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Biomedical subjects

D Taylor-Robinson

Publications and source records attributed to D Taylor-Robinson.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Chlamydia trachomatis and reactive arthritis: the missing link.

Reactive inflammatory arthritis is a common sequel to sexually acquired non-gonococcal genital-tract infection. Approximately 50% of cases are associated with Chlamydia trachomatis infection in the genital tract, although conventional cultures of joint material are sterile. Synovium, synovial-fluid cells, or both, from eight patients with sexually acquired reactive arthritis (SARA) and eight with knee effusions associated with other rheumatic diseases were examined by means of a fluorescein-labelled monoclonal antibody to C trachomatis ('Micro Trak'; Syva). Typical chlamydial elementary bodies were seen in joint material from five patients with SARA but in none of the controls. An inclusion-like cluster of elementary bodies was seen in one synovial biopsy sample. All five patients had high titres of serum chlamydial antibody. It is likely that the synovitis of SARA results directly from the presence of chlamydial elementary bodies in the joint.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Prevalence and significance of Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum in the urines of a non-venereal disease population.

Ureaplasma urealyticum organisms (ureaplasmas) and Mycoplasma hominis organisms (mycoplasmas) were sought in mid-stream urines collected from 200 men and 200 women attending hospital with conditions of a non-venereal nature. In addition, the urines from 100 male and 100 female healthy volunteers were examined. Overall, ureaplasmas were isolated four times more often than mycoplasmas. In individuals less than 50 years of age, the organisms were found in about 20% of men and about 40% of women. In individuals 50 years or older, they were found about one-third to one-half as frequently. Centrifugation of urine and examination of the resuspended deposit did not increase the isolation rates. In men, the numbers of organisms in the urine were usually small (less than or equal to 10(3) c.c.u./ml) with less than tenfold more in the urine of women. The occurrence of 51- greater than 1000 leucocytes per mm3 in some of the urines was not associated with either the presence or an increased number of ureaplasmas/mycoplasmas, whereas they were associated with the presence of 10(5) or more bacteria/ml. The significance of these findings in the context of defining the role of ureaplasmas/mycoplasmas in genital-tract disease is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Plasmid content, auxotype and protein-I serovar of gonococci isolated in the Gambia.

Twenty-nine strains of penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG) and 30 non-penicillinase-producing strains, all isolated in the Gambia, were characterized in terms of their plasmid content, auxotype and protein-I serovar. Sixty-two per cent of the PPNG strains contained the 3.2 MDa penicillinase-coding plasmid, and 38% had the 4.4 MDa plasmid. All the PPNG strains contained the 2.6 MDa cryptic plasmid but lacked the 24.4 MDa conjugative plasmid. In contrast, 46.7% of the non-PPNG strains harboured only the cryptic plasmid while 16.7% contained both the cryptic and conjugative plasmids. Seventeen per cent of the non-PPNG strains contained the conjugative plasmid only and 20% lacked plasmids. The PPNG and non-PPNG strains also differed in terms of their protein-I serovar. Eighty-six per cent of the PPNG strains belonged to serogroup 1 A, whereas the majority (60%) of non-PPNG strains belonged to serogroup 1 B. There was no significant difference in the auxotypes of the PPNG and non-PPNG strains, with both groups consisting predominantly of prototrophic and proline-requiring strains, with a minority of strains requiring arginine. When the 59 strains were each characterized in terms of their combined plasmid profile, auxotype and serovar, 39 different combinations were noted, which indicates the heterogeneous nature of the gonococcal population found in the Gambia.

Gambia↗
PubMed1987

The prolonged persistence of mycoplasmas in culture.

Mycoplasma fermentans organisms in medium containing 20% horse serum multiplied to 10(7)-10(10) ccu/ml within 5 days at 37 degrees C and were dead usually after 9 days. There was no growth in medium without serum, nor in such medium with the addition of cholesterol or palmitic acid or both, but in some experiments addition of bovine plasma albumin (BPA) increased the number of organisms by up to 1000-fold and some remained viable for up to 84 days. BPA and cholesterol or BPA, palmitic acid and cholesterol more often enhanced growth, in terms of the maximum number of organisms and their survival, than did the addition of BPA alone. The maximum number of organisms in such supplemented serum-free media was usually at least ten-fold less than in medium with horse serum, but some organisms remained viable for up to 131 days. Survival of Ureaplasma urealyticum was also longer in the supplemented serum-free medium than in standard horse-serum medium. The possible factors affecting persistence of mycoplasmas in culture are discussed in relation to these observations.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Characterisation of anaerobic curved rods (Mobiluncus spp.) isolated from the urogenital tract.

Thirty-two strains of anaerobic curved rods isolated from vaginal secretions and one isolated from seminal fluid were examined. Growth of all strains on solid media was superior to growth in liquid media, and at 37 degrees C they grew both anaerobically and in O2 5% in N2; they also grew anaerobically at 33 degrees C but not at 42 degrees C. No growth factors were identified, but strains grew more profusely at pH values above 5 X 0. The strains were screened in 80 biochemical tests, and for their susceptibility to 30 different antimicrobial agents. Most of the tests did not differentiate between the strains, but they were divided into four groups on the basis of cell morphology, metronidazole susceptibility, beta-galactosidase activity and arginine and hippurate hydrolysis. Group 1 consisted of 19 strains conforming to the species M. curtisi; group 2 consisted of five strains conforming to the species M. mulieris; group 3 consisted of five strains that resembled M. curtisi morphologically, and group 4 consisted of four strains that resembled M. mulieris morphologically, but the strains in the latter two groups reacted differently in at least one of the three major differential biochemical tests. Of three strains of M. curtisi and three of M. mulieris chosen at random, one of M. mulieris had a SDS-PAGE and fast-protein liquid chromatography protein profile indistinguishable from that of M. curtisi. We conclude that further efforts are required to clarify the taxonomic status of the genus Mobiluncus.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1987

Pili on Gardnerella vaginalis studied by electronmicroscopy.

Fourteen recently isolated strains and two laboratory strains of Gardnerella vaginalis were examined by electronmicroscopy for the presence of pili. All strains isolated recently from both men and women were heavily pilated. In contrast only a few pili were seen on organisms of the two laboratory strains, with many of the organisms having no pili. The importance of multiple subculture in this loss was supported by the observation that the degree of pilation of one freshly isolated strain decreased on repeated subculture. Other findings suggested that this was probably due to gradual loss of pili and not to selection of organisms that were non-pilate originally.

Culture Media↗
PubMed1987

Comparison of detection procedures for Chlamydia trachomatis, including enzyme immunoassays, in a mouse model of genital infection.

Two chlamydial enzyme immunoassays, Chlamydiazyme and IDEIA, were evaluated in a mouse model of chlamydial genital-tract infection. The Chlamydiazyme assay and the IDEIA were assessed on specimens from 10 and 11 mice, respectively. The animals were infected with Chlamydia trachomatis, strain SA2f, and the results obtained by these methods on vaginal specimens taken on 4 or 5 occasions during 41-42 days were compared with those obtained in cell culture and to a less extent by the MicroTrak direct immunofluorescence test. In comparison with culture, the Chlamydiazyme assay had a sensitivity of 62% and a specificity of 92%; IDEIA had a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 94%. These assays sometimes did not detect chlamydiae in specimens taken immediately before specimens which proved positive by culture and the immunoassays were less sensitive if swabs were taken after those for culture. The IDEIA also failed to detect chlamydiae in the late stage of the murine infection when chlamydial elementary bodies were seen by immunofluorescence. The implications of the observations for investigations in the human field as well as for further studies in the mouse are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

The role of mycoplasmas, ureaplasmas and chlamydiae in the genital tract of women presenting in spontaneous early preterm labour.

The genital carriage of Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis and Chlamydia trachomatis was assessed in 72 women admitted to hospital in spontaneous preterm labour and in 26 women requiring preterm delivery for other reasons who formed a control group. Women in preterm labour significantly more often carried ureaplasmas, had large numbers of M. hominis and subsequently developed chorioamnionitis than women in the control group. M. hominis, in particular, occurred more frequently and in large numbers in women who had chorioamnionitis associated with ruptured membranes. Genital carriage of the various micro-organisms appeared not to be associated with fetal growth retardation, although subsequent isolation of ureaplasmas from infants was common. It is suggested that mid-second-trimester vaginal specimens should be cultured on a research basis to establish whether these various micro-organisms identify women at risk of labouring preterm.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed1987

Evaluation of enzyme immunoassay (Chlamydiazyme) for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis in genital tract specimens.

An enzyme immunoassay (Chlamydiazyme) for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis was evaluated on genital specimens from 96 men and 272 women attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases (STD clinic). Compared with a direct immunofluorescence test for chlamydial elementary bodies, the enzyme immunoassay had a sensitivity of 58% on specimens from men, a specificity of 90%, a positive predictive value of 93%, and a negative predictive value of 88%; the assay had a sensitivity of 67% on specimens from women, a specificity of 89%, a positive predictive value of 63% and a negative predictive value of 90%. Immunofluorescence provided the most stringent test for the performance of the enzyme immunoassay as values were improved a little when a cell culture procedure was used for comparison. Further evidence for the lack of sensitivity was the detection of elementary bodies, sometimes in large numbers, in the enzyme immunoassay buffer of 13 of 19 specimens that had given a negative enzyme immunoassay result and the finding in comparative titrations of four laboratory strains that the enzyme immunoassay was at least 100-fold less able to detect chlamydiae than either immunofluorescence or the cell culture procedure. Lack of specificity may be associated with the finding that the enzyme immunoassay antibody reacted with strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Escherichia coli, Gardnerella vaginalis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and group B streptococci. The enzyme immunoassay was not considered to be sufficiently sensitive, specific, or reproducible for routine use.

Cervix Uteri↗
PubMed1987

Ureaplasmas and mycoplasmas in chimpanzees of various breeding capacities.

Adult chimpanzees (24 male, 76 female) with low and high rates of conception were examined for ureaplasmas, arginine-metabolizing mycoplasmas and chlamydiae. Ureaplasmas were isolated from the throat of only 1 male and 1 female animal, but from the urethra of 29% of the males and from the vagina of 95% of the females. Mycoplasmas were isolated from the throat more often than were ureaplasmas, but from the genital tract with about the same frequency as ureaplasmas. The numbers of organisms, of either type, isolated from the vagina were larger than the numbers isolated from the male urethra. Chlamydiae were not isolated from any animal. The occurrence of ureaplasmas and mycoplasmas and the numbers of these organisms isolated were similar in animals with low or high rates of conception. Furthermore, no association was noted between the organisms in the lower genital tract and the occurrence of abortion and/or stillbirth.

Abortion, Veterinary↗
PubMed1987

Molecular characterization of Mycoplasma genitalium species-specific and cross-reactive determinants: identification of an immunodominant protein of M. genitalium.

Species-specific proteins of Mycoplasma genitalium as well as proteins cross-reactive with M. pneumoniae have been identified using monoclonal antibodies generated against these mycoplasmas in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and Western blot analyses. Specificity of the antibodies was examined using M. hominis, M. orale M. salivarium and Acholeplasma laidlawii. A 140-kDa (kilodalton) protein of M. genitalium that appeared to be immunodominant in mice was also shown by radioimmunoprecipitation to be immunodominant in experimentally infected chimpanzees.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Female prostitutes and sexually transmitted diseases.

The epidemiology of HIV infection emphasizes the need to be able to identify and communicate with female prostitutes as a group. Health education, screening and the prevention of STD in female prostitutes remains an essential priority for the well-being of the prostitutes, their clients and the health of society. However, these goals will not be achieved by compulsory screening, as this will miss the highest risk group. Instead, increased official recognition and measures to encourage female prostitutes to participate in and communicate with the health care system may result in an improvement in our management of these women.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗