Orientador: Jose Dirceu Ribeiro / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-25T17:13:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mello_AnnaLiviadeCampos_M.pdf: 1783171 bytes, checksum: 81375f0e9a2a686bb5b8d87b4ec89957 (MD5) Previous issue date: 1999 / Resumo: Observamos a ocorrência de pneumonias recidivantes (PR) em alguns pacientes com asma atópica grave. Devido à alta prevalência de refluxo gastro-esofágico (RGE) em pacientesasmáticos, desenhou-se este estudo clínico-Iaboratorial descritivo prospectivo, com o objetivo de comparar os valores de monitorização do pH esofágico em escolares e adolescentes com asma atópica grave, com e sem PR. O estudo incluiu 44 crianças e adolescentes de 7 a 15 anos, 19 sem e 25 com PR que, após investigação laboratorial de rotina, testes alérgicos e prova de função pulmonar, foram submetidas ao exame de pHmetria de 24 horas. Os resultados foram agrupados em textos e tabelas para análise estatística. Os testes X2 ou Exato de Fisher apontaram evidência ou não de associação entre as variáveis estudadas e os testes de Wilcoxon ou t de Student para mostras independentes, diferenças entre os grupos. Os 2 grupos foram homogêneos em relação a içlade, sexo, duração do aleitamento matemo, tabagismo matemo ou paterno, doenças pulmonares prévias, atopia familiar e doenças alérgicas concomitantes, dosagem das imunoglobulinas séricas e provas de função pulmonar. A monitorização do pH esofágico mostrou que pacientes com asma atópica grave e PR apresentam um número de episódios de RGE por hora estatísticamente superior do que pacientes com asma atópica grave sem PR tanto no tempo total de exame (p = 0,043 ¿ Teste de Wilcoxon) quanto em posição supina (p = 0,0091 - Teste t de Student). A percentagem de tempo com pH inferior ou igual a 4 também foi estatístícamente superior no grupo com PR (p = 0,00245 Teste t de Student). Os resultados mostram uma exposição ácida aumentada no período noturno em pacientes com asma grave e PR, assim como maior número de episódios de RGE. Estes achados justificam uma investigação mais precoce do RGE nestes pacientes / Abstract: An assessment of gastroesophageal reflux in children and adolescents with severe atopic asthma with and without recurrent pneumonia In order to evaluate the role of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) as a possible cause of recurrent pneumonia (RP) in children and adolescents with severe atopic asthma (AA), 44 patients were studied prospectively with prolonged (24hour) esophageal pH-monitoring. Their ages ranged from ? to 15 years. There were no significant differences detected between group 1 (AA without RP) and group 2 (AA with RP) when sex, age, maternal or paternal smoking, atopic status, and lung function tests were evaluated. The prevalence of GER was 31,6% (6/19) in group 1 and 48% (12/25) in group 2. The following parameters were evaluated: mean percentage of time pH<4, the number of GER episodes/hr, esophageal clearance and the longest reflux episode. Esophageal acid exposme (mean percentage of time with pH<4) (p= 0,00245) and the number of GER episodes/hr (p=0,0091) in supine position were significantly increased in group 2 as compared to group 1. Furtherrnore, group 2 shows higher values of !lUmber of GER episodes/hour (p=0,043). Thus, our results show that patients with AA and RP differ from AA without RP by the characteristics of their refluxo We therefore, suggest to perforrn prolonged esophageal monitoring as a standard procedure in asthmatic patients with RP / Mestrado / Mestre em Pediatria

Orientador: Maria Marluce dos Santos Vilela / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-25T23:28:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Toro_AdyleiaAparecidaDalboContrera_M.pdf: 8843877 bytes, checksum: 73f22dcd0cdde1ed185c12b1306bab3d (MD5) Previous issue date: 1999 / Resumo: Depois do sistema imunológico, o pulmão é o órgão mais acometido em pacientes com a síndrome da imunodeficiência pediátrica, causada pelo vírus HIV-l. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar as manifestações clínicas e de imagens do trato respiratório inferior em crianças infectadas pelo HIV-l, por transmissão vertical considerando: a) a evolução da doença pulmonar e identificação, quando possível, da sua etiologia; b) as alterações radiográficas e a correlação anatomopatológica; c) a categoria clínico-imunológica da infecção pelo HIV-1 e a manifestação da doença pulmonar. O presente estudo foi realizado com um grupo de 48 pacientes da faixa etária pediátrica (entre O e 13 anos de idade ), os quais faziam seguimento no Ambulatório de Imunodeficiência Pediátrica . do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Unicamp, no período entre dezembro de 1994 à outubro de 1998, e que apresentaram em algum momento doença pulmonar. Esses pacientes fazem parte de uma coorte de 304 crianças e adolescentes menores de 14 anos, nascidos de mães infectadas pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana do tipo um (HIV -1), matriculadas no Serviço de Imunodeficiência Pediátrica do HC -Unicamp, desde janeiro de 1989 até 31 de julho de 1998. Pneumonia aguda de provável etiologia bacteriana foi diagnosticada em 42 (87,5%) pacientes, mediante critérios clínicos e radiológicos, sendo que 10 (20,8%) destes com apenas um episódio de pneumonia, 8 (16,6%) com dois e 24 (5001Ó) com três ou mais. Dentre todos eles, 39 (92,8 %) apresentaram melhora clínica e radiológica e apenas um mostrou imagem mantida de pneumatocele com resolução no final de um ano de seguimento. Dos 42 pacientes com pneumonia resgatou-se o tratamento em 100 episódios, e 97% deles apresentaram tratamento efetivo para as bactérias mais freqüentes de acordo com a faixa etária pediátrica. Dentre os trinta e um pacientes ,?om imagem radiológica mantida (opacidade heterogênea) por mais de três meses, vinte e sete realizaram tomografia de tórax de alta resolução (TCAR). Em sete pacientes foram encontradas linfonodomegalia mediastinal na TCAR. As alterações pulmonares vistas na TCAR das crianças desse estudo foram: opacidades em vidro fosco em 3; opacidades retículo-nodulares em 8; reticulares em 3; nodulares em 6; consolidação em espaços aéreos em 7; aprisionamento de ar em um e cistos pulmonares em 2. A biópsia pulmonar foi realizada em vinte pacientes. Dezessete crianças com patologia pulmonar crônica e três com quadro pulmonar agudo. A média de idade na data da biópsia foi 4 anos e 6 meses e a mediana 3 anos e 6 meses. Segundo os critérios clínicos e imunológicos, do Centers for Disease Control dos Estados Unidos da América, esses pacientes foram classificados em: B2, seis (300.10); B3, quatro (20%); C2, dois (10%) e C3, oito (40)%. Os achados histopatológicos obtidos em dezessete pacientes que realizaram biópsia pulmonar por imagem mantida no radiograma de tórax e confirmada pela tomografia foram: pneumonia intersticial linfocítica (PIL) em 5 pacientes, hiperplasia linfóide em 9, tuberculose em 1, pneumonia intersticial não PIL em 2. Três pacientes foram submetidos a biópsia durante quadro agudo infeccioso, para auxílio no diagnóstico, com os seguintes resultados: pneumonia necrosante em 1, pneumonia intersticial crônica não PIL com focos de bronco pneumonia em 1, processo inflamatório crônico nodular rico em histiócitos em outro. Em apenas um dentre todos, o material foi obtido de necrópsia: dano alveülar difuso e avançado em organização. A cultura do material de biópsia mosu:ou em dois dos pacientes, com diagnóstico histopatológico de hiperplasia linfóide: O)'l!tbccocos neoformans e Mycobacterium tuberculosis, respectivamente. Portanto, nessa casuística, os pacientes apresentaram pneumonia de possível etiologia bacteriana com o mesmo aspecto clínico e radiológico, já descrito em crianças não infectadas pelo vírus HIV-I, respondendo ao tratamento padrão, estabelecido para tal patologia. Pacientes com imagem pulmonar manti.da se beneficiaram da biópsia, a qual auxiliou na indicação terapêutica / Abstract: The respiratory tract is affected in AIDS , second only to the imune system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the Iung and how it contributes to the development of the mv infection. From a cohort of 304 children, 48, infected with mv by vertical transmission were selected, who had developed some pulmonary disease. Those children were folIowed up in the Immunodeficiency Clinic, ITom December, 1994, to October, 1998. The patients were assessed according to their clinicaI, radiologicaI and histopathological aspects and TCD3, TCD4 and TCD8 counts. The decision to make a lung biopsy was taking after noticing a persistent heterogeneous nodular pattem on chest radiographs, for more than three months, confirmed by high-resolution CT (HRCT). Forty two patients (87,5%) had at sometime bacteriaI pneumonia. The HRCT findings incIuded : ground-glass pattem 3, reticular pattem 3, nodular pattem 3, air-trapping 1, pulmonary air cysts 2, reticulonodular pattem 8, air-space consolidation 7. Twenty patients were submitted to Iung biopsy. The pathologic diagnoses incIuded: lymphoid interstitial peumonitis in 5 patients, pulmonary limphoid hiperplasia in 9, tuberculosis in 1, interstitial pneumonia in 4, difuse alveolar damage in 1, necrotizing pneumonia 1. Two differeht patients had Criptococos Neoformmls and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, isolated ITom their pulmonary tis sue cultures. In this study, patients with an undiagnosed persistent Iocalized nodular infiltrate might have a signifcant benefit ITom an invasive diagnostic procedure due to similar radiologic images / Mestrado / Mestre em Pediatria

Magister Scientiae (Physiotherapy) - MSc(Physio) / Dysphagia is commonly known as a swallowing disorder associated with stroke patients. Between 37% - 78% of stroke patients suffer from it initially. Complications of dysphagia include aspiration leading to chest infection and pneumonia, malnutrition, dehydration, and an increased risk of death. Its early diagnosis and management is an important prerequisite for recovery from stroke during the rehabilitation phase. As healthcare professionals, nurses play an important role in the diagnosis and management of dysphagia in stroke patients. Studies have shown that nurses display a lack of knowledge about dysphagia in stroke patients. The aim of the study was to determine the knowledge of nurses regarding dysphagia in patients with stroke, at an Intermediate Hospital, in Namibia. The objectives of the study were to determine the knowledge of nurses regarding dysphagia, the association between the knowledge and socio demographic factors and to design an intervention program based on the knowledge of the nurses. The study was carried out in a selected hospital in Namibia. All nurses, who were employed at the Intermediate Hospital at the time of the study, were invited to participate. Of the 500 employed nurses, 188 accepted the invitation to participate in the study. The study used a quantitative method consisting of a survey to determine the knowledge of the nurses. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire with closed-ended questions which was developed by the researcher. The quantitative data were captured and analysed using SPSS (22.0 version). Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the study findings by using means, standard deviations, frequencies and percentages. To determine the association between the knowledge of dysphagia and the socio-demographic factors, therefore inferential statistics were used to in three levels of analysis. The findings of the study shows that nurses have a moderate knowledge regarding to the signs and symptoms and complications of dysphagia. Poor knowledge was identified in management of dysphagia. Further, the results also indicated that further training and experience in caring for stroke patients was more relevant to knowledge than the position and qualification of a nurse. Training and experience in the care of dysphagia patients is a stronger predictor of knowledge than the initial qualification or years of experience of a nurse. An intervention program was designed based on the information obtained from the findings of the questionnaire and supporting literature. Permission to conduct this study was obtained from the Senate Research Grants and Study Leave Committee at the University of the Western Cape. Written permission was obtained from the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Office of the Permanent Secretary, as well from the Acting Medical Superintendent of the Intermediate Hospital Oshakati. The aim of the study, confidentiality and the participants' freedom to withdraw from the study was explained. In order to maintain anonymity, nurses were asked to place informed consent forms and questionnaires in separate boxes. The outcomes of the study could be used to offer appropriate training programs to increase nurses’ knowledge of dysphagia in stroke patients.

Pneumocystis jiroveci, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis are respiratory pathogens associated with pneumonia, with increasing prevalence of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PcP) and tuberculosis (TB) in AIDS patients. Increased resistance of M. tuberculosis has emphasized the need for rapid susceptibility testing, such as flow cytometry. Sputum specimens (102) were assessed by PCR employing primers directed at the following genes: P. jiroveci: mitochondrial large subunit ribosomal RNA (mtLSUrRNA), dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), and for M. pneumoniae: 16S rRNA and P1 adhesin. Positive P. jiroveci samples were genotyped by PCR-SSCP (single-strand conformation polymorphism) targeting the: internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), intron of the nuclear 26S rRNA gene (26S), variable region of the mitochondrial 26S rRNA gene (mt26S) and β-tubulin gene (β-tub). Multi-drug resistant (MDR-TB) cultures grown in the presence and absence of four antibiotics (rifampicin, isoniazid, ethambutol and ofloxacin) were heat killed, stained with SYTO16 and Propidium Iodide and analysed using flow cytometry. Rifampicin resistance gene mutations were screened by PCR and DNA sequencing. Details of patient’s gender, age, HIV and M. tuberculosis status were provided by the hospitals. Women were seen to be at high risk for community-acquired P. jiroveci colonisation. Overall, prevalence of P. jiroveci was 55.1 percent (54/102 patients). P. jiroveci was mainly associated with HIV (25/102 P. jiroveci positive patients for which clinical data was available) and co-colonisation with M. tuberculosis was observed in 11 cases. Sequence analysis of DHPS and DHFR products found no resistance associated mutations. M. pneumoniae was detected in one patient. Four simple SSCP patterns were identified and there were no co-infections with other P. jiroveci strains. Nine M. tuberculosis samples [8 MDR-TB isolates (NHLS) and M. tuberculosis ATCC® 27294TM] were tested. There was a 53 percent (19 out of 36 tests) agreement of flow cytometry with the BACTEC MGIT 960. Mutations (at two specific codons, namely 516 and 531) in the rifampicin resistance-determining region (RRDR) of the rpoB gene were observed in eight M. tuberculosis isolates. Evaluation of methods for genotyping and drug susceptibility testing of PcP and TB are imperative for epidemiology and drug resistance studies, and impact on treatment protocols.

Orientador : Andre Moreno Morcillo / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-31T20:09:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Riccetto_AdrianaGutLopes_M.pdf: 11422856 bytes, checksum: 97a33df3e8d65dcf353bcb13a00bb7f0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2001 / Resumo: As infecções respiratórias agudas são responsáveis por cinco milhões de mortes a cada ano em crianças menores de cinco anos nos países em desenvolvimento. Setenta por cento desses óbitos são secundários à pneumonias. A desnutrição é considerada um dos fatores predisponentes à pneumonia e outras infecções. A relação entre a desnutrição e evolução desfavorável das pneumonias já foi estudada por vários autores assim como a associação entre desnutrição, resposta imunológica deficiente e ocorrência de infecções graves. No grupo de pacientes que necessitam de internação para tratamento da pneumonia, há a preocupação em encontrar fatores associados à pior evolução. A influência da desnutrição nos casos de pneumonia permite atribuir à avaliação antropométrica um papel importante no estabelecimento do prognóstico desta doença em crianças. Com o objetivo de avaliar a evolução de pacientes internados com pneumonia, no pronto-socorro de pediatria do Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas, foram avaliadas 85 crianças maiores de 3 meses e menores de 5 anos de idade, no período de abril de 1999 a novembro de 2000. Nestas crianças foi estudada a associação entre a evolução de pneumonia com sexo, idade, etnia, peso ao nascer, idade e escolaridade maternas, renda familiar per capita e estado nutricional, avaliado pela classificação de Waterlow, distribuição dos escore z de peso/idade, altura/idade, peso/altura, perímetro braquial, prega cutânea tricipital, área de gordura braquial, área muscular braquial e índice de massacorporal. Em nossa casuística a distribuição quanto ao sexo mostrou predomínio de meninos; a faixa etária mais freqüente foi de crianças menores de um ano. Verificou-se a presença de desnutrição em 8,2% segundo a avaliação nutricional proposta por Waterlow, sendo que somente 3,5% apresentaram desnutrição aguda. Não encontramos associação entre desnutrição energético-protéica (DEP), verificada pela avaliação de peso/idade, altura/idade, peso/altura, perímetro braquial, prega cutânea tricipital, área muscular braquial, área de gordura braquial e índice de massa corporal e evolução para complicação. Entretanto, devemos levar em consideração que a prevalência de DEP encontrada foi muito menor que a relatada em outros estudos onde verificou-se esta relação. Houve uma maior quantidade de crianças nascidas com baixo peso em nossa casuística (10,6%) do que o esperado para a região (8,2%). Com relação à escolaridade materna, encontramos que 84,7% das mães completaram até 8 anos de estudo, enquanto o esperado para a região oeste do estado de São Paulo é de 59,1% de pessoas com esta escolaridade.A maior parte das mães (56,5%) tinham idade entre 20 e 30 anos; 22,4% eram menores de 20 anos. Quanto à renda familiar per capita, encontramos um menor percentual de famílias com renda per capita menor que 0,5 salário-mínimo do que o esperado para a região (7,6% contra 36,5%, respectivamente). Verificamos, também, que 75,3% das crianças eram anêmicas. Dados da Organização Mundial de Saúde mostram que 30% da população mundial têm anemia, sendo que este percentual pode variar de acordo com o país. Para crianças abaixo da idade escolar, a estimativa global de anemia é de 43%. Em diferentes estudos realizados no estado de São Paulo, encontrou-se anemia em 22,6 a 59,1% das crianças. As complicações ocorreram em 27 (31,8%) pacientes; dentre estes, 22 apresentaram uma e cinco apresentaram uma ou mais complicações. Derrames pleurais ocorreram em 12 pacientes (44,4%) e a atelectasias em seis (22,2%). Oito pacientes apresentaram insuficiência respiratória aguda, correspondendo a 9,4% do total de crianças estudadas. Em nossa casuística não houve óbitos. No grupo com complicações houve predomínio do sexo feminino / Abstract: Every year in developing countries, five million children under 5 years of age die as a result of respiratory infections and seventy percent of these deaths are secondary to pneumonia. Infection of the upper airways is considered a predisposing factor for pneumonia and is present in various strata of society. Malnutrition is also considered a predisposing factor for pneumonia and other infections. Many authors have studied the relationship between unfavorable evolution of pneumonia and malnutrition, as well the relationship between deficient immunological response and serious infections. In 1996, the World Health Organization introduced, in Brazil, a program for the verification of malnutrition and anemia as a strategy for evaluating pneumonia. When pneumonia patients are hospitalized there is a preoccupation concerning the factors that could help in an unfavorable evolution. Anthropometrical assessment plays an important role in establishing the prognosis of this disease in children as malnutrition is thought to influence pneumonia cases. From April1999 to November 2000, 85 children above the age of 3 months and below the age of 5 years, hospitalized with pneumonia at the pediatric emergency unit of the Hospital das Clinicas, UNlCAMP, were observed in order to assess their evolution. The relationship between pneumonia evolution and sex, age, ethnicity, birth weight, mother's age and education, per capita family income, nutritional condition was evaluated using the Waterlow classification and the z score for weight/age, height/age, weight/height, upperarm circurnference, triceps skinfold, brachial fat area, brachial muscle area and body mass index. The distribution of sex and age factors in this casuistic was similar to that of previous studies. Using the Waterlow classification, the degree of malnutrition found was 8.2% and 3.2% suffered from acute malnutrition. In this study, the number of children bom with a low birth weight was higher (10.6%) than expected. It was found that 84.7% of the mothers hand up to 8 years of schooling, while the percentage for the westem region of the São Paulo State was 59.1%. Most of the mothers (56.5%) were between 20 years to 30 years and 22.4% were below the age of 20 years. The number of families with a per capita family income of less than 50% of a minimum salary was lower (7.6%) than the percentage for the entire region (36.5%). It was also observed that 75.3% ofthe children in this sample were anemic. The World Health Organization reports show that 30% of the world population is anemic, but this percentage varies in accordance with the country. The estimate of global anemia for children below school going age is 43%. A survey conducted in the State of São Paulo found that 22.6% to 59.1% of the children were anemic. Complications occurred in 27 patients (31.8%) - 22 patients had 1 complication and 5 patients had more than one complication. Pleural effusions occurred in 12 patients (44.4%), 6 patients (22.2%) had atelectasis and 8 patients (9.4%) presented acute respiratory insufficiency (ARI). No deaths occurred in this casuistic. Females predominated in the group with complications but this factor was not compatible with the information in literature. As there were no other factors that contributed towards an unfavorable evolution of pneumonia, this factor could be considered accidental because of the number of patients in this study. On the whole, malnutrition did not prove to be a determining factor for complications. However, a similar study conducted with populations having a higher percentage of malnutrition may detect the differences found by other studies / Mestrado / Pediatria / Mestre em Saude da Criança e do Adolescente

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第21413号 / 医博第4403号 / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 生田 宏一, 教授 伊達 洋至, 教授 中川 一路 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Since the invention of high-throughput sequencing, the majority of experiments studying bacterial microbiomes have relied on the PCR amplification of all or part of the gene for the 16S rRNA subunit, which serves as a biomarker for identifying and quantifying the various taxa present in a microbiomic sample. Several computational methods exist for analyzing 16S amplicon based metagenomics, but the most commonly used bioinformatics tools are unable to produce quality genus-level or species-level taxonomic calls and may underestimate the degree to which such calls are possible. In this thesis, I have used 16S sequencing data from mock bacterial communities to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of several bioinformatics pipelines and genomic reference libraries used for microbiome analyses, with a focus on measuring the accuracy of species-level taxonomic assignments of 16S amplicon reads. With the efficacy of these tools established, I then applied them in the analysis of data from two studies into human microbiomes. I evaluated the metagenomics analysis tools Qiime 2, Mothur, PathoScope 2, and Kraken 2, in conjunction with reference libraries from GreenGenes, Silva, Kraken, and RefSeq, using publicly available mock community data from several sources, comprising 137 samples with varied species richness and evenness, several different amplified regions within the 16S gene, and both DNA spike-ins and cDNA from collections of plated cells. PathoScope 2 and Kraken 2, both tools designed for whole genome metagenomics, outperformed Qiime 2 and Mothur, which are theoretically specialized in 16S analyses. I used PathoScope 2 to analyze longitudinal 16S data from infants in Zambia, exploring the maturation of nasopharyngeal microbiomes in healthy infants, establishing a range of typical healthy taxonomic profiles, and identifying dysbiotic patterns which are associated with the development of severe lower respiratory tract infections in early childhood. I used Qiime 2 to analyze 16S data from human subjects in a controlled dietary intervention study with a focus on dietary carbohydrate quality. I correlated alterations in the gut microbiome with various cardiometabolic risk factors, and identified increases in some butyrate-producing bacteria in response to complex carbohydrates. I also constructed a metatranscriptomics pipeline to analyze paired rRNA-depleted RNAseq data. My evaluation of 16S methods should improve 16S amplicon analyses by advocating for the modernization of computational tools; my analysis of infant nasopharyngeal microbiomes lays groundwork for future predictive models for childhood disease and longitudinal microbiomic studies; my analysis of gut microbes illuminates the mechanisms through which bacteria can mediate cardiovascular health. Taken together, the research I present here represents a significant contribution to 16S metagenomics and its application to epidemiology, clinical nutritional science.

No description available.

The effect of the new peptolide LY146032 (LY) was studied in a hamster model of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia. In vivo, after infection with one of two well-encapsulated strains of MRSA, A83 and A116 (type 8 and type 5), LY was protective only in A116 pneumonia. An in vitro assay of the effect of subinhibitory concentrations of LY on opsonophagocytic killing by pulmonary phagocytes demonstrated marked enhancement of killing of A116 (92.6 and 63.8% kill with 1/10 MIC and 1/50 MIC LY; no kill in the absence of LY). This effect was dependent on the presence of fresh serum. LY in subinhibitory concentrations produces a surface effect that may allow complement binding and activation and subsequent phagocytosis and killing to take place. The opsonizing effect of subinhibitory concentrations of LY was not demonstrable for the A83 strain. Differences in capsular types may be determinants of response to therapy of MRSA infections.

Background Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children under 5 years of age. Bacterial pathogens contribute significantly to this process. Culture of respiratory tract specimens is labour-intensive and slow. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is comparatively, a rapid, sensitive method of detecting low levels of nucleic acid for clinically relevant bacteria. This study compares the yield of bacteria obtained from culture and the FTDResp33 multiplex PCR of nasopharyngeal swabs (NPs) during LRTI episodes in children, in the Drakenstein Child Health Study. Methods At each episode of LRTI, 2 NPs were obtained, one for culture and one for PCR testing. Bacterial yields and concordance for the 5 commonest bacteria were compared using frequencies and proportions. Results From 13th August 2012 to 23rd November 2020, there were 859 episodes of LRTI in 434 children [median age 9.2 (IQR 3.8; 18.9) months; 0.2% HIV-infected]. S. pneumoniae, S. aureus, M. catarrhalis, H. influenzae and K. pneumoniae were the predominant bacteria detected by either method. Concordance between culture and PCR for S. pneumoniae, S. aureus, and K. pneumoniae was 84.9%, 89.7% and 86.3% respectively. Culture and PCR for H. influenzae had a concordance of 76.9%. The greatest discordance between culture and PCR was for the detection of M. catarrhalis (34.4%). Median bacterial loads on PCR for all 5 organisms were significantly associated with semi-quantitative culture results (p<0.001 for each). Adjusting for age and hospitalization, children on antibiotics at the time of sampling, had a reduced chance of having a positive culture (OR 0.1; 95% CI 0.1-0.4), and a reduction in PCR yield (OR 0.8; 95% CI 0.4-1.6). Conclusion: Significant concordance existed between PCR and culture for 4 of the 5 common bacteria, affirming PCR as a comparable method of testing to culture.