 69.5 to 94.3, 73.6 to 68.5, 52.6 to 68.6, and 71.0 to 68.4%, respectively. A higher percentage of strains of environmental origin (94.3%) had protease activity, and higher lipase activity (73.6%) was observed in food isolates. For all antimicrobials tested, all strains had the least resistance to meropenem, and high levels of resistance were found to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cephalothin. These findings demonstrate the presence of potentially pathogenic and multidrug-resistant Aeromonas spp. in environmental and food sources, thereby indicating a significant risk to public health.

Prevalence of listeria, Aeromonas, and Vibrio species in fish used for human consumption in Turkey.

A total of 78 raw retail fish samples from 30 freshwater and 48 marine fish were examined for the presence of Listeria, Aeromonas, and Vibrio species. The overall incidence of Listeria spp. was 30% in freshwater samples and 10.4% in marine fish samples. Listeria monocytogenes (44.5%) was the most commonly isolated species in freshwater fish, and Listeria murrayi (83.5%) was the most commonly isolated species in marine fish samples. Motile aeromonads were more common in marine fish samples (93.7%) than in freshwater fish samples (10%). Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio fluvialis, and Vibrio damsela were isolated only in marine fish samples, representing 40.9, 38.6, and 36.3% of Vibrio isolates, respectively. In freshwater and marine fish, the highest incidences of Listeria and Aeromonas were found in skin samples; the highest incidence of Vibrio in marine fish was found in gill samples. The location of Listeria spp. and L. monocytogenes in a fish was significantly different among freshwater fish. A high incidence of these bacterial pathogens was found in the brown trout (Salmo trutta) and horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus). Handling of contaminated fish, cross-contamination, or eating raw fish might pose a health hazard, especially in immunosuppressed individuals, elderly people, and children. This study highlights the importance of bacterial pathogens in fish intended for human consumption, but more study is needed.

In vitro antimicrobial effect of Satureja wiedemanniana against Bacillus species isolated from raw meat samples.

In this study a total of 30 raw meat samples obtained from Ankara, Turkey were screened for the presence of Bacillus species. Among the meat samples analyzed, the predominant species isolated was Bacillus circulans; other Bacillus species were identified as Bacillus firmus, Bacillus lentus, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus sphaericus, and Bacillus cereus. Minced meat samples were more contaminated with Bacillus species than sliced beef sample. From these samples, 242 Bacillus species isolates were obtained, which were investigated for proteolytic and lipolytic activity, associated with meat spoilage. Interestingly, some Bacillus strains produced the highest values of proteolytic/lipolytic activities. Nineteen Bacillus strains were selected among the 242 isolates according to their proteolytic/lipolytic activity with a clear zone diameter of > or =6 mm. The essential oil of Satureja wiedemanniana (Lalem) Velen was also tested against these 19 Bacillus species that had proteolytic and lipolytic activity. The essential oil yield obtained from the aerial parts of the plant was 0.35% (vol/wt). The inhibition zones of the essential oil obtained against all the Bacillus species were in the range of 5.0-12.0 mm. The oil showed high antimicrobial activities against B. licheniformis M 6(26), M 11(16), and M 12(1) strains. B. licheniformis 12(1) showed high lipolytic activity (18.0 mm). Also, B. licheniformis M 6(26) and M 11(16) showed high proteolytic activity (16.0 and 14.0 mm). These results may suggest that an essential oil of S. wiedemanniana can be used as a natural preservative in meat against spoilage bacteria.

Plasma cortisol levels in migraineurs between attacks.

We have studied the plasma cortisol levels between attacks in order to investigate the role of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in migraine patients. We have not found any statistically significance between plasma cortisol levels of patients and control group, after taking the blood of 25 patients and 24 healthy controls between 8.30-9.30 am.

Effects of exopolysaccharide-producing probiotic strains on experimental colitis in rats.

PURPOSE: Inflammatory bowel disease is suggested to result from a dysregulated immune response toward intestinal microflora, which may be restored by probiotic therapy based on the concept of healthy microflora. Ideal probiotic bacteria may be beneficial in inflammatory bowel disease; however, the mechanism of action and the clinical efficacy of probiotic usage are still unclear. In the present study, the effect of exopolysaccharide producing probiotics was evaluated on an experimental colitis model in rats. METHODS: Colitis was induced by intracolonic administration of acetic acid. Then, rats were treated daily with two probiotic strains, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus B3 strain (exopolysaccharide of 211 mg/l: high-EPS group) or Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus A13 strain (EPS of 27 mg/l: low-EPS group), which were given into the stomach. The non-colitis-fed control group was only treated with high-exopolysaccharide strain. The model-control and control groups were treated only with tap water. Rats were killed after a seven-day treatment period. Disease activity was quantified by use of histologic scores and colonic myeloperoxidase activity, which is a marker of neutrophil infiltration during inflammation. RESULTS: The enhanced inflammatory response was accompanied by a higher level of myeloperoxidase activity in the colitis group. Histologic scores of colonic damage and myeloperoxidase activity were lower in both probiotic-treated groups compared with those of the colitis control group (P<0.001), although the mentioned scores improved significantly more in the high-EPS group than in the low-EPS group (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Exopolysaccharide-producing probiotics significantly attenuate experimental colitis, which may be mediated by exopolysaccharide in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, exopolysaccharide-producing probiotics may be a promising therapeutic role in inflammatory bowel disease.