Zentralblatt fur Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrankheiten und Hygiene. Erste Abteilung Originale. Reihe A: Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Parasitologie最新文献

Using a spectrofluorometer with the Zeiss Universal Micro-Spectrophotometer 1 (UMSP 1), both nuclear and kinetoplast DNA (N-DNA and K-DNA) in the trypomastigote form of Trypanosoma gambiense (Strain Wellcome) were measured in situ without being extracted. As the fluorescent dye, ethidium bromide was preferably employed because there was a very marked increase in the ethidium fluorescence when the dye was intercalated between the base paires of the DNA helix. According to this method, it became possible to demonstrate the existence of double-stranded DNA in both nucleus and kinetoplast clearer than before.

The median level of haptoglobin types 2-2 and 2-1 was found to be proportional to the agglutination titer of T4 antigen-carrying streptococci (Fig. 1). This relationship need not exist in individual sera since, as seen from Table 1, high agglutination titers may be caused by sera with low levels of haptoglobin. Thus the agglutination reaction might depend not only on the quantity of haptoglobin but also on other factor(s) (at least in individual serum samples). - On the other hand, different agglutination titers did not correlate with the quantity of T4 antigen either. A strain of Strep. pyogenes, type 60, was agglutinated at high titers by sera with a high level of haptoglobin in spite of its low ability to absorb haptoglobin. This was in contrast to a strain of group G (20488) which had a high capacity both to become agglutinated and to absorb haptoglobin (Table 2). Absorption of haptoglobin by affinity chromatography decreased the agglutination titer for T4 streptococci. - The reaction between haptoglobin and T4-streptocci did not fix complement. No differences were found between sera of haptoglobin types 1-1, 2-1, and 2-2 with respect to the amount of C, C3, C4, and C3A, respectively (Tables 3-5).

The gamogony and sporogony of 2 Sarcocystis species was investigated in their natural final hosts and those of 5 species in various cultured cells with identical features concerning timing and ultrasturcture.

Proteins from S. typhimurium and from S. kentucky strongly cross-precipitated against sera prepared in rabbits with the respective strains; agglutinations paralleled the precipitations. The related antigens were, however, not involved in "in vivo" cross-protections. Mice immunized with proteins from S. kentucky resisted the toxicity of the homologous strain and that of a concentration of S. emek which killed the controls but did not survive the infection with 1LD100 of S. typhimurium. There was a long delay in the death of those mice infected with S. typhimurium while the mice immunized with S. typhimurium proteins were killed by the toxicity of 1LD100 S. kentucky, like the controls, within 20 hours. The results strikingly underline the specificity of host-parasite relations and the need for circumspection when involving common antigens in either virulence or toxicity.

Toxoplasma and Hammondia infected mice, dogs, rabbits, and pigs were tested for Toxoplasma antibodies by means of 5 serological methods. All Toxoplasma infected animals showed Toxoplasma-specific antibodies. Only sera of Hammondia infected mice and dogs showed positive serological reactions with Toxoplasma antigen in the SFT, CFT, and ELISA. IFAT and IHA, however, proved to be Toxoplasma-specific. The influence of Hammondia infections on the Toxoplasma serology is discussed.

Antibiotic resistance of non-typhoid Salmonellae is in Czechoslovakia continuously monitored by a computer and its transferability is studied, on an all-nation level, within the Federal Plan of Scientific Investigation and Development. Restance and its transferability was surveyed in strains of Salmonella from humans, from farm animals, from the food chain as well as from surface and waste waters. Proportion of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strains did not, in general, increase during the four-year period of 1973 to 1977. While resistant strains from humans as well as farm animals show a high degree of transferability, strains from food samples lack, in general, the transfer ability. This might be inferred that strains causing human salmonellosis which are carried to man trough foodchain, gain their character of transferability directly in the gut, i.e. from E. coli strains, and mainly due to presence of therapeutically given antibiotics.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) isolated from the pyocin sensitive R form strain of Salmonella minnesota F6 (chemotype Rd1) inhibited the activity of bacteriophage tail-like pyocin P1 whereas no inhibition occurred with LPS prepared from the pyocin resistant S form of S. minnesota. Subunits of lipopolysaccharide obtained by treatment with sodium deoxycholate and the polysaccharide fraction of the lipopolysaccharide obtained by acid hydrolysis were shown to be still active whereas lipid A fraction had no pyocin neutralizing activity. The (KDO)3-hepI-hepII unit, which terminates the lipopolysaccharide of S. minnesota F6 was, therefore, suggested to determine the specificity of the pyocin P1 receptor.

Many arthropodes are found in close contact with soil and other material contaminated by mycobacteria. In order to clear up their importance as potential carriers of germs of the MAIS complex (Mycobacterium avium, intracellulare, scrofulaceum), we investigated 835 samples of arthropodes taken from different biotopes. Following a treatment according to the cultural method developed by us (Beerwerth, 1967), we isolated 606 strains of mycobacteria from 302 (36.0%) out of 835 samples. Incubation at room temperature was more effective than incubation at 37 degrees C. 96 (15.8%) in 606 strains did not grow at 37 degrees C. In arthropodes taken from pasture-ground we mainly found mycobacteria of group II according to Runyon, while in arthropodes from arable land, stables and saw mills mycobacteria of group III predominated. Samples of arthropodes taken from forests, moorland and waters showed a comparatively similar spectrum of species. Strains of the MAIS complex - M. avium, intracellulare, scrofulaceum - were frequent in areas of saw mills (80 = 20.5% in 356 strains), but rarely found amongst the remaining biotopes (11 = 4.4% in 250 species). Mycobacteria were chiefly isolated from larvae and imagines living in permanent contact with soil and less from winged shapes. The epidemiological importance of arthropodes spreading pathogenic mycobacteria should not be overvalued.