Andrzej Kasprowicz

Antimicrobial activity of 5-arylidene aromatic derivatives of hydantoin. Part 2☆

Various 5-chloroarylidene-2-amino substituted derivatives of imidazoline-4-one were synthesized and evaluated for their activity in vitro against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other type strains of bacteria and fungi. 2-Chloro- and 2,4-dichlorobenzylidene substituted hydantoins exhibited antimycobacterial effect. The most potent compounds 3i, 3j, 3o, 3q and 3s were classified for further tests. The antimitotic effect of the investigated hydantoins was also examined.

Topical taurine bromamine, a new candidate in the treatment of moderate inflammatory acne vulgaris – A pilot study

Taurine bromamine (TauBr), the product of taurine and hypobromous acid (HOBr), exerts anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Recently we have shown that Propionibacterium acnes, a potential pathogenic agent of acne, is extremely sensitive to TauBr. As topical antibiotics are associated with the emergence of resistant bacteria, TauBr seems to be a good candidate for topical therapy for acne vulgaris. In our double blind investigation, the efficacy and safety of 3.5 mM TauBr cream was evaluated. 1% Clindamycin gel (Clindacin T), one of the most common topical agents in the treatment of acne vulgaris, was used as a control. Forty patients with mild to moderate inflammatory facial acne vulgaris were randomly treated with either TauBr or clindamycin for 6 weeks, twice-a-day. More than 80% of the patients markedly improved with both treatments, without any adverse effects observed. Both TauBr and clindamycin produced a significant reduction in inflammatory skin lesion counts (papules/ pustules). After 6 weeks, comparable reductions of acne lesions, 65% and 68%, were observed in the TauBr and clindamycin groups, respectively. In conclusion, these data support our concept that TauBr can be used as a topical agent in the treatment of acne vulgaris, especially in patients who have already developed antibiotic resistance.

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Infection in a Bone Marrow Transplant Recipient

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a veterinary pathogen that has seldom been described as an agent of human disease. Features of this probably underreported coagulase-positive Staphylococcus species are depicted here through the description of a graft-versus-host disease-related wound infection caused by a multidrug-resistant strain.

Susceptibility of Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis to killing by MPO-halide system products. Implication for taurine bromamine as a new candidate for topical therapy in treating acne vulgaris

Abstract.Introduction: Taurine chloramine (TauCl) and taurine bromamine (TauBr) are the main haloamines produced by activated neutrophils. TauCl exerts both anti-inflammatory and microbicidal activities. Clinical studies showed that TauCl may be useful as an antimicrobial agent in the local treatment of infections. Much less is known about TauBr. Circumstantial evidence suggests that Propionibacterium acnes (PA) has a role in the inflammation of acne. Available topical therapies include antimicrobial agents which reduce total PA numbers and anti-inflammatory agents which suppress activity of the cells present in acne inflammatory lesions. In this study the bactericidal activities of TauBr and TauCl against PA and Staphylococcus epidermidis (SE), as a control strain, were investigated. Moreover, the influence of these haloamines on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by activated neutrophils was also tested. Materials and Methods: TauBr and TauCl were prepared by reaction of taurine with HOBr and HOCl, respectively. The reaction was monitored by UV absorption spectra. The bactericidal activities of TauBr and TauCl were determined by the pourplate method. The generation of ROS by neutrophils was determined by luminol chemiluminescence assay. Results: In our experimental set-up, TauBr showed stronger antibacterial activity than TauCl. Interestingly, PA was significantly more susceptible to TauBr than SE was. Moreover, TauBr at non-cytotoxic concentrations significantly reduced ROS generation by neutrophils. Conclusions: Since PA is considered to be an etiological agent in acne and ROS are closely correlated with the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin diseases, the reported data suggest that TauBr may be a good candidate for the topical therapy for acne vulgaris.

Arginine dehydrolase and β-gentiobiose cannot discriminate within the Staphylococcus intermedius group.

Staphylococcus intermedius [SI], Staphylococcus pseudinrmedius [SP] and Staphylococcus delphini [SD] belong to e so-called ‘Staphylococcus intermedius group (SIG)’; they habit various animal species and have been well known be responsible for skin and postoperative infections in ts and dogs (SI, SP), enteritis in minks (SD), and human seases (Sledge et al., 2010; Sasaki et al., 2007; Stegmann al., 2010). In this context, we have read with great interest the ork of Devriese et al. (2009) that has been recently blished on Veterinary Microbiology. Of course, this per contains relevant messages for readers, as it phasizes the risk of misidentifying SIG species unless olecular tools are employed. Especially, authors highht that tuf, sodA and hsp60 gene sequencing may provide liable characterization at a species level, whereas 16S NA analysis may fail to distinguish among such closely lated species (Devriese et al., 2009). Nonetheless, authors state that some phenotypical pects may aid to characterize SI, SP and SD isolates; in is ambit, we do not agree with the assessment that bntiobiose acidification and arginine dehydrolase activity ay discriminate among SI, SP and SD (Devriese et al., 09). Particularly, in the cited paper it is stated that, unlike both SP and SD, SI acidifies b-gentiobiose but fails to exert an arginine dehydrolase activity; conversely, Chuang et al. describe SP as lacking arginine dehydrolase activity (Chuang et al., 2010); again, although supporting the failure of SP to acidify b-gentiobiose (in agreement with the Devriese’s paper), Sasaki et al. report 60% SD strains (group B) as able to determine b-gentiobiose acidification, as well as 20% SD isolates as arginine dehydrolase negative (group B) (Sasaki et al., 2007). The mentioned discrepancies emerging from the published literature are summarized in Table 1. To conclude, it is clear from the published papers that biochemical features may vary among isolates of the same SIG species. Should b-gentiobiose acidification and arginine dehydrolase be considered as discriminating tests, isolates belonging to different species could be confused each other. On the contrary, gene analyses must always be performed, aiming to more deeply understand the phylogeny, epidemiology and pathogenicity of SI, SP and SD, as well as physiological variation of biochemical activities among different strains of these species. Therefore, discrimination among SIG members may not rely on phenotype-based methodologies but can be provided by accurate molecular diagnostics only.

Effectiveness of Polyvalent Bacterial Lysate and Autovaccines Against Upper Respiratory Tract Bacterial Colonization by Potential Pathogens: A Randomized Study

Background Polyvalent bacterial lysate (PBL) is an oral immunostimulating vaccine consisting of bacterial standardized lysates obtained by lysis of different strains of bacteria. Autovaccines are individually prepared based on the results of smears obtained from the patient. Both types of vaccine can be used to treat an ongoing chronic infection. This study sought to determine which method is more effective against nasal colonization by potential respiratory tract pathogens. Material/Methods We enrolled 150 patients with aerobic Gram stain culture and count results indicating bacterial colonization of the nose and/or throat by potential pathogens. The participants were randomly assigned to each of the following groups: 1. administration of PBL, 2. administration of autovaccine, and 3. no intervention (controls). Results Reduction of the bacterial count in Streptococcus pneumoniae-colonized participants was significant after the autovaccine (p<0.001) and PBL (p<0.01). Reduction of the bacterial count of other β-hemolytic streptococcal strains after treatment with the autovaccine was significant (p<0.01) and was non-significant after PBL. In Haemophilus influenzae colonization, significant reduction in the bacterial count was noted in the PBL group (p<0.01). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization did not respond to either treatment. Conclusions The autovaccine is more effective than PBL for reducing bacterial count of Streptococcus pneumoniae and β-hemolytic streptococci, while PBL was more effective against Haemophilus influenzae colonization.

Taurine Haloamines and Biofilm: II. Efficacy of Taurine Bromamine and Chlorhexidine Against Selected Microorganisms of Oral Biofilm

Formation of bacterial biofilm on dental surfaces is characteristic for existence of oral microbiota. It was also proved that uncontrolled biofilms on dental surfaces, as well as on biomaterials used in dentistry, are the main cause of oral cavity diseases such as dental caries and periodontitis. For years chlorhexidine (CHX) has been known as an excellent antiseptic and anti-biofilm agent. However, due to some of its unwanted adverse effects novel antiseptics are currently being tested by many laboratories. Our preliminary data have suggested that taurine bromamine (TauBr), a strong antiseptic against planktonic form of various bacteria and an anti-inflammatory agent, may also be a good candidate for treatment of biofilm-associated infections. Nevertheless, beneficial therapeutic effect of TauBr in the treatment of inflammatory acne lesions was not fully supported in vitro in the experimental model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm. Such discrepancies may be explained by distinct antiseptic resistance of biofilms generated by different microbial species. In this study we have extended the investigations of anti-biofilm properties of TauBr using novel in vitro models of Streptoccocus mutans and Candida albicans biofilms formed on orthodontic appliances. The ability of TauBr to kill the experimental pathogens hidden in a mature biofilm was compared with that of CHX.

Diagnostics: Routine Identification on Standard and Chromogenic Media, and Advanced Automated Methods

Abstract Diagnostic microbiology concentrates on the laboratory analysis of clinical specimens in cases when an infectious disease is suspected. The diagnosis of staphylococcal infections may involve clinical specimens isolated from humans, animals, or food products, as well as samples collected from the environment. A presented overview of the diagnosis of staphylococcal infections includes the following topics: specimen collection and direct specimen Gram staining; microscopic examination of Gram stained material; inoculation into general-purpose media as well as into selective-differential media; incubation, colony morphology identification, Gram staining, and isolation of pure culture; catalase testing; furazolidone susceptibility testing; detection of free coagulase and bound coagulase; identification of bacterial species based on biochemical tests; detection of resistance mechanisms (beta-lactamases, methicillin resistance, macrolide, and lincozamine resistance, or, the MLSB resistance mechanism); and antibiogram execution. Automated methods applied to staphylococcal diagnostics are presented.

Corrigendum to "Nickel allergy and relationship with Staphylococcus aureus in atopic dermatitis" [J. Trace Elem. Med. Biol. 33 (2016) 1-7].

Department of Clinical and Environmental Allergology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-531 Krakow, Poland Department of Dermatology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-066 Krakow, Poland Centre for Microbiological Research and Autovaccines Ltd., 31-016 Krakow, Poland University of Copenhagen Research Centre for Control of Antibiotics Resistance-UC-Care Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of openhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frb. C., 1-20 Frb. C., Copenhagen, Denmark

Multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat fingerprinting as a method for rapid and cost-effective typing of animal-associated Staphylococcus aureus strains from lineages other than sequence type 398

In veterinary medicine, Staphylococcus aureus is associated with a range of mild to severe infections. The high density of livestock in intensive farming systems increases the risk of disease spread and hampers its control and measures of prevention, making S. aureus one of the most important animal pathogens. Multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat fingerprinting (MLVF) has been successfully applied to the characterization of livestock-associated meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ST398 but not to the characterization of a wide range of other animal isolates. The objective of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of MLVF for studying S. aureus strains isolated from households, farms and exotic animals in three regions of Poland. MLVF, random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD), spa typing and diagnostic microarrays were compared to determine the most suitable combination of methods for veterinary purposes. MLVF generated results consistent with host and geographic origins, reflecting population structures with a high concordance to spa typing results. MLVF has been proven to be a rapid, highly discriminatory and cost-effective method suitable for molecular typing in veterinary settings.