High-dose infliximab prophylaxis in endotoxin-induced uveitis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study to analyze the preventive effect of high-dose infliximab in endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) in rabbits. METHODS: An experimental study was conducted on 64 rabbits. Salmonella typhimurium lipopolysaccharide endotoxin was intravitreally injected. Infliximab was intravenously (i.v.) injected 24 h before the intravitreal injection (20 mg/kg). The animals were randomly assigned to five groups: group A, saline intravitreal injection; group B, Infliximab i.v. group C, infliximab + saline; group D, intravitreal endotoxin and group E, infliximab i.v. + intravitreal endotoxin. With two masked observers, a microscopic examination of aqueous humor (cells, tumor necrosis factor [TNF] alpha) and aqueous protein level were performed 24 h after an endotoxin injection and 48 h after an infliximab infusion. RESULTS: Infliximab treatment, at a dose of 20 mg/kg, significantly improved all the parameters. Inflammatory cell infiltration was significantly reduced in the iris, ciliary body, and anterior chamber (U Mann-Whitney test, P = 0.01). Associated with a lower level of TNF-alpha and protein exudate in aqueous humor (U Mann-Whitney test, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Infliximab, at a dose of 20 mg/kg, is effective in the prophylaxis of the EIU.     

Cecal fecaloma mimicking colonic neoplasm

Summary We present the case of a young man with chronic diarrhea associated with an apparent cecal neoplasm roentgenographically. The lesion was diagnosed as a fecaloma only after the curative right hemicolectomy specimen was examined.     

Naegleria fowleri glycoconjugates with residues of α-d-mannose are involved in adherence of trophozoites to mouse nasal mucosa

We analyzed the possible role of glycoconjugates containing α-d-mannose and α-d-glucose residues in adherence of trophozoites to mouse nasal epithelium. Trophozoites incubated with 20 μg of one of three different lectins which preferentially recognized these residues were inoculated intranasally in Balb/c mice. Mouse survival was 40 % with Pisum sativum and Canavalia ensiformis and 20 % with Galanthus nivalis amebic pretreatment, compared with 0 % survival for control animals administered trophozoites without pretreatment. Possibly some of the glycoproteins found in Naegleria fowleri represent an adherence factor. Differences in the saccharide sequences of the Naegleria species, even on the same glycoconjugate structure, could explain the different results corresponding to the distinct pretreatments (C. ensiformis, G. nivalis, and P. sativum). We found a higher expression of glycoconjugates recognized by P. sativum in Naegleria lovaniensis than N. fowleri, probably due to the higher number of oligosaccharides containing an α-1,6-linked fucose moiety expressed on the former species.