1/14. Tick-bite-induced anaphylaxis in spain.Although there are very few reports of human anaphylaxis induced by tick bites, two such cases have recently been seen in Salamanca, spain. To identify the tick species responsible, salivary-gland extracts from six species of hard tick and two of soft tick were prepared and used as allergens/antigens in skin-prick tests and serological analyses. For each case, the results of the skin tests were positive for several species of hard tick but negative for the soft ticks. ELISA and western blots revealed high titres of IgG against hard ticks (but not soft ticks) in the sera from both cases. However, serum from only one of the cases was found to be ELISA- and western-blot-positive for tick-specific IgE. Accordingly, the anaphylaxis seen in one case was IgE-mediated whereas that in the other case appeared to be IgE-independent. In both cases, most of the tick-specific antibodies only recognized carbohydrate epitopes. High levels of cross-reactivity between the salivary-gland extracts from several species of hard tick made it impossible to identify which species was responsible for each anaphylactic reaction, although the immunological results seem to point to ixodes ricinus.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/14. rabies encephalitis following fox bite--histological and immunohistochemical evaluation of lesions caused by virus.rabies caused by fox bite is uncommon, most cases being caused by bite of rabid dogs (95%). We report a 45-year-old lady with rabies encephalomyelitis caused by bite of a rabid wild fox (Vulpes vulpes), a species prevalent in the Deccan plateaus of Central india. Though foxes are known to be susceptible to rabies, literature on the pathological changes caused by fox bite rabies in humans is scarce. Unlike the mild histological alterations described in canine rabies, a florid encephalitic process evolved in fox bite rabies, in our case, with intense microglial reaction, neuronophagia and perivascular inflammatory infiltrates despite clinical manifestation as a paralytic rabies. Immunostaining using polyclonal antibodies to the rabies viral nucleocapsid antigen and to the whole virion demonstrated high viral load within neurons with extensive spread along dendritic arborization and axonal tracts. Genomic sequence analysis demonstrated close homology with canine virus strain with only minor variations.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/14. Histologic study of delayed reactions to coelenterates.We studied by immunohistochemistry three cases of delayed envenomation by coelenterates. The most prominent features were the grouping of human leukocyte antigen-DR-positive cells with langerhans cells (S-100 positive) and helper/inducer T lymphocytes (Leu-1 , Leu-3 , and Leu-4 ). This indicates the possibility of a type IV immunoreaction in the delayed cutaneous lesions caused by coelenterates.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/14. Recurrent eruption following a solitary envenomation by the cnidarian Stomolophous meleagris.The case history of a patient who developed a linear erythematous eruption on the ankle after envenomation by Stomolophous meleagris is described. This eruption subsided within 20 hr and recurred without subsequent envenomation 7 days later. The recurrent eruption was similar in morphology to the original lesion, but was accompanied by stiffness and edema. Examination of biopsied skin from the recurrent eruption showed a perivascular mononuclear cell dermal infiltrate. No abnormal deposits of immune globulins or complement were found in this specimen. The patient's serum contained antibodies to Stomolophous antigen and two other jellyfish. Two screening tests of lymphocyte function were negative upon exposure to Stomolophous antigen. This was the first reported case of recurrent local eruption to a single human envenomation by this coelenterate, which usually is regarded as relatively harmless to man.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/14. Lymphokine activity in coelenterate envenomation.Four patients were tested to determine whether lymphokine activity could be produced by their peripheral blood leukocytes exposed to jellyfish antigens. One patient was a false positive reactor, one had a prolonged lymphokine response three years after a persistent eruption induced by the venom, and one had lymphokine activity associated only with the cutaneous eruption. These results support the hypothesis that T cell function may be important in the pathogenesis of cutaneous lesions following coelenterate envenomation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/14. Significant envenomation by Aurelia aurita, the moon jellyfish.The case of a patient envenomated by Aurelia aurita, who developed significant local cutaneous lesions and immunospecific serum antibodies is reported. The lesions required more than ten days to heal. The patient developed significant cross-reacting antibodies to Chrysaora quinquecirrha antigens.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/14. Fatal encephalitis caused by a bat-borne rabies-related virus. Clinical findings.The clinical findings are described in the first reported European case of fatal encephalitis of bat origin caused by a rabies-related virus. A bat zoologist developed the symptoms of rabies 51 days after his last exposure to a bat bite. The clinical disease of 23 days duration was a combination of the paralytic and 'furious' forms of rabies. Serial BAEP and EEG recordings, CT and MR scans of the brain, as well as CSF findings, demonstrated severe ascending destruction of the brain. An unusual progression from isolated brainstem death to cortical brain death occurred. Neuropathologically, the brain showed severe lytic changes. The presence of rabies-related virus antigens in brain smears was shown using a panel of fluorescent antibodies. The virus was inoculated into and isolated from suckling mice. The virus had a close resemblance to European bat rabies isolates, which belong to the group of rabies-related viruses. Of particular concern is whether the virus can spread from bats to terrestrial animals and whether the European type of bat rabies constitutes a danger to man.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/14. Lack of transmission of hiv through human bites and scratches.To examine the relative risk of transmission of the human immuno-deficiency virus (hiv) through bites and scratches, we studied 198 health care workers, 30 of whom were traumatized in this fashion while caring for an aggressive AIDS patient. This violent patient frequently bit or scratched others, his mouth had blood and saliva, while his fingernails were at times soiled with semen, feces, and urine. He was hiv antibody and antigen positive. Although hiv was recovered from his peripheral blood lymphocytes, after 2.5 years of serial follow-up, all traumatized personnel were clinically normal, no hiv was cultured from their blood, and all were hiv antibody and P24 antigen negative. We conclude that this viremic AIDS patient, while producing copious amounts of body fluids, failed to infect those caring for him through bites and scratches. The risk of transmission of hiv through this route under similar conditions should be low.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/14. Use of IgE antibody determinations in cutaneous Coelenterate envenomations.Elevated levels of serum anti-sea nettle venom IgE persisted for several years in two patients who had exaggerated reactions to jellyfish (sea nettle, Chrysaora quinquecirrha) stings. These antibodies also cross reacted with Portuguese man-of war venom. The determination of increased antigen specific IgE concentrations may be of value in identifying patients "at risk" or in diagnosing stings by "unseen" animals. Because of the increased frequency of IgE radioallergosorbent testing (RAST) in dermatologic practice, a brief review of the use of this test is included.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/14. Delayed and persistent cutaneous reactions to coelenterates.Three patients are described who developed firm, persistent papules and plaques at sites of previous contact with two species of coelenterates. Histologically, a predominantly mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltrate located primarily in the reticular dermis was observed with destruction of hair follicle epithelium and arrectores pilorum. Epidermal changes included focal spongiosis and exocytosis of lymphocytes. The eruptions subsided no sooner than 7 weeks from time of onset. It is hypothesized that this cutaneous reaction represents a persistent delayed hypersensitivity response to an antigenic component of the coelenterate nematocyst.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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