Phylogenomic Evidence of Reinfection and Persistence of SARS-CoV-2: First Report from Colombia.

The continuing evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and the emergence of novel variants have raised concerns about possible reinfection events and potential changes in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission dynamics. Utilizing Oxford Nanopore technologies, we sequenced paired samples of three patients with positive RT-PCR results in a 1-2-month window period, and subsequent phylogenetics and genetic polymorphism analysis of these genomes was performed. Herein, we report, for the first time, genomic evidence of one case of reinfection in Colombia, exhibiting different SARS-CoV-2 lineage classifications between samples (B.1 and B.1.1.269). Furthermore, we report two cases of possible viral persistence, highlighting the importance of deepening our understanding on the evolutionary intra-host traits of this virus throughout different timeframes of disease progression. These results emphasize the relevance of genomic surveillance as a tool for understanding SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics, and how this may translate effectively to future control and mitigations efforts, such as the national vaccination program.

Case of neuromyelitis optica: bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and transverse myelopathy following intrathecal chemotherapy.

Neurotoxicity from intrathecally administered chemotherapeutic drugs is frequent, particularly with some agents like methotrexate, which are more prone to developing adverse effects. Myelopathy ranks among the most frequently reported neurological entities; with the diagnosis being straightforward, after ruling out infectious, metabolic, autoimmune or paraneoplastic causes. Scarcity of cases precludes evidence-based recommendations for the management of these complications. The most common therapeutic approach consists of the suspension of chemotherapy, exclusion of infectious and neoplastic causes, with prompt administration of high-dose steroids. We report a 21-year-old patient with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, who developed acute transverse myelitis and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, after five rounds of intrathecal methotrexate and cytarabine. Although neurotoxicity from both agents has been documented, this combination has not been previously reported.

The poor insane Ophelia: reconsidering Ophelia syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: The association between memory loss and Hodgkin's lymphoma has been given the eponym of Ophelia syndrome, in memory of Shakespeare's character in The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Nevertheless, there are differences between the disease and the character. OBJECTIVE: To review the origins and uses of the eponym through an original article by pathologist Ian Carr, its relation to the character Ophelia, and the related autoantibodies. METHODS: Historical narrative review. RESULTS: Besides an eloquent description in the original article, Carr presaged the presence of autoantibodies, before they had been thoroughly researched. Since then, five different autoantibodies (mGluR5, Hu, NMDAR, SOX, PCA2) have been associated with Hodgkin's disease. It is interesting to note the divergent outcomes of Shakespeare's character and the patient in the original description by Carr, the latter recovering to lead a normal life, and the former deceased. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is little relationship between the fictional character and the syndrome, both imply the unintentional trigger of self-harm (suicide in one case, autoimmunity in the other), thus remaining associated.

"Los libros y la noche", perspectiva neurológica de la ceguera de Jorge Luis Borges.

The works of Argentinian scholar Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) have captivated physicians. An assiduous reader, he was given, with magnificent irony, "books and the night". Borges suffered from chronic and irreversible blindness, which influenced much of his work and has been the subject of different literary and diagnostic analyses from the ophthalmological point of view. However, the characteristics of his visual impairment have escaped the neurological approach, which is why we reviewed his work looking for data suggesting a concomitant brain injury. On his autobiography, he recounts how, during an episode of septicemia, he suffered hallucinations and loss of speech; in addition, in some poems and essays he describes data that suggest "phantom chromatopsia", a lesion of cortical origin. After that accident, Borges survived with a radical change in literary style. Although a precise diagnosis is impossible, his literary work allows recognizing some elements in favor of concomitant brain involvement.

La obra del erudito argentino Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) ha cautivado a los médicos. Asiduo lector con magnífica ironía, le fueron dados "los libros y la noche". Borges padeció una ceguera crónica e irreversible que impulsó gran parte de su obra y ha sido objeto de distintos análisis literarios y diagnósticos desde el punto de vista oftalmológico. Sin embargo, las características de su ceguera han escapado al abordaje neurológico, por lo cual revisamos su obra en busca de datos que sugieran una lesión cerebral concomitante. En su autobiografía relata cómo durante un episodio de septicemia padeció alucinaciones y pérdida del habla; además, en algunos poemas y ensayos describe datos que sugieren "cromatopsia fantasma", lesión de origen cortical. Tras dicho accidente, Borges sobrevivió con un cambio radical en su estilo literario. Aunque un diagnóstico preciso es imposible, su obra literaria nos permite reconocer algunos elementos que sugieren involucramiento cerebral concomitante.

The poor insane Ophelia: reconsidering Ophelia syndrome / La pobre e insensata Ofelia: reconsiderando el síndrome de Ofelia

ABSTRACT The association between memory loss and Hodgkin's lymphoma has been given the eponym of Ophelia syndrome, in memory of Shakespeare's character in The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Nevertheless, there are differences between the disease and the character. Objective: To review the origins and uses of the eponym through an original article by pathologist Ian Carr, its relation to the character Ophelia, and the related autoantibodies. Methods: Historical narrative review. Results: Besides an eloquent description in the original article, Carr presaged the presence of autoantibodies, before they had been thoroughly researched. Since then, five different autoantibodies (mGluR5, Hu, NMDAR, SOX, PCA2) have been associated with Hodgkin's disease. It is interesting to note the divergent outcomes of Shakespeare's character and the patient in the original description by Carr, the latter recovering to lead a normal life, and the former deceased. Conclusions: Although there is little relationship between the fictional character and the syndrome, both imply the unintentional trigger of self-harm (suicide in one case, autoimmunity in the other), thus remaining associated.

RESUMO El síndrome de Ofelia describe la asociación entre pérdida de memoria y enfermedad de Hodgkin, en memoria del personaje de La Tragedia de Hamlet, Príncipe de Dinamarca, de William Shakespeare. Sin embargo, existen diferencias entre ambos. Objetivo: Revisar los orígenes y usos del epónimo a través del artículo original, su relación con el personaje y los autoanticuerpos relacionados. Métodos: Revisión narrativa histórica. Resultados: Además de una descripción elocuente, el artículo original prefigura los autoanticuerpos, cuando no se buscaban de rutina. Desde entonces, cinco distintos (mGluR5, Hu, NMDAR, SOX, PCA2) han sido asociados. Cabe destacar, que el desenlace del personaje y del paciente fueron diametralmente opuestos, el primero falleció y el segundo se recuperó, llevando una vida normal. Conclusiones: A pesar de la poca relación entre el personaje y el síndrome, ambos implican el desencadenamiento no intencional de daño auto-inflingido (suicidio en un caso, autoinmunidad en el otro), manteniendo así la adecuacía.

"The books and the night", neurological perspective on Jorge Luis Borges' blindness

The works of Argentinian scholar Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) have captivated physicians. An assiduous reader, he was given, with magnificent irony, "books and the night". Borges suffered from chronic and irreversible blindness, which influenced much of his work and has been the subject of different literary and diagnostic analyses from the ophthalmological point of view. However, the characteristics of his visual impairment have escaped the neurological approach, which is why we reviewed his work looking for data suggesting a concomitant brain injury. On his autobiography, he recounts how, during an episode of septicemia, he suffered hallucinations and loss of speech; in addition, in some poems and essays he describes data that suggest "phantom chromatopsia", a lesion of cortical origin. After that accident, Borges survived with a radical change in literary style. Although a precise diagnosis is impossible, his literary work allows recognizing some elements in favor of concomitant brain involvement.

"The books and the night", neurological perspective on Jorge Luis Borges' blindness.

The works of Argentinian scholar Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) have captivated physicians. An assiduous reader, he was given, with magnificent irony, "books and the night". Borges suffered from chronic and irreversible blindness, which influenced much of his work and has been the subject of different literary and diagnostic analyses from the ophthalmological point of view. However, the characteristics of his visual impairment have escaped the neurological approach, which is why we reviewed his work looking for data suggesting a concomitant brain injury. On his autobiography, he recounts how, during an episode of septicemia, he suffered hallucinations and loss of speech; in addition, in some poems and essays he describes data that suggest "phantom chromatopsia", a lesion of cortical origin. After that accident, Borges survived with a radical change in literary style. Although a precise diagnosis is impossible, his literary work allows recognizing some elements in favor of concomitant brain involvement.

Delftia sp. LCW, a strain isolated from a constructed wetland shows novel properties for dimethylphenol isomers degradation.

BACKGROUND: Dimethylphenols (DMP) are toxic compounds with high environmental mobility in water and one of the main constituents of effluents from petro- and carbochemical industry. Over the last few decades, the use of constructed wetlands (CW) has been extended from domestic to industrial wastewater treatments, including petro-carbochemical effluents. In these systems, the main role during the transformation and mineralization of organic pollutants is played by microorganisms. Therefore, understanding the bacterial degradation processes of isolated strains from CWs is an important approach to further improvements of biodegradation processes in these treatment systems. RESULTS: In this study, bacterial isolation from a pilot scale constructed wetland fed with phenols led to the identification of Delftia sp. LCW as a DMP degrading strain. The strain was able to use the o-xylenols 3,4-DMP and 2,3-DMP as sole carbon and energy sources. In addition, 3,4-DMP provided as a co-substrate had an effect on the transformation of other four DMP isomers. Based on the detection of the genes, proteins, and the inferred phylogenetic relationships of the detected genes with other reported functional proteins, we found that the phenol hydroxylase of Delftia sp. LCW is induced by 3,4-DMP and it is responsible for the first oxidation of the aromatic ring of 3,4-, 2,3-, 2,4-, 2,5- and 3,5-DMP. The enzyme may also catalyze both monooxygenation reactions during the degradation of benzene. Proteome data led to the identification of catechol meta cleavage pathway enzymes during the growth on ortho DMP, and validated that cleavage of the aromatic rings of 2,5- and 3,5-DMPs does not result in mineralization. In addition, the tolerance of the strain to high concentrations of DMP, especially to 3,4-DMP was higher than that of other reported microorganisms from activated sludge treating phenols. CONCLUSIONS: LCW strain was able to degraded complex aromatics compounds. DMPs and benzene are reported for the first time to be degraded by a member of Delftia genus. In addition, LCW degraded DMPs with a first oxidation of the aromatic rings by a phenol hydroxylase, followed by a further meta cleavage pathway. The higher resistance to DMP toxicity, the ability to degrade and transform DMP isomers and the origin as a rhizosphere bacterium from wastewater systems, make LCW a suitable candidate to be used in bioremediation of complex DMP mixtures in CWs systems.

Experiencia clínica con el uso del monitor cardiaco Implantable / Clinical experience with the use of an implantable cardiac monitor

Resumen Objetivos: Describir la experiencia con el uso del monitor cardiaco implantable determinando: el diagnóstico final encontrado y el tiempo para alcanzarlo, proporción de pacientes con la etiología aclarada y el tratamiento instaurado. Metodología: Estudio observacional retrospectivo. Resultados: Ciento ocho (108) monitores explantados de un total de 150 implantados entre los años 2009 a 2015, fueron analizados. Un diagnóstico electrocardiográfico concordante con el síntoma fue encontrado en el 71,7% de aquellos con síncope, siendo la principal causa la bradicardia sinusal extrema y/o arresto sinusal. El rendimiento diagnóstico para aquellos investigados por palpitaciones recurrentes o sospecha de arritmias supraventriculares o ventriculares fue del 29% siendo la causa más frecuente la fibrilación auricular. Un 50% de los diagnósticos se alcanzaron tras una monitoría entre 12 y 36 meses. El marcapasos fue el tratamiento más frecuente para los pacientes con síncope y la ablación por radiofrecuencia para aquellos con palpitaciones. En cuanto a la seguridad, no se presentaron eventos adversos mayores con el implante del monitor. Conclusiones: El monitor cardiaco implantable mostró un adecuado rendimiento diagnóstico para la identificación de las alteraciones electrocardiográficas en los pacientes con síncope. Es necesario realizar más estudios para dilucidar su papel en el estudio de las palpitaciones.

Abstract Motivation: To describe the experience of the use of an implantable cardiac monitor and analysing the final diagnosis and the time to reach it, the proportion of patients with clear aetiology and existing treatment. Methods: Retrospective observational study. Results: One hundred and eight (108) monitors explanted out of a total of 150 implanted patients between 2009 and 2015 were analysed. An electrocardiographic diagnosis matching the symptom was found in 71.7% of those with syncope, being the main cause for extreme sinus bradicardia and/or sinus arrest. Efficiency of the diagnosis for those investigated due to recurrent palpitations or suspicion of supraventricular or ventricular arrhythmias was of 29%, being the main cause of atrial fibrillation. 50% of the diagnoses were reached after monitorisation between 12 and 36 months. Pacemakers were the most frequent treatment for patients with syncope and radiofrequency ablation for those with palpitations. Regarding security, no major adverse events were found when implanting the monitor. Conclusion: The implantable cardiac monitor showed an adequate efficiency of diagnosis for the identification of electrocardiographic alterations in patients with syncope. More studies are required in order to elucidate its role in the study of palpitations.

Terapia de la resincronización cardiaca transvenosa en la población pediátrica / Transvenous cardiac resynchronization therapy in pediatric population

Resumen La disfunción ventricular izquierda y la cardiopatía dilatada (CD), debidas a la estimulación crónica ventricular derecha son complicaciones reconocidas en adultos y niños. La terapia de la resincronización cardiaca (TRC), ha demostrado beneficios en los adultos con disfunción ventricular izquierda (FEVI < 35%), deterioro de la clase funcional y bloqueo de la rama izquierda (intrínseco o inducido por estimulación). En los niños la incidencia de cardiomiopatía dilatada es desconocida y no existen guías o grandes estudios sobre la resincronización cardiaca, por lo que no es posible extrapolar las recomendaciones de los pacientes adultos. Se presenta la experiencia en una paciente con bloqueo A-V completo postquirúrgico tras corrección de cardiopatía congénita, portadora de un marcapaso quien desarrolló la falla cardiaca, esta fue tratada exitosamente mediante la resincronización biventricular en dos oportunidades, con recuperación de la clase funcional y los parámetros hemodinámicos.

Abstract Left ventricular dysfunction and dilated cardiomyopathy (DC) caused by right ventricular chronic stimulation are recognised complications in adults and children. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has shown benefits in adults with left ventricular dysfunction (LVEF < 35%), deterioration of functional class and left bundle-branch block (instrinsic or induced by stimulation). Incidence of dilated cardiomyopathy in children is unknown, and there are no guides or big studies about cardiac resynchronization therapy, so recommendations for adult patients cannot be extrapolated. The experience of a female patient with a pacemaker and postoperative complete AV block after correction of a congenital heart disease is presented; she developed heart failure that was successfully treated with biventricular resynchronization in two opportunities, with recovery of functional class and hemodynamic parametres.

Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis Presenting as Acute Polyneuropathy Mimicking Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is a small-vessel vasculitis associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) which commonly affects the peripheral nervous system. A 38-year-old female with a history of asthma presented with a 2-week history of bilateral lower extremity paresthesias that progressed to symmetric ascending paralysis. Nerve conduction studies could not rule out Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) and plasmapheresis was considered. Her blood work revealed marked eosinophilia (>50%), she had purpuric lesions in her legs, and a head magnetic resonance image showed evidence of pansinusitis. Coupled with a history of asthma we suspected EGPA-associated neuropathy and started steroid treatment. The patient showed rapid and significant improvement. ANCAs were later reported positive. ANCA-associated vasculitides present most often as mononeuritis multiplex, but they can mimic GBS and should always be considered in the differential diagnosis, since the treatment strategies for these conditions are radically different.