Clonal Distribution of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Poland

We report on a study of 158 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clinical isolates obtained from 1990 to 1996 in 18 different hospitals in Poland. All isolates were recovered from infection and carriage sites of patients, carriage sites of health care personnel, and hospital environment samples. Fifty-seven MRSA strains described here were studied previously and these were divided into two different clusters according to the degree of heterogeneity of methicillin resistance expression. The aim of this study was to extend the correlation between the two clusters and identify the clonal identities among all isolates by a combination of different methodologies: (i) analysis of mecA polymorphs and Tn554 insertion patterns and (ii) determination of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns of chromosomal SmaI digests. Ninety-seven of 158 strains showed a heterogeneous expression of resistance to methicillin. Among these, 75 (77.3%) were ClaI-mecA type I, ClaI-Tn554 type NH (NH, no homology with transposon Tn554), and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern A (I::NH::A); 10 isolates were III::B::M (10.3%); and the remaining clones included a few or single isolates. The isolates with homogeneous expression of resistance to methicillin (n = 61) were predominantly ClaI-mecA type III (49 of 61 [80.3%]) but had great variability in their ClaI-Tn554 and PFGE patterns. This study confirmed the existence of two main clusters of MRSA in Poland.     

Viability of partially damaged human embryos after cryopreservation

In our centre, embryos are judged to have survived cryopreservation if at least half of the initial number of blastomeres remain intact. Therefore both fully intact and partially damaged embryos are transferred. The aim of this study was to investigate the viability of partially damaged human embryos after cryopreservation. We retrospectively analysed the implantation and in-vivo development of embryos which were either fully intact or had lost some blastomeres after cryopreservation. Oocytes were collected following stimulation with the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-agonist Buserelin and human menopausal gonadotrophin. Supernumerary multicellular embryos with not more than 20% of their volume filled with anucleate fragments were frozen on day 2 or day 3 of the cycle using a slow cooling procedure with dimethylsulphoxide as the cryoprotectant. Following slow thawing, 431 fully intact embryos were transferred in 314 embryo transfer procedures and 488 partially damaged embryos were transferred in 327 such procedures. The percentage of gestational sacs with fetal heartbeat obtained after transfer of fully intact embryos was almost three times higher than that after transfer of partially damaged embryos (11.4 versus 3.5%). Forty-five children (birth rate 10% per embryo transfer) were born after transfer of fully intact embryos and 14 after transfer of embryos from which some blastomeres had been lost following cryopreservation. In conclusion, although children have been delivered after transfer of partially damaged embryos, the aim of a cryopreservation programme must be to obtain fully intact embryos after thawing.      

Induction of an adaptive response to quercetin, mitomycin C and hydrogen peroxide by low doses of quercetin in V79 Chinese hamster cells

The adaptive response is a phenomenon by which cells exposedto low, non-cytotoxic doses of a genotoxicant become significantlyresistant to a subsequent higher dose of the same or anothergenotoxic agent. Induction of the adaptive response has beenmainly studied using ionizing radiation and alkylating agentsas genotoxic agents. However, other mutagenic agents may warrantfurther study, since the adaptive response as a whole may bean important general biological mechanism to maintain geneticintegrity and thus could prevent carcinogenic initiation ofcells. The exposure to mutagenic agents present, or formed,in the diet is considered an important factor in the etiologyof human tumors and a considerable number of these agents havenot yet been identified or characterized. Flavonoids are a largegroup of polyphenolic quinoids found in a wide variety of ediblefruits and vegetables and a few, such as quercetin, presentgenotoxic activity in vitro. The mechanisms of mutagenicityof quercetin involve the production of oxygen radicals throughan autoxidation process dependent on pH value and the presenceof oxygen. Although there are few doubts regarding the mutagenicityof quercetin invitro, carcinogenicity of this flavonoid is stillcontroversial. In view of these conflicting results and theradiomimetic nature of the mutagenicity of flavonoids, we addressedthe question of cell exposure to quercetin at the low levelspresent in the diet leading to adaptation to further exposureto mutagens or carcinogens. The work reported here concernsinduction of an adaptive response by low doses of quercetinto challenging doses of quercetin and other compounds, namelyhydrogen peroxide and mitomycin C, using induction of chromosomalaberrations in V79 cells as the end point. ⁴To whom correspondence should be addressed: Tel: +351 1 3610290; Fax: +351 1 3622018; Email: jose.rueff{at}gene.unl.mailpac.pt     

Prevention of acute immunological lung lesion in rats by decomplementing treatment

The intravenous administration of nephrotoxic antibody serum to rats produced a rapid and pronounced reduction in the serum complement level; this was observed before lung lesions became apparent.

A total suppression of the acute immune lung change was observed in animals depleted of complement by treatment with heat-aggregated human γ-globulin or zymosan.

Albeit the experimental evidence presented is of indirect nature, it suggests that the complement system is involved in the mediation of the acute pulmonary injury following injection of nephrotoxic antibody serum.

     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trypanosoma evansi</Emphasis> in inbred and Swiss-Webster mice: distinct aspects of pathogenesis

Trypanosoma evansi (Trypanosomatidae, Kinetoplastida) is a salivarian trypanosomatid that infects eight mammal orders spread over America, Europe and Asia. In Brazil, T. evansi is the etiological agent of Mal de Cadeiras, a horse disease very often described in the region known as Pantanal do Mato Grosso. Few data concerning the genetic diversity and biology of subpopulations of T. evansi that circulate in Brazil are available. The factors that modulate the interaction of this parasite with its hosts also remain to be elucidated. Here we evaluated the course of experimental infection of six T. evansi isolates derived from domestic and wild animals in Swiss-Webster mice and three Mus musculus lineages. The follow-up included biological, immunological as well as biochemical and hematological parameters. The same isolates as well as three others were characterized by pulsed-field electrophoresis. Our results showed that T. evansi isolates displayed significant differences regarding behavior and morbidity patterns in the distinct mouse lineages. Nevertheless, these differences could not be correlated with pulsed-field electrophoresis profiles. Indeed, concerning this molecular marker, only microheterogeneity was observed. Moreover, we observed that the outcome of the infection is defined by both host genetic background and peculiarities (virulence factors) of the distinct T. evansi isolates. Anemia and hypoglycemia were the only features that could be observed in all mouse lineages, independently of the inoculated T. evansi subpopulation. In addition, our data also show that Mus musculus is a suitable model host for the study of the different pathogenetic features of T. evansi infection.     

Phase I testing of a malaria vaccine composed of hepatitis B virus core particles expressing Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite epitopes

We report the first phase I trial to assess the safety and immunogenicity of a malaria vaccine candidate, ICC-1132 (Malarivax), composed of a modified hepatitis B virus core protein (HBc) containing minimal epitopes of the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite (CS) protein. When expressed in Escherichia coli, the recombinant ICC-1132 protein forms virus-like particles that were found to be highly immunogenic in preclinical studies of mice and monkeys. Twenty healthy adult volunteers received a 20- or a 50-microg dose of alum-adsorbed ICC-1132 administered intramuscularly at 0, 2, and 6 months. The majority of volunteers in the group receiving the 50-microg dose developed antibodies to CS repeats as well as to HBc. Malaria-specific T cells that secreted gamma interferon were also detected after a single immunization with ICC-1132-alum. These studies support ICC-1132 as a promising malaria vaccine candidate for further clinical testing using more-potent adjuvant formulations and confirm the potential of modified HBc virus-like particles as a delivery platform for vaccines against other human pathogens.     

Antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella serotypes isolated from slaughter-age pigs and environmental samples

The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial resistance patterns of Salmonella strains isolated from slaughter-age pigs and environmental samples collected at modern swine raising facilities in Brazil. Seventeen isolates of six serotypes of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica were isolated out of 1,026 collected samples: Salmonella Typhimurium (1), Salmonella Agona (5), Salmonella Sandiego (5), Salmonella Rissen (1), Salmonella Senftenberg (4), and Salmonella Javiana (1). Resistance patterns were determined to extended-spectrum penicillin (ampicillin), broad-spectrum cephalosporins (cefotaxime and ceftriaxone), aminoglycosides (streptomycin, neomycin, gentamicin, amikacin, and tobramycin), narrow-spectrum quinolone (nalidixic acid), broad-spectrum quinolone (ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin), tetracycline, trimethoprim, and chloramphenicol. Antimicrobial resistance patterns varied among serotypes, but isolates from a single serotype consistently showed the same resistance profile. All isolates were resistant to tetracycline, streptomycin, and nalidixic acid. One isolate, Salmonella Rissen, was also resistant to cefotaxime and tobramycin. All serotypes were susceptible to ceftriaxone, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, gentamicin, and chloramphenicol. The high resistance to tetracycline and streptomycin may be linked to their common use as therapeutic drugs on the tested farms. No relation was seen between nalidixic acid and fluoroquinolone resistance.     

T and B cell responses to neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens in systemic vasculitis.

The systemic vasculitides (SV) are characterized by the presence of autoantibodies to neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens (ANCA). The role of T cells in SV is uncertain. We studied human and murine T cell responses to human neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens in vitro. T cells from mice immunized with the neutrophil extract showed dose-dependent antigen-specific proliferation, restricted by the MHC class II E molecule. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) was not an important target antigen for murine T cells. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) were obtained from 36 patients with SV, 31 before the start of immunosuppressive therapy, and from 11 healthy controls. T cell responses to the neutrophil extract in vitro did not differ between patients and controls: there were only low levels of antigen-specific proliferation, and this could not be amplified by in vitro selection. In 3 patients and 2 normals, PBLs were also tested after the depletion of CD8+ cells; this did not unmask T cell reactivity to neutrophil extract. The lack of demonstrable T cell reactivity to this antigen preparation may indicate that T cells do not play an important effector role in these diseases. A solid-phase spot ELISA was adapted to demonstrate autoantibody-producing B cells in vitro. Low numbers of ANCA-producing B cells could be demonstrated in the majority of patients. B cells producing antibody to MPO could be demonstrated in most patients and in three laboratory staff, but not in normals from outside the laboratory. In 2 patients, sequential B cell spot ELISAs were performed during the introduction of therapy, and autoantibody-producing B cells rapidly decreased in number. This assay may therefore be useful in monitoring the effects of treatment at the cellular level.