Severe systemic Bacillus anthracis infection in an intravenous drug user.

There has recently been an outbreak of injectional anthrax infection secondary to contaminated heroin use in the UK and Europe. We present a case of a 37-year-old man presenting with pain and swelling in the groin following injection of heroin into the area. He was initially treated for severe cellulitis, however, he failed to respond to appropriate antimicrobial therapy.

Antifungal activity of fused Mannich ketones triggers an oxidative stress response and is Cap1-dependent in Candida albicans.

We investigated the antifungal activity of fused Mannich ketone (FMK) congeners and two of their aminoalcohol derivatives. In particular, FMKs with five-membered saturated rings were shown to have minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC90s) ranging from 0.8 to 6 µg/mL toward C.

Salmonella sternoclavicular osteomyelitis in a patient with Crohn's disease.

We describe a 73-year-old man with Crohn's disease and previous sternotomies, who developed Salmonella sternoclavicular osteomyelitis subsequent to a Salmonella enteritidis sepsis and closed fracture of his clavicle. We include evidence from several cases related to sternoclavicular osteomyelitis, and Salmonella osteomyelitis. We continue by summarising the aetologies of these diseases, and risk factors that predispose to them.

Application of chip-based flow cytometry for amphotericin B and fluconazole susceptibility testing on Candida strains.

Chip-based flow cytometry is a rather new method that offers an easy, fast opportunity for examination of yeasts, such as Candida cells. In our study cell-chip technology was tested with ATCC Candida strains to determine their viability and susceptibility against antifungal agents, amphotericin B and fluconazole. We found this technology to be suitable for the detection of Candida cells, for the differentiation between dead and living cells, and for the determination of amphotericin B and fluconazole susceptibility of different Candida strains (Bouquet et al.

Amphotericin B and fluconazole susceptibility of Candida species determined by cell-chip technology.

The aim of this study was to apply the microfluidic cell-chip technology for susceptibility testing. The cell-chip technology was tested with ATCC Candida strains to determine their viability and susceptibility against amphotericin B and fluconazole. Fungal cells were labelled by Sytox Green, and measurements were carried out in the cell chips of the Agilent Bioanalyzer 2100 system.

Antifungal unsaturated cyclic Mannich ketones and amino alcohols: study of mechanism of action.

The antifungal activity of some known unsaturated Mannich ketones and their amino alcohols has been reported and the mechanism of antifungal action has been studied. The inhibition of the fungal ergosterol, chitin, protein synthesis and pseudohypha formation was investigated. According to our results, Mannich ketones can influence the development of pseudohyphae of Candida albicans strains.

Characterisation of protein composition and detection of IgA in cervicovaginal fluid by microchip technology.

In this paper the application of microchip electrophoresis to examine the protein profile of cervicovaginal fluid and the detection of IgA heavy and light chains is presented. This method is a fast growing field of technology and ensures high-speed analysis requiring only microliters of sample. Proteins with wide range of molecular masses could be separated within 1 min.

Investigation of the effects of PACAP on the composition of tear and endolymph proteins.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is widely distributed in ocular tissues, including the lacrimal gland. PACAP has been shown to influence the activity of several exocrine glands, but its effects on the composition of the tear film are not known yet. Similarly, the presence of PACAP has already been shown in the inner ear, but it is not known whether PACAP influences the composition of the endolymph.

Microfluidic chip analysis of outer membrane proteins responsible for serological cross-reaction between three Gram-negative bacteria: Proteus morganii O34, Escherichia coli O111 and Salmonella Adelaide O35.

Bacterial strains have complex and individual antigenic structure, which provides basis for their serological identification. However, serological cross-reaction may occur when antibodies against a certain strain recognize other strains too. The molecular basis of this phenomenon is the expression of similar or identical antigenic epitopes on the surface of different bacterial cells.

Bacterial outer membrane protein analysis by electrophoresis and microchip technology.

Outer membrane proteins are indispensable components of bacterial cells and participate in several relevant functions of the microorganisms. Changes in the outer membrane protein composition might alter antibiotic sensitivity and pathogenicity. Furthermore, the effects of various factors on outer membrane protein expression, such as antibiotic treatment, mutation, changes in the environment, lipopolysaccharide modification and biofilm formation, have been analyzed.

CE to monitor endotoxins by protein complexation.

A new CE method for fast and efficient analysis of bacterial endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides) is described. It is based on the strong interaction between proteins and endotoxins. The UV absorption of the protein component in the complex is used for the detection.

Molecular epidemiology of VIM-4 metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas sp. isolates in Hungary.

VIM metallo-beta-lactamase-producing serotype O11 or O12 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates infecting or colonizing 19 patients from seven hospitals in Hungary were characterized between October 2003 and November 2005. Macrorestriction analysis revealed the involvement of hospitals from three different towns in northwest Hungary in an outbreak caused by VIM-4-producing P. aeruginosa.

Effect of antifungal agents on protein composition of Candida albicans studied by capillary electrophoresis and chip technology.

In the present study protein profile of a Candida albicans strain had been examined by chip technology and conventional capillary electrophoresis (CE). Profiles could be characterised by the presence of ten dominating protein peaks. These proteins could be distinguished by both techniques, but their quantity showed significant differences in the electropherograms obtained by CE and chip method.

In vitro study of antibiotic effect on bacterial adherence to acrylic intraocular lenses.

Implantation of artificial intraocular lenses into the eye during ophthalmic surgical procedures ensures an unliving surface on which bacterial pathogens may attach and form biofilms. Despite antibiotic treatment bacteria growing in biofilms might cause inflammation and serious complications. In this study the adhesive ability of 7 Staphylococcus aureus and 11 coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) strains to the surface of acrylic intraocular lenses had been examined by the ultrasonic method.

Effect of iron restriction on outer membrane protein composition of Pseudomonas strains studied by conventional and microchip electrophoresis.

In this study the outer membrane protein (OMP) composition of six Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains had been analyzed by conventional CE and microchip electrophoresis. Bacterial OMPs are important virulence factors and play a significant role in the pathogenesis of infectious diseases. Changes in their composition might refer to the altered pathogenic properties and antibiotic sensitivity of a certain strain.

Effect of antibiotic treatment on bacterial attachment to a DePuy Enduron orthopedic implant.

Background: The increasing incidence of bacterial infections in orthopedic surgery might be related to the increasing application of artificial devices. In most cases, bacteria multiply on the surface of implants in biofilms. Poor penetration of antibiotics, frequent necessity of prosthesis removal, chronic processes and financial costs emphasize the significance of preventive measures.

Effect of antibiotics on cell surface hydrophobicity of bacteria causing orthopedic wound infections.

Background: Despite antibiotic prophylaxis and treatment, the incidence of wound infections in orthopedic surgery is significant. Postoperative wound infection is a multifactorial process, which can be modified by several bacterial factors. Cell surface hydrophobicity of bacteria is a very important physicochemical feature, which has a great influence on the ability of bacteria to adhere to the surface of host cells or medical implants.

Capillary electrophoresis study of outer membrane proteins of Pseudomonas strains upon antibiotic treatment.

Nosocomial wound infections by Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains have increasing importance in orthopaedic surgery. Outer membrane protein composition and cell-surface hydrophobicity of the bacteria have strong influence on adhesion to living tissues or artificial medical devices. Outer membrane proteins of five Pseudomonas strains (KT 2, KT 7, KT 25, KT 28, KT 39) isolated from orthopaedic patients' wounds and one standard strain NIH Hungary 170000 isolated from pus were examined.