An actinomycete strain, 'Nocardai flavorosea' JCM 3332, was found to have properties consistent with its classification in the genus Nocardia. An almost complete gene sequence of the 16S rDNA of the strain was determined following cloning and sequencing of the amplified gene. The sequence was aligned with those available for nocardiae and phylogenetic trees were inferred using four tree-making ...

Nocardia cyriacigeorgica is a recently characterized species within the genus of Nocardia. We report a brain abscess, following a primary pulmonary colonization, due to this species in a human immunodeficiency virus-infected patient. This case confirms that isolation of Nocardia in sputum is associated with a high risk of disseminated infection in immunocompromised patients.

Linezolid was tested by broth microdilution against 140 clinical Nocardia isolates belonging to seven species. The MIC at which 50% of the strains are inhibited (MIC50) and MIC90 for all species other than Nocardia farcinica were 2 and 4 microg/ml. Linezolid is the first antimicrobial agent demonstrated to be active against all Nocardia species.

We describe a case of Nocardia bronchopneumonia occurring in a patient after 5 weeks of treatment in an ICU. The clinical features were haemoptysis and fever, and an aspecific coarse nodular pattern on the chest roentgenogram. The diagnosis was made, after death, by positive blood cultures for Nocardia asteroides and autopsy showing Nocardia bronchopneumonia.

The cell wall of the yeast form of the dimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is enriched with α1,3-glucans. In Cryptococcus neoformans, α1,3-glucans interact with glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), a heteropolysaccharide that is essential for fungal virulence. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of P. brasiliensis glycans sharing properties with cryptococcal GXM. Protein database sea...

1 Boiron P, Provost F, Chevier G, Dupont B. Review of nocardial infections in France 19871990. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 1992; 11:709-14. 2 Chen CJ. Nocardia asteroides endophthalmitis. Ophdialmic Surg 1983;14:502-5. 3 Dewsnup DH, Wright DN. In vitro susceptibility of Nocardia asteroides to 25 antimicrobial agents. Anmimrob Agent Chemother 1984;25: 165-7 4 Douglas RM, Grove DI, Elliott J,...

Nocardia otitidiscaviarum belongs to the agents of opportunistic infections seen in immunocompromised patients, but may occur rarely in immunocompetent patients. In this report we described a case of a previously healthy 69-year-old woman with cerebral and retroperitoneal abscess due to Nocardia otitidiscaviarum. The patient was admitted to hospital because of loss of strength in her right arm ...

Nocardia is characterised as a Gram positive filamentous rod and is found worldwide in soil, decaying vegetable matter and aquatic environments. Localised pulmonary infection is the most common clinical presentation. However, Nocardia can present in a wide variety of clinical manifestations, especially in the immunocompromised individual. We present the first case of a prostate abscess caused b...