Cryptococcal lymphadenitis as a manifestation of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in an HIV-positive patient: a case report and review of the literature.

Cryptococcus neoformans infections are typically associated with T-cell deficiencies, including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Although highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has strongly reduced AIDS-related opportunistic infections, the restoration and reactivation of CD4+ cells can induce an immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS), consisting in a deregulated inflammatory response to latent infectious pathogens and/or to their residual antigens. Cryptococcal lymphadenitis has occasionally been documented in IRIS. Here we report a case of histology- and culture-negative cryptococcal lymphadenitis associated with IRIS in an adult AIDS patient with a history of disseminated cryptococcosis, after the start of fully adherent HAART. Appropriate diagnosis was established on nested-PCR and sequence analysis of the interspacer region 2 of C. neoformans ribosomal DNA, and detection of slow-growing blastospores in enrichment cultures of fine-needle lymph node aspirate. Review of recent literature and our case findings suggest that IRIS-associated cryptococcal lymphadenitis is more likely the flare up of a latent infection rather than an immunopathological response to residual antigen of unviable cryptococci.

Purification and characterization of an antifungal thaumatin-like protein from Cassia didymobotrya cell culture.

A 23-kDa antifungal thaumatin-like protein was isolated and purified from Cassia didymobotrya (Fres.) cell cultures for the first time. The protein was secreted in the culture medium, but it could be also isolated after elution of whole cells with a 0.5 M CaCl(2) solution. Treatment of the cells with laminarin oligosaccharides or salicylic acid, but not with NaCl, resulted in enhancement of expression of the protein. A rapid purification protocol was used based on cationic exchange chromatography. The protein, with a highly basic character (pI 10), has an exact molecular mass of 23034 Da, as determined by MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry analysis. N-terminal sequencing of the intact polypeptide and the sequencing of two internal tryptic peptides indicated significant identity with other thaumatin-like proteins (TLP). The protein exerted antifungal activity towards some Candida species showing EC(50) values comparable to those of other antifungal TLPs. The collected data lead to classify this TLP as a new PR-5 protein.

Cost determinants of tuberculosis management in a low-prevalence country.

SETTING: Division of respiratory medicine in a specialised infectious disease hospital in Rome, Italy. OBJECTIVE: Retrospective evaluation of tuberculosis (TB) care associated costs in an integrated in- and out-patient management programme. DESIGN: Review of the medical records of 92 human immunodeficiency virus negative TB cases admitted between September 2000 and May 2003. RESULTS: Length of in-hospital stay (45 +/- 35 days) was the major cost determinant, as hospitalisation accounted for almost 80% of the total costs of the case, with fixed bed-per-day charges amounting to 76% of hospital costs. Factors associated with higher costs were chest X-ray score, fever, sputum bacterial load and multidrug resistance (P < 0.05). Cure/treatment completion was achieved in 82% of patients entering the out-patient programme (63% of all cases). Homelessness, age and comorbidities were associated with unfavourable outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: A closely followed hospital-centred protocol carried out in a high-resource setting may produce acceptable cure/completion treatment rates. As a too high fraction of resources invested in TB control goes toward hospital costs, out-patient treatment strategies should be implemented.

Evaluation of the BDProbeTec strand displacement amplification assay in comparison with the AMTD II direct test for rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis.

The BDProbeTec MTB assay for direct detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was evaluated in comparison with the AMTD-II assay on 94 samples from different patients with clinical suspicion of tuberculosis. Using a combination of culture on Lowenstein-Jensen medium (with or without preculture in BACTEC 9000) and clinical diagnosis as the standard, BDProbeTec MTB showed high sensitivity and specificity (96.1% and 100%, respectively), similar to AMTD-II (96.1% and 97.1%, respectively), with significantly higher sensitivity than the Ziehl-Neelsen stain for acid-fast bacilli (73%, p < 0.05).

Community-acquired Acinetobacter radioresistens bacteremia in an HIV-positive patient.

We describe the first case of community-acquired bacteremia caused by Acinetobacter radioresistens; the patient was a 32-year-old HIV-positive neutropenic woman. Ambiguous Gram staining and poor biochemical reactivity of blood culture isolates misguided early diagnosis and therapy. Bacterial identification was based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis. A. radioresistens can be considered as a cause of opportunistic infection in immunodeficient patients.

Negative predictors of survival in HIV-infected patients with culture-confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis.

We performed a retrospective study based on chart review of 118 HIV-infected patients with culture-confirmed pulmonary TB, in which M. tuberculosis isolates were tested for drug susceptibility. Patients were enrolled in the period January 1987 to December 1996 and followed until September 1997. The median survival for the entire cohort was 15.2 months with a 1-year survival rate of 57%. Prior AIDS-defining illness, low CD4 count (< 200/mm3), not having received antituberculous therapy with at least two drugs to which M. tuberculosis was susceptible in vitro, starting within four weeks of diagnosis, treatment duration of less than three weeks and multidrug resistant tuberculosis were each independently associated with decreased survival in multivariate analysis.

Pulmonary cryptosporidiosis in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Several reports have showed Cryptosporidium species as a cause of intractable diarrhea and malabsorption in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV). A case of chronic diarrhea in a drug addict woman associated with a symptomatic interstitial pulmonary infection due to Cryptosporidium parvum is described. This unusual C. parvum spread into the bronchial tree is underlined and a survey of the literature is made.

The efficacy and safety of imipenem/cilastatin in the treatment of severe bacterial infections.

We have assessed the efficacy and safety of imipenem/cilastatin in a non-comparative study of 27 immunocompromised patients suffering from severe bacterial infections. Moreover in two groups of 14 patients the efficacy of imipenem/cilastatin versus a standard broad spectrum antibiotic therapy has also been compared. Clinical and microbiological efficacy and side effects have been evaluated.

[Aerobic flora examination of sputum (author's transl)]. / Esame della flora aerobia dell'espettorato

The routine bacteriological test of expectorate, except for mycobacteria, is usually unsatisfactory. There is a need of standardization which results in the present paper from a comparison between the data obtained by two different laboratories on the same samples. It is possible to achieve reasonable and uniform results establishing a uniformity of some procedures, namely; collection of specimens, homogenization, number and type of media, interpretation of data and so on.