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Biomedical subjects

J B Selkon

Publications and source records attributed to J B Selkon.

80 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

A study in vitro of the sensitivity to antibiotics of Bacteroides fragilis.

During a two-year period of observation Bacteroides species were isolated from specimens of pus and vaginal swabs from 115 patients in this hospital. Thirty-five representative strains proved on examination to be Bacteroides fragilis. Minimal inhibitory and minimal bactericidal concentrations of six antibiotics for these strains were determined. All strains were resistant to streptomycin, neomycin, and polymyxin, slightly sensitive to penicillin and ampicillin, and fully sensitive to tetracycline, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, and lincomycin. The minimum bactericidal concentrations of chloramphenicol, erythromycin, and lincomycin were two to four times the minimal inhibitory concentrations. Tetracycline failed to exert any consistent bactericidal effect.The treatment of patients with infections caused by B. fragilis is discussed in the light of the findings in vitro.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Effect of pyridoxine on vitamin B6 concentrations and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase activity in whole blood of tuberculous patients receiving high-dosage isoniazid.

An earlier report from the Tuberculosis Chemotherapy Centre, Madras, showed that, in tuberculous patients receiving high-dosage isoniazid (12.5-15.6 mg/kg body-weight), the concomitant administration of 6 mg of pyridoxine prevented peripheral neuropathy. In that study, biochemical determinations of B(6) concentrations and GOT activity in whole blood had been routinely undertaken on all patients on admission to treatment, and at 6, 12, 24 and 52 weeks thereafter; in addition, extra determinations were undertaken for patients who developed peripheral neuropathy. The present paper reports the findings of these investigations, which are: (a) peripheral neuropathy developed predominantly among slow inactivators of isoniazid, and was associated with a substantial reduction in GOT activity but no apparent change in B(6) concentration; (b) the reduction in GOT activity appeared to be due to deficiency of both the coenzyme (pyridoxal phosphate) and the apoenzyme; (c) the concomitant administration of pyridoxine (6 mg or 48 mg) with high-dosage isoniazid to 3 patients with peripheral neuropathy, 1 of whom had convulsions also, resulted in increased B(6) concentrations and GOT activity, and no further convulsions; and (d) the concomitant administration of pyridoxine 6 mg daily, as a prophylactic, resulted in a significant increase in B(6) concentrations and GOT activity and prevention of the neuropathy.These findings establish the existence of a definite association between the occurrence of isoniazid-induced toxicity and diminished pyridoxine function.

Aspartate Aminotransferases↗

Serological responses to brucellosis in HIV-seropositive patients.

Serial sera from 2 patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 attending a clinic in Nairobi, Kenya, and with blood cultures yielding Brucella melitensis, were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for their serological response (Brucella-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG) to Brucella infection. Antibody responses were comparable to those of immunocompetent individuals, one patient showing serology typical of acute brucellosis, the other of chronic brucellosis. Sera from 100 other patients, 65 of whom were HIV-positive, attending the same clinic but whose routine microbiological cultures were negative for Brucella, were tested retrospectively for Brucella-specific antibody. Eight had Brucella-specific IgM and IgG, 6 had IgM only and 21 had IgG only, suggesting relatively high levels of exposure to Brucella in the study cohort. There was no association between Brucella antibody status and HIV status. Brucellosis is probably underdiagnosed in Kenya. Brucella serology may be helpful in the diagnosis of patients with non-specific symptoms in East Africa, regardless of HIV status.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗