Actinomycetoma: an update on diagnosis and treatment.

Mycetoma is a chronic infection that develops after traumatic inoculation of the skin with either true fungi or aerobic actinomycetes. The resultant infections are known as eumycetoma or actinomycetoma, respectively. Although actinomycetoma is rare in developed countries, migration of patients from endemic areas makes knowledge of this condition crucial for dermatologists worldwide. We present a review of the current concepts in the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of actinomycetoma.

Accelerated nail growth rate in HIV patients.

BACKGROUND: Many factors have been noted to alter the growth rate of both finger and toe nails, some with harder evidence than others. Infectious diseases are among the ones reported as slowing the growth rate. However, on previous studies we noticed that patients living with HIV and onychomycosis could be cured without the use of antifungal therapy, only with the immunological improvement provided by the combined antiretroviral therapy, and we wanted to prove that the growth rate is also increased in this group and thus probably contributes to the cure of onychomycosis. METHODS: This was an observational, descriptive, and prospective study. We marked with a scalpel the nail plate of the first finger of the non-dominant hand and the same foot, and measured the nail growth in the subsequent medical appointments with a magnifying glass and a millimetric scale. RESULTS: Thirteen patients completed the study, and were paired with healthy controls by age and gender. After performing Mann-Whitney U test, our results showed statistical significance among both groups, showing that patients with HIV have faster nail growth rates than those in the HIV negative group. CONCLUSIONS: There is little data on HIV nail growth rate to compare our results, but what we see in the clinical practice is that this group of patients shows a faster nail growth rate, as has also been reported for longer eyelashes, and this could be an important factor in the cure rates of onychomycosis.

Intracoronary infusion of a combination of bone marrow-derived stem cells in dogs.

BACKGROUND: Infusion of diverse types of bone marrow cells, as a source of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), into the ischemic myocardium is emerging as a promising therapy for coronary ischemia, probably mediated by the formation of new blood vessels. Studies have shown that while the procedure is safe and feasible, efficacy results are contentious. The investigators in the present preclinical translation study hypothesized that the infusion of a combination cell product consisting of EPCs and other cell types, such as mesenchymal stem cells, promotes the formation of more stable and mature blood vessels resulting in improved clinical outcomes. The safety and feasibility of the intracoronary infusion of such a cell combination was assessed in a canine model. METHODS: A mixture of canine autologous mononuclear cells (as the source of EPCs) and ex vivo-expanded bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells or a placebo solution were intracoronarily infused into healthy dogs. Follow-up after cell/placebo infusion included an electrocardiogram, serum cardiac enzyme testing, a transthoracic echocardiography and a histopathological heart examination. RESULTS: On follow-up at all time points after infusion, no significant changes or abnormalities in vital signs, electrocardiogram, transthoracic echocardiography and heart histology were detected. CONCLUSIONS: From a clinical perspective, the safety and feasibility of the protocol used in the present animal study demonstrated clinical relevance and provided direct evidence supporting the intracoronary infusion of combination stem/progenitor cell products.