Epidemiology, species distribution, antifungal susceptibility, and ERG11 mutations of Candida species isolated from pregnant Chinese Han women

The widespread use of antifungal agents has led to increasing azole resistance in Candida species. A major azole-resistance mechanism involves point mutations in the ERG11 gene, which encodes cytochrome P450 lanosterol 14a-demethylase. In this study, vaginal swabs were obtained from 657 pregnant Chinese Han women and cultured appropriately. The open reading frame of the obtained fungal species were amplified by PCR and sequenced; additionally, the ERG11 gene of the isolated Candida species was amplified and sequenced, and the antifungal susceptibility of the isolated species was determined. The vaginal swabs of 124 women produced fungal cultures; five species of Candida were isolated from the patients, among which Candida albicans was predominant. Twelve C. albicans isolates (13.8%) were resistant to fluconazole and 2 (2.2%) were resistant to itraconazole. Seventeen mutations, including 9 silent and 8 missense mutations, were identified in the ERG11 gene of 31 C. albicans isolates. Our findings suggest that infection caused by C. albicans and non-C. albicansis common in Chinese Han women of reproductive age. Moreover, the relationship between Candida infection and certain epidemiological factors emphasizes the need to educate women about the precise diagnosis and punctual treatment of vaginitis.

[The solid-phase synthesis of methotrexate-alpha-peptides]

Methotrexate(MTX) and the methotrexate-alpha-peptides(MTX-alpha-phenylalanine and MTX-alpha-arginine i.e. MTX-alpha-Phe and MTX-alpha-Arg) were prepared with the technique of solid-phase peptide synthesis. Its purity was verified as a single peak by HPLC and its molecular weight was measured by mass spectrometry. MTX-alpha-Phe could be hydrolyzed to MTX by carboxypeptidase A. The cytotoxic effect of released MTX was found to be 100 times stronger than that of the peptide in vitro. It is suggested that MTX-alpha-Phe is a satisfactory prodrug in the treatment of cancer.

[Radioimmunodetection of prostatic cancer: in vivo 131I-gamma-seminoprotein for diagnosis of prostatic cancer by nuclear imaging]

69 patients with prostatic cancer were subjected to radioimmunodetection (RAID) with 131I-labeled antibody against gamma-seminoprotein (gamma-Sm), the images of malignant tumor sites was obtained by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with dual radionuclide and computer processing. Of the 69 patients 66 were confirmed by RAID. The ratio of tumor tissue to normal tissue (T/N) 6.9 and the best time for incaging was 96 hours after injection of anti-gamma-Sm. The diameter of the minimum tumor in RAID was 0.5 cm. metastatic prostatic cancer in the pelvis or bone location as well as the origin tumors were also detected in 13 cases. Anti-gamma-SmRAID can differentiate benign from malignant prostatic neoplasms. In 37 cases of benign prostate hyperplasia, only two were positive. The positive detective rate of B-ultrasound and CT was 70.8% and 73.1% respectively.

Radioimmunodetection of prostatic cancer: in vivo use of antibody against r-seminoprotein for diagnosis of prostatic cancer

Forty patients (25 cases of prostatic cancer and 15 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia) were examined with radioimmunodetection (RAID) using antibody against r-Seminoprotein (r-Sm). The images of malignant tumor sites were revealed from the scan of single photon emission computerized tomography with the tracing of dual radionuclide and computer digital subtraction technique. Of the 25 patients with prostatic cancer tested, twenty-four were demonstrated in RAID with a positive rate of 96%. The ratio of taking in nuclide radioactivity between the tumor tissue and normal tissue (T/N) was 6.9 and the best showing time was the 96th hr from injection of radioactive antibody against r-Sm. The minimum diameter of the tumor detected in RAID was 0.5 cm. All of the 8 cases of metastatic prostatic cancer in pelvic or bone location were detected, with a rate of 100%. Of the 15 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia, only one showed mild positive result. B-ultrasonography and CT showed a positive detective rate of 72.7% and 65%, respectively. Our results have indicated that RAID using 131I-labeled antibody against r-Sm possesses more advantages in specificity, because RAID not only defines the involved sites, but also shows the sites of the original tumors, and the metastatic location as well as the relationship between them.