[Onychomycosis by yeast not common in diabetics of a health center]. / Onicomicosis por levaduras no comunes en diabéticos de un centro de salud.

BACKGROUND: Mexican diabetic population frequently presents mycosis under foot hyperkeratosis; however, in another type of onychomycosis as the ones that is assumed Candida albicans is the causal agent, it is unknown the frequency, the prevalence and if another Candida species or other yeasts are found. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the frequency of yeasts causing onychomycosis in diabetic patients looked after in public institutions of health of the State of Hidalgo, Mexico, and its association with clinical epidemiological variables. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational, descriptive and transversal study was made on 261 patients, from which one nail sample of each one was obtained, used to isolate and identify dermatophytes and yeasts; the results were statistically correlated with 24 epidemiological parameters. The clinical study was done through interrogation and by medical exploration in order to evaluate Tinea pedis and onychomycosis. RESULTS: Onychomycosis were caused by Candida guilliermondii, Candida parapsilosis, Candida glabrata, Candida krusei, Candida spp., Kodamaea ohmeri, Prototheca wickerhamii and unidentified yeasts. The prevalence for general onychomycosis, by dermatophytes, mixed onychomycosis and by yeasts were: 24.1, 19.5, 2.3 and 14.6%, respectively. Patients with significant probability to be diagnosed as having onychomycosis by yeasts are those wearing open shoes (2.59%); technicians and professionals (10.49%) and alcohol drinkers (3.72%). CONCLUSION: The fact that Candida albicans is not present in this study as causal agent of onychomycosis, and emerging and non-common yeasts were indeed isolated, creates new challenges. It is remarked the clinical criterion that when onychomycosis is suspected in diabetics, the diagnosis for culturing dermatophytes and yeasts should be included.

Detection of dengue virus from mosquito cell cultures inoculated with human serum in the presence of actinomycin D.

We report the use of cultures of mosquito cells (TRA-284) to detect dengue virus in serum from cases of dengue fever in the state of Puebla, México. Using the conventional procedure 56 of 171 samples (32.7%) were positive. The negative sera (67.3%) were passaged 'blind' in mosquito cell cultures but no virus was detected. However, when these sera were incubated in the presence of actinomycin D (an inhibitor of deoxyribonucleic acid transcription) 20 of the 115 samples (17.4%) became positive. This procedure increased the virus detection rate from 32.7% to 44.4%. Serotypes 1 and 4 were identified for the first time in the state of Puebla, where the transmission of dengue virus is increasing. The addition of actinomycin D to mosquito cell cultures may improve the detection of dengue virus and could be a useful tool for virological surveillance in endemic countries.

Synaptophysin and neurofilament expression in neurons infected with dengue virus.

The expression of two genes encoding the neuronal specific proteins synaptophysin and high molecular weight neurofilaments was investigated in primary cell cultures of embryonic mouse brain infected with dengue virus type 2, using immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis with monoclonal antibodies. The viral infection leads to a 20-fold induction in the expression of the mentioned synaptogenesis-related proteins. These results suggest a correlation between virus infection and neuropathology of immature neurons in vivo.

New separation method for organic and inorganic selenium compounds based on anion exchange chromatography followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

We describe a new method for separating the organic and inorganic selenocompounds methaneseleninic acid, selenite, selenate, methylselenocysteine, selenocystine as well as both selenomethionine and its oxidized form. The separation is performed on a Hamilton PRP-X100 column. According to the literature, the oxidized form of selenomethionine-which is easily formed-is eluted close to the dead volume when this column is used. The choice of parahydroxybenzoic acid as mobile phase enabled us to elute all of these species after this oxidized form, resulting in better identification and quantification. The factors determining separation (eluent concentration, pH, gradient) were optimized via an experimental design. Application of the method to yeast and commercial tablets showed that the principal Se compound present was selenomethionine, which was also present in its oxidized form.

Dengue virus infects mouse cultured neurons but not astrocytes.

Cultures of mouse brain cells containing a high proportion either neurons or astrocytes were inoculated with various strains of dengue virus. At analysis by double immunofluorescence, all strains of dengue virus studied were tropic for neurons. In no case were the astrocytes infected. Only approximately 10% of all neurons were infected, suggesting that the virus may enter the cell through a membrane receptor present only in a subgroup of neurons.

A 65-kDa trypsin-sensible membrane cell protein as a possible receptor for dengue virus in cultured neuroblastoma cells.

Dengue virus infects primary neurons in mouse experimental model and tissue culture cells of the central nervous system (CNS). In the present work, a mouse neuroblastoma cell line (N1E-115) and a human neuroblastoma cell line (SK-N-SH), susceptible to dengue virus infection were used to study the presence of cell membrane receptor for dengue-2. By day 5 postinfection (pi), viral antigen was detected by immunofluorescence in the cytoplasm and surrounding the nucleus of N1E-115 cells, while on day 7 pi, it was also present along neural extensions. Infection of N1E-115 cells was diminished with trypsin treatment but not with neuraminidase or endoglycosidase H. Partially purified cell membrane proteins from neuroblastoma cells were analyzed by the Virus Overlay Protein Blot Assay (VOPBA), and a single band migrating at 65 kDa was detected in mouse and human neuroblastoma cells but not in C6, a non-susceptible rat glial cell line which was included as a negative control. The 65 kDa protein was eliminated only when nitrocellulose membranes were treated with trypsin. Analysis of neuronal cell infection by dengue virus provides a useful tool to understand the nature of cellular receptors and mechanisms involved in the infection of the nervous system by dengue viruses.