Distribution and Species Composition of Causative Agents of Dermatophytoses in Lithuania

The aim of the investigation was to ascertain species composition of causative agents of dermatophytoses and characterize the epidemiological status of these infections in Lithuania in 2001–2010. There were isolated and identified 4580 cultures of causative agents of various dermatomycoses. During this period, the spreading of agents of dermatophytoses showed a tendency to decline. It was found out that the number of non-dermatophytes increased: at the beginning of the investigation, non-dermatophytes accounted for 3.4%, whereas at the end their number grew up to 35.9%. Among the agents of dermatomycosis, an incidence of yeasts was observed to have a tendency to grow. During the investigation, dermatophytes of the genera Trichophyton Malamsten, Microsporum Gruby and Epidermatophyton Sabouraud were isolated. In the case of dermatophytoses, the prevailing causative species was Tr. rubrum, which amounted to 55.7% in 2001, whereas in 2010 – only to 11%. The incidence of other agents of trichophytoses, namely Tr. interdigitale, Tr. tonsurans and Tr. violaceum was from 0 to 0.8%. Among fungus of the Microsporum genus, only the species M. canis was detected. Similar to other agents of dermatophytoses, the incidence of Epidermophyton genus showed a declining tendency. In the period of 2001–2010, causative agents of dermatophytoses of all the studied dermatophytes genera showed a declining tendency, whereas incidences of Candida yeasts and other causative agents of dermatomycoses greatly increased

Ekonominis ir klinikinis anestezijos pasirinkimas trumpoms operacijoms: sevoflurano farmakoekonominis tyrimas

Saulė Švedienė1, Jurgita Zidanavičiūtė2, Juozas Ivaškevičius11 Vilniaus universiteto Anesteziologijos ir reanimatologijos klinika;Vilniaus greitosios pagalbos universitetinė ligoninė,Šiltnamių g. 29, LT-04130 Vilnius2 Vilniaus Gedimino technikos universiteto Fundamentinių mokslų fakultetoMatematinės statistikos katedraEl paštas: [email protected] Tikslas Nustatyti 2005 ir 2006 metais Vilniaus universitetinėje greitosios pagalbos ligoninėje trumpoms operacijoms vartotų anestetikų kainų skirtumus. Metodai Tyrimui naudotas farmakoekonominis modelis, vadinamas mobilia anestezijos kainos konsultacine programa (Mobile Anesthesia Cost Consultant Program). Kiekvieno paciento duomenys buvo fiksuojami programoje: operacijos pobūdis, paciento svoris, amžius, koks anestetikas vartotas indukcijai, koks – anestezijai palaikyti. Taip pat įtraukti kiti preparatai: raumenų relaksantai, reversiniai agentai, analgetikai ir t. t. Anestezijos kaina pateikta automatiškai, apskaičiuota pagal tam tikras formules. Laikydamiesi programos gairių mes sudarėme protokolą, kuriame registravome mūsų operacinėse stebėtus duomenis. Kaip tyrimo obektą pasirinkome angiochirurgines, abdominalines (laparoskopines cholecistektomijas) ir ginekologines operacijas. Tai trumpos chirurginės intervencijos, kurioms mūsų ligoninėje vartojami skirtingi anestetikai. Pacientų charakteristikos ir gauti duomenys buvo apdorojami statistiškai. Rezultatai Trumpoms angiochirurginėms operacijoms anestezijos vidutinė bei 1 valandos kaina (vartojant tiek izofluraną, tiek sevofluraną) statistiškai reikšmingai nesiskyrė (p = 0,305, p = 0,181). Trumpų abdominalinių operacijų anestezijos vidutinė bei 1 valandos kaina (vartojant ir izofluraną, ir sevofluraną) statistiškai reikšmingai nesiskyrė (p = 0,305, p = 0,526). Ginekologinių operacijų grupė nors ir išsiskyrė iš kitų grupių tam tikrais požymiais (amžiumi, svoriu, ASA), galėtume teigti, kad trumpos anestezijos 1 valandos bei vidutinė kaina statistiškai vienoda, palaikymui vartojant propofolį ar sevofluraną. Lyginant vidutinę anestezijos kainą, reikšmingo skirtumo tarp visų tirtų grupių nebuvo (p = 0,305). Išvada Nesant reikšmingo kainų skirtumo, trumpoms chirurginėms intervencijoms galėtų būti vartojami kliniškai naudingiausi, saugiausi ir mažiausiai toksiški anestetikai, pavyzdžiui, sevofluranas. Išmintingai naudojant informacines technologijas gali būti geriau paskirstomas operacinio bloko laikas, stengiantis sumažinti įvairias reikšmingesnes išlaidas, prieš imantis riboti anestezijos tipo ir vaistų pasirinkimą. Pagrindiniai žodžiai: anestezijos kaina, inhaliaciniai anestetikai, sevofluranas, farmakoekonominis modelis Economical and clinical selection of anaesthesia during short operations: pharmaco-economical analysis of sevofluran Saulė Švedienė1, Jurgita Zidanavičiūtė2, Juozas Ivaškevičius11 Clinic of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Vilnius University2 Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Faculty of Fundamental Sciences,Department of Mathematical StatisticsE-mail: [email protected] Objective To determine the difference in the costs of various anaesthesia options by applying various medicaments during short operations performed at the Vilnius University Emergency Medical Service Hospital in 2005 and 2006. Methods A pharmaco-economical model called Mobile Anaesthesia Cost Consultant Program was used for the analysis. The program fixed each patient’s data: the character of an operation, the patient’s weight, age, the anaesthetic used for induction, and the anaesthetic used for anaesthesia support. Other preparations were also included: muscle relaxants, reversible agents, analgesics, etc. The anaesthesia cost is presented automatically by calculation using certain formulas. Acting in accordance with the guidelines of the program, we have created a protocol wherein we registered the data observed at our operation theatres. We selected angiosurgical, abdominal (laparoscopic cholecystectomies) and gynaecological operations as the object of analysis. These were short surgical interventions performed at our hospital, for which various anaesthetics are used. The patient records and the data obtained were processed on a statistical basis. Results The anaesthesia average cost and cost per one hour during short angiosurgical operations (in cases where both isofluran and sevofluran are used) did not credibly differ with respect to statistics (p = 0.305, p = 0.181). The anaesthesia average cost and cost per one hour during short abdominal operations (in cases where both isofluran and sevofluran were used) did not reliably differ with respect to statistics (p = 0.305, p = 0.526). Though patients of the gynaecological operation group differed from other groups by certain criteria (age, weight, ASA), we are in the position to maintain that short anaesthesia cost per one hour and the average cost are statistically equal when using propofol or sevofluran for support. Comparison of the anaesthesia average cost revealed no reliable differences among all the groups studied (p = 0.305). Conclusion In the absence of reliable cost difference, in short surgical interventions the clinically most useful, safest and least toxic anaesthetics such as sevofluran could be used for anaesthesia. The rational use of information technologies enables to improve the operation block time consumption in order to reduce various relevant costs before the initial axing of the anaesthesia type and medicament selection. Keywords: anaesthesia cost, inhalation anaesthetic, sevofluran, pharmaco-economical mode

Candida Distribution in Onychomycosis and in vitro Susceptibility to Antifungal Agents

The aim of this study was to determine distribution of the Candida (C.) species in onychomycosis and analyses in vitro susceptibility to fluconazole and itraconazole. In recent years, cases of onychomycosis in Lithuania caused by Candida have increased significantly. In the period between 2009 and 2016, a total of 8149 clinical cases (outpatients and inpatients) were investigated at the Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics (VUH SC). Candida yeasts were identified using VITEK 2 (BioMerieux, France) and IVD Maldi biotyper 2.3 (Bruker Daltonik GmbH, Germany), automated systems for identification of yeasts. The antifungal susceptibility to the Candida species were determined by disc diffusion. Candida spp. were the most frequently isolated pathogens in onychomycosis during the investigation period. The main species in onychomycosis were C. albicans (38.6%), followed by C. krusei (33.7%), C. tropicalis (11.1%), C. parapsilosis (7.9%), and other Candida (8.7%). The different antifungal susceptibility patterns among Candida species confirm the need to perform antifungal susceptibility in vitro testing of yeasts from patients with onychomycosi

Candida Distribution in Onychomycosis and in vitro Susceptibility to Antifungal Agents

The aim of this study was to determine distribution of the Candida (C.) species in onychomycosis and analyses in vitro susceptibility to fluconazole and itraconazole. In recent years, cases of onychomycosis in Lithuania caused by Candida have increased significantly. In the period between 2009 and 2016, a total of 8149 clinical cases (outpatients and inpatients) were investigated at the Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics (VUH SC). Candida yeasts were identified using VITEK 2 (BioMerieux, France) and IVD Maldi biotyper 2.3 (Bruker Daltonik GmbH, Germany), automated systems for identification of yeasts. The antifungal susceptibility to the Candida species were determined by disc diffusion. Candida spp. were the most frequently isolated pathogens in onychomycosis during the investigation period. The main species in onychomycosis were C. albicans (38.6%), followed by C. krusei (33.7%), C. tropicalis (11.1%), C. parapsilosis (7.9%), and other Candida (8.7%). The different antifungal susceptibility patterns among Candida species confirm the need to perform antifungal susceptibility in vitro testing of yeasts from patients with onychomycosi

Candida Berkhout genties mielių paplitimas, biologiniai savitumai ir prevencinių priemonių prieš jas paieška

Aim of the work was to determine the distribution of Candida yeasts in various substrates and the surrounding environment, to define their biological characteristics and preventive measures to reduce the pollution. During the study 498 yeast isolates from soil, water, phyllosphere, food products, human body and the surrounding residential and occupational environment were isolated and identified. It was revealed that they belong to 21 genera and 63 species. Candida yeasts comprised 31% of all isolated yeasts; new to Lithuanian mycobiota species were recorded: C. magnoliae, C. saitoana, C. oleophila and C. sorboxylosa. Assess the Candida yeast morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics. Acute toxicity/pathogenicity of single doses of C. albicans (C.A.4) and C. parapsilosis (C.P.1) administered per os or intraperitoneally to warm-blooded animals was ascertained. Assessment of the impact of 11 disinfectants and 8 antifungal preparations on pathogenic Candida yeasts was conducted. The effects of 12 essential oils, Pantoea citrea (T1x, T2x, T3x), Streptomyces sp. (Ux, Ux308) on Candida yeasts were determined

Toxic, radical scavenging, and antifungal activity of rhododendron tomentosum H. essential oils

The chemical composition of eight (seven shoot and one inflorescence) essential oils (EOs) of Rh. tomentosum H. plants growing in Eastern Lithuania is reported. The plant material was collected during different phases of vegetation (from April to October). The oils were obtained by hydrodistillation from air-dried aerial parts (leaves and inflorescences). In total, up to 70 compounds were identified by GC−MS and GC (flame-ionization detector, FID); they comprised 91.0 ± 4.7%–96.2 ± 3.1% of the oil content. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (54.1 ± 1.5%–76.1 ± 4.5%) were found to be the main fraction. The major compounds were palustrol (24.6 ± 2.6%–33.5 ± 4.4%) and ledol (18.0 ± 2.9%–29.0 ± 5.0%). Ascaridol isomers (7.0 ± 2.4%–14.0 ± 2.4% in three oils), myrcene (7.2 ± 0.3% and 10.1 ± 1.3%), lepalol (3.3 ± 0.3% and 7.9 ± 3.0%), and cyclocolorenone isomers (4.1 ± 2.5%) were determined as the third main constituents. The toxic activity of marsh rosemary inflorescence and shoot oils samples was evaluated using a brine shrimp (Artemia sp.) bioassay. LC50 average values (11.23–20.50 µg/mL) obtained after 24 h of exposure revealed that the oils were notably toxic. The oil obtained from shoots gathered in September during the seed-ripening stage and containing appreciable amounts of palustrol (26.0 ± 2.5%), ledol (21.5 ± 4.0%), and ascaridol (7.0 ± 2.4%) showed the highest toxic activity. Radical scavenging activity of Rh. tomentosum EOs depended on the plant vegetation stage. The highest activities were obtained for EOs isolated from young shoots collected in June (48.19 ± 0.1 and 19.89 ± 0.3 mmol/L TROLOX (6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetra-methylchromane-2-carboxylic acid) equivalent obtained by, respectively, ABTS•+ (2,20-amino-bis(ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt) and DPPH•(2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assays). Agar disc diffusion assay against pathogenic yeast Candida parapsilosis revealed the potential antifungal activity of EOs. An alternative investigation of antifungal activity employed mediated amperometry at yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae-modified electrodes. The subjection of yeast cells to vapors of EO resulted in a three to four-fold increase of electrode responses due to the disruption of yeast cell membranes

alpha-terpinyl acetate: Occurrence in essential oils bearing Thymus pulegioides, hhytotoxicity, and antimicrobial effects

The aim of this study was to evaluate occurrence of T. pulegioides alpha-terpinyl acetate chemotype, as source of natural origin alpha-terpinyl acetate, to determine its phytotoxic and antimicrobial features. Were investigated 131 T. pulegioides habitats. Essential oils were isolated by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Phytotoxic effect of essential oil of this chemotype on monocotyledons and dicotyledons through water and air was carried out in laboratory conditions; the broth microdilution method was used to screen essential oil effect against human pathogenic microorganisms. Results showed that alpha-terpinyl acetate was very rare compound in essential oil of T. pulegioides: it was found only in 35% of investigated T. pulegioides habitats. alpha-Terpinyl acetate (in essential oil and pure) demonstrated different behavior on investigated plants. Phytotoxic effect of alpha-terpinyl acetate was stronger on investigated monocotyledons than on dicotyledons. alpha-Terpinyl acetate essential oil inhibited seeds germination and radicles growth for high economic productivity forage grass monocotyledon Poa pratensis, but stimulated seed germination for high economic productive forage legume dicotyledon Trifolium pretense. alpha-Terpinyl acetate essential oil showed high antimicrobial effect against fungi and dermatophytes but lower effect against bacteria and Candida yeasts. Therefore, T. pulegioides alpha-terpinyl acetate chemotype could be a potential compound for developing preventive measures or/and drugs for mycosis

Antifungal properties of hypericin, hypericin tetrasulphonic acid and fagopyrin on pathogenic fungi and spoilage yeasts

Context: The role of hypericin-mediated photodynamic antimicrobial properties on pathogenic fungi and photodynamic therapy for human cancer cells is known. Antifungal properties of Hypericum perforatum L. (Hypericaceae) and Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. (Polygonaceae) extracts were also studied. The different polarities of solvents can cause complication in the identification of antifungal effects of separate biologically active compounds. In recent experimental work, we compared antifungal properties of purified hypericin, hypericin tetrasulphonic acid (hypericin + S) and fagopyrin, which is analogue of hypericin. Objective: The antifungal properties of aromatic polyketide derivatives such as hypericin, hypericin + S and fagopyrin on the selected pathogenic fungi and spoilage yeasts have been studied. Materials and methods: The antifungal properties of hypericin, hypericin + S and fagopyrin were determined using the broth microdilution method against a set of pathogenic fungi and spoilage yeasts including: Microsporum canis, Trichophyton rubrum, Fusarium oxysporum, Exophiala dermatitidis, Candida albicans, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Pichia fermentans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The tested concentrations of hypericin, hypericin + S and fagopyrin ranged from 750 to 0.011 μg/mL and MIC values were evaluated after 48 h incubation at 30 °C. Results: The results confirm different antifungal properties of hypericin, hypericin + S and fagopyrin on the selected pathogenic fungi and spoilage yeasts. For pathogenic fungi, the minimum inhibitory concentrations of hypericin ranged 0.18–46.9 μg/mL, hypericin + S 0.18–750 μg/mL and fagopyrin 11.7–46.9 μg/mL. For spoilage yeasts, the MICs of hypericin and hypericin + S ranged 0.18–46.9 and 0.011–0.73 μg/mL, respectively. Discussion and conclusion: The results obtained herein indicate that various chemical structures of hypericin, hypericin + S and fagopyrin can develop different antifungal properties

High-frequency submicrosecond electroporator

In this work, we present a novel electroporator which is capable of generating single and bursts of high power (3 kV, 60 A) square wave pulses of variable duration (100 ns to 1 ms) with predefined repetition frequency (1 Hz to 3.5 MHz). The proposed synchronized crowbar implementation ensures a constant pulse rise and fall times, which are independent from the load, thus highly relevant in electroporation. The electroporator was successfully tested for the inactivation of the human pathogen Candida albicans. The device is compatible with standard commercial electroporation cuvettes