Oral yeast colonization throughout pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that placenta may harbour a unique microbiome that may have origin in maternal oral microbiome. Although the major physiological and hormonal adjustments observed in pregnant women lead to biochemical and microbiological modifications of the oral environment, very few studies evaluated the changes suffered by the oral microbiota throughout pregnancy. So, the aim of our study was to evaluate oral yeast colonization throughout pregnancy and to compare it with non-pregnant women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The oral yeast colonization was assessed in saliva of 30 pregnant and non-pregnant women longitudinally over a 6-months period. Demographic information was collected, a non-invasive intra-oral examination was performed and saliva flow and pH were determined. RESULTS: Pregnant and non-pregnant groups were similar regarding age and level of education. Saliva flow rate did not differ, but saliva pH was lower in pregnant than in non-pregnant women. Oral yeast prevalence was higher in pregnant than in non-pregnant women, either in the first or in the third trimester, but did not attain statistical significance. In individuals colonized with yeast, the total yeast quantification (Log10CFU/mL) increase from the 1st to the 3rd trimester in pregnant women, but not in non-pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnancy may favour oral yeast growth that may be associated with an acidic oral environment.

High Incidence of Respiratory Involvement in a Cluster of Brucella suis-Infected Workers from a Pork Processing Plant in Argentina.

Epidemiological and clinical aspects of Brucella suis infection in 17 workers from a pork processing plant in Argentina occurring between January 2014 and July 2015 are presented. All patients reported working 9 h daily without adequate personal protection garment. Blood cultures were positive for Brucella spp. in 14 of the 17 patients (82.3%). All isolates were identified as B. suis biovar 1. Although fever, sweats, asthenia, myalgia and hepatic involvement were the most frequent clinical manifestations, an unusually high incidence of respiratory involvement was found. From 13 patients in which chest radiography was performed, four (30%) had radiological abnormalities, including lobar pneumonia in two cases (one with pleural effusion) and interstitial involvement in other two. The high frequency of respiratory involvement in our series makes necessary to consider brucellosis in the differential diagnosis of respiratory diseases in pork processing plant employees.

Characterization of periodontal biofilm in Down syndrome patients: a comparative study.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to characterize the main periodontal bacterial species in Down syndrome (DS) patients with and without periodontitis. METHOD: This cross-sectional study involved 75 DS patients, 45 with and 30 without periodontitis. Informed consent, health and dental questionnaires and periodontitis diagnosis were performed PCR and LAMP assays were performed on subgingival dental plaque sample. RESULTS: Tannerella forsythia was the most frequent bacteria detected in the group with and without periodontitis (95.5 and 63.3%) followed by Treponema denticola (88.8 and 50%) and Porphyromonas gingivalis (53.3 and 25% respectively). There were statistical differences between groups (p < 0.05). Pg fimA type I was the most frequent Porphyromonas gingivalis genotype. Two different sets of primers (Aa-F/Aa-R and ltx3/ltx4) were used to detect Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and different frequencies were obtained, (68% and 14.6% respectively), they had a weak correlation (Cohen Kappa = 0.16). After sequencing of PCR products, ltx3/ltx4 showed more specificity. JP2 clone of A. actinomycetemcomitans was not detected in any sample. CONCLUSIONS: The composition of oral biofilm is fundamental for the development of periodontal disease independently of immunological alterations associated with DS. The frequency of detection of A. actinomycetemcomitans reported in the literature has a wide range, because the primers and probes applied

[Cryptococcus neoformans in the gastric contents of an AIDS patient]. / Cryptococcus neoformans en el contenido gástrico de un paciente con SIDA.

The microscopic observation and isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans from the gastric contents of an AIDS patient, obtained by aspiration with a nasogastric catheter and parasitologically studied, is communicated. Because of the limited number of round yeasts visualized by wet mount of the sample concentrate, India ink was added: the typical capsules of C. neoformans were then observed. Dark brown colonies of C. neoformans were isolated from the clinical sample cultured on sunflower-seed-extract agar, incubated at 37 degrees C for 7 days. Bloodcultures for fungi were negative; it was impossible to obtain CSF due to the patient's refusal, then the capsular polysaccharide antigen of C. neoformans in blood was determined and proved positive to the 1:100 dilution. The patient, who had supposedly been suffering from Cryptosporidium sp. diarrhea, after the finding of C. neoformans in the gastric sample and the positive result of the antigenemia for this fungus, was treated with oral fluconazol, (800 mg/day), because he did not accept intravenous treatment. This communication emphasizes the finding of C. neoformans in a clinical sample where its presence is infrequent and its usefulness for the diagnosis of cryptococcosis is significant.