Vertigo after renal transplantation: a sign of paucisymptomatic cryptococcal meningitis.

We report what is to our knowledge the first case of severe isolated vertigo that developed after renal transplantation and was a manifestation of cryptococcal meningitis. Treatment with antifungal therapy resulted in the complete resolution of vertiginous symptoms. Immunosuppressed patients with an opportunistic infection of the central nervous system can present with extremely tenuous features of infection and atypical neurologic signs.

Recombinant antigens as diagnostic markers for aspergillosis.

Eight recombinant proteins and purified galactomannan of Aspergillus fumigatus were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to quantify the anti-Aspergillus antibodies in sera of patients with aspergilloma, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), and invasive aspergillosis (IA). In spite of the variability observed in the immune responses of individual patients, quantification of the antibody titers against the 18-kDa ribonuclease (RNU), the 360-kDa catalase (CAT), and the 88-kDa dipeptidylpeptidase V (DPPV) was useful for the diagnosis of aspergilloma and ABPA. Differential diagnosis of ABPA was even possible among cystic fibrosis as well as noncystic fibrosis patients.

[Granulomatous pneumocystis pneumonia].

Introduction: Granulomatous pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is a rarity whose presentation may be misleading.

Case Report: We report the case of a patient suffering from chronic lymphatic leukaemia presenting with acute respiratory insufficiency, with a fatal outcome, due to granulomatous PCP. Broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) remained negative and the diagnosis could only be made later by open lung biopsy.

Molecular characterization of a cell wall-associated beta(1-3)endoglucanase of Aspergillus fumigatus.

A 74 kDa beta(1-3)endoglucanase of Aspergillus fumigatus was recently isolated from a cell wall autolysate and biochemically characterized. In this study, we report the cloning and the disruption of the ENGL1 gene encoding this beta(1-3)endoglucanase. ENGL1 contains an open reading frame of 2181 bp encoding a polypeptide of 727 amino acids.

Symptoms and serum precipitins in workers exposed to dry sausage mould: consequences of exposure to sausage mould.

Objective: Hypersensitivity pneumonitis due to dry sausage mould has been reported in workers who brush off the excess mould which coats dry sausage. Prevalence of symptoms and sensitization to mould among these pork-butchery workers is unknown. The aim of the study was to assess the clinical, radiographic, functional, and immunological features in exposed and non-exposed workers in semi-industrial pork butcheries.