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B Bjorvatn

Publications and source records attributed to B Bjorvatn.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Differentiation of B15 strains of Neisseria meningitidis by DNA restriction endonuclease fingerprinting.

The restriction endonuclease fingerprinting technique was applied to meningococcal DNA in an attempt to identify individual strains of Neisseria meningitidis B15 (serogroup B, serotype 15), which causes approximately 90% of cases of meningococcal disease in northern Norway. Thirty representative strains (10 each from asymptomatic pharyngeal carriers, patients with septicemia, and patients with meningitis) were investigated with the restriction endonucleases Hind III and Eco RI. The 10 carrier strains showed a remarkable heterogeneity of fingerprints that rendered each strain easily distinguishable from the others. The 10 strains from the blood and the 10 from the cerebrospinal fluid showed similar but not identical restriction patterns. The results obtained with the two endonucleases were in perfect agreement. Our data suggest that a large number of different B15 clones are present in the population of northern Norway, but that only one single clone causes invasive meningococcal disease.

Carrier State↗
PubMed1984

Restriction endonuclease fingerprinting of chromosomal DNA of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Twenty gonococcal isolates representing different serovars of the protein IA & IB serogroups, as determined by co-agglutination with monoclonal antibodies, were investigated by the restriction enzyme (RE) technique with Hind III enzyme. The patterns resulting from RE digestion and subsequent electrophoresis of the DNA fragments in gel consisted of 40-45 bands. Eight RE patterns were observed among ten of the protein IA strains representing three serovars with an identical pattern for three strains of the same serovar with positive epidemiology. Seven RE patterns were observed among ten of the protein IB strains representing five serovars with identical patterns for each of three pairs with available positive epidemiology for two of them. Seven samples from the same bacterial clone extracted and digested separately showed identical band patterns. The genetic stability was illustrated by identical patterns through 41 passages in vitro and by the same band pattern of the various virulent and avirulent colony morphology variants of a particular gonococcal strain. The results show that RE analysis of the gonococcal DNA genome is well suited as an adjunct to phenotypic markers in epidemiological studies of gonorrhoea.

Chromosomes, Bacterial↗
PubMed1984

Applications of restriction endonuclease fingerprinting of chromosomal DNA of Neisseria meningitidis.

Restriction endonucleases are bacterial enzymes that cleave DNA at specific sites. The resulting DNA fragments may be separated electrophoretically in gel to form specific restriction patterns. In the present study, the restriction endonuclease method was successfully adapted to the analysis of the chromosomal DNA of Neisseria meningitidis. The endonucleases HindIII and EcoRI provided optimal restriction patterns of ca. 50 well-separated lines. The pattern of each bacterial isolate was characteristic, stable, and reproducible. Despite some general similarity, the restriction patterns of the closely related B15 meningococci were surprisingly heterogeneous.

Carrier State↗
PubMed1984

A case of mixed chancre.

A 39-year-old Norwegian seaman developed penile ulcerations after sexual contact overseas. The diagnosis of syphilitic chancre and of chancroid was confirmed. The ulcers healed after combined treatment with benzathine penicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Restriction endonuclease fingerprinting of meningococcal DNA.

We have successfully developed a restriction endonuclease fingerprinting (REF) technique for the study of meningococcal chromosomal DNA. A review of our application of this method in studies of meningococcal epidemiology and pathogenicity is given. By REF we could show that fingerprints of apparently identical B15 carrier strains were remarkably heterogeneous, whereas invasive B15 isolates possessed very similar fingerprints. We could also demonstrate REF heterogeneity among B15 isolates collected from cases with meningococcal disease and their close contacts during an outbreak of meningococcal disease in a military camp in North Norway. The REF technique has also proved valuable for our studies on meningococcal piliation and adherence. At present, we are studying 67 different meningococcal isolates collected from all parts of Norway during the MenOPP project.

Centrifugation↗
PubMed1984

Cholecystitis--etiology and treatment--microbiological aspects.

Acute cholecystitis is initially a chemical inflammation, but regularly complicated by bacterial invasion from the gut. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and Streptococcus faecalis dominate among aerobic bacteria, whereas Bacteroides fragilis and clostridia are commonly encountered anaerobes. Mixed infections are prevalent. Bactibilia occurs in at least 60% of the early stage of acute cholecystitis and is particularly prevalent in the elderly. Also, bactibilia is very common in recurrent cholecystitis. A close connection is found between the presence of bactibilia and infectious complications. Although antimicrobial treatment does not sterilize the bile of an obstructed gall bladder, most authors favour such treatment in cases of febrile cholecystitis, particularly in the elderly, in order to prevent septic complications. Various regimens of preoperative antimicrobial prophylaxis have significantly reduced the infectious complications, in spite of persistent bactibilia. Prophylactic courses should not exceed one or two days, one single preoperative dose is probably adequate. The choice of antimicrobial drugs for prophylaxis varies with local experience and patterns of bacterial resistance. A combination of broad spectred betalactam antibiotics and nitroimidazole would generally seem to provide an appropriate and atoxic coverage.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Effect of subminimal inhibitory concentrations of antimicrobial agents on the piliation and adherence of Neisseria meningitidis.

Neisseria meningitidis is known to be highly resistant to lincomycin (minimum inhibitory concentration greater than 32 micrograms/ml). However, during studies on meningococcal piliation, we noticed a significant reduction in the number of pili after cultivation on lincomycin-containing selective media. This observation was followed up by in vitro and in vivo studies on the relation between lincomycin and meningococcal adherence to human epithelial cells. We found a remarkable decrease in in vitro piliation and adherence after exposure to lincomycin at concentrations as low as 0.05 micrograms/ml. By giving four healthy meningococcal carriers lincomycin orally for 3 to 6 days, the possible in vivo effect of lincomycin was studied. A marked decrease in the meningococcal counts of the pharyngeal secretion was observed. One person completely lost his meningococcal strain during the observation period.

Adhesiveness↗
PubMed1983

Mezlocillin treatment of septicemia in general hospitals.

Gramnegative septicemia in 23 patients from different Norwegian departments of general medicine or surgery was treated with mezlocillin. Most of the patients were old, and 14 patients were considered compromised due to underlying disease. In the majority of cases the septicemia originated from urinary tract infections. Uneventful recovery was accomplished in 16 patients (70%) and another 5 cases improved. In 2 patients no clinical effects were observed within 3 days of treatment. Apart from diarrhoea in 5 of the cases, no side-effects occurred. Mezlocillin proved to be a safe and efficient drug for the treatment of gramnegative septicemias of the type that is most commonly encountered in Norwegian general hospitals.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Heparin for infants and children with meningococcal septicemia. Results of a randomized therapeutic trial.

Heparin has been given intravenously, as part of a prospective study, to 11 of 26 infants and children with severe meningococcal septicemia. This therapy was started as early as possible following admission to hospital, and continued for two days. The age and sex distributions were roughly similar for the two treatment groups, but the prognostic signs on admission were somewhat less favourable for the group that did not receive heparin. Two boys who received heparin and two girls who did not, died. The clinical courses of the surviving patients in the two groups were also roughly similar, except that the tendency to cutaneous necroses was slightly more prominent in those who had not received heparin. We have thus no evidence that heparin has any great influence on the final outcome of meningococcal septicemia, even when given so early that shock had not developed.

Child↗
PubMed1981

Gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and stomach and colon cancers- are they all caused by viral infections?

It is hypothesized that chronic gastritis and ulcerative colitis both are induced by viral infection, and that such chronic infection of the mucosa may lead to ulceration and occasionally cancer. Duodenal ulcer disease and Crohn's disease may on the other hand, be due to activation of latent viral infection of the corresponding neural ganglions, with subsequent migration of virus along the nerves to the gut wall. The gastric acid hypersecretion often occurring in patients with duodenal ulcer disease might be a consequence of viral interference with the efferent nerve function of vagal ganglions. Correspondingly, non-ulcer dyspepsia as well as irritable colon may reflect viral infection of afferent nerve function leading to pain and discomfort.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1980

Comparative studies of antigen 21 in Mycobacterium and Nocardia species: possible taxonomic relationships with Mycobacterium leprae.

Studies of Mycobacterium leprae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Nocardia caviae in comparison with each other and with other Mycobacterium and Nocardia species were performed on the basis of antigen 21 intramolecular heterogeneity. Three different antisera were used: rabbit anti-Mycobacterium smegmatis antiserum, rabbit anti-Nocardia asteroides antiserum, and a lepromatous serum pool. With reference to each of the three antiserum sources used the strains were ranked in an order of relatedness or sharing of determinants. The three antisera showed distinctly different antigen 21 antibody specificities reflecting the species origin of the immunogen. The present investigations confirmed that antigen 21 of N. caviae shares determinants with antigens from Mycobacterium strains which were not present in corresponding antigens of all other Nocardia strains tested. M. tuberculosis, as judged by antigen 21 analysis, occupies a position separate from both the slow-growing and the fast-growing mycobacterial clusters in accordance with accepted taxonomic relationships. An interesting possibility of establishing a position for M. leprae in relation to other mycobacterial species was apparent. The order of relatedness among the strains studied went from M. leprae to M. tuberculosis to N. caviae to Mycobacterium avium to Mycobacterium fortuitum, the last two being representatives of the slow-growing and fast-growing mycobacteria. It can therefore be concluded that evidence from antigen 21 analysis indicates that M. leprae is more closely related to M. tuberculosis than to the other strains investigated.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1980

Rabies exposure among Norwegian missionaries working abroad.

Based on the results of an inquiry among 296 Norwegian missionaries and Foreign Aid workers, we present some observations on the present rabies situation in several African countries, India and Bangladesh, Equador and Bolivia. Traditionally these countries receive a large proportion of our missionaries and Foreign Aid personnel. The incidence of rabies varies considerably in the areas covered by this investigation. When calculated for the mean length of stay (4 to 5 years) the average rating of physical exposure to proven or suspected rabies was 16% per household and 7% per individual household member. The risk of exposure was higher with children (10%) than adults (6%). the family dog equalled the stray dog as the source of suspected infection. Of the 48 persons who had been recommended post-exposure vaccination two thirds had only tended or been licked by the offending animal. However, in such animals the ratio of proven or highly probable rabies to non-proven or unknown diagnosis was 2:1. The rabies situation was considered as a minor factor of psychic stress by two thirds of the responding persons, even in highly epizootic countries. The results of this study may be of some value in the process of forming a policy for pre-exposure prophylaxis against rabies for people who are going to stay for a prolonged period of time in these areas of the world.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Vaccinia and topical steroids: a case report.

Widespread vaccinia developed in non-eczematous skin around the eyes and mouth of a 20-year-old man, whereas active eczematous lesions on both wrists were unaffected. The use of steroid ointments is discussed as a possible causal factor.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1980

Detection of antigen in Nocardia caviae cross-reacting with mycobacterial antigen No. 21 in M. leprae using a lepromatous leprosy serum pool as antibody reagent.

Eighteen strains of nocardia, representing five different species, were studied in crossed immunoelectrophoresis against a lepromatous leprosy serum pool for the presence of antigen No. 21. This mycobacterial antigen shows antigenic heterogeneity with species specific antigenic determinants defined in Mycobacterium leprae. All four strains of N. caviae were found to share antigen No. 21 determinants with mucobacteria. All other strains of nocardia were negative in these direct immunoprecipitation tests. When compared with M. leprae antigen No. 21, the N. caviae antigen gave a reaction of partial identify in the same way as all strains of other mycobacteria tested previously, ii.e., with spurring by the M. leprae antigen. There was a reaction of complete identity between N. caviae and M. avium-intracellulare and M. smegmatis, respectively, with the lepromatous leprosy serum pool used as the antibody source. The results suggest that N. caviae antigen No. 21 is more closely related to the corresponding antigen of the genus Mycobacterium than to the antigen No. 21 equivalent of other nocardia species tested.

Antigens, Bacterial↗