Sydney M. Finegold, M.D.
Staff Physician, Infectious Diseases Section, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Emeritus Professor of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine
Emeritus Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, & Molecular Genetics, UCLADivision of Infectious Diseases, 111F
11301 Wilshire Blvd.
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Los Angeles, CA 90073
Tel: (310) 268-3678
Fax: (310) 268-3594
SidFinegol@aol.com Research Interests:The principal interests of the laboratory are: 1) anaerobic bacteria and their role in disease and 2) intestinal microflora and its role in health and disease. Specific techniques utilized include anaerobic culture, gas-liquid chromatography, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time PCR, cloning of bacterial genes, and 16S rRNA and other gene sequencing. Specific disease-related interests include rapid, quantitative determination of the bacteriology of wound infection (and other infections) by molecular techniques; developing simplified procedures for rapid, accurate identification of anaerobic bacteria; small bowel overgrowth in irritable bowel syndrome; role of intestinal bacteria in profound constipation (one bowel movement every 3 weeks); role of intestinal bacteria in autism; antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis; and role of intestinal bacteria in autoimmune disease. Individual areas of interest in the fields of anaerobic bacteriology or intestinal microbial flora may be welcomed/accommodated.Examples of specific projects in which Fellows could be involved that would lead to one or more publications include: antimicrobial susceptibility testing with a new antimicrobial; case reports of unusual or instructive infections involving anaerobic bacteria; and studying, and writing up as new species or other taxa, anaerobic bacteria that clearly do not fit into present taxa. We would certainly welcome Fellows seriously interested in research who would like to learn modern techniques and apply for a Career Development Award with the VA after completion of their Fellowship.Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications (from 371 peer-reviewed research papers):

  1. Bartlett J, Finegold SM. Anaerobic pleuropulmonary infections. Medicine. 51:413-450, 1972.
  2. Bartlett JG, Sutter VL, Finegold SM. Treatment of anaerobic infections with lincomycin and clindamycin. N Engl J Med. 287:1006-1010, 1972.
  3. Finegold SM, Sutter VL, Mathisen GE. Normal indigenous intestinal flora, Chap. I In: Hentges DJ, ed. Human Intestinal Microflora in Health and Disease. New York: Academic Press, 1983, p. 3-31.
  4. Cato EP, George WL, Finegold SM. Genus Clostridium Prazmowski 1880, 23AL. In: Holt JG, Sneath PHA, eds. Bergey”s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Vol. 2, 9th edit., Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1986, Pp. 1141-1200.
  5. Baron EJ, Summanen P, Downes J, Roberts MC, Wexler H, Finegold SM. Bilophila wadsworthia, gen.nov. and sp. nov., a unique gram-negative anaerobic rod recovered from appendicitis specimens and human faeces. J Gen Microbiol 135:3405-3411, 1989.
  6. Bennion RS, Baron EJ, Thompson Jr. JE, Downes J, Summanen P, Finegold SM. The bacteriology of gangrenous and perforated appendicitis- revisited. Ann Surg. 211:165-171, 1990.
  7. Wexler HM, Reeves D, Summanen P, Molitoris E, McTeague M, Duncan, J, Wilson KH, Finegold SM. Sutterella wadsworthensis gen. nov., sp. nov., bile-resistant microaerophilic Campylobacter gracilis-like, clinical isolates. Int J Syst Bacteriol 46:252-258, 1996.
  8. Sandler RH, Finegold SM, Bolte ER, Buchanan CP, Maxwell AP, Vaisanen ML, Nelson MN, Wexler HM. Short-term benefit from oral vancomycin treatment of regressive-onset autism. J Child Neurol 15:429-435, 2000.
  9. Finegold SM, Molitoris D, Song Y, Liu C, Vaisanen M-L, Bolte E, McTeague M, Sandler R, Wexler H, et al. Gastrointestinal microflora studies in late-onset autism. Clin.Infect.Dis. 35 (Suppl.1): S6-S16, 2002.
  10. Song Y, Liu C, Molitoris D, Tomzynski TJ, McTeague M, Read E, Finegold SM. Use of 16 S-23S rRNA spacer-region (SR)-PCR for identification of intestinal clostridia. System.Applied Microbiol.,25:528-535, 2002.
  11. Song Y, Liu C, Molitoris DR, Tomzynski TJ, Lawson PA, Collins MD, Finegold SM. Clostridium bolteae sp.nov., isolated from human sources. System. Applied Microbiol.,26:84-89, 2003.
  12. Liu C, Song Y, McTeague M, Vu AW, Wexler H, Finegold SM. Rapid identification of the species of the Bacteroides fragilis group by multiplex PCR assays using group- and species- specific primers. FEMS Microbiol. Let. 222:9-16, 2003.
  13. Song Y, Liu C, McTeague M, Finegold SM. 16 S ribosomal DNA sequence-based analysis of clinically significant gram positive anaerobic cocci J. Clin. Microbiol. 41:1363-1369, 2003.
  14. Song Y, Liu C, McTeague M, Vu A, Liu JY, Finegold SM.Rapid identification of gram-positive anaerobic coccal species originally classified in the genus Peptostreptococcus by multiplex PCR assays using genus- and species-specific primers. Microbiology. 149: 1719-1727, 2003.
  15. Lawson PA, Song Y, Liu C, Molitoris DR, Vaisanen ML, Collins MD, Finegold, SM. Anaerotruncus colihominis gen. nov., sp. nov., from human faeces. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol, 54:413-417, 2004.
  16. Finegold SM, Lawson PA, Vaisanen ML, Molitoris DR, Song Y, Liu C, Collins MD Anaerofustis stercorihominis gen. nov., sp. nov., from human feces. Anaerobe 10: 41-5. 2004.
  17. Song YL, Liu CX, McTeague M, Summanen P, Olsen I, and Finegold SM. Clostridium bartlettii sp. nov., isolated from human feces. Anaerobe 10:179-84. 2004.
  18. Finegold SM, Vaisanen ML, Rautio M, Eerola E, Summanen P, Molitoris D, Song Y, Liu C, Jousimies-Somer H. Porphyromonas uenonis sp. nov., a pathogen for humans distinct from P. asaccharolytica and P. endodontalis. J. Clin. Microbiol, 42(11): 5298-301. 2004.
  19. Song Y, Liu C, Finegold SM. Real-time PCR quantitation of clostridia in feces of autistic children. Appl.Environ.Microbiol. 70(11): 6459-65.51. 2004.
  20. Finegold SM, St. John S, Vu AW, Li CM, Molitoris D, Wexler HM. In vitro activity of ramoplanin and comparator drugs against 990 anaerobic intestinal bacteria from the perspective of potential utility in pathology involving bowel flora. Anaerobe, 10:205-11, 2004.
  21. Finegold SM, Molitoris D, Vaisanen M-L, Song Y, Liu _, Bolanos M. In vitro activities of OPT-80 and comparator drugs against intestinal bacteria. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 48:4898-4902, 2004.
  22. Song Y, Liu C, Finegold SM. Multiplex PCR for rapid differentiation of three species in the “Clostridium clostridioforme group”. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 244:391-395, 2005.
  23. Song Y, Liu C, Bolanos M, Lee J, McTeague M, Finegold SM. Evaluation of 16S rRNA sequencing and reevaluation of a short biochemical scheme for identification of clinically significant Bacteroides species. J. Clin. Microbiol. 43:1531-1537, 2005.
  24. Finegold SM, Song Y, Liu C, Hecht D, Summanen P, Kononen E, and Allen SD. Clostridium clostridioforme: a mixture of three clinically important species. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Inf. Dis. Published online 13 May 2005.
  25. Summanen P, BengŸl Durmaz, Vaisanen ML, Liu C, Molitoris D, Eerola E, and Finegold SM. Porphyromonas somerae sp. nov., a pathogen isolated from humans and distinct from Porphyromonas levii. J. Clin. Microbiol., 43: 4455-4459, 2005.
  26. Song Y, Liu C, Lee J, Bolanos M, Vaisanen M-L, Finegold SM. Bacteroides goldsteinii sp. nov., isolated from clinical specimens of human intestinal origin J. Clin. Microbiol., 43: 4522-4527, 2005.
  27. Finegold, SM. Therapy and epidemiology of autism – clostridial spores as key elements. Med. Hypotheses 70:508-511, 2008.

 

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