Cutaneous trichosporosis

Of 269 patients with cutaneous trichosporosis a majority of 170 (63.2%) showed the infection as intertrigo in the genitocrural and perianal areas. The predominant symptoms were itching and burning. Trichosporosis has been found to be less common in the other sites. Trichosporosis due to Trichosporon beigelii should be kept in mind as one of the differential diagnosis in cases of genitocrural intertrigo and other cutaneous infections by fungi and bacteria in the tropics.     

Isolation and detection of Leishmania species among naturally infected Rhombomis opimus, a reservoir host of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Turkemen Sahara, North East of Iran

In Iran, three species of Leishmania have been incriminated as the causative agents of human leishmaniasis, Leishmania (L.) major, Leishmania tropica, and Leishmania infantum.Rhombomis opimus have been incriminated as a principal reservoirs of the parasitic protozoan Leishmania major, the causative agent of rural zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) in Iran. Rodents captured and examined to find Leishmania species using conventional methods including direct impression smear and microscopic observation inoculation samples to Balb/c and culture in NNN medium. Also molecular method was employed to detect Leishmania in rodents by amplifying a region of the ribosomal RNA amplicon of Leishmania (ITS1-5.8S rRNA–ITS2) using Nested PCR. Leshmania species were specified by DNA sequences. 36 (38.3%) of R. opimus were Leishmania positive using at least one conventional methods. Many more ITS-rDNA fragments were amplified from R. opimus but only 65 out of 74 PCR products contained enough DNA for direct sequencing or readable sequences. The PCR assays detected in Iranian R. opimus not only Leishmania major in 59 (79.7%) rodents but also Leishmania turanica in 6 (8.1%) rodents, another parasite of the great gerbil. These parasites were found in Turkemen Sahara, North East of Iran, in a focus of rural (ZCL). L. major and L. turanica in R. opimus firmly identified from Turkemen Sahara. Nine rodents with Leishmania infections unidentified which some were unreadable sequences, these could be mixed infections of L. major, L. turanica, Leishmania gerbillisensu lato and Leishmania close to L. gerbilli or a related species reported in sandflies previously from this location. The haplotypes of L. major and L. turanica were found to be identical to that of isolates of L. major and L. turanica from Iran and in GenBank elsewhere. R. opimus is probably the key reservoir in this ZCL focus because of its abundance and its infection rates with both L. major and L. turanica.     

Specificity of the rapid rK39 antigen-based immunochromatographic test Kalazar Detect(r) in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil

The aim of this study was to evaluate the specificity of a rapid immunochromatographic test that was developed to detect antibodies against the rK39 antigen for the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). This evaluation was performed using sera from patients with a confirmed diagnosis of active cutaneous leishmaniasis. The sera from 272 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of localised cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) who resided in an area endemic for Leishmania braziliensis in Brazil were obtained before the initiation of antileishmanial treatment. Kalazar Detect^(r)(InBios, Seattle, WA) recombinant K39 antigen-based immunochromatographic strips were used according to the manufacturer''s instructions. The test results were evaluated independently by two examiners in sequential order. The positive controls for the test included five serum samples from five patients with parasitologically confirmed diagnosis of VL caused by Leishmania infantum in Brazil. Overall, 100% of the samples obtained from patients with CL were negative, confirming the absence of a serological cross-reaction for individuals with cutaneous disease when these patients were evaluated using the rapid test. The lack of a cross-reaction in patients who were infected by parasites of the same genus highlights the specificity of the rK39 antigen for the diagnosis of VL in areas with the sympatric circulation of L. braziliensis and L. infantum.     

Examination of variables in the vaccination of mice against cutaneous leishmaniasis using living avirulent cloned lines and killed promastigotes of Leishmania major

Mitchell G. F., Handman E. and Spithill T. W. 1985. Examination of variables in the vaccination of mice against cutaneous leishmaniasis using living avirulent cloned lines and killed promastigotes of Leishmania major. International Journal for Parasitology15: 677–684. In vaccination experiments not involving adjuvants, genetically-susceptible mice were injected with living avirulent cloned promastigotes of Leishmania major or killed promastigotes prior to cutaneous challenge with virulent cloned promastigotes. Emphasis was placed on aspects that may contribute to marked variability between experiments and between laboratories in vaccination of mice against cutaneous leishmaniasis. One variable, the challenge promastigotes, was shown to be important in that cloned virulent parasites (V121) were less pathogenic in terms of rate of cutaneous lesion development, than the parental isolate LRC-L137 when low doses of promastigotes were used and particularly when harvested from the log phase of culture. It is likely that avirulent parasites in mixed isolates can increase the rate of lesion development after cutaneous deposition. As reported previously, intraperitoneal, and more particularly intravenous injections of living avirulent cloned parasites (A12) increase resistance in mice. Most importantly, a difference has been demonstrated in the vaccinating efficacy of killed promastigotes of various isolates injected intravenously. This implies that certain isolates of L. major (e.g. the “Moshkovsky strain”) express “host-protective antigens” at higher levels, or in a qualitatively different manner, than other isolates (e.g. LRC-L137). The finding will greatly facilitate the identification of vaccine antigens in this system using immunochemical and gene cloning approaches.     

MSC-exosome: A novel cell-free therapy for cutaneous regeneration

Cutaneous regeneration is a dynamic and complex process that requires a series of coordinated interactions involving epidermal cells, dermal cells, growth factors, the extracellular matrix (ECM), nerves and blood vessels at a damaged site. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been reported to participate in all afore-mentioned stages. Exosomes are one of the key secretory products of MSCs, resembling the effect of parental MSCs. They can shuttle various proteins, messenger RNA (mRNA) and microRNAs (miRNAs) to modulate the activity of recipient cells, and play important roles in cutaneous wound healing. Compared with MSCs, exosomes are more convenient to store and transport. Moreover, they avoid many risks associated with cell transplantation. Therefore, MSC-exosome–mediated therapy may be more safe and efficient. In this review, we summarize the latest studies and observations on the role of MSC-exosome in the acute and chronic wound model and provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of exosomes in wound healing. This review can assist investigators in exploring new therapeutic strategies for enhancing the efficacy of MSC-exosome for cutaneous repair and regeneration.