Invasive mycoses are rare in non-neutropenic ICU patients, even after a longer stay in the intensive care unit; fungal colonization, on the other hand, is frequently detectable. The mortality of invasive mycosis--even with systemic antimycotic therapy--was high; the mortality in patients with fungal colonization was not significantly increased compared to that in noncolonized patients. The serological test procedures, Candida HAT, Candida IFT, and the Candida Ramco Antigen Test, had a low specificity and were not helpful in diagnosing relevant invasive mycosis.

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Clearances of mannan antigen from Candida albicans and glucuronoxylomannan antigen from Cryptococcus neoformans were examined in nonimmune rabbits by using self-prepared latex agglutination tests. Injected intravenously, 20 mg of Candida mannan antigen was cleared from the serum with a half-life of approximately 2 h. In contrast, 20 ,ug of Cryptococcus glucuronoxylomannan antigen had a half-life in serum of approximately 24 h. At the latest, 9 h after injection, both antigens were no longer detectable without pretreatment of serum samples with protease and heating to 100°C, thus indicating rapid binding by serum proteins other than immunoglobulins. Candida mannan antigen clearance was also examined in nonimmune mice after intravenous injection of (i) 200 ,ug of Candida mannan antigen, which accumulated in the liver and spleen and persisted for 97 days; (ii) 2 x 107 ethanol-killed Candida blastospores, which was accompanied by rapid clearance of mannan from the blood but accumulation of mannan in the liver and spleen and slow clearance from these organs; (iii) 6 x 106 viable C. albicans cells (lethal infection), which resulted in a rapid decrease of Candida CFU in the blood, liver, and spleen during the first 8 h, after which blood cultures were negative on day 2 and viable Candida burdens in the liver and spleen persisted at 105 CFU/g, whereas Candida mannan antigen continued to circulate in the bloodstream and accumulated in the liver and spleen.

Zusammenfassung. Eine Umfrage in der indischen Bevölkerung über den Gebrauch von Haarölen zur Haarpflege ergab, daß Senföl von Männern und Kokosnußöl von Frauen bevorzugt wird; Amla‐Öl wird von beiden Geschlechtern gemeinsam benutzt. Diese Öle enthalten verschiedene gesättigte und ungesättigte Fettsäuren in unterschiedlichen Prozentsätzen, die für ihre Toxizität auf Dermatophyten verantwortlich ist; diese wurde an vier Dermatophyten‐Stämmen geprüft. Für Microsporum canis, M. gypseum und Trichophyton rubrum war Amla‐Öl am stärksten toxisch, weniger Cantharidinöl und Kokosnußöl. Trichophyton mentagrophytes war am empfindlichsten für Kokosnußöl, weniger für Amla‐Öl und Cantharidinöl. Senföl zeigte an allen vier Testorganismen die geringste Toxizität. Die Seltenheit von Tinea capitis in Indien kann mit dem verbreiteten Haarölgebrauch in der indischen Bevölkerung erklart werden. Summary. A survey on the use of hair oils for hair dressings by the Indian population revealed that mustard oil is preferred by males and coconut oil by females. Amla oil is used equally by both. These oils contain different percentages of various saturated and unsaturated fatty acids which largely determine their toxicity against dermatophytes. For Microsporum canis, M. gypseum and Trichophyton rubrum, amla oil was most toxic, followed by cantharidine and coconut oil, while Trichophyton mentagrophytes was most susceptible to coconut oil followed by amla and cantharidine oil. Mustard oil showed least toxicity to all four test species. The rarity of tinea capitis in India has been concluded to be due to the common use of hair oils by the Indian population.