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Peripartum infections with Capnocytophaga. A case report.

Capnocytophaga is an increasingly recognized genus of pathogens. Originally associated with periodontal disease, this fastidious, gram-negative organism is now established as the cause of a wide variety of infections in both the immunocompetent and immunocompromised. We treated a woman for amnionitis and subsequent neonatal colonization. Capnocytophaga should be considered one of the various organisms that can complicate the peripartum period.

Bacterial Infections↗

[The pathogenicity factors of bacteria in the genus Acinetobacter].

Eighty Acinetobacter strains, isolated in Togliatti from patients with purulent inflammatory diseases, were studied to determine their pathogenicity factors. Out of these 80 strains, 32.5% were found to have enterotoxigenic activity and 46.2%, adhesive activity. They were related to adhesins of the human type and to adhesins of the sheep, rabbit, swine and guinea pig types. But the most important phenomenon established in this study was the combination of different pathogenicity factors detected in Acinetobacter bacteria. Analysis of the combination of pathogenicity factors revealed that 7.5% of Acinetobacter strains had adhesive and enterotoxigenic activity, 15.3% of these strains combined adhesive and hemolytic activity and 1.2% of them were found to be enterotoxigenic and hemolytic. Only 5.0% of Acinetobacter strains were found to carry all there pathogenicity factors simultaneously.

Acinetobacter↗

Invasion and persistent intracellular colonization of erythrocytes. A unique parasitic strategy of the emerging pathogen Bartonella.

The expanding genus Bartonella includes zoonotic and human-specific pathogens that can cause a wide range of clinical manifestations. A productive infection allowing bacterial transmission by blood-sucking arthropods is marked by an intraerythrocytic bacteremia that occurs exclusively in specific human or animal reservoir hosts. Incidental human infection by animal-adapted bartonellae can cause disease without evidence for erythrocyte parasitism. A better understanding of the intraerythrocytic lifestyle of bartonellae may permit the design of strategies to control the reservoir and transmittable stages of these emerging pathogens. We have dissected the process of Bartonella erythrocyte parasitism in experimentally infected animals using a novel approach for tracking blood infections based on flow cytometric quantification of green fluorescent protein-expressing bacteria during their interaction with in vivo-biotinylated erythrocytes. Bacteremia onset occurs several days after inoculation by a synchronous wave of bacterial invasion into mature erythrocytes. Intracellular bacteria replicate until reaching a stagnant number, which is sustained for the remaining life span of the infected erythrocyte. The initial wave of erythrocyte infection is followed by reinfection waves occurring at intervals of several days. Our findings unravel a unique bacterial persistence strategy adapted to a nonhemolytic intracellular colonization of erythrocytes that preserves the pathogen for efficient transmission by blood-sucking arthropods.

Animals↗

The regulation of pathogenicity and mutualism in Photorhabdus.

Photorhabdus is a genus of insect-pathogenic bacteria that also maintains a mutualistic interaction with Heterorhabditid nematodes. Bacteria in this genus are members of the family Enterobacteriaceae and are, therefore, closely related to many important mammalian pathogens. This bacteria-nematode complex has been exploited as a biocontrol agent that is active against several insect pests. However, this model system is also uniquely placed to address important fundamental questions about pathogenicity and mutualism. Indeed, recent genetic studies have suggested that there is a significant overlap in the genetic requirements of Photorhabdus for these contrasting interactions. In addition, the identification of key regulators of pathogenicity and symbiosis only serves to highlight the similarities between Photorhabdus, a genus of bacteria that infects invertebrate hosts, and closely related mammalian enteric pathogens.

Animals↗

[Classification of spirochetes infecting man].

The systematics od spirochetes must from now own fulfil the genomic criteria recently laid down. Formerly, these parasites were classified on the basis of various phenotypic features, among which the pathogenicity and epidemiological criteria played the predominant role. At present, the order of Spirochaetales is divided into two families: Spirochaetaceae and Leptospiraceae. Two of the four genera of Spirochaetaceae, Treponema and Borrelia, include species that are pathogenic to man. Among Leptospiraceae, only one genus, Leptospira, has pathogenic species. The phenotypic characteristics of the various taxons are detailed, the role of each actor (causative agent, vector, reservoir) in the main pathological complexes and the progress of genotypic studies are briefly described.

Humans↗

[Isolation and identification of an amoeba of the genus Naegleria].

One pathogenic free-living amoeba, strain W042302 (Fig. 1.), was first isolated from the cooling water of a power plant in Shanghai, in April, 1986. It could result in the deaths of mice, and recovered from the brain tissue of the dead mice. This pathogenic free living amoeba could be induced into trophozoite with two flagellae (Fig. 2.). Protein patterns obtained by PAGE showed twelve bands stained by Coomassie brilliant blue R250. The isoenzyme patterns of both acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase of the amoebic extract exhibit only a single band, while lactate dehydrogenase is devoid of noticeable activity. From the results obtained in the present study, it is inferred that strain W042302 may be belong to Naegleria australiensis.

Amebiasis↗

Cloning and analysis of the mating-type idiomorphs from the barley pathogen Septoria passerinii.

The genus Septoria contains more than 1000 species of plant pathogenic fungi, most of which have no known sexual stage. Species of Septoria without a known sexual stage could be recent derivatives of sexual species that have lost the ability to mate. To test this hypothesis, the mating-type region of S. passerinii, a species with no known sexual stage, was cloned, sequenced, and compared to that of its close relative S. tritici (sexual stage: Mycosphaerella graminicola). Both of the S. passerinii mating-type idiomorphs were approximately 3 kb in size and contained a single reading frame interrupted by one (MAT-2) or two (MAT-1) putative introns. The putative products of MAT-1 and MAT-2 are characterized by alpha-box and high-mobility-group sequences, respectively, similar to those in the mating-type genes of M. graminicolaand other fungi. The mating-type genes of S. passerinii and M. graminicolaare evolving rapidly, approximately ten times faster than the internal transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal DNA, and are not closely related to those from Cochliobolusor other loculoascomycetes in the order Pleosporales. Therefore, the class Loculoascomycetes may be polyphyletic. Furthermore, differences between the phylogenetic trees may indicate separate evolutionary histories for the MAT-1 and MAT-2 idiomorphs. A three-primer multiplex-PCR technique was developed that allowed rapid identification of the mating types of isolates of S. passerinii. Both mating types were present in approximately equal frequencies and often on the same leaf in fields in Minnesota and North Dakota. Analyses with isozyme and random amplified polymorphic DNA markers revealed that each isolate had a unique genotype. The common occurrence of both mating types on the same leaf and the high levels of genotypic diversity indicate that S. passerinii is almost certainly not an asexual derivative of a sexual fungus. Instead, sexual reproduction probably plays an integral role in the life cycle of S. passerinii and may be much more important than previously believed in this (and possibly other) "asexual" species of Septoria.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cutting edge: antibody-mediated cessation of hemotropic infection by the intraerythrocytic mouse pathogen Bartonella grahamii.

The genus Bartonella includes important human-specific and zoonotic pathogens which cause intraerythrocytic bacteremia in their mammalian reservoir host(s). It is accepted that cellular immunity plays a decisive role in the host's defense against most intracellular bacteria. Bartonella sp. infection in the immunocompetent host typically leads to immunity against homologous challenge. The basis of this immunity, be it cellular or humoral, is unclear. In this study, the course of Bartonella grahamii bacteremia in immunocompetent and immunocompromised mice was compared. In immunocompetent hosts, the bacteremia is transient and induces a strong humoral immune response. In contrast, bacteremia persists in immunocompromised B and T cell-deficient mice. Immune serum transfer beginning with day 6 postinfection to B cell-deficient mice unable to produce Igs converted the persistent bacteremia to a transient course indistinguishable from that of immunocompetent animals. These data demonstrate an essential role for specific Abs in abrogating the intraerythrocytic bacteremia of B. grahamii in mice.

Adoptive Transfer↗

Recent advances in the study of the taxonomy, pathogenicity, and infectious syndromes associated with the genus Aeromonas.

Over the past decade, the emergence of Aeromonas species as bona fide human pathogens and their probable role as etiologic agents of bacterial gastroenteritis have resulted in an explosion of scientific interest in the genus. Major accomplishments occurring in this field during that interval include a more refined taxonomy, identification of new cell-associated factors (surface layers, pili), and the molecular analysis of selected extracellular gene products that may play a critical role in pathogenesis (hemolysins, enterotoxins). This review provides an updated overview of recent systematic, clinical, and pathophysiologic advances and defines key areas of medical and scientific interest in which major questions remain unanswered.

Aeromonas↗

Rostraureum tropicale gen. sp. nov. (Diaporthales) associated with dying Terminalia ivorensis in Ecuador.

Terminalia ivorensis, a tree of central African origin, is planted in several tropical countries for timber and veneer production. During the course of a recent disease survey, an unknown fungus was found associated with basal cankers on dying T. ivorensis in Ecuador. The fungus has orange fruiting structures and septate, fusoid ascospores, similar to those of Cryphonectria, a well-known genus of canker pathogens. The aim of this study was to identify the fungus and to assess its pathogenicity. Identification was based on morphological characteristics as well as DNA sequence data. DNA sequence data from the ITS regions of the rDNA operon and two regions of the beta-tubulin gene, were compared with published sequences of Cryphonectria species and the closely related genera Endothia and Chrysoporthe. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on T. superba saplings. Morphological characterisations revealed that the conidiomata of the fungus from T. ivorensis, differed from those typical of Cryphonectria in being superficial and rostrate. Only Cryphonectria longirostris was similar to the fungus from T. ivorensis, but could be distinguished from it based on conidial size. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the fungus from T. ivorensis grouped closely with species of Cryphonectria, Chrysoporthe and Endothia, yet formed a distinct clade. Pathogenicity tests on T. superba provided evidence that the fungus is able to cause distinct stem cankers. We conclude that the pathogenic fungus from T. ivorensis represents a new genus and new species in the Diaporthales and we provide the name Rostraureum tropicale for it. The genus is typified by R. tropicale. Furthermore, C. longirostris is transferred to Rostraureum.

Ascomycota↗

Evolutionary relationships among pathogenic Candida species and relatives.

Small subunit rRNA sequences have been determined for 10 of the most clinically important pathogenic species of the yeast genus Candida (including Torulopsis [Candida] glabrata and Yarrowia [Candida] lipolytica) and for Hansenula polymorpha. Phylogenetic analyses of these sequences and those of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus var. lactis, and Aspergillus fumigatus indicate that Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, and C. viswanathii form a subgroup within the genus. The remaining significant pathogen, T. glabrata, falls into a second, distinct subgroup and is specifically related to S. cerevisiae and more distantly related to C. kefyr (psuedotropicalis) and K. marxianus var. lactis. The 18S rRNA sequence of Y. lipolytica has evolved rapidly in relation to the other Candida sequences examined and appears to be only distantly related to them. As anticipated, species of several other genera appear to bear specific relationships to members of the genus Candida.

Aspergillus fumigatus↗

Immunity against the opportunistic fungal pathogen Pneumocystis.

Species of the genus Pneumocystis exist as opportunistic fungal pathogens and are associated with severe pneumonia and pulmonary complications in immunocompromised individuals. Although prophylactic therapy for Pneumocystis has significantly decreased the overall incidence of infection, more than 80% of cases in current patient populations are considered breakthrough cases. In the HIV-infected population, in the years following the initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), significant reductions in the incidence of Pneumocystis infection were observed, although trends over the last several years suggest that the incidence of Pneumocystis has plateaued rather than decreased. Furthermore, with the more prominent usage of immunosuppressive therapies, the frequency of Pneumocystis infection in the HIV-negative population, such as those with hematologic malignancies and those who have undergone transplantation, has risen significantly. Investigating host defense mechanisms against P. carinii has historically been problematic due to the difficulty in achieving continuous in vitro propagation of proliferating Pneumocytis organisms. Nevertheless, clinical and experimental studies have documented that host defense against Pneumocystis involves a concerted effort between innate, cell-mediated (T lymphocyte) and humoral (B lymphocyte) responses. However, the pulmonary environment is a tissue site where heightened inflammatory responses can often lead to inflammation-mediated injury, thereby contributing to the pathogenesis of Pneumocystis infection. Accordingly, clearance of Pneumocystis from the pulmonary environment is dependent on a delicate equilibrium between the inflammatory response and immune-mediated clearance of the organism. Furthermore, innate and adaptive responses against Pneumocystis are strikingly similar to those against other medically-important fungi, thus providing additional evidence that Pneumocystis exists as a fungal organism.

Animals↗

Serological classification and epitope specificity of Proteus penneri S29 lipopolysaccharide.

INTRODUCTION: Gram-negative bacteria of genus Proteus are common human intestinal and urinary tract pathogens. In the genus Proteus there are four clinically important named species: P. mirabilis, P. vulgaris, P. penneri, and P. hauseri, and three unnamed Proteus genomospecies: 4, 5, and 6. The clinical significance of P. penneri, described in 1982 as a new species, is poorly documented. The aim of this work is serological characterization and classification of a ceftriaxone-susceptible P. penneri S29 strain isolated from a 34-year-old patient with postneurosurgical meningitis. In this characterization we will also include a ceftriaxonresistant strain, P. penneri R15, isolated from the same patient after 12 days' treatment with ceftriaxon and other antibiotics. MATERIAL/METHODS: Rabbit polyclonal O-antisera were obtained against these two strains and purified and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were extracted from the bacterial mass of the P. penneri S29 and R15 strains. In the serological investigations the following tests were used: enzyme immunosorbent assay (EIA), passive immunohemolysis (PIH), inhibition of these tests, absorption of rabbit O-antisera with the respective LPS, and repeated PIH, SDS/PAGE, and Western blot techniques. RESULTS: The serological studies of the LPS extracted from both P. penneri strains showed the identity of both preparations of O-polysaccharides from LPS. In P. penneri S29 O-antiserum, four different types of antibodies were described and characterized. CONCLUSIONS: Both investigated P. penneri S29 and R15 strains were classified to the Proteus O31ab serogroup.

Adult↗