Presumed ocular bartonellosis

BACKGROUND: The spectrum of diseases caused by Bartonella henselae continues to expand and ocular involvement during this infection is being diagnosed with increasing frequency. METHODS: The clinical features and visual prognosis for 13 patients with intraocular inflammatory disease and laboratory evidence of bartonellosis were investigated. There were nine patients with neuroretinitis and four with panuveitis with positive antibody titres against B henselae determined by an enzyme immunoassay (IgG exceeding 1:900 and/or IgM exceeding 1:250). RESULTS: Positive IgG levels were found for eight patients and positive IgM levels for five. Despite animal exposure of 10 patients, only two (IgG positive) cases had systemic symptoms consistent with the diagnosis of cat scratch disease. Pathological fluorescein leakage of the optic disc was observed in all affected eyes. At 6 months' follow up, 3/18 (17%) affected eyes had a visual acuity of less than 20/100, owing to optic disc atrophy and cystoid macular oedema. 12 patients (17 eyes) were treated with antibiotics; visual acuity improved two or more Snellen lines for 9/17 (53%) eyes. CONCLUSIONS: The possibility of B henselae infection should be considered in patients with neuroretinitis and panuveitis (especially in cases with associated optic nerve involvement) even in the absence of systemic symptoms typical for cat scratch disease.     

Applying horizontal gene transfer phenomena to enhance non-viral gene therapy

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is widespread amongst prokaryotes, but eukaryotes tend to be far less promiscuous with their genetic information. However, several examples of HGT from pathogens into eukaryotic cells have been discovered and mimicked to improve non-viral gene delivery techniques. For example, several viral proteins and DNA sequences have been used to significantly increase cytoplasmic and nuclear gene delivery. Plant genetic engineering is routinely performed with the pathogenic bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens and similar pathogens (e.g. Bartonella henselae) may also be able to transform human cells. Intracellular parasites like Trypanosoma cruzi may also provide new insights into overcoming cellular barriers to gene delivery. Finally, intercellular nucleic acid transfer between host cells will also be briefly discussed. This article will review the unique characteristics of several different viruses and microbes and discuss how their traits have been successfully applied to improve non-viral gene delivery techniques. Consequently, pathogenic traits that originally caused diseases may eventually be used to treat many genetic diseases.     

Warthin-Starry特殊染色、免疫组织化学和透射电镜在猫抓病病理诊断中的作用

目的 探讨Warthin-Starry银染色法、抗汉赛巴尔通体单克隆抗体和电镜在检测人巴尔通体感染、确诊猫抓病中的实用价值.方法 收集1998年1月至2008年12月诊断的77例符合猫抓病形态学改变的石蜡包埋淋巴结组织,分别使用Warthin-Starry银染色法和抗汉赛巴尔通体单克隆抗体的EnVision法进行病原体的检测.选择二者均检出丰富细菌的5例进行透射电镜观察.结果 (1)透射电镜查见汉赛巴尔通体呈多形性,圆形、椭圆形、短棒状、杆状,长0.489～1.110μm,宽0.333～0.534 tun,集群性生长.(2)61.0%(47/77)的病例Warthin-Starry银染色法查见排列成线、成簇、局灶性聚集的黑色、短小、棒状杆菌,细菌绝大多数分布在靠近被膜下的坏死灶内,以存在于细胞外为主.(3)72.7%(56/77)的病例抗汉赛巴尔通体单克隆抗体阳性表达,阳性信号主要呈点状、颗粒状,少数呈线样勾勒出细菌形状,信号定位与Warthin-Starry银染色法一致.(4)59.7%(46/77)的病例Warthin-Starry银染色和抗汉赛巴尔通体单克隆抗体染色均阳性.两种方法联用,病原体总体检出率为74.0%(57/77).二种方法检出率的差异具有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论 应用Warthin-Starry银染色法、免疫组织化学和电镜技术检测猫抓病病原体能达到确诊猫抓病的目的 ,抗汉赛巴尔通体单克隆抗体染色是较Warthin-Starry银染色更理想的检测方法.     

Combining cytomorphology and serology for the diagnosis of cat scratch disease

Cat scratch disease (CSD) is a self limited zoonotic disease that presents most commonly as a regional lymphadenopathy. We are reporting a case of a 25-year-old male patient who presented with fever and large right inguinal lymphadenopathy. The diagnosis of cat scratch disease was confirmed based on the characteristic cytopathological features on aspirate smears from the lymph node and the serological titers for Bartonella henselae. This case report emphasizes the importance of combining Bartonella serology, and cytopathology in the diagnostic work-up of febrile lymphadenopathy and suspected CSD since the culture of this organism is arduous.     

五日热巴通体重组外膜蛋白HbpA的研制和抗原性分析

为克隆并表达五日热巴通体外膜蛋白HbpA的基因,并对其抗原性进行初步分析,采用PCR方法从五日热巴通体基因组DNA扩增hbpA基因,将目的基因片段插入原核表达质粒pET32a（＋）,构建重组质粒pET32a（＋）-hbpA;将构建的重组质粒转化大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）并诱导目的基因表达,以SDS-PAGE电泳以及免疫印迹实验分析表达的目的蛋白。SDS-PAGE电泳分析发现pET32a（＋）-hbpA转化菌高效表达一48kDa重组蛋白;免疫印迹分析发现该蛋白与其免疫血清发生强烈反应;间接免疫荧光分析发现该重组蛋白免疫血清能特异识别五日热巴通体。实验结果表明五日热巴通体外膜蛋白HbpA的基因已在大肠杆菌中高效表达。     

Widening of the clinical spectrum of Bartonella henselae infection as recognized through serodiagnostics

The recently improved diagnostics have widened, in children, the spectrum of clinical manifestations recognisable as Bartonella henselae infection. We report here the clinical features of 20 (14 males) consecutive children with serologically proved B. henselae infection observed within 12 months in the Paediatric Department of the University of Pisa. The patients had a mean age of 7 years 4 months (range 1.1–14.1 years). All children but one had a history of contact with kittens. Clinical manifestations included regional lymphadenopathy in 14 patients, representing in five the only clinical manifestation at onset, infectious mononucleosis-like syndrome in six, erythema nodosum in three, and Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome in one. In five patients a severe disorder was first suspected: fever of unknown origin in two with multiple hepatosplenic granulomatosis in one; osteolityc lesion suggesting bone neoplasm, marked inguinal lymph-node enlargement, suggesting Burkitt lymphoma, and an acute encephalopathy in one each. Bartonella henselae IgG antibody was positive in all patients with a titre ranging from 1:128 to 1:8590. IgM antibody was present in all except one child with an IgG titre of 1:2048. All patients recovered, some spontaneously. Conclusion Bartonella henselae infection is frequent in Tuscany and probably underdiagnosed due to the high frequency of atypical onset of the clinical manifestations. An accurate clinical history and a reasonably wide use of the serological test may allow a rapid and accurate diagnosis, reassuring the family of the patient and avoiding invasive and expensive diagnostic procedures. Received: 14 June 1999 and in revised form 16 October 1999 / Accepted: 22 November 1999     

浙江省蜱中巴尔通体感染的分子流行病学调查

目的了解浙江省的优势蜱种,检测其巴尔通体感染情况,为巴尔通体的预防控制提供科学依据。方法从天台、金东和江山地区的动物体表采集饱血成蜱,用PCR方法检测其阳性率,并克隆测序后分析所检测到的巴尔通体种类。结果所捕获的蜱均为中华硬蜱,天台、金东和江山地区的阳性率分别为42.3%（11/26）、6.7%（2/30）和3.3%（1/30）,平均阳性率为16.3%,所检测到的巴尔通体与Bartonella rattimassilensis的遗传关系最近,与人类致病性巴尔通体B.grahamii的遗传关系也很近。结论浙江省蜱中存在巴尔通体感染,具有传播给人的风险,应该采取措施加以控制。