Urinary tract infections caused by anaerobic bacteria. Utility of anaerobic urine culture.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by anaerobic bacteria have scarcely been reported. Since anaerobic bacteria are commensals of the genitourinary tract, their presence in a urine sample adds ambiguity in making a definitive diagnosis of anaerobic UTI. It is well known that standard urine culture is the gold standard method for the detection, identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of uropathogens. Nonetheless, both the difficulties in establishing them as pathogens and the scarcity of reported anaerobic UTI cases led to the discontinuation of routine urine culture under an anaerobic atmosphere (UCAA). On the other hand, it is important to emphasize that culture-independent methods, such as proteomics and molecular technics, may detect anaerobes directly on a urine sample. Anaerobes are not included in guidelines for the diagnosis and management of UTIs. At the same time, as fastidious uropathogens and antibiotic resistance become more common, accurate pathogen identification becomes even more important for effective UTI treatment. As a result, we conducted a review of the clinical context, pathogen antimicrobial susceptibility, and treatment of patients with anaerobic UTIs. Because UCAA is a contentious topic, we narrowed our search to cases with both negative standard urine culture and positive UCAA.

Peptostreptococcus anaerobius: Pathogenicity, identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility. Review of monobacterial infections and addition of a case of urinary tract infection directly identified from a urine sample by MALDI-TOF MS.

Peptostreptococcus anaerobius is a gram-positive anaerobic coccus (GPAC) found in the gastrointestinal and vaginal microbiota. The organism is mainly found in polymicrobial and scarcely in monobacterial infections such as prosthetic and native endocarditis. Anaerobic bacteria have rarely been reported as the cause of urinary tract infection (UTI). Although GPAC are susceptible to most antimicrobials used against anaerobic infections, P. anaerobius has shown to be more resistant. Herein, we report a case of UTI caused by P. anaerobius from a 62-year-old man with a history of urological disease. Surprisingly, the microorganism was directly identified by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) from the urine sample. The isolate was successfully identified by phenotypic methods, MALDI-TOF MS, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. P. anaerobius showed no ß-lactamase-producing activity, was resistant to penicillin, ampicillin, ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, and displayed intermediate susceptibility to ampicillin-sulbactam and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. Successful treatment was achieved with oral amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) should be performed on P. anaerobius isolates due to their unpredictable AST patterns and because empirically administered antimicrobial agents may not be active. This report shows that MALDI-TOF MS, directly used in urine specimens, may be a quick option to diagnose UTI caused by P. anaerobius or other anaerobic bacteria. This review is a compilation of monobacterial infections caused by P. anaerobius published in the literature, their pathogenicity, identification, and data about the antimicrobial susceptibility of P. anaerobius.

Clostridium ramosum rapidly identified by MALDI-TOF MS. A rare gram-variable agent of bacteraemia.

Clostridium ramosum is an enteric anaerobic, endospore-forming, gram-positive rod with a low GC content that is rarely associated with disease in humans. We present a case of C. ramosum bacteraemia. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second case of C. ramosum bacteraemia in an elderly patient presenting with fever, abdominal pain and bilious emesis. We highlight the Gram stain variability, the lack of visualization of spores and the atypical morphology of the colonies that showed C. ramosum in a polymicrobial presentation that initially appeared to show monomicrobial bacteraemia. The microorganism was rapidly identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). We present a comprehensive literature review of 32 cases of clinical infections by C. ramosum in which we describe, if available, sex, age, clinical symptoms, predisposing conditions, other organisms present in the blood culture, other samples with C. ramosum , identification methodology, treatment and outcome.

Feasibility of the new sutureless excimer laser-assisted non-occlusive anastomosis clip in a rabbit model.

BACKGROUND: The excimer laser-assisted non-occlusive anastomosis (ELANA) technique facilitates the construction of anastomoses without temporary occlusion of the recipient artery. Experiments aimed at simplifying the technique eventually resulted in a sutureless ELANA slide (SEsl) anastomosis. After the first clinical use, new insights lead to the application of a clip at the back of the device, the SELANA clip (SEcl). The SEcl offers a distinct advantage over the SEsl since no sealant is necessary. In this study, we determine the feasibility of the SEcl anastomosis in an in vivo rabbit model. METHODS: 15 SEcl anastomoses and 15 conventional ELANA anastomoses were created on the abdominal aorta in 5 rabbits. Mean application times, flap retrieval rates, hemostasis, and burst pressures were assessed. RESULTS: The mean application time of the SEcl anastomoses was 11.4 min versus 39.0 min for the ELANA anastomoses (mean difference, 27.6 min; 95% CI, 20.6-34.7). The flap retrieval rate of the SEcl anastomoses (14/15) was not inferior to the flap retrieval rate of the ELANA anastomoses (13/15). Direct hemostasis was achieved in 13/15 (87%) SEcl anastomoses and in 14/15 (94%) ELANA anastomoses. All SEcl anastomoses were resistant to provoked pressures until 250 mmHg. CONCLUSION: The SEcl anastomosis is technically feasible in in vivo experiments. Mean application time, flap retrieval rate, hemostasis, and burst pressure are not inferior to the conventional ELANA anastomosis. Further long term experiments should be performed to assess safety, patency, and reendothelialization.

Intra-peritoneal abscess after an abdominal hysterectomy involving Cutibacterium avidum (former Propionibacterium avidum) highly resistant to clindamycin.

Cutibacterium avidum is a gram-positive anaerobic rod belonging to the cutaneous group of human bacteria with preferential colonization of sweat glands in moist areas. The microorganism rarely cause disease, generally delayed prosthetic joint infections (PJIs). We describe the second case of intraperitoneal abscess by C. avidum after an abdominal surgery in an obese female patient and the first case after a non-prosthetic abdominal surgery due to a highly clindamycin resistant strain in a patient with underling conditions. The patient was successfully treated with surgical drainage and beta-lactam antibiotics. Although rare and apparently non-pathogenic, C. avidum may be involved in infections, especially in some high-risk patients with obesity who have undergone surgical incision involving deep folder of the skin. The microorganism was identified by phenotypic methods, MALDI-TOF MS and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Susceptibility test should be performed in C. avidum because high level resistance to clindamycin could be present. We present a literature review of C. avidum infections.

Unusual presentations of Comamonas kerstersii infection.

The association of Comamonas kerstersii with peritonitis resulting from the presence of perforated appendix has previously been described by our research team. In the present study, we describe the isolation of this microorganism from two forms of unusual presentations of C. kerstersii infection not previously described in the literature: localized intra-abdominal infection (psoas abscess) and pelvic peritonitis.

Human versus porcine mesenchymal stromal cells: phenotype, differentiation potential, immunomodulation and cardiac improvement after transplantation.

Although mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been applied clinically to treat cardiac diseases, it is unclear how and to which extent transplanted MSCs exert their beneficial effects. To address these questions, pre-clinical MSC administrations are needed for which pigs appear to be the species of choice. This requires the use of porcine cells to prevent immune rejection. However, it is currently unknown to what extent porcine MSCs (pMSCs) resemble human MSCs (hMSCs). Aim of this study was to compare MSC from porcine bone marrow (BM) with human cells for phenotype, multi-lineage differentiation potential, immune-modulatory capacity and the effect on cardiac function after transplantation in a mouse model of myocardial infarction. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that pMSC expressed surface antigens also found on hMSC, including CD90, MSCA-1 (TNAP/W8B2 antigen), CD44, CD29 and SLA class I. Clonogenic outgrowth was significantly enriched following selection of CD271+ cells from BM of human and pig (129 ± 29 and 1961 ± 485 fold, respectively). hMSC and pMSC differentiated comparably into the adipogenic, osteogenic or chondrogenic lineages, although pMSC formed fat much faster than hMSC. Immuno-modulation, an important feature of hMSC, was clearly demonstrated for pMSC when co-cultured with porcine peripheral blood cells stimulated with PMA and pIL-2. Finally, pMSC transplantation after myocardial infarction attenuated adverse remodelling to a similar extent as hMSC when compared to control saline injection. These findings demonstrate that pMSCs have comparable characteristics and functionality with hMSCs, making reliable extrapolation of pre-clinical pMSC studies into a clinical setting very well possible.

Mesenchymal stromal cells to treat cardiovascular disease: strategies to improve survival and therapeutic results.

Following myocardial infarction, damage due to ischemia potentially leads to heart failure. Stem cell transplantation has emerged as a potential treatment to repair the injured heart, due to the inherent characteristics of stem cells such as self-renewal, unlimited capacity for proliferation and ability to differentiate to various cell lineages. Most promising results have been reported thus far on mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Following transplantation in the heart, stem cells are expected to 1) reduce the damage; 2) activate the endogenous regenerative potential of the heart; and 3) participate in the regeneration of the tissue. Until now, the results of intervention with stem cells in animals were promising, but clinical studies have failed to live up to those expectations. Current problems limiting the efficacy of cellular therapy are: 1) limited knowledge on the time and mode of administration; 2) loss of homing receptors on culture-expanded cells as a consequence of the culture conditions; 3) massive cell death in the transplanted graft in the damaged heart, due to the hostile environment, 4) lack of knowledge on MSC behaviour in the heart. Since generally only 1-5% of delivered cells were found to actually engraft within the infarct zone, there is an urgent need for improvement. In animal models, strategies to precondition MSC before transplantation to survive in the damaged heart were applied successfully. These include exposure of cells to physical treatments (hypoxia and heat shock), pharmacological agents, "priming" of cells with growth factors, and genetic modification by over-expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, growth factors or pro-survival genes. To develop the strategy with maximal engraftment, survival and function of cells in the heart is the ultimate challenge for years to come.

Tuberculous arthritis in the course of connective tissue disease: report of 4 cases.

We describe 4 female patients with diverse connective tissue diseases who developed tuberculous arthritis concurrently with their underlying disease, in the absence of lung involvement. Throughout, diagnosis was delayed but later confirmed by detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in synovial membrane culture. Two patients died of unrelated causes, while the other 2 recovered with chronic joint sequelae. Despite the rarity of this association, M. tuberculosis infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis of chronic mono or oligoarthritis in patients with connective tissue diseases.

Artritis séptica en enfermedades del tejido conectivo y otras artropatías crónicas / Septic arthritis in connective tissue diseases and other chronic arthropathies

Se estudiaron retospectivametne 17 casos de artritis séptica en pacientes portadores de enfermedades del tejido conectivo ECT). Las ETC más frecuentes fueron Lupus Eritematoso Sistémico y Artritis Reumatoidea. El compromiso fue oligoarticular en el 64% de los casos y monoarticular en los restantes. Los hallazgos clínicos, radiológicos y de laboratorio fueron insuficientes para realizara el diagnóstico diferencial entrea Artritis Séptica y brote de la enfermedad de base, el cual sólo pudo ser realizado por aislamiento del agente etiológico en el líquido sinovial. El germen más frecuente fue Staophylococcus aureus. Los pacientes fueron tratados con punción y antibioticoterapia por vía parenteral (promedio: 7 días) completándose por vía oral (46 días). los casos con mayor retraso del comienzo de tratamiento presentaron como complicación. Los casos con mayor retraso del comienzo de tratamiento presentaron como complicación osteomielitis, requiriendo artrotomía y mayor incidencia de secuelas funcionales

Artritis séptica en enfermedades del tejido conectivo y otras artropatías crónicas / Septic arthritis in connective tissue diseases and other chronic arthropathies

Se estudiaron retospectivametne 17 casos de artritis séptica en pacientes portadores de enfermedades del tejido conectivo ECT). Las ETC más frecuentes fueron Lupus Eritematoso Sistémico y Artritis Reumatoidea. El compromiso fue oligoarticular en el 64% de los casos y monoarticular en los restantes. Los hallazgos clínicos, radiológicos y de laboratorio fueron insuficientes para realizara el diagnóstico diferencial entrea Artritis Séptica y brote de la enfermedad de base, el cual sólo pudo ser realizado por aislamiento del agente etiológico en el líquido sinovial. El germen más frecuente fue Staophylococcus aureus. Los pacientes fueron tratados con punción y antibioticoterapia por vía parenteral (promedio: 7 días) completándose por vía oral (46 días). los casos con mayor retraso del comienzo de tratamiento presentaron como complicación. Los casos con mayor retraso del comienzo de tratamiento presentaron como complicación osteomielitis, requiriendo artrotomía y mayor incidencia de secuelas funcionales (AU

[Septic arthritis in connective tissue diseases and other chronic arthropathies]. / Artritis séptica en enfermedades del tejido conectivo y otras artropatías crónicas.

In order to describe the features of septic arthritis (SA) in patients with connective tissue diseases (CTDs), a series of 17 CTD cases with SA episodes were studied retrospectively. The most common CTDs were systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Involvement was oligoarticular in 64% of cases and mono-articular in the remainder. Clinical, radiological and laboratory findings proved insufficient to allow differential diagnosis between SA and an underlying arthritic flare-up, which could only be carried out by bacterial isolation from synovial fluid. The most frequent etiological agent was Staphylococcus aureus (Table 1). Throughout, patients were treated by needle drainage together with antibiotics, first by parenteral (average 17 days) and later by oral route (average 46 days). Cases with greater diagnostic delay and initiation of therapy were those requiring arthrotomy and those who presented more complications mainly osteomyelitis and permanent disability (Table 2).

Artritis séptica en enfermedades del tejido conectivo y otras artropatías crónicas. / [Septic arthritis in connective tissue diseases and other chronic arthropathies]

In order to describe the features of septic arthritis (SA) in patients with connective tissue diseases (CTDs), a series of 17 CTD cases with SA episodes were studied retrospectively. The most common CTDs were systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Involvement was oligoarticular in 64

of cases and mono-articular in the remainder. Clinical, radiological and laboratory findings proved insufficient to allow differential diagnosis between SA and an underlying arthritic flare-up, which could only be carried out by bacterial isolation from synovial fluid. The most frequent etiological agent was Staphylococcus aureus (Table 1). Throughout, patients were treated by needle drainage together with antibiotics, first by parenteral (average 17 days) and later by oral route (average 46 days). Cases with greater diagnostic delay and initiation of therapy were those requiring arthrotomy and those who presented more complications mainly osteomyelitis and permanent disability (Table 2).

Evaluación del uso de los antibióticos en el Hospital de Clínicas "José de San Martín" / Evaluation of antibiotics use at the Hospital of Clinical José de San Martín

El 18 de junio de 1986 se efectuó en el Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín un estudio para evaluar el uso de los antibióticos en pacientes internados y los gastos que surgen de su empleo inadecuado. El 28% de los internados recibían antibióticos, el 69% de las indicaciones con finalidad terapéutica y el 35% de las profilaxisis fueron correctas. El error más frecuente en el tratamiento fue el uso del antibiótico no electivo y en la profilaxis, la utilización innecesaria. El gasto por uso inadecuado fue de u$s 494.17 en un día, u$s 14.825 en un mes y u$s 180.372 por año

Evaluación del uso de los antibióticos en el Hospital de Clínicas "José de San Martín" / Evaluation of antibiotics use at the Hospital of Clinical José de San Martín

El 18 de junio de 1986 se efectuó en el Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín un estudio para evaluar el uso de los antibióticos en pacientes internados y los gastos que surgen de su empleo inadecuado. El 28% de los internados recibían antibióticos, el 69% de las indicaciones con finalidad terapéutica y el 35% de las profilaxisis fueron correctas. El error más frecuente en el tratamiento fue el uso del antibiótico no electivo y en la profilaxis, la utilización innecesaria. El gasto por uso inadecuado fue de u$s 494.17 en un día, u$s 14.825 en un mes y u$s 180.372 por año (AU)

Metástasis cardíaca: su diagnóstico antemorten por hallazgos electrocardiográficos inusuales / Heart metastasis: its antemortem diagnosis by unusual electrocardiographic findings

Un hombre de 60 años desarrolló una imagen persistente de infarto agudo de miocardio, un hemibloqueo posterior izquierdo, un bloqueo sinoatrial de 2§ grado 312 y un bloqueo A-V de 1er grado, seguido de disociación A-V, en el curso de un carcinoma pavimentoso broncopulmonar. Se formuló el diagnóstico de metástasis cardíaca y se observó una significativa mejoría de la conducción A-V luego de la administración de corticoides. En la necropsia se comprobaron metástasis en la cara posterior, septum interventricular y aurícula derecha. No ha sido referida una asociación semejante de cambios electrocardiográficos por metástasis cardíacas, en la literatura disponible

Metástasis cardíaca: su diagnóstico antemorten por hallazgos electrocardiográficos inusuales / Heart metastasis: its antemortem diagnosis by unusual electrocardiographic findings

Un hombre de 60 años desarrolló una imagen persistente de infarto agudo de miocardio, un hemibloqueo posterior izquierdo, un bloqueo sinoatrial de 2º grado 312 y un bloqueo A-V de 1er grado, seguido de disociación A-V, en el curso de un carcinoma pavimentoso broncopulmonar. Se formuló el diagnóstico de metástasis cardíaca y se observó una significativa mejoría de la conducción A-V luego de la administración de corticoides. En la necropsia se comprobaron metástasis en la cara posterior, septum interventricular y aurícula derecha. No ha sido referida una asociación semejante de cambios electrocardiográficos por metástasis cardíacas, en la literatura disponible (AU)