Infection and genotype relationship in multiple sclerosis: Do Chlamydophila pneumoniae and human herpes virus-6 infections together with APO E alleles have a role in the etiopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis?

Despite numerous studies in many laboratories over several years, the etiology of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is still unknown. It was suggested that some infectious agents play a role in the etiology of MS. This study included 39 patients with MS, 10 patients with other neurological disorders (OND) and a control group of 42 healthy people. There was no significant difference between MS, OND and HC groups for Chlamydophila pneumoniae based on having past infection positivity (p > 0.05). Chronic C. pneumonia infection was detected in 8 cases with MS and 3 cases in the healthy control group, and no chronic chlamydia infection was detected in patients with OND. No significant difference was found among the three groups. Antibody titres at 1/50 and higher IgG were detected in 34(87.2%), 8(80%) and 30(71.4%) of the patients with MS, OND and the healthy control group, respectively. There was no statistically significiant difference among these groups. No C. pneumoniae and HHV-6 DNA was detected in CSF samples from the patients with MS and OND. There was no significant difference for the distribution of all APO E alleles for MS and healthy control groups. Moreover, no significant difference was found in the distribution of all APO E alleles for patients who had antibody titres for past infection with C. pneumonia and HHV-6 between MS and control group. In conclusion, our data suggested that there was no contribution from the association of the C. pneumoniea and HHV-6 infections to the etiopathogenesis of the MS and our results are in concurrance with two important meta-analysis studies reported in 2006, but large scale, prospective new trials are needed to clarify this subject as proposed in meta-analysis considirations

A Retrospective Analysis of Anaerobic Bacteria Isolated in 236 Cases of Pleural Empyema and their Prevalance of Antimicrobial Resistance in Turkey

Background: Parapneumonic effusions usually occur secondary to an infection and produce pus (empyema) that accumulates in the pleural space. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anerobes in patients with empyema and to assess their resistance patterns for seven antimicrobials

A retrospective analysis of anaerobic bacteria isolated in 236 cases of pleural empyema and their prevalance of antimicrobial resistance in Turkey

WOS: 000442664700022PubMed ID: 30146848Background: Parapneumonic effusions usually occur secondary to an infection and produce pus (empyema) that accumulates in the pleural space. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anerobes in patients with empyema and to assess their resistance patterns for seven antimicrobials. Methods: Pleural fluid specimens from 236 patients were inoculated on Schaedler agar. Anaerobic bacteria were identified via API 20 A. Susceptibility testing for penicillin, ampicillin + sulbactam, amoxicillin + clavulanate, cefoxitin, clindamycin, metronidazole, and imipenem were performed with the E-test. Results: There were 118 anaerobic bacterial strains detected in 66 (27.9%) of the 236 specimens. Gram-positive anaerobic cocci were detected in 54.23% and the predominant cocci were 41 Peptostreptococcus spp, (34.75%) followed by 17 P. acnes (14.41%) and 6 C. tertium (5.08%). The Gram-negative anaerobes were B. fragilis (28, 23.73%), P. melaninogenica (8, 6.78%), P. intermedia (4, 3.39%), F. nucleatum (6, 5.08%), F mortiferum (5, 4.24%), and P. asaccharolytica (3, 2.54%). All anaerobic strains were susceptible to ampicillin + sulbactam, amoxicillin + clavulanate, and imipenem. The highest MIC was found to be> 256 mu g/mL for penicillin in B. fragilis strains, 128 mu g/mL for cefoxitin in P. melaninogenica strains, 32 mu g/mL for clindamycin and 64 mu g/mL for metronidazole in P. acnes strains. Clindamycin resistance was detected in 46.6% B. fragilis, and 17.6% for P. acnes. Thirty-eight (32.2%) strains produced beta-lactamase. Conclusions: The use of antimicrobial agents for thoracic empyema should be based on the isolated pathogens and their resistance profiles. Clinicians should be aware of the wide diversity of anaerobic genera and species in cases of pleural empyema.Istanbul University Research Found [BYP-900/19.012.006]This study was supported by Istanbul University Research Found. Project no BYP-900/19.012.006