Isolations of dermatophyte from clinically normal scalps inM. Canis infections using the hairbrush method

The scalp hair of patients with dermatophytosis due toM. canis but without scalp lesions, and that of their family members without dermatophytosis were examined using the hairbrush method. The dermatophyte was detected in 93.8% of the scalps of those who lived in homes where cats were kept, and in 25% of those without cats. After the source of infection had been treated, the dermatophyte showed a gradually decreasing presence, finally disappearing altogether, so that no case of the disease on the scalp hair could be found.We inferred from the above findings inM. canis infections that, since the dermatophytes are seen in a high proportion of cases without scalp lesions, the dermatophytes, in many cases, exist only as saprophytes on the hair.     

Relationship between age and cellular suppressive activity in resistance to Histoplasma capsulatum infection

One-month-old and 1-year-old male BALB/c mice showed a lower resistance than 4.5-month-old mice to Histoplasma capsulatum infection. 4.5-month-old mice successfully resolved the infection when challenged with either a LD50 or LD100 for 1-month-old mice. A critical clinical course of experimental histoplasmosis was observed in 4.5-month-old syngeneic mice when spleen cells from 1-month-old BALB/c mice were transferred to them. Irradiated recipient mice, into which bone marrow and spleen cells were transferred, died when infected with the LD100 for 1-month-old mice. The same occurred with 4.5-month-old non-irradiated infected mice which received only spleen cells and with 1-month-old mice which were used as a control of infection. However, infected and non-transferred 4.5-month-old mice survived this dose. Thus, the adoptive transference of spleen cells from 1-month-old mice to 4.5-month-old mice suppressed the resistance of these adult mice to infection. Apparently, the transference of the suppressive state requires the presence of two cell populations, a non-adherent and an adherent and radioresistant cell present in the spleen of male 1-month-old mice.     

Asymptomatic dermatophyte scalp carriage: laboratory diagnosis,epidemiology and management

Asymptomatic carrier is defined as an individual who has dermatophyte-positive scalp culture without signs or symptoms of tinea capitis. The prevalence of asymptomatic carriage differs from region to region with a rate of 0.1–49%. Anthropophilic dermatophytes, Trichophyton tonsurans and Trichophyton violaceum, have been generally associated with high rates of asymptomatic carriage. Hence, the presence of dermatophytes on healthy scalp hairs of children may be a potential source of infection for schoolmates, playmates and/or households. Although it was also reported in adults, most carriage has been observed in children especially among those between 4 and 8 years of age, while male to female ratios vary between studies. It is still unclear, whether carriers should be treated with topical antifungal shampoos or oral antifungals or both, as some studies indicate that some untreated cases become culture-negative after 2–12 months. This review provides details on related dermatophyte fungi, laboratory diagnosis, epidemiology, ways of spreading as well as treatment and follow-up results of asymptomatic carriage. An integration into the school health programs is proposed, which will render the possible dealing of the subject in a comprehensive and reasonable manner.     

First Report of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tritirachium oryzae</Emphasis> Infection of Human Scalp

The natural habitat of Tritirachium oryzae is soil and decaying plant material. It is also an insect pathogen. As a human pathogen, it has been reported as a cause of corneal ulcers and otomycosis. The case of a 4-year-old infant is reported with Tritirachium oryzae infection of the scalp. Diagnosis was established by direct mycological study and culture that showed Tritirachium oryzae as the only agent in a pure culture. The topical treatment involved an antifungal medication to a complete cure. We report the first case of scalp dermatomycosis due to Tritirachium oryzae infection, illustrating a novel clinical manifestation.     

Atypical cases of Microsporum canis infection in the adult

Eleven adult patients (7 males, 4 females) were found to be infected with Microsporum canis. There was involvement of the scalp in three patients: in one male and one female there were kerion-like lesions and in one male the lesions resembled seborrheic dermatitis. There were three cases of tinea barbae, males aged 28, 65 and 82 years, in the first resembling an infected single lesion of granuloma annulare, the second with a kerion-like lesion and the third with an abscess-like tumor. There were five patients with lesions in glabrous areas: one male with a lesion of the palm resembling erythema multiforme and one with an infection of the auricular lobe resembling a seborrheic dermatitis or otitis externa; of three females with tinea faciei one had a lesion simulating granuloma faciale, one simulating lymphocytic infiltration and one simulating discoid lupus erythematosus. A cat was the source of infection in three cases; in the remainder it could not be determined with certainty. It is of note that a continuous increase in infection with M. canis has been observed in Israel during the past five years.

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Résumé Onze malades adultes ont été infectés par Microsporum canis. L'invasion du cuir chevelu a été observée chez 3 malades; un homme et une femme présentaient des lésions à l'aspect de Kérion; chez le troisième (homme aussi) les lésions simulaient un pytiriasis stéatoïde. Il y avait encore 3 cas de teigne de la barbe, à l'âge de 28, 65 et 82 ans, ressemblant, pour le premier, un granulome annulaire, le second présentant le type de Kérion et le troisième un abscès. Chez le groupe de 5 malades avec des lésions sur la peau glabre, il y avait un homme avec une éruption palmaire ressemblant un érythème multiforme et un autre avec une infection du lobe de l'oreille très sembleble à une dermatite séborrhéique ou à une otite externe. Chez les 3 femmes à teigne glabreuse les lésions siégeaient le visage en simulant un granulome faciale, un lupus érythémateux discoïde et une infiltration lymphocitaire. La source d'infection a été le chat dans 3 cas, dans le reste elle ne pouvant être déterminée avec précision. Il est à noter que l'infection par M. canis en Israel s'est très rapidement dévelopée dans les dernières années.

     

Red grain mycetoma of the scalp (Actinomadura pelletieri). A case report from India

A case of red grain mycetoma on the scalp is described. The disease, caused by Actinomadura pelletieri, is extremely rare in this part of the world, and from India this is perhaps the first case with scalp involvement. The lesion showed satisfactory response to partial excision followed by chemotherapy with streptomycin.Mycetoma is a clinical syndrome of localized indolent deforming tumid lesions and sinuses involving the cutaneous and subcutaneous tissues (8). The disease is caused by two groups of agents; one bacterial and the orher fungal and is accordingly classified as actinomycotic and eumycotic mycetoma respectively. The lesions discharging fungal microcolonies referred to as grains usually occur on the foot or the hand. Occasionally, the lesions have been seen on the axillary (3) and the thoracocervical region (6). The involvement of the scalp is extremely rare. Reddy et al (7) in their study of 50 cases from Southern India, found only one instance of a scalp infection, the causative agent being A. madurae. We report herein on a patient with classical lesions of mycetoma on the scalp as a result of Actinomadura pelletieri infection.     

幼儿马尔尼菲篮状菌病2例

病例1,男,1岁6个月,咳嗽半个月、发热1周;病例2,男,11个月,反复鹅口疮3个月,咳嗽20 d。2例幼儿血培养阳性,均为马尔尼菲篮状菌,同时都存在免疫缺陷,非HIV感染,影像学提示肺部有多发小结节影,伏立康唑治疗后临床病愈出院,随访12个月无复发。     

Genetic mapping of a novel hypotrichosis locus to chromosome 7p21.3–p22.3 in a Pakistani family and screening of the candidate genes

Hereditary hypotrichosis is a heterogeneous group of inherited hair loss disorders characterized by diffused or localized thinning or absence of hair affecting scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes, and other body parts. Over the past few years, at least four autosomal dominant and six autosomal recessive forms of hypotrichosis have been described. All these ten forms of hypotrichosis have been mapped on different human chromosomes and the corresponding genes have been identified in most of these cases. In the present study, we have described a six-generation Pakistani consanguineous family with an autosomal recessive transmission of hereditary hypotrichosis. All the five affected individuals of the family showed complete absence of scalp hair and sparse eyebrows and eyelashes. They were born with complete absence of scalp hairs. Facial hair of beard and mustaches were present in all the affected adult male individuals. Papules were observed only on scalp of the affected individuals. A scalp biopsy from an affected individual showed markedly reduced number of hair follicles. Human genome scan using polymorphic microsatellite markers mapped the disease locus on chromosome 7p21.3–p22.3, flanked by markers D7S1532 and D7S3047. A maximum two-point LOD score of 4.74 (θ = 0.00) was obtained at marker D7S481. The linkage interval spans 15.69 cM, which corresponds to 6.59 Mb according to the sequence-based physical map (Build 36.2). Mutation analysis of five potential candidate genes (GNA12, FOXK1, DAGLB, ZNF12, ACTB), located in the linkage interval, did not reveal any functional sequence variant.     

Favus of the Scalp: An Overview and Update

Tinea capitis favosa, a chronic inflammatory dermatophyte infection of the scalp, affects over 90% of patients with anthropophilic Trichophyton schoenleinii. T. violaceum, T. verrucosum, zoophilic T. mentagrophytes (referred to as ‘var. quinckeanum’), Microsporum canis, and geophilic M. gypseum have also been recovered from favic lesions. Favus is typically a childhood disease, yet adult cases are not uncommon. Interestingly, favus is less contagious than other dermatophytoses, although intrafamilial infections are reported and have been widely discussed in the literature. Clinical presentation of T. schoenleinii infections is variable: this fungus can be isolated from tinea capitis lesions that appear as gray patches, but symptom-free colonization of the scalp also occurs. Although in the past T. schoenleinii was the dominant fungus recovered from dermatophytic scalp lesions, worldwide the incidence has decreased except in China, Nigeria, and Iran. Favus of the glabrous skin and nails are reported less frequently than favus of the scalp. This review discusses the clinical features of favus, as well as the etiological agents, global epidemiology, laboratory diagnosis, and a short history of medical mycology.     

中国大鲵幼体的性别分子鉴定与性腺形态

为探明中国大鲵(Andrias davidianus)雌雄幼体的性腺发育特征,确定适合的性别分子鉴定方法,对15尾5月龄和17尾17月龄养殖个体进行形态测量、解剖观察、性腺组织切片及PCR扩增雌性特异DNA片段。结果发现,引物adf225和adf340的扩增效果好,判定5月龄个体8雌7雄;17月龄个体8雌9雄,与依据性腺形态结构区分的结果一致。体视显微镜下5月龄幼体中肾腹侧有两条半透明细条状的原始生殖嵴;组织切片显示生殖细胞形态分化不明显。17月龄卵巢波浪状弯曲,有颗粒感,精巢呈光滑的白条状,形态分化明显;组织切片显示,卵巢分化出体积较大的卵母细胞,同时保留原始卵泡,精巢分化出生精小叶和精原细胞、支持细胞。外形测量显示,5月龄与17月龄性二型不明显,不能根据外形判断性别。本研究确定了大鲵幼体性别分子鉴定的最佳引物,可用于养殖过程中雌雄选配,以节约资源。     

Immature and adult langur monkey (Presbytis entellus) males: Infant-initiated adoption in a colony group

This paper focuses on interactions of an immature male langur monkey (Presbytis entellus) with an adult male in a captive social group. During his mother's 2-week absence, an 8-month-old male actively sought and received care from two adults, including an adult male. The interactions of the 2 males are compared with the behavior of 12 other adult male-immature male pairs to illustrate variability in male-male relations for a species in which adult male-young interactions are reported to be minimal and in which males normally spend portions of their lives in all-male groups.     

Saksenaea vasiformis infections: Case report and literature review

Since the first human infection by Saksenaea vasiformis in 1976 another 26 cases have been reported. Here is a report of a new case which involved an Ecuadorian adolescent who suffered serious burns after a car accident. It developed as a localized cutaneous infection which was successfully treated with surgical debridement and amphotericin B. This is the second report of this infection from South America and the third involving a burn patient. The previously reported 27 cases are reviewed.     

Some data on the occurrence of trichophyton tonsurans in Romania

Summary During the last 12 years,T. tonsurans has been isolated from 250 cases of various mycotic infections, 80% in the adults, the rest in children. The age of infected patients varied from 1 to 66 years, the female being represented by 10%.Most of the cases (93%) involved the hair follicles, 45 of them affecting the bearded area, in which 4 clinical types could be distinguished: the superficial form, the kerion type (in 11% of the cases) and 2 intermediate forms.In 16% of cases,T. tonsurans attacked the scalp, simulating various nonmycotic dermatoses as impetigo, seborrheic dermatitis, tinea amiantacea etc. 5 cases of the scalp infection were found in the adults (3 of black-dot type, the other 2 of superficial tinea capitis). The same variety of clinical manifestations was observed in the glabrous skin, which this species affected in 7% of the cases. It also involved the nails in 2 cases only. T. tonsurans is in continuous decrease in Romania for the last ten years (4% of all the dermatophytes). This dermatophyte remained, till now, the main agent of tinea barbae in Romania. Community epidemics as those caused byM. audouinii andM. ferrugineum have not yet occurred in this country.     

Age‐related parasite load and longevity patterns in the sedge warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

We report the results from a nine‐year study on parasite infection in males of a small migrant passerine, the sedge warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus. Every year, for each male caught during territory establishment we estimated infection intensity of two lineages of Haemoproteus belopolskyi (SW1 and SW3), using molecular methods. We found a significant relationship between infection intensity and males’ longevity in both studied lineages. There was severe mortality of second‐year sedge warblers after their first breeding season, with lower parasite load in survivors. The lower infection intensity in older age classes was related to between‐individual change in both lineages, but was also a result of differences in infection intensity during the lifetime of individual males in the SW3. The relation between parasite load and longevity suggests that parasite load may be an age‐dependent factor influencing individual survival.     

The Effect of Age and Gender on 38 Chemical Element Contents in Human Femoral Neck Investigated by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis

In the present study, the association of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and nickel between scalp hair samples and mortality from myocardial infarction (MI) patients at first, second, and third heart attack was studied. The biological samples of 130 MI patients (77 male and 53 female) age ranged (45–60 years), were collected and 61 healthy persons of same age group (33 male and 28 female) was selected as control subjects. The toxic elements (TEs) in biological samples were assessed by the electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry prior to microwave-assisted acid digestion. The validity of methodology was checked by the certified human hair reference material (BCR 397). It was observed during the study that 78% of 32 patients of the third MI, age >50 years were expired. In these subjects, the level of As, Cd, Ni, and Pb were increased by 10.6%, 19.5%, 15.7%, and 9.8% in the scalp hair as compared to those who tolerated third MI attack (p = 0.12). The high level of toxic metals may play a role in the development of heart disease in the subjects of this study.     

Host age and the growth and fecundity of Hymenolepis diminuta in the rat

Five, 20, and 80 cysticercoid infections of Hymenolepis diminuta were established in 1-, 2- and 5-month-old male Wistar rats. Worm numbers, dry weights and egg outputs were determined on day 28 post infection. Worm recovery was found to be independent of cysticercoid dose in 1-month-old rats, but density-dependent in older rats. Density dependence affected both worm dry weight and egg production in all 3 age classes of host studied. However, at the highest dose both dry weight and egg production were significantly decreased in 2- and 5-month-old rats compared with 1-month-old rats. The results cannot be explained solely in terms of competition for a resource, and suggest that immunological mechanisms may have an important role in the "crowding effect".     

Evaluation of Toxic Risk Assessment of Arsenic in Male Subjects Through Drinking Water in Southern Sindh Pakistan

The arsenic (As) hazardous quotient was estimated based on concentration of As in drinking water and scalp hair of male subjects of two age groups (n = 360) consuming As contaminated water at different levels and non-contaminated drinking water. The total As concentrations in drinking water of less-exposed (LE) and high-exposed (HE) areas was found to be 3- to 30-fold higher than the permissible limit of the World Health Organization (2004) for drinking water, while the levels of As in drinking water of non-exposed (NE) areas was within the permissible limit. The levels of As in scalp hair samples of male subjects of two age groups belonging to NE, LE, and HE areas ranged from 0.01 to 0.27, 0.11–1.31, and 0.36–6.80 μg/g, respectively. A significant correlation between As contents of drinking water and As concentration in scalp hair was observed in sub-district Gambit (r = 0.825–0.852, p < 0.001) as compared to those subjects belonging to LE sub-district Thari Mirwah. A toxicity risk assessment provides a hazard quotient corresponding to <10 that indicates non-carcinogenic exposure risk of understudy areas.     

Epidemiology of 46 wisconsin cases of north american blastomycosis, 1960–1964

Summary In an attempt to find the source of infection 45 Wisconsin North American blastomycosis patients or their immediate relatives were interviewed and the records studied. B. dermatitidis was considered to have been proved to be endemic in Wisconsin, since infection took place in several parts of the state, and a large proportion of the patients were shown to have been infected while living in the state.A study of the yearly occurrence of cases of blastomycosis in Wisconsin, 1960–1964, revealed an unequal distribution. A noticeably small number of cases occurred in 1963. Since this was the driest year in Milwaukee and many other parts of the state in 30 years, further work on a possible relationship between the disease and annual precipitation was suggested.The seasonal distributions of both onset and diagnosis were found to differ significantly from an even distribution among the seasons. The distributions were found to be compatible with the hypothesis that infection took place toward the end of the growing season.Evidence was presented that the American Indian in Wisconsin may have a racial susceptibility or an environmental relationship favoring infection byB. dermatitidis.When compared with other published series of blastomycosis cases, an unusually large number of women patients was found resulting in a 3.5 : 1 male to female ratio.The study failed to show an occupational connection with the disease.This investigation was supported in part by Public Health Service Research Grant AI-02211 (03–07) from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.     

Essential trace and toxic element distribution in the scalp hair of Pakistani myocardial infarction patients and controls

The pathogenesis of heart disease has been associated with changes in the balance of certain trace elements. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Zn, Fe, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Cd contents in scalp hair samples of myocardial infarction (MCI) patients hospitalized in the cardiac ward of National Hospital in Hyderabad city (Pakistan). Scalp hair samples were collected from 193 patients (104 male, 89 female) of 3 age groups (46–60, 61–75, and 76–90 yr), for a comparative study, 200 normal, healthy subjects (103 male, 97 female) of the same age groups residing in the same city were selected. All metals in scalp hair samples were assessed by a flame/graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer, prior to microwave-assisted and conventional wet acid digestion methods. Results were calculated in micrograms per gram. The mean values of Fe and Zn of scalp hair samples of MCI patients were significantly reduced compared to the control subjects of both genders. The mean Fe concentrations in male patients were 19.42, 12.36, and 6.98 vs 30.69, 24.42, and 16.75 for the control patients in the three age groups (46–60, 61–75, and 76–90 yrs, respectively). The mean Zn concentration in male patients were 169.2, 149.4, and 107.7 μg/g vs 206.1, 188.0, and 154.4 μg/g for the control group (p<0.002, 0.004, and 0.001) in all three age groups, respectively. These differences were also observed in the female study groups. The mean values of Pb, Cd, and Ni were significantly high in patients compared to healthy subjects (mean Pb in male patients: 11.85, 12.89, and 14.52 those of female patients were 11.88, 12.73, and 14.21 vs the male controls patients (6.08, 7.56, and 8.56) and female controls (5.99, 7.41, and 8.25) for all three age groups, respectively. The concentration of Ni and Cd in the scalp hair samples of the heart patients of both sexes were significantly higher compared to the control; in the case of Ni the range of significant difference for males was found to be p<0.001–0.009 and for females to be p<0.0.002–0.007 and significantly high concentration of Cd were observed in hair samples of patients than in controls in the range for males (p<0.001–0.009) and in females (p<0.001–0.011). The Zn/Cu and Zn/Cd ratios in the scalp hair (p<0.01) of the diseased groups were significantly lower than that of the healthy groups. Deficiency of essential trace metals and high level of toxic metals might play a role in the development of heart disease in the subjects of this study. Toxic metals might also cause diminished absorption of essential elements.     

Scalp Dermatophyte Carriage in Pregnant,Pre-, and Postmenopausal Women: A Comparative Study Using the Hairbrush and Cytobrush Methods of Sample Collection

Tinea capitis is a dermatophyte infection of the scalp that is most often seen in prepubescent children. In this investigation, we examined the prevalence of tinea capitis and symptom-free colonization of the scalp with dermatophytes in 786 pre- and postmenopausal women aged 12–84 years. Scalp samples were collected from all participants by cytobrush or hairbrush, and cultures were then grown from these samples on Sabouraud glucose agar. No participant was diagnosed with tinea capitis; however, one 43-year-old patient (0.1%) was positive for a “scalp carriage” related to anthropophilic Trichophyton rubrum, as detected using a hairbrush. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the isolate were sequenced, and the assembled DNA sequences were examined using the basic BLAST (nucleotide–nucleotide) software of the National Center for Biotechnology Information Web database. This patient was followed up without any antimycotic treatment, and after 4 weeks, mycological clearance was documented. In addition, the contacts and environment at home were screened, where all fungal cultures were sterile. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first report of a “scalp carriage” related to a cosmopolitan fungus, T. rubrum.