BACKGROUNDDespite recent reports on the molecular epidemiology of cryptococcal infections in China, clinical isolates have been mostly reported from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative patients, and environmental isolates from China have rarely been included. The aim of this study was to investigate the ecological profile of Cryptococcus (C.) neoformans and C. gattii in China.

METHODSA survey was performed in 10 cities from 20°N (North latitude) to 50°N and in a Eucalyptus (E.) camaldulensis forestry farm at the Guixi forestry center, China.

RESULTSSix hundred and twenty samples of pigeon droppings from 10 cities and 819 E. camaldulensis tree samples were collected and inoculated on caffeic acid cornmeal agar (CACA). The brown-colored colonies were recultured to observe their morphology, growth on canavanine-glycine-bromothymol-blue (CGB) medium, phenol oxidase and urease activities, serotype and mating type. There were obvious differences in the positive sample rates of C. neoformans in pigeon droppings collected from the different cities, ranging from 50% in the cities located at latitudes from 30°N - 40°N, 29% at 20°N - 30°N and 13% at 40°N - 50°N.

CONCLUSIONSThere were no differences in positive bevy rates (approximately 80%) among the three grouped cities. Mycological tests of 101 isolates purified from pigeon droppings revealed that they were C. neoformans var. grubii. We also observed variable capsular size around the C. neoformans cells in colonies with variable melanin production and the bio-adhesion of the natural C. neoformans cells with other microorganisms. One urease-negative C. neoformans isolate was isolated from pigeon droppings in Jinan city. No C. gattii was isolated in this study.

Animals ; China ; Columbidae ; microbiology ; Cryptococcosis ; microbiology ; Cryptococcus ; isolation & purification ; Cryptococcus gattii ; isolation & purification ; Cryptococcus neoformans ; isolation & purification ; Eucalyptus ; microbiology ; Feces ; microbiology

Pulmonary infection by capsule-deficient Cryptococcus neoformans (CDCN) is a very rare form of pneumonia and it is seldom seen in the immunocompetent host. The authors experienced a case of pulmonary cryptococcosis by CDCN in 25-year-old woman who was without any significant underlying disease. The diagnosis was made from the percutaneous lung biopsy and special tissue staining, including Fontana-Masson silver (FMS) staining. Fungal culture confirmed the diagnosis afterward. Her clinical and radiologic features improved under treatment with fluconazol. It's known that CDCN is not so readily confirmed because fungal culture does not always result in growth of the organism and the empirical fungal stain is not helpful for the differentiation between CDCN and the other infections that are caused by the nonencapsulated yeast-like organisms. In this report, we emphasize the diagnostic value of performing FMS staining for differentiating a CDCN infection from the other confusing nonencapsulated yeast-like organisms.
Silver Nitrate ; Lung Diseases/*diagnosis/*microbiology ; Humans ; Female ; Cryptococcus neoformans/*isolation & purification ; Cryptococcosis/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Cough ; Chest Pain ; Adult

Aged ; Cryptococcosis ; microbiology ; pathology ; surgery ; Cryptococcus neoformans ; isolation & purification ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laryngeal Diseases ; microbiology ; pathology ; surgery ; Male

BACKGROUND: We utilized results from the ARTEMIS DISK Global Antifungal Surveillance Program to evaluate the species distribution and fluconazole and voriconazole susceptibilities of yeast isolates from clinical specimens in South Korea from 2001 to 2007. METHODS: Data were collected on 5,665 yeast isolates from all body sites at three locations. All investigators tested clinical yeast isolates using the CLSI M44-A disk diffusion method. Test plates were automatically read and results were recorded using the BIOMIC image analysis plate reader system (Giles Scientific, USA). Species, drug, zone diameter, susceptibility category, and quality control results were collected quarterly via e-mail for analysis. RESULTS: Candida albicans was the most common isolate, but a progressive increase in non-C. albicans Candida and noncandidal yeast species has been observed in recent years. The overall percentages of isolates in each category (susceptible, susceptible dose dependent, and resistant) were 98.8%, 0.5%, and 0.7% and 99.2%, 0.2%, and 0.6% for fluconazole and voriconazole, respectively. Candida of 3 species exhibited decreased susceptibility to fluconazole (<90% S) in the order of that seen with the resistant (R) species: C. krusei, C. guilliermondii, and C. glabrata. Emerging resistance to fluconazole or voriconazole was documented among isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans, Trichosporon spp., and Rhodotorula spp. CONCLUSIONS: The species distribution and antifungal susceptibilities of yeasts may differ according to specimen type, testing method, hospital, and geographic region. Therefore, further large-scaled, long-term surveillance studies are needed to isolate yeasts and to confirm the species distribution and antifungal susceptibilities of yeast isolates from clinical specimens in Korea.
Antifungal Agents/*pharmacology ; Candida/isolation & purification ; Cryptococcus neoformans/isolation & purification ; Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests ; *Drug Resistance, Fungal ; Fluconazole/pharmacology ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Pyrimidines/pharmacology ; Republic of Korea ; Rhodotorula/isolation & purification ; Triazoles/pharmacology ; Trichosporon/isolation & purification ; Yeasts/*drug effects/isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo investigate the chemical constituents of Pyrola calliatha.

METHODThe chemical constituents were isolated by various column chromatographic methods. The structures were identified by spectral data.

RESULTTen compounds were isolated and identified as chimaphilin (1), uvaol(2), ursolic acid (3), 2beta,3beta,23-trihydroxy-12-ene-28-ursolic acid (4), daucosterol (5), 2alpha,3beta,23,24-tetrahydroxy-12-ene-28-ursolic acid (6), emodin (7), gallic acid (8), monotropein (9), adenosine (10).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 2,4,6,7,10 were obtained from this genus for the first time, compounds 5, 9 were obtained from this species for the first time. Antifungal activity of compounds 1-4, 6-9 were evaluated. Compound 1 showed the strong activity.

Antifungal Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cryptococcus neoformans ; drug effects ; Iridoids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Naphthoquinones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Pyrola ; chemistry ; Triterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo screen antifungal activity of endophytes from Pseudolarix kaempferi.

METHODEndophytes from P. kaempferi were separated. By means of microdilution method, antifungal active endophytes were fast screened by Pyricularia oryzae P-2b model, and activity of endophytes against pathogenic fungus was studied.

RESULT44.8% of endophytes showed activity against P. oryzae P-2b in Pseudolarix kaempferi. Among them JJ314, JJ323 introduced formation of characteristic beads and swellings on the growing hyphae, JJ324 inhibited the conidia germination. They all showed activity against Trichophyton rubrum, Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans.

CONCLUSIONEndophytes from P. kaempferi are a potential resource for the development of antifungal agent.

Antifungal Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Candida albicans ; drug effects ; Cryptococcus ; drug effects ; Fungi ; chemistry ; classification ; isolation & purification ; Mitosporic Fungi ; drug effects ; Pinaceae ; microbiology ; Plants, Medicinal ; microbiology ; Symbiosis ; Trichophyton ; drug effects

INTRODUCTIONFungaemia carries with it high mortality rates and appropriate as well as timely antifungal therapy has been shown to be life saving.

MATERIALS AND METHODSWe studied the invitro activities of antifungal agents using the Etest method, against 100 Candida isolates from blood cultures, 10 Cryptococcus isolates from blood or cerebrospinal fluid and 50 mould isolates from various clinically significant sites of patients in Singapore General Hospital, from June 2004 to December 2006.

RESULTSOverall, the yeasts appeared to have low minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for all the 5 antifungal drugs tested except for fluconazole. The overall high MIC90 values of the moulds against the azoles were largely attributed to the non-Aspergillus moulds. Posaconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole and caspofungin appear effective against local strains of Aspergillus species, although there are no interpretive breakpoints.

CONCLUSIONSThe results show that the local fungal strains studied appear to be susceptible to the usual antifungal drugs recommended in the literature.

Antifungal Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Candida ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Candidiasis ; microbiology ; Cryptococcosis ; microbiology ; Cryptococcus ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Fungemia ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Fungi ; drug effects ; Hospitals, Public ; Humans ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; methods ; Reproducibility of Results ; Singapore ; Yeasts ; drug effects

A 36-year-old homosexual Mexican man was admitted to our hospital, with a 30-day history of fever and headache. Upon cerebrospinal fluid examination, the patient's white blood cell count was 1,580/L, total protein was 26 mg/dL, sugar was 17 mg/dL, and his intracranial pressure was 23 cmH2O. The patient was diagnosed with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection by serum Western blotting. Cryptococcus neoformans was isolated in cultures of the patient's blood and cerebrospinal fluids. Chest computerized tomography revealed diffuse reticulonodular infiltration and a ground-glass appearance in both perihilar regions, suggestive of either Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia or cryptococcal pneumonia. On the patient's 6th day in our hospital, bronchoalveolar lavage and transbronchial lung biopsy were conducted via bronchoscopy, and a pathologic examination of lung biopsy specimens revealed signs of cryptococcal pneumonia. This patient died on his 14th day in our hospital, as the result of acute respiratory failure, associated with cryptococcal pneumonia and disseminated cryptococcosis.
Respiratory Insufficiency/*diagnosis/etiology/*microbiology ; Pneumonia/*diagnosis/*microbiology ; Male ; Humans ; Fatal Outcome ; Cryptococcus neoformans/*isolation & purification ; Cryptococcosis/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; Blotting, Western ; Adult ; Acute Disease ; AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/complications/*microbiology

OBJECTIVETo explore the pharmacokinetics of amphotericin B (AMB) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during continuous intrathecal administration of AMB for treatment of cryptococcal neoformans meningitis (CNM).

METHODSThe concentration of AMB in the CSF was measured using reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) in 3 patients receiving continuous intrathecal infusion of AMB for CNM.

RESULTSAMB concentrations in the CSF of the 3 patients exceeded the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of AMB against Cryptococcus neoformans. The concentration-time curve showed that AMB concentration in the CSF underwent obvious variations on the first day of intrathecal infusion and after additional AMB doses, but maintained a stable level (0.61-1.21 µg/ml) on the next day.

CONCLUSION[corrected] Continuous intrathecal administration of AMB can enhance the drug concentration in the CSF and maintain a stable and effective drug level for treatment of CNM.

Adolescent ; Amphotericin B ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Antifungal Agents ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; metabolism ; Cryptococcus neoformans ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Humans ; Infusions, Spinal ; methods ; Male ; Meningitis, Cryptococcal ; drug therapy ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo research the isolation method, identification and screen for bioactivities endophytic fungi from ginkgo.

METHODEndophytic fungi from ginkgo were separated. By means of microdilution method, activities of endophytes against pathogenic fungi were tested. Then, using DPPH, the antioxidant activities were measured.

RESULTNine strains (16.1%) showed antifungal activities against Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Trichophyton rubrum and Aspergillus fumigatus. Among these bioactive strains, the growth of T. rubrum was strongly inhibited by T-1-2-1, as the MIC80 was equal to fluconazole, the positive control. Five strains (8.9%) showed antioxidant activities. Among them sample T-3-2-2 and T-6-5-7 showed the strongest antioxidant activities.

CONCLUSIONEndophytic fungi of ginkgo would be potential and rich resources for drug development.

Antifungal Agents ; pharmacology ; Aspergillus fumigatus ; drug effects ; Candida albicans ; drug effects ; Cryptococcus neoformans ; drug effects ; Fluconazole ; pharmacology ; Fungi ; chemistry ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Ginkgo biloba ; microbiology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Trichophyton ; drug effects