Regional peculiarities of some deep mycoses

Summary Some observations suggest that some deep mycoses would show epidemiological and clinical dissimilarities in different countries.In some tropical zones the atypical, non lymphangitic, fixed forms of sporotrichosis are more frequently reported than the lymphangitic, typical forms. This difference has been ascribed to the uneven ability of the reporting authors to recognize the atypical forms, to early or late diagnosis as the lymphangitis has a tendency to disappear 3 to 4 months after the infection, to an inhibitory effect of high ambient temperatures on the growth of the fungus in the tissues and to reinfections in partially resistant people.The frequency of chromoblastomycosis coincides with its predominance in the lower limbs and therefore some causes of susceptibility to infection of the skin of the lower limbs are analized: non use of footwear, unbalanced diets, parasitic diseases and modifications of reactivity due to specific and non-specific sensitization.Some records are indicative that the first stage of the infection byNocardia brasiliensis may be a chancriform syndrome with lymphangitis showing a tendency toward self-limitation. The same causes which have been considered favorable for the development of chromoblastomycosis might have an influence on the frequency of mycetomas.Several factors may have an influence on the characteristics of histoplasmosis: presence or abscence of starlings, permanently high ambient temperature and humidity or alternance of warm-humid and cold seasons, early or late infection of children.Dissimilarities in the features of South American blastomycosis in different countries have still not been reported with accuracy. The frequency offer remarkable differences and the disease is recorded especially in subtropical humid areas of continental Latin America. The habitat of the fungus is unknown.

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Peculiaridades regionales de algunas micosis profundas

Resumen Algunas observaciones son sugestivas en el sentido de que algunas micosis profundas mostrarían diferencias epidemiológicas y clínicas en diferentes países.En algunas zonas tropicales cálidas las formas atípicas, no linfangíticas, fijas, de la esporotricosis son más frecuentemente registradas que las formas lifangíticas, típicas. Esta diferencia ha sido atribuída a la desigual habilidad de los diferentes autores para reconocer las formas atípicas, al diagnóstico precoz o tardío dado que la linfangítis tiende a desaparecer 3 a 4 meses despues de la infección, a un efecto inhibitorio de elevadas temperaturas ambientales sobre la vida del hongo en los tejidos y a reinfecciones en poblaciones parcialmente resistentes.La frecuencia de la cromoblastomicosis coincide con su predominancia en los miembros inferiores y en consecuencia se analiza algunas causas de susceptibilidad a la infección de la piel de las extremidades inferiores: no uso de calzado, dietas carenciadas, enfermedades parasitarias y modificaciones de la reactividad debida a sensibilización específica e inespecífica.Existen observaciones que indican que el primer estadio de la infección porNocardia brasiliensis puede ser un sindrome chancriforme con linfangitis con tendencia a auto-limitación. Las mismas causas que han sido consideradas como favos recedoras del desarrollo de la cromoblastomicosis podrían tener influencia en los micetomas y su frecuancia.Varios factores pueden tener influencia en las características de la histoplasmosis: pululación o ausencia de estorninos, temperaturas permanentemente delevadas y alto grado higrométrico en algunos países y alternancia de estaciones en otros, infección temprana o tardía de los niños.Diferencias en aspectos de la blastomicosis sudamericana en diferentes países aún no han sido relatadas con precisión. La frecuencia ofrece notables divergencias y la enfermedad es registrada especialmente en zonas sub-tropicales húmedas de América Latina continental. El habitat de su agente es desconocido.

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Read at the Official Meeting of The Medical Mycological Society of the Americas held in Mexico D. F., August 8, 1970.     

Adult peripheral nerve disorders: nerve entrapment, repair, transfer, and brachial plexus disorders

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After reading this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Describe the pathophysiologic bases for nerve injury and how they apply to patient evaluation and management. 2. Recognize the wide variety of injury patterns and associated patient complaints and physical findings associated with peripheral nerve pathology. 3. Evaluate and recommend further tests to aid in defining the diagnosis. 4. Specify treatment options and potential risks and benefits. SUMMARY: Peripheral nerve disorders comprise a gamut of problems, ranging from entrapment neuropathy to direct open traumatic injury and closed brachial plexus injury. The pathophysiology of injury defines the patient's symptoms, examination findings, and treatment options and is critical to accurate diagnosis and treatment. The goals of treatment include management of the often associated pain and improvement of sensory and motor function. Understanding peripheral nerve anatomy is critical to adopting novel nerve transfer procedures, which may provide superior options for a variety of injury patterns.     

Flexibility in crosstalk between H2B ubiquitination and H3 methylation in vivo

Histone H2B ubiquitination is a dynamic modification that promotes methylation of histone H3K79 and H3K4. This crosstalk is important for the DNA damage response and has been implicated in cancer. Here, we show that in engineered yeast strains, ubiquitins tethered to every nucleosome promote H3K79 and H3K4 methylation from a proximal as well as a more distal site, but only if in a correct orientation. This plasticity indicates that the exact location of the attachment site, the native ubiquitin-lysine linkage and ubiquitination cycles are not critical for trans-histone crosstalk in vivo. The flexibility in crosstalk also indicates that other ubiquitination events may promote H3 methylation.     

Sex attractants in nematodes

Nematodes communicate with each other using pheromones - chemicals secreted by one individual that affect the behaviour of others of the same species. Chemicals secreted into the environment are known to influence host location, dormancy (dauer-larva formation), competitive interactions and mate detection; they benefit the nematode by reducing energy expenditure on less orientated movements. Of these chemicals, sex pheromones associated with mate detection and attraction are of particular interest as potential biological control agents. Here, Barbara MacKinnon discusses these developments.     

Effects of serum amyloid A protein (SAA) on composition, size, and density of high density lipoproteins in subjects with myocardial infarction

The acute phase reactant serum amyloid A protein (SAA) circulates in plasma as a constituent of high density lipoproteins (HDL). Advantage has been taken of the induction of SAA in human subjects with myocardial infarction to study the effect of SAA on the physical and chemical properties of HDL. HDL were isolated by sequential ultracentrifugation and assayed for chemical composition. Apolipoprotein composition was assessed by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Size distribution of HDL was determined by gradient gel electrophoresis and density distribution by density gradient ultracentrifugation. In studies of 18 subjects with myocardial infarction, SAA accounted for 8-87% (median 52%) of the HDL apolipoprotein. These SAA-enriched HDL had a density comparable to that of normal HDL subfraction-3 (HDL3). Their chemical composition differed from normal HDL3, however, with a reduced phospholipid (17% vs 24%) and an increased triglyceride (7.7% vs 1.6%) value. When separated by gradient gel electrophoresis, the SAA-enriched HDL were much larger than normal HDL3, having a radius of 4.5-5.3 nm that extended well into the size range of HDL2; particle size correlated with SAA content. This disassociation between particle density and particle size was also observed with the SAA-enriched HDL isolated from a subject with secondary amyloidosis and also with normal HDL that had been enriched with SAA during incubation in vitro. Thus, the presence of high levels of SAA has been found to be associated with phospholipid-depleted particles of a density comparable to HDL3 but a size larger than normal HDL3.     

The role of primary bone grafting in complex craniomaxillofacial trauma

The role of craniofacial surgical techniques and immediate bone grafting in the management of complex craniofacial trauma has been reviewed. Four hundred and one patients with complex facial injuries have been treated. Two hundred and forty-one primary bone and cartilage grafts have been performed in 66 patients. Complex facial injuries should be managed by direct exposure, reduction, and fixation of all fractures utilizing interfragmentary wiring. Very comminuted or absent bone is replaced by immediate bone grafting, producing a stable skeleton without the need for external fixation devices. Associated mandibular fractures are managed with rigid internal fixation utilizing A-O technique. Results of immediate bone grafting have been excellent, and complications are rare. All deformities should be corrected, whenever possible, during the initial operation. This one-stage reconstruction of even the most complex facial injuries will prevent severe postoperative traumatic deformity and disability that may be extremely difficult or impossible to correct secondarily.     

Assessment of enzyme inhibition or stimulation in plasma membrane preparations

The purity of isolated plasma membranes is routinely judged by the activity of enzymes present both in this membrane and other locations in the cell. However, since enzyme inhibition and/or stimulation often occurs following disruption of the cell, the question as to which enzyme(s) provides a reliable marker of membrane purity should be considered. We have devised a simple method with which to address this problem. Inhibition or stimulation of plasma membrane marker enzymes can be rapidly assessed in cell homogenates and subfractions by mixing both samples, with known enzyme activity, and observing any deviation from the expected combined activity. Should the activity remain constant that enzyme can be used to gauge the purity of the plasma membrane preparation. Of the four putative plasma membrane marker enzymes examined only one, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase appeared to give a reliable purity measurement in the cell system studied.