Effect of guar gum on blood lipids.

The effect of guar gum in capsule form on serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoprotein cholesterol (very low-density lipoproteins, low-density lipoproteins, and high-density lipoproteins) was studied in healthy volunteers in this double-blind study. Twenty-four subjects equally divided into treatment and placebo groups, received 9.0 g/day of guar and glucose in 600 mg identical capsules, respectively, for 4 wk under conditions of constant body weight and dietary stability. Guar significantly lowered serum total cholesterol (16.6% p less than 0.05) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (25.6% p less than 0.05) but had no significant effect (p less than 0.05) on serum triglycerides, high-density lipoproteins and very low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. No significant changes (p greater than 0.05) were seen in blood lipids in the placebo group.

Detection of herpes simplex virus by biotinylated DNA probes.

Clinical specimens from 159 patients suspected with herpes simplex virus (HSV) were examined by monoclonal antibody immunofluorescence (IF) and by a commercial biotinylated DNA probe kit following cell culture isolation. Herpes simplex virus was isolated from 57 samples. All cultures were positive by IF when the cytopathic effect (CPE) was less than 1+ but only 49 (86%) yielded positive reaction with the DNA probe when CPE was at least 1+. A total of 54 clinical specimens was also examined directly by immunoperoxidase histopathology (IHP), IF, and DNA hybridization. Of these, 16 were positive by IHP, 15 by IF, and only five by DNA probe. The DNA probe kit was found to be reasonably sensitive only after cell culture isolation of HSV. Compared to the IF procedure, the DNA probe kit was found to be costly, labor intensive, and time consuming.

Incidence of rotaviral gastroenteritis at a referral centre in Saudi Arabia.

The incidence of gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus was investigated at a referral hospital in Saudi Arabia over a period of 4.5 years. Of the 1,729 patients with suspected infection, 547 (31.6%) were positive for rotavirus infection. Most were inpatients (65) and 75.7% of the patients were under 12 years of age. Of the 414 positive patients under 12 years of age, 63% were inpatients. Similarly, 74.4% of the 25-year nad older group were inpatients. However, 40.3% of them were abnormal hosts because they either harbored neoplasms or had undergone bone marrow transplantation.

Cytomegalovirus detection by biotinylated DNA probes.

Clinical specimens from 317 patients suspected of cytomegalovirus infection were examined by immunofluorescence (IF) using monoclonal antibodies and by a biotinylated DNA probe kit after cell culture isolation. Of the 317 samples, 68 were positive by culture isolation. Of these 67 were IF positive when the cytopathic effect (CPE) was 1+ or less, whereas 56 gave positive results with DNA probes when the CPE was 2+. A further 83 specimens were examined directly by immunoperoxidase histopathology (IHP), IF and the DNA probe kit: 26 of these were positive by IHP examination, 25 by IF and only 6 by DNA probes. The sensitivity of the DNA probe kit was not satisfactory when the clinical tissue specimens were directly examined. However, the sensitivity improved considerably to 82% if the specimens were propagated first in cell culture. The IF method detected the virus before and after cell culture isolation equally well (96%-98.5%). Compared to the IF method, the DNA probe kit is costly and requires more labor and time.

Genetic relatedness of ciprofloxacin-resistant Shigella dysenteriae type 1 strains isolated in south Asia.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to determine the clonal relationships of ciprofloxacin-resistant Shigella dysenteriae type 1 strains isolated from south Asia, and S. dysenteriae 1 strains associated with epidemics in 1978, 1984 and 1994. METHODS: The antimicrobial susceptibilities were examined by NCCLS methods. Molecular epidemiological characterization was performed by plasmid profiling, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and mutation analysis of the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) of gyrA by sequencing. RESULTS: Plasmid patterns of the current ciprofloxacin-resistant strains from India, Nepal and Bangladesh were very similar to those of the 1978, 1984 and 1994 epidemic isolates of S. dysenteriae 1, except for the presence of a new plasmid of approximately 2.6 MDa, which was found in one recent ciprofloxacin-resistant strain isolated in Bangladesh. PFGE analysis showed that the ciprofloxacin-resistant strains isolated in Bangladesh, India and Nepal belonged to a PFGE type (type A), which was possibly related to that of the 1984 and 1994 clone of S. dysenteriae 1, but different from 1978 epidemic strains. The current ciprofloxacin-resistant strains belong to five subtypes (A3-A7), all of which were found in India, but in Bangladesh and Nepal, only A3 existed. Mutation analysis of the QRDR of gyrA revealed that amino acid substitutions at positions 83 and 87 of ciprofloxacin-resistant strains isolated in Bangladesh were similar to those of the strains isolated in Nepal, but different (at position 87) from ciprofloxacin-resistant strains isolated in India. CONCLUSIONS: PFGE and mutation analysis of gyrA showed differences between the current ciprofloxacin-resistant S. dysenteriae 1 strains isolated in south Asia and those associated with epidemics in 1978, 1984 and 1994.