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Biomedical subjects

J Scheibel

Publications and source records attributed to J Scheibel.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Cross-resistance patterns among clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae with decreased susceptibility to cefuroxime.

The frequency of decreased susceptibility to cefuroxime and quinolones and the correlation between these drug resistance traits was investigated in clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae from two Danish counties. Eighty-three randomly selected clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae with decreased susceptibility to cefuroxime were examined for cross-resistance patterns and the production of beta-lactamases. The frequency of resistance to cefuroxime and ciprofloxacin has increased from <5% in 1990 to 15% and 7% in 1998, respectively. Two of the 83 isolates were multiply resistant and seemed to produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamases. However, cross-resistance to ciprofloxacin and other classes of drug in 68% of the remaining isolates indicates that other resistance mechanisms, such as penetration barriers, had probably been selected in these Danish isolates. The susceptibility to ciprofloxacin decreased successively with decreasing susceptibility to cefuroxime for K. pneumoniae. This did not occur in cefuroxime-resistant Escherichia coli.

4-Quinolones↗

Risk factors for hospital-acquired Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) acquired in hospitals continues to be a frequent and serious complication to hospitalization, and no previous case-control studies dealing with risk factors of this severe disease are available. METHODS: Based on a 1-year prospective analysis, the data from all patients with hospital-acquired SAB admitted to 4 hospitals in Copenhagen County, Denmark, from May 1, 1994, through April 30, 1995, were evaluated. Eighty-five patients with hospital-acquired SAB were matched to 85 control patients with a similar primary diagnosis at admission (matched controls). Of these, 62 patients with hospital-acquired SAB were compared with 118 other patients with a similar time of admission, who were randomly selected with no clinical evidence of SAB (unmatched controls). RESULTS: The incidence of hospital-acquired SAB was 0.71 per 1000 hospital admissions. The presence of a central venous catheter (odds ratio, 6.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.8-17.0), anemia (odds ratio, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.4-7.6), and hyponatremia (odds ratio, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.5-7.0) was significantly associated with hospital-acquired SAB in a conditional and a usual logistic regression analysis. Nasal carriage was not an independent risk factor, but nasal carriers among patients in surgery (odds ratio, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.3-13.0) had a significantly higher risk for hospital-acquired SAB compared with matched and unmatched controls. The presence of hospital-acquired SAB increased the mortality rate 2.4-fold (95% CI, 1.1-5.2). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of a central venous catheter is an important risk factor, and hyponatremia and anemia are associated with the development of hospital-acquired SAB. Furthermore, hospital-acquired SAB in itself increases mortality.

Adolescent↗

Helicobacter pylori detection in human biopsies: a competitive PCR assay with internal control reveals false results.

A polymerase chain reaction assay (PCR) for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori in human gastric biopsies was developed. To prevent false-negative results while performing PCR on human tissues, an internal control is necessary. Primer set ACT1-ACT2 which specifically amplifies a 542-bp fragment of the 16S rRNA gene of H. pylori was used. dUTP and hot-start were used to prevent false-positives from carryover of previous products and avoid non-specific extension products. A competitive internal control DNA fragment was constructed to detect the presence of inhibitors. Biopsies from 101 unselected patients with gastric symptoms were tested. PCR results were compared with results from microscopy of histological sections and conventional culturing for H. pylori. Forty-two percent of the biopsies were found to contain compounds inhibiting the PCR. The addition of the internal control assures the performance of the PCR assay and is an important quality control parameter.

Adolescent↗

An analysis of seven different methods to diagnose Helicobacter pylori infections.

BACKGROUND: It has been debated which diagnostic test should be preferred for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori in patients with gastroduodenal diseases. METHODS: The H. pylori infection was diagnosed prospectively in 97 untreated patients. H. pylori was diagnosed by means of tests based on five different principles: 1) culture, 2) microscopy (HLO), 3) urease activity (urea breath test (UBT) and urease test on biopsy specimens (CLO test)), 4) DNA detection (polymerase chain reaction (PCR)), and 5) IgG antibody detection (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (EIA) and Western blotting (WB)). RESULTS: This study showed that two positive tests out of five tests, based on different principles, were most reliable for predicting the H. pylori infection. Most tests had specificities and predictive values for a negative result greater than 90%. The most important difference between the tests was the sensitivity and the predictive value for a positive result (PPV). WB, HLO, UBT, and PCR had sensitivities and PPV greater than 75%. CONCLUSIONS: The non-invasive tests UBT and WB are reliable, both alone and in combination, and they are recommended for the pre-endoscopic diagnosis of H. pylori. WB is recommended as a confirmative test for antibody detection by EIA. When patients have an upper endoscopy, we recommend taking biopsy specimens for culture and histology because of the additional information obtained about susceptibility, virulence determinants, and morphology, including the degree of inflammation.

Adult↗

Cefuroxime resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Susceptibility to cefotaxime and ceftazidime despite production of ESBLs.

The production of beta-lactamases, the outer membrane protein (OMP) patterns, some clinical impacts and the prevalence of resistance among cefuroxime-resistant Danish clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae were investigated. Fifteen resistant and five susceptible strains were collected from 14 patients during 1991-1994. Isolates from five patients produced extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs). Cefuroxime resistance was accompanied by a 10-fold elevation of ciprofloxacin minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), and for some isolates by an alteration of the OMP pattern. The relationship between alterations of the OMP patterns and cross-resistance to ciprofloxacin and the other antibiotics tested was not universal. Ten of the cefuroxime-resistant strains had elevated MICs of cefotaxime or ceftazidime, but the MICs were still below the breakpoint for susceptibility. The MICs of imipenem were not affected. Nosocomial infection or long-term colonization with resistant strains may be of importance since five patients were not treated with cefuroxime prior to isolation of the resistant strain, and all patients had either serious diseases or stayed at the hospital for a long period of time. The prevalence of cefuroxime and ciprofloxacin resistance among clinical isolates from Copenhagen county during 1990-1995 was 8.3% and 7.5%, respectively, but higher for urinary tract specimens. A greater consumption of cefuroxime as compared to cefotaxime and ceftazidime in this study, as seen generally in Denmark, indicated that ESBLs produced by the investigated strains of K. pneumoniae may be selected with cefuroxime.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗

Staphylococcus aureus carriage and infections among patients in four haemo- and peritoneal-dialysis centres in Denmark. The Danish Study Group of Peritonitis in Dialysis (DASPID).

A three-month prospective surveillance study was undertaken in four dialysis centres to establish the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus carriage in a Danish population of patients on haemodialysis (HD) or on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). General data such as sex, age, diagnosis, number of months in dialysis, hospital and ward were registered on a precoded form. Standardized nose and four skin swabs (axillae, groins, perineum) were performed on the first day of the survey. After one and two months, nose swabs were collected. Infections were registered and cultures were sent for phage-typing together with the S. aureus strains isolated from the swabs; 59.5% of HD patients and 51.2% of CAPD patients carried S. aureus. Permanent carriage was most frequent (P < 0.00009), primarily in the nose (44.0 and 34.9%, respectively in HD and CAPD). Skin carriage alone was rare (2.4 and 4.7%). Approximately one third (36.6 and 40.7%) of infections were caused by S. aureus. Although diabetics were not significantly more frequent carriers (60.5%) than non-diabetics (55.0%), the incidence of infection was much higher (26.3% vs. 10.3%, P = 0.004). In CAPD, peritonitis and tunnel/exit-site infections predominated (81.4%), often caused by S. aureus (34.8%). More than two thirds of the infections in HD patients were related to intravascular catheterization. The most serious infection was septicaemia, in all cases due to S. aureus. S aureus infections occurred significantly more frequently among carriers (P = 0.005), and more than half the patients were infected by the same or possibly the same strain as they carried in the nose or on skin. Different regimens for the elimination of S. aureus carriage in dialysis patients are discussed. A policy for risk assessment of patients should be developed, and the elimination of S. aureus carriage before dialysis should be encouraged. Controlled trials comparing the cost-effectiveness of recommended regimens to eliminate carriage in HD/CAPD patients are needed. Nose swabs are reliable indicators of carriage in dialysis patients.

Carrier State↗

Coagulase-negative Staphylococci in Danish blood cultures: species distribution and antibiotic susceptibility.

The distribution and antibiotic susceptibility of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolated from blood cultures was examined in samples from hospitals covering most of Denmark. A total of 499 CoNS isolates were detected in 477 blood cultures from 340 patients and speciated as Staphylococcus epidermidis, 285; Staphylococcus hominis, 61; Staphylococcus haemolyticus, 43; Staphylococcus warneri, 12; Staphylococcus cohnii, 7; Staphylococcus saprophyticus, 4; Staphylococcus capitis, 2 and Staphylococcus lugdunensis, 1. Seventy-eight isolates could not be identified to species level and six were Micrococcus spp. In 108 (22.6%) blood culture sets, more than one CoNS strain were found, as detected by species identification, antibiogram and biotyping. Significantly more blood cultures from patients in university hospitals were drawn from central venous catheters. Comparing university and non-university hospitals, the overall antibiotic susceptibility among CoNS was only slightly different, except for methicillin and amikacin. The prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains was 35.1% in the university hospital strains vs. 25.3% in the non-university hospital strains. The overall prevalence of methicillin resistance was 32%. Great geographic variation in both species distribution and antibiotic resistance was observed. The high prevalence of S. epidermidis makes subtyping of this species important.

Blood↗

A 6-month prospective study of hospital-acquired bacteremia in Copenhagen county.

During a 6-month period, 892 positive blood cultures were detected in the Copenhagen County hospitals. 302 (34%) were regarded as contaminations, and of the remaining cases 419 (71%) were community-acquired and 171 (29%) hospital-acquired, giving incidence rates of 6.8/1,000 admissions and 2.8/1,000 admissions, respectively. Both frequency and rate of hospital-acquired bacteremia were lower compared to most other studies. E. coli was more commonly found in community-acquired infections, while coagulase-negative staphylococci were the organisms most often considered as a contaminant. The main causative organisms in hospital-acquired infections were S. aureus (n = 37) and E. coli (n = 34). The proportion of polymicrobial bacteremias in this study was lower compared to most other studies (8%). E. coli from hospital-acquired infections were resistant to ampicillin in 42% of cases, but other Enterobacteriaceae showed higher percentage of resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics. S. aureus was penicillin-resistant in 92% of cases, but no methicillin-resistant strains were isolated. The frequency of antibiotic resistance was low compared to reports from other countries. A total of 136 hospital-acquired cases were followed prospectively. 61% of the patients were male and 46% were > or = 60 years of age. Most patients had predisposing diseases, 90% had foreign body and/or recent surgery performed, and 74 (54%) had an intraveneous catheter. The portal of entry was known in 132 (97%) of the cases, the most common being the urinary tract (42%), followed by an intravenous catheter (30%). The prevalence of urinary tract catheters gave an increased number of cases with E. coli bacteremia. The mortality was 16%.

Adolescent↗

Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in individual and pooled endocervical and urethral scrapes by a commercially available polymerase chain reaction.

The aim of this study was to compare a commercially available PCR kit (Amplicor, Roche) with our present routine analysis (SYVA EIA) for the detection of genital C. trachomatis infection in females. Furthermore, we wished to investigate the possibility of pooling samples for PCR analysis. Two hundred and sixty-eight consecutive female patients attending two gynecology clinics in Copenhagen, Denmark were included in this study. Compared to the number of samples regarded as true positives, PCR had a sensitivity of 100% (18/18) and EIA a sensitivity of 83.3% (15/18). The specificity of the PCR analysis was 99.2% (248/250) compared to 100% (250/250) for the EIA. By pooling patient samples (five patient samples in each pooled sample), a 39% reduction in reagent costs was obtained without affecting the sensitivity. In conclusion, the implementation of a standardized commercially available C. trachomatis PCR kit leads to a marked increase in analytical sensitivity compared to EIA without affecting the specificity. When pooled samples were analyzed, the cost per patient sample was reduced, but further large-scale studies are needed to rule out the possibility of a reduced sensitivity due to the dilution of individual patient samples.

Adolescent↗

Prevention of duodenal ulcer recurrence with penicillin. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Eradication of Helicobacter pylori is associated with a reduced recurrence of duodenal ulcer (DU). The relationship between H. pylori and DU has been interpreted as causal, but the evidence has been criticized for methodologic reasons. To ascertain whether an antibiotic with no effect on epithelial-cell integrity prevents DU recurrence, we conducted a randomized double-blind trial of phenoxymethylpenicillin (PEN), 2.4 twice daily, and placebo (PLA). Patients with an active DU and positive H. pylori culture from antral biopsy specimens were treated with 40 mg omeprazole daily for 4 weeks, but at week 2 they were allocated at random to PEN (85 patients) or PLA (85 patients) for up to 14 weeks. Those without recurrence during this treatment were followed up for another 6 months. Endoscopy and H. pylori culture were performed at the end of the treatment period and at the end of follow-up, and in between if ulcer symptoms recurred. During the treatment period the ulcer relapse rate was 5 of 58 (9%) in the PEN group and 34 of 68 (50%) in the PLA group (P < 0.0001, log-rank test), with 53% and 14%, respectively, of the patients in the two groups being H. pylori-negative. The relapse rate in the PEN group did not differ between H. pylori-negative and H. pylori-positive patients. The recurrence rate in the PEN group remained low for another 5 months but then approached the rate in the PLA group. The prevalence of H. pylori-negative patients at the end of follow-up was 20% in the PEN group and 10% in the PLA group. These data provide strong evidence that DU has a bacterial cause, with H. pylori as the likely agent.

Double-Blind Method↗

Non-typhoid Salmonella bacteraemia in Greater Copenhagen 1984 to 1988.

A retrospective survey of non-typhoid Salmonella bacteraemia in the period 1984 to 1988 was carried out by the five departments of clinical microbiology in Greater Copenhagen. A total of 168 patients were identified. A gradual increase was observed from 11 cases in 1984 to 58 cases in 1988. The corresponding incidence per 100,000 inhabitants in Copenhagen rose from 0.9 in 1984 to 5.0 in 1988. During the same period the total registered incidence of human Salmonella infections in Denmark increased from 17.6 to 67.4 per 100,000 inhabitants. The serotype most often isolated from bacteraemic patients was Salmonella dublin followed by Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium. Salmonella dublin demonstrated enhanced invasive and pathogenic properties. Predisposing factors were present in 56% of the patients; the most common was malignant disease. A fatal or complicated course of the bacteraemia was observed more frequently in patients with underlying diseases than in persons who had previously been healthy. A total of 17% of the patients died; one-fifth of these had a ruptured aortic aneurysm. It is concluded that the substantial increase in the number of cases and the often serious course taken by the infection demonstrate a need for increased efforts at prophylaxis.

Adolescent↗

[Purulent meningitis in Denmark].

The epidemiology of meningococcal disease in Denmark has changed in recent years, with a rise in the number of cases in the 14-18 year age group. During the last decade 80 per cent of the meningococci belonged to Group B and 20 per cent to Group C. The treatment has followed the lines of the recommendations issued by the Rigshospitalet but some hospital departments have now chosen other preparations, as appears from the study presented in the article.

Adolescent↗

Recurrent staphylococcal furunculosis in families.

Recurrent familial staphylococcal furunculosis causes severe physical and especially socio-psychological problems to the families involved. In the present study 6 families with 28 persons were not treated with antibiotics but with a combination of chlorhexidine bathing, nasal 1% chlorhexidine gel and improved cleaning and hygiene in the surroundings. The infecting Staphylococcus aureus strain was eradicated from the surroundings and the skin in all 6 families, but several of the family members still retained the strain in the nose. All family members were, however, cured and remained without infections during an observation period of 2 years.

Baths↗

The role of vaginal secretory immunoglobulin A, Gardnerella vaginalis, anaerobes, and Chlamydia trachomatis in postabortal pelvic inflammatory disease.

In a prospective study of 129 women undergoing induced first-trimester abortion, 14 (10.9%) contracted postabortal pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Samples of vaginal secretion for quantitation of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) as well as isolates from cervix/urethra for the culture of anaerobes and aerobes, including Bacteroides fragilis et melaninogenicus and Gardnerella vaginalis, were obtained at the preoperative visit. Two blood samples from each woman with postabortal PID were analysed for antibodies against G. vaginalis. Twenty-five per cent of women with a history of PID developed postabortal PID, and 25% with vaginitis contracted postabortal infection (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.005). Twenty-five per cent of women harboring C. trachomatis at the time of abortion developed infection. The presence of anaerobes or G. vaginalis was not associated with the frequency of postabortal PID (all p-values greater than 0.1). One woman with postabortal PID produced a culture positive for G. vaginalis and a rise in specific antibody titer. The levels of vaginal sIgA were not significantly associated with a positive history of PID (p greater than 0.6), with postabortal PID (p greater than 0.4) or with the presence of anaerobes or G. vaginalis at the time of abortion (p greater than 0.3). However, significantly elevated levels of sIgA were found in women harboring C. trachomatis (p less than 0.05). Thus, the study could not demonstrate any correlation between vaginal sIgA and PID, but increased sIgA in Chlamydia-positive women. A history of PID and vaginitis entailed a significant risk of contracting postabortal PID.

Abortion, Induced↗

A prospective study of antisperm antibody development in acute epididymitis.

The association between acute epididymitis and development of antisperm antibodies was investigated by the gelatin agglutination technique in prospectively collected serum samples from 27 patients. Agglutinating antisperm antibodies, mainly of the IgG class, were detected in seven men (27 per cent), a significantly increased frequency compared to prevalences previously found among blood donors and men from infertile couples. The antibodies developed de novo in four patients (15 per cent). The increased incidence of positive sera and the kinetics of the antibody responses strongly indicate a causal link between acute epididymitis and autoimmunization against spermatozoa. In the majority of the patients the antibody titers were low, being of only theoretical importance in respect to later fertility.

Adult↗

The stimulation of prolactin secretion by taurine: studies on the site of action.

Taurine's site of action within the central nervous system was localized by studying its effect on prolactin secretion following the microinfusion of 125 nmoles of this amino acid into discrete regions of the brain. Taurine was found to stimulate prolactin secretion only when microinfused into the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. Taurine was not effective in other areas of the hypothalamus or in several extra-hypothalamic sites. Mannitol infusions (125 nmoles) into the arcuate nucleus, used as a control, were without effect on prolactin secretion. These studies extend previous observations on the prolactin-releasing action of centrally administered taurine and suggest further that the arcuate nucleus is one target site for this action.

Animals↗