A Case of Cutaneous Infection Caused by Mycobacterium Szulgai with Progression to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

A 59-year-old man presented with a skin eruption and bilateral swelling of the legs. Soon after the initial presentation, he developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with miliary lung nodules. Culture of samples from the skin ulcers, sputum, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid all revealed Mycobacterium szulgai infection. The patient was successfully treated with antituberculosis drugs. M. szulgai infection is very rarely reported worldwide, and disseminated infection usually occurs in immunocompromised patients. However, the present patient was a non-immunocompromised case, although he was a hepatitis B virus carrier. While the progression to ARDS from M. tuberculosis infection is well known, this is the first case of M. szulgai infection progressing to ARDS

LETTERS IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY

Aim: Early identification and characterization of rifampicin-resistant (R-r) Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates recovered from the samples of tuberculosis (TB) patients in the Aegean (West Anatolian) Region was intended. Methods and Results: Sixty isolates [47 (78.3%) multidrug-resistant (MDR)], which were identified as M. tuberculosis complex and phenotypically resistant to rifampicin by both BACTEC mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT) 960 and 460 systems were analysed by a commercial line probe assay (INNO-LiPA Rif TB). The concordance of LiPA with the in vitro susceptibility test was found as 98.3%. Among the isolates, S531L (R5 pattern; 46.7%) and L511P/R, S512T, Q513L/K (Delta S1 pattern; 11.7%) were the most frequent mutation patterns. As compared with the BACTEC systems and conventional techniques for cultivation, identification and in vitro susceptibility testing, INNO-LiPA Rif TB after cultivation in BACTEC MGIT 960 system provided an average of 20 days early diagnosis of (RM)-M-r. tuberculosis isolates. Conclusions: Rapid molecular identification and characterization of (RM)-M-r. tuberculosis isolates after BACTEC MGIT 960 cultivation would be useful for faster diagnosis, infection control and planning of accurate treatment in MDR-TB patients. Significance and Impact of the Study: Patients with MDR-TB need a specified treatment and efficient follow-up strategies. Rapid and practical methodologies to diagnose and follow these patients should be applied in routine use

Evaluation of antimicrobial susceptibilities of non-tuberculous mycobacteria against linezolid and tigecycline

Mycobacterial susceptibility testing is important for the management of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections. The aim of the study is to determine the susceptibilities of tigecycline (TGC) and linezolid (LZD) against NTM. The study was carried out using stocks of NTM strains in the tuberculosis department of the microbiology laboratory. It was designed a retrospective study. LZD and TGC sensitivities of study isolates were analyzed by microdilution. Forty NTM isolates have been studied. LZD and TGC sensitivities varied according to the NTM type. It is concluded that each isolate should be individually evaluated due to variable susceptibilities to LZD and TGC. © 2022 Indian Association of Medical MicrobiologistsAuthors thanks to microbiology laboratory technicians for their kind support

Comparative evaluation of Western Blotting in hepatic and pulmonary cystic echinococcosis

WOS: 000244162600009PubMed ID: 17285854Many serological tests ore widely used in the diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis CE), caused by the larval stages of Echinococcus granulosus. The present study was carried for differentiation between hepatic and pulmonary cystic echinococcosis by Western Blotting (WB). A total of 12 1 sera from patients with hepatic CE (37, pulmonary CE (3 1) and controls 5 3; consisting of six healthy, seven Hymenolepis nono infection, 20 hepatic and 20 pulmonary diseases other than CE) were examined. In all of the CE patients, E. granulosus infection was confirmed by surgical intervention. Sera were previously tested using IHA and ELISA to detect the E. granulosus specific antibodies. Sera from hepatic cases of CE reacted with 16 polypeptides of 6-116 kDa and sera from pulmonary cases of CE reacted with 14 polypeptides of 4-130 kDa by Western Blotting. The WB test enabled the detection of antibodies in the hepatic CF samples for proteins of 24, 32 34, 44-46 and 52-54 kDa in molecular weight in 78.4%, 75.7%, 78.4% and 89,2 % of the patients, respectively. In the pulmonary CF samples sera WB test enabled the detection of antibodies 24, 44-46, 100, 1 10, 1 16 and 120-124 kDo in molecular weight in 81.3 %, 75.0 %, 87.5 %, 71.9 %, 84.4 % and 65.6 % of the patients, respectively. We indicated that the antigenic components of high molecular weight con be good candidates for differentiation of hepatic CF from pulmonary CF

Comparative evaluation of western blotting in hepatic and pulmonary cystic echinococcosis

WOS: 000244162600009PubMed ID: 17285854Many serological tests ore widely used in the diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis CE), caused by the larval stages of Echinococcus granulosus. The present study was carried for differentiation between hepatic and pulmonary cystic echinococcosis by Western Blotting (WB). A total of 12 1 sera from patients with hepatic CE (37, pulmonary CE (3 1) and controls 5 3; consisting of six healthy, seven Hymenolepis nono infection, 20 hepatic and 20 pulmonary diseases other than CE) were examined. In all of the CE patients, E. granulosus infection was confirmed by surgical intervention. Sera were previously tested using IHA and ELISA to detect the E. granulosus specific antibodies. Sera from hepatic cases of CE reacted with 16 polypeptides of 6-116 kDa and sera from pulmonary cases of CE reacted with 14 polypeptides of 4-130 kDa by Western Blotting. The WB test enabled the detection of antibodies in the hepatic CF samples for proteins of 24, 32 34, 44-46 and 52-54 kDa in molecular weight in 78.4%, 75.7%, 78.4% and 89,2 % of the patients, respectively. In the pulmonary CF samples sera WB test enabled the detection of antibodies 24, 44-46, 100, 1 10, 1 16 and 120-124 kDo in molecular weight in 81.3 %, 75.0 %, 87.5 %, 71.9 %, 84.4 % and 65.6 % of the patients, respectively. We indicated that the antigenic components of high molecular weight con be good candidates for differentiation of hepatic CF from pulmonary CF

Spatial variation of aftershock activity across the rupture zone of the 17 August 1999 Izmit earthquake, Turkey.

International audienc

Molecular Detection and Identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex and Four Clinically Important Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Species in Smear-Negative Clinical Samples by the GenoType Mycobacteria Direct Test ▿

Although the sensitivity and specificity of nucleic acid amplification assays are high with smear-positive samples, the sensitivity with smear-negative and extrapulmonary samples for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in suspicious tuberculosis cases still remains to be investigated. This study evaluates the performance of the GenoType Mycobacteria Direct (GTMD) test for rapid molecular detection and identification of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and four clinically important nontuberculous mycobacteria (M. avium, M. intracellulare, M. kansasii, and M. malmoense) in smear-negative samples. A total of 1,570 samples (1,103 bronchial aspiration, 127 sputum, and 340 extrapulmonary samples) were analyzed. When we evaluated the performance criteria in combination with a positive culture result and/or the clinical outcome of the patients, the overall sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were found to be 62.4, 99.5, 95.9, and 93.9%, respectively, whereas they were 63.2, 99.4, 95.7, and 92.8%, respectively, for pulmonary samples and 52.9, 100, 100, and 97.6%, respectively, for extrapulmonary samples. Among the culture-positive samples which had Mycobacterium species detectable by the GTMD test, three samples were identified to be M. intracellulare and one sample was identified to be M. avium. However, five M. intracellulare samples and an M. kansasii sample could not be identified by the molecular test and were found to be negative. The GTMD test has been a reliable, practical, and easy tool for rapid diagnosis of smear-negative pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis so that effective precautions may be taken and appropriate treatment may be initiated. However, the low sensitivity level should be considered in the differentiation of suspected tuberculosis and some other clinical condition until the culture result is found to be negative and a true picture of the clinical outcome is obtained

The seismotectonics of the Marmara region (Turkey): results from a microseismic experiment

The Marmara region is an active tectonic zone characterised by the transition between the dextral strike-slip regime of the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) and the extension regime of the Aegean Sea. Strong historical earthquakes (M > 7) and the presence of known seismic gaps imply a high level of seismic hazard. A synthesis of recent studies of active tectonics in the region is presented, including inland and underwater observations. The branching of the NAF is explained in terms of increasing influence of the extension. Historical information and instrumental seismicity are reinterpreted in order to have a critical appraisal of the existence of large seismic gaps in the central and eastern Marmara Sea. Focal mechanisms of strong earthquakes are used to obtain orientation and shape factor of the deviator of the stress tensor. The resulting tensor is in shear regime (sigma(2) vertical) but close to extension (R=0.93) with a, oriented N145 degrees 0. A microseismic experiment with 48 stations distributed around the Marmara Sea was carried out in October-December 1995. A total of 137 microearthquakes were located and 23 of those were selected to obtain focal mechanism solutions. The epicentral distribution indicates activity along the system of pull-apart basins north of the Marmara Sea. The segment between Marmara Sea and the Saros Bay, activated in 1912, and the Gulf of Izmit, site of the 1754 earthquake, are now silent. Seismic activity is very linear along the northern branch of the NAF, but it is more diffused on the Bursa and Iznik branches, southeast of the Marmara Sea. The stress tensor obtained from the focal mechanisms of the micro-earthquakes is compared to the one inverted from teleseismic data. The microseismic stress is compatible with a shear (intermediate) regime like the one obtained from strong earthquakes, though not as well constrained, one of the acceptable solutions having the same orientation but different shape (R=0.5). (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved