Surveillance of bacterial pathogens of diarrhea disease in Indonesia

Emerging or reemerging infections due to bacterial disease may be a local, regional or global problem. Bacterial acute gastroenteritis is a potential cause of substantial morbidity in travelers and deployed U.S. military personnel. A surveillance study was conducted over a two-year period in Indonesia among 6760 patients with debilitating diarrheal diseases. Of the 6,760 patients, 587 (9%) of the patient stools were positive for bacteria. The proportions of bacteria isolated from the 587 patients were: Shigella flexneri (39%), Salmonella spp. (26%), Vibrio spp. (17%), S. sonnei (7%), Campylobacter jejuni (4.4%), Salmonella typhi (3%) and S. dysenteriae (2.3%). Shigella flexneri was the most prevalent pathogen isolated, over Vibrio spp. No V. cholerae was isolated in the cities of Pontianak, Padang or Batam in Indonesia. Shigella dysenteriae reemergence was noted in Bali, Kalimantan, Batam and Jakarta after an absence of 15 years. Isolation of a high proportion of S. flexneri, and Vibrio spp. occurred during the rainy months. All bacterial isolates were susceptible to quinolones, with the exception of C. jejuni and Salmonella spp., which were resistant to ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and nalidixic acid. Our findings highlight the decline of V. cholerae, the rise of S. flexneri and the reemergence of S. dysenteriae in Indonesia. The study also documents the emergence of quinolone-resistant Campylobacter spp. in the Indonesia archipelago.     

Evaluation of cytochrome concentration in peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with laryngeal cancer

The aim of the study was evaluation of cytochrome concentration in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with laryngeal cancer. The study was conducted in a group of 62 patients presenting different clinical advancement of the disease. The study material consisted of the studied population's peripheral blood from which T lymphocytes were isolated and incubated with monoclonal antibodies. To evaluate antigens’ expression, a FACS Galibur flow cytometre was used; the evaluated cells were labeled with fluorochrome-conjugated monoclonal antibodies. Next, mononuclear cells were rinsed with cold PBS and suspended in the lysis buffer. In the obtained cell lysate the c cytochrome concentration was determined with the use of an immunoenzymatic test, HumanCytochrome cELISA Kit (BenderMed Systems, Austria). Obtained results were compared with the measurements taken in 20 healthy individuals who constituted the control group. On the basis of conducted study it was found that the level of c cytochrome concentration was significantly increased in the T CD3+ lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with stage IV of laryngeal cancer. A positive correlatio was also found between the cytochrome level in lymphocytes and the advancing stage of the disease. Our own observation give grounds to conjecture that together with the progress of laryngeal cancer the energetic potential of lymphocytes increases and so does the readiness of the lymphatic cells to undergo the redox processes, therefore the amount of c cytochrome in the cells increases.     

Heart rate turbulence in postinfarction patients with history of malignant ventricular arrhythmias

In the study, there has been retrospectively analyzed heart rate turbulence in postinfarction patients. The cohort of 158 patients consisted of 94 patients with documented ventricular tachycardia and/or ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF) and 64 patients without history of VT/VF. Turbulence onset and slope were calculated from Holter recordings, and left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35% was regarded as severe left ventricle dysfunction. Study groups were similar in age and sex. Left ventricle ejection fraction was lower in the VT/VF group (P < .005). Patients with VT/VF had higher turbulence onset (−0.22% ± 1% vs −0.8% ± 2%; P = .005) and lower turbulence slope (2.6 ± 1.9 vs 4.1 ± 3.5 milliseconds per RR interval; P = .01). These trends were observed in patients with LVEF >35% but not in subjects with LVEF ≤35%. Diabetes mellitus, previous coronary artery bypass graft, and amiodarone therapy have diminished the intergroup differences significantly.

Conclusions

Heart rate turbulence is diminished in postinfarction patients with a history of malignant ventricular arrhythmias. It seems to separate subjects at arrhythmic risk among patients with relatively preserved left ventricle function, but it is diminished in patients with previous coronary artery bypass graft, diabetes, and amiodarone therapy.     

Composition and density of plant-associated invertebrates in relation to environmental gradients and hydrological connectivity of wetlands

Frequency of occurrence and intensity of the raised water stage determine the structure of invertebrates in the wetland ecosystems of wetland river floodplains. In order to assess the relationships in a regulated, lowland river of moderate climate, samples of water and invertebrates inhabiting submerged shoots of reed Phragmites australis Trin Ex. Stued. were taken from the middle section of the S?upia River and five of its oxbow lakes. The wetlands differed in hydrological activity (type of connection with the river). Redundancy Analysis (RDA) revealed that hydrological connectivity accounted for 37% of the total invertebrate variance, physico-chemical conditions — 21%, while the trophic state only — 7%. Linear regression showed that the highest species richness was observed in oxbow lakes connected to the river with one arm. Diversity and species evenness increased with the increasing hydrological connectivity. The study revealed that plant-associated invertebrates inhabiting wetlands can be the main source for the reconstruction of biodiversity after floods.