Effect of alcohols on filamentation, growth, viability and biofilm development in Candida albicans

In this study we report the potential of alcohols as morphogenetic regulators in Candida albicans. All the alcohols tested influenced various modes of growth like planktonic as well as biofilm forms. Viability was affected at high concentrations. Among the alcohols, the response of C. albicans to amyl alcohol (pentanol) was noteworthy. Amyl alcohol at a concentration 0.5% which was not inhibitory to growth and viability specifically inhibited morphogenetic switching from yeast to hyphal forms. It also inhibited normal biofilm development favoring yeast dominated biofilms. Based on this study we hypothesize that alcohols produced under anaerobic conditions may not favor biofilm development and support dissemination of yeast cells. Since anaerobic conditions are not found to favor production of quorum sensing molecules like farnesol, the alcohols may play a role in morphogenetic regulation.

Extraction and detection of Mycobacterium leprae DNA from ZNCF-stained skin smear slides for better identification of negative skin smears.

Identification of Mycobacterium leprae, which causes leprosy, is done by Ziehl Neelsen Carbol Fuchsin (ZNCF) stained slit skin smear microscopy that aids in the diagnosis and quantification of approximate bacterial load carried by the patient. We attempted M. leprae DNA extraction from 46 stained slit skin smear negative slides, using Proteinase K and SDS lysis, followed by ethanol precipitation. M. leprae specific primers (16SrRNA) were used for PCR-based amplification of DNA. We could detect M. leprae DNA in 15 (32.6%) samples. The method can be useful in the diagnosis of apparently slit skin smear negative leprosy cases.

Patch tests in adverse cutaneous drug reaction.

Twenty-one patients with history of adverse cutaneous drug reaction were patch tested with 23 commonly used drugs in 5% concentration in petrolatum. Nine patients (42.85%) tested were positive to the incriminated drugs while 3 (14.28%) showed positive reactions to other drugs. Highest positivity (50%) was seen in maculo-popular cases while Stevens-Johnson syndrome and exfoliative dermatitis patients showed negative results.

Antiretroviral drugs in the treatment of people living with human immunodeficiency virus: experience in a south Indian tertiary referral centre.

OBJECTIVE: A decrease in the number of new acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases and AIDS--related deaths was seen in developed countries since 1996 due to the use of new combination of antiretroviral drugs. This retrospective study discusses the use of antiretroviral drugs in the treatment of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in a developing country setting. METHODS: A retrospective case note analysis was done of patients receiving antiretroviral therapy at YRG Centre for AIDS Research and Education between Aug. 1996 and Feb. 1999. Out of 936 persons with HIV treated at this centre, 6.1% of the patients were prescribed three groups of drugs: Group A was the combination of the reverse transcriptase inhibitors (nRTI) zidovudine 600 mg daily and lamivudine 300 mg daily, Group B was the combination of zidovudine 600 mg daily, lamivudine 300 mg daily with protease inhibitor (PI) ritonavir 1200 mg daily and Group C was the combination of zidovudine 600 mg daily and lamivudine 300 mg daily with indinavir 2400 mg daily. Twenty HIV positive pregnant women were given zidovudine 500 mg daily during the third trimester (Group D) to reduce the vertical transmission of HIV. RESULTS: The mean CD4 gain was 188.0 cells/micro litre in Group A, 118.8 cell/microlitre in Group B and 223.3 cells/microlitre in Group C with a mean duration of 4.3, 3.1 and 3.5 months respectively. Many patients stopped antiretroviral drugs due to high cost of therapy. CONCLUSION: Hence, physicians should prescribe antiretroviral drugs only after ensuring that the patients can afford and will comply with a longterm treatment. Prescribing guidelines should be available to those working in this field and should be adhered to so that emergence of resistant strains could be prevented.