Immune modulation by the hepatitis C virus core protein.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is currently the most important cause of chronic viral hepatitis in the world and one of the most frequent indications for liver transplantation. HCV uses different strategies to evade the innate and adaptive immune response, and this evasion plays a key role in determining viral persistence. Several HCV viral proteins have been described as immune modulators. In this review, we will focus on the effect of HCV nucleocapsid core protein in the function of immune cells and its correlation with the findings observed in HCV chronically infected patients. Effects on immune cell function related to both extracellular and intracellular HCV core localization will be considered. This review provides an updated perspective on the mechanisms involved in HCV evasion related to one single HCV protein, which could become a key tool in the development of new antiviral strategies able to control and/or eradicate HCV infection.

Síndrome de TAR y estado de heterocigosis para anemia falciforme / TAR síndrome and heterozygosis in sickle cell anemia

Resumen: Presentación de un paciente con el cuadro clínico del síndrome de TAR, quien presenta además unestado de heterocigosis para anemia falciforme.El síndrome de TAR, descrito por primera vez en 1959 por Shaw y Oliver, es un trastorno genético nocomún que ocurre con una prevalencia aproximada de 1: 500.000 a 1: 1.000.000 de nacidos vivos.En 1969 Hall y col. delinearon los criterios diagnósticos de este síndrome que incluyen ausenciabilateral del radio con presencia de ambos pulgares y trombocitopenia. Otras anomalías descritas enmenor frecuencia son: Alteraciones óseas del húmero y cúbito, en los casos severos, focomelia, malformacionesde expresión variable en extremidades inferiores, malformaciones cardiacas e intoleranciaa la leche de vaca (1, 2).Los hallazgos encontrados en este caso se comparan con los de la literatura y se discute su posibleetiología, además de resaltar la importancia de realizar un diagnóstico y tratamiento precoz y precisoespecialmente de la trombocitopenia.Palabras clave: Malformaciones congénitas, aplasia, hipoplasia, trombocitopenia, anemiafalciforme.

Abstract: This paper shows a patient with clinical features of the TAR syndrome, who presents heterozigosisstate for sickle cell anemia.The TAR syndrome was described by Shaw and Oliver in 1959, it is a rare genetic disease, occurringwith an approximate prevalence of 1 case in 500.000 to 1 million births. Hall et al. described thecurrent diagnostic criteria for TAR syndrome in 1969. These include bilateral absence of the radiiin the presence of both thumbs and trombocytopenia. Other anomalies described included ulnar orhumeral defects and the most severe cases phocomelia, lower limb involvement is variable, cadiacanomalies and cow’s milk intolerance (1,2)In this paper, we compare the findings of the literature review, discuss the ethiology and the importanceof a diagnostic and treatment specially for trombocytopeniaKey words: Congenital malformations, aplasia, hypoplasia, trombocytope...