Relationship between outer membrane protein profiles and resistance to ceftazidime, imipenem, and ciprofloxacin in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from bacteremic patients.

Outer membrane protein (OMP) profiles of 122 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates recovered from the blood of bacteremic patients were analyzed to relate alterations in the expression of OMPs with porin activity to resistance to imipenem, ceftazidime, and ciprofloxacin. Imipenem-resistant isolates lacked or expressed reduced amounts of porin OprD. In contrast, alterations of OMP profiles were absent in most ceftazidime-resistant isolates.

Rapid diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis by polymerase chain reaction.

We have investigated the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the rapid diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis. The study was composed of 21 patients with pleural tuberculosis, confirmed by culture or pleural biopsy, and 86 control subjects. The PCR assay was based on detecting a 123-bp DNA segment belonging to the insertion sequence IS6110, specific of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.

The utility of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.

A fragment of DNA of 123 bp belonging to insertion sequence IS6110, specific of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of respiratory samples, for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. A total of 314 samples (286 sputum and 28 bronchoalveolar lavages) from 242 patients were evaluated by PCR, and the results were compared with the those obtained by acid-fast-stained smears, culture, and clinical diagnosis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected by PCR in 102 of 105 patients with clinical diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.

[The mycoplasmas isolated from respiratory specimens].

Background: Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the species that is considered pathogen for respiratory tract. Other species, M. hominis and U.