Bartonellosis,an increasingly recognized zoonosis

Cat scratch disease is the most common zoonotic infection caused by Bartonella bacteria. Among the many mammals infected with Bartonella spp., cats represent a large reservoir for human infection, as they are the main reservoir for Bartonella henselae, Bartonella clarridgeiae and Bartonella koehlerae. Bartonella spp. are vector‐borne bacteria, and transmission of B. henselae by cat fleas occurs mainly through infected flea faeces, although new potential vectors (ticks and biting flies) have been identified. Dogs are also infected with various Bartonella species and share with humans many of the clinical signs induced by these infections. Although the role of dogs as source of human infection is not yet clearly established, they represent epidemiological sentinels for human exposure. Present knowledge on the aetiology, clinical features and epidemiological characteristics of bartonellosis is presented.     

Relapse of polymicrobial endocarditis in an intravenous drug user

A 26-year-old male intravenous drug user (IDU) presented twice within 6 months with relapsed polymicrobial infective endocarditis (IE) due to Eikenella corrodens and Streptococcus constellatus after completing two courses of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. This report points to relapsing endocarditis as a clinical entity that warrants attention in IDUs when E. corrodens or S. constellatus are causative agents of IE.     

下肢大段感染性骨缺损的治疗

目的:探讨应用骨搬运、自体腓骨瓣移植辅助皮瓣移植等技术治疗下肢大段感染性骨缺损的疗效。方法:对2006年6月至2012年6月收治的43例男性、20例女性下肢大段感染性骨缺损患者的治疗效果进行回顾性研究。所有患者均在彻底清创基础上分别应用骨搬运技术和自体腓骨瓣移植技术进行骨缺损的同期修复。其中,采用骨搬运技术治疗28例,采用腓骨瓣移植技术治疗35例,包括单纯腓骨瓣14例、腓骨皮瓣移植9例、腓骨瓣+股前外侧皮瓣移植12例。结果:63例患者术后获6~26个月(平均17.2个月)的随访。除3例感染未能控制外,其余60例患者下肢畸形或残缺均得到矫正,负重力线、肢体外观及功能基本恢复,未出现严重并发症。参照Johner-wruhs疗效评定标准:优28例,良23例,可6例,差6例,优良率为81.0%。结论:下肢大段感染性骨缺损往往涉及骨、肌肉、皮肤软组织等诸多环节,应根据病情需要采用综合的治疗方式,以保存患者的肢体功能、减少手术次数、缩短治疗时间和节省治疗费用。     

两株近交小鼠对周期型马来丝虫的易感性

于长爪沙鼠体保种的周期型马来丝虫,其感染性幼虫(100条/只)接种于BALB/cCR和BALB/cJ两株小鼠腹腔内,都获得感染成功。在95只BALB/cCR株鼠(45,50)中,显性感染者8只(4,4),占8.42％;隐性感染者34只(17,17),占35.79％。共检获成虫110条,每鼠检获1—11条,平均2.62条。在30只BALB/cJ株鼠(18,12)中,12只雌鼠全部阴性;18只雄鼠中,2只为显性感染,4只为隐性感染,共检获成虫18条,每鼠检获1—5条,平均3.0条。两株小鼠中的10只显性感染鼠,有2只腹腔液内首次发现微丝蚴是在感染后80天,其最短潜隐期约为75天。     

Mannan and D-arabinitol concentrations in serum from a patient with Candida albicans endocarditis

In an attempt to clarify the comparative values of serological and microbiological examinations for the early diagnosis of systemic candidiasis, antibodies against Candida albicans, serum mannan, and the D-arabinitol creatinine ratio were investigated in a patient with aortic valve endocarditis associated with carcinoma of the bile duct. Candida precipitins and the antibody titer against Candida cell wall mannan were examined by an immunodiffusion technique and hemagglutination test, respectively. Serum mannan was tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the biotin-streptavidin procedure. The upper limit of negativity of the assay was determined by adding 0.06 to the absorbance of pooled serum from healthy laboratory workers. This value ws about 0.8 ng/ml with ELISA. The D-arabinitol concentration in serum was examined by an enzymatic fluorometric method. Rising antibody titers against C. albicans, mannan antigenemia, and an elevated D-arabinitol creatinine ratio were first observed between the 11th and 12th hospital days. Blood cultures obtained on 8th, 9th, and 11th hospital days grew C. albicans after 3 to 4 days of incubation. Of 11 serum samples, 5 were positive for mannan, whereas D-arabinitol creatinine ratio was positive in 7 of 9 samples. Blood cultures was the earliest evidence of Candida infections in our cases. However, because of saprophytic nature of Candida species, tests for antibodies, antigenemia, and the D-arabinitol creatinine ratio in combination with blood cultures are necessary to confirm systemic candidiasis at an early stage of infection.Abbreviations ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay     

孔雀鱼暗尾丝虫病病原性确认与鉴定

近年来,随着休闲渔业的兴起,观赏鱼养殖业蓬勃发展,目前我国出口的观赏鱼类已达120多种,产品远销东南亚、日本、欧洲、美国等,年出口创汇约达2亿美元。其中孔雀鱼、剑尾鱼等小型热带观赏鱼深受养殖爱好者青睐,其贸易量约占淡水观赏鱼总贸易量的30%以上。但     

Adherence of Abiotrophia defectiva and Granulicatella species to fibronectin: is there a link with endovascular infections?

During a 6-year period, we isolated three Abiotrophia defectiva, six Granulicatella adiacens and two G. 'para-adiacens' strains from clinical specimens. All A. defectiva strains were isolated from immunocompetent patients with endovascular infections, whereas the Granulicatella spp. strains were isolated from immunosuppressed patients with primary bacteremia. As the capacity of bacteria to adhere to the host extracellular matrix (ECM) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of endovascular infection, we investigated the ability of A. defectiva and Granulicatella spp. isolates to bind different ECM components immobilized in microtiter plates. Adherence tests showed a strong attachment of A. defectiva strains to fibronectin, whereas Granulicatella spp. strains were not adherent. The poor adherence of Granulicatella spp. strains to the ECM could be correlated with a lower propensity to induce endocarditis.     

Characterisation of a novel homodimeric N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase from Streptococcus gordonii

An N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (GcnA) from Streptococcus gordonii FSS2 was cloned and sequenced. GcnA had a deduced molecular mass of 72,120 Da. The molecular weight after gel-filtration chromatography was 140,000 Da and by SDS-PAGE was 70,000 Da, indicating that the native protein was a homodimer. The deduced amino acid sequence had significant homology to a glycosyl hydrolase from Streptococcus pneumoniae and the conserved catalytic domain of the Family 20 glycosyl hydrolases. GcnA catalysed the hydrolysis of the synthetic substrates, 4-methylumbelliferyl (4MU)-N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminide, 4MU-N-acetyl-beta-D-galactosaminide, 4-MU-beta-D-N,N'-diacetylchitobioside, and 4-MU-beta-D-N,N',N'-chitotrioside as well as the respective chito-oligosaccharides. GcnA was optimally active at pH 6.6 and 42 degrees C. The Km for 4-MU-beta-D-N,N',N'-chitotrioside, 45 microM, was the lowest for all the substrates tested. Hg2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, and Zn2+ completely inhibited while Co2+, Mn2+, and Ni2+ partially inhibited activity. S. gordonii FSS2 and a GcnA negative mutant grew equally well on chito-oligosaccharides as substrates. The S. gordonii sequencing projects indicate two further N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase activities.     

HTLV-I,infective dermatitis,and tropical spastic paraparesis

Since human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV-I) was identified in 1980 as causing human disease, it has been etiologically associated with adult T-cell lymphoma/leukemia (ATL) and tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP). More recently, several new diseases have been reported in association with this virus, including infective dermatitis of Jamaican children, which we reported in 1990. Studies on infective dermatitis have shown that these children have abnormalities of immune function, and some develop other HTLV-I associated disorders, including TSP. This paper reviews the work done on infective dermatitis to date, and explores the association with TSP.