[Glucose, Lactate, NGAL and Coefficient of Energy Balance in Synovial Fluid in Patients with Hip and Knee Prosthetic Joint Infection]. / Stanovení hladiny glukózy, laktátu, NGAL a KEB ve výpotku u infekcí TEP kolen a kyclí.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Laboratory methods are central to prosthetic joint infection (PJI) diagnosis. Most research teams focus on detection of specific inflammatory markers, causative pathogens, or on assessment of the tissue response. This study sought to determine the optimal cut-off values and diagnostic performance of selected synovial markers in relation to the diagnosis of hip or knee PJI. The studied markers were synovial level of glucose, lactate, coefficient of energy balance (CEB) and NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin). MATERIAL AND METHODS This prospective study includes 89 patients who underwent revision total knee or hip arthroplasty for septic or aseptic reasons in the period from 2014 to 2017. Among these 89 patients, there are 2 cases of prosthetic hip infection, 22 cases of prosthetic knee infection, 31 aseptic revision total hip arthroplasties and 34 aseptic revision total knee arthroplasties. The diagnostic characteristics of the studied methods were set in relation to the reference standard, the 2013 MSIS (Musculoskeletal Infection Society) criteria. The cut-off values were calculated using the ROC (receiver operating characteristic curve) analysis. RESULTS The synovial glucose test is considered positive if the glucose level drops below 2.65 mmol/L. The area under the curve is 0.813, sensitivity 75.0%, specificity 83.1%. The synovial lactate test is considered positive if lactate level rises above 8.87 mmol/L. The area under the curve is 0.882, sensitivity 70.8%, specificity 95.4%. Synovial NGAL is considered positive if its level exceeds 998 µg/L. The area under the curve is 1.000, sensitivity 100.0%, specificity 100.0%. CEB is considered positive if its value is lower than +4.665. The area under the curve is 0.883, sensitivity 91.7% and specificity 69.8%. Combining of these tests with other synovial markers does not improve the diagnostic performance of the studied tests. CONCLUSIONS The glucose and lactate levels and CEB undoubtedly reflect the presence of an inflammatory process in a prosthetic joint. However, the diagnostic characteristics of these tests are not better than those of other modern diagnostic techniques. As opposed to these tests, synovial NGAL shows excellent diagnostic performance. Nonetheless, the potential of this method shall be verified on larger cohorts of patients. Key words: prosthetic joint infection, periprosthetic infection, total knee arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty, diagnosis, glucose, lactate, CEB, NGAL.

[A case report of peritoneal tuberculosis: the diagnostic role of PET/CT and laparoscopy]. / Prípad peritoneální tuberkulózy: diagnostika pomocí PET/CT a laparoskopie.

OBJECTIVE: We present a case of peritoneal tuberculosis of young woman with focus on difficult diagnosis of this low incidence disease in developed countries. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Faculty Hospital, Olomouc. Department of Obstetric and Gynaecology, Nový Jicín Hospital. Department of Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis, Faculty Hospital, Olomouc. Department of Pathology nad Molecular Medicine, Faculty Hospital, Olomouc. Department of Micobiology, Faculty Hospital, Olomouc. CASE REPORT: Peritoneal tuberculosis is an uncommon site of extrapulmonary infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Diagnosis is often difficult and because of its nonspecific clinical, laboratory and radiological findings, the disease may be mistaken as ovarian malignancy. We present a case of 28 years old woman with ascites, enlarged lymphonodes, elevated Ca 125 and unusuall adnexal masses on PET/CT in ovarian locality. The diagnosis of tuberculosis in our case was made by laparoscopy and cultivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. CONCLUSION: In women with ascites and Ca 125 elevation, the posibility of TB infection should be, despite the low incidence of this disease in developed countries, still considered.

Prevalence of genes encoding extracellular virulence factors among meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from the University Hospital, Olomouc, Czech Republic.

A rather fast and complicated progression of an infection caused by some strains of Staphylococcus aureus could be associated with the expression and co-action of virulence factor complexes in these strains. This study screened the antibiotic susceptibility and prevalence of virulence markers in isolates of meticillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) obtained from patients hospitalized at the University Hospital in Olomouc, Czech Republic. A total of 100 isolates was screened for 13 genes encoding extracellular virulence determinants (tst, pvl, eta, etb, sea, seb, sec, sed, see, seg, seh, sei and sej) and for their distribution in sample types. Eighty-nine isolates were positive for at least one of the genes. Genes for etb, pvl, see and seh were not detected in any of the MRSA isolates. No statistically significant differences in the occurrence of the determinants studied among sample types were found.

Influence of third-generation cephalosporin utilization on the occurrence of ESBL-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae strains.

BACKGROUND: Klebsiella pneumoniae belongs to important nosocomial pathogens causing mainly hospital-acquired infections. Beta-lactam antibiotics are frequently used in the treatment of infections caused by K. pneumoniae, but by their selection pressure the bacteria become resistant. Excessive use of third-generation cephalosporins is a risk factor for the occurrence and spread of ESBL-producing bacterial strains. The goal of this study was to describe the utilization of third-generation cephalosporins and to analyse their selection pressure on K. pneumoniae in the University Hospital in Olomouc. METHODS: Data on the utilization of antibiotics in the hospital were obtained for the period 1997-2005 from the computerized database and expressed in defined daily doses per 100 bed-days (DBD). The data were processed according to the ATC/DDD system. Klebsiella pneumoniae strains were isolated from clinical material obtained from hospitalized patients. RESULTS: Consumption of third-generation cephalosporins, which was 1.79 DBD in 1997, decreased to 0.93 in 1999, remained stable until 2002, and then increased to 2.40 DBD in 2005. During the 9-year period analysed, a total of 9564 strains of K. pneumoniae were isolated. The ESBL-positive K. pneumoniae strains frequency increased from 8% to 18%. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing utilization of third-generation cephalosporins was associated with a statistically and clinically significant increased incidence of ESBL-positive K. pneumoniae strains.

[Molecular diagnostics for the detection of prosthetic joint infection]. / Molekulární diagnostika infekcí kloubních náhrad.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Ten years after inauguration of the molecular methods into the orthopaedic practice for diagnosing Prosthetic Joint Infection (PJI), this approach is still in the limelight of research and discussion. The aim of the current study was to determine the diagnostic power of our Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) protocol for preoperative detection of bacterial nucleic acid in the synovial joint fluid. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Synovial fluids obtained from thirty-five septic hip or knee arthroplasties and sixty-six aseptic controls were investigated by the conventional PCR technique. Two subgroups were established with regard to antibiotic administration before sample collection; with (n=13) and without (n=22) previous antibiotic exposition, respectively. All the surgeries were performed under the identical conditions with strictly established and fulfilled inclusion criteria. The study design applied was a prospective cohort trial. Primers targeting phylogenetically conserved regions of the bacterial gene were used to detect the bacterial 16SrRNA gene in the retrieved samples. If this was positive, a restriction endonuclease treatment of the amplified DNA was performed to reveal the PJI pathogen. Current guidelines were used to evaluate the test performance, including the confidence intervals. The concordance between the culture and PCR identification of PJI pathogens was estimated providing both of the relevant data were available. RESULTS: A qualitative analysis showed the following figures in the subgroup without previous antibiotic exposition: sensitivity (0.64), specificity (0.97), accuracy (0.89), positive predictive value (0.88), negative predictive value (0.89), likelihood ratio for positive result (21.0), and likelihood ratio for negative result (0.38). In the second subgroup the corresponding figures were as follows: 0.85, 0.97, 0.95, 0.85, 0.97, 27.9, and 0.16. The rate of concordance between the microbial and PCR findings was almost identical in both of the subgroups. DISCUSSION: There were large discrepancies in sensitivity and positive predictive values found in the published results. The earlier studies have had various methodological weaknesses, including a lack of strictly formulated inclusion criteria and control groups. In addition, there are differences among research centers in PCR laboratory procedures and specimen retrieval tactics which may potentially have an impact on PCR results. Low sensitivity and high specificity of our PCR technique may be explained by both the intrinsic (DNA extraction protocol, configuration of inner controls, choice of detection threshold, etc.) and extrinsic factors (in particular intra-operative retrieval of specimens). A hypothesis on the inadequacy of PCR techniques for PJI detection still remains to be excluded. CONCLUSION: Based on the current study, the positive results of our PCR technique may be perceived as a mild criterion from the point of power for PJI diagnosis support. However, its clinical utility should be significantly increased in cases with higher pretest probability of PJI, but negative cultures.