Reported here is a case of microsporidiasis that occurred in an acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) -M3 patient who underwent chemotherapy. Fever, cough, expectorate and dyspnea were observed during the therapy. Since this case was considered as adult respiratory distress syndrome due to the chest X-ray and arterial blood gas findings, the male patient was bounded to a mechanical ventilator. As coagulation tests showed compatible findings with disseminate intravascular coagulation (DIC), it was thought to be a case of sepsis originating from the lungs and DIC. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were found in the sputum of the patient. Although he was given combined antibiotic therapy, there was no reduction in the fever. A bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) sample was taken and Microsporidia sp. was found upon staining with Giemsa. The patient died due to sepsis and DIC just before receiving therapy for microsporidiasis. Pulmonary infection with Microsporidia, although classically occurring in patients with HIV infection, may occur rarely in leukemia patients, especially if previously treated with systemic immune suppression. This case reinforces the need to consider Microsporidia as a possible pathogen in immunocompromised patients with pulmonary infections.
Diagnostic Errors ; Fatal Outcome ; Human ; Immunocompromised Host ; Leukemia, Myelocytic, Acute/*complications ; Lung Diseases, Parasitic/*complications/diagnosis ; Male ; Microsporidiosis/*complications/diagnosis ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUND: To report a rare case of vulvar myiasis caused by Wohlfartia magnifica, including clinical and microscopic observations. CASE: A vulvar lesion was found in a 31-year old married female villager with the history of dropping fly larvae from vulva, vulvar pain and itching sensation. The larvae were identified as the species of Wohlfartia magnifica. The lesion was washed with batticon over a period of five days and the patient was discharged. CONCLUSION: Vulvar myiasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of genital lesions. The diagnosis can be easily established based on microscopic features of the maggots, especially those relating to stigma structures.
Adult ; Case Report ; Female ; Human ; Myiasis/diagnosis/*etiology/pathology ; Vulvar Diseases/diagnosis/*etiology/pathology

We present a case of oral myiasis in a 15-year-old boy with tuberculosis meningitis. The diagnosis was based on the visual presence of wriggling larvae about 1 cm in size and on the microscopic features of the maggots, especially those relating to stigmatic structures. The larvae were identified as third stage larvae of Sarcophaga sp.
Adolescent ; Animals ; Cross Infection/microbiology/*parasitology ; *Diptera ; Fatal Outcome ; Humans ; Male ; Mouth Diseases/complications/*parasitology ; Myiasis/complications/*diagnosis ; Tuberculosis, Meningeal/complications ; Turkey

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anti- Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in haemodialysis patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). Methods: One hundred and seventy three haemodialysis patients, and 40 healthy controls, were studied for the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies by a micro enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were detected in 97 (56.06%) haemodialysis patients and 8 (20%) controls with a statistical significance. In addition, anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies were detected in 1.73% of patients, but none of the controls. In conclusion, a high percentage of positivity for Toxoplasma antibodies in patients with CRF undergoing haemodialysis was noticed, thus parasitological surveys of CRF patients should be periodically performed to prevent the possible dissemination of toxoplasmosis through the dialysis procedure.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Human ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/*immunology/therapy ; Middle Aged ; *Renal Dialysis ; Toxoplasma/*immunology

Malaria is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The increase in lipid peroxidation reported in malaria infection and antioxidant status may be a useful marker of oxidative stress during malaria infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of antioxidant enzymes against toxic reactive oxygen species in patients infected with Plasmodium vivax and healthy controls. Malondialdehyde levels, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities were determined in 91 P. vivax patients and compared with 52 controls. Malondialdehyde levels, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities were 8.07+/-2.29 nM/ml, 2.69+/-0.33 U/ml, and 49.6+/-3.2 U/g Hb in the patient group and 2.72+/-0.50 nM/ml, 3.71+/-0.47 U/ml, and 62.3+/-4.3 U/g Hb in the control group, respectively. Malondialdehyde levels were found statistically significant in patients with vivax malaria higher than in healthy controls (P<0.001). On the other hand, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities were found to be significantly lower in vivax malaria patients than in controls (P<0.05). There was an increase in oxidative stress in vivax malaria. The results suggested that antioxidant defense mechanisms may play an important role in the pathogenesis of P. vivax.
Adult ; Animals ; Antioxidants/*metabolism ; Biological Markers/metabolism ; Female ; Glutathione Peroxidase/metabolism ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Malaria, Vivax/*metabolism/parasitology ; Male ; Malondialdehyde/metabolism ; *Oxidative Stress ; Plasmodium vivax/*metabolism ; Reactive Oxygen Species/*metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism ; Young Adult

In this study, the main antioxidant enzymes (AOE) of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were identified, and the influence of sex and age in healthy human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) was determined. The SOD, GPX, CAT and MPO activities were investigated in intestinal parasite negative human PMNL from 109 healthy subjects aged from 6 to 70 years (55 males and 54 females) using simple and sensitive enzyme assays. Blood cells, such as eosinophils, platelets, neutrophils, monocytes, and macrophages also synthesize antioxidant enzymes (AOE). They constitute an important proportion and are also the major participants in a number of pathological conditions that suggest the involvement of AOE. A linear effect of age on SOD activity (p < 0.05) both in males and females was found. A similar effect with GPX activity (p < 0.05) was observed in males only. This showed that the activities of all these enzymes increase with age. In addition, SOD activity was significantly higher in females than males between the age of 19 and 70 years (p < 0.001). This analysis also showed that there is a negative correlation between the CAT-GPX (p < 0.05) activities and positive correlations between MPO-GPX (p < 0.05) activities only in females. No correlation among the other enzyme activities was found in either sex group. This study showed the activities of antioxidant enzyme activities and the correlations of these enyzmes activities with each other in healthy human PMNLs were age- and sex-dependent. This information may assisit in understanding the importance of antioxidant enzymes in the physiological and pathological conditions associated with PMNL.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aging/*metabolism ; Child ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neutrophils/*enzymology ; Oxidoreductases/*metabolism ; Reference Values ; *Sex Characteristics