Haemophilus influenzae biochemotyping

Biochemotyping was performed in 129 strains of Haemophilus influenzae. 95% of strains could be assigned to one of the five biochemotypes proposed by Kilian. Most of the serotype B strains isolated in meningitis belonged to biochemotype I. The biochemical differentiation of Haemophilus influenzae is regarded as a reliable technique deserving further application.     

流感嗜血杆菌的分型研究

目的分析同济医院分离的流感嗜血杆菌的生物学分型及荚膜基因分型,了解本地区分离的流感嗜血杆菌的主要流行株。方法2012年1月1日至2012年12月31日从华中科技大学同济医学院附属同济医院分离流感嗜血杆菌100株。根据脲酶、吲哚和鸟氨酸脱羧酶试验对流感嗜血杆菌进行传统的生物学分型,分为Ⅰ～Ⅷ八个生物型。回顾患者病史资料,分析生物学分型和流感嗜血杆菌所引起的疾病之间的关系。用流感嗜血杆菌荚膜编码基因（bexA）和a—f型特异性荚膜基因设计引物,采用PCR技术对流感嗜血杆菌进行荚膜基因检测。通过生物学分型和荚膜基因分型结果的比对,探讨两者之间的关联。结果分离的100株流感嗜血杆菌生物学分型结果如下：Ⅲ型6株,Ⅳ型28株,Ⅴ型1株,Ⅵ型54株,Ⅶ型11株。未分离到Ⅰ型、Ⅱ型和Ⅷ型。分析患者的临床诊断,发现主要流行株Ⅵ型流感嗜血杆菌主要引起患者肺炎（包括支气管肺炎和新生儿肺炎）和支气管炎（包括毛细支气管炎和喘息性支气管炎）。荚膜基因分型结果显示,未分离到b型和b-型流感嗜血杆菌。共分离到1株f型,其余99株均为无荚膜抗原的不可分型流感嗜血杆菌。生物学分型和荚膜分型之间无明显的相关性。结论该院分离的流感嗜血杆菌主要为生物型Ⅵ型。回顾患者病史,发现Ⅵ型主要引起肺炎和支气管炎。荚膜基因分型显示,本地区分离的流感嗜血杆菌主要为不可分型流感嗜血杆菌。生物学分型和荚膜基因分型之间无明显相关性。     

Serotyping of Noncapsular Haemophilus influenzae

A microtechnique is described for agglutination typing of Haemophilus influenzae. It also provides a further means for classification and study of noncapsular type-specific strains.     

Automated Detection of Haemophilus influenzae

Addition of heme (X factor) and pyridine nucleotide (V factor) to the medium permits rapid growth of Haemophilus influenzae, with evolution of easily detectable amounts of (14)CO(2). Radiometric media containing X and V factor should be used when evaluating clinical specimens which might contain Haemophilus species.     

Electron microscopy of Haemophilus influenzae

The electron microscopic study of H. influenzae standard strains, serovar b, in the capsular and noncapsular forms has revealed the pronounced pleomorphism of these organisms in successive generations.     

Plasmid recombination in Haemophilus influenzae

DNA recombination in exponential phase and competent Haemophilus influenzae was measured by an electron microscopic assay that relies on the conversion of plasmid RSF0885 monomers into multimeric forms. Dimer circles were present at a frequency of 2% in plasmid preparations from competent Rd (wild-type) cells; multimers were present at a frequency of 0.2% in preparations from exponential phase cells. Thus, plasmid recombination was stimulated in competent cells. Multimer formation occurred efficiently in cells of the transformation defective mutant rec2, implying that the rec2 gene product is not required for plasmid recombination. However, the absence of multimer plasmids in preparations from competent cells of the transformation defective mutant rec1 suggests that the rec1 gene product is required. Digestion of purified plasmids with restriction endonuclease PvuII, which makes a single cut in the monomer, revealed the presence of recombination intermediates composed of two linear plasmids joined to form two pairs of arms resembling the Greek letter chi. Length measurements of these arms taken from a population of recombination intermediates gave evidence that the plasmids were joined at sites of homology. The distributions of individual DNA strands, at the intersections of the four arms, could be resolved in some recombination intermediates and were of two types. The first type of junction appeared as a single-stranded square with one double-stranded arm appended to each corner. The second type of junction consisted of a single strand of DNA linking the two linear plasmids at a site of homology. The single-stranded linker was frequently situated at the edge of a short gap on one of the plasmids in the pair. The fine structures of the recombinational joints have been interpreted in terms of previously proposed models of recombination.     

New Bacteriophage of Haemophilus influenzae

Some properties of a newly isolated Haemophilus influenzae bacteriophage are described. The phage is morphologically distinct from previously described H. influenzae phages.     

Haemophilus influenzae Type B Septicaemia

In the period November 1967 to September 1968 Haemophilus influenzae type b was isolated from the blood of 11 young children. Only three of these presented with meningitis; others had septic arthritis, oesteomyelitis, subcutaneous abscesses, cellulitis, respiratory infections, and undifferentiated pyrexia. During the preceding five years H. influenzae type b was isolated from the blood cultures of 15 patients, and all but two of these were cases of meningitis. Blood culture has proved of value in establishing the role of H. influenzae type b in a broad spectrum of acute infections, and the suggestion is made that meningitis may represent only a minority of cases of haemophilus septicaemia. Because H. influenzae is resistant to some antibiotics bacteriological diagnosis of such cases is important if the correct treatment is to be given.     

Haemophilus influenzae Meningitis in Adults

Haemophilus influenzae meningitis though common in childhood is rarely seen in the adult. During the past four years eight cases of H. influenzae meningitis have been seen in St. Thomas''s Hospital and four of these were in patients over 20 years old. There was a possible predisposing condition in two patients. In each case there was difficulty in identification of the organism in the Gram-stained film of the cerebrospinal fluid deposit.