Zhonghua Minguo wei sheng wu xue za zhi = Chinese journal of microbiology最新文献

A total of 59 cases, who visited the Dermatological Clinic of National Taiwan University Hospital in the past 27 years, was proved to be Sporotrichosis. The diagnostic criteria were the suggestive clinical pictures with any one of the following points: (1) positive fungal culture with characteristic colonies of Sporotrichum schenckii, (2) good therapeutic response to potassium iodide, (3) demonstration of fungal elements in the suggested pathological tissues or (4) demonstration of fungal elements in pus or tissue using direct immunofluorescence. All the informations concerning the clinical pictures and epidemiological points of view of these 59 patients were analysed. The chief cutaneous lesions were composed of nodules, ulcers or infiltrated plaques in linear arrangement on the exposed areas especially arms, legs or face. Thirty eight cases were male and 21 female. It affected peoples of the age between 4 to 70 years old, and their occupations were mainly outside workers such as agriculturist, worker, etc. Most of the affected people lived in the suburban areas of Taipei city such as Taoyuan and Taipei county. Serological tests such as precipitation, complement fixation and hemagglutination tests were performed in 12 cases, yet no reliable results were got.

A method for rapidly identifying and quantitating small amount of staphylococcal enterotoxin B was developed on capillary tube single diffusion test. The high sensitivity of method has the advantages to save antiserum and incubation period. Some factors such as concentration of antigen and antiserum, incubation temperature, buffer systems, and position of capillary tube all might affect the test accuracy. If all those affecting factors were concerned, the toxin would probably be standardized. The most accessible quantitative estimation was accomplished by means of (1) plotting a precipitation curve from the different concentrations of standardized staphylococcal enterotoxin B; (2) the sample to be test was diluted by serial two-fold method with the same buffer system; (3) select suitable 3--5 dilutions to perform capillary tube diffusion test, taking the values of precipitation bands as abcissa and sample dilutions as longitudinal axis, rendered the precipitation curve of sample exquisitely paralled to that of the standard; (4) calibrate the figure values of sample exactly on the precipitation curve, and reading the toxin content of specimen to be tested from standard curve.

Immunoglobulin levels and IgG and IgA antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), viral capsid antigens (VCA) and early antigens (EA) were tested in 67 untreated (5 stage I, 32 stage II, 16 stage III and 14 stage IV), 21 treated and 7 recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients and 54 normal subjects. The mean serum concentrations of IgG, IgA and IgM in NPC patients were higher than those of the normal control. 41.1, 86.3, 94.7 and 95.8% of NPC patients had anti-VCA titers of greater than or equal to 1:640 and greater than or equal to 1:40 in IgG and IgA, and anti-EA titers of greater than or equal to 1:40 and greater than or equal to 1:10 in IgG and IgA, respectively. But none of the control had such titers. IgG and IgA levels, anti-VCA titers in IgG and IgA, and anti-EA titers in IgG increased with advances of the disease in untreated NPC patients. Untreated patients had higher anti-VCA titers in IgG, and anti-EA titers in IgG and IgA than 60Co-treated cases, but lower than recurrent patients. Anti-VCA in IgA and IgG was more closely correlated than anti-EA in IgA and IgG. Anti-VCA and anti-EA antibodies in IgA were detected from the throat washing of a NPC patient at clinical stage III.

Factors contributing to the impairment of cell-mediated immunity in cancer patients were studied. Normal plasma enhanced the PHA-induced transformation of cancer lymphocytes. Cancer plasma suppressed the transformation of normal lymphocytes. The plasma factor(s), which might play an important role in the impairment of cell-mediated immunity in cancer, was further characterized to be heat-labile, being completely destroyed at 56 degrees C for 30 minutes. It was present on the surface of T lymphocytes, and was partially removable by digestion with 0.05% Bacto-trypsin. Moreover, the percentage of T cells in the peripheral blood of cancer patients was lower than that of normal as determined by the anti-human thymocyte serum cytotoxicity test and the spontaneous rosette forming test.

Children of eight orphanages at the different districts in Taipei were examined with scotch adhesive tape method and flotation of saturated NaCl solution from Sept. 1973 to Jan. 1974. The results are summarized as following: General incidence of Enterobius verminularis was 74.40% in 461 cases examined, male 76.45% (224/293), female 70.83% (119/168). There was no significant statistical difference between the male and female. Incidence of Enterobius among the orphanages was 83.33% (25/30) in Po-Ai, Fu-Ann 82.61% (38/46), Ta-Tung 82.43% (61/74), Hau-Sen 77.25% (34/44), Chung-I 75.00% (51/68), Jen-Ai 72.97% (23/37), Ti-Hwei 72.50% (29/40) and Sen-Tao 63.93% (78/122). There were no significant statistical differences among the orphanages except the differences between Sen-Tao and Ta-Tung; Sen-Tao and Fu-Ann, Sen-Tao and Po-Ai. Incidence of Enterobius according to age-groups: The highest rate was 79.34% (242/305) in primary school group followed by 70.00% (21/30) in kindergarten group, 64.40% (73/114) in Junior high school and the lowest was 63.64% (7/11) in nursery group. There was a significant statistical difference between primary school group and junior school group. (Table 3) The larger the space for the children's free activity was the lower the incidence of Enterobius, and the smaller space resulted in the higher incidence. The distribution of Enterobius ova in the different body parts of the 461 orphans was 80.91% (373/461); The highest 74.40% (343/461) at perianal area and the lowest 11.93% (55/461) at ears. The incidence of Enterobius on the various objects in the orphanages was found as the following: 85.71% (6/7) on bed pans, 83.67% (333/398) on linens, 78.46% (51/65) on w. c. appartus, 77.39% (89/115) on specimens of dust, 13.33% (1/15) on stairrails 8.04% (32/39) on bedposts, 7.33% (11/150) on closets, 4.24% (5/118) on desks and 3.64% (2/55) on toys.

In vitro assembly of Neurospora crassa NADPH-nitrate reductase (EC1.6.6.2) could be effected by combing the nitrate induced Neurospora crassa mutant nit-1 with the extract of any known molybdenum-containing enzyme. The process involves the participation of a molybdenum-cofactor contributed by the molybdenum-enzyme fraction. This paper emphasizes two points: Firstly, the indispensable role played by EDTA in the viability of Mo-cofactor and secondly, the nature of Mo-cofactor predicated by our previous work is supported by concrete experimental results. Recent experiments with Chelax-100 column provide evidence that the in vitro formation of Neurospora NADPH-nitrate reductase involves EDTA and the latter may take part in the formation of a molybdenum, labile sulfide and EDTA complex. In addition to 10(-2) M sodium molybdate, both EDTA and reducing agent are required to activate the cofactor in the Chelax-100 column eluate. The cofactor is of low molecular weight and devoid of protein as was predicated. To substantiate those predications, concrete experimental results are provided.

In order to find an easily available, simple, reliable and inexpensive method for demonstrating significant bacteriuria in routine urine examination, microscopic observation and bacteriological cultures have been made in parallel on total of 206 urine samples. Microscopic examinations of centrifuged deposit for both pus cells and bacteria were found to be more satisfactory in urine specimens with significant bacteriuria than the examinations for either of these elements alone. The criteria of more than five pus cells per high power field and organisms visible in methylene blue stain had sensitivity of 79% and a false positive rate of 13%.

The effects of cordacin on lymphocyte activity were studied with two parameters in vitro. The cordacin inhibited T lymphocyte E rosette formation by 93% at the concentration of 1,000 microgram/ml and tritiated-thymidine incorporation into PHA-transformed lymphocytes by 66% at the concentration of 10 microgram/ml. The implication of these results on replicating leukemic as well as normal cells is discussed.

In order to establish Taiwan monkey lymphoblastoid cell lines, attempts were made to raise the susceptibility of monkey lymphocytes to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) by chemical and enzymatic treatments. EBV infectivity to monkey T and B cells were tested by detection of EBV early antigens in infected cells with the indirect immunofluorescent antibody technique. Treatments of monkey unfractionated lymphocytes with DEAE-Dextran (160 microgram/ml) for 1 hr, ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA, 0.5%) for 10 min, 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR, 12.5 microgram/ml) for 23 hr and 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine (IUdR, 12.5 microgram/ml) for 20 hr raised the susceptibility of the cells to EBV. However, trypsin treatment (0.05, 0.1 and 0.2%) at 37 degrees C for 5 min did not affect cell susceptibility to EBV. Unfractionated lymphocytes, T cells which were purified by rosette formation with sheep red blood cells, and a B cell-rich population obtained by the treatment of lymphocytes with antithymoycte serum were treated with the chemicals described above. The results showed that although the possibility of T cell susceptibility to EBV could not be ruled out because of 1 to 2.5% of B cell contamination in purified T cells, the main target cells in Taiwan monkey leukocytes for EBV infection were B cells.