Detection and Enumeration of Fecal Indicator Organisms in Frozen Sea Foods: II. Enterococci

Consistently high recoveries of enterococci as compared to the low numbers of coliforms obtained from the same samples of frozen sea foods are indirect evidence that enterococci are better indicators of contamination in such foods.

The use of azide dextrose broth, modified by the incorporation of bromthymol blue, and of ethyl violet azide broth as presumptive and confirmation tests, respectively, were found to be highly specific for the detection and enumeration of enterococci in these samples. Tetrazolium agar medium, when used as a third step after the confirmation test, provides a reliable differentiation of Streplococcus faecalis types from other group D streptococci. A simple procedure is described for further identification of S. faecalis varieties and other enterococcal species.

Incidence of biotypes within certain species is noted and relationships of these subgroups to the organisms described by other workers is discussed.

The striking resistance of all group D streptococci to dihydrostreptomycin and polymyxin B seems to offer promise for evolving a new selective medium for these organisms.

     

Erythrocyte deformability and lung segmental vascular resistance: effect of hematocrit

We have investigated the role of erythrocyte (RBC) deformability and perfusate viscosity on lung segmental vascular resistance in 12 isolated perfused lungs of 3- to 5-wk-old rabbits. Each lung was perfused alternately with control and formaldehyde-fixed rabbit RBCs at a flow rate of 80 ml.kg-1.min-1, left atrial and airway pressures being 8 and 6 cmH2O, respectively (zone 3). Perfusate RBC concentration was kept constant at 3.2 x 10(6)/mm3 for group I lungs (n = 6) and 7.2 x 10(6)/mm3 for group II lungs (n = 6). In all lungs, we measured pressures in the pulmonary artery and in 20- to 50-microns-diam arterioles and venules with the micropipette servo-null method during both perfusion periods. Compared with control, fixed cells had a 60% decrease in deformability index (i.e., the volume of a dilute solution of RBCs filtered through a 5-microns Nuclepore filter in 1 min). In groups I and II, perfusate viscosity of fixed cells was 15 and 55% greater, respectively, than that of control cells. We found that perfusion with fixed cells in group I lungs did not alter total or segmental vascular pressure drops. However, in group II lungs, perfusion with fixed cells at twice the cell concentration resulted in an increase in total vascular pressure drop, mainly due to an increase in pressure drop in veins (50% of total) and arteries (33%). The relatively small (17%) increase in pressure drop in microvessels was probably due to distension and/or recruitment of capillaries resulting from increased venular pressures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Combined effects of interferon α and interleukin 2 on the induction of a vascular leak syndrome in mice

Summary Immunotherapy with interleukin 2 (IL-2) alone or in combination with lymphokine-activated killer cells can mediate tumor regression in mice and in man. Further dose escalation of IL-2 along with lymphokine-activated killer cells has been prevented by the development of a vascular leak syndrome produced by IL-2. Because we have found that interferon (IFN-) or tumor necrosis factor (TNF-) has synergistic antitumor effects when administered together with IL-2, we have tested the vascular leakage induced by these lymphokine combinations. We used a murine model to quantify vascular leakage by measuring the extravasation of ¹²⁵I-albumin from the intravascular space as well as the wet and dry lung weights after treatment with different cytokines. Cytokines (or Hanks balanced salt solution) were administered to C57BL/6 mice and 4 h after the last injection the vascular leak was quantified. IFN- alone did not cause extravasation of radiolabel or increase in wet lung weights, though when given in combination with IL-2, significantly greater extravasation (P<0.01) as well as increase in lung water weights (P<0.05) was observed compared to the response in mice treated with IL-2 alone. IFN- in combination with IL-2 induced significant vascular leakage earlier than the response induced by IL-2 alone. For example treatment with IFN- and IL-2 induced accumulation of 14674±605 cpm in the lungs at day 1 while IL-2 alone induced 12340±251 cpm. The degree of vascular leakage was highly related to the dose of IFN- administered along with IL-2 and increased vascular leak syndrome was evident even at low doses (5000 units) of IFN-. Immunosuppression of mice by pretreatment irradiation (500 rad) markedly decreased the development of vascular leak syndrome induced by IL-2 and IFN-. Interestingly IFN- and TNF- did not induce vascular leakage in the lungs when given alone, and did not add or synergize with IL-2 in causing the syndrome. Thus the administration of IFN- in combination with IL-2 produces a dose-limiting vascular leakage that is more severe than that caused by IL-2 alone, and may be mediated, directly or indirectly by host radiosensitive cells. Abbreviations used: LAK, lymphokine-activated killer; IFN, interferon; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; IL-2, interleukin-2     

Colloid carcinoma of the breast with concomitant metastasis and a tuberculous lesion in the axillary lymph nodes. A case report.

A 30-year-old woman presented with a lump in the left breast and left axillary lymphadenopathy that, on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), proved to be duct cell carcinoma with metastasis. Histology of the radical mastectomy specimen showed a mixed colloid carcinoma. Axillary lymph nodes revealed a variety of pathologic changes consisting of reactive hyperplasia, tuberculosis and metastasis. A combination of a tuberculous lesion and metastasis in the same lymph nodes was also found. During follow-up, after radiotherapy, the patient developed left supraclavicular and right cervical lymphadenopathy that, on FNAC, revealed a tuberculous lesion and metastasis, respectively. The rarity of this condition with double pathology is highlighted, and the reason behind the limitations of FNA in subtyping the primary malignancy and its failure to detect the tuberculous lesion in the axillary lymph node are discussed.     

Maternal mortality and women's condition: “The distress in being a woman”

For millenaria, maternal mortality has been considered as a fatality inherent to women's condition. Thanks to the progress of the obstetric technology, the world M.M.R. fell from 2.000 to 400 per 100.000 births during the past 150 years. At the same time women's condition improved chiefly because of a better level of education. Is there any relationship between them: the decrease of Maternal Mortality and the amelioration of women's general status? Or, in other words, can the decrease of Maternal Mortality Rate be considered as an “indicator” of the situation of women? After a historical review of the importance of the maternal mortality drama as it occured in older times before the “obstetric era”, which began with the improvement of the obstetric technology, this paper will present the actual situation of maternal mortality in relation with the obstetric coverage, the female literacy level and some other socio-economic variables, and in relation with the Gross National Product (G.N.P.) as an indicator of governmental interest in the specific female problems of giving-life.     

Preferential transposition of aDrosophila P element to the corresponding region of the homologous chromosome

Genetic and physical analyses have demonstrated an intimate interaction or pairing of homologous chromosomes in the nuclei of manyDrosophila cell types. Experiments were performed to determine whether P elements transposing from a given chromosome to its homolog would preferentially insert in the region corresponding to the donor site, perhaps due to such a proximity. AP[lacZ;ry ⁺] element at thecactus locus (35F) on the second chromosome was mobilized and 96 insertions on the homolog were recovered. The distribution of these new insertions was determined by recombination mapping and molecular analysis, and compared with a control set of 93 second-chromosome insertions originating from theX chromosome. A nearly threefold preference was observed for re-insertion in a region of two to three number divisions aroundcactus on the homolog. However, none of these local insertions was actually within 50 kb of the site atcactus corresponding to the starting site. This is in marked contrast to the previously described phenomenon of intrachromosomal local transposition, where the majority of local transpositions are within 10 kb. The data suggest that the mechanisms for intrachromosomal and interchromosomal local transposition are distinct, and are consistent with a model for interchromosomal local transposition involving proximity of homologous chromosomal regions in the nuclei of the germline cells.