Plasma macrophage colony-stimulating factor level and changes of monocyte subpopulations in chronic renal failure patients treated with hemodialysis]

This study was carried out on 52 hemodialysis (HD) patients. The concentrations of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) in plasma and dialysate were measured by ELISA. Plasma M-CSF level increased in HD patients. M-CSF levels of dialysate were under the detection limit. The monocyte subpopulations were studied using double staining of CD14 and CD16 by flow cytometry. The percentage and absolute number of CD14+/CD16+ cells were much higher in HD patients (p < 0.001, respectively, Mann-Whitney U-test). A new subpopulation of blood monocyte, CD14+/CD16+, has been identified which possesses the features of tissue macrophage. The elevations of this subpopulation were also reported under some pathological conditions, and in subject treated with recombinant M-CSF. HD is the pathological condition which induces the increase in plasma M-CSF as well as change of monocyte subpopulation.     

Influence of human albumin on bactericidal or antibacterial activities of cephems and monobactams

Influence of human albumin on bactericidal or antibacterial activities of 11 beta-lactams were examined. The 11 beta-lactams included second generation cephems (cefsulodin, cefotiam and cefmetazole), third generation cephems (ceftazidime, latamoxef, cefmenoxime, cefoperazone, cefotetan and cefpiramide) and monobactams (carumonam and aztreonam). The micro-broth-dilution method was used to determine antibacterial activities. Bactericidal activities were determined using the time-kill method. Used in the broth-dilution method were 2 media, MUELLER-HINTON broth (MHB) and the same medium supplemented with 5 g human albumin/d1 (MHB-A). The first experiment was to compare minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) determined in MHB were compared with those in MHB-A of 6 antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus FDA 209P JC-1, of 7 antibiotics against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and of 5 antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCTC 10490. MICs using MHB-A were higher than MIC using MHB for 2 of the 6 antibiotics against S. aureus, and for all the 7 antibiotics against E. coli, and for 3 of the 5 antibiotics against P. aeruginosa. The second experiment was done to compare MICs of 5 antibiotics determined in MHB-A with those determined in MHB against 10 clinical isolates of S. aureus, of 6 antibiotics against 10 clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae and of 6 antibiotics against 10 clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa. The results obtained in the second experiment were varied for different antibiotics and different strains of organisms, and same antibiotics produced different results for different strains. MICs determined in MHB-A were lower than those in MHB for antibiotics with relatively low protein binding rates against 22 of 170 isolates tested (12.9%), whereas the former was higher than the latter against 103 out of 170 isolates tested (60.6%). MICs of antibiotics with relatively high protein binding rates showed an opposite trend. In the third experiment, time-kill curves were determined in the 2 media for 5 antibiotics against S. aureus FDA 209P JC-1, for 6 drugs against E. coli ATCC 25922 and for 5 drugs against P. aeruginosa NCTC 10490. The concentrations of these antibiotics used were 1/2 x MIC, 1 x MIC and 2 x MIC. MICs determined in the first experiment were used here. Time-kill curves determined in MHB-A didn't reflect MICs determined in MHB. Using MHB-A, antibiotics with lower MICs determined in MHB-A showed bactericidal activities in lower concentrations. Human albumin influenced antibacterial or bactericidal activities of beta-lactams.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-induced pyomyositis that emerged during recovery from drug-induced pancytopenia

Pyomyositis is a purulent infection of skeletal muscle characterized by fever, localized muscle pain and stiffness, swelling and tenderness. Hematological disorder is one of the predisposing conditions for the development of pyomyositis. A 54-year-old man developed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pyomyositis during drug-induced pancytopenia. Debridement of the infection foci combined with antimicrobial agents proved effective even in the advanced stage of the disease. In patients with hematological disorders, pyomyositis should be considered when evaluating local myalgia and high fever because this disease can be very difficult to identify and can become rapidly progressive under a myelosuppressive condition.     

In vitro activity of methylrosaniline chloride (gentian violet) as disinfectant against Candida spp. and Trichosporon spp. isolated from blood samples

OBJECTIVE: Methylrosaniline Chloride (MRC) is recognized as a disinfectant, but recently is rarely used in the clinic, because of its cytotoxicity when used continuously with conventional concentrations (1% MRC). We have reported the antibacterial activity of MRC with lower concentration against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In this study, we evaluated the antifungal activity of MRC with lower concentrations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Antifungal activities of MRC against Candida spp. and Trichosporon spp. were tested. All strains tested were isolated from 106 blood or intravenous catheter samples at Juntendo University Hospital from 1995 to 2004. Minimum inhibitory concentrations against fungi were assayed by agar dilution, under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. RESULTS: A 0.01% or less concentration of MRC solutions showed marked antifungal activity against Candida spp. and Trichosporon spp. under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. CONCLUSION: A 0.01% or less concentration of MRC should be reevaluated for the control of fungal infection and MRSA infection control.     

Antibacterial activity of local anesthetics

In order to study the antibacterial activity of local anesthetics quantitatively, we procured their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), killing curves and postantibiotic effect (PAE), using the standard colony of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 14990 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCTC 10490. Both bupivacaine and lidocaine had bactericidal activity at a clinical concentration. MIC of the former was lower than that of the latter, and it means that bupivacaine has a greater antibacterial activity than lidocaine. At the same concentration, the commercial solutions, such as Xylocaine and Marcain, which contain preservatives, showed a greater antibacterial activity than the pure anesthetic solutions which contain no preservatives. However, the preservatives had no bactericidal activity, but weak bacteriostatic activity.