Giornale di batteriologia, virologia ed immunologia最新文献

The importance that Toxoplasma gondii congenital infection may assume is still representing a stimulus for trying to improve Toxoplasmosis serological diagnosis; task, this one, which Laboratory is charged with, and that is often hard, particularly when we have to value the possibility of an infection in progress. With the purpose to complete the results obtained in a preceding work of ours, we have valued two among the most commonly used tests for Toxoplasmosis serodiagnosis, the AD (direct agglutination provided by BioMerieux) and the IHA (indirect haemoagglutination provided by Behring), together and separately, in order to make use of their coupling with major security and effectiveness, on the ground of the results obtained on two different groups of individuals, in the number of 125 for each group; for these groups it was possible to expect a different index of receptivity and a different percentage of recent or in progress infections. It was come out, as regards the IHAm a very good degree of assurance in trying to single out the past immunity, while this test wouldn't generally seem to be able to offer sufficient indications to distinguish the recent or in progress infection from past immunity, as it often declares, in fact, middle-high titres also in cases probably referable to the last mentioned situation. The AD has offered a good tribute in estimating the past immunity and it would also appear to give assurance in singling out recent or in progress infection (thanks to the possibility to determine IgM presence); while the presumed capacity of this test in revealing cases of very early infection has resulted not sufficiently assured. In substance the coupling of the two test, which in the direct comparison have shown a good correlation, but also several discordances, seems to be an useful procedure of reciprocal confirmation as regards the singling out of immunity; while the possibility of showing the recent or in progress infection--anyway, always a difficult task, above all, when, as it happened in this research, we deal with it without being able to follow the titre evolution in the time-should be entrusted with major certainty to the AD.

The parameters in antibody-positive with LAS/ARC and antibody negative drug-users have been studied. The results show that in the first group the lymphocyte profile and in vitro immunoglobulin production are greatly affected. In the second group only modifications about activation markers and PWM induced B lymphocyte differentiation are present.

A case of subcutaneous abscess caused by Nocardia asteroides in an immunocompromised patient is described. A specific antibiotic therapy was successful. Details of the isolation procedures, clinical significance and epidemiological aspects related to the pathogen strain are reported.

The Author's study ranges from the historical background of Toxoplasma gondii to our current biological knowledge and the role of Toxoplasma gondii in pathology and human infection. The Author has considered the diagnosis--always problematic from the interpretative point of view--and, on the basis of his own long and extensive research, suggests the usefulness of a comparison with the results obtained from the dye test findings observed in longitudinal surveys of new born up to a maximum age of 96 months. The Author believes that these results can represent an element of comparison for the purpose of prognosis, therapy and prophylaxis, and above all, in sedation to combat anxiety states, and banal preoccupations.

In acute viral infections, specific IgM antibodies appear early and persist for a short period of time; by contrast IgG antibodies persist longer. The diagnostic significance of specific serum IgA is still discussed. We observed that in acute systemic infections, serum IgA appear early and are mainly polymeric (p-IgA) whereas monomers (m-IgA) appear in late convalescence. On the other hand, in secondary infections or in reinfections these immunoglobulins are mainly represented by monomers. In mucosa confined infections, serum IgA are almost absent suggesting that their synthesis is not related to mucosal stimulation.

Fecal samples and intestinal mucosal biopsies of 16 patients in paediatric age, with protracted diarrhoea with blood and mucus, were examined for intestinal pathogens including Yersinia. Yersinia enterocolitica 1/5/XZ and Yersinia intermedia 1/18/XZ were isolated from fecal samples of two patients. In another child, Yersinia enterocolitica, 1/5/XZ was isolated from fecal sample, while Yersinia enterocolitica 1/self-agglutinable/XZ from colon biopsy. The other intestinal pathogens were absent; Aeromonas hydrophila however was isolated from two fecal samples. The Yersinia strains isolated are not frequently found in human infections.

From 1970 to 1988, 330 cases of bacterial meningitis were diagnosed at the Children's Hospital Regina Margherita of Turin. Neisseria meningitidis was the most frequent cause of bacterial meningitis (45%); meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae increased from 4% in 1970-1983 to 19% in 1984-1988, and meningitis with pathogen unknown decreased from 28% in 1970-1983 to 7% in 1984-1988. The neonatal meningitis in 1984-1988 were caused by Streptococcus B in 90% of cases.

The authors evaluate retrospectively the results obtained from the research of anaerobial bacteria on 1313 samples received at the Microbiology Laboratory of the "Ospedale Civile di Ivrea" over a period of 31 months (6/1/86-12/31/88). From this evaluation, high percentages of detection of anaerobic bacteria are emerging in the following infections: appendiculare abscesses (60%), intestinal operations (71%), wounds (57%), tubovarian abscesses (100%), as well as thoracic empyema (50%). Also relevant are the isolations from skin and subcutaneous tissues: breast infections (50%) preputial infections (60%), perineal and perirectal abscesses (60%). The incident of anaerobic bacteria in bacteriemia is 17%. The most representative anaerobic bacteria group are: Bacteroides spp. (56%), Peptostreptococcus spp. (12%), Propionibacterium spp. (9%), Fusobacterium spp. (7%) Clostridium spp. (6%), Veillonella spp. and Eubacterium spp. (3%). In the intraabdominal infections prevails the Bacteroides group, particularly fragilis species, while in the skin and subcutaneous infections prevails the Peptostreptococcus group.

The indigenous and the pathogenic microorganisms of the various body areas have been compiled but the list is constantly growing. The A.A. have examined the properties of the bacterial flora of the oropharynx and of the ear in regard of the etiology of the otitis and have hypothesized some mechanisms enhancing the growth of certain pathogenic bacteria.