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M Slifkin

Publications and source records attributed to M Slifkin.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Evaluation of the Culturette Brand Ten-Minute Group A Strep ID technique.

A direct extraction of the antigens of group A beta-hemolytic streptococci from 557 throat swabs was performed by a new microtechnique of the nitrous acid extraction method with the Culturette Brand Ten-Minute Strep ID technique from Marion Scientific, Division of Marion Laboratories, Inc., Kansas City, Mo. This group A latex reagent kit contains the reagents for the micronitrous acid extraction of throat swabs and does not require a centrifugation step in its protocol. There was a 99.3% (553 of 557) total agreement between the direct nitrous acid extraction-latex agglutination method and the standard culture method. The direct extraction method yielded an identification of 95.1% (78 of 82) of the group A streptococci identified by the standard method. Throat swabs used for standard culture may also be extracted with nitrous acid for the detection of group A antigen. A 5-min nitrous acid extraction destroys the viability of bacteria associated with normal throat flora as well as group A streptococci and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This highly rapid method is simple to perform and requires no costly instrumentation. Accordingly, it would be most applicable in a hospital laboratory as well as in a physician's office.

Humans↗
PubMed1983

Rapid biochemical tests for the identification of groups A, B, C, F, and G streptococci from throat cultures.

A test employing three fluorogenic 4-methylumbelliferyl substrates and the lectin of Dolichos biflorus was developed for the identification of beta-hemolytic streptococcal colonies associated with throat cultures. This non-serological method is unique in that it permits the accurate identification of groups C, F, and G streptococci, as well as groups A and B streptococci. The method is rapid, simple, and specific and appears to be a useful means to identify groups A, B, C, F, and G streptococci.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗
PubMed1983

Evaluation of the Phadebact CSF test for detection of the four most common causes of bacterial meningitis.

A five-center collaborative study was undertaken to determine the suitability of the Phadebact CSF test kit and the Phadebact group B Streptococcus reagent for routine use by clinical laboratories to detect antigens of common organisms causing bacterial meningitis. The kits employ staphylococcal protein A coagglutination to detect the antigens of Haemophilus influenzae types a, b, c, d, e, and f, Neisseria meningitidis groups A, B, C, Y, and W135, Streptococcus pneumoniae (83 serotypes), and group B Streptococcus. A total of 2,817 individual tests were performed on 577 cerebrospinal fluid specimens. The percent positive specimens detected by coagglutination was as follows: overall, 84%; H. influenzae, 97%; group B Streptococcus, 75%; S. pneumoniae, 71%; and N. meningitidis, 58%. Eighty-five of the specimens were also tested by counterimmunoelectrophoresis. Coagglutination was more sensitive than counterimmunoelectrophoresis because it detected 74% of the positive specimens, whereas counterimmunoelectrophoresis detected only 65%. No false-positive results were obtained with coagglutination. The Phadebact CSF test kit is recommended for routine use in screening cerebrospinal fluid samples for antigens of the common organisms causing bacterial meningitis along with the Gram stain and culture for delayed confirmation of the rapid results.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1982

Direct serogrouping of group B streptococci from urogenital and gastric swabs with nitrous acid extraction and the Phadebact streptococcus test.

The micro-nitrous acid extraction-Phadebact coagglutination method was demonstrated to be a highly sensitive means to identify group B streptococci directly from cervical, uterine, and placental swab specimens, as well as from gastric and amniotic fluids. The swabs used for the standard culture method were used successfully for the direct extraction method. Accordingly, the direct swab extraction method yielded an identification of 92.0% of the group B streptococci identified by a standard culture procedure. Identification of the group B streptococci by the direct method was obtainable within 25 minutes of receipt of the clinical specimen in the laboratory. At this time, this highly rapid and sensitive method appears to be most applicable for the identification of group B streptococci from infants and colonized parturient women with associated risk factors before delivery, and therefore could provide a better opportunity for infant survival.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1982

Serogrouping of beta-hemolytic streptococci from throat swabs with nitrous acid extraction and the Phadebact streptococcus test.

A direct extraction of the antigen of group A beta-hemolytic streptococci from 373 throat swabs was done with a microtechnique of the nitrous acid extraction-Phadebact coagglutination method. The technique yielded a 96% agreement with the results obtained by a standard throat culture method in which the Phadebact grouping procedure with overnight broth supernatants was employed.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1981

Choriogonadotropin-like antigen in a strain of Streptococcus faecalis and a strain of Staphylococcus simulans: detection, identification, and characterization.

The presence of choriogonadotropin- and alpha-subunit-like materials in two species of bacteria identified as Staphylococcus simulans and Streptococcus faecalis have been demonstrated by the indirect fluorescein-labeled and the indirect peroxidase-labeled immunocytochemical techniques, utilizing antiserum for human choriogonadotropin, for its alpha and beta-subunits and the bera-subunit COOH-terminal peptide. The bacteria were originally isolated from the urine of two patients with advanced forms of cancer. Chromatography done on the water-soluble extract of acetone powder preparations of the bacterial cultures revealed the presence of a material similar to the complete trophoblastic hormone and to its beta-subunit in the culture media of S. simulans, and to the beta-subunit in the media of S. faecalis. No free alpha-subunit was detectable. Furthermore, the choriogonadotropin-like factor demonstrated biological activity in in vivo assay systems. From the present results, it can be concluded that some species of "cancer-associated" bacteria can synthesize a human trophoblastic hormone-like glycoprotein with physicochemical properties similar to those of the human trophoblastic hormone that is biologically active and that is either released complete or as one of its subunits in the culture media.

Chorionic Gonadotropin↗
PubMed1980

Evaluation of three commercially available test products for serogrouping beta-hemolytic streptococci.

Three beta-streptococci serogrouping kits, Phadebact, SeroSTAT, and Streptex, were evaluated as to their sensitivity, accuracy, and suitability as methods for serogrouping streptococci in a clinical microbiology laboratory. The majority of the primary isolates examined by the various methods associated with each of the three kits were correctly identified. The Streptex direct mixed-culture procedure was more often associated with the observation of cross-reactivity than with the direct procedures of the other two kits which did not employ mixed growth cultures. Furthermore, the Streptex kit was associated with more false-negative responses than those determined by the other two kits under evaluation. These results appeared to be due to the relatively poor sensitivity of the Streptex grouping reagents. The Streptex test procedures required more labor than the other kit procedures, requiring a 1-h enzymatic extraction step for the release of the group antigens. The SeroSTAT kit provided only a direct procedure and, thus, is limited in its application. The Phadebact procedures were the most versatile by providing not only a direct and a 24-h grouping procedure, but also by including a 4-h method that may be employed as required by the clinical microbiologist.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1980

Serogrouping single colonies of beta-hemolytic streptococci from primary throat culture plates with nitrous acid extraction and Phadebact streptococcal reagents.

The serogrouping of isolated beta-hemolytic streptococcal colonies from throat cultures by a micronitrous acid extraction method employing Phadebact Streptotoccus Test reagents was compared with results obtained with the direct-plate Phadebact procedure and the autoclave and Streptomyces albus enzyme-lysozyme extraction methods. These data were compared with those from the Lancefield grouping obtained with a capillary precipitin test. The micronitrous acid extraction method was modified to yield an uncomplicated method that provides specific coagglutination responses from one beta-hemolytic streptococcal colony that may be collected from a primary blood agar plate either on the end of an applicator stick or from a sweep of an inoculating loop from mixed growth.

Agglutination↗
PubMed1979

Choriogonadotropin-like antigen in an anaerobic bacterium, Eubacterium lentum, isolated from a rectal tumor.

Using the indirect fluorescein-labeled and indirect peroxidase-antiperoxidase-labeled immunohistochemical techniques, and utilizing both antiserum specific for the beta-subunit of choriogonadotropin and antiserum for the total hormone, we have demonstrated the presence of a choriogonadotropin-like immunoreactive material in a strain of Eubacterium lenthum that was originally isolated from a rectal tumor. In contrast, both immunohistochemical reactions were negative when applied to a strain of Corynebacterium parvum and to pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Our results demonstrate for the first time the expression of the choriogonadotropin-like antigen in an obligate anaerobe and support our previous findings that the choriogonadotropin like material appears to be expressed only in "cancer-associated bacteria" but that not all bacteria associated with the malignant neoplasms have the capacity to express the antigen, at least in amounts detectable by immunohistochemistry.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1979

Immuno-electron microscopic localization of a choriogonadotropin-like antigen in cancer-associated bacteria.

The presence of choriogonadotropin-like material and its intimate association with the membranes of the wall of bacteria isolated from cancer patients, has been demonstrated by immuno-electron microscopy utilizing the indirect peroxidase-antiperoxidase-labeled antibody technique. The bacteria were an Escherichia coli strain isolated from a carcinoma of colon, and ATCC 25559 strain of Eubacterium lentum, an anaerobic microorganism originally isolated from a rectal tumor.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1978

Immunohistochemical localization of a choriogonadotropin-like protein in bacteria isolated from cancer patients.

By the use of specific antibody to human chorionic gonadotropin (CG) as well as to its beta-subunit, and the application of the indirect fluorescein-labeled and peroxidase-labeled antibody techniques, we have demonstrated the presence of a membrane (wall)-associated CG-similar immunoreactive protein in 15 strains of bacteria isolated from tissues of patients bearing malignant neoplasms. These microorganisms were classified as S. epidermidis, (12) E. coli (2), and a single strain of P. maltophilia (ATCC 13637). The absence of the CG-like antigen in other "cancer associated bacteria", Streptococcus faecalis (ATCC 12818) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (from patient with cancer of colon), demonstrated that not every "cancer associated bacteria" has the capability to synthesize the trophoblastic-like protein. The negative results obtained with a number of "noncancer control" bacteria of known origin, obtained from ATCC and from clinical samples, strongly supported the idea that the existance of these CG-like protein producing microorganisms is not a ubiquitous finding. The demonstration of a de novo bacterial biosynthesis of a protein having similar antigenic and biophysical properties to those of the human trophoblastic hormone, has great biological implications, especially if its biosynthesis is proven only in bacterial strains growing in the presence of cancer cells in which we have already demonstrated the presence of a similar antigen. The explanation of the phenomenon is unknown. Because of their origin, the potential of "genetic exchange" with subsequent expression of the mammalian gene by the bacterial cells becomes a possibility. It is also possible that the gene coding for the CG-like protein is normally present but inactive or repressed in all bacteria.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1978

Direct-plate serological grouping of beta-hemolytic streptococci from primary isolation plates with the Phadebact streptococcus test.

The grouping of beta-hemolytic streptococcal isolates by a new direct-plate procedure employing Phadebact Streptococcus Test reagents was compared with the results obtained with the 4- and 24-h Phadebact grouping procedure and with the Lancefield grouping obtained with a capillary precipitin test. The new procedure employed a modification of the Phadebact procedure that permitted the grouping of streptococci on glass slides with a minimum of five primary isolated colonies. When only five to eight colonies were available for direct testing with each Phadebact reagent, coagglutination was better manifested when the colonies were disaggregated on a glass slide in a loopful of Tween 80 solution. Further enhancement of the coagglutination reaction was effected when the respective Phadebact reagents were employed in relatively small volumes. The direct-plate procedure permitted the correct identification of 127 out of 129 betahemolytic isolates. The 4-h method correctly identified 192 of the 200 streptococci tested. All of the 200 isolates tested by the 24-h procedure and the Lancefield grouping were correctly identified. The direct-plate Phadebact procedure affords the clinical microbiologist a rapid and reliable means of identifying groups A, B, C, and G beta-hemolytic streptococci. When sufficient numbers of primary colonies are not available for the direct procedure, the 4- or 24-h procedures may be employed.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1977

Rapid carbohydrate fermentation test for confirmation of the pathogenic Neisseria using a Ba(OH)2 indicator.

The Ba(OH)2 indicator system was demonstrated to be a practical procedure in assisting clinical bacteriologists in the accurate and rapid identification of the pathogenic Neisseria from clinical specimens. This system measured the release of CO2, resulting from the metabolism of fermentable carbohydrate, as the precipitated BaCO3, by means of a spectrophotometer, The method was uncomplicated and can be performed in most clinical bacteriology laboratories.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed1975

Phialophora mutabilis endocarditis.

This is the first reported case of fungal endocarditis due to vegetative growth of Phialophora mutabilis on a prosthetic mitral valve. The patient had rheumatic heart disease with mitral and aortic stenosis. Four months after the mitral and aortic valves had been replaced by prostheses the patient developed congestive failure. Because of increased left atrial pressure, the mitral prosthesis was replaced. A large matted obstructive fungal vegetation was found on the prosthesis. Culture of this vegetation grew Phialophora mutabilis. The patient died postoperatively, and at autopsy the fungus was not found in other tissues. Culturally and morphologically, P. mutabilis shows wide variation in pigmentation, colonial and microscopic appearance. Conidia formation from intercalary cells along the hyphae is somewhat similar to that of Aureobasidium spp. P. mutabilis was injected into mice. Mice pretreated with cortisone died 3 to 5 weeks after intraperitoneal inoculation, while the majority of untreated mice died within 20 weeks of inoculation.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Growth potential of cottonseed culture media for various clinically significant aerobic bacteria.

Enzymatic hydrolysates of various cottonseed flours were prepared with the proteolytic enzymes bromelain, HT-200, Pronase, and trypsin. The growth of various aerobic bacteria of clinical significance in these hydrolysates was compared to that obtained with a standard casein-soybean peptone culture medium, Trypticase soy. The generation times of the majority of bacteria grown in the bromelain cottonseed flour hydrolysate were shorter than that obtained with the standard control broth. A bromelain cottonseed flour hydrolysate agar preparation supported the growth of the bacteria comparably to that of the casein-soybean agar substrate. All the bacterial colonies were larger on the bromelain cottonseed flour hydrolysate blood agar medium than those grown on the control agar. The peptones derived from the enzymatic hydrolysis of cottonseed flour are sufficient to promote the rapid and luxuriant growth of a wide spectrum of aerobic bacteria without the addition of peptone from other sources. It is suggested that cottonseed flour peptones be utilized as a nutrient source in general-purpose media for the clinical microbiology laboratory.

Aerobiosis↗
PubMed1974

Paper chromatography as an adjunct in the identification of anaerobic bacteria.

Modified paper chromatography procedures for the analysis of fatty acids produced by anaerobic bacteria are described. Both ethylamine and hydroxylamine derivatives of fatty acids were prepared from inoculated anaerobic culture broth. The derivatives were spotted on chromatography paper and developed with appropriate solvents. Paper chromatography is a valuable alternative to gas liquid chromatography as an ancillary procedure in the identification of anaerobic bacteria in the clinical bacteriology laboratory.

Acetates↗