Epithelial Wound Healing after Cataract Surgery Comparing Two Different Topical Fluoroquinolones

PURPOSE: To compare the epithelial wound healing response of two preservative-free fluoroquinolones, moxifloxacin and levofloxacin, in patients who underwent cataract surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective, evaluator-masked, randomized clinical trial, 59 eyes of 50 patients who underwent cataract surgery were enrolled. Patients were randomized to receive moxifloxacin 0.5% (n=32 eyes) or levofloxacin 0.5% (n=27 eyes). All patients instilled moxifloxacin or levofloxain four times daily for 1 week prior to surgery and 2 weeks after surgery. The epithelial wound healing status in the corneal incision site was scanned with a raster scan mode of fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT). The number of eyes showing epithelial defect images and average number of corneal epithelial defect cuts per eye were compared between groups. All patients were evaluated on postoperative days 1, 2, 3, and 10. RESULTS: On postoperative days 1, 2, and 3, the number of eyes showing epithelial defects in FD-OCT was not statistically different (all p>0.05). The average number of corneal epithelial defect cuts was also not statistically different between the two groups (all p>0.05). No eyes showed epithelial defects on postoperative day 10 in either group. CONCLUSION: There were no differences on epithelial wound healing comparing these two different fluoroquinolones at the incision site of cataract surgery.

Unilateral conjunctival ulcer due to Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infection.

We report a case of unilateral conjunctival ulcer due to Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infection in an immunocompetent individual. A 44-year-old male presented with complaints of pain and yellowish discharge in the right eye for one week. Patient underwent complete ophthalmic evaluation and relevant laboratory investigations. Anterior segment examination revealed localized conjunctival and episcleral congestion with conjunctival ulceration on the bulbar conjunctiva in the right eye. Gram's stain revealed gram-negative bacilli. Culture and sensitivity revealed S. maltophilia and responded well to topical moxifloxacin with systemic co-trimoxazole therapy.

Rhodococcus equi infection after reduction mammaplasty in an immunocompetent patient / Infección por Rhodococcus equi luego de cirugía de reducción mamaria en huésped inmunocompetente

The majority of infections caused by R. equi occur in hosts with some degree of cell-mediated immunodeficiency. Immunocompetent individuals are infrequently affected and usually present with localized disease. Infections of the skin or related structures are uncommon and are usually related to environmental contamination. The microbiology laboratory plays a key role in the identification of the organism since it may be mistaken for common skin flora. We describe a 31 year-old woman without medical problems who presented nine weeks after breast reduction with right breast cellulitis and purulent drainage from the surgical wound. She underwent incision and drainage, and cultures of the wound yielded Rhodococcus equi. The patient completed six weeks of antimicrobial therapy with moxifloxacin and rifampin with complete resolution.

La mayoría de las infecciones causadas por Rhodococcus equi ocurren en huéspedes con algún grado de inmunodeficiencia celular. Los individuos inmunocompetentes son afectados con baja frecuencia y suelen presentarse con enfermedad localizada. Las infecciones de la piel o partes blandas son poco frecuentes y están usualmente relacionadas con contaminación ambiental. El laboratorio de microbiología juega un papel clave en la identificación del organismo, ya que este puede confundirse con flora normal de la piel. Se describe una mujer de 31 años sin problemas médicos que consultó nueve semanas después de haber sido sometida a cirugía de reducción mamaria, con celulitis del seno derecho y drenaje purulento de la herida quirúrgica. Se practicó incisión y drenaje quirúrgico y los cultivos de la herida demostraron R. equi. La paciente recibió seis semanas de tratamiento antimicrobiano con moxifloxacina y rifampicina demostrando resolución completa.

Curcumin, but not Prima-1, decreased tumor cell proliferation in the syngeneic murine orthotopic bladder tumor model

OBJECTIVE: Cigarette smoking is the main risk factor for bladder cancer development. Among the mediators of this effect of smoking is nuclear factor-kappa B. Curcumin suppresses cellular transformation by downregulating the activity of nuclear factor-kappa B. Prima-1 is a compound that induces apoptosis in human tumor cells, restoring the function of mutant p53. Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of curcumin and prima-1 in an animal model of bladder cancer. METHODS: Tumor implantation was achieved in six- to eight-week-old female C57BL/6 mice by introducing MB49 bladder cancer cells into the bladder. Intravesical treatment with curcumin and Prima-1 was performed on days 2, 6, 10, and 14. On day 15, the animals were sacrificed. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the expression of cyclin D1, Cox-2, and p21. Cell proliferation was examined using PCNA. RESULTS: Animals treated with curcumin exhibited a higher degree of necrosis than animals in other groups. Immunohistochemistry showed reduced expression of cyclin D1 in the curcumin-treated group. All of the cells in mice treated with curcumin were p21 positive, suggesting that the p53 pathway is induced by this compound. Prima-1 did not induce any change in tumor size, necrosis, cell proliferation, or the expression of proteins related to the p53 pathway in this animal model. CONCLUSION: Curcumin showed activity in this animal bladder cancer model and probably acted via the regulation of nuclear factor-kappa B and p53. Therefore, curcumin is a good choice for the use in clinical trials to treat superficial bladder cancer as an alternative to bacillus Calmette-Guerin. In contrast, Prima-1 does not seem to have an effect on bladder cancer.

Conjuntivite por Achromobacter xylosoxidans: relato de caso / Conjunctivitis due to Achromobacter xylosoxidans: case report

Relatamos um caso de conjuntivite ocasionada por Achromobacter xylosoxidans em paciente imunocompetente usuária de lentes de contato rígidas. A bactéria foi isolada da solução utilizada para a desinfecção das lentes bem como do raspado conjuntival. A. xylosoxidans tem sido descrita em infecções oportunistas em pacientes imunodeprimidos, contudo pode ser confundida com outros bacilos gram-negativos, principalmente Pseudomonas aeruginosa, isoladas de infecções oculares em pacientes imunocompetentes. Devido ao reduzido perfil de sensibilidade aos antimicrobianos demonstrado pelo A. xylosoxidans, torna-se importante a identificação deste agente etiológico em quadros de conjuntivite.

We report here a case of conjunctivitis in an immunocompetent patient due to Achromobacter xylosoxidans, which was associated with the use of rigid contact lenses. The bacteria were isolated from the scraped conjunctival swab as well as from the lens cleaning fluid. A. xylosoxidans is an opportunistic pathogen, especially in immunocompromised patients; however, in isolates of ocular infections, from immunocompetent patients, it may be confused with other gram-negative organisms, particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Due to an increased resistance against different antimicrobial agents, A. xylosoxidans must be fully identified and differentiated from other gram-negative isolates from ocular infections.

Extensively drug resistance (XDR) tb is not always fatal.

The chance of incidence of XDR TB is on the rise due to improper use of second line anti-tubercular drugs. XDR-TB is very difficult to treat successfully and is often referred to as "virtually untreatable form of TB". We herein report a case of XDR TB confirmed by bacteriological examination in a WHO recognised laboratory who after 12 months of regular treatment improved both clinically and radiologically with sputum smear conversion. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no previous report of any similar case in literature.