[Follicular conjunctivitis due to Chlamydia trachomatis]. / Conjuntivitis folicular debida a Chlamydia trachomatis.

During two years (1997-1999) an investigation of possible infections of chlamydial etiology in outpatients with follicular conjunctivitis was carried out, through the use of specific assays. Fifty-seven selected patients with presumptive inclusion conjunctivitis were diagnosed by means of ophthalmoscopic examination and bilateral tarsal-conjunctiva swabbing for microorganisms. The possible presence of Chlamydia trachomatis was tested by immunofluorescence microscopy and isolation in cell culture of McCoy line. Of the 57 conjunctivitis patients screened, 37 (65%) proved to be positive by cell culture (CC) and 27 (47%) by direct immunofluorescence (IFD). A good agreement between the two assays was observed, where the CC was more sensitive than IFD. Of these 37 patients with chlamydial conjunctivitis, 23 (62%) were women, with over one-third of them ranging in age from 45 to 65 years. Their clinical records revealed an evolution period of 1 to 12 months. Eighteen (78%) of these women reported previous genital pathology, while 4 (29%) of the 14 men had a history of urethritis by Chlamydia trachomatis. A high frequency of follicular conjunctivitis by Chlamydia (65%) in the screened patients was observed, without any evidence of urogenital signs and symptoms at the moment of the study.

Conjuntivitis folicular debida a Chlamydia trachomatis. / [Follicular conjunctivitis due to Chlamydia trachomatis]

During two years (1997-1999) an investigation of possible infections of chlamydial etiology in outpatients with follicular conjunctivitis was carried out, through the use of specific assays. Fifty-seven selected patients with presumptive inclusion conjunctivitis were diagnosed by means of ophthalmoscopic examination and bilateral tarsal-conjunctiva swabbing for microorganisms. The possible presence of Chlamydia trachomatis was tested by immunofluorescence microscopy and isolation in cell culture of McCoy line. Of the 57 conjunctivitis patients screened, 37 (65

) proved to be positive by cell culture (CC) and 27 (47

) by direct immunofluorescence (IFD). A good agreement between the two assays was observed, where the CC was more sensitive than IFD. Of these 37 patients with chlamydial conjunctivitis, 23 (62

) were women, with over one-third of them ranging in age from 45 to 65 years. Their clinical records revealed an evolution period of 1 to 12 months. Eighteen (78

) of these women reported previous genital pathology, while 4 (29

) of the 14 men had a history of urethritis by Chlamydia trachomatis. A high frequency of follicular conjunctivitis by Chlamydia (65

) in the screened patients was observed, without any evidence of urogenital signs and symptoms at the moment of the study.

Anthelmintic efficacy of tinidazole against the progression of Toxocara canis larvae to the brain in mice.

The anthelmintic effect of tinidazole (100 mg/kg per day for 3 successive days) was tested in male Swiss CF-1 mice infected with second-stage Toxocara canis larvae at challenge doses of 250, 500, 1000, and 1500 embryonated eggs per mouse. The drug was given orally on days 3-5 postinfection (p.i.) to one-half of the animals, and all mice were killed on day 40 p.i. The number of larvae recovered from each mouse's brain and skeletal muscle was then scored in both groups. Tinidazole yielded a highly significant reduction in the total recovery of larvae from the test animals' brains at the second and third inoculum levels but no statistically significant reduction at the highest larval dose as compared with the values obtained in the untreated control animals.

[Asthma and covert toxocariasis]. / Asma y toxocarosis encubierta.

The relationship between asthma and covert toxocariasis was studied in 38 patients with asthma and 44 control individuals (without asthma). Inclusion/exclusion criteria were determined. An ELISA test based on the detection of Anti-Toxocara canis (E/S antigen) serum immunoglobulin G (Ig G) and E (Ig E) was determined in both groups. Ordinary allergens and E/S antigen of T. canis injections were used to evaluate cutaneous reactivity. The seroprevalence in patients with asthma was 68.42%, and in the control individuals was 13.63%. This difference was significant. The percentage of asthmatic patients with two antitoxocara antibodies was 26.31% and 4.54% in control individuals. All asthmatic patients with antitoxocara IgE had cutaneous reactivity to Ag E/S. We conclude that the asthmatic patients with IgE and IgG antitoxocara suffer a covert toxocarosis.

Asma y toxocarosis encubierta. / [Asthma and covert toxocariasis]

The relationship between asthma and covert toxocariasis was studied in 38 patients with asthma and 44 control individuals (without asthma). Inclusion/exclusion criteria were determined. An ELISA test based on the detection of Anti-Toxocara canis (E/S antigen) serum immunoglobulin G (Ig G) and E (Ig E) was determined in both groups. Ordinary allergens and E/S antigen of T. canis injections were used to evaluate cutaneous reactivity. The seroprevalence in patients with asthma was 68.42

, and in the control individuals was 13.63

. This difference was significant. The percentage of asthmatic patients with two antitoxocara antibodies was 26.31

and 4.54

in control individuals. All asthmatic patients with antitoxocara IgE had cutaneous reactivity to Ag E/S. We conclude that the asthmatic patients with IgE and IgG antitoxocara suffer a covert toxocarosis.

Relationship between parasitical inoculum and immunological parameters in experimental toxocariasis.

Swiss female mice were inoculated with different infective doses of Toxocara canis eggs to evaluate the percentage of recuperated larvae in different organs and immunological parameters such as spleen index (SI), liver index (LI) and lung index (LuI) and blood eosinophilia during 3 weeks post infectionem (p.i.) with only one challenge. It was found that T. canis larvae arrived at the liver between 10 and 15 hours p.i. by the food-fishhook technique. When the inoculum was more than 200 eggs, there was a reinvasion of liver and lungs at 504 hours p.i. The larval arrival at the brain was delayed in an inverse relationship to the inoculum but the percentage of recovery was about 7 and 8%. The organic indexes were in a direct relationship with the inoculum size and the increase in eosinophilic levels in massive infections (2000 eggs) was in agreement with a strong immune response.

Infecciones por Chlamydia trachomatis biovar TRIC (parte I) / Infections of Chlamydia trachomatis biovar TRIC (part I)

Chlamydia trachomatis biovar TRIC es un microorganismo procariota de parasitismo intracelular obligado que infecta las células del epitelio escamoso columnar de las membranas mucosas. En la patogenia de las infecciones producidas por Chlamydia trachomatis están involucrados mecanismos de hipersensibilidad con la participación de linfocitos T citotóxicos, macrófagos e interleuquinas en respuesta a proteínas de shock térmico producidas por el microorganismo. El espectro de patologías incluye infecciones oculares como tracoma y paratracoma; infecciones genitales femeninas asintomáticas y sintomáticas que derivan en infertilidad por obstrucción tubaria, preñez ectópica o infecciones neonatales; infecciones masculinas asintomáticas y sintomáticas como causa probable de infertilidad masculina. La alta prevalencia de Chlamydia trachomatis requiere un análisis de la situación epidemiológica de cada región y la elaboración de programas de salud para su control. (AU)

Infecciones por Chlamydia trachomatis biovar TRIC (parte I) / Infections of Chlamydia trachomatis biovar TRIC (part I)

Chlamydia trachomatis biovar TRIC es un microorganismo procariota de parasitismo intracelular obligado que infecta las células del epitelio escamoso columnar de las membranas mucosas. En la patogenia de las infecciones producidas por Chlamydia trachomatis están involucrados mecanismos de hipersensibilidad con la participación de linfocitos T citotóxicos, macrófagos e interleuquinas en respuesta a proteínas de shock térmico producidas por el microorganismo. El espectro de patologías incluye infecciones oculares como tracoma y paratracoma; infecciones genitales femeninas asintomáticas y sintomáticas que derivan en infertilidad por obstrucción tubaria, preñez ectópica o infecciones neonatales; infecciones masculinas asintomáticas y sintomáticas como causa probable de infertilidad masculina. La alta prevalencia de Chlamydia trachomatis requiere un análisis de la situación epidemiológica de cada región y la elaboración de programas de salud para su control.

Presence of lipids in the secretory/excretory product from Toxocara canis.

The presence of lipids in the secretory/excretory product obtained from Toxocara canis has been demonstrated. The fatty acids found were mostly saturated, such as myristic (14:0), palmitic (16:0) and stearic (18:0). In addition, important quantities of oleic and linoleic acids (18:1 and 18:2) and cholesterol were detected. Three more fatty acids appearing in low percentages are still to be identified.

Neuroendocrine alterations in nude mice with a human lung carcinoma producing pro-opiomelanocortin, corticotrophin-releasing hormone and arginine vasopressin.

A mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the lung (ICD classification 8430/3) resected from a patient with no clinical signs of pituitary-adrenal alterations was transplanted into 2-month-old athymic nu/nu nude mice, with the purpose of studying the effects exerted by the human tumour on the host hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. The tumour produces peptides derived from different regions of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC: ACTH, 7.6 +/- 0.7; N-terminal POMC, 6.6 +/- 0.6; beta-LPH/endorphin, 7.3 +/- 0.7; and alpha-MSH;3.8 +/- 0.5 pmol/g wet tissue) and the neuropeptides corticotrophin-releasing hormone and arginine vasopressin (CRH: 3.6 +/- 0.4 and AVP: 1.1 +/- 0.2 pmol/g wet tissue). Immunohistochemical staining of consecutive sections of the tumour indicated that staining of tumour cells for the different peptides was not uniform and although some cells co-stained with CRH and AVP, POMC-positive cells appeared to be distinct from CRH and AVP cells. Tumour extracts were chromatographed on Sephadex G-75 and fractions monitored for POMC-derived peptides. A single peak with characteristics of alpha-MSH was detected. The ACTH, N-POMC and beta-LPH/endorphin radioimmunoassays (RIA) detected a peak at large molecular weight, eluting at the position expected for POMC. These RIA systems also revealed an ACTH(1-39) peak and another peak which probably correspond to 13 kDa ACTH, a peak eluting at the position of hN-POMC(1-48), a beta-LPH-like peak, and a smaller sized peak which may represent alpha- or gamma-endorphin. The ACTH, N-POMC and beta-LPH/endorphin contents of anterior lobe (AL) extracts, but not neutrointermediate lobe (NIL) extracts, showed a striking decrease in tumour-bearing (TB) nude mice. However, while no difference was seen in the alpha-MSH content of AL extract between TB and control (C) nude mice, it decreased in NIL extracts of TB animals. The contents of CRH and AVP in stalk-median eminence extracts of TB nude mice was significantly lower than that of C nude mice. Basal plasma corticosteroids were raised in TB nude mice at levels comparable to those in stressed C nude mice, and although adrenal weights did not vary between TB and C nude mice, morphological changes indicating hypertrophy were found in the adrenal glands of the host animals. It was concluded that the tumour dramatically alters the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis of the host, and that it may be a useful model for studying tumour-host interactions in ectopic hormone-producing tumours.

Microsomal fatty acid desaturation and elongation in a human lung carcinoma grown in nude mice.

Since tumor cells show abnormal fatty acid composition, it is likely that their desaturase systems were affected to some extent. Although desaturase activities in experimental tumors have been evaluated, to our knowledge, fatty acid desaturases in human neoplasms and particularly in human tumors grown in nude mice have not been assessed yet. We have therefore, chosen a rapidly growing human lung mucoepidermoid carcinoma (HLMC) grown in nude mice to study microsomal fatty acid desaturation and chain elongation activities. Tumor microsomal proteins were incubated with unlabeled malonyl-CoA and one of the following fatty acids: [1-14C]palmitic (16:0), [1-14C]linoleic (18:2), alpha-[1-14C]linolenic (alpha-18:3), and unlabeled gamma-linolenic (gamma-18:3) plus [2-14C]malonyl-CoA. Data show that HLMC microsomes were capable to desaturate 16:0, alpha-18:3, and dihomogammalinolenic acids (20:3) by delta 9, delta 6 and delta 5 desaturase, respectively; however, delta 6 desaturase activity on [14C]18:2 was not detected. The microsomal elongation system was active in all fatty acid series tested except for 18:2. These findings show that the undetectable activity for 18:2 desaturation is not exclusively found in experimental tumors.

Tumor lipids and liver lipid metabolism in the model human lung carcinoma/nude mice.

Tumor lipids were studied in the experimental model Human Lung Carcinoma/nude mice as well as the effect of this human neoplasm on the host liver lipid metabolism. Fatty acid profiles from tumoral lipids revealed the loss of specificity for fatty acid composition in triglycerides. Host liver fatty acid composition and cholesterol metabolism were affected by the implanted human lung tissue. A noticeable increase ratio between saturated/unsaturated fatty acids was observed in host liver fatty acid phospholipids (1.17 +/- 0.17) in comparison to control liver (0.84 +/- 0.04). Cholesterol synthesis was assessed "in vivo" by means of [14C]acetate incorporation. The specific radioactivity of [14C] cholesterol was increased by a factor of about 6 in host liver as compared with control liver. This observation along with the marked decrease in the cholesterol content of host liver and the hypocholesterolemia detected in the host mice led us to suggest an increase in the liver cholesterol catabolism promoted by the presence of the tumor.