Usefulness of broad-range PCR plus sequencing for the diagnosis of bacteremia due to a lung abscess

SummaryThe early detection and treatment of sepsis in patients is essential for a positive outcome. Microbiological analysis of blood cultures, as the gold standard for diagnosis, is rather slow. However, more rapid methods like PCR have become available recently and are being evaluated clinically. We present data from the monitoring of a patient with sepsis who was on anti-infective treatment. The patient was positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae by broad-range PCR and sequence analysis in a blood sample and resected lung tissue specimen, the latter embedded in paraffin, while blood culture diagnostics remained negative

The cytoplasmic DNA-binding protein TraM binds to the inner membrane protein TraD in vitro.

The cytoplasmic protein TraM is one of four essential gene products of the F factor which are involved in DNA transfer after mating pair formation. TraM binds to three specific sites within the oriT region. Besides regulation of its own synthesis, the precise function of TraM during conjugation is not yet known. In the present work, the affinity of TraM to TraD was studied in vitro by an overlay assay and by affinity chromatography. Whether the interaction between TraM and TraD causes a transient or permanent anchoring of the F factor to the site of transfer is discussed. A 35-kDa host membrane protein of yet unknown function also shows affinity to TraM and may be involved in this anchoring process as well

Detection of “Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis” in Two Patients with Severe Febrile Illnesses: Evidence for a European Sequence Variant▿

Recently, a new genus of Anaplasmataceae termed “Candidatus Neoehrlichia” was discovered in ticks and rodents. Here, we report on two patients who suffered from febrile bacteremia due to “Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis” associated with thrombotic or hemorrhagic events. 16S rRNA and groEL gene sequencing provided evidence of three groups of sequence variants