Amino acid sequences of proteins from Leptospira serovar pomona

This report describes a partial amino acid sequences from three putative outer envelope proteins from Leptospira serovar pomona. In order to obtain internal fragments for protein sequencing, enzymatic and chemical digestion was performed. The enzyme clostripain was used to digest the proteins 32 and 45 kDa. In situ digestion of 40 kDa molecular weight protein was accomplished using cyanogen bromide. The 32 kDa protein generated two fragments, one of 21 kDa and another of 10 kDa that yielded five residues. A fragment of 24 kDa that yielded nineteen residues of amino acids was obtained from 45 kDa protein. A fragment with a molecular weight of 20 kDa, yielding a twenty amino acids sequence from the 40 kDa protein.

Legionnaires' disease in the renal transplant unit of "Hospital das Clinicas, FMUSP". During a five year period (1988-1993)

Several reports have related Legionella pneumophila with pneumonia in renal transplant patients, however this association has not been systematically documented in Brazil. Therefore this paper reports the incidence, by serological assays, of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 in these patients during a five year period. For this purpose sera from blood samples of 70 hospitalized patients with pneumonia from the Renal Transplant Unit of Hospital das Clinicas, FMUSP collected at the acute and convalescent phase of infection were submitted to indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) to demonstrate anti-Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 antibodies. Of these 70 patients studied during the period of 1988 to 1993, 18 (25.71%) had significant rises in specific antibody titers for Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1. Incidence was interrupted following Hospital water decontamination procedures, with recurrence of infections after treatment interruption. In this study, the high susceptibility (25.71%) of immunodepressed renal transplant patients to Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 nosocomial infections is documented. The importance of the implementation and maintenance of water decontamination measures for prophylaxis of the infection is also clearly evident.

Synergistic hemolysis-inhibition titers associated with caseous lymphadenitis in a slaughterhouse survey of goats and sheep in Northeastern Brazil

A survey of caseous lymphadenitis was conducted at a goat and sheep slaughterhouse in Northeastern Brazil One hundred and fifty-eight goats and 43 sheep were examined for the presence of abscesses, with bacterial culturing of purulent material to define the etiological agent. Blood was collected simultaneously for determination of serological titer via the synergistic hemolysis-inhibition test which measures antibodies to an exotoxin of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Thirteen and nine-tenths percent of the goats had abscesses, with a high proportion having mediastinal or pulmonary lesions (9.5%). Two sheep had abscesses, both with internal organ involvement. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis was the most frequently isolated organism. Of 22 goats with abscesses, 20 were positive via the synergistic hemolysis-inhibition test. Both of the sheep with abscesses had positive synergistic hemolysis-inhibition titers. The proportion of serological reactors was greater than the proportion of animals with abscesses. The synergistic hemolysis-inhibition test may be detecting subclinically infected animals.

Serodiagnosis of inapparent caseous lymphadenitis in goats and sheep, using the synergistic hemolysis-inhibition test

The synergistic hemolysis-inhibition (SHI) test, a serologic test for the detection of infection with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, was applied to serum samples from 196 goats and 76 sheep, including animals both with and without C pseudotuberculosis abscesses. Fifty-one of 52 (98%) goats and 27 of 28 (96%) sheep with abscesses caused by C pseudotuberculosis had seropositive titers. Seropositivity continued on subsequent samplings, even after superficial lesions were completely healed. The SHI test may detect subclinically infected animals, as well as animals with clinically recognizable lesions. Of the animals without abscesses, 53 of 186 (28%) goats and 4 of 41 (10%) sheep were seropositive. Either the SHI test is lacking in specificity or these titers are a reflection of a past or a current infection without any grossly visible abscesses.