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The term leishmaniasis refers to the spectrum of disease caused by Leishmania species. The clinical manifestations of leishmaniasis depend on complex interactions between the virulence characteristics of the infecting Leishmania species and the genetically determined cell-mediated immune responses of its mammalian host. Leishmaniasis comprises three major syndromes: cutaneous, mucosal, and visceral. Variations exist within each syndrome.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is increasingly recognized as an important pathogen in female reproductive health. Vulvar abscesses are also an increasingly common condition seen in the gynecologic field. This investigation demonstrates that MRSA is the most common cause of vulvar abscesses at a large urban women's hospital. No demographic factors were demonstrated to be sufficiently predictive of the presence of MRSA. Given these findings, empiric treatment with antimicrobials providing MRSA coverage seems warranted in cases where antimicrobial therapy is indicated.

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DNA topoisomerase II (topo II), an enzyme essential for cellular replication, is an eminent target for antimicrobial therapy against Leishmania chagasi, the major cause of visceral leishmaniasis in Latin America. The complete L. chagasi (Lch) TOP2 gene, encoding L. chagasi topo II, was isolated from genomic DNA using the polymerase chain reaction. The LchTOP2 gene revealed an open reading frame (ORF) of 3,711 base pairs predicting a protein with 1,236 amino acids and an estimated molecular weight of 140 kDA. The L. chagasi topo II sequence had high identity with the L. donovani topo II (98.8%) and L. infantum topo II (98.7%), followed by Crithidia fasciculata topo II (84.4%), Trypanosoma cruzi topo II (67.6%) and Trypanosoma brucei topo II (66.6%). Lch topo II had low identity with the human homologs htopo II alpha (26.3%) and htopo II beta (26.4%). Differences between L. chagasi TOP2 and human TOP2 genes suggest that leishmanial topo II is a potential target for the development of new antileishmanial agents.