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role of nitric oxide and melanogenesis in the accomplishment of anticryptococcal activity by the bv-2 microglial cell line.in the present paper, we investigated the involvement of cryptococcal melanogenesis and macrophage nitric oxide (no) production in the accomplishment of anticryptococcal activity by microglial effector cells, using the murine cell line bv-2. we demonstrate that the constitutive levels of anticryptococcal activity exerted by bv-2 cells is significantly enhanced upon interferon gamma plus lipopolysaccharide treatment. the phenomenon, which occurs with no enhancement of phagocytic activity, is asso ...19957730446
synergic inhibitory activity of amphotericin-b and gamma interferon against intracellular cryptococcus neoformans in murine macrophages.cryptococcus neoformans is responsible for pulmonary and meningal infections in hiv patients. the lack of effective cellular cooperation caused by the low level of cd4+ cells, and the resistance of c. neoformans to phagocytosis allows growth and persistence of the yeast in the host. we describe here an in-vitro model of intracellular replication of c. neoformans inside j774-a.1 macrophages, and the determination of the intracellular antifungal activity of amphotericin b and fluconazole alone or ...19947730221
variation in the structure of glucuronoxylomannan in isolates from patients with recurrent cryptococcal meningitis.capsular glucuronoxylomannans (gxm) of cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans isolates from patients with recurrent cryptococcal meningitis were analyzed by 1h nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and for reactivity with factor sera (iatron, tokyo, japan). for each patient the initial and relapse isolates had previously been shown to be indistinguishable by dna restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. for patients j11 and j22 the gxm of the initial and relapse isolates were identic ...19957729900
role of tumor necrosis factor and gamma interferon in acquired resistance to cryptococcus neoformans in the central nervous system of mice.although naive c.b-17 and balb/cby mice die of meningoencephalitis within 5 weeks of intravenous infection with an opportunistic strain of cryptococcus neoformans, immunized mice express an acquired, cd4+ t-cell-dependent immunity and survive an intravenous infection. infusion of lymphocytes from immune mice into severe combined immunodeficiency (scid) mice renders these mice more resistant to cryptococcal brain infection than uninfused controls. we have investigated the role of gamma interferon ...19957729878
effects of immunization with cryptococcus neoformans cells or cryptococcal culture filtrate antigen on direct anticryptococcal activities of murine t lymphocytes.immunizing cba/j mice with intact cryptococcus neoformans cells or with a cryptococcal culture filtrate antigen (cnef) induces an anticryptococcal delayed-type hypersensitivity response. recently, it has been shown that two phenotypically different t-cell populations are responsible for delayed-type hypersensitivity reactivity in mice immunized with intact cryptococcal cells, whereas only one of those populations is present in mice immunized with soluble cryptococcal antigens in complete freund' ...19957729868
direct anticryptococcal activity of lymphocytes from cryptococcus neoformans-immunized mice.assessment of the direct anticryptococcal activity of murine lymphocytes from both cryptococcus neoformans-immunized and control mice was the focus of this investigation. we demonstrate that at a 2:1 effector cell-to-cryptococcal target cell ratio, effector cell populations comprised of alpha beta t-cell receptor-positive t lymphocytes (98 to 99% cd3+) from c. neoformans-immunized mice inhibited the growth of cryptococcal cells better than similar populations of lymphocytes from nonimmunized con ...19957729867
in vitro antifungal and fungicidal spectra of a new pradimicin derivative, bms-181184.a new pradimicin derivative, bms-181184, was compared with amphotericin b and fluconazole against 249 strains from 35 fungal species to determine its antifungal spectrum. antifungal testing was performed by the broth macrodilution reference method recommended by the national committee for clinical laboratory standards (document m27-p, 1992). bms-181184 mics for 97% of the 167 strains of candida spp., cryptococcus neoformans, torulopsis glabrata, and rhodotorula spp. tested were < or = 8 microgra ...19957726485
molecular biology of cryptococcus neoformans and therapy of cryptococcosis. 19947722801
molecular approaches to identify novel targets for future development of antifungal agents. 19947722794
immune complexes increase nitric oxide production by interferon-gamma- stimulated murine macrophage-like j774.16 cells.murine macrophage-like j774.16 cells were tested for changes in nitric oxide production upon incubation with immune complexes. cryptococcus neoformans capsular polysaccharide and polysaccharide-specific monoclonal antibodies were added to j774.16 cells in the presence and absence of recombinant murine interferon-gamma (ifn-gamma). the effect of immune complexes on nitrite synthesis was both concentration dependent and isotype dependent. in the presence of ifn-gamma, immune complexes of igg1, igg ...19957722422
detection of cryptococcus neoformans in bronchial lavage cytology: report of four cases.four cases of pulmonary cryptococcosis were diagnosed by cytological detection of cryptococcus neoformans in bronchial lavage. three patients had underlying diseases, but not hiv infection. the chest x-rays showed 2 patients with nodular lesions and 2 with cavitary lesions. the cryptococcal antigen in the serum was positive in all four patients. in the cytology of bronchial lavage, cryptococcus neoformans was detected after period-acid-schiff (pas) staining and was cultured in sabouraud-dextrose ...19957718982
involvement of multiple cryptococcus neoformans strains in a single episode of cryptococcosis and reinfection with novel strains in recurrent infection demonstrated by random amplification of polymorphic dna and dna fingerprinting.we compared the abilities of random amplification of polymorphic dna and dna fingerprinting, with oligonucleotide probes, to type five pairs of cryptococcus neoformans clinical isolates recovered from five separate human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients in london, england. the two techniques had comparable discriminatory abilities when applied to these isolates. a total of eight different isolate types were demonstrated in these patients. no isolate type was observed in more than one pat ...19957699075
cryptococcal meningitis in aids. 19937691857
[specific antibody-forming cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis--detection by enzyme-linked immunospot (elispot)].antigen-specific antibody-forming cells (afcs) were assessed in bronchoalveolar lavage (bal) fluid of patients with summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis by the method of enzyme-linked immunospot (elispot). both cryptococcus- and trichosporon-specific afcs of isotypes of igg, iga and igm were detected in bal fluid cells. the frequency of isotypes of afcs was in the order of iga > igm > igg. antibody activities against both cryptococcus and trichosporon antigens were detected in the culture su ...19937690077
simple, rapid stain technique for diagnosis of cryptococcosis. 19937689463
correspondence re: o. lazcano, v. o. speights, jr., j. g. strickler, j. e. bilbao, j. becker, and j. diaz. combined histochemical stains in the differential diagnosis of cryptococcus neoformans. mod. pathol 6:80, 1993. 19937688464
specificity of cryptococcus neoformans factor sera determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and dot enzyme assay.an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) and a dot enzyme assay (dea) were used to determine the specificities of cryptococcus neoformans factor sera to serotype type-specific capsular polysaccharides, glucuronoxylomannans (gxms). pure and chemically characterized gxms were obtained from representative isolates of c. neoformans serotypes a, b, c, and d. distinctive specificity patterns and quantitative differences were observed for each factor serum when the selected gxms were studi ...19937685739
depletion of murine cd8+ t cells in vivo decreases pulmonary clearance of a moderately virulent strain of cryptococcus neoformans.host defense mechanisms to the important fungal pathogen cryptococcus neoformans are complex and incompletely understood. from in vitro studies, we could expect cd8+ t cells to have the potential for both protective and suppressive effects on defense against cryptococci. the current study used the technique of in vivo subset depletion to determine the net effect of cd8+ t cells during actual infection. mice depleted of cd8+ t cells by monoclonal antibody (yts 169.4) injections were infected with ...19937685044
phenotypic and functional characterization of human lymphocytes activated by interleukin-2 to directly inhibit growth of cryptococcus neoformans in vitro.recently we demonstrated that the nonadherent (to plastic) fraction of human pbmc could be activated by il-2 to inhibit cryptococcus neoformans growth. here we characterize the antifungal effector cells. depletion by panning of natural killer (nk) (cd16+, cd56+) cells from nylon wool-treated, il-2-activated pbmc markedly decreased lytic activity against a tumor cell target (k562) but did not affect antifungal activity. panning out t (cd3+, cd5+) cells enhanced activity against tumor cells but pa ...19937682573
combined histochemical stains in the differential diagnosis of cryptococcus neoformans.three combinations of histochemical stains were used to study 69 routinely processed tissues containing various "yeast-like" fungal organisms (cryptococcus neoformans, blastomyces dermatitidis, coccidioides immitis, histoplasma capsulatum, paracoccidioides brasiliensis, and candida albicans). fontana-masson stain combined either with mucicarmine or alcian blue produced distinctive staining of c. neoformans (fontana-masson-positive wall and mucin-positive capsule) that was not identified in other ...19937678937
[antifungal activity in vitro of scutellaria baicalensis georgi upon cutaneous and ungual pathogenic fungi].the root of scutellaria baicalensis georgi (lamiaceae) is one of the traditional drugs commonly used in the far east. the extracts obtained by the successive exhaustion in chloroform and in ethyl acetat present clear fungistatic activities in vitro against to some cutaneous and ungual pathogenic fungi, and particularly upon strains of candida albicans, cryptococcus neoformans and pityrosporum ovale. for each of these, its minimum inhibitory concentration is determined. the ethyl acetat extract a ...19957677396
primary cutaneous cryptococcosis and cryptococcus neoformans serotype d.we report a healthy, 73-year-old japanese woman who presented with primary cryptococcosis on the skin of both cheeks. she had initially developed an erythematous, partly ulcerated lesion on the right cheek 2 weeks earlier following an injury. there was no regional lymphadenopathy, and chest x-rays were normal. histopathological findings showed granulomatous cell infiltration. periodic acid schiff staining revealed spores that were identified by the indirect immunoperoxidase staining method as cr ...19957671417
iron acquisition by cryptococcus neoformans.iron is an essential element for the growth and metabolism of microbial cells. most pathogenic microbes elaborate powerful iron chelating agents (siderophores) to mobilize iron from ferric ligands. the pathogenic yeast, cryptococcus neoformans has not been found to produce siderophores and its mechanism of iron acquisition is unknown. this investigation explored an alternative pathway for iron acquisition by examining the interactions of iron with the cell surface. iron uptake experiments were c ...19957666294
comparison of multilocus enzyme electrophoresis and random amplified polymorphic dna analysis for molecular subtyping of cryptococcus neoformans. the cryplococcal disease active surveillance group.we evaluated multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (mee) and random amplified polymorphic dna (rapd) for their usefulness in subtyping 344 cryptococcus neoformans clinical isolates obtained from four u.s. metropolitan areas in 1992 to 1994. mee and rapd with five primers both discriminated between the two varieties of c. neofromans. mee divided c. neoformans var. neoformans isolates into 15 enzyme electrophoretic subtypes (ets) arranged in three complexes. the predominant et 1 complex contained 10 e ...19957665665
diversity of dna fingerprints in cryptococcus neoformans.dna fingerprint patterns of 156 cryptococcus neoformans isolates (26 aids patients, 46 non-aids patients, and 40 environmental sources) from both varieties (126 c. neoformans var. neoformans and 30 c. neoformans var. gattii isolates) and from seven countries were analyzed by using the dna probe ut-4p. nine and twelve distinct dna fingerprint patterns were observed for isolates of the c. neoformans var. neoformans and var. gattii, respectively. no pattern was unique to aids patients, non-aids pat ...19957665650
rdna targeted oligonucleotide primers for the identification of pathogenic yeasts in a polymerase chain reaction.species-specific oligonucleotide primers were designed for pcr identification of the basidiomycetous yeasts cryptococcus neoformans, trichosporon cutaneum and rhodotorula mucilaginosa. the procedure uses standard pcr components including dna from the test species and three primers: two universal external (upstream and downstream) limiting primers and a species-specific internal primer. species identification requires the formation of a species-specific rdna nucleotide segment that is significant ...19957662289
turbidimetric and visual criteria for in vitro susceptibility testing of cryptococcus neoformans clinical isolates.the drug concentration which inhibited 50% of growth (ic50), the lowest drug concentration at which growth was less than 30% of that in a positive control well (ic30), the visual minimal inhibitory concentration (mic visual), were applied to study the effects of fluconazole, itraconazole, amphotericin b and flucytosine against 27 isolates of cryptococcus neoformans by a broth microdilution technique. when the recommendations established by nccls subcommittee on antifungal susceptibility test wer ...19947659128
the effect of infection with human immunodeficiency virus on the anticryptococcal activity of lymphocytes and monocytes.the effect of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) on the capacity of human lymphocytes and monocytes to inhibit and kill cryptococcus neoformans in an 18-h assay was examined. in vitro infection of the jurkat human t cell line with each of 3 hiv strains caused significant loss of anticryptococcal activity, which peaked 3-4 weeks after hiv infection. lymphocytes from hiv-seropositive and -seronegative persons had similar activity, even if highly enriched for cd4 cells. the activity ...19957658057
the devi case and more. 19957652543
the devi case and more. 19957652541
the devi case and more. 19957652540
the devi case and more. 19957652538
the devi case and more. 19957652537
the devi case and more. 19957652536
involvement of multiple cryptococcus neoformans strains in a single episode of cryptococcosis and reinfection with novel strains in recurrent infection demonstrated by random amplification of polymorphic dna and dna fingerprinting. 19957650217
false-positive cryptococcal antigen latex agglutination caused by disinfectants and soaps.five disinfectants or soaps were tested to determine if any could be responsible for false-positive results obtained with the latex-crypto antigen detection system kit (immuno-mycologics, inc., norman, okla.). three disinfectants or soaps (derma soap, 7x, and bacdown) produced false-positive agglutination after repeated washing of ring slides during testing of a known negative cerebrospinal fluid specimen.19957650214
cloning and nucleotide sequence of a specific dna fragment from paracoccidioides brasiliensis.we cloned and sequenced a species-specific 110-bp dna fragment from paracoccidioides brasiliensis. the dna fragment was generated by pcr with primers complementary to the rat beta-actin gene under a low annealing temperature. comparison of the nucleotide sequence, after excluding the primers, with those in the genbank database identified approximately 60% homology with an exon of a major surface glycoprotein gene from pneumocystis carinii and a fragment of unknown function in saccharomyces cerev ...19957650207
direct determination of cryptococcal antigen in transthoracic needle aspirate for diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis.pulmonary cryptococcosis causes significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. definitive diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis is usually difficult. the use of direct determination of cryptococcal antigen in transthoracic needle aspirate to diagnose pulmonary cryptococcosis was investigated. over a 2-year period, we studied a total of 41 patients with respiratory symptoms and pulmonary infiltrates of unknown etiology who were suspected of having pulmonary cryptococcosis. twe ...19957650192
in vitro activity of amphotericin b, flucytosine and fluconazole against yeasts causing bloodstream infections.the in vitro activity of amphotericin b, flucytosine and fluconazole against 95 yeasts causing fungemia in a single institution over the last eight years was determined by a broth macromethod recommended by the national committee for clinical laboratory standards. all strains were inhibited by amphotericin b concentrations of < or = 1 microgram/ml. with flucytosine in most species the mic50 was between 0.12 and 0.25 microgram/ml and the mic90 was between 0.25 and 1 microgram/ml. one exception wi ...19957649205
[a very up-to-date stage in the fate of infectious diseases: parasitic and fungal opportunistic infections].opportunistic parasitosis and mycosis are becoming ever more widespread, mainly under the influence of major immunodeficiencies, either acquired (aids) or therapeutic. in this general overview, their main aspects, both clinical and epidemiological, are underlined. in terms of epidemiology, three types of phenomena have been observed: 1) emergence of human parasitosis unknown before (microsporidiosis due to enterocytozoon bieneusi, encephalitozoom hellem or septata intestinalis); 2) among the hum ...19957648314
mechanisms of inhibition of cryptococcus neoformans by human lymphocytes.recently, our laboratory and others have demonstrated that human peripheral blood t and nk lymphocytes directly inhibit the growth of cryptococcus neoformans. in this study, we further define the conditions under which lymphocyte-mediated fungistasis against c. neoformans occurs and examine whether mechanisms implicated in lymphocyte-mediated activities against other target cells are also involved in anticryptococcal activity. the addition of whole or broken heat-killed c. neoformans modestly in ...19957642290
tissue localization of cryptococcus neoformans glucuronoxylomannan in the presence and absence of specific antibody.during infection, cryptococcus neoformans capsular glucuronoxylomannan (gxm) is released into tissues, where it may be associated with a variety of deleterious immunological effects. relatively little is known about the organ distribution and cellular localization of gxm antigen. intravenous administration of gxm to rats resulted in persistent serum levels which declined with a half-life of 14.3 h in the first 74 h and 3 h thereafter, coincident with the appearance of serum antibodies to gxm. gx ...19957642276
binding of host collectins to the pathogenic yeast cryptococcus neoformans: human surfactant protein d acts as an agglutinin for acapsular yeast cells.cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic pathogen in aids patients causing disseminated disease and lethal meningitis after inhalation of acapsular or sparsely encapsulated yeast cells. in this study we have investigated whether a recently described family of primitive opsonins, termed collectins, contribute to innate resistance against c. neoformans. the pulmonary surfactant proteins sp-a and sp-d as well as the serum collectins mannose-binding protein and cl-43 bound in a calcium-dependent ...19957642263
variable efficacy of passive antibody administration against diverse cryptococcus neoformans strains.the efficacy of monoclonal antibody (mab 2h1) against diverse strains of cryptococcus neoformans was studied in a murine model of intravenous infection. for six of eight strains, administration of mab prior to infection prolonged survival of mice. for two strains, 371 and sb4a, administration of mab prior to infection did not prolong survival in multiple experiments with inocula ranging from 10(2) to 10(6) yeast cells per mouse. mice infected with strains 371 and sb4a had fewer cfu than non-mab- ...19957642262
structure of the ubiquitin-encoding genes of cryptococcus neoformans.cryptococcus neoformans (cn) contains two ubiquitin (ubi)-encoding genes located on separate chromosomes. the ubi1 gene consists of ubi fused to a 53-amino-acid (aa) tail and is 95% identical to the saccharomyces cerevisiae (sc) ubi1 which codes for an ubi-cep52 ribosomal protein fusion. ubi4 is a polyubiquitin gene that contains five ubi repeats. the ubi4 aa sequences differ from sc ubi by a single aa. ubi1 contains two introns in the ubi-encoding portion and two introns in the tail. single int ...19957642124
parasitic infections associated with hiv/aids in the caribbean.this review article seeks to highlight the significance for the caribbean of major parasitic infections associated with aids, encourage awareness of these opportunistic parasites, and promote familiarity with appropriate diagnostic techniques and their clinical relevance. specific agents considered include pneumocystis carinii; toxoplasma gondii; the enteric coccidians cryptosporidium spp., isospora belli, and cyclospora cayetanensis; the hemoflagellates leishmania spp. and trypanosoma cruzi; th ...19957640691
macrophage colony-stimulating factor (m-csf) induction of enhanced anticryptococcal activity in human monocyte-derived macrophages: synergy with fluconazole for killing.induction of enhanced anticryptococcal activity in human monocyte-derived macrophages (hmm) by macrophage colony-stimulating factor (m-csf) and possible synergy with fluconazole (fcz) for killing of cryptococcus neoformans (cn) was studied. fungistasis by hmm cultured in medium for 3, 5, or 7 days was minimal, 0-17%. the fungistasis of hmm cocultured with m-csf at 1000, 5000, or 20,000 u/ml for 3, 5, or 7 days was increased significantly (p < 0.02) at all study times and by all concentrations. t ...19957634342
case report: vitamin d-mediated hypercalcemia in fungal infections.hypercalcemia has been well described in a variety of neoplastic and granulomatous diseases. one mechanism for this hypercalcemia is via the excess production of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin d from extra-renal sources. the authors describe an aids patient infected with cryptococcus neoformans who had suggestive evidence of vitamin d-mediated hypercalcemia. he had an elevated serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin d value, a normal 25-hydroxyvitamin d value, and low values for parathyroid hormone and parathyroid h ...19957631647
novel 1,2-dithiins: synthesis, molecular modeling studies, and antifungal activity.the first structure-activity study involving the 1,2-dithiin class of compounds (1,2-dithiacyclohexadienes) is herein reported. a series of 3,6-disubstituted 1,2-dithiins was synthesized from dithiins 1d and 1e and evaluated as antifungal agents. a new and versatile synthesis of dithiins 1d and 1e is reported which is amenable to scale-up at the kilogram level. the novelty of the process derives from the use of beta-mercaptopropionitrile as the thiophile, relying on a beta-elimination strategy a ...19957629803
resistant p45051a1 activity in azole antifungal tolerant cryptococcus neoformans from aids patients.azole antifungal compounds are important in the treatment of cryptococcosis, a major cause of mortality in aids patients. the target of the azole drugs is p450 mediated sterol 14 alpha-demethylase. we have investigated the p450 system of cryptococcus neoformans with respect to azole tolerance observed in clinical isolates which were obtained following the failure of fluconazole therapy. the clinical failure was correlated with in vitro tolerance of azole antifungal when compared to wild-type str ...19957628631
[systemic cryptococcosis and pneumocystosis in an hiv-positive patient].cryptococcosis is one of the most common opportunistic infections in aids patients. neurological symptoms are the most frequent clinical presentation of this fungal infection, and pulmonary involvement is clinically much less evident. we report the case of a patient who was treated in the emergency room for acute respiratory failure but who did not survive. microbiologic and histopathologic studies demonstrated simultaneous pulmonary infections with cryptococcus neoformans and pneumocystis carin ...19957627427
evaluation of water-soluble pneumocandin analogs l-733560, l-705589, and l-731373 with mouse models of disseminated aspergillosis, candidiasis, and cryptococcosis.the activities of the water-soluble pneumocandin derivatives l-733560, l-705589, and l-731373 were evaluated in mouse models of disseminated aspergillosis, candidiasis, and cryptococcosis and were compared with those of commercially available antifungal agents. pneumocandins are inhibitors of 1,3-beta-d-glucan synthesis. in the aspergillosis model, l-733560 and l-705589 significantly prolonged the survival of dba/2n mice challenged intravenously with aspergillus fumigatus conidia. l-733560 and l ...19957625792
in vitro evaluation of the pneumocandin antifungal agent l-733560, a new water-soluble hybrid of l-705589 and l-731373.lipopeptide l-733560 is a hybrid analog of l-731373 and l-705589. all are water-soluble semisynthetic pneumocandin bo derivatives. in vitro susceptibility testing of l-705589, l-731373, and l-733560 against more than 200 clinical isolates consisting of eight candida species, cryptococcus neoformans, and three aspergillus species was performed by the broth microdilution methods. all three pneumocandins exhibited potent anti-candida activity and moderate anti-c. neoformans activity. however, anti- ...19957625791
monoclonal antibody mediated capsular reactions (quellung) in cryptococcus neoformans.capsular reactions ('quellung') visible by light microscopy were observed when capsule-binding monoclonal antibody (mab) was added to cryptococcus neoformans yeast cells. capsular reactions were observed with capsule-binding igm, igg1, igg2a, igg2b, igg3 and iga mabs. scanning electron microscopy revealed that mab binding produced a structural change in the fibrillar network of the capsule. the occurrence of capsular reactions with mabs indicate that this phenomenon can be produced by the bindin ...19957622865
cryptococcus neoformans melanin and virulence: mechanism of action.black melanin-like pigments are produced by several neurotropic fungi, including cryptococcus neoformans. pigment production is associated with virulence. in media containing phenolic substrates such as l-dopa, c. neoformans cells become black as a result of pigment accumulation. pigmented and nonpigmented c. neoformans cells were studied with transmission electron microscopy and electron spin resonance (esr) spectroscopy. transmission electron microscopy showed electron-dense cell walls, and es ...19957622240
analysis of human monoclonal antibodies elicited by vaccination with a cryptococcus neoformans glucuronoxylomannan capsular polysaccharide vaccine.the cryptococcus neoformans capsular polysaccharide glucuronoxylomannan (gxm) has been conjugated to tetanus toxoid (gxm-tt) as an investigational vaccine. gxm-tt elicits antibodies that are protective in c. neoformans-infected mice. in an effort to characterize the fine specificity and molecular structure of human gxm-tt-elicited antibodies, we generated two gxm monoclonal antibodies (mabs) from peripheral blood lymphocytes of a volunteer gxm-tt recipient and studied serum gxm antibody idiotype ...19957622223
downregulation by cryptococcal polysaccharide of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1 beta secretion from human monocytes.the regulation by cryptococcus neoformans encapsulation of interleukin 1 beta (il-1 beta) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (tnf-alpha) production by human monocytes was investigated. by using encapsulated and acapsular c. neoformans, we demonstrated that both strains induce cytokine production, although the acapsular strain was a better stimulator than the thinly encapsulated strain. the cytokine levels produced by cells stimulated by the two strains were lower and followed a different kinetic th ...19957622213
cryptococcal empyema: case report and review.a 28-year-old male infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) developed a pleural empyema caused by cryptococcus neoformans. he responded well to chest-tube drainage and antifungal therapy; he received fluconazole as maintenance therapy for 1 year and has not relapsed. we reviewed the english-language literature on cryptococcal pleural effusions in patients with and without aids. only three other cases of empyema, one of them in an hiv-infected patient, have been reported. a pleural-fl ...19957620032
isolation of cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans from bird droppings, fruits and vegetables in mexico city.the presence of cryptococcus neoformans in various natural sources, such as bird droppings, fruits and vegetables, was investigated. a total of 711 samples were analyzed; c. neoformans var. neoformans was isolated from seven out of 74 bird droppings (9.5%), with parrots as one of the most significant sources. fruits were positive in 9.5% of the 169 samples studied, specially citrus fruits, particularly grapefruit, in which the highest frequency was found. from the 468 vegetable samples, only 20 ...19957617014
[isolation of cryptococcus neoformans from environments (pigeon excreta) in nagasaki].cryptococcosis is one of the serious deep-seated mycoses in immunocompromised patients, especially those with aids. cryptococcus neoformans ordinarily lives in natural environments such as soil and reproduces in pigeon excreta. it spreads in the air and infects human by inhalation. we isolated c. neoformans from pigeon excreta in hospitals, private houses, parks in nagasaki from october to december in 1994. c. neoformans was isolated from 4 of 8 samples (50%) of pigeon excreta and the isolation ...19957616009
quality control guidelines for national committee for clinical laboratory standards recommended broth macrodilution testing of amphotericin b, fluconazole, and flucytosine.amphotericin b, fluconazole, and flucytosine (5fc) were tested in a multilaboratory study to establish quality control (qc) guidelines for yeast antifungal susceptibility testing. ten candidate qc strains were tested in accordance with national committee for clinical laboratory standards m27-p guidelines against the three antifungal agents in each of six laboratories. each laboratory was assigned a unique lot of rpmi 1640 broth medium as well as a lot of rpmi 1640 common to all of the laboratori ...19957615713
[a case of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis with the cerebral superficial cystic lesions detected on magnetic resonance imagings].the patient was a 35-year-old man with confusional state and headache. analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (csf) showed 1,383/mm3 cell count, the protein level of 300mg/dl and glucose level of 42 mg/dl. cryptococcus neoformans was disclosed by india ink preparation. the cryptococcal antigen test was positive at 1:125 by latex agglutination. the diagnosis of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis was determined. antifungal treatment with amphotericin b resulted in improvement of neurologic signs, csf findi ...19957614762
the endemic mycoses: surgical considerations.surgical consultation is regularly requested for diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary complications of the endemic mycosis, histoplasma capsulatum, blastomyces dermatitidis and coccidioidomycosis immitis, and the yeast cryptococcus neoformans. all resemble pulmonary malignancies. histoplasmosis causes pericarditis, mediastinal fibrosis and mediastinal granuloma, which can cause entrapment of vascular structures, the esophagus, and the trachea. coccidioidomycosis can cause spontaneous pneumothora ...19957612761
[epidemiology of deep-seated, domestic mycoses].the opportunistic character of deep-seated mycoses depends on granulocyte-based defense in candidosis and aspergillosis. therefore, haematological, patients represent the group of highest risk. mucocutaneous candidosis is controlled by macrophages. cryptococcus neoformans forces its way into the human host via causing an imbalance in the cd8-t-cell suppressor system. an aggravating synergism exists between cryptococcus invasion and hiv-infection which explains the severe course of cryptococcosis ...19947609737
unbudded g2 as well as g1 arrest in the stationary phase of the basidiomycetous yeast cryptococcus neoformans.stationary-phase cells of cryptococcus neoformans displayed two morphological characteristics: virtually all the cells were unbudded even in the early stationary phase and even when grown in rich media, and average cell size increased from that of exponential-phase cells. dna contents for small and large stationary-phase cells were determined by quantitative fluorescence microscopy after dna staining with propidium iodide or dapi. small cells contained g1 dna, whereas large unbudded cells had ei ...19957607405
the role of bronchoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary disease in hiv-infected patients.pulmonary disease is the most common reason for presentation and the major cause of death in hiv-infected patients. there has been an evolution in the optimal approach to the investigation of a pulmonary infiltrate in hiv-infected patients since the introduction of induced sputum for the diagnosis of pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (pcp).19957605295
a role for gamma interferon-induced nitric oxide in pulmonary clearance of cryptococcus neoformans.increasing evidence indicates that t cell-dependent, interferon gamma (ifn gamma)-induced activation of murine macrophages and nitric oxide (no) production plays an important role in host defenses against many microorganisms. a role for this mechanism in pulmonary defenses against infectious agents has not been examined. previous studies demonstrated that both cd4 and cd8 t cells were required for lung clearance of encapsulated cryptococcus neoformans (cne). the current studies investigated whet ...19957598935
asymptomatic neurocysticercosis in a patient with aids and cryptococcal meningitis. 19957598126
the role of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (mcp-1) in the recruitment of monocytes and cd4+ t cells during a pulmonary cryptococcus neoformans infection.cryptococcus neoformans is acquired via the respiratory tract and is the leading cause of fatal mycosis in aids. development of a t cell-mediated pulmonary inflammatory response is critical for clearance of this pathogen; however, the chemotactic factors that mediate inflammatory cell recruitment into the lungs have not been identified. in the present study, the bronchoalveolar lavage (bal) fluid levels of the c-c chemokine monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (mcp-1) and the recruitment of inflammato ...19957594481
adherence to and damage of endothelial cells by cryptococcus neoformans in vitro: role of the capsule.escape from the intravascular compartment is likely a critical step in the development of hematogenously disseminated cryptococcal infections, such as meningitis. the capsule of cryptococcus neoformans is considered to be a virulence factor because of its antiphagocytic properties. to further investigate the role of the capsule in escape from the intravascular compartment, we used isogenic strain pairs, an acapsular mutant, and an encapsulated clinical isolate to determine the effects of the cap ...19957591072
antibody immunity and invasive fungal infections. 19957591049
clinical and host differences between infections with the two varieties of cryptococcus neoformans.a population-based register of cases of cryptococcosis in patients treated in victoria, australia, over a 10-year period was established for studying the epidemiologic and clinical features of infection with cryptococcus neoformans and its two varieties, gattii and neoformans. one hundred thirty-three cases of cryptococcosis were entered on the register; the incidence was 3.0 cases per 1 million population per year, a rate that increased to 5.0 cases per 1 million population per year over the de ...19957578756
purification and characterization of malate dehydrogenase from cryptococcus neoformans.the nad-dependent malate dehydrogenase (ec 1.1.1.37) was purified from cryptococcus neoformans, a basidiomycetious yeast that is an opportunistic pathogen of aids patients. the purified enzyme was a dimer of 35 kda subunits that exhibited uncompetitive substrate inhibition by oxalacetate, typical for mitochondrial malate dehydrogenases from other sources. product inhibition studies indicated an ordered sequential kinetic mechanism, with pyridine dinucleotide being the substrate that binds to the ...19957574696
limbal and choroidal cryptococcus infection in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.a 30-year-old patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (aids) had limbal nodules and multifocal choroidal lesions.19957573321
cryptococcal meningitis in cairo, egypt: report of five cases. 19957570882
flucytosine+fluconazole association in the treatment of a murine experimental model of cryptococcosis.the efficacy of flucytosine (5-fc) and fluconazole (flu) association in the treatment of a murine experimental model of cryptococcosis, was evaluated. seven groups of 10 balb c mice each, were intraperitoneally inoculated with 10(7) cells of cryptococcus neoformans. six groups were allocated to receive 5-fc (300 mg/kg) and flu (16 mg/kg), either combined and individually, by daily gavage beginning 5 days after the infection, for 2 and 4 weeks. one group received distilled water and was used as c ...19947569631
cryptococcal prostatitis in a patient with behçet's disease treated with fluconazole.a 55-year-old man with behçet's disease presented acute urinary retention due to cryptococcus neoformans infection of the prostate. the disease was localized to the prostate. the infection was successfully treated only with fluconazole. the patient remains well without evidence of systemic or local infection at 32 months.19957566068
fungal lipopeptide mating pheromones: a model system for the study of protein prenylation.in a variety of fungal species, mating between haploid cells is initiated by the action of peptide pheromones. the identification and characterization of several fungal pheromones has revealed that they have common structural features classifying them as lipopeptides. in the course of biosynthesis, these pheromones undergo a series of posttranslational processing events prior to export. one common modification is the attachment of an isoprenoid group to the c terminus of the pheromone precursor. ...19957565412
virulence of cryptococcus neoformans serotypes a, b, c and d for four mouse strains.the relative virulence of cryptococcus neoformans serotypes a, b, c and d in four mouse strains was assessed by measuring their migration from the foot-pad of the animals to the spleen, lungs and brain in 6-week-old dba/2, balb/c, a/j and a hybrid mouse strain by re-isolating yeasts from the internal organs. comparable doses of each c. neoformans serotype were inoculated into the foot-pads of the mice. c. neoformans var neoformans strains a68, d52, a-(in) and d-(in) were more virulent than c. ne ...19957562991
antimicrobial metabolites from a bacterial symbiont.two types of antibiotics, namely, indoles and dithiolopyrrolones, have been isolated and identified from xenorhabdus bovienii a2. compounds 1 and 2 showed strong activity against cryptococcus neoformans, compounds 3 and 4 showed strong activity against botrytis cinerea, and compounds 1, 3, and 4 showed significant activity against phytophthora infestants (2 was not tested). in addition, two lower homologues of xenorhabdins 5 and 6, namely, 6-(n-3'-methylbutanamido)-4,5-dihydro-1,2-dithiolo[4,3-b ...19957561900
down-regulation of the afferent phase of t cell-mediated pulmonary inflammation and immunity by a high melanin-producing strain of cryptococcus neoformans.the interaction(s) between cryptococcal virulence factors and leukocytes involved in generating protective cell-mediated immunity is not well defined. intratracheal inoculation of cryptococcus neoformans strain 52 induced a vigorous t cell-mediated pulmonary inflammatory response that controlled the growth of the organism. in contrast, strain 145 induced a pulmonary inflammatory response that was delayed in onset, slower to develop, and ineffective in controlling the infection. in addition, the ...19957561046
development of specific fluorescent-antibody test for tissue form of penicillium marneffei.the diagnosis of penicilliosis marneffei can be difficult because the clinical manifestations mimic those of tuberculosis, histoplasmosis, and other mycotic infections. furthermore, the tissue form of penicillium marneffei can be confused with those of histoplasma capsulatum and cryptococcus neoformans. to facilitate the rapid detection and identification of p. marneffei in clinical materials, we sought to develop a specific indirect fluorescent-antibody (ifa) reagent for this dimorphic pathogen ...19957559962
immunosuppression in experimental cryptococcosis: variation of splenic and thymic populations and expression of class ii major histocompatibility complex gene products.previous studies from our laboratory have shown that infection with cryptococcus neoformans can trigger the production of a series of suppressor cells that specifically inhibit the cell-mediated immune response to a nonrelated antigen, the human serum albumin (hsa). in the present study, we determined the variation of thymus and spleen cell populations in rats infected with c. neoformans and immunized with hsa-cfa at the time when suppressor activity was demonstrated. at 21 days postinfection, t ...19957554478
unusual effect of myo-inositol on phospholipid biosynthesis in cryptococcus neoformans.cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen which preferentially localizes to the inositol-rich environment of the central nervous system. one of its distinguishing traits is its capacity to catabolize inositol. inositol is a precursor for the synthesis of phosphatidylinositol (pi). this study demonstrated that c. neoformans synthesizes inositol. three inositol-containing sphingolipids were identified in c. neoformans: ceramide-(p-inositol)2mannose, mannose, ceramide-p-inositol-m ...19957551047
evidence of canary droppings as an important reservoir of cryptococcus neoformans.after preliminary results had shown the occurrence of cryptococcus neoformans in canary droppings in southern italy, the increasing epidemiological interest in cryptococcosis and the habitats of the agent led to more extensive studies. 180 samples of canary droppings were collected from pet shops and private households in two towns (messina and reggio calabria) of southern italy and culturally examined for c. neoformans. the examination was carried out with the help of the brown colour effect (b ...19957549156
early cytokine production in pulmonary cryptococcus neoformans infections distinguishes susceptible and resistant mice.a murine pulmonary infection model utilizing intratracheal inoculation of cryptococcus neoformans was used to analyze cytokines produced in response to opportunistic pathogens acquired via the respiratory tract. the specific question asked was whether early cytokine secretion in lung-associated lymph nodes (laln) would predict whether this organism would be cleared from the lung. lung colony-forming units (cfu) were analyzed in two strains of mice over 12 wk, and lung clearance was found to be s ...19957546779
laryngeal cryptococcus. treatment with oral fluconazole.we treated a case of laryngeal cryptococcus neoformans infection in a glucocorticosteroid-dependent patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. to our knowledge, this is the first report of successful treatment of laryngeal cryptococcus using oral fluconazole as a single agent.19957546590
interference by hydroxyethyl starch used for vascular filling in latex agglutination test for cryptococcal antigen.the glucuronoxylomannan component of the cryptococcus neoformans capsular polysaccharide confers serotype specificity, and its detection in cerebrospinal fluid or serum by the latex agglutination test is used for diagnosis. low-molecular-weight hydroxyethyl starches can be used as an alternative to albumin for vascular filling. this study reports the occurrence of a false-positive result with the pastorex cryptococcus test (sanofi diagnostics pasteur, marnes la coquette, france) for a patient re ...19957545185
beneficial effect of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on fungicidal activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes from patients with aids.the effect of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhg-csf) administration on the functional status of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (pmnl) in neutropenic aids patients was investigated. pmnl destructive activity against candida albicans or encapsulated or acapsular cryptococcus neoformans was significantly impaired with respect to control subjects before rhg-csf treatment. after subcutaneous administration of rhg-csf (5 micrograms/kg), neutrophil counts increased 3- to 11-fol ...19957539473
determination of antigen binding specificities of cryptococcus neoformans factor sera by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.the competitive binding specificities of glucuronoxylomannan (gxm) and its derivatives to factor sera of cryptococcus neoformans were studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. an effort was made to determine the epitope specificity of each factor serum. despite the presence of antigenic factor 1 on all serotypes of c. neoformans, variations in inhibition ability were observed with different gxms. the panspecific component of factor serum 1 (antibody 1) appeared to be due to the presence of m ...19957537249
reactive nitrogen intermediates in human neuropathology: an overview.nitric oxide (no) is a recently recognized messenger molecule that has been shown to possess pleiotropic properties, including vasodilation, neurotransmission, cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity. constitutive and inducible forms of no synthase (nos) have been identified. activation of cnos releases relatively low levels of no for short periods of time whereas induction of inos releases high levels of no for extended periods of time. in rodents, inos is predominantly found in cells of the mo ...19947535680
cryptococcus neoformans fails to induce nitric oxide synthase in primed murine macrophage-like cells.nitric oxide (no) is a microbiostatic gas generated by activated murine macrophages. cytokine signals, gamma interferon (ifn-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (tnf-alpha) act synergistically to induce production of a macrophage nitric oxide synthase (nos). a variety of intracellular pathogens, when recognized by macrophages primed with ifn-gamma, induce nos by eliciting tnf-alpha secretion, which then functions as a positive autocrine signal. in cell culture assays, a murine macrophage cell ...19957534274
comparisons between in vitro glial cell adherence and internalization of non-encapsulated and encapsulated strains of cryptococcus neoformans.the adherence of non-encapsulated and encapsulated strains of cryptococcus neoformans to rat glial cells in culture was compared. like the encapsulated strain, the adherence of the unencapsulated strain was affected by the yeast culture age and growth temperature. yeasts grown to late stationary phase at 37 degrees c were the most adherent. neither encapsulated nor non-encapsulated strains adhered to glial monolayers when the experiments were conducted at 5 degrees c, indicating that metabolical ...19947531242
the 16s-like, 5.8s and 23s-like rrnas of the two varieties of cryptococcus neoformans: sequence, secondary structure, phylogenetic analysis and restriction fragment polymorphisms.the nucleotide sequences of the 16s-like, 5.8s and 23s-like rdnas from the two varieties of cryptococcus neoformans, c. neoformans var. neoformans and c. neoformans var. gattii, were determined. the rrna locus has the typical eukaryote organization of 16s-5.8s-23s with the 16s-like and 5.8s rrna genes separated by a 124-nucleotide spacer and the 5.8s and 23s-like rrna genes separated by a 187-nucleotide spacer in each strain. the c. neoformans var. neoformans and c. neoformans var. gattii 16s-li ...19947525916
characterization of hemolytic and antifungal substance, cepalycin, from pseudomonas cepacia.hemolytic and antifungal substances, cepalycin i and cepalycin ii, have been isolated from pseudomonas cepacia jn106. a large amount of cepalycins were produced by growing the cells on 1% glycerin-nutrient agar medium covered with a cellophane membrane. the cell-washed supernatant was applied to an amberlite xad2 column, and cepalycins were eluted with 70% ethanol containing 1mm hcl. cepalycins were separated by reverse phase hplc in two fractions which were designated as cepalycin i and cepalyc ...19947519715
cytologic and differential diagnosis of rhinosporidiosis.rhinosporidiosis is a mycotic infection caused by rhinosporidium seeberi. the fungus occurs in tissues as spherules measuring 0.25-3 mm. the spherules contain endospores. diagnosis is usually made histologically on biopsy specimens from polypoid lesions on the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchus and conjunctiva. in our experience two cases of rhinosporidiosis were diagnosed by cytology. the cytologic features are typical. on direct examination the spherules are well-ci ...19947514831
case records of the massachusetts general hospital. weekly clinicopathological exercises. case 7-1994. a 55-year-old heart transplant recipient with a tender, enlarged prostate gland. 19947507220
problems in the diagnosis of aids related cryptococcal meningitis: a case report.cryptococcal meningitis in a 35-year old male who had a history of chronic alcoholism and sexual promiscuity, is presented here. the patient presented twice, 6 weeks apart, with altered sensorium. on the earlier occasion, csf examination and ct head scan were entirely normal, while on the second occasion csf abnormalities were found which led to the diagnosis of cryptococcal meningitis. the patient eventually tested positive for hiv by both the elisa and western blot techniques. diagnostic probl ...19957499769
human microglia mediate anti-cryptococcus neoformans activity in the presence of specific antibody.the interaction of the opportunistic fungus cryptococcus neoformans with human microglia was studied in vitro in the presence and absence of capsule binding antibody. in the absence of capsule binding antibody there was little or no phagocytosis. addition of the murine monoclonal antibody (mab) 2h1 (igg1, kappa) to the capsular glucuronoxylomannan (gxm) produced a dose-dependent enhancement of c. neoformans phagocytosis by microglia. phagocytosis resulted in marked inhibition of fungal prolifera ...19957499491
cross-resistance to polyene and azole drugs in cryptococcus neoformans.fluconazole was observed to inhibit sterol 14 alpha-demethylase in the human pathogen cryptococcus neoformans, and accumulation of a ketosteroid product was associated with growth arrest. a novel mechanism(s) of azole and amphotericin b cross-resistance was identified, unrelated to changes in sterol biosynthesis, as previously identified in saccharomyces cerevisiae. reduced cellular content of drug could account for the resistance phenotype, indicating the possible involvement of a mechanism sim ...19957492098
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