McCaul T F, Dare A J, Gannon J P, Galbraith A J
Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
J Clin Pathol. 1994 Nov;47(11):978-81. doi: 10.1136/jcp.47.11.978.
To determine whether Coxiella burnetii, the aetiological agent of Q fever, undergoes endogenous spore-like formation, the crucial stage of the developmental cycle, in the infected cardiac valves of patients with chronic Q fever endocarditis.
Surgically removed valves from three cases of Q fever endocarditis were processed for electron microscopy. Sections were stained with potassium permanganate and uranyl acetate before being extensively examined by transmission electron microscopy.
In all three cases endogenous spore-like formation was seen in the infected cardiac valves.
As the factors that govern sporogenesis in C burnetii are still largely unknown, it is uncertain how important are the implications of the discovery of endogenous spore-like formation in Q fever endocarditis. However, this finding may add new dimensions to current thinking about the treatment of chronic Q fever.
确定Q热的病原体伯纳特立克次体是否会在慢性Q热心内膜炎患者受感染的心脏瓣膜中经历内源性类芽孢形成，这是发育周期的关键阶段。
对3例Q热心内膜炎患者手术切除的瓣膜进行电子显微镜检查。切片先用高锰酸钾和醋酸铀染色，然后进行透射电子显微镜广泛检查。
在所有3例患者的受感染心脏瓣膜中均观察到内源性类芽孢形成。
由于在伯纳特立克次体中控制孢子形成的因素仍大多未知，因此在Q热心内膜炎中发现内源性类芽孢形成的意义有多重要尚不确定。然而，这一发现可能会为目前对慢性Q热治疗的认识增添新的维度。
