Actinomycetoma is a chronic granulomatous infection, with Nocardia species being one of the infecting pathogens. Infections caused by N. otitidiscaviarum are relatively rare compared with those caused by other Nocardia species. Conventional methods for the diagnosis of nocardiosis based on phenotypic characterization of the strains (e.g., morphology, histopathology) are relatively time consumin...

The conversions of vanillic acid and O-benzylvanillic acid to vanillin were examined by using whole cells and enzyme preparations of Nocardia sp. strain NRRL 5646. With growing cultures, vanillic acid was decarboxylated (69% yield) to guaiacol and reduced (11% yield) to vanillyl alcohol. In resting Nocardia cells in buffer, 4-O-benzylvanillic acid was converted to the corresponding alcohol prod...

Experimental Acanthamoeba keratitis was induced in Wistar rats by intrastromal inoculation of Acanthamoeba polyphaga cysts. Keratitis developed in all corneas injected and was characterised by a diffuse granular opacity. The animals were examined for 70 days and a gradual reduction of keratitis was observed. Pathological sections showed liquefactive stromal necrosis and Acanthamoeba localised i...

OBJECTIVE To validate photographic bioimaging for evaluating the severity of herpes simplex virus keratitis. METHODS Stromal keratitis of patients in the Herpetic Eye Disease Study was clinically measured with a slitbeam micrometer and then photographed at trial entry. Calibrated images of 169 eyes were analyzed for the size, location, and density of stromal keratitis and endotheliitis, with ...

170 patients admitted to shariaty hospital pulmonary ward were studied for pulmonary nocardiosis during 17 months (aug 1990-jan 1992). paraffin baiting was used and nocardia asteroides isolated in five cases from sputum, pleural fluid and bronchial washing. the technique used in this study inhibits growth of other organism and yeast and is reliable, simple and cheap for isolation of nocardia fr...

A novel actinomycete strain, OFN S17(T), was isolated from a sample collected from Altamira Cave, Cantabria, Spain. This strain was identified by using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The 16S rRNA, hsp65 and sod gene sequences of the strain were determined and compared with those of representative Nocardia species. The results showed that strain OFN S17(T) should be assigned to the genus Nocar...

Keratitis is an inflammatory condition, characterized by involvement of corneal tissues. Most recurrent challenge of keratitis is infection. Bacteria, virus, fungus and parasitic organism have potential to cause infection. TLR are an important class of protein which has a major role in innate immune response to combat with pathogens. In last past years, extensive research efforts have provided ...

Due to impaired defensive mechanisms caused by injuries or little epithelial defects , different types of pathogens or environmental influences might induce corneal inflammation (keratitis). The form of corneal inflammation called superficial keratitis involves just the corneal surface (epithelium). If the inflammation involves corneal stroma it is called stromal or interstitial keratitis. Kera...

PURPOSE To report the use of corneal collagen crosslinking in the treatment of infective keratitis not responding to antimicrobial therapy. METHODS Two retrospective case reports of infective keratitis treated with corneal collagen crosslinking. RESULTS In both cases, corneal collagen crosslinking caused a rapid resolution of the infective keratitis, leaving residual stromal scarring. Due t...