Prospective, comprehensive, and effective viral monitoring in Cuban children undergoing solid organ transplantation.

PURPOSE: In Cuba, viral monitoring in the post-transplant period was not routinely performed. The aim of this research is to identify the most frequent viruses that affect transplanted Cuban children, by implementing a viral follow-up during the post-transplant period. METHODS: The study population included all Cuban pediatric patients who underwent solid organ transplantation (SOT) between November 2009 and December 2012. A total of 34 transplanted pediatric patients of kidney (n = 11) and liver (n = 23) were prospectively monitored during a 34-week period for viral DNAemia and DNAuria by simultaneous detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2, varicella zoster virus, human herpesvirus 6, human adenovirus, and polyomaviruses (BKV and JCV) using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: Viral genome of at least one virus was detected in 21 of 34 recipients, 18 patients excreted virus in urine while 12 presented DNAemia. CMV (41.2%) and BKV (35.3%) were the most frequent viruses detected during the follow-up. CMV was the virus mainly associated with clinical symptoms and DNAemia. Its excretion in urine (with cut off value of 219 copies/mL) was associated with detection in plasma (p < 0.001); furthermore, CMV viruria was predictive of CMV viremia (OR:8.4, CI:2.4-29.1, p = 0.001). There was no association between high viral load and clinical complications, due to the prompt initiation of preemptive ganciclovir. CONCLUSION: This comprehensive viral monitoring program effectively prevents the development of critical viral disease, thus urge the implementation of qRT-PCR as routine for viral monitoring of transplanted Cuban organ recipients.

Assessment of infection with polyomaviruses BKV, JCV and SV40 in different groups of Cuban individuals.

We investigated the frequency of BKV, JCV and SV40 reactivation in three groups of Cuban patients by multiplex nested PCR assay of 40 paraffin-embedded colorectal neoplasm tissues, 113 urine samples, and 125 plasma samples from 27 transplant recipients, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 67 HIV-1-infected individuals with central nervous system (CNS) disorders. None of these polyomaviruses were detected in colorectal neoplasms. JCV DNA was detected in 2 of 67 patients (2.9%) with CNS disorders, but neither BKV nor SV40 was identified. BKV was found in urine from 38.5% and 28.6% of adult and pediatric transplant recipients, respectively. In adult renal transplant recipients, excretion of BKV in urine was significantly associated with episodes of acute rejection (p=0.012) and with excretion of HCMV in urine (p= 0.008). In Cuba, the polyomaviruses studied here could not be related to colorectal neoplasms, and JCV was rarely detected in CSFs of HIV-1-infected individuals, whilst BKV reactivation was found to occur frequently in organ transplant recipients.

Chocolates fortificados con maracuyá y quinua / Fortified chocolate with stinking passion-fruit and quinoa

Con el aumento de actividades en la vida cotidiana los consumidores reducen el tiempo dedicado a la ingesta de alimentos, por lo que emplean alimentos de bajo valor nutricional (golosinas, galletas o expandidos), observándose por ello en los ultimos años, el aumento del consumo de estos productos. En el presente trabajo se planteó la formulación de un chocolate de mayor valor nutricional en comparación con los que se expenden comercialmente. El producto se elaboró con cobertura de leche y el relleno es con concentrado de "maracuyá" Passiflora edulis, usando carboximetil celulosa (CMC) como gelificante. Se fortificó el producto con la incorporación de "quinua" Chenopodium quinoa Willd hasta niveles del 30 por ciento. Para determinar la mejor formulación del producto con mejor sabor, se sometió a un test con escala hedónica verbal. El grupo de jueces fue de 12 por grupo de análisis. Se determinó que el chocolate con 30 por ciento de quinua expandida fue el más aceptado; esta formulación disminuye el contenido calórico pero aumenta el componente proteico del producto.

Elaboración de mermeladas utilizando impregnación de frutas / Elaboration of marmalades using impregnation of fruits

Con la finalidad de obtener mermelada de mejor calidad sensorial, se modificó el proceso tradicional agregando en la preparación de la materia prima el deshidratado osmótico o el deshidratado osmótico a vacío, utilizando soluciones saturadas de sacarosa para facilitar la impregnación de sólidos por el tejido y su deshidratado. La materia prima se adquirió en el mercado local y el producto se elaboró a nivel de laboratorio. Las frutas en estudio fueron Musa acuminata "plátano" y vitis vinífera "uva", determinándose en la primera la mayor velocidad de impregnación en sólidos por el tejido. Finalizados los tratamientos, se concentraron los sólidos por evaporación utilizando como gelificantes la pectina o carboximetil celulosa. Las mermeladas de plátano y de uva obtenidas fueron evaluadas sensorialmente por un panel no entrenado aplicando una escala hedónica, con la cual se determinó que las mejores características en color, textura y gusto correspondieron a las mermeladas elaboradas con tratamiento osmótico a vació y pectina.