Subcutaneous cryptococcosis due to Cryptococcus diffluens in a patient with sporotrichoid lesions case report, features of the case isolate and in vitro antifungal susceptibilities.

Environmental fungi, in particular primary pathogens and Cryptococcus spp. can be responsible for skin lesions mimicking sporotrichosis. In this paper, we report a case of subcutaneous cryptococcosis in an apparently healthy, young male patient due to a non-C. neoformans Cryptococcus species, C. diffluens. The isolate showed in vitro phenotypic switching that may affect virulence and host inflammatory and immune responses, and in vitro resistance to amphotericin B and 5-flucytosin. This species shares several phenotypic traits with C. neoformans, and, therefore, decisive diagnosis should be based on biopsy and culturing results followed by molecular identification.     

Activity of adenosine deaminase in mothers who have conceived a fetus with central nervous system malformations

OBJECTIVE: To establish the adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in women who had been pregnant with a child suffering from central nervous system (CNS) anomaly. METHODS: The study group comprised 68 women who had been pregnant with an affected child, and 68 controls matched for age, gestational age and body mass index. Maternal venous blood was collected for measurement of ADA levels. We defined the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and area under receiver-operating characteristic curve for ADA. RESULTS: Plasma ADA activity was significantly higher in the study group (12.3 U/L, range 1.7-33.3) compared to the median value of 3.3 U/L (range 1.1-34.4) in normal pregnancies (P<0.05). The cut-off point of ADA >5.9 U/L was associated with the highest combination of specificity (58.8%) and sensitivity (86.8%). CONCLUSION: ADA activity in women who have conceived a fetus with CNS malformations was significantly higher than that in normal pregnant women.     

The effects of iloprost on ischemia-reperfusion injury in skeletal muscles in a rodent model

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of iloprost (IL) on ischemia-reperfusion injury in a rodent model.

Materials and methods

Twenty-four Wistar Albino rats were randomized into four groups (n = 6). Laparotomy was performed in all groups under general anesthesia. Only laparotomy was applied in group S (Sham). Ischemia-reperfusion group (group I/R) underwent ischemia and reperfusion performed by clamping and declamping of the infrarenal abdominal aorta for 120 min. The iloprost group (group IL) received intravenous infusion of IL 0.5 ng/kg/min, without I/R. Group I/R + IL received intravenous infusion of IL 0.5 ng/kg/min immediately after 2 h period of ischemia. At the end of the reperfusion period, all rats were killed under anesthesia and skeletal muscle samples of lower extremity were harvested for biochemical and histopathologic analyses.

Results

Tissue levels of endothelial nitric oxide were significantly higher in I/R groups than those in groups S and IL. The heat shock protein 60 levels were higher in group I/R than the other groups. But the heat shock protein 60 levels in group I/R + IL were found to be similar with the groups S and IL. Malondialdehyde levels were significantly higher in group I/R. On the other hand, in group I/R + IL, malondialdehyde levels were higher than those in groups S and IL but lower than those in group I/R. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activities were found to be significantly lower in group I/R than the other groups. Also in group I/R/I, the SOD enzyme activities were higher than those in group I/R. But, in group I/R + IL, SOD levels were found to be higher than those in group I/R but lower than those in groups S and IL.

Conclusions

These results indicate that IL has protective effects on I/R injury in skeletal muscle in a rodent model.     

Rare causes of gastrointestinal hemorrhage in infancy

Gastrointestinal hemorrhage in children is a critical condition that demands quick and effective management. The differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal hemorrhage is wide. Heterotopic pancreas is a rare congenital anomaly and usually discovered incidentally. It is generally asymptomatic, but symptoms may occur when complicated by inflammation, bleeding, obstruction or malign transformation. Heterotopic pancreas may present throughout the gastrointestinal tract, but it is most commonly found in the stomach, duodenum and proximal jejunum. Juvenile polyps are common during childhood and present most often with painless rectal hemorrhage. They remain the most common colonic polyps in children. Colonoscopic polypectomy is the most effective procedure in the treatment of juvenile polyps. In this study, we describe rare causes of gastrointestinal system hemorrhage in infancy and discuss some diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.     

IgG4-related disease and ANCA positive vasculitis in childhood: a case-based review

Clinical Rheumatology - Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) type 1 is an IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), characterized by inflammatory pseudotumors and histologically by dense lymphoplasmacytic...     

Simple concentration method enables the use of gargle and mouthwash instead of nasopharyngeal swab sampling for the diagnosis of COVID-19 by PCR

European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases - Since its emergence in December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 is causing one of the most devastating pandemics in human history. Currently,...