The Rare Imitator : Pulmonary Nocardiosis Mimics Tuberculosis Reactivation

Pulmonary Nocardiosis is a rare bacterial infection of lungs, caused by a filamentous bacterium. Immunocompromised people are known to be at danger, but there are other new emerging risk factors to consider. The presentation and clinical course in such patients differ from the previous. Here the present case is aimed to underline the presentation and diagnosis in non-risk individual.

Biosurfactant and bioemulsifier as promising molecules produced by Mucor hiemalis isolated from Caatinga soil

BACKGROUND: The present study describes the production of biosurfactant (BS) and emulsifier (BE) by the filamentous fungus Mucor hiemalis UCP 0039, as well as the characterization and stability of the both biomolecules for environmental or industrial applications. RESULTS: Biosurfactants and bioemulsifiers are amphiphilic compounds and are produced as extracellular molecules. The results showed that bioproduct obtained by shaker condition reduced the water surface tension of 72 to 32 mN/m and reached an emulsification index of 96%, while the static cultivation resulted in a biomolecule with a surface tension of 40 mN/m and an emulsification index of 96%, suggesting the production of a biosurfactant and bioemulsifier, respectively. The compounds showed glycolipid nature but the biosurfactant presented cationic charge, while the bioemulsifier, anionic charge. Thus, the results confirmed that M. hiemalis produced two distinct biomolecules under different parameters and in the same culture medium. CONCLUSIONS: It is the first time that biosurfactant and emulsifier production has been described in the same medium and under different physical conditions by Mucor hiemalis. Both biomolecules showed thermal stability, as well as have significant effect on the viscosity of hydrophobic compounds, indicating the excellent potential for environmental safety or industrial applications to improve the efficiency of sustainable and economic technologies.

A retrospective analysis of the pathogens associated with infectious keratitis / 中国感染与化疗杂志

Objective To study the pathogens associated with infectious keratitis for early diagnosis and treatment.Methods This study was conducted with the patients with confirmed diagnosis of infectious keratitis in our hospital during the period from January 2011 through December 2015.The specimens from corneal ulcer were subject to bacterial and fungal culture.The pathogens and associated risk factors of infectious keratitis were analyzed retrospectively.Results Of the 1 046 corneal specimens,369 (35.3％) were positive for microorganisms.The most frequently isolated microorganism was fungal species (53.1％),followed by grampositive cocci (31.2％),gram-negative bacilli (11.1％),and gram-positive bacilli (4.6％).Of the fungal strains,most were Fusarium (69.4％),followed by Aspergillus species (21.9％).Coagulase negative Staphylococcus accounted for more than half (50.4％) of the gram positive cocci.Conclusions Infectious keratitis is primarily associated with fungal infection,especially filamentous fungus such as Fusarium.

The relationship between the genotype and clinical factors of filamentous fungus causing-keratitis / 眼科研究

Background The study on the classification of fungi is very important for the diagnosis and treatment of fungal keratitis.Identifying the different species of filamentous fungi is a critical factor for the application of anti-fungal drug in treating keratitis.ObjectiveThis report studies the relationship between the genotype of filamentous fungi and the clinical factors.MethodsFifty-two patients with filamentous fungal keratitis determined by clinical and laboratory examination were recruited in Tongren Hospital from January 2006-December 2006.The lesions were graded on the severity of the corneal ulcer and the presence of hypopyon.The filamentous fungal keratitis was treated with topical and systemic administration of anti-fungal drugs or corneal transplantation.The isolates were cultured in potato culture and identified by morphological characteristics based on the Nelson criterion and genotyped by the rDNA ITS method.The clinical data was retrospectively analyzed.ResultsForty-eight species (eubacteria are bacteria,not fungi)of fungus were identified by morphological characteristics,and the filamentous fungi were divided into 4 types based on the phylogenetic relationships within the rDNA ITS of the 52 filamentous fungi.The morphological characteristics and genotype were confirmed in 48 strains of eubacteria and 31 strains of 52 filamentous fungi (90.3%).The 4 groups of fungi were classified by genotype as follows:group 1 represents 22 strains including 20 strains of Fusarium solani and 2 strains of Fusarium oxysporum;group 2 represents 12 strains including 8 strains of Fusarium moniliformis,3 strains of Fusarium proliferatum and 1 strain of Fusarium incarnatum;group 3 represents 5 strains including 1 strain of Fusarium moniliformis and 4 unknown strains;group 4 represents 13 strains including 10 strains of Aspergillus spp.and 3 strains of Alternaria spp.Significant differences were found in the disease duration (P=0.00),inducing cause (P=0.03),ulcer grade (P=0.01)and outcome of the anti-fungal treatment (P=0.035)when compared between group 1 and 2 with group 3 and 4.Conclusion Filamentous fungi that cause keratitis could be correctly identified by sequencing the internal tanscribed spacer of rDNA.There are significant clinical differences among the groups classified by genotype.