Assessment of susceptibility of mould isolates towards biocides.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the susceptibility of 77 mould strains: Aspergillus fumigatus (20), Aspergillus flavus (8), Aspergillus niger (4), Aspergillus ochraceus (2), Penicillium citrinum (15), Penicillium crysogenum (14), Penicillium aurantiogriseum (1), Penicillium roquefortii (4), Penicillium paneum (2), Rhizopus spp. (3), Tricoderma spp. (1) and Mucor spp. (3) to biocides. METHODS: MIC determination was determined based on CLSI methodology. RESULTS: For hospital acquired strains, MIC50 was 0.5mg/L, MIC90 was 1mg/L for chlorhexidine (CHX); MIC50 was 0.5mg/L, and MIC90 was 1mg/L for benzalkonium chloride (BZC); MIC50 was 1mg/L, and MIC90 was 2mg/L for triclosan (TRC); MIC50 was 1024mg/L, and MIC90 was 2048mg/L for sodium hypochloride (SHC). For feed and food isolates MIC50 was 2mg/L, MIC90 was 8mg/L for CHX, MIC50 was 2mg/L, and MIC90 was 4mg/L for BZC, MIC50 was 2mg/L, and MIC90 was 4mg/L for TRC, MIC50 was 256mg/L, and MIC90 was 512mg/L for SHC. CONCLUSION: We can conclude that food isolates presented slightly higher MIC50 and MIC90 values for CHX, BNZ and TRC, but not for SHC.

Cytokine levels in patients with Epstein-Barr virus associated laryngeal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Some researchers have suggested that Epstein-Barr virus may play a role in the pathogenesis of laryngeal malignancies. In order to clarify the role of cytokines in this disease context, the current study aimed to determine the serum levels of cytokines in Epstein-Barr virus DNA positive patients with laryngeal carcinoma. SUBJECTS: The study included 10 patients with diagnosed laryngeal carcinoma and Epstein-Barr virus DNA positive tumour tissue samples. The control group comprised 10 Epstein-Barr virus DNA negative patients diagnosed with laryngeal carcinoma, 10 patients with acute Epstein-Barr virus infection and 10 healthy individuals. METHOD: Serum cytokine levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The Epstein-Barr virus DNA positive and negative laryngeal carcinoma patients showed no differences regarding serum levels of the following cytokines: interleukins 1beta, 2, 6 and 12, tumour necrosis factor alpha, and interferon gamma. However, serum levels of interleukin 10 and transforming growth factor beta1 were significantly higher in Epstein-Barr virus DNA positive laryngeal carcinoma patients compared with Epstein-Barr virus DNA negative laryngeal carcinoma patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the cytokines interleukin 10 and transforming growth factor beta1 may act as growth factors in Epstein-Barr virus related laryngeal carcinoma. These cytokines may thus represent potential targets for molecular therapeutic treatment for laryngeal carcinoma; they may also be useful as indicators of disease prognosis.