Determination of Escherichia coli phylogroups in elderly patients with urinary tract infection or asymptomatic bacteriuria.

OBJECTIVES: Distinguishing between urinary tract infection (UTI) and asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) is difficult in the geriatric population since specific symptoms are often lacking. Escherichia coli is the most frequent UTI pathogen in this population but also a common urine colonizer. We hypothesized that detecting E. coli phylogroups B2 or D, which were previously associated with virulent strains responsible for extra-intestinal infections outside elderly patients, could help in distinguishing UTI from ABU. METHODS: Consecutive cases of E. coli bacteriuria diagnosed in hospitalized patients >75 years old during 3 months were investigated for E. coli phylogroups. Multiplex PCR was used to search for several virulence genes as previously described. Characteristics of UTI and ABU cases, assessed retrospectively according to definitions and geriatric expertise, were compared. RESULTS: Out of 233 bacteriuria cases, 60 were assessed to be UTI and 163 to be ABU, with 10 cases unclassified. E. coli strains belonging to the phylogroups B2 and D were significantly more frequent in UTI (48/60, 80%) than in ABU (101/163, 62%) by univariate and multivariate analyses (OR 3.05, 1.44-6.86, p 0.005). Out of all the host and bacterial characteristics studied, falls (p 0.032), comorbidities (p 0.041), and altered autonomy evaluated by a low activity of daily living score (p 0.027) were also associated with UTI using univariate and multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Determination of the E. coli phylogroup, in addition to some host characteristics, can help to distinguish UTI from ABU in elderly patients with bacteriuria. If this hypothesis is confirmed by prospective studies, then inappropriate use of antibiotics may be reduced in ABU cases.

Assessment of coinfection of sexually transmitted pathogen microbes by use of the anyplex II STI-7 molecular kit.

Anyplex STI-7 is a new molecular kit that detects seven sexually transmitted pathogens. Among 202 subjects screened for genital infection, 143 (70.4%) were diagnosed with at least one pathogen, in concordance with reference methods. In addition, the Anyplex STI-7 demonstrated coinfections, such as that with Ureaplasma parvum and Chlamydia trachomatis, in young women.

Efficacy of intramuscular amopyroquin for treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in the Gabon Republic.

The efficacy of a 12-mg/kg (of body weight) intramuscular amopyroquin (ApQ) regimen (two successive 6-mg/kg injections at a 24-h interval), previously established from kinetic studies on healthy volunteers and multicenter studies on patients with malaria, was investigated in 152 patients (children and adults) in Gabon with Plasmodium falciparum malaria. All children in the present study (ages, 1 to 14 years) showed higher degrees of parasitemia and temperatures and lower hematocrit values than did adults at the time of admission. No major side effects in the patients were observed. On day 7, all patients were apyretic; clearance of parasites was obtained in 143 of 152 patients (94%); a low level of parasitemia was observed in nine patients, all of whom were children (6%). In vitro chemosusceptibility tests carried out on P. falciparum isolates from patients demonstrated 51% of resistance to chloroquine (Cq). A correlation was found between the in vitro chemosusceptibilities to Cq and ApQ, but no relationship between the in vitro activity and the in vivo efficacy of ApQ could be found. Concentrations of ApQ in blood assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography on day 2 did not differ significantly between the groups in whom therapy was a success or a failure, although the mean ApQ concentration in blood for the group that failed therapy was 31% lower. Concentrations greater than 100 nmol of self-prescribed Cq and amodiaquine per liter, which were assayed simultaneously with ApQ, were observed in 78 patients (51%). They did not correlate with degrees of parasitemia compared with ApQ alone, which did. Successful treatment by day 7 was obtained in 69 of 74 patients (93%) who had no other 4-aminoquinolines in their blood. The results of the present study show that an ApQ regimen of 12 mg/kg over 2 days may be an alternative for the treatment of Cq-resistant malaria, at least in adult patients, in the field.

[Stability of P. Falciparum resistance to chloroquine between 1987 and 1989 in Mounana, Gabon]. / Stabilité de la résistance de P. falciparum à la chloroquine entre 1987 et 1989 à Mounana, Gabon.

Between 1987 and 1989 the trend in the chloroquine resistance of Plasmodium falciparum in the mining town of Mounana in south-eastern Gabon was studied in vivo and in vitro in 58 and 158 subjects, respectively, aged from 1 to 15 years. The tests used were a simplified variant of the standard WHO 7-day test for the in vivo study and the isotopic semi-microtest of chemosensitivity for the in vitro study. The health situation in 1989 showed no change from the 1987 situation, but an increase in febrile symptoms suggestive of malaria was observed in 1989. This observation may be linked to a decrease in the distribution of chloroquine since 1987, accompanied by the use of other antimalarials following the appearance of chloroquine-resistant strains. While the parasitological efficacy in vivo remained the same in 1989, there was a decrease in the proportion of strains resistant to chloroquine in vitro compared to 1987; likewise, the therapeutic efficacy as estimated from temperature readings was better in 1989 than in 1987: the modification of the prophylactic strategy since 1986 and the drop in chloroquine consumption since 1987 could be responsible for a stabilization of chloroquine resistance at Mounana. The authors consider it appropriate in this region to continue treating malaria in children with chloroquine (in a dosage of 25 mg/kg) and to use a second-line treatment in the event of the recurrence of malaria symptoms within the next two weeks.