Detection of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in drinking water.

The world's largest outbreak of waterborne toxoplasmosis occurred in a municipality in the western Canadian province of British Columbia. When drinking water emerged as a possible source of infection during the outbreak investigation, a laboratory method was needed to attempt detection of the parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. The method developed was based on the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency method for detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts. Collection of large-volume drinking water samples and cartridge filter processing were unchanged, although identification of Toxoplasma oocysts in the filter retentate was carried out by using a previously described rodent model. Validation of the method developed was tested by using oocysts from a well-characterized Toxoplasma strain.

Malignant müllerian mixed tumor of the uterus with a prominent alpha-fetoprotein-producing component of yolk sac tumor.

We describe a case of a 64-year-old woman with a malignant müllerian mixed tumor of the uterus containing a prominent component of yolk sac tumor, which was associated with high serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein. The neoplasm pursued an aggressive course and the patient died 2 months postoperatively. This is the first case of this type and only the ninth alpha-fetoprotein-secreting endometrial cancer in the literature.

Benign scrotal inclusion cyst of the male perineum: an unusual post-operative complication.

Common complications after cystourethrectomy include wound infection, pneumonia, pyelonephritis and ureteral obstruction. No perineal cysts have been reported. We describe a perineal cystiic mass excised 14 years after cystourethrectomy. The cyst was lined by keratinizing stratified squamous epithelium with prominent rete ridges and basal pigmentation. A subjacent, concentric layer of smooth muscle was evident. An eccrine sweat gland was present in the cyst wall. Taken together, the features strongly suggest a scrotal inclusion cyst, a hitherto undescribed entity. Although rare, this lesion could masquerade as a local recurrence of carcinoma.

Relation of smoking to immunoreactive endothelin in the bronchiolar epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND: Endothelin is a potent bronchoconstrictor which appears to be important in asthma. To ascertain whether cigarette smoking is associated with any alteration in the proportion of bronchiolar epithelial cells which express endothelin immunoreactivity, the airways in the lungs of non-smokers and smokers were analysed. Since an increase in immunoreactivity has been found in the bronchial epithelial cells of asthmatic subjects, cigarette smokers with and without evidence of airway hyperresponsiveness were also selected. METHODS: A point counting method which examined the proportion of endothelin immunoreactive epithelial cells in membranous and respiratory bronchioles was used. RESULTS: Neither smoking itself nor evidence of airway hyperresponsiveness altered the percentage of endothelin immunoreactive epithelial cells in the membraneous and respiratory bronchioles. CONCLUSIONS: Cigarette smoke does not induce endothelin production in bronchiolar epithelial cells, and the airway hyperresponsiveness seen in some patients with lung disease induced by cigarette smoking is not related to exaggerated endothelin production in epithelial cells.