Some Manifestations of Tuberculosis in Otorhinolaryngology - Case Series and a Short Review of Related Data from South-Eastern Europe.

Tuberculosis is a disease of global outreach that may affect the entire human body but is most commonly located in the lungs. Otorhinolaryngological manifestations of tuberculosis are rare, mostly occurring secondary to pulmonary disease but nevertheless represent significant diagnostic challenges. Nasopharyngeal tuberculosis is rare, representing around 1% of all upper air-way localizations and the most common presentation is in the form of adenoids.

New isoniazid derivatives with improved pharmaco-toxicological profile: Obtaining, characterization and biological evaluation.

Tuberculostatic drugs are the most common drug groups with global hepatotoxicity. Awareness of potentially severe hepatotoxic reactions is vital, as hepatic impairment can be a devastating and often fatal condition. The treatment problems that may arise, within this class of medicines, are mainly of two types: adverse reactions (collateral, toxic or hypersensitive reactions) and the initial or acquired resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to one or more antituberculosis drugs.

Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth by direct microscopic observation has a lower cost, higher sensitivity and higher diagnostic value than liquid and solid media cultures.

Background: Culture is needed to confirm tuberculosis but results are generally obtained after several weeks.

Objectives: We compared a direct microscopic observation technique for detection of mycobacterial culture positivity (MODS) with the classic solid and MB/BacT cultures in terms of sensitivity, contamination rate, speed and cost on 488 samples.

Results: The sensitivity of the MODS technique--99,2% (162 positive samples) was higher than MB/BacT 78,4% (125 positive samples) and solid culture 69,6% (113 positive samples) P<0.

[Monitoring of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections in Iaşi County in 2009].

Unlabelled: Tuberculosis is a major public health problem worldwide. Our study aimed to investigate epidemiological and demographic characteristics of tuberculosis infection and resistance to antituberculous drugs in Iasi County in 2009.

Material And Method: We have analysed the epidemiological parameters for 687 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, new cases confirmed by microscopy and cultivation on Lowenstein Jensen.

Romanian anti-TB drugs resistance surveillance 2003-2004.

Unlabelled: Romania decided and initiated a DRS for anti-TB drugs at national level using the standardized methodology proposed by WHO and IUATLD. The DRS protocol was designed with technical assistance from WHO; the surveillance started in June 2003 and ended in June 2004. It was tested the susceptibility to the 4 first line anti-TB drugs: Isoniazide (H), Rifampicin (R), Streptomycin (S), Ethambutol (E).

Synthesis and antituberculosis action of some new pyruvic acid derivatives.

Unlabelled: The present paper studies the synthesis and activity of 12 new azoic derivatives against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Material And Method: In order to obtain new antituberculosis substances, we studied 6 thiadiazolic derivatives and 6 triazolic derivatives of pyruvic acid and we observed the influence of the different radical groups inserted in the molecule on their antituberculosis activity. For this study we developed a simple method to obtain the new derivatives.

[Comparative evaluation between MB/BacT system and Löwenstein-Jensen solid culture media for mycobacterial isolation].

Tuberculosis is a public health issue in both developed and developing countries. Success of the treatment depend on the identification of patients with positive sputum smears, rapid confirmation of diagnosis in patients with negative microscopy and identification of mycobacterial strains with altered drug susceptibility. Data from the literature show that liquid culture media have a higher sensitivity for isolation mycobacteria than solid culture media as Löwenstein-Jensen.

Researches concerning the synthesis and antituberculosis action of some new sulphacetamide derivatives.

In the present study we emphasized the antituberculosis action of new sulphacetamide derivatives. In order o extend the research for obtaining antituberculosis substances, we decided to study the influence of the introducing of the thiourea and sulphamide groups in the molecule on the antituberculosis activity of the Isoniazid. We have developed a simple and precise method for obtaining the thiourea derivatives of sulphamides' isonicotinoilhydrazone.

[Direct detection by ligase chain reaction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in pleural fluid].

Our purpose was to investigate the utility of the DNA amplification by ligase chain reaction (LCR) for the direct detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) in pleural fluid specimens from patients suspected for tuberculous pleural effusion. We have used the LCx M. tuberculosis kit (Abbott) which uses the amplification of the gene that encodes for antigen b.

[Assessment of Tc-99m MIBI uptake mechanism in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and normal cells (fibroblasts and myocytes) cultures].

One of the factors which can explain the scintigraphic Tc-99m MIBI positives images in pulmonary tuberculosis could be the Mycobacterium tuberculosis radiotracer uptake; this can be investigated in vitro, on cell culture, in comparison with normal cell types known to have high (myocites) or low (fibroblasts) uptake. Mycobacterium tuberculosis cultures were realised on Löwenstein Jensen medium, by standard methodology. Myocites and fibroblasts cultures were realized from neonatal rat hearts.

Gas chromatographic detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in pure cultures from respiratory specimens.

It is important to identify mycobacteria to the species level in order to establish their clinical significance and to take the appropriate therapeutical decision. Biochemical tests on primary cultures take time (3-6 weeks) until the report of results; that's why more rapid techniques are needed. We have used gas chromatography with flame-ionisation detection (GC-FID) as an alternative identification method for 53 mycobacterial strains isolated from respiratory specimens.

[The postantibiotic effect of azithromycin on respiratory pathogens].

We assessed the post-antibiotic effect (PAE) of azithromycin against 3 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae 2 strains of Haemophilus influenzae and 2 strains of Moraxella catarrhalis. The strains were exposed for 2 hours to a concentration of 0.5 mg/l.

[Empyema caused by Corynebacterium striatum].

We present the case of a patient, male aged 21 years, admitted in our hospital for an empyema. A strain of C. striatum has been isolated from the pus sampled through the drainage tube.

[The postantibiotic effect of azithromycin on respiratory pathogens].

Azithromycin has in vitro activity which includes important respiratory pathogens and is successful in treatment of respiratory tract infections. We assessed postantibiotic effect (PAE) of azithromycin against 3 stains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, 2 strains of Haemophilus influenzae and 2 strains of Moraxella catarrhalis. The strains were exposed for 2 hours to an azithromycin concentration of 0.

[HIV infection in a seronegative child diagnosed by isolation of the virus. The significant immunological and epidemiological signs].

HIV-1, subtype F was isolated from a seronegative child aged 2.5 yr. ELISA tests (Behring HIV-1 + 2, Abbott HIV-1 + 2, Wellcozyme HIV-1 Recombinant, Clonatec HIV-1 + 2, Genelavia Mixt), and also rapid tests (Abbott Pack, Serodia) were all negative, although some of them presented borderline reactivities.

[Pyogenic infections with different locations caused by Streptococcus anginosus alone or in association with anaerobic bacteria].

Isolation and identification of S. anginosus from pathologic products are possible to be realised in informed clinical laboratory, allowing so a better knowledge of these infections' incidences and on adequate treatment. The authors' report 11 cases of pyogenic infection caused by S.

[The role of C-reactive protein (CRP) determination in the early diagnosis of infections with opportunistic microorganisms in HIV-infected children].

The levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in sera of 71 HIV-seropositive children and of 71 apparently healthy children were determined by Mancini method. The results demonstrate that HIV-infection per se doesn't increase the concentration of CRP in serum. After this we wanted to determine the relationship between CRP and evolution of HIV-infection.

[The value of C-reactive protein for the differentiation of bacterial meningitis from viral meningitis].

In order to differentiate bacterial meningitis versus viral meningitis, we have comparatively tested the efficacy of the following tests: C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocytes sedimentation rate (ESR), fever, level of glucose in cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF), glucose in CSF/glycemia ratio, number of white blood cells in peripheric blood, percentage of neutrophils in peripheric blood, level of proteins in CSF and number of nucleated cells in CSF for a group of 49 patients, both children and adults with central nervous system infection (37 patients with bacterial meningitis and 12 with viral meningitis) hospitalised between May 1993 and July 1994 in Clinical Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Iaşi. The mean value of CRP in bacterial meningitis patients was 8.78 mg%, contrasting with the mean value of CRP = 1.

[The frequency of Streptococcus anginosus in the pharyngeal exudate from children and its differentiation from other beta-hemolytic streptococci].

Unlabelled: S. anginosus is a commensal of the oro-pharyngeal mucous membrane without any signification for the local pathology. Ignoring the existence of beta-haemolytic colonies of this species, the risk to report the presence of some beta-haemolytic streptococci that actually belong to the normal flora exists.

[The determination of the prevalence of antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) and of the serum levels of C-reactive protein in chronic dialysis patients].

Unlabelled: The chronic dialysis patients are subject at risk for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Among these subjects, the hemodialysis-induced and increased synthesis of IL6 which suggest an acute phase response. 58 chronic dialysis patients were tested for presence of anti-HCV antibodies; 45 (77.

[The isolation and subtyping of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from children in Moldova. The evidence for subtype F].

HIV epidemic related to nosocomial transmission in Romanian nursed children represents up to now more than 50% of paediatric AIDS cases in Europe. Although the sources of this epidemic are obscure, HIV-1 subtype F, a minor form in Brasil and Africa, realised a founder effect in this risk group, thus becoming the major form in Romanian epidemic. This study presents the results of the virus isolation from HIV-infected children in Northeast Romania.