Lena Lind

Alpha-Streptococci as Supplementary Treatment of Recurrent Streptococcal Tonsillitis: A randomized Placebo-controlled Study

Recurrences are a common finding after antibiotic treatment of acute group A streptococcal tonsillitis. This has been attributed to several factors, among others a disturbed normal throat flora and especially a lack of alpha-streptococci. It thus seems logical in patients with recurrent streptococcal tonsillitis, to restore the normal alpha-streptococcal flora by reimplantation of alpha-streptococci. This was performed in a double blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study. 36 patients with recurrent streptococcal group A tonsillitis were treated with antibiotics followed by either placebo (19 patients) or a pool of 4 selected alpha-streptococcal strains (17 patients) with good interfering activity against clinical isolates of beta-streptococci. No patient recurred during the first 2 months of follow-up in the alpha-treated group, but 7 in those treated with antibiotics and placebo. After 3 months 1 in the patient group treated with antibiotics and alpha-streptococci and 11 in the placebo-treated group recurred. These results are statistically highly significant and show that recolonisation with alpha-streptococci seems to offer a new way to lower the rate of recurrence in streptococcal throat infections.

Interfering α-streptococci as a protection against recurrent streptococcal tonsillitis in children

Recurrent streptococcal tonsillitis/pharyngitis is a great problem, especially in certain epidemiological situations. Patients treated with antibiotics often have a disturbed normal throat flora and may lack, e.g., alpha-streptococci known in vitro to have an interfering activity against group A streptococci. Thirty-one patients with recurrent streptococcal tonsillitis were given antibiotics for 10 days. At the end of this treatment they were sprayed in their mouths with four selected alpha-streptococcal strains known to have strong growth inhibiting activity in vitro against most beta-streptococci group A. The follow-up period after this colonization was 3 months. After alpha-streptococcal treatment, none of the patients attracted a new tonsillitis during the follow-up period while 8% of the controls had a second tonsillitis. Treatment of streptococcal tonsillitis/pharyngitis with antibiotics followed by recolonization with alpha-streptococci seems to hinder further recurrences.

Unchanged efficacy of a pertussis toxoid vaccine throughout the two years after the third vaccination of infants

BACKGROUND In a previously reported double blind efficacy trial of a pertussis toxoid vaccine, 3450 infants were randomized to receive diphtheria-tetanus toxoids with or without pertussis toxoid at 3, 5 and 12 months of age. Efficacy against pertussis as defined by the World Health Organization was 71% from 30 days after the third vaccination with an average follow-up of 17.5 months. We now report efficacy for an additional 6 months of open follow-up. METHODS Parents were contacted monthly by a nurse. If a participant or a family member coughed for > or = 7 days, a nasopharyngeal sample and paired sera were obtained. RESULTS Efficacy during this open follow-up period was 77% (95% confidence intervals, 66 to 85%) based on 29 and 110 cases fulfilling the WHO definition of pertussis in vaccinated and control children, respectively. Efficacy against household exposure was 76% (95% confidence intervals, 51 to 91%). Pertussis in vaccinated children had a significantly shorter duration than pertussis in control children. Determination of pertussis toxin antibodies in paired sera with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay had a lower diagnostic sensitivity in vaccinated (45%) than in control (92%) children, while determination of antibodies against filamentous hemagglutinin (not included in the vaccine) was highly sensitive for diagnosing pertussis in both groups (100 and 90%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS A monocomponent pertussis toxoid vaccine induces significant protection against pertussis for at least 2 years after the third injection. To obtain an unbiased estimate of vaccine efficacy it is important to determine antibodies against an antigen that is not included in the vaccine.

Erythromycin-resistant Beta-hemolytic Streptococci Group A in Goteborg, Sweden

A total of 21 erythromycin-resistant strains were found among 355 (5.9%) beta-hemolytic streptococci group A isolated in Göteborg during spring of 1987. T-typing showed 17 to be T12, 1 T4 and 3 nontypable. Spread of resistant strains could be demonstrated within 2 families and 1 day-care-center. Monitoring of erythromycin resistance among beta-hemolytic streptococci is advocated.

Efficacy of a monocomponent pertussis toxoid vaccine after household exposure to pertussis

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled efficacy trial of a monocomponent pertussis toxoid vaccine, 3450 infants were randomly assigned to vaccination with diphtheria-tetanus toxoids with or without pertussis toxoid at 3, 5, and 12 months of age. Study children and family members were investigated for possible pertussis with cultures, serology, and polymerase chain reaction. Efficacy was 71% after 3 dose when the World Health Organization case definition of pertussis (which includes paroxysmal cough for 21 days or longer) was used. We report the efficacy in the subgroup of children who were exposed to pertussis in the household. Among study children exposed to pertussis in the household from the day of the third vaccination, 20 of 99 (20%) recipients of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis toxoids vaccine and 64 of 79 (81%) recipients of diphtheria-tetanus toxoids vaccine had pertussis fulfilling criteria of the World Health Organization. The vaccine efficacy was 75% (95% confidence intervals 64% to 84%). In children who had received only two doses at the time of household exposure, vaccine efficacy was 66% (95% confidence intervals 15% to 90%) based on 4 cases among 32 household-exposed recipients of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis toxoids vaccine and 13 cases among 35 household-exposed recipients of diphtheria-tetanus toxoids vaccine. In conclusion, the pertussis toxoid vaccine provides protection against pertussis both after household and community exposure.

Beta-lactamase production and bacterial tolerance in recurrent acute otitis media

Different reasons for treatment failure or relapse of acute otitis media (AOM) have been suggested. In this study 38 children (8 treatment failures, 13 relapses of AOM within one month and 17 with a new AOM) were compared to 25 matching healthy children, regarding beta-lactamase producing bacteria and tolerance to penicillin V and ampicillin. Branhamella catarrhalis was the most common bacteria found in the nasopharynx and was isolated in 60% of children with AOM and in 48% of the control group. Fifty-two percent of the children classified as treatment failure or relapse of AOM had aerobic beta-lactamase producing bacteria in NPH. No bacteria tolerant to penicillin or ampicillin were found. Thus, beta-lactamase-producing bacteria seem to play a decisive role in treatment failure and relapse of AOM. On the other hand, tolerance to penicillin V or ampicillin does not seem to have any impact on healing of AOM.

Ear discharge after insertion of transmyringeal tubes

The peroperative bacteriology and cytology of the middle ear have been studied in 103 ears in 65 children operated on due to longstanding secretory otitis media. Within one month postoperatively, 12 ears (12%) showed signs of infection with discharge from the tube. Ten out of these 12 ears showed peroperative growth of Hemophilus influenzae, Branhamella catarrhalis, pneumococci or staphylococci in the middle ear effusions, a significant difference compared to ears without postoperative discharge. The peroperative cytological evaluation of the middle ear effusions from 10 out of the 12 patients with postoperative ear discharge showed presence of phagocytes as a sign of infection. It is concluded that pre-existing bacteria in the middle ear effusion of patients with longstanding secretory otitis media might increase the risk of postoperative infection within the first month after insertion of transmyringeal tubes.

Variable in vitro Activity of Cefaclor, Cephalothin and Cefadroxil against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis

The in vitro activity of cefaclor, cephalothin and cefadroxil to 50 Escherichia coli, 23 Klebsiella pneumoniae and 20 Proteus mirabilis strains was tested with the disc diffusion and microdilution plate techniques. Cefaclor was more active than cefadroxil, while cephalothin was intermediate. The differences seriously affected the classification into the routine SIR system. For susceptibility testing we question the use of cephalothin as a class representative of oral cephalosporins.

Proteinase activity in effusion from children with otitis media with effusion

Abstract Proteinase activity has been demonstrated in middle ear effusions from patients suffering from otitis media with effusion. Proteinase activity was characterized by various biochemical, chemical and physical parameters. Chelators and sulfhydryl group reacting substances reduced the enzyme activity. Enzyme activity was positively correlated to the number of granulocytes present in the effusion. No correlation to bacteriological findings or to tympanic was and the proteinase activity showed wide within different categories of middle ear effusions.