| [study of the membrane of blastomyces dermatitidis and paracoccidioides brasiliensis in yeast-like cultures]. | | 1950 | 15425858 |
| blastomyces dermatitidis produces melanin in vitro and during infection. | melanin is made by several important pathogenic fungi and is implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of mycoses. this study investigates whether the thermally dimorphic fungal pathogen blastomyces dermatitidis produces melanin. using techniques developed to study melanization in other fungi, we demonstrate that b. dermatitidis conidia and yeast produce melanin in vitro and that yeast cells synthesize melanin or melanin-like pigment in vivo. melanization reduced susceptibility to amphotericin ... | 2004 | 15451118 |
| [cutaneous blastomycosis: description of two cases in tunisia]. | blastomycosis is an uncommon mycotic infection in africa. isolated cutaneous disease is extremely rare. the purpose of this report is to describe 2 cases of cutaneous blastomycosis. the first case involved a 70-year-old rural woman who presented papulonodules associated with scars on the upper extremities and right leg, ongoing for 2 months. the second patient was a 47-year-old woman who presented 2 vegetating plaque areas above the left knee and on the left shoulder, ongoing for 4 months. in ad ... | 2004 | 15460151 |
| antigen assay with the potential to aid in diagnosis of blastomycosis. | we report results of an immunoassay for blastomyces dermatitidis antigenuria. sensitivity was 92.9%, and specificity was 79.3%. cross-reactions occurred in 96.3% of patients with histoplasmosis, 100% of patients with paracoccidioidomycosis, 70% of patients with penicilliosis marneffei, 2.9% of patients with cryptococcosis, and 1.1% of patients with aspergillosis. reproducibility was 96.3%. these findings support a potential role for antigen testing in blastomycosis. | 2004 | 15472368 |
| viability, morphological characteristics and dimorphic ability of fungi preserved by different methods. | the viability, morphological characteristics and dimorphic ability of fungi were evaluated. strain subcultures were maintained under mineral oil and in soil for different periods of time, ranging from 49 to eight years. of the 16 blastomyces dermatitidis strains, four maintained viability and were able to complete the dimorphic process to the m phase producing a large amount of conidia, but were unable to form y cells at 36 degrees c. of the 15 histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum strains, onl ... | 2001 | 15496128 |
| acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related blastomycosis in an unusual geographic location. | blastomycosis is a fungal infection acquired via inhalation of blastomyces dermatitidis. the majority of cases occur in central, southeastern, and mid-atlantic areas of the united states. we report the case of a 42-year-old veteran infected with the human immunodeficiency virus who presented in e1 paso, texas, with a dry cough, fever, and recent weight loss. we review the clinical and epidemiologic features of blastomycosis. diagnostic criteria and pharmacologic management are discussed. active ... | 2001 | 11725316 |
| preventative and therapeutic vaccines for fungal infections: from concept to implementation. | many challenges confront the development of fungal vaccines for humans including differences in host susceptibility, varied pathogenic mechanisms employed by the different species of fungi and mechanisms of host resistance. hence, no single antigen can be expected to serve as a pan fungal vaccine. instead, it is likely that progress for fungal vaccines will have to be made at the level of each individual organism. in recent years, tremendous strides have been made in understanding the immunopath ... | 2004 | 15606355 |
| using new genetic tools to study the pathogenesis of blastomyces dermatitidis. | fungal pathogens have emerged as a public health menace owing to the expanding population of vulnerable patients and a heightened exposure to fungi in our environment, particularly for the systemic dimorphic fungi that inhabit soil worldwide. a better understanding of these invaders and their pathogenic mechanisms is badly needed to further research into therapeutic options. advances in the molecular tools available for genetic manipulation of blastomyces dermatitidis have enhanced our ability t ... | 2002 | 11755082 |
| fungal infections as a complication of therapy for sarcoidosis. | treatment of symptomatic sarcoidosis usually includes systemic immunosuppressive agents. these agents may render the patient more susceptible to opportunistic infections. in addition, the fungal infection may be difficult to distinguish from the underlying sarcoidosis. | 2005 | 15879444 |
| rapid quantitative method for measuring the sensitivity of blastomyces dermatitidis to fungistatic agents. | guidry, d. j. (louisiana state university school of medicine, new orleans) and findlay maier. rapid quantitative method for measuring the sensitivity of blastomyces dermatitidis to fungistatic agents. j. bacteriol. 85:504-508. 1963.-isolates of blastomyces dermatitidis (yeast phase) were grown in continuous shake liquid culture. when sufficient cells were added to impart an initial optical density of 0.100 to the inoculated medium, growth was rapid, and the time required to assay fungistatic age ... | 1963 | 14042924 |
| in vitro activities of new and established triazoles against opportunistic filamentous and dimorphic fungi. | the in vitro activities of three new triazoles were determined and compared to those of itraconazole and fluconazole against 306 clinical isolates of blastomyces dermatitidis, cladophialophora carrionii, coccidioides immitis, fonsecaea pedrosoi, fusarium spp., histoplasma capsulatum, paecilomyces lilacinus, pseudallescheria boydii and sporothrix schenckii. minimum inhibitory concentrations (mic) were determined by a broth macrodilution method of the national committee for clinical laboratory sta ... | 2005 | 16010855 |
| serological characterization of pathogenic fungi by means of fluorescent antibodies. i. antigenic relationships between yeast and mycelial forms of histoplasma capsulatum and blastomyces dermatitidis. | kaufman, leo (communicable disease center, atlanta, ga.) and william kaplan. serological characterization of pathogenic fungi by means of fluorescent antibodies. i. antigenic relationships between yeast and mycelial forms of histoplasma capsulatum and blastomyces dermatitidis. j. bacteriol. 85:986-991. 1963.-four antiglobulins prepared against the yeast and mycelial forms of histoplasma capsulatum and blastomyces dermatitidis were labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate. cross-staining and adsor ... | 1963 | 14044028 |
| disinfection of aerosolized pathogenic fungi on laboratory surfaces. i. tissue phase. | the effect of several fungicides on laboratory surfaces contaminated with the tissue phase of aerosolized blastomyces dermatitidis, coccidioides immitis, cryptococcus neoformans, and histoplasma capsulatum was ascertained. a statistical analysis of the data shows the correlation between fungi, surfaces, time, and concentration of disinfectant. all fungicides were effective at established times and concentrations, and the type of contaminated surface affected the fungicidal efficacy. by interpola ... | 1963 | 14063788 |
| [mycoses of the head and neck]. | in recent years, mycoses have emerged as important infections in clinical practice. this phenomenon is explained by the ever growing number of immunocompromised patients and the increasing number of people travelling in areas where fungal diseases are endemic. head and neck infections are common in disseminated mycoses and may simulate carcinoma or cause upper airway obstruction. the most frequent causative yeasts or yeast-like organisms include candida albicans, cryptococcus neoformans, histopl ... | 2005 | 16142162 |
| blastomyces dermatitidis antigen detection in urine specimens from dogs with blastomycosis using a competitive binding inhibition elisa. | a competitive binding inhibition enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) was used to detect blastomyces dermatitidis antigens in urine specimens from dogs with blastomycosis. sera from rabbits immunized with b. dermatitidis killed whole yeast cells were used as the primary antibody in the competitive elisa. this initial study was performed to determine if b. dermatitidis antigen detection was possible and to test the efficacy of the rabbit sera as a primary antibody. an indirect elisa was also ... | 2005 | 16170609 |
| correlation of fluorescent antibody, histopathology, and culture on tissues from 372 animals examined for histoplasmosis and blastomycosis. | porter, billie m. (communicable disease center, kansas city, kan.), barbara k. comfort, robert w. menges, robert t. habermann, and coy d. smith. correlation of fluorescent antibody, histopathology, and culture on tissues from 372 animals examined for histoplasmosis and blastomycosis. j. bacteriol. 89:748-751. 1965.-in a survey in the midwestern united states, tissues from 372 animals including 16 species were examined for histoplasma capsulatum and blastomyces dermatitidis. all of the specimens ... | 1965 | 14273656 |
| attempted isolation of blastomyces dermatitidis from native shrews in northern wisconsin, usa. | the precise ecological niche of blastomyces dermatitidis is unknown. the related dimorphic fungus, paracoccidioides brasiliensis, has been isolated from south american ground-dwelling insectivorous armadillos. we attempted to isolate blastomyces from shrews, north american ground-dwelling insectivores that have been shown to harbor histoplasma capsulatum in endemic areas. forty-seven masked shrews (sorex cinereus) and 13 northern short-tailed shrews (blarina brevicauda) were collected in endemic ... | 2005 | 16178369 |
| preparation of a fluorescent antibody specific for the yeast phase of histoplasma capsulatum. | kaufman, leo (communicable disease center, atlanta, ga.) and william kaplan. preparation of a fluorescent antibody specific for the yeast phase of histoplasma capsulatum. j. bacteriol. 82:729-735. 1961.-rabbit anti-histoplasma capsulatum globulin was conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate. this labeled antibody, in addition to staining six strains of h. capsulatum, exhibited strong cross-staining with ten strains of blastomyces dermatitidis and numerous other species of fungi. adsorption of ... | 1961 | 14454457 |
| secondary intracerebral blastomycosis with giant yeast forms. | secondary central nervous system (cns) blastomycosis is an unusual manifestation of blastomycosis. we report a case of recurrent intracerebral blastomycosis that presented histopathologically with giant yeast-like cells and multinucleation that mimicked coccidioides immitis. the yeast forms of blastomyces dermatitidis usually range in size from 8 to 20 microm in diameter. large or giant yeast forms (20-40 microm) are rare. the four cases previously reported in the literature involving giant yeas ... | 2005 | 16205975 |
| [etiology of the first african case of systemic blastomycosis]. | several authors have suggested that african and north american forms of blastomyces dermatitidis appeared separate taxa. morphologic and pathogenic differences not only prevail, but also the failing to mate between them. african forms lose their mycelium-yeast conversion capability in old cultures. so i propose to create the complementary appellation blastomyces dermatitidis tunisiens nov.subsp. from the african forms, in memory of the first case of systemic blastomycosis in this continent, disc ... | 1998 | 14666745 |
| cd28 is required for optimal induction, but not maintenance, of vaccine-induced immunity to blastomyces dermatitidis. | cellular immunity mediated by t lymphocytes, in particular cd4+ and cd8+ type 1 cells, is the main defense against pathogenic fungi. here, cd28-deficient (cd28-/-) mice were used to study the role of costimulation for the generation and maintenance of t-cell-mediated, type 1 cytokine-dependent mechanisms of vaccine immunity to blastomyces dermatitidis infection. disruption of cd28 costimulation reduced the number of type 1 cd4 and cd8 cells generated and impaired resistance to infection. type 1 ... | 2005 | 16239544 |
| an imported case of blastomyces dermatitidis infection in mexico. | blastomycosis is an acute or chronic primary infection of the respiratory system, endemic in north america (united states of america and canada), africa and asia. we report a case in mexico, in a three years old child who had been born in california and lived in chicago, u.s.a. the patient presented pulmonary symptoms prior to development of a skin ulcer. blastomyces dermatitidis was identified by mycological and molecular procedures. the patient was successfully treated with amphotericin b, ora ... | 2003 | 14682449 |
| epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of blastomycosis in dogs and cats. | blastomycosis is one of the most common systemic fungal diseases in dogs in north america, but it is rarely diagnosed in cats. the typical route of infection is inhalation of aerosolized conidia of blastomyces dermatitidis. from the respiratory tract, the developing yeast form may disseminate throughout the body and affect multiple organ systems, most commonly the lymphatic, skeletal and central nervous systems, eyes and skin. disseminated disease often is associated with nonspecific signs of il ... | 2005 | 16317913 |
| quantitative studies of total lipids of pathogenic fungi. | ten species of dermatophytes and four of the systemic fungi were assayed for total lipids, acetone-soluble fraction, and phospholipid content in different types of cultures. the yeast phase of each of the systemic fungi grown on solid medium exhibited a higher total lipid content than did the mycelial growth in liquid medium, either shake or still. shake cultures, in all the fungi tested, produced the least lipids. the yeasts were consistently higher also in the acetone-soluble fraction. histopl ... | 1962 | 16349622 |
| [mycoses of the head and neck]. | the ever growing number of immunocompromized patients and increasing travel to areas where fungal diseases are endemic explain why in recent years mycoses have emerged as important infections in clinical practice. it is essential that pathologists and clinicians be knowledgeable about them. | 2005 | 16439931 |
| urine polymerase chain reaction is not as sensitive as urine antigen for the diagnosis of disseminated histoplasmosis. | we developed a colorimetric microtiter plate polymerase chain reaction enzyme immunoassay (pcr-eia) for the detection of histoplasma capsulatum in urine. the specificity of the pcr assay was confirmed using h. capsulatum (positive control) and blastomyces dermatitidis (negative control) isolates. the analytical sensitivity of the pcr assay was determined by testing urine samples spiked with freshly grown h. capsulatum organisms and was 2 yeasts per reaction in urine and 0.2 yeasts per reaction i ... | 2006 | 16466889 |
| phylogenetic and evolutionary aspects of paracoccidioides brasiliensis reveal a long coexistence with animal hosts that explain several biological features of the pathogen. | the habitat of the mycelial saprobic form of paracoccidioides brasiliensis, which produces the infectious propagula, has not been determined and has proven difficult for mycologists to describe. the fungus has been rarely isolated from the environment, the disease has a prolonged latency period and no outbreaks have been reported. these facts have precluded the adoption of preventive measures to avoid infection. the confirmation of natural infections in nine-banded armadillos (dasypus novemcinct ... | 2006 | 16473563 |
| sequence elements necessary for transcriptional activation of bad1 in the yeast phase of blastomyces dermatitidis. | blastomyces dermatitidis is a dimorphic fungal pathogen that converts from mycelia or conidia to a host-adapted yeast morphotype upon infection. conversion to the yeast form is accompanied by the production of the virulence factor bad1. yeast-phase-specific expression of bad1 is transcriptionally regulated, and its promoter shares homology with that of the yeast-phase-specific gene yps3 of histoplasma capsulatum. serial truncations of the bad1 upstream region were fused to the lacz reporter to d ... | 2004 | 15189999 |
| fungal infections of the spine. | fungal infections of the spine are relatively uncommon. fungi such as coccidioides immitis and blastomyces dermatitidis are limited to specific geographical areas whereas cryptococcus, candida, and aspergillus are found worldwide. candida and aspergillus are normal commensals of the body and produce disease in susceptible organisms when they gain access to the vascular system through intravenous lines, during implantation of prosthetic devices, or during surgery. for the other fungi, spinal invo ... | 2006 | 16523132 |
| factors influencing the morphology of blastomyces dermatitidis. | | 1946 | 16561236 |
| the effect of fatty acids on the oxygen uptake of blastomyces dermatitidis. | | 1949 | 16561655 |
| recurrent central nervous system blastomycosis in an immunocompetent child treated successfully with sequential liposomal amphotericin b and voriconazole. | central nervous system involvement in infection with blastomyces dermatitidis is uncommon, except in immunocompromised patients. we report a case of central nervous system blastomycosis occurring 18 months after treatment of pulmonary blastomycosis in an immunocompetent child. our patient was successfully treated sequentially with liposomal amphotericin b followed by oral voriconazole without need for surgical resection. | 2006 | 16567998 |
| evaluation of the in vitro and in vivo dimorphism of sporothrix schenckii, blastomyces dermatitidis, and paracoccidioides brasiliensis isolates after preservation in mineral oil. | morphological differentiation has commanded attention for its putative impact on the pathogenesis of invasive fungal infections. we evaluated in vitro and in vivo the dimorphism from mycelial to yeast-phase of sporothrix schenckii, blastomyces dermatitidis and paracoccidioides brasiliensis isolates, two strains for each species, preserved in mineral oil. s. schenckii strains showed typical micromorphology at 25 degrees c but one strain was unable to complete the dimorphic process in vitro. after ... | 2004 | 15284890 |
| a young man who could not walk. | infections affecting the central nervous system caused by blastomyces dermatitidis are rare but curable. we describe a case of a 24-year-old man who presented to the emergency department with progressive bilateral lower extremity weakness over 1 month. on the day of admission, he had minimal muscle strength and was hyperreflexic in the lower extremities. sensation, however, was intact. skin examination revealed annular, raised, crusted lesions on his face and legs. a magnetic resonance imaging ( ... | 2006 | 16676493 |
| blastomycosis: a case study of a dimorphic fungal disease. | a 17-year-old male presented to a local hospital with symptoms of pneumonia and a hacking cough productive of yellow sputum. direct examination of a bronchial lavage sample revealed organisms morphologically consistent with blastomyces dermatitidis, which was confirmed by culture. the patient was placed on intravenous antifungal therapy and his condition improved dramatically. objectives: to describe the gross and microscopic morphologies of both yeast and mold forms of b. dermatitidis; to ident ... | 2004 | 15314888 |
| studies on the molecular ecology of blastomyces dermatitidis. | the microecology of blastomyces dermatitidis, the dimorphic etiologic agent of the potentially fatal systemic fungal infection, blastomycosis, is not well defined. blastomyces dermatitidis may occur periodically at natural sites, perhaps aided by rotting organic material, animal droppings and physical changes. semi-quantitative growth studies of b. dermatitidis on 2% agar plates determined the ability to utilize or tolerate a variety of substrates including simple and complex molecules as carbon ... | 2001 | 11761145 |
| voriconazole -- better chances for patients with invasive mycoses. | the past two decades have witnessed an increase in serious fungal infections, without corresponding growth in available antifungal agents. voriconazole (vrc) is a novel triazole antifungal, recently approved in europe for treatment of serious infections caused by aspergillus, fusarium, scedosporium, and resistant candida species. voriconazole has in vitro activity against yeasts and yeast-like fungi similar, or superior to, fluconazole (flc), itraconazole (itc) and amphotericin b (amb). candida ... | 2002 | 12069915 |
| delayed diagnosis of osseous blastomycosis in two patients following environmental exposure in nonendemic areas. | blastomycosis generally results from inhalation of blastomyces dermatitidis conidia following exposure to contaminated soil in an endemic area. primary infections commonly involve the lungs, although secondary dissemination to other body sites may occur. we describe 2 cases of osseous blastomycosis in people living outside the endemic areas. both patients reported exposure to soilfollowing injury to the knee from occupational activities. mold isolated from each case was identified as b dermatiti ... | 2002 | 12375640 |
| molecular genetic analysis of blastomyces dermatitidis reveals new insights about pathogenic mechanisms. | fungal pathogens have emerged as a public health menace owing to the expanding population of vulnerable patients and to a heightened exposure to fungi in our environment, particularly for the systemic dimorphic fungi that inhabit soil worldwide. a better understanding of these microbes and their pathogenic mechanisms is badly needed to further research into therapeutic options. advances in the molecular tools for genetic manipulation of blastomyces dermatitidis have enhanced our ability to study ... | 2002 | 12452282 |
| clinical aspects of natural infection with blastomyces dermatitidis in cats: 8 cases (1991-2005). | to evaluate clinical and laboratory findings, treatment, and clinical outcome in cats with blastomycosis. | 2006 | 16817721 |
| blastomycosis presenting as recurrent tender cutaneous nodules. | blastomycosis is caused by inhalation of airborne spores from blastomyces dermatitidis, a dimorphic fungus found in soil. it is endemic in the southeastern, midwestern, and south central states of north america. the clinical spectrum of blastomycosis is varied, including asymptomatic infection, acute or chronic pneumonia, and disseminated disease. definitive diagnosis is based on identification of the characteristic thick-walled, broad-based budding yeasts by direct examination of tissue or the ... | 2006 | 16821476 |
| detection of igg and igm in sera from canines with blastomycosis using eight blastomyces dermatitidis yeast phase lysate antigens. | the objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of eight blastomyces dermatitidis yeast phase lysate antigens (t-58: dog, tennessee; t-27: polar bear, tennessee; erc-2: dog, wisconsin; b5894: human, minnesota; soil: soil, canada; b5896: human, minnesota; 48089: human, zaire; 48938: bat, india) in the detection of the immunoglobulins igg and igm in serum specimens from canines with blastomycosis. an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa, peroxidase system) was used to analyze ... | 2006 | 16830189 |
| requisite elements in vaccine immunity to blastomyces dermatitidis: plasticity uncovers vaccine potential in immune-deficient hosts. | understanding fundamental mechanisms of vaccine immunity will allow proper use and optimization of vaccines. vaccination with a genetically engineered, live, attenuated strain of blastomyces dermatitidis carrying a targeted deletion at the bad1 locus confers sterilizing immunity against experimental lethal pulmonary infection. we found in this study that alphabeta t cells are requisite for durable vaccine immunity, whereas other t and b cells are dispensable. in immune-competent animals, cd4(+) ... | 2002 | 12471131 |
| identification of histoplasma capsulatum, blastomyces dermatitidis, and coccidioides species by repetitive-sequence-based pcr. | the performance of repetitive-sequence-based pcr (rep-pcr) using the diversilab system for identification of coccidioides species, blastomyces dermatitidis, and histoplasma capsulatum was assessed by comparing data obtained to colony morphology and microscopic characteristics and to nucleic acid probe results. dna from cultures of 23 coccidioides, 24 b. dermatitidis, 24 h. capsulatum, 3 arthrographis, and 2 malbranchea isolates was extracted using a microbial dna isolation kit as recommended by ... | 2006 | 16891521 |
| agrobacterium tumefaciens integrates transfer dna into single chromosomal sites of dimorphic fungi and yields homokaryotic progeny from multinucleate yeast. | the dimorphic fungi blastomyces dermatitidis and histoplasma capsulatum cause systemic mycoses in humans and other animals. forward genetic approaches to generating and screening mutants for biologically important phenotypes have been underutilized for these pathogens. the plant-transforming bacterium agrobacterium tumefaciens was tested to determine whether it could transform these fungi and if the fate of transforming dna was suited for use as an insertional mutagen. yeast cells from both fung ... | 2002 | 12477790 |
| mixed pulmonary infection with strongyloides stercoralis and blastomyces dermatitidis. | we report the first case of mixed pulmonary infection with strongyloides stercoralis and blastomyces dermatitidis. histopathology from the lung biopsy showed structures consistent with b. dermatitidis and s. stercoralis. a parasitology exam from a bronchi alveolar lavage yielded an immature rhabditiform larva and female worm. fungal cultures grew b. dermatitidis. | 2006 | 16957042 |
| human and canine pulmonary blastomycosis, north carolina, 2001-2002. | we investigated a cluster of blastomycosis in 8 humans and 4 dogs in a rural north carolina community. delayed diagnosis, difficulty isolating blastomyces dermatitidis in nature, and lack of a sensitive and specific test to assess exposure make outbreaks of this disease difficult to study. | 2006 | 16965704 |
| blastomycosis in a south indian patient after visiting an endemic area in usa. | we describe a case of blastomycosis in a diabetic patient from south india who had visited milwaukee, wisconsin, an endemic area for blastomycosis in the usa. after his return to bangalore, india, the patient developed intermittent fever of moderate to high grade, cough, loss of weight and appetite, and abscesses in the left cubital fossa and thigh regions. systemic examination at our hospital revealed that he had dullness to percussion over the chest region and decreased breath sounds. direct e ... | 2006 | 16966169 |
| disseminated blastomycosis. | a 26-year-old veiled saudi-arabian woman presented with hemoptysis, and multiple nodules and abscesses. a skin biopsy specimen revealed yeast forms consistent with blastomyces dermatitidis. fungal cultures from bronchoscopy and skin specimens also grew b dermatitidis. she was treated with oral itraconazole (200 mg twice a day). both lung and skin lesions showed improvement within 6 weeks. | 2003 | 12522382 |
| blastomyces dermatitidis of the perianal skin: report of a case. | isolated fungal infections of the perianal skin are rare and their diagnosis is frequently overlooked. we report a case of a 78-year-old male patient who presented with a friable, violaceous, papulopustular lesion, with heaped-up edges along the anal verge. biopsy revealed unicellular yeast consistent with blastomycosis. the patient was treated with itraconazole with resolution of this lesion. an extensive medline literature review from 1958 to the present indicates that this is an uncommon mani ... | 2007 | 17082893 |
| systemic blastomycosis in a horse. | progressive multisystemic disease caused by blastomyces dermatitidis was diagnosed in a 17-year-old quarter horse broodmare. the mare had been treated unsuccessfully with antibiotics for mastitis 3 months postpartum. the disease progressed to exudative cutaneous lesions affecting the ventrum, pectoral region, and limbs accompanied by weight loss across several months. yeast bodies were observed in swabs of the cutaneous exudate, suggesting a clinical diagnosis of blastomycosis. following referra ... | 2006 | 17121096 |
| pcr-based detection of dna from the human pathogen blastomyces dermatitidis from natural soil samples. | blastomyces dermatitidis is the dimorphic fungal agent of blastomycosis, a disease that primarily affects humans and dogs. the clinical appearance of this mycosis is well characterized, but there is still little known about its environmental niche, having been isolated from nature only 21 times. we have developed a pcr-based assay to detect b. dermatitidis from soil samples using primers specific to a portion of the promoter region of the bad1 virulence gene. an internal standard control, ptjv2, ... | 2006 | 17127631 |
| direct invasion of bones by highly pathogenic fungi in an in vitro model and its ecological significance. | animal bones after being devitalized at death are strongly resistant to wear and tear and remain in the soil or environment much longer than other organic components from dead animals. yet over the course of time they seem to disappear and thus our ecological surroundings are not cluttered with bone remnants. mechanical factors creating compression or friction and chemical factors like ph of the soil and surroundings must together have provided concerted degrading effects. microorganisms in the ... | 2003 | 12590255 |
| in vitro antifungal activity of micafungin (fk463) against dimorphic fungi: comparison of yeast-like and mycelial forms. | the characteristics of in vitro micafungin (fk463) antifungal activity against six species of dimorphic fungi were investigated in accordance with the nccls m27-a microdilution methods. mics of micafungin, amphotericin b, itraconazole, and fluconazole for histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum, blastomyces dermatitidis, paracoccidioides brasiliensis, penicillium marneffei, and sporothrix schenckii were determined both for the yeast-like form and mycelial form. coccidioides immitis was tested onl ... | 2003 | 12654673 |
| cardiovascular involvement in 8 dogs with blastomyces dermatitidis infection. | blastomycosis is a common systemic fungal infection in dogs. | 2006 | 17186849 |
| blastomycosis in indoor cats: suburban chicago, illinois, usa. | blastomyces dermatitidis, the etiologic agent of blastomycosis, a potentially life-threatening systemic mycosis of humans and animals, is acquired from a yet incompletely defined environmental niche. there is controversy regarding the potential for contact with the fungus in or near one's home, particularly in urban areas. we investigated an outbreak of blastomycosis among five urban, indoor cats diagnosed at three veterinary clinics march 3-july 13, 2005, in suburban chicago, illinois, by owner ... | 2007 | 17262169 |
| a c-terminal egf-like domain governs bad1 localization to the yeast surface and fungal adherence to phagocytes, but is dispensable in immune modulation and pathogenicity of blastomyces dermatitidis. | bad1, an adhesin and immune modulator of blastomyces dermatitidis, is an essential virulence factor that is released extracellularly before association with the yeast surface. here, deletion of the c-terminal egf-like domain profoundly affected bad1 function, leading to non-association with yeast, extracellular accumulation and impaired yeast adherence to macrophages. in equilibrium binding assays, deltac-term bad1, lacking an egf-like domain, bound poorly to bad1 null yeast, yielding a low affi ... | 2003 | 12657044 |
| cerebral blastomycosis in a cat. | a nine year old domestic shorthair cat was presented to the small animal clinic, ontario veterinary college, with anorexia, depression and blindness. the animal died despite treatment. at necropsy, a space occupying mass was located in the left cerebral hemisphere. histopathologically, the mass consisted of large numbers of fungal yeast-phase cells with an associated pyogranulomatous inflammatory response. the organisms were identified as blastomyces dermatitidis on the basis of morphology and s ... | 1984 | 17422472 |
| canine blastomycosis in southern saskatchewan. | the incidence of canine blastomycosis in southern saskatchewan is examined and three clinical cases are described. nineteen cases of the disease have been diagnosed in southern saskatchewan since april of 1981. eight cases were diagnosed during a six month period from august 1985 to february 1986 in dogs residing in a small central area of regina. the geographical and chronological clustering of cases suggests a local source of exposure to blastomyces dermatitidis, not previously considered to b ... | 1986 | 17422705 |
| blastomycosis in solid organ transplant recipients. | blastomyces dermatitidis, the etiologic agent of blastomycosis, causes severe disease and substantial mortality in those immunocompromised by acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or malignancy. in solid organ transplant recipients, the epidemiology, clinical features, and outcomes have not been fully described. | 2007 | 17428278 |
| blastomyces dermatitidis osteomyelitis of the tibia. | | 2007 | 17460873 |
| development and application of a green fluorescent protein sentinel system for identification of rna interference in blastomyces dermatitidis illuminates the role of septin in morphogenesis and sporulation. | a high-throughput strategy for testing gene function would accelerate progress in our understanding of disease pathogenesis for the dimorphic fungus blastomyces dermatitidis, whose genome is being completed. we developed a green fluorescent protein (gfp) sentinel system of gene silencing to rapidly study genes of unknown function. using gateway technology to efficiently generate rna interference plasmids, we cloned a target gene, "x," next to gfp to create one hairpin to knock down the expressio ... | 2007 | 17496124 |
| vaccine immunity to pathogenic fungi overcomes the requirement for cd4 help in exogenous antigen presentation to cd8+ t cells: implications for vaccine development in immune-deficient hosts. | systemic fungal infections with primary and opportunistic pathogens have become increasingly common and represent a growing health menace in patients with aids and other immune deficiencies. t lymphocyte immunity, in particular the cd4+ th 1 cells, is considered the main defense against these pathogens, and their absence is associated with increased susceptibility. it would seem illogical then to propose vaccinating these vulnerable patients against fungal infections. we report here that cd4+ t ... | 2003 | 12782709 |
| isoelectric focusing and elisa evaluation of a blastomyces dermatitidis human isolate. | blastomyces dermatitidis is a dimorphic fungal organism and the causative agent of blastomycosis. this organism is endemic east of the mississippi river as is the fungal organism histoplasma capsulatum. this study was performed to determine if sensitive and specific antigens from the b. dermatitidis yeast phase lysate (human isolate 592) could be separated using isoelectric focusing (ief) to eliminate antigens that are cross-reactive with h. capsulatum. indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay ... | 2007 | 17578679 |
| cross-reactivity of non-aspergillus fungal species in the aspergillus galactomannan enzyme immunoassay. | the aspergillus galactomannan enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (eia) has been demonstrated to facilitate rapid and sensitive detection of invasive aspergillosis. however, test specificity has not been fully evaluated in non-aspergillus fungal species. of 53 fungal isolates, cross-reactivity was observed with 5 non-aspergillus spp.: blastomyces dermatitidis, nigrospora oryzae, paecilomyces lilacinus, penicillium chrysogenum, and trichothecium roseum. | 2007 | 17662550 |
| [evolutive infection and latent infection in guinea pigs caused by "blastomyces dermatitidis" conditioned to the environmental temperature]. | | 1961 | 13880996 |
| exploiting type 3 complement receptor for tnf-alpha suppression, immune evasion, and progressive pulmonary fungal infection. | tnf-alpha is crucial in defense against intracellular microbes. host immune cells use type 3 complement receptors (cr3) to regulate excess tnf-alpha production during physiological clearance of apoptotic cells. bad1, a virulence factor of blastomyces dermatitidis, is displayed on yeast and released during infection. bad1 binds yeast to macrophages (mphi) via cr3 and cd14 and suppresses tnf-alpha, which is required for resistance. we investigated whether blastomyces adhesin 1 (bad1) exploits host ... | 2004 | 15585870 |
| paradise -- not without its plagues: overwhelming blastomycosis pneumonia after visit to lakeside cottages in northeastern ontario. | visiting lakes and cottages is a common leisure activity during summer among most canadians and paradise for some. various leisure activities are involved during these visits, including cleaning and 'airing' the cottage after long-winters, activities at the lakes and dock building etc, exposing the canadians to moist soil and decaying woods -- a source of white or tan mould -- blastomyces dermatitidis that may cause a flu-like illness to severe pneumonia that often remains a diagnostic challenge ... | 2005 | 15871735 |
| glutathione-dependent extracellular ferric reductase activities in dimorphic zoopathogenic fungi. | in this study, extracellular glutathione-dependent ferric reductase (gsh-fer) activities in different dimorphic zoopathogenic fungal species were characterized. supernatants from blastomyces dermatitidis, histoplasma capsulatum, paracoccidioides brasiliensis and sporothrix schenckii strains grown in their yeast form were able to reduce iron enzymically with glutathione as a cofactor. some variations in the level of reduction were noted amongst the strains. this activity was stable in acidic, neu ... | 2005 | 16000713 |
| coccidioidomycosis and blastomycosis: advances in molecular diagnosis. | clinical isolates of coccidioides spp. and blastomyces dermatitidis can be identified by chemiluminescent dna probes and pcr assays targeting multicopy genes. in fixed tissue samples, cells of the two fungi are specified by in situ hybridization and pcr assays targeting 18s rdna but sequencing of the products is mandatory. nested pcr assays targeting genes encoding species- or genus-specific proteins like proline rich antigen of coccidioides spp. and b. dermatitidis adhesin facilitate amplificat ... | 2005 | 16043334 |
| blastomycosis. | blastomycosis is an endemic fungal infection predominantly seen in the south central and mid-western united states and portions of canada. the disorder is caused by blastomyces dermatitidis, a dimorphic organism usually acquired through inhalation of aerosolized conidia. most acutely infected patients are asymptomatic or develop a self-limited respiratory illness. chronic pneumonia is the dominant clinical manifestation of blastomycosis, although extrapulmonary disease is common, usually involvi ... | 2004 | 16088455 |
| progress in vaccination for histoplasmosis and blastomycosis: coping with cellular immunity. | human infection with histoplasma capsulatum or blastomyces dermatitidis is sufficiently frequent to warrant exploring the development of vaccines. this review examines the advancements that have been accomplished over the last few years. the availability of molecular tools to create recombinant antigens or mutant strains has produced a small number of useful vaccine candidates. more importantly, the studies summarized herein demonstrate that understanding the host response to a protein or mutant ... | 2005 | 16178365 |
| immunological basis for susceptibility and resistance to pulmonary blastomycosis in mouse strains. | the immunological basis for a >10-fold resistance of outbred cd-1 mice compared to inbred balb/c mice to pulmonary blastomycosis was investigated. bronchoalveolar macrophages (bam) from cd-1 mice killed yeast cells of blastomyces dermatitidis (bd) by 25% and this increased to 59% when activated by ifn-gamma. in contrast, bam from balb/c mice lacked significant killing (5%) of bd but could be activated by ifn-gamma for enhanced killing (19%). peritoneal macrophages (pm) from cd-1 mice had signifi ... | 2005 | 16183299 |
| il-12 is required for induction but not maintenance of protective, memory responses to blastomyces dermatitidis: implications for vaccine development in immune-deficient hosts. | cellular immunity mediated by t lymphocytes, in particular cd4(+) and cd8(+) type 1 (t1) cells, is the main defense against pathogenic fungi. il-12 initiates t1 cell development and cell-mediated immunity, but it is unclear whether il-12 contributes to the maintenance of an antifungal t1 response. in this study, we addressed the role of il-12 for vaccine-induced memory t cell development against experimental pulmonary blastomycosis. cd4(+) t cells absolutely required il-12 to control a live gene ... | 2005 | 16210634 |
| calcium binding by the essential virulence factor bad-1 of blastomyces dermatitidis. | bad-1 (blastomyces adhesin 1), a 120-kda protein of blastomyces dermatitidis, functions as an adhesin, immune modulator, and essential virulence factor. structurally, bad-1 is composed of a short n-terminal region, a core of 30 tandem repeats critical for virulence, and a c-terminal epidermal growth factor domain that binds the protein to yeast cell surface chitin. each of the 30 acidic residue-rich tandem repeats contains a sequence that resembles the calcium-binding loop of the ef-hand domain ... | 2005 | 16243837 |
| blastomycosis in ontario, 1994-2003. | we describe a case of blastomycosis in an 8-year-old boy with blastomyces-associated osteomyelitis and possible pulmonary involvement. we also identify 309 cases of blastomycosis in ontario that were seen during a 10-year period, 57% of which occurred from 2001 to 2003. the overall incidence during the study period was 0.30 cases per 100,000 population. most patients were from north ontario (n = 188), where the incidence was 2.44 cases per 100,000. the incidence in the toronto region was 0.29 pe ... | 2006 | 16494754 |
| differential requirements of t cell subsets for cd40 costimulation in immunity to blastomyces dermatitidis. | cell-mediated immunity and production of type 1 cytokines are the main defenses against pathogenic fungi. ligation of cd40 by cd40l on t cells is critical for the induction of these immune responses in vivo. we explored the role of cd40/cd40l interactions in vaccine immunity to blastomyces dermatitidis by immunizing cd40(-/-) and cd40l(-/-) mice and analyzing their resistance to reinfection in a murine pulmonary model. in the absence of cd40 or cd40l, cd4(+) cells failed to get primed or produce ... | 2006 | 16622023 |
| it's on the tip of my tongue. | a 48-year-old white woman was admitted to the hospital with low-grade fever, night sweats, fatigue, nonproductive cough with dyspnea, bilateral knee pain, and swelling that progressed slowly over 6 weeks. she was a 30-pack-year smoker, and had received outpatient antibiotic therapy with clarithromycin and then cephalexin without improvement. the admission chest radiograph showed bilateral interstitial infiltrates, and an effusion was seen on knee radiographs. she was treated with levofloxacin, c ... | 2006 | 16687984 |
| disseminated blastomycosis in an infant. | blastomycosis is an uncommon life-threatening disease caused by the dimorphic fungus blastomyces dermatitidis. estimates of the percentage of cases occurring in children range from 2% to 11%, and it is exceedingly rare in individuals less than 1 year of age. we present the case of an otherwise healthy infant with disseminated blastomycosis acquired in northern ontario and a brief review of the pediatric literature. | 2006 | 16804444 |
| analysis of non-adhesive pathogenic mechanisms of bad1 on blastomyces dermatitidis. | the adhesin bad1 is required for virulence of blastomyces dermatitidis in a pulmonary model of infection. herein, we explored mechanisms by which bad1 enhances pathogenicity of the fungus. isogenic strains with and without bad1 exhibited similar phenotypic differences in virulence by pulmonary and intravenous routes of infection, indicating that bad1 may exert virulence beyond adherence to respiratory lining cells. non-adhesive mechanisms including maintenance of intrinsic resistance of yeast ag ... | 2006 | 16805092 |
| susceptibility to pulmonary blastomycosis in young compared to adult mice: immune deficiencies in young mice. | the immunological basis for differences in resistance to pulmonary blastomycosis between young (3 to 4-week-old) and adult (7 to 8-week-old) cd-1 mice is unknown. we assessed whether there were differences in fungicidal activity of phagocytes and th-1 lymphocyte cytokine production. the fungicidal activity of young bronchoalveolar macrophages (bam) (20%) against blastomyces dermatitidis (bd) was comparable to killing by adult bam (25%). however, ifn-gamma enhanced the killing by adult bam (from ... | 2006 | 16805093 |
| [three cases of cutaneous blastomycosis]. | blastomycosis is a rare mycotic infection in africa. isolated cutaneous disease is extremely rare. we report three cases of cutaneous blastomycosis confirmed by istologic and mycologic examination. no visceral involvement was found. blastomycosis is rare in tunisia. the most common site of involvement is the lung. the three cases reported presented with skin involvement only, suggesting a cutaneous inoculation of blastomyces dermatitidis. the diagnostic criteria of cutaneous blastomycosis are di ... | 2006 | 16809013 |
| effect of lung surfactant collectins on bronchoalveolar macrophage interaction with blastomyces dermatitidis: inhibition of tumor necrosis factor alpha production by surfactant protein d. | alveolar surfactant modulates the antimicrobial function of bronchoalveolar macrophages (bam). little is known about the effect of surfactant-associated proteins in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (balf) on the interaction of bam and blastomyces dermatitidis. we investigated balf enhancement or inhibition of tnf-alpha production by bam stimulated by b. dermatitidis. bam from cd-1 mice were stimulated with b. dermatitidis without or with normal balf, surfactant protein a-deficient (sp-a-/-) or surfa ... | 2006 | 16861641 |
| how to diagnose and treat fungal infections in chronic prostatitis. | epidemiologic changes that include immune-compromised patients and drug-resistant fungi have caused an increase in nosocomial infections by candida albicans and non-albicans candida species. other fungi, aspergilla and cryptococcus (environmental contaminants), are opportunistic invaders of the immune-compromised (transplant, hiv) patients. the environmental fungi coccidioides immitis (dry arid areas), histoplasma capsulatum (avian-infested areas), and blastomyces dermatitidis (aquatic areas) ca ... | 2006 | 16930504 |
| v beta1+ j beta1.1+/v alpha2+ j alpha49+ cd4+ t cells mediate resistance against infection with blastomyces dermatitidis. | immunization with a cell wall/membrane (cw/m) and yeast cytosol extract (yce) crude antigen from blastomyces dermatitidis confers t-cell-mediated resistance against lethal experimental infection in mice. we isolated and characterized t cells that recognize components of these protective antigens and mediate protection. cd4+ t-cell clones elicited with cw/m antigen adoptively transferred protective immunity when they expressed a v alpha2+ j alpha49+/v beta1+ j beta1.1+ heterodimeric t-cell recept ... | 2007 | 17030569 |
| blastomycosis in a young african man presenting with a pleural effusion. | blastomyces dermatitidis is a dimorphic fungus endemic to north-western ontario, manitoba and some parts of the united states. the fungus is also endemic to parts of africa. pulmonary and extrapulmonary findings of a 24-year-old african man who presented with weight loss, dry cough and chronic pneumonia not resolving with antibiotic treatment are presented. the unusual occurrence of pulmonary blastomycosis associated with skin lesions and a moderate pleural effusion is reported. | 2006 | 17149463 |
| chronic disseminated cutaneous blastomycosis in an 11-year old, with a brief review of the literature. | chronic disseminated cutaneous blastomycosis is rare in children. we discuss an 11-year-old immunocompetent boy who presented with a history of persistent and multiple skin lesions of >1 year's duration. these lesions proved to be secondary to chronic blastomyces dermatitidis infection. complete resolution of clinical disease occurred after a 6-month course of oral itraconazole. we also present a brief review of the literature focusing on the epidemiology, manifestations, diagnosis, and treatmen ... | 2006 | 17155995 |
| blastomycosis: contributions of morphology to diagnosis: a surgical pathology, cytopathology, and autopsy pathology study. | blastomycosis is caused by the inhalation of spores of the dimorphic fungus, blastomyces dermatitidis. the reporting of this disease is not required by all states. the diagnosis is established by culture or by identification of broad budding yeast forms in tissue or cytology samples. a retrospective review of blastomycosis was conducted using surgical pathology and cytopathology records of a large community based general hospital, for the years 1982 to 2002; the autopsy records of a university r ... | 2007 | 17414110 |
| typing of histoplasma capsulatum strains by fatty acid profile analysis. | the performance of fatty acid profiling for strain differentiation of histoplasma capsulatum was assessed. total fatty acids were isolated from the yeast-phase cells of seven stock and two previously unreported clinical strains of h. capsulatum var. capsulatum, as well as from one unreported clinical strain and one stock strain of h. capsulatum var. duboisii, and one strain of each of three other dimorphic zoopathogenic fungal species, blastomyces dermatitidis, paracoccidioides brasiliensis and ... | 2007 | 17510264 |
| unilateral blastomyces dermatitidis optic neuropathy case report and systematic literature review. | to describe the clinical and histopathologic findings of a unique case of isolated optic nerve blastomyces dermatitidis infection and to summarize the ophthalmic blastomycosis literature. | 2007 | 17686521 |
| dimorphism and virulence in fungi. | the signature feature of systemic dimorphic fungi - a family of six primary fungal pathogens of humans - is a temperature-induced phase transition. these fungi grow as a mold in soil at ambient temperature and convert to yeast after infectious spores are inhaled into the lungs of a mammalian host. seminal work 20 years ago established that a temperature-induced phase transition from mold to yeast is required for virulence. several yeast-phase specific genes, identified one-by-one and studied by ... | 2007 | 17719267 |
| [cutaneous blastomycosis revealing intravascular b-cell lymphoma: a case in morocco]. | blastomycosis is a systemic fungal infection caused by a thermally dimorphic fungus, blastomyces dermatitidis. the incidence in immunocompromised patients has increased in the last two decades. a 55-year-old man consulted for inflammatory nodules on the forearm. biopsy of one nodules showed a pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplastic epidermis overlaying a dense agranulomatous inflammatory infiltrate containing free-formed ovoid bodies enclosing giant macrophageous cells. these findings were consistent ... | 2007 | 17784682 |
| recent advances in antifungal agents. | new antifungals are needed in the medicine because of more aggressive and invasive diagnostic and therapeutic methods used, rapid emergence of resistant and new opportunistic fungi, increasing number of patients suffering from immunosuppressive situations e.g., aids, transplantation, cancer, etc. several classes of new antifungal agents are discussed here including some new members of known families. voriconazole, posaconazole and ravuconazole, are novel triazoles that inhibit the ergosterol syn ... | 2007 | 17897080 |
| cerebral blastomyces dermatitidis infection in a cat. | an 8-year-old domestic shorthair cat was evaluated because of signs of depression, circling, and visual deficits. | 2007 | 17937550 |
| evasion of innate immune responses: evidence for mannose binding lectin inhibition of tumor necrosis factor alpha production by macrophages in response to blastomyces dermatitidis. | serum factors, including mannose binding lectins (mbl), influence innate responses to microbes. little is known about the effects of serum factors or mbl on the interaction of blastomyces dermatitidis, a pulmonary fungal pathogen, with macrophages or on tumor necrosis factor alpha (tnf-alpha) production. since macrophage production of tnf-alpha is an important innate immune response, we examined a mouse peritoneal macrophage (pm) cell line (raw) and resident pm from cd-1 mice to study tnf-alpha ... | 2008 | 18070904 |
| the effect of fatty acids on the oxygen uptake of blastomyces dermatitidis. | | 1949 | 18108884 |
| rough-smooth variation in blastomyces dermatitidis gilchrist and stokes 1898. | | 1949 | 18110580 |
| studies on the physiological bases of morphogenesis in fungi; the respiratory metabolism of dimorphic pathogenic fungi. | the interconversions of mycelial and yeast-like forms (m right harpoon over left harpoon y) in blastomyces dermatitidis and in blastomyces brasiliensis are characterized as examples of thermal dimorphism since the phenomena are apparently dependent only on the temperature of incubation of these two species. the change in morphology consequent upon y --> m conversion is considered to result from the selective inhibition of cell division, without the simultaneous inhibition of growth. such selecti ... | 1949 | 18139007 |
| unusual forms of blastomyces dermatitidis in human tissues. | | 1949 | 18143918 |
| utility of diagnostic tests for and medical treatment of pulmonary blastomycosis in dogs: 125 cases (1989-2006). | to compare results of the most common diagnostic tests for pulmonary blastomycosis in dogs, identify factors associated with outcome, and determine response to various antifungal treatment protocols. | 2008 | 18275389 |