Efficacy and safety of rituximab in autoimmune pancreatitis type 1: our experiences and systematic review of the literature.

Introduction: Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is a special form of pancreatitis that responds well to glucocorticoid (GC) treatment. Relapses of AIP are common. The anti-CD20 antibody rituximab (RTX) has shown promising results in GC refractory cases, but long-term data are scarce.

Intranasal exposure to Stachybotrys chartarum enhances airway inflammation in allergic mice.

Rationale: Exposure to building dampness, often associated with growth of microbes such as Stachybotrys chartarum, has been linked to respiratory symptoms. We have shown previously in a murine model that exposure to S. chartarum can induce lung inflammation characterized by infiltration of neutrophils and lymphocytes; this process is regulated by proinflammatory cytokines and leucocyte-attracting chemokines.

Intranasal exposure to a damp building mould, Stachybotrys chartarum, induces lung inflammation in mice by satratoxin-independent mechanisms.

Background: Stachybotrys chartarum is a damp building mould and a potent toxin producer that has been related to serious cases of respiratory health problems. However, the direct link between exposure and health symptoms has not been established.

Objective: To examine the mechanism by which exposure to spores of satratoxin producing and non-producing S.

Detection of aflatoxins (G(1-2), B(1-2)), sterigmatocystin, citrinine and ochratoxin A in samples contaminated by microbes.

A method is described for the simultaneous determination of common aflatoxins (G1, G2, B1, B2) and their precursor sterigmatocystin, and also citrinine and ochratoxin A. The method was applied to a building material matrix artificially contaminated with mycotoxin-producing fungi. The method includes extraction, sample pre-treatment and reversed-phase HPLC separation with tandem mass spectrometric identification and quantification using electrospray ionisation on a quadrupole ion trap mass analyser (ESI-MS-MS).

PCR-based typing of Mycobacterium avium isolates in an epidemic among farmed lesser white-fronted geese (Anser erythropus).

Mycobacterium avium is an important veterinary pathogen causing avian tuberculosis in birds. The aim of the study was to evaluate the genetic relatedness in M. avium isolates from deep tissues of farmed lesser white-fronted geese with avian tuberculosis and in samples from the farm environment.

Mycotoxins in crude building materials from water-damaged buildings.

We analyzed 79 bulk samples of moldy interior finishes from Finnish buildings with moisture problems for 17 mycotoxins, as well as for fungi that could be isolated using one medium and one set of growth conditions. We found the aflatoxin precursor, sterigmatocystin, in 24% of the samples and trichothecenes in 19% of the samples. Trichothecenes found included satratoxin G or H in five samples; diacetoxyscirpenol in five samples; and 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol, deoxynivalenol, verrucarol, or T-2-tetraol in an additional five samples.

Study of toxin production by isolates of Stachybotrys chartarum and Memnoniella echinata isolated during a study of pulmonary hemosiderosis in infants.

A cluster of cases of pulmonary hemosiderosis among infants was reported in Cleveland, Ohio, during 1993 and 1994. These unusual cases appeared only in infants ranging in age from 1 to 8 months and were characterized by pulmonary hemorrhage, which caused the babies to cough up blood. A case-control study identified major home water damage (from plumbing leaks, roof leaks, or flooding) as a risk factor for development of pulmonary hemorrhage in these infants.

Effects of intranasal exposure to spores of Stachybotrys atra in mice.

The effects of highly toxic and nontoxic spores of Stachybotrys atra were investigated in mice after six intranasal administrations of 1 x 10(5) and 1 x 10(3) spores in phosphate-buffered saline during a 3-week period. Toxic spores contained the trichothecene mycotoxins, satratoxins G and H, as well as the immunosuppressant stachybotrylactones and -lactams. No trichothecenes were detected in the nontoxic spores, and they contained only minor amounts of stachybotrylactones and -lactams.

Bacteria, molds, and toxins in water-damaged building materials.

Microbial toxins and eukaryotic cell toxicity from indoor building materials heavily colonized by fungi and bacteria were analyzed. The dominant colonizers at water-damaged sites of the building were Stachybotrys chartarum (10(3) to 10(5) visible conidia cm-2), Penicillium and Aspergillus species (10(4) CFU mg-1), gram-negative bacteria (10(4) CFU mg-1), and mycobacteria (10(3) CFU mg-1). The mycobacterial isolates were most similar to M.

Experimental lung mycotoxicosis in mice induced by Stachybotrys atra.

Stachybotrys atra is often isolated from building materials in houses with moisture problems. Spores of S. atra can contain mycotoxins which may lead to various symptoms in exposed residents in damp houses.

Toxigenic molds in water-damaged buildings: dechlorogriseofulvins from Memnoniella echinata.

An investigation of a cluster of cases of pulmonary hemosiderosis in infants in Cleveland, OH, led to the isolation of many isolates of Stachybotrys atra and two isolates of a related toxigenic fungus, Memnoniella echinata. M. echinata produces two cytotoxic trichothecene mycotoxins, trichodermol (1a) and trichodermin (1b), as well as several griseofulvins.

Characterization of the mouse gene for the alpha 1 chain of type XVIII collagen (Col18a1) reveals that the three variant N-terminal polypeptide forms are transcribed from two widely separated promoters.

The mouse gene for the alpha 1 chain of type XVIII collagen (Col18a1) is more than 102 kb and consists of 43 exons. Type XVIII collagen transcripts encode polypeptides that differ with respect to three variant N-terminal noncollagenous domains that are 301 (NC1-301), 517 (NC1-517), or 764 (NC1-764) residues in length. Characterization of genomic clones revealed that the three variant NC1 domains result from the use of two alternative promoters, separated by a distance of 50 kb.

Comparison of detection methods for trichothecenes produced by Fusarium sporotrichioides on fodder and grains at different air humidities.

Growth and toxin production of a highly toxic strain of Fusarium sporotrichioides Sherb were studied on oat and wheat grains and on straw under experimental conditions, in which relative humidity (RH) of air was regulated. The materials were incubated at three different RH levels at a range of 84-100%. F.

Stachybotrys atra Growth and Toxin Production in Some Building Materials and Fodder under Different Relative Humidities.

Growth of Stachybotrys atra and its toxin production on some building materials and in animal fodder were studied at relative humidities ranging from 78 to 100%. Toxins were detected by biological assays and chemical methods. Strong growth of the fungus and presence of macrocyclic trichothecenes, mainly satratoxins G and H, were detected on wallpaper and gypsum boards and in hay and straw at saturation conditions.

Primary structure of the alpha 1 chain of mouse type XVIII collagen, partial structure of the corresponding gene, and comparison of the alpha 1(XVIII) chain with its homologue, the alpha 1(XV) collagen chain.

We have isolated cDNAs that complete the elucidation of the primary structure of the mouse alpha 1(XVIII) collagen chain, a polypeptide homologous to the alpha 1(XV) collagen chain. The 1315-residue alpha 1(XVIII) chain includes a 25-residue signal peptide, a 301-residue NH2-terminal non-collagenous domain (NC1), a 674-residue collagenous sequence with nine interruptions of 10-24 residues, and a 315-residue COOH-terminal noncollagenous domain (NC11). Seven of the collagenous domains and both flanking noncollagenous domains share homology with the alpha 1(XV) chain.

Occurrence of Trichothecenes in feed and cereals in Finland.

In 1985 82 samples of feed and food grain were analyzed for trichothecenes deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NV), diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin and fusarenon-X (F-X). Trichothecenes were found in 77 of these samples. The highest amounts were DON 6300 ug/kg and DAS 1680 ug/kg.

Variation of F-2 toxin production on different substrates.

The F-2 producing capacity of one Fusarium graminearum strain (strain No. 13) and of three hyphal tip transverse lines (a b and c) isolated from the original strain and of a mixture of these lines (a b and c) was studied in two successive years on different substrates: oats, barley, wheat, grain mixture and wheat bran. In the first year the original strain produced high amounts of F-2 but was heterogenous in toxin production.