Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Spirochaetaceae”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

106 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis. A review of diagnosis, etiology and treatment.

Vincent's original description of the fusiform-spirochete nature of acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (ANUG) still remains true today, although much additional insight has been gained regarding the etiology, pathogenesis and treatment of the disease. In addition to the historic association of fusiform and spirochete microbes with ANUG, recent findings have also implicated Bacteroides and Selenomonas species. Possible abnormalities in immunological function, such as altered PMN and lymphocyte responsiveness, may be present. Stress, which has long been known to be associated with the disease, appears to play a role through induction of increased cortisol and catecholamine levels. These chemical mediators respectively may compromise the host immune responses and the gingival microcirculation. Cortisol may also serve as a nutrient source for Bacteroides bacteria. Other predisposing factors to ANUG may include smoking and poor oral hygiene. Treatment modalities involve eliminating or reducing the levels of bacterial pathogens by mechanical and antibiotic means, along with attempts at controlling significant psychological and physical precipitating factors.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Cristispira from oyster styles: complex morphology of large symbiotic spirochetes.

Crystalline styles (digestive organs) of bivalve mollusks provide the habitat for highly motile bacteria. Styles from freshly-collected oysters, Crassostrea virginica, were studied by electron microscopy; Cristispira spirochetes were abundant in these organs. Detailed study reveals these spirochetes to be among the most complex prokaryotic cells known. More than 600 periplasmic flagella and an adhering outer lipoprotein membrane (e.g., a 270 degrees sillon) form the ultrastructural basis for the "crista," first described by light microscopy. Unique rosette structures corresponding to the "chambers" or "ovoid inclusions" of light microscopy were detected at the periphery of all protoplasmic cylinders. Polar organelles and linearly aligned flagellar insertions are conspicuous. In size and complexity, Cristispira more resembles Pillotina, Diplocalyx, Clevelandina and Hollandina (large spirochetes symbiotic in termites) than it does Treponema. Cristispira pectinis (Gross, 1910), the type species; Spirillum ostrea (Noguchi, 1921); and another, less frequent bacterial symbiont are the predominant inhabitants of the dense style matrix. The ultrastructure of the spirillum and an electron micrograph of the third bacterium are shown.

Animals↗

[Human intestinal spirochetosis].

A characteristic feature of human intestinal spirochetosis (IS) is the colonization of the mucosa of the large intestine with intestinal spirochetes of the genus Brachyspira. The joining of the brachyspirae with the apical cellular membrane of enterocytes resembles in histological slides a false brush border of the intestinal mucosa. Various symptoms related to the involvement of the large gut were found with invasive IS. From the cultures of these cases were isolated Brachyspira aalborgii and B. pilosicoli. The frequency of the incidence of brachyspirae depended on the socio-economic living conditions of people. Colonization of the mucosa of the large gut was found more often in human populations in the developing countries; it was fairly rare in countries with high hygienic standards. An exception were men of homosexual orienation and patients presenting with a HIV infection. Isolation of brachyspirae from the faeces and biopsy of the mucosa of the large gut are fairly demanding jobs, especially with B. aalborgii. Most documented IS cases of this aetiology were diagnosed using immunohistochemical methods and amplification of the genus-specific region of the gene 16S rRNA. Isolation of B. pilosicoli tends to be simpler, it requires anaerobic incubation on selective blood agars for a period of 3-6 days at 37 degrees C. When manual haemoculture systems were used, patients in a critical state presented a translocation of brachyspirae into blood circulation, while automatic systems don't necessarily diagnose spirochetaemia. In the management of described cases of invasive IS particularly successful proved metronidazole and beta-lactam antibiotics. In isolated B. pilosicoli, in vitro tests confirmed sensitivity to metronidazole, ceftriaxone, meropenem, tetracycline, moxifloxacine and chloramphenicol. A varying frequency of resistance was found with clindamycin and amoxicillin, which how ever was efficacious in combination with clavulanic acid.

Feces↗

Occurrence of Lawsonia Intracellularis and Brachyspira spp. infection in swine suffering from diarrhoea.

Principal aim of this study was to examine fecal samples from pigs suffering from diarrhea for the presence of Lawsonia intracellularis, Brachyspira hyodysenteriae and Brachyspira pilosicoli. The molecular techniques such as PCR and nested PCR were employed to detect the presence of p78 fragment of genomic DNA specific for Lawsonia intracellularis as well as fragment of tlyA gene specific for Brachyspira hyodysenteriae and 16S rDNA gene of Brachyspira pilosicoli. We assumed that about 25% of pigs were infected with Lawsonia intracellularis, about 10% with Brachyspira hyodysenteriae and only 0,8% with Brachyspira pilosicoli. In about 3% mixed infection with L. intracellularis and B. hyodysenteriae was observed. Results were comparable in herds that differed in quantity, breeding technology, hygienic standards and preventive treatment with different chemotherapeutics.

Animals↗

Infection of the colon of the rhesus monkey by spiral-shaped organisms.

Intestinal spirochetosis, an infection of the mucosa by spiral-shaped organisms, was studied in clinically normal rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) by histology, transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The incidence of intestinal spirochetosis was 42% in 221 monkeys. Spiral organisms stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) appeared as a broad basophilic haze on the colonic surface and were strongly positive by the Warthin-Starry stain. Spiral-shaped bacteria include two structurally different organisms: spirochetes and flagellated microbes. They intimately populated the brush border of the surface of the epithelium of the large intestine. They were absent in the crypts and in the small intestine. Infection by spirochetes produced no alteration of cytocomponents of the underlying host structures. Spirochetes and flagellates infrequently penetrated beyond the brush border into the epithelial cytoplasm and also into the lamina propria. Even in cases where invasion was documented, no inflammatory response was found.

Animals↗

Pillotinas and hollandinas: distribution and behaviour of large spirochaetes symbiotic in termites.

Pillotina spirochaetes have been observed in the hindguts of wood-eating cockroaches (Cryptocercus punctulatus), and in 25 out of 28 species of termites examined. They were especially abundant in 21 species of dry wood termites of the family Kalotermitidae, from Europe, North America and Australia. These included many species of Kalotermes and one or a few of the following: Glyptotermes, Bifidotermes, Neotermes, Ceratokalotermes, Paraneotermes, Cryptotermes, Porotermes, Marginitermes, Pterotermes, Zootermopsis, Reticulitermes, Coptotermes, Heterotermes, and nasutitermitids. Identifications of pillotinas were made on the basis of large size (0.5--2 micromtere in diameter, 50 to greater than 100 micrometers in length) and wave pattern; these were verified by electron microscopy in K. schwarzi, Pterotermes occidentis and others. Pillotinas were also present in all species of subterranean termites (Family Rhinotermitidae) examined, and in the most primitive Australian termite, Mastotermes darwiniensis (Family Mastotermitidae). They were not observed in damp wood termites (Family Hodotermidiae). Pillotinas are invariably associated with a rich, complex xylophagous microbial community composed primarily of motile prokaryotes, and hypermastigote and polymastigote flagellates. Some have been previously described by those primarily concerned with termite hindgut protozoa. Observations were made on their modes of behaviour, division, and microbial associates. A new genus of spirochaetes, Hollandina, is also described. It is distinguished from Pillotina by a smaller size and several ultrastructural features, but is otherwise closely related taxonomically. Evidence is provided to support Hollande and Gharagozlou's (1967) concept that the pillotinas and hollandinas deserve the taxonomic status of 'family' and that they should be classified with the cristispire siprochaetes a-cording to the scheme developed by Hovind-Hougen (1976). Spirochaetes are treated as a Phylum of the Kingdom Monera (Prokaryota) in the five kingdom system of Whittaker (1969).

Animals↗

Detection of extrachromosomal DNA in Italian isolates of weakly beta-haemolytic human intestinal spirochaetes.

Weakly beta-haemolytic human intestinal spirochaetes (w beta HIS) isolated in Italy showed an extrachromosomal band migrating at 4.3 kb after agarose gel electrophoresis of total DNA. The band was observed within 4 strains (HRM2, HRM4, HRM7 and HRM14) among the 7 w beta HIS analysed and was resistant to proteinase K and RNase treatment, whereas after purification it was completely digested by incubation with DNaseI. The origin, the structure and the significance of this extrachromosomal DNA are at present unknown. In addition to w beta HIS, the reference strain P18A of Serpulina hyodysenteriae was comparatively analysed and a 6.5 Kb extrachromosomal DNA element was found, as expected. This finding proves that the experimental conditions we used while searching for extrachromosomal DNA within w beta HIS were appropriate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the detection of extrachromosomal DNA from w beta HIS.

Adult↗

Search for bacteriophages spontaneously occurring in cultures of haemolytic intestinal spirochaetes of human and animal origin.

An electron microscopic survey of the occurrence of bacteriophages which appear spontaneously in cultures of haemolytic intestinal spirochaetes of human and animal origin was made. Excluding one isometric tailed phage particle which was observed in the form of free particle in proximity to a spirochaete of the w beta HIS strain HRM18, bacteriophages were never observed while examining cells of 21 weakly beta-haemolytic human intestinal spirochaetes (w beta HIS), swine Serpulina pilosicoli strain P43/6/78, and the avian strain 1380, although 50-100 cells of each spirochaetal strain were analysed. Isometric tailed bacteriophages were found associated with only three out of the 100 cells of strongly beta-haemolytic swine Serpulina hyodysenteriae strain P18A comparatively analysed. According to our results and previous published reports, the occurrence of bacteriophages which appear spontaneously in cultures of intestinal spirochaetes is a rare event.

Animals↗

Bacteriophages induced from weakly beta-haemolytic human intestinal spirochaetes by mitomycin C.

A comparative electron microscopic analysis of weakly beta-haemolytic spirochaetes related to human and animal intestinal spirochaetosis was done in order to search for the presence of inducible bacteriophages associated with these spirochaetes. Bacteriophages were detected at the electron microscope after experimental induction with mitomycin C in 4 strains of weakly beta-haemolytic spirochaetes related to human intestinal spirochaetosis, in Serpulina pilosicoli strain P43/6/78, the causative agent of swine intestinal spirochaetosis, in a spirochaetal strain related to avian intestinal spirochaetosis, and in Serpulina hyodysenteriae, strain P18A, the causative agent of swine dysentery, which was comparatively analysed as control. All phage-particles observed in both human and animal intestinal spirochaetes were morphologically similar with an isometric head of 45 nm diameter and a tail 63-70 nm long and 7-12 nm width. The presence of morphologically similar phages in all the haemolytic intestinal spirochaetes of human and animal origin analysed in this study opens some important questions, about the genetic relationship of phages present in pathogenic intestinal spirochaetes, their host range, and the possibility of natural gene transfer among pathogenic haemolytic intestinal spirochaetes of human and animal origin.

Animals↗