All posts by Postępy Mikrobiologii

Streptococcus pneumoniae – kolonizacja a rozwój choroby pneumokokowej

Streptococcus pneumoniae – colonization and pneumococcal disease
I. Korona-Głowniak, A. Malm

1. Wstęp. 2. Kolonizacja nosogardłowa przez Streptococcus pneumoniae jako prekursor choroby. 3. Czynniki chorobotwórczości S. pneumoniae i ich znaczenie w patogenezie zakażeń. 4. Patogeneza zakażenia pneumokokowego. 5. Odporność przeciwpneumokokowa gospodarza. 6. Profilaktyka zakażeń pneumokokowych. 7. Podsumowanie

Abstract: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in young children and elderly people. Pneumococcus is the leading cause of non-invasive (pneumonia, sinusitis, otitis media) and invasive (meningitis and bacteriemia/sepsis) pneumococcal disease. The virulence of S. pneumoniae is dependent on numerous factors. Nasopharyngeal carriage of pneumococcus precedes disease and is the source of pneumococcal spread in the community. Although the relationship between carriage and disease is not well understood, a lot of data suggest that local or invasive infection is caused by serotypes which previously bind to the epithelial surface within the respiratory tract. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines effectively prevent the most serious forms of pneumococcal disease caused by serotypes included in the vaccines and also reduce the risk of nasopharyngeal carriage by those serotypes. Recently, studies were carried out on the immunogenicity and significance of numerous protein virulence factors for the induction of serotype-independent protection against pneumococcal infection.

1. Introduction. 2. Nasopharyngeal colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae as disease precursor. 3. Virulence factors of Streptococcus pneumoniae and their impact on the development of pneumococcal disease. 4. Pathogenesis of pneumococcal disease. 5. Antipneumococcal host immunity. 6. Pneumococcal vaccines. 7. Summary

Zakażenia w ortopedii związane ze stosowaniem biomateriałów

Orthopedic surgery infections related to the use of biomaterials
J. Nowicka, M. Bartoszewicz

1. Wstęp. 2. Zakażenia związane z wytwarzaniem biofilmu. 3. Czynniki ryzyka powikłań infekcyjnych związane ze stosowaniem biomateriałów. 3.1. Czynniki związane z pacjentem. 3.2. Czynniki związane z zabiegiem operacyjnym. 4. Podział zakażeń wokół implantów. 5. Najczęstsze czynniki etiologiczne zakażeń związanych ze stosowaniem biomateriału. 5.1. Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis i inne CNS. 5.2. Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 5.3. Propionibacterium acnes. 5.4. Streptococcus pyogenes. 5.5 Candida albicans. 6. Rozpoznanie infekcji związanych ze stosowaniem biomateriałów. 7. Profilaktyka antybiotykowa okołooperacyjna. 8. Podsumowanie

Abstract: In spite of recent advances in diagnostics and therapy, muscoskeletal infections still remain a huge problem. Etiological agents of infections associated with the use of biomaterials on orthopedic and surgical orthopedic wards are often the microbes included in the patient’s own flora and these commonly found in hospitals. The present paper discusses the risk factors and most common etiological agents of these types of infections.

1. Introduction. 2. Infections associated with biofilm formation. 3. Risk factors for complications following biomaterial-related infections. 3.1. Patient-related factors. 3.2. Surgical procedure-related factors. 4. Infections classified with regard to implants. 5. The most common etiological agents of infections associated with the use of biomaterial. 5.1. Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and other CNS. 5.2. Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 5.3. Propionibacterium acnes. 5.4. Streptococcus pyogenes. 5.5 Candida albicans. 6. Detection of biomaterial-associated infections. 7. Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis. 8. Summary

Glomalina – glicoproteina glebowa produkowana przez grzyby mykoryzy arbuskularnej

Glomalin – soil glicoprotein produced by arbuscular mycorhizal fungus
A. Gałązka, K. Gawryjołek

1. Wprowadzenie. 2. Arbuskularne grzyby mykoryzowe. 3. Budowa i właściwości glomalin. 4. Produkcja i rozkład glomalin. 5. Występowanie glomalin. 6. Terminologia i metodyka oznaczeń. 7. Funkcje glomalin. 8. Czynniki wpływające na spadek produkcji glomalin. 9. Podsumowanie

Abstract: Glomalin is hydrophobic glycoprotein produced by arbuscular mycorhizal fungi (AMF). AMF can excrete glomalin into the soil. Glomalin is an abundant soil protein that could sequester substantial amounts of carbonand natrium on a global scale. It has a positive influence on soil structure by increasing aggregate stability of soil, which correlates linearly with the amount of detected glomalin. Glomalin production has an impact on many environmental factors including soil condition. Its content in soil is dependent on both the types of plants and fungal symbiotic species. Glomalins are especially resistant to destruction and hard to dissolve in water. Their extraction from the soil requires specific conditions: high temperature (121°C) and citrate buffer with neutral or alkaline pH. These properties make glomalins very stable compounds that create a perfect protective “jacket” for soil aggregates against degradation. However, they are also difficult to understand and determining their exact construction is still a challenge.

1. Introduction. 2. Arbuscular mycorhizal fungus. 3. Structure and properties of glomalin. 4. Production and decomposition of glomalin. 5. Origins of glomalin. 6. Terminology and methods. 7. Role of glomalin. 8. Factors affecting glomalin production. 9. Summary

Badania speleomikologiczne w wybranych obiektach podziemnego kompleksu Riese (Góry Sowie, Dolny Śląsk, Polska)

Speleomycological research in the selected objects of underground Riese complex (Sowie Mountains, Lower Silesia, Poland)
R. Ogórek, A. Lejman

1. Wstęp. 2. Charakterystyka kompleksu Riese. 3. Metody używane do oceny jakości mikrobiologicznej powietrza. 4. Czynniki środowiskowe wpływające na liczebność grzybów w obiektach podziemnych. 5. Grzyby występujące w powietrzu wybranych obiektów kompleksu Riese. 6. Potencjalny szkodliwy wpływ grzybów wyizolowanych z powietrza wybranych obiektów kompleksu Riese na zdrowie ludzi. 7. Podsumowanie

Abstract: The term „speleomycology” was first introduced by Polish scientists in 2014 and it is now used to describe all kinds of investigations which aim at the recognition of cave and underground mycobiota. Microbiological quality of air is estimated by using microscopic or culture methods. In the underground objects, the culture method with a microbiological air sampler (collision technique) is commonly used. Most fungi can be found underground as spores, which entered the objects transported by air or water currents, by animals living in the caves (e.g. bats, arthropods) or by humans visiting the objects. However, the environment surrounding the underground objects and the air currents seem to have the most significant influence on fungi concentrations inside the objects. Riese complex was built between 1943–1945 in the Sowie Mts. (Lower Silesia, SW Poland), but its purpose still remains unclear. Fungi isolated from the air of the studied objects (i.e. Osówka, Rzeczka, Włodarz) can cause allergies and infections in humans. However, fungal spore concentration and number of species in Riese complex do not exceed norms of microbiological quality of air and, thus, do not present a health risk to the tourists.

1. Introduction. 2. Characteristics of the Riese complex. 3. Methods used for assessing the microbiological quality of air. 4. Environmental factors affecting the number of fungi in underground objects. 5. Airborne fungi occurring in the selected objects of underground Riese complex. 6. The potential harmful effect of airborne fungi isolated from the selected objects of Riese complex on human health. 7. Summary

Cytolizyny – czynniki zjadliwości Staphylococcus intermedius i Staphylococcus pseudintermedius

Cytolysins – virulence factors of Staphylococcus intermedius and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius
W. Kmieciak, E. M. Szewczyk

1. Wprowadzenie. 2. Taksonomia. 3. Chorobotwórczość S. intermedius i S. pseudintermedius. 4. Cytolizyny gronkowców. 4.1. Hemolizyna α. 4.2. Hemolizyna β. 4.3. Hemolizyna δ. 4.4. Hemoliza synergistyczna. 4.5. Hemolizyna γ. 4.6. Leukocydyny. 5. Podsumowanie

Abstract: Bacteria in the Staphylococcus genus are one of the most abundant in the human microbiome. In addition to S. aureus, coagulase-positive group includes other species, such as isolated from animals S. intermedius and S. pseudintermedius. Recently, these two species have been also isolated from clinical materials from humans with increasing frequency. Apart from wound infections caused by animal bites, S. intermedius and S. pseudintermedius are also an etiological agent of endocarditis, central nervous system infections or bacteremia. Both species produce cytolysins: hemolysins α, β, δ, γ and leukocidins which have the ability to damage not only erythrocytes, but also many eukaryotic cells. Thus, these toxins seem to be very important virulence factors. In the light of the recent studies indicating participation of cytolysins in inflammatory processes and formation of biofilms, toxins produced by these species seem to be of particular importance in the pathogenesis of infections.

1. Introduction. 2. Taxonomy. 3. Pathogenicity of S. intermedius and S. pseudintermedius. 4. Staphylococcal cytolysins. 4.1. Hemolysin α. 4.2. Hemolysin β. 4.3. Hemolysin δ. 4.4. Synergistic hemolysis. 4.5. Hemolysin γ. 4.6. Leukocodins. 5. Summary