ABSTRACT
Desde la antigüedad, poblaciones de diferente procedencia geográfica conocían las propiedades que tenían las larvas de algunos dípteros en la desinfección y curación de heridas1. Evidencias pictóricas de estas propiedades han sido encontradas en algunas tribus Mayas de América Central y aborígenes australianos, pero el primer reporte escrito fue el publicado por el Barón D. J. Larrey, inspector general del departamento médico del ejército de Napoleón2,3. En el año 1929, William Baer, un cirujano ortopédico adscrito al Hospital Johns Hopkins, reporta que el uso de larvas de la especie Lucilia sericata en ninos con osteomielitis confiere 3 ventajas: a. desbridamiento rápido, b. reduce el recuento bacteriano, y c. disminuye el olor y la alcalinización de la superficie de la herida4. Este hallazgo pasó casi desapercibido ante el reciente descubrimiento de la penicilina por parte de Alexander Fleming en 19285 y la producción masiva de esta.
Since ancient times, populations of different geographical origins have known the properties that the larvae of some dipterans had in the disinfection and healing of wounds1. Pictorial evidence of these properties has been found in some Mayan tribes of Central America and Australian aborigines, but the first written report was published by Baron D. J. Larrey, inspector general of Napoleon's army medical department2,3. In 1929, William Baer, an orthopedic surgeon assigned to the Johns Hopkins Hospital, reported that the use of larvae of the species Lucilia sericata in children with osteomyelitis confers 3 advantages: a. rapid debridement, b. reduces the bacterial count, and c. reduces odor and alkalinization of the wound surface4. This finding went almost unnoticed before the recent discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 19285 and its massive production.
Subject(s)
Humans , Wounds and Injuries , Penicillins , Wound Healing , Disinfection , Population Groups , Diptera , Research Report , LarvaABSTRACT
The goal of this study was to demonstrate the usefulness of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the serodiagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and extrapulmonary TB (EPTB). This assay used 20 amino acid-long, non-overlapped synthetic peptides that spanned the complete Mycobacterium tuberculosis ESAT-6 and Ag85A sequences. The validation cohort consisted of 1,102 individuals who were grouped into the following five diagnostic groups: 455 patients with PTB, 60 patients with EPTB, 40 individuals with non-EPTB, 33 individuals with leprosy and 514 healthy controls. For the PTB group, two ESAT-6 peptides (12033 and 12034) had the highest sensitivity levels of 96.9% and 96.2%, respectively, and an Ag85A-peptide (29878) was the most specific (97.4%) in the PTB groups. For the EPTB group, two Ag85A peptides (11005 and 11006) were observed to have a sensitivity of 98.3% and an Ag85A-peptide (29878) was also the most specific (96.4%). When combinations of peptides were used, such as 12033 and 12034 or 11005 and 11006, 99.5% and 100% sensitivities in the PTB and EPTB groups were observed, respectively. In conclusion, for a cohort that consists entirely of individuals from Venezuela, a multi-antigen immunoassay using highly sensitive ESAT-6 and Ag85A peptides alone and in combination could be used to more rapidly diagnose PTB and EPTB infection.