Structure of nitrilotriacetate monooxygenase component B from Mycobacterium thermoresistibile

The 1.6 Å resolution crystal structure of nitrilotriacetate monooxygenase component B (NTA-MoB) from M. thermoresistibile is presented, revealing a highly conserved C-terminal tail that may modulate the activity of NTA-MoB in mycobacteria

Aminoglycoside Resistance Rates, Phenotypes, and Mechanisms of Gram-Negative Bacteria from Infected Patients in Upper Egypt

With the re-emergence of older antibiotics as valuable choices for treatment of serious infections, we studied the aminoglycoside resistance of Gram-negative bacteria isolated from patients with ear, urinary tract, skin, and gastrointestinal tract infections at Minia university hospital in Egypt. Escherichia coli (mainly from urinary tract and gastrointestinal tract infections) was the most prevalent isolate (28.57%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (25.7%) (mainly from ear discharge and skin infections). Isolates exhibited maximal resistance against streptomycin (83.4%), and minimal resistance against amikacin (17.7%) and intermediate degrees of resistance against neomycin, kanamycin, gentamicin, and tobramycin. Resistance to older aminoglycosides was higher than newer aminoglycoides. The most common aminoglycoside resistance phenotype was that of streptomycin resistance, present as a single phenotype or in combination, followed by kanamycin-neomycin as determined by interpretative reading. The resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains were capable of producing aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes and using efflux as mechanisms of resistance. Using checkerboard titration method, the most frequently-observed outcome in combinations of aminoglycosides with β-lactams or quinolones was synergism. The most effective combination was amikacin with ciprofloxacin (100% Synergism), whereas the least effective combination was gentamicin with amoxicillin (53.3% Synergistic, 26.7% additive, and 20% indifferent FIC indices). Whereas the studied combinations were additive and indifferent against few of the tested strains, antagonism was never observed. The high resistance rates to aminoglycosides exhibited by Gram-negative bacteria in this study could be attributed to the selective pressure of aminoglycoside usage which could be controlled by successful implementation of infection control measures

Use of loop-mediated isothermal amplification of DNA for the rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in clinical specimens

Abstract Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a recently developed molecular method that has been successfully implemented in the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in clinical specimens. LAMP has several advantages, such as rapidity, high sensitivity, ease of application and cost-effectiveness. As a result, it is anticipated that its use for the detection of M. tuberculosis is likely to become widespread, especially in low-resource countries. The present review aimed to present this method and all of the available information on its implementation in the detection of M. tuberculosis in clinical specimens

Is minocycline a solution for multidrugresistant Acinetobacter baumannii?

Minocycline is an old, safe, second-line antimicrobial agent that has drawn attention over the last fewyears as a possible therapeutic option against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB) clinical isolates. Recent in vitro and in vivo results indicate that minocycline is a valid, alternative treatment option for minocycline-susceptible MDRAB. Although effective alone, its administration as monotherapy should be avoided. Combinations with other antimicrobials can reduce the MIC of each component, present synergism and minimize the risk for drug resistance. Owing to its limited solubility in urine, it should be avoided for urinary pathogens. The present article reports all available information regarding its use as a therapeutic option against MDRAB

Female genital tuberculosis: A review

Female genital tuberculosis is an uncommon type of tuberculosis that can lead to infertility. The present review describes the disease, reports available epidemiological data, and focuses on examinations and procedures necessary for the early diagnosis and the management of this curable disease

Confronting multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii: a review

Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR-AB) infections are difficult to treat owing to the extremely limited armamentarium. The present review reports all available treatment options against MDR-AB, including single molecules, combination schemes, and alternative modes of antimicrobial administration. Additionally, a group of recently reported peptides with anti-MDR-AB activity is described. (C) 2010 Elsevier B. V. and the International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved

Molecular diagnostic tools in mycobacteriology

Although the diagnosis of mycobacteriosis and susceptibility testing are still primarily based on conventional methods (staining, culture, biochemical analysis, proportional method), a series of molecular assays are increasingly introduced and incorporated in the workflow of clinical mycobacteriology laboratories worldwide. These assays are rapid and offer high sensitivities and specificities. In the present review, we describe the molecular assays concerning the early detection of Mycobacteria in clinical specimens, the identification of mycobacterial species, the detection of drug resistance and the typing for epidemiological investigations. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Report of 2 indigenous cases of leprosy from a European country: use of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of hsp65 gene for identification of Mycobacterium leprae directly from a clinical sample

In this article, we report on 2 indigenous cases of leprosy detected in a European country. We also report on the use of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of hsp65 gene for rapid identification of Mycobacterium leprae directly froth the clinical sample. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Mycobacterial species diversity at a general hospital on the island of Crete: First detection of Mycobacterium lentiflavum in Greece

The objective of the present study was to investigate the diversity of mycobacterial isolates in a general hospital in Crete, Greece. 48 positive Lowenstein-Jensen cultures over a 3-y period were analysed by means of AccuProbe and GenoType assays. Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) comprised the majority of the isolates (56.3%, 27/48) vs 33.3% (16/48) of M. tuberculosis; 10.4% of the isolates could not be classified. Among NTM, M. lentiflavum was the predominant species isolated (9/27) followed by M. kansasii, M. gordonae and M. peregrinum, whereas no M. avium complex isolates were detected. This is the first detection of M. lentiflavum in Greece. The susceptibilities of the M. lentiflavum isolates to an extended panel of antibiotics were determined by the proportions method and the medical files of the 9 patients were reviewed. Three isolates were from urine, which is an unusual site. All strains exhibited multidrug resistance. The patients were adults with immunosuppression or predisposing conditions for NTM infection. Diagnosis of true infection was either not pursued or the patients died shortly after isolation