TUBERCULOSIS INFECTION MIGHT INCREASE THE RISK OF INVASIVE CANDIDIASIS IN AN IMMUNOCOMPETENT PATIENT

Deep Candida infections commonly occur in immunosuppressed patients. A rare case of a multiple deep organ infection with Candida albicansand spinal tuberculosis was reported in a healthy young man. The 19-year-old man complained of month-long fever and lower back pain. He also had a history of scalded mouth syndrome. Coinfection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Candida albicans was diagnosed using the culture of aspirates from different regions. Symptoms improved considerably after antifungal and antituberculous therapy. This case illustrates that infection with tuberculosis might impair the host's immune system and increase the risk of invasive candidiasis in an immunocompetent patient.

Biting behavior of Anopheles mosquitoes in Costa Marques, Rondonia, Brazil

Mosquito collections were made in and near Costa Marques, Rondonia, Brazil, to determine anopheline anthropophilic/zoophilic behavior. Collections from a non-illuminated, bovine-baited trap and indoor and outdoor human-bait collections were compared. Anopheles darlingi and Anopheles deaneorum were more anthropophilic than the other anophelines collected. The remainder of the Anopheles species were collected much morefrequently in bovine-baited traps than in human-bait collections. Anopheles darlingi and An. deaneorum were more frequently collected inside houses than the other anopheline species. But, when collections were made in a house with numerous openings in the walls, there were few differences in the percentages of each species biting man indoors versus outdoors. Anopheles darlingi was the predominant mosquito collected, both inside and outside houses, and had the strongest anthropophilic feeding behavior of the anophelines present.

Listeria monocytogenes meningitis in an immunocompetent adult: a case report

Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is an uncommon cause of bacterial meningitis in immunocompetent adults. Patients with immunosuppression are at increased risk of developing serious invasive diseases, particularly meningitis. We describe a case of meningitis caused by L. monocytogenes in an immunocompetent and previously healthy 34-year-old adult. The patient received treatment with intravenous ampicillin plus amikacin and made a full recovery. L. monocytogenes should be suspected in immunocompetent adults with bacterial meningitis who fail to respond to empirical antibiotic treatment.

O polimorfismo do gene AKL7 está associado ao risco de síndrome metabólica e à remodelação cardiovascular

FUNDAMENTO: Quinase Tipo Receptor de Ativina 7 (ALK7) é um tipo de receptor I para a superfamília TGF-β e recentemente apresentou ter uma função importante na manutenção de homeostase metabólica. OBJETIVO: Investigar a associação do polimorfismo do gene ALK7 à síndrome metabólica (SMet) e remodelação cardiovascular em pacientes com SMet. MÉTODOS: O polimorfismo de nucleotídeo único rs13010956 no gene ALK7 foi genotipado em 351 indivíduos chineses submetidos à ultrassonografia cardíaca e das carótidas. As associações do polimorfismo do gene ALK7 ao fenótipo e aos parâmetros da síndrome metabólica e características ultrassônicas cardiovasculares foram analisadas. RESULTADOS: O polimorfismo de rs13010956 no gene ALK7 foi considerado significativamente relacionado ao fenótipo de SMet em mulheres (p < 0,05) e significativamente associado à pressão sanguínea em populações totais (p < 0,05) e femininas (p < 0,01). Outras análises revelaram que rs13010956 estava associado à média da espessura íntima-média de artérias carótidas em mulheres (p < 0,05). Após o controle do índice de massa corporal, pressão arterial, glicemia em jejum e triglicérides, o rs13010956 também foi considerado significativamente associado ao índice de massa do ventrículo esquerdo em populações totais (p < 0,05) e femininas (p < 0,05). CONCLUSÃO: Nossos achados sugeriram que o polimorfismo de rs13010956 do gene ALK7 estava significativamente vinculado ao risco de SMet em mulheres e pode estar envolvido na remodelação cardiovascular em pacientes com SMet.

Dous phyllopodos, observados no Rio Grande do Norte

Le 19 juillet 1928 l'auteur trouva près de Natal, capitale de l'État de Rio Grande do Norte, a 5º 47' au sud de l'équateur, un nouveau Dendrocephalus qui portera le nom ornatus, dû a ses appendices caudales teints d'écarlate brillant. La femelle (Pl.1) atteint 12 mm. de longueur e contient des oeufs noirs dans sa cavité d'incubation. Le mâle, beaucoup plus robuste, atteint 16 mm. et montre, outre les caracteres sexuels, une modification extrémement compliquée des deuxièmes antennes (qui dans la planche II sont vues devant les premières). L'espèce est plus petite que les deux autres décrites de l'Amérique du Sud et se distingue facilement par les antennes du mâle. Elle fut trouvée au bord de la route dans une flaque large et profonde d'eau de pluie argileuse. Les exemplares rapportés moururent en quelques jours et la mare, lors d'une seconde visite, fut trouvé sèche. L'autre espèce, observée en 9. 7. 28 dans un étang naturel tout-près de la capitale, avait déjà été observée á Matto Grosso et en Paraguay et déterminée comme Cyclestheria hislopi BAIRD. THIELE pense que les individus de l'Amérique du Sud, pour cause de quelques petites différences, pour-raient nien former une autre espèce qu'il propose d'appeler sarsiana, mais la comparaison des desseins et descriptions avec mes exemplaires ne parait pas soutenir cette idée. Tout-de-mème la répartition connue de cette espèce est extrêmement curieuse et peut-être unique en zoologie. Elle a été signalée à Nagpur (Hindoustan), Ceylon, Queensland (Australie), Célèbes, Afrique orientale et Sansibar; seulement le premier lieu se trouve bien au nord de l'équateur, mais encore dans la zone tropicale, comme toutes les autres localités. L'explication de cette extension sur les deux mondes est tout ce qu'il a de plus difficile, puisque entre les localisations il n'y a pas seulement d'énormes distances sur terre (que l'on pourrait expliquer par un défaut d'observations), mais des espaces tres étendus, occupés par la mer. L'intervention de l'homme ne saurait expliquer ces faits et le transport par les oiseaux aquatiques ne pourrait être qu'un fait tout-a-fait excepcionnel pour les grands trajets océaniques. Le recours aux terres hypothétiques, qui formaient des ponts intercontinentaux dans des périodes géologiques extrêmement reculées, recontre des objections évidentes. En tous les cas on ne peut qu'admirer la constance avec laquelle le type de l'espèce s'est maintenu durant d'innombrales générations et a travers de telles distances quand les autres phyllopodes ont formé non seulement des variétés, mais même un grand nombre de genre et de familles.

Studies on bioactive components from Chinese medicinal plants

Several novel bioactive components isolated from Chinese medicinal plants will be presented. These include novel maytansinoid tumor, inhibitors, some new ent-kaurane and rosane diterpenoids from Mallotus anomalus Meer et Chun (Euphorbiaceae), as well asnovel insecticide, stemona alkaloids from Stemona parviflora C. H. Wright (Stemonaceae). Both are native plants of Hainan island, Chine. 2D NMR techniques such as mono and hetero-COSY, NOESY, COLOC as well as H-NMR line broadening effect were utilized for structure elucidation. The separation techniques, struture elucidations and bioassay results will be reported.

Seasonal distribution and diel biting patterns of culicine mosquitoes in Costa Marques, Rondônia, Brazil

A study of peridomestic man-biting culicines in the Amazon Basin was conducted from January through December, 1987. Fifteen species of mosquitoes from six genera were collected by volunters in all-night human-bait indoor and outdoor collections at five hoses in and near the town of Costa Marques, Rondônia, Brazil. Culex quinquefasciatus and members of the Mansonia titillans/indubitans Group comprised 61 and 33%, respectively, of all culcines collected from human-bait outside houses and 62 and 35%, respectively, of those collected from volunteers inside houses in the town. In rural areas, Cx. quinquefasciatus was less abundant and only comprised 2 and 5% of the culcines, respectively, collected inside and outside houses. Mansonia titillans/indubitans Group comprised 75% and 86% of the culicines collected inside and outside houses, respectively, from rural residences. Culex quinquefasciatus and members of Mn. titillans/indubitans Group were more endophilic than other culcines collected. Nocturnal and seasonal biting rhythms for the more common culcines are described

Infection of Anopheles darlingi fed on patients infected with Plasmodium vivax before and during treatment with chloroquine plus primaquine in Costa Marques, Rondônia, Brazil

Five patients with asexual and sexual parasites of Plasmodium vivax were treated orally with 600 mg chloroquine diphosphate (hour 0) followed with 300 mg at 8, 24 and 48 h later. Primaquine phospate, 15 mg, was administered concurrently at h 0 and 24 h intervals for 14 days. Anopheles darlingi were fed before the first dose (h-0.5) and 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 h later. Mosquitoes were examined for oocysts on day 8 and for sporozoites on day 15 after infection. Four of the five patients studied were still infective to mosquitoes from 1-5 h after the first dose of chloroquine plus primaquine. One of these and one other patient, who vomited 15 min after the first dose, became inffective again at hours 10 and 12, respectively. Once produced, oocysts in mosquitoes fed on patients before, during and after chloroquine plus primaquine treatment appeared normal and produced sporozoite infected salivary glands. In view of these data , it is concluded that primaquine demonstrated rapid gametocytocidal activity and should be administred concurrently with chloroquine to reduce vivax malaria transmission.

Vector incrimination and effects of antimalarial drugs on malaria transmission and control in the Amazon Basin of Brazil

World ecosystems differ significantly and a multidisciplinary malaria control approach must be adjusted to meet these requirements. These include a comprehensive understanding of the malaria vectors, their behavior, seasonal distribution and abundance, susceptibility to insecticides (physiological and behavioral), methods to reduce the numbers of human gametocyte carriers through effective health care systems and antimalarial drug treatment, urban malaria transmission versus rural or forest malaria transmission, and the impact of vaccine development. Many malaria vectors are members of species complexes and individual relationship to malaria transmission, seasonal distribution, bitting behavior, etc. is poorly understood. Additionaly, malaria patients are not examined for circulating gametocytes and both falciparum and vivax malaria patients may be highly infective to mosquitoes after treatment with currently used antimalarial drugs. Studies on the physiological and behavioral effects of DDT and other insecticides are inconclusive and need to be evalusted.

Detection of amastigote-like forms in the valve of Phlebotomus papatasi infected with Leishmania major

A massive and homogeneous amount of amastigote-like forms was detected in the stomodeal valve (SV) and the thoracic mid-gut (TMG) of Leishmania major-infected Phlebotomus papatasi, which received a second blood meal 13 to 21 days post-infection on healthy anaesthetized hamsters. After re-feeding, the infected sand flies were dissected out to examine the morphology of the parasite in SV, TMG and the abdominal mid-gut (AMG). Different promastigote forms were seen in the infected flies. Among these included typical promastigotes (nectomonads and haptomonads), paramastigotes, metacyclic promastigotes and, in some samples, the here-reported amastigote-like forms. The Leishmania amastigote-like forms were detected in the SV of sand flies with 14, 18 and 21 days of infection as well as in the TMG at 13 and 18 days post-infection. However, the amastigote-like forms were not detected in the AMG. Factors such as the acidic pH predominating the TMG and the SV, as well as the temperature of the ingested blood, among others, are suggested as contributing to the transformation of the typical promastigotes into the amastigote-like forms. The significance of this finding is discussed and the possible biological advantage for transmission of Leishmania is considered.