Pub Date : 2016-07-06DOI: 10.4172/2161-0703.1000233
Seri Intan Mokhtar, N. Aziz
In the present study, the water extracts of Averrhoa bilimbi at different maturity stages were evaluated to investigate antimicrobial activity against two Gram positive and three Gram negative bacteria by disc diffusion and broth dilution assays. All of the bacterial isolates showed varying degrees of sensitivity towards A. bilimbi extracts. For disc diffusion assay, Gram positive bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus was more sensitive to the extract than Bacillus cereus with inhibition zone of 9.3 mm (young fruit), 12.3 mm (mature fruit) and 10 mm (ripe fruit). The findings also demonstrated that the extracts have stronger antimicrobial effects against Gram negative bacteria, Salmonella spp. with inhibition zone of 12 mm at young fruit, 11 mm at mature fruit and 9.3 mm at ripe fruit than Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. From broth dilution method, the MIC of extracts were 0.125 gml-1 at young stage, 0.25 gml-1 at mature stage and 0.5 gml-1 at ripe stage against Escherichia coli while 0.25 gml-1 at either young or ripe stage and 0.125 gml-1 at mature stage for S. aureus. The results suggested that the antimicrobial properties are influenced by the maturity stages of the fruit especially at early stage of maturity.
{"title":"Antimicrobial Properties of Averrhoa bilimbi Extracts at DifferentMaturity Stages","authors":"Seri Intan Mokhtar, N. Aziz","doi":"10.4172/2161-0703.1000233","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2161-0703.1000233","url":null,"abstract":"In the present study, the water extracts of Averrhoa bilimbi at different maturity stages were evaluated to investigate antimicrobial activity against two Gram positive and three Gram negative bacteria by disc diffusion and broth dilution assays. All of the bacterial isolates showed varying degrees of sensitivity towards A. bilimbi extracts. For disc diffusion assay, Gram positive bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus was more sensitive to the extract than Bacillus cereus with inhibition zone of 9.3 mm (young fruit), 12.3 mm (mature fruit) and 10 mm (ripe fruit). The findings also demonstrated that the extracts have stronger antimicrobial effects against Gram negative bacteria, Salmonella spp. with inhibition zone of 12 mm at young fruit, 11 mm at mature fruit and 9.3 mm at ripe fruit than Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. From broth dilution method, the MIC of extracts were 0.125 gml-1 at young stage, 0.25 gml-1 at mature stage and 0.5 gml-1 at ripe stage against Escherichia coli while 0.25 gml-1 at either young or ripe stage and 0.125 gml-1 at mature stage for S. aureus. The results suggested that the antimicrobial properties are influenced by the maturity stages of the fruit especially at early stage of maturity.","PeriodicalId":269971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Microbiology and Diagnosis","volume":"31 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131469289","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-07-04DOI: 10.4172/2161-0703.1000234
I. Nasr, H. A. Wahshi, Aisha A Al Wahshi, J. Lukawska
Antibiotics are widely used for treatment of bacterial infections and for prophylaxis during instrumental procedures and in certain conditions such as immunodeficiency and splenectomy. Hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions are unpredictable and can occur in some patients even if they have taken the antibiotic in the past with no reaction. Drug allergy accounts for 11.3% of all adverse drug reactions. Drug allergy drugs can be generally classified (according to the World Allergy Organization) based on timing of symptoms into immediate (Immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated) occurring within 1 hour and delayed (non IgE mediated) allergic reactions occurring after 1 hour. Many patients are mislabeled with drug allergy especially when the diagnosis is made based on history alone. In such cases, a referral to an allergist is important to confirm or exclude allergy through a detailed clinical history, in vitro and/or in vivo testing, as over diagnosis of drug allergy leads to the unnecessary use of broader spectrum and expensive antibiotics contributing to the emergence of multidrug resistant pathogens. Also, in cases of confirmed drug allergy it is important to establish potential cross reactivity with other drugs. Equally, patients with confirmed drug allergy, who have an absolute requirement for the drug or cross reactive drug (as in penicillin allergic females with syphilis) can undergo a process of desensitization in order to complete their treatment through induction of temporary tolerance of the drug.
{"title":"Antibiotic Allergy, When to Test, Challenge or Desensitise","authors":"I. Nasr, H. A. Wahshi, Aisha A Al Wahshi, J. Lukawska","doi":"10.4172/2161-0703.1000234","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2161-0703.1000234","url":null,"abstract":"Antibiotics are widely used for treatment of bacterial infections and for prophylaxis during instrumental procedures and in certain conditions such as immunodeficiency and splenectomy. Hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions are unpredictable and can occur in some patients even if they have taken the antibiotic in the past with no reaction. Drug allergy accounts for 11.3% of all adverse drug reactions. Drug allergy drugs can be generally classified (according to the World Allergy Organization) based on timing of symptoms into immediate (Immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated) occurring within 1 hour and delayed (non IgE mediated) allergic reactions occurring after 1 hour. Many patients are mislabeled with drug allergy especially when the diagnosis is made based on history alone. In such cases, a referral to an allergist is important to confirm or exclude allergy through a detailed clinical history, in vitro and/or in vivo testing, as over diagnosis of drug allergy leads to the unnecessary use of broader spectrum and expensive antibiotics contributing to the emergence of multidrug resistant pathogens. Also, in cases of confirmed drug allergy it is important to establish potential cross reactivity with other drugs. Equally, patients with confirmed drug allergy, who have an absolute requirement for the drug or cross reactive drug (as in penicillin allergic females with syphilis) can undergo a process of desensitization in order to complete their treatment through induction of temporary tolerance of the drug.","PeriodicalId":269971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Microbiology and Diagnosis","volume":"71 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127104815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-06-27DOI: 10.4172/2161-0703.1000E133
J. Weltman
Research by El-Banna et al. studied the effects of antihistamine drugs on adaptations of Gram-negative bacteria to resist antimicrobial agents were investigated. Marked synergism was detected in multidrug resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates when the ethanolamine antihistaminic, diphenhydramine, was used in combination with a variety of antibiotics such as azithromycin, erythromycin, amikacin, gentamicin or ciprofloxacin. This information can be useful in the treatment of infectious diseases, especially in this era of emerging multi-drug resistant strains [2].
{"title":"Editor Note: Medical Microbiology & Diagnosis","authors":"J. Weltman","doi":"10.4172/2161-0703.1000E133","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2161-0703.1000E133","url":null,"abstract":"Research by El-Banna et al. studied the effects of antihistamine drugs on adaptations of Gram-negative bacteria to resist antimicrobial agents were investigated. Marked synergism was detected in multidrug resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates when the ethanolamine antihistaminic, diphenhydramine, was used in combination with a variety of antibiotics such as azithromycin, erythromycin, amikacin, gentamicin or ciprofloxacin. This information can be useful in the treatment of infectious diseases, especially in this era of emerging multi-drug resistant strains [2].","PeriodicalId":269971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Microbiology and Diagnosis","volume":"6 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121874247","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-06-15DOI: 10.4172/2161-0703.1000232
J. Walid, Leena H Moshref, Mashael Alzanbagi, R. Moshref, WejdanBaabdullah, E. Aldigs, T. Alahmadi, J. Kari, Samaher Alharbi, O. Safdar, O. Felemban
Objectives: To identify the prevalent organisms associated with respiratory tract infections according to age groups. To identify the most common antibiotics prescribed among pediatric age groups. Methods: A retrospective cohort study conducted on patients aged 0-18 years, admitted to the inpatient department (IPD) diagnosed with respiratory tract infection between Jan 1 2009 to Jan 31 2015 in King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH). Demographic information, diagnosis, date of admission, laboratory investigations, and treatment were collected from patients’ electronic and paper records then analyzed. Exclusion criteria were based on congenital defects, chronic diseases, and compromised immunity. Results: 122 patients with respiratory tract infections were selected for the study (73 males and 49 females). 45.9% of which were infants-toddlers (n=56). The most common diagnosis was pneumonia unspecific (n=32), followed by acute tonsillitis (n=24) and otitis media (n=22). 52 microorganisms were isolated from clinical samples, 14% being Pseudmonas aeruginosa and 13% Streptococcus pneumoniae. 171 antimicrobials were prescribed during the study period. Penicillins were the most frequent (n=78), followed by Cephalosporins (n=45) and Macrolides (n=22). 6.897% resistance was detected among 87 files with culture and sensitivity tests, 30% of which were positively cultured, ranking resistance with 20%. Conclusions: Despite the results showing minimal resistance, antibiotic resistant organisms remain a global concern that needs to be addressed to prevent the spread of antimicrobial resistant infections.
{"title":"Antibiotic Resistance Pattern in Healthy Children Diagnosed with Community Acquired Respiratory Tract Infections in King Abdulaziz University Hospital","authors":"J. Walid, Leena H Moshref, Mashael Alzanbagi, R. Moshref, WejdanBaabdullah, E. Aldigs, T. Alahmadi, J. Kari, Samaher Alharbi, O. Safdar, O. Felemban","doi":"10.4172/2161-0703.1000232","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2161-0703.1000232","url":null,"abstract":"Objectives: To identify the prevalent organisms associated with respiratory tract infections according to age groups. To identify the most common antibiotics prescribed among pediatric age groups. Methods: A retrospective cohort study conducted on patients aged 0-18 years, admitted to the inpatient department (IPD) diagnosed with respiratory tract infection between Jan 1 2009 to Jan 31 2015 in King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH). Demographic information, diagnosis, date of admission, laboratory investigations, and treatment were collected from patients’ electronic and paper records then analyzed. Exclusion criteria were based on congenital defects, chronic diseases, and compromised immunity. Results: 122 patients with respiratory tract infections were selected for the study (73 males and 49 females). 45.9% of which were infants-toddlers (n=56). The most common diagnosis was pneumonia unspecific (n=32), followed by acute tonsillitis (n=24) and otitis media (n=22). 52 microorganisms were isolated from clinical samples, 14% being Pseudmonas aeruginosa and 13% Streptococcus pneumoniae. 171 antimicrobials were prescribed during the study period. Penicillins were the most frequent (n=78), followed by Cephalosporins (n=45) and Macrolides (n=22). 6.897% resistance was detected among 87 files with culture and sensitivity tests, 30% of which were positively cultured, ranking resistance with 20%. Conclusions: Despite the results showing minimal resistance, antibiotic resistant organisms remain a global concern that needs to be addressed to prevent the spread of antimicrobial resistant infections.","PeriodicalId":269971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Microbiology and Diagnosis","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128622221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-06-14DOI: 10.4172/2161-0703.1000231
G. Tarhan, M. B. Sayğan, S. Cesur, Fatih Ocak, A. Ceyhan
In this study, we evaluated the effect of three decontamination-homogenization-concentration (DHC) methods on COBAS Amplicor Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) PCR system (Roche Diagnostics, Inc., Branchburg, USA) in three different periods. A total of 1210 clinical specimens (602 pulmonary, 608 extrapulmonary specimens) were investigated. Specimens were decontaminated periodically using three DHC methods (Method A: 3% NaOHtrisodium citrate-N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NALC), Method B: 4% NaOH-Bromothymol Blue (BTB) method-Direct, Method C: 4% NaOH-BTB method-irrigation before DNA extraction method). Definitive results were obtained from 1011 (83.6%) of 1210 samples. The inhibition rates according to DHC methods (Method A, B, C) were respectively 3.3% (10/302), 4.3% (7/162) and 17.3% (24/138) for pulmonary samples; 10.3% (30/291), 19.5% (33/169) and 35.1% (52/148) for extrapulmonary samples; 6.7% (40/593), 12.1% (40/331) and 26.5% (76/286) for all samples respectively When inhibition rates were compared in terms of samples types and numbers, high inhibitor rates were found in urine 24.4%, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 9.5% and gastric lavage fluid (GLF) 7.6%, respectively. Using culture results as standard, the sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values of COBAS Amplicor MTB PCR assay were, respectively, 68.2%, 99.1%, 75% and 98.8% for the method A, 66.7%, 98%, 75% and 96.9% for method B, 75.0%, 98.9%, 75% and 98.8% for method C. We conclude that laboratories planning to use nucleic acid amplification (NAA) methods as supplement to conventional methods, should be prefer 3% NaOH-trisodium citrate-NALC method.
{"title":"The Effect of Three Decontamination Methods on COBAS Amplicor Mycobacterium tuberculosis PCR Assay","authors":"G. Tarhan, M. B. Sayğan, S. Cesur, Fatih Ocak, A. Ceyhan","doi":"10.4172/2161-0703.1000231","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2161-0703.1000231","url":null,"abstract":"In this study, we evaluated the effect of three decontamination-homogenization-concentration (DHC) methods on COBAS Amplicor Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) PCR system (Roche Diagnostics, Inc., Branchburg, USA) in three different periods. A total of 1210 clinical specimens (602 pulmonary, 608 extrapulmonary specimens) were investigated. Specimens were decontaminated periodically using three DHC methods (Method A: 3% NaOHtrisodium citrate-N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NALC), Method B: 4% NaOH-Bromothymol Blue (BTB) method-Direct, Method C: 4% NaOH-BTB method-irrigation before DNA extraction method). Definitive results were obtained from 1011 (83.6%) of 1210 samples. The inhibition rates according to DHC methods (Method A, B, C) were respectively 3.3% (10/302), 4.3% (7/162) and 17.3% (24/138) for pulmonary samples; 10.3% (30/291), 19.5% (33/169) and 35.1% (52/148) for extrapulmonary samples; 6.7% (40/593), 12.1% (40/331) and 26.5% (76/286) for all samples respectively When inhibition rates were compared in terms of samples types and numbers, high inhibitor rates were found in urine 24.4%, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 9.5% and gastric lavage fluid (GLF) 7.6%, respectively. Using culture results as standard, the sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values of COBAS Amplicor MTB PCR assay were, respectively, 68.2%, 99.1%, 75% and 98.8% for the method A, 66.7%, 98%, 75% and 96.9% for method B, 75.0%, 98.9%, 75% and 98.8% for method C. We conclude that laboratories planning to use nucleic acid amplification (NAA) methods as supplement to conventional methods, should be prefer 3% NaOH-trisodium citrate-NALC method.","PeriodicalId":269971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Microbiology and Diagnosis","volume":"13 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132477067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-05-31DOI: 10.4172/2161-0703.1000230
T. Worthington, A. Hilton
Elimination of Clostridium difficile spores from the clinical setting requires stringent application of infection control procedures including the use of hard-surface disinfectants. A unique combination of sodium taurocholate together with amino acids has been reported as an alternative approach to potentially eliminating spores of C. difficile by increasing their sensitivity to common disinfectants. In this study, the efficacy of this spore germination solution was investigated to explore its effect on the sporulation process under aerobic conditions. Vegetative cells of C. difficile NCTC 11204 (Ribotype 001) and R20291 (Ribotype 027) were exposed to the germination solution comprising 6.9 mM sodium taurocholate and 50 mM of the following amino acids: histidine, glycine, arginine, aspartic acid, valine in TRIS buffer, and a control solution. Total viable counts, the rate and extent of sporulation, and percentage recovery of vegetative cells in both ribotypes were assessed by culture. At 24 hours, sporulation was protracted in ribotypes 001 and 027 and there were significantly more (p=<0.01) vegetative cells following exposure to the germination solution compared to those exposed to the control. No vegetative cells of either ribotype exposed to the control solution were detected at 24 hours. At 48 and 72 hours, vegetative cells of ribotype 027 were not detected however a significantly higher (p<0.001) percentage (43%) of viable vegetative cells of C. difficile 001 were recovered by culture. Exposing vegetative cells of C. difficile to a germination solution protracts the sporulation process in aerobic conditions. In previous studies, the application this solution to spores of C. difficile has been shown to initiate germination thus rendering them more sensitive to common disinfectants. In this investigation, the findings demonstrate that sodium taurocholate protracts the sporulation process and may provide an additional adjunct to future C. difficile infection control strategies.
{"title":"Sporulation of Clostridium difficile in aerobic conditions is significantly protracted when exposed to sodium taurocholate","authors":"T. Worthington, A. Hilton","doi":"10.4172/2161-0703.1000230","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2161-0703.1000230","url":null,"abstract":"Elimination of Clostridium difficile spores from the clinical setting requires stringent application of infection control procedures including the use of hard-surface disinfectants. A unique combination of sodium taurocholate together with amino acids has been reported as an alternative approach to potentially eliminating spores of C. difficile by increasing their sensitivity to common disinfectants. In this study, the efficacy of this spore germination solution was investigated to explore its effect on the sporulation process under aerobic conditions. Vegetative cells of C. difficile NCTC 11204 (Ribotype 001) and R20291 (Ribotype 027) were exposed to the germination solution comprising 6.9 mM sodium taurocholate and 50 mM of the following amino acids: histidine, glycine, arginine, aspartic acid, valine in TRIS buffer, and a control solution. Total viable counts, the rate and extent of sporulation, and percentage recovery of vegetative cells in both ribotypes were assessed by culture. At 24 hours, sporulation was protracted in ribotypes 001 and 027 and there were significantly more (p=<0.01) vegetative cells following exposure to the germination solution compared to those exposed to the control. No vegetative cells of either ribotype exposed to the control solution were detected at 24 hours. At 48 and 72 hours, vegetative cells of ribotype 027 were not detected however a significantly higher (p<0.001) percentage (43%) of viable vegetative cells of C. difficile 001 were recovered by culture. Exposing vegetative cells of C. difficile to a germination solution protracts the sporulation process in aerobic conditions. In previous studies, the application this solution to spores of C. difficile has been shown to initiate germination thus rendering them more sensitive to common disinfectants. In this investigation, the findings demonstrate that sodium taurocholate protracts the sporulation process and may provide an additional adjunct to future C. difficile infection control strategies.","PeriodicalId":269971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Microbiology and Diagnosis","volume":"125 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115518917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-05-31DOI: 10.4172/2161-0703.1000229
Christopher H. Henry, A. Dargan, eep Deshmukh, H. Hann
Simple hepatic cysts occur in less than 5% of the population. As the technology we use for imaging advances, so does the frequency with which we identify them. Simple cysts, as presented here, do not generally require aspiration. The majority of these cysts do not require treatment, however, those larger than 4 cm are recommended for surveillance. We present two cases of simple cysts that were followed for 15 years and managed differently. The experience we acquired from these cases illustrates challenges in understanding and management and an implication that, perhaps, conservative surveillance might be best.
{"title":"A Tale of Two Cysts: Disparate Outcomes of Two Hepatic Cysts","authors":"Christopher H. Henry, A. Dargan, eep Deshmukh, H. Hann","doi":"10.4172/2161-0703.1000229","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2161-0703.1000229","url":null,"abstract":"Simple hepatic cysts occur in less than 5% of the population. As the technology we use for imaging advances, so does the frequency with which we identify them. Simple cysts, as presented here, do not generally require aspiration. The majority of these cysts do not require treatment, however, those larger than 4 cm are recommended for surveillance. We present two cases of simple cysts that were followed for 15 years and managed differently. The experience we acquired from these cases illustrates challenges in understanding and management and an implication that, perhaps, conservative surveillance might be best.","PeriodicalId":269971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Microbiology and Diagnosis","volume":"271 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116068199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-05-03DOI: 10.4172/2161-0703.1000228
J. Weltman
By means of the combined use of B cell epitope prediction (Bepipred) and measurement of information entropy (H) in envelope (E) protein of Zika virus (ZIKV) isolated from infected humans, five amino acid sequences were identified as containing probable epitopes. These five predicted epitopic sequences contained nine amino acid positions where H>0.0. It is proposed that some of the observed entropic positions may reflect mutational escape of the ZIKV from the immune response of the infected host and that such information, applied together with conventional epitope prediction, can guide and facilitate design of anti-ZIKV vaccines.
{"title":"An Immuno-Bioinformatic Analysis of Zika virus (ZIKV) Envelope EProtein","authors":"J. Weltman","doi":"10.4172/2161-0703.1000228","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2161-0703.1000228","url":null,"abstract":"By means of the combined use of B cell epitope prediction (Bepipred) and measurement of information entropy (H) in envelope (E) protein of Zika virus (ZIKV) isolated from infected humans, five amino acid sequences were identified as containing probable epitopes. These five predicted epitopic sequences contained nine amino acid positions where H>0.0. It is proposed that some of the observed entropic positions may reflect mutational escape of the ZIKV from the immune response of the infected host and that such information, applied together with conventional epitope prediction, can guide and facilitate design of anti-ZIKV vaccines.","PeriodicalId":269971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Microbiology and Diagnosis","volume":"106 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124749306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-04-28DOI: 10.4172/2161-0703.1000227
T. Dilnessa, Gebresilasie Demeke Getachew Mengistu, A. Bitew
Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients. Around 20 million cases of severe sepsis arise each year worldwide. Rapid and accurate identification of the etiologic pathogen is crucial to be able to initiate pathogen specific antibiotic therapy and decrease mortality rates, and for reducing length of hospitalization and hospital costs. These identification techniques are applied on various emerging blood culture techniques. This review summarized and presented the currently available technologies and different strategies of conventional laboratory diagnostic steps for blood stream infection. Based on their capability these techniques can be manual, semi-automated or fully automated. Considering the importance of blood cultures in diagnosis and management of bloodstream infections, it is prudent and relevant to understand the principles, technical requirements and limitations of these technologies. Nowadays, there are various emerging blood culture techniques for the diagnosis of blood stream infections and drug susceptibility testing. Among these are API, the BBL systems, the BACTEC systems, the VITEK systems, the BacT/Alert, the BacT/Alert 3D and the Versa TREK system can be mentioned. These systems depend on various detection principles and cultural environments to detect microorganisms. The selection of instrument for the identification and susceptibility testing of bacteria in diagnostic laboratory rely on speed, accuracy, ease of use and cost factors. All marketed identification systems are based on one of five different technologies or a combination of them. These include pH-based reactions, enzyme-based reactions, utilization of carbon sources, visual detection of bacterial growth, or detection of volatility fatty acids.
{"title":"Emerging Blood Culture Technologies for Isolation of Blood Pathogens at Clinical Microbiology Laboratories","authors":"T. Dilnessa, Gebresilasie Demeke Getachew Mengistu, A. Bitew","doi":"10.4172/2161-0703.1000227","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2161-0703.1000227","url":null,"abstract":"Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients. Around 20 million cases of severe sepsis arise each year worldwide. Rapid and accurate identification of the etiologic pathogen is crucial to be able to initiate pathogen specific antibiotic therapy and decrease mortality rates, and for reducing length of hospitalization and hospital costs. These identification techniques are applied on various emerging blood culture techniques. This review summarized and presented the currently available technologies and different strategies of conventional laboratory diagnostic steps for blood stream infection. Based on their capability these techniques can be manual, semi-automated or fully automated. Considering the importance of blood cultures in diagnosis and management of bloodstream infections, it is prudent and relevant to understand the principles, technical requirements and limitations of these technologies. Nowadays, there are various emerging blood culture techniques for the diagnosis of blood stream infections and drug susceptibility testing. Among these are API, the BBL systems, the BACTEC systems, the VITEK systems, the BacT/Alert, the BacT/Alert 3D and the Versa TREK system can be mentioned. These systems depend on various detection principles and cultural environments to detect microorganisms. The selection of instrument for the identification and susceptibility testing of bacteria in diagnostic laboratory rely on speed, accuracy, ease of use and cost factors. All marketed identification systems are based on one of five different technologies or a combination of them. These include pH-based reactions, enzyme-based reactions, utilization of carbon sources, visual detection of bacterial growth, or detection of volatility fatty acids.","PeriodicalId":269971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Microbiology and Diagnosis","volume":"62 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129639498","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-04-20DOI: 10.4172/2161-0703.1000226
Bhavyata Dua, B. Sharma, J. Chakma, M. Arora, R. Bhadauria, D. Mitra, B. Joshi
In leprosy, lepromatous form of the disease is more severe and results from suppression of T cell response. T regulatory cells which suppress T cell response has been found in higher frequency in blood and at the site of infection in leprosy. Therefore, present study was carried out to evaluate the role of Mycobacterium leprae antigens whole cell sonicate (WCS) and especially phenolic glycolipid-1 (PGL-1), which is known for its suppressive nature, in the induction of T regulatory cells expansion in peripheral blood of leprosy patients. For this purpose peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of different category of leprosy patients and healthy controls were stimulated with M. leprae antigens in vitro and percentage of T regulatory cells was determined by flow cytometry. We found higher frequency of T regulatory cells in PBMCs of untreated borderline lepromatous/lepromatous leprosy (BL/LL) patients. Further, PBMCs of untreated BL/LL patients also showed higher percentage of T regs after stimulation with PGL-1. Antigen mediated expansion of T regulatory cells was also supported by results of Carboxy fluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) proliferation assay. None of the antigen induced T regs expansion in healthy controls, untreated tuberculoid/borderline tuberculoid (TT/BT) leprosy patients and treated leprosy patients. Therefore it is suggested that increased frequency of T regs in BL/LL patients may be due to the induction of T regs expansion mediated by PGL-1 of M. leprae and this high percentage of T regs resulted in T cell suppression in lepromatous disease.
{"title":"Expansion of T regulatory Cells in Lepromatous Leprosy is Mediated by Phenolic Glycolipid-1","authors":"Bhavyata Dua, B. Sharma, J. Chakma, M. Arora, R. Bhadauria, D. Mitra, B. Joshi","doi":"10.4172/2161-0703.1000226","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4172/2161-0703.1000226","url":null,"abstract":"In leprosy, lepromatous form of the disease is more severe and results from suppression of T cell response. T regulatory cells which suppress T cell response has been found in higher frequency in blood and at the site of infection in leprosy. Therefore, present study was carried out to evaluate the role of Mycobacterium leprae antigens whole cell sonicate (WCS) and especially phenolic glycolipid-1 (PGL-1), which is known for its suppressive nature, in the induction of T regulatory cells expansion in peripheral blood of leprosy patients. For this purpose peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of different category of leprosy patients and healthy controls were stimulated with M. leprae antigens in vitro and percentage of T regulatory cells was determined by flow cytometry. We found higher frequency of T regulatory cells in PBMCs of untreated borderline lepromatous/lepromatous leprosy (BL/LL) patients. Further, PBMCs of untreated BL/LL patients also showed higher percentage of T regs after stimulation with PGL-1. Antigen mediated expansion of T regulatory cells was also supported by results of Carboxy fluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) proliferation assay. None of the antigen induced T regs expansion in healthy controls, untreated tuberculoid/borderline tuberculoid (TT/BT) leprosy patients and treated leprosy patients. Therefore it is suggested that increased frequency of T regs in BL/LL patients may be due to the induction of T regs expansion mediated by PGL-1 of M. leprae and this high percentage of T regs resulted in T cell suppression in lepromatous disease.","PeriodicalId":269971,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Microbiology and Diagnosis","volume":"32 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115079132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}