A Case of Primary Cutaneous Cryptococcosis Arising on the Abdomen and Review of the Literature / 대한의진균학회지

Primary cutaneous cryptococcosis is isolated cutaneous cryptococcosis without evidence of systemic involvement. It usually presents as a solitary nodule in an exposed area, such as head and neck or extremities, and the occurrence of primary cutaneous cryptococcosis in the covered area has been rarely reported in the literature. A healthy 81-year-old immunocompetent woman presented with a solitary reddish scaly plaque on her abdomen without clinical evidence of systemic cryptococcal infection. Histopathologic examination showed numerous encapsulated spores, and the organism was identified as Cryptococcus neoformans in a series of fungal studies. We diagnosed this case as a primary cutaneous cryptococcosis by the findings mentioned above. The patient was successfully treated with surgical excision and oral fluconazole without any side effects.

Tinea Incognito on the Face and Neck / 대한의진균학회지

Tinea incognito is a dermatophytosis modified by previous treatments such as prolonged use of corticosteroids. Because the lesions often atypical appearing without classic features of ringworm, the diagnosis can be delayed or missed especially when tinea incognito is on the face and neck. A 75-year-old male patient who had been treated with topical steroids at the local dermatologic clinic for 10 years for the eczematous lesion on the scalp and face and recently the lesions spread throughout his neck and back. Physical examination showed ill-defined erythematous scaly patches on the face, neck and back and reddish crusted papules on the scalp. Potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation on the left face and right neck showed hyphae and fungus cultures were positive for colonies of Trichophyton rubrum (T. ruburum). The result of DNA sequencing from the colony was identical to that of T. rubrum. The lesions were treated by oral terbinafine and topical isoconazole.

Evaluation of the immunogenicity of Bordetella bronchiseptica, a vaccine antigen / 대한수의학회지

Bordetella (B.) bronchiseptica is a causative agent of swine atrophic rhinitis that promotes colonization of the mucous membrane of the swine nasal cavity by Pasteurella (P.) multocida. Mixed infection with B. bronchiseptica and P. multocida leads to growth inhibition of pigs, resulting in significant economic loss. There are many commercial vaccines for atrophic rhinitis, including B. bronchiseptica as a killed vaccine antigen (Ag). However, the immunogenicity of killed B. bronchiseptica Ag has not yet been elucidated; therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the immunogenicity of killed B. bronchiseptica Ag and the type of immune response it induces. In vitro assays using mouse spleen cells and flow cytometry revealed that B. bronchiseptica Ag induced high proliferation capability of lymphocytes, especially B lymphocytes, and the proliferating cells showed a significant response to interleukin (IL)-2. B. bronchiseptica Ag also enhanced the production of IL-12, a representative cytokine for cell-mediated immunity. In vivo experiments using mice showed that the injection of B. bronchiseptica Ag markedly induced Ag-specific antibody. Taken together, these results indicate that B. bronchiseptica Ag has high immunogenicity by itself.