Nachweis geophiler und zoophiler Dermatophyten bei Geschwistern mit Tinea capitis

Two siblings of African origin presented with multiple scaling patches and alopecia on the scalp four weeks after returning from a vacation in Eritrea. Direct KOH examination revealed fungal elements; Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichophyton terrestre were identified in the fungal culture. We discuss the putative pathogenic role of both microorganisms in causing disease. Although infection with Microsporum canis currently accounts for almost fifty percent of all cases of tinea capitis in Germany, other fungi have gained importance due to tourism and increasing migration.     

Clonal differentiation of uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates of serotype O6:K5 by fimbrial antigen typing and DNA long-range mapping techniques

Escherichia coli isolates of serotype O6:K5 are the most common causative agents of cystitis and pyelonephritis in adults. To answer the question, as to whether strains of this particular serotype represent one special clonal group, out of a collection of 34 serotype O6:K5 isolates [Zingler et al. (1990) Zentralbl. Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg [A] 274:372–381] 15 strains were selected and analyzed in detail. The flagellar (H) antigen and the outer membrane protein (OMP) pattern were determined. Further serum resistance properties and the genetic presence and expression of other virulence factors, including hemolysin, aerobactin, P fimbriae, S/F1C fimbriae and type 1 fimbriae was evaluated. In addition the Xba-Imacrorestriction pattern of ten representative isolates was elaborated and the fimbrial (F) antigen type of the P fimbriae was determined, to obtain the complete O:K:H:F pattern. These analyses could clearly show that the O6:K5 isolates do not represent one clonal group. The XbaI-macrorestriction profiles were heterogeneous and marked differences in the hybridization patterns, using virulence-associated gene probes in Southern hybridization of long-range-separated genomic DNA, were observed among the strains. However, some of strains showed similarities in the genomic profiles, arguing for clonal groupings among the O6:K5 isolates. Interstingly the strains grouped together exhibited the same fimbrial F type that many indicate a coincidence of this phenotypic trait with clonality.In memoriam of Prof. G. Naumann     

Monte Carlo modelling of the performance of a rotating slit-collimator for improved planar gamma-camera imaging.

Planar imaging with a gamma camera is currently limited by the performance of the collimator. Spatial resolution and sensitivity trade off against each other; it is not possible with conventional parallel-hole collimation to have high geometric sensitivity and at the same time excellent spatial resolution unless field-of-view is sacrificed by using fan- or cone-beam collimators. We propose a rotating slit-collimator which collects one-dimensional projections from which the planar image may be reconstructed by the theory of computed tomography. The performance of such a collimator is modelled by Monte Carlo methods and images are reconstructed by a convolution and backprojection technique. The performance is compared with that of a conventional parallel-hole collimator and it is shown that higher spatial resolution with increased sensitivity is possible with the slit-collimator. For a point source a spatial resolution of some 6 mm at a distance of 100 mm from the collimator with a x7 sensitivity compared with a parallel-hole collimator was achieved. Applications to bone scintigraphy are modelled and an improved performance in hot-spot imaging is demonstrated. The expected performance in cold-spot imaging is analytically investigated. The slit-collimator is not expected to improve cold-spot imaging. Practical design considerations are discussed.     

Evaluation of hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma on cirrhotic livers

BACKGROUND: The hepatocellular carcinoma is a disorder that affects patients suffering from cirrhosis. Liver resection, orthotopic liver transplantation and percutaneous ablation are some forms of therapy currently used to provide a cure for this disease. AIM: To assess the results achieved through liver resection for the treatment of the hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis being under treatment in a general hospital. METHODS: Clinical observation, laboratory test results, endoscopic and histopathologic analysis were taken into consideration in the case of 22 patients who underwent liver resection between 1996 and 2005. To verify the survival rates, identify the prognostic factors and determine the risk of recurrence, special attention was given to the serologic levels of bilirubins and alpha-fetoprotein, and to the level of the hepatocellular dysfunction (classified according to the Child-Pugh-Turcotte and the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease parameters). The size and number of tumours, microvascular invasion and the presence of satellite lesions were also taken into consideration. The level of statistic significance employed was of 95%. RESULTS: In the cases studied, patients had an average age of 62.09 years, being 17 of them male. In 10 cases the liver cirrhosis was associated to the hepatitis C chronic infection; in 4 cases there was a combination of chronic ingestion of ethanol and the hepatitis C virus; in 3 cases there was an association with the hepatitis B virus chronic infection. Two cases were related to the chronic ingestion of ethanol alone and in one case the use of medications was reported. It was not possible to establish the etiology in two of the cases studied. Eighteen patients had a single tumour, 11 of them smaller than 5 cm. The survival rate varied between 10 days and 120 months, being of 33.5 months on average. At the end of the 1st, 3rd and 5th year, the survival rates were 61.90%, 16.67% and 11.11%, respectively. Three patients died within the first 3 months after the liver resection. Thirteen patients died after the first 3 months, 12 of the cases associated to tumour recurrence and tumour progression. There was one death in the immediate post-operative period of a second operation carried out to remove a recurrent tumour. When it comes to the survival rate and the identification of prognostic factors, a relationship between patients survival and microvascular invasion was observed. No statically significant relationship was established between the survival rate and the serologic levels of bilirubins and alpha-fetoprotein or the level of hepatocellular dysfunction, size or number of tumours. However, a more significant incidence of tumour recurrence was observed in patients with microvascular invasion in the histopathologic study. CONCLUSION: In spite of the reduced number of cases studied, the surgical treatment of the hepatocellular carcinoma produced bad results. A careful selection of cases where surgery could be an option may be a decisive factor to improve such results. A careful selection of cases might be a decisive factor in order to improve such results.     

包膜活性炭吸附血液灌流清除人血浆中毒鼠强的实验

目的:观察包膜活性炭对血浆中毒鼠强的清除率及吸附规律。方法:实验于2004-05/2006-04在军事医学科学院毒物药物研究所国家重点实验室完成。采用包膜活性炭灌流器对毒鼠强血浆样进行血液灌流吸附,在灌流的1,2,3h分别取样,经乙酸乙酯萃取后,用气相色谱氮磷检测器法(GC/NPD)测定其含量并计算清除率。结果:活性炭对毒鼠强的吸附作用在血液灌流1h最高,灌流2h后毒鼠强质量浓度无明显变化。400,200μg/L毒鼠强血液灌流1h清除率分别为(57.83±1.85)%,(48.18±1.81)%。结论:用包膜活性炭吸附剂进行血浆的灌流吸附,能清除大部分毒物,迅速降低血浆中毒鼠强的质量浓度。     

Displaced retinal ganglion cells project to the accessory optic system in the chameleon ( Chamaeleo calyptratus)

Retinal ganglion cells were successfully labelled in the chameleon by retrograde axonal transport of dextran amines that were applied to the nucleus of the basal optic root (nBOR) in an in vitro preparation. Labelled ganglion cells were restricted to the contralateral eye. Many cells were completely stained including their dendritic trees. With few exceptions, all cells had displaced somata that were located at the inner margin of the inner nuclear layer. The labelled ganglion cells had two to six primary dendrites that branched frequently and formed large unistratified dendritic trees within sublamina 1 of the inner plexiform layer. There was extensive overlap of the dendritic trees of neighbouring cells leading to an estimated coverage factor of 2-4. The dendritic field areas varied in size according to the retinal position of the cells and were highest in the central retina around the fovea with a maximum of 0.14 mm(2) and reached a second maximum at the retinal margin with values of 0.08-0.1 mm(2). The smallest dendritic areas (0.04-0.06 mm(2)) were measured midway between the fovea and retinal margin. The size of the soma area was not correlated to the dendritic field size and increased from 100 to 150 microm(2) near the fovea to 150-300 microm(2) at the retinal margin. There was no evidence for a retinotopic organisation of ganglion cell fibres within the nBOR. All cells were of uniform morphology that was identical to the type of nBOR-projecting displaced ganglion cell (DGC) described previously for the bird retina. Similar to birds, the labelled DGCs were the only source of retinal projection to the nBOR. A small fraction of cells had orthotopic somata located in the ganglion cell layer but were otherwise identical to the labelled DGCs. The similarity of chameleon nBOR-projecting ganglion cells to those described in avian retinas mirrors the close phylogenetic relationship of birds and lizards.     

The trypanosome alternative oxidase exists as a monomer in Trypanosoma brucei mitochondria

The bloodstream forms of African trypanosomes solely depend on trypanosome alternative oxidase (TAO), for respiration. Similar to alternative oxidases (AOXs) found in plants and fungi, TAO is a membrane-bound diiron protein. Here, we investigated if TAO exists as a dimer like plant AOXs, or as a monomer like that of fungi. We have found that TAO forms a homo-dimer on a regular SDS-PAGE in the absence of any reducing agent and exists as a monomer under reducing condition. However, TAO does not form a dimer upon treatment of mitochondria with diamide. TAO was found as a higher molecular mass complex on a Blue-native gel after solubilization with digitonin. In the detergent soluble form, TAO activity was stimulated under reducing and inhibited under oxidizing condition. However, these conditions have no effect on the TAO activity in the mitochondria. Moreover, chemical cross-linking analysis revealed that TAO could not be cross-linked when present in the mitochondria. Together, it suggests that like certain other hydrophobic membrane proteins, TAO forms a dimer or oligomer when solubilized with detergents, and the TAO-dimer is SDS-resistant. However, it exists as a monomer in Trypanosoma brucei mitochondria.