Malassezia furfur-related colonization and infection of central venous catheters. A prospective study in a pediatric intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of Malassezia furfur-related colonization and infection of central venous catheters. DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. SETTING: A paediatric intensive care unit at a University Hospital. PATIENTS: 66 newborns with central venous catheters for parenteral nutrition including lipid emulsions (Intralipid). METHODS: When a central venous catheter was removed, it was rinsed with 1 ml of physiological saline, transported at ambient temperature to the clinical laboratory and cultured on Dixon's medium. The tip of the central venous catheter was used for a bacteriological study using Maki's technique. In case of suspected sepsis, blood cultures were obtained using an Isolator tube. RESULTS. 74 central venous catheters were included: mean duration of use of a central venous catheters and infusions of lipid emulsion (Intralipid) were 19.3 +/- 10 days and 8.6 +/- 8 days respectively. Only 2 central venous catheters (2.7%) were colonized by Malassezia furfur: (Mf) one in an asymptomatic newborn, and the other in an infected newborn with signs of sepsis, who most probably died at 4 months of age from refractory hypoxia due to pulmonary hypoplasia, but not from Mf sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of Malassezia furfur-related colonization of central venous catheters appears to be low but not negligible, which warrants the use of specific culture techniques.

[Value of nu/nu mice in the production of experimental amoebic keratitis with Acanthamoeba]. / Intérêt de la souris nu/nu dans la réalisation de la kératite expérimentale à amibes libres du genre Acanthamoeba.

The intracorneal inoculation of nude mice with Acanthamoeba hatchetti amoebae induced a keratitis with disruption of corneal fibres, inflammatory response, secondary vascularization and amoebic trophozoites.

Relation of antivimentin antibodies to anticardiolipin antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Tests for antivimentin antibodies (AVA) were performed on 50 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 63 control sera by indirect immunofluorescence and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The prevalence was significantly raised in SLE (38% and 50% of sera positive for IgM-AVA and IgG-AVA, respectively, by immunofluorescence; 36% and 64% of sera positive for IgM-AVA and IgG-AVA, respectively, by ELISA) in comparison with the control sera. A significant correlation existed between IgM-AVA, on the one hand, and anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA) and anti-single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), on the other. A stepwise principal component analysis demonstrated that IgM-AVA and IgG-AVA accounted for 71% of the total variance in SLE (50 patients x 5 parameters = total variance). Twenty ACA positive serum samples from patients with syphilis were therefore tested for the presence of AVA, but hardly any were found to be positive. IgM-AVA from patients with SLE were inhibited by cardiolipin and absorbed with ssDNA. An association between AVA positivity and arthralgia was also shown in SLE.

[Post-transfusion malaria. Partial statistical data. Preventive approach to detecting blood donors at risk]. / Paludisme post-transfusionnel. Données statistiques partielles. Approche prophylactique par le dépistage des donneurs de sang à risque.

The authors demonstrate the reality of post-transfusion malaria, define the plasmodial species involved, and insist on the responsibility of Plasmodium falciparum in the occurrence of major complications. A prophylactic approach is proposed, by researching anti-malarial antibodies in donors at risk. An I. F. A. (Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay) is performed (Falciparum Spot I. F., Bio-Mérieux, Lyon, France). The screening procedure relies heavily on medical history taking, but subsequent results are satisfying; moreover it seems they could be bettered by using specific monoclonal antibodies.

[Spiroplasmas and hematophagous arthropods; prospects in tropical pathology]. / Spiroplasmes et arthropodes hématophages; perspectives en pathologie tropicale.

Spiroplasmas are original wall-free prokaryotes which exhibit motility and a helical shape although lacking any cell wall or motile apparatus. They are known by phytopathologists because some of them are responsible for severe arthropod-borne plant diseases, such as Spiroplasma citri, the etiologic agent of "citrus stubborn disease". Other spiroplasmas are pathogenic for a number of insects: drosophila, bees and beetles. More recently spiroplasmas were also isolated from ticks, mosquitoes, horse-flies and deer-flies opening a new chapter in medical pathology. These agents are of possible great significance in Tropical Medicine.

Screening blood donors for Plasmodium falciparum malariae. Application of ready-to-use homologous antigens.

Prevention of post-transfusion malaria remains a worrying problem. Until now it was very difficult to obtain homologous antigens, and immunologic methods used to detect malaria were expensive. We tested the ready-to-use Plasmodium falciparum prepared slides using the IFA (indirect fluorescent antibody) test on 866 selected potentially dangerous donors and known malaria cases. We found that it is a simple, quick, reliable and inexpensive method that can be easily used by blood banks and improve blood transfusion safety.

[Identification of blood donors capable of transmitting P. falciparum. Use of homologous antigenic preparations ready for use]. / Dépistage des donneurs de sang susceptibles de transmettre P. falciparum. Utilisation de préparations d'antigènes homologues prêts à l'emploi.

The smears of P. falciparum parasited blood ready to be employed, that we have tested in indirect immunofluorescence to detect blood donors who can be at the origin of post transfusional paludism, seem to offer a very important progress to us for the improvement of transfusion security. Their routine use can be recommended because their easy way of using allows their adoption by very many transfusion centers.

[Autochtonous kala-azar (author's transl)]. / Le kala-azar infantile autochtone en France. Etude des différents modes de transmission.

Kala-Azar or visceral "leishmanisis" is a Mediterranean parasitosis. Outside this area, the reported cases concern children having lived in an endemic area. Real autochtonous Kala-Azar is really exceptional in France. The authors report a case in a 18 month-old child, who had never left the city of Brest. The authors study similar observations in the literature, including an analysis of the different modes of transmission in such cases.

[Isolation of free-living amoebae from the nasal mucosa of man. Potential risk (author's transl)]. / Isolement d'amibes libres à partir de la muqueuse nasale de l'homme. Risque éventuel.

From march 1976 until december 1978, we have analysed 1039 nasal swabs in order to discover the healthy free-living amoebae carriers. So, we have isolated 9 strains of which one Hartmannella vermiformis. From the 8 remaining Acanthamoebae, only one, ORL 561 (Acanthamoeba hatchetti) is as pathogenic for mice as the 2 other identical known strains and A. culbertsoni.

[Presence of free amebae of the Limax type in waters of the urban center of Rennes and of Liffre. II]. / Présence d'amibes libres de type Limax dans les eaux de l'agglomération urbaine de Rennes et de Liffré (2e note).

We confirm the results of our preliminary study in the Rennes district (France) (January to April 1974): free-living Limax amoebae are found in all the examined waters samples (56 per 62) except for the ones directly originated from underground waters and a difference upon the moment of the year appears as for the encountered species. We have not found Naegleria species. Some of these amoebae show a satisfactory growth at high temperature and on different nutritional media, but none are able to grows in liquid axenic media.