Utilization of indole compounds by Cryptococcus neoformans to produce a melanin-like pigment

Several indoles served as substrates for the phenoloxidase of Cryptococcus neoformans and resulted in the production of a melanin-like pigment. In general, a higher percentage of C. neoformans var. neoformans (A and D serotypes) isolates could produce pigment from indoles than could those of var. gattii (B and C serotypes). Only compounds with a hydroxyl or an amino group on the phenyl ring produced pigment; methoxy, nitro, methyl, and fluorine substituents on the phenyl ring were inactive, as was a hydroxyl group at the 2 position on the indole ring. The phenoloxidase of C. neoformans thus appears to differ from that found in Mycobacterium leprae, which cannot use a hydroxyindole, desoxyfructo-5-hydroxytryptamine, as a substrate. In addition, C. neoformans differs from M. leprae in that desoxyfructo-5-hydroxytryptamine does not inhibit the uptake of dihydroxyphenylalanine into the cell.     

Recombinant cysteine proteinase from Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi implicated in human and dog T-cell responses

High in vitro lymphoproliferative responses were induced in humans and dogs by a recombinant Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi cysteine proteinase, with secretion of IFN-gamma in asymptomatic subjects or of IFN-gamma, interleukin 4 (IL-4), and IL-10 in oligosymptomatic subjects. In contrast, responses of symptomatic patients and dogs were lower, with production of IL-4 and IL-10.     

Physiological response and childhood anxiety: association with symptoms of anxiety disorders and cognitive bias.

This study examined the physiological response (skin conductance and heart rate [HR]) of youth exposed to a mildly phobic stimulus (video of a large dog) and its relation to child- and parent-reported anxiety symptoms and cognitive bias in a community-recruited sample of youth (n = 49). The results of this study indicated that HR and skin-conductance response were associated with youth report but not parent report of their child's symptoms of anxiety disorders and that HR response was more strongly associated with anxiety symptoms than skin-conductance response. Physiological response was uniquely associated with youth-reported symptoms of anxiety rather than youth-reported depression. Finally, HR response interacted with cognitive bias in predicting childhood anxiety disorder symptoms in a manner consistent with theories of the etiology of anxiety disorders.     

Paraganglioma of the spermatic cord. Report of a case with immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies

We describe a case of paraganglioma arising in the spermatic cord, which is an extremely rare location. Immunohistochemical studies characterized two types of cells: (1) polygonal cells expressing neuron-specific enolase, chromogranin A, and synaptophysin and (2) S100 protein-positive sustentacular cells. Electron microscopy revealed that within the cytoplasm of the polygonal cells, there were electron-dense granules whose morphological appearance was consistent with that of neurosecretory granules. Paraganglioma of the spermatic cord may originate from embryonic chromaffin cells that have followed the testis into the scrotum.     

SKALP/elafin gene polymorphisms are not associated with pustular forms of psoriasis

Psoriasis is a multifactorial skin disease characterised by epidermal abnormalities and infiltration by lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). Skin-derived antileukoproteinase (SKALP), also known as elafin, is a potent inhibitor of human leukocyte elastase and proteinase 3, two PMN-derived proteinases implicated in tissue destruction and leukocyte migration. We have shown that, at least at the protein level, SKALP is significantly decreased in lesional skin of patients with pustular psoriasis compared with plaque-type psoriasis. This finding raised the possibility that SKALP could be one of the candidate genes for pustular forms of psoriasis. We therefore performed single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis on the SKALP gene to screen for mutations/polymorphisms in the exons of 30 patients with plaque-type psoriasis, 15 patients with pustular psoriasis and 48 healthy controls. In exon 1 a polymorphism was detected at position + 43 relative to the translation start site, resulting in a substitution of threonine for alanine in the signal peptide. In the promoter region a dinucleotide repeat polymorphism was identified. Both polymorphisms were not associated with pustular psoriasis, or psoriasis in general. Our data indicate that the decrease in SKALP activity in pustular psoriasis is not caused by mutations in the coding region of the gene, and that there is no allelic association between pustular psoriasis and SKALP gene polymorphisms.     

The Helix aspersa (brown garden snail) allergen repertoire

BACKGROUND: Ingestion of snails can induce strong asthmatic or anaphylactic responses, mainly in house-dust-mite-sensitized patients. The aim of this study was to identify the Helix aspersa (Hel a), Theba pisana (The p) and Otala lactea (Ota l) allergens and the extent of their cross-reactivity with the Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p) mite. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 60 atopic patients, skin prick tests (SPT) to snail and D. pteronyssinus, total and specific IgE, specific IgE immunoblots, RAST and immunoblot inhibition assays were performed. RESULTS: Mean total IgE was >1,000 kU/l. Mean specific IgE (class 6 for Der p and class 2 for Hel a) SPT were positive in 44 patients for snail and in 56 for mite. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) and SDS-PAGE followed by immunoblotting of H. aspersa extract enabled the identification of 27 and 20 allergens, respectively. Myosin heavy chains from snails (molecular weight >208 kDa) disclosed two major allergens. Hel a and Der p RAST were strongly inhibited by their homologous extracts, with Hel a RAST being inhibited by the Der p extract to a much greater extent (72.6%) than the inverse (5.6%). A complete inhibition of the immunoblots by their homologous extract was obtained. However, Hel a extract did not inhibit Der p IEF separated recognition. On the other hand, mite extract extensively inhibited snail immunoblots from both IEF and SDS-PAGE separations. Immune detection on chicken, pig, rabbit, cow and horse myosins did not reveal any IgE cross recognition with snail. CONCLUSIONS: In most cases of snail allergy, mite appeared to be the sensitizing agent. Nevertheless, snails may also be able to induce sensitization by themselves. This hypothesis is supported by the finding of specific IgE to Hel a in 2 patients who did not show specific IgE to Der p, and one of them was suffering from asthma after snail ingestion.     

Ruptured pseudoaneurysm of aortic root graft into the pulmonary artery as a cause of severe heart failure.

A 52-year-old man presented with heart failure of 1 month duration. He had undergone aortic valve and root replacement 30 months before admission. A continuous murmur was heard in the second intercostal space at the parasternal border. Aortography showed a pseudoaneurysm surrounding the aorta, whereas color Doppler study revealed flow from the central aorta to the pseudoaneurysm and flow from the pseudoaneurysm to the pulmonary artery trunk through a fistulous communication between them. Thus, fistulous communication with pulmonary artery causing heart failure is a complication of pseudoaneurysm after aortic and root replacement, which can be diagnosed clinically and echocardiographically.     

Vestibular control of sympathetic activity

It has been proposed that a vestibular reflex originating in the otolith organs and other body graviceptors modulates sympathetic activity during changes in posture with regard to gravity. To test this hypothesis, we selectively stimulated otolith and body graviceptors sinusoidally along different head axes in the coronal plane with off-vertical axis rotation (OVAR) and recorded sympathetic efferent activity in the peroneal nerve (muscle sympathetic nerve activity, MSNA), blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate. All parameters were entrained during OVAR at the frequency of rotation, with MSNA increasing in nose-up positions during forward linear acceleration and decreasing when nose-down. MSNA was correlated closely with blood pressure when subjects were within +/-90 degrees of nose-down positions with a delay of 1.4 s, the normal latency of baroreflex-driven changes in MSNA. Thus, in the nose-down position, MSNA was probably driven by baroreflex afferents. In contrast, when subjects were within +/-45 degrees of the nose-up position, i.e., when positive linear acceleration was maximal along the naso-ocipital axis, MSNA was closely related to gravitational acceleration at a latency of 0.4 s. This delay is too short for MSNA changes to be mediated by the baroreflex, but it is compatible with the delay of a response originating in the vestibular system. We postulate that a vestibulosympathetic reflex, probably originating mainly in the otolith organs, contributes to blood pressure maintenance during forward linear acceleration. Because of its short latency, this reflex may be one of the earliest mechanisms to sustain blood pressure upon standing.     

Functional Analysis of B-L (Ia-Like) Antigen-Bearing Chicken Peripheral Blood Cells

The functional of B-L (Ia-equivalent)-positive (B-L+) adn -negative (B-L-) chicken peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) was studied in vitro and in vivo. The PBL were first stained in direct immunofluorescence tests with a fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled anti-B-L alloantiserum and then separated by means of a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. In agreement with our previous findings, B-L- cells showed functional properties of T lymphocytes, responding to concanavalin A and phytohaemagglutinin-P in vitro and inducing a graft-versus-host (GVH) reaction when injected into allogeneic embryos. Sorted B-L+ gave no responses in any of these assays. Neither B-L+ nor B-L- cells, when tested alone, responded significantly to pokeweed mitogen, but mixtures of the two restored the responsiveness to that of the original unsorted suspension. Of the B-L+ PBL, 10% were T cells, which may account for the low GVH reactivity given by this population.     

Real-time PCR for diagnosis and follow-up of Toxoplasma reactivation after allogeneic stem cell transplantation using fluorescence resonance energy transfer hybridization probes

Toxoplasma reactivation is a life-threatening complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. A poor prognosis is probably linked to a difficult diagnosis, based on the detection of evidence of parasites in tissue. We developed a real-time PCR test using fluorescence resonance energy transfer hybridization probes to detect and quantify Toxoplasma gondii DNA in serum. This PCR test gave reproducible quantitative results over a dynamic range of from 0.75 x 10(6) to 0.75 parasites per PCR mixture. Serial samples from four patients with toxoplasma reactivation were evaluated. Three patients had several consecutive PCR-positive samples which corresponded to 相似文献