[Anti-mycelium antibodies in parenteral drug addicts with disseminated candidiasis].
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Antibodies, Fungal↗
Biomedical subjects
J Pontón
Publications and source records attributed to J Pontón.
[Diagnosis of systemic candidiasis in parenteral drug addicts by detection of antimycelial antibodies].
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Adult↗
Detection of antibodies to Candida albicans germ tube in the diagnosis of systemic candidiasis.
Sera from 109 subjects were tested for the presence of anti-Candida albicans antibodies by an indirect immunofluorescence assay. Aliquots of the sera were adsorbed with heat-killed blastospores to remove the antibodies against the surface of the yeast-phase cell wall and tested for anti-germ tube cell wall antibodies. Unadsorbed sera stained the entire cell wall of yeast and germ-tubes. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies were found in all patients with systemic candidiasis and in 81.2% of patients with Candida albicans isolated from skin and mucous membranes. IgA and IgG were found in 67.4 and 57.1%, respectively, of controls without evidence of candidiasis. After the adsorption only sera from patients with systemic candidiasis showed antibodies, predominantly IgA, against germ tube cell wall. Adsorption of the sera thus increased the specificity, efficiency, and positive and negative predictive values of the test. The test achieved the highest sensitivity in adsorbed sera for the combination of IgA and IgG.
Adult↗
[Effect of a new immunomodulator on the function of macrophages in mice].
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Animals↗
Lipid composition and the transition from yeast-like to chlamydospore cells of Pullularia pullulans.
The lipid composition of the fungus Pullularia pullulans has been investigated at different stages of the morphogenetic transition from yeast-like, through the so-called "large cells," to chlamydospores. The first 3 days of culture correspond to the period of exponential growth. There is a rapid consumption of glucose and ammonium, until the latter becomes exhausted, and a concomitant decrease of pH down to values of about 2. A decrease in fatty acid unsaturation takes place at this stage, together with an increase in the proportion of long-chain aldehydes. The period between days 3 and 6 is dominated by the large cells. They accumulate large amounts of triacylglycerols; phospholipids and free sterols are also synthesized in this period, suggesting de novo synthesis of membranes. Chlamydospores can be seen from the 6th day on. Simultaneously, a decrease in free sterols and phospholipids takes place, while saturated triacyglycerol production goes on. The lipid composition of chlamydospores suggests that these are resistance forms, induced by the hostile environmental conditions of the medium after the end of the exponential growth.
Cell Differentiation↗
Candidal infection of bone. Assessment of serologic tests in diagnosis and management.
In this case report, 30 sera from a 25-year-old heroin abuser with intervertebral candidosis were treated for the presence of anti-Candida albicans antibodies by agglutination, counterimmunoelectrophoresis, and indirect immunofluorescent assay. Sera were also adsorbed with heat-killed blastospores to remove antibodies against yeast-phase cells and tested by indirect immunofluorescent assay for anti-C. albicans germ tube antibodies (CAGTAs). Humoral responses to candidal 47-kD antigen were studied by immunoblotting in 23 unadsorbed sera. Anti-C. albicans antibodies were found in high titers by the three procedures but correlated poorly with the clinical evolution of the disease. CAGTAs were present from the beginning of the infection: Titers decreased in association with antifungal treatment and the patient's improvement, eventually becoming negative. Only class IgG antibodies to the 47-kD antigen were detected. These were present during the full course of the infection, failing to disappear at the end of the study. In this case, detection of CAGTAs appeared to be an important aid to diagnosis of the bony candidal infection, as they are detected early during the illness and seemed to have a prognostic significance.
Adult↗
Transient fungaemia due to Candida pelliculosa in a patient with AIDS.
Candida pelliculosa Redaelli (syn. Hansenula anomala) was isolated from blood cultures of a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The transient candidaemia was apparently associated with intravenous drug addiction. The isolate was identified by standard methods such as API 20 C Aux and 16 discs carbon auxanogram. The isolate was sensitive to amphotericin B, 5-fluorocytosine and ketoconazole. This organism adds to the growing list of Candida species associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
Evaluation of the albicans IDR plate method for the rapid identification of Candida albicans.
Albicans IDR is a ready-to-use medium containing a hexosaminic substrate that allows rapid and specific identification of Candida albicans. In this study, we have evaluated its performance using 330 pure cultures of yeast strains previously identified by conventional mycological methods. The test correctly identified all the Candida albicans strains tested (186 isolates), but there were 28 false-positive reactions after 48 h of culture incubation. The false-positive isolates corresponded to the species Candida tropicalis (13 strains), Trichosporon beigelii (12 strains), Cryptococcus neoformans (one strain), Candida lusitaniae (one strain) and Candida membranaefaciens (one strain). The sensitivity of the method was 100% and the specificity was 90.3% at 24 h and 86.6% at 48 h of incubation. Albicans IDR plate is a new, easy-to-perform and inexpensive method for C. albicans identification, and it could be used for direct isolation and identification of this species from clinical samples.
Candida albicans↗
Evaluation of two commercialized systems for the rapid identification of medically important yeasts.
A total of 77 recent clinical isolates of Candida albicans and other medically important yeasts were identified by two different commercial tests, Rapidec albicans (API-bioMérieux) and Fongiscreen 4H (Sanofi Diagnostics Pasteur), and conventional mycological methods. The strains were from 13 different species of yeasts and consisted of strains of 36 C. albicans, three of Candida famata, nine of Candida (Torulopsis) glabrata, five of Candida guilliermondii, two of Candida kefyr, three of Candida krusei, one of Candida lusitaniae, four of Cryptococcus neoformans, five of Candida parapsilosis, six of Candida tropicalis, one of Candida viswanathii, one of Rhodotorula rubra and one of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. According to the reactivity profiles of the isolates, identification was always correct with Fongiscreen 4H and was correct in 97.3% of the strains with Rapidec albicans. The latter test did not identify two C. albicans isolates that were correctly identified by Fongiscreen 4H. Both methods (97.3% correlation) were very useful for identification of C. albicans achieving the aim of their manufacturers. Additionally, Fongiscreen 4H was very useful for the identification of three other species of yeasts: C. glabrata, C. tropicalis and Cr. neoformans. The results of our study indicate that the accuracy of Rapidec albicans and Fongiscreen 4H is similar to that of the conventional methods used in this study for the identification of C. albicans. The same is true of Fongiscreen 4H in the identification of C. glabrata, C. tropicalis and Cr. neoformans. Both tests could be rapid and easy-to-perform tools in the clinical microbiology laboratory, but differences in cost must be taken into account.
Candida↗
In vitro susceptibility of Candida dubliniensis to current and new antifungal agents.
BACKGROUND: Candida dubliniensis is a recently described Candida species closely related to Candida albicans, which has been associated with oral candidiasis in HIV-infected patients. Fluconazole-resistant strains of C. dubliniensis are easily obtained in vitro and this fact could be a complication if this resistance develops during treatment with this drug. METHODS: In the present study, the in vitro antifungal susceptibilities of 36 C. dubliniensis clinical isolates and culture strains to current and new antifungal agents, such as amphotericin B (AMB), amphotericin B lipid complex (ABLC), amphotericin B colloidal dispersion (ABCD), 5-fluorocytosine (5FC), fluconazole (FLC), itraconazole (ITC), ketoconazole (KTC), liposomal amphoteri- cin B (LAMB), liposomal nystatin (LNYT), LY303366 (LY), SCH56592 (SCH), and voriconazole (VRC), were determined according to the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards M27-A broth microdilution method for yeasts. RESULTS: Most isolates of C. dubliniensis were susceptible to both new and current antifungal drugs, with 75.9% isolates susceptible to KTC, 86.2% to FLC and to ITC, and approximately 100% to the other antifungal agents tested. The cross-resistance phenotypes are detailed. Four isolates were resistant (MIC > or =64 microg/ml) to FLC. These 4 isolates were also resistant to KTC, and 3 of them were also resistant to ITC (MIC > or =1 microg/ml for both agents). However, these isolates were highly susceptible to 5FC and all polyene formulations (AMB, ABLC, ABCD, LAMB, and LNYT), triazole (SCH and VRC) and echinocandin (LY) antifungal agents. CONCLUSION: The new liposomal and lipidic formulations of AMB, LNYT, and the new triazoles and echinocandins may provide new alternatives to FLC for the treatment of infections by C. dubliniensis.
Amphotericin B↗
Multicenter evaluation of ATB fungus: a standardized micromethod for yeast susceptibility testing.
The micromethod for yeast susceptibility testing, ATB Fungus, was evaluated with 30 reference strains in three laboratories. Ready-to-use strips with 5-fluorocytosine, amphotericin B, nystatin, miconazole, econazole and ketoconazole were used. The test allowed the categorization of each strain as susceptible, intermediate or resistance to all the antifungals tested, and 5-fluorocytosine and amphotericin B MIC determination. The results were compared with the MIC for each reference strain obtained by a microdilution method on RPMI 1640 buffered with MOPS. The repeatability and intralaboratory and interlaboratory reproducibility were evaluated. ATB Fungus was a reliable and reproducible method with a repeatability of 96.6%, a reproducibility of 95.4% and showed an excellent correlation 91.7%) with reference MICs.
Antifungal Agents↗
[Mycosis in the 1990's].
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Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗