The Demonstration of N. Gonorrhoeae with the Aid of Fluorescent Antibodies. 1. Immunological Studies of Antigonococcal Sera and Their Fluorescein-Labelled Globulins, with Particular Regard to Specificity
Detection of Enteropathogenic Escherichia Coli in a Swedish Watercourse (the River Fyris) by Means of Fluorescent Antibodies and by Conventional Methods
Acta Paediatrica, 1964
After the basic work by Bray [l] and Taylor et al. [17] there are now a large number of E. coli s... more After the basic work by Bray [l] and Taylor et al. [17] there are now a large number of E. coli serotypes considered to be associated with epidemic infantile diarrhoea. They are most frequently isolated in connection with epidemic outbreaks in hospitals or children’s homes, but they are also found in children who fall ill outside a hospital. The ways by which the illness is spread from case to case are well known [lo, 151 but less is known about the extra-human occurrence of the serotypes and about possible reservoirs of infection. Recently Ewing [7] has issued a report covering an 11-year period from 19501960 of the sources of E. coli cultures belonging to serotypes associated with infantile diarrhoea. Most of these were isolated from faeces originating from, humans and animals with diarrhoea, but strains were also isolated from extraintestinal sources, viz. cheese, tap water and milk. The occurrence of enteropathogenic E. coli in specimens of non-faecal origin has been reported by Jones [8] . I n France E. coli 026B6, 055B5 and 0111 B-l have been isolated from different drinking-water sources by Monnet et al.
Investigation of the immune response to aerobic and anaerobic intestinal bacteria in a patient with Crohn's disease
PubMed, 1979
The immune response to aerobic and anaerobic intestinal bacteria in a patient with Crohn's diseas... more The immune response to aerobic and anaerobic intestinal bacteria in a patient with Crohn's disease with an intestinal fistula was investigated with various serological techniques. Two aerobic bacterial species, E. dispar and P. mirabilis, and four strict anaerobic bacterial species, B. fragilis ss. fragilis, F. varium and two different strains of C. perfringens, were isolated from fistula secretion of the patient. These strains were used as antigens for tube agglutination, passive hemagglutination, indirect immunofluorescence and immune hemolysis assays with serum specimens obtained before and after operation of the patient. Immune responses were demonstrated to the aerobic as well as to the anaerobic bacterial strains isolated from the patient's fistula. In connection with the operation an active immune response was demonstrated to the aerobic and anaerobic bacterial isolates. Antibodies belonging to IgG and IgA took part in the active immune response while IgM was very little involved. Antibodies responsible for passive hemagglutination reactions were resistant to treatment with beta-mercaptoethanol. Antibodies to aerobic and anaerobic Gram-negative rods were shown to have complement fixing activity. The importance of the demonstrated antibodies for the host's defence against normal intestinal microorganisms and the inflammatory reaction as a consequence of chronic antigenic stimulation in the diseased part of the intestine in patients with Crohn's disease is discussed.
Endothelial cells were prepared from rat heart, and the ability of various bacterial species to a... more Endothelial cells were prepared from rat heart, and the ability of various bacterial species to adhere to these cells was investigated, with special regard to alpha-hemolytic streptococci. The endothelial cells were identified by morphology and by the presence of F VIII antigen. Seventeen bacterial strains representing various species were used in the in vitro adherence tests; 10 strains represented various strains of alpha-hemolytic streptococci, 5 of which were isolated from patients with infective endocarditis and 5 from the throats of healthy individuals; 2 were Neisseria meningitidis, 2 N. gonorrhoeae, 2 S. aureus and 1 E. coli. The highest adherence rate was found for alpha-hemolytic streptococci isolated from patients with infective endocarditis. The difference compared to camer strains of alpha-hemolytic streptococci and to the other tested strains was statistically highly significant.
Susceptibility of Bacteroides Species to Metronidazole during Treatment of Patients with Crohn's Disease and Healthy Individuals
Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases, Mar 1, 1982
Patients with Crohn's disease are usually treated with metronidazole for long periods wit... more Patients with Crohn's disease are usually treated with metronidazole for long periods with the risk of selecting resistant bowel bacteria. This could have serious clinical and epidemiological implications, especially with regard to Bacteroides fragilis which is the most common cause of severe anaerobic infections. An investigation was therefore undertaken with the use of an agar dilution method to examine the susceptibility to metronidazole of B. fragilis and other common Bacteroides species isolated from faeces before, during and after treatment of patients with Crohn's disease amd healthy individuals. Before treatment, or during medication with sulphasalazine, 88% of the strain tested showed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC values) of less than or equal to 1 mg/l and none had MIC values greater than 4 mg/l. The MIC values were significantly increased during metronidazole treatment (p less than 0.02), with a maximum value of 8 mg/l. No significant changes were noted for the MIC values of strains isolated before and 1 week to 1 month after treatment (p greater than 0.1). It is concluded that it is important to examine the MIC values of bacteroides isolates from patients with long term treatment with metronidazole, especially with regard to treatment failure.
Gonorrhoea and syphilis in Sweden--past and present
PubMed, 1990
Gonorrhoea and syphilis that belong to our oldest recognized sexually transmitted diseases (STD) ... more Gonorrhoea and syphilis that belong to our oldest recognized sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are also the prototypes of curable STDs. After the discovery of the causative organisms, Neisseria gonorrhoeae in 1879 and Treponema pallidum in 1905, diagnostic tests were developed and by this, in conjunction with instituted regulations and legislation, means were created for public health authorities to collect statistical data. Sweden has fairly reliable statistics of both syphilis and gonorrhoea from 1912 and onwards, and these data show many interesting characteristics. Syphilis was prevalent in Sweden among both males and females during World War (WW) I and peaked in 1920 with an incidence rate of 150 and 75 per 100,000 population, respectively. The incidence figures fell rapidly after 1920 and reached a low of less than 30 cases per 100,000 in the mid 1920s, probably as a result of systemic treatment with Salvarsan in conjunction with vigorous contact tracing, two important measures to bring an infectious disease under epidemiological control. There was a slight increase of male syphilis in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and of both male and female cases during WW II which never reached the incidence figures of WW I. Penicillin was introduced in the mid 1940s for treatment and was proved superior to Salvarsan. The incidence figures have been very low ever since the early 1950s.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Serology of Campylobacter Fetus Ss. Jejuni (»Related« Campylobacters)
Acta pathologica et microbiologica Scandinavica, Aug 15, 2009
Rabbit antisera against two strains of Campylobacter fetus ss. fetus (serotype A), two strains of... more Rabbit antisera against two strains of Campylobacter fetus ss. fetus (serotype A), two strains of C. fetus ss. intestinalis (serotypes A and B respectively), and eight stains of C. fetus ss. jejuni were used in serological studies of these strains with the use of co-agglutination (COA), line-rocket immunoelectrophoresis (L-RIE) and rocket-line immunoelectrophoresis (R-LIE). Whole bacterial cells, either heated at 56 degrees C. boiled or atuoclaved, were used in COA tests. Unheated sonicates were used in L-RIE, and sonicates, unheated, boiled or autoclaved, in R-LIE. The antigenic properties of C. fetus ss. fetus and C. fetus ss. intestinalis were distinctly different from those of the thermophilic C. fetus ss. jejuni strains as shown both by COA and L-RIE. Serotypes A and B of the two former species were also differentiated. In COA tests the C. fetus ss. jejui=ni organisms gave the strongest reactions with homologous antibodies, but several interstrain cross-reactions were seen. By absorption strain specific COA reagents were obtained. Several reactions of identity indicating cross-reactive antigens were also seen with L-RIE within the ss. jejuni group. These results generally agreed with those obtained by COA. With the use of unheated, boiled or autoclaved organisms or sonicates heat labile antigens were differentiated from heat stable ones with the use of COA and R-LIE. The apparent antigenic heterogeneity of Campylobacteria indicates the importance of their serological grouping, e.g. for clinical and epidemiological investigations. COA and immunoelectrophoresis techniques can be effectively applied for such studies.
Identification of Enteropathogenic Escherichia Coli 0111:B4 by Means of Fluorescent Antibodies
Acta Paediatrica, Jul 1, 1961
The fluorescent antibody technique has been tested during a current epidemic of infantile diarrho... more The fluorescent antibody technique has been tested during a current epidemic of infantile diarrhoea due to E. coli 0111:B4, and has been compared with the conventional bacteriological and serological techniques. Four different modifications have been compared. After enrichment of the faecal specimens in broth the greatest number of positive specimens was obtained by the fluorescent antibody technique. It was possible by means of this technique to demonstrate the organisms in 15 infants and one adult in 35 specimens, whereas conventional culture, all modifications together, revealed them in 12 infants in 26 specimens. The time for putting a diagnosis is greatly reduced by the fluorescent method. The method's didvantages and its use in routine practice are discussed.
Gastric Inflammation and Neutrophil-Activating and Cytotoxin-Producing<i>Helicobacter pylori</i>Strains
Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 1996
Some Helicobacter pylori strains activate human neutrophils without opsonins and/or produce vacuo... more Some Helicobacter pylori strains activate human neutrophils without opsonins and/or produce vacuolating cytotoxin. Human gastric isolates of H. pylori were studied for their ability to nonopsonized induce an oxidative burst in human neutrophils as measured by chemiluminescence and for the production of vacuolating cytotoxin. In all, 80 strains were examined, and the type and grade of inflammation in the gastric biopsy specimens from the antrum and corpus of these patients were assessed in accordance with the Sydney system. CL+ (rapid, strong response in chemiluminescence) strains (p &lt; 0.0001) and Tox+ (cytotoxin-producing) strains (p &lt; 0.0001) were associated with higher acute inflammation scores in gastric ulcer patients. CL+ (p = 0.0002) and Tox+ (p &lt; 0.0001) strains were also associated with higher chronic inflammation scores in gastric ulcer patients. CL+ and Tox+ strains seem to cause more severe inflammation in the gastric mucosa during H. pylori infection.
Sudden and unexpected death: The demonstration of Neisseria meningitidis and Haemo-philus influenzae in human post-mortem tissue with the use of immunofluorescence techniques
A new multi RAST (Phadiatop®) was compared with conventional RAST and total IgE determination (PR... more A new multi RAST (Phadiatop®) was compared with conventional RAST and total IgE determination (PRIST) for the diagnosis of IgE-mediated allergy in children. Scrum specimens were tested from 100 children with a suspected IgE-mediated allergy, restricted to the eyes and/or the respiratory tract, to inhalant allergens. Compared with a RAST panel of 12 allergens representing seven groups, the new multi RAST showed a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 100% with a predictive value for positive test of 100% and for negative test of 91 %. Corresponding figures for total IgE elevated > 2 SD above mean determined with PRIST were 47%, 88% 84% and 56% respectively. We conclude that multi RAST might be a good adjunct to the clinical diagnosis of IgEmediated allergy to inhalant allergens.
Proof of causality of most neuromental disorders (NMD's) is largely unavailable. Lessons from fou... more Proof of causality of most neuromental disorders (NMD's) is largely unavailable. Lessons from four-decade investigations of the epidemiology, immunology, pathogenesis, prevention and therapy of perinatal infectious agents, which invade directly the nervous system, have led us to propose a new indirect effect hypothesis: maternal transplacentally-acquired antibodies, to agents with epitope molecular mimicry with the developing nervous system, can cross the fetus/infant's blood -nervous system barriers to cause NMD's, clinically manifest years later. Further rationale is provided by relevant evolutionary/developmental (EVO -DEVO) considerations-applicable also to some vaccines. The hypothesis is being tested in: (a) older pregnancy studies with available maternal and newborn sera, and follow-up of the progeny for NMD's; and (b) NMD registry individuals linked to their stored newborn blood spots. Preliminary results support a possible role for schizophrenia of high-tittered antibodies to some agents (toxoplasma, influenza and herpes simplex type 2 virus). A model that includes likely genetic and postnatal influences is schematized and a list of putative agents and factors, based on varying rationales, is tabulated. In case pilot studies are confirmed, the identified agent(s) and antibodies would need to be tested in new prospectively enrolled pregnant women, so as to establish further risk factors leading to possible preventive modalities.
A rapid slide agglutination test has been developed for the identification of Neisseria gonorrhoe... more A rapid slide agglutination test has been developed for the identification of Neisseria gonorrhoeae that are primarily detected as oxidase-positive colonies in gonococcal cultures. The technique is based on the specific nonimmune reactivity between the Fc portion of immunoglobulin (Ig)G and staphylococcal protein A. IgG molecules adsorbed to stabilized staphylococci will thereby become oriented with their antigen-reactive sites that are directed outwards. Protein A-containing staphylococci with unabsorbed anti-gonococcal antibodies gave positive co-agglutination reactions with gonococci but also with meningococci, some Moraxella, Haemophilus, and Pseudomonas strains. These crossreactions were eliminated by absorption of the anti-gonococcal antiserum with meningococcal and Moraxella organisms prior to the coating of reagent staphylococci. In the routine culture diagnosis of N. gonorrhoeae the use of specific gonococcal reagent staphylococci gave concordant results with fermentation procedures and immunofluorescent techniques.
Acta pathologica et microbiologica Scandinavica, Aug 15, 2009
The co-agglutination (COA) method has been adapted for serological classification of Neisseriu go... more The co-agglutination (COA) method has been adapted for serological classification of Neisseriu gonorrhoeae. COA reagents were prepared with selectively absorbed rabbit hyperimmune antibodies against gonoccal (GC) major outer membrane protein (MOMP) serotype strains. Using these reagents. the 16 MOMP reference strains could be referred to at least three antigen classes, tentatively named W. J and M. The GC antigens of class W were divided into three groups I, I1 and 111, and they were in part sensitive to pronase. The antigens of class J reflected strain specific or serotype reactions, some sensitive and others resistant to proteolytic enzymes. The antigens of class M were sensitive to periodate and resistant to pronase. Strains used in serological studies by other authors were tested. The properties of class W correlated well with those of the so-called micro-immunofluorescence and immunotype systems, and class M with those of the so-called endotoxin and acid polysaccharide systems. Strains from three different laboratories could all be grouped by class W and M reagents. Identical strains obtained independently from different laboratories gave very similar reaction patterns with the reagents available. Repeated GC-isolates from patients infected with beta-lactamase producing strains showed stable reactions with class W and J reagents, while there was a time-related variation of the class M pattern. We have found that the COA method is rapid, easy and reproducible in the serological classification of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and all the 1 17 GC-strains tested could be classified.
Acta pathologica et microbiologica Scandinavica, Aug 15, 2009
The co-agglutination (COA) and line-rocket immunoelectrophoresis (L-RIE) techniques were investig... more The co-agglutination (COA) and line-rocket immunoelectrophoresis (L-RIE) techniques were investigated for the serological classification of Neisseriu gonorrhoeae. COA with absorbed sera was found to demonstrate ))strain-specific(( as well as cross-reacting antigens. The results were dependent on the immunizing, absorbing and agglutinating properties of a particular strain. Heated (I00 OC) whole cells were found to be more reactive in the COA tests than untreated or formalin-fixed organisms. It was possible by L-RIE to compare the antigenic relationship between at least 20 strains in a single test run. This technique was applied on the 16 major outer membrane protein (MOMP) reference strains, which could then be divided into two separate groups with regard to cross-reacting antigens. Based on the findings by the L-RIE tests, selective absorptions of antibodies were performed for use in preparation of COA reagents. It was found that the reactions of these reagents with the MOMP reference strains could be assigned to three different antigenic classes. Reagents prepared for these classes are proposed as a basis for serological classification of Neisseriu gonorrhoeue.
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