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T Fekete

Publications and source records attributed to T Fekete.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and implications for epidemiology and therapy.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of Neisseria gonorrhoeae has been under development since the early days of antimicrobial agents. However, it is rarely applied to clinical isolates today. The history of the various in vitro tests to determine the susceptibility of N. gonorrhoeae to antibiotics is rich with evidence that these results predict response to therapy for almost all agents tested. Further, AST is a useful and important aspect of strain characterization and disease epidemiology in conjunction with the more specific but laborious techniques of auxotyping, serotyping, and plasmid analysis. Current technology has overcome many of the objections to AST for N. gonorrhoeae with standardization of test media and the development of an accurate disk diffusion AST method that is suited to most clinical laboratories regardless of volume or level of technical expertise. Ironically, the very low level of resistance to the current primary treatment strategy in the United States, ceftriaxone or another potent cephalosporin, makes the use of AST somewhat superfluous.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Dependence of glycine conjugation on availability of glycine: role of the glycine cleavage system.

1. Glycine conjugation of benzoic acid was investigated in anaesthetized rats by measuring the disappearance of benzoate from blood, and the appearance of benzoylglycine in blood and urine. 2. Administration of glycine (1-10 mmol/kg,i.v.) increased the capacity of benzoylglycine formation in a dose-dependent fashion, with a maximal rate (8.1 mumol/kg per min) occurring after administration of 5 mmol/kg glycine. The normal endogenous glycine supply (1.7 mM in liver) permits glycine conjugation only at an approximate half-maximal rate (4.5 mumol/kg/per min). 3. The increase in benzoylglycine formation in response to exogenous glycine supply is also a function of the benzoate dosage. Decreased responsiveness at high benzoate dosage indicates that the availability of coenzyme A is another factor that also limits the capacity of glycine conjugation. 4. Cysteamine (200 mg/kg, i.p.), a potent inhibitor of the mitochondrial glycine cleavage system, rapidly increased hepatic glycine concentration 2-3-fold without affecting the concentration of the other co-substrates (i.e. coenzyme A and ATP) of glycine conjugation. 5. Administration of cysteamine increased the blood clearance of benzoate by 50%, the appearance of benzoylglycine in blood, and the urinary excretion of benzoylglycine. 6. It is concluded that the activity of glycine cleavage system is an important determinant of glycine supply and, thereby, the capacity of glycine conjugation of xenobiotics.

Animals↗

Effect of valproic acid on glycine conjugation of benzoic acid.

Conjugation with glycine proceeds through ATP-dependent coupling of carboxylic acids with coenzyme A (CoA). Therefore, chemicals that form CoA esters may interfere with glycine conjugation. We tested the hypothesis that valproic acid (VPA), which is esterified with CoA in the first step of its mitochondrial beta-oxidation, may compromise glycine conjugation of aromatic carboxylic acids, by investigating the effect of acute VPA administration on glycine conjugation of benzoic acid in rats. VPA administered 1 hr before injection of benzoate only decreased the blood clearance of benzoate and the urinary excretion of benzoylglycine slightly in normal rats. However, in rats loaded with glycine, 2 and 3 mmol/kg of VPA reduced the blood clearance of benzoate by 34 and 59%, diminished the peak blood level of the glycine conjugate and depressed the maximal urinary excretion rate of benzoylglycine by 28 and 66%, respectively. To elucidate the mechanism of VPA-induced inhibition of benzoylglycine formation, the effects of VPA on hepatic levels of cosubstrates and the activities of enzymes involved in glycine conjugation were also determined. One hour after administration of VPA, hepatic ATP levels remained unchanged, whereas the concentration of CoA was reduced by 67 to 73% and that of glycine was increased by 58 to 67%. Activities of the enzymes of glycine conjugation were not influenced by VPA. However, 2-n-propyl-4-pentenoic acid, a metabolite of VPA, inhibited benzoyl-CoA synthetase. In summary, VPA minimally influenced the capacity of glycine conjugation of benzoic acid in normal rats, but decreased it markedly in glycine-loaded rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to cefpodoxime: determination of MICs and disk diffusion zone diameters.

We studied the susceptibilities of 77 strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to four antibiotics: cefpodoxime, ceftriaxone, penicillin, and tetracycline. All strains were susceptible to ceftriaxone. Cefpodoxime MICs (range, 0.001 to 0.125 micrograms/ml) were parallel to and approximately four times those of ceftriaxone, and all strains will probably be considered susceptible to cefpodoxime. Disk diffusion zone diameters for cefpodoxime ranged from 35 to 57 mm. Of the strains, 32% were penicillin resistant and 51% were tetracycline resistant (MIC, greater than or equal to 2 micrograms/ml). Susceptibility measurements were consistent for disk diffusion zone diameter and MIC, with an overall agreement of 215 of 225 (96%) for ceftriaxone, penicillin, and tetracycline combined. On the basis of these in vitro data, cefpodoxime should be evaluated in the treatment of gonorrhea.

Ceftizoxime↗

Controversies in the prevention of infective endocarditis related to dental procedures.

There is a long historical relationship between dental procedures and infective endocarditis. Yet despite the availability and wide use over the past three decades of inexpensive, relatively safe antibiotics before dental work, the incidence of endocarditis has not decreased. Can any conclusion be drawn about the merits of antibiotic prophylaxis around the time of dental procedures? If so, is there a preferred regimen? This article outlines the historical developments that have led to current recommendations and presents a critique of current opinion on the advisability of specific programs to prevent cardiac infections related to professional dental work.

Animals↗

Susceptibility to cephalosporins of penicillin-susceptible and penicillin-resistant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from Philadelphia.

Using agar dilution, we determined MICs of penicillin, cefoxitin, ceftriaxone, cefmetazole, tetracycline, and spectinomycin for 129 strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. All strains were susceptible to ceftriaxone (MIC range, less than or equal to 0.008 to 0.06 micrograms/ml) and spectinomycin (16 to 32 micrograms/ml). The MICs for 50, 90, and 100% of strains tested were 1.0, 2.0, and greater than 8.0 micrograms/ml; 0.12, 1.0, and greater than 8.0 micrograms/ml; 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 micrograms/ml; and 1.0, 2.0, and greater than 8.0 micrograms/ml for cefmetazole, penicillin, cefoxitin, and tetracycline, respectively. Seven strains were beta-lactamase producers; eight were chromosomally resistant to penicillin. There was a log-linear relation for non-beta-lactamase-producing strains between the MICs of cefmetazole, cefoxitin, and tetracycline and the MIC of penicillin (Pearson r = 0.787, 0.544, and 0.358, respectively).

Cephalosporins↗

Strongyloidiasis in an institution for mentally retarded adults.

A serologic and epidemiologic survey was undertaken to explain the high incidence of eosinophilia (14.1%) in nine of 64 residents of a facility for mentally retarded adults in Pennsylvania. Seven residents had antibodies to Strongyloides stercoralis as determined by an IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system (10.9%) and five (71.4%) of this subset had persistent eosinophilia, suggesting a strong association. Sex, race, age, ward, degree of retardation, and medication were not associated with eosinophilia. Stool examination revealed S stercoralis larvae in two residents with S stercoralis antibodies and eosinophilia. Follow-up studies after thiabendazole treatment of the residents with S stercoralis antibodies showed resolution of eosinophilia and disappearance of S stercoralis antibodies in most. Eosinophilia in an adult institutional setting may be associated with strongyloidiasis, even in a nonendemic area. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibody to S stercoralis may be useful in diagnosing or monitoring therapy of strongyloidiasis.

Adult↗

Plasma lipoproteins in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Plasma lipoprotein fractions have been assessed in 29 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and compared with non-COPD subjects. Triglycerides were significantly lower in COPD females only, the other parameters being almost identical. Thus, the atherosclerosis index of plasma lipoproteins in COPD did not differ almost at all from that of non-COPD subjects, demonstrating that the low prevalence of angina and/or myocardial infarction in COPD patients is not only a consequence of reduced coronary atherosclerosis.

Adult↗

Activity of cefazolin and two beta-lactamase inhibitors, clavulanic acid and sulbactam, against Bacteroides fragilis.

One hundred clinical isolates of the Bacteroides fragilis group of bacteria were tested by agar dilution for susceptibility to cefazolin alone or in combination with clavulanic acid or sulbactam. For cefazolin, the MIC for 50% of the isolates (MIC50) was 32 micrograms/ml, the breakpoint for susceptibility. With the addition of 0.5 micrograms of clavulanic acid per ml, the MIC for 90% of the isolates (MIC90) was 8 micrograms/ml, well within the achievable range of concentrations in serum or tissue. Similarly, with the addition of 0.5 micrograms of sulbactam per ml, the MIC90 was 16 micrograms/ml. The addition of a higher concentration (4.0 micrograms/ml) of clavulanic acid or sulbactam resulted in MIC90S which were fourfold lower than those with 0.5 micrograms/ml. A fixed ratio of cefazolin-beta-lactamase inhibitor of 4:1 resulted in an MIC50 and MIC90 which were intermediate between the 0.5- and 4.0-micrograms/ml fixed concentration of beta-lactamase inhibitor.

Bacteroides fragilis↗

Glycaemic control and reticulocyte count in diabetic patients.

Correlation coefficients between glycosylated haemoglobin, mean fasting glycaemia, and reticulocyte count have been assessed in 61 diabetic patients. When excluding those with overt anaemia and with serum iron below 12.5 mumol/l, the correlations became significant. Thus, reticulocyte count may be a useful indicator of glycaemic control (paralleling HbgAIc), provided anaemia and low serum iron are excluded.

Adult↗