Search

The aim of this study was to explore the antimicrobial activity of human follicular fluid (HFF), to test the hypothesis that different strains of the same bacterial species could display different patterns of susceptibility to antimicrobial action of HFF, and to preliminarily investigate the possible mechanism of antimicrobial action of this fluid. Antimicrobial activity of 60 samples of HFF toward 30 Streptococcus agalactiae strains was determined by the agar diffusion method and broth dilution method. To explore the mechanism of antimicrobial activity, biochemical analyses were performed with selected fluid samples. The obtained results indicate that 38.3% fluid samples did not inhibit bacterial growth, 53.3% showed moderate and 8.3% high antimicrobial activity. The tested effect of HFF on S. agalactiae strains was bactericidal and was not strain dependent. Lysozyme activity was detected in HFF exhibiting antimicrobial activity. There were no statistically significant differences in concentrations of estradiol, progesterone, transferrin, iron, total protein and albumin levels among tested samples regardless of the different rate of antimicrobial activity. The obtained results indicate that lysozyme is most probably a crucial antibacterial agent in this fluid; however, some other still unidentified factors may contribute to it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the association of abnormal vaginal flora with pathological colposcopic and cytological findings.Materials and Methods: A total of 100 women of reproductive age were examined. Pregnant women were excluded. Each patient completed a self-administered questionnaire regarding sexual history and vaginal symptoms. All participants underwent a gynecological examination and colposcopy. Pap smear of the cervix and samples of vaginal discharge for microbiological analysis were obtained before the colposcopic examination. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher exact test, chi test, and multifactorial analysis of variance.Results: Results of colposcopic examination were normal in more than 70% of all examined women, except in women with bacterial vaginosis where < 30% had normal results. Of all the women examined only 1 did not have normal (class II) Pap smear results.Conclusions: Our study indicates that women with abnormal vaginal flora more often have pathological colposcopic findings, such as leukoplakia, vaginal hyperemia, and chronic cervicitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Biofilms are associated with persistent infections and resistant to conventional therapeutic strategies. The aim of this study was to investigate the quantity of biofilm produced on silicone intranasal splints., Methods: Quantity of biofilm formation on silicone splints (SS) was tested on 15 strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Moraxella catarrhalis, respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed in accordance with European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing recommendations., Results: All tested strains formed different amounts of biofilm on SS: 66.7% S. aureus and 93.3% M. catarrhalis were weak biofilm producers and 33.3% S. aureus and 6.7% M. catarrhalis were moderate biofilm producers. S. aureus formed significantly higher quantity of biofilm compared with M. catarrhalis (p < 0.05). Multidrug resistant S. aureus produced significantly higher amount of biofilm compared with non-multidrug resistant strains (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Quantity of biofilm on SS is highly dependent on bacterial species and their resistance patterns. Future studies are needed to ascertain another therapeutic option for prophylaxis prior to SS placement.

Bacterial vaginosis, earlier termed nonspecific vaginitis (anaerobic vaginosis) because of the absence of recognized pathogens, is most common vaginal syndrome of women of childbearing age affecting 15-30%. This syndrome, whose aetiology and pathogenesis remains unknown, is characterized by significant changes in the vaginal ecosystem. These changes consist of a decrease in the number of lactobacilli and a large increase in the number of anaerobic organisms. The bacteria adhere to desquamated epithelial cells with a distinctive appearance of clue cells The main complaints of women with symptomatic bacterial vaginosis include vaginal discharge and odour. However, a significant number of all women who have bacterial vaginosis deny symptoms. Bacterial vaginosis is associated with a number of gynaecologic and obstetric complications including cervicitis, cervical neoplasia, pelvic inflammatory disease, postoperative infections, and preterm labour.The diagnosis is most frequently made based on vaginal smear stained according to Gram (Nugent scoring method). Metronidazole and clindamycin are the drugs of choice for treatment of women with bacterial vaginosis. Which women should undergo treatment? According to the prevailing attitude, it should include women with symptoms. Symptomatic women with frequent relapses of bacterial vaginosisas, as a rule, have poor response to the applied therapy. To achieve better efficiency in the treatment of such women, it is necessary to have more extensive understanding of all factors in the pathogenesis of the syndrome.

Introduction: Cystic echinococcosis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by a tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. Liver infection is the most common form of human echinococcosis. Diagnosis of liver echinococcosis could be made by different methods. It is very important to have good anamnesis and epidemiological evaluation, clinical status and clinical investigations such as X-ray examination, ultrasonography, nuclear magnetic resonance, computerized tomography, laboratory analysis and serology. Different serologic tests could be used for diagnosis of echinococcosis: complement fixation test, immunoelectrophoresis, indirect haemagglutination, latex agglutination, indirect fluorescence test and enzyme immunoassays sush as ELISA test., Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate anti-E granulosus antibodies by ELISA test as a complementary laboratory method in the diagnosis of human echinococcosis., Method: In this study, we investigated 212 patients of suspected liver cystic echinococcosis. ELISA test was used for detection of whole anti-E granulosus IgG antibodies specific for AgB., Results: Out of 212 patients, in 26 (12.26%) patients echinococcosis was confirmed by ELISA test. In 7/26 patients who had data about the ultrasonographic morphological type of cyst according to Gharbi, high values of seropositivity were found. Borderline values were found in 15/212 (7.08%) patients. In three patients with borderline values, second sera samples were examined after 18-22 days. In one patient, the test showed the same value, in the second patient echinococcosis was confirmed while in the third, the test showed a negative value. In 171 (80.66%) patients, anti-Echinococcus antibodies were not found by ELISA test., Conclusion: It has already been known that serological investigation has some limitations, but detection of specific antibodies remains an indispensable mark in evaluation of suspected liver cystic echinococcosis patients.

Introduction: Helicobacterpylori induces gastric inflammation in host and such gastritis increases the risk of gastric and duodenal ulceration as well as adenocarcinoma. Because peptic ulcer disease is the major cause of morbidity, accurate diagnosis of H. pylori infection is very important. Unfortunately, there is no gold standard among diagnostic tests for Helicobacter infections. If gastroscopy is performed, histopathology and urease test are the most often used. Still, culturing of this bacterium is essential for drug susceptibility testing and analysis of virulence factors., Objective: The aim of this study was to compare three diagnostic procedures--histopathology, urease test and culture, which are used to verify H. pylori infection., Method: Three pairs of gastric mucosal biopsy specimens were collected from each of 28 dyspeptic patients undergoing endoscopy. Nineteen patients were not pretreated with antibiotics, while nine had received eradication therapy earlier. One pair of biopsy specimens was used for histopathologic examination, the second for urease test and the third was simultaneously cultured on nonselective and selective solid media. Isolate was identified as H. pylori on the basis of colony morphology, morphological properties and biochemical tests., Results: In 14 out of 28 patients, H. pylori infection was confirmed on the basis of results of all diagnostic procedures. The concordance of these three methods was very good, because the results of histopathology, urease test and culture corresponded in 26 from 28 patients., Conclusion: The conclusion of our study is that culture, as the method with high degree of concordance with other two procedures and the only that can give information on drug susceptibility of Helicobacter, is recommended for diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection along with histopathology and urease test.