Non-lethal Clostridium sordellii bacteraemia in an immunocompromised patient with pleomorphic sarcoma.

Clostridium sordellii is a spore-forming anaerobic Gram-positive rod that has rarely been reported to cause disease in humans. Resultant mortality from infection is estimated at nearly 70% and is most often correlated with gynaecological procedures, intravenous drug abuse or trauma. C. sordellii infection often presents similarly to toxic shock syndrome (TSS); notable features of infection include refractory hypotension, haemoconcentration and marked leucocytosis. Although clinically similar to TSS, a notable difference is C. sordellii infections rarely involve fever. The organism's major toxins include haemorrhagic (TcsH) and lethal factor (TcsL), which function to disrupt cytoskeletal integrity. Current literature suggests treating C. sordelli infection with a broad-spectrum penicillin, metronidazole and clindamycin. We present a case of C. sordellii bacteraemia and septic shock in an immunocompromised patient who was recently diagnosed with pleomorphic gluteal sarcoma. Despite presenting in critical condition, the patient improved after aggressive hemodynamic resuscitation, source control and intravenous antibiotic therapy.

Viral DNA sequences detected in a hamster liposarcoma induced by bovine papillomavirus type 4.

Following intradermal inoculation of bovine papillomavirus type 4 (BPV-4) into a Syrian hamster, a liposarcoma developed at the inoculation site 20 months later. The DNA of this tumour contained multiple copies of the BPV-4 genome which existed in a free unintegrated state. Unintegrated viral DNA and viral DNA isolated from virus particles from bovine alimentary tract papillomas revealed identical cleavage patterns with CpG methylation-resistant and -sensitive restriction enzymes: apparently there was no gross methylation of CpG sites in either case. The entire BPV-4 genome appeared to be represented in the tumour DNA.

Human liposarcomas: tissue cultures containing foci of transformed cells with viral particles.

Viral particles occurring in foci of human liposarcoma cells in tissue culture are morphologically similar to the sarcoma viruses of the avian and murine species. Antibodies in the serum of the patient from whom the culture was originated reacted with cytoplasmic antigens in the original liposarcoma and in the cultured liposarcoma cells.