Studies on the effects of probiotic Lactobacillus mixture given orally on vaginal and rectal colonization and on parameters of vaginal health in women with intermediate vaginal flora.

Objectives: The vaginal microflora is composed of many bacterial species and plays a major role in maintaining the balance of this complex environment. This study was conducted in order to assess the degree and persistence of the colonization of vaginal epithelium by strains from an orally administered mixture of lactobacilli, containing Lactobacillus fermentum 57A, Lactobacillus plantarum 57B and Lactobacillus gasseri 57C. We also monitored its effects on parameters of vaginal health, especially total lactobacilli counts, vaginal pH and Nugent score.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus administration causes sepsis in a cardiosurgical patient--is the time right to revise probiotic safety guidelines?

A 24-year-old female patient developed sepsis resulting from preoperative administration of probiotics following an aortic valve replacement. Blood cultures revealed the causative agent to be the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus, which has recently been implicated as an emerging aetiology of infection in those taking probiotics. In the past few years, probiotic use in hospitals has increased greatly.

Renal neoplasms of childhood.

An abdominal mass in a child in the first year of life is usually of renal origin. The most common renal masses in the perinatal period are nonneoplastic and include hydronephrosis and multicystic dysplastic kidney. With the development of new therapeutic regimens and standardization of treatment protocols, the cure rate for the most common renal neoplasm, Wilms tumor, has risen to more than 90%.

Genetic characterization and diversity of Streptococcus agalactiae isolates with macrolide resistance.

Macrolide resistance in 169 Streptococcus agalactiae [group B streptococcus (GBS)] isolates originating from pregnant carriers was investigated. Using multiplex PCR the presence of genes encoding erythromycin resistance and capsular polysaccharides, as well as surface proteins, was determined. Random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and PFGE were used to characterize specific clones among the isolates.

Effect of hydrogen peroxide of bacterial origin on apoptosis and necrosis of gut mucosa epithelial cells as a possible pathomechanism of inflammatory bowel disease and cancer.

A series of in vitro experiments was arranged to assess effects of different concentrations of H(2)O(2) contained in bacterial cultures on apoptosis and necrosis of HT-29 line cells representing human gut epithelium. On the basis of cytofluorimetric assays it was possible to demonstrate that supernatant of the Lactobacillus strain producing hydrogen peroxide (L. delbrueckii CU/22) was able to induce both apoptosis and necrosis in human epithelial culture cells HT-29.

A role of hydrogen peroxide producing commensal bacteria present in colon of adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease in perpetuation of the inflammatory process.

Bacteria in the gut play a central role in the initiation and progress of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study was prepared to elucidate the role in the inflammatory process of the bacterial species which are able to produce hydrogen peroxide, present in samples taken from colon lesions in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease. Fifty eight adolescents were enrolled into the study from January 2004 to October 2006 in Cracow, Poland.

Microbiological investigation of a hospital outbreak of invasive group A streptococcal disease in Krakow, Poland.

The present study reports the epidemiological investigations undertaken in one of Krakow's city hospitals regarding the source of infection and the routes of transmission of a group A streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes), using fluorescent in situ hybridization as a rapid method for detecting S. pyogenes carriage in the medical personnel involved. Four patients from the gynaecology department and two patients from the surgery department presented with clinical signs of infection.

Mucosal bacterial microflora and mucus layer thickness in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease.

Aim: To assess the mucosa-associated bacterial microflora and mucus layer in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods: Sixty-one adolescents (mean age 15 years, SD+/-4.13) were included in the study.

The risk related to surgical site infections after hip endoarthroplasty--surveillance outcome analysis in two Polish orthopaedic centres.

Background: Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) are a major infection control problem in modern hospitals. The aim of this study was to carry out an epidemiological analysis of surgical site infections diagnosed in patients after hip endoarthroplasty in two clinical centres in 2005.

Material And Methods: Surveillance of hospital infections was performed according to the definitions and criteria of the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System (NNIS).

Current status of fungal cell wall components in the immunodiagnostics of invasive fungal infections in humans: galactomannan, mannan and (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan antigens.

Early diagnosis of fungal infections and the implementation of appropriate treatment represent major issues for clinicians, nowadays. Histopathological demonstration of microorganisms in tissue specimens or growth of fungal agents in culture media is still considered the "gold standard", but obtaining such specimens may be difficult. Several groups have investigated serological assays for cell wall elements unique to fungal organisms in serum or other body fluids to improve diagnostics in patients with haematological malignancies or undergoing haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.

Colonisation of the gastrointestinal tract by probiotic L. rhamnosus strains in acute diarrhoea in children.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus (573L/1-3) strains are considered effective in the treatment of rotaviral diarrhoea in children. The colonisation of the gastrointestinal (G.I.

Critical evaluation of probiotic activity of lactic acid bacteria and their effects.

Probiotics discussed in this paper are evaluated using the WHO/FAO definition from 2001. The authors present a brief description of the normal microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract, discuss probiotics in the aspects of gut immunity and then move to selection of bacterial strains as probiotics. The main issue raised is the critical evaluation of probiotics in randomized clinical trials for conditions such as: infectious diarrhoea; antibiotic associated diarrhoea; inflammatory bowel disease; pouchitis and diverticulitis; H.

The in vitro effect of hydrogen peroxide on vaginal microbial communities.

This study presents a series of experiments carried out in order to elucidate the role of H2O2 in antimicrobial activity of lactobacilli. Vaginal swabs were collected from 60 premenopausal women and checked for pH and Nugent score, and Lactobacillus species were cultured, phenotyped and genotyped. The main outcome measures involved: (1) species of vaginal lactobacilli most effective in liberating H2O2, (2) minimal microbicidal concentrations of added H2O2, (3) kinetics of H2O2 liberation in relation to oxygen tension, (4) antimicrobial activity of pure H2O2 versus one produced by selected vaginal lactobacilli and the total activity of their culture supernatants.

Hospital-acquired pneumonia in the intensive care units of Polish hospitals.

We analyzed the epidemiological characteristics of pneumonia in intensive care units of Polish hospitals. Among 11,587 patients, there were 191 cases of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). The incidence of HAP was 5.

[Hydrogen peroxide produced by Lactobacillus species as a regulatory molecule for vaginal microflora].

A total of 33 strains of Lactobacillus belonging to 9 species, isolated from vagina, were tested for production of hydrogen peroxide. We observed that the following species: L. delbrueckii, L.

Pseudoaneurysms of the superficial temporal artery: treatment options.

Objectives: Pseudoaneurysms of the superficial temporal artery present as slowly growing masses of the face or scalp. They may arise as a result of infection or autoimmune disease but most commonly are sequelae of blunt, penetrating, or surgical trauma. We describe their clinical presentation and differential diagnosis and compare several treatment options.

Operative gastric perforation: a rare complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunt.

Complications of ventriculoperitoneal shunts are reported in 24-47 % of cases. These include mechanical malfunction and infection, cerebrospinal fluid collection, shunt migration, and visceral perforation. Intestinal perforation, most commonly colonic, may be associated with meningitis or cerebral abscess.