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Background: Cysticercosis is an emerging and neglected tropical disease (NTD) that poses a serious public health concern worldwide. Disseminated cysticercosis (DCC) is an uncommon manifestation of cysticercosis, also found in China.Case Presentation: We report three cases of DCC in patients living in China, with different clinical and radiological presentations. All three patients had DCC with active ocular cysticercosis, including one patient with widespread DCC caused by direct ingestion of Taenia solium eggs. The intravitreal cysticercus cyst in this patient was completely extracted entirely by 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy, and the cyst was oval in shape on the flat mount preparation.Conclusion: The clinical presentation of DCC is highly sophisticated. The diagnosis depended on the typical radiological presentations, biopsy and flat mount preparations of the cyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several recent studies have shown the presence of genes for the key enzyme associated with archaeal methane/alkane metabolism, methyl-coenzyme M reductase (Mcr), in metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) divergent to existing archaeal lineages. Here, we study the mcr-containing archaeal MAGs from several hot springs, which reveal further expansion in the diversity of archaeal organisms performing methane/alkane metabolism. Significantly, an MAG basal to organisms from the phylum Thaumarchaeota that contains mcr genes, but not those for ammonia oxidation or aerobic metabolism, is identified. Together, our phylogenetic analyses and ancestral state reconstructions suggest a mostly vertical evolution of mcrABG genes among methanogens and methanotrophs, along with frequent horizontal gene transfer of mcr genes between alkanotrophs. Analysis of all mcr-containing archaeal MAGs/genomes suggests a hydrothermal origin for these microorganisms based on optimal growth temperature predictions. These results also suggest methane/alkane oxidation or methanogenesis at high temperature likely existed in a common archaeal ancestor.

Objective: To analyze the epidemiologic features of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) among non-HIV infected patients in China., Methods: Sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) specimens obtained from 851 pneumonia patients without HIV infection from Jan. 2006 to Oct. 2008 were detected, using PCR and Gomori' s methenamine silver (UMS) stain for Pneumocystis jirovecii., Results: Of the 615 sputum specimens, P. jirovecii positive rates of PCR and GMS stain were 20.3% and 10.2% respectively (P < 0.05). Of 236 BALF specimens, P. jirovecii positive rates of PCR and GMS stain were 32.6% and 25.5% respectively (P > 0.05). Of the total 851 pneumonia cases, 123 (14.5%) were GMS positive for P. jirovecii cyst and 202 cases (23.7%) were PCR positive for P. jirovecii DNA. In those immuno-suppressed patient group including patients with connective tissue diseases, organ transplant recipients, nephrotic, hematologic diseases and malignant tumor, P. jirovecii positive rate appeared the highest, 28.2% for GMS stain and 39.4% for PCR. There were also PCP patients in the immuno-competent pneumonia patient groups including senile patients with chronic diseases and patients without clear predisposing immuno-deficiencies. The positive rates of P. jirovecii GMS were 8.7% and 10.9%, respectively and 17.5% and 19.6% for P. jirovecii under PCR., Conclusion: PCR assay seemed sensitive for the detection of P. jirovecii in the sputum specimens and could be used for screening PCP patients without HIV infection. Our data showed that there was high risk of PCP in non-HIV infected patients in China.