Efficacy of neutralizing buffered peptone water for recovery of Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Enterobacteriaceae from broiler carcasses at various points along a commercial immersion chilling process with peroxyacetic acid.

In 2016, USDA-Food Safety and Inspection Service began using a neutralizing buffered peptone water (nBPW) to rinse broiler carcasses for Salmonella and Campylobacter performance standard testing. The nBPW contains standard buffered peptone water (BPW) with compounds to neutralize residual antimicrobials that may be transferred from the carcass to the sample rinsate. However, a direct comparison of nBPW and BPW on carcasses commercially treated with antimicrobials has not been conducted. On 3 replicate days in a commercial broiler processing plant, an immersion chilling biomap using whole carcass rinse samples taken prior to any chilling treatment (30), after pre-chill treatment (30), after primary chill (30), after secondary chill (30), after post-chill treatment (50), and after post-chill treatment without the pre-chill treatment (49) were tested. Carcasses were rinsed with either BPW (without neutralizer) or nBPW. Rinsates were sampled for Salmonella and Campylobacter prevalence and both Enterobacteriaceae (EB) prevalence and counts. No significant differences were observed between sampling sites or rinse media for Salmonella due to an overall low prevalence (4 positive/219 samples). Campylobacter prevalence significantly decreased from prior to chilling (93%) to after all chilling steps (47%) as anticipated (P < 0.0001); however, overall significantly fewer Campylobacter positive carcasses were detected when nBPW was used (55%) in comparison to BPW (70%, P = 0.0258). Both EB prevalence and counts significantly decreased (both P < 0.0001) from prior to chilling (100%, 2.35 log10 CFU/mL) through after all chilling steps (52%, 0.47 log10 CFU/mL). The use of nBPW versus BPW did not impact EB prevalence; however, samples rinsed with nBPW had significantly higher overall counts (1.26 vs. 1.00 log10 CFU/mL, P = 0.0134). The results from this study indicate that the use of a PAA pre-chill treatment did not significantly impact bacteria recovery following all chilling steps. The use of nBPW was effective in neutralizing residual PAA in carcass rinsates when sampling for EB counts; however, nBPW may lessen the ability to detect Campylobacter in these same samples.

Erosions and urinary retention following polypropylene synthetic sling: Australasian survey.

INTRODUCTION: There are few published reports on the incidence and management of urethral and vaginal erosions following the use of polypropylene synthetic slings. Moreover, there is very little Australasian data on their use for management of female urinary incontinence or on their associated complications. METHODS: A 1-page survey was mailed to the Australian and New Zealand members of the Urological Society of Australasia (N=326). The survey included questions on the use of polypropylene synthetic sling and the incidence and management of post-operative vaginal and urethral erosions and urinary retention. RESULTS: 198 surveys were returned (response rate: 61%). Polypropylene synthetic sling procedure is practiced by 39% of the respondents with a total of 1459 cases (TVT: 993, SPARC: 466). The incidence of vaginal erosions, urethral erosions and urinary retention was 1.2%, 0.6% and 6.5%, respectively. Thirty five percent of vaginal erosions were asymptomatic and only identified on routine post-operative vaginal examination. One third of urethral erosions presented more than 1 year after surgery and 89% of these were symptomatic. Thirty four percent of patients with urinary retention required surgical intervention to correct the retention. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of urethral and vaginal erosions following polypropylene synthetic sling procedures is lower than that with other synthetic slings. However, a high index of suspicion and long-term follow-up are required to identify and manage these complications of this relatively new procedure.

Local invasion of the bladder with colorectal cancers: surgical management and patterns of local recurrence.

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancers may be adherent to the urinary bladder. To achieve oncologic clearance of the cancer, en bloc bladder resection should be performed. This study describes the multicenter experiences of en bloc bladder resection for colorectal cancer in the major New Zealand public hospitals. METHODS: A retrospective database of patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer adherent to the bladder between 1984 and 1999 was constructed. Data was analyzed for age, gender, disease stage, and outcome (local recurrence and survival). RESULTS: Fifty-three patients were identified: International Union Against Cancer and American Joint Committee on Cancer Stage 1=0; Stage 2=23; Stage 3=22; Stage 4=6; unknown=2. Forty-five had en bloc partial cystectomy performed, four en bloc total cystectomy, and four had the adhesions disrupted and no bladder resection. The most common site of the primary colorectal cancer is sigmoid colon, with local invasion into the dome of the bladder. All patients who did not have en bloc resection developed local recurrence and died from their disease. Mean follow-up was 62 months. The extent of bladder resection did not seem important in determining local recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: En bloc resection of the urinary bladder should be performed if the patient is to be offered an optimal oncologic resection for adherent colorectal cancer. The decision to perform total rather than partial cystectomy should be based on the anatomic location of the tumor. Because the sigmoid is usually the primary site, most patients will not have received preoperative radiation. Therefore, postoperative radiotherapy may reduce local recurrence in these patients.

Prostate specific antigen inhibits immune responses in vitro: a potential role in prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is found in high concentration in prostate tissue and in semen, in which its physiological function appears to be liquefaction. In prostate cancer the peripheral PSA concentration is elevated, which may be used as a disease marker. Systemic and local immune defects have been demonstrated in prostate cancer and we postulated a role for PSA in this immunosuppression. We explored the effects of PSA on human T-lymphocyte proliferation in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PSA was purified from normal seminal plasma using a modified chromatographic technique. The effect of PSA or control protein on lymphocyte responses to mitogens, tetanus toxoid and alloantigens was tested. The inhibitory effect observed was further explored by varying the time of PSA addition, denaturing PSA and including interleukin-2 and anti-PSA antibodies. RESULTS: PSA suppressed in vitro phytohemagglutinin and alloantigen stimulated lymphocyte proliferation in a dose dependent manner. This effect was reversed by adding anti-PSA antibodies but not by interleukin-2. CONCLUSIONS: These in vitro PSA effects suggest another T-lymphocyte mediated immunosuppressive mechanism. In vivo high levels of PSA may compromise natural immune responses to cancer and current attempts at immunotherapy for prostate cancer.