[Emergence of a new pathogen: Cyclospora cayetanensis in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus]. / Emergencia de un nuevo patógeno: Cyclospora cayetanensis en pacientes infectados por el virus de inmunodeficiencia humana.

The emergence of a new pathogen Cyclospora cayetanensis as a cause of clinical disease in immunosuppressed hosts is related with prolonged, severe and highly recurrent diarrheas. This paper reports two Cuban cases of cyclosporiasis associated with infection from human immunodeficiency virus in which non sporulated oocysts of Cyclospora cayetanensis were detected in feces by modified Zielhl Neelsen's technique. The most significant clinical symptoms were chronic diarrheas and loss of body weight, with CD4 levels below 200 cells per mm3. The occurrence of severe digestive symptoms in patients with Cyclospora cayetanensi and important immune compromise backed up the concept that this pathogen may act as a new opportunistic pathogen in patients with HIV.

Evaluación del estrés oxidativo en un paciente con isquemia cerebral transitoria / The evaluation of oxidative stress in a patient with transient cerebral ischaemia

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[Mother to child transmission of infantile HIV/AIDS in Cuba]. / La transmisión materno infantil del VIH/SIDA en Cuba.

The number of children born to HIV/AIDS-seropositive mothers in Cuba is small due to the implementation of the program for the prevention of maternal-infant transmission of HIV/AIDS in Cuba. During the studied period (January 1st, 1985, to December 31st, 1999) 64 children were born, 9 were infected with HIV, 7 of them have developed AIDS (3 have died due to this cause and 4 are under treatment with antiviral agents and proteases inhibitors) and 2 are asymptomatic HIV seropositive. Of the 48 children that concluded the study, 39 (81.25%) are sound and 9 (18.75%) are HIV/AIDS-seropositive children, which is a low figure of maternal-infant transmission compared with that of the developed countries. Since 1997, when AZT began to be administered to mothers and children, none of the 8 children that finished the study have been infected. Up to now, 10 HIV/AIDS-seropositive children, 9 by perinatal route and 1 by blood transfusion, already dead, have been reported in the country.

[Report of a case of purulent rhinitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in a patient with HIV/AIDS]. / Reporte de 1 caso de rinitis purulenta por Streptococcus pneumoniae en un paciente VIH/SIDA.

This paper reports a case of acute purulent rhinitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in a HIV/AIDS patient seen at the Hospitalization Center of "Pedro Kourí" Tropical Medicine Institute. The clinical findings were fever, severe purulent rhinorrea and affected general condition. Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated with standard and advanced diagnosis techniques. Antimicrobial sensitivity test revealed that it was sensitive to cefaloridien, ampicillin, penicillin G and oxacillin. The patient was treated with a dose of 2 g of ampicillin daily for 10 days. The clinical picture of the patient improved and there was a total remission of the symptoms.

[Chorioretinitis caused by toxoplasma in children]. / Coriorretinitis por toxoplasma en niños.

In a period of 5 years, 21 children with ocular lesions caused by toxoplasma (chorioretinitis due to toxoplasma) were seen at "Pedro Kourí" Tropical Medicine Institute. Of the 21 children, 5 (23.8%) had lesions in both eyes and 16 (76.1%) in one eye (9 in the left eye and 7 in the right one). 9 children (42.8%) initially had active lesions that responded satisfactorily to medical treatment whereas 12 (57.1%) came to the hospital with healed lesions that did not require any treatment. They were all followed up as outpatients with favorable evolution in all cases.

[HIV infection and isosporiasis. Presentation of a case]. / Infección por VIH e isosporiasis. Presentación de un caso.

A HIV seropositive patient with chronic diarrheic syndrome, in which oocysts of Isospora belli were detected in feces by the modified technique of Ziehl-Neelsen was studied. Other coproparasitological techniques were applied and cultures were applied made with negative results. Any other infectious origin was excluded from the picture. The patient was treated with 2 tablets of Co-trimoxazole (trimethoprin 80 mg, sulphamethoxazole 400 mg) every 6 hours for ten days, with referral of the symptoms.

[Infection by Schistosoma intercalatum and probable hybridization with Schistosoma haematobium in East Africa. Report of a case]. / Infección por Schistosoma intercalatum y probable hibridización con Schistosoma haematobium en el este de Africa. Reporte de un caso.

It is reported the infection due to Schistosoma intercalatum and the probable hybridization with Schistosoma haematobium in a patient from the eastern region of Africa, where it has not been demonstrated before. The main clinical manifestations were abdominal pain and diarrhea with blood. The diagnosis was possible thanks to the finding in the microscopic examination of the characteristic eggs of Schistosoma intercalatum in faeces and urine by the modified technique of Ziehl-Neelsen.

Contribution to the determination of the chemotherapeutic drug G1 in biological fluids.

A sensitive gas chromatographic method for the quantitative determination of the new antibacterial and antifungal drug G1, 1-(5-bromofuran-2-yl)-2-bromo-2-nitroethene, has been optimized. The method involves a fast and single extraction step from spiked serum and urine samples. The G1 drug was quantified using an internal standard method and by means of a nitrogen-selective detector. The results are statistically significant and show that mean levels of G1 as low as 1 microg ml(-1) can be measured accurately.

[Tuberculosis and HIV coinfection in Cuba]. / La coinfección de la tuberculosis y el VIH en Cuba.

The first 28 Cuban HIV-seropositive patients with bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis in the period of 21 months between July, 1993, and March, 1995, were presented. The clinical characterization and the therapeutic response of the multidrug regimen considered by the National Program for Tuberculosis Control are stressed. The most frequent clinical form of presentation was the pulmonary one with 89.3% No lesions were found in the chest X-ray of 8 patients. The response to the multidrug treatment was satisfactory, which together with a group of procedures performed prevented the propagation of this disease among the HIV-seropositive patients and the population in general.

[Care for the Cuban child born to an HIV-seropositive mother]. / Atención al niño cubano hijo de madre seropositiva al VIH.

Up to this moment, 25 children have been born from mothers seropositive to HIV. Of these, only 12 who are seropositive have been studied. Four of these children had developed the disease (33.3%), and the route of transmission was a blood transfusion. From the moment they were born, these children had been followed up monthly at the out-patient service and the polymerase chain reaction test, as well as ELISA and western blot is performed at 3, 6, and 9 months of age. Also, the same test are performed at 18 and 36 months of age for diagnostic confirmation in order to know whether they are virus carriers.

[Use of an indirect immunofluorescence probe for early detection of latent malaria]. / Utilidad de la prueba de inmunofluorescencia indirecta en la detección precoz de recidivas palúdicas.

We followed up the values of the titres of malaria antibodies by the indirect immunofluorescence (IFI) technique in 52 patients: 27 Cubans and 25 foreigners with malaria. All the subjects had previously been in endemic zones. The diagnosis of the disease was based upon the thick drop test. The prevailing species was Plasmodium falciparum. The IFI technique was used at the beginning of the treatment, weekly and after 3 months. Four patients had recurrences in the 3 first weeks of the follow-up, with increased levels of the antibody titres before parasitaemia appeared. Those titres decreased with the specific treatment. We propose that the patients with increasing antibody titres in spite of the negative results of the thick drop test be considered as having a risk of developing malaria.