Joseph W. Landau

A survey of tide-washed coastal areas of southern California for fungi potentially pathogenic to man

Fungi pathogenic to man have seldom been isolated from marine habitats although oceans are known to contain a wide variety of different fungi. 1 Cryptococcus neo/ormans, ~ several species of Candida, 2, ~ and some opportImistic fungi 1 have occasionally been isolated from marine environments. The exact role of oceans as a possible source of fungi pathogenic to man, however, has received little attention. Ecologic studies have revealed the presence of pathogenic fungi in a variety of terrestrial environments. ~ The soil, particularly, has been recognized as a reservoir of those fungi responsible for most of the mycotic infections of man. 5-7 The ability to grow and reproduce under laboratory conditions on culture media containing sea water is one of the characteristics

Acute cerebral phycomycosis (mucormycosis): Report of a pediatric patient successfully treated with amphotericin B and cycloheximide and review of the pertinent literature

The incidence of infections caused by fungi of the class Phycomycetes has increased significantly in recent years. Grave impairment of the patients immunologic resistance appears to be an essential predisposing factor for the development of this group of diseases; diabetes mellitus and leukemia are the 2 predisposing factors most frequently encountered in the United States. A classical example of acute cerebral phycomycosis in a 15-year-old girl who was debilitated by diabetic acidosis is presented. This well-defined syndrome, which is seldom recognized antemortem, has been associated with a mortality rate approaching 100 per cent. The favorable outcome of this case stresses, the value of early diagnosis and therapy and suggests that control of the basic disease, adequate surgical drainage, and the administration of antifungal agents should be effective in lowering this high mortality rate. The current status of phycomycosis is reviewed, including mycologic aspects, classification, pathophysiology, predisposing factors, diagnosis, and treatment.

Comparative electrophoresis and numerical taxonomy of some Candida species

Protein extracts were prepared from six isolates of Candida albicans, three of C. stellatoidea, four of C. tropicalis, C. krusei and C. pseudotropicalis, and five of C. parapsilosis and C. guilliermondii. The 31 extracts were fractionated by disc electrophoresis using an anionic and a cationic system. Forty-six protein fractions were observed, including 27 different acidic fractions with the anionic system and 19 different basic fractions with the cationic system. Isolates of each species were identical or very similar in number and mobility of fractions. Interspecific differences were observed. Similarities among taxa were determined by numerical taxonomic methods. Isolates of each species, except C. albicans and C. stellatoidea, joined initially in a single cluster prior to linking interspecifically. Candida albicans and C. stellatoidea could not be separated by comparative disc electrophoresis.

Pemphigus vulgaris in a 12-year-old boy*

An instance of pemphigus vulgaris in a 12-year-old boy is presented. Prompt recognition of the disorder is stressed since the institution of corticosteroid therapy favorably influences the course of this otherwise almost invariably fatal disease. The differential diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris and other bullous diseases of childhood is outlined, and attention is directed to the importance of a skin biopsy for the purpose of confirming the diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris.

Aspergillosis report of two instances in children associated with acute leukemia and review of the pertinent literature

Two examples of aspergillosis developing in children with acute leukemia are presented together with a review of the pertinent literature. The increasing incidence of aspergillosis occurring among patients with grave impairment of immunologic defense mechanisms is stressed. The value of early diagnosis is emphasized as new effective agents for the control of aspergillosis are becoming available.

Disc electrophoretic studies of intraspecific variability of proteins from dermatophytes

Four different human isolates of Microsporum canis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, T. tonsurans and Epidermophyton floccosum were cultured for 14 days in Sabourauds medium at room temperature. The non-dialyzable proteins of the culture filtrates were fractionated by disc electrophoresis. The number and electrophoretic mobility of the protein fractions of the 4 isolates of each species were very similar. Interspecific electrophoretic differences, however, werepresent. Some variations in optical densities of homologous fractions were observed within each species. These data suggest that the qualitative electrophoretic patterns of these species are relatively stable taxonomic characteristics.

Generation Time of Candida albicans in Synchronized and Nonsynchronized Cultures

Synchronized growth of Candida albicans was induced. The generation time of the synchronized cells was compared with those of nonsynchronized cells cultured in Sabouraud broth, Medium 199, and a synthetic synchronization medium. The mean generation time of the synchronized cultures was 3·2 hours while that of the nonsynchronized cultures ranged from 1·7 to 3·6 hours. The generation time in shake cultures of nonsynchronized cells was uniformly shorter than that of the corresponding aerated cultures. The generation time in Sabouraud medium was the shortest and that in synthetic synchronization medium was the longest with each method of incubation.

Hemolytic activity of Rhizopus nigricans and Rhizopus arrhizus

Rhizopus nigricans andR. arrhizus were cultured in modified Sabouraud broth and synthetic dextrose-glutamate medium for periods of two to eight weeks. The culture filtrates and extracts of fungous mats were examined for the presence ofin vitro hemolytic activity. The culture filtrates exhibited little hemolytic activity but all fungous mat extracts produced hemolysis of sheep, rabbit, guinea pig and human erythrocytes. Guinea pig erythrocytes were in general most readily hemolyzed and sheep erythrocytes least readily hemolyzed. Rhizopus nigricans undR. arrhizus sind in modifizierter Sabourauds Brühe und in synthetischem Dextroseglucamate-Nährboden für zwei bis acht Wochen gezüchtet worden. Das Kulturfiltrat und der Extrakt des Pilzmyzeliums sind für das Vorhandensein der in-vitro hämolytischen Aktivität untersucht. Das Kulturfiltrat zeigte eine geringe hämolytische Aktivität, jedoch verursachten alle Pilzmyzeliumextrakte eine Hämolyse in Erythrozyten von Schaf, Kaninchen, Meerschweinchen und Menschen. Meerschweinchenerythrozyten sind im allgemeinen am leichtesten, Schaferythrozyten am wenigsten hämolysiert.

Preliminary characterization of the hemolysin of Rhizopus nigricans

A hemolysin was extracted from fungous mats ofRhizopus nigricans cultured for two weeks in modified Sabouraud broth. Preliminary characterization indicated that the active substance is water soluble, stable after heating to 100°C, not destroyed by proteolytic enzymes, not dialyzable, and not precipitable with ethanol. It is however precipitable with ammonium sulfate and extractable with lipid solvents. Lipid fractionation revealed activity in the non-acidic phospholipid fraction. The cumulative findings suggest that the active hemolytic substance is a lipid perhaps attached to a protein. Das Hämolysin war vom Pilzmyzelium vonRhizopus nigricans extrahiert worden, das in Sabourauds Brühe für zwei Wochen gezüchtet worden ist. Vorläufige Charakteristik zeigte, daß die aktive Substanz wasserlöslich, hitzeresistent ist und sie durch proteolytische Fermente nicht zerstört wird. Sie ist dialysierbar, und wird durch Ethanol nicht prezipitiert. Jedoch ist sie durch Ammoniumsulfate prezipitiert und durch Fettlösungsmittel extrahierbar Lipoidfraktionierung zeigte eine Aktivität in der nich-saueren Phospholipoidfraktion. Kumulative Befunde legen es nahe, daß die aktive, hämolytische Substanz ein an Protein gebundenes Lipoid ist.

Serum haptoglobins in experimental coccidioidomycosis — A preliminary report

The level of haptoglobin was determined in control rats and in rats infected withC. immitis. The haptoglobin levels in the infected group were significantly higher than in those in the control group. The possibility that serial determinations may be of value in following the course of this disease is currently being investigated.