[Importance of looking for specific IgM in serological investigations for syphilis]. / Importanza delle richerche delle IgM specifiche nelle indagini sierologiche per la lue.

Syphilis is still a quite common infection often lacking clinical symptoms and sometimes ignored. Serological tests have peculiar importance in order to settle the diagnosis and therapy. Traditional tests as VDRL and TPHA cannot clearly define the clinical pattern because these tests remain positive for a long period of time. Moreover they can prove the recovery of the patients only if they continue to give low titres. The immunofluorescence test FTA ABS, that raised interest at its outset, has low sensitivity against IgM specific antibodies and defines serological state of patients only in 50% of the cases. The reading of this test remains subjective. The authors intend to verify the importance to detect the IgM specific antibodies to assume medical and legal decisions in unknown subjects, without clinical knowledge. 20,000 sera of normal subjects and of risk group have been assayed. Specific IgM are absent in 60 clinically recovered subjects with VDRL and TPHA still positive, specific IgM are present in 15 cases of Syphilis under treatment and also in 15 subjects with unknown Syphilis. The results show that: 1) IgM specific antibodies for Syphilis are not detectable in patients under a long term antibiotic treatment while the traditional serological tests (VDRL, TPHA) are positive; 2) they are present in patients under treatment with still active infection; 3) they are also present in patients with ignored infection, never treated. In conclusion the Authors consider important to include in the panel of Syphilis testing new assays for the detection of specific IgM antibodies. This is particularly important in subjects under treatment and also in unknown subjects.

[Microbiological and chemical studies of the water from Lake Varese: isolation of Vibrio cholerae non 0-1]. / Indagini microbiologiche e chimiche su acque del lago di varese: isolamento di Vibrio cholerae non 0-1.

The authors examined Varese lake water for the research of Vibrios. The research was extended to the determination of fecal Coliforms, Salmonellae and chemical parameters. Three strains of Vibrio cholerae non 0-1 were isolated in three Moore tampons among 18 tampons examined . Any association between chemical parameters, determination of fecal Coliforms and the presence of Salmonellae and Vibrio cholerae non 0-1 was impossible.

Therapy of Klebsiella pneumoniae septicaemia in neutropenic rats.

The efficacy of intramuscular gentamicin, sisomicin, tobramycin and amikacin was evaluated in the antimicrobial therapy of septicaemia due to Klebsiella pneumoniae in an experimental model of infection in rats rendered neutropenic by cyclophosphamide. Animals were injected with a LD50 of micro-organisms and 4 hours later treated with a therapeutic i.m. dose of the antibiotics. In animals sacrificed at 0.5, 1 and 4 hours after antibiotic treatment, blood levels of aminoglycosides, bactericidal power of serum and quantitative cultures of peritoneal fluid and blood showed that the four antibiotics tested were effective in drastically reducing the number of bacteria in blood and in the peritoneum, concurrently with the bactericidal power of the serum, though with sisomicin preceding in order of activity gentamicin, amikacin and tobramycin.

[Isolation and significance of Vibrio cholera NAG]. / Isolamento e significato di Vibrio cholerae NAG.

After the isolation of two Vibrio cholerae NAG from the stools of two tourists, the authors researched Vibrio in people coming home from particular countries and in resident people. The research was extended to the water of Varese lake after another isolation from a fisher who had fished, cooked and eaten the lake fish. Problems concerning the classification of Vibrio and their presence in the environment are examined.

[Antibacterial activity in vitro of several aminoglycosides and cephalosporins]. / Attivita' antibatterica "in vitro" di alcuni aminoglicosidi e cefalosporine.

The "in vitro" rate of killing on different microorganisms was studied for three cephalosporins (cephazolin, cefuroxime and cefoxitin) and four aminoglycosides (gentamicin, tobramycin, sisomicin and amikacin). In all experiments an inoculum effect and a negative influence by adding plasma to the nutrient broth were observed, the latter phenomenon being more pronounced with cephalosporins than with aminoglycosides. While the "in vitro" effects of antibiotic concentrations equal to the MIC or to the MBC were informing on the intrinsic antibacterial activity of single drugs, a more satisfactory approach to therapeutic reality was provided by studying the "in vitro" effects of concentrations equal to peak blood level or to the logarythmic mean of blood level, that is a parameter which contributes to the blood-tissue diffusion gradient. Our data show that antibiotics provided with an higher peak blood level and a more sustained logarythmic mean of blood concentrations, and an higher ratio between these two kinetics parameters and MIC or MBC, are favoured in the experimental system here adopted.