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Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus cholecystitis in a patient with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Acute cholecystitis due to Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus is very uncommon. We report a case of cholecystitis and obstructive jaundice in which cultured bile grew this organism. The patient had a 4-year history of hepatocellular carcinoma, resulting in common bile duct obstruction due to abdominal lymph node metastasis. Microscopic examination of her bile showed multiple Gram-negative curved organisms and C. fetus subsp. fetus was isolated under microaerophilic conditions. Therefore, we should be aware of this organism and use microaerophilic culture in association with the result of microscopic examination of bile specimens.

Campylobacter Infections↗

[Abdominal aortic aneurysm infected with Campylobacter fetus spp fetus. Report of a case and review of the literature].

Aortic aneurysm infected with Campylobacter fetus spp fetus is rare, the first case having been reported in 1971. We present a case of abdominal aortic aneurysm, with a history of abdominal pain, fever and chills, with identification of this gram negative bacillus in the culture of the aortic wall and visualization of the microorganism in histological examination. Surgical correction was performed by interposition of a dracon prosthetic graft. The patient had a good postoperative course, receiving prolonged antibiotic therapy (intravenous cephalothin for 7 days and oral erythromycin for 6 months), remaining without symptoms for 12 months, when the follow-up was ended. In the 11 cases reported in the literature, 9 presented fever, suggesting the infectious etiology. Four were operated on with the aneurysm already ruptured and all of them died. The other patients, with non-ruptured aneurysms at the time of the operation, were all symptomatic, and they survived. Anatomic reconstruction was performed in 4 cases, with dacron graft interposition and antibioticotherapy, without reported signs of infection on the follow-up (6 to 45 months). Aortic infection with Campylobacter fetus spp fetus is potentially fatal, needing immediate surgical treatment. It is possible to have good long term results with an anatomically placed prosthetic graft and antibiotic therapy.

Aged↗

By how much does increased nuchal translucency increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcome in chromosomally normal fetuses? A study of 16,260 fetuses derived from an unselected pregnant population.

OBJECTIVE: In this study we aimed to estimate the magnitude of a possible increase in risk of adverse outcome in fetuses with normal karyotype and increased nuchal translucency (NT), and to determine how well NT measurements can distinguish between fetuses with normal and adverse outcome. METHODS: We studied 16,260 consecutive fetuses with normal karyotype derived from an unselected pregnant population. The following cut-offs for increased risk of adverse outcome were chosen a priori: NT > or = 95th percentile, > or = 3 mm, > or = 3.5 mm, and > or = 4.5 mm. The positive and negative likelihood ratios (+LR, - LR) of the risk cut-offs with regard to fetal malformation, miscarriage, perinatal death, termination of pregnancy and total adverse outcome were calculated, and receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curves were drawn. RESULTS: The total rate of adverse outcome was 2.7%. + LR and - LR of NT > or = 3.0 mm were: for lethal or severe malformation, + LR 15.0 (95% CI 7.0-28.6), - LR 0.89 (95% CI 0.81-0.95); for malformation of at least intermediate severity, + LR 8.1 (95% CI 4.3-14.0), - LR 0.95 (95% CI 0.92-0.97); for termination of pregnancy, + LR 41.6 (95% CI 17.1-86.6), - LR 0.67 (95% CI 0.41-0.85); for any adverse outcome, + LR 6.4 (95% CI 3.4-11), - LR 0.96 (95% CI 0.94-0.98). The odds for these adverse outcomes increased with increasing NT. NT > or = 3 mm did not significantly increase the risk of miscarriage or perinatal death. Areas under ROC curves for NT were small, with 95% CI below or only slightly above 0.5. CONCLUSION: Our likelihood ratios can be used to calculate the individual risk of unfavorable outcome, but NT screening cannot reliably distinguish between normal and adverse outcome in fetuses with normal karyotype.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

Nucleated red blood cell count in the differentiation of fetuses with pathologic growth restriction from healthy small-for-gestational-age fetuses.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of the neonatal nucleated red blood cell count in differentiating the fetus with growth restriction from the small but otherwise healthy fetus. STUDY DESIGN: Perinatal outcomes were evaluated prospectively for all neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit in 1997. Nonanomalous neonates with normal phenotype and a complete blood cell count performed within the first 6 hours after birth were included in the study. All neonates with birth weights lower than the 10th percentile for gestational age were considered small for gestational age. Neonates were divided into four groups: small-for-gestational-age neonates with elevated nucleated red blood cell counts, appropriately grown neonates with elevated nucleated red blood cell counts, small-for-gestational-age neonates with normal nucleated red blood cell counts, and appropriately grown neonates with normal nucleated red blood cell counts. Analysis of variance, chi(2) tests, and stepwise regression were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-seven neonates met the inclusion criteria. Forty-three were small for gestational age. Small-for-gestational-age neonates with high nucleated red blood cell counts had significantly lower umbilical artery pH and were more likely to require mechanical ventilation or blood pressure support agents. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that small-for-gestational-age neonates with elevated nucleated red blood cell counts had significantly more adverse outcomes than did small-for-gestational-age neonates with normal nucleated red blood cell counts. Outcomes of small-for-gestational-age neonates with normal nucleated red blood cell counts were essentially identical to those of appropriately grown neonates. CONCLUSION: An elevated nucleated red blood cell count may distinguish the fetus with growth restriction from the small but healthy fetus.

Erythroblasts↗

Fetus papyraceus: an unusual case with congenital anomaly of the surviving fetus.

Fetus papyraceus is a rare condition occurring in both monochorionic and dichorionic multiple gestations. Assocated with case presented were two interesting and uncommon findings: velamentous insertion of the umbilical cord of the blighted fetus and a congenital abonormality of the surviving fetus. This case is the first known intrauterine monitoring of a pregnancy involving a fetus papyraceus with serial plasma estriol and human placenta lactogen determination.

Abortion, Missed↗

Isolation and immunogenicity of Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus from an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

A Campylobacter fetus strain was isolated from an abdominal aortic aneurysm in a 56-year-old man who had no significant chronic illness except arteriosclerosis. The strain was identified on the basis of the usual taxonomic markers and fatty acid profiles. The patient's immunological status regarding Campylobacter fetus was studied by Western blot. The strong immune response observed against the 99 kDa protein of the strain confirms that the S-layer protein is the immunodominant antigen of Campylobacter fetus.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

Molecular epidemiology of Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus on bovine artificial insemination stations using pulsed field gel electrophoresis.

The presence of Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus (Cff) on bovine artificial insemination (AI)-stations can have major economical consequences. More knowledge on the epidemiology of C. fetus is needed to control Cff infections at AI-stations. We assessed the epidemiology of Cff on AI-stations and the molecular relationship between Cff strains isolated from outbreaks on AI-stations. Thirteen Cff strains (two Cff strains per outbreak and one sporadic case) isolated from bulls housed on different AI-stations were selected and compared with ten unrelated bovine and ovine Cff isolates from different geographical regions. Molecular typing by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) with the restriction enzymes SmaI, SalI and KpnI, yielded unique profiles for most unrelated strains but indistinguishable profiles for all isolates from the same outbreak. Computer aided analysis using a composite data set of SmaI, SalI and KpnI restriction profiles revealed separate clusters for outbreak strains. Thus, PFGE profiling of Cff strains is a valuable tool to discriminate between strains derived from separate outbreaks and to identify routes of infection.

Animals↗

Roles of the surface layer proteins of Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus in ovine abortion.

The role of the surface (S)-layer proteins of Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus has been investigated using an ovine model of abortion. Wild-type strain 23D induced abortion in up to 90% of pregnant ewes challenged subcutaneously. Isolates recovered from both dams and fetuses expressed S-layer proteins with variable molecular masses. The spontaneous S-layer-negative variant, strain 23B, neither colonized nor caused abortions in pregnant ewes. A series of isogenic sapA and recA mutants, derived from 23D, also were investigated in this model. A mutant (501 [sapA recA(+)]) caused abortion in one of five challenged animals and was recovered from the placenta of a second animal. Another mutant (502 [sapA recA]) with no S-layer protein expression caused no colonization or abortions in challenged animals but caused abortion when administered intraplacentally. Mutants 600(2) and 600(4), both recA, had fixed expression of 97- and 127-kDa S-layer proteins, respectively. Two of the six animals challenged with mutant 600(4) were colonized, but there were no abortions. As expected, all five strains recovered expressed a 127-kDa S-layer protein. In contrast, mutant 600(2) was recovered from the placentas of all five challenged animals and caused abortion in two. Unexpectedly, one of the 16 isolates expressed a 127-kDa rather than a 97-kDa S-layer protein. Thus, these studies indicate that S-layer proteins appear essential for colonization and/or translocation to the placenta but are not required to mediate fetal injury and that S-layer variation may occur in a recA strain.

Abortion, Veterinary↗

Isolation of Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus from a patient with cellulitis.

Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus is a gram-negative, slender, spirally curved bacterial pathogen. It has been isolated from human blood, spinal fluid, and abscesses, but cellulitis associated with bacteremia is rare. We report its isolation from a blood culture of a human patient with cellulitis as well as difficulties encountered in determining the identity of the subspecies of C. fetus.

Aged↗

Pathogenesis of Campylobacter fetus infections. Failure of encapsulated Campylobacter fetus to bind C3b explains serum and phagocytosis resistance.

Campylobacter fetus ssp. fetus strains causing systemic infections in humans are highly resistant to normal and immune serum, which is due to the presence of high molecular weight (100,000, 127,000, or 149,000) surface (S-layer) proteins. Using serum-resistant parental strains (82-40 LP and 23D) containing the 100,000-mol wt protein and serum-sensitive mutants (82-40 HP and 23B) differing only in that they lack the 100,000-mol wt protein capsule, we examined complement binding and activation, and opsono-phagocytosis by polymorphonuclear leukocytes. C3 consumption was similar for all four strains but C3 was not efficiently bound to 82-40 LP or 23D even in the presence of immune serum, and the small amount of C3 bound was predominently the hemolytically inactive iC3b fragment. Consumption and binding of C5 and C9 was significantly greater for the unencapsulated than the encapsulated strains. Opsonization of 82-40 HP with heat-inactivated normal human serum caused greater than 99% killing by human PMN. Similar opsonization of 82-40 LP showed no kill, but use of immune serum restored killing. Findings in a PMN chemiluminescence assay showed parallel results. Association of 32P-labeled 82-40 HP with PMN in the presence of HINHS was 19-fold that for the 82-40 LP, and electron microscopy illustrated that the difference was in uptake rather than in binding. These results indicate that presence of the 100,000-mol wt protein capsule on the surface of C. fetus leads to impaired C3b binding, thus explaining serum resistance and defective opsonization in NHS, mechanisms that explain the capacity of this enteric organism to cause systemic infections.

Blood Bactericidal Activity↗

Hormone ontogeny in the ovine fetus. XXIV. Porcine follicular fluid "inhibins" selectively suppress plasma follicle-stimulating hormone in the ovine fetus.

The gonads of the late gestational ovine fetus synthesize inhibin, and under the influence of FSH the concentration and content of inhibin bioactivity in fetal testes and ovaries increases. In the present study we administered inhibin-rich charcoal-treated porcine follicular fluid (pff) as a bolus to eight chronically catheterized ovine fetuses between 116 and 128 days gestation. FSH levels decreased significantly to 81.3 +/- 4.0% of baseline values after 210 min and decreased further to 71.7 +/- 4.0% throughout the sampling period (5 h). LH levels were not affected by this treatment. An estimate of the secretion rate by integration of the response curve showed a significant decrease in the concentration of plasma ovine (o) FSH after pff compared with saline injection (-28.5 +/- 10.9 U after pff vs. +19.7 +/- 8.8 U after saline; P less than 0.01), while oLH secretion remained unaltered (116.6 +/- 102.1 U after pff vs. 174.5 +/- 99.4 U after saline; P = NS). These data show that in the late gestation ovine fetus pituitary secretion of oFSH, but not oLH, is selectively decreased by inhibin-rich pff, recognizing that the net FSH-suppressing activity of pff is the sum of the actions of FSH-stimulating (e.g. activin) and -suppressing (inhibin and follistatins) factors. Thus, the inhibin-FSH feedback mechanism is potentially functional at least by 0.8d gestational age, raising the possibility of a role for inhibin in the decline of circulating fetal FSH toward term.

Animals↗

Production of cytolethal distending toxin (CLDT) by Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus isolated from calves.

Cytolethal distending toxin (CLDT) production by Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus isolated from calves was examined using CHO cells. Twenty-five of the 26 strains tested were positive for CLDT with titer of ranging 1:8 to 1:2,048. CLDT positive strains were divided into low and high cytotoxin titer groups. Isolates from diarrhea cases tended to produce a significant amount of CLDT compared with isolates from liver. CLDT produced by C. fetus showed no effect on Y-1 cells and was heat-labile and trypsin-sensitive.

Animals↗

Morphological features and measurements in a human fetus with karyotype 69, XXX: comparison with fetuses of the same CRL, without chromosomal anomalies.

A triploid fetus (karyotype 69, XXX) with crown-rump length (CRL) 94 mm, presenting micro- and retrognathia, low-set ears and crooked feet, was cleared and double-stained with alizarin red S and alcian blue for detecting the ossification patterns in the vertebral column, ribs, ischium, limbs, and face. Longitudinal measurements of some long bones in the upper (humerus, ulna, radius) and lower (femur, tibia, fibula) limb were taken. The values of both the total length (TL) and the ossified part (OL) of each long bone, as well as the OL/TL per cent ratio were considered. Reference points were located on the mandible, i.e. condylar process (Pcl), coronoid process (Pco), gnathion (GN), gonion (GO), superior symphyseal point (SSP) for measuring linear dimensions. Since the aim of this work was to assess the influence of triploidy 69, XXX the skeletal development and growth patterns, all values obtained in the examined specimen were related with those relative to a group of fetuses, without any detectable malformation and chromosomal anomalies, with a CRL mean value of 93 mm. Results evidenced that the triploid fetus presented growth restriction and that the vertebral centra ossification and the mandibular development were much delayed with the normal ossification patterns.

Alcian Blue↗

[Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus in a patient with liver cirrhosis].

Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus infections are very rare in adults but can occur in immunocompromised elderly people and in patients with chronic disease. We describe the clinical case of a 52-year-old woman with alcoholic liver cirrhosis, where we isolated C.fetus subsp. fetus from blood culture.

Campylobacter Infections↗

Outcome of the surviving cotwin of a fetus papyraceus or of a dead fetus.

Serial ultrasound examinations have demonstrated that one of two gestational sacs in a twin pregnancy may often disappear. When it disappears at an early stage of gestation, the pregnancy may advance without any disturbance and the cotwin can be delivered well developed and lively. When the intrauterine death occurs in the second trimester, the dead fetus usually results in a fetus papyraceus and the cotwin continues to be alive near term. However, when death occurs in the last trimester, the viable twin may be spontaneously delivered soon and be premature. In some cases of late fetal death, the dead fetus may induce intravascular thromboses in many organs of the surviving cotwin, so that the living infant may develop cerebral palsy later after birth.

Adult↗

Serology of Campylobacter fetus fetus strains from four outbreaks of ovine abortion.

As a result of a Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries survey on ovine abortions, 76 isolates of Campylobacterfetus fetus were obtained. These isolates were from four farms in the southern Hawkes Bay, with an abortion incidence of 2.8% to 9.1%. Antisera to eight different strains of C. fetus fetus were made in rabbits. Strains were then examined using whole cell tube agglutination tests and sensitised Staphylococcal Protein A slide agglutination tests. Heat labile antigens were examined by absorbing antisera with heat-treated bacteria. Two broad serogroups were found, but within-group variation was demonstrated by cross-absorbing antisera. The isolates from one farm were all of a single broad serogroup. Both serogroups were found on the remaining three farms. Evidence for the presence of two major serogroups was also obtained by immobilisation tests and antigen analysis by gel diffusion.

Journal Article↗

Twinning and anencephalus occurrence in relation to fetus-fetus interaction.

The hypothesis proposed by Knox (1970) that an anencephalic fetus arises from a fetus-fetus interaction between two dizygous twins predicts that the twinning rate, the population incidence of anencephalus, and the female proportion of anencephalics in a population should be positively interrelated. These associations were tested using Canadian data during a long period of time and over a large geographical area. The results did not support the hypothesis.

Anencephaly↗

Genome map of Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus ATCC 27374.

A physical map of the chromosome of Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus was constructed by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of restriction fragments generated by SalI, SmaI and NotI. Digestion of the type strain ATCC 27374 with these restriction endonucleases resulted in generating 4-14 fragments. The order of the fragments was deduced from hybridization of these restriction fragments to Southern blots of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis gels generated by the other two enzymes. The estimated genome size was 1160 kb. The position of several homologous and heterologous genes was determined on the circular map. These included the 2.8-kb sapA gene, encoding the 97-kDa surface array protein. Three copies of ribosomal RNA genes for which the 16S, 23S and 5S rRNA appeared to be located in close proximity in each of the three regions. The RNA polymerase genes rpoA, rpoB, and rpoD were mapped and appeared to be situated close together in one region. The flagellin genes (flaAB) of C. jejuni and the gyrase genes gyrA and gyrB of C. perfringens and Bacillus subtilis, respectively, were used to identify the locations of flaAB, the gyrA and the gyrB genes on the ATCC 27374 chromosome.

Base Sequence↗