Bacteriophage typing and antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Staphylococcus aureus from clinical specimen in and around Solapur (South Maharashtra).

Two hundred and eighty nine strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from pus and wound swabs (149), blood (36), urine (28), sputum (14), stool (12), throat swab (9) and CSF (4) were subjected for bacteriophage typing and antibiotic susceptibility pattern. 113 (39.11%) strains were typable. Among the typable strains, 16 (5.53%) belonged to phage group I, 33 (11.41%) strains belonged to phages group II, 38 (13.14%) belonged to phage group III, 26 (8.99%) strains belonged to the phages which have not been allocated to any group (Miscellaneous group) 176 (60.89%) strains were untypable. Only one (0.34%) strain was sensitive to all the drugs tested. Almost all the isolates were resistant to Ampicillin and Tobramycin (99.3% each). 286 (98.96%) strains were found to be resistant to Penicillin and Erythromycin followed by Kanamycin 272 (94.11%) and Gentamicin 263 (91.3%). 113 (39.1%) strains were Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). All MRSA strains were resistant to all drugs tested except vancomycin. Resistance to most of the commonly used antimicrobial agents indicates a need to replace these drugs with other agents and maintenance of surveillance to detect changing patterns of resistance.

Monitoring of presterile disposable syringes and needles marketed in Pune.

Out of hundred syringes and hundred needles (both presterile, disposable) tested, 41 syringes (41%) and 6 needles (6%) showed aerobic growth. Forty of the above syringes were tested simultaneously for fungi and anaerobes. Fungi isolated were 5.7% and no anaerobe was grown. Fifty glass syringes and fifty needles autoclaved in the departmental laboratory served as controls and did not show any growth. As a preventive measure, proper disposal of used disposable material should be made mandatory so that it does not find its way into the market. Or has the time come to switch back to the former conventional practice of using in house autoclaved articles?

Plague that never was: a review of the alleged plague outbreaks in India in 1994.

Judging by WHO criteria, there was not a single case in India in 1994 that could be taken as a confirmed case of plague. Both clinical and epidemiological features of the illness alleged to be plague were not at all compatible with those of plague-both bubonic and pneumonic types. The bacteriologic and serological evidence was limited to a few cases, and doubtful. PCR is a highly sensitive test, but the specificity of PCR for plague was not verified under field conditions in India. Just by the demonstration of the presence of a causative organism in the environment or in the body tissue, one cannot substantiate occurrence of an infection or disease in man. In view of the assessment and review presented in this paper, one can conclude that the outbreaks of illness that resembled plague during late 1994 in Beed District and Surat were certainly not due to plague. If the Mamla outbreak had not been declared to be plague, the probability of the Surat illness being labeled as plague was negligible. Whatever happened provides a very important lesson of the harm that can occur nationally and globally from decisions based on inadequate or incorrect information.

Raising monospecific antibodies by use of protein components prestained with Remazol Brilliant Blue and separated by disc electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel.

We have reported (Clin Chem 29: 42-44, 1983) that prestaining with Remazol Brilliant Blue permits direct visualization of serum components on disc electrophoresis, and apparently purifies the proteins well. Here we have cut out the bands corresponding to the prestained albumin and transferrin after disc electrophoresis of normal human serum proteins, eluted some individual proteins into saline, and assessed their purity by immunoelectrophoresis and two-dimensional crossed immunoelectrophoresis against polyvalent antihuman serum. These two techniques indicated purity of these antigens. We inoculated rabbits with the eluates containing the pure antigens, and tested the resulting antibodies for monospecificity by immunoelectrophoresis, rocket electrophoresis, and single radial immunodiffusion. From the results we conclude that the antibodies raised against each component were monospecific, and that this is a simple, economical, rapid, and reliable method for obtaining a pure fraction of serum protein for use as an antigen.

Study of alpha one antitrypsin activity in lepra reaction.

In our earlier study (Yemul et, al, 1983) we have reported elevation of serum alpha one antitrypsin levels in patients of lepromatous leprosy and lepra reaction. In this study estimation of serum alpha one antitrypsin levels in fifty lepra reaction patients (8 of type 1 and 42 of type II) and fifty age and sex matched healthy controls is described. Alpha one antitrypsin levels were elevated in lepra reaction patients (type I--mean value of 332 mg% and S.D. +/- 118.8 and type II--mean value of 450 mg% and S.D. +/- 73.7) when compared with the healthy controls (mean value of 285 mg% and S.D. +/- 66.05). The increase in levels in type II lepra reaction patients was statistically significant. The results are discussed to correlate the increased levels of alpha one antitrypsin and the high bacterial load leading to the release of various proteases in type II lepra reaction.

Lymphocyte transformation test in lepromatous leprosy patients and their healthy siblings.

Lymphoproliferative response to M. leprae, PHA, PPD and mixed leucocyte culture (MLC) were measured in 20 cases of lepromatous leprosy, 17 of their normal healthy siblings and 15 healthy controls. 7 siblings of LL patients were HLA-D identical, which was identified by doing MLC reaction. All healthy siblings including HLA-D identical responded normal to all stimulating agents including M. leprae antigen. In contrast 20 cases of LL responded very poorly to M. leprae antigen and almost near normal to other stimulating agents. The specific unresponsiveness of LL patients to M. leprae antigen does not result from an HLA linked genetic defect and the defective CMI response to M. leprae antigen seems to be acquired and not genetically determined.

Protease inhibitors activity in lepromatous leprosy and lepra reaction.

Serum alpha one antitrypsin levels were measured in 50 healthy age and sex matched controls with 45 lepromatous leprosy cases and 5 cases of lepra reaction. It was noted that the mean level in healthy controls was 281.00 mg%, while the mean levels in LL patients was 421.00 mg% and in LR 570.00 mg%. The elevation of Alpha one antitrypsin was statistically significant in LL patients. It is possible that the rise is a reaction to release of proteases and or higher complement activity, which are the results of a high bacillary loading to formation of immune complexes.