[A furoncular ankle cellulitis in a teenager with a difference: Dermatobia hominis]. / Un passager clandestin à ne pas méconnaître: Dermatobia hominis, à propos d'un cas.

We report a case of botfly myiasis presenting as an ankle cellulitis in a teenager returning from Guyana. Main clinical features and therapeutic approaches are described.

Risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome: changes associated with sleep position recommendations.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the decreased incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and investigate risk profile changes associated with changes in infant sleep position. DESIGN: A population-based case-control study that used birth and death certificates from Washington State. Cases (n = 1515) were all singletons born in Washington between 1985 and 1995 (excluding 1991) who died of SIDS. Control cases (n = 6060) were randomly selected singletons born in the same period who did not die of SIDS. Multivariate logistic regression compared changes in the magnitude of associations between risk factors and SIDS before and after 1991. RESULTS: The incidence of SIDS in Washington declined from 2.6 (1985) to 1.0 (1998) per 1000 births. Over time, the risk of SIDS increased for low birth weight infants (odds ratio [OR] 2.1 rose to 3.6), and infants born to mothers who were smokers (OR 2.7 rose to 3.7), unmarried (OR 1.4 rose to 2.0), black (OR 1.4 rose to 2.5), or received limited prenatal care (OR 1.5 rose to 2.5). CONCLUSION: Five exposures were associated with increased risks of SIDS. These may not require a prone sleep position for their deleterious impact being associated with distinct causal pathways, or possibly indicating subpopulations yet to recognize the importance of the supine sleep position.

T cell clones from Schistosoma haematobium infected and exposed individuals lacking distinct cytokine profiles for Th1/Th2 polarisation.

T cell clones were derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of Schistosoma haematobium infected and uninfected individuals living in an endemic area. The clones were stimulated with S. haematobium worm and egg antigens and purified protein derivative. Attempts were made to classify the T cell clones according to production of the cytokines IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-gamma. All the T cell clones derived were observed to produce cytokines used as markers for the classification of Th1/Th2 subsets. However, the 'signature' cytokines marking each subset were produced at different levels. The classification depended on the dominating cytokine type, which was having either Th0/1 or Th0/2 subsets. The results indicated that no distinct cytokine profiles for polarisation of Th1/Th2 subsets were detected in these S. haematobium infected humans. The balance in the profiles of cytokines marking each subset were related to infection and re-infection status after treatment with praziquantel. In the present study, as judged by the changes in infection status with time, the T cell responses appeared to be less stable and more dynamic, suggesting that small quantitative changes in the balance of the cytokines response could result in either susceptibility or resistant to S. haematobium infection.

T cell clones from Schistosoma haematobium infected and exposed individuals lacking distinct cytokine profiles for Th1/Th2 polarisation

T cell clones were derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of Schistosoma haematobium infected and uninfected individuals living in an endemic area. The clones were stimulated with S. haematobium worm and egg antigens and purified protein derivative. Attempts were made to classify the T cell clones according to production of the cytokines IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-gamma. All the T cell clones derived were observed to produce cytokines used as markers for the classification of Th1/Th2 subsets. However, the 'signature' cytokines marking each subset were produced at different levels. The classification depended on the dominating cytokine type, which was having either Th0/1 or Th0/2 subsets. The results indicated that no distinct cytokine profiles for polarisation of Th1/Th2 subsets were detected in these S. haematobium infected humans. The balance in the profiles of cytokines marking each subset were related to infection and re-infection status after treatment with praziquantel. In the present study, as judged by the changes in infection status with time, the T cell responses appeared to be less stable and more dynamic, suggesting that small quantitative changes in the balance of the cytokines response could result in either susceptibility or resistant to S. haematobium infection

Connectivity of marine populations: open or closed?

Most marine populations are thought to be well connected via long-distance dispersal of larval stages. Eulerian and Lagrangian flow models, coupled with linear mortality estimates, were used to examine this assumption. The findings show that when simple advection models are used, larval exchange rates may be overestimated; such simplistic models fail to account for a decrease of up to nine orders of magnitude in larval concentrations resulting from diffusion and mortality. The alternative process of larval retention near local populations is shown to exist and may be of great importance in the maintenance of marine population structure and management of coastal marine resources.

Connectivity of marine populations: open or closed?

Most marine populations are thought to be well connected via long-distance dispersal of larval stages. Eulerian and Lagrangian flow models, coupled with linear mortality estimates, were used to examine this assumption. The findings show that when simple advection models are used, larval exchange rates may be overestimated; such simplistic models fail to account for a decrease of up to nine orders of magnitude in larval concentrations resulting from diffusion and mortality. The alternative process of larval retention near local populations is shown to exist and may be of great importance in the maintenance of marine population structure and management of coastal marine resources.(Au)

[Seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus and Toxoplasma gondii in healthy subjects under 30 years old in Santiago, Chile]. / Seroprevalencia de citomegalovirus y Toxoplasma gondii en población sana menor de 30 años, en Santiago de Chile.

BACKGROUND: Infections by Cytomegalovirus and Toxoplasma gondii are endemic in Chile and only a low proportion of infected individuals have clinical manifestations. AIM: To study the prevalence of infection by Cytomegalovirus and Toxoplasma gondii in Chile. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The prevalence of IgG antibodies against Cytomegalovirus and Toxoplasma gondii were studied in 560 subjects under 30 years old, using an ELISA technique. Age, socioeconomic level, breast feeding, assistance to nurseries and number of family members were considered as risk factors for these infections. RESULTS: Infection by Cytomegalovirus had a global prevalence of 60%. It showed an epidemiological pattern of late acquisition in high socioeconomic levels and a pattern of early infection in medium and low socioeconomic levels. Eighty to 90% of sera were positive for the infection in adult subjects of the three socioeconomic levels. There was a positive correlation between the duration of breast feeding and the frequency of Cytomegalovirus infection. Infection by Toxoplasma gondii had a global prevalence of 24.6%. The rates of susceptible individuals were 80 and 50% in high and medium-low socioeconomic levels respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The knowledge about the frequency of these infections in high risk populations such as women during their reproductive years and immunodepressed individuals, will allow the implementation of preventive measures.