Cancer, 1981 Feb 15, 47(4), 801 - 5 Infections in hairy cell leukemia (leukemic reticuloendotheliosis); Stewart DJ et al.; Of 22 patients with hairy cell leukemia, 18 developed life-threatening infections . Susceptibility to infection appeared to be increased nonspecifically, in that a wide range of infecting organisms were noted . Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the organism isolated most frequently . Four patients had disseminated Mycobacterium kansasii, and one had bacillus Calmette-Guerin lymphadenitis . Two patients developed serious fungal infections (Candida albicans in one and Allescheria boydii in the other) . One patient had disseminated cytomegalovirus infection and two had toxoplasmosis . Splenectomy did not appear to decrease the infection rate . The infection rate initially increased following chemotherapy (P less than 0.001), then returned to pretreatment levels by two months following treatment . Infections were most frequent during granulocytopenia (P less than 0.01), but granulocytopenia was not a prerequisite for either life-threatening or fatal infections . Monocytopenia may be a more important factor than granulocytopenia in risk of infection in hairy cell leukemia patients. Infect Immun, 1981 Feb, 31(2), 723 - 31 Microbicidal cationic proteins of rabbit alveolar macrophages: amino acid composition and functional attributes; Patterson-Delafield J et al.; We purified two microbicidal cationic proteins, MCP-1 and MCP-2, from rabbit alveolar macrophages . MCP-1 was remarkably rich in arginine (25.5 mol%) and half cystine (18.7 mol%) residues and constituted approximately 1.5% of the total protein content of Freund adjuvant-elicited alveolar macrophages . MCP-2 was approximately half as abundant as MCP-1 and contained relatively less arginine (14.9 mol%) and half cystine (9.8 mol%) . The amino acid compositions of MCP-1 and MCP-2 resembled those reported for the lysosomal cationic proteins of rabbit granulocytes, but were distinct from those of any known histone . MCP-1 (1 microgram/ml) killed 99.6% of Candida albicans in 20 min, whereas MCP-2 killed approximately 80% under similar conditions . Both proteins rapidly suppressed O2 consumption by C . albicans and induced a rapid loss of intracellular 86Rb+ . Although more information is needed about the biological origin, distribution, and roles of macrophage microbicidal proteins, it seems likely that MCP-1 and MCP-2 contribute to the microbicidal efficacy of rabbit alveolar macrophages. Infect Immun, 1981 Feb, 31(2), 783 - 91 Persistence and spread of Candida albicans after intragastric inoculation of infant mice; Field LH et al.; Infant mice have been shown previously to be a useful model for the study of gastrointestinal (GI) and systemic candidosis . In this study, the virulence of four strains of Candida albicans was compared in intragastrically inoculated infants and in adult mice inoculated intravenously . The four strains differed in their ability to kill both infant and adult mice . A smaller inoculum was required to kill adult mice inoculated intravenously . Neonates could not be inoculated intravenously . The ability of the strains to spread systemically from and to persist for long periods of time in the digestive tract was also examined in intragastrically inoculated infants . The yeast cells spread to liver, lungs, kidneys, and spleen within 30 min postinoculation . Yeast were not detectable in the lungs or in blood from the pleural cavity up to 15 min post-inoculation, thus making it unlikely that systemic spread resulted from faulty inoculation or from aspiration . The region where C . albicans crossed the GI tract of infant mice was visualized histologically in the upper third of the small intestine . The four strains varied in their ability to persist for long periods in the GI tract, in the rate at which they appeared systemically, and in ability to kill infant mice . Three of the four strains colonized the gut for up to 10 weeks postinoculation without use of any compromising agents. Br J Vener Dis, 1981 Feb, 57(1), 67 - 9 Evaluation of a culture slide in the diagnosis of vaginal candidosis; Pattman RS et al.; The Till-U-Test Candida Dermatophyte (TUT CD) culture slide, produced for the diagnosis of yeast and dermatophyte infections, was compared with microscopy and formal laboratory culture in the diagnosis of vaginal candidosis . Candida albicans grew readily on the medium and reliable results were obtained within a mean of three days' incubation at room temperature . Agreement with laboratory culture was 91 . 4%; 29% of cases would have been missed by microscopy alone . The TUT CD is a useful device, therefore, in the investigation of vaginitis. Br J Ophthalmol, 1981 Feb, 65(2), 89 - 96 Development of quantitative methods of measuring antifungal drug effects in the rabbit cornea; Oji EO; By means of multiple inoculation in each cornea with microtrephination a highly reproducible quantitative model of fungal infection of the rabbit corneal stroma has been produced . A known suspension of the chosen pathogen was systematically implanted into the trephine sites in the cornea . The degree of infectivity was monitored in both the preinoculation treated corneae (prophylaxis) and the postinoculation treated corneae (therapy) . Examples measuring and comparing the antifungal effect of various imidazole drugs against Candida albicans are discussed. J Bacteriol, 1981 Feb, 145(2), 896 - 903 Natural heterozygosity in Candida albicans; Whelan WL et al.; We subjected 16 Candida albicans clinical isolates to ultraviolet radiation and tested the survivors for auxotrophy . Six isolates displayed strongly biased auxotroph spectra: three yielded methionine auxotrophs, two yielded both isoleucine-valine and adenine auxotrophs, and one yielded lysine auxotrophs . We present evidence that auxotrophs arise by segregation from naturally occurring heterozygous states . The remaining isolates yielded few or no auxotrophs in an arbitrary sample (greater than 2,500) of survivors of irradiation . Our experiments indicate that C . albicans is diploid, although aneuploidy (2n + i) cannot be rigorously excluded . We discuss the possible utility of heterozygosity as a marker in epidemiological studies, and we discuss a rationale for the frequent occurrence of heterozygosity. J Exp Med, 1981 Feb 1, 153(2), 476 - 81 Antigen-reactive T cells can be activated buy autologous macrophages in the absence of added antigen; Hausman PB et al.; T cells responsive to macrophages (M phi) in the autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) contain those cells that can be induced to proliferate by soluble antigens . Negative solution (5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine and light) of T cells activated by autologous M phi also removed those cells required for reactivity to Candida albicans and purified protein derivative . Positive selection of T cells responsive to autologous M phi yields a population that is simultaneously enriched in antigen reactivity . Some patients demonstrating cutaneous anergy and diminished in vitro blast transformation in response to soluble antigen also lack T cells responsive to the AMLR to M phi . When considered in conjunction with previously reported data, these findings indicate the AMLR occurring between T cells and M phi in the absence of soluble antigen represents self recognition occurring between antigen-reactive T cells and antigen-presenting M phi. S Afr Med J, 1981 Jan 24, 59(4), 111 - 3 Evaluation of neutrophil and lymphocyte function in subjects with iron deficiency; van Heerden C et al.; Neutrophil function was studied in a group of 15 children, 7 with iron deficiency (4 with iron deficiency anaemia) and 8 age-matched controls; by clinical and laboratory criteria, all were uninfected . In a second group of 28 children, 14 iron-deficient (6 with iron deficiency anaemia) and 14 controls, numbers of circulating T and B lymphocytes and responsiveness to the mitogens phytohaemagglutinin and concanavalin A were assessed . Levels of salivary IgA were estimated in every patient . Neutrophil chemotaxis to autologous endotoxin-activated serum and control serum, phagocytosis of Candida albicans and post-phagocytic nitro-blue tetrazolium reduction were similar in both the iron-deficient and control groups . Likewise, levels of secretory IgA, serum immunoglobulins, total haemolytic complement and complement components, and numbers of T and B lymphocytes were comparable in both iron-deficient groups and the control group . However, transformation to both mitogens was reduced in the group with iron deficiency anaemia. J Invest Dermatol, 1981 Jan, 76(1), 63 - 7 Epithelial and interepithelial mitoses of the oral mucosa: light and electron microscopic study in mice after exposure to different antigens; Bos IR et al.; Many epithelia respond to exogenous injurious agents with an increased proliferation . Until now interepithelial cells (neuroectodermal cells, lymphocytes, cerebriform cells and Langerhans cells) have been neglected in investigations of the proliferation kinetics of stratified squamous epithelia . In mice with different antigenic exposure, and in T-cell deficient nude mice mitoses in the oral epithelium were counted by light microscopy and the proportion of mitoses of interepithelial cells was determined by an additional ultrastructural analysis . NMRI mice raised in "germ-free" and "specific pathogen-free" environments exhibit decreased mitotic rates in lingual and buccal epithelia (16 mitoses per 1000 basal cells) when compared with mice raised in "normal" environments . NMRI mice exposed orally to Candida albicans exhibit increased mitotic rates in the same 2 epithelial sites (35 mitoses per 1000 basal cells after 2 days) . Similar changes occur in athymic nude mice . The electron microscopic observations showed that most of the mitoses occurred among keratinocytes . Only sporadic mitoses of nonepithelial cells could be observed within the epithelium . However, these amounted to less than 5% of the total of mitoses . Our results show that for proliferation kinetic studies of squamous epithelia this low proportion of interepithelial mitoses may be negligible . Interepithelial cells apparently recruit mainly from migrating cells into the epithelium, while proliferation in situ plays a secondary role . As there are no signs of a transmigration of the epithelium by interepithelial cells they must be considered a recirculating cell population. South Med J, 1981 Jan, 74(1), 84 - 5 Candida albicans arthritis in a healthy adult; Arnold HJ et al.; Candida arthritis developed postoperatively in a healthy man in whom initial operative cultures had shown no infection . The possibility of iatrogenic infection with fungus should be considered. Arch Dermatol Res, 1981, 271(4), 373 - 80 The fate of experimental cutaneous candidiasis in guinea pigs under the suppressed polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis by colchicine; Miyachi Y et al.; Experimental cutaneous Candida albicans infections in guinea pigs are histologically characterized by intense epidermal polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) accumulation . To study the role of PMNs in vivo, we injected 250 microgcolchicine/kg i.p., a strong inhibitor of PMN chemotaxis, and observed the influence of reduced PMN migration in experimental cutaneous candidiasis with special interest in the elimination course of the organisms . There was a significant delay in the clearance of the organisms in the colchicine-treated group with decreased epidermal PMN infiltration and prolonged visible scaling process . Our data suggest that the delay of epidermal PMN migration parallels the disappearance of the organisms from the infected skin and that PMNs play an important part in defense against candida infections especially in the elimination process. Scan Electron Microsc, 1981, (Pt 3), 73 - 80 SEM studies of adherence of candida albicans to the gastrointestinal tract of infant mice; Pope LM et al.; In our earlier investigations it has been shown that the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of the infant mouse (4-5 days old) can be colonized following a single intragastric challenge with Candida albicans . This makes it possible to investigate the sequence of events which occur during colonization of the GI tract by this opportunistic yeast . Two strains of C . albicans, CA 30 and NS 33, which were shown in earlier studies to differ markedly in their ability to persist in the GI tract were examined . The SEM was used to reveal the location of the yeast and their structural association with the surface of tissues of the gut at early times after intragastric inoculation . Animals were sacrificed after challenge, the GI tract was removed from each mouse and subdivided into the stomach, upper intestine, mid-intestine, ileum, cecum and large bowel . The number of colony forming units was determined by homogenizing these segments and plating them out on sabouraud's dextrose agar . The microenvironment of each segment was preserved by freezing samples in liquid nitrogen prior to processing for the SEM . The distribution and level of counts of the strains studied in the GI tract were comparable during the three week period . Both strains of C . albicans associated with the secreting epithelium and the keratinized epithelium of the stomach . Yeast also associated with the mucus layer and the epithelial surface throughout the GI tract . Those yeast adhering to the epithelial surfaces of the GI tract were frequently covered by a layer of mucus which may aid in colonization. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {B}, 1981, 173(3-4), 242 - 9 A survey of fungi and some indicator bacteria in chlorinated water of indoor public swimming pools; Aho R et al.; Fifty-four water samples, of volume 500 ml, originating from six public indoor fresh water swimming pools were examined for the presence of fungi and some indicator bacteria by a membrane-filter method . Sabouraud-dextrose agar and selective Candida albicans-medium were used for isolation and identification of fungi . In all but one of the samples the free chlorine content was above 0.40 mg/l . No Candida albicans were detected . Molds and unidentified yeasts were isolated from 29 of the samples . The following species were recorded: Acremonium spp., ALternaria sp., Aspergillus spp., Candida guilliermondii, Chaetomium sp., Cladosporium spp., Clasterosporium sp., Fusarium spp., Geotrichium sp., Penicillium spp., Petriellidium boydii and Phoma spp . Their occurrence was sporadic, each species mostly appearing as single colonies only, with a maximum of 5 colonies . Bacterial growth was noticed in 15 samples, but only in the sample of low free chlorine content did this reach significant proportions . The study indicates that the standard of chlorination is, at least in general, an adequate measure against fungal contamination of swimming pool water . However, the spectrum of mold species encountered encourages a further search for possible indicator species among these organisms. Dermatologica, 1981, 162(3), 148 - 56 Immune phenomena in patients with pustular bacterid; Djawari D et al.; In 20 patients with histologically confirmed pustular bacterid of immunological status was checked including lymphocyte and granulocyte components of the cellular immune system as well as HLA typing . For comparison the same investigations were carried out in 20 healthy controls . In contrast to the controls, in the group of patients the chemotactic activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes as well as their ability to engulf either vital or heat-inactivated Candida albicans cells was found to be slightly impaired (p less than or equal to 0.01 and 0.05, respectively) . Killing of C . albicans cells by polymorphonuclear leukocytes were strikingly impaired (p less than or equal to 0.001) . NADPH-dependent oxidase activity, however, was found to be normal . Impairment of chemotaxis and killing activity could not be substantiated in AB pool serum, thus a serum-dependent disorder of granulocyte function has to be assumed . Lymphocyte response to phytohemagglutinin was reduced in all patients, whereas intracutaneous test reactivity to microbial antigens was normal . T and B cell counts in peripheral blood were within normal range . HLA typing revealed a significantly increased prevalence rate of HLA-B14 as compared with the control group and other patients. Chemotherapy, 1981, 27(4), 270 - 6 Vapour phase activity of imazalil; Van Gestel J et al.; A series of in vitro experiments with imazalil is described . It is demonstrated that the compound has fungistatic, fungicidal and even sporocidal activity in the vapour phase against a wide variety of fungal species, e.g., dermatophytes, Candida albicans, and plant-pathogenic fungi . Possible practical applications are discussed. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1981 Jan, 19(1), 179 - 84 Experimental intraabdominal candidiasis in rabbits: therapy with low-total-dose intravenous amphotericin B; Bayer AS et al.; By using a recently developed rabbit model, we examined the efficacy of relatively low-total-dose intravenous amphotericin B (Am-B; 7 to 14 mg/kg) in the treatment of intraabdominal candidiasis due to Candida albicans . Forty-eight percent of the rabbits developed evidence of hematogenously disseminated infection (Candida endophthalmitis) before therapy . By day 7 of therapy, there was a significant decrease in the mean log10 colony-forming units per gram of peritoneal abscess in comparison with both pretherapy cultures and concomitantly sacrificed controls (no Am-B treatment; P less than 0.25) . By day 11 of therapy, peritoneal abscesses were sterilized by Am-B, whereas control rabbit cultures remained positive . In contrast, low-dose Am-B therapy produced no significant decrease in colony-forming units per gram of renal or chorioretinal abscess in rabbits which developed hematogenously disseminated candidiasis . Serum Am-B levels approached or exceeded the minimal fungistatic concentrations for this C . albicans strain in most animals tested . Low-dose Am-B was effective in eradicating intraabdominal candidiasis, but was not curative when extraperitoneal dissemination occurred. Acta Paediatr Scand, 1981, 70(3), 421 - 5 Normal microbicidal function of monocytes in a girl with chronic granulomatous disease; Weemaes C et al.; The history of a 13-year-old girl with a syndrome resembling Chronic Granulomatous Disease (C.G.D.) is described . Metabolic studies in granulocytes and monocytes classified the patient as having C.G.D . The granulocytes failed to kill Staphylococcus aureus and Candida Albicans; however, the killing of these microorganisms by the patient's monocytes was nearly normal . Family studies revealed no abnormalities in the phagocytic cells of the parents and the siblings. Klin Monatsbl Augenheilkd, 1981 Jan, 178(1), 69 - 71 {The significance of candida albicans conjunctivitis (author's transl)}; Muller G et al.; Report on mycological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of candida-albicans conjunctivitis from dermatological, ophthalmological and microbiological viewpoints. Dermatologica, 1981, 162(1), 36 - 41 Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis with candida granuloma treated with 5-fluorocytosine; Lee S et al.; A 19-year-old male had chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis with typical granuloma on the face, scalp and genital area . He had defects in cell-mediated immunity (cutaneous anergy to common antigens, but normal number of T lymphocytes and normal lymphocyte transformation with phytohemagglutinin), and there were no endocrine deficiencies . He had systemic involvement, including lungs, kidneys, liver and spleen diagnosed by radiologic studies . In the histologic findings of the skin, typical features were seen of candida granuloma lesions, and hyphae and spores of Candida albicans also were identified in the Malpighian layer . Therapy with 5-fluorocytosine resulted in a remarkable improvement. Arzneimittelforschung, 1981, 31(2), 309 - 15 The biological and toxicological properties of imazalil; Thienpont D et al.; 1-{2-(2,4-Dichlorophenyl)-2-(2-propenyloxy)-ethyl}-1H-imidazole (imazalil) base and different salts were tested in vitro on various pathogenic fungi and bacteria; in vivo on guinea-pigs, rats and turkeys experimentally infected with dermatophytes and Candida albicans . In vitro the dermatophytes were the most sensitive . The plant-pathogenic fungi were more sensitive to the base than to the salts . The antibacterial activity was low . The in vivo antifungal activity was high for the dermatophytes and rather low for Candida . The acute, subacute and chronic toxicity studies in rats and dogs showed that imazalil wa a well tolerated substance . Ocular and dermal irritation were not seen at therapeutic doses . Fertility and reproductive capacity were not affected and embryotoxicity and teratogenicity were not seen . No mutagenic or cancerogenic potential was found. J Clin Immunol, 1981 Jan, 1(1), 65 - 72 Defective cellular immune response in vitro in common variable immunodeficiency; Cunningham-Rundles S et al.; Mononuclear cells from 39 patients with hypogammaglobulinemia of the common variable type were analyzed for in vitro proliferative response to a panel of cell activators in order to examine the lymphocyte response to mitogens and to study the capacity to generate an immunologically specific secondary response . Patient lymphocyte response to phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A was found to be significantly lower than that of controls studied in parallel (P less than 0.01), and low response did not correlate with T-lymphocyte number . Response to pokeweed mitogen was significantly lower than that of controls (P less than 0.01), but response to zinc, tested in a few patients, was normal . Strong depressions of patient lymphocyte proliferative responses to Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus were observed (P less than 0.01); all of these microbial activators require intact B-cell function for maximum response . Repeated testing of individual patients indicated that poor lymphocyte response could be consistently observed . Examination of change in vitro lymphocyte response during clinical course and disease management showed that a consistent pattern of intrinsic lymphocyte functional deficiency could be demonstrated. J Gynecol Obstet Biol Reprod (Paris), 1981, 10(5), 443 - 8 {Anti-Candida albicans serology . A study carried out on 178 pregnant women in labour (author's transl)}; Auger P et al.; The serological study of 178 women investigated during labor shows that the number of patients with a significant titer of Candida albicans antibodies is 161 % higher in those suffering from vulvovaginitis due to this fungus as compared to patients without current infection . Among the 30 patients having vaginitis, 73 % harbor the yeast in the gastrointestinal tract . Precipitins were present in 6 patients : all of them also have a high titer of fluorescent antibodies . From the results of this work, it can be concluded that Candida albicans serology, although still difficult in its interpretation, is an interesting tool for the clinician and for the study of the physiopathology of candidosis. Digestion, 1981, 22(5), 271 - 5 Monocyte function in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis; Whorwell PJ et al.; Monocyte function as reflected by phagocytosis of Candida albicans and chemotaxis towards zymosan-activated serum has been assessed in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis . Phagocytosis and random movement were significantly increased to a similar degree in both diseases when compared with controls (p less than 0.001) . There was no significant difference in chemotaxis between the disease and control groups, although there was a trend towards its being increased in ulcerative colitis . There was no correlation between the results obtained and disease activity or medication. Arzneimittelforschung, 1981, 31(8A), 1323 - 7 {Studies on the mechanism of antifungal action of ciclopiroxolamine/Inhibition of transmembrane transport of amino acid, K+ and phosphate in Candida albicans cells (author's transl)}; Iwata K et al.; 6-Cyclohexyl-1-hydroxy-4-methyl-2(1H)-pyridone, 2-aminoethanol salt (ciclopiroxolamine, Cic, Hoe 296, Batrafen) was fungicidal to growing cultures of Candida albicans, although this effect was apparent after a certain period of cell proliferation, depending upon the drug concentration . Glucose-dependent uptake of all the amino acids tested, K+ and phosphate in starved C . albicans cells was significantly but to a considerably varying extent inhibited by the drug at levels around MIC . Accumulation of amino acid in the cellular pool was more profoundly inhibited than over-all amino acid incorporation into proteins . Cic did not affect the permeability barriers of C . albicans protoplasts or lecithin liposomes . It is presumed from these results that Cic-mediated growth inhibition or death of fungal cells is primarily caused by intracellular depletion of some essential substrates and/or ions, and that such effects are brought about through blockage of their uptake from the medium. Microbiol Immunol, 1981, 25(8), 807 - 18 Murine defense mechanism against Candida albicans infection . II . Opsonization, phagocytosis, and intracellular killing of C . albicans; Kagaya K et al.; The phagocytic and intracellular killing activities of normal mouse phagocytes against Candida albicans were studied to elucidate the role of these activities in nonspecific and specific defense mechanisms . In the presence of fresh normal mouse serum, viable C . albicans cells were ingested by mouse peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) and peritoneal macrophages (PMPs) at the same rate . Serum-chelation experiments indicated that the factors involved in the alternative complement pathway are opsonins for C . albicans . PBLs killed intracellular C . albicans more effectively than PMPs . Lymphokine-activated PMPs manifested marked intracellular killing activity and the occurrence of increased superoxide anion- and singlet oxygen production, in the absence of increased myeloperoxidase (MPO) production, suggests that the enhanced, MPO-independent, oxidative mechanism may play an important role in the candidacidal activity . Specific rabbit antibodies played no role in the phagocytosis and intracellular killing of C . albicans . These results suggest that PMNs and factors involved in the alternative complement pathways, and lymphokine-activated macrophages play major roles in the protection of mice against C . albicans infection. Microbiol Immunol, 1981, 25(7), 647 - 54 Murine defense mechanism against Candida albicans infection . I . Collaboration of cell-mediated and humoral immunities in protection against systemic C . albicans infection; Kagaya K et al.; Mice immunized with viable C . albicans cells demonstrated a high incidence of cell-mediated and a low incidence of humoral immune response . There was good agreement between the final survival rate of C . albicans infected mice and the rate of simultaneous cell-mediated and humoral immune response acquisition . Immunized mice with positive delayed hypersensitivity (DTH) against C . albicans crude antigen showed significant protection against intravenous challenge with C . albicans . Furthermore, the transfer of immunoglobulins from rabbit anti-C . albicans serum to DTH-positive mice enhanced protection, while it did not protect control mice against a subsequent challenge with C . albicans . These results suggest that cell-mediated immunity plays a major role and humoral immunity a side role in the defense mechanism(s) of C . albicans infected mice. J Immunol Methods, 1981, 43(2), 181 - 92 Analysis of a solid-phase radioimmunoassay for antibodies to cytoplasmic antigen fractions of Candida albicans; Mauch H et al.; An indirect solid-phase radioimmunoassay (SPRIA) in individual polystyrene microtiter cups has been adapted for measurement of antibody to various cytoplasmic and carbohydrate antigen fractions of Candida albicans . The assay was optimized for sensitivity, precision and linearization of serum dilution curves . The optimized procedure allows computerized measurement of anti-Candida antibodies and can be used for measurement of antibody over a wide concentration range . The procedure obviates variation due to changes in day-to-day counts as a result of isotope decay and end-point antibody dilutions . The assay has been used to demonstrate a Poisson-like distribution of antibody levels in the sera of persons showing no symptoms of candidiasis . The minimum antibody level detectable by the assay is about two orders of magnitude lower than the lowest level found in human serum and 4 orders of magnitude lower than the most sensitive test used hitherto, the hemagglutination test. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1981 Jan, 19(1), 199 - 200 Increase in colony-forming units of Candida albicans after treatment with polyene antibiotics; Brajtburg J et al.; Polyene antibiotics, at concentrations which do not cause detectable toxic effect, induce an increase in the number of colon-forming units of yeast cells of Candida albicans . This effect, which we attribute to an increase in plating efficiency, is probably caused by binding of the polyenes to fatty acids in the cell wall of fungi. Rev Stomatol Chir Maxillofac, 1981, 82(2), 140 - 2 {Salivary pH during pregnancy . Relationship with the presence or absence of Candida albicans . A study of 200 cases (author's transl)}; Scheffer P et al.; Salivary (Stenon, Warthon) and lingual pH, the effect of the presence or absence of Candida albicans in the oral cavity, and the involvement of various adjacent factors (caries, hygiene, pregnancy gingivosis, other mucosal lesions) were studied in 200 pregnant women . Results demonstrated that salivary pH is significantly related to the age of pregnancy, but not to the presence or absence of candida albicans. Rev Stomatol Chir Maxillofac, 1981, 82(2), 136 - 9 {Anti-Candida salivary immunoglobulins . Evidence of a specific local immune reaction (author's transl)}; Scheffer P et al.; Parotid saliva was studied in 119 subjects, some of whom were demonstrated as carrying Candida albicans in the oral cavity . No significant differences were found in the levels of total salivary IgA between the two groups, but specific IgA levels in the saliva differed significantly between the groups with or without the presence of Candida albicans . This confirms the existence of a specific local immunological response in the parotid saliva. Leber Magen Darm, 1981 Jan, 11(1), 21 - 4 {Infection in patients with hepatic coma (author's transl)}; Gassner A et al.; 66 patients with hepatic coma were treated from 1972 to 1979 in the intensive care unit . Incidence and etiology of bacterial infections in these patients were evaluated retrospectively . Bacterial cultures were positive in a high proportion of the cases investigated as compared to the situation on a normal ward . Bacterial cultures were performed in 51 patients (77.3%); cultures from 35 patients were positive . Gramnegative bacteria accounted for 56.4%, grampositive bacteria for 34.8% and candida albicans for 8.8% of all the cases . It is pointed out, that invasive diagnostic and therapeutic manoeuvers in intensive care patients carry a high risk of infection. Infect Immun, 1981 Jan, 31(1), 323 - 6 Effect of pH and human saliva on protease production by Candida albicans; Germaine GR et al.; The elaboration of extracellular proteolytic activity by Candida albicans during growth in laboratory broth or in human whole salivary supernatant was investigated . Growth of the organism in broth at pH 3 to 7 followed by assay of culture supernatants at pH 4 (optimum for activity) indicated protease was only present in cultures grown at a pH of less than 5 . In contrast, growth in sterile human whole salivary supernatant over the pH range of 3 to 7 uniformly failed to result in production of protease . Growth of the organism at pH 4 in broth supplemented with saliva resulted in a saliva-dependent inhibition of protease production . Although the addition of up to 16% (vol/vol) saliva had essentially no effect on growth, 4% saliva caused a 50% reduction in proteolysis of substrate protein . Due to the low pH requirement for protease production and activity and the demonstration that saliva is a potent inhibitor of protease synthesis, we conclude C . albicans most likely does not produce extracellular protease in the human oral cavity. Can J Microbiol, 1981 Jan, 27(1), 131 - 7 Morphological commitment in Candida albicans; Chaffin WL et al.; Stationary phase yeast cells of the dimorphic fungus albicans can reinitiate growth under appropriate conditions either as yeasts through bud formation or as hyphae through germ tube formation and elongation . Stationary phase yeast cells resuspended in fresh medium at 37 degrees C form germ tubes and those resuspended at 25 degrees C form buds . Temperature shift experiments have been used to observe when cells become committed to germ tube formation and yeast budding growth under conditions favorable to each form . The two commitment processes appear to be independent and, once initiated, occur at characteristic rates with commitment to germ tube formation preceding commitment to yeast bud formation . The rate of commitment to germ tube formation was consistent with a random process or first-order kinetics . A relationship between cell volume and commitment to yeast growth and bud emergence was consistent with observations of cell volume distribution both in stationary phase cultures and between budded and unbudded cells during resumption of growth at 25 degrees C. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol, 1981 Jan, 51(1), 32 - 6 Oral candidiasis: effects of antifungal therapy upon clinical signs and symptoms, salivary antibody, and mucosal adherence of Candida albicans; Epstein JB et al.; A human study of the effects of topical nystatin (Mycostatin) therapy of oral candidiasis showed that effects of treatment were limited to the time in which the drug was used . Two weeks of therapy resulted in significant reduction in number of organisms and marked improvement in signs and symptoms of candidiasis . The condition recurred rapidly following cessation of treatment . No change in specific anticandida antibody in saliva or in adherence of Candida albicans to mucosal epithelium (in vitro) was seen with treatment. J Clin Microbiol, 1981 Jan, 13(1), 163 - 6 Variable assimilation of carbon compounds by Candida albicans; Syverson RE; A total of 215 typical strains of Candida albicans were studied for their ability to assimilate 11 carbon compounds . All isolates assimilated lactic acid, ribitol, succinic acid, methyl alpha-D-glucopyranoside . None of the isolates assimilated cellobiose and salicin; 1.9% of the isolates assimilated L-arabinose . Citric acid, glycerol, and L-sorbose were assimilated by greater than 97% of the isolates, whereas melezitose was assimilated by 81% of the isolates . Assimilation results depended on duration of incubation, temperature, and methodology. J Clin Microbiol, 1981 Jan, 13(1), 10 - 4 Candida antigenemia, as detected by passive hemagglutination inhibition, in patients with disseminated candidiasis or Candida colonization; Meunier-Carpentier F et al.; A passive hemagglutination inhibition assay was studied by using a hyperimmune serum from rabbits immunized with whole yeast cells (Candida albicans group A) . This technique was effective at detecting small amounts of laboratory-prepared mannan or a whole-cell extract of C . albicans . Of 32 patients with documented disseminated candidiasis that were tested, 19 showed evidence of circulating antigen by passive hemagglutination inhibition . Three of these patients showed only partial, rather than complete, inhibition . Among 22 colonized patients, 4 showed partial inhibition, and none of 49 normal controls demonstrated inhibition . All of the sera were tested for antibody by agglutination, immunodiffusion, and passive hemagglutination . This last technique added increased sensitivity, but not specificity, to the standard tests already in use . Fourfold or greater titer rises by passive hemagglutination occurred in fewer than one-third of patients with invasive candidiasis and developed in more than one-half of patients who were colonized and did not require systemic anticandida therapy. Am J Clin Pathol, 1981 Jan, 75(1), 122 - 5 Functional differentiation in acute monoblastic leukemia; Glasser L; Blasts from the bone marrow of a patient who had acute monoblastic leukemia were studied for functional maturity . Classification of the leukemia was based on cytochemical stains . The blasts were negative when stained with Sudan black B and did not have specific esterase activity . They were rich in alpha-naphthyl butyrate esterase, which was inhibited by fluoride . Functional assays included phagocytosis of Candida albicans, fungicidal activity measured by differential Giemsa staining of the ingested C . albicans, and locomotion using the agarose method to evaluate both random migration and chemotaxis . At a ratio of 20 yeast cells to one monoblast, 80% of the blasts could be stimulated to phagocytize an average of 4.4 organisms . These results compared favorably with the phagocytic potential of normal human monocytes . Candidacidal activity was present, but reduced . At high ratios of yeasts to monoblasts, only ten organisms were killed for every 100 phagocytic blasts . This correlates with the absence of myeloperoxidase activity demonstrated by negative Sudan black B staining . Neither chemotaxis nor random migration could be demonstrated, indicating that monoblasts lacked the apparatus necessary for locomotion . Extrapolation of these findings to normal monocyte maturation suggests that phagocytosis is acquired prior to microbicidal activity, which develops prior to locomotion. Arch Intern Med, 1981 Jan, 141(1), 61 - 4 Uncommon causes of peritonitis in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis; Arfania D et al.; In five patients, peritonitis caused by uncommon agents was acquired during continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis . Three patients had yeast (two Candida albicans, one C parapsilosis), one Aspergillus fumigatus, and one Nocardia asteroides infections . A review of the literature indicates that yeasts are the most common cause of peritoneal dialysis-associated fungal peritonitis; only one other possible case of Aspergillus sp and no Nocardia infections have been proved, to our knowledge . Observations are recorded in reference to diagnosis and suggested methods of treatment. J Fr Ophtalmol, 1981, 4(10), 637 - 46 {Drug addiction and endophthalmitis due to Candida albicans : diagnostic and therapeutic problems (author's transl)}; Barthelemy F et al.; Mycotic endophthalmitis has a poor prognosis particularly when it occurs in drug addicts . Ten ocular manifestations have been studied . These endophthalmitis all appeared after intravenous heroin injections . In one case, Candida albicans was found in the vitrectomy liquid . In two others cases, the mycosis was suspected after electrosynerese . Treatment gave different results because of the slight penetration of the different drugs into the eye . A therapeutic trial was conducted : 4 patients underwent vitrectomy raising the problem of surgical treatment of these affections. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol, 1981 Jan, 51(1), 55 - 61 Candidiasis and atrophic tongue lesions; Wright BA et al.; In an attempt to shed more light on the role of Candida albicans in the genesis of median rhomboid glossitis, a three-part study of normal, atrophic, and cadaver tongues was undertaken . Occasional fungal hyphae were found in 36 percent of the clinically normal tongues . Hyphae were far more numerous in cytologic smears from atrophic tongue lesions than in those from normal tongues . More than 40 percent of the cadaver tongues showed fungal hyphae . The possible role of C . albicans as a cause of median rhomboid glossitis is discussed in the light of these findings. Zentralbl Bakteriol Naturwiss, 1981, 136(5), 369 - 416 {Dimorphism of fungi - review of the literature}; Bemmann W; A recherche of 260 publications about dimorphism of fungi was elaborated . Beginning with the term dimorphism of fungi a description was represented of the distribution in the classes of the fungi, the ontogenesis of both types of the growth, the habits of dimorphic species of fungi, the conditions of the cultivation for the induction and maintenance of the dimorphic growth, mutants of dimorphic species of fungi, the physiology and biochemistry of cellular and filamentous forms of growth of species of fungi and general law of the dimorphism of fungi . As fundamentally exogenic factors of dimorphism were emphasized gas atmosphere, temperature, inoculum, form of cultivation, pH-value, C- and energy source, N-source and supplements in the substrate . Main working points of exogenic factors are the structure and function of the cell wall, mitochondria and growth zone of many dimorphic species of fungi . Aureobasidium pullulans, Candida albicans, Blastomyces brasiliensis and B . dermatitidis, Histoplasma capsulatum and H . farciminosum and species of Mucor and Mycotypha were selected as model organisms of the dimorphic growth . The metabolism processes of dimorphic Mucoraceae and activities of enzymes and paramorphogenes of the cellular form of growth were summarized in a scheme. Arzneimittelforschung, 1981, 31(12), 2121 - 3 Synthesis and antimycotic activity of alpha-aryl-beta,N-imidazolylalkyl benzyl ethers; Tajana A et al.; A new series of alpha-aryl-beta,N-imidazolylalkyl benzyl ethers was synthesized and tested for antimycotic and antimicrobial activity . Most of the compounds was highly active in vitro against fungi and gram-positive bacteria . The alpha,4-phenylthiophenyl-beta,N-imidazolylethyl benzyl ether (7) and the alpha,4-biphenyl-beta,N-imidazolylethyl benzyl ether (17) showed higher antifungal activity than 1-{2,4,dichloro-beta-(2,4-dichlorobenzyloxy)phenethyl}imidazole (miconazole) against Candida albicans . None of the compounds was more active than miconazole against Trichophyton mentagrophytes . The most interesting compounds of the series were assayed in vivo, but their activity was inconstant and always lower than that of miconazole. Arzneimittelforschung, 1981, 31(3), 462 - 6 A comparison of the effects of tixocortol pivalate (JO 1016), hydrocortisone acetate and beclomethasone dipropionate on the phagocytosis and lysis of microorganisms by alveolar macrophages; Uphill PF et al.; A comparison was made of the ability of guinea pig alveolar macrophages, which had been pretreated with hydrocortisone acetate, beclomethasone dipropionate or a corticosteroid substitute pregn-4-ene-3,20-dione-21-thiol-11 beta,17 alpha-dihydroxy-21-pivalate (tixocortol pivalate, JO 1016, Pivalone), to phagocytose and lyse Staphylococcus aureus or Candida albicans . The three drugs had different patterns of effect on phagocytosis and lysis . Hydrocortisone acetate had little effect on the phagocytosis of Staph . aureus at any dose level tested, but the two higher concentrations slightly inhibited intracellular lysis; phagocytosis of C . albicans was inhibited initially but increased at 5 h . Both beclomethasone dipropionate and tixocortol pivalate caused an initial stimulation of phagocytosis and lysis of Staph . aureus . Ingestion of C . albicans was increased in macrophages pretreated with beclomethasone dipropionate, but their fungicidal activity was unchanged . Pretreatment with tixocortol pivalate stimulated the initial phagocytosis of C . albicans but continued uptake on prolonged incubation was inhibited . Lysis of the ingested organisms was not markedly affected . Since the production of any effect on the phagocytic and lytic activity of alveolar macrophages required much higher levels of tixocortol pivalate than of either of the other two drugs, it is suggested that in clinical use correspondingly higher doses of tixocortol pivalate could be given without danger of affecting either phagocytic activity or the immune response. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz), 1981, 29(6), 711 - 8 Leukocyte functions study during the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL); Pisarek J et al.; In 40 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 15 healthy children the leukocyte capillary migration, the phagocytic activity of peripheral granulocytes and monocytes to Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans were studied . The examinations were performed at diagnosis prior to any therapy, after remission induction, after cranial irradiation and 6 times during the maintenance therapy . The decreased phagocytic activity of monocytes to three studied microorganisms was found during two-year-observation, while the impairment of granulocytes phagocytosis only to Escherichia coli and Candida albicans was observed . It was suggested that degree of phagocytosis defect may depend on the stage of ALL and that it differs in respect of microorganisms used. Toxicology, 1981, 22(1), 59 - 68 Biochemical studies in infective amosite pneumoconiosis; Jaiswal AK; The effects of Candida albicans, of amosite dust, and of the 2 agents combined, on some biochemical parameters of the lung in male guinea pigs were determined . Adult guinea pigs were intratracheally injected with 50 mg of amosite dust and 0.3 mg of viable suspension of mycelia of Candida albicans . The other groups received either dust or organism or none . Biochemical measurements done at 30, 60 and 90 days after infection showed that the superimposed state produced more rapid and drastic changes in pulmonary contents of collagen, mucopolysaccharides and phospholipids and activities of lactic dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase . The levels of lactic acid and pyruvic acid were also more profoundly changed after amosite + Candida . These results indicate that Candida albicans which is commonly found in upper respiratory tract could aggrevate the lesions caused by exposure to asbestos. Int J Immunopharmacol, 1981, 3(2), 123 - 32 Prevention of peroxidase mediated inhibition of neutrophil motility and lymphocyte transformation by levamisole, OMPI, sodium aurothiomalate, indomethacin and tolmetin in vitro; Anderson R et al.; The effects of sodium aurothiomalate, levamisole, its active metabolite OMPI and the anti-inflammatory agents indomethacin and tolmetin on neutrophil motility and post-phagocytic hexose monophosphate shunt activity, superoxide and H2O2 generation and myeloperoxidase (MPO) mediated iodination of Candida albicans were investigated in vitro . All five agents caused stimulation of neutrophil random motility and migration towards the leucoattractants f-met-met-phe and EAS . Only levamisole caused inhibition of H2O2 and superoxide production, which was associated with inhibition of HMS activity and not related to superoxide scavenging activity . All five agents caused inhibition of MPO mediated iodination of C . albicans . The relationship between inhibition of peroxidase mediated iodination and enhanced motility was further investigated using the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) H2O2/iodide system . Incubation of neutrophils with this system caused inhibition of neutrophil motility . However in the presence of the various drugs neutrophils were protected from inhibition of motility by the HRP/H2O2/iodide system . Further experiments showed that lymphocyte transformation to mitogens was also inhibited by the HRP/H2O2/iodide system . Incubation of lymphocytes with the various drugs prior to exposure to HRP/H2O2/iodide protected the lymphocyte mitogenic responsiveness. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol, 1981, 65(3), 257 - 65 Levamisole stimulation of neutrophil chemotaxis and chemokinesis by protection of both the leucoattractant and the cellular chemotactic response from inactivation by the peroxidase/hydrogen peroxide/halide system in vitro; Anderson R; The effects of levamisole, at concentrations known to stimulate neutrophil motility, on neutrophil post-phagocytic metabolic activity were investigated . Levamisole at these concentrations caused inhibition of hexose monophosphate shunt (HMS) activity, superoxide production, hydrogen peroxide generation and myeloperoxidase (MPO), mediated iodination of ingested Candida albicans, . The inhibition of MPO-mediated iodination was not solely due to lack of H2O availability as a result of decreased HMS activity but also to a primary inhibition of iodination as shown in a cell-free system with horse-radish peroxidase (HRP) and added H2O2 and sodium iodide . Further experiments were designed to investigate possible relationships between stimulation and motility and levamisole-induced inhibition of superoxide generation and peroxidase-mediated iodination . These showed that the peroxidase/halide/H2O2 system caused inactivation of both the leucoattractant and neutrophil chemotactic responsiveness . However, concentrations of levamisole, which stimulate motility and inhibit superoxide production and peroxidase-mediated iodination, protected both the leucoattractant response and the ability of the cell to respond to the leucoattractant from inactivation by the HRP/H2O2/iodide system. Dtsch Med Wochenschr, 1980 Dec 19, 105(51), 1773 - 6 {Incidence and significance of candidiasis in biopsy material of gastric ulcers (author's transl)}; Oehlert W et al.; 121 cases of candidiasis were histologically demonstrated in the course of histological studies of gastric mucosal biopsies in 20 401 patients . Infestation of necrotic tissue with Candida albicans was found exclusively in patients with gastric ulcer, ulcerating carcinoma or lymphoma . Candidiasis was twice as common in carcinoma as in non-carcinomatous gastric ulcer . In the majority of those patients with ulcer who also had Candida albicans mycosis there was was at the same time atrophic or dysplastic gastric mucosa at the edge of the ulcer . Demonstration of candidiasis in biopsy material from gastric ulcer should thus be interpreted as suspicious of carcinoma, until and unless further studies confirm or exclude it. Sabouraudia, 1980 Dec, 18(4), 287 - 93 The antimycotic activity in vitro of five diols; Faergemann J et al.; The antimycotic activity of ethane-1,2-diol, propane-1,2-diol, butane-1,3-diol, pentane-1,5-diol, and hexane-2,5-diol in vitro against Pityrosporum orbiculare, Candida albicans, Trichophyton rubrum, T . mentagrophytes var . interdigitale and Epidermophyton floccosum was studied . Ethane-1,2-diol had the lowest activity (MIC of 40-100 g 1(-1)), and hexane-2,5-diol the highest activity (MIC of 10-40 g 1(-1)) . Among, the higher diols there can be both effective antifungal agents and substances with a lower risk of allergic and irritative skin reactions than propane-1,2-diol. Sabouraudia, 1980 Dec, 18(4), 301 - 17 A simple system for the presumptive identification of Candida albicans and differentiation of strains within the species; Odds FC et al.; A system of 10 agar plate tests allowed presumptive identification of Candida albicans and differentiation of up to 512 strain types within the species . The yeast isolates were tested for acid and salt tolerance, proteinase production, resistance to 5-fluorocytosine and safranine, and assimilation of urea, sorbose, citrate and glycine . Media were inoculated semiquantitatively with a multiple-pronged device so that 55 yeasts and 5 reference strains could be printed on each plate at once . The results for the 9 strain differentiation tests were arranged in 3 groups to allow simple designation of types by 3-digit numbers . Mouth and vaginal samples from 85 patients and healthy volunteers yielded to 45 different strain types, of which types 153, 157 and 357 were the most prevalent . The reproducibility of the system was good, if attention was paid to the precision which the media were prepared and inoculated . The effect of test variables, including incubation temperature, medium pH and inoculum size, was assessed . Work is presently in progress to extend the system for presumptive identification of other clinically important Candida spp . and differentiation of their strain types. Sabouraudia, 1980 Dec, 18(4), 255 - 60 Variation in cell surface features of Candida albicans with respect to carbon sources; Kulkarni RK et al.; Clinical isolates of C . albicans were grown in defined media with various carbon sources then examined by scanning electron microscopy in an attempt to note changes in cell surface features . The mode of budding, bud scar morphology, surface topography, and intercellular matrix varied according to the carbon source. J Exp Med, 1980 Dec 1, 152(6), 1659 - 69 Activation of macrophages for enhanced release of superoxide anion and greater killing of Candida albicans by injection of muramyl dipeptide; Cummings NP et al.; The adjuvant muramyl dipeptide (MDP) has been shown to affect a number of macrophage functions in vitro . We studied the effect of subcutaneous injection of MDP into mice . Cultured peritoneal macrophages from treated mice displayed increased spreading, total cell protein, and specific activity of beta-glucosaminidase a constituent of macrophage lysosomes, and of lactate dehydrogenase . Generation of superoxide anion (O2-) by MDP-treated macrophages stimulated by contact with phorbol myristate acetate was enhanced by over fivefold to levels achieved by macrophages from bacillus Calmette-Guerin-infected mice . The enhancement in stimulated O2- release was noted by 1 h after injection of MDP, peaked by 3 h, and remained high for at least 48 h . Priming for enhancement of O2- release by MDP was similar in athymic nude mice and in normal littermates, suggesting that mature T lymphocytes are not involved in this MDP effect . Priming for enhanced stimulated O2- release, and morphologic and enzymic changes, were not achieved by injection of the D-D stereoisomer of MDP . Phagocytosis of Candida albicans was only slightly greater by macrophages from mice give MDP, but MDP-stimulated cells killed two times more C . albicans in vitro than did cells from untreated animals . When MDP was given 18 h before, simultaneously with, or 24 h after lethal infectious challenge with C . albicans, treated mice were protected compared with controls . These results suggest that injection of MDP effectively and rapidly activates macrophages in the recipient animal . This agent should serve as an important probe of macrophage physiology and, perhaps ultimately, as a means of enhancing host defense in humans. JAMA, 1980 Nov 21, 244(20), 2294 - 7 Scanning electron microscopy of oral lesions in chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis; Wilborn WH et al.; The oral surfaces of 12 patients with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) . Candida albicans in massive numbers populated the surface of the infected mouth of each patient . Although pseudohyphae were the predominant forms, blastospores and chlamydospores were also found . Pseudohyphae penetrated the epithelium and seemed to enter through holes in the keratinized cells . Because specimen processing for SEM can be completed within six hours, the scanning electron microscope can be used to identify C albicans more rapidly than culture methods. Hum Pathol, 1980 Nov, 11(6), 677 - 9 Gastroesophageal cardiac fistula due to perforation of an esophagogastric anastomotic ulcer into the left atrium; Brynjolfsson G et al.; A case of gastroesophageal cardiac fistula is presented . Resection of carcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction was followed by the development of a penetrating ulcer at the anastomosis site with perforation into the left atrium . Candida albicans was demonstrated growing along the tract . There was severe organizing fibrinous pericarditis and multiple microabscesses in the brain . No food emboli were found. Endoscopy, 1980 Nov, 12(6), 295 - 8 Endoscopic aspects of mycosis in the upper digestive tract; Knoke M et al.; In an evaluation of 2537 endoscopic investigations of the upper digestive tract, yeast-like fungi were found in cultures from 53 purposive brushings (2.1%) obtained from visible mycotic areas . In 46 cases the esophagus only was affected . In the stomach and surrounding the anastomosis after resection, we found 6 positive results . Once, findings were seen in the esophagus as well as in the stomach . Determination of the yeast-like fungi revealed Candida albicans in 43 cases . Other fungi were cultured 18 times, among them Torulopsis glabrata 3 times . In every mycosis culture it is useful to determine the species of yeast-like fungi and the drug sensitivity . Every mycosis should be assessed endoscopically with regard to its degree of severity . Endoscopy is a very important method for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal mycosis . The investigation of more easily obtainable specimens such as throat swabs or feces, may often be of no use. J Clin Microbiol, 1980 Nov, 12(5), 679 - 83 Detection of circulating antigen in experimental Candida albicans endocarditis by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Scheld WM et al.; A double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed for the detection of circulating Candida albicans antigen during the course of experimental C . albicans endocarditis . The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was positive in 75% of rabbits with polyethylene catheter-induced experimental aortic valve C . albicans endocarditis but was negative in all controls, including catheterized animals that received intravenous Candida or catheterized but uninfected animals, and in rabbits with experimental fungal or bacterial endocarditis of other etiologies . The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was much more sensitive than blood culturing or fever determinations in experimental C . albicans endocarditis . This assay is more sensitive than currently available serological techniques, is highly specific, and deserves further study in the diagnosis of invasive, disseminated C . albicans infections, including endocarditis. J Gen Microbiol, 1980 Nov, 121(1), 181 - 6 Peptide uptake in Candida albicans; Davies MB; Transport of radioactively labelled peptides has been used to characterize a common transport system for di- and tripeptides in Candida albicans . This permease is energy-dependent and has a requirement for L-amino acid residues, an alpha-linkage between residues and a free amino terminus . Transport was followed by the accumulation inside the cell of intact peptides and component amino acids . After transport of glycyl-{U-14C}phenylalanine the radioactive material was accumulated inside the cell and subsequently leaked into the medium under certain conditions. Clin Exp Immunol, 1980 Nov, 42(2), 226 - 33 A radiometric assay for the combined measurement of phagocytosis and intracellular killing of Candida albicans; Bridges CG et al.; A radiometric assay for combined measurement of phagocytosis and intracellular killing of Candida albicans by human polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) is presented . The assay, based upon the incorporation of 3H-uridine into the micro-organisms, makes it possible to measure phagocytosis and intracellular killing simultaneously but independently in a single sample . Thus it is possible to determine in a single assay whether increased survival of the micro-organism is due to reduced ingestion or reduced ability of the PMN to kill . The assay is objective, quantitative and convenient for clinical application . It is also suitable for analysing the effects of various agents, including serum factors and drugs, on PMN function. Infect Immun, 1980 Nov, 30(2), 484 - 95 Analysis of cytoplasmic antigens of the yeast and mycelial phases of Candida albicans by two-dimensional electrophoresis; Manning M et al.; The extent of the macromolecular change accompanying yeast to mycelium morphogenesis of Candida albicans was analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of the cytoplasmic proteins of the two growth forms after antibody cross-absorption experiments . Pure cultures of yeasts and true hyphae (i.e., without concomitant production of pseudohyphae) were grown in a synthetic low-sulfate medium (LSM) . The two strains selected for this study were strain 4918, which produces pure mycelial (M) cultures in LSM at 37 degrees C (designated 4918-37M) and yeasts (Y) at 24 degrees C (4918-24Y), and strain 2252, which produces yeasts exclusively at both 24 and 37 degrees C in LSM (2252-24Y and 2252-37Y) . The proteins of both strains were labeled at both temperatures with {35S}sulfate, and cytoplasmic fractions were prepared by mechanical disruption and ultracentrifugation . Rabbits were immunized with the 4918-24Y and 4918-37M cytoplasmic fractions to produce anti-yeast-phase and anti-mycelial-phase hyperimmune sera . Each radiolabeled cytoplasmic fraction was absorbed with anti-mycelial-phase immunoglobulin, anti-yeast immunoglobulin, and immunoglobulin from normal rabbit serum . Staphyloccal protein A was used to remove immune complexes . The labeled, nonabsorbed proteins were also analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis . Highly reproducible protein spot patterns were obtained which defined hundreds of proteins in each extract . The specificity of the immunoglobulin hundreds of proteins in each extract . The specificity of the immunoglobulin preparations was extremely broad, and as many as 168 cytoplasmic antigens were detected . Eighty-three antigens were recognized in the mycelial-phase extract only by the anti-mycelial-phase immunoglobulin . However, comparative analysis revealed that all of these proteins were present in at least one other extract . Therefore, none of them was unique to the mycelial morphology . Eleven antigens were detected in the 2252-37Y extract that were not present in the extracts from strain 4918, which indicates that proteins obtained from different strains may express similar antigenic determinants, but differ in their physiochemical properties. J Immunol, 1980 Nov, 125(5), 2082 - 8 Human lymphocyte-activating properties of a purified polysaccharide from Candida albicans: B and T cell cooperation in the mitogenic response; Piccolella E et al.; Purified human T and B lymphocytes were tested for their ability to show a mitogenic response to a purified polysaccharide (MPPS) extracted from C . albicans . It was found that neither T nor B cells alone could respond to MPPS . When a mixture of these two types of cells was tested, a normal response (comparable to the one of unfractionated peripheral blood lymphocytes) was observed . This response was not affected by prior depletion of macrophages . Results obtained with normal B or T cells mixed with mitomycin C-treated T or B cells indicated that a reciprocal helper effect exists between these two types of cells in their response to MPPS . This response could be inhibited by antisera against HL-A and Ia-like antigens. Mycopathologia, 1980 Oct 31, 72(2), 85 - 7 The incidence of Candida albicans in the last day of pregnancy and the first days of the new born; Alteras I et al.; 103 pregnant women, at the onset of labor, and their newborn infants, up to the forth neonatal day, were investigated for the presence of Candida albicans in their vaginal discharge stool and oral exudate . Direct microscopic examination showed the presence of pseudomycelium and budding cells in only 7 of the respective mothers (2 in vagina, 4 in the mouth and one in the stool) . Culture of the vaginal discharge yielded a significant number of C . albicans colonies in 2 women, a noticeable growth in 3 and a less significant in 9 . Only 17% of the mouth specimens showed a considerable quantity of the same fungus and in 7 C . albicans was detected in significant amounts in stool specimens . In the newborns C . albicans, found only by culture, was present in a small numbers (14), starting from the first neonatal day . It was found primarily in the mouth . The data obtained showed a lower incidence, than expected, of C . albicans in the vagina of pregnant women, a few hours before delivery . This suggests transmission of the organism to the newborn earlier than generally accepted. Mycopathologia, 1980 Oct 31, 72(2), 121 - 8 Suppressive action of cytoplasmic and metabolite extracts of Candida albicans on the immune response in guinea pigs; Segal E et al.; This study investigated the possibility that Candida albicans components exert a suppressive effect on the immune response of guinea pigs (GP), similar to that of live C . albicans organisms as was previously shown . Hartley GP were inoculated with C . albicans crude cytoplasmic or metabolite (culture filtrate) extracts (containing most of the organism's cell contents or its metabolite and degradation products, respectively) . Their immunological responses towards sheep red blood cells (SRBC) were compared with those of GP inoculated with SRBC alone or with SRBC together with live C . albicans organisms . The immunological responses were measured by: 1) rosette formation (RF) of SRBC with peritoneal macrophages, 2) haemolytic plaque formation (PFC) with lymph node-cells, 3) haemagglutination and 4) haemolysis tests . According to the RF tests, inoculation of GP with either cytoplasmic or metabolite extracts resulted in decreased RF as compared to GP inoculated with SRBC only; the decrease was correlated with the protein concentration of the extracts . Inoculation with metabolite extract led to a more diminished RF than with cytoplasmic extract, but less than with live C . albicans organisms . Inoculation of cytoplasmic extracts did not affect the haemagglutinin and haemolysin titers, while that of metabolite extracts resulted in a slight decrease of these titers . The assays for PFC were not conclusive enough to point to a suppressive effect of C . albicans extracts . In summary, it appears that both the cytoplasmic and metabolite extracts of C . albicans exert a partial suppressive effect on the immune response in GP, as judged primarily on the basis of the RF results. Cancer, 1980 Oct 15, 46(8), 1795 - 801 Cytological and functional characterization of three cases of malignant histiocytosis; Vilpo JA et al.; This report is a cytological and functional description of 3 cases of malignant histiocytosis (MH) . These patients suffered from an intense proliferation of histiocytic cells that occurred predominantly in the bone marrow in 2 cases (the primitive cell type of MH), and in the spleen, liver and intraabdominal nodes in the third patient (the mature cell type of MH) . The malignant cells carried the cytological markers typical for the monocyte-macrophage series, e.g., acid phosphatase, NaF-sensitive naphthol-AS-acetate esterase, acid alpha-naphthyl-acetate esterase, lysozyme, and also Fc-IgG-receptors and mouse C3-receptors . Their in vivo phagocytic activity was investigated by ultrastructural studies . In every case, the histiocytic cells phagocytosed Candida albicans in vitro . The proliferative histiocyte compartment differed from that of the mature cells, although these two cell compartments were morphologically indistinguishable in the primitive-cell-type cases of MH . Malignant histiocytes were capable of destroying phagocytosed fungi, but this ability was clearly inferior to that of the mature histiocytes in these 2 cases . The results revealed that most, if not all, monocyte-macrophage characteristics are present in the malignant cells in MH . Nevertheless, the morphological and clinical features seemed to be variable. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1980 Oct 15, 632(3), 345 - 53 Inhibitory effect of glucose and adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate on the synthesis of inducible N-acetylglucosamine catabolic enzymes in yeast; Singh B et al.; Glucose can block the utilization of N-acetylglucosamine in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a facultative aerobe, but not in Candida albicans, an obligatory aerobe . Furthermore, glucose represses the synthesis of the enzymes of the N-acetylglucosamine catabolic pathway in S . cerevisiae, but not in C . albicans . The results suggest that catabolite repression is present in S . cerevisiae, but not in C . albicans . Cyclic AMP added to S . cerevisiae cells maintained in a glucose medium cannot bring about their release from catabolite repression . On the contrary, the synthesis of inducible enzymes of N-acetylglucosamine pathway was inhibited by cyclic AMP in both the yeasts . This seems to indicate that cyclic AMP can penetrate into the yeast cells . Furthermore, cyclic AMP inhibits protein synthesis, suggesting that protein synthesis in yeast is under cyclic AMP control. Pediatrics, 1980 Oct, 66(4), 532 - 6 Diaper dermatitis: current concepts; Weston WL et al.; Diaper dermatitis may result from prolonged skin contact with wetness and bacteria . Ammonia plays no apparent role in the generation of diaper dermatitis . Candida albicans frequently contaminates a diaper dermatitis and should be considered present in any diaper dermatitis and should be considered present in any diaper dermatitis known to be present for longer than three days . Topical fluorinated glucocorteroids, boric acid, and mercury-containing preparations should be avoided in the diaper area because of their toxicity. J Gen Microbiol, 1980 Oct, 120(Pt 2), 431 - 7 Purification and properties of peptides which induce germination of blastospores of Candida albicans; Chattaway FW et al.; A glycopeptide and a peptide have been isolated from bovine seminal plasma which together will induce germination of Candida albicans blastospores at 37 degrees C and in the presence of glucose and Mn2+ . inverted question markThey have molecular weights of 2000 to 3000 . Both peptides contain appreciable amounts of aspartic and glutamic acids, only the glycopeptide contains threonine, lysine, histidine and arginine, while only the peptide contains proline . Acid hydrolysates are fully active in inducing germination and a mixture of aspartic acid, lysine, histidine, threonine, proline and beta-alanine can replace them . Mn2+ is not then required . Amino acid mixtures are required to be present throughout the whole period in the incubation medium for full germination to take place, but the peptides can be removed after 1 h incubation and if the cells are resuspended in a buffered glucose medium full germination occurs after a further 3 h incubation. Sex Transm Dis, 1980 Oct-Dec, 7(4), 172 - 4 Inhibition of Trichomonas vaginalis by fungi during associative growth; Smith RF et al.; In controlled studies of associative growth, Candida albicans and Torulopsis glabrata, but not Candida parapsilosis, inhibited the proliferation and eventually the viability of Trichomonas vaginalis . The inhibition patterns produced against the trichomonad by C . albicans or T . glabrata were observed with trichomonad-fungus inoculum ratios ranging from 230:1 to 1:100 . The onset of inhibition of T . vaginalis by T . glabrata was immediate, whereas that of C . albicans began after incubation for 48 hr . Under routine clinical conditions, T . vaginalis was identified by a combination of direct microscopy and culture in specimens from 330 (19.5%) of 1,691 women with vaginal discharges who were examined . Trichomonas vaginalis was isolated from 49 of 53 vaginal discharge specimens that also contained C . albicans . Therefore, the qualitative results with clinical cultures did not confirm the inhibition of trichomonads by C . albicans as shown in quantitative studies of associative growth . This result indicates that with the routine clinical isolation procedures the use of an antifungal agent in medium for culture of T . vaginalis is not necessary. Infect Immun, 1980 Oct, 30(1), 78 - 89 Quantitation of antibody against cell wall mannan and a major cytoplasmic antigen of Candida in rabbits, mice, and humans; Jones JM; Cell wall mannan of type A Candida albicans was purified, conjugated with tyramine, and labeled with 125I . Labeled cell wall mannan was used in a radioimmunoassay to measure serum antimannan antibody levels . An ammonium sulfate-soluble fraction of a cytoplasmic extract of C . albicans contained a large amount of a major cytoplasmic antigen of this organism . When the sulfate-soluble fraction was labeled with 125I, much more 125I attached to this major antigen than to the other antigens present in the sulfate-soluble fraction . Thus, when serum antisulfate-soluble fraction antibody levels were measured by a radioimmunoassay which used the iodine-labeled sulfate-soluble fraction, antibody against this major cytoplasmic antigen was quantitated . Both radioimmunoassays were used to measure antimannan and antisulfate-soluble fraction antibody levels in mice, rabbits, and humans . Irrespective of the procedure used to elicit antibody against C . albicans antigens, mice failed to produce antimannan antibody . By contrast, all strains of mice tested produced antisulfate-soluble fraction antibody after immunization, and the magnitude of this antibody response depended on the strain of mice immunized . Rabbits readily produced antibody against both mannan and sulfate-soluble fraction when immunized by a variety of methods . Antimannan antibody was detected in 100% of sera from a randomly selected sample of 50 hospitalized patients . Only 1 of 50 patients had antisulfate-soluble fraction antibody detectable by radioimmunoassay . In pooled normal human serum, most antimannan antibody was of the immunoglobulin G class. J Bacteriol, 1980 Oct, 144(1), 258 - 73 Morphogenesis of Candida albicans and cytoplasmic proteins associated with differences in morphology, strain, or temperature; Manning M et al.; The extent of change in cytoplasmic proteins which accompanies yeast-to-mycelium morphogenesis of Candida albicans was analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis . Pure cultures of yeasts and true hyphae (i.e., without concomitant production of pseudohyphae) were grown in a synthetic low-sulfate medium . The two strains selected for this study were strain 4918, which produces pure mycelial cultures in low-sulfate medium at 37 degrees C and yeast cells at 24 degrees C, and strain 2252, which produces yeast cells exclusively at both 24 and 37 degrees C in low-sulfate medium . The proteins of both strains were labeled at both temperatures with {35S}sulfate, cytoplasmic fractions were prepared by mechanical disruption and ultracentrifugation, and the labeled proteins were analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis . Highly reproducible protein spot patterns were obtained which defined hundreds of proteins in each extract . Ten protein spots were identified on the two-dimensional gels of the 4918 mycelial-phase extract which were not present in the 4918 yeast-phase extract . These proteins appeared to be modifications of preexisting yeast-phase proteins rather than proteins synthesized de novo in the mycelial cells because 5 were absorbed by rabbit anti-yeast-phase immunoglobulin and each of the 10 was also present in extracts of strain 2252 grown at 24 and 37 degrees C, indicating that they were neither unique to filamentous cells nor sufficient for induction or maintenance of the mycelial morphology . Thirty-three proteins were identified in the 4918 yeast-phase extract which were not present in the 4918 mycelial-phase extract . Pulse-chase experiments revealed the synthesis of new proteins during yeast-to-mycelial conversion, but none of these was unique to mycelial cells . No differences in the major cytoplasmic proteins of any of the yeast- or mycelial-phase extracts were identified . This finding suggests that the major structural proteins of the cytoplasm are not extensively modified and argues instead that proteins unique to either phase may serve a regulatory function. J Bacteriol, 1980 Oct, 144(1), 1 - 6 Inducible N-acetyglucosamine-binding protein in yeasts; Singh B et al.; Addition of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) to the medium elicits an immediate synthesis of a specific GlcNAc-binding protein in yeasts . Synthesis of this protein requires the continuous presence of GlcNAc as the inducer and is inhibited completely by the inhibitors of ribonucleic acid and protein syntheses . Furthermore, this protein has been partially purified from GlcNAc-grown Candida albicans cells and is quite distinct from the other induced enzymes of the GlcNAc catabolic pathway . A good correlation between the level of GlcNAc-binding protein and GlcNAc uptake capacity of the cells during induction was observed . Some of the sugars, e.g., N-acetylmannosamine, N-acetylgalactosamine, and glucose, had a similar competitive effect on the binding of GlcNAc as well as on its uptake . Furthermore, both the binding and uptake activities were sensitive to sulfhydryl reagents. Arch Pathol Lab Med, 1980 Oct, 104(10), 537 - 40 Modifying cerebral candidiasis by altering the infectious entry route; Parker JC Jr et al.; Diffuse leptomeningitis did not occur in healthy adult male Wistar rats with transient candidemia produced by the injection of organisms into the internal carotid artery, even though intraparenchymal microabscesses with yeasts and pseudohyphae were seen throughout the brain . Candida albicans was culturally identified in the brain and kidney . Injecting the organisms into the cisterna magna caused an infection characterized by lymphocytes and histiocytes and was confined to the leptomeninges . In this meningeal model, fungi were recovered only from the CNS . The overwhelming prevalence at autopsy of cerebral candidal microabscesses without diffuse leptomeningitis is apparently due to transient candidemia . Meningitis due to candidemia is rare and seems to require a microabscess that is accessible to the circulating CSF . This latter event is a late and overwhelming feature of cerebral candidiasis. Sabouraudia, 1980 Sep, 18(3), 163 - 6 Antimycotic activity of propane-1,2-diol (propylene glycol); Faergemann J et al.; Propane-1,2-diol in concentrations of 30-90 g/l was found to inhibit in vitro the growth of Pityrosporum orbiculare, Candida albicans, Trichophyton rubrum, T . mentagrophytes var . interdigitale, and Epidermophyton floccosum . These results are discussed in relation to the management of fungal skin diseases. J Ethnopharmacol, 1980 Sep, 2(3), 279 - 90 Phototoxic and antibiotic activities of plants of the Asteraceae used in folk medicine; Wat CK et al.; Ethanolic extracts of forty-four commercial herbal drugs and two fresh plants used in folk medicine, all species of the Asteraceae, were examined for their phototoxic and antibiotic activities against Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans . Twenty samples were found to be active as either phototoxic and/or antibiotic agents and their phototoxic effects correlate with the presence of polyacetylenes and thiophenes. Br J Ophthalmol, 1980 Sep, 64(9), 672 - 5 Fungal retinitis: a case of Torulopsis glabrata infection treated with miconazole; Fitzsimons RB et al.; Presumptive embolic chorioretinal Torulopsis glabrata infection is described in a patient who had received prolonged intravenous antibiotic therapy . The ocular findings are compared and contrasted with embolic lesions due to Candida albicans . The patient was treated for 6 weeks with intravenous miconazole . During this time there was shrinkage of the ocular lesions, some improvement in vision and abolition of fungaemia . Improvement in tests of immune function during treatment suggests that an early immunological deficit was secondary to the infection . Intravenous miconazole is a relatively nontoxic alternative to amphotericin and deserves further evaluation in the treatment of ocular mycosis. J Clin Microbiol, 1980 Sep, 12(3), 475 - 6 Quantitative relationships between Candida albicans in saliva and the clinical status of human subjects; Epstein JB et al.; Patients with candidiasis had greater than 400 colony-forming units per ml of saliva, whereas carriers of Candida albicans had less than 400 colony-forming units per ml . Thus, quantitative cultures of saliva may aid in the diagnosis of oral candidiasis. Z Hautkr, 1980 Sep 1, 55(17), 1116 - 22 {Effect of imidazole derivatives on various numbers of microbes to determine microbial sensitivity}; Raab W et al.; Imidazole derivatives with antifungal activity were investigated in their effects on concentrated and diluted suspensions of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans, and Staphylococcus aureus haemolyticus . Against Candida albicans, activity of the imidazol derivatives was higher in diluted suspensions than in concentrated suspensions: this fact proves the presence of a microbe-count sensitivity . Against Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Staphylococcus aureus haemolyticus, no microbe-count sensitivity of clotrimazole, econazole nitrate, ketoconazole, or N-148/76 could be detected by Warburg assay on resting microbes. Sabouraudia, 1980 Sep, 18(3), 211 - 28 The interaction of {3H}miconazole with Candida albicans; Cope JE; During the stationary phase of a batch culture, Candida albicans develops the ability to take up large amounts of {3H}miconazole, and this occurs over the same period of time as the cells become resistant to miconazole-induced K+ release . Cell walls isolated from C . albicans also take up {3H}miconazole, and it is likely that the cell wall is the site of the association of {3H}miconazole with intact cells . Miconazole interaction with C . albicans is freely reversible and relatively nonspecific, and evidence suggests the involvement of hydrophobic bonding . Although fractionation studies were not exhaustive, results suggest that {3H}miconazole associates with glycoprotein and lipid in the matrix of the cell wall . Development of the ability to take up {3H}miconazole requires a low pH in the culture medium at the end of the growth phase, and efficient aeration, and was found to occur most rapidly in the presence of 0.3 mM sodium azide . The nature of the changes that occur during incubation through the stationary phase, and also similar changes that take place during cell wall preparation, and their relationship to phenotypic miconazole resistance are discussed. J Prosthet Dent, 1980 Sep, 44(3), 243 - 6 The role of Candida albicans in the pathogenesis of angular cheilosis; Russotto SB; It was concluded from the results of this study that: 1 . The incidence of chronic C . albicans infection is greater than previously believed . 2 . Angular cheilosis and denture sore mouth are often found together . The etiology of both lesions is C . albicans . 3 . Systemic factors may be responsible for intraoral candidiasis, but they are of secondary importance in the etiology of angular cheilosis . The primary etiologic agent is C . albicans . 4 . Nutritional deficiency or reduced vertical dimension of occlusion are contributing factors in the pathogenesis of angular cheilosis, but C . albicans is the agent primarily responsible for the lesions. Am J Trop Med Hyg, 1980 Sep, 29(5), 875 - 81 Immune responses during human schistosomiasis mansoni . VII . Further analysis of the interactions between patient sera and lymphocytes during in vitro blastogenesis to schistosome antigen preparations; Todd CW et al.; The lymphocyte blastogenic responses of chronic schistosomiasis mansoni patients were tested in vitro in medium supplemented with either normal human serum or patients' serum (either autologous or third party) . As expected, when patients' lymphocytes were cultured in patient sera, many of them (75--78%) displayed reduced responsiveness to schistosome antigens (derived from either the cercariae, adult worms or eggs of Schistosoma mansoni), but not to Candida albicans extract . For decreased blastogenesis to be manifest, a combination of both suppressive sera and suppressible cells was required; however, some patients had nonsuppressible cells and not all sera were suppressive . In an attempt at classification, four categories of patient responsiveness concerning serosuppression are proposed . The categories depend on the suppressive capabilities of patient sera and the response of patient lymphocytes to suppressive sera . By individually testing the capabilities of each patient's lymphocytes and sera in relationship to each antigenic preparation, we were able to assign the majority of patient responses to a given category . It is hoped that by using these categories, a better understanding of the mechanisms concerning serosuppression will be obtained. Sabouraudia, 1980 Sep, 18(3), 197 - 210 The activity of ketoconazole in mixed cultures of leukocytes and Candida albicans; de Brabander M et al.; A system is described which allows the semi-quantitative investigation of the interaction between Candida albicans and leukocytes in culture with and without the addition of chemotherapeutic agents . Both polymorphonuclear leukocytes and macrophages avidly engulfed added yeast cells . However, they did not succeed in eradicating the fungus even when only 450 yeast cells were added to 3 X 10(6) leukocytes . This is probably due to several factors, including the decline in the functiontional capacity of the leukocytes with time in culture . The major way for the fungus to escape intracellular killing, however, seems to be the switch to the mycellial form in the presence of leukocytes . Engulfed yeasts produce germ tubes, grow out of the leukocytes and form hyphae which are much more resistant to the lytic action of the leukocytes . The leukocytes become necrotic through their interaction with the mycelia . Ketoconazole, a potent, orally active systemic antifungal agent inhibited the growth of C . albicans and completely suppressed the formation of mycelia in culture at very low concentrations (0.01 microgram ml-1) . It was toxic to the leukocytes themselves only at 100 microgram ml-1 . Addition of ketoconazole (10 (10-1.01 microgram ml-1) to mixed cultures of leukocytes and C . albicans allowed complete elimination of the fungus, probably because the leukocytes could easily remove the remaining yeast cells . The data show the usefulness of the system in the search for systemic antifungals and provide a possible explanation for the efficacy of ketoconazole in vivo. Infect Immun, 1980 Sep, 29(3), 853 - 8 Candida albicans group A-specific soluble antigens demonstrated by quantitative immunoelectrophoresis; Guinet RM et al.; Soluble cytoplasmic extracts of Candida albicans groups A and B were prepared and compared by quantitative immunoelectrophoresis experiments performed with a commercial anti-C . albicans group A immune serum . Although crossed immunoelectrophoresis, tandem crossed immunoelectrophoresis, and line immunoelectrophoresis revealed many cross-reactions between the two groups, some components seemed to be specific to group A . However, the complexity of the extracts studied did not allow us to demonstrate specific constituents with these methods . Crossed-line immunoelectrophoresis with and without absorption of antibodies in situ was then used, and four specific antigens unique to group A cytoplasmic extract were demonstrated, one of which appeared to be quantitatively important . The value of various quantitative immunoelectrophoretic methods applied to complex antigenic preparations is discussed. Biull Eksp Biol Med, 1980 Sep, 90(9), 286 - 8 {Effect of immunization with small doses of antigen on the development of experimental atherosclerosis}; Zubzhitskii IuN et al.; Immunization of rabbits suffering from experimental hyperlipemia with human gamma-globulin (a total dose of 150 mg) or with disintegrated yeast Candida albicans (a total dose of 62 mg) inhibited the development of hyperlipemia and atherosclerosis . The effect was more pronounced in animals immunized on the 6th experimental week than in those immunized on the 9th week. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1980 Aug 7, 614(2), 350 - 6 Purification and some properties of inducible N-acetylglucosamine kinase from Candida albicans; Rai YP et al.; N-Acetylglucosamine kinase (ATP:2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.59) catalyzes the first reaction in the inducible N-acetylglucosamine catabolic pathway of Candida albicans, an obligatory aerobic yeast . As a part of continuing biochemical studies concerning the regulation of gene expression in a simple eukaryote, N-acetylglucosamine kinase has been purified and characterized biochemically . The enzyme has been purified about 300-fold from the crude extract and its molecular weight of 75 000 has been determined by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration . Isolation and analysis procedures are described . The kinase reaction is optimal within a pH range of 7--8 . The enzyme is strictly specific for GlcNAc as phosphate acceptor; ATP is the phosphoryl group donor for the kinase reaction and to a lesser extent dATP and CTP . Km values for GlcNAc and ATP are 1.33 mM and 1.82 mM, respectively . The enzyme required Mg2+, which may be replaced by other bivalent metal ions such as Mn2+, Ca2+, Ba2+ and Co2+ for a lesser degree of effectiveness . The purified enzyme is extremely sensitive to thermal denaturation and becomes completely inactive by heating at 65% C for 2 min . The enzyme is also inactivated by sulphydryl reagents such as p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonic acid and N-ethylmaleimide. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1980 Aug, 18(2), 231 - 9 Antifungal and antibacterial activities of diarylamidine derivatives; Anne J et al.; The antifungal and antibacterial properties of a series of 70 diarylamidine derivatives were evaluated . Several of these compounds exhibited considerable antimicrobial potency . A survey of the structure-activity relationship demonstrated that minor structural variations resulted in significant changes of antimicrobial activity . In general, the structural features required for antifungal activity coincided with those required for antibacterial activity . Both the antifungal and the antibacterial properties of the diarylamidines depended on the presence and the positions, of both amidino groups, on the nature of the central bridge connecting the two aryl moieties, and on the nature of these aryl residues (preferably indole) . The most active compound was evaluated for its activity against Candida albicans infection in mice. J Gen Microbiol, 1980 Aug, 119(Pt 2), 341 - 9 Protoplasts from yeast and mycelial forms of Candida albicans; Torres-Bauza LJ et al.; Protoplasts have been obtained in high yields from the yeast and mycelial forms of a variety of strains of Candida albicans by enzyme digestion of cells with commercially available lytic enzymes . The protoplast formation procedure was equally effective for exponential and stationary phase cells . Pretreatment with dithiothreitol and Pronase in the presence of EDTA and Tris was necessary . Other thiol reagents and conditions did not release protoplasts from all the strains of C . albicans tested . Treatment with digestive juice of the snail Helix pomatia required the addition of chitinase for the release of protoplasts from most strains tested . Conditions for maximizing the yield of protoplasts and the activities of beta-glucuronidase and chitinase were determined . Electron microscopy of C . albicans showed that the pretreatment conditions removed the outer layers and the treatment itself completely removed the inner layers of the cell wall . More than 90% of the protoplasts produced by this model were viable as assessed by vital staining with Janus Green B. Can J Microbiol, 1980 Aug, 26(8), 965 - 70 Chemical and enzymatic changes in the cell walls of Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae by scanning electron microscopy; Koch Y et al.; Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells were examined by scanning scanning electron microscopy before and after extraction of the mannans of the cell wall . The surfaces of control cells were smooth; after mannan extraction they were rough and showed erosions which were particularly striking within the area of the scars . Helicase digested irregular holes through the cell wall within 20 min; these increased in size during an additional 40 min of digestion . These holes were not localized in or on the bud scars, which remained intact even after the long digestion period . The results were used to construct a model for yeast cell wall structure. J Clin Pathol, 1980 Aug, 33(8), 750 - 6 Distribution of pathogenic yeasts and humoral antibodies to candida among hospital inpatients; Odds FC et al.; The frequencies of the carriage of yeast pathogens and of serum precipitins to a variety of candida antigens among 254 patients generally tended to increase with the length of the patient's stay in hospital . This trend was observed even though none of the patients investigated showed signs or symptoms of superficial or systemic candidosis . The extent of the general trend varied considerably between subgroups of patients within the general categories of 'surgical' and 'nonsurgical' inpatients . Increases in both frequencies and quantities of yeasts in the mouth were most evident postoperatively among patients who underwent open-heart surgery and among nonsurgical patients who received antibiotics or steroids in hospital . The frequency of precipitins to Candida albicans cytoplasmic antigens in the absence of candidosis rose overall from 11% of 217 sera obtained within 24 hours of admission to 35% of 85 sera obtained five to 11 days after admission or operation . These 'false positive' antibodies were thought to arise after transient yeast overgrowth in the gut at the time of an acute illness or immediately after surgery . The study adds further data to documented examples of 'false positive' candida antibodies and indicates the need for care in the diagnostic interpretation of candida precipitin test results among groups of patients at risk of yeast overgrowth during their hospital stay. J Med Microbiol, 1980 Aug, 13(3), 423 - 35 Inducible proteinase of Candida albicans in diagnostic serology and in the pathogenesis of systemic candidosis; Macdonald F et al.; The extracellular acid proteinase of Candida albicans was purified from culture filtrates by a single-column chromatographic step . The purity of the enzyme and its unique antigenic properties were confirmed by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and by reaction with homologous and heterologous anti-sera . The purified enzyme (PP), which was a carboxyl proteinase, contained mannan as an integral part of the molecule . C . albicans proteinase was detected in experimental candida kidney lesions by indirect immunoflourescence . Precipitating antibodies to PP and to cytoplasmic extract (CE) were detected in sera from rabbits with chronic, experimental, systemic candidosis; however precipitins to PP were not found in sera from infected rabbits in which tissue invasion was prevented by antifungal treatment . In retrospective tests with sera from healthy subjects and from patients with and without proven systemic candidosis a qualitative distinction between true and false-positive precipitins to PP was not found; however, whereas 72% of sera from proven cases of deep-seated candida infection had anti-PP titres greater than 4 and greater than or equal to anti-CE titres, these same quantitative criteria were met by only 15% of sera from patients for whom information of a diagnosis of candidosis was not available . The purified proteinase was therefore a more specific antigen than the widely used cytoplasmic extract for detection of antibodies in cases of candidosis. J Med Chem, 1980 Aug, 23(8), 913 - 8 Anticandidal activity of pyrimidine-peptide conjugates; Ti JS et al.; The ability of conjugates of peptides and 5-fluorocytosine or 5-fluoroorotic acid to enter Candida albicans was investigated . A number of conjugates of 5-fluoroorotic acid and peptides were synthesized using 1-(ethoxy-carbonyl)-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline as the coupling agent . Orotyl-L-leucyl-L-leucine, 5-fluoro-4-(N-succinamoyl-L-alanyl-L-leucine)-2(1H)-pyrimidinone {a 5-fluorocytosine derivative}, and 5-fluoroorotyl-L-leucyl-L-leucine all inhibited the uptake of trimethionine into C . albicans WD 18-4 . Inhibition by 5-fluoroorotyl-L-leucyl-L-leucine was competitive as judged using double-reciprocal plots . Evaluation of minimum inhibitory concentrations of peptide-5-fluorocytosine conjugates suggest that these conjugates enter C . albicans in the intact form . These results provide the first experimental evidence that peptides can carry pyrimidines into a eukaryote. Scand J Haematol, 1980 Aug, 25(2), 97 - 106 Inhibitory ability of adherent blood cells from patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia on DNA-synthesis in non-adherent leukaemic cells and PHA-stimulated lymphocytes; Unsgaard G et al.; Mononuclear blood cells were isolated from patients with different types of leukaemia and studied in vitro with regard to cell functions - adhesiveness, phagocytosis, DNA synthesis and inhibitory effects of adherent cells on non-adherent leukaemic cells and PHA stimulated lymphocytes . Cells from patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) adhered to the plastic surface of the culture dishes and showed esterase staining reactions as monocytes/macrophages . They showed a normal capacity to ingest Candida albicans, while the digestion capacity appeared reduced . Non-adherent cells from CML showed a high ability to incorporate thymidine, indicating DNA synthesis . Adhesive cells from patients with CML inhibited DNA synthesis in nonadherent CML cells and in PHA-stimulated lymphocytes to about the same extent as adhesive cells from normal donors . Blood cells from acute myeloid leukaemia and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia showed on adhesiveness and a very low spontaneous thymidine incorporation. Infect Immun, 1980 Aug, 29(2), 477 - 82 Candidacidal activity of mouse macrophages in vitro; Maiti PK et al.; Mouse peritoneal macrophages were infected in vitro with Candida albicans, and the phagocytic and candidacidal activities were estimated by microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained cells . Activated macrophages obtained from either BCG-vaccinated animals or by in vitro exposure of normal macrophages to phytohemagglutinin-induced lymphokines exhibited higher phagocytic and candidacidal activities than did normal macrophages . However, activated macrophages obtained by in vitro exposure of macrophages to candida-induced lymphokines exhibited the highest phagocytic and candidacidal activities . The incorporation of immune mouse serum into the culture medium also enhanced the phagocytic and candidacidal activities of the normal macrophages but failed to improve the function of the activated macrophages . These results suggest that both activated macrophages and antibodies may be required for controlling candida infections in mice. Biokhimiia, 1980 Jul, 45(7), 1201 - 7 {Effect of ionic composition of incubation medium on inhibition by levorin of amino acid transfer in Candida albicans}; Obukhovskaia AS et al.; It was demonstrated that K+ and Na+ concentrations in C . albicans cells cultivated on an aerated enriched complex medium do not practically depend on their concentration ratios in the medium . The effect of levorin on the ionic composition of the cells, on the contrary, strongly depends on the composition of the medium . In a Na-containing medium with levorin the bulk of intracellular potassium is substituted by sodium, while in a "potassium" medium no redistribution of the monovalent cations in the cells occurs . The transport of neutral amino acids with a short carbohydrate radical (e . g . glycine, alanine) is largely inhibited by levorin irrespective of the intra- and extracellular concentrations of the movement cations . The inhibition of transport of amino acids with a long carbohydrate radical (e . g . leucine, phenylalanine) by levorin is possibly mediated by its effect on the intracellular concentration of monovalent cations, since in "potassium" medium it is either insignificant or altogether absent . The transfer of neutral amino acids differing in the length of the carbohydrate radical of C . albicans by various systems is discussed. Ann Microbiol (Paris), 1980 Jul-Aug, 131B(1), 39 - 46 {Pathogenicity of "Candida albicans" for normal mice and mice treated by the mycotoxin diacetoxyscirpenol (author's transl)}; Fromentin H et al.; The study of the action of diacetoxyscirpenol, a mycotoxin from Fusarium, was carried out on mice . It was found that a single dose of 1/2 DL50 (4.5 mg/kg) inoculated intraperitoneally, induced a transitory diminution of weight of the spleen and thymus and fall in the percentage of blood lymphocyte . The effect on the course of candidiasis was obvious: the mice challenged with C . albicans and treated by small repeated doses of mycotoxin died more rapidly than not treated but infected mice, emphasizing significantly the effect of the immunosuppressive processus on the development of the opportunistic fungus. Rev Infect Dis, 1980 Jul-Aug, 2(4), 520 - 34 Mechanism of action of antifungal drugs, with special reference to the imidazole derivatives; Borgers M; Currently used antifungal drugs are distinct in terms of spectrum of activity, potency, therapeutic index, development of resistance, and mode of use . An important factor in the usefulnesss of a compound is the mechanism by which it attacks the structure and function of the fungal cell . The target organelles have been established for most antifungal drugs . Polyenes bind irreversibly to cell membranes . Alteration of the permeability of these structures precedes metabolic disruption and cell death . Griseofulvin deteriorates spindle and cytoplasmic microtubules, influencing cell division and outgrowth of hyphal tips . Flucytosine is deaminated to 5-fluorouracil, which is then phosphorylated and incorporated into RNA; protein synthesis is consequently impaired . A mechanism of action via inhibition of DNA synthesis is an alternative explanation . The imidazole derivatives inhibit the biosynthesis of ergosterol, the main sterol in membranes of fungi . These agents also affect the synthesis of triglycerides and phospholipids . Changes in oxidative and peroxidative enzyme activities, leading to an intracellular buildup of toxic concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, may contribute to the observed deterioration of subcellular organelles and to cell necrosis . The imidazole derivatives inhibit the transformation of blastospores of Candida albicans into the invasive mycelial form . This inhibition probably facilitates the task of host defense cells and may be the principal factor leading to clearance of infection. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1980 Jul, (7), 75 - 9 {Effect of antigen dose on the course of experimental mycogenic sensitization}; Sardyko NV; Guinea pigs were sensitized with different doses of homogenous Candida albicans cells introduced by 3 subcutaneous injections at intervals of 2--3 days . The allergic rearrangement in the animal body thus induced was found to depend on the dose of the preparation injected into the animals: the lowest dose of the antigen (0.1 mg) induced immediate allergic reaction, and doses 5--10 times higher induced double rearrangement i.e . immediate and delayed reactions. J Clin Microbiol, 1980 Jul, 12(1), 44 - 5 Skin abscess caused by Candida albicans: unusual presentation of C . albicans disease; Feldman WE et al.; A 9-month-old patient developed a Candida albicans skin abscess at the repair site of a lumbar myelomeningocele . There was no evidence of C . albicans infection elsewhere in the body . The infection may have been acquired at the time of the original myelomeningocele repair at 2 days of age . The abscess was cured by surgical drainage and amphotericin B therapy . This case indicates that laboratories should be aware of C . albicans as an unusual cause of abscess. Mikrobiologiia, 1980 Jul-Aug, 49(4), 578 - 83 {Aspartate, alanine, glutamate, malate glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenases in Candida albicans}; Tsinberg MB et al.; Multiple molecular forms of aspartate, alanine, glutamate, malate and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenases were studied in the course of Candida albicans growth using electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel . The isozyme spectrum and the activity of dehydrogenases were found to depend on the cultural age and the cofactor being used (NAD or NADP) . The protein-antigenic spectrum and the composition of multiple molecular forms of dehydrogenases were compared in C . albicans in the course of its growth in order to characterize more completely the properties of the culture at a certain growth phase. J Gen Microbiol, 1980 Jul, 119(1), 253 - 5 The porosity of the cell wall of Candida albicans; Cope JE; Polyethylene glycols of different molecular sizes have been used to study the penetrability of the cell wall of Candida albicans harvested at the end of the growth phase and after prolonged incubation in the stationary phase . No differences were found which could account for the greater resistance of cells from stationary phase cultures of C . albicans to the antimycotic agents amphotericin B methyl ester and miconazole. J Gen Microbiol, 1980 Jul, 119(1), 245 - 51 Mode of action of miconazole on Candida albicans: effect on growth, viability and K+ release; Cope JE; Miconazole at 10 micrograms ml-1 inhibited the growth of exponential phase cultures of Candida albicans and released intracellular K+ . Higher concentration of miconazole were, however, required to cause cell death: at neutral pH, complete killing occurred at 30 micrograms ml-1, while at pH 3.0 or 4.5, there was only partial killing with miconazole up to 80 micrograms ml-1 . Efficient killing of C . albicans by miconazole occurred both at low temperature and when cells were incubated in buffer alone . It is proposed that both the fungistatic and fungicidal actions of miconazole are due to its direct interaction with the cellular membranes of C . albicans rather than to an inhibition of biochemical reactions . Divalent cations protected C . albicans from both the fungistatic and fungicidal effects of miconazole and this was probably due to a competition between the ions and miconazole in its positively charged form for negatively charged binding sites . Candida albicans increased in resistance to miconazole-induced K+ release during the stationary phase of a batch culture . Development of this resistance required efficient aeration. Mycopathologia, 1980 Jul 1, 71(2), 113 - 8 {Effect of glucose and nitrogen concentrations on the morphology of Candida albicans and the formation of chlamydospores in synthetic culture media}; Dujardin L et al.; Candida albicans was grown in the darkness, at 28 degrees C, in a synthetic medium in which glucose and nitrogen concentrations were varied . Numeric appraisal of the chlamydospore index was possible only in the medium where glucose concentration was 0,08 g/1 or less . When the glucose concentration raised, pseudomycelial thalli bore numerous chlamydospores but sometimes also chains of cells with a dense granular content . These thalli bud yeast cells which separate and bud again in the medium . The different morphological aspects of the cultures are decribed, illustrated and classified according to the glucose and nitrogen concentration of the medium. Rev Infect Dis, 1980 Jul-Aug, 2(4), 606 - 19 Chronic mucocutaneous candidosis and other superficial and systemic mycoses successfully treated with ketoconazole; Drouhet E et al.; Four patients with chronic mucocutaneous candidosis from early infancy were treated successfully with ketoconazole given orally . All thrush lesions were clinically and mycologically cured within a few days of treatment with 100-400 micrograms of ketoconazole daily; skin lesions were cured within a few weeks, and nails were cured after about three months of treatment . Delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity to candidin was acquired by the third month . Cellular and humoral immunologic responses were related to the suppression of Candida albicans antigen by ketoconazole . A fifth patient with chronic lingual granuloma due to C . albicans improved considerably . Favorable results also were seen in individual patients with oral and disseminated histoplasmosis due to Histoplasma capsulatum; laryngeal, pulmonary, and hepatic disease with continuous fever also due to H . capsulatum; pulmonary histoplasmosis due to Histoplasma duboisii; cutaneous sporotrichosis; and cutaneous blastomycosis due to Blastomyces dermatitidis and in three patients with favus due to Trichophyton schoenleinii; six of seven patients with tinea capitis due to Trichophyton violaceum (after one month of treatment); and four patients with infections due to Petriellidium boydii, Phialophora pedrosoi, or Beauveria species . All patients responded rapidly to 400 mg of ketoconazole per day given orally . Only the patient with hepatic histoplasmosis required 800 mg per day . Measurements of ketoconazole in the serum during treatment were useful in the evaluation of therapy. Rev Infect Dis, 1980 Jul-Aug, 2(4), 600 - 5 Treatment of chronic mucocutaneous candidosis with ketoconazole: a study of 12 cases; Hay RJ et al.; Twelve patients with chronic mucocutaneous candidosis were treated orally with ketoconazole (doses, 200-400 mg daily) for a mean period of six months . Seven of the patients had one of the following abnormalities: congenital endocrinopathy syndrome, an autosomal recessive or autosomal dominant defect in which candidosis is not associated with endocrinopathy, or the malabsorption syndrome . All patients had fungal infections of the mouth, and 11 had onychomycosis . Two patients were also infected with dermatophytes . At the end of treatment, 10 patients were cured of oral infection, and 11 with nail infections showed significant improvement . Marked improvement of hand and foot infections was also recorded . Patients infected with dermatophyte fungi had the poorest responses to therapy . The mean (+/- SD) MIC for isolates of Candida albicans from eight patients was 0.95 (+/- 0.78) microgram/ml . Clinical and biochemical monitoring showed no toxicity, and no resistant fungi emerged during treatment . Results of this initial study of ketoconazole for treatment of severe and recalcitrant superficial infections indicate the need for further assessment of this drug, which appears to offer a simple, nontoxic, and effective treatment of fungal infections. Rev Infect Dis, 1980 Jul-Aug, 2(4), 570 - 7 Ketoconazole in experimental candidosis; Thienpont D et al.; A relatively large number of animal models of candidosis exist in which the efficacy of antifungal substances can be evaluated . These include models of candidosis