Molecular characterization of the silencing complex SIR in Candida glabrata hyperadherent clinical isolates.

An important virulence factor for the fungal pathogen Candida glabrata is the ability to adhere to the host cells, which is mediated by the expression of adhesins. Epa1 is responsible for ∼95% of the in vitro adherence to epithelial cells and is the founding member of the Epa family of adhesins. The majority of EPA genes are localized close to different telomeres, which causes transcriptional repression due to subtelomeric silencing. In C. glabrata there are three Sir proteins (Sir2, Sir3 and Sir4) that are essential for subtelomeric silencing. Among a collection of 79 clinical isolates, some display a hyperadherent phenotype to epithelial cells compared to our standard laboratory strain, BG14. These isolates also express several subtelomeric EPA genes simultaneously. We cloned the SIR2, SIR3 and SIR4 genes from the hyperadherent isolates and from the BG14 and the sequenced strain CBS138 in a replicative vector to complement null mutants in each of these genes in the BG14 background. All the SIR2 and SIR4 alleles tested from selected hyper-adherent isolates were functional and efficient to silence a URA3 reporter gene inserted in a subtelomeric region. The SIR3 alleles from these isolates were also functional, except the allele from isolate MC2 (sir3-MC2), which was not functional to silence the reporter and did not complement the hyperadherent phenotype of the BG14 sir3Δ. Consistently, sir3-MC2 allele is recessive to the SIR3 allele from BG14. Sir3 and Sir4 alleles from the hyperadherent isolates contain several polymorphisms and two of them are present in all the hyperadherent isolates analyzed. Instead, the Sir3 and Sir4 alleles from the BG14 and another non-adherent isolate do not display these polymorphisms and are identical to each other. The particular combination of polymorphisms in sir3-MC2 and in SIR4-MC2 could explain in part the hyperadherent phenotype displayed by this isolate.

Molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from 4 Cuban hospitals.

During a 1-year period, 87 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates were collected from 4 major Cuban hospitals for epidemiological analysis. The majority (86%) were related to the community-associated USA300 clone, whereas the remaining belonged to a new clone ST72-V. Interestingly, no hospital-associated clone was found in these Cuban hospitals.

Caracterización molecular de cepas de Pasteurella multocida aisladas del ganado bovino / Molecular characterization of Pasteurella multocida strains from cattle

La Pasteurelosis es una enfermedad producida por la bacteria Pasteurella multocida miembro del género Pasteurella, que afecta a una gran variedad de animales domésticos y salvajes. La bacteria se caracteriza por ser Gram negativa, inmóvil, cocobacilar y anaerobia facultativa. La aplicación de métodos genotípicos resulta de gran utilidad y permiten superar limitaciones de los procedimientos fenotípicos tradicionales. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la relación genética entre las cepas B1, B2 y B3 de P. multocida propuestas como candidatos vacunales. Las cepas procedieron del cepario de la Empresa Productora de Vacunas Virales y Bacterianas, que pertenece a los Laboratorios LABIOFAM. Las cepas en estudio fueron analizadas con las técnicas moleculares de Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa y electroforesis en campo pulsado. Se pudo confirmar que las tres cepas pertenecían a la especie P. multocida, subespecie multocida tipo capsular A. De igual manera se detectó que las cepas B1 y B3 son indistinguibles genéticamente entre sí y que la B2 poseía un 91 por ciento de similitud con respecto a las dos primeras. Los resultados obtenidos mediante la identificación y clasificación de estas cepas, permitirán el desarrollo de vacunas contra P. multocida(AU)

Pasteurellosis is a disease caused by Pasteurella multocida bacterium, which affects a variety of domestic and wild animals. P. multocida is a Gram negative, non-motile, and facultative anaerobic cocobacillus, from genus Pasteurella. Genotyping methods are useful to improve the limitations of the traditional phenotyping methods. The aim of this paper was to determine the genetic relationship between P. multocida strains B1, B2 and B3, proposed as vaccine candidates. The strains came from the culture collection of the Viral and Bacterial Vaccine Producing Enterprise, LABIOFAM (acronym in Spanish), and were analyzed with polymerase chain reaction and pulsed field electrophoresis. It was confirmed that the three strains belonged to P. multocida species, capsular type A multocida subspecies. It was also proved that B1 and B3 strains are genetically indistinguishable, and that B2 had a 91percent of similarity with B1 and B3. Results obtained by the identification and classification of these strains will permit the development of vaccines against P. multocida(AU)

Intoxicaciones agudas en pediatría / Acute intoxications in pediatrics

Introducción: las intoxicaciones han sido en los últimos años una importante causa de aumento de la morbilidad y mortalidad en edades pediátricas. Objetivo: determinar el comportamiento clínico de las intoxicaciones agudas en la etapa de enero de 2005 a diciembre de 2009 en el Hospital Pediátrico William Soler. Métodos: el estudio se realizó en el Hospital William Soler. Se revisaron las historias clinicas, los registros de intoxicaciones agudas y las tarjetas de codificación de egresos hospitalarios por intoxicaciones de los pacientes llegados al hospital en esta etapa. Resultados: se recibieron en el hospital 886 pacientes. El grupo de mayor frecuencia de intoxicaciones fue el de 1 a 5 años, con predominio del sexo masculino, aunque sin diferencias significativas con respecto al sexo femenino. Las intoxicaciones más frecuentes fueron por medicamentos, fundamentalmente psicofármacos y antibióticos, seguido por alimentos y por productos químicos del hogar. El 30,2 por ciento de los casos fueron ingresados. Conclusiones: estos resultados nos hacen pensar en la necesidad de estar alertas y crear acciones encaminadas a proteger o evitar las intoxicaciones en edades tan vulnerables

Introduction: the intoxications have been in past years a major cause of increase of morbidity and mortality in pediatric ages. Objective: to determine the clinical behavior of acute intoxications from January, 2005 to December, 2009 in the William Soler Children Hospital. Methods: in above mentioned hospital the study was conducted. The medical records, acute intoxications registry and the coding cards of hospital discharges were reviewed due to intoxications of patients admitted at hospital in this period. Results: in hospital 886 patients were admitted. The group with a greater frequency of intoxications was that aged 1 to 5 with predominance of male sex although without significant differences regarding female sex. The more frequent intoxications were due to drugs mainly the psychogenic drugs and antibiotics, followed by foods and by chemical products at home. The 30,2 percent of cases were admitted. Conclusions: these results make us to think in the need to be on the alert and to create actions aimed to protect or to prevent the intoxications in so vulnerable ages

Intoxicaciones agudas en pediatría / Acute intoxications in pediatrics

Introducción: las intoxicaciones han sido en los últimos años una importante causa de aumento de la morbilidad y mortalidad en edades pediátricas. Objetivo: determinar el comportamiento clínico de las intoxicaciones agudas en la etapa de enero de 2005 a diciembre de 2009 en el Hospital Pediátrico William Soler. Métodos: el estudio se realizó en el Hospital William Soler. Se revisaron las historias clinicas, los registros de intoxicaciones agudas y las tarjetas de codificación de egresos hospitalarios por intoxicaciones de los pacientes llegados al hospital en esta etapa. Resultados: se recibieron en el hospital 886 pacientes. El grupo de mayor frecuencia de intoxicaciones fue el de 1 a 5 años, con predominio del sexo masculino, aunque sin diferencias significativas con respecto al sexo femenino. Las intoxicaciones más frecuentes fueron por medicamentos, fundamentalmente psicofármacos y antibióticos, seguido por alimentos y por productos químicos del hogar. El 30,2 por ciento de los casos fueron ingresados. Conclusiones: estos resultados nos hacen pensar en la necesidad de estar alertas y crear acciones encaminadas a proteger o evitar las intoxicaciones en edades tan vulnerables(AU)

Introduction: the intoxications have been in past years a major cause of increase of morbidity and mortality in pediatric ages. Objective: to determine the clinical behavior of acute intoxications from January, 2005 to December, 2009 in the William Soler Children Hospital. Methods: in above mentioned hospital the study was conducted. The medical records, acute intoxications registry and the coding cards of hospital discharges were reviewed due to intoxications of patients admitted at hospital in this period. Results: in hospital 886 patients were admitted. The group with a greater frequency of intoxications was that aged 1 to 5 with predominance of male sex although without significant differences regarding female sex. The more frequent intoxications were due to drugs mainly the psychogenic drugs and antibiotics, followed by foods and by chemical products at home. The 30,2 percent of cases were admitted. Conclusions: these results make us to think in the need to be on the alert and to create actions aimed to protect or to prevent the intoxications in so vulnerable ages(AU)