The significance of bacterial findings in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is controversial. Interpretation of the results of bacteriological examinations from the surface of HS lesions is obscured by the possible contamination of resident skin bacteria. Bacteriological analysis of aspirates from deeper parts of HS is liable to show low sensitivity. We used a carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) laser method to evaporate the diseased tissue level by level from the surface downwards, allowing concurrent sampling of bacteriological cultures from each level and thereby minimizing contamination with bacteria from the level above. In this study, 22 women and three men with a mean age of 35·3 years and a mean HS duration of 10·6 years were treated with this CO 2 laser surgical method. Aerobic and anaerobic cultures from superficial and deep levels were taken during surgery. The regions treated were axillary in eight and perineal in 17 cases. Bacterial cultures were positive for one or more specimens from at least one level in all cases and from deep levels in all but three cases. Sixteen different species or subspecies were found. Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were the species most frequently found. Peptostreptococcus species and Propionibacterium acnes were not uncommon. S. aureus was detected in a total of 14 cases, six of which were from the deep levels. S. aureus was the sole bacterium isolated in two deep cultures. CNS were found in 21 patients and 16 of these isolates were from the deep levels. In nine of the 16 deep samples CNS were the only bacteria detected. These findings motivate a re-evaluation of the significance of bacteria in the progress of HS and in particular they suggest that CNS are true pathogens. It is known that foreign bodies aggravate the virulence of the CNS in surgical implants, and an environment which resembles that produced by a foreign body, as found in chronic HS tissue, serves to intensify the pathogenic properties of CNS in HS.

No abstract

jWe studied bacterial proliferation in relation to surfac-bacterial numbers in both groups ventilated for 5 h, but tant treatment in a model of neonatal group B streptococcal values for surfactant-treated animals (8.96 + 0.38) were (GBS) pneumonia. Surfactant (Curosurf) was isolated from lower than those for animals receiving saline (9.46 + 0.50; pig lungs with a method preserving only polar lipids and p < 0.05). After 5 h, 96% of GBS-infected animals had hydrophobic proteins. Near-term rabbit fetuses were ven-positive blood cultures. Light microscopic examination of tilated in a body plethysmograph system. At 15 min, a the right lung of GBS-infected animals revealed inflammasuspension of GBS strain 090 Ia LD (5 mL/kg, concentra-tory changes that tended to be less prominent in surfactanttion -109/mL) was instilled intratracheally. At 30 min, treated rabbits. We conclude that intratracheal inoculation surfactant (n = 12) or sterile saline (n = 13) was adminis-of near-term rabbits with GBS resulted in a significant tered via the airways (2.5 mL/kg). A control group (n = 12) bacterial proliferation during 5 h of ventilation and that received the same volumes of saline. After 5 h the animals bacterial growth was mitigated by treatment with surfacwere killed, and samples for blood cultures and blood gases tant. (Pediatr Res 36: [784][785][786][787][788][789][790][791] 1994) were taken from the heart. The left lung was aseptically removed, weighed, homogenized, serially diluted, and cultured on blood agar plates. The results were expressed as Abbreviations mean log,, colony forming units/g lung + SD. Compared CFU, colony forming unit with animals (n = 12) killed immediately after GBS instil-GBS, group B streptococcus lation (8.13 2 0.54), there was a significant increase in RDS, respiratory distress syndrome GBS is a frequently encountered pathogen in the neonatal period (1). Vaginal colonization with GBS is commonly found in pregnant women. Vertical transmission occurs in approximately 40% of deliveries, but only approximately 1% of neonates born to these mothers develop clinical signs of GBS infection (2). If diagnosis and treatment are delayed, the condition has a substantial mortality, especially in premature infants (2). Susceptibility to GBS infections depends on host defense factors (e-g. lack of type-specific opsonizing antibodies) and Received January 26, 1994; accepted June 21, 1994. virulence factors (e-g. polysaccharide capsule) of the infecting microorganism (3-6).Animal models using rabbits, mice, and rats have been used for studies of experimental neonatal GBS infections (7)(8)(9). In these studies, the animals were either infected b y injection (7, 9) o r a bacterial suspension was nebulized via the airways in spontaneously breathing animals (8,9). Our intention was t o develop a model of GBS pneumonia in ventilated newborn rabbits infected b y intratracheal injection of a bacterial suspension.RDS and GBS pneumonia are difficult to differentiate o n clinical grounds (lo), and therefore neonates with ...

The soybean oil emulsion Intralipid was given intravenously to 12 healthy subjects for 2 hr. During the infusion an impairment of the chemotactic and random migration of leukocytes was noted. It was correlated to the dose given and to the degree of hypertriglyceridemia induced. Migration was fully restituted 22 hr after the infusion. Also when added in vitro Intralipid caused an impairment of leukocyte motility that followed a dose response pattern.

Further controlled trials with NAC are needed to determine whether it has a beneficial effect in the treatment of asymptomatic HIV-infected individuals.