COVID-19 Associated Rhino-Orbital Mucormycosis Complicated by Gangrenous and Bone Necrosis-A Case Report from Honduras.

BACKGROUND: Mucormycosis is a life-threatening invasive fungal infection most commonly observed in immunocompromised patients. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing number of Mucorales associated infections, now termed COVID-19 associated mucormycosis (CAM), have been reported. Despite an increase in fatality reports, no cases of rhino-orbital CAM complicated with gangrenous bone necrosis have been described in the literature to date. CASE: A 56-year-old male with a recent COVID-19 diagnosis developed rhino-orbital mucormycosis after 22 days of treatment with dexamethasone. Cultures and histopathological assessment of tissue biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. The patient survived after treatment with amphotericin B. CONCLUSIONS: Mucormycosis is an invasive fungal infection affecting mostly immunocompromised patients. Along with the COVID-19 pandemic, the inappropriate use of steroids, in addition to concurrent risk factors, such as diabetes, has led to an increase in the occurrence of these devastating mycoses, leading to the development of severe presentations and complications, as observed in many cases. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are crucial in order to avoid dissemination and fatal outcomes.

Population Structure and Genetic Diversity of Sweet Cassava Accessions from the Midwestern, Southeastern and Southern Regions of Brazil

Abstract The objective of this work was to screen sweet cassava accessions collected in smallholding areas in the Midwestern, Southeastern and Southern regions of Brazil, using 15 SSR molecular markers, to determine population structure and genetic diversity. Polymorphism was detected in every loci analyzed, with mean of 6.33 alleles per locus, and mean polymorphism information content (PIC) of 0.6057, pointing out that the primers were highly informative. The observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.0709 (SSRY 101) to 0.9398 (GA 12), with a mean of 0.6511, and mean genetic diversity of 0.6578, ranging from 0.3592 (GA 136) to 0.8116 (SSRY 21). The most dissimilar combinations observed were BGM526PR-BGM596MS, BGM526PR-BGM622MS and BGM526PR-BGM629MS. The traditional cassava cultivars assessed were divided into four distinct groups: two with cultivars from the South, one from the Southeast and one from the Midwestern region of Brazil. The variances among and within groups determined by the analysis of molecular variance were 44 and 56%, respectively. The PhiPT parameter (analogue to Fst) of 0.44 indicates high differentiation among groups. Broad genetic diversity was found among the traditional sweet cassava cultivars assessed, and the most divergent groups were formed by cultivars from the South and the Midwestern regions of Brazil.

Síndrome de Cushing iatrogénico por corticoides inhalados en paciente VIH / Cushing syndrome in a HIV patient using inhaled steroids: report of one case

We report a 41-year-old man with HIV and a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, treated for seven months with Fluticasone/Salmeterol and antiretroviral therapy (Lamivudine, Tenofovir, Atazanavir and Ritonavir). While using these medications, the patients developed a Cushing syndrome in a period of five months. After performing laboratory and imaging tests, it was concluded that the most probable cause of the syndrome was the interaction of inhaled steroids with Ritonavir. After discontinuing these medications the syndrome reverted in a period of 8 months.

CD8+ lymphocytes control viral replication in SIVmac239-infected rhesus macaques without decreasing the lifespan of productively infected cells.

While CD8+ T cells are clearly important in controlling virus replication during HIV and SIV infections, the mechanisms underlying this antiviral effect remain poorly understood. In this study, we assessed the in vivo effect of CD8+ lymphocyte depletion on the lifespan of productively infected cells during chronic SIVmac239 infection of rhesus macaques. We treated two groups of animals that were either CD8+ lymphocyte-depleted or controls with antiretroviral therapy, and used mathematical modeling to assess the lifespan of infected cells either in the presence or absence of CD8+ lymphocytes. We found that, in both early (day 57 post-SIV) and late (day 177 post-SIV) chronic SIV infection, depletion of CD8+ lymphocytes did not result in a measurable increase in the lifespan of either short- or long-lived productively infected cells in vivo. This result indicates that the presence of CD8+ lymphocytes does not result in a noticeably shorter lifespan of productively SIV-infected cells, and thus that direct cell killing is unlikely to be the main mechanism underlying the antiviral effect of CD8+ T cells in SIV-infected macaques with high virus replication.