Time to Positivity of Bacteria Cultures in Peritoneal Dialysis Fluid: Evaluation of Different Laboratory Techniques.

Patients with chronic kidney disease on peritoneal dialysis (PD) are susceptible to infections, with peritonitis being the primary cause of dropout. Peritoneal fluid culture is one of the essential elements for proper diagnosis and peritonitis treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the time required to obtain a positive culture using different laboratory methods.

Effects of meropenem exposure in persister cells of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii.

Aim: To evaluate the influence of meropenem in the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii (ACB) persister levels.

Methods: Persister levels in planktonic and biofilm cultures from ACB isolates were evaluated after exposure to different meropenem concentrations.

Results: A high variability of persister fractions was observed among the isolates cultured under planktonic and biofilm conditions.

Real time PCR quantification of viable Mycobacterium tuberculosis from sputum samples treated with propidium monoazide.

Diagnostic methods of TB, nowadays, are prone to delay in diagnosis, increased false negative results and are not sensitive to many forms of paucibacillary disease. The aims of this study were to implement a quantitative nucleic acid-based diagnostic test for paucibacillary tuberculosis, enabling the identification and quantification of viable Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli by quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR). The intergenic region of the single-copy inhA-mabA gene was chosen as the target region for design of primers and probes conjugated with fluorophores.

Heterogeneous persister cells formation in Acinetobacter baumannii.

Bacterial persistence is a feature that allows susceptible bacteria to survive extreme concentrations of antibiotics and it has been verified in a number of species, such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus spp., Mycobacterium spp. However, even though Acinetobacter baumannii is an important nosocomial pathogen, data regarding its persistence phenotype are still lacking.