Experimental medical mycological research in Latin America - a 2000-2009 overview.

An overview of current trends in Latin American Experimental Medical Mycological research since the beginning of the 21(st) century is done (search from January 2000 to December 2009). Using the PubMed and LILACS databases, the authors have chosen publications on medically important fungi which, according to our opinion, are the most relevant because of their novelty, interest, and international impact, based on research made entirely in the Latin American region or as part of collaborative efforts with laboratories elsewhere. In this way, the following areas are discussed: 1) molecular identification of fungal pathogens; 2) molecular and clinical epidemiology on fungal pathogens of prevalence in the region; 3) cell biology; 4) transcriptome, genome, molecular taxonomy and phylogeny; 5) immunology; 6) vaccines; 7) new and experimental antifungals.

Enseñar y evaluar la micología: reflexiones y propuesta de innovación educativa / Teaching and to evaluate the Mycology: reflections and proposal of educative innovation

Se plantea una estrategia de enseñanza que implica el desarrollo en secuencia de un plan de actividades complementarias entre si y se describe una propuesta de evaluación de las competencias de los estudiantes de Micología de la carrera de Bioquímica, basada en el estudio de casos, observación directa del desempeño estudiantil, evaluación de la ejecución yt del resultado, lo que acerca al alumno a la práctica del ejercicio profesional en la que la teoría se relaciona directamente con los problemas prácticos, sin que se separen "conocer" y "hacer".

Associacao entre reatividade a tricofitina, dermatofito isolado e grupo sanguineo ABO nas dermatofitoses / Association between reactivity the trichophytin, isolated dermatofito and blood group ABO in dermatofitoses

As dermatofitoses sao infeccoes causadas por fungos que parasitam a queratina da pele, pelos e unhas. A designacao dermatofito compreende tres generos de fungos: Trichophyton, Microsporum e Epidermophyton, com caracteristicas morfologicas, fisiologicas e antigenicas que os relaciona entre si. Os estudos envolvendo a parede celular dos dermatofitos tem demonstrado que os fungos T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum e E. floccosum possuem glicoproteinas antigenicamente semelhantes ao isoantigeno A dos eritrocitos humanos, o que tornaria esses individuos mais suscetiveis ao desenvolvimento de dermatofitoses generalizadas e resistentes ao tratamento do que aqueles desprovidos desses antigenos. Neste estudo os autores investigaram uma possivel associacao entre dermatofitose, grupo sanguineo ABO e reatividade a tricofitina atraves de identificacao do grupo sanguineo e do subgrupo A1, avaliacao da resposta imune celular especifica e identificacao do dermatofito envolvido. Assim, 39 pacientes caucasoides com dermatofitose diagnosticados atraves de sinais clinicos e laboratoriais foram submetidos a tipagem sanguinea e ao teste da tricofitina. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que o fungo T. rubrum foi isolado de 83% dos pacientes e o teste da tricofitina (reacao de hipersensibilidade tardia - 48 horas) foi positivo em 10%. A presenca de reacao imediata a tricofitina (reacao de hipersensibilidade imediata - 30 minutos) foi verificada em 51% dos pacientes. A distribuicao do grupo sanguineo entre pacientes e o grupo controle foi respectivamente: O=41% x 50%; A= 38,5% x36,0; B= 13,0% x 11,0%; AB= 7,5% x 3,0%; sendo o subgrupo A1: 61,0% x 79,0%. A classificacao da micose em aguda e cronica levando-se em consideracao o tempo em que os pacientes apresentavam as manifestacoes clinicas, revelou que 64% apresentavam lesoes ha pelo menos 1 ano. Desses pacientes, 44% pertenciam ao grupo sanguineo A, sendo 73% do subgrupo A1, e 36% pertenciam ao grupo O. Em conjunto, os resultados obtidos se...

From magic to science: a journey throughout Latin American medical mycology.

The start of Latin America's love story with fungi may be placed in pre-Hispanic times when the use of fungi in both ritual ceremonies and daily life were common to the native civilizations. But the medical mycology discipline in Latin America started at the end of the 19th Century. At that time, scholars such as A. Posadas, R. Seeber, A. Lutz and P. Almeida, discovered agents of fungal diseases, the study of which has influenced the regional research ever since. Heirs to them are the researchers that today thrive in regional Universities and Research Institutes. Two current initiatives improve cooperation among Latin American medical mycologists. First, the periodical organization of International Paracoccidioidomycosis Meetings (seven so far, from 1979 to 1999); second, the creation of the Latin American Association for Mycology in 1991 (three Congresses, from 1993 to 1999). Latin American publications have increased in international specialized journals such as that from our Society (ISHAM) (from 8% in 1967 to 19% in 1999), and the Iberoamerican Journal of Mycology (Revista Iberoamericana de Micologia; > 40% from 1997 to 1999). In addition, Latin American participation at ISHAM International Congresses has risen from 6.9% in 1975 to 21.3% in 1997, and 43.2% at the 14th ISHAM Congress, held for the first time in a Latin American country, Argentina. A significant contribution of women to the scientific establishment of Latin American medical mycology (e.g., 45% of Latin American papers vs. 18% of other regions published in Journal of Medical and Veterinary Mycology in 1987, had women as authors or coauthors) suggests a better academic consideration of Latin American women against their counterparts in the developed world. Taken together, all these figures reflect the enthusiasm of our Latin American colleagues in the field, despite the difficulties that afflict our region, and affect our work.

Teaching medical mycology in the year 2000.

Medical mycology is of increasing interest to the basic scientist, pathologist, microbiologist and clinician. This interest has been prompted by the rising number of immunosuppressed patients with opportunistic fungal infections, the expanding boundaries of the so-called endemic mycoses, the recognition of several major new endemic mycoses and a variety of other emerging fungal infections, and the development of potent, non-toxic antifungal drugs to treat these infections. The world of mycology is changing dramatically, especially in developing countries which have only limited resources to cope with the impact of the compromised host and the introduction of costly new antifungal drugs. Consequently, there is an urgent need to increase our effectiveness as teachers of medical mycology at all levels and in all regions of the world.