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The aim of this study was to estimated hydrophobic and hemnagglutinating properties of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella oxytoca rods. The hydrophobcity was evaluated according to the method of Rosenberg et al. The hemagglutinating properties were estimated by method of Blanco et al. Forty seven hydrophobic Klebsiella strains (30 K. pneumoniae strains and 17 K. oxytoca strains) were detected. Hemagglutinating properties were observed in 65 Klebsiella strains (45 K. pneumoniae strains and 20 K. oxytoca strains). Hemagglutination of sheep tannined erythrocytes the most frequently was observed. Inhibition of hemagglutination of erythrocytes by K. pneumoniae strains was most frequently observed in presence of D-glucose and D-mannose and by K. oxytoca strains in presence of D-glucose.

Although many years have passed since Borrelia burgdorferi was first identified, advances in understanding biology and clinical course of infection made and new diagnostic procedures developed, Lyme disease is still difficult to diagnose. Therefore, it is often wrongly diagnosed and unnecessarily treated. In this paper we analyzed the latest data on Lyme disease diagnostic methods, paying much attention to their limitations and correct interpretation of results. In routine diagnosis of this diseases, indirect tests, based on the detection of specific IgM and IgG antibodies, are most useful. The Lyme disease diagnosis should begin with screening tests, which are highly sensitive but not specific enough and sometimes yield false positive results, then all positive results should be verified by confirmation tests, which allow to distinguish between true positive results and healthy individuals with false positive ones.

Massive fetomaternal hemorrhage is defined as a loss of more than 30-50ml of fetal blood, transferred into maternal circulation. It can lead to severe anemization of the fetus and its consequences such as fetal hydrops or stillbirth. We present a case in which the diagnosis was based on the decresased fetal movement and pathological cardiotocography record. The Kleihauer-Betke test revealed a high percentage of fetal cells and allowed to state a proper diagnosis. An immediate cesarean section was performed and the lab tests confirmed severe anemization of the newborn.

Bacteria possess many surface membrane properties, both mechanical and biochemical, that allow them to interact with their environment These properties may affect a host in either positive (beneficial) or negative (pathological) ways. All surface properties of bacteria are yet unknown therefore we attempt to increase our knowledge regarding specific strains of lactobacilli, by examining the known properties including hemagglutination and hydrophobicity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cell surface properties of certain strains of Lactobacillus. These strains isolated from the human vagina and gastrointestinal tract were selected because of their antagonism toward aerobic and anaerobic bacterial pathogens. Part I discusses the hydrophobicity and hemagglutination abilities of these Lactobacillus strains.

The objective of the study was the analysis of occurrence and number of Candida in the alimentary tract of 209 patients with intestinal amoebiasis considering their state after the treatment. Amoebiasis was diagnosed on the grounds of Entamoeba histolytica present in the faeces, what has just recently been recognised equal to the presence of E. histolytica complex. In all patients serological investigations were performed using indirect haemagglutination (IHA) test. The cases with relapses or with the intestinal ailments after elimination of the parasite from the body at the simultaneous isolation of Candida in the faeces were focused on. In the compass of several years a wide number of qualitative and quantitative mycological tests were performed comprising 39 patients with relapses after symptomatic amoebiasis and 42 with ailments which had appeared after the treatment form asymptomatic amoebiasis. Observation of the dynamics of number of Candida cells revealed most often their increment in subsequent examinations. It occurred in 69% people examined after the treatment of asymptomatic amoebiasis and in 40,9% after the treatment of symptomatic amoebiasis. The differences obtained were statistically significant. The number of yeast remained at the same high level in 23,8% patients after asymptomatic amoebiasis and in 36% after symptomatic amoebiasis. Drop of Candida cells number was noted in 7,1% people after asymptomatic amoebiasis and in 11,4% after symptomatic amoebiasis. In the light of the results obtained it turns possible that suffering from amoebiasis could even in the long run affect Candida tendency to proliferate or the tendency to remain at the same high level. It may be presumed that the growing number of yeast was an important reason for the intestinal ailments after the elimination of E. histolytica. The results of mycoserological investigations also were taken into consideration.

The results of serological tests for the detection of antibodies against pertussis toxin by means of the ELISA test, and endotoxin of B. pertussis in the passive haemagglutination test were analysed. The levels of IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies were determined for 95% of serum samples of 108 children in control group (without evidence of respiratory infections) for establishing of the correlation of these with the age of these children. In the light of these data the results were evaluated of testing of 136 serum samples taken from 127 children with suspected whooping-cough. The highest diagnostic importance had the demonstration of high IgA or/and IgG immunoglobulins level against pertussis toxin in ELISA test, or tracing of the rate of rise of antipertussis antibodies in the passive haemagglutination test with B. pertussis endotoxin in children with clinical symptoms of whooping-cough.

One of the important factors contributing to the pathogenicity of bacteria is the presence of adhesins on cell surface, which facilitate colonisation in the macroorganism. The presence and type of adhesins occurring in four species of the genus Acinetobacter: A. baumannii (184), A. junii (59), A. lwoffii (65) and A. haemolyticus (22) was determined by haemagglutination test with a 3% suspension of fresh, tannic acid-treated of guinea pig, cow and human group O and AB erythrocytes, with or without the addition of one of sugar inhibitors (D-mannose, alpha-methylmannopyranoside, D-galactose-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, L-fucose and D-ribose). In strains from all species, adhesines of the mannose-resistant (MR) type dominated. The mannose-sensitive (MS) type was present solely on the surface of one A. lwoffii strains. A. baumannii (36), A. junii (8), A. lwoffii (11) and A. haemolyticus (4) exhibited mannose-resistant hemagglutination in relation to fresh erythrocytes and that reaction was restrained by D-galactose, D-galactose and L-fucose (no other inhibitor used restrained it). The results achieved prove that cell adhesines other than those of MR type must be present on the cell surface. Additional adhesines occurred mainly in strains isolated from the respiratory and urinary tract infection simples, but were not found in isolates from blood cultures.

The antigens were prepared from three B. thetaiotaomicron strains of different origin (NCTC 10582--reference strain, 312/85--isolated from a pancreas fistula drain of a patient, and 9/18--derived from normal human intestinal microflora). Lipopolysaccharides were extracted by the hot phenol-water method and purified by nuclease tretment. Degradation of lipopolysaccharides was achieved by mild acid hydrolysis obtaining polysaccharide (PS) and lipid (LA) fractions. Capsular polysaccharide (CPS) was extracted from the clinical strain 312/85 producing thick capsules. Antibacterial sera were prepared by immunization of rabbits with formolized suspensions of investigated strains. HA and IHA were performed with all antigens and immune sera. Examined cell-surface antigens (LPSs and CPS) were capable of coating formolized sheep erythrocytes. The titres obtained in the passive hemagglutination test in homologous reactions were 160-320. Polysaccharide fractions (PS) prepared by means of mild acid hydrolysis of LPSs were unable to coat formolized sheep red blood cells. The activity of sensitization of sheep erythrocytes was revealed by lipid fractions of LPSs. All preparations were active as inhibitors in the inhibition of passive hemagglutination. The strongest inhibitors in homologous systems were polysaccharide fractions of LPSs and capsular polysaccharide (the concentration of inhuibitor 8-15 micrograms/ml). The results of performed serological tests indicated the antigenic similarity of standard B. thetaiotaomicron strain NCTC 10582 and clinical strain 312/85. The strain 9/18 from normal human intestinal microflora showed distinct antigenicity. High-molecular cell-surface B. thetaiotaomicron antigens containing carbohydrates (LPS and CPS) can be applied in the passive hemagglutination test and in the inhibition of passive hemagglutination.

The study was aimed at evaluation of usefulness of immunoenzymatic Dot-ELISA test and an own latex test (OL) for diagnosis of infections evoked by group D Salmonella in humans with application of passive hemagglutination test (OHS) as a relation test. Samples of blood donors, persons suspected of infection with group D Salmonella and of patients with acute gastroenteritis, were tested. In highest percentage of tested samples of serum derived from blood donors (84.5%), antibodies for 9, 12 antigen with Dot-ELISA were detected in immunoglobulin G class. In class IgM these antibodies were found in 46.5% of tested samples, whereas in IgA class only in 11.9% of samples. By application of passive hemagglutination, antibodies against 9, 12 antigen were detected in 56.8% of serum samples from blood donors and by application of a latex test in 8.7% of samples. Evaluation of antibody level of somatic antigen of group D Salmonella in healthy people formed a basis for determination for each of tests of a borderline serum titer accepted as diagnostically significant for specific antigenic stimulation. It permitted for analysis of variability of differences between the level of antibodies for 9, 12 antigen determined in blood donor serum and in patients from other two groups. By all three tests antibodies for 9, 12 antigen were detected significantly more frequently than in blood donors only in samples from patients suspected of Salmonella D infections. In highest percentage of samples (80.4%) these antibodies were detected by the Dot-ELISA test in IgM and IgG classes, slightly lower in OL (70.7% of samples) and in lowest in OHB (57.4% of samples). In samples of serum from patients with acute gastroenteritis, antibodies against 9, 12 antigen were found significantly more frequently than in blood donors only by the Dot-ELISA test in all classes of immunoglobulins (IgM-87.4%, IgA-56.2% and IgG-62.5% of serum samples).

The study was aimed at comparison of concordance of results obtained by Dot-ELISA, latex (OL) and passive hemagglutination (OHB) tests used for determination of antibodies for 9, 12 Salmonella antigen in serum of selected groups of humans. The basis for this comparison was frequency of detection in each of the test of antibodies for 9, 12 antigen in the titer accepted as diagnostically significant. Results of OHB and OL were concordant in 91.7%, whereas by application of OHB and Dot-ELISA it concerned 60.04% of cases. The concordance of OL and Dot-ELISA was equal to 60%. Agreement of results obtained by comparative tests was statistically significant. Parallel detection by Dot-ELISA, OL and OHB of antibodies for 9, 12 antigen in samples from patients with infection has demonstrated that complete concordance of results of all three tests was obtained in 29 out of 68 tested samples. These results suggest suitability of both Dot-ELISA and OL tests in evaluation of antibody level for antigen 9, 12 of group D Salmonella. It was found that most useful diagnostic procedure should involve parallel application of two tests: OL and Dot-ELISA or OHB and Dot-ELISA.

Haemagglutinating properties of 345 P. mirabilis strains isolated from various clinical samples were determined. Red blood cells of different origin as human group 0, bovine, horse, sheep and rat were used for the study. For the detection of MS and MR/P haemagglutinins the haemagglutination reaction was run with and without D-mannose. On the other hand, for the detection of type MR/K haemagglutinins tanned human and bovine erythrocytes were used. The majority of tested strains (90.14%) was polyhaemagglutinating i.e. showed simultaneously the presence of two or three haemagglutinins. Only three strains of P. mirabilis (0.87%) did not agglutinate any of the erythrocytes used for the study. The majority of strains (95.83-100%) in specific groups of clinical materials showed the presence of MR/K+ while MR/P+ 45.45-93.75% of strains and MS+ 45.83-73.1% of tested strains. Out of P. mirabilis strains isolated from urine, faeces and blood the highest percentage possessed at the same time all three haemagglutinin types (MS+, MR/K+, MR/P+) or pattern MR/K+, MR/P+. Bronchial isolates had usually pattern MR/K+ (31.82%) and strains isolated from skin possessed haemagglutinins of pattern MR/K+, MR/P+ (50%) and MS+, MR/K+, MR/P+ (43.75%). Among strains expressing MR/P+ at 37 degrees C a great differentiation of spectrum activity against tested erythrocytes was seen. Undoubtedly, the majority of MR/P+ strains from specific groups of clinical materials (with the exception of urine) agglutinated sheep and horse erythrocytes with and without D-mannose. The majority of strains isolated from urine agglutinated sheep and bovine erythrocytes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Guinea pigs sensitized with DNCB, K2Cr2O7, epidian 5, hardener Z1 and dye B, in which epidermal tests confirmed sensitization, exhibited, 24 hours after the test termination, increased agglutination of neutrophils. In the blood of animals sensitized with dye B using the Polak and Türk, as well as Magnusson and Kligman techniques, percentage indices of agglutination, whether spontaneous or induced by adding 25 micrograms of the allergen, were 2,40 and 8,90 for DNCB, 6,72 and 13.30 for K2Cr2O7, 7.61 and 12.59 for epidian 5, 8.69 and 11.63 for hardener Z1, 1.38 and 2.15 and 2.17 and 3.21 for dye B. The average (from 6 control groups) number of neutrophils, both those self-agglutinated and those induced by allergen, was 2.54 and 3.24, respectively. No increase in neutrophils agglutination in guinea pigs sensitized with the Alekseeva and Sumska technique-exhibiting no allergy--was found. The results point to the usability of determinations of neutrophils agglutination in blood as an auxiliary index confirming sensitivity to a given allergen.