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K Bovre

Publications and source records attributed to K Bovre.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Neisseria meningitidis infections in Northern Norway: an epidemic in 1974-1975 due mainly to group B organisms.

A severe epidemic of disease due to Neisseria meningitidis has been occurring in northern Norway since 1974. Based on bacteriological and clinical examination of cases during the 18 months between January 1, 1974 and June 30, 1975, an overall attack rate of 26.3 cases per 100,000 population per year has been calculated. The attack rates were highest in 1975 (total, 37.4 cases per 100,000 population; Troms County, 54.5) and in children younger than four years (total, 173.6; Troms County, 328.9). The epidemic shows a total case-fatality ratio of 14.1%. The highest case fatality ratio was recorded for patients older than 20 years (25.0%). Among the youngest children, cases were distinctly more frequent in males than females; in older children and adults, male patients had a clearly higher case-fatility ratio than female patients. Of the three serogroups of N. meningitidis, group B caused more cases of infection that groups A and C together. In addition, the causative meningococcal strains were almost uniformly resistant to high concentrations of sulfonamide. Both of these traits appear to have developed in northern Norway at or shortly before the time when the epidemic began.

Adult↗

Occurrence and patterns of waxes in Neisseriaceae.

Forty-five strains classified in the family Neisseriaceae were analysed for wax esters by gas-liquid chromatography. The amounts and types of waxes varied between the taxa. Waxes were not detected in 16 strains of 'true neisseriae' (genus Neisseria) or in two strains of Kingella, but they were found in all 'false neisseriae', in all species of Moraxella except Moraxella phenylpyrouvica, in five out of 10 strains of Acintobacter, and in all strains of a group of psychrophilic, oxidase-positive organisms. The chain lengths of the wax esters ranged from C24 to C42, with C36 predominating. In all taxa, esters with even numbers of carbon atoms constituted 70 to 100% of the total. Saturated, mono-unsaturated and diunsaturated waxes were found. Acinetobacter strains were characterized by large amounts (30 to 98%) of di-unsaturated wax esters; such waxes did not exceed 8% in the 'false neisseriae' or Moraxella spp. Waxes of strains belonging to the psychrophilic, oxidase-positive group generally resembled those found in Moraxella. Wax esters with odd numbers of carbon atoms were abundant in M. lacunata (29%), M. atlantae (15%) and in the psychorophilic group (19 to 28%); long-chain esters (C40 or above) were characteristic of M. atlantae (30%) and one strain of M. osloensis (26%).

Chromatography, Gas↗

Relationship of Neisseria elongata subsp. Glycolytica to other members of the family Neisseriaceae.

Neisseria elongata subsp. glycolytica strain 6171/75 is closely similar to the type strain of N. elongata, M2, as regards DNA base composition, fatty acid content and electrophoretic mobility of two glutamate dehydrogenases, one of which showed a reaction of identity with the corresponding enzyme from M2 in double immunodiffusion in agar. The strain showed genetic homologies with strain M2 in genetic transformation at a level suggesting species identity, and with N. meningitidis at a lower level. No affinity to Moraxella species or "false neisseriae" was demonstrated, with the exception of a production of a few transformants in the 6171/75 recipient by DNA from Kingella kingae. The strain showed the same pattern of associated variation of colony type, fimbriation and competence in transformation as that found in other Neisseria and Moraxella species. After continuous subcultivation for some time some clones of the strain appeared to have lost the ability to produce acid from glucose.

Clone Cells↗

Bacteriolytic activity of normal and pathological cerebrospinal fluid.

The bacteriolytic activity of 153 samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with various diseases was measured by determining the ability of the CSF to cause lysis of a suspension of killed cells of Micrococcus lysodeikticus. Normal CSF did not show significant bacteriolytic activity. A high activity was found in patients with bacterial meningitis (mainly meningococcal), only to some extent correlated with the protein and cell content of the CSF. Slight elevation of protein and cell content of CSF in patients with diseases other than bacterial meningitis was not accompanied by significant bacteriolytic activity. The CSF from a patient with lymfosarcoma, with as much as 2300 cells/mm3, thus was negative. Also the CSF from patients with serous (viral) meningitis was usually negative. Measurement of bacteriolytic activity in CSF may be of diagnostic importance in cases presenting slight elevation of cell number and protein. Further studies of the significance of the bacteriolytic response in meningitis caused by different microorganisms are warranted.

Adolescent↗

Oxidase positive rods from cases of suspected gonorrhoea. A comparison of conventional, gas chromatographic and genetic methods of identification.

Genito-urethral specimens from 3260 women and 1170 men, with ailments suggestive of gonorrhoea, were examined for growth of oxidase positive rodshaped bacteria, as well as of gonococci. Moraxella osloensis was identified in 26 cases (0.64 per cent of women and 0.43 per cent of men). Three patients harboured phenylalanine negative (or weakly reacting) and tryptophan deaminase negative M. phenylpyrouvica and, in three cases, a Flavobacterium species was detected. Among six oropharyngeal specimens from patients suspected of gonorrhoea, two yielded growth of oxidase positive rods, Kingella kingae and Neisseria elongata, respectively, N. gonorrhoeae was isolated from 537 patients, i.e., 12.1 per cent of all cases. The isolates of oxidase positive rods were in most cases completely identified by streptomycin resistance transformation. On this basis, the diagnostic reliability of some morphological and cultural-biochemical tests and gas chromatography was examined. Gas chromatographic analysis of fatty acid and alcohol composition of whole cells proved distinctive of species defined genetically, irrespective of confusing behaviour of some strains in other tests.

Bacteriological Techniques↗

Cellular monosaccharide patterns of Neisseriaceae.

Sixty-four strains of Neisseria, Moraxella, and Acinetobacter were screened for cellular monosaccharides by gas-liquid chromatography and other chromatographic techniques. The four sugars ribose, glucose, glucosamine, and 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate (KDO) were detected in all strains. Heptose was detected only in "true neisseriae" (Neisseria gonorrhoeae, N. meningitidis, N. sicca, N. cinerea, N. flavescens, and N. elongata) and in the tentaively named species Moraxella urethralis. Some marked interspecies dissimilarities within groups were revealed. Thus, N. ovis and M. atlantae were characterized by the presence of mannose. Intraspecies differences were also encountered. N. meningitidis strains of serogroups B and C were distinguished from strains of serogroup A by their sialic acid content. This sugar was also detected in two out of three examined strains of M. nonliquefaciens. In Acinetobacter, heterogeneity of monosaccharide patterns was rather pronounced. The results show the applicability of gas chromatographic "monosaccharide" profiles fo whole cells or extracted carbohydrate in bacterial classification and identification, including differentiation at the subspecies level. In addition, such profiles may be useful for monitoring during purification of cellular polysaccharides.

Acinetobacter↗

Gas chromatography of bacterial whole cell methanolysates. VII. Fatty acid composition of Acinetobacter in relation to the taxonomy of Neisseriaceae.

The cellular fatty acids of seventeen Acinetobacter strains were determined. Most acids identified were previously found in neisseriae and moraxellae. Specific for Acinetobacter was 2-hydroxydodecanoid acid and a few minor unidentified components. The fatty acid data were analysed by numerical methods and compared with previous results obtained for neisseriae and moraxellae. The findings were consistent with genetic evidence for some affinities of genus Acinetobacter to genus Moraxella and "false neisseriae". Occasionally, a high resemblance in fatty acid pattern was demonstrated between a Moraxella strain and certain strains of Acinetobacter, and also between an Acinetobacter strain and certain "true neisseriae". Still, the acinetobacters constituted one single cluster separated from the other genera of Neisseriaceae.

Acinetobacter↗