Assessment of the quality of dna extracted by two techniques from Mycobacterium tuberculosis for fast molecular identification and genotyping

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Genotyping of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from alow-endemic setting in northwestern state of Paraná in Southern Brazil

The purpose of this study was to provide information about the genetic diversity and prevalent genotype of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a low-endemic setting in northwestern state of Paraná in Southern Brazil. We employed spoligotyping and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) techniques to genotype M. tuberculosisisolates from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). The 93 isolates analyzed by spoligotyping were divided into 36 different patterns, 30 of which were described in the SITVIT database. Latin American and Mediterranean, Haarlem and T families were responsible for 26.9%, 17.2% and 11.8% of TB cases, respectively. From the 84 isolates analyzed by MIRU-VNTR, 58 shared a unique pattern and the remaining 26 belonged to nine clusters. The MIRU loci 40, 23, 10 and 16 were the most discriminatory. A combination of MIRU-VNTR and spoligotyping resulted in 85.7% discriminatory power (Hunter-Gaston index = 0.995). Thus, combining spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR typing proved to be most useful for epidemiological study in this low-endemic setting in Southern Brazil. The current study demonstrated that there is significant diversity in circulating strains in the city of Maringá and the surrounding regions, with no single genotype of M. tuberculosispredominating.

Genotyping, serotyping and determination of mating-type of Cryptococcus neoformans clinical isolates from São Paulo State, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Perfil eletroforético e concentração de imunoglobulinas G (IgG) do soro sanguíneo de cabras Saanen com mastite experimental induzida por Staphylococcus aureus suplementadas com vitamina E

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Peritoneal Dialysis-Related Peritonitis Due to Staphylococcus aureus: A Single-Center Experience over 15 Years

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii strains isolated from dogs with neurological signs

From 111 dogs with neurological signs admitted in this research in a 22-month period, brain samples of 34 animals were inoculated in mice in order to isolate Toxoplasma gondii. From these 34 dogs, 9 strains of T. gondii were isolated and the genetic characterization performed by restriction analysis (RFLP) of the SAG-2 gene. RFLP analysis showed that four of them were classified as Type I, and five as Type Ill. The present report is the first description of genotyping of T. gondii isolated from brain samples of naturally infected dogs, in Brazil. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification of Staphylococcus saprophyticus isolated from patients with urinary tract infection using a simple set of biochemical tests correlating with 16S-23S interspace region molecular weight patterns

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Oxacillin Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from the University Hospital of Botucatu Medical School in Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Risk factors for acquisition of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among patients from a burn unit in Brazil

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important agent of colonization and infection in burn units. in order to identify risk factors for MRSA acquisition in a Brazilian burn unit, we performed two retrospective studies. In the first ("cohort" study), 175 patients who were not colonized with MRSA on admission were followed to assess risk factors for MRSA acquisition. in the second ("case-case-control" study), 143 individuals from the previous study who were negative for both MRSA and Methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) on admission were followed. Case-control studies were performed to investigate risk factors for MRSA and MSSA acquisition. MRSA and MSSA were recovered from 75 and 23 patients, respectively. In the "cohort" study, only the number of wound excisions (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.55, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.21-1.98, P = 0.001) was associated with MRSA acquisition. in the "case-case-control" study, burns involving head (OR=3.43, 95%CI = 1.50-7.81, P = 0.003) and the number of wound excisions (OR = 1.83, 95%CI = 1.27-2.63, P = 0.001) were significant risk factors for MRSA. Burns involving perineum were negatively associated with MSSA acquisition (OR = 0.16, 95%CI = 0.03-0.75, P = 0.02). In conclusion, the acquisition of MRSA was related to the site of the burn and to the surgical manipulation of tissues, but not to the use of antimicrobials. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Occurrence of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus in various food products commercialized in Botucatu, SP, Brazil and detection of toxins from food and isolated strains

The aim of this work was to assess the microbiological quality of commercialized desserts, sandwiches and finger food in Botucatu, SP, for human consumption. A total of 172 food samples were analyzed for fecal coliforms and coagulase-positive Staphylococcus and 69 (40.1%) were in disagreement with the standards established by Decree No. 12 (Brazilian Food Sanitation Standard, 2001). Coagulase-positive Staplylococcus was isolated from 26 (15.1%) samples. Toxins were not isolated directly from foods but 27 (54%) coagulase-positive Staphylococcus strains were enterotoxigenic, and toxin type C was the most frequently detected. These results suggest that these products may act as an important vehicle of transmission for well-established pathogens. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genotyping of AR and PSA polymorphisms in a patient with Klinefelter syndrome, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and adenocarcinoma of the prostate

It has been hypothesized that the AR (androgen receptor) gene binds the two PSA (prostate-specific antigen) alleles with differing affinities and may differentially influence prostate cancer risk. In this article, we report a case of adenocarcinoma of the prostate in a 56-year-old man with Klinefelter syndrome (47,XXY) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, as well as the AR and PSA genotype. AR and PSA gene polymorphisms were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-based methods using DNA from peripheral white blood cells and the prostate cancer. We determined the methylation status of the AR gene on the X chromosome. The patient presents with the AG genotype for the ARE-I (androgen response element) region of the PSA gene. We detect the presence of two short AR alleles with 19 and 11CAG repeats each. Unmethylated alleles were demonstrated for both. The shorter allele was inactive in more than 60% of total DNA in both control blood and prostate cancer cells. The presence of short AR alleles and the G allele of the PSA gene may contribute to the development of prostate cancer in a 47,XXY patient. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Isolation of Staphylococcus epidermidis from inflamed upper respiratory tract of an orange-spined hairy dwarf porcupine (Sphiggurus villosus)

The orange-spined hairy dwarf porcupine (Sphiggurus villosus) is a rodent species common in most parts of South America, and little is known about the pathologies that can afflict it. A specimen was delivered at the Wildlife Research and Medical Center (CEMPAS), School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil. The animal showed intense apathy, with purulent secretion in the nasal cavity and fracture of the lumbar spine. Due to the unfavorable prognosis, the porcupine was euthanized and microbiological culture of nasal discharge showed Staphylococcus epidermidis. The antimicrobial resistance test revealed sensitivity to all tested antimicrobials (ampicillin, oxacillin, tetracycline, penicillin G, neomycin, cephalexin, gentamicin, enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, cotrimoxazol, cefoxitin and cephalothin). This bacterium is part of the nasal flora of humans and other animals, and may cause infection under certain conditions. In the present study, the infection and colonization by S. epidermidis was the probable cause of the inflammatory process. The sensitivity to all tested antimicrobials suggests that this strain has not been previously exposed to such drugs.

Atividade in vitro do danofloxacin e de sete drogas antimicrobianas frente a linhagens de Staphylococcus aureus de mastite bovina

The antimicrobial activity, of danofloxacin, a new 4-fluoroquinolone for exclusive use in Veterinary Medicine, was compared in vitro with other seven drugs against 200 strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine mastitis. By using the antimicrobial disk diffusion method (Bauer-Kirby), the results showed that the imipenem (100%), trimerhoprim/sulfamethoxazole (98.9%), cefuroxime (97.3%) were the most effective drugs taking into consideration the percentuals of sensitiveness. However, considering the percentuals of the moderately sensitive strains, danofloxacin emerged as the third most active drug. The antimicrobial dilution susceptibility test used to study the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of danofloxacin, characterized its significative antimicrobial activity by showing a close relationship between both concentrations (MIC90%= 18 mu g/ml - MBC90% = 0.23 mu g/ml), as well as a MIC/MBC ratio of 1:1 and 1:2 for most of tested strains.