Effect of oral application of a probiotic E. coli strain on the intestinal microflora of children of allergic mothers during the first year of life.

Influence of intestinal colonization by a probiotic E. coli strain on the incidence of bacterial pathogens in stool and allergic symptoms during the 1st year of life was monitored in 3 groups: colonized children of allergic mothers (AC; n = 52), noncolonized children of allergic mothers (AN; n = 50), children of nonallergic mothers (NC; n = 42). Colinfant vaccine was administered within 2 d after birth, 3 x a week over a period of 4 weeks.

Bronchoalveolar lavage examined by solid phase microextraction, gas chromatography--mass spectrometry and selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry.

Samples (210 in total) of broncholaveolar lavages (BALs), obtained from patients hospitalized with pneumonia in various departments of two hospitals, were analysed using the method of solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography (SPME-GC) with FID detection. Up to 20% (9% unequivocally, 11% probably) of these samples was found to contain volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in the series from acetic acid to heptanoic acid. Importantly, the presence of these acids indicates the presence of fermenting anaerobic bacteria, which were not detected by the conventional microbiological examination.

[Chemical analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage in diagnostics of pneumonia].

Samples of bronchoalveolar lavages, obtained from 182 patients hospitalised at Vseobecna fakultni nemocnice and Nemocnice Kralovske Vinohrady, Prague, were analysed using solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography. At least 9 %, using less strong criteria up to 20 % of samples, contained higher volatile fatty acids (VFA), indicating the presence of fermenting anaerobic bacteria, found neither by cultivation nor by microscopy. Further compounds appeared in most of chromatographic examinations, tentatively labelled as "alcohol" and "acetoin".

Evaluation of exudates by solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography.

Head-space solid phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography (SPME-GC) was used for the determination of bacterial volatile fatty acid (VFA) patterns. The method was validated with cultures of reference bacterial strains. It was confirmed that VFA production depends on the composition of the cultivation medium, which limits accurate characterisation of particular bacterial species.

Blood cultures evaluation by gas chromatography of volatile fatty acids.

The volatile fatty acid profiles were determined by a simple gas chromatographic method in 375 microbiologically positive and negative blood cultures. Aerobic bacteria yielded profiles with low content of acids, some of which were chromatographically negative. Anaerobic bacteria produced more acids and more distinctive profiles.