(1/36) Combined anti-fungal therapy and surgical resection as treatment of pulmonary zygomycosis in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

Opportunistic fungal infection is a rare but severe complication in allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients. We report a 49-year-old patient who developed pneumonitis after BMT, due to a Mucorales fungus (class Zygomycetes), Absidia corymbifera. Infections due to mucormycosis are likely to become increasingly recognized even though the occurrence after BMT has only been described sporadically. We postulate that the patient was contaminated before BMT despite no intensive drug treatment or other iatrogenic features, related to his poor living conditions and developed the infection during aplasia. He immediately received i.v. liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome) and GM-CSF. Because there was no response, the infected area and necrotic tissue were resected. Despite initial clinical and biological improvement and the absence of Mucor on mycological examination post-surgery, the patient died 3 weeks later from bilateral pulmonary infection and multiorgan failure.  (+info)

(2/36) Fatal invasive cerebral Absidia corymbifera infection following bone marrow transplantation.

A 56-year-old dairy farmer received a fully HLA matched unrelated donor marrow transplant for high risk CML in chronic phase. His early post-transplant course was complicated by a series of massive intracerebral bleeds and by sepsis related to a malignant otitis externa. The microbial pathogen isolated from ear swabs was found to be Absidia corymbifera, but CT scan at the time showed no intracerebral extension. Despite neutrophil engraftment and aggressive antifungal management he succumbed. Autopsy revealed invasion of Absidia into the brain from the ear. We speculate that colonisation by Absidia resulted from occupational exposure.  (+info)

(3/36) Two unusual glycerophospholipids from a filamentous fungus, Absidia corymbifera.

The chloroform-methanol extractable lipids of the soil filamentous fungus Absidia corymbifera VKMF-965 account for about 20% by weight of dry cells and are composed of low-polarity constituents (about 75% of the total lipids), such as triacylglycerols (mainly), diacylglycerols, sterols and free fatty acids, as well as of glycolipids (about 3%) and phospholipids. The last consist largely of components common to the fungal lipids, namely, phosphatidylethanolamine (38% of the total phospholipids), phosphatidyl-myo-inositol (16%), diphosphatidylglycerol (12%), phosphatidylcholine (7%), phosphatidic acid (6%) and phosphatidylglycerol (3%), and two unusual phospholipids, PL1 (6%) and PL2 (9%). Based on the infrared (IR), (1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), (13)C-NMR and mass spectra along with the results of degradation experiment, these two phospholipids have been established to be 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho(N-acetylethanolamine), or N-acetyl phosphatidylethanolamine, and 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho(N-ethoxycarbonyl-ethanolamine), respectively. These structures have been confirmed by preparing similar phospholipids from the phosphatidylethanolamine isolated from the same fungus and correlating their chromatographic behaviour, IR and (1)H-NMR spectra with those of PL1 and PL2. So far N-acetyl phosphatidylethanolamine has been detected only in cattle and human brains and a human placenta but its structure was not rigorously proved. PL2 is a novel lipid; to our knowledge no natural phospholipid with an urethane group has yet been found. The main fatty acids of both the phospholipids are n-hexadecanoic, octadecanoic and octadecadienoic ones; PL2 contains in addition a considerable amount of octadecatrienoic acid with its greater portion located at the sn-1 position.  (+info)

(4/36) Treatment of Absidia corymbifera infection in mice with amphotericin B and itraconazole.

The activities of amphotericin B and itraconazole were studied in a temporarily neutropenic murine model of disseminated Absidia corymbifera infection, caused by two different strains. Amphotericin B MICs were 0.25 mg/L for both strains and itraconazole MICs were 1 and 2 mg/L. Amphotericin B was effective in vivo with both isolates. Itraconazole was less effective.  (+info)

(5/36) Soft tissue infection with Absidia corymbifera in a patient with idiopathic aplastic anemia.

We describe a case of primary cutaneous mucormycosis (zygomycosis) in a patient with idiopathic aplastic anemia which responded to surgical debridement and therapy with liposomal amphotericin B. The tissue removed at surgery showed dense infiltration with fungal hyphae on histopathological examination. Primary cultures of tissue on solid media were negative, but Absidia corymbifera was isolated from unprocessed tissue placed in brain heart infusion broth.  (+info)

(6/36) Purification and characterization of ginsenoside-alpha-L-rhamnosidase.

In this paper the ginsenoside-alpha-(1-->2)-L-rhamnosidase from microorganisms was purified and characterized. The enzyme hydrolyzed the 6-C, alpha-(1-->2)-L-rhamnoside of 20(S) and 20(R)-ginsenoside Rg2 to produce the 20(S) and 20(R)-ginsenoside Rh1, but hardly hydrolyzed the alpha-rhamnoside of pNPR. The enzyme molecular weight was about 53 kDa. The optimum temperature of enzyme reaction was 40 degrees C, and the optimum pH was 5.  (+info)

(7/36) Efficacy of antifungal therapy in a nonneutropenic murine model of zygomycosis.

Three isolates of zygomycetes belonging to three different genera (Rhizopus microsporus, Absidia corymbifera, and Apophysomyces elegans) were used to produce a disseminated infection in nonimmunocompromised mice. The therapeutic efficacy of amphotericin B, given intraperitoneally at doses ranging from 0.5 to 4.5 mg/kg of body weight/day, oral itraconazole at 100 mg/kg/day, and oral terbinafine at 150 mg/kg/day was evaluated in this model. The markers of antifungal efficacy were the median survival time, the mortality rate, and the percentage of infected organs. Organ culture was performed along with microscopic direct examinations of tissues to assess the presence of an active infection. An acute and lethal infection was obtained in untreated mice challenged with each of the three strains. The data obtained for direct examinations and qualitative cultures indicate that, due to the nonseptate nature of the hyphae, each technique gives different information and should be used together with the others. Against all three strains, amphotericin B yielded a 90 to 100% survival rate. Itraconazole was inactive against R. microsporus but significantly reduced mortality in mice infected with A. corymbifera or A. elegans. Terbinafine had no beneficial effects against R. microsporus and A. corymbifera despite documented absorption of the drug. Overall, only limited correlations were observed between MICs determined in vitro and in vivo efficacy of the drugs. The efficacy of itraconazole in these models of zygomycosis suggests that this drug, as well as the new azole compounds presently under development, warrants close evaluation.  (+info)

(8/36) Exposure to airborne microorganisms in furniture factories.

Microbiological air sampling was performed in 2 furniture factories located in eastern Poland. In one factory furniture were made from fibreboards and chipboards while in the other from beech wood. It was found that the concentration of total microorganisms (bacteria + fungi) in the air of the facility using beech wood for furniture production (mean 10.7 x (3) cfu/m(3), range 3.3 27.5 x (3) cfu/m(3)) was significantly higher (p < 0.01) compared to microbial concentration in the facility using fibre- and chipboards (mean 3.6 x (3) cfu/m(3), range 1.9-6.2 x (3) cfu/m(3)). On average, the commonest microorganisms in the air of the furniture factories were corynebacteria (Corynebacterium spp., Arthrobacter spp., Brevibacterium spp.) which formed 18.1-50.0% of the total airborne microflora, and fungi (mostly Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., Absidia spp. and yeasts) which formed 6.2-54.4% of the total count. The values of the respirable fraction of airborne microflora in the furniture factories varied within fairly wide limits and were between 15.0-62.4%. Altogether, 28 species or genera of bacteria and 12 species or genera of fungi were identified in the air of examined factories, of which respectively 8 and 7 species or genera were reported as having allergenic and/or immunotoxic properties. In conclusion, the workers of furniture factories are exposed to relatively low concentrations of airborne microorganisms which do not exceed the suggested occupational exposure limits. Nevertheless, the presence of allergenic and/or immunotoxic microbial species in the air of factories poses a potential risk of respiratory disease, in particular in sensitive workers.  (+info)

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