Seroprevalence of human granulocytic anaplasmosis in Berlin/Brandenburg, Germany: an 8-year survey.

This study investigated the seroprevalence of antibodies against Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Berlin/Brandenburg, north-eastern Germany. During 1994-2001, 422 sera from patients with proven tick-exposure (specimens with antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi) were compared with 249 control sera. Using indirect fluorescent antibody testing, significantly more positive samples were detected among Borrelia antibody-positive specimens (4.

Bacterial contamination of autologous bone marrow: reinfusion of culture-positive grafts does not result in clinical sequelae during the posttransplantation course.

Objectives: Microbiological cultures and posttransplantation course were analyzed in order to investigate the incidence and clinical significance of bacterial contamination of autologous bone marrow (BM) grafts.

Methods: Cultures were obtained from BM after collection, BM concentrate after processing, contaminated/cryopreserved BM at thawing, and from peripheral blood (PB) following autologous BM transplantation (ABMT). The posttransplantation course of patients grafted with culture-positive BM was recorded and compared with patients who underwent ABMT with noncontaminated BM grafts.

A new acid-fast trichrome stain for simultaneous detection of Cryptosporidium parvum and microsporidial species in stool specimens.

The detection in stool specimens of Cryptosporidium parvum and microsporidia, the most frequent parasitic pathogens causing diarrhea in AIDS patients, until now has depended on two different staining methods. However, since double infections occur and minimization of laboratory costs is mandatory, development of a method for simultaneous detection of these parasites appeared desirable. We report on a new, inexpensive, and easy-to-perform staining procedure to demonstrate both acid-fast oocysts of C.

L3T4(CD4)-, Lyt-2(CD8)- and Mac-1(CD11b)-phenotypic leukocytes in murine cryptococcal meningoencephalitis.

An immunohistological study of L3T4(CD4)+ and LYT-2(CD8)+ lymphocytes, Mac-1(CD11b)+ monocytes and granulocytes in experimental murine cryptococcal meningoencephalitis was conducted. To assess the concomitant inflammatory reaction in an extracerebral site, livers were examined in parallel. Mice were infected i.

Aerosol amphotericin B for prevention of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

The pharmacokinetics and applicability of aerosol amphotericin B administrations were studied in 40 neutropenic patients and 4 healthy volunteers. Particle size was measured and pulmonary deposition was demonstrated by radioisotope studies. Inhalations were easy to administer and were well tolerated, with minimal systemic absorption of the drug.