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Biomedical subjects

S Notermans

Publications and source records attributed to S Notermans.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Purification and properties of extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) antigens produced by different mould species.

Extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) antigens produced by different mould species were purified and partially characterized. Purification included (NH4)2SO4 treatment, Sepharose CL-4B column chromatography and Con A-sepharose chromatography. The EPS of Penicillium digitatum, Mucor racemosus and Cladosporium cladosporioides showed high antigenic capacities. Immunologically the EPS were partially genus-specific, but cross-reactivity was observed. The EPS antigens produced by species of Penicillium, Aspergillus repens and Geotrichum candidum lost their immunological activity upon heating (100 degrees C) at pH 1.8, while the EPS antigen of M. racemosus, Rhizopus oligosporus and C. cladosporioides were stable under the same conditions. The dominant monosaccharides present in the EPS antigen were mannose, galactose and glucose. The EPS obtained from cultures of M. racemosus and R. oligosporus also contained rhamnose. In the EPS produced by Penicillium spp. and A. repens the galactose residues were determined to be immunodominant.

Antibodies, Fungal↗
PubMed1986

[Hygiene in poultry processing].

Investigations during the last two decades directed to measures designed to improve hygiene in poultry slaughtering are reviewed. Attention is paid to investigations on the degree and origin of bacterial contamination as well as on the mechanisms of attachment. Finally, future developments with regard to hygiene in poultry processing are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Immunological relationship of extra-cellular polysaccharide antigens produced by different mould species.

Moulds are able to produce extracellular polysaccharide antigens which are heat-stable and almost genus specific. Of 44 different strains of Penicillium 41 (93%) and all 12 strains of Aspergillus tested produced detectable quantities of an immunologically related antigen. Additionally 10 of these 56 strains produced an antigen immunologically related to the antigen produced by the genera Mucor and Fusarium. Immunologically different, but genus-specific antigens were produced by each of the species belonging to the genus Geotrichum, Fusarium, Cladosporium, Mucor and Rhizopus. The antigens produced by Mucor and Rhizopus, however, were immunologically related.

Antibodies, Fungal↗
PubMed1986

Production of "Asao toxin" by Aeromonas strains isolated from feces and drinking water.

Cultures of Aeromonas species were tested for production of a toxin recently purified by Asao et al. (T. Asao, Y. Kinoshita, S. Kozaki, T. Uemura, and G. Sukaguchi, Infect. Immun. 46:122-127, 1984) and described as a hemolysin with enterotoxic and cytotoxic activity. The toxin was produced by only 63% of Aeromonas sobria strains and by 93% of Aeromonas hydrophila strains. Also, 54% of A. hydrophila strains produced another cytotoxic entity.

Aeromonas↗
PubMed1985

Interference of lysozyme in the sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Lysozyme can cause unreliable results in sandwich ELISA procedures, since it strongly associates with proteins with low isoelectric points. As immunoglobulins have an isoelectric point of about 5, lysozyme may form a bridge between the IgG in the coat and the IgG of the enzyme-labeled antibodies. For reliable ELISA results, it is necessary either to remove lysozyme from samples or to mask it. Both Cu2+ ions and ovalbumin were very effective in masking lysozyme and thus avoiding its linkage to immunoglobulins. Ovalbumin was not always as effective as Cu2+ ions because in test samples other proteins with high isoelectric points may be present which may compete with lysozyme for association with ovalbumin.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Evaluation of the ELISA as tool in diagnosing Clostridium perfringens enterotoxins.

Detecting Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) using the enzyme linked linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was evaluated as a tool for diagnosing enterotoxicosis caused by C. perfringens. This method was assessed using a number of different food poisoning outbreaks with possible C. perfringens associations. CPE can easily be detected in faeces of patients involved in food-borne disease caused by C. perfringens. In stools of patients with diarrhoea 0.01-10 micrograms/g of CPE is detectable, however not all samples examined are found to contain CPE. CPE in faeces maintains its immunological stability over a long period (greater than 20 days at room temperature) enabling samples to be stored for some time before assay. The ELISA technique is also useful for the detection of CPE in culture fluids of C. perfringens strains isolated from faeces and from any remaining food considered to have caused the food poisoning outbreak. Detection of CPE in stools combined with testing for CPE production in C. perfringens strains isolated both from faeces and from the suspect food seems to give good evidence linking a food-borne disease outbreak with C. perfringens.

Clostridium Infections↗
PubMed1983

[Further studies on the practicability of fattening and slaughtering pigs free from Salmonella].

Attempts were made to fatten pigs free from Salmonella on a piggery which was initially contaminated with Salmonella. A specially adapted pig house was thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and efforts were made to keep out birds, insects and rodents during this experiment. Attempts were also made to purchase piglets free from Salmonella. Clean clothes, special footwear and disinfectants were used on entering the pig house. Infection with serotypes of Salmonella similar to those detected immediately prior to the experiment on the ancillary breeding farm occurred in the experimental pig house during the experiment. Other serotypes of Salmonella present on the piggery did not penetrate into the experimental pig house so that it can be concluded that all hygienic barriers functioned adequately after the piglets had been brought in. The experiment showed that the hygienic procedures had a positive effect on economic results, even though efforts to keep out Salmonella had not been completely successful. The pigs were slaughtered in two groups after the fattening period. Group one was slaughtered as usual. The pigs of group two were scalded individually with every care after slaughter and the guts were carefully removed. Examination of the carcases after slaughter showed that 46 per cent of the pigs of group one were contaminated with Salmonella, against 7 per cent of group two. It can be concluded from this finding that slaughtering does not necessarily result in further contamination by the Salmonella organisms present in the intestine but that a careful slaughtering procedure may even reduce the number of Salmonella organisms on the surfaces of the carcases of pigs.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1983

Further research into the possibility of salmonella-free fattening and slaughter of pigs.

At a pig-fattening farm in the south-western Veluwe which was infected with salmonellas it was sought to achieve salmonella-free fattening in a specially adapted piggery. The test piggery was thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and measures were taken to exclude birds, insects and rodents. An attempt was also made to obtain salmonella-free piglets. Clean clothing, special footwear and disinfectants were used when entering the piggery. During the experiment an infection was detected in the test piggery caused by the same salmonella serotypes as had only been found immediately before the test at the breeding farm. Other salmonella serotypes occurring at the fattening farm did not find their way into the test piggery, and therefore it can be concluded that after the pigs had been brought in all the hygienic barriers functioned adequately. The test showed that the hygienic measures taken had a beneficial effect on growth performance, even though salmonellas were not entirely excluded. After fattening the pigs were slaughtered in two groups. The first group was slaughtered in the usual way, but with the second group extra care was taken with the individual singeing of the carcasses and the careful removal of the intestines. Tests on the carcasses showed that 46% of the pigs in the first group were contaminated with salmonellas as against only 7% in the second. From this it can be concluded that slaughter need not lead to further contamination by salmonellas present in the intestines; indeed, carefully carrying out the slaughter process can even reduce the contamination of the surface of pig carcasses by salmonellas.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1983

Serum antibodies to enterotoxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus with special reference to enterotoxin F and toxic shock syndrome.

The presence of antibodies to staphylococcal enterotoxins (enterotoxins A through F) in sera of healthy subjects (n = 567) and in sera of patients with toxic shock syndrome (n = 20) was determined. Furthermore, production of enterotoxins by Staphylococcus aureus isolated from humans was investigated. In 46, 86, 78, 41, 20, and 91% of the sera of healthy subjects, antibodies were found against enterotoxins A, B, C, D, E, and F, respectively. The high percentage of sera with antibodies against enterotoxin F correlated with the relatively high frequency of enterotoxin F-producing S. aureus isolated from humans (one-third of the isolates produced enterotoxin F). In patients with toxic shock syndrome, antibodies against enterotoxin F were not present or were present only at very low levels. An increase of antibodies after onset of the disease was observed in two of eight patients investigated. From the results, it can be concluded that only those humans who show low levels of antibodies are susceptible to toxic shock syndrome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

[Staphylococcus aureus in poultry slaughter lines].

The skins of slaughtered poultry were studied for the presence of Staphylococcus aureus in eight poultry-processing plants. Bacteriophage typing showed that S. aureus persisted as 'house bacteria' in all slaughter lines under investigation. As a result of this fact, broilers became contaminated with S. aureus during the process of slaughter. The number of S. aureus organisms finding their way to the carcasses may vary from less than 10/g. of skin to greater than 50,000/g. of skin from one day to another when samples are taken. This finding is evidence of the fact that disinfection occurs at irregular intervals. However, the persistence of particular phage types in processing plants also suggests that the apparatus employed cannot be effectively cleansed and disinfected by a simple procedure.

Abattoirs↗
PubMed1982

Interaction of staphylococcal protein A in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for detecting staphylococcal antigens.

ELISA procedures for detecting staphylococcal antigens may be subject to interference by reactions between staphylococcal protein A (SPA) and IgG molecules. It was found that rabbit IgG reacted with SPA, both in the native state and after conjugation with peroxidase. Sheep IgG, however, did not react with SPA if conjugated with peroxidase. Peroxidase conjugated SPA reacted with rabbit IgG but not with sheep IgG. These results demonstrate that the source of IgG used in an ELISA system is of major importance to correct quantitation of staphylococcal antigens.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

A simple purification method for enterotoxin F produced by Staphylococcus aureus and some properties of the toxin.

Staphyloccoccus aureus enterotoxin F (SEF), which is associated with S. aureus strains isolated from toxic-shock-syndrome patients, was purified by successive chromatography on CM sephadex C-25 and gelfiltration on sephadex G-75. When tested by disc-polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresis the toxin migrated as a homogeneous protein. In SDS-polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresis three protein bands were observed. The main component had a mol wt of 23 000 and the two minor components had a mol wt less than 13 000. By iso-electric focussing a main protein band with an iso-electric point of 7.2 was obtained. The LD50 for rabbits (3-3.5 kg) by subcutaneous and intravenous application of SEF was 6 micrograms and 180 micrograms, respectively. Antibodies to SEF prepared in a sheep did not react with other staphylococcal enterotoxins (A to E).

Antibodies↗
PubMed1982

Enterotoxin production by strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from clinical and non-clinical specimens with special reference to enterotoxin F and toxic shock syndrome.

Enterotoxin production by strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from clinical specimens of human and animal origin and from healthy human carriers was investigated. All nine patients admitted to hospital with symptoms of toxic shock syndrome (TSS) yielded enterotoxin-producing strains of S. aureus. Eight of these produced staphylococcal enterotoxin F (SEF). A significantly smaller proportion of strains (42% of 50 strains tested) isolated from other clinical specimens of hospitalized patients produced SEF. Production of SEF by strains isolated from clinical specimens of animal origin (48 strains) was not observed. Twenty-nine per cent of 24 S. aureus strains isolated from noses of hospital staff produced SEF. This result was not significantly different from that obtained from strains isolated from clinical specimens other than TSS. A similar percentage of strains isolated from healthy human carriers outside hospital produced SEF (25% of 24 strains tested). The results indicated that enterotoxin production, especially that of SEF, is associated with S. aureus isolated from patients suspected of TSS. There was no indication of an association between S. aureus isolated from other staphylococcal infections and SEF production. All strains were phage typed and 79% of the strains belonging to the international phage-group I produced SEF. All strains lysed by phage 187 were found to produce SEF.

Bacteriophage Typing↗
PubMed1981

[A simple method for the detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin type B in vanilla custard using the ELISA (author's transl)].

The ELISA for the detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin type B (SEB) was employed to demonstrate SEB in Dutch Vanilla custard. Due to the sensitivity of the ELISA the extraction procedure, which is necessary when the Ouchterlony test is used, can be abbreviated to a great extent. Two successive extractions at pH 7.4 and pH 4.5 followed by a concentration (1:20) was sufficient to detect 0.1 mcg SEB in 100 g custard.

Enterotoxins↗
PubMed1981

Persistence of Clostridium botulinum type B on a cattle farm after an outbreak of botulism.

On farms involved in botulism outbreaks, cycles of Clostridium botulinum have occurred. The cycles were initiated by feeding brewers' grains contaminated with proteolytic C. botulinum type B to the cows. Spreading of manure containing feces of these cows increased the contamination of the pastures. In grass silages prepared with wilted grass from these pastures the number of C. botulinum type B organisms increased, and toxin type B was produced. Feeding cows with the contaminated silage fodder completed the cycle. Besides contamination of human foodstuffs (milk and meat), further contamination of the environment occurred. It was demonstrated that fowl may be important vectors in spreading C. botulinum.

Animal Feed↗