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J F Meis

Publications and source records attributed to J F Meis.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

[Generalized histoplasmosis due to endogenous reactivation of a latent infection in an HIV-seronegative man].

A 63-year-old, Dutch, HIV-seronegative man presented with anal pain and itch of 6 months' duration, a perianal ulcer and a solitary colon ulcer. Crohn's disease was suspected; the patient was treated with corticosteroids, but later died. Autopsy revealed disseminated histoplasmosis, a fungal disease rare in the Netherlands. The patient had visited Honduras. This case report illustrates that disseminated histoplasmosis may mimic Crohn's disease leading to a delay in the diagnosis.

Crohn Disease↗
PubMed1995

Persistent Yersinia enterocolitica infection in three rat strains.

Yersinia enterocolitica may persist for prolonged periods of time in humans sometimes resulting in the development of reactive arthritis. To elucidate factors predisposing for persistence we developed animal models. In Lewis and Fischer rats, viable bacteria could be demonstrated for prolonged time and abscesses could be found in the liver, spleen and lungs. Splenic abscesses were observed for more than 20 weeks. Yersinia enterocolitica persisted in Lewis and Fischer rats, but only Lewis rats developed reactive arthritis. In Brown Norway rats abscesses developed early during infection but in contrast to the other strains disappeared after 3 weeks. Culture of homogenized abscess-containing tissue of all three rat strains yielded Yersiniae. Immunofluorescence studies of the abscesses showed diffuse staining inside the abscesses only, indicating the presence of Yersinia enterocolitica antigen. Brown Norway rats, in contrast to Lewis and Fischer rats, developed a different serological reaction pattern against Yersinia enterocolitica antigens and this correlated with the disappearance of the abscesses.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Interactions of Yersinia enterocolitica with polarized human intestinal Caco-2 cells.

The in vitro interactions of Yersinia enterocolitica, Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli with polarized human colonic carcinoma (Caco-2) cells are described. Invasion of a confluent Caco-2 cell monolayer by Yersinia and Salmonella took place within 4 h after contact, which was in marked contrast to E. coli which did not invade Caco-2 cells. Cytoplasmic extrusions developed on the apical membrane and indicated the site of entrance of bacteria into the Caco-2 cells. Intracellular Yersinia and Salmonella were surrounded by a vacuolar membrane. Single as well as multiple bacteria were enclosed within a single vacuole. At 6 h after contact some of the intracellular yersiniae were found free in the cytoplasm. Furthermore, morphological signs of degeneration of Caco-2 cells such as vacuolization and autophagy were observed. Caco-2 cells infected with Salmonella also showed degenerative changes but the salmonellae resided within membrane-bound vacuoles in contrast to Yersinia. These observations are in contrast to those described for the invasion of other cells lines (not derived from intestinal epithelium) by Yersinia and may reflect more closely the interactions between Yersinia and the intestinal epithelium during gastrointestinal infection.

Bacterial Adhesion↗
PubMed1995

An open study on the safety and efficacy of fluconazole in the treatment of disseminated Candida infections in patients treated for hematological malignancy.

Disseminated candidiasis is a serious infectious complication with a mortality as high as 50%. Standard therapy consists of parenteral amphotericin B which is associated with major side effects and prolonged hospitalization. The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy and safety of fluconazole in an open, noncomparative study. Fluconazole, as a single agent, was given intravenously for the first 3 days at a dose of 200 mg twice daily, followed by 200 mg twice daily orally until resolution of signs and symptoms or evident treatment failure. The study group comprised 24 consecutive patients of whom nine had acute and 15 chronic disseminated candidiasis. A clinical response was achieved in 67% of cases of acute disseminated candidiasis and in 86% of cases of chronic disseminated candidiasis. The median duration of therapy was 15 days and 6 months, respectively. Superinfections with Aspergillus fumigatus developed in five patients who were persistently neutropenic. No drug-related toxicity was registered.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1995

Characterization of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 isolates from patients with haemolytic uraemic syndrome in Western Europe.

Fifty verocytotoxin (VT)-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) strains of serogroup O157 were characterized by phage typing, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for VT genes and the E. coli attaching and effacing (eae) gene, and random amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR (RAPD-PCR) fingerprinting. The collection represented isolates obtained from patients with diarrhoea-associated haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (D+ HUS) and their family contacts, isolated in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany between 1989 and 1993. Based on isolates from separate families (n = 27) seven different phage types were identified, types 2 (44%) and 4 (33%) were predominant. Eighty-five percent of the strains contained only VT2 gene sequences and 15% both VT1 and VT2. All strains of the dominant phage types 2 and 4 carried the VT2 gene. Strains that belonged to the minor phage types 8, 14, 32 carried both VT1 and VT2 genes, with the exception of two isolates identified as phage types 49 and 54 which contained only VT2 genes. All O157 VTEC strains possessed the chromosomally-located eae gene, which indicates its usefulness as virulence marker. RAPD-PCR fingerprinting identified four distinct banding patterns, with one profile found among 79% of the strains. Based on the combined results of all typing methods used in this study, the collection of 50 O157 VTEC strains could be divided into nine distinct groups. Strains isolated from different persons within one family could not be distinguished by any of these methods. The data suggest that O157 VTEC strains are members of one clone that has become widely distributed.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

PCR-based characterization of Yersinia enterocolitica: comparison with biotyping and serotyping.

PCR-based DNA fingerprinting was used to characterize 48 clinical isolates of Yersinia enterocolitica. The samples were examined by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD-PCR) and inter-repeat PCR (IR-PCR). IR-PCR with two enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus primers resulted in patterns which were poorly discriminated; 2 of 11 arbitrary primers (RAPD-PCR) provided sufficient discriminatory power. In comparisons with serotyping and biotyping, RAPD-fingerprinting was the most discriminatory technique and may therefore be a valuable epidemiological tool for the study of Y. enterocolitica infections.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Interrepeat fingerprinting of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacter cloacae isolated during an outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate an outbreak in neonates of Enterobacter cloacae infection resistant to third-generation cephalosporins. DESIGN: A retrospective study of an outbreak in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and review of E cloacae isolates in pediatric wards and other intensive care units from June 1992 through March 1993. SETTING: An academic tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS: Six patients admitted to the NICU were colonized or infected with E cloacae resistant to third-generation cephalosporins. In the period preceding the outbreak, four E cloacae isolates were available from four patients in the pediatric surgical ward. Nine isolates from four patients in two other intensive care units (ICUs) also were collected during the outbreak. Isolates were biotyped by the API 50CH system and genotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fingerprinting. RESULTS: Typing by interrepeat PCR showed that 21 isolates, which were obtained from five neonates, were identical. One neonate was colonized with a different strain. Some neonates were colonized with a single type of E cloacae for a relatively long period of time. Isolates of patients who were cared for in the pediatric surgical ward and the two other intensive care units (ICUs) showed different genotypes. One patient in an ICU was colonized with an E cloacae strain genetically identical to the outbreak strain. No predominant biotype could be established. CONCLUSIONS: E cloacae can colonize neonates for a long period of time and although colonization with E cloacae initially may arise endogenously, we were able to show further transmission by cross-contamination in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗
PubMed1995

Severe human psittacosis requiring artificial ventilation: case report and review.

Severe respiratory failure is an uncommon manifestation of psittacosis. We describe a patient with psittacosis who developed severe respiratory failure and required artificial ventilation. We also review 11 cases reported in the English-language literature over the past 30 years. A history of exposure to birds was reported in 10 of 12 cases and remains the most significant risk factor. Severe hypoxemia or renal impairment was associated with a poor prognosis. Eight patients died of psittacosis or related complications of the infection. Diagnostic aspects, clinical manifestations, and management options are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

In-vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of Yersinia enterocolitica isolates from stools of patients in The Netherlands from 1982-1991.

The MICs of 24 antimicrobial agents were determined for 335 strains of Yersinia enterocolitica isolated from faeces in the Netherlands during 1982-1991. The isolates belonged to biotypes 1A, 1B, 2, 3, 4 and to serotypes O3, O5.27, O6.3, O7.8, O8, O9. Almost all strains were susceptible to piperacillin, piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem, all cephalosporins except cefazolin, the aminoglycosides, quinolones, co-trimoxazole, doxycycline and chloramphenicol but resistant to amoxycillin, co-amoxiclav and macrolides. No association was observed between susceptibility patterns, biotype or serotype nor were there marked changes in the susceptibility during the last decade. The agents traditionally used to treat human infection, including co-trimoxazole, doxycycline and chloramphenicol may remain drugs of first choice.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1995

Comparison of antigen detection and PCR assay using bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for diagnosing invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in patients receiving treatment for hematological malignancies.

The performance of a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) which detects Aspergillus galactomannan (GM) was evaluated in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid samples from 19 patients who were treated for hematological malignancies and who were suspected of having invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). All patients had fever and pulmonary infiltrates on the chest roentgenogram on the day that the BAL fluid was obtained. The ELISA results were compared with the results of culture and Aspergillus genus-specific PCR analysis of BAL fluid samples. ELISA was also performed with serum samples. Aspergillus species were detected by PCR or ELISA with BAL fluid samples from five of seven patients who had radiological evidence of IPA. Serum ELISA results were positive for all patients with ELISA-positive BAL fluid, and for four patients the serum ELISA was positive before the BAL fluid was obtained. PCR and ELISA were positive for 2 and 1 of 10 BAL fluid samples, respectively, obtained from patients without radiological evidence of IPA, and 5 and 2 of 35 BAL fluid samples, respectively, obtained from nonneutropenic patients. This preliminary investigation suggests that GM may be detected by ELISA in BAL fluid samples from patients at risk of IPA, but that monitoring of serum GM levels may allow for the earlier diagnosis of IPA. However, further evaluation in prospective studies is required.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Risk of cross-colonization and infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a holiday camp for cystic fibrosis patients.

The risk of cross-colonization and subsequent infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in holiday camps for cystic fibrosis patients was studied in 91 children by culturing sputum at their arrival, at their departure, 2 months later, and at regular intervals thereafter. The isolated strains were subjected to serotyping, phage typing, pyocin typing, and genotyping by random amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting-PCR. It was concluded from random amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting-PCR typing that the Pseudomonas flora was not constant in most children. Some children harbored one genotype, whereas some harbored two or more different genotypes simultaneously. Most culture-positive children easily acquired a strain of another genotype which replaced the former one or coexisted with the original one. The incidence of sputum conversion was 7.7% in previously negative children; the incidence of permanent colonization and infection was 1.9%. This risk was comparable with that observed in the community. We conclude that the risk of cross-infection is trivial compared with the obvious joy and social benefit derived from a holiday camp.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay compared with Pastorex latex agglutination test for diagnosing invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients.

The performance of a direct sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting Aspergillus galactomannan was compared with that of the Pastorex Aspergillus antigen latex agglutination (LA) test by using 532 serum samples from 61 patients at risk for invasive aspergillosis. The ELISA gave positive results earlier in the course of infection than did the LA test. A sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 86% were obtained for the LA test and corresponding values of 90 and 84% were obtained for the ELISA when a series of serum samples was employed.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Clinical evaluation and reproducibility of the Pastorex Aspergillus antigen latex agglutination test for diagnosing invasive aspergillosis.

AIMS: The performance of the Pastorex Aspergillus antigen latex agglutination test for the detection of galactomannan in sera of patients at risk for invasive aspergillosis was evaluated, and the impact of storage on the reproducibility of the antigen titre was tested. METHODS: During a one year period, 392 serum samples were obtained from 46 patients at risk for invasive aspergillosis and tested for the presence of galactomannan using an Aspergillus latex agglutination test (Pastorex). Twenty three positive serum samples which had been stored at -20 degrees C for 2-16 months were retrospectively retested. Furthermore, two positive serum samples were stored at -20 degrees C and -70 degrees C and prospectively tested at three month intervals for a period of 15 months. RESULTS: The Pastorex Aspergillus test was positive in eight patients with microbiological, radiological, or histological evidence for invasive aspergillosis, but was negative in the initial serum sample from five of these patients. In two patients with histological evidence for invasive aspergillosis no positive reaction was found in six samples. Six of 13 (45%) serum samples which had been stored at -20 degrees C for longer than six months had lost reactivity, while one of 10 (10%) samples had lost reactivity when stored up to six months. Two serum samples which had been stored at -20 degrees C and -70 degrees C and prospectively retested at three month intervals for 15 months, maintained stable antigen titres. CONCLUSIONS: The Pastorex Aspergillus test is too insensitive to diagnose invasive aspergillosis in an early stage, but may contribute to the diagnosis when cultures remain negative and serial samples are obtained. To maintain a good reproducibility, serum samples should be stored at -70 degrees C when the period of storage exceeds six months.

Adolescent↗