Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.7.7 (DNA polymerase)
 17,007 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Tap water is one of the causative factors of hospital infections. We examined the disinfective potential of electrolysis and mechanism of disinfection, and clarified the disinfective effect of electrolysis on tap water contaminated with bacteria, and discussed its clinical applications. Tap waters artificially contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Legionella pneumophila, and Staphylococcus aureus could be sterilized by electrolysis at 20-30 mA for 5 min. A high-density suspension (10(6) CFU/ml) of a spore forming bacterium, Bacillus subtilis was not completely sterilized by electrolysis at 50 mA up to 30 min, but a low-density suspension (10(5) CFU/ml) was totally sterilized by electrolysis at 50 mA for 5 min. Electrolyzed P. aeruginosa changed morphologically, that is, there was bleb formation on the cell wall and irregular aggregation of cytoplasmic small granules. Moreover, cytoplasmic enzyme, nitrate reductase, was inactivated by the electrolysis. On the other hand, genomic DNA of the electrolyzed bacteria was not degenerated, therefore, their DNA polymerase activity was not completely inactivated. Consequently, the major agent in electrolysis for bactericidal action was considered to be free chlorine, and the possible bactericidal mechanism was by destruction of bacterial membranes, followed by the aggregation of peripheral cytoplasmic proteins. Electrolysis of tap water for both disinfecting contaminating bacteria and increasing the disinfectant capacity was considered effective with some limitations, particularly against high-density contamination by spore-forming bacteria. In clinical settings, electrolysis of tap water is considered effective to disinfect water for hand washing in operation theatres, and bathing water for immunocompromised hosts.
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PMID:Evaluation of disinfective potential of reactivated free chlorine in pooled tap water by electrolysis. 1506 56

The epidemiology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections and colonizations was studied prospectively on a 12-bed medical intensive care unit. Patients were monitored for P. aeruginosa colonization by performing throat swabs or tracheal aspirates on admission and weekly thereafter over a period of 6 months. Cultures of possibly infected sites were taken as clinically indicated. Water samples from all patient care-related tap water outlets were collected in 2-weekly intervals and examined for the presence of P. aeruginosa. Strains isolated from patients and water samples were analysed by serotyping and random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) typing. During the 6-month period, 60 of 143 (42%) water samples contained P. aeruginosa at various levels ranging from 1 to >100 colony-forming units per 100ml sample. Genotypically, water samples contained 8 different clonotypes. Nine patients had infections due to P. aeruginosa and 7 patients were colonized. Isolates from patients showed a similar distribution of genotypes as did tap water isolates, and strains of identical genotype as patient strains had been isolated previously from tap water outlets in 8 out of 16 (50%) infection or colonization episodes. However, patients also harboured strains not previously isolated from tap water. Thus, in addition to tap water, other environmental or unknown reservoirs appeared to play a role for the epidemiology of P. aeruginosa infections on this ward. However, because tap water played a significant role for strain transmissions, we conclude that intensified water site care is justified.
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PMID:Common RAPD pattern of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from patients and tap water in a medical intensive care unit. 1674 Apr 15

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique involving enzymatic amplification of nucleic acid sequences in repeated cycles of denaturation, oligonucleotide annealing and DNA polymerase extension. It is a powerful molecular biologic tool that allows the rapid production of analytic quantities of DNA from small amounts of starting material. PCR can be performed on nearly any ocular specimen or biopsy. For diagnosis of uveitis, the obtained sample is usually an anterior chamber paracentesis or vitreous tap. PCR potentially is more sensitive than culture for detection of many organisms. By utilizing a secondary detection system in concert with the initial PCR reaction, perfect specificity can be assured. The initial application of PCR diagnostics to ophthalmic disease was in the detection of viral uveitis. PCR has also been implicated in studies of noninfectious uveitis. The most common application is HLA typing. A universal bacterial PCR can be very helpful for the diagnosis of bacterial endophthalmitis at an early stage of the disease.
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PMID:Polymerase chain reaction in intraocular inflammation. 1951 31