| buruli ulcer disease: prospects for a vaccine. | buruli ulcer disease (bud), caused by mycobacterium ulcerans, is a neglected bacterial infection of the poor in remote rural areas, mostly affecting children. bud is a mutilating disease leading to severe disability; it is the third most common mycobacterial infection in immunocompetent people after tuberculosis and leprosy. it is most endemic in west africa, but cases have been reported from more than 30 countries. treatment with antibiotics is possible, long-lasting and requires injections; th ... | 2009 | 19198877 |
| independent loss of immunogenic proteins in mycobacterium ulcerans suggests immune evasion. | the highly immunogenic mycobacterial proteins esat-6, cfp-10, and hspx represent potential target antigens for the development of subunit vaccines and immunodiagnostic tests. recently, the complete genome sequence revealed the absence of these coding sequences in mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of the emerging human disease buruli ulcer. genome reduction and the acquisition of a cytopathic and immunosuppressive macrolide toxin plasmid are regarded as crucial for the emergence of this ... | 2008 | 18256209 |
| what's in a name? ulcerans disease: infections due to mycobacterium ulcerans. | lesions due to mycobacterium ulcerans infection may have more synonyms and eponyms than any other disease. new diseases are named for the person who discovered them, from the place from which they were first described or some major clinical feature. 'buruli ulcer', the name by which the disease is most frequently known, is none of these. classically, the disease presents as extensive, undermined ulcers, first described by searls from bairnsdale in southeastern australia, names that gave the dise ... | 2009 | 19203770 |
| sensitivity of pcr targeting mycobacterium ulcerans by use of fine-needle aspirates for diagnosis of buruli ulcer. | in a previous study, we reported that the sensitivity of pcr targeting the is2404 insertion sequence of mycobacterium ulcerans was 98% when it was applied to 4-mm punch biopsy samples of buruli lesions. fine-needle aspiration (fna) is a less traumatic sampling technique for nonulcerated lesions, and we have studied the sensitivity of pcr using fna samples. fine-needle aspirates were taken with a 21-gauge needle from 43 patients diagnosed clinically with m. ulcerans disease. four-millimeter punch ... | 2009 | 19204098 |
| phase change material for thermotherapy of buruli ulcer: a prospective observational single centre proof-of-principle trial. | buruli ulcer (bu) is an infection of the subcutaneous tissue leading to chronic necrotizing skin ulcers. the causative pathogen, mycobacterium ulcerans, grows best at 30 degrees c-33 degrees c and not above 37 degrees c. we explored the safety, tolerability and efficacy of phase change material (pcm), a novel heat application system for thermotherapy of bu. | 2009 | 19221594 |
| immunosuppression and treatment-associated inflammatory response in patients with mycobacterium ulcerans infection (buruli ulcer). | buruli ulcer is a necrotizing skin disease caused by mycobacterium ulcerans. major necrosis with abundant clusters of extracellularly replicating mycobacteria and only minor leukocyte infiltration are characteristic histopathologic features of the disease. mycolactone, a cytotoxic macrolide exotoxin of m. ulcerans, plays a key role in the development of this pathology. antimicrobial therapy, such as rifampicin/streptomycin that was recently introduced, seems to lead to phagocytosis of mycobacter ... | 2009 | 19236249 |
| comparative study of the sensitivity of different diagnostic methods for the laboratory diagnosis of buruli ulcer disease. | several diagnostic laboratory methods are available for case confirmation of buruli ulcer disease. this study assessed the sensitivity of various diagnostic tests in relation to clinical presentation of the disease, type of diagnostic specimen, and treatment history. | 2009 | 19275499 |
| correlation between buruli ulcer and vector-borne notifiable diseases, victoria, australia. | | 2009 | 19331750 |
| [clinicopathologic study of buruli ulcer]. | | 2007 | 18307885 |
| ongoing genome reduction in mycobacterium ulcerans. | elucidation of the transmission, epidemiology, and evolution of mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of buruli ulcer, is hampered by the striking lack of genetic diversity of this emerging pathogen. however, by using a prototype plasmid-based microarray that covered 10% of the genome, we found multiple genomic dna deletions among 30 m. ulcerans clinical isolates of diverse geographic origins. many of the changes appear to have been mediated by insertion sequence (is) elements is2404 and i ... | 2007 | 18214172 |
| mycobacterium ulcerans in mosquitoes captured during outbreak of buruli ulcer, southeastern australia. | buruli ulcer (bu) occurs in >30 countries. the causative organism, mycobacterium ulcerans, is acquired from the environment, but the exact mode of transmission is unknown. we investigated an outbreak of bu in a small coastal town in southeastern australia and screened by pcr mosquitoes caught there. all cases of bu were confirmed by culture or pcr. mosquitoes were trapped in multiple locations during a 26-month period. bu developed in 48 residents of point lonsdale/queenscliff and 31 visitors fr ... | 2007 | 18217547 |
| first cultivation and characterization of mycobacterium ulcerans from the environment. | mycobacterium ulcerans disease, or buruli ulcer (bu), is an indolent, necrotizing infection of skin, subcutaneous tissue and, occasionally, bones. it is the third most common human mycobacteriosis worldwide, after tuberculosis and leprosy. there is evidence that m. ulcerans is an environmental pathogen transmitted to humans from aquatic niches; however, well-characterized pure cultures of m. ulcerans from the environment have never been reported. here we present details of the isolation and char ... | 2008 | 18365032 |
| fine-needle aspiration, an efficient sampling technique for bacteriological diagnosis of nonulcerative buruli ulcer. | invasive punch or incisional skin biopsy specimens are currently employed for the bacteriological confirmation of the clinical diagnosis of buruli ulcer (bu), a cutaneous infectious disease caused by mycobacterium ulcerans. the efficacy of fine-needle aspirates (fna) using fine-gauge needles (23g by 25 mm) for the laboratory confirmation of bu was compared with that of skin tissue fragments obtained in parallel by excision or punch biopsy. in three bu treatment centers in benin, both types of di ... | 2009 | 19386847 |
| the surgical management of lesions of ulcerans infections due to mycobacterium ulcerans, revisited. | the recommended approach to the management of ulcerans disease lesions is a combined surgical/multidrug medical approach. small lesions may resolve spontaneously, and for other early lesions cure may be effected either by medication or simple excision alone. a much simpler, less-aggressive surgical approach, combined with antibiotics to manage the larger lesions of ulcerans disease, is described. the method both reduces the extent of residual scarring and hastens healing. it is of particular val ... | 2009 | 19457527 |
| prevalence of buruli ulcer in akonolinga health district, cameroon: results of a cross sectional survey. | buruli ulcer (bu) is a chronic, indolent necrotizing disease of the skin and underlying tissues caused by mycobacterium ulcerans, which may result in functional incapacity. in 2002, médecins sans frontières (msf) opened a bu programme in akonolinga hospital, cameroon, offering antibiotic treatment, surgery and general medical care. six hundred patients have been treated in the project to date. however, due to the nature of the disease and its stigmatization, determining the exact prevalence and ... | 2009 | 19547747 |
| outcome of patients with buruli ulcer after surgical treatment with or without antimycobacterial treatment in ghana. | this study assesses the frequency of recurrences and treatment outcome after surgery of buruli ulcer disease (bud) with or without concomitant antimycobacterial treatment. of 129 laboratory-confirmed bud patients who underwent surgery in two treatment centers in ghana, 79 (61%) were retrieved for follow-up 4-29 months after the initial treatment. among 7 (9%) recurrent cases no significant association was found between recurrences and clinical or treatment specific factors including antimycobact ... | 2009 | 19556570 |
| therapeutic itineraries of patients with ulcerated forms of mycobacterium ulcerans (buruli ulcer) disease in a rural health zone in the democratic republic of congo. | to describe lay perceptions of the ulcerated forms of mycobacterium ulcerans, commonly called buruli ulcer (bu), and therapeutic itineraries of bu patients in a rural area of the democratic republic of congo. | 2009 | 19563476 |
| phase change material for thermotherapy of buruli ulcer: modelling as an aid to implementation. | a mathematical model was developed and validated to predict the thermal behaviour of a heat application device based on a phase change material (pcm) for the heat treatment of mycobacterium ulcerans infection (buruli ulcer). the thermal model allows the prediction of skin surface temperatures and an optimization of the amount of pcm with respect to discharge time. a first prototype of such a pcm bandage was manufactured and used in a proof-of-principal trial in cameroon. the experimental data we ... | 2009 | 19591051 |
| large sequence polymorphisms unveil the phylogenetic relationship of environmental and pathogenic mycobacteria related to mycobacterium ulcerans. | mycolactone is an immunosuppressive cytotoxin responsible for the clinical manifestation of buruli ulcer in humans. it was believed to be confined to its etiologic agent, mycobacterium ulcerans. however, the identification of other mycolactone-producing mycobacteria (mpms) in other species, including mycobacterium marinum, indicated a more complex taxonomic relationship. this highlighted the need for research on the biology, evolution, and distribution of such emerging and potentially infectious ... | 2009 | 19592526 |
| infectious disease. elusive pathogen cornered at last. | | 2008 | 18369112 |
| mycobacterial soft tissue infections in north queensland. | mycobacterial soft tissue infections are a heterogeneous group of infections that usually require a variety of therapeutic methods for cure. north queensland has an environment, which predisposes to several such infections. the aim of this study was to assess the incidence and epidemiology of mycobacterial soft tissue infections in north queensland and to review surgical and non-surgical interventions in these conditions. | 2007 | 17497978 |
| intractable ulcer caused by mycobacterium shinshuense: successful identification of mycobacterium strain by 16s ribosomal rna 3'-end sequencing. | an extremely rare case of intractable ulcer caused by mycobacterium shinshuense is described. a 59-year-old japanese woman developed an ulcerated subcutaneous induration on the upper arm. ziehl-neelsen staining revealed positive bacilli. tissue culture isolated mycobacterium species, but standard identification techniques (including molecular biological approaches such as dna-dna hybridization) could not distinguish the precise causative pathogen, although it was narrowed down to three possibili ... | 2009 | 19663856 |
| mycolactone-mediated inhibition of tumor necrosis factor production by macrophages infected with mycobacterium ulcerans has implications for the control of infection. | the pathogenicity of mycobacterium ulcerans, the agent of buruli ulcer, depends on the cytotoxic exotoxin mycolactone. little is known about the immune response to this pathogen. following the demonstration of an intracellular growth phase in the life cycle of m. ulcerans, we investigated the production of tumor necrosis factor (tnf) induced by intramacrophage bacilli of diverse toxigenesis/virulence, as well as the biological relevance of tnf during m. ulcerans experimental infections. our data ... | 2007 | 17517872 |
| lack of insertional-deletional polymorphism in a collection of mycobacterium ulcerans isolates from ghanaian buruli ulcer patients. | mycobacterium ulcerans causes the devastating infectious skin disease buruli ulcer and has a monomorphic population structure. the resolution of conventional genetic fingerprinting methods is therefore not sufficient for microepidemiological studies aiming to characterize transmission pathways. in a previous comparative genomic hybridization analysis with a microarray covering part of the m. ulcerans genome, we have found extensive insertional-deletional sequence polymorphisms among m. ulcerans ... | 2009 | 19726605 |
| single nucleotide polymorphisms on the road to strain differentiation in mycobacterium ulcerans. | the genomic fine-typing of strains of mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of the emerging human disease buruli ulcer, is difficult due to the clonal population structure of geographical lineages. although large sequence polymorphisms (lsps) resulted in the clustering of patient isolates originating from across the globe, differentiation of strains within continents using conventional typing methods is very limited. in this study, we analyzed m. ulcerans lsp haplotype-specific insertion s ... | 2009 | 19726608 |
| [buruli ulcer or mycobacterium ulcerans infection]. | buruli ulcer is a severe necrotizing cutaneous infection due to mycobacterium ulcerans. the disease is currently expanding, especially in west africa, and the who is supporting a vast research program to better understand the modes of transmission, to develop diagnostic methods, and to define specific treatment protocols. the disease transmission could be linked to environment and especially water striders. after m. ulcerans inoculation, cutaneous lesions appear, as broad painless ulcers, and th ... | 2010 | 19796893 |
| selective suppression of dendritic cell functions by mycobacterium ulcerans toxin mycolactone. | mycolactone is a polyketide toxin produced by mycobacterium ulcerans (mu), the causative agent of the skin disease buruli ulcer (bu). surprisingly, infected tissues lack inflammatory infiltrates. structural similarities between mycolactone and immunosuppressive agents led us to investigate the immunomodulatory properties of mycolactone on dendritic cells (dcs), the key initiators and regulators of immune responses. at noncytotoxic concentrations, phenotypic and functional maturation of both mous ... | 2007 | 17517970 |
| buruli ulcer. | | 2008 | 18606755 |
| persistence of mycobacterium ulcerans disease (buruli ulcer) in the historical focus of kasongo territory, the democratic republic of congo. | fifty years after the last report of mycobacterium ulcerans infections (buruli ulcer [bu]) in kasongo territory, maniema province, democratic republic of congo (drc), we conducted a small-scale cross-sectional survey to assess if this historical bu focus was still active and if so to explore the disease epidemiology. seventy-five active and inactive bu cases were identified on clinical grounds of which two of 28 bu active cases were laboratory confirmed. we used a modified bu02 form to reconstru ... | 2009 | 19861627 |
| mycobacteriosis in fishes: a review. | mycobacterium species have long been recognised as a significant source of morbidity and mortality in finfish aquaculture, as well as in wild finfishes. mycobacteria infecting fishes also include zoonotic pathogens that can cause protracted illness, especially in immunocompromised individuals. several basic aspects of mycobacterial pathobiology in aquatic animals remain poorly understood, although a number of important recent developments have been made, especially with respect to identification ... | 2009 | 18620877 |
| buruli ulcer in united kingdom tourist returning from latin america. | we report a case of buruli ulcer in a tourist from the united kingdom. the disease was almost certainly acquired in brazil, where only 1 case had previously been reported. the delay in diagnosis highlights the need for physicians to be aware of the disease and its epidemiology. | 2009 | 19891876 |
| "paradoxical" immune-mediated reactions to mycobacterium ulcerans during antibiotic treatment: a result of treatment success, not failure. | we present the first clinical descriptions of immune-mediated paradoxical reactions to effective antibiotic treatment for mycobacterium ulcerans infection, which result in clinical deterioration after initial improvement. recognition of this phenomenon could prevent unnecessary changes to antibiotic regimens, and might obviate the need for, or reduce the extent of, further surgery. | 2009 | 19912091 |
| a sensitive fret probe assay for the selective detection of mycobacterium marinum in fish. | mycobacterium marinum is the causative agent of mycobacteriosis in wild and cultured fish and of atypical infection in humans. for the diagnosis of m. marinum, cultural and traditional polymerase chain reaction (pcr) methods are currently used. however, these protocols, although able to discriminate within mycobacterium spp., have proved to be time-consuming or difficult to carry out. for this reason, the aim of this study was to obtain a rapid and specific diagnostic tool to quantify fish mycob ... | 2010 | 19912457 |
| buruli ulcer (mycobacterium ulcerans infection). | mycobacterium ulcerans is an emerging infection that causes indolent, necrotizing skin lesions known as buruli ulcer (bu). bone lesions may include reactive osteitis or osteomyelitis beneath skin lesions, or metastatic osteomyelitis from lymphohematogenous spread of m. ulcerans. pathogenesis is related to a necrotizing and immunosuppressive toxin produced by m. ulcerans, called mycolactone. the incidence of bu is highest in children up to 15 years old, and is a major public health problem in end ... | 2008 | 18657836 |
| subcutaneous injection of mycobacterium ulcerans causes necrosis, chronic inflammatory response and fibrosis in skeletal muscle. | mycobacterium ulcerans (m. ulcerans) causes buruli ulcer, a very debilitating disease that affects the skin and other tissues. the disease occurs mainly in children in sub-sahara africa. while contracture, fibrosis and functional limitation of range of motion are frequent complications of buruli ulcer, no fundamental or clinical studies have investigated the impact of m. ulcerans infections on skeletal muscle. in the present study, we subcutaneously infected mice in the proximity of the right bi ... | 2008 | 18762268 |
| neglected diseases caused by bacterial infections. | bacterial infections represent a major health problem, especially in third world countries. in endemic regions, large populations of people are greatly affected, but the medical care is very limited. in this review, the neglected diseases buruli ulcer and trachoma are elucidated. buruli ulcer is caused by mycobacterium ulcerans which produces an outstanding immunosuppressive toxin mycolactone that induces an ulcerative, necrotic skin disease. until today, only the combination of rifampin/strepto ... | 2010 | 19941479 |
| short report: clinical and molecular evidence for a case of buruli ulcer (mycobacterium ulcerans infection) in kenya. | mycobacterium ulcerans infection is an emerging disease that causes indolent, necrotizing skin lesions known as buruli ulcer (bu) and occasional contiguous or metastatic bone lesions. buruli ulcer is named after buruli county in uganda (east africa), where an epidemic occurred in the 1960s. today, bu is most common in central and west africa. we describe clinical and molecular evidence for a case of bu in kenya. | 2009 | 19996445 |
| a comparison of dna extraction procedures for the detection of mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of buruli ulcer, in clinical and environmental specimens. | mycobacterium ulcerans is the causative agent of buruli ulcer, the third most common mycobacterial disease in humans after tuberculosis and leprosy. although the disease is associated with aquatic ecosystems, cultivation of the bacillus from the environment is difficult to achieve. therefore, at the moment, research is based on the detection by pcr of the insertion sequence is2404 present in m. ulcerans and some closely related mycobacteria. in the present study, we compared four dna extraction ... | 2009 | 18973778 |
| dynamics of the cytokine response to mycobacterium ulcerans during antibiotic treatment for m. ulcerans disease (buruli ulcer) in humans. | we have studied the evolution of the gamma interferon (ifn-gamma) and interleukin 10 (il-10) responses after mycobacterium ulcerans sonicate stimulation of whole blood from patients with early m. ulcerans lesions during treatment with rifampin and streptomycin for 8 weeks. among the 26 patients, secretion of ifn-gamma increased during treatment, with a significant increase at 4 weeks and a further increase after 8 weeks overall. the increase was more rapid in patients with large or ulcerative le ... | 2009 | 19005025 |
| [infection with mycobacterium ulcerans (buruli ulcer): still a neglected disease in 2009?]. | | 2009 | 20025166 |
| [relapse after surgical treatment of mycobacterium ulcerans infection (buruli ulcer): study of risk factors in 84 patients in the democratic republic of the congo]. | to identify risk factors for relapse after exclusively surgical treatment of mycobacterium ulcerans infection (buruli ulcer). | 2009 | 20025176 |
| buruli ulcer: reductive evolution enhances pathogenicity of mycobacterium ulcerans. | buruli ulcer is an emerging human disease caused by infection with a slow-growing pathogen, mycobacterium ulcerans, that produces mycolactone, a cytotoxin with immunomodulatory properties. the disease is associated with wetlands in certain tropical countries, and evidence for a role of insects in transmission of this pathogen is growing. comparative genomic analysis has revealed that m. ulcerans arose from mycobacterium marinum, a ubiquitous fast-growing aquatic species, by horizontal transfer o ... | 2009 | 19079352 |
| chemical and mineralogical characteristics of french green clays used for healing. | the worldwide emergence of infectious diseases, together with the increasing incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, elevate the need to properly detect, prevent, and effectively treat these infections. the overuse and misuse of common antibiotics in recent decades stimulates the need to identify new inhibitory agents. therefore, natural products like clays, that display antibacterial properties, are of particular interest.the absorptive properties of clay minerals are well documented for he ... | 2008 | 19079803 |
| [implementation of in vitro culture of mycobacterium ulcerans from clinical samples versus detection of acid-fast bachilli and bacterial genome in abidjan, côte d'ivoire]. | mycobacterium ulcerans infections are a public health problem in céte d'ivoire. the etiological diagnosis of this disease made by culture remains a big concern due to the slowness and difficulties encountered. this detection by culture of m. ulcerans represents a big interest as it allows obtaining the circulating strains for research. the purpose of this study was to determine on a routine basis in a poorly equipped laboratory, in vitro culture of m. ulcerans from exudates of skin ulcerations a ... | 2010 | 20084485 |
| antimicrobial treatment for early, limited mycobacterium ulcerans infection: a randomised controlled trial. | surgical debridement was the standard treatment for mycobacterium ulcerans infection (buruli ulcer disease) until who issued provisional guidelines in 2004 recommending treatment with antimicrobial drugs (streptomycin and rifampicin) in addition to surgery. these recommendations were based on observational studies and a small pilot study with microbiological endpoints. we investigated the efficacy of two regimens of antimicrobial treatment in early-stage m ulcerans infection. | 2010 | 20137805 |
| should antibiotics be given for buruli ulcer? | | 2010 | 20137806 |
| application of real-time pcr in ghana, a buruli ulcer-endemic country, confirms the presence of mycobacterium ulcerans in the environment. | this study reports the first successful application of real-time pcr for the detection of mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of buruli ulcer (bu), in ghana, a bu-endemic country. environmental samples and organs of small mammals were analyzed. the real-time pcr assays confirmed the presence of m. ulcerans in a water sample collected in a bu-endemic village in the ashanti region. | 2010 | 20146745 |
| highly sensitive, operationally simple, cost/time effective detection of the mycolactones from the human pathogen mycobacterium ulcerans. | a boronate-assisted fluorogenic chemosensor in a solid phase is developed, selectively to detect the mycolactones produced by the human pathogen mycobacterium ulcerans. | 2010 | 20162131 |
| limited repair and structural damages displayed by skeletal muscles loaded with mycolactone. | mycolactone produced by mycobacterium ulcerans is the toxin responsible for most of the pathology in buruli ulcer, the cutaneous signature of a complex disease. although mycolactone cytopathicity is well described in various in vitro and in vivo models, the effect of this molecule on mammalian skeletal muscles has not been addressed. this is particularly surprising since muscle damage is characteristic of severe buruli ulcer. we have thus investigated the impact of mycolactone on the mouse soleu ... | 2009 | 19114122 |
| innate immune responses to mycobacterium ulcerans via toll-like receptors and dectin-1 in human keratinocytes. | mycobacterium ulcerans (mu), an environmental pathogen, causes buruli ulcer, a severe skin disease. we hypothesized that epidermal keratinocytes might not be a simple barrier, but play a role during mu infection through pattern-recognition receptors expressed in keratinocytes. we found that keratinocyte toll-like receptors (tlrs) 2 and 4 and dectin-1 actively participate in the innate immune response to mu, which includes the internalization of bacteria, the production of reactive oxygen species ... | 2009 | 19134118 |
| excision of pre-ulcerative forms of buruli ulcer disease: a curative treatment? | previous investigations have revealed that mycobacterium ulcerans is extensively distributed spatially throughout ulcerative lesions, including in the margins of excised tissue. in contrast, bacilli in pre-ulcerative lesions are assumed to be concentrated in the center of the lesion. in order to assess the extent to which the surgical excision of pre-ulcerative lesions is capable of removing all infected tissue, we subjected the excision margins of pre-ulcerative lesions to laboratory analysis. | 2009 | 19139811 |
| mycolactone inhibits monocyte cytokine production by a posttranscriptional mechanism. | the virulence and immunosuppressive activity of mycobacterium ulcerans is attributed to mycolactone, a macrolide toxin synthesized by the bacteria. we have explored the consequence and mechanism of mycolactone pretreatment of primary human monocytes activated by a wide range of tlr ligands. the production of cytokines (tnf, il-1beta, il-6, il-10, and ifn-gamma-inducible protein-10), chemokines (il-8), and intracellular effector molecules (exemplified by cyclooxygenase-2) was found to be powerful ... | 2009 | 19201873 |
| use of fine-needle aspiration for diagnosis of mycobacterium ulcerans infection. | noninvasive methods for the bacteriological diagnosis of early-stage mycobacterium ulcerans infection are not available. it was recently shown that fine-needle aspiration (fna) could be used for diagnosing m. ulcerans infection in ulcerative lesions. we report that fna is an appropriate sampling method for diagnosing m. ulcerans infection in nonulcerative lesions. | 2010 | 20375229 |
| mycobacterium ulcerans infections in two horses in south-eastern australia. | two horses were diagnosed as having mycobacterium ulcerans infections. the first was a 21-year-old quarterhorse-cross mare living in mallacoota (a coastal town near the border of new south wales and victoria, australia) that presented with lichenification, hair-loss and oedema on a fetlock, which subsequently ulcerated, as well as a non-healing ulcer on the wither. the second horse was a 32 year-old standardbred gelding from nicholson, near bairnsdale, victoria, that had an ulcerated lesion on i ... | 2010 | 20402694 |
| leg ulcer caused by mycobacterium ulcerans ssp. shinshuense infection. | an 81-year-old man presented with a skin ulcer on the left forearm caused by infection with mycobacterium ulcerans ssp. shinshuense. the patient first noticed the subcutaneous nodule with an undermined ulcer and areola on the left forearm without any episode of trauma. | 2009 | 20415674 |
| rapid assessment of antibacterial activity against mycobacterium ulcerans by using recombinant luminescent strains. | mycobacterium ulcerans causes buruli ulcer, an emerging infectious disease for which antimicrobial therapy has only recently proven to be beneficial. the discovery and development of new drugs against m. ulcerans are severely impeded by its very slow growth. recombinant bioluminescent strains have proven useful in drug development for other mycobacterial infections, but the ability of such strains to discriminate bacteriostatic from bactericidal activity has not been well demonstrated. we engine ... | 2010 | 20421401 |
| [buruli ulcer re-emergent infection]. | nowadays, buruli ulcer caused by mycobacterium ulcerans remains a highly stigmatizing emerging disease in tropical countries, currently being the third mycobacterian infection in immunocompetent individuals. the purpose of this paper is to gather a number of information (epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and related to current treatment) in order to make the "aura of mysterious disease" fade away. our work insists on the fact that prevention of buruli ulcer and its complications is based on ... | 2009 | 20422927 |
| terrestrial small mammals as reservoirs of mycobacterium ulcerans in benin. | mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of buruli ulcer (bu), is considered an environmental pathogen. different mycobacteria were detected in 68 (12%) out of 565 small mammals collected in areas in benin where bu is endemic. although m. ulcerans was not found, we suggest that more research on m. ulcerans in african (small) mammals is needed. | 2010 | 20435759 |
| clinical efficacy of combination of rifampin and streptomycin for treatment of mycobacterium ulcerans disease. | we have evaluated the clinical efficacy of the combination of oral rifampin at 10 mg/kg of body weight and intramuscular streptomycin at 15 mg/kg for 8 weeks (rs8), as recommended by the who, in 160 pcr-confirmed cases of mycobacterium ulcerans disease. in 152 patients (95%) with all forms of disease from early nodules to large ulcers, with or without edema, the lesions healed without recourse to surgery. eight patients whose ulcers were healing poorly had skin grafting after completion of antib ... | 2010 | 20566765 |
| [about a case of mycobacterium ulcerans infection with cold abscess]. | buruli ulcer is still a public health problem in côte d'ivoire. its physiopathology is poorly described and suggests a new clinical form. we report a clinical case in a 18-year-old patient who had a cold abscess on the right elbow. the histopathology test revealed a mycobacterium ulcerans infection. the treatment consisted in antimycobacterial therapy and surgical care. the clinical healing was observed during 4 months of hospitalization. this form of mycobacterium ulcerans with cold abscess, th ... | 2009 | 19343911 |
| recent advances in leprosy and buruli ulcer (mycobacterium ulcerans infection). | after tuberculosis, leprosy (mycobacterium leprae) and buruli ulcer (m. ulcerans infection) are the second and third most common mycobacterial infections in humankind, respectively. recent advances in both diseases are summarized. | 2010 | 20581668 |
| buruli ulcer. | buruli ulcer is an indolent necrotizing disease of the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and bone that is caused by mycobacterium ulcerans. buruli ulcer is presently the third most common mycobacterial disease of humans, after tuberculosis and leprosy, and the least understood of the three. the disease remained largely ignored by many national public health programs, but more recently, it has been recognized as an emerging health problem, primarily due to its frequent disabling and stigmatizing complic ... | 2009 | 19362692 |
| seasonal and regional dynamics of m. ulcerans transmission in environmental context: deciphering the role of water bugs as hosts and vectors. | buruli ulcer, the third mycobacterial disease after tuberculosis and leprosy, is caused by the environmental mycobacterium m. ulcerans. various modes of transmission have been suspected for this disease, with no general consensus acceptance for any of them up to now. since laboratory models demonstrated the ability of water bugs to transmit m. ulcerans, a particular attention is focused on the transmission of the bacilli by water bugs as hosts and vectors. however, it is only through detailed kn ... | 2010 | 20625552 |
| response to treatment in a prospective cohort of patients with large ulcerated lesions suspected to be buruli ulcer (mycobacterium ulcerans disease). | the world health organization (who) advises treatment of mycobacterium ulcerans disease, also called "buruli ulcer" (bu), with a combination of the antibiotics rifampicin and streptomycin (r+s), whether followed by surgery or not. in endemic areas, a clinical case definition is recommended. we evaluated the effectiveness of this strategy in a series of patients with large ulcers of > or =10 cm in longest diameter in a rural health zone of the democratic republic of congo (drc). | 2010 | 20625556 |
| impacts of dosing frequency of the combination rifampin-streptomycin on its bactericidal and sterilizing activities against mycobacterium ulcerans in mice. | because of operational limitations, a significant proportion of the health centers at the peripheral level are able to provide treatment to buruli ulcer patients with the combination rifampin (rifampicin)-streptomycin (rif-str) only five times weekly (5/7) instead of seven times weekly (7/7), as recommended. the objective of this experiment is to assess the impacts of various dosing frequencies of the combination on its bactericidal and sterilizing activities against mycobacterium ulcerans in mi ... | 2009 | 19364857 |
| transfer, stable maintenance and expression of the mycolactone polyketide megasynthase mls genes in a recombination-impaired mycobacterium marinum. | the human pathogen mycobacterium ulcerans produces a polyketide metabolite called mycolactone with potent immunomodulatory activity. m. ulcerans strain agy99 has a 174 kb plasmid called pmum001 with three large genes (mlsa1, 51 kb; mlsa2, 7.2 kb; mlsb, 43 kb) that encode type i polyketide synthases (pks) required for the biosynthesis of mycolactone, as demonstrated by transposon mutagenesis. however, there have been no reports of transfer of the mls locus to another mycobacterium to demonstrate ... | 2009 | 19383681 |
| single nucleotide polymorphism typing of mycobacterium ulcerans reveals focal transmission of buruli ulcer in a highly endemic region of ghana. | buruli ulcer (bu) is an emerging necrotizing disease of the skin and subcutaneous tissue caused by mycobacterium ulcerans. while proximity to stagnant or slow flowing water bodies is a risk factor for acquiring bu, the epidemiology and mode of m. ulcerans transmission is poorly understood. here we have used high-throughput dna sequencing and comparisons of the genomes of seven m. ulcerans isolates that appeared monomorphic by existing typing methods. we identified a limited number of single nucl ... | 2010 | 20652033 |
| mycobacterium ulcerans and other mycolactone-producing mycobacteria should be considered a single species. | | 2010 | 20668542 |
| interaction of mycobacterium ulcerans with mosquito species: implications for transmission and trophic relationships. | mycobacterium ulcerans is the causative agent of buruli ulcer, a severe necrotizing skin disease that causes significant morbidity in africa and australia. person-to-person transmission of buruli ulcer is rare. throughout africa and australia infection is associated with residence near slow-moving or stagnant water bodies. although m. ulcerans dna has been detected in over 30 taxa of invertebrates, fish, water filtrate, and plant materials and one environmental isolate cultured from a water stri ... | 2010 | 20675453 |
| differences in virulence and immune response induced in a murine model by isolates of mycobacterium ulcerans from different geographic areas. | buruli ulcer (bu) is the third most common mycobacterial disease in immunocompetent hosts. bu is caused by mycobacterium ulcerans, which produces skin ulcers and necrosis at the site of infection. the principal virulence factor of m. ulcerans is a polyketide-derived macrolide named mycolactone, which has cytotoxic and immunosuppressive activities. we determined the severity of inflammation, histopathology and bacillary loads in the subcutaneous footpad tissue of balb/c mice infected with 11 diff ... | 2009 | 19604267 |
| severe multifocal form of buruli ulcer after streptomycin and rifampin treatment: comments on possible dissemination mechanisms. | buruli ulcer (bu), a disease caused by mycobacterium ulcerans, leads to the destruction of skin and sometimes bone. here, we report a case of severe multifocal bu with osteomyelitis in a 6-year-old human immunodeficiency virus (hiv)-negative boy. such disseminated forms are poorly documented and generally occur in patients with hiv co-infection. the advent of antibiotic treatment with streptomycin (s) and rifampin (r) raised hope that these multifocal bu cases could be reduced. the present case ... | 2010 | 20682873 |
| a major role for mammals in the ecology of mycobacterium ulcerans. | mycobacterium ulcerans is the causative agent of buruli ulcer (bu), a destructive skin disease found predominantly in sub-saharan africa and south-eastern australia. the precise mode(s) of transmission and environmental reservoir(s) remain unknown, but several studies have explored the role of aquatic invertebrate species. the purpose of this study was to investigate the environmental distribution of m. ulcerans in south-eastern australia. | 2010 | 20706592 |
| association of hiv infection and mycobacterium ulcerans disease in benin. | we investigated the association between buruli ulcer and hiv by comparing the hiv-1/2 seroprevalence in a series of 426 buruli ulcer patients and a sample of 613 residents of southern benin. the overall hiv prevalence was 2.6% (11/426) among patients and 0.3% among controls (2/613), giving an odds ratio for the association between hiv and buruli ulcer of 8.1 (95% confidence interval = 1.8-75; p = 0.003). | 2008 | 18427211 |
| structural characterization of the involvement of sigc in the regulation of the gene expression of pathogenic mycobacterium ulcerans. | mycobacterium ulcerans is the causative agent of the buruli ulcers in humans. this disease is a devastating necrotic disease of the subcutaneous tissue. currently there are very few drugs to prevent the buruli ulcers. this human pathogen is carried by aquatic insects. the gene sequence of this pathogenic organism has recently been identified. in the present study an attempt has been made to analyze the structural characteristics of the sigc protein from mycobacterium ulcerans. sequence analyses ... | 2009 | 18454323 |
| [combined local and vaginal therapy in buruli ulcer]. | | 2010 | 20824910 |
| fighting mycobacterial infections by antibiotics, phytochemicals and vaccines. | buruli ulcer is a neglected disease caused by mycobacterium ulcerans and represents the world's third most common mycobacterial infection. it produces the polyketide toxins, mycolactones a, b, c and d, which induce apoptosis and necrosis. clinical symptoms are subcutaneous nodules, papules, plaques and ulcerating oedemae, which can enlarge and destroy nerves and blood vessels and even invade bones by lymphatic or haematogenous spread (osteomyelitis). patients usually do not suffer from pain or s ... | 2010 | 20832501 |
| [probable basidiobolomycosis in a togolese rural young successfully treated with ketoconazole]. | basidiobolomycosis is a deep mycosis which preferentially affects rural young people in tropical countries. we report a case of basidiobolomycosis successfully treated with ketoconazole. it was a 9-year-old boy of rural origin in whom the diagnosis of basidiobolomycosis was suspected due to a deep skin infiltration involving the chest and neck. histology revealed hypodermic granulomatous inflammation with predominantly macrophage and eosinophils. the child was treated successfully with ketoconaz ... | 2010 | 20949344 |
| the unusual macrocycle forming thioesterase of mycolactone. | mycolactone is a polyketide natural product secreted by mycobacterium ulcerans, the organism responsible for the tropical skin disease buruli ulcer. the finding that this small molecule virulence factor is sufficient to reconstitute the necrotic pathology associated with buruli ulcer suggests that a better understanding of mycolactone biosynthesis, particularly the processes which are distinct from those in human metabolism, may provide a unique avenue for the development of selective therapeuti ... | 2008 | 18493665 |
| serum cytokine profile during mycobacterium ulcerans infection (buruli ulcer). | buruli ulcer (bu) is a severe cutaneous and subcutaneous disease due to mycobacterium ulcerans infection, mainly distributed in sub-saharan africa and tropical areas. the role of t helper (th) cytokines in the development and clinical course of the disease has been previously studied by investigating the in vitro immune response of lymphocytes from affected patients and immunohistochemical analyses of bioptic samples. | 2010 | 20964651 |
| mycobacterium ulcerans triggers t-cell immunity followed by local and regional but not systemic immunosuppression. | buruli ulcer is a neglected infectious disease caused by mycobacterium ulcerans and is characterized by necrotic cutaneous lesions induced by the exotoxin mycolactone. despite evidence of th1-mediated protective immunity, m. ulcerans infection has been associated with systemic immunosuppression. we show that early during mouse infection with either mycolactone-positive or negative strains, pathogen-specific gamma interferon (ifn-γ)-producing t cells developed in the draining lymph node (dln). cd ... | 2010 | 20974825 |
| squamous cell carcinoma secondary to buruli ulcer: a clinical case report in a young girl. | buruli ulcer, a common tropical disease, is endemic in west africa in particular in cote d'ivoire, where it represents the second mycobacterial disease after tuberculosis. the late diagnosis and treatment as well as, the lack of surveillance, lead to large skin ulcerations, local or multifocal osteomylitis and some time it may lead to neoplasia which contribute to worse the prognosis of the patient. we presented a case report in a girl of 16 years old, who died from an aggressive squamous cell c ... | 2010 | 21033631 |
| ultrasonography for the monitoring of subcutaneous damage in mycobacterium ulcerans infection (buruli ulcer). | we used ultrasonography to evaluate the nature and the extent of subcutaneous damage provoked by mycobacterium ulcerans (m. ulcerans) and to investigate the possible involvement of the tributary lymph nodes during the various stages of progression of buruli ulcer. nineteen patients affected by m. ulcerans infection in benin, west africa, were studied. ultrasonography was performed on all subjects, except one, at the site of nonulcerated lesions and/or at perilesional site. the tributary lymph no ... | 2008 | 18524460 |
| immunosuppressive signature of cutaneous mycobacterium ulcerans infection in the peripheral blood of patients with buruli ulcer disease. | buruli ulcer disease (bud) is an emerging human disease caused by infection with mycobacterium ulcerans, which leads to the development of necrotic skin lesions. the pathogenesis of the ulcer is closely associated with the production of mycolactone, a diffusible cytotoxin with immunomodulatory properties. to identify immunological correlates of bud, we performed a broad screen of inflammatory mediators in serum samples and stimulated whole-blood supernatants of patients. we found that patients w ... | 2009 | 19863437 |
| current treatment of atypical mycobacteriosis. | atypical mycobacteria are a heterogeneous group of organisms that are of increasing importance because of the growing number of infections they cause. this rising rate of infection is due mainly to the increase in the number of susceptible (and especially immunosuppressed) patients. | 2009 | 19929702 |
| mycolactone gene expression is controlled by strong siga-like promoters with utility in studies of mycobacterium ulcerans and buruli ulcer. | mycolactone a/b is a lipophilic macrocyclic polyketide that is the primary virulence factor produced by mycobacterium ulcerans, a human pathogen and the causative agent of buruli ulcer. in m. ulcerans strain agy99 the mycolactone polyketide synthase (pks) locus spans a 120 kb region of a 174 kb megaplasmid. here we have identified promoter regions of this pks locus using gfp reporter assays, in silico analysis, primer extension, and site-directed mutagenesis. transcription of the large pks genes ... | 2009 | 19936295 |
| buruli ulcer in west africa: strategies for early detection and treatment in the antibiotic era. | buruli ulcer (bu), caused by mycobacterium ulcerans infection, has become one of the most rapidly emerging diseases in west africa in recent decades. until recently, the definitive treatment involved wide surgical excision. recent data suggest that antibiotic therapy with rifampin and streptomycin may reduce the extent or prevent excision when initiated during the early phases of the disease. new strategies for bu control are needed, emphasizing early detection and increasing public awareness ab ... | 2009 | 20000019 |
| ifn-gamma-dependent activation of macrophages during experimental infections by mycobacterium ulcerans is impaired by the toxin mycolactone. | buruli ulcer, caused by mycobacterium ulcerans infections, is a necrotizing skin disease whose pathogenesis is associated with the exotoxin mycolactone. despite the relevance of this emergent disease, little is known on the immune response against the pathogen. following the recent demonstration of an intramacrophage growth phase for m. ulcerans, we investigated the biological relevance of ifn-gamma and the antimycobacterial mechanisms activated by this cytokine in m. ulcerans-infected macrophag ... | 2010 | 20008288 |
| regulation of the 18 kda heat shock protein in mycobacterium ulcerans: an alpha-crystallin orthologue that promotes biofilm formation. | mycobacterium ulcerans is the causative agent of the debilitating skin disease buruli ulcer, which is most prevalent in western and central africa. m. ulcerans shares >98% dna sequence identity with mycobacterium marinum, however, m. marinum produces granulomatous, but not ulcerative, lesions in humans and animals. here we report the differential expression of a small heat shock protein (hsp18) between strains of m. ulcerans (hsp18(+) ) and m. marinum (hsp18(-) ) and describe the molecular basis ... | 2010 | 21091506 |
| buruli ulcer: advances in understanding mycobacterium ulcerans infection. | buruli ulcer (bu), caused by the environmental organism mycobacterium ulcerans and characterized by necrotizing skin and bone lesions, poses important public health issues as the third most common mycobacterial infection in humans. pathogenesis of m ulcerans is mediated by mycolactone, a necrotizing immunosuppressive toxin. first-line therapy for bu is rifampin plus streptomycin, sometimes with surgery. new insights into the pathogenesis of bu should improve control strategies. | 2011 | 21095521 |
| mycolactone suppresses t cell responsiveness by altering both early signaling and posttranslational events. | mycolactone is a diffusible lipid toxin produced by mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of a necrotizing skin disease referred to as buruli ulcer. intriguingly, patients with progressive lesions display a systemic suppression of th1 responses that resolves on surgical excision of infected tissues. in this study, we examined the effects of mycolactone on the functional biology of t cells and identified two mechanisms by which mycolactone suppresses cell responsiveness to antigenic stimula ... | 2010 | 20042571 |
| oral treatment for mycobacterium ulcerans infection: results from a pilot study in benin. | mycobacterium ulcerans infection is responsible for severe skin lesions in sub-saharan africa. we enrolled 30 beninese patients with buruli ulcers in a pilot study to evaluate efficacy of an oral chemotherapy using rifampicin plus clarithromycin during an 8-week period. the treatment was well tolerated, and all patients were healed by 12 months after initiation of therapy without relapse. | 2011 | 21148526 |
| all-oral antibiotic treatment for buruli ulcer: a report of four patients. | | 2010 | 21152060 |
| ecology and transmission of buruli ulcer disease: a systematic review. | buruli ulcer is a neglected emerging disease that has recently been reported in some countries as the second most frequent mycobacterial disease in humans after tuberculosis. cases have been reported from at least 32 countries in africa (mainly west), australia, southeast asia, china, central and south america, and the western pacific. large lesions often result in scarring, contractual deformities, amputations, and disabilities, and in africa, most cases of the disease occur in children between ... | 2010 | 21179505 |
| buruli ulcer prevalence and altitude, benin. | | 2011 | 21192889 |
| mycobacterium ulcerans infections cause progressive muscle atrophy and dysfunction, and mycolactone impairs satellite cell proliferation. | clinical observations from buruli ulcer (bu) patients in west africa suggest that severe mycobacterium ulcerans infections can cause skeletal muscle contracture and atrophy leading to significant impairment in function. in the present study, male mice c57bl/6 were subcutaneously injected with m. ulcerans in proximity to the right biceps muscle, avoiding direct physical contact between the infectious agent and the skeletal muscle. the histological, morphological, and functional properties of the ... | 2011 | 21209381 |
| detection of mycolactone a/b in mycobacterium ulcerans-infected human tissue. | mycobacterium ulcerans disease (buruli ulcer) is a neglected tropical disease common amongst children in rural west africa. animal experiments have shown that tissue destruction is caused by a toxin called mycolactone. | 2010 | 20052267 |
| activities of rifampin, rifapentine and clarithromycin alone and in combination against mycobacterium ulcerans disease in mice. | treatment of mycobacterium ulcerans disease, or buruli ulcer (bu), has shifted from surgery to treatment with streptomycin(str)+rifampin(rif) since 2004 based on studies in a mouse model and clinical trials. we tested two entirely oral regimens for bu treatment, rifampin(rif)+clarithromycin(clr) and rifapentine(rpt)+clarithromycin(clr) in the mouse model. | 2011 | 21245920 |
| [cutaneous and soft skin infections due to non-tuberculous mycobacteria]. | the frequency of isolation as well as the number of species of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (ntm) has increased in the last years. nearly every pathogenic species of ntm may cause skin and soft tissue infections, but rapidly growing mycobacteria (mycobacterium fortuitum, mycobacterium chelonae and mycobacterium abscessus), mycobacterium marinum and mycobacterium ulcerans are the most commonly involved. many of these cutaneous mycobacteriosis, such as rapidly growing mycobacteria, m. marinum, myc ... | 2010 | 20172423 |
| multilocus vntr analysis of mycobacterium ulcerans strains isolated in côte d'ivoire. | buruli ulcer, caused by mycobacterium ulcerans, is endemic in more than 30 countries worldwide, with côte d'ivoire being among the most affected countries. | 2011 | 21330742 |
| risk factors for mycobacterium ulcerans infection. | mycobacterium ulcerans infection (buruli ulcer) causes necrotizing lesions that may lead to scarring, contractures, osteomyelitis, and even amputation. despite decades of research, the reservoirs and modes of transmission for m. ulcerans remain obscure. a thorough evaluation of the potential risk factors examined in comparative epidemiological studies may help to identify likely transmission routes. a systematic search of the literature found that poor wound care, failure to wear protective clot ... | 2010 | 20185351 |