Preliminary observations on an isolate from synvoial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Identification of nanobacteria in human arthritic synovial fluid by method validated in human blood and urine using 200 nm model nanoparticles

Earlier we introduced a biosensor for the identification of nanobacteria in water drops. Here, we generalize its principle and apply it to identify nanobacteria in synovial fluid from a patient with osteoarthritis. Results indicate the prevalence of nanobacteria in the synovial fluid. The identification method is applicable to body fluids such as unfiltered human blood and urine, is independent of culturing procedures, and permits for a rapid detection of nanoparticles in liquid drops. In view of increasing clinical evidence on a contribution of nanobacteria in disease, their reported detection in HIV-infected people in South Africa, laboratory experiments indicating the excretion of viable (i.e., propagating) nanobacteria from humans via urine, the use of human excreta in agricultural irrigation, models predicting an injection of nanoaerosols contained in irrigation water enriched with human excreta into the atmosphere, and the identification of nanobacteria in the terrestrial atmosphere, promote the identification method described in this work to an important tool to monitor nanobacteria in body fluids and environmental samples.

Effects of immunomodulators on candidacidal activity of normal peritoneal cells in BALB/c mice

Macrophages which play an important role in host resistance against infections are considered to be a target for various immunomodulators. In order to examine the effects of selected immunomodulators on macrophage function, the effects of N-(2-mercapto-2-methylpropanoyl)-L-cysteine (SA96), levamisole (LMS) and D-penicillamine (D-Pc) on the candidacidal activity of the normal peritoneal cells (PC) were investigated. In the in vitro studies, SA96 increased the candidacidal activity of PC 4-fold, while D-Pc and LMS treatments did not increase this activity. In the ex vivo studies, PC obtained from the mice pre-treated with SA96, D-Pc and LMS showed a high candidacidal activity. Elevated candidacidal activity was not due to changes of cell types of PC populations. These results suggest that D-Pc and LMS activate the function of macrophage in vivo and SA96 activates the function both in vitro and in vivo.

Identification of Ureaplasma urealyticum (T-strain Mycoplasma) in patient with polyarthritis

A 10-year-old boy with confirmed congenital agammaglobulinaemia presented with polyarthritis while on gammaglobulin replacement therapy. Initial cultures of material aspirated from an abscess and of joint fluid were negative, and symptoms progressed despite antibiotic therapy. Synovial-biopsy material, cultured specifically for mycoplasmas, was positive for Ureaplasma urealyticum as were the blood, abscess fluids, throat-swab, and nasopharyngeal secretions. Therapy, based on in-vitro studies of antibiotic susceptibilities of the organism, resulted in the eradication of the infection and resolution of the arthritis. These findings suggest that U. urealyticum may be capable of inducing polyarthritis in man.