Polyphasic taxonomy, a consensus approach to bacterial systematics.

The first edition of this reference work was published in 1898, and the last update was published in 1972. This current edition is written by six major contributors and contains either rewritten or new chapters, including one 29-page chapter entitled "Ophthalmology in the Tropics" by F. C. Rodger, MD. Not only is this material valuable to physicians in endemic areas, but it is also important for travelers to the tropics who may return home with these diseases. Most of the chapters discuss the following aspects of tropical disease: cause, transmission, immunology, epidemiology, geographical distribution, pathologic condition, clinical findings, and diagnosis (including laboratory findings, treatment, and prevention). Beside chapters on infections, there are chapters on disorders due to heat, nutritional diseases, and venoms and poisons, and appendices on protozoology, helminthology, entomology, and clinical pathologic conditions. Excellent illustrations of end-stage pathologic conditions are disconcerting. Ophthalmologists would be most interested in the discussion

Manson's Tropical Diseases

Background and Objectives: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) appears to be endowed with several favorable features for the treatment of infections originated by microbial pathogens, including a broad spectrum of action, the efficient inactivation of antibiotic-resistant strains, the low mutagenic potential, and the lack of selection of photoresistant microbial cells. Therefore, intensive studies are being pursued in order to define the scope and field of application of this approach. Results: Optimal cytocidal activity against a large variety of bacterial, fungal, and protozoan pathogens has been found to be typical of photosensitizers that are positively charged at physiological pH values (e.g., for the presence of quaternarized amino groups or the association with polylysine moieties) and are characterized by a moderate hydrophobicity (n-octanol/water partition coefficient around 10). These photosensitizers in a micromolar concentration can induce a > 4–5 log decrease in the microbial population after incubation times as short as 5– 10 minutes and irradiation under mild experimental conditions, such as fluence-rates around 50 mW/cm 2 and irradiation times shorter than 15 minutes. Conclusions: PDT appears to represent an efficacious alternative modality for the treatment of localized microbial infections through the in situ application of the photosensitizer followed by irradiation of the photosensitizer-loaded infected area. Proposed clinical fields of interest of antimicrobial PDT include the treatment of chronic ulcers, infected burns, acne vulgaris, and a variety of oral infections. Lasers Surg. Med. 38:468–481, 2006. 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/lsm.20361

Photodynamic therapy in the treatment of microbial infections: Basic principles and perspective applications

https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1016/0014-5793%2894%2901079-X

Families of zinc metalloproteases

THP-1 cell line: an in vitro cell model for immune modulation approach.

Leishmania donovani, the etiological agent of human visceral leishmaniasis, was grown in hamster peritoneal macrophages in vitro. By electron microscopy, using a lysosomal marker, these parasitic protozoa were seen to multiply within host cell phagolysosomes. The survival mechanism of this intracellular parasite is based apparently upon resistance to macrophage lysosomal enzymic digestion.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/193/4254/678.full.pdf

Multiplication of a human parasite (Leishmania donovani) in phagolysosomes of hamster macrophages in vitro

A mouse macrophage line, J774G8, supports continuous and prolific intracellular growth of Leishmania mexicana amazonensis, the etiological agent of a South American cutaneous leishmaniasis. The intracellular parasites from these infected cultures can be isolated with high recovery rate and purity by simple Percoll gradient centrifugation.

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/209/4462/1240.full.pdf

Human cutaneous Leishmania in a mouse macrophage line: propagation and isolation of intracellular parasites.

Surface acid proteinase (gp63) of Leishmania mexicana: a metalloenzyme capable of protecting liposome-encapsulated proteins from phagolysosomal degradation by macrophages

Molecular Determinants of Leishmania Virulence

Specific monoclonal antibody coupled to Affi-Gel 10 was used to purify a major membrane glycoprotein of Leishmania mexicana amazonensis, one of a group of parasitic protozoa that specifically infect mammalian macrophages. Immobilized antigen was eluted at a 34% efficiency with buffers at either pH 2.5 or 11 or with MgCl2, but only the antigen eluted under basic conditions could be readsorbed to the immunobeads. Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration of the purified antigen gave a single peak of protein estimated to have a molecular mass of 400 kDa. However, NaDodSO4/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed a single band of this protein with an apparent molecular mass of 63 kDa. The antigen is an N-linked glycoprotein, as indicated by its increase in electrophoretic mobility after treatment with endoglycosidase H and by its binding to lentil lectin-Sepharose, elutable with methyl alpha-D-mannoside and methyl alpha-D-glucoside. Purified antigen inhibits the binding of leishmania cells to macrophages by 50%, suggesting that it may play a role in the process of infection.

Kwang-Poo Chang

Papers

Multiplication of a human parasite (Leishmania donovani) in phagolysosomes of hamster macrophages in vitro

Human cutaneous Leishmania in a mouse macrophage line: propagation and isolation of intracellular parasites.

Surface acid proteinase (gp63) of Leishmania mexicana: a metalloenzyme capable of protecting liposome-encapsulated proteins from phagolysosomal degradation by macrophages

Molecular Determinants of Leishmania Virulence

Monoclonal antibody affinity purification of a Leishmania membrane glycoprotein and its inhibition of leishmania-macrophage binding.