Clinico-Mycological Study of Superficial Mycoses in a Tertiary Health Care Centre of Southern Assam

Background-Superficial Mycosis, which is the most common fungal infection affecting human beings, includes Dermatophytosis and Dermatomycoses, which are the infections of superficial keratinized layer of skin, nail & hair by Dermatophytes and non Dermatophytic moulds or yeasts respectively. This clinical entity is very common in hot, humid tropical climate of India with prevalence ranging from 30-60% but its precise case magnitude and epidemiology in North eastern India cannot be stated as there are only few studies conducted. So, this study is undertaken to 1) Find the prevalence of Superficial Mycosis in a tertiary health care centre of Southern Assam. 2) Study the clinical profile of the cases 3) Isolate and identify the causative agents of Superficial mycosis. Materials & Method- The study has been conducted on 250 samples from clinically suspected and untreated cases of superficial mycosis from Aug 2017 to Dec 2018. 2 separate sets of samples from edge of skin lesion/nail /hair were collected, of which 1 sample was subjected to direct microscopy with (10-40) % KOH and the other part was subjected to 2 sets of fungal culture in SDA tubes at 25°C and 37°C & followed for 3 weeks. In Culture positive cases, fungal identification was based on colony morphology, pigment production & LPCB mount. For confirmation of isolates, Slide Culture and biochemical tests were done. Result-Out of total 250 samples,115 samples (46%) showed presence of fungal elements in KOH examination, of which 73 were culture positive and of the KOH negative samples 10 samples were culture positive, thus making the prevalence 33.2% (83/250). Clinically, Tinea corporis was the most common form of both superficial mycosis & Dermatophytosis and Pityriasis Versicolor has been found the most common Dermatomycosis. Males(21-50yrs) were affected by superficial mycosis more than Females(16-30yr). Trichophyton mentagrophyte was the mostly isolated agent causing superficial mycosis. Keywords: Superficial mycoses, prevalence, Assam, Slide Culture, Urease.

Metode mikrokoloni (slide culture) sebagai metode diagnostic alternative yang lebih cepat untuk diagnosis tuberculosis paru

Despite wide distribution of pulmonary tuberculosis in Indonesia, its diagnosis is still an important issue to be dealt with. Fourty seven sputums from pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Surabaya were examined to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis using three methods, i.e. the acidfast stain Ziehl Neelsen, microcolony (slide culture) and Lowenstein Jensen. Sputums were collected spontaneously from the patients. All of them were decontaminated and centrifuged. After the supernatant fluids were carefully decanted, the sediments were resuspended in 1 ml of 10 mMphosphate buffer (pH 7.4) and the suspensions were then inoculated on to two 76 x 13 mm glass microscope slides. One of them was stained by Ziehl Neelsen method and the other was inoculated into microcolony media for seven days and the waste suspension was inoculated into LowensteinJensen media. The results of the microcolony method analysis were compared with the Ziehl Neelsen staining. Employing McNemar test, a significant difference was observed between the microcolony method and the Ziehl Neelsen staining (?² = 5,88). The sensitivity and spesificity ofmicrocolony were 100% and 89% while the Ziehl Neelsen were 60% and 84% respectively. In conclusions microcolony method was better compared with the Ziehl Neelsen staining in the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Microcolony method was able to reduce time required todetect Mycobacterium tuberculosis in patient suspected with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Identification of Candida Species on The Skin of Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Intertriginous candidiasis is a type of candidiasis which the lesion lies in the folds of the armpit, groin, intergluteal, folding of the breast, between the fingers or the toes, glans penis, and the umbilicus. One of the risk factors for intertriginous candidiasis is diabetes mellitus (DM). DM is a typical clinical syndrome characterized by the presence of hyperglycemia which is caused by deficiency or the decrease of insulin effectivity. Fungal infection of the skin with Candida species becomes easier in patients with immunocompromised conditions such as DM patients. Objective: To identify the Candida species in DM patient's skin. Method: This research is an observational descriptive study with cross sectional design. This research identifies Candida species from 30 DM patients at The Public Health Center Sentosa Baru Medan who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria by skin scraping with KOH 10% and slide culture. Results: The location of the rash was found in the crotch folds 63.3% and in the intergluteal 36.7%. All samples (100%) showed positive fungus structure with KOH 10% examination. On the examination of slide culture with Saboraoud Dextrose Agar media and identification of slide colony with Corn Meal Agar medium as many as 60% Candida spesies was found with overall species are Candida albicans.

Prevalence and identification of Candida sp. in pregnant women using VITEK-2

Background: Candida sp. is seen in several areas of body such as, mouth, groin area including vagina and digestive tract as thrush or gastroenteritis. The slide-culture technique and the VITEK-2 automated system were used for species-identification of the fungus; nonetheless, a gold standard or any first identification method would have inherent errors in arriving at a correct identification of a microorganism at species level.Methods: Morphological fungal criteria were ascertained with germ tubes, glucose agar, sugar fermentation and sugar assimilation tests Candida from vaginal swabs and other clinical samples of 85 infected pregnant women with diabetes, by growing swab lots on Sabouraud’s Dextrose Agar (SDA) plates, the slide culture technique and the VITEK-2 automated system.Results: Of 85 patients, 122 isolates in SDA culture were determined as 7 Candida sp. with number of isolates of each species, as follows: 47 C. albicans, 9 C. famata, 11 C. glabrata, 13 C. guilliermondii, 8 C. krusei, 3 C. parapsilosis and 37 C. tropicalis from vaginal swabs. From 60 vaginal swabs, 46 urine samples and 12 throat swabs it was seen that C. albicans was most prevalent. However, withVITEK-2, 201 fungal strains were identified; Candida sp. was isolated in all samples: 59 C. albicans, 19 C. famata, 21 C. glabrata, 23 C. guilliermondii,18 C. krusei, 13 C. parapsilosis and 48 C. tropicalis.Conclusions: The most prevalent species among the isolated fungi was C. albicans, causing VC in diabetic pregnant women.

Isolation and Screening of Indigenous Fungus Producing Lignin Peroxidase from the Cocoa Plantation in Sepawon Kediri Regency Indonesia

<p class="Els-Abstract-text">The aim of this research is to obtain indigenous fungus producing lignin peroxidase from the Cocoa Plantation in Sepawon Kediri Regency, Indonesia. Isolation was done using Minimum Salt Medium alkali lignin (MSM - L), purification was performed using monospore technique, lignin peroxidase activity was screened by agar medium containing methylene blue, and microscopic morphology of fungi was studied using slide culture technique. Five isolates of fungus were obtained and three isolates of fungus with different morphology were purified. The screening results showed that only two fungus isolates were indicated as the indigenous fungus producing lignin peroxidase were KLUM₁ and KLUM₂. KLUM₁ was morphologycally predicted as <em>Sporotricum aereum</em> and KLUM₂ was predicted close to genus <em>Crysosporium </em>sp.</p>