bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
OralCandidaspecies and betel quid‐associated oral lesions in Padaung women of Northern Thailand
Authors: Reichart P. A. , Khongkhunthian P. , Samaranayake L. P. , Yau J. , Patanaporn V. , Scheifele C. 
Published: March 2005

SummaryPurpose of the present investigation was to study the association between the betel quid chewing (BQC) habits, the oral yeast flora and oral lesions in female Padaung of northern Thailand. Oral swabs were taken from the tongue and palate of 50 Padaung women with and 50 control individuals without BQC habit. The spectrum of oralCandidaspecies in both groups was determined microbiologically. In addition, oral mucosal lesions were registered in both groups. Mean age of BQ chewers was 35.4 years, of non‐chewers was 19.2 years.Candida parapsilosiswas the most commonCandidaspp. isolated both in BQ chewers (46%) and non‐chewers (44%).Candida albicanswas revealed in 24% of BQ chewers and 18% of non‐chewers. There was no significant difference in carriage ofCandidaspp. isolated between both groups. Forty‐four per cent of BQ chewers revealed betel chewers mucosa, 10% showed leukoedema. Isolated populations such as the Padaung may reveal different patterns of candidal flora, in this case a predominance ofCandida parapsilosis.
Mycological examinations on the fungal flora of the chicken comb
Authors: Gründer S. , Mayser P. , Redmann T. , Kaleta E. F. 
Published: March 2005

SummaryA total of 500 combs of adult chickens from two different locations in Germany (Hessen and Schleswig‐Holstein) were clinically and mycologically examined. The chickens came from three battery cages (n = 79), one voliere system (n = 32), six flocks maintained on deep litter (n = 69) and 12 flocks kept on free outdoor range (n = 320). Twenty‐two of the 500 chicken combs (4.4%) were found to have clinical signs: only non‐specific lesions neither typical of mycosis nor of avian pox such as desquamation with crust formation, yellow to brown or black dyschromic changes, alopecia in the surrounding area and moist inflammation. Only seven of the 22 clinically altered combs showed a positive mycological result; the non‐pathogenic and geophilic Trichophyton terrestre in one case and non‐pathogenic yeast in six cases. The following fungi were seen in the different housing systems: 13 dermatophytes (2.6% of 500 samples): 12 × T. terrestre, 1 × Trichophyton mentagrophytes, 11 isolates of Chrysosporium georgiae (2.2% of 500 samples) and 149 isolates of yeasts (29.8%): Malassezia sympodialis: n = 52, Kloeckera apiculata: n = 33, Trichosporon capitatum (syn. Geotrichum capitatum): n = 23, Trichosporon cutaneum/Trichosporon mucoides: n = 12, Trichosporon inkin (syn. Sarcinosporon inkin): n = 8 and Candida spp.: n = 21, including pathogenic or possibly pathogenic species: Candida albicans: n = 3, Candida famata: n = 4, Candida guilliermondii: n = 3, Candida lipolytica: n = 3, Candida dattila: n = 2 and one isolate each of Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, Candida aaseri, Candida catenulata sive brumpti, Candida fructus and Candida kefyr sive pseudotropicalis. There is no stringent correlation between the clinical symptoms diagnosed on the chicken combs and the species of yeasts isolated. The causative agent of favus in chickens, Trichophyton gallinae, and the saprophytic yeast in pigeons, Cr. neoformans were not isolated. The most frequently isolated yeasts M. sympodialis and Kloeckera apiculata are suggested to be classified as members of the resident flora of the chicken comb.
A novel mycological analysis valuable for evaluating therapeutic efficacy of antimycotics against experimental dermatophytosis in guinea pigs
Authors: Majima Toshiro , Masui Shigeki , Uchida Katsuhisa , Yamaguchi Hideyo 
Published: March 2005

SummaryAlthough antimycotic effects are mainly evaluated with regard to whether or not the fungi grow from a specimen obtained from the drug‐treated skin, the potential for discrepancies in skin specimens in which the fungi are grown has not been evaluated, in the experimental tinea model. In this study, to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of antimycotic agents against fungal skin infection, a novel form of mycological assessment, which focuses on the size of colonies grown from skin specimens was examined and developed. When microconidia of Trichophyton mentagrophytes were inoculated onto a Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) plate and incubated at 27 °C for 5 days, a linear relationship was observed between the growth area of mycelia and the logarithm of the quantity of microconidia. This relationship between the growth area and the logarithm of the number of T. mentagrophytes microconidia did not change with the addition of skin homogenate and/or keratin powder. Next, the number of fungi in skin blocks attendant upon experimental, cutaneous infection in guinea pigs was evaluated and analyzed via a calibration curve, determined based on a microconidium suspension of T. mentagrophytes. Estimates of severity of dermatophytic infection in experimental animals were parallel to, but more reliable than, results obtained via the conventional mycological method (fungus‐positive skin ratio of treated skin) in culture studies of infected dermal tissues. This new analytical method may also be applicable to the in vivo assessment of the therapeutic effect against dermatophytosis experimentally produced in guinea pigs.
An overview of the antifungal properties of allicin and its breakdown products – the possibility of a safe and effective antifungal prophylactic
Authors: Davis Stephen R 
Published: March 2005

SummaryReports about the safe and successful intravenous (i.v.) use of garlic derivatives in China against invasive fungal infections have been made, but little has been done to seriously investigate the in vivo use of these derivatives in the West. Laboratories have demonstrated impressive in vitro MICs using allitridium, one of these derivatives, against a range of medically important fungi. In addition, it has been demonstrated that allitridium shows in vitro synergy with amphotericin B, one of the main i.v. antifungal agents. Some of the breakdown products of allicin, the main parent antifungal compound in garlic, have been investigated for their general antimicrobial, anticancer and anticholesterol properties, and it appears that there is a common mode of action that underlies these activities. It appears that these small molecules have the ability to cross cell membranes and combine with sulfur‐containing molecular groups in amino acids and proteins, thus interfering with cell metabolism. It has been suggested that the reason human cells are not poisoned by allicin derivatives is that they contain glutathione, a sulfur‐containing amino acid that combines with the allicin derivative, thus preventing cell damage. In addition to their biochemical mechanism, these derivatives appear to stimulate cellular immunity, an important ability lacking in conventional antifungal chemotherapy. These derivatives appear to be safe, cheap, wide‐spectrum and immunostimulatory, as well as possibly synergistic with conventional antifungal therapy, making them ideal candidates for investigation into their use as prophylactic antifungal agents.
Efficacy of caspofungin in prophylaxis and treatment of an adult leukemic patient with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in allogeneic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Ifran Ahmet , Kaptan Kürşat , Beyan Cengiz 
Published: March 2005

SummaryInvasive aspergillosis is a major problem in the management of immunocompromised patients, its prevalence is rising and it is still a major cause of death in this group. The clinical success rate with classical drugs is far away from expectations. New drugs are needed in the treatment of this complication. Belonging to the new class of echinocandins, caspofungin is a newly introduced and promising drug in this fatal situation. We report a patient with acute myeloid leukemia who had invasive pulmonary aspergillosis during induction therapy being treated with amphotericin B in first step and afterwards with caspofungin. The patient received consolidation therapy and allogeneic stem cell transplantation while using caspofungin, and did not experience any adverse effect related to drug. Many side effects, e.g. derangements in liver and kidney functions, hypokalemia, infusion‐related side effects and especially thrombocytopenia, which are common with amphotericin B treatment are no longer problem with caspofungin. The efficacy of caspofungin in terms of regression of pulmonary lesions and control of fever is quite successful. The optimal therapies for opportunistic fungal infections are still debated, and further evaluation is needed.
Varied clinical manifestations of Penicillium marneffei in patients with human immunodeficiency virus: a report from south India
Authors: Michael J. S. , Abraham O. C. , Mathai D. , Mathews M. S. 
Published: March 2005

Summary Penicillium marneffei is a dimorphic fungus endemic to northeast India. This is the first report of penicilliosis from a hospital in south India. Three patients with diverse clinical manifestations who presented to a tertiary care hospital are described. High index of clinical suspicion and knowledge of ‘local’ microbiology is paramount in early diagnosis and timely treatment.
Prevalence of tinea capitis in Ethiopian schoolchildren
Authors: Woldeamanuel Y. , Leekassa R. , Chryssanthou E. , Menghistu Y. , Petrini B. 
Published: March 2005

SummaryThe prevalence of dermatophytosis and the spectrum of dermatophyte species were determined in children attending two schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Demographic and clinico‐dermatological data were collected. Specimens were taken for microscopy and culture from all suspected lesions. Dermatophyte species were identified by morphology and biochemical tests, supplemented by sequencing of the rDNA ITS 2 region in selected isolates. From the Biruh Tesfa Elementary School (BTES) 824 students, and from Mount Olive Academy (MOA) all 124 students, were included. In BTES 513 (62.3%) students were clinically diagnosed with dermatophytosis, 463 (90.3 %) of them with tinea capitis. In 200 consecutive samples from BTES, and in 66 from MOA, 75 and 62%, respectively, contained fungal elements at microscopy. From BTES, 163/496 (33%) samples were culture‐positive, of which 149 (91.4%) grew with dark purple colonies identified as Trichophyton violaceum, while 244 (49.4%) samples were contaminated. A few strains grew slowly developing white to cream colonies, two were identified as T. verrucosum, and 12 as white T. violaceum. From MOA 44 (66.7%) of samples were culture‐positive, 38 (87%) were identified as T. violaceum, and one (2.3%) as T. verrucosum, while 33% showed no growth. Four white isolates of T.violaceum were confirmed by DNA‐sequencing. Dermatophytosis was thus diagnosed in 55–62% of children screened at two schools of different socioeconomic standards in the Ethiopian capital. Trichophyton violaceum constituted 87–90% of all isolates. White variants of T. violaceum were diagnosed in 16 cases.
Cryptococcosis: the 1981–2000 epidemic
Authors: Friedman Gary D. , Jeffrey Fessel W. , Udaltsova Natalia V. , Hurley Leo B. 
Published: March 2005

SummaryThe annual incidence of cryptococcosis during 1981–2000 was determined in subscribers of a large integrated health care program in Northern California and in those among them who were HIV positive. The incidence of cryptococcosis had been measured in this setting in the previous decade. The 20‐year incidence per million person‐years was 19.0 in males and 2.6 in females. In males, annual incidence rose sharply but irregularly from 1981 to 1992, then decreased irregularly. In females, trends were less marked, with maximum incidence in 1997. In HIV‐positive patients cryptococcosis incidence was highest in 1981–85 and decreased thereafter in men. In women, maximum incidence occurred in 1986–90 and was followed by a decrease. Cryptococcosis was rare in the non‐predisposed. Thus, cryptococcosis incidence increased markedly in men early in the AIDS epidemic, and began to decrease in both male and female HIV‐positive patients well before highly active antiretroviral therapy became available.
Intestinal prevalence of the neurotropic black yeast Exophiala (Wangiella) dermatitidis in healthy and impaired individuals
Authors: de Hoog G. S. , Matos T. , Sudhadham M. , Luijsterburg K. F. , Haase G. 
Published: March 2005

SummaryA screening of 2300 samples of faeces from humans with and without underlying disease revealed that the black yeast Exophiala dermatitidis is present at a frequency of 5.2‰ (n = 12). Eight individuals positive for the fungus had diarrhoea at the moment of its isolation, out of 11 where relevant information was available. Judging from repeated isolation over several weeks in one patient, the organism is able to persist in the human intestinal tract.
Molecular epidemiology of Candida species isolated from urine at an intensive care unit
Authors: Ergon M. C. , Gülay Z. 
Published: March 2005

Summary Candida spp. has been the leading microorganism isolated from the urine specimens of patients hospitalized at the Anesthesiology and Reanimation intensive care unit (ICU) of Dokuz Eylul University Hospital, Izmir, since 1998. This study was undertaken to investigate the clonal relationship of Candida urine isolates in order to find the mode of spread among the patients. Epidemiological surveillance of 38 Candida albicans, 15 Candida tropicalis and 12 Candida glabrata recovered from the urine specimens of patients who were hospitalized in the ICU between June 11, 2000 and October 15, 2001 was carried out by antifungal susceptibility testing and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Two short primers [Cnd3 (5′‐CCAGATGCAC‐3′) and Cnd4 (5′‐ACGGTACACT‐3′)] were used for RAPD. None of the isolates had high minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values (>1 μg ml−1) against amphotericin B with MIC50values of 0.5 μg ml−1, 0.5 μg ml−1 and 0.125 μg ml−1 for C. albicans, C. tropicalis and C. glabrata isolates, respectively. However, three C. glabrata isolates were resistant and one C. albicans and five C. glabrata isolates were dose‐dependent susceptible (D‐DS) to fluconazole. Among C. albicans isolates 19 and 20 patterns were detected with primers Cnd3 and Cnd4, respectively. When primers Cnd3 and Cnd4 were evaluated together, three and four genotypes were identified for C. tropicalis and C. glabrata isolates, respectively. Our results suggest that the source of C. albicans isolates was mostly endogenous. It is difficult to interpret the mode of spread of C. tropicalis and C. glabrata urine isolates as we obtained insufficient banding patterns for these species.
New insights into the effect of amorolfine nail lacquer
Authors: Flagothier C. , Piérard‐Franchimont C. , Piérard G. E. 
Published: March 2005

SummaryDespite improvements in antifungal strategies, the outcome of treating onychomycoses often remains uncertain. Several factors account for treatment failure, of which the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the antifungal are of importance. The taxonomic nature and ungual location of the fungus cannot be neglected, besides the type of nail and its growth rate. In addition, the biological cycle of the fungus and the metabolic activity of the pathogen likely play a marked influence in drug response. The presence of natural antimicrobial peptides in the nail is also probably a key feature controlling the cure rates. There are many outstanding publications that cover the full spectrum of the field. The purpose of this review is to put in perspective some facets of activity of the topical treatment using amorolfine nail laquer. The antifungal activity of the drug is likely less pronounced in onychomycosis than that expected from conventional in vitro studies. However, the nail laquer formulation should reduce the propensity to form antifungal‐resistant spores and limit the risk of reinfection.
Protective effect of taurine against cyclophosphamide‐induced urinary bladder toxicity in rats
Authors: Abd‐Allah Adel RA , Gado Ali M , Al‐Majed Abdulhakeem A , Al‐Yahya Abdulaziz A , Al‐Shabanah Othman A 
Published: March 2005

SUMMARY1. In the present study, the effect of taurine, on cyclophosphamide (CP)‐induced urinary bladder toxicity was investigated.2. Administration of a single dose of CP (150 mg/kg, i.p.) induced cystitis, as manifested by marked congestion, oedema and extravasation in rat urinary bladder, as well as a marked desquamative damage to the urothium, severe inflammation in the lamina propria, focal erosions and polymorphonuclear leucocytes associated with occasional lymphocyte infiltration as determined by macroscopic and histopathological examination.3. A significant decrease in the endogenous anti‐oxidant compound glutathione and elevation of lipid peroxidation also resulted in rat urinary bladder tissue.4. Cyclophosphamide‐induced cystitis markedly affected the contractile function of the urinary bladder, as revealed by a significant inhibition of tissue responsiveness to acetylcholine (ACh) at different molar concentrations in vitro.5. Conversely, pretreatment with taurine (1% in drinking water to reach a dose of 1 g/kg per day) for 7 days before and 1 day after CP injection produced a significant decrease in urinary bladder weight (oedema) and a marked decrease in vascular congestion and haemorrhage, as well as a profound improvement in histological structure. Moreover, taurine pretreatment resulted in a significant decrease in lipid peroxide in urinary bladder tissue and glutathione content was greatly restored.6. Urinary bladder rings isolated from rats treated concurrently with taurine and CP showed a significant increase in their responsiveness to ACh compared with the CP group.7. These results suggest that taurine offers a protective effect against CP‐induced urinary bladder toxicity and may, therefore, decrease the limitation on its clinical application. These results merit extension and further investigation of the impact of taurine on CP antitumour activity.
Exploring the potential of xenobiotic‐metabolising enzymes as biocatalysts: Evolving designer catalysts from polyfunctional cytochrome P450 enzymes
Authors: Gillam Elizabeth MJ 
Published: March 2005

SUMMARY1. Biological catalysts have the advantage of being able to catalyse chemical reactions with an often exquisite degree of regio‐ and stereospecificity in contrast with traditional methods of organic synthesis.2. The cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in human drug metabolism are ideal starting materials for the development of designer biocatalysts by virtue of their catalytic versatility and extreme substrate diversity. Applications can be envisaged in fine chemical synthesis, such as in the pharmaceutical industry and bioremediation.3. A variety of techniques of enzyme engineering are currently being applied to P450 enzymes to explore their catalytic potential. Although most studies to date have been performed with bacterial P450s, reports are now emerging of work with mammalian forms of the enzymes.4. The present minireview will explore the rationale and general techniques for redesigning P450s, review the results obtained to date with xenobiotic‐metabolising forms and discuss strategies to overcome some of the logistic problems limiting the full exploitation of these enzymes as industrial‐scale biocatalysts.
Sphingosine kinase signalling in immune cells
Authors: Kee Tay Hwee , Vit Patricia , Melendez Alirio J 
Published: March 2005

SUMMARY1. Sphingolipids are potent second messengers modulating biochemical intracellular events and acting as ligands to mediate extracellular systems. Sphingosine kinase (SPHK) is the enzyme that phosphorylates sphingosine into sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P), a potent bioactive sphingolipid.2. The fact that SPHK is highly conserved from protozoa to mammals and is ubiquitous in living tissues reveals important roles of the SPHK pathway for the maintenance of health maintenance. This is also supported by comprehensive reviews on features of its main product, S1P, as having intracellular as well as extracellular roles, inducing a wide range of physiological responses from triggering Ca2+ release from internal stores to promoting growth and cell motility.3. Immune cell activities have been shown to be modulated by the dynamic balance between ceramide, sphingosine and S1P, conceptualized as a rheostat. Cell proliferation, differentiation, motility and survival have been attributed to the regulatory actions of S1P. The properties of SPHK activity in immune cells are linked to the functions of triggered growth and survival factors, phorbol esters, hormones, cytokines and chemokines, as well as antigen receptors, such as FcγRI and FcεRI.4. Mechanisms of the SPHK signalling pathway are explored as new targets for drug development to suppress inflammation and other pathological conditions.
Effects of uninephrectomy on renal structural properties in spontaneously hypertensive rats*
Authors: Kinuno Hiroyuki , Tomoda Fumihiro , Koike Tsutomu , Takata Masanobu , Inoue Hiroshi 
Published: March 2005

SUMMARY1. To investigate effects of a reduction in nephron numbers on renal structural properties in hypertension, either unilateral nephrectomy (UNX) or sham operation (SO) was performed at 5 weeks of age in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar‐Kyoto (WKY) rats (n = 9 for each operation for each strain).2. At 10–12 weeks of age, flow–pressure (F‐P) and pressure–glomerular filtration rate (P‐GFR) relationships were determined for maximally vasodilated, perfused kidneys. Kidneys were then perfusion fixed for histological analysis.3. In the SO groups, the slope of F‐P (minimal renal vascular resistance, reflecting overall luminal dimensions of pre‐ and post‐glomerular vasculature) was greater in SHR than in WKY rats. The threshold pressure for beginning filtration at P‐GFR (preglomerular to post‐glomerular vascular resistance ratio) was higher in SHR than in WKY rats, but the slope of P‐GFR (glomerular filtration capacity) did not differ between the two strains. These results suggest that vascular narrowing occurred, especially in the preglomerular resistance vessels in the kidneys of SHR, although glomerular filtration capacity was normal.4. In UNX animals, the following results were obtained: (i) the slope of F‐P was not affected in either strain; (ii) the pressure for beginning filtration at P‐GFR was unchanged in WKY rats, but was decreased in SHR; (iii) the slope of P‐GFR increased in WKY rats, but a compensatory adaptive increase was missing in SHR; and (iv) histologically, small increases in the luminal cross‐sectional area of interlobular arteries and glomerular tuft area were observed in both strains. However, the increase in vascular lumen was more pronounced in SHR, whereas glomerular enlargement was greater in WKY rats.5. These results suggested that UNX attenuates vascular narrowing of the preglomerular resistance vessels and glomerular structural adaptations to UNX (i.e. increased filtering capacity and glomerular enlargement) are impaired in SHR.