bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prospects for new tuberculosis treatment in Africa
Authors: Mwinga A. , Bernard Fourie P. 
Published: July 2004

SummaryHealth services in Africa are being overburdened by a continuous increase of cases of tuberculosis (TB), largely resulting from the large pool of infected individuals becoming co‐infected with HIV. To help deal with the situation, TB treatment schedules need to be shorter and simpler, with minimal contact between the patient and the service provider required, if the problems of non‐compliance and of ineffective service provision are to be overcome. Various drugs not marketed for use in the treatment of TB are currently under investigation for their potential roles in the simplification or shortening of treatment schedules. These mainly include the long‐acting rifamycins and the fluoroquinolones. Furthermore, new drug development is focused on an understanding of the host–pathogen interaction leading to infection, latency and disease. Of these, latency is least understood. The use of molecular diversity and combinatorial chemistry, proteomics, and the use of the whole genome to discover drug targets are expected to produce new lead compounds for turning into drugs to treat active, latent and multi‐drug‐resistant TB more effectively in the foreseeable future.
New vaccines against tuberculosis
Authors: Mark Doherty T. 
Published: July 2004

SummaryIn September 2000, recognizing the effect of communicable diseases as obstacles to development in poorer countries, the European Commission assembled a special round table on ‘accelerated action targeted at major communicable diseases within the context of poverty reduction’. The three major communicable diseases discussed were tuberculosis (TB), malaria and HIV. One outcome of this discussion was a workshop examining issues related to the fight against TB in Africa, which took place in Gorée, Sénégal, in May 2001. The timing was propitious, as new vaccines for TB (recombinant MVA and BCG, and adjuvanated recombinant fusion proteins or peptide constructs), are just beginning to enter human clinical trials. All but the last of these have shown promise in animal models, up to and including non‐human primates, and all are strongly immunogenic and apparently safe. Humans trials for safety and efficacy are thus the logical next step. This review summarizes recent advances in tuberculosis vaccine development, with a special emphasis on issues raised at the Gorée meeting about testing and deploying new generation vaccines in TB‐endemic areas such as Africa.
Atopy patch test with house dust mite allergen – an IgE‐mediated reaction?
Authors: Holm L. , Matuseviciene G. , Scheynius A. , Tengvall Linder M. 
Published: July 2004

Background:  The eczema reaction in the atopy patch test (APT) is proposed to be immunoglobulin (Ig)E mediated, but can take place also in individuals lacking allergen‐specific IgE in serum. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the importance of allergen‐specific serum IgE for the APT reaction.Methods:  Ten patients with reproducible positive APT to extract of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, five patients with (group A) and five patients without (group B) detectable serum‐IgE to D. pteronyssinus, were tested with extract of D. pteronyssinus on normal skin for 6, 24, 48 and 72 h. Skin biopsies were taken and analysed for cell infiltrates, eosinophils (EG2), IgE, FcɛRI, CD1a, CD4, CD8 and metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9).Results:  The number of IgE+, CD4+, EG2+ and MMP9+ cells increased with time in group A. FcɛRI+ cells and CD8+ cells increased with time in both groups. A correlation was found between the levels of D. pteronyssinus‐specific serum‐IgE and the score of dermal cell infiltrates at 72 h. The three patients with the highest values of allergen‐specific IgE also had the highest expression of EG2+ cells and the highest APT scores.Conclusions:  Our study strengthens the hypothesis that the IgE molecule has a key role, at least as an amplifier, in the APT reaction.
Elevated interleukin‐18 levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with eosinophilic pneumonia
Authors: Katoh S. , Matsumoto N. , Matsumoto K. , Fukushima K. , Matsukura S. 
Published: July 2004

Background:  Interleukin (IL)‐18 can induce Th2 cytokine production particularly in collaboration with IL‐2. Accumulation of Th2 cells and increased levels of Th2 cytokines are found in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from patients with eosinophilic pneumonia (EP). To evaluate the role of IL‐18 in the pathogenesis of EP, we measured the concentration of IL‐2, IL‐12, IL‐18, and Th2 cytokines in BALF from patients with EP.Methods:  The concentrations of interferon (IFN)‐γ, IL‐2, IL‐5, IL‐10, IL‐12, IL‐13, and IL‐18 in BALF were measured in patients with idiopathic acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP), with idiopathic chronic eosinophilicpneumonia (CEP), with sarcoidosis and healthy volunteers (HV).Results:  The BALF concentrations of Th2 cytokines, IL‐5, IL‐10, and IL‐13, were higher in patients with EP than in sarcoidosis and control. The IL‐2 level in BALF was higher in EP than in sarcoidosis and control. The IL‐18 and IL‐12 (p40 + p70) levels were higher in patients with EP than sarcoidosis, while the level of IL‐12 (p70) was below the detection limit in patients with EP. There was a significant correlation between IL‐2 level and both IL‐5 and IL‐13 in BALF of patients with EP.Conclusions:  Our findings suggest that IL‐18 may contribute to Th2 cytokine‐dominant responses in patients with EP in collaboration with IL‐2.
Sinus CT scans and mediator release in nasal secretions after nasal challenge with cypress pollens
Authors: Piette V. , Bousquet C. , Kvedariene V. , Dhivert‐Donnadieu H. , Crampette L. , Senac J.‐P. , Bousquet J. , Demoly P. 
Published: July 2004

Background:  Involvement of paranasal sinuses has been suggested in allergic rhinitis but not clearly demonstrated.Aims:  To investigate the relationship between intermittent allergic rhinitis and computerized tomography (CT).Methods:  Twenty patients with intermittent rhinitis and sensitized to cypress pollens underwent unilateral nasal provocation tests (NPTs) using increasing concentrations of cypress pollens out of the pollen season. Sinus CT‐scans were carried out just before a NPT and 24 h later. Nasal lavage was carried out just before a NPT, 30 min after a positive challenge and again 24 h later. Leucotriene C4/D4, intracellular adhesion molecule‐1 and eosinophil cationic protein were measured in nasal secretions.Results:  Thirteen patients (65%) showed an alteration in their CT‐scans after allergen challenge. Ten of them showed sinus changes controlateral to their allergenic provocation. Radiological changes mainly affected the osteomeatal complex and the ethmoid sinuses. Pre‐existing abnormalities (13 of 20 cases) mainly concerned the maxillary sinuses. There was no correlation between CT‐scan abnormalities and levels of mediators released in nasal secretions.Conclusions:  We have shown that nasal allergen challenge can produce radiological changes in the paranasal sinuses. This mainly concerned the ethmoid sinuses.
The lymphocyte transformation test in the diagnosis of drug hypersensitivity
Authors: Pichler W. J. , Tilch J. 
Published: July 2004

Diagnosis of drug hypersensitivity is difficult, as an enormous amount of different drugs can elicit various immune‐mediated diseases with distinct pathomechanism. The lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) measures the proliferation of T cells to a drug in vitro– from which one concludes to a previous in vivo reaction due to a sensitization. This concept of the LTT has been confirmed by the generation of drug‐specific T‐cell clones and the finding that drugs can directly interact with the T‐cell receptor, without previous metabolism or need to bind to proteins.In this review, technical aspects and usefulness of this test for the diagnosis of drug hypersensitivity are discussed. The main advantage of this test is its applicability with many different drugs in different immune reactions, as drug‐specific T cell are almost always involved in drug hypersensitivity reactions. Its main disadvantages are that an in vitro proliferation of T cells to a drug is difficult to transfer to the clinical situation and that the test per se is rather cumbersome and technically demanding. In addition, its sensitivity is limited (for β‐lactam allergy it is in the range of 60–70%), – although at least in our hands – it is higher than of other tests for drug hypersensitivity diagnosis. Consequently, drug hypersensitivity diagnosis needs to rely on a combination of history and different tests, as none of the single tests available has per se a sufficiently good sensitivity. Within this setting, the LTT has proven to be a useful test for the diagnosis of drug hypersensitivity reactions and helped to better understand these reactions. Further work on the simplification of this test and systematic evaluation of its sensitivity and specificity in some main groups of drugs are necessary to make this test more widely available.
Treatment emergent affective switch: a controlled study
Authors: Tamada RS , Issler CK , Amaral JA , Sachs GS , Lafer B 
Published: July 2004

Objective:  To study the clinical features of treatment emergent affective switch (TEAS) in comparison with spontaneous mania.Methods:  Twelve patients with TEAS within a 12‐week period (average) of starting standard antidepressant medication were compared with 12 patients with spontaneous mania.Results:  Patients with TEAS were older, had longer duration of illness, more previous episodes, higher prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism, and reported more previous episodes of mania associated with antidepressant use. TEAS was less severe, with a lower incidence of psychotic symptoms, lower Young Mania Rating Scale index score and rarely required hospitalization. The interval from intervention to response and remission was similar in both groups.Conclusion:  TEAS was less severe, but had similar duration when compared with spontaneous mania. These results cannot directly answer the question of whether there is a causal relationship between antidepressant use and TEAS. While it is also possible that patients with longer duration of illness and higher cycle frequencies are more likely to experience episodes, it is difficult to attribute lesser severity of TEAS episodes to these clinical factors. Our observations are consistent with the suggestion that patients with longer duration of illness and previous history of TEAS may be at a greater risk of switching to mania during the use of antidepressants.
Psychoeducation in bipolar patients with comorbid personality disorders
Authors: Colom Francesc , Vieta Eduard , Sánchez‐Moreno José , Martínez‐Arán Anabel , Torrent Carla , Reinares María , Goikolea José Manuel , Benabarre Antonio , Comes Mercè 
Published: July 2004

Background:  The co‐occurrence of personality and bipolar disorders is quite common. Bipolar patients with personality disorders have been described as having poorer outcome than ‘pure’ bipolar patients. However, from a combined‐approach point of view, a little has been done to improve the course of these patients. Psychoeducation has shown its efficacy in the prevention of relapses in the bipolar population but, to date, no data is available on its efficacy in the management of bipolar patients with personality disorders.Method:  The present study shows a subanalysis from a single‐blind randomized prospective clinical trial on the efficacy of group psychoeducation in bipolar I patients. Bipolar patients fulfilling DSM‐IV criteria for any personality disorder were randomized to either psychoeducational treatment or a non‐structured intervention. There were 22 patients in the control group and 15 in the psychoeducation group. All patients received naturalistic pharmacological treatment as well. The follow‐up phase comprised 2 years where all patients continued receiving naturalistic treatment without psychological intervention and were assessed monthly for several outcome measures.Results:  At the end of the follow‐up phase (2 years), a 100% of control group patients fulfilled criteria for recurrence versus a 67% in the psychoeducation group (p < 0.005). Patients included in the psychoeducation group had a higher time‐to‐relapse and a significantly lower mean number of total, manic and depressive relapses. No significant differences regarding the number of patients who required hospitalization were found but the mean duration of days spent in the hospitalization room was significantly higher for the patients included in the control group.Conclusion:  Psychoeducation may be a useful intervention for bipolar patients with comorbid personality disorders. Further studies should address the efficacy of specifically tailored interventions for this common type of patients.
MMPI as a measure of subthreshold and residual psychopathology among the offspring of lithium responsive and non‐responsive bipolar parents
Authors: Demidenko Natasha , Grof Paul , Alda Martin , Deshauer Dorian , Duffy Anne 
Published: July 2004

Objectives:  In bipolar adults, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) can detect residual symptoms and confirm completeness of remission, thus helping to predict response to lithium prophylaxis. In the high‐risk and early onset bipolar populations, the association of the MMPI with clinical course and treatment response has not yet been studied. The present study compares MMPI profiles completed by the well or remitted offspring of two groups of bipolar parents divided on the basis of parental response to long‐term lithium.Methods:  As part of an ongoing prospective longitudinal high‐risk study, offspring of bipolar parents determined to either respond or not respond to long‐term lithium monotherapy completed the MMPI. At the time of MMPI completion, offspring were determined to be either well (unaffected) or clinically remitted (affected but euthymic) based on repeated prospective KSADS‐PL format interviews conducted by a research psychiatrist and reviewed on a blind consensus basis.Results:  While there was no difference in the MMPI scores between subgroups of unaffected offspring, there was a significant difference in profiles between remitted offspring. Specifically, affected offspring of lithium non‐responders showed significantly higher average scores on scales 6, 8 and 0 compared with affected offspring of lithium responders. These findings are consistent with the differences in MMPI profiles taken at optimum between the respective parent subgroups.Conclusions:  The findings confirm the clinical observation that the affected offspring of lithium responders suffer from episodic fully remitting mood disorders, while the affected offspring of lithium non‐responders suffer from mood disorders with incomplete remission. Further, the nature of the residual symptoms as indicated by the abnormal MMPIs support the view of heterogeneity of the bipolar diagnosis. The relevance to treatment response is discussed.
Induction of Systemic Resistance by Bacillus cereus Against Tomato Foliar Diseases Under Field Conditions
Authors: Silva H. S. A. , Romeiro R. S. , Carrer Filho R. , Pereira J. L. A. , Mizubuti E. S. G. , Mounteer A. 
Published: July 2004

AbstractThe ability of a rhizobacterium to protect tomato plants against naturally occurring diseases as well as to improve crop yield under field conditions was studied. The rhizobacterium was introduced to the plants through seed microbiolization. Treatments consisted of different frequencies of fungicide (Chlorothalonyl) sprayings (5, 10 or 20 applications) of tomato plants grown from either microbiolized or non‐microbiolized seeds over a 90‐day evaluation period. Treatment of non‐microbiolized seeds without fungicide application was included as a control. The progress of the following three naturally occurring diseases was evaluated in the field and quantified: early blight (Alternaria solani), late blight (Phytophthora infestans), and septoria leaf spot (Septoria lycopersici). All treatments resulted in reduced disease severity when compared with the control treatment. Highest final fruit yields were found after treatment of plants grown from non‐microbiolized seeds and sprayed with fungicide 20 times over 90 days, and for treatment of plants from microbiolized seeds that received 10 fungicide spray applications, although all treatments increased yield over that obtained in the control treatment. The results demonstrate that combined rhizobacterial and chemical treatments in the field may permit reducing fungicidal spraying frequency while at the same time increasing crop yields.
Potential of Allyl Isothiocyanate to Control Rhizoctonia solani Seedling Damping Off and Seedling Blight in Transplant Production
Authors: Dhingra O. D. , Costa M. L. N. , Silva G. J. 
Published: July 2004

AbstractThe synthetic mustered flavouring essential oil, allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), was evaluated for its effect on suppression of Rhizoctonia solani growth in vitro, and in field soils for reducing inoculum density, saprophytic substrate colonization and seedling damping off and blight using snap bean and cabbage as indicator plants. In vitro growth was completely inhibited at the concentration of 50 μl/l. Inoculum density and saprophytic substrate colonization by the fungus in soil were not affected by AITC concentrations of 50 or 75 μl/kg soil. The inoculum density estimation by the use of soil‐drop technique created an artefact leading to an erroneous conclusion that the fungus was eradicated from soil within 1–3 days after AITC treatment at 150 or 200 μl/kg soil. The saprophytic substrate colonization showed that although the activity of R. solani was greatly reduced, the fungus still colonized 45% of the substrate units at these concentrations, and up to 100% at lower concentrations within 1 day after treatment. At higher concentrations the recovery rate from the substrates gradually declined over time to <6%. Drenching R. solani infested sandy‐loam or silty‐clay‐loam soil with water containing the emulsified AITC to provide 150 or 200 μl/l soil, a few days prior to planting, gave over 90% disease control in snap bean and cabbage, with no apparent phytotoxic effect. The effect of AITC was not influenced by the physical soil texture. AITC appears to have a good potential to replace methyl bromide fumigation of the substrate used for transplant production.
Molecular Distinctions Between Phytophthora capsici and Ph. tropicalis Based on ITS Sequences of Ribosomal DNA
Authors: Zhang Z. G. , Zhang J. Y. , Zheng X. B. , Yang Y. W. , Ko W. H. 
Published: July 2004

AbstractAmong four species of Phytophthora tested, only Ph. capsici and Ph. tropicalis showed the same length for DNA sequence for both internal transcribed spacer (ITS)1 and ITS2 of ribosomal DNA. Phytophthora palmivora and P. nicotianae have lengths different from each other, and from the other two species. Although A1 and A2 types of Ph. capsici differ from each other by only one nucleotide, there are 10 different nucleotides between A1 and A2 types of Ph. tropicalis. Phylogenetic analysis of combined ITS sequences identified four clades each consisting A1 and A2 mating types of same species. The neighbor‐joining and maximum parsimony trees show that Ph. tropicalis (A2) is clustered with the clade of two isolates of Ph. capsici before joining the clade of A1 and two other isolates of Ph. tropicalis from GenBank. Our results support the separation of Ph. tropicalis and demonstrate the need to sequence more than a single isolate of a species in the study of molecular phylogeny of Phytophthora. The phylogenetic trees also suggest that Ph. tropicalis (A2) may represent a transitional isolate in the process of species evolution.
Association of the Hydrolytic Enzyme Chitinase against Rhizoctonia solani in Rhizobacteria‐treated Rice Plants
Authors: Radjacommare R. , Kandan A. , Nandakumar R. , Samiyappan R. 
Published: July 2004

AbstractTwenty‐two strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens isolated from the rhizosphere soil of nine plant species were screened in vitro for their inhibitory effect on the mycelial growth of the rice sheath blight fungus, Rhizoctonia solani. Of the 22 strains, two promising strains (Pf1 and FP7) were assessed for their effect on seedling vigour and their ability to promote growth in vitro of four cultivars of rice. Both bacterial strains induced systemic resistance in rice cv. IR 50, which is susceptible to sheath blight. After inoculation of the sheaths with the pathogen, Pseudomonas‐treated plants showed an increase in chitinase activity significantly higher than that of untreated control plants. A twofold increase in chitinase activity occurred 2 days after inoculation of plants with the pathogen. Western blot analysis of chitinase indicated the expression of 28 and 38 kDa proteins in rice sheaths against R. solani. Increased induction of the pathogenesis‐related chitinase isoform in Pseudomonas‐treated rice in response to R. solani infection indicates that the induced chitinase has a definite role in suppressing disease development.
Genotypic Prevalence of the Adhesin Involved in Diffuse Adherence in Escherichia coli Isolates in Pre‐weaned Pigs with Diarrhoea in Korea
Authors: Ha S.‐K. , Choi C. , Jung K. , Kim J. , Han D. U. , Ha Y. , Lee S.‐D. , Kim S.‐H. , Chae C. 
Published: July 2004

SummaryA total of 1002 Escherichia coli strains isolated from pre‐weaned pigs with diarrhoea on 1114 swine farms were screened for the presence of the adhesin involved in diffuse adherence (AIDA) gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Escherichia coli isolates that carried AIDA genes were also tested by PCR for the detection of five fimbriae (F4, F5, F6, F18 and F41), heat‐stable (STa, STb) and heat‐labile (LT) enterotoxin, enteroaggregative E. coli heat‐stable enterotoxin 1 (EAST1), and Shiga toxin 2 oedema disease (Stx2e) genes. Twenty‐three (2.3%) of the 1002 E. coli isolates carried the gene for AIDA. Among 23 isolates shown to carry genes for AIDA, three carried the AIDA gene as the only shown virulence factor. Other isolates carried other virulence factor genes in addition to AIDA. Four isolates carried genes for at least one of the fimbrial adhesins and enterotoxins. Sixteen isolates carried genes for enterotoxins only. The AIDA may represent an additional virulence determinant in pre‐weaned pigs with diarrhoea.
Clinical and Histopathological Aspects of Naturally Occurring Mastitis Caused by Listeria monocytogenes in Cattle and Ewes
Authors: Winter P. , Schilcher F. , Bagò Z. , Schoder D. , Egerbacher M. , Baumgartner W. , Wagner M. 
Published: July 2004

Summary Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from the milk of two cows and two sheep with mastitis in one quarter and one udder half. The animals were observed over a period of 2–12 months. Clinical examination of the udder, bacteriological examinations and determination of somatic cell counts of milk samples were performed monthly. All four cases suffered from a subclinical mastitis characterized by an elevated somatic cell count (0.8–10.1 × 106 cells/ml), a persistent shedding of Listeria and by a normal appearance of the milk. The animals did not show any systemic reaction, but all animals developed an atrophy of the infected mammary gland. Histological examinations revealed a chronic interstitial mastitis with diffuse infiltration of lymphocytes, plasma cells and macrophages. All internal organs showed no abnormalities, no Listeria could be isolated. Listeria could however be isolated from the affected mammary parenchyma and from the mammary lymph node. The results of the bacteriological examination could be confirmed by means of PCR. Using PFGE, all the isolates from the same animal were identical. Immunohistochemical examination of the ovine mammary glands achieved a very strong immunoreactivity for CD5 cells. The mode of infection and the reaction of the immune system's defense of the ovine udders are discussed.