Activity of propolis in an experimental model of pneumocystosis

To investigate the anti Pneumocystis effects of propolis on Pneumocystis carinii P. carinii in rat model. Rats were obtained, and the study was taken in to place in Erciyes University Clinical and Experimental Research Center, Kayseri, Turkey, in June 2007. In order to obtain spontaneous pneumonia, rats were remained on immunosuppression therapy with dexamethasone throughout the study. Propolis administered orally at doses of 30, 50, and 100 mg/kg/day. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole [TMP-SMX, 50/250 mg/kg/day] was used as positive control and untreated animals as negative control in the study. There were 6 animals in each group. Untreated animals showed P. carinii infection level with a mean +/= standard deviation log number of cysts per gram of lung tissue of 4.6 +/= 1.6 at the end of the experiment. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole 50/250 mg/kg/day has significantly reduced the log number of cysts per gram to 1.8 +/= 1.6 [p<0.001]. There was no reduction found in the number of cysts in infected animals treated with 30, 50, and 100 mg of propolis/kg/day, and so the results were not statistically significant [p>0.05] compared with the control group. In our rat model of pneumocystosis the efficacy of propolis, this was used in folk medicine since ancient times, found completely ineffective

A Case of Pulmonary Microsporidiasis in an Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia (AML) -M3 Patient

Reported here is a case of microsporidiasis that occurred in an acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) -M3 patient who underwent chemotherapy. Fever, cough, expectorate and dyspnea were observed during the therapy. Since this case was considered as adult respiratory distress syndrome due to the chest X-ray and arterial blood gas findings, the male patient was bounded to a mechanical ventilator. As coagulation tests showed compatible findings with disseminate intravascular coagulation (DIC), it was thought to be a case of sepsis originating from the lungs and DIC. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were found in the sputum of the patient. Although he was given combined antibiotic therapy, there was no reduction in the fever. A bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) sample was taken and Microsporidia sp. was found upon staining with Giemsa. The patient died due to sepsis and DIC just before receiving therapy for microsporidiasis. Pulmonary infection with Microsporidia, although classically occurring in patients with HIV infection, may occur rarely in leukemia patients, especially if previously treated with systemic immune suppression. This case reinforces the need to consider Microsporidia as a possible pathogen in immunocompromised patients with pulmonary infections.