The effects of regular hot black tea consumption on nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the possible relationship between oral consumption of hot black tea and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal carriage in a mid-sized town population in central Anatolia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nasal swabs were taken from a total of 109 subjects (53 females, 56 males; mean age 34.4 years; range 18 to 65 years) including 55 non-tea drinkers and 54 subjects consuming more than 10 cups of tea a day. The MRSA positivity in the nasal cultures was investigated. RESULTS: In the tea consumer group MRSA was cultured in 10 subjects. Twenty-one subjects' nasal cultures were positive for MRSA in the non-tea drinkers. We found a statistically significant difference in the nasal MRSA carriage among tea drinkers and non-tea drinkers. CONCLUSION: Our study findings indicate a lower incidence of nasal MRSA carriage in tea drinkers, suggesting that certain soluble tea compounds may exhibit some antibacterial properties when consumed orally.

The comparison of antibody response to influenza vaccination in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis and renal transplantation patients.

BACKGROUND: The immune system in renal transplant (Tx), Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) and hemodialysis (HD) patients have been suppressed and antibody response to vaccination is weaker than that of the normal population. Additionally immune response to vaccination also differs from each other in aforementioned three groups resulting from different levels immunosuppression. In the present study, detection of antibody response to influenza vaccine as an indicator of the level of immunity in Tx, CAPD and HD patients was aimed PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-eight patients (17 Tx, 16 CAPD and 15 HD) and 10 healthy adults, as a control group were enrolled into the study. Purified, split-virus, commercial trivalent influenza vaccine (VAXIGRIP--Pasteur Merieux Connaught, single dose of 0.5 ml into the deltoid muscle) containing 15 microg of each hemagglutinin of A/Johannesburg/82/96 (H1N1), A/Nachang/933/95 (H3N2) and B/Harbin/07/94 (B) strains were administered to all subjects. Serum samples were collected before and 1 month after vaccination to determine antibody titers. Hemagglutination-inhibition test (HI) was applied for determination of antibody response. The antibody response against each strain was measured separately. In addition to measurement of antibody response, increments in antibody titer (n-fold increase in titer), proportion of patients with protective antibody levels and seroconversion levels were taken into account. Wilcoxon paired 2 test and Mann-Whitney U test were applied for statistical analysis. p < 0.05 was accepted as significance level. RESULTS: Significant increases in antibody titers for all three antigens were observed in the study groups after vaccination (p = 0.001). However, the increase in titer of H3N2 was lower in Tx, CAPD and HD patients than that of the control group (1.0-2.0 vs 5.00) (p = 0.01). The proportion of protective antibody titers and seroconvertions were increased after vaccination in all subjects. Proportions of patients with protective antibody titers after vaccination were lower in Tx, CAPD and HD groups in comparison to control group. CONCLUSION: Although antibody titers in Tx, CAPD and HD patients presented significant increases after vaccination, the proportions of patients with protective antibody titers were lower in comparison to control group. Tx, CAPD and HD patients should be vaccinated every year to be able avoid potential morbidity and mortality of the influenza infection. Trial of high dose vaccination protocols may be useful to increase the proportion of patients with protective antibody levels.

Detección del herpesvirus 7 humano en la pitiriasis rosada mediante PCR seriada / Detection of human herpesvirus 7 in pityriasis rosea by nested RCP

La presentación clínica, los estudios inmunológicos, la microscopia óptica y la microscopia electrónica sugieren que la pitiriasis rosada (PR) tiene una etiología viral. Objetivo: Evaluar si el herpes virus humano 7 (HVH-7) es un factor etiológico de la PR. Pacientes y métodos: Se incluyeron en el estudio 21 pacientes con PR (12 mujeres y 9 hombres), de edades comprendidas entre 12 y 52 años, cuyos diagnósticos fueron confirmados clínica e histopatológicamente. Se deteminó la duración de la enfermedad. Se recogieron muestras de material de biopsia de 5 mm por punción tisular de todos los pacientes y de 6 voluntarios sanos (3 mujeres y 3 hombres) que actuaron como controles. Se realizó reacción en cadena de la polimetasa (PCR) seriada con cebadores específicos para las secuencias de ADN de HVH-7 (tecnología OPERON, secuencias externas HV-7S/HV-8ª y secuencias internas HV-10S/HV-11ª) en todos los tejidos. Los productos de la PCR se analizaron por electroforesis en gel de agarosa al 2 por ciento. Después de colocar los marcadores del peso molecular (Ha=174) y visualizarse en un transiluminador de ultravioleta, se sumergieron en el gel y se tomaron fotografías. Resultados: La edad promedio de los pacientes con PR fue 29,86 +/- 11,77 años y la de los controles, 25,33 + 11,69. La duración media de la enfermedad fue de 16,28 +/- 15,74 días. Se detectaron secuencias de ADN herpesvirus 7 en seis de los pacientes con PR (28,57 por ciento). La duración media de la enfermedad fue de 11,67 +/- 9,85 en los pacientes que expresaban HVH-7 (pacientes números 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9) y 18,13 +/- 17,05 en los pacientes que no expresaban HVH-7, y no hubo diferencias estadísticamente significativas en ninguno de los grupos (U=29,5, W=50,5, p=0,2241, el test de la U de MannWhitney, el test de la W de la suma de ranfos de Wilcoson). En inguna de las muestras de los controles se encontró HVH-7 en la PCR seriada. No hubo diferencias estadísticamente significativas en cuanto a la presencia de secuencias de ADN de HVH-7 entre los pacientes con pitiriasis rosada y los controles (p=0,2843, test exacto de Fisher de dos ramas). Conclusión: Nuestros resultados no confirmaron el papel de HVH-7 en la patogenia de la PR (AU)

Detection of human herpesvirus 7 in pityriasis rosea by nested PCR.

BACKGROUND: Clinical presentation, immunologic, light microscopic, and electron microscopic studies suggest a viral etiology for pityriasis rosea (PR). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) is an etiologic factor for PR. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-one PR patients (12 female, nine male) aged between 12 and 52 years, whose diagnoses were confirmed clinically and histopathologically, were included in the study. The duration of the disease was questioned. Tissue samples of 5-mm punch biopsy material were collected from the patients and from six healthy volunteers (three female, three male) as the controls. Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with specific primers for HHV-7 DNA sequences (OPERON technologies Inc., HV-7S/HV-8A external sences and HV-10S/HV11A internal sences) was performed on each tissue sample. Polymerase chain reaction products were analyzed by electrophoresis on 2% agarose gels. After molecular weight markers (Haphi174) had been placed and visualized on an ultraviolet transilluminator, the gels were immersed and photographs were taken. RESULTS: The mean age was 29.86 +/- 11.77 for the PR patients and 25.33 +/- 11.69 for the controls. The mean duration of the disease was 16.28 +/- 15.74 days. Human herpesvirus 7 DNA sequences were detected in six of the PR patients (28.57%). The mean duration of the disease was calculated as 11.67 +/- 9.85 for the HHV-7-positive patients (patient nos. 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9) and 18.13 +/- 17.05 for the HHV-7-negative patients, and there was no statistically significant differences in either of the groups (U = 29.5, W = 50.5, P = 0.2241, using the Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon's rank sum W-tests). Nested PCR was negative for HHV-7 in all of the specimens from the controls. There was no statistically significant difference for the presence of HHV-7 DNA sequence between the PR patients and the controls (P = 0.2843, Fisher's exact two-tail analysis test). CONCLUSION: Our results failed to support a possible role for HHV-7 in the pathogenesis of PR.