Genetic diversity of rhinoviruses detected at a tertiary hospital in Catalonia (Spain) during the 2014-2017 seasons.

AIM: To describe the genetic diversity of rhinovirus (RV) from patients attended at a tertiary hospital in Barcelona (Spain) from October 2014 to May 2017. METHODS: RV detection was performed by real-time multiplex RT-PCR. A specific real-time quantitive retrotranscription PCR (qRT-PCR) was carried out to select those samples (Ct < 35) for molecular characterization based on partial VP4/2 protein. RESULTS: Phylogenetic characterization revealed proportions of 63% RV-A, 6% RV-B and 31% RV-C (119 different types). RV-A circulated throughout all the study period, with a minor circulation during winter, just when RV-C prevailed. Differences between age medians by RV-specie were reported. CONCLUSION: The large genetic diversity of RV detected in our area is described here. The variable cocirculation of multiple RV types is also reported, showing differences by age.

Ultrasonido endoscópico en tumores neuroendocrinos de páncreas / Endoscopic ultrasound in the diagnosis of tumors neuroendocrine in the pancreas

El ultrasonido endoscópico (USE) tiene un importante rol en la evaluación de los tumores sólidos del páncreas, siendo el más frecuente el adenocarcinoma. En los tumores neuroendocrinos (T.N.E) permite su localización y caracterización aún en aquellos menores de 2 cm. Estudio retrospectivo, descriptivo, donde se incluyeron los pacientes con tumores sólidos de páncreas referidos para la punción aspiración con aguja fina (PAAF) - ultrasonido endoscópico. En el periodo 2008 - 2012 se evaluaron mediante ultrasonido endoscópico 140 pacientes con diagnóstico de tumores sólidos del páncreas, de los cuales 5 pacientes (3,57%) se diagnosticaron como tumores neuroendocrinos, de éstos, cuatro resultaron insulinomas funcionantes y 1 no funcionante. 4 pacientes eran del sexo femenino y 1 masculino y la edad promedio fue de 58,4 años. La punción aspiración con aguja fina (PAAF) fue positiva en 4 casos para insulinoma y el otro positivo para carcinoide, de los 4 pacientes con insulinomas, 3 fueron tratados quirúrgicamente, y una falleció por hipoglicemia severa antes de la cirugía y el quinto se encuentra en observación. Pacientes en los cuales se sospecha de tumor neuroendocrino del páncreas el USE y la PAAF permiten aún en los casos de lesiones menores de 2 cm su adecuada caracterización y localización con confirmación histológica previo a la decisión terapéutica lo que facilita la adecuada orientación y planificación del cirujano

Endoscopic ultrasound has an important role in the diagnosis of pancreatic masses, being adenocarcinoma the most frequently diagnosed histologic type. However, Endoscopic ultrasound can detect lesions as small as 2 cm. Retrospective, descriptive study, which included patients with solid tumors of pancreas referred for he Fine Needle Aspiration- Endoscopic ultrasound. In the period 2008 - 2012 were assessed by Endoscopic ultrasound diagnosis of 140 patients with solid tumors of the pancreas, of which 5 patients (3.57%) were diagnosed as neuroendocrine tumors, 4 insulinomas were functioning and non-functioning one. 4 patients were female and one male and the average age was 58.4 years. The fine needle aspiration was positive in 4 cases, 3 patients were treated surgically and 1 died of severe hypoglycemia before surgery. Patients with suspected pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor and The Fine Needle Aspiration-Endoscopic ultrasound allowed even in cases of lesions less than 2 cms proper characterization and localization with histological confirmation prior to therapeutic decision which facilitates proper guidance and planning surgeon

Tumor estromal gastrointestinal esofágico: a propósito de un caso / Gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the esophagus: a case report

Los tumores del estroma gastrointestinal (GIST) son los tumores mesenquimales más frecuentes del tracto gastrointestinal (GI), pero sólo representan un pequeño porcentaje de todas las neoplasias gastrointestinales. Los GIST se producen por lo general en las personas mayores siendo más común en el estómago (70%),¹ seguido del intestino delgado (20-30%), colon y recto (5%), y menos frecuentemente en el esófago, el epiplón y mesenterio (<5%). Histológicamente los GIST pueden variar desde los tumores de células fusiformes y epitelioides a los tumores pleomórficos. En contraste con otros tumores mesenquimales esofágicos, los GIST son inmunorreactivas para la proteína KIT (CD 117) en más de 95% de los casos y frecuentemente se co-expresan con CD34 (60-70%).¹ En este trabajo, se presenta un caso de una mujer de 74 años de edad, con historia de dolor retroesternal y disfagia desde 2007. La primera endoscopia digestiva alta mostró una lesión submucosa en el tercio distal del esófago y un ultrasonido endoscópico (USE), reveló una lesión hipoecogénica localizada en el esófago medio y distal ubicado en la muscular propia (4ta ecocapa) sugestivo de un tumor estromal. Se procede a tomar biopsia con una aguja echotip N°: 22 cuya citología reportó: tumor mesenquimal benigno. Fue intervenida en el 2011 por la persistencia de la disfagia con dolor retroesternal. La anatomía patología confirmó la presencia de un tumor estromal con diferenciación neurogénica

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract; however they only represent a minor percentage of all GI neoplasms. GISTs usually occur in older individuals and are most common in the stomach (70%),¹ followed by small intestine (20-30%), colon and rectum (5%), and less frequently in the esophagus, omentum, and mesentery (<5%). Histologically GISTs vary from spindle cell tumors to epithelioid and pleomorphic tumors. In contrast to other esophageal mesenchymal tumors, GISTs are immunoreactive for KIT protein (CD 117) in more than 95% of the cases and is frequently co-expressed with CD34 (60-70%).¹ We report a case of a female aged 74, who presented with a history of dysphagia and retrosternal pain since 2007. An initial upper GI endoscopy showed a submucosal lesion in the distal third of the esophagus and a subsequent Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) revealed a hypoechoic lesion located in the medium and distal esophagus arising from the muscularis propria (fourth echoic layer) suggestive of a stromal tumor. A proceeds to take a needle biopsy EchoTip No: 22 cytology reported: benign mesenchymal tumor. Due to worsening of the esophageal symptoms and the ambiguous results the patient was transferred to surgery in 2009. The pathology confirmed the presence of a stromal tumor with neurogenic differentiation

Assessment of drinking water quality using indicator bacteria and bacteriophages.

Bacterial indicators and bacteriophages suggested as potential indicators of water quality were determined by public laboratories in water from springs, household water wells, and rural and metropolitan water supplies in north-eastern Spain. Indicator bacteria were detected more frequently than bacteriophages in springs, household water wells and rural water supplies. In contrast, positive bacteriophage detections were more numerous than those of bacteria in metropolitan water supplies. Most of the metropolitan water supply samples containing indicators had concentrations of chlorine below 0.1 mg l(-1), their indicator loads resembling more closely those of rural water supplies than any other samples taken from metropolitan water supplies. The number of samples from metropolitan water supplies containing more than 0.1 mg l(-1) of chlorine that contained phages clearly outnumbered those containing indicator bacteria. Some association was observed between rainfall and the presence of indicators. Sediments from service reservoirs and water from dead ends in the distribution network of one of the metropolitan water supplies were also tested. Bacterial indicators and phages were detected in a higher percentage than in samples of tap water from the same network. Additionally, indicator bacteria were detected more frequently than bacteriophages in sediments of service reservoirs and water from dead end samples. We conclude that naturally occurring indicator bacteria and bacteriophages respond differently to chlorination and behave differently in drinking water distribution networks. Moreover, this study has shown that testing for the three groups of phages in routine laboratories is easy to implement and feasible without the requirement for additional material resources for the laboratories.