Presence and persistence of Mycobacterium avium and other nontuberculous mycobacteria in animal tissues and derived foods: a review.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous, potentially pathogenic organisms that have been isolated from a variety of environmental sources. NTM have been isolated from various kinds of food and many studies support the hypothesis that food, especially raw or partially cooked products, plays a role as a source of NTM for humans. Animals with disseminated infection have been diagnosed with NTM not only in the gastro-intestinal tract and intestinal lymph nodes, but also in tissues like muscle and parenchymatous organs. Infected animals may harbor NTM in their tissues even without clinical symptoms and especially minced meat with the possible addition of lymph nodes are considered as potential source of NTM. The purpose of this paper was to review articles concerning the detection of mycobacteria in the muscle tissue and lymph nodes of domestic animals, farmed and free-living game and to summarize methods and techniques for their detection.

Cloning, expression, and purification of the uropathogenic Escherichia coli invasin DraD.

In this study we presented a very efficient expression system, based on pET30LIC/Ek vector, for producing DraD invasin of the uropathogenic Escherichia coli and a one-step chromatography purification procedure for obtaining pure recombinant protein (DraD-C-His(6)). This protein has a molecular weight of 14,818 and calculated pI of 6.6. It contains a polyhistidine tag at the C-terminus (13 additional amino acids) that allowed single-step isolation by Ni affinity chromatography. Also, we obtained specific antibodies against DraD invasin to develop tools for characterizing the expression and biological function of this protein. The amount and quality of DraD-C-His(6) fusion protein purified from E. coli overexpression system seems to be fully appropriate for crystallographic studies (soluble form), and for establishing role of the protein in bacterium (cultured cell line interaction and in the internalization process) and for obtaining rabbit polyclonal antisera (insoluble form).

[Long-term steroid therapy in multiple sclerosis]. / Dlugotrwala "pulsacyjna" terapia steroidowa w stwardnieniu rozsianym.

Corticosteroids have a firm place in the treatment of ms, but as yet no generally accepted regimen of this therapy exists. It is not known either, how to achieve the greatest effectiveness of these drugs and avoid side effects. Many clinicians advocate high intravenous doses of methylprednisolone in a short time of 5-7 days. This method is more effective and leads to less adverse effects. The studied patients received prednisone (Encorton Polfa) in short course of 3 days every month. The dose of Encorton in each course depended on the clinical condition but never exceeded 200 mg. The regimen was used in 18 patients who were followed up at least one year. Evident improvement or stabilization was obtained in 11 cases. No adverse effects were noted. These results are comparable to those achieved with methylprednisolone. It may be supposed that every regimen of corticoid treatment in ms is usefull if it causes no adverse effects. The treatment by method of long-term pulse therapy with corticoids is applicable in outpatients.

[Attempts at hierarchic classification of radio-morphologic changes of the lumbar spine in screening examinations]. / Próba hierarchizacji zmian radiomorfologicznych kregoslupa ledzwiowego w badaniach przesiewowych.

An objective evaluation of condition of the spine in candidates for study and employment in continuous and excessive loading of the lumbar spine is difficult because of the lack of suitable criteria classifying pathomorphological changes found on X-ray examination. In order to fill this gap, the authors analyzed 85 X-ray pictures of the lumbar spine of candidates within the preliminary screening examinations. A 5-points-scale considering the clinical value of individual deviations in lumbar spine structure was accepted. On the basis of that research the groups of the examined were determined: able to physical work (0-3 points), admitted on condition (4 points) and disqualified (5 points and over). On the basis of this model 57.6 per cent of the candidates were disqualified and only 25.9 per cent were admitted to study and work with no conditions.

Haematological and blood biochemical studies in female domesticated Indian elephants (Elaphas maximus L.).

1. Some haematological and biochemical blood parameters in female Indian elephants were investigated. 2. Haematological data were as follows: Ht = 39.2 +/- 2.36%, Hb = 10.1 +/- 0.54 g%, RBC = 2.66 +/- 0.32 x 10(6)/mm3, WBC = 5.43 +/- 0.48 x 10(3)/mm3. Lymphocytes, determined on blood smears were mainly leucocytes from (67.0 +/- 1.59%). Data for MCV, MCH and MCHC are also given. 3. Blood plasma was separated into 5 main fractions, total plasma protein concentration was 6.98 +/- 0.53 g%, A/G ratio was 0.69 +/- 0.1. 4. Plasma minerals concentration was as follows: Na, 3044 +/- 194 micrograms/ml; K, 529 +/- 38.5 micrograms/ml; Mg, 33.0 +/- 3.43 micrograms/ml; Ca, 181.0 +/- 17.8 micrograms/ml; InP, 44.6 +/- 6.1 micrograms/ml. Ca: P ratio was 3.25 +/- 0.34. 5. Some seasonal differences in investigated parameters were observed. Ht values, WBC and neutrophils number as well as Ca, and Mg concentrations were higher during winter, whereas RBC and Na and InP concentrations were lower in winter.

Peripheral plasma levels of certain mineral elements in primitive African goats.

Changes in blood plasma calcium, inorganic phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper, sodium and potassium concentrations over a 3-year period were investigated in primitive goats. Blood plasma mineral concentrations were determined by atomic absorption and a colorimetric method. Changes in Zn and Ca concentrations are season dependent, potassium levels show only a long-term change tendency, and magnesium and inorganic phosphorus had constant levels throughout the investigation period. Iron, copper and sodium showed both long-term change tendencies and more or less marked season related changes.

Seasonal fluctuations in plasma protein fraction levels of chinchillas (Chinchilla laniger, M.).

Seasonal changes in blood plasma protein fractions in chinchilla females and males were found. Plasma albumin levels in both sexes vary according to season, generally low in winter and spring and high in summer and autumn. The levels of alpha 1-globulin and gamma-globulin increase markedly in spring (1.5 times higher than in winter and autumn). In chinchilla females, the levels of alpha 2-globulin and beta 2-globulin varied biphasically, being higher in winter and summer. In males, clear seasonal trends in the levels of both fractions were not observed. The beta 1-globulin fraction levels vary throughout the year. In females as well as males, globulin decreases during winter to minimal values in late spring, and then increases again during the summer to remain at the same level till autumn.

Three-year study on trace mineral concentration in the blood plasma of Shetland pony mares.

Changes in some trace minerals concentrations (calcium, inorganic phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper, sodium and potassium) in blood plasma were investigated during a three-year period in Shetland pony mares. Blood plasma mineral concentrations were determined by the atomic absorption method and colorimetric method. The three-year averages were in micrograms/ml; Na 4630 +/- 168; K 277 +/- 3.8; Ca 171 +/- 3.8; P 31.5 +/- 0.74; Fe 1.92 +/- 0.14; Zn 1.07 +/- 0.04 and Cu 1.06 +/- 0.02. Two trace minerals (magnesium in inorganic phosphorus) showed only long-term tendency changes--upward or downward trends were not connected with the season. Most of the investigated minerals showed both a long-term change tendency and more or less marked seasonally related concentration changes, being higher during autumn or winter (zinc, sodium), or during spring and summer (calcium, copper, iron and potassium). Some interrelationships between particular trace mineral concentrations in blood plasma were also observed.

Peripheral plasma progesterone concentration and haematological indices during normal pregnancy of chinchillas (Chinchilla laniger, M.).

Peripheral plasma progesterone concentration and some haematological indices in pregnant chinchillas were studied. As pregnancy advanced progesterone concentration showed a marked change from high values in early pregnancy (days 9-29), to undetectable values by days 40-60, and from high values in the latter states of pregnancy (days 70-80), to very low values during the 30 days before parturition. Haematocrit value and mean erythrocyte volume change inversely to progesterone concentration fluctuations. White blood cell parameters increased during the first half of pregnancy, then decreased to the lowest level before parturition.

Seasonal changes in the haematological indices in peripheral blood of chinchilla (Chinchilla laniger L.).

Changes in nine haematological indices in adult female and male chinchilla were investigated over a period of 18 months. All haematological values were in the same range both for females and males, although seasonal fluctuations were more evident in the females. High levels of the red blood cells count (RBC), haemoglobin concentration (Hb), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) during the winter months and low levels of these parameters during the summer months were found. The white blood cells count (WBC) and lymphocyte number (L) also decreased in summer, their values increasing during autumn and spring. The haematocrit values (Ht) and mean cell volumes (MCV) are high during the summer and low during the winter.