Isolation of Corynebacterium ureicelerivorans from normally sterile sites in humans.

Fifteen Corynebacterium ureicelerivorans isolates were recovered in pure culture from six patients during a five-year period. Five patients had bacteremia and the other was an infection of ascitic fluid. The API Coryne numerical profile obtained corresponds to the profile for C. bovis, while Biolog GP2 identified four out of the six isolates as C. jeikeium. The organisms were molecular identified by 16S rDNA and rpoB. The present report also includes information on new phenotypic tests and, for the first time, antimicrobial susceptibility data of C. ureicelerivorans and their rpoB sequences. All macrolide-resistant isolates presented a constitutive MLS phenotype. This organism must be differentiated from other slow-growing, lipophilic, and urea-splitting corynebacteria.

[Sexual assault]. / Agresión sexual.

Offences involving sexual assault are an issue of the greatest current interest in different social fields (legal, medical, police, criminological...). They are significant due to their frequency and to the legal, physical and psychological repercussions involved. It is therefore important to clearly understand the pattern of action in Accidents and Emergencies facing such cases. Great detail is required in the gynaecological report and the taking of samples, prophylaxes for sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies must be given and psychological support provided.

Decreased interleukin-12 levels in umbilical cord blood in children who developed acute bronchiolitis.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is common in young children, but only a few develop severe bronchiolitis. The relationship between bronchiolitis, asthma, and atopy has been debated for a long time, but the pathogenesis of wheezing remains unclear. A Th1 and Th2-type lymphocyte imbalance seems to be involved in asthma and atopic disease. Serum interleukin-12 (IL-12), IL-10, and soluble CD30 (sCD30) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 23 cord blood samples kept frozen since birth: 11 from normal term newborns who several months later were admitted to the hospital with bronchiolitis, and 12 from newborns who did not develop the disease (controls). The study was also performed on 28 additional children (1-16 months old) suffering an episode of acute bronchiolitis. IL-12 was clearly increased in all cases at birth, but newborns who later developed bronchiolitis showed low IL-12 levels in cord blood compared to newborns who did not develop the disease (median 295 vs. 507 pg/mL; P = 0.001). sCD30 levels were also decreased in the first group (15 vs. 26 U/mL; P = 0.007). During episodes of bronchiolitis, a clear rise of IL-12, IL-10, and sCD30 was observed. None of the factors studied in the acute phase showed statistical differences in children who were later readmitted to the hospital due to repeated wheezing crises. Children who develop acute bronchiolitis with wheezing may have an immunological imbalance that is expressed at the time of delivery by a lower concentration of serum IL-12.

The isolation of Corynebacterium coyleae from clinical samples: clinical and microbiological data.

Fourteen Corynebacterium coyleae isolates were recovered from 12 in-patients during a 5-years period. In six patients, the isolates were considered as clinically significant, three definite (sepsis), two probable (sepsis and soft tissue infection), and one possible (post-transfusional bacteremia). In the remaining 6 patients (all neonatal bacteremias), there was not enough data for considering the isolates as clinical significant. API Coryne identified all isolates as C. jeikeium, while Biolog GP2 correctly identified 7 out of the 14 isolates. Definitive identification was achieved in all isolates by the sequencing of a fragment of 724 to 1423 pb of 16S rDNA. Successive isolations from two patients presented identical random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiles. All of the isolates were in-vitro-sensitive to beta-lactams, gentamicin, rifampin, tetracycline, vancomycin, linezolid, and resistant to clindamycin. Resistance to erythromycin occurred in 83.3% of isolates, all of them presenting phenotype cMLS and harboring the gene ermX.

[Advances in diagnostic immunology]. / Avances diagnósticos en inmunología.

Advances in Immunology are continuously occurring, specially in the knowledge of normal and pathological mechanisms. Many new diagnostics tests are frequently proposed but these techniques must been in order to evaluate real usefulness and specificity. In this review we reported some of immunologic areas in which some advance has been recently achieved or which are matter of discussion, such as rheumatic, celiac, integrins and allergic diseases.

[Risk factors in the development of idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis]. / Factores de riesgo en la evolución de la hemosiderosis pulmonar idiopática.

A long-term study of six children suffering idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis (IPH) was realized, in order to evaluate prognostic factors and the best therapy. The treatment was initiated with prednisone 1-2 mg/kg/day which was gradually decreased until total suppression. Clinical remission was always achieved but relapses were frequently observed. All but one of the patients suffered more episodes which were controlled by the initial treatment. In three cases the additional use of immunosuppressors drugs was needed, chlorambucil 0.2 mg/kg/day during a period of 3-6 months or cyclophosphamide 2.5 mg/kg/day for four months, thereby obtaining a better control of the disease and also a decreased number of crises. Two patients died during acute exacerbations. It is suggested that the main risk factors are the male sex and onset before three years of age. The outcome was also worse when the first crisis was more severe.