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Efficacy of some colloidal silver preparations and silver salts against Proteus bacteria, one possible cause of rheumatoid arthritis

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Abstract

There has been increased interest in the role of anti-Proteus antibodies in the aetiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and whether chemotherapeutic agents active against Proteus species might reduce the risk and/or exacerbations of RA. We examined the in vitro antibacterial effects of ten different silver preparations which were either ionic silver [Ag(I)] solutions or nanoparticulate silver (NPS) (Ag0) suspensions against ATCC and two wild (clinical) strains of Proteus. The data establish the low minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of all the silver formulations tested against these four Proteus strains. In a pilot study, a potent NPS preparation ex vivo showed long-lasting anti-Proteus activity in a normal human volunteer.

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Acknowledgments

We are indebted to A White and J Petty for advice and assistance with silver analyses; to M Baharevs (Sydney) and Academician V Nesterov (Omsk) for assistance and advice in using the MetAtron monitor; to Dr G Maas (USA) for providing Meso Silver; and to D Butters for preparing the final MS. The Brisbane Holland Park Lions Club and W Whitney (and friends) helped fund the NPS studies.

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Author notes

  1. D. M. B. T. Disaanayake

    Present address: Microbiology Department, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pathology Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, QLD, 4102, Australia

    D. M. B. T. Disaanayake & Joan Faoagali

  2. Laroo Research, Ipswich, QLD, Australia

    Hans Laroo

  3. Wellness Focus Centre (WFC), Coorparoo, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Gerald Hancock

  4. School of Biomolecular and Physical Sciences, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia

    Michael Whitehouse

Authors
  1. D. M. B. T. Disaanayake
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  2. Joan Faoagali
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  3. Hans Laroo
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  4. Gerald Hancock
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  5. Michael Whitehouse
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Correspondence to Michael Whitehouse.

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Disaanayake, D.M.B.T., Faoagali, J., Laroo, H. et al. Efficacy of some colloidal silver preparations and silver salts against Proteus bacteria, one possible cause of rheumatoid arthritis. Inflammopharmacol 22, 73–77 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10787-013-0198-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10787-013-0198-0

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