[Candida albicans: the relationship between morphotypes and in-vitro adhesivity to the oral mucosa cells of HIV-positive and AIDS patients. I].

Background: The significant frequency of oropharyngeal candidiasis due to C. albicans in HIV-infected and AIDS patients and the undoubted differences in pathogenicity among strains, lead us to study whether a possible correlation exists between the phenotypic characteristics of the fungal strain and the blastospores adhesivity to the human buccal epithelial cells.

Methods: From 203 oro-pharyngeal swabs of HIV-infected patients, 133 C.

[Candida albicans morphotypes and in vitro adhesivity to cells of the human oral mucosa in HIV-positive and AIDS patients after exposure of blastospores to fluconazole. II].

Background: Oro-pharyngeal candidosis is a frequently initial clinical manifestation of HIV infection and the adhesive properties of Candida spp. represent a very important pathogenicity factor.

Methods: In this study the adhesivity rate of Candida albicans to the oral epithelial cells of 33 HIV-positive patients and 12 healthy volunteers, have been assessed before and after the exposure of blastospores to inhibitory concentrations of fluconazole, in relation to 11 morphotypes obtained from 13 C.

Morphotypes of Candida albicans and their associations with underlying diseases and source of samples.

The morphotyping method was applied to differentiate a series of 276 Candida albicans strains recovered from hospitalized patients, by using a three-digit code based on the characteristics of the fringe outgrowth. By this scheme 32 different morphotypes were identified. An 86% reproducibility was achieved.

Susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori and pharmacokinetic properties in mice of new 5-nitroimidazole derivatives devoid of mutagenic activity in the Ames test.

The minimum inhibitory concentrations of metronidazole and four new 5-nitroimidazole derivatives (EU 11100, EU 11102, EU 11103, EU 11104), obtained by the reaction of 1-methyl-5-nitroimidazolyl-2-carboxyaldehyde and terbutyl-phenol, were determined against 25 clinical isolates of Helicobacter pylori. Three of them (EU 11100, EU 11103, EU 11104) exhibited an antibacterial activity higher than that of metronidazole. The last one, the molecule EU 11102, was less active than metronidazole.

[Bone marrow cryptococcosis as the first manifestation of AIDS].

Bone marrow cryptococcosis as initial sign of AIDS. The Authors describe a case of bone marrow cryptococcosis in a patient, female aged 27, in which a toluene-induced aplastic anemia was suspected. The mycosis was at first extracerebral and represented the initial manifestation of unexpected AIDS.

Listeria monocytogenes infections: the organism, its pathogenicity and antimicrobial drugs susceptibility.

L. monocytogenes can induce serious, life-threatening infections. Multiple clinical manifestations of the disease include neonatal and perinatal listeriosis, infections in adult immunocompromised patients as well as in normal hosts, with the CNS as the more frequent site involved.

Antibacterial, antimycotic and trichomonicidal activity of a new nitroimidazole (EU 11100).

The antimicrobial profile of a new nitroimidazole derivative (5-nitro-1-methyl-imidazolyl-2-hydroxy-3 terbutylphenyl carbinol) has been studied. The in vitro activity of the new molecule has been evaluated against both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, Trichomonas vaginalis, and mycetes, under suitable experimental conditions. The new compound was compared with ampicillin against aerobic bacteria; with metronidazole against anaerobic bacteria, lactobacilli and T.

Activity of two benzofuran-imidazoles, IM/B/4-62 and IM/B/4-66, against experimental infections with Candida albicans and Trichophyton mentagrophytes.

The therapeutic activity of two new benzofuran-imidazoles, IM/B/4-62 and IM/B/4-66, formulated as 1% cream, has been evaluated against Candida albicans and Trichophyton mentagrophytes by inducing experimental vaginal candidosis in female rats and dermatophytosis in female guinea pigs. Results of the treatment were compared with those obtained by the same therapeutic regimen carried out with bifonazole. IM/B/4-66 proved to possess superior antimycotic activity to that of IM/B/4-62 and similar to that of bifonazole in both infections.

Antifungal activity of two benzofuran-imidazoles in different experimental conditions.

A number of experiments was performed in order to analyze the in vitro activity of two new benzofuran-imidazoles, IM/B/4-62 and IM/B/4-66. Studies included the determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) on three culture media, at different pH values and at different inoculum sizes. Furthermore, the killing activity and induced resistance were determined.

Microbiological patterns of four new imidazole derivatives.

The authors present an in vitro experimental study concerning the microbiological properties of four imidazole derivatives, with a piperazine group between two benzene rings. Seventy strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, 30 of yeasts, 14 of filamentous fungi and 10 strains of Trichomonas vaginalis were tested. The new compounds revealed a good inhibitory activity against Gram-positive bacteria, yeasts and dermatophytes.

[Pathology of the internal organs and central nervous system in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (with special reference to opportunistic infections)].

Extracerebral and cerebral pathology in AIDS (with particular emphasis on the opportunistic infections). The Authors present the extracerebral pathology of 27 cases of AIDS observed at the Department of Pathology of Milan and the cerebral pathology of 80 cases of AIDS collected by three Institutes (Department of Pathology of Milan, Department of Pathology of Rimini and Department of Neuropathology of Münster) with particular emphasis on the pathology of the opportunistic infections. In the adults' group, the most frequent infections are the protozoan ones (T.

Cerebral listeriosis in adults. Three cases report.

The Authors describe three autoptic cases of meningoencephalitis in adults due to an emerging pathogen, the Gram-positive bacillus Listeria monocytogenes. Only one of these was an immunosuppressed patient (recurrent carcinoma of the larynx and bladder papillomas), while no severe cause of debilitation was detected in the other two cases, excluding colonic diverticulosis in both. The post-mortem examination revealed leptomeningitis and encephalitis.

Treatment of experimental cystitis in the rat with a single dose of fosfomycin trometamol.

The therapeutic effectiveness of a single oral dose (60 and 200 mg/kg body weight) of fosfomycin trometamol (FT), norfloxacin, trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim) and pipemidic acid against experimental cystitis in the rat were compared. Infections were produced with clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli in a total of 135 Sprague-Dawley albino rats. Oral treatment with all four drugs consistently lowered the numbers of CFU in bladder tissue, especially E.

Antibacterial activity in human urine of fosfomycin trometamol in an in vitro model of the urinary bladder.

The urinary concentrations of fosfomycin trometamol, norfloxacin, pipemidic acid and cotrimoxazole were studied at various times after oral administration of drugs in healthy volunteers. Using the same urine, the bactericidal activity of four antimicrobial agents against Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella pneumoniae in an in vitro model simulating the treatment of bacterial cystitis was also evaluated. The results obtained show that very high concentrations of the drugs were achieved in urine particularly after the oral administration of the fosfomycin trometamol.

Pasteur yeasts system, a test-kit for yeasts identification. Its evaluation in comparison with three commercial methods and conventional procedures.

The Pasteur Yeasts System is a commercial prepared kit and scheme for the rapid (48 h) identification of 23 yeasts belonging to 7 genera. The method consists of two parts: a gallery of media to evaluate germ tube production, urease activity, tetrazolium reduction, cycloheximide sensibility and fermentation of three carbohydrates, and an auxanographic method to determine the assimilation pattern of 16 carbohydrates. This system was tested in comparison with API 20 C Auxanogram, Mycotube, Candida Check and conventional procedures to identify 40 yeast strains.

Mycoses in immunocompromised patients. An histopathologic study of 61 cases.

The histopathologic pattern of secondary mycoses in 61 immunocompromised patients is presented. The underlying diseases were: neoplasms, organ transplants, AIDS and a variety of other debilitating diseases. Three patients with AIDS had a double fungal infection.

New benzofuran-imidazoles as antimycotic agents. II. In vitro studies.

Ten new imidazole derivatives, benzofuran-imidazoles, were studied in vitro to establish their antimycotic activity against 70 fungal strains, in comparison with three known imidazoles and, for the dermatophytes only, griseofulvin. A very high inhibitory activity against dermatophytes was shown by five of the new substances. The other filamentous fungi and yeasts showed a more marked variation in their susceptibility.

New benzofuran-imidazoles as antimycotic agents. I. Synthesis and characterization.

With the aim of obtaining new drugs having antimycotic activity together with antibacterial and fewer side effects, we synthesized ten new benzofuran-2-yl-imidazoles.

Siccanin: a new antifungal antibiotic with antidermatophytic properties. In vitro studies.

The in vitro antifungal properties of the antibiotic siccanin were determined by the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) values against 51 fungal strains (yeasts and filamentous fungi). The comparison was made with econazole, clotrimazole, 5-fluorocytosine and griseofulvin. The results show the useful antidermatophytic activity of siccanin.

Cerebral phaeohyphomycosis.

The authors describe a case of cerebral phaeohyphomycosis with lethal outcome within five weeks from surgical resection. The lesion consisted of a multilocular abscess in the left parietal lobe. The histopathologic findings showed a granulomatous reaction surrounding the abscess cavities.