Biomedical subjects

C Clabots

Publications and source records attributed to C Clabots.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Molecular analysis of a hospital cafeteria-associated salmonellosis outbreak using modified repetitive element PCR fingerprinting.

A hospital cafeteria-associated outbreak of gastroenteritis due to Salmonella enterica serotype Infantis was retrospectively evaluated using modified repetitive element PCR (rep-PCR) fingerprinting with the ERIC2 and BOXA1R primers and computer-assisted gel analysis and dendrogram construction. Rep-PCR yielded objective between-cycler, same-strain similarity values of from 92% (composite fingerprints) to 96% (ERIC2 fingerprints). The 70 Salmonella isolates (which included 19 serotype Infantis isolates from the hospital outbreak, 10 other serotype Infantis isolates, and 41 isolates representing 14 other serotypes) were resolved well to the serotype level with each of the three fingerprint types (ERIC2, BOXA1R, and composite). Rep-PCR typing uncovered several historical serotyping errors and provided presumptive serotype assignments for other isolates with incomplete or undetermined serotypes. Analysis of replicate fingerprints for each isolate, as generated on two different thermal cyclers, indicated that most of the seeming subserotype discrimination noted in single-cycler dendrograms actually represented assay variability, since it was not reproducible in combined-cycler dendrograms. Rep-PCR typing, which would have been able to identify the presence of the hospital-associated serotype Infantis outbreak after the second outbreak isolate, could be used as a simple surrogate for serotyping by clinical microbiology laboratories that are equipped for diagnostic PCR.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗

PubMed2000

Improved repetitive-element PCR fingerprinting of Salmonella enterica with the use of extremely elevated annealing temperatures.

Modified thermal cycling conditions were explored in an effort to improve the reproducibility and resolving power of repetitive-element PCR (rep-PCR) fingerprinting. Assay performance was rigorously evaluated under standard and modified cycling conditions, using as a test set 12 strains putatively representing 12 serovars of Salmonella enterica. For all three fingerprint types (ERIC2, BOXA1R, and composite fingerprints), the use of extremely elevated annealing temperatures plus an initial "touchdown" cycling routine yielded significant improvements in day-to-day reproducibility and discriminating power despite the somewhat sparser appearance of the fingerprints. Modified cycling conditions markedly reduced the variability of fingerprints between cyclers, allowing fingerprints from different cyclers to be analyzed together without the degradation of assay performance that occurred with between-cycler analyses under standard cycling conditions. With modified cycling, composite fingerprints exhibited the lowest reproducibility but the highest net discriminating power of the three fingerprint types. rep-PCR fingerprints led to the discovery of a serotyping error involving one of the 12 test strains. These data demonstrate that modified cycling regimens that incorporate elevated annealing temperatures (with or without an initial touchdown routine) may markedly improve the performance of rep-PCR fingerprinting as a bacterial typing tool.

DNA Fingerprinting↗

PubMed1998

Role of interferon-gamma in murine cytomegalovirus infection.

Interferon-gamma has well-documented antiviral and immunomodulatory activity, but its role in the control of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is not well studied. In a mouse model of murine CMV (MCMV) disease, interferon-gamma concentrations in serum but not in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid increased in response to viral infection. Serum interferon-gamma levels peaked at day 2 in the relatively resistant C57BL/6 mice, and, in contrast, did not peak until day 6 in susceptible BALB/c mice. Mice genetically lacking interferon-gamma (GKO) were more susceptible to MCMV, although strain differences persisted, with C57BL/6 GKO mice experiencing less severe MCMV disease than BALB/c GKO mice. Treatment of MCMV-infected BALB/c mice with exogenous interferon-gamma starting 2 days after viral infection had a modest protective effect at lower interferon-gamma doses (10(4) units), but interferon-gamma therapy markedly increased morbidity and mortality when higher doses (10(5) units) were used. We conclude that interferon-gamma plays a significant role in host response to MCMV and that the cytokine has dose- and time-dependent beneficial and adverse effects.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Effectiveness of liquid soap vs. chlorhexidine gluconate for the removal of Clostridium difficile from bare hands and gloved hands.

OBJECTIVE: To compare liquid soap versus 4% chlorhexidine gluconate in 4% alcohol for the decontamination of bare or gloved hands inoculated with an epidemic strain of Clostridium difficile. DESIGN: C difficile (6.7 log10 colony-forming units [CFU], 47% spores), was seeded onto bare or latex gloved hands of ten volunteers and allowed to dry. Half the volunteers initially washed with soap and half with chlorhexidine, followed by the other agent 1 week later. Cultures were done with Rodac plates at three sites on the hand: finger/thumbtips, the palmar surfaces of the fingers, and the palm. Statistical comparison was by paired Student's t test. RESULTS: On bare hands, soap and chlorhexidine did not differ in residual bacterial counts on the finger/thumbtips (log10 CFU, 2.0 and 2.1, P = NS) and fingers (log10 CFU, 2.4 and 2.5, P = NS). Counts were too high on bare palms to quantitate. On gloved hands, soap was more effective than chlorhexidine on fingers (log10 CFU 1.3 and 1.7, P < .01) and palms (log10 CFU 1.5 and 2.0, P < .01), but not finger/thumbtips (log10 CFU 1.6 with each, P = NS). Residual C difficile counts were lower on gloved hands than bare hands (P < 0.01 to < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The two agents did not differ significantly in residual counts of C difficile on bare hands, but on gloved hands residual counts were lower following soap wash than following chlorhexidine wash. These observations support the use of either soap or chlorhexidine as a handwash for removal of C difficile, but efficacy in the prevention of C difficile transmission must be determined by prospective clinical trials.

Aerosols↗

PubMed1989

Therapy of lower extremity infections with ciprofloxacin in patients with diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, or both.

PURPOSE: Lower extremity infections in the presence vascular insufficiency are difficult and costly to treat. Few well-controlled clinical trials evaluating the management of these infections exist. We decided to investigate the ability of a new fluoroquinolone, ciprofloxacin, to reduce the morbidity associated with these infections and the amount of in-hospital time required for the administration of antibiotic therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-eight patients with peripheral vascular disease (46 with diabetes mellitus) who presented to the hospital for treatment of lower extremity infections were randomized in a blinded fashion to receive oral ciprofloxacin at a dosage of either 750 mg or 1,000 mg twice daily. Patients with osteomyelitis received three months of therapy and those with infections limited to soft tissues, three weeks of ciprofloxacin treatment. All subjects were followed for one year. RESULTS: One patient received an amputation 24 hours after enrollment, and two patients discontinued therapy after 20 and 34 days because of adverse effects and were not evaluable. At the one-year follow-up, 27 of the 45 (60 percent) evaluable patients had a fully successful outcome defined as not requiring either repeat antimicrobial therapy for their initial infection or amputation of the involved extremity. In the group of 18 patients in whom therapy failed, a total of only nine amputations were required. In the 15 patients whose lesion closed during therapy, 93% (14 patients) experienced a long-term successful outcome. CONCLUSION: Treatment with this new fluoroquinolone offers promise for the improved outcome of patients with the serious infectious complication of infected lower extremity ulcerations in peripheral vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, or both.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Clostridium difficile plasmid isolation as an epidemiologic tool.

A large hospital outbreak of Clostridium difficile diarrhea at the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Center (MVAMC) was studied by plasmid profile typing. Plasmids were obtained from 30 (37%) of 82 clinical isolates from MVAMC patients and 10 (67%) of 15 non-MVAMC isolates. While bacteriophage plus bacteriocin typing and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) plus bacterial agglutination typing proved more universally applicable, plasmid profiles may be useful for tracing isolated epidemic outbreaks, reinfections and relapses caused by plasmid-bearing strains.

Bacteriocins↗