Response to sorafenib in a locally advanced oncocytic cell carcinoma of the thyroid.

We present the case of a female patient in her late 70s, diagnosed with widely invasive oncocytic cell carcinoma, with extrathyroidal extension, infiltration into the extrathyroidal muscle, involvement of the sternohyoid muscle and infiltration into the external muscle fibres of the oesophagus. Over the following year, metastases were documented in the lungs, bones and brain. Additionally, there was progression of the locally advanced lesion involving the airway and upper gastrointestinal tract. After considering iodine refractoriness, treatment with sorafenib was initiated. Notably, regression of the locoregional lesion at the cervical level was observed following treatment with the multikinase inhibitor.

Heterotopic bone formation with extramedullary haematopoiesis in a thyroid nodule.

The presence of mature bone and bone marrow in the thyroid gland is an exceedingly rare occurrence. Extramedullary haematopoiesis (EMH) and heterotopic bone formation (HBF) should be suspected when cytology of thyroid nodules reveals evidence of megakaryocytes or bone marrow fat, respectively. The cause of these abnormalities has not been fully elucidated, but the role of bone morphogenic factors (BMPs) in their pathogenesis has been suggested. Both EMH and HBF can be seen in both benign and malignant primary thyroid conditions, and although they have not been definitively associated with significant pathology, it is recommended that extension studies be considered in the event of these findings to rule out concomitant haematological conditions.

Advantages of Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Over Direct Visualization of the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve During Thyroidectomy.

BACKGROUND: The well-recognized risk of injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) during thyroidectomy has instigated various preventive measures. One such measure involves directly visualizing the RLN, but this is not always feasible in practice. A more recent approach involves using intraoperative neuromonitoring to identify and preserve the RLN. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of intraoperative neuromonitoring compared to single visualization of the RLN in averting nerve injury. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, observational, and descriptive study on a cohort of 218 patients. A Chi-square test was employed to determine the influence of intraoperative neuromonitoring on the incidence of nerve injury, with P < 0.05 considered statistically significant. We used Jamovi software version 2.3.18 to analyze the data. RESULTS: Of the 218 patients, intraoperative neuromonitoring was used in 150 (68.8%) cases; none of which resulted in nerve injury. Conversely, 68 (31.2%) patients underwent surgery without the use of neuromonitoring, with two (2.9%) patients in this group experiencing nerve injury (p=0.037). In comparison, the risk of nerve injury was 0% in the group monitored intraoperatively and 2.94% in the group that did not undergo intraoperatively neuromonitoring. Further, the relative risk of complications was 0.66% in patients operated with neuromonitoring, while it was 5.88% in the group operated without neuromonitoring, thus demonstrating a clinically significant protective against vasculonervous complications. CONCLUSION: The results advocate for the use of intraoperative neuromonitoring, whenever available, as it is a safe method for significantly decreasing the incidence of RLN injury during thyroidectomy compared with only visualization.

Lemmel's Syndrome: A Report of Two Cases at the Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea Gonzalez in Mexico City.

The term ¨Lemmel Syndrome¨ is used to describe obstructive jaundice that is secondary to periampullary duodenal diverticula (PDD) in the absence of choledocholithiasis or neoplasia. PDD is found in 22% of the population. According to our knowledge, only two cases of Lemmel syndrome have been reported in Mexico. We report two cases of Lemmel syndrome in a 94-year-old and a 71-year-old woman who presented with clinical jaundice. One of the cases was treated with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) sphincterotomy, balloon sweep, and the placement of a plastic biliary prosthesis, and the other with laparoscopic biliodigestive bypass and a manual lateral end choledocho-duodenal anastomosis. Our objective is to expand the information on this rare pathology to take it into account as a diagnostic possibility of jaundice and to define appropriate management, which can be endoscopic or surgical.

Warthin's Tumor of the Parotid Gland With Degeneration to Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Parotid gland neoplasms are rare; some benign lesions, such as Warthin's tumor (WT), can present as malignant degeneration to carcinomas or, even rarer, to lymphomas. In the literature, there are fewer than 30 reported cases of primary lymphoma of the parotid gland. We present a case of a 65-year-old male patient with a first diagnosis of WT of the parotid gland who later presented a tumor recurrence and underwent a second surgery, reporting diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the parotid gland. He underwent a right parotidectomy and chemotherapy, and at his 5-month follow-up, he remains free of recurrence. These tumors may look clinically like benign tumors. However, it is essential to be always alert to detect potentially malignant neoplasms and to emphasize examining the lymphoid component of WT to have an early-stage diagnosis of possible lymphomas and treat them before morbidity and mortality increase.

Eosinophilic Cholecystitis as an Atypical Etiology of Biliary Colic: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Eosinophilic cholecystitis (EC) is an uncommon cause of acute cholecystitis; the clinical presentation is indistinguishable from other types of cholecystitis, and the diagnosis is made by histopathology study. We present the case of a 73-year-old male patient with right hypochondrial abdominal pain suggestive of symptomatic cholelithiasis. There were no significant findings at the blood workup or physical examination; he underwent a cholecystectomy and was later diagnosed with eosinophilic cholecystitis by histopathology. EC may be associated with some other systemic conditions, such as eosinophilic granulomatosis, eosinophilic ascites, or parasitosis, which will require specific management.

An Unusual Presentation of Valentino Syndrome With a Perforated Gastric Ulcer as a Cause of Abdominal Pain: A Case Report.

Numerous pathologies can cause abdominal pain; thus, the surgeon's job is to precisely identify any pathologies that may require surgery and endanger the patient's life. Perforation of a gastric or duodenal ulcer associated with a clinical picture of acute appendicitis is known as Valentino syndrome (VS). To our knowledge, there are 22 cases of VS reported in the literature. We describe the clinical case of a 53-year-old female patient with abdominal pain in the right iliac fossa who came to the emergency room. A plain tomography was performed, which found free intraperitoneal fluid and free subdiaphragmatic air. Therefore, a laparotomy was performed, revealing a gastric perforation. VS is a rare pathology and when not recognized and managed properly, it can increase patients' mortality.

MANIFESTATIONS OF GLUCAGONOMA SYNDROME.

OBJECTIVE: Glucagonoma is a rare neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas. We present the case of a young female patient who presented with the major clinical manifestations of glucagonoma syndrome. METHODS: The major clinical manifestations of glucagonoma syndrome are described in a 44-year-old, female patient. Beyond glucagonoma, the patient also displayed deep venous thrombosis, depression, diabetes, and necrolytic migratory erythema. We discuss the difficulty of treatment of patients with glucagonoma due to the low prevalence of the disorder, scarcity of medical evidence, lateness of diagnosis with liver metastases in most cases, and poor response to chemotherapy with high rates of relapse after surgery. In this case, pancreatectomy and hepatic lobectomy followed by somatostatin analogue therapy was the chosen treatment strategy. RESULTS: The clinical findings were pancreatic and hepatic masses, proximal deep venous thrombosis, depression, diabetes, and necrolytic migratory erythema. The patient also had elevated levels of glucagon. Pancreatectomy and right hepatic lobectomy were performed and confirmed the glucagonoma. CONCLUSION: Our case adds new knowledge about glucagonoma which is important due to the low incidence of the disease and the particular characteristics of the syndrome.

Antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic consumption in Mexican hospitals / Resistencia antimicrobiana y consumo de antibióticos en hospitales mexicanos

Abstract: Objective: To establish the current situation of antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic consumption in Mexican hospitals. Materials and methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility data from blood and urine isolates were collected. Defined daily dose (DDD) of antibiotic consumption/100 occupied beds (OBD) was calculated. Results: Study period: 2016 and 2017. Of 4 382 blood isolates, E. coli and K. pneumoniae were most frequently reported, with antimicrobial resistance >30% for most drugs tested, only for carbapenems and amikacin resistance were <20%. A. baumannii had antimicrobial resistance >20% to all drugs. Resistance to oxacillin in S. aureus was 20%. From 12 151 urine isolates, 90% corresponded to E. coli; resistance to ciprofloxacin, cephalosporins and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole was >50%, with good susceptibility to nitrofurantoin, amikacin and carbapenems. Global median antimicrobial consumption was 57.2 DDD/100 OB. Conclusions: This report shows a high antimicrobial resistance level in Gram-negative bacilli and provides an insight into the seriousness of the problem of antibiotic consumption.

Resumen: Objetivo: Establecer la situación actual de la resistencia antimicrobiana y el consumo de antibióticos en hospitales mexicanos. Material y métodos:F Se colectaron datos de susceptibilidad antimicrobiana de aislamientos de sangre y orina. Se calculó la dosis diaria definida (DDD) del consumo de antibióticos/100 estancias. Resultados: Periodo de estudio de 2016 a 2017. De 4 382 aislamientos en sangre, E. coli y K. pneumoniae fueron las más frecuentes, con resistencia >30% a la mayoría de las drogas evaluadas; sólo para carbapenémicos y amikacina la resistencia fue <20%. A. baumannii tuvo resistencia >20% a todos los fármacos. La resistencia a oxacilina en S. aureus fue de 20%. De 12 151 aislamientos en urocultivos, 90% correspondió a E. coli; la resistencia a ciprofloxacina, cefalosporinas y trimetoprima/sulfametoxazol fue >50%, con buena susceptibilidad a nitrofurantoína, amikacina y carbapenémicos. La mediana del consumo global de antibióticos en DDD/100 estancias fue de 57.2. Conclusiones: Este reporte muestra el nivel elevado de resistencia en bacilos Gram-negativos y brinda una perspectiva de la gravedad del problema del consumo de antibióticos.

Características de estudios publicados en áreas del conocimiento de medicina interna incluyendo calidad, idioma y década de publicación / Characteristics of studies published in areas of knowledge of internal medicine including quality, language and decade of publication

Introducción: los usuarios de literatura médica disponen de gran cantidad de estudios publicados, con calidad metodológica variable por diversos motivos. Realizamos una descripción de las características de publicaciones recuperadas de cardiología, endocrinología, nefrología y neumología, mediante PubMed, incluyendo características de calidad por filtros Clinical Queries de Pubmed, idioma y década de publicación. Metodología: se realizó un estudio descriptivo. Se seleccionaron diez términos MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) de Medline, representativos de cardiología, endocrinología, nefrología y neumología. Se realizaron búsquedas en Pubmed con y sin filtros de calidad de Clinical Queries en diagnóstico y tratamiento, búsqueda por idiomas y por década de publicación. Resultados: se realizaron 520 búsquedas en Pubmed. Se encontraron 498 952 publicaciones en diagnóstico y tratamiento; el 16% son estudios con características de calidad; en cardiología 23%, neumología 13%, endocrinología 13% y nefrología 6.5%. El 98% de estudios están publicados en inglés, mientras que sólo 2% está distribuido proporcionalmente en español y francés. En la década del 2000 aumentó 2.4 veces el número de estudios con filtros de calidad, comparado con la década de 1990. Conclusiones: existe un alto número de estudios publicados en medicina interna; cardiología y endocrinología representan la mayoría; cardiología tiene la mayor proporción de estudios con características de calidad, neumología y endocrinología tienen una proporción similar. En inglés se encuentran la mayoría de publicaciones con filtros de calidad, comparado con español y francés. (Acta Med Colomb 2015; 40: 194-201).

Introduction: medical literature users have acces to many published studies with variable methodological quality for several reasons. A description of the characteristics of publications retrieved from cardiology, endocrinology, nephrology and pneumology, through PubMed, including quality characteristics by PubMed Clinical Queries filters, language and decade of publication was carried out. Methodology: a descriptive study. Ten MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) Medline terms representative of cardiology, endocrinology, nephrology and pneumology were selected. PubMed searches were performed with and without quality filters of Clinical Queries in diagnosis and treatment, search by language and by decade of publication. Results: 520 searches were conducted in PubMed. 498 952 publications were found in diagnosis and treatment; 16% are studies with quality features; 23% in cardiology, 13% pneumology, 13% endocrinology and 6.5% nephrology. 98% of studies are published in English, while only 2% is distributed proportionally in Spanish and French. In the decade of 2000 the number of studies with quality filters increased 2.4 times, compared with the 1990s. Conclusions: there are a large number of studies published in Internal medicine; cardiology and endocrinology account for the majority; cardiology has the highest proportion of studies with qualityfeatures; pneumology, and endocrinology have a similar proportion. The majority of publications with quality filters are in English, compared with Spanish and French. (Acta Med Colomb 2015; 40: 194-201).

Sparse representation of MER signals for localizing the Subthalamic Nucleus in Parkinson's disease surgery.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of Subthalamic Nucleus (STN) is the best method for treating advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), leading to striking improvements in motor function and quality of life of PD patients. During DBS, online analysis of microelectrode recording (MER) signals is a powerful tool to locate the STN. Therapeutic outcomes depend of a precise positioning of a stimulator device in the target area. In this paper, we show how a sparse representation of MER signals allows to extract discriminant features, improving the accuracy in identification of STN. We apply three techniques for over-complete representation of signals: Method of Frames (MOF), Best Orthogonal Basis (BOB) and Basis Pursuit (BP). All the techniques are compared to classical methods for signal processing like Wavelet Transform (WT), and a more sophisticated method known as adaptive Wavelet with lifting schemes (AW-LS). We apply each processing method in two real databases and we evaluate its performance with simple supervised classifiers. Classification outcomes for MOF, BOB and BP clearly outperform WT and AW-LF in all classifiers for both databases, reaching accuracy values over 98%.

NEUROZONE: on-line recognition of brain structures in stereotactic surgery--application to Parkinson's disease.

The success of stereotactic surgery for Deep Brain Stimulation depends critically on the exact positioning of a microelectrode recording in a target area of the brain. This paper presents the software system NEUROZONE composed of two main applications: first, it allows online recognition of brain structures by the analysis of signals from microelectrode recordings (MER), and second, it processes and analyses off-line databases allowing the inclusion of new trained classifiers for automatic identification. The software serves as a support to the analysis done by a medical specialist during surgery, and seeks to reduce the adverse side effects that may occur because of inadequate identification of the target areas. The software also allows the specialists to label recordings obtained during surgery, in order to generate a new off-line database or increase the amount of records in an already existing off-line database. NEUROZONE has been tested for Deep Brain Stimulation performed at the Institute for Epilepsy and Parkinson of the Eje Cafetero (Colombia), achieving positive identifications of the Subthalamic Nucleus (STN) over to 85% using a naive Bayes classifier.

Importancia en la detección de trastorno dismórfico y depresión antes de someterse a un procedimiento estético electivo / Importance in detecting dysmorphic and depressive disorders before undergoing an elective aesthetic procedure

El trastorno dismórfico corporal (TDC) y la depresión son las condiciones mentales más frecuentes en la consulta prequirúrgica estética electiva. En esta revisión a la literatura se busca identificar la población con TDC que desea someterse a un procedimiento estético y determinar si existe alguna mejoría al exponerse al procedimiento. Se encontró que el TDC es más frecuente en la adolescencia tardía, sin importar el sexo. La depresión es la comorbilidad más frecuente. Se recomienda el uso de herramientas de tamizaje para identificar éstos trastornos en la consulta prequirúrgica, de manera que el cirujano pueda ofrecer un tratamiento integral con la asesoría de un psiquiatra. Los casos severos no deben ser sometidos al procedimiento estético. No está clara la asociación entre el antecedente de un procedimiento estético y suicidio, pero se reconoce una alta morbilidad psiquiátrica en esta población. Sin embargo, la mayoría de los estudios existentes presentan grandes inconsistencias epidemiológicas. [Carrero M. Importancia en la detección de trastorno dismórfico y depresión antes de someterse a un procedimiento estético electivo. MedUNAB 2009; 12:46-51].

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDS) and depression are the most common mental disorders found in the preoperative assessment of selective esthetic surgeries. The objective of this review is to identify BDS population willing to undergo into an esthetic procedure and to establish if there are any possible benefits from it. BDS was more frequent in the teenager population and no sex differences were found. Depression was the most common co-morbidity found. In order to allow a global evaluation of the patient from the surgeon, screening of these two pathologies should be done during the esthetic preoperative assessment, and a possible psychiatric intervention should be considered as well. Severe cases should not go under an esthetic procedure. There's a high morbidity in the population with BDS, but the association between suicide and cosmetic surgery is not quite clear yet. However, epidemiological weaknesses are found in most of the studies. [Carrero M. Importance in detecting dysmorphic and depressive disorders before undergoing an elective aesthetic procedure. MedUNAB 2009; 12:46-51].

The outcome of phagocytic cell division with infectious cargo depends on single phagosome formation.

Given that macrophages can proliferate and that certain microbes survive inside phagocytic cells, the question arises as to the post-mitotic distribution of microbial cargo. Using macrophage-like cells we evaluated the post-mitotic distribution of intracellular Cryptococcus yeasts and polystyrene beads by comparing experimental data to a stochastic model. For beads, the post-mitotic distribution was that expected from chance alone. However, for yeast cells the post-mitotic distribution was unequal, implying preferential sorting to one daughter cell. This mechanism for unequal distribution was phagosomal fusion, which effectively reduced the intracellular particle number. Hence, post-mitotic intracellular particle distribution is stochastic, unless microbial and/or host factors promote unequal distribution into daughter cells. In our system unequal cargo distribution appeared to benefit the microbe by promoting host cell exocytosis. Post-mitotic infectious cargo distribution is a new parameter to consider in the study of intracellular pathogens since it could potentially define the outcome of phagocytic-microbial interactions.

Los niños tienen la palabra: nuestras bocas sanas para una vida sana / Children have the word: our healthy mouths for a healthy life

Introducción y Objetivo: La niñez es una etapa de la vida que se considera decisiva para el adecuado desarrollo de los seres humanos, y esta fue la motivación para ejecutar un programa de intervención comunitaria, familiar e individual, orientado a la promoción de la salud general y bucal, en la vereda Tierradentro, municipio de Bello Antioquia, durante los años 2005 y 2006. Materiales y Métodos: El programa se realizó en tres fases: (1) Diagnóstica: Identificación de las principales características de la población involucrada. (2) Intervención: Estrategias de información, educación y comunicación, buscando negociación de saberes e incorporación de aprendizajes para una vida sana. (3) Evaluación: Identificación de resultados alcanzados. Resultados: Sensibilización de la comunidad educativa (profesores y estudiantes) sobre la importancia de la salud bucal; posicionamiento de hábitos de higiene bucal en la cotidianidad de la escuela; reducción de valores del Índice de Higiene Oral; atención a necesidades básicas de salud bucal y general; aprendizaje de los estudiantes de Odontología del CES, sobre las características y el compromiso que requiere el trabajo comunitario. Conclusión: El trabajo comunitario con propósitos educativos es posible y productivo y los resultados permanecerán en el tiempo, si hay participación y compromiso de todos los actores implicados y los objetivos se integran al diario vivir de las comunidades.

Introduction and Objective: To execute a community, family and individual intervention program, oriented towards the promotion of the general and oral health in Tierradentro Community in Bello during 2005 and 2006. Materials and Methods: The intervention program was carried out into three phases: (1) Diagnosis: Identification of the characteristics of the population, priorities, existent support networks, needs, main health - illness problems and their conditions. (2) Intervention: information, education and communication strategies, aimed to incorporate healthy lifestyle habits. (3) Evaluation: Identification of results and impact of the therapy in terms of the incorporation of new knowledge, attitudes and skills for general and oral health. Results: Sensibilization of the educational community (teachers and students) on the importance of oral health, incorporation of daily routine oral habits within school activities, reduction of the Oral Hygiene Index, attention of basic oral health needs was obtained. Motivation of CES Dental students on the characteristics and commitment required for community work was gathered as well. Conclusion: Community work with educational purposes is possible and results will have long-term effect only if there is participation and commitment of all actors implied and if the results are incorporated in the daily lifestyle of the community. The program should be assumed by the Local Direction of Health.

Cell-to-cell spread and massive vacuole formation after Cryptococcus neoformans infection of murine macrophages.

BACKGROUND: The interaction between macrophages and Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn) is critical for containing dissemination of this pathogenic yeast. However, Cn can either lyse macrophages or escape from within them through a process known as phagosomal extrusion. Both events result in live extracellular yeasts capable of reproducing and disseminating in the extracellular milieu. Another method of exiting the intracellular confines of cells is through host cell-to-cell transfer of the pathogen, and this commonly occurs with the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) and CD4+ T cells and macrophages. In this report we have used time-lapse imaging to determine if this occurs with Cn. RESULTS: Live imaging of Cryptococcus neoformans interactions with murine macrophages revealed cell-to-cell spread of yeast cells from infected donor cells to uninfected cells. Although this phenomenon was relatively rare its occurrence documents a new capacity for this pathogen to infect adjacent cells without exiting the intracellular space. Cell-to-cell spread appeared to be an actin-dependent process. In addition, we noted that cryptococcal phagosomal extrusion was followed by the formation of massive vacuoles suggesting that intracellular residence is accompanied by long lasting damage to host cells. CONCLUSION: C. neoformans can escape the intracellular confines of macrophages in an actin dependent manner by cell-to-cell transfer of the yeast leading to infection of adjacent cells. In addition, complete extrusion of internalized Cn cells can lead to the formation of a massive vacuole which may be a sign of damage to the host macrophage. These observations document new outcomes for the interaction of C. neoformans with host cells that provide precedents for cell biological effects that may contribute to the pathogenesis of cryptococcal infections.

Vesicular polysaccharide export in Cryptococcus neoformans is a eukaryotic solution to the problem of fungal trans-cell wall transport.

The mechanisms by which macromolecules are transported through the cell wall of fungi are not known. A central question in the biology of Cryptococcus neoformans, the causative agent of cryptococcosis, is the mechanism by which capsular polysaccharide synthesized inside the cell is exported to the extracellular environment for capsule assembly and release. We demonstrate that C. neoformans produces extracellular vesicles during in vitro growth and animal infection. Vesicular compartments, which are transferred to the extracellular space by cell wall passage, contain glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), a component of the cryptococcal capsule, and key lipids, such as glucosylceramide and sterols. A correlation between GXM-containing vesicles and capsule expression was observed. The results imply a novel mechanism for the release of the major virulence factor of C. neoformans whereby polysaccharide packaged in lipid vesicles crosses the cell wall and the capsule network to reach the extracellular environment.

Phagosome extrusion and host-cell survival after Cryptococcus neoformans phagocytosis by macrophages.

Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn) is an encapsulated yeast that is a facultative intracellular pathogen and a frequent cause of human disease. The interaction of Cn with alveolar macrophages is critical for containing the infection , but Cn can also replicate intracellularly and lyse macrophages . Cn has a unique intracellular pathogenic strategy that involves cytoplasmic accumulation of polysaccharide-containing vesicles and intracellular replication leading to the formation of spacious phagosomes in which multiple cryptococcal cells are present . The Cn intracellular pathogenic strategy in macrophages and amoebas is similar, leading to the proposal that it originated as a mechanism for survival against phagocytic predators in the environment . Here, we report that under certain conditions, including phagosomal maturation, possible actin depolymerization, and homotypic phagosome fusion, Cn can exit the macrophage host through an extrusion of the phagosome, while both the released pathogen and host remain alive and able to propagate. The phenomenon of "phagosomal extrusion" indicates the existence of a previously unrecognized mechanism whereby a fungal pathogen can escape the intracellular confines of mammalian macrophages to continue propagation and, possibly, dissemination.

Structural and functional characterization of glycosylation in an immunoglobulin G1 to Cryptococcus neoformans glucuronoxylomannan.

Analysis of the N-linked oligosaccharides of the murine IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) to Cryptococcus neoformans by LC/MS revealed five different core fucosylated, biantennary complex-type oligosaccharides at Asn-293, with the major species being a mono-galactosylated oligosaccharide with the glycosyl composition of Hex4HexNAc4Fuc (39% of the total glycan pool). The primary sequence predicted from nucleic acid sequencing differed from that measured by mass spectrometry at position 33 (ASN to ASP), a finding that may represent post-translational modification caused by spontaneous ASP deamination. Analysis of mAb 18B7 from three hybridoma clones revealed the same heterogenous N-glycan pattern, indicating that diversity in oligosaccharide structures originated from individual cells. The binding of native and de-glycosylated mAb 18B7 to cryptococcal Ag was comparable but the de-glycosylated 18B7 had shorter serum half-life and did not activate complement (C). De-glycosylated mAb 18B7 was opsonic for C. neoformans with murine macrophages through a mechanism that involved C-independent ingestion through the C receptor. Passive administration of de-glycosylated mAb 18B7 mediated comparable protective efficacy to the native mAb in mice with lethal infection. The results imply that the contribution of N-glycan structure to immunoglobulin function varies depending on the Ag-Ab system.