Impact of COVID-19 on paracoccidioidomycosis. Which was the most influential: The pandemic or the virus?

The impact of COVID-19 on paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) in Argentina and the consequences generated by the pandemic are discussed. From 2018 to 3 years after the pandemic declaration, 285 proven PCM patients were registered. No association between both diseases was documented. PCM frequency decreased to extremely low levels in 2020. Mandatory social isolation and the emotional and psychological effects generated under pandemic circumstances led to delays in diagnosis, severe disseminated cases, and other challenges for diagnosis in subsequent years. Probable underdiagnosis should be considered due to the overlap of clinical manifestations, the low index of suspicion and the lack of sensitive diagnostic tools.

Clinical and Demographic Features of Paracoccidioidomycosis in Argentina: A Multicenter Study Analysis of 466 Cases.

Information on paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) in Argentina is fragmented and has historically been based on estimates, supported only by a series of a few reported cases. Considering the lack of global information, a national multicentric study in order to carry out a more comprehensive analysis was warranted. We present a data analysis including demographic and clinical aspects of a historical series of 466 cases recorded over 10 years (2012-2021). Patients were aged from 1 to 89 years. The general male: female (M:F) ratio was 9.5:1 with significant variation according to the age group. Interestingly, the age range 21-30 shows an M:F ratio of 2:1. Most of the cases (86%) were registered in northeast Argentina (NEA), showing hyperendemic areas in Chaco province with more than 2 cases per 10,000 inhabitants. The chronic clinical form occurred in 85.6% of cases and the acute/subacute form occurred in 14.4% of cases, but most of these juvenile type cases occurred in northwestern Argentina (NWA). In NEA, the incidence of the chronic form was 90.6%; in NWA, the acute/subacute form exceeded 37%. Diagnosis by microscopy showed 96% positivity but antibody detection displays 17% of false negatives. Tuberculosis was the most frequent comorbidity, but a diverse spectrum of bacterial, fungal, viral, parasitic, and other non-infectious comorbidities was recorded. This national multicenter registry was launched in order to better understand the current status of PCM in Argentina and shows the two endemic zones with a highly diverse epidemiology.

Isomeric and hybrid ferrocenyl/cyrhetrenyl aldimines: a new family of multifunctional compounds.

The synthesis and characterization of two novel and isomeric hybrid ferrocenyl/cyrhetrenyl aldimines [(η5-C5H5)Fe{(η5-C5H4)-CH[double bond, length as m-dash]N-(η5-C5H4)}Re(CO)3] (1) and [(η5-C5H5)Fe{(η5-C5H4)-N[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-(η5-C5H4)}Re(CO)3] (2) are reported. Their X-ray crystal structures reveal that both adopt the E form. However, molecules of 1 and 2 differ in the relative arrangement of the "Fe(η5-C5H5)" and "Re(CO)3" units (anti in 1 and syn in 2). This affects the type of intermolecular interactions, the assembly of the molecules and therefore their crystal architecture. Comparative studies of their electrochemical, spectroscopic and photo-physical properties have allowed us to clarify the effect produced by the location of the organometallic arrays (ferrocenyl or cyrhetrenyl) on electronic delocalization, the proclivity of the metals to undergo oxidation and their emissive properties. Theoretical studies based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations on the two compounds have also been carried out in order to rationalize the experimental results and to assign the bands detected in their electronic spectra. The cytotoxic activities of compounds 1 and 2 against human adenocarcinoma cell lines [breast (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231) and colon (HCT-116)] reveal that imine 2 has a greater inhibitory growth effect than 1 and it is ca. 1.8 times more potent than cisplatin in the triple negative MDA-MB 231 and in the cisplatin resistant HCT-116 cell lines. A comparative study of their effect on the normal and non-tumour human skin fibroblast BJ cell lines is also reported.