Inmunogenicidad y capacidad protectora en hamsters de vacunas antileptospirósicas monovalentes de células enteras del serogrupo Ballum / Immunogenicity and protective capacity of leptospiral whole-cell monovalent serogroup Ballum vaccines in hamsters

El serogrupo Ballum de Leptospira constituye en la actualidad la primera causa de leptospirosis humana en Cuba. Vacunas de células enteras químicamente inactivadas fueron formuladas a partir de dos cepas clínicas de Leptospira interrogans serogrupo Ballum empleando como adyuvante hidróxido de aluminio. Los niveles de aglutininas inducidos en hamsters por una u otra preparación vacunal fueron estimados mediante aglutinación microscópica y la actividad IgG específica fue cuantificada mediante ELISA. La capacidad de protección homóloga y heteróloga contra la infección letal y subletal se determinó mediante el desafío con 100 y 10 000 DL50 de cinco cepas virulentas pertenecientes a los serogrupos Ballum, Canicola, Icterohaemorrhagiae y Pomona. Las evaluaciones realizadas demostraron que ambas vacunas fueron inmunogénicas e indujeron una completa protección homóloga en el modelo animal empleado. La protección cruzada frente a serogrupos heterólogos solo fue significativa en una de las preparaciones monovalentes frente al desafío con 100 DL50 de Canicola. Como resultado de este estudio se pudo comprobar la alta inmunogenicidad y capacidad protectora en hamsters de vacunas monovalentes de células enteras formuladas a partir de dos cepas candidatas vacunales del serogrupo de Leptospira de mayor circulación en humanos en Cuba no incluido en la vacuna actualmente disponible.

Leptospira serogroup Ballum is at present the first cause of human leptospirosis in Cuba. Killed whole-cell vaccines were formulated with two clinical isolates of Leptospira interrogans serogroup Ballum using aluminum hydroxide as adjuvant. Agglutinins levels induced by each vaccine in hamsters were estimated by microscopic agglutination test and specific IgG activities were quantified by a whole cell-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Homologous and cross protective capacity against lethal and sublethal infection were determined in vaccinated animals by challenge with 100 and 10 000 LD50 of five virulent strains belonging to serogroups Ballum, Canicola, Icterohaemorrhagiae and Pomona. Both monovalent serogroup Ballum vaccines were immunogenic and induced complete homologous protection in the animal model. Cross-protection was only significant in one of the two vaccines against challenge with 100 LD50 of serogroup Canicola. The results of this study demonstrate the high immunogenicity and protective capacity in hamsters of whole-cell monovalent vaccines formulated with two vaccine candidate strains belonging to the most prevalent serogroup of Leptospira in Cuba.

[Immunogenicity and protective capacity of leptospiral whole-cell monovalent serogroup Ballum vaccines in hamsters]. / Inmunogenicidad y capacidad protectora en hamsters de vacunas antileptospirósicas monovalentes de células enteras del serogrupo Ballum.

Leptospira serogroup Ballum is at present the first cause of human leptospirosis in Cuba. Killed whole-cell vaccines were formulated with two clinical isolates of Leptospira interrogans serogroup Ballum using aluminum hydroxide as adjuvant. Agglutinins levels induced by each vaccine in hamsters were estimated by microscopic agglutination test and specific IgG activities were quantified by a whole cell-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Homologous and cross protective capacity against lethal and sublethal infection were determined in vaccinated animals by challenge with 100 and 10,000 LD50 of five virulent strains belonging to serogroups Ballum, Canicola, Icterohaemorrhagiae and Pomona. Both monovalent serogroup Ballum vaccines were immunogenic and induced complete homologous protection in the animal model. Cross-protection was only significant in one of the two vaccines against challenge with 100 LD50 of serogroup Canicola. The results of this study demonstrate the high immunogenicity and protective capacity in hamsters of whole-cell monovalent vaccines formulated with two vaccine candidate strains belonging to the most prevalent serogroup of Leptospira in Cuba.

Inmunogenicidad y capacidad protectora en hamsters de vacunas antileptospirósicas monovalentes de células enteras del serogrupo Ballum. / [Immunogenicity and protective capacity of leptospiral whole-cell monovalent serogroup Ballum vaccines in hamsters]

Leptospira serogroup Ballum is at present the first cause of human leptospirosis in Cuba. Killed whole-cell vaccines were formulated with two clinical isolates of Leptospira interrogans serogroup Ballum using aluminum hydroxide as adjuvant. Agglutinins levels induced by each vaccine in hamsters were estimated by microscopic agglutination test and specific IgG activities were quantified by a whole cell-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Homologous and cross protective capacity against lethal and sublethal infection were determined in vaccinated animals by challenge with 100 and 10,000 LD50 of five virulent strains belonging to serogroups Ballum, Canicola, Icterohaemorrhagiae and Pomona. Both monovalent serogroup Ballum vaccines were immunogenic and induced complete homologous protection in the animal model. Cross-protection was only significant in one of the two vaccines against challenge with 100 LD50 of serogroup Canicola. The results of this study demonstrate the high immunogenicity and protective capacity in hamsters of whole-cell monovalent vaccines formulated with two vaccine candidate strains belonging to the most prevalent serogroup of Leptospira in Cuba.

Profile of pediatric admissions with diagnosis of asthma at the San Pablo Hospital.

Bronchial Asthma morbidity and mortality appear to be increasing. In our continuing endeavor to investigate the asthma problem in Puerto Rico, we describe the profile or group of pediatric patients admitted with asthma during a three month period of time to a community hospital. This is intended to be an initial step in developing a more detailed study to evaluate risk factors for hospitalization and need for acute care management of children with asthma in Puerto Rico. We evaluated a group of patients admitted with the diagnosis of asthma (ICD-9 code 493). One hundred and nineteen admissions between August 22 and November 21, 1990 (ninety days) were reviewed retrospectively. Data extracted from the records included demographic, laboratory and physiological variables. Results were similar for both sexes. Asthma admissions represented 29 percent of the total admissions with a hospital stay of 4.07 +/- 1.09 days and age of 4.62 +/- 4.29 years (mean +/- SD). No pulmonary function tests were performed as criteria for admission. In conclusion, this study suggests that the need for hospitalization in children with asthma in a community hospital is based on clinical evaluation. The use of pulmonary function tests, peak expiratory flow measurement or both may not be suitable for the majority of children admitted with asthma due to age. Other criteria for younger children with asthma need to be developed.

[Epidemiologic study of 500 adult epileptics from a hospital population]. / Estudio epidemiológico de 500 epilépticos adultos procedentes de una población hospitalaria.

An epidemiology analysis is carried out in a hospital population of 500 epileptic patients older than 14 years of age, pertaining to the outpatient department of the Instituto de Neurología, Hospital de Clínicas, Monevideo". This information gathered, corresponds to the period, 1966-1975. Specially formulated records of precoded-type data were used for this research and the data was processed by automation. This work deals fundamentally with a descriptive study in which the character of the population and of its epilepsy is studied by means of 20 items. Analyzed from within the social aspects, the school attendance and the occupation of the patients, amounts, similar to those of the general population of the country, were found. An elevated incidence of family epilepsy antecedents (17%) in the group and also of perinatal pathology (19%), is emphasized. An analytic study of the clinical type of crisis and of the factors unleashed by the attacks is made. Dividing the population into two groups, according to the beginning of epilepsy, before or after the 25 years, the different etiology for both groups is specially pointed out, the juvenile epilepsy predominating in the unknown etiology, genetics and that which is produced by perinatal pathology, while in the tary epilepsy, the vascular and tumoral etiology, above all, is most frequent.

[Epidemiologic study of myasthenia in Uruguay]. / Estudio epidemiológico de la miastenia en el Uruguay

During the period 1960 to 1976 170 cases of myasthenia were analyzed in the Laboratorio de Afecciones Neuromusculares del Instituto de Neurologia de Montevideo. This is an epiderom the total), pregnancy, surgical treatment (Thymectomy, 6%), lethally (13%). It is concluded that myasthenia is an unfrequent disease, with female prevalence (58%); between 30 to 70 years, starting by oculomotor signs (74%) and of severe prognosis in 24% of cases.

[Comparative study of the cognitive functions and symbolic order in temporal and centerencephalic epilepsy of long development of difficult therapeutic control]. / Estudio comparativo de las funciones cognitivas y de orden simbólico en las epilepsias temporales y centrencefálicas de larga evolución y difícil control terapéutico

The paper is centered in the comparative study of three groups of long-term epileptic patients in which therapeutic control is difficult to achieve, by means of several neuropsychological tests evaluating levels of intelligence, memory, language and praxis. Paget's tests of conservation of physical quantities revealed no significant differences in results obtained from the exploration of operative levels between epileptics with right temporal, left temporal or centrencephalic electroencephalographic foci. There is no parallel decrease of operative level when present, and deficit of mnesic functions, which is constantly observed in the three groups and usually evidenced in short-term memory. The graphic representation of projective space (Cube, house), is parallel to operative weakening. No significant relationship between lateralization of focus and graphic performance is observed. Language exploration by means of Benton and Spreen's battery of tests shows distinctly similar results in the three groups of patients. The location of the epileptic focus shows no relevance with respect to language disturbances. The most outstanding pathologic phenomenon is a certain degree of anomia observed in the naming of objects. Its significance is discussed (Slight degree of amnesic aphasia, deficit of evocative memory, or a lexical level in accordance with the operative deficit). The deficit of the repetition of sentences test and in others including a time element should not be ascribed to a specific language deficit. True aphasia was present in only three patients of the left temporal group after prolonged status epilepticus.