Abdominal zygomycotic thromboangiitis in a patient with AML and t(1;13;14)

 The case report of a 61 year-old man with AML M2 FAB, t(1; 13; 14) and zygomycotic mesenterial thromboangiitis is presented. Two induction cycles of chemotherapy were administered due to primary drug resistance. They were complicated by pneumonia, colonic pseudo-obstruction and perforation with peritonitis. The patient died on the 40th day of therapy, 4 days after undergoing palliative surgery. Zygomycotic thromboangiitis, which very probably contributed to the intestinal perforation, was confirmed morphologically at necropsy. The novel complex chromosomal translocation t(1; 13; 14) (q31; q32; q24) and the problems connected with the diagnosis of invasive fungal infections are discussed. Received: 26 January 1996 / Accepted: 12 June 1996     

Effect of IFN-γ receptor gene deletion on vaccinia virus virulence

Summary.  Two vaccinia virus (VV) strains, WR and Praha, were selected for a study undertaken to determine whether the virus-encoded interferon-γ receptor (IFN-γR) plays any role in virus virulence. Both of the viruses expressed the B8R gene coding for IFN-γR in infected cell cultures. The nucleotide sequence of the Praha virus B8R gene was determined, and, when compared with the published sequence of the WR virus, it only displayed one silent nucleotide substitution. Mutants of the WR and Praha viruses with deleted B8R gene were constructed. In rabbits, skin lesions produced by the WR B8R-deleted mutants were smaller and tended to disappear earlier than those caused by wild-type WR virus. Similar results were obtained with both independently prepared WR B8R-deleted mutants. These data strongly suggested that the product of B8R gene did play a role in virus virulence. A similar comparison of the wild-type Praha virus and its mutant could not be done because of the very low virulence of the parental virus for rabbits. Received March 13, 2000 Accepted August 16, 2000     

Comparative studies on intestine ultrastructure of third-stage larvae and adults of Cystidicoloides ephemeridarum (Nematoda, Cystidicolidae)

The intestinal epithelium of third-stage larvae and adults of Cystidicoloides ephemeridarum from haemocoel of mayflies and stomach of brown trout was studied by electron microscopy and cytochemistry. In section, the intestine of both stages is composed of a single layer of about ten undifferentiated intestinal cells in a ring. A labyrinth of deep invaginations is present in the basal region of each cell. The apical surface is modified into well developed, regularly arranged microvilli. These, together with numerous organelles engaged in metabolism and a well defined gut lumen filled with unidentifiable material suggest that the intestine may function in digestion and absorption during both stages. The adults seem to feed upon the semifluid content of the stomach of brown trout. Fortuitous oral infection with undetermined bacteria in vitro led to degenerative changes in the intestinal tissue and probably caused death of the infected specimens. Up to 75% of the cell volume in the L₃ is occupied by glycogen deposits. In the adults, a minor portion of glycogen, together with lipid droplets, has been observed. The adults are considered to rely more on aerobic metabolism, whereas anaerobic metabolism (glycolysis) may prevail in L₃.     

Eine Leptospirenepidemie in Strumiza (Mazedonien,Jugoslawien)

Ohne Zusammenfassung