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Biomedical subjects

E M Cooke

Publications and source records attributed to E M Cooke.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

The development and assessment of a bacteriocin typing method for Klebsiella.

Klebsiellas are generally typed by the method of capsular serotyping but, although this is a reliable method, it is time consuming, requires the production of a large number of antisera and is not generally available. For this reason another method for typing klebsiellas was sought. A bacteriocin typing method involving mitomycin C induction was developed and the cultural conditions giving optimum klebecin production and the best methods of testing the sensitivity of the organisms to klebecins were determined. Of 190 klebsiella strains screened for bacteriocinogeny, only 68 (35.8%) produced klebecin and after calculation of similarity values by computer analysis, a typing set of 15 producers was selected. This typing set allowed over 96% of klebsiella strains to be typed and tests of the reproducibility of the method and the variability of typing patterns in natural populations of klebsiella indicated that results of acceptable accuracy could be obtained, while retaining good discrimination if two or more differences were required between patterns before they were regarded as distinct. A complete set of capsular antisera were prepared, enabling the results obtained from klebecin typing to be compared with those from serotyping. There was generally close agreement between the results from the two typing methods and greater discrimination was obtained between similar strains when the two methods were combined. Klebecin typing and serotyping revealed relationships between strains from five outbreaks of infection, and strains of the same serotype from different hospitals could frequently be distinguished by their klebecin typing patterns.

Bacteriocins↗
PubMed1979

Further studies on the sources of Klebsiella aerogenes in hospital patients.

We report an investigation into faecal carriage of Klebsiella aerogenes and the distribution of this organism in the environment of three wards. In all three wards faecal carriage rates were high (60-70%). The faecal carriage rate increased with antibiotic administration and with length of in-patient stay. K. aerogenes was widely distributed in the ward environment and was found on the hands of nursing staff. Clusters of isolations of K. aerogenes of the same serotype were demonstrated indicating either patient-to-patient transfer or a common source of infection. The results indicate that even under conditions in which there are no outbreaks of K. aerogenes infection, there is a large reservoir of this organism both in the bowel of patients and in the ward environment.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

An investigation into the incidence and sources of klebsiella infections in hospital patients.

Coliforms isolated from infections over a period of 22 months were examined and 16% were shown to be klebsiellas. The biochemical reactions and serotypes of these klebsiellas were determined and the relationship between species, serotype and type of infection investigated. Although no obvious outbreaks of infection occurred during this period a number of clusters of isolations of the same serotype of klebsiella were found. Using an enrichment method for the isolation of klebsiellas from faeces, sero and bacteriocin typing, and the examination of ten colonies, it was demonstrated that half of the patients carried a klebsiella of the same type in the bowel as caused the infection.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed1979

Acquisition of Klebsiella aerogenes by neonates.

The acquisition of Klebsiella aerogenes by neonates born in hospital has been studied by sero- and klebecin typing. This organism was more commonly carried in the bowel of breast-fed babies than of bottle-fed babies. Only very rarely did babies acquire strains of K. aerogenes from their mothers. K. aerogenes was widely distributed in the ward environment and on the hands of nurses and mothers. Some strains were able to spread on the ward. These results are relevant to the control of K. aerogenes infection in maternity units.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Faecal and introital bacteria and urinary tract infection.

The faecal, introital, and urinary bacterial flora have been studied in 3 normal women and 5 women with recurrent urinary infection. In the normal women urinary abnormalities were uncommon, but the patients regularly had episodes of bacteriuria and pyuria, only a quarter of which were symptomatic. Symptoms tended to be associated with high white cell excretion rates and with the longer episodes. Introital colonisation was heavier and more frequent in the patients than in the control subjects. Organisms recovered from the urine had previously colonised the introitus in most cases. It appears that symptomatic episodes constitute only a small part of the disease process in patients with recurrent urinary tract infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Comparison of minocycline and ampicillin in gonococcal urethritis.

A prospective, randomised, single-blind trial was carried out to compare the efficacy and tolerability of minocycline and ampicillin in the treatment of gonorrhoea in men. One hundred and twenty men were treated with minocycline 300 mg and 121 men with ampicillin 2 g and probenecid 1 g. Cure rates were similar in both groups of patients. There were few side effects. Of 135 strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae tested to different concentrations of minocycline and penicillin, two were resistant to penicillin (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) greater than or equal to 0.1 microgram/ml) and seven to minocycline (MIC greater than 1.0 microgram/ml). The incidence of PGU was 31% in those patients treated with minocycline and 34% in those treated with ampicillin plus probenecid, the difference not being statistically significant. PGU occurred more often after treatment with minocycline than in previous studies.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Antigenic variation in Klebsiella.

The serological reactions of klebsiella strains repeatedly isolated from four patients were examined. Variations in capsular antigens of strains from the same patient were mainly restricted to slight changes in the titre of quellung reactions and occasionally differences in cross-reactions were noted. In one case a strain reacted more strongly with a heterologous antiserum than with homologous antiserum after it had been resident in the bowel of a patient for five weeks. No significant antigenic variation was observed when multiple colonies from the same klebsiella culture were tested.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1977

The effect of diet on intestinal Escherichia coli.

During an 8-week period all specimens of stool passed by six nurses were examined for the presence of Escherichia coli and all isolations of this organism were serotyped. During the middle 4 weeks of the period the nurses ate a sterile diet. A smaller number of serotypes was isolated during the period of sterile diet than during the period when normal food was eaten. This finding supports the view that normal food is a source of strains of E. coli present in the bowel. Some new serotypes of E. coli did appear during the period of sterile diet. The possible sources of these are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

HL-A8 and the immune response to various antigens.

The possession of the histocompatibility antigen HL-A8 has been correlated with serum levels of antibodies to gluten and a variety of other dietary, viral, and bacterial antigens and autoantigens. The only significant correlation with HL-A8 was of raised levels of gluten antibody. Thus it seems that HL-A8 may be associated with an enhanced immune response specifically to gluten, and not with a generally enhanced immunological responsiveness as has been suggested.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Airborne infection in a fully air-conditioned hospital. IV. Airborne dispersal of Staphylococcus aureus and its nasal acquisition by patients.

Studies in a newly built hospital furnished with complete air conditioning where most of the patients are nursed in 6-bed rooms showed that the transfer of air from one patient room to another was very small, especially when there was substantial flow of air in a consistent direction between the patient rooms and the corridor, and that the direct transfer of airborne particles was even less. There was, however, no evidence of any reduction in the rates of nasal acquisition of Staphylococcus aureus compared with those to be found in naturally ventilated hospitals. The numbers of Staph. aureus found in the air of a given room that appeared to have originated from patient carriers in other rooms were many times greater than could be accounted for by direct airborne transfer. Although there was evidence that many carriers were not detected, detailed study showed that this excess transfer to the air of other rooms was genuine. It seems probable on the basis of investigations in this hospital and elsewhere that this excess transfer occurs indirectly, through dispersal from the clothing of the nursing and medical staff into the air of another room of strains with which their outer clothes have become contaminated while dealing with patients. Reduction in direct airborne transfer of micro-organisms from one room to another, whether by ventilation or other means, can only be of clinical advantage if transfer by other routes is, or can be made, less than that by the direct airborne route.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Properties of strains of Escherichia coli isolated from a variety of sources.

Strains of Escherichia coli causing urinary-tract infections were found to be more commonly haemolytic than were faecal strains. Strains from the introitus that subsequently gave rise to urinary-tract infections resembled urinary strains and those that did not give rise to infections resembled faecal strains. alpha-Haemolysin production was closely associated, in strains from a variety of different sources, with the production of a haemolysin detectable in liquid medium and with cytotoxicity in tissue culture.

Animals↗
PubMed1974

The isolation of Escherichia coli from a poultry packing station and an abattoir.

The distribution and serotype of strains of Escherichia coli from a poultry packing station and an abattoir are described. The results indicated that animal faecal strains contaminated the environment and the animal carcasses.Using 150 O antisera, a high proportion of the E. coli strains were non-typable. This suggests that the serotype distribution of E. coli in animals is different from that in man.Strains with single antigenic differences were isolated, and the possibility of genetic transfer of these antigenic structures is suggested.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1974

Properties of strains of Escherichia coli carried in different phases of ulcerative colitis.

Strains of E. coli from the faeces of patients with active ulcerative colitis and with colitis in remission were examined for haemolysin and necrotoxin production. Cultures from 63 patients with active colitis grew haemolytic E. coli in 23 (37%) as compared with 24 (21%) from 115 patients whose disease was in remission (p < 0.05). The corresponding proportions for necrotoxin-producing strains were 22% and 12%. Of 35 patients investigated both in relapse and remission of the colitis, 14 changed their carriage of haemolytic E. coli. Thirteen of these carried haemolytic organisms in relapse but not in remission, and one carried haemolytic organisms in remission but not in relapse (p < 0.01). Strains of E. coli were also examined from specimens of faeces obtained at weekly intervals for 28 weeks from 19 patients. The acquisition of haemolytic or necrotoxic E. coli strains tended to follow rather than precede the onset of the attack in the four patients who developed a relapse of the disease during this period. Among these 19 patients haemolytic and necrotoxic strains were found most commonly when blood was regularly present in the faeces. These facts suggest that conditions in the bowel during a relapse of colitis tend to favour the presence of haemolysin- and necrotoxin-producing organisms, rather than that these organisms cause the relapse. Of 50 strains of E. coli from patients treated with sulphasalazine tested for sensitivity to sulphapyridine 49 were resistant. There was no clear relation between the activity of the colitis and the presence of any of the 27 serotypes of E. coli examined.

Colitis, Ulcerative↗
PubMed1974

Escherichia coli serotype distribution in man and animals.

The serotype distributions of Escherichia coli isolated from animal faeces, human faeces and from meat have been compared. There were marked differences in serotype distribution in strains from man and animals. The meat strains generally resembled animal strains. The results suggest either that animal strains of E. coli are not reaching the general human population outside hospital to any great extent, or, if they do so, are failing to implant in the bowel.

Animals↗