Evaluation of penicillin susceptibility in clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae oxacillin resistant

Antibiotic resistant pneumococci have been reported from all continents. Because of the importance of pneumococci in the aetiology of life-threatening diseases, the screening for penicillin resistance with oxacillin disc on all clinically significant isolates is suggested. However, discrepancy between the determination of penicillin resistance by oxacillin disc diffusion and the determination of penicillin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) has been reported. On this basis we have examined seven strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from patients recovered for the exacerbation of chronic bronchitis which were oxacillin-resistant. The assay of penicillin MICs showed that three isolates were moderately resistant to this agent, while four isolates resulted sensitive to penicillin as well as to cefotaxime. These results suggest that a further evaluation of penicillin MIC should be performed on those strains of S. pneumoniae resulting oxacillin-resistant

BICYCLIC PEPTIDES - SOLUTION CONFORMATION AND CA-2+ BINDING OF THE HETERODETIC BICYCLIC DECAPEPTIDE CYCLO(GLU1-LEU2-PRO3-GLY4-SER5-ILE6-PRO7-ALA8)-CYCLO(1-GAMMA- 5-BETA) PHE9-GLY10

The conformational behavior of a heterodetic bicyclic decapeptide (BCPLT) in the absence and in the presence of calcium ions has been studied by means of mono and two-dimensional nmr techniques. Free BCPLT possesses a quite compact structure stabilized by intramolecular bonds and turns. In the structure a cluster of carbonyls is located in a cavity that is supposed to be the cation binding site

Detection of anti-lipoambinomannan antibodies for the diagnosis of active tuberculosis

SETTING: A serological test that contributes in diagnosing tuberculosis would aid patient management. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate MycoDot(TM), a new commercially available serological test, for the detection of immunoglobulin G antibodies to lipoarabinomannan (LAM), a glycolipid common to mycobacteria. DESIGN: Serum samples from 102 non-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)- infected patients with no previous history of tuberculosis and with suspected active pulmonary (66) and/or extra-pulmonary (36) tuberculosis were investigated; 50 HIV-negative healthy subjects, sputum culture-negative, tuberculin skin test negative and with no history of tuberculosis, were used as controls. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In 28 patients with microbiologically ascertained tuberculosis 25/28 serum samples were positive, whereas the test was negative in two patients with renal tuberculosis and in one with pulmonary tuberculosis. The remaining 74 serum samples were negative. The follow-up of these patients excluded a mycobacterial infection. Control subjects were negative. On the basis of our design, the MycoDot(TM) test, with its rapidity and degree of sensitivity, is suitable for routine use in laboratory diagnosis of both pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis