Serum and CSF alpha-synuclein levels do not change in COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms.

SARS-CoV-2 infection can associate diverse neurological manifestations. Several studies have provided proof to support the theory of neurotropic involvement of SARS-CoV-2. Alpha-synuclein has been described as a native antiviral factor within neurons, and upregulation of this protein can be seen in animals that suffered other neuroinvasive infections. To assess if increased expression of this protein takes place in COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms, we analyzed serum total alpha-synuclein levels in three groups: seven COVID-19 patients with myoclonus, Parkinsonism and/or encephalopathy; thirteen age- and sex-matched COVID-19 patients without neurological involvement and eight age- and sex-matched healthy controls. We did not find differences among them. In a subset of four patients, the change in serum alpha-synuclein before and after the onset of neurological symptoms was not significant either. Cerebrospinal fluid alpha-synuclein levels were also similar between neurological COVID-19 and healthy controls. Overall, these results cannot support the hypothesis of alpha-synuclein upregulation in humans with neurological symptoms in COVID-19. Further research taking into account a larger group of COVID-19 patients including the whole spectrum of neurological manifestations and disease severity is needed.

Infección por virus del Zika: una enfermedad emergente que el dermatólogo debe conocer / Zika Virus Infection: An Emerging Disease the Dermatologist Must Know About

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Utilidad de una prueba treponémica rápida para el serodiagnóstico de sífilis / Evaluation of a rapid treponemal test for the serodiagnosis of syphilis

Evaluar una nueva prueba treponémica, Syphilis Fast, para el serodiagnóstico rápido de sífilis en comparación con otras pruebas serológicas. Pacientes y métodos. Un total de 287 sueros de 280 pacientes fueron analizados mediante una prueba no treponémica, RPR (Rapid Plasma Reagin test) y dos pruebas treponémicas (Syphilis Fast y Mercia Syphilis Total EIA). Todos los sueros reactivos fueron confirmados mediante FTA Abs. La población incluida en el estudio comprendía: inmigrantes y viajeros procedentes de África subsahariana, pacientes con prácticas de riesgo para enfermedades de transmisión sexual y VIH (homosexuales o bisexuales, adictos a drogas por vía parenteral, pacientes con múltiples parejas sexuales), inmigrantes que ejercían la prostitución, niños adoptados, mujeres embarazadas y pacientes con síntomas neurológicos o con lesiones cutáneas genitales. Resultados. De los 280 pacientes, 28 (10 por ciento) eran VIH+. La concordancia del FTA Abs, considerada la prueba de referencia o gold standard en serodiagnóstico de sífilis, con Syphilis Fast y Mercia Syphilis Total EIA fue de 98,3 por ciento (282/"287, tres resultados falsos positivos y dos falsos negativos) y de 976 por ciento (280/287, siete resultados falsos negativos), respectivamente. Comparativamente Syphilis Fast fue más sensible que Mercia Syphilis Total EIA para la detección de sífilis (98,4 vs. 94,3 por ciento) y ligeramente menos específico (98,2 por ciento vs. 100 por ciento). Conclusiones Syphilis Fast es una prueba rápida, coste-efectiva, fácil de usar y precisa. Los resultados de este estudio indican que Syphilis Fast puede ser una alternativa a otras pruebas treponémicas para el serodiagnóstico de sífilis en los laboratorios clínicos (AU)

Assessment of long-term efficacy of hepatitis B vaccine.

In a healthy cohort of 462 subjects in which hepatitis B vaccine was administered between 1990 and 1992 a follow-up study was carried out to determine the duration of protection. Individuals with antibody against the hepatitis B virus surface antigen (anti-HBs) titer lower than 100 mIU/ml were administered a booster dose and antibodies determined 30 days later. The proportion of protection 6.5 years after vaccination was 85% (95% CI: 82-88). Only nine vaccinees seroconverted to anti-HBc positivity without becoming carrier or ill. In 125 subjects in which a booster dose was administered a significant increase in geometric mean of anti-HBs titer was observed (609 mIU/ml) as compared to late (13 mlU/ ml) and early post-vaccination antibody levels (256 mIU/ml, Wilcoxon's test, p < 0.001) suggesting the existence of an anamnestic response. We conclude that in immunocompetent population it is not necessary to administer a booster dose 6.5 years after hepatitis B vaccination.

[The long-term efficacy of a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine in newborns]. / Eficacia a largo plazo de la vacuna recombinante de hepatitis B en recién nacidos.

A prospective evaluation of the immunogenicity, protective efficacy and safety of the recombinant hepatitis B vaccine associated to the immunoglobulin (IG) in newborns with high risk of infection by the hepatitis B virus was carried out. Two groups of newborns were used. The first group was formed by children with HBsAG carrier mothers (56 children) and the second group consisted of newborns of mothers negative for HBsAG, but having a high risk of infection (21 children). Within the first few hours of life, all of the newborns received a dose (20 mcg) or recombinant vaccine and 0.5 ml of IG. New doses of vaccine were administered at one and six months of life. At eight months of age, the anti-HBs seroconversion rate in children belonging to groups 1 and 2 was 100%, with an elevated anti-HBs titer and with no detected cases of positive HBsAG. On a long term basis (39 +/- 5 months), only 5.6% of the children present an anti-HBs titer < 10 mUI/ml. The recombinant hepatitis B vaccine associated to IG is immunogenic and provides efficient protection in newborns. Important side effects were not observed.

Susceptibilities of ampicillin-resistant strains of Salmonella other than S. typhi to 10 antimicrobial agents.

Ampicillin-resistant strains of Salmonella other than S. typhi constitute a health problem. We tested the antimicrobial susceptibilities to 10 antibiotics of 57 of these strains isolated in a 30-month period. The rates of resistance were as follows: chloramphenicol, 40.3%; tetracycline, 33.3%; gentamicin, 5.3%; co-trimoxazole, 5.3%; nalidixic acid, 1.8%; and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, aztreonam, and ciprofloxacin, 0%. In our experience, there are alternative antibiotics with excellent in vitro activities.