Comparative evaluation of 3 selective media for primary isolation of Helicobacter pylori from gastric biopsies under routine conditions.

This study evaluates 3 selective media (Pylori agar [bioMérieux, France], BD Helicobacter agar, modified [Becton Dickinson, USA], and an in-house medium) designed for Helicobacter pylori isolation. Ninety-eight strains were isolated from 400 gastric biopsies. The media were equally efficient for Helicobacter pylori's growth. However, contaminations were only observed using commercial media.Comparative StudyEvaluation StudiesJournal ArticleSCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Comparison between the in-vitro activity of new agents on Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from cystic fibrosis patients and other chronic infections

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Quantitation of HIV-1 in whole blood of infected children

Objective: To validate the technique of HIV-1 culture from whole blood for the quantitation of viral load in infected children. Patients: Forty-three HIV-1-infected children were followed in two paediatric centres. Methods: Quantitative HIV-1 cultures from unfractionated whole blood using an end-point dilution technique were compared with simultaneous quantitative cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and plasma. Results: Good sensitivity (93%) of the methods used was confirmed. A close correlation (r = 0.80) was observed between HIV-1 titres measured directly from whole blood and those expected from PBMC and plasma titres. The mean whole blood viral load was higher in patients with more severe signs of disease, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. The whole blood viral titres measured sequentially at monthly intervals remained within one dilution of each other in 16 of the 22 patients studied. Conclusion: In this study, the quantitation of HIV-1 in unfractionated blood allowed for a reliable and sensitive measurement of the whole blood viral load in infected children.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Evaluation of a commercially available complement fixation test for diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection and for follow-up after antimicrobial therapy

Commercially available complement fixation test reagents (Institute Virion Ltd. Ruschlikon, Zurich, Switzerland) available in package format were evaluated for the serodiagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. The assay was compared with bacterial culture and histological Giemsa stain of gastric biopsy specimens obtained from 930 patients of different ages and from different ethnic groups, with a variety of upper gastrointestinal tract symptoms. The prevalence, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values, respectively, were 35, 71, 90, 80, and 85% for Belgian patients aged 40 years or younger, 50, 81, 93, 92, and 83% for Belgian patients older than 40 years, and 83, 83, 79, 95, and 48% for Mediterranean patients. Using 645 serum specimens from 226 patients, we also evaluated the complement fixation test for its ability to monitor the eradication of H. pylori following antimicrobial therapy. Overall, H. pylori was eradicated from 122 patients while 104 patients remained infected with the organism. A significant decrease in antibody levels was observed 3 to 6 months after the end of therapy in the group of patients from whom H. pylori was eradicated.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Twelve year observation of primary and secondary antibiotic-resistant Helicobacter pylori strains in children.

The effectiveness of Helicobacter pylori eradication regimens is influenced by antibiotic susceptibility of infecting strains. Data concerning antibiotic resistance in children are limited. We report the evolution of primary and secondary resistance in a series of Belgian children during the last 12 years.Journal ArticleSCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in rural Kivu, eastern Zaire: A prospective endoscopic study

Epigastric pain is a common complaint in rural Kivu, eastern Zaire, an area with high incidence of peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. It has recently been recognized that Helicobacter pylori is the causative agent of chronic type B gastritis, and that it is also strongly associated with duodenal ulcer. This paper reports the endoscopic, histological and bacteriological findings in all dyspeptic patients presenting to the Fomulac hospital in Katana over a 7-month period. Of 324 patients, 43 had duodenitis, 38 duodenal ulcer, 23 carcinoma of the stomach, and five gastric ulcer. Chronic active gastritis was found in 93% of the patients, and of these, 90% were colonized with H. pylori. The prevalence of H. pylori did not differ with gender for any particular age group, nor with respect to smoking, drinking, dietary habits, socioeconomic status, ethnic origin, or area of residence urban or rural. Nine out of 10 teenagers were already infected with H. pylori, reflecting the early prevalence of H. pylori during life in this population. High prevalence of gastritis and H. pylori has been found in other studies throughout Africa, even in asymptomatic populations and also in areas with a low incidence of peptic ulcer.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe