L~P O L D (1953) reported the isolation of a hitherto undescribed organism, a small, non-motile, non-capsulated, pleomorphic Gramnegative rod, from the genito-urinary tract of both men and women. On Casman's blood agar (essentially a proteose peptone, tryptose, beef extract agar with 5 per cent. human red blood cells and small amounts of corn starch, nicotinamide, para-aminobenzoic acid and glucose) incubated at 37" C. in air containing 10 per cent. C02, it grew slowly, forming tiny colonies surrounded by zones of haemolysis.Leopold did not attempt to classify the organism either on this or on a subsequent occasion (1956). Gardner and Dukes (1955) in the U.S.A. and Lutz, Grooten and Wurch (1955) in France reported frequent hlations of a similar micro-organism from women with vaginitis and from their consorts; Gardner and Dukes proposed the name Haemphilus vagittalis for it. Both groups of workers considered that the small bacillus they isolated belonged to the genus Huenwphilus because they could grow it only on media containing at least 5 per Cent. blood and because of its microscopical appearance.Gardner, Dampeer and Dukes (1957) described the clinical condition in which they found the organism, but added little to the bacteriological information already published. Brewer, Halpern and Thomas (1957) commented that H. vugindis organisms consistently assume a striking but vague and indescribable pattern that makes differentiation from small, pleomorphic, Gram-negatively staining diphtheroids difficult, and that many transplanted strains become Gram-variable, some to the point of being Gram-positive and looking very much like small diphtheroids.Amies and Jones (1957) described micro-organisms that were different in many respects from those of Leopold and of Gardner and Dukes, and appeared to belong to a different species (Edmunds, 1959, 196oa), more closely related to the genus Huemophillus than is the bacillus of Gardner and Dukes (Lapage, 1961).Four further reports appeared in 1959 and 1960, two of which (Bret and &hen-Debray; Ritwfeld and Kiimmel) gave descriptions very similar to those of Gardner and Dukes, except that they did not observe haemolysis; however, they used sheep's blood which according to Edmunds (19604 is not haemolysed. The third report (Heltai and Taleghany) stated that an organism similar to that described by Gardner and D u k e s was seen and cultured, but never in pure culture, and that no association could be established between the presence of this organism and vaginitis. The last of t h w four papers (Edmunds, 1959) mentions a tendency of some strains to be Gram-positive. A year later, Edmunds (1960~) gave a fuller description of the microscopical appearance of his organism which suggested that it belonged to a genus other than Haemphilus. He stated (p. 279 that " It has 1 . PATH. BAm. --YOL 85 (1963) 213 0 2
, but its diagnosis presents difficulties. Even when infection is established, blood cultures may fail to yield candida. When, on the other hand, the diagnosis is in doubt, the isolation of Candida species may be of little significance without other evidence of infection, because of the frequency with which these organisms are found in mucocutaneous situations (Mackenzie, 196 1 ; Marples, 1966) from which they may contaminate specimens. Clearly a reliable serological test would be of great value. Winner (1955) concluded from a study of over 2500 subjects that a high agglutination titre was of little or no diagnostic significance in a case of suspected candida infection. However, Stallybrass (1 964) and Taschdjian et al. (1 964a and b; 1967) have produced evidence that precipitins to somatic antigens of Candida species seldom appear in the absence of infection. Our observations made on patients undergoing open-heart surgery suggest that the finding of high levels of precipitins to candida may be indicative either of candida endocarditis or inapparent candida infection. METHODS Sera We have examined 409 sera for the presence of agglutinins and precipitins to Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, C. guilliermondii and C. parapsilosis. The study began when, between Nov. 1965 and May 1966, sera were received from four patients (M.B., C.B., J.C. and R.H.) in whom a clinical diagnosis of candida endocarditis had been made. When precipitins to Candidiz species were detected in them, the study was extended to another 64 patients who underwent open-heart surgery between June 1966 and Sept. 1967; two of these patients (D.S. and J.R.) developed candida endocarditis. As far as possible blood was taken immediately before operation and thereafter at weekly intervals. Agglutination and gel diffusion precipitin tests were carried out on all sera. Agglutination tests Candida species were grown on glucose peptone agar for 48 hr at 37"C, washed off with isotonic saline and made into stock suspensions of approximately 50 per cent. packed-cell volume, which Agglutination tests were carried out with suspensions of whole yeast cells.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.