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N Cimolai

Publications and source records attributed to N Cimolai.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Insertional sequence primers for Bordetella pertussis diagnostic polymerase chain reaction differentiate strains of Pseudomonas cepacia.

Insertion sequence primers originally intended to amplify a singular specific product for the rapid diagnosis of Bordetella pertussis respiratory infection were used to differentiate strains of Pseudomonas (Burkholderia) cepacia. A modified sample preparation of proteinase K treatment and boiling was used in lieu of DNA extraction. The method was simple, rapid, and reproducible. This scheme identified 10 variations among 35 strains. Repeat strains from patients with cystic fibrosis and epidemiologically linked strains from an infection associated with a jet gun injection device were homologous in each setting.

Bacteremia↗
PubMed1994

Mycoplasma pneumoniae lacks immunologically-active eukaryotic actin-like antigens.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae was tested for immunologically active eukaryotic actin-like antigens with the use of both polyclonal and monoclonal anti-actin antibodies. No reactivity was demonstrable. Monoclonal antibody OC2F5, which reacts with a M. pneumoniae antigen that co-migrates with actin in one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide electrophoresis, did not recognize actin. Organism-specific actin antigens are not likely to be responsible for the development of smooth muscle antibodies during acute M. pneumoniae infection.

Actins↗
PubMed1992

Acute encephalomyelitis: extending the neurological manifestations of acute rheumatic fever?

The clinical course of a five-year-old boy who developed meningeal irritation, encephalomyelitis, and optic neuritis four weeks after Streptococcus pyogenes pharyngitis is detailed. The patient responded to therapy with corticosteroids and recovered fully. Review of the literature reveals that a wide range of neurological disorders have been described in association with rheumatic fever. We suggest that disseminated encephalomyelitis in this child most probably was related to the streptococcal infection and that the spectrum of post-infectious neurological disorders associated with Streptococcus pyogenes may be broader than is currently appreciated.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

Definition and application of a histopathological scoring scheme for an animal model of acute Mycoplasma pneumoniae pulmonary infection.

A histopathological scoring system was developed to assess the pathology of acute Mycoplasma pneumoniae pulmonary infection in a hamster model. A final score per animal (ranging 0-26) is obtained by averaging scores from each lung which have been accumulated by the addition of subscores from the assessments of quantity and quality of peribronchiolar and peribronchial infiltrates, luminal exudates, perivascular infiltrates, and parenchymal pneumonia. The scoring scheme was then applied to test the ability of a heat-killed inoculum to induce pulmonary pathology and to the trial of a 43 kDa protein-associated antigen as a vaccine immunogen. A heat-killed inoculum delivered by both intratracheal and intranasal routes did not induce pulmonary pathology compared to a live inoculum (respective mean scores 0.1, 6.7; P less than 0.01). Animals prevaccinated with the 43 kDa antigen developed an accentuated pathological response after live challenge compared to those unvaccinated (respective mean scores 16.8, 5.8; P = 0.00007). Hypersensitization to growth medium components may, however, have contributed to the accentuated disease since the lungs of vaccinated animals challenged with culture-negative media also were affected (mean score 5.4). Reproducibility of the scoring system was measured by duplicate reading of histology slides which were randomized to the observer upon the second reading (r = 0.93; P = 0.000009). The scoring system has the ability to differentiate disease severity in small groups of animals.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

Differentiation of species in human beta-haemolytic group G streptococci using immunoglobulin Fc fragment receptor.

AIMS: To assess the ability of human immunoglobulin Fc fragment binding activity to differentiate human biotype large colony group G streptococci from the group G "Streptococcus milleri group". METHODS: Fifty two isolates of large colony group G streptococci and 30 group G "S milleri group" strains were tested for their ability to bind fluorescein conjugated human IgG Fc fragments after acetone fixation. Immunoblotting with peroxidase labelled human Fc fragments after resolution of bacterial polypeptides by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was performed for six large colony strains. RESULTS: All large colony group G streptococci showed positive Fc fragment binding whereas all "S milleri group" bacteria failed to bind Fc fragments when viewed by fluorescence microscopy. All six large colony strains showed similar immunoblot binding patterns. CONCLUSION: Immunoglobulin Fc fragment receptor content distinguishes the large colony group G streptococci from the group G "S milleri group" and mayhave a role in the rapid laboratory diagnosis of pharyngeal pathogens.

Child↗
PubMed1992

IgM anti-P1 immunoblotting. A standard for the rapid serologic diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in pediatric care.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To prospectively evaluate the use of an IgM anti-P1 immunoblotting assay for the rapid diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in a pediatric setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Blood specimens from 107 children representing 108 predominantly respiratory illnesses were obtained for a prospective evaluation of the IgM anti-P1 assay. Primary patient diagnoses were determined by a combination of the complement fixation test and supplementary microbiologic and nonmicrobiologic diagnostic tests. The potential effect of the assay results on antibiotic therapy was assessed by observing concurrent therapy. RESULTS: M pneumoniae was the primary etiologic agent of disease in 19 patients. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the IgM test to determine a case of primary M pneumoniae disease was 84.2 percent, 95.5 percent, 80.0 percent, and 96.6 percent, respectively. Twenty-seven children may have had antimicrobial therapy appropriately modified if results of the assay were directly utilized. Three of four patients with positive assays, which would have been falsely indicative of primary disease, had evidence of a recent probable M pneumoniae infection shortly preceding the acute illness. CONCLUSION: The rapid IgM anti-P1 assay is reasonably specific for the diagnosis of M pneumoniae infection. Apart from establishing prompt and accurate diagnosis, the results have the potential to change treatment measures in a significant proportion of patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Pasteurella multocida chorioamnionitis from vaginal transmission.

A 21 year old primigravida with a twin pregnancy developed Pasteurella multocida chorioamnionitis. Infection occurred at 27 weeks gestational age after prolonged rupture of membranes. The twin in the separate sac presenting proximal to the cervix suffered infection and died shortly after birth whereas the other twin was not infected. The bacterium is believed to have caused ascending infection from asymptomatic colonization of the vaginal tract.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Risk factors for the central nervous system manifestations of gastroenteritis-associated hemolytic-uremic syndrome.

Hemolytic-uremic syndrome is usually a consequence of enteric verotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection, and a prevailing hypothesis contends that systemically absorbed verotoxins are responsible for the multiple organ involvement. In an attempt to determine whether the central nervous system (CNS) manifestations could occur owing to factors that reflect a toxin insult, the authors studied the association of clinical and laboratory variables with the development of neurological disease. Ninety-one patients with hemolytic-uremic syndrome from 1982 through 1990 were included. Twenty-seven (18 female, 9 male) had a CNS disorder; 17 of these had seizures and there were two deaths. Multivariate analyses led to the following observations: female gender (odds ratio [OR] 8.50; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.08 to 50.0), prolonged use of an antimotility pharmacological agent (OR 8.50; 95% CI 1.69 to 42.81), and an increased hemoglobin level (OR 1.11; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.17) were associated with an increased risk for developing a neurological manifestation. Prior administration of a blood product was associated with a decreased risk (OR 0.12; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.52). The findings suggest that other mechanisms for CNS disease may exist in addition to direct toxin insult.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Seroprevalence survey of borreliosis in children with chronic arthritis in British Columbia, Canada.

A seroprevalence survey using an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for IgG antibodies to Borrelia hermsii and Borrelia burgdorferi was conducted for varied pediatric chronic arthritis patients and a nonrheumatic control group in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Overall, a higher rate of sera with IFA titers > or = 1/256 was found for B. hermsii (36.6%) compared to B. burgdorferi (12.5%). There were no significant differences among the arthritis subgroups and controls for the distribution of IFA titers for either organism. IgG immunoblotting of selected high titered sera to either borrelia species confirmed the lack of specificity of the IFA assay. Serological tests for borreliosis should be cautiously interpreted in children with chronic arthritis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Beta-haemolytic non-group A streptococci and pharyngitis: a case-control study.

A case-control study was conducted to examine the association of beta-haemolytic non-group A streptococci and pharyngitis in a paediatric population (n = 502). No association could be found between disease and traditional Lancefield groups B, C, F, or G. When the analysis included the clustering of genetically related subgroups from different Lancefield groups, an association was evident for moderate and heavy quantitations of beta-haemolytic "large colony" group C and G streptococci (Streptococcus equisimilis and human biotypes of large colony group G streptococci) (p = 0.021). This study further defines a subset of the beta-haemolytic non-group A streptococci that merit recognition by both the laboratory and physician.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1991

Beta-D-glucuronidase activity assay for rapid differentiation of species within beta-haemolytic group C and G streptococci.

Methylumbelliferyl-conjugated enzyme substrates were assessed for their ability to differentiate beta haemolytic streptococci in Lancefield groups C and G. Both Streptococcus equisimilis (group C) and large colony human biotype group G strains were consistently differentiated from group C and G "Streptococcus milleri group" bacteria by their ability to hydrolyse the beta-D-glucuronide substrate. The test was completed in less than one hour.

Bacteriological Techniques↗