Content of toxic heavy metals (mercury, lead, and cadmium) in canned variegated scallops (Chlamys varia).

The concentrations of three toxic heavy metals, mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd), were determined in preserved variegated scallops (Chlamys varia, Bivalvia, Mollusca), which are often consumed in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). A total of 300 samples of seven commercial brands (A, B, D, H, J, L, and M) and one processed product ("scallop sauce") were analyzed. Samples were collected weekly in a major shopping area in Santa Cruz de Tenerife during a 12-month period. The concentrations of lead and mercury were far below the maximum limit permitted for human consumption by the European Communities Commission regulation (EC) 466/2001 (1 and 0.5 mg kg(-1) wet weight for Pb and Hg, respectively). Concentrations of cadmium were close to the maximum limit permitted by regulation (EC) 466/2001 (1 mg kg(-1) wet weight).

Cadmium dietary intake in the Canary Islands, Spain.

Cadmium (Cd) in the human diet constitutes a potential chronic hazard to health. In the nonsmoking general population, diet is the major source of cadmium exposure; therefore, it is important to monitor the dietary intake of this heavy metal to quantify and improve the understanding of Cd accumulation in the human body. The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of Cd in a range of food and drink commonly consumed in the Canary Islands. Food samples (420) were analyzed for Cd by atomic absorption spectrometry. The most recent nutritional survey conducted for the Canarian population was used to define the food and drink groups analyzed. The measured Cd concentrations combined with the food consumption data resulted in a total Cd intake in the Canary Islands of 0.16 microg/kg of body weight/day, which is well below the respective provisional tolerable weekly intake of Cd of 1 microg/kg of body weight per day determined by the FAO/WHO. The results are also compared with values reported for other national and international communities.

Characterization and selection of lactobacilli isolated from Spanish fermented sausages.

The use of starter cultures to control and run the fermentative process is a usual way of manufacturing sausages in meat industries. The first stage in the starter culture designing process is to characterize the lactic acid bacteria isolated from these meat products, in order to select the best strains. The strains used for this study were isolated from different dry fermented sausages, obtained during the manufacturing process. The main tests used to identify the isolated bacteria were: microscopic-morphologic characteristics, catalase activity, production of gas, growth at 8, 15 and 45 degrees C, fermentation of carbohydrates and production of lactic acid isomers. A total of 194 strains were identified. Lactobacillus sake and Lactobacillus plantarum were the most frequent species. Other microbiological tests were also performed, and three strains of Lactobacillus sake were found which did not produce dextran from sucrose.

[Comparison of 2 ELFA methods for the automatized diagnosis of HIV infection]. / Comparación de dos métodos ELFA para diagnóstico automatizado de la infección por el HIV.

BACKGROUND: Evaluate two recent tests for HIV infection diagnosis using the Enzyme-Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA) technique for rapid diagnosis in microbiology or virology laboratories. METHODS: A panel of 429 sera with different Ab prevalencies and different sources was prepared: 50 blood bank samples from habitual donors; 8 with positive results from other blood banks; 50 from individuals infected with HIV at various stages; 164 from subjects having practices of risk, with a prevalence of 24.4%; and 157 hospital samples selected at random, with a prevalence of 12.2%. All the samples were analyzed using IMX HIV-1/HIV-2 (ELFA A) and VIDAS HIV-1+2 (ELFA B) tests. Samples yielding positive results from either of the two tests were confirmed by WB. In the cases of indeterminate WB, p24 antigenemia was detected, the positive cases being confirmed by neutralization. RESULTS: From the panel of sera studied, 112 samples were reactive by ELFA A and 109 by ELFA B. The concordance between both assays was 97.3% for reactive samples and 99.1% for non-reactive. WB confirmation showed a global sensitivity of 100% in both tests, with a specificity of 98.4% for ELFA A and 99.3% for ELFA B. Three samples positive for both tests but indeterminate for WB corresponded to sera in the seroconversion window period, one with positive p24 antigenemia. CONCLUSIONS: The new ELFA technology is shown to be an adequate rapid, automatized diagnosis method which decreases risks from laboratory manipulation, with good sensitivity and specificity characteristics for the diagnosis of Ab HIV in health care settings.

[Search for antibodies against human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) in a sample of parenteral drug addicts (IVDA)]. / Búsqueda de anticuerpos frente al virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana tipo 2 (VIH-2) en una muestra de adictos a drogas por vía parenteral (ADVP).

We have retrospectively investigated the antibodies against type 2 human immunodeficiency virus (Ac HIV-2) in sera from parenteral drug abusers (PDA) who had been previously investigated for HIV-1 and who fulfilled established criteria (trips, sexual contacts, etc.). Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was positive in 7 individuals who were also carriers of HIV-1. When HIV-2 was confirmed with Western blot, in only one case a tenuous band against glycoprotein 105 (gp 105) and the remaining ones from the core was found.