[Apalcillin: in vitro activity compared with that of carbenicillin, ticarcillin, mezlocillin, piperacillin against Enterobacteriaceae and Acinetobacter]. / Apalcilline: activité in vitro comparée à celle de carbénicilline, ticarcilline, mezlocilline, pipéracilline vis-à-vis des entérobactéries et Acinetobacter.

The in vitro activity of apalcillin was compared with that of carbenicillin, ticarcillin, mezlocillin and piperacillin against clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae and Acinetobacter. 1 168 strains were tested by a routine disk diffusion method. They were grouped into different patterns of resistance by results to ampicillin, carbenicillin and cephalotin. The MICs were determined for 300 of these strains. Apalcillin, mezlocillin and piperacillin are active against most strains of E. coli, P. mirabilis, Klebsiella and C. diversus resistant to carbenicillin and ticarcillin. Apalcillin is the most active penicillin against Acinetobacter; it is almost as active as piperacillin, the best drug against Enterobacteriaceae.

[Haemophilus infections in pediatrics. Characterization of strains by biotype, serotype and the production of beta-lastamase]. / Les infections a Haemophilus en pédiatrie. Caractérisation des souches par le biotype, le sérotype et la production de beta-lactamase.

During 1980 and 1981, an epidemiological survey (biotyping, serotyping, beta-lactamase production) of Haemophilus strains isolated in our hospital was performed. One hundred sixty-one Haemophilus were isolated among 146 patients: 17 H. parainfluenzae and 144 H. influenzae. Most of the infections occurred in patients, under 3 years old (77%), during cold weather (63%), and in males (55%). Biotypes I, II and III were the most common isolates (88%). Capsulated strains were frequent (53%). A beta-lactamase occurred in 9, 5% of cases. Distribution of serotypes and biotypes will be discussed in relation to clinical findings (meningitis: 21, septicemia from other origins: 9, arthritis: 2, and other non-systemic infections).

A third DNA polymerase from Spiroplasma citri and two other spiroplasmas.

Recently, two DNA polymerases (ScA and ScB) were isolated and characterized from Spiroplasma citri. We now have found a third DNA polymerase (ScC) not only in S. citri but also in the serologically related honeybee spiroplasma BC3 and the unrelated flower spiroplasma BNR1. Enzyme ScC is N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) sensitive. The three DNA polymerases from the honeybee spiroplasma seem to be similar to the respective enzymes of S. citri. However, whereas the NEM-resistant enzyme ScA from S. citri and that from the BC3 honeybee spiroplasma are retained on DEAE-cellulose and require 0.09 M KCl for elution, the NEM-resistant enzyme A from the flower spiroplasma BNR1 is not retained.

[Campylobacter jejuni in human pathology. II. -- Laboratory diagnosis and epidemiological features (author's transl)]. / Campylobacter jejuni en pathologie humaine. II. - Diagnostic biologique et épidémiologie.

C. jejuni is a newly recognized enteropathogenic bacteria. We expose different aspects of the direct and indirect diagnosis. The reservoirs of Campylobacter are reviewed. An epidemiologic scheme is proposed. The pathogenic mechanism are discussed.

[Campylobacter enteritis. Review of a systematic research in a children's hospital (author's transl)]. / L'entérite à Campylobacter. Bilan d'une recherche systématique en milieu pédiatrique.

C jejuni was newly found as one of the first enteric pathogen. Its frequency in France was not often studied. The publishers report the results of a bacteriologic and clinic study during a six month period, in a children's hospital. C. jejuni was found 53 times. Those results set it at the second place after Salmonella. In a review of 37 patients, symptomatology shows the same characters already described. Epidemiology is not yet well known.

[Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and temperate areas childhood diarrheas (author's transl)]. / Escherichia coli entérotoxinogène et diarrhées infantiles des régions tempérées. Recherche d'un rôle éventuel.

We test for CFA and LT toxin 159 E. coli strains issued from endemic diarrheas in hospitalized children. Three strains belong to the CFA1 group but only one is LT toxin producing. This last one is isolated in feces of a child coming from topical areas.

Separation and partial characterization of two deoxyribonucleic acid polymerases from Spiroplasma citri.

The separation and partial characterization of two deoxyribonucleic acid polymerases from Spiroplasma citri have been achieved. The two enzymes had different elution properties on diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) cellulose and differed in their sensitivity to N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), preference for different template-primers, and sedimentation velocity in linear glycerol gradients. The first enzyme activity, ScA, was retained on DEAE-cellulose and was not inhibited by NEM. Activated deoxyribonucleic acid and poly(dA)-oligo(dT12) were the preferred template-primers. Arabinosyl-cytidine triphosphate had no effect. The sedimentation coefficient of ScA was 6.3s. The second activity, ScB, was not retained on DEAE-cellulose and was inhibited by NEM. Poly(dA)-oligo(dT12) was the preferred template-primer, whereas activated DNA was only poorly utilized. ScB was not affected by arabinosyl-cytidine triphosphate, and its sedimentation coefficient was 4.4s. The polymerization activities of the two enzymes were maximum at 37 to 40 degrees C.

[Urogenital infections and mycoplasms]. / Infections urogénitales et mycoplasmes.

The role of genital mycoplasmas, e.g. M. hominis and U. urealyticum in urogenital infections is controversial. 120 samples were taken in 95 men and 25 women with urogenital infections and examined in the laboratory. Mycoplasmas were found in about 32% of men and 52% of women. M. Hominis is often associated with gonococcal infection and seems to play only a secondary role. The frequent isolation of U. urealyticum in various types of urethritis (gonococcal and non-gonococcal) is roughly the same. In the absence of a control investigation in healthy subjects, it is not possible to say whether it plays any role in urethritis.

Composition and enzyme activities of Spiroplasma citri membranes.

Spiroplasma citri was cultured in three different media that supplied cholesterol and fatty acids from: (i) horse serum, (ii) pleuropneumonia-like organism (PPLO) serum fraction, or (iii) bovine serum albumin-fatty acid-cholesterol. The ability of PPLO serum fraction to support growth varied by lot number. Neither PPLO serum fraction nor the bovine serum albumin medium supported growth as well as the horse serum medium. Analysis of cholesterol, lipid phosphorus, and membrane protein showed the horse serum- and PPLO-grown cells to be indistinguishable, but the bovine serum albumin-grown cells were deficient in lipid phosphorus. The three cultures did not show markedly different fatty acid compositions, but, in all cases, the cultures preferentially incorporated palmitic acid and discriminated against linoleic acid. Cultures grown for different times from logarithmic growth through a degenerative phase showed relatively constant ratios of cholesterol/protein and lipid phosphorus/protein. Fatty acid composition was also relatively constant at the different stages. Adenosine triphosphatase and p-nitrophenyl phosphatase were mainly associated with the membrane, whereas reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidase was either readily removed or not associated with the membrane. The reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidase was inactivated at temperatures above 35 degrees C.