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A mixed indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT), based on cultured promastigotes Leishmania infantum and formol-inactivated suspension of cells infected with the bacteria Ehrlichia canis, was applied to make a differential diagnosis between canine ehrlichiosis and leishmaniosis. A titre greater than 80 was considered positive for antibodies to E. canis and suggestive of antibodies to L. infantum. Positive sera were titrated subsequently by serial dilutions to confirm antibodies positive to Leishmania and establishing the antibody titre of both pathogens. Fluorescence was absent with negative control sera and background staining was minimal. No serological cross-reactions between positive sera for L. infantum or E. canis were detected. Results obtained by mixed IFAT did not differ when the same serum IFAT standard was compared. The test showed equivalent sensitivity (100%). The specifities were 100% for L. infantum and 98.5% for E. canis. The equivalence in sensitivity was confirmed by calculating the correlation coefficient between IFAT standards and mixed IFAT (r>or=0.99 for both pathogens). The results of our investigations demonstrated that mixed IFAT is a specific means of establishing serological differential diagnosis of canine leishmaniosis and ehrlichiosis.

The synthesis of 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropilidene-alpha-D-glucofuranosyl (-)-(S)-propanesulfinate 1 optically pure using diacetone-D-glucose as unique inducer of chirality and iPrEtN a base is described. Compound 1 was especially active against Gram positive bacteria. For the cytostatic activity, the ID50 value of compound 1 was inferior than those recommend by National Cancer Institute of USA for this type of compounds.

A patient with Mahaim fiber syndrome suffered two acute myocardial infarctions during the last two years. Anomalous atrioventricular excitation was intermittent. Diagnosis of both anteroseptal and anterolateral electrocardiographic myocardial infarction could be made despite ventricular pre-excitation. These findings have not been previously published, to our knowledge.

This study investigated the natural history and treatment of cutaneous abscesses in an outpatient setting. Incision, drainage, aerobic and anaerobic cultures were done on all 78 patients entered in the study. Tenderness and fluctuance were noted in more than 80% of the patients; erythema and induration in more than 60%. Forty-one percent of all abscesses were in the anogenital region. Forty-two percent of cultured abscesses grew aerobes exclusively, 28% grew anaerobes exclusively, and 27% grew a mixture of aerobes and anaerobes. The predominant aerobic organisms were Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, which were mostly isolated from the head/neck, extremities, and axillary regions. The predominant anaerobic organisms were Peptococcus and Bacteroides, which were primarily isolated from the anogenital regions. Nearly 60% of the patients returned for reevaluation. They were equally divided between those patients taking antibiotics and those not on antibiotics. However, all patients were clinically improved.