Selective suppression of granuloma formation and delayed hypersensitivity in rabbits

The relationship between dermal delayed hypersensitivity (DH) and granulomatous hypersensitivity was studied in rabbits sensitized with killed mycobacteria. Specific antigen challenge of sensitized animals resulted in extensive pulmonary granulomatous inflammation and induced suppression of both dermal DH and dermal granuloma formation. Whereas suppression of DH was concomitant with pulmonary granuloma formation, as is the case in a number of granulomatous diseases, a causal relationship between the two did not exist. Both DH and dermal granulomatous hypersensitivity were significantly suppressed whether or not the antigen challenge was of a granulomagenic (particulate) or nongranulomagenic (soluble) form. The data presented indicate that granulomatous hypersensitivity and DH are selectively suppressed with regard to different anatomical sites.     

Cryptococcus neoformans in the Seminal Fluid of an AIDS Patient. A Contribution to the Clinical Course of Cryptococcosis: Cryptococcus neofomans im Sperma eines AIDS-Patienten. Ein Beitrag zum Minischen Verlauf der Cryptococcose

In a 33-year-old HIV-positive homosexual male suffering from unexplained headache, cryptococcosis was diagnosed in a progressive secondary stage. After treatment with the standard combination therapy of amphotericin B + flucytosine for 34 d, the patient was clinically symptom-free and discharged, upon his own request, from the hospital. He remained under ambulatory mycological control. After an interval of 65 d during which the urine had been free from Cryptococcus neoformans (Cr.n.), the fungus could not be isolated from urine but 3 X 10(5) CFUs/ml were found in the seminal fluid. Andrologically, teratospermia and hyposemia were present. There were no clinical signs in the genitourinary tract including the prostate. The significance of ecological niches for Cr.n. colonization of the genitourinary tract after antimycotic therapy is discussed. In such cases, in addition to cultural examination of urine for Cr.n. by the membrane filtration technique (MFT) and Staib agar, an additional cultural examination of seminal fluid is recommended. It is also proposed to pay more attention to Cr.n. in andrological examinations. Special regard should be given to a possible occurrence of Cr.n. in the seminal fluid of AIDS patients. In cytology of the seminal fluid, use of the Giemsa stain is unsuitable for the purpose of Cr.n. detection. For this reason, it should be supplemented by PAS staining.     

Characterization of the lipid moiety of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor of Trypanosoma cruzi 1G7-antigen

The 90-kDa stage-specific 1G7-antigen has been implicated in the invasion of host cells by the metacyclic forms of Trypanosoma cruzi. The antigen is attached to the plasma membrane via glycosylphosphatidylinositol, the partial structure of which was the first to be determined for a protein of this parasite. In this study, the complete structure of the lipid component of the anchor was determined by electrospray mass spectrometry, gas chromatography mass spectrometry, phospholipase sensitivity and high-performance thin-layer chromatography of the diradylglycerol components after benzoylation. These analyses showed that the lipid moiety of 1G7-antigen is composed essentially of 1-O-hexadecyl-2-O-hexadecanoyl-phosphatidylinositol and 1-O-hexadecyl-2-O-octadecanoyl-phosphatidylinositol. The high sensitivity of the electrospray mass spectrometric analysis unexpectedly revealed the presence of a small proportion of putative inositol-phosphoceramide structures, and confirmed the absence of inositol-acylated species. An interesting finding was that the biosynthetic incorporation of [³H]palmitate labelled solely the acyl position, and not the 1-O-alkyl chain in the 1G7-antigen anchor.     

Das arterioarterielle Interponat als Dialysezugang

We report on two patients who received arterio-arterial PTFE grafts as vascular access for chronic hemodialysis. In both patients prior surgery for arteriovenous fistulas using either subcutaneous veins or arteriovenous, artificial PTFE grafts had failed due to recurrent thrombosis and septic complications. The arterio-arterial grafts were each positioned as a subcutaneous loop on the thigh and anastomosed with the common femoral artery and the superficial femoral artery or the profunda femoris, respectively. Postoperatively, both patients received coumadine for anticoagulation. Nine months after surgery no complications were observed in the former patient. The latter patient experienced recurrent thrombotic occlusion of the graft and a new graft was required which was anastomosed end-by-end onto the common femoral artery. As yet, 5 months after the second operation, no further complications have been reported. In conclusion, in patients lacking suitable veins for arterio-venous anastomoses, artificial arterio-arterial grafts may provide vascular access for chronic hemodialysis.     

CSF diagnosis in syphilis

Treponemal antibodies in CSF are often to be found by FTA-ABS and TPHA, also in cases without syphilis cerebrospinalis. The checking of the CSF barrier allows--together with the TPHA-index--the diagnostic of the syphilis cerebrospinalis. Antibodies against treponema pallidum have been proved in 15 patients at different stages of syphilis until 30 years after treatment, but the titres were low. Only in one case we have found an active syphilis cerebrospinalis by the help of the TPHA- and IgG-index.