Diverging pathways for lipopolysaccharide and CD14 in human monocytes.

Background: CD14 is considered to be the major endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) binding molecule on human monocytes. It initiates cellular response, but its role in the clearance of LPS is not well understood. Under conditions that ensure totally CD14-dependent LPS binding on human monocytes, the internalization mechanisms of LPS and CD14 were studied.

Oral antibiotics as a novel therapy for arthritis: evidence for a beneficial effect of intestinal Escherichia coli.

Objective: The intestinal flora is thought to play an important role in regulation of immune responses. We investigated the effects of changing the intestinal flora on the course of adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) and on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) by the use of oral antibiotics.

Methods: Oral treatment with either vancomycin or vancomycin, tobramycin, and colistin was started after AIA and EAE induction.

Mono-N-carboxymethyl chitosan (MCC), a polyampholytic chitosan derivative, enhances the intestinal absorption of low molecular weight heparin across intestinal epithelia in vitro and in vivo.

The synthesis and evaluation of mono-N-carboxymethyl chitosan (MCC) as an intestinal permeation enhancer for macromolecular therapeutics is presented. MCCs were synthesized from two different viscosity grade chitosans to yield both high and low viscosity grade products. These MCCs were tested on Caco-2 cells for their efficiency to decrease the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and to increase the paracellular permeability of the anionic macromolecular anticoagulant low molecular weight heparin (LMWH).

Molecular epidemiology of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae colonizing children with community-acquired pneumonia and children attending day-care centres in Fortaleza, Brazil.

To study clonal diversity of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae, 161 randomly selected isolates with reduced susceptibility to penicillin, collected from the nasopharynx of children under 5 years of age with community-acquired pneumonia and healthy controls from public day-care and immunization centres in Fortaleza, Brazil, were characterized by microbiological and serological techniques and automated ribotyping. Also included were 44 randomly selected penicillin-susceptible strains and three international reference strains. With automated ribotyping 75 ribopatterns were observed: 50 ribogroups were unique and 25 ribogroups were represented by two or more isolates.

Development of resistance to ciprofloxacin, rifampin, and mupirocin in methicillin-susceptible and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates.

A relationship between resistance to methicillin and resistance to fluoroquinolones, rifampin, and mupirocin has been described for Staphylococcus aureus. Differences in resistance rates may be explainable by a higher spontaneous mutation rate (MR) or a faster development of resistance (DIFF) in methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).

Interactions between HIV-infected monocyte-derived macrophages and human brain microvascular endothelial cells result in increased expression of CC chemokines.

The presence of perivascular monocytic infiltration is a major hallmark of HIV-1-associated dementia. Since CC chemokines are chemoattractant cytokines that are able to attract T cells and monocytes/macrophages to sites of inflammation, and since infiltrating monocytes/macrophages remain in close contact with the brain endothelium, we investigated whether interactions between HIV-1-infected macrophages and brain endothelium result in an altered chemokine production. We found an increased mRNA expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1 alpha and MIP-1 beta, and RANTES by macrophages after HIV-1 infection.

Molecular surveillance of European quinolone-resistant clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. using automated ribotyping.

Nosocomial isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. exhibit high rates of resistance to antibiotics and are often multidrug resistant. In a previous study (D.

Modulation of neutrophil chemokine receptors by Staphylococcus aureus supernate.

In a previous study, we showed that Staphylococcus aureus supernate (SaS) is a potent agonist for both neutrophils and mononuclear cells. To further investigate the immunomodulating effects of SaS, the effect on different neutrophil receptors was studied. Expression of various neutrophil receptors, before and after treatment with SaS, was quantified by flow cytometry.

Analysis of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding characteristics of serum components using gel filtration of FITC-labeled LPS.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding components in serum play an important role in modifying LPS toxicity. We analyzed the binding characteristics of LPS in the presence of serum using gel filtration of FITC-labeled LPS (FITC-LPS) with on line detection of optical density and fluorescence. FITC-LPS separately behaves as an aggregate resulting in a low, dequenched, fluorescence.

Induction of cyclooxygenase-2 expression during HIV-1-infected monocyte-derived macrophage and human brain microvascular endothelial cell interactions.

Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)-associated dementia (HAD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by HIV infection and replication in brain tissue. HIV-1-infected monocytes overexpress inflammatory molecules that facilitate their entry into the brain. Prostanoids are lipid mediators of inflammation that result from cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity.

Selective digestive decontamination in patients in intensive care. The Dutch Working Group on Antibiotic Policy.

Selective digestive decontamination (SDD) is the most extensively studied method for the prevention of infection in patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Despite 27 prospective randomized studies and six meta-analyses, routine use of SDD is still controversial. In this review, we summarize the available scientific information on effectiveness of SDD in ICU patients.

A pilot study on infection control in 10 randomly selected European hospitals: results of a questionnaire survey.

We describe and compare the organization of infection control and some infection control practices in 10 hospitals in seven different European countries. Great differences were observed. By evaluating infection control and hygiene practices in different European centers, areas of prime importance for the development of a European infection control standard may be defined.

Monocyte infiltration is highly associated with loss of the tight junction protein zonula occludens in HIV-1-associated dementia.

In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-associated dementia (HAD), consequences of interactions between infiltrating monocytes and brain endothelial cells are not yet fully understood. This study investigated whether the blood-brain barrier is affected in brain tissue of patients suffering from HAD and whether it was possible to find a correlation with the presence or absence of monocytic cells, which have been suggested to play a major role in HAD. Immunohistochemical analysis for zonula occludens 1, a tight junction protein, and CD68, a macrophage marker, revealed that loss of tight junction immunoreactivity was highly correlated with monocyte infiltration and with HAD.

Antimicrobial resistance in European isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. European SENTRY Participants.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is responsible for a substantial fraction of hospital infections. Twenty-five European university hospitals submitted a total of 1411 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates for susceptibility testing during 1997 and 1998. The isolates showed highest susceptibility to amikacin (87.

In vitro potency of moxifloxacin, clinafloxacin and sitafloxacin against 248 genetically defined clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus.

The in vitro potency of three newer fluoroquinolones, moxifloxacin, clinafloxacin and sitafloxacin was tested against 248 genetically defined Staphylococcus aureus isolates, comprising 116 unrelated S. aureus, seven heterogeneous intermediate vancomycin-resistant S. aureus strains as well as 125 clonally related methicillin-resistant S.

Intestinal absorption of octreotide: N-trimethyl chitosan chloride (TMC) ameliorates the permeability and absorption properties of the somatostatin analogue in vitro and in vivo.

Octreotide acetate is a somatostatin analogue used for the control of endocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the treatment of acromegaly. The oral absorption of octreotide is limited because of the limited permeation across the intestinal epithelium. Both chitosan hydrochloride and N-trimethyl chitosan chloride (TMC), a quaternized chitosan derivative, are nonabsorbable and nontoxic polymers that have been proven to effectively increase the permeation of hydrophilic macromolecules across mucosal epithelia by opening the tight junctions.

Role of macrophage activation in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and human immunodeficiency virus type 1-associated dementia.

The structure and function of neurons are changed not only during development of the central nervous system but also in certain neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) -associated dementia. Immunological activation and altered production of neurotoxins and neurotrophins by brain macrophages are thought to play an important role in neuronal structure and function. This review describes the clinical and pathological features of both Alzheimer's disease and HIV-1-associated dementia and tries to interpret the role of the macrophage and astrocytes therein.

Cyclodextrins in nasal drug delivery.

Nasal drug delivery is an attractive approach for the systemic delivery of high potency drugs with a low oral bioavailability due to extensive gastrointestinal breakdown and high hepatic first-pass effect. For lipophilic drugs nasal delivery is possible if they can be dissolved in the dosage form. Peptide and protein drugs often have a low nasal bioavailability because of their large size and hydrophilicity, resulting in poor transport properties across the nasal mucosa.

Nasal mucociliary clearance as a factor in nasal drug delivery.

The nasal mucociliary clearance system transports the mucus layer that covers the nasal epithelium towards the nasopharynx by ciliary beating. Its function is to protect the respiratory system from damage by inhaled substances. Impairment of nasal mucociliary clearance can result in diseases of the upper airways.

Prevalence of macrolide-resistance genes in Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium isolates from 24 European university hospitals.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to study the prevalence of the macrolide resistance genes ermA, ermB, ermC, msrA/msrB, ereA and ereB, in 851 clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and 75 clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecium that were erythromycin resistant. The isolates were from 24 European university hospitals. In S.

[Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in medical and paramedical personnel returned from work in a foreign hospital].

The cultures of two patients of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (IC) of the Medical Centre of Utrecht University were found positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). A male nurse turned out to be the source, 4 months after his return from working in an English hospital. Cultures were, by mistake, not taken directly on arrival from abroad.

Distinguishing species of the Burkholderia cepacia complex and Burkholderia gladioli by automated ribotyping.

Several species belonging to the genus Burkholderia are clinically relevant, opportunistic pathogens that inhabit major environmental reservoirs. Consequently, the availability of means for adequate identification and epidemiological characterization of individual environmental or clinical isolates is mandatory. In the present communication we describe the use of the Riboprinter microbial characterization system (Qualicon, Warwick, United Kingdom) for automated ribotyping of 104 strains of Burkholderia species from diverse sources, including several publicly accessible collections.

Antimicrobial resistance among urinary tract infection (UTI) isolates in Europe: results from the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program 1997.

The SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program was established to monitor the occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial pathogens via an international network of sentinel hospitals. Twenty European hospitals referred a total of 887 urinary tract infection (UTI) isolates to the European SENTRY reference laboratory during the period October-December 1997. Ninety percent of the referred species were represented by Escherichia coli (52%), Enterococcus spp.