[Cutaneous Alternaria infection occurring in the course of a treated pemphigus]. / Alternariose cutanée survenant au cours de l'évolution d'un pemphigus traité. A propos de 2 cas.

Alternaria is a very common fungus. Its pathogenic role in human pathology is mainly expressed by asthma. Cutaneous infection is rare and only about 70 cases have been described. Because of its wide distribution in the environment, cutaneous biopsy is necessary to ensure the diagnosis. We report two cases of dermal alternariosis occurring in the course of pemphigus treated with immunosuppressive therapy. Histological examination revealed a hyperplasic epidermis. The upper dermis showed a mixed inflammatory infiltrate with neutrophils, histiocytes and giant cells. Round intracytoplasmic inclusions staining faintly with PAS wer seen in giant cells. Long intercellular filaments were present in the infiltrate. This histopathological aspect is not specific, and cultures of both cutaneous biopsies were necessary. The association of dermal alternariosis and pemphigus is explained both by the immunosuppressive therapy for pemphigus and by the cutaneous fragility induced by the acantholytic disease permitting direct inoculation of Alternaria.

Collaborative evaluation in seven laboratories of a standardized micromethod for yeast susceptibility testing.

The new micromethod for yeast susceptibility testing, MYCOTOTAL, was evaluated with 10 reference strains in seven laboratories. Ready-to-use microtitration plates and the same synthetic medium were used with two dilutions of imidazoles, flucytosine, and amphotericin B, permitting the categorization of each strain as susceptible, intermediate, or resistant. The results were compared with the MIC for each reference strain, and the repeatability and reproducibility were evaluated. The yeasts tested presenting different patterns of susceptibilities in reference MICs included six strains of Candida albicans, two strains of Candida tropicalis, one strain of Candida parapsilosis, and one strain of Torulopsis glabrata. For 4,200 antifungal agent-yeast results, the repeatability was 99.3% and the reproducibility was 96.3%. The correlation between the reference MICs and the category results was 91.5% for seven laboratories (and 92.7% for six laboratories excluding the laboratory which did not follow exactly the same protocol). We observed only 7.9% minor discrepancies, 0.5% (0.29% for six laboratories) major discrepancies, and 0.1% uninterpretable results. The percentages of concording results were similar for each strain and each antifungal agent tested. The overall results indicated that MYCOTOTAL was a reliable and reproducible method, well correlated with reference MICs. This ready-to-use micromethod with the same medium for all antifungal agents would be an important step in the necessary standardization of yeast susceptibility testing.

[Influence of the injection of polyethyleneglycol 400 on the evolution of experimental candidosis of the mouse (author's transl)]. / Influence de l'injection de polyéthylèneglycol 400 sur le développement de candidoses expérimentales chez la souris.

The authors mention their work showing the influence of polyethyleneglycol 400 on the evolution of experimental candidosis in mice. The animals are infested by one single intra peritoneal injection of a determined number of cells of Candida albicans and then receive daily an injection of polyethyleneglycol 400 1/2 0,2 ml (Harmless dose for non infested animals). These animals die more quickly from Candida albicans septicaemia than others infested in same conditions but not treated by daily injections of polyethyleneglycol 400 1/2.

[A parasitologic survey conducted in Touraine (France) in a group of South East Asia refugees (author's transl)]. / Résultats d'une enquête parasitologique effectuée en Touraine dans un group de réfugiés du sud-est asiatique.

Forty refugees (23 from 5 lao families and 17 from 3 cambodian families) previously and routinely treated against intestinal parasites, underwent stools and serum controls: 77 p. 100 had still intestinal parasites but 61 p. 100 had a normal blood cells count without hypereosinophilia. The parasites so detected were: Clonorchis sinensis, Heterophyes heterophyes, Trichuris trichiura, Necator americanus, Strongyloides stercoralis, Giardia intestinals and Entamoeba coli.