Effect of Dialyzable Leukocyte Extract on chronic cervicitis in patients with HPV infection.

The objective of the study was to assess the clinical, histopathological and immunochemical changes induced by dialyzable leukocyte extract (DLE) treatment in patients with chronic cervicitis associated to HPV infection. Fifty-four female Mexican patients diagnosed with chronic cervicitis, cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN 1) and HPV infection were divided into two groups: patients treated with placebo and patients treated with DLE. Clinical and colposcopy evaluations were performed before and after treatments. Cervix biopsies were obtained to analyze histopathological features and to determine the local immunological changes by immunohistochemistry analyses. Placebo-treated patients showed no significant changes in the evaluated parameters. Interestingly, in DLE-treated patients, clinical manifestations of cervicitis diminished and 89% of them remitted the colposcopic lesions. Histological analyses of biopsies from DLE-treated patients showed a decreasing leukocyte infiltrate. Immunochemical analyses showed an increased expression of TGF-ß, while expression of IFN-γ, PCNA, and IL-32 decreased. Our results suggest that DLE can stimulate innate immunity of cervical mucosae, diminishing chronic cervicitis in HPV-infected patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Register ISRCTN16429164 Abbreviations: HPV = Human Papilloma Virus; DLE = Dialyzable leukocyte extract.

Development of a multiplex PCR assay to detect gastroenteric pathogens in the feces of Mexican children.

Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide; the etiology of AGE includes viruses, bacteria, and parasites. A multiplex PCR assay to simultaneously identify human Astrovirus (HAstV), Calicivirus (HuCVs), Entamoeba histolytica (E. histolytica), and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) in stool samples is described. A total of 103 samples were individually analyzed by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays) and RT-PCR/PCR. HAstV and HuCVs were detected in four out of 103 samples (3.8 %) by RT-PCR, but ELISAs found only one sample as positive for HuCVs (2.5 %). E. histolytica was identified in two out of 19 samples (10.5 %) and EIEC in 13 out of 20 samples (70 %) by PCR, and all PCR products were sequenced to verify their identities. Our multiplex PCR results demonstrate the simultaneous amplification of different pathogens such as HAstV, EIEC, and E. histolytica in the same reaction, though the HuCVs signal was weak in every replicate. Regardless, this multiplex PCR protocol represents a novel tool for the identification of distinct pathogens and may provide support for the diagnosis of AGE in children.

Health-related quality of life in children and adults with respiratory allergy in Colombia: prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Allergic diseases are very common, with the estimated cumulative prevalence in Colombia for asthma and allergic rhinitis being 22.7% and 31.3% respectively, and with a clear upward trend. A major social as well as economic impact associated with allergic disease has been described. Because in Colombia there are no studies that assess the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) in allergic respiratory diseases, our aim is to describe the HRQOL in subjects with respiratory allergy and its association with clinical control variables. METHODS: A prospective descriptive study was conducted among 76 Colombian subjects with rhinitis and asthma/allergic rhinitis. In order to evaluate the HRQOL, the instruments Kidscreen-27 and SF-36 were applied. The scores obtained in the HRQOL fields were correlated with the following clinical variables: peak expiratory flow (PEF) and peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF). RESULTS: In children, the better HRQL domain is present in the school environment (55.9) and the worst in psychological well-being (39.9). For adults the worst HRQL was found in the emotional function domain (55.6) while the physical function (81.7) had the best. There were no statistical differences between groups of asthma/allergic rhinitis and allergic rhinitis. Subjects with allergic asthma showed a strong correlation between the mental health domain and PEF values (r=-0717, p=0.046). CONCLUSION: Mental health is more affected than physical health in Colombian subjects with respiratory allergy. There was a strong correlation between the mental health domain and the values of PEF in patients with asthma/allergic rhinitis.

[Prenatal stimulation: results in the peripartum period]. / La estimulación prenatal: resultados relevantes en el periparto.

UNLABELLED: During pregnancy, the prolonged stress and worry felt by mothers can alter the development and function of the right brain hemisphere. For this reason, importance is given to prenatal stimulation programs for pregnant women. OBJECTIVES: To determine the perinatal results in the moment of childbirth in mothers who had participated in prenatal stimulation programs. MATERIAL: An experimental study was conducted in five health districts in the town of Cienfuegos (Cuba) with a view to identifying the perinatal results at the moment of childbirth in women that had participated in prenatal stimulation programs. METHODOLOGY: The study consisted of an intentional sampling of all of the subjects (n = 200 women who were 20-28 weeks pregnant). The variables studied were the following: duration of labor, baby's birth weight, Apgar score at birth, type of childbirth, and opinion of the subjects about the prenatal stimulation program. RESULTS: Of the population sample, 36% of the subjects gave birth in less than six hours; 67.5% had babies weighing 2,500-3,000 grams; and 96.5% had babies whose Apgar scores were between 8 and 9. Finally, 68.5% of the subjects had natural childbirths and 96% were satisfied with the prenatal stimulation program. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained showed that these new prenatal stimulation programs were well received by the subjects in this study.