Delimitation of the upstream region of NFKBIA gene associated with HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis using candidate Tag-SNPs in Peruvian HTLV-1 infected individuals.

In Peru, it is estimated that about 150 000-400 000 people carry the Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1). Only 10% of HTLV-1 carries develop complications related to HTLV-1. HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is a chronic disabling inflammatory disease affecting the spinal cord. HAM/TSP produces principally weakness in the lower limbs and bladder disturbances, among other complications. In a previous study, our group identified three SNPs (rs3138053, rs2233406, and rs3138045) located in the promoter region of the NFKBIA gene associated with HAM/TSP. This study aimed to analyze the association between four Tag-SNPs (rs10148482, rs17103274, rs17103282, and rs762009) located in the upstream region of the NFKBIA gene and HAM/TSP, and to delimit the linkage disequilibrium zone in the upstream region of the NFBKIA gene associated with HAM/TSP. The tetra-primers ARMS-PCR technique was used to genotype 4 Tag-SNPs on 140 HAM/TSP patients and 258 asymptomatic carriers. The SNP rs17103282 showed a deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p < .0001). Neither of three Tag-SNPs showed an association with HAM/TSP (P > .05). No linkage disequilibrium between four Tag-SNPs evaluated in this study and previous ones was observed. Here we show the region located in the upstream region of the NFKBIA gene highly associated with HAM/TSP disease in patients infected with HTLV-1 from Lima, Peru.

Allelic variability of critical virulence genes (eae, bfpA and perA) in typical and atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in Peruvian children.

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a leading cause of infantile diarrhoea in developing countries. The aim of this study was to describe the allelic diversity of critical EPEC virulence genes and their association with clinical characteristics. One hundred and twenty EPEC strains isolated from a cohort diarrhoea study in Peruvian children were characterized for the allele type of eae (intimin), bfpA (bundlin pilin protein of bundle-forming pilus) and perA (plasmid encoded regulator) genes by PCR-RFLP. Atypical EPEC strains (eae+, bfp-) were the most common pathotype in diarrhoea (54/74, 73 %) and control samples from children without diarrhoea (40/46, 87 %). Overall, there were 13 eae alleles; the most common were beta (34/120, 28 %), theta (24/120, 20 %), kappa (14/120, 12 %) and mu (8/120, 7 %). There were five bfpA alleles; the most common were beta1/7 (10/26), alpha3 (7/26) and beta5 (3/26). There were three perA alleles: beta (8/16), alpha (7/16) and gamma (1/16). The strains belonged to 36 distinct serogroups; O55 was the most frequent. The gamma-intimin allele was more frequently found in diarrhoea episodes of longer duration (>7 days) than those of shorter duration (3/26, 12 % vs 0/48, 0 %, P<0.05). The kappa-intimin allele had the highest clinical severity score in comparison with other alleles (P<0.05). In Peruvian children, the virulence genes of EPEC strains are highly variable. Further studies are needed to evaluate additional virulence markers to determine whether relationships exist between specific variants and clinical features of disease.

Recombinant antigens for specific and sensitive serodiagnosis of Latin American tegumentary leishmaniasis.

The diagnostic potential of recombinant leishmanial antigens for Latin American tegumentary leishmaniasis (LATL) was examined. Two Leishmania (Viannia) peruviana recombinant proteins, T26-U2 and T26-U4, were assessed by their reactivity to detect specific anti-leishmanial antibodies. Seventy-eight individual sera from persons with LATL, 39 from those with other diseases, and 10 negative control sera were tested by Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The sensitivity of the test using T26-U2 plus T26-U4 was similar to that obtained with whole parasite extract (92%). However, the specificity obtained using both recombinant antigens (87%) was higher than that of the whole parasite extract (65%). All tests using recombinant proteins (T26-U2, T26-U2 plus T26-U4 or T26-U4) had a higher positive predictive value (89%, 92% and 98%, respectively) than the value obtained using total parasites (81%). Eleven Colombian sera were also tested, and the results indicated that T26-U2 plus T26-U4 could be used successfully in Peru and in other Latin American countries.

Estado de la resistencia a los antibióticos del Vibrio Cholerae en dos hospitales nacionales-Perú: 1991 a 1993 / State of the antibiotic resistance of Vibrio Cholerae in two national hospitals-Peru: from 1991 to 1993

Se estudiaron 53 cepas del Vibrio Cholerae aisladas de pacientes del Hospital Nacional Arzobispo Loayza y 34 procedentes de pacientes pediátricos del Hospital San Bartolomé, con la finalidad de establecer la Concentración Mínima Inhibitoria (CIM) para distintos antibióticos, mediante el método de doble dilución en Agar Muller Hinton. Se encontró que todas las cepas fueron resistentes al Cloramfenicol y a la Lincomicina; además en las cepas aisladas en niños, se halló resistencia a la Gentamicina, Sulfametoxazol y Trimetropin. En el grupo de adultos, la resistencia fue variable, destacando el 11.31% para ampicilina (CIM=0.75 mg/ml), el 13.2% para ácido nalidíxico (CIM=3.5 mg/ml) el 13.20% para penicilina (CIM=3.5 mg/ml) y el 32.1% para amoxicilina (CIM=3.5 mg/ml). En el grupo de cepas aisladas de niños se encontró un 8.82% resistentes a la tetraciclina y a la penicilina (CIM=0.125 y 3.65 UI/ml mg/ml respectivamente), el 5.88% correspondiente a la amoxicilina y ácido nalidíxico (CIM=2.75 mg/ml para ambos) y el 38.23% para ampicilina (CIM=0.75 mg/ml). En relación a los patrones de resistencia a antibiotipos, estos varían de R:3 a R:9; siendo los más frecuentes el R:5 (Cloramfenicol, Clindamicina, Lincomicina, Sulfametoxazol y Trimetropin) en adultos y R:4 (Clindamicina, Lincomicina, Gentamicina y Trimetropin) en niños. Estos resultados sugieren que el Vibrio Cholerae actuaría como posible reservorio de plásmidos de resistencia a antibióticos, lo que complicaría el tratamiento de enfermedades y al mismo tiempo la erradicación del Vibrio Cholerae de nuestro medio.

Fifty three strains of the Vibrio Cholerae were studied, isolated from patients from the National Hospital Arzobispo Loayza and 34 strains coming from pediatric patients from the Bartolome Hospital, with the goal of establishing the Minimun Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) for different antibiotics, by means of the method of double dilution in Agar Muller Hinton. It was found that all the strains were resistant to Cloramfenicol and Lincomicin; besides, at the isolated strains from children, was found a resistance to Gentamicin, Sulfametoxazol and Trimetropin. At the adult group the resistance was variable, being remarkable the 11.32% from ampicilina (MIC=0.75 ug/ml) the 13% for nalidixic acid (MIC=3.5 ug/ml). At the group of isolated strains from children, it was found an 8.82% resistant to tetraciclina and penicillin (MIC=0.152 and 3.65 UL/ml ug/ml respectively) the 5.88% belong to amoxilin and nalidix acid (MIC=2.75 ug/ml for both) and 38.23% for ampicilina (MIC=0.75 ug/ml). In relation to the patterns of resistance to anti-biotic types, these change from r:3 to r:9 being the more frequent ones the R:5 (Cloramfenicol, Clindamicina, Lincomicin, Sulfametoxazol and Trimetropin) in adults and R:4 (Clindamicina, Lincomicin, Gentamicin and Trimetropin) in children. These results suggest that the Vibrio Cholerae will act as a possible reservoir of plasmids of resistance to anti-biotics, and that would complicate the treatment of the illness, and at the same time, the ending of Vibrio Cholerae in our environment.

Una alternativa para la detección de Vibio cholerae en aguas / An alternative for the detection of Vibio cholerae in waters

Se ha desarrollado un método que podría ser usado como alternativa en la detección indirecta de Vibrio cholerae en aguas, mediante la utilización de vibriófagos aislados de aguas marinas someras, relacionadas con desembocaduras de dos ríos y con colector de aguas servidas. Para tal efecto, se han tenido en cuenta las características de crecimiento de este microorganismo, así como la especificidad de sus fagos. Se ha conseguido calificar y cuantificar la presencia del vibrión colérico en los lugares muestreados.

We have developed a method that could be used as an alternative for indirect detection of Vibrio cholerae from water through the use of vibriophages isolated from shallow marine water relating to two river mouths and to a sewage pipe- for this, we have considered the growing characteristics of this microorganism as well as its phage specifity. We have qualified and quantified the presence of the choleric vibrion in the sampled places.