[Diagnosis of chronic leptospirosis, comparison between the microscopic agglutination and three confirmatory diagnostic techniques]. / Diagnóstico de leptospirosis crónica, comparación entre la aglutinación microscópica y 3 técnicas diagnósticas confirmatorias.

In spite of the fact that the serology and, particularly, the microscopic agglutination technique are the most recommended methods to diagnose leptospirosis, they frequently fail in the diagnosis of individual cases and in outbreaks, where the diagnosis is frequently made post-mortem by argentic and immunohistochemical impregnation,. These techniques are also unable to diagnose chronic leptospirosis, since the antibody titres are very low (< or = 1:80) in it. Due to this fact, and to the need of a reliable and appropriate lab diagnosis, a comparative study of dark field videorecording, supported by argentic impregnation and immunohistochemistry in blood and urine was conducted against a serology by microscopic agglutination technique in 60 patients with chronic leptospirosis. Dark field videorecording, argentic impregnation, and immunohistochemistry proved to be be much more sensible than the microscopic agglutination technique, in addition to be comparable among themselves. We recommended videorecording to achieve a fast, early, and economical diagnosis, particularly, if we associate it with immunohistochemistry or argentic impregnation. Likewise, in the culture of these samples, 2 strains of 82 % of positive primoculture were obtained, and an electronic microphotography was possible to attain in the peripheral blood of one of the studied cases, which guarantees the study and confirms the existence of chronic leptospirosis.

[Respiratory function in allergic asthmatic children and its relation to the environmental pollen concentration]. / Función respiratoria en niños asmáticos alérgicos y su relación con la concentración ambiental de polen.

BACKGROUND: Bronchial asthma is the most common chronic disease in children, producing the highest absenteeism among children and adults. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relation between respiratory function in asthmatic children and contaminant and climatic environmental factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: It was performed a study with 26 asthmatic patients, from the Immuno-Allergies Department of the Specialties Hospital no. 71 of the Centro Medico Nacional Torreon, with an 8-month-follow-up. By a home monitoring, subjects determined their peak expiratory flow (PEF) twice a day: PEF1: in the morning, at getting up without or before medication, and PEF2: at night, before sleeping without or before medication. RESULTS: From June to August 1995, as well as from September to November 1995, a relation between pulmonary function, measured by PEF1 and PEF2, and some of the palinologic families or species studied was not found. On the other hand, from December 1995 to February 1996 a significant relation between the concentration of pollen's particles of Chenopodiaceaes and Amaranthaceaes and the difference between PEF1 and PEF2 (Difpef), with a p value < 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Environmental Chenopodiaceaes' and Amaranthaceaes' pollen is related to a variability of 0.0075 L/min of Difpef for each grain of pollen/m3 in the environment during winter, after rain time of the Comarca Lagunera.