Manifestaciones neurológicas y COVID-19 / Neurological manifestations and COVID-19

El nuevo coronavirus, denominado COVID-19, es un betacoronavirus asociado a síntomas respiratorios que van desde un cuadro respiratorio leve hasta cuadros severos, que implican compromiso de varios órganos blanco como los sistemas pulmonar, renal, cardiovascular, nervioso, de la coagulación y se asocian a diversas complicaciones que ensombrecen el pronóstico. El órgano blanco afectado está determinado por la expresión de receptores para angiotensina II, que además se encuentran en el tejido nervioso, presentes en estructuras vitales en el control cardiorespiratorio. Es así como se han descrito manifestaciones neurológicas en estudios publicados alrededor del mundo que aún no son concluyentes, donde se asocian a una afección directa de las estructuras nerviosas o producto de complicaciones sistémicas

The new coronavirus, called COVID-19, is a beta-coronavirus associated with respiratory symptoms that range from mild to severe respiratory symptoms, which involve involvement of various target organs such as the pulmonary, renal, cardiovascular, nervous, coagulation systems and se associated with various complications that cloud the prognosis. The target organ affected is determined by the expression of receptors for angiotensin II, which are also found in nervous tissue, present in vital structures in cardiorespiratory control. This is how neurological manifestations have been described in studies published around the world that are not yet conclusive, where they are associated with a direct affection of the nervous structures or the product of systemic complications

Aplicaciones clínicas de doppler transcraneal en neurología y cuidados neurocríticos / Doppler clinical applications transcranial in neurology and care neurocritical

En la actualidad el ultrasonido permite obtener en forma no invasiva imágenes de la mayoría de estructuras. A nivel cerebral, se puede acceder a la vasculatura y evaluar la hemodinamia. Es un estudio seguro, no utiliza radiación y se puede realizar a la cabecera del paciente, las veces necesarias, hasta en monitoreo continuo. La limitación es que necesita un operador y cerca del 5-20 % de las personas poseen ventanas óseas temporales poco accesibles, por el grosor del hueso. Durante la realización del Doppler transcraneal, se debe seguir una serie de pasos. Tras localizar los vasos esperados, según la ventana y profundidad, se siguen las ondas espectrales en al menos dos puntos en cada arteria y se miden las velocidades de cada una. El objetivo de esta revisión es describir las generalidades del doppler transcraneal y destacar las principales utilidades como herramienta diagnóstica en enfermedades cerebrovasculares y otras enfermedades neurológicas.

At present, ultrasound allows images of most structures to be obtained non-invasively. At the brain level, the vasculature can be accessed and hemodynamics evaluated. It is a safe study, it does not use radiation and it can be performed at the patient's bedside, as often as necessary, even under continuous monitoring. The limitation is that it requires an operator and about 5-20% of people have temporary bone windows that are not very accessible, due to the thickness of the bone. During the performance of the transcranial Doppler, a series of steps must be followed. After locating the expected vessels, according to the window and depth, the spectral waves are followed at at least two points in each artery and the velocities of each one are measured. The objective of this review is to describe the generalities of transcranial doppler and highlight the main uses as a diagnostic tool in cerebrovascular diseases and other neurological diseases.

Characterization of Lactobacillus fermentum UCO-979C, a probiotic strain with a potent anti-Helicobacter pylori activity

Background: Helicobacter pylori is considered as the main risk factor in the development of gastric cancer. In the present study, we performed a detailed characterization of the probiotic properties and the anti-H. pylori activity of a previously isolated lactobacillus strain ­ Lactobacillus fermentum UCO-979C ­ obtained from human gut. Results: The strain tolerated pH 3.0; grew in the presence of 2% bile salts; produced lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide; aggregated in saline solution; showed high hydrophobicity; showed high adherence to glass; Caco-2 and gastric adenocarcinoma human cells (AGS) cells; showed an efficient colonization in Mongolian Gerbils; and potently inhibited the growth and urease activity of H. pylori strains. L. fermentum UCO-979C significantly inhibited H. pylori-induced IL-8 production in AGS cells and reduced the viability of H. pylori. With regard to innocuousness, the strain UCO-979C was susceptible to several antibiotics and did not produce histamine or beta-haemolysis in blood agar containing red blood cells from various origins. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that L. fermentum UCO-979C is a very good candidate as a probiotic for the protection of humans against H. pylori infections.