Establishment of a cell suspension culture of the halophyte Cakile maritima

Cakile maritima is a member of the Brassicaceae family also known as sea rocket. It is an annual succulent halophyte frequent in coastal dune vegetation in Mediterranean regions and Atlantic coasts from North Africa to the north of Europe. This halophyte presents a complex survival strategy at high salinity and its seeds contain up to 40% of an oil which could be suitable for biofuel production and other industrial applications. However, data concerning the cellular mechanisms allowing this plant to resist salinity are still lacking. Cell suspension cultures offer an in vitro system convenient for cell biology studies and biotechnological methods are still not developed for this putative crop. The present paper reports initiation of C. maritima cell suspension cultures from callus obtained from aerial parts of seedlings. The establishment of a suspension culture which preserves its salt resistance provides an opportunity to gain insights into C. maritima biology

Intestinal parasites infections in hospitalized AIDS patients in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

To determine the prevalence and the species spectrum of intestinal parasites (IP) involved in hospitalized AIDS patients, a prospective observational and cross-sectional study was carried out in the four main hospitals in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. From November 2006 through September 2007, a single stool sample was collected from 175 hospitalized AIDS patients older than 15 years. Parasites were detected by light microscopy, including Ziehl-Neelsen, Fungi-Fluor, modified trichrome stains, and by immunofluorescence antibody tests and PCR for species diagnosis of microsporidia. At baseline, 19 patients (10.8 %) were under antiretroviral therapy and 156 (89.2 %) were eligible for ART. The main diagnosis for justifying hospitalization was intestinal infection associated with diarrhea in 87 out of 175 (49.7 %). 47 out of 175 (26.9 %) were found to harbor an IP, and 27 out of 175 (15.4 %) were infected with at least one opportunistic IP (OIP). Prevalence rate for OIP were 9.7 %, 5.1 %, 1.7 % and 0.6 % for Cryptosporidium sp., Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Isospora belli and Encephalitozoon intestinalis respectively. Considering patients with diarrhea only, prevalence rate were 12.6 %, 4.6 %, 3.4 % and 1.1 % respectively. The other IP observed were Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar in nine cases (5.1 %), Ascaris lumbricoïdes in seven cases (4.0 %), Giardia intestinalis in three cases (1.7 %), hookworm in two cases (1.1 %) and Trichiuris trichiura, Enterobius vermicularis, Schistosoma mansoni in one patient each (0.6 %). No significant relationship was established between any individual IP and diarrhea. These results underline the importance of OIP in symptomatic AIDS patients regardless of diarrhea at the time of the hospitalisation, and showed that routine microscopic examination using stains designed for Cryptosporidium spp. or the microsporidia should be considered due to the absence of clinical markers

Intestinal parasites infections in hospitalized AIDS patients in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

To determine the prevalence and the species spectrum of intestinal parasites (IP) involved in hospitalized AIDS patients, a prospective observational and cross-sectional study was carried out in the four main hospitals in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. From November 2006 through September 2007, a single stool sample was collected from 175 hospitalized AIDS patients older than 15 years. Parasites were detected by light microscopy, including Ziehl-Neelsen, Fungi-Fluor, modified trichrome stains, and by immunofluorescence antibody tests and PCR for species diagnosis of microsporidia. At baseline, 19 patients (10.8 %) were under antiretroviral therapy and 156 (89.2 %) were eligible for ART. The main diagnosis for justifying hospitalization was intestinal infection associated with diarrhea in 87 out of 175 (49.7 %). 47 out of 175 (26.9 %) were found to harbor an IP, and 27 out of 175 (15.4 %) were infected with at least one opportunistic IP (OIP). Prevalence rate for OIP were 9.7 %, 5.1 %, 1.7 % and 0.6 % for Cryptosporidium sp., Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Isospora belli and Encephalitozoon intestinalis respectively. Considering patients with diarrhea only, prevalence rate were 12.6 %, 4.6 %, 3.4 % and 1.1 % respectively. The other IP observed were Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar in nine cases (5.1 %), Ascaris lumbricoïdes in seven cases (4.0 %), Giardia intestinalis in three cases (1.7 %), hookworm in two cases (1.1 %) and Trichiuris trichiura, Enterobius vermicularis, Schistosoma mansoni in one patient each (0.6 %). No significant relationship was established between any individual IP and diarrhea. These results underline the importance of OIP in symptomatic AIDS patients regardless of diarrhea at the time of the hospitalisation, and showed that routine microscopic examination using stains designed for Cryptosporidium spp. or the microsporidia should be considered due to the absence of clinical markers