Preliminary results of a novel quorum sensing inhibitor against pneumococcal infection and biofilm formation with special interest to otitis media and cochlear implantation.

The purpose of the study is to assess the effect of a novel quorum sensing inhibitor (QSI), coded as 'yd 47', against otitis media and biofilm formation on Cochlear implants (CIs). Small pieces cut from cochlear implant were implanted under the skin in the retroauricular area on both sides of four guinea pigs. The implant pieces in the study and control sides were implanted in Streptococcus pneumoniae strain solution and saline, respectively. The right and left middle ears were also instilled with a solution containing pneumococci and saline, respectively. The animals were only given an intraperitoneal 'yd 47' twice daily for three months to be assessed later with electron microscopy. Clinical examination with palpation, inspection and otoscopy did not reveal any sign of implant infection or otitis media. In the study and control implant materials, soft tissues around the implant and tympanic membranes, there was no biofilm formation by pneumococci. Contamination by various cells and some rod-shaped bacteria (not diplococcic) were seen in some of the materials. In conclusion, the novel QSI seems promising in the prevention of otitis media and biofilm formation on CIs by pneumococci.

Drug resistance profiles and clonality of sporadic Shigella sonnei isolates in Ankara, Turkey

The aims of this study were to investigate drug resistance rates, types of extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESBLs), and molecular epidemiological characteristics of 43 Shigella sonnei isolates. Ampicillin-sulbactam, amoxicillin-clavulanate, chloramphenicol, and ciprofloxacin were the most active antibiotics. Five isolates harbored blaSHV-12, blaTEM-1 and blaCTX-M-15. More than 90% of the isolates had an indistinguishable pulsotype.

Effect of timing of glutamine-enriched enteral nutrition on intestinal damage caused by irradiation.

Intestinal mucosal damage and bacterial translocation are clinical problems that may be caused by the use of ionizing radiation. Glutamine (Gln) support reduces the mucosal barrier in several ways. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of timing of Gln-enriched enteral nutrition (EN) on bacterial translocation and mucosal damage due to radiotherapy (RT). A rat model of whole body irradiation was designed in which a single dose of 485 cGy was given. A total of 50 rats were randomly assigned to the following 5 groups, each of which comprised 10 rats: (1) balanced rat chow given for 8 days without RT (group 1); (2) balanced rat chow given 4 days before and 4 days after RT (group 2); (3) Gln-enriched EN given 4 days before RT (group 3); (4) Gln;enriched EN given 4 days after RT (group 4); and (5) Gln-enriched EN given 4 days before and 4 days after RT (group 5). Mesenteric lymph node and ileum samples were removed for evaluation of bacterial translocation (BT) and histopathologic investigation, respectively. BT and intestinal mucosal injury scores in all rats that received RT were higher than in rats without RT. No difference was seen in parameters between groups 3 and 4 (P>.05, P>.016, respectively); BT and intestinal mucosal injury scores of group 5 were significantly lower than those of groups 3 and 4 (P<.05, P<.016, respectively). Meanwhile, the BT and mesenteric injury scores of group 5 were significantly lower than those of group 2 (P<.05, P<.016, respectively). As a result, intestinal injury due to RT was significantly decreased by Gln-enriched EN support given before and after whole body RT.

Preputial bacterial colonisation in preschool and primary school children.

OBJECTIVES: Preputial bacterial colonisation was investigated in preschool and primary school children with and without phimosis before the circumcision procedure. METHOD: The study group consisted of 32 boys admitted to our clinic consecutively between June 2003 and September 2003 for circumcision. The indication for surgery was religious belief in all patients. Immediately before the procedure, a swab was swept circumferentially once around the surface of the glans starting just proximal to the urethral meatus. In case of phimosis the same procedure was performed after complete retraction of the foreskin avoiding external contamination. The cultures were repeated in all patients after cleansing the glans and nearby preputium with polyvidon-iodine solution. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients' was 6 (4-12) years. All 5 (100%) patients with phimosis had clinically significant (> or =100,000 cfu/ml) uropathogenic bacterial colonisation. In 27 (84.3%) patients without phimosis culture reports revealed the absence of growth in 8 (29.6%) patients while 3 (11.1%) had Diphteroids and 1 (3.7%) had alpha-haemolytic Streptococci isolated from their preputial swabs which were accepted as harmless skin commensals. The rest of the boys (55.5%) had uropathogenic species in their preputium and all except 2 (7.4%) cases had counts exceeding 100,000 cfu/ml. The overall rates for individual species including any count were found as E. coli 3.1%, Klebsiella 18.8%, coagulase-negative Staphylococci12.5% and Enterococcus 43.8%. Cleansing of perimeatal and periurethral region with 10% polyvidon-iodine solution markedly decreased the bacterial count in 80% of the patients with phimosis. Including eight patients with no growth before cleansing 88.9% of the patients in the non-phimosis group were free of preputial bacteria after cleansing with iodine solution. CONCLUSION: Significant preputial colonisation with uropathogens might still be present in preschool and primary school children.