Genome Sequence of Staphylococcus capitis QN1, Which Causes Infective Endocarditis

Staphylococcus capitis is a subtype of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) which could emerge as a significant pathogen causing infective endocarditis, prosthetic valve endocarditis, and late-onset sepsis. We isolated S. capitis strain QN1 from the skin swab sample of a female. Here we prepared a genome sequence for this strain consisting of 30 contigs totaling 2,430,101 bases and a GC content of 32.76%.     

Skin cancer after X-ray treatment for scalp ringworm

Some 2,224 children given X-ray therapy for tinea capitis (ringworm of the scalp) have been followed for up to 50 years to determine cancer incidence, along with a control group of 1,380 tinea capitis patients given only topical medications. The study found a relative risk (RR) of 3.6 (95% confidence interval, 2.3-5.9) for basal cell skin cancer (BCC) of the head and neck among irradiated Caucasians (124 irradiated cases and 21 control cases), in response to a scalp dose of about 4.8 Gy. No melanomas of the head and neck have been seen, and only a few squamous cell carcinomas. About 40% of irradiated cases have had multiple BCCs, for a total of 328 BCCs. Although 25% of both the irradiated and control groups are African-American, only 3 skin cancers have been seen among them, all in the irradiated group, indicating the importance of susceptibility to UV radiation as a cofactor. Light complexion, severe sunburning and North European ancestry were predictive of BCC risk in the irradiated group, but chronic sun exposure was not. Children irradiated at young ages had the highest BCC risk. The RR for BCC risk is approximately constant with time since exposure, suggesting that risk will probably last for a lifetime.     

Dermatophytosis among the students of the elementary schools in Taipei city

Summary A survey of dermatophytosis among the students of all elementary schools in Taipei City was performed from April to June, 1957. A total of 2687 students, 1419 boys and 1268 girls, were examined as a random sample.There were 85 cases of dermatophytosis (3.16%) including 80 cases of tinea capitis (2.98 %), two cases of tinea glabrosa (0.07 %), one case of tinea pedis (0.04 %) and two cases of favus (0.07 %). Seventy eight out of 80 cases of tinea capitis were male.Mycological study of 80 cases from these patients was performed and 49 strains of the causative organisms were obtained. Among 46 strains cultured from tinea capitis, there were 39 cases (84.8 %) ofT. ferrugineum, which is the commonest species in Formosa, 6 cases (13.0 %) ofT. violaceum and one case ofT. rubrum.Favus is an endemic dermatophytosis in middle and southern China but is rare in Taipei City.The relationship between the causative dermatophytes and the clinical findings of tinea capitis were described. Clinical symptom due toT. ferrugineum was different from that due to other organisms.     

Staphylococcus capitis subsp. ureolyticus subsp. nov. from human skin

A new subspecies, Staphylococcus capitis subsp. ureolyticus, was isolated from human skin and is described on the basis of studies of 15 to 26 strains. DNA-DNA reassociation reactions demonstrated that these strains were closely related to Staphylococcus capitis but were significantly divergent. The strains of S. capitis subsp. ureolyticus can be distinguished from S. capitis by their positive urease activity, their ability to produce acid from maltose under aerobic conditions, their fatty acid profile, and their colony morphology. The type strain of the new subspecies is strain ATCC 49326.     

A study of dermatophytoses in Esfahan (Iran)

The present study determined the extent and causative agents of dermatophytoses in Esfahan, a large city of Iran. Specimens from patients were examined for etiologic agents by direct microscopic procedure and by culture. Out of 12000 patients with skin diseases, 10.8% were affected with dermatophytoses. Among the 10.8% group, lesions of tinea capitis were most common (72.1%) and Trichophyton verrucosum was the most frequent (43.8%) dermatophyte isolated from the patients.We found a relationship between the spread of dermatophytoses and live-stock infected with dermatophytoses.     

Isoenzymes of human lice: pediculus humanus and P. capitis

Human lice (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae) from Africa, America and Europe were electrophoresed for 28 enzymes, with special interest in metabolic factors likely to be involved with insecticide resistance. Zymogram profiles of the body louse (Pediculus humanus L. from France and U.S.A.) and the head louse (P. capitis DeGeer from France, Madagascar, Mali & Senegal) were compared. Only esterase two enzymes, phosphoglucomutase (Pgm) and 3 (Est-3), showed electrophoretic variation. In our starch gel electrophoresis conditions, P. humanus showed three electromorphs of Pgm migrating anodally 6, 11 and 16 mm (designated alleles a, b, c, respectively). Of the putative Pgm alleles, b and c occurred in all samples of both species of lice, whereas allele a was found only in P. humanus lab strain from U.S.A. Esterase 3 had four electromorphs migrating 23, 26, 30 and 35 mm (designated alleles a, b, c and d). Among putative Est alleles, a was found only in P. capitis from Bamako (all 14 specimens aa homozygotes), allele d was found only in P. capitis from Dakar (39% frequency), whereas Est-3 alleles b and c showed apparently balanced polymorphism in all samples of both P. humanus and P. capitis except that from Bamako. Despite the limited amount of isoenzyme variation detected (only 2/31 polymorphic loci), divergences of Est-3 and Pgm among Pediculus populations may be relevant to their biosystematics and resistance.     

Muscle pain induces task-dependent changes in cervical agonist/antagonist activity.

This study examined the effect of experimental neck muscle pain on the EMG-force relationship of cervical agonist and antagonist muscles. Surface EMG signals were detected from the sternomastoid, splenius capitis, and upper trapezius muscles bilaterally from 14 healthy subjects during cervical flexion and extension contractions of linearly increasing force from 0 to 60% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). Measurements were performed before and after injection of 0.5 ml hypertonic and isotonic saline into either the sternomastoid or splenius capitis in two experimental sessions. EMG average rectified value (ARV) of the sternomastoid, splenius capitis, and upper trapezius muscles and the muscle fiber conduction velocity (CV) of the sternomastoid muscle were estimated at 5% MVC force increments. During cervical flexion with injection of hypertonic saline in sternomastoid, ARV of sternomastoid was lower on the side of pain in the force range 25-60% MVC (P < 0.05) and was associated with a bilateral reduction of splenius capitis and upper trapezius ARV (P < 0.01). During cervical extension, injection of hypertonic saline in splenius capitis resulted in lower estimates of splenius capitis ARV on the painful side from 45 to 60% MVC (P < 0.05), which was associated with a bilateral increase in upper trapezius ARV estimates from 50 to 60% MVC (P < 0.001). However, no significant change was identified for estimates of sternomastoid ARV. Experimentally induced neck muscle pain resulted in task-dependent changes in cervical agonist/antagonist activity without modifications in muscle fiber CV.     

Molecular Typing Study of the Microsporum Canis Strains Isolated from an Outbreak of Tinea Capitis in School

Tinea capitis is a dermatophyte infection of the scalp that occurs most often in prepubescent children. Tinea capitis may be transmitted by shared use of contaminated hairbrush, by contact with fomites or by direct physical contact with an infected person. Occasionally, outbreak of tinea capitis would happen under some special conditions. Last year, we found an outbreak of tinea capitis in a school due to Microsporum canis. In epidemiological study, we performed the prevalence survey to all of the exposed persons by physical examinations and mycological laboratory tests, including KOH preparation and fungal cultures. We also investigated the environment in the school. In molecular typing study of the M. canis isolated from patients and the environment, random primer amplification polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method, the specific amplification of subrepeat element in the ribosomal DNA nontranscribed spacer (NTS), and the analysis of DNA sequence in the intertranscribed spacer (ITS) of rDNA were performed. The total number of exposed children was seventy-one, among them forty-two were attacked by tinea capitis. The ratio between boy and girl was 13:1. The ages of the patients was ranged from 3.5 years old to 10 years old. Four patients bred cat or dog as pet. Most patients appeared noninflammatory type of tinea capitis and several patients were inflammatory type. Under microscopic examination the invaded hair were all ectothrix. The pathogens isolated from these patients were M. canis. And we also isolated M. canis from the carpet and the pillowcase in the school. The patterns of total strains of M. canis in the RAPD method and PCR amplification of the rDNA NTS region study were identical, and the isolates from patients and the environment contained the same DNA sequences in the ITS region. The outbreak of tinea capitis was caused by M. canis. The M. canis isolated from patients and from the environment were probably the same origin.     

Mycological view of dermatophytes in humans.

Dermatophytes are a group of closely related fungi that have the capacity to invade keratinized tissue (skin, hair, and nails) of humans and animals to produce an infection, dermatophytosis, commonly referred to as ringworm. Dermatophytoses are common of world wide: in the United States, Microsporum audouinii and Microsporum canis, once the major agents of tinea capitis, have been superseded by Trichophyton tonsurans. Since the 1950s, T. tonsuranshas advanced from Mexico and the Caribbean and is now the prevalent cause of tinea capitisin North America. M. canisis the prevalent agent of tinea capitis in many regions of the world, including Spain, at this moment. This could be related to close association of humans with their pets. M. canis is more prevalent in urban areas and Trichophyton mentagrophytes in rural ones. The superficial dermatophyte infections of the skin do not represent a single disease, their clinical appearance is dependent largely on the region of the body affected. There are more antifungal preparations available today than at any other time in medical history. Oral antifungals are indicated or required to treat hyperkeratotic areas such as nails, palms, soles and tinea capitis, patients with disabling or extensive disease, patients intolerant to or who have failed topical therapy, tose with chronic infection, those with granulomatous lesions and patients immunosuppressed by disease or by therapy. A successfull eradication of the fungi is now possible with relatively short treatment regimens.     

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.     

Pseudomycetoma for microsporum canis: report of a case diagnosed by fine needle aspiration biopsy

BACKGROUND: Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of the skin is useful in subcutaneous lesions. Dermatophytes are almost exclusively superficial cutaneous mycoses and constitute 70-80% of all mycoses and 5% of dermatologic consultations. Inflammatory and invasive forms, as well as infections that remain in chronic forms or persist in spite of treatment, are more frequent in immunocompromised individuals. The clinicalpresentations of these invasive cases are dermatopbytic granulomas (granuloma of Wilson-Majocchi and pseudomycetoma) or Hadida's disease. CASE: A 17-year-old male with an 8-year history of tinea capitis and multiple kerion lesions in the occipital region, left foot and right elbow resistant to conventional treatment was diagnosed by KOH tests and cultures as Microsporum canis. Two months before consultation he noticed the slow growth of a subcutaneous nodule in the base of the neck. FNAB of the neck nodule was performed. The diagnosis of pseudomycetoma by Microsporum canis was made. CONCLUSION: We report a case of pseudomycetoma caused by Microsporum canis, with the diagnosis made by FNAB. This case appears to be the first one diagnosed by this method in a human.     

Suboccipital muscles in the cat neck: Morphometry and histochemistry of the rectus capitis muscle complex

The morphometry, histochemistry, and biomechanical relationships of rectus capitis muscles were examined in adult cats. This family of muscles contained six members on the dorsal, ventral, and lateral aspects of the upper cervical vertebral column. Three dorsal muscles (rectus capitis posterior major, medius, and minor) formed a layered complex spanning from C1 and C2 to the skull. Rectus capitis posterior major was composed predominantly of fast fibers, but the other two deeper muscles contained progressively higher proportions of slow fibers. One ventral muscle, rectus capitis anterior major, was architecturally complex. It originated from several cervical vertebrae and appeared to be divided into two different heads. In contrast, rectus capitis anterior minor and rectus capitis lateralis were short, parallel-fibered muscles spanning between the skull and C1. The ventral muscles all had nonuniform distributions of muscle-fiber types in which fast fibers predominated. Dorsal and ventral muscle groupings usually had cross-sectional areas of 0.5 cm² or more, reflecting a potential capacity to generate maximal tetanic force in excess of 9 N. Biomechanical analyses suggested that one muscle, rectus capitis lateralis, had its largest moment in lateral flexion, whereas the other muscles had large, posturally dependent moment arms appropriate for actions in flexion-extension. The observation that most rectus muscles have relatively large cross-sectional areas and high fast-fiber proportions suggests that the muscles may have important phasic as well as postural roles during head movement. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

我国大陆近年儿童头癣流行情况的回顾分析

目的 了解我国近年来头癣的流行情况.方法 采用回顾性方法 分析对2000年1月～2010年11月发表的中文或英文有关我国头癣报道的文章进行汇总分析.结果 共汇总文章50余篇,分析病例23 258例,其中男12 745例,女10513例,男女比例1.21:1.按照临床分型,有临床类型资料的有7 684例,其中白癣5 506例,占71.16%,居首位.除新疆南部外,犬小孢子菌仍是头癣的主要致病菌(67.99%),其次为紫色毛癣菌(8.51%)和须癣毛癣菌(8.14%).新疆南部以紫色毛癣菌为主(49.19%),其次为许兰毛癣菌和铁锈色小孢子菌(33.90%和12.60%).结论 我国头癣病原菌变迁缓慢,犬小孢子菌仍是我国主要致病菌,但是亲人性的紫色毛癣菌在东部比例较高,需进行长期监测.     

Radiation-induced skin carcinomas of the head and neck

Radiation exposures to the scalp during childhood for tinea capitis were associated with a fourfold increase in skin cancer, primarily basal cell carcinomas, and a threefold increase in benign skin tumors. Malignant melanoma, however, was not significantly elevated. Overall, 80 neoplasms were identified from an extensive search of the pathology logs of all major hospitals in Israel and computer linkage with the national cancer registry. Radiation dose to the scalp was computed for over 10,000 persons irradiated for ringworm (mean 7 Gy), and incidence rates were contrasted with those observed in 16,000 matched comparison subjects. The relative risk of radiogenic skin cancer did not differ significantly between men or women or by time since exposure; however, risk was greatest following exposures in early childhood. After adjusting for sex, ethnic origin, and attained age, the estimated excess relative risk was 0.7 per Gy and the average excess risk over the current follow-up was 0.31/10(4) PY-Gy. The risk per Gy of radiation-induced skin cancer was intermediate between the high risk found among whites and no risk found among blacks in a similar study conducted in New York City (Shore et al., Radiat. Res. 100, 192-204, 1984). This finding suggests the role that subsequent exposure to uv radiation likely plays in the expression of a potential radiation-induced skin malignancy.     

ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE JUGULAR AND CEREBRAL VEINS IN FISHES

The development of the jugular and cerebral veins and adjacent lymphatic vessels in Hepsetus, Salmo, Amia, Acipenser, Neoceratodus, Scyllium and Squalus has been studied on a large embryological material. The reconstruction method has been applied. There has been much confusion in the literature on head veins. This is partly due to the rather schematic investigations of e.g. van Gelderen, and partly to the publications of de Beer and Holmgren, paying no regard to the lymphatic vessels. The currently new features on the v. capitis medialis are that in adult fishes a larger part of the vein remains than was earlier believed. It usually consists of three portions. No secondary vein takes part in the constitution of the jugular vein, as was supposed by de Beer, Holmgren and others. In actinopterygians the secondary vein is in reality represented by the anterior portion of the v. cardinalis anterior as well as of all the v. capitis lateralis, and in elasmobranchs it is only represented by the former portion. The elasmobranchian (except Squalus ) jugular vein is instead formed from the v. capitis lateralis, and in teleostomes and Squalus it is developed from two veins, viz. the anterior portion of the v. capitis medialis and all the v. capitis lateralis. The latter vein is formed from two (teleostomes) or three (elasmobranchs) loops. The v. cardinalis anterior becomes completely atrophied in Squalus , and partly atrophied in Acipenser, Amia and Neoceratodus. The development of the three main cerebral veins is described. van Gelderen's classification of the v. cerebralis media is criticized. And so also is his hypothesis for the evolution of the head veins in fishes. It is suggested that the Hepsetus type is primitive and that the Acipenser and Amia types have evolved from it or from a similar type. Neoceratodus and Squalus have rather specialised types, which seem to have evolved separately right from the base of the system.     

广州地区70例儿童头癣病原学分析

目的 了解6a来广州地区头癣类型及病原菌分布特点.方法 采用病例回顾性分析,对2007年7月～2013年9月来广州市中山大学附属第三医院皮肤科门诊就诊的头癣患儿（平均为6.0±3.6岁）真菌直接镜检、培养及分离鉴定的结果进行分析.结果 70例头癣患儿真菌镜检阳性为69例,阳性率为99％,真菌培养阳性为47例,阳性率为81％.白癣为52例,占74％.病原菌包括犬小孢子菌19例（40％）、须癣毛癣菌13例（28％）、紫色毛癣菌5例（11％）,石膏样小孢子菌3例（6％）,其他病原菌为7例（15％）.其中,4～7岁的头癣患儿为35例,占50％.结论 儿童头癣的主要临床类型为白癣.致病菌以亲动物性犬小孢子菌为主.患儿的主要年龄段为4～7岁.     

Three years incidence of dermatophytes in a hospital in Porto (Portugal)

We evaluated the incidence of dermatophytes isolated at our hospital in the years of 1997 to 2000 and correlated it with anatomical site and age. Trichophyton rubrum was the predominant species in all anatomical sites, excluding scalp, followed by Microsporum canis, the leading agent of tinea capitis. All dermatophytosis, except tinea capitis by M. canis and Trichophyton schoenleinnii appeared mainly in adult patients. Our results revealed no substantial differences to other portuguese studies regarding the major agents. We found a relatively high incidence of T. schoenleinnii as second tinea capitis agent.     

儿童头癣33例临床分析

目的 观察姜堰地区儿童头癣流行病学、传播方式、病原菌及治疗结果.方法 对我科2006年8月～ 2013年5月诊治的33例儿童头癣病例进行总结分析.结果 33例儿童头癣中白癣24例、黑癣5例、脓癣4例;男19例、女14例;犬小孢子菌22例、紫色毛癣菌2例、须癣毛癣菌3例、断发毛癣菌3例、红色毛癣菌1例、石膏样小孢子菌2例.患者中有动物接触史的占42.42％ （14/33）.经口服特比萘芬或伊曲康唑6～8周,每日用硫磺皂洗头,局部外用萘替芬酮康唑乳膏均取得满意疗效.8周时治愈率分别为87.50％和88.24％,真菌清除率分别为100％和94.12％.结论 近年来本病增多的原因与喂养猫、犬等宠物有关,主要病原菌是亲动物的犬小孢子菌,经综合治疗,疗效满意.     

Tinea Capitis in Southeastern China: A 16-Year Survey

This survey was a retrospective of a 16-year (1993–2008) study on the incidence, clinical features, and etiological agents of tinea capitis mainly representing the Southeastern China. The diagnosis was confirmed by direct microscopic examination. Eight hundred and sixty-six patients with tinea capitis, 381 males (44%) and 485 females (56%), were enrolled in this study. Patients were between 20 days and 84 years old with an average of 10.5 years and the peak incidence was in the age group of 6–10 (48.5%). Five hundred and sixty-two patients (64.9%) were ectothrix and 303 patients (35.0%) were endothrix with only one patient was favus. The incidence of tinea capitis from 1993 was gradually increasing and reaching to its peak in 2001. Positive cultures of dermatophytes were obtained in 715 patients: Microsporum canis (62.4%) was predominant, followed by Trichophyton violaceum (19.0%), Trichophyton tousurans (9.8%). M. canis was the major pathogen for ectothrix infection, while T. violaceum and T. tousurans contributed to the most endothrix form. M. canis, T. violaceum, and T. rubrum were the major pathogens for kerion.