Oral rifampin plus ofloxacin for treatment of Staphylococcus-infected orthopedic implants.

We examined the effectiveness and safety of the combination of rifampin plus ofloxacin given orally for treating prosthetic orthopedic implants infected with staphylococci. The prospective cohort study was conducted in a referral public hospital with ambulatory care services between 1985 and 1991. Consecutive patients from whom Staphylococcus organisms susceptible to the study drugs were isolated from their orthopedic implants and who had no contraindication to the treatment were eligible for the study.

[Value of the technique of cellular lysis by thermic shock in the isolation of bacteria causing osteoarticular infections].

The purpose of this work is to compare, a conventional technique, for bacterial isolation, with a lysis-centrifugation method using a rapid freezing in liquid nitrogen, followed by decongelation at 37 degrees C for bone and joint samples. The bone and joint specimens were biopsies and punctions (35 cases) or fistula (10 cases). The residual antibiotic activity of the sample was determined using a susceptible strain of Micrococcus luteus and of Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Expression of HLA antigens and T cell infiltrates in chronic viral hepatitis. A comparison of biopsy and fine-needle aspiration findings.

To evaluate the expression of hepatocyte HLA Class I and II antigens and the infiltration of CD8-positive lymphocytes in patients with chronic hepatitis, cells obtained by the technique of fine-needle aspiration were compared with those obtained by percutaneous liver biopsy. In general, correlation between cytological and histological specimens of HLA Class I and Class II antigen expression and CD8 lymphocyte infiltration was excellent when comparing results of the core biopsy expressed semiquantitatively, and results from fine-needle aspiration quantitatively as percentage of cells stained. Although the major potential of multiple fine-needle aspiration sampling probably will be in the surveillance of patients who have received orthotopic liver transplants, the results of this study indicate that fine-needle aspiration can provide a useful technique for following antigen expression and inflammatory changes in studies in which frequent periodic samples may be necessary to monitor efficacy or toxicity of treatment regimens.