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Biomedical subjects

M Pitzurra

Publications and source records attributed to M Pitzurra.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Comparative efficiency of nitrocellulose membranes versus RODAC plates in microbial sampling on surfaces.

The efficiency of nitrocelluose membranes in collecting microbial samples from rigid and flat surfaces has been studied and compared with that of RODAC plates. The experimental design was based on multiple samplings in close succession in the same place. The median efficiency of membrane filters (78.55) was higher than that of RODAC plates (65.37). The data demonstrate the reliability of membranes and show that membranes are more efficient than RODAC plates as a sampling method for measuring surface microbial contamination.

Collodion↗
PubMed1992

[Not Available].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

History, Modern 1601-↗
PubMed1987

[Antitetanus prophylaxis: actual practice and cost benefit analysis of a hypothetical mass vaccination].

The actual practice of immunoprophylaxis in a Sanitary District of Campania (Italy) is described. As everywhere in Italy, in subjects at risk (wounded) the passive immunoprophylaxis by human specific immunoglobins is currently applied: at very high cost and with unreliable protection. The Authors suggest to implement antitetanus mass vaccination, with benefits incoming from lower expenses and higher protection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Cadmium uptake by growing cells of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

The present study evaluates the effect of the cadmium (Cd2+) on the growth and protein synthesis of some Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus faecium) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria and the cadmium uptake by the same micro-organisms. The Gram-negative bacteria tested were less sensitive to metal ions than the Gram-positive, and P. aeruginosa was the most resistant. The Gram-negative bacteria were also able to accumulate higher amounts of cadmium during growth than the Gram-positive bacteria. The maximum values of specific metal uptake (microgram of Cd2+ incorporated per mg of protein) were: 0.52 for S. aureus, 0.65 for S. faecium, 0.79 for B. subtilis, 2.79 for E. coli and 24.15 for P. aeruginosa, respectively. The differences in the ability to accumulate metal found between Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria seems to account for different mechanisms of metal resistance.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1985

Turkey red blood cell passive haemagglutination assay as guideline for specific prevention of tetanus in injured persons.

Turkey red blood cell passive haemagglutination assays (TRBC-HA) were carried out on serum samples from 873 injured patients in order to compare individual prophylactic treatment against tetanus based on the anti-tetanus antibody levels with interventions based on anamnestic criteria. The results showed a great difference: according to the anamnesis 124 persons (14.2%) were protected, 253 (29%) were partially protected, and 496 (56.8%) were unprotected; according to the TRBC-HA assay, 479 (54.9%) were protected, 279 (32%) partially protected, and 115 (13.2%) unprotected.The efficiency of the prophylactic treatments given on the basis of the two criteria was also compared in a study of 129 injured patients who were divided in two groups: group 1 (50 patients) received 250 IU of human tetanus immunoglobulin (HTI) regardless of their tetanus immunity, and group II (79 patients) received appropriate or no treatment depending on the level of anti-tetanus antibodies determined by TRBC-HA assay. The results showed that prophylactic interventions based on the anti-tetanus antibody levels can give protection in 100% of injured patients at minimum cost and risk.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

[Antigenic characteristics of various strains of Campylobacter jejuni. Preliminary note: technic of extraction of soluble thermostable antigens].

Immune serum from rabbit has been obtained against Campylobacter jejuni ATCC no 29428 from the same strain an antigen of the outer Envelope was prepared by EDTA extraction. The specificity of antibodies against the outer antigen has been observed by direct agglutination, C.F., passive haemoagglutination and houcherlony test in agar. In eight other strains of Campylobacter isolated from patients, cross reactions with the ATCC no 29428 strain have been stored, by direct agglutination: only one strain (H) cross-reacted with the immune serum in use.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

[Organotypic culture of normal and neoplastic laryngeal mucosa].

Mucous membrane's phragments from human normal and neoplastic larynx have been maintained in a organ culture system. A set of cultures has been prepared for optical microscope studies and a parallel set for incorporation studies using 3H Thymidine and 3H Leucine. The results show that there is a good incorporation of 3H Thymidine and a greater incorporation of 3H Leucine at the 7th day due to a differentiation in vitro with a new synthesis of cheratin. These data agree with the morphologic evidence of considerable horny structures in the pathological mucous membrane after 11 days at culture.

Humans↗
PubMed1984

[New heterocyclic derivatives of benzimidazole with germicidal activity. II. Mechanism of action of fluoro-5-(nitro-2'-furyl)-2-benzimidazole in B. subtilis and C. albicans].

Study of the microbiological activity of 5-fluoro-(2'-nitrofuryl)-2-benzimidazole F-O-NO2 (I) was continued. The substance was tested on cultures of B. subtilis and C. albicans. From the microbial strains studied, the mortality rate, the minimum inhibitory and bacterial concentrations and the cytotoxicity were determined. The action mechanism was studied using tritiated leucin, uracil and thymidine. Acute toxicity in the mouse (DL50 = 275 mg/kg) was also determined. The germicidal activity of (II), homologous N-ethyl derivative of (I), was also studied. On the basis of the results obtained, a possible mechanism of action of compound (I) is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Use of turkey red blood cells in the passive haemagglutination test for studying tetanus immunity.

Passive haemagglutination (HA) assays were performed using turkey red blood cells (TRBC-HA) on sera from normal healthy people, from normal people previously immunized against tetanus, and from tetanus patients receiving human antitetanus immunoglobulins. The TRBC-HA test was compared with haemagglutination assays using sheep red blood cells (SRBC-HA) and with the neutralization (NT) test, and was found to be more sensitive than the SRBC-HA test and showed good correlation with the NT test.While the SRBC-HA assay calls for adsorption of sheep red blood cell agglutinins from the sera to be tested, the use of turkey red blood cells does not require any such adsorption. In addition, the TRBC-HA assay can be performed in 40 minutes compared with 6 hours for the SRBC-HA assay. All these advantages make the TRBC-HA assay a more useful test for screening large numbers of sera in the evaluation of tetanus immunity of normal people and of patients with wounds when seen in the emergency room of hospitals.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Determination of immunity against tetanus infection by passive haemagglutination assay.

Evaluation of anti-tetanus antibody level in human sera is of primary importance for a prophylaxis of tetanus infection. Many efforts have been made to develop simple, sensitive and reproducible in vitro methods for detecting and quantifying antibodies to tetanus toxin. We have recently developed an HA assay using lyophilized turkey red blood cells (TRBC-HA). In this paper we demonstrated that the TRBC-HA test is more sensitive than the most widely used sheep red blood cell assay (SRBC-HA) and that TRBC-HA assay shows a high correlation with the neutralization test (NT). Furthermore, comparisons of TRBC-HA assay with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) indicate that TRBC-HA and ELISA assays detected the same antibody level with a sensitivity up to 400-fold higher than that determined by CIE. However, TRBC-HA also offers many advantages over the ELISA test, because TRBC-HA can be performed in only 40 minutes instead of the 24 hrs. needed for the ELISA, it is less expensive than ELISA and requires no special equipment. Therefore, the overall results suggest that the TRBC-HA is the most appropriate method for rapid and sensitive determination of tetanus antibody levels.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1983

[The use of passive hemagglutination with turkey erythrocytes for the effective prevention of tetanus in wounded patients].

The passive haemagglutination assay is at present the most common method available for evaluating tetanus antibody levels. We recently developed a modification of the technique of HA by Mai and Rosin using turkey red blood cells (TRBC-HA) instead of sheep red blood cells (SRBC-HA). TRBC-HA assay seems to offer the advantages of being more sensitive and easier to perform than the SRBC-HA method. More important, with the TRBC-HA assay, we found that the HA values greater than 0.5 H.U./ml always correspond to NT values greater than 0.01 IU/ml. Therefore this value (0.5 H.U./ml) was chosen as a discriminating level between protected and non protected persons. On this rationale base we have tested sera from injured persons in order to individualize a single prophylactic treatment under a rationale guideline against the alternative of a blind intervention under anamnestic basis. Among 437 persons tested 248 did not remember if they had been vaccinated or not. According to the anamnestic basis all these persons should require injection of human antitetanus Ig plus a basic course of vaccination. On the contrary antitetanus antibody levels monitored by TRBC-HA assay indicate that 132 were protected and did not require any treatment; 79 were partially protected and required a boosting of tetanus toxoid and only 37 were not protected and needed human antitetanus IgG plus a complete course of vaccination. These results underline the necessity of monitoring a single person for antitetanus antibodies in order to prevent both under or over evaluation of their tetanus immune status.

Female↗
PubMed1980

[Microbiological diagnosis of tetanus and serological verification of the immunological status. Serological monitoring in the course of therapy and prophylaxis].

The tests for tetanus aetiological diagnosis are briefly surveyed: with particular attention to Passive Haemagglutination on Turkey Red Blood Cells (P.H./T.R.B.C.), for the assessment of antitoxin serum level. The P.H./T.R.B.C. proves a valuable tool in different occasions: -in patients, to control the immunotherapy; -in subjects at risk, to apply a correct prophylaxis; -in the whole population, to verify the outcome of compulsory vaccination.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1980

Protection test and early antibody response to tetanus immunization.

The Authors carried out a research work to study the dose-dependence of antibody response in BD2F, mice injected with tetanus toxoid. Experimental data show that it is possible to obtain an earlier resistance at least 14 days after immunization, increasing ten-fold the usual anatoxin dose administered in humans. The protection test toward 4 MLD i.v. injected of tetanus toxin proved a valuable tool for assessing the first appearance of acquired immunity.

Animals↗