Salmonella enterica subspecies houtenae serotype 44:z4, z23:--as a rare cause of meningitis

Reptiles can carry and shed the bacterium Salmonella without showing any signs of illness. Transmission occurs by ingesting Salmonella after handling a reptile or objects contaminated by a reptile. Young children are especially vulnerable to Salmonella infection and can experience serious complications. We describe a case of reptile-associated Salmonella meningitis in a 2.5-month-old infant.

In vitro activity of ertapenem against anaerobes isolated from the respiratory tract

Ertapenem is a novel parenteral carbapenem with a long serum half-life. Its spectrum of activity is similar to that of imipenem and meropenem against Gram-positive bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and fastidious Gram-negative bacteria but it is less active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. Several studies were performed in the United States but only one European study has shown that ertapenem has an excellent activity against anaerobes. The objectives of the present study were to test the activity of ertapenem against anaerobes isolated prospectively from the lower and upper respiratory tracts, and to compare their susceptibility with that of anaerobic isolates from other body sites. Fifty-three isolates from the respiratory tract, as well as 50 isolates from various other body sites were tested with E-tests against six antibiotics. For respiratory isolates and for isolates from other sites, MIC 90 values (mg/l) were, respectively, >32 and >32 for penicillin, 0.38 and 0.75 for amoxicillin/clavulanate, 48 and >256 for ceftriaxone, 0.12 and 0.75 for ertapenem, 12 and >256 for clindamycin and 2 and 12 for moxifloxacin. The higher susceptibility of respiratory tract isolates was mainly due to the different distribution of isolated species: only three respiratory isolates but 22 other isolates belonged to the Bacteroides fragilis group. This study confirms the excellent anti-anaerobic activity of ertapenem against anaerobic isolates from the respiratory tract.

Oligoclonal bands in cerebrospinal fluid detected by PhastSystem isoelectric focusing

Pharmacia's "PhastSystem" for semi-automated isoelectric focusing (IEF) in thin precast polyacrylamide gels (PAGE) was found to be as sensitive as high-resolution protein electrophoresis (HRPE) in agarose gels and conventional PAGE-IEF for detection of oligoclonal banding (OB) in concentrated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. Both PhastSystem IEF and HRPE revealed OB in CSF from eight of nine multiple sclerosis patients and four of 10 patients with various types of infection of the central nervous system as opposed to only two of 70 patients with miscellaneous neuropsychiatric disorders. The PhastSystem also frequently detected OB in silver-stained, unconcentrated CSF from patients with multiple sclerosis.

Oligoclonal bands in cerebrospinal fluid detected by PhastSystem isoelectric focusing

Pharmacia's "PhastSystem" for semi-automated isoelectric focusing (IEF) in thin precast polyacrylamide gels (PAGE) was found to be as sensitive as high-resolution protein electrophoresis (HRPE) in agarose gels and conventional PAGE-IEF for detection of oligoclonal banding (OB) in concentrated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. Both PhastSystem IEF and HRPE revealed OB in CSF from eight of nine multiple sclerosis patients and four of 10 patients with various types of infection of the central nervous system as opposed to only two of 70 patients with miscellaneous neuropsychiatric disorders. The PhastSystem also frequently detected OB in silver-stained, unconcentrated CSF from patients with multiple sclerosis.

Phytol and peroxisome proliferation

Infantile Refsum's disease is characterized by high levels of phytanic acid and the absence of normal hepatic peroxisomes. We investigated the in vivo influence of phytol, a precursor of phytanic acid, on peroxisomes by both biochemical and morphological methods. Enhanced supply of phytol in the diet of adult mice causes proliferation of hepatic peroxisomes. The peroxisomal beta-oxidizing capacity as well as exchanges of acyl moieties between peroxisomes and mitochondria are raised around 5- and 2-fold, respectively. In parallel a 1.5-fold increase of total catalase and mitochondrial butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase activities occurs, whereas peroxisomal urate oxidase and glycolate oxidase remain normally active. Serum triglyceride levels are decreased after 3 wk of phytol feeding; serum cholesterol levels remain unaffected. Phytol feeding also induces peroxisome proliferation in duodenal epithelium, in myocardium and in skin sebaceous glands, but not in kidney.