• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.95-99
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• 2005

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is an infectious disease which is highly prevalent in the group of immunosuppressed patients, particularly with hematologic tumors as lymphomas and acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS), severe malnutrition, organ transplantations, high dose corticosteroid therapy. Some cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in infants with primary immune deficiency were already reported. The authors present a case of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia developed in an infant who suffered from 10 days of poor feeding and failure to thrive and not included in the risk groups listed above. He had bilateral interstitial infiltrations on the chest radiography, diagnosed as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia after Gomori-methenamine silver staining of his sputum that was taken through tracheal intubation. He improved after administering Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for 14 days.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.103-107
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• 1997

Initial rapid diagnosis of primary pulmonary cryptococcosis(PPC) occurring in a immunocompetent host was made by transthoracic fine needle aspiration cytology of a solitary subpleural nodule. Numerous refractile spherical organisms surrounded by a clear halo were demonstrated with haematoxylin-eosin and Papanicolaou stains. The organisms, $5{\sim}15{\mu}m$ in diameter, were easily demonstrated with Gomori methenamine-silver stain. Many of the organisms showed narrow-base budding. Carminophilic cell walls were well demonstrated with mucicarmine stain.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.169-173
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• 1995

Nocardia, aerobic members of the order of Actinomycetaceae, produces infections in human lung. Nocardial infection is associated with underlying diseases of immuno-suppression or treatment with corticosteroid. It is difficult to detect Nocardia by sputum examination or histologic sections and it has rarely been diagnosed by fine needle aspiration of the lung. We describe a case of pulmonary nocardiosis in a 72 year-old man, diagnosed by fine needle aspiration, which was confirmed by culture of aspirates. The aspirates showed neutrophil-predominant inflammatory cells with microorganisms demonstrated by Gomori methenamine silver and Gram stain. The organisms had characteristic long blanching filamentous structures. The lesions on chest X-ray were in resolution with antimicrobial therapy.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1994

The cytological and ultrastructural findings of Pneumocystis carinii(PC) obtained from rats by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) are described. All developmental forms of the PC organisms were obtained in the lavage fluid. Papanicolaou stain revealed conglomeration of PC as a foamy cast. The cystic walls of PC were well identified on Gomori's methenamine silver stain. Trophozoites and intracystic bodies were stained by Giemsa and Diff-Quik techniques. Some PC organisms were seen within the alveolar macrophages. Ultrastructurally, the cysts were almost circular in shape, and were nearly devoid of surface tubular extensions. The wall of the cyst was composed of an unit membrane, an intermediate electron lucent layer and an external electron dense layer The cysts frequently contained intracystic bodies, so called sporozoites. Occasionally empty or collapsed cysts with no intracystic bodies, and precysts were found. Trophozoites were variable in size and shape with abundant tubular extensions along the single electron dense pellicle. BAL is a useful method for concentrating the various morphologic forms of PC organisms, and is a rapid diagnostic method for PC pneumonia.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.219-226
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• 1992

This study was performed to observe the therapeutic effects of interferon-gamma ($IFN-{\gamma}$) and gamma-globulin (${\gamma}-globulin$) in experimental Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia of immune suppressed mice. After 9 weeks, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxaBole(TMP-SMZ; 10~50 mg/mouse/day), mouse $IFN-{\gamma}(5{\times}10^4$ units/mouse/day) and mouse ${\gamma}-globulin$(20 mg/mouse/day) were administered to the mice for 3 weeks by the experimental group. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by body weights, histopatholo단ic and electron microscopic findings of the lungs, and number of p. carinii cysts by Gomori's methenamine silver stain. Body weights of the mice were significantly increased in the group of combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with $IFN-{\gamma}{\;}or{\;}{\gamma}-globulin$, and in the group of TMP- SMZ treatment(p<0.05), however, little effect was found in the group of T-globulin alone. Histopathologic 6ndings of p. carinii pneumonia were much improved in the group of combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with $IFN-{\gamma}$. Treatment with either TMP-SMZ or $IFN-{\gamma}$ significantly reduced the number of cysts in the p. carinii pneumonia, but {\gamma}-globulin alone was ineffective. In electron microscopic findings of p. carinii pneumonia, the number of trophozoites and cysts were reduced by treatment with either TMP-SMZ or $IFN-{\gamma}$, and most of the cysts were empty or containing one or two intracystic bodies. The present results suggested, that combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with $IFN-{\gamma}$ had synergistic effects in treatment of P carinii pneumonia in experi- mental mice.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.101-108
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• 1989

This study was performed to observe the role of Pneumocystis carinii as an etiologic agent of interstitial pneumonia in immunocompromised hosts. Total 90 male Sprague-Dawley rats, approxi. mately 150-180 g, were used. Fifteen of them were used as control group and remaining 75 (5 groups) were as immunosuppression groups; group 1 received prednisolone (25 mg/kg twice weekly) only; group 2 Prednisolone and tetracycline (75 mk/kg/day) ; group 3 Prednisolone, tetracycline and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxasole (50~250 mg/kg/day) : group 4 prednisolone and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxasole; and group 5 prednisolone and griseofulvin (300 mg/kg/day) until death. The survival days of each group rat were calculated, and upon death their lungs were removed immediately and then stamp smears were prepared and stained by Giemsa or toluidine blue O. For histopathologic observation, lungs were fixed in 10% formalin, cut into sections and stained with Gomori's methenamine silvei, hematoxylin-rosin, and Brovkn & Brenn stain. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The mean survival time of each group rat was 19.3$\pm$5.2 days (group 1), 41.1$\pm$14.0 days (group 2), 50.5$\pm$18.4 days (group 3), 43.0$\pm$22.9 days (group 4) or 21.8$\pm$5.1 days (group 5). Significant differences were noted between group 1 and group 2(p<0.01), group 1 and group 3 (p<0.01), and group 1 and group 4 (p<0.01), which represented bacterial infections were most fatal in immunocompromised rats. Group 5 revealed no difference in the survival day from group 1, while significant differences were noted between group 2 and group 5(P<0.01), group 3 and group 5(p<0.01), and group 4 and group 5(p<0, 01), which represented little importance of fungal infection as the cause of death of the rats. 2. The first fatality due to p. carinii pneumonia occurred 17 days after the beginning of the immunosuppression. The occurrence rate of P. carinii pneumonia in the decreasing order was 92.9% (group 3), 80.0% (group 2 and group 5), 78.6% (group 4) and 33.3% (group 1). With regard to the pathological stage of P. carinii pneumonia, the stage 1 was 11.3%, the stage 2, 28.3%, and the stage 3, 60.4%. 3. Viewing from the duration of immunosuppression, bacterial pneumonia chieay appeared in 1 month, mixed infections (P. carinii and bacteria, or p. carinii and fungi) in 1~2 months, and pure P. carinii pneumonia after 2 months. The present study revealed that P. carinii pneumonia was the most important cause of death of immunocompromised rats later than 1 month after the start of immunosuppression.