An estimate of phylogenetic relationships among culicine mosquitoes using a restriction map of the rDNA cistron

Restriction maps of the rDNA cistron of twelve species of mosquitoes in six genera of the subfamily Culicinae were constructed using eight 6 bp recognition restriction enzymes. Anopheles albimanus was used as an outgroup. The size of the rDNA cistron ranged from 8.5 kb in Aedes katherinensis to 12.9 kb in Ae. polynesiensis. A total of twenty-six sites were scored; eighteen were polymorphic among ingroup taxa. The proportion of polymorphic nucleotide sites (Pnuc) was 0.059 and the heterozygosity per nucleotide site (Hnuc) was 0.028. Wagner and Fitch Parsimony, Dollo Parsimony and Nei-Li distance/neighbour-joining methods were used to construct phylogenetic trees. The rDNA RFLP dataset did not provide a well-supported phylogeny among culicine taxa. The RFLP phylogenies are incongruent with the morphology character based and molecular phylogenies and derived relationships did not correspond with current taxonomic classifications. The lack of resolution was due to homoplasy arising from frequent independent loss or gain of restriction sites among unrelated taxa.     

Results of penetrating keratoplasty in vascularized corneas.

A retrospective longitudinal study of 105 penetrating keratoplasties for vascularized corneal opacities was done. The results of cases with an etiology of healed trachoma or healed corneal ulcers were compared. The vascularization was graded from Grade I to V depending on the quadrant and type of vascularization. Graft clarity of 2+ or more in cases of trachomatous opacity was achieved in 93% of cases and that after postinfectious opacity in 71.8%. Prognosis was poor in cases where deep vascularization was present in more than two quadrants or more than 180 degrees.     

Destructive ocular myiasis in a noncompromised host

A case of destructive ocular myiasis resulting in complete loss of the globe in two days time is documented. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of such a severe involvement in a healthy and non-compromised host. Mechanical removal and good local hygiene helped heal the wound. The larvae were isolated to be that of Chrysomyia bezziana (screwworm fly). This is possibly the first report of destructive ocular myiasis caused by Chrysomyia bezziana from the Indian subcontinent and the second in world literature. Infestation of human eyes with larvae of flies (myiasis) has been reported. Serious consequences of destructive myiasis are seen in emaciated and diseased patients. Only one report of total destruction of the globe by maggots of Chrysomyia bezziana exists in the literature. As in previous communications, the patient in this report had no predisposing factors both systemic and local. We here in document a case of orbital myiasis leading to rapid destruction of the globe within two days in a healthy and a non-compromised patient.     

Elimination kinetics of maternally derived thyrotropin receptor-blocking antibodies in a newborn with significant thyrotropin elevation.

OBJECTIVE--To determine the course of maternally derived elevations in thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulins in a neonate. DESIGN--Case report. SETTING--University pediatric endocrinology clinic and endocrine immunology laboratory in Ohio. PARTICIPANTS--An infant with elevated thyrotropin levels but near-normal total thyroxine levels, and her mother. INTERVENTIONS--None. MEASUREMENTS/MAIN RESULTS--Thyroid hormone, thyrotropin, and thyrotropin-blocking immunoglobulin concentrations were serially measured in a woman and her infant, who was found to have elevated thyrotropin levels (234 mU/L) and borderline low thyroxine levels (95 nmol/L). As infant thyroxine concentrations remained normal (125 to 145 nmol/L), no thyroxine supplementation was given. Thyrotropin levels decreased concomitantly with thyrotropin-blocking inhibitory immunoglobulin levels, and normalized by day 56 of life. The apparent elimination half-life of thyrotropin-blocking immunoglobulins was 7.5 days. CONCLUSIONS--The observed parallel elimination kinetics suggest that the thyrotropin receptor antibody acts as a thyrotropin antagonist, resulting in compensatory thyrotropin elevations. The duration of such elevations may be predicted on the basis of such elimination.     

Mucous cyst of the distal interphalangeal joint: treatment by simple excision or excision and rotation flap

Thirty-five patients who had thirty-seven mucous cysts excised from the distal interphalangeal joints were reviewed not less than one year later. Seven out of 25 which had been treated by simple excision recurred, whereas only one out of twelve treated by excision and skin closure with a rotation flap recurred.