ABSTRACT
Background: Allergic Contact Dermatitis is a classic delayed hypersensitivity reaction. Aim: To study the reactivity and evolution in Chilean patients by gender, using the standard European patch test. Materials and Methods: The results of the European standard patch test applied to 4,022 patients aged 1 to 93 years (64% female) with Allergic Contact Dermatitis, diagnosed between January 1995 and August 2011, were retrospectively analyzed. Results: From a total of 4,022 patients, 2,439 (60.6%) had a positive reaction. Among reactive patients, 1,854 (76.04%) were female and 584 (23.96%) male. The most common positive allergens were nickel (35.3%), cobalt (15.1%), fragrance mix (14%), chromium (8.7%) and balsam of Peru (8.5%). In females, nickel was the most common reactive antigen (34.28%), and in males, fragrance mix (15.7%). During the period 2003-2011, an increased reactivity to nickel (26.6%) and a decreased reactivity to p-phenylenediamine (29.6%) and fragrance (42.8%), was observed. Conclusions: Fragrance mix is the most common reactive allergen in males and the third for females. Nickel is the leading allergen in the female group and the second of importance for males, making it the most significant allergen for the Chilean population. We also observed that the reactivity of some allergens evolves and varies over time.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Dermatitis, Allergic Contact/diagnosis , Patch Tests , Chile , Dermatitis, Allergic Contact/classification , Retrospective Studies , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
Tinea nigra is a superficial mycosis caused by Hortaea werneckii. It is an infrequent asymptomatic infection that affects mainly human palms and soles, and it is mostly seen in tropical countries. It has not been reported in Chile yet. The clinical presentation is generally a single macule, not symptomatic, of brown color in palms and soles. We report a case of a Chilean woman that developed brown macules on both soles after travel to the United States and Central America. The diagnosis of Tinea nigra was confirmed by direct microscopic examination and mycological culture. She had a good response to treatment with oral itraconazol.
La tiña negra (tinea nigra) es una micosis cutánea causada por Hortaea werneckii. Es poco frecuente, limitada a países tropicales o subtropicales. Hasta la presente publicación, esta micosis no había sido comunicada en Chile. La presentación clínica es generalmente una mácula única, asintomática, color café en palmas y plantas. Se presenta el caso de una mujer chilena, que después de varios viajes a E.U.A y Centroamérica, presentó manchas color café en ambas plantas. Se confirmó el diagnóstico de tiña negra con un examen microscópico directo y cultivo micológico. La paciente presentó una buena respuesta clínica luego del tratamiento con itraconazol por vía oral.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Tinea Pedis/diagnosis , Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use , Itraconazole/therapeutic use , Tinea Pedis/drug therapy , Tinea Pedis/microbiologyABSTRACT
El problema de las toxoinfecciones alimentarias es un problema de salud a nivel mundial, entre las que se encuentran las producidas por Salmonella spp.; la prevalencia de sus especies ha cambiado en los últimos años, además del bajo nivel de sensibilidad de los métodos tradicionales de aislamiento como es el caso del coprocultivo. Debido a esto el objetivo de este trabajo fue estandarizar una metodología molecular (PCR) para este patógeno a partir de muestras fecales; los resultados mostraron gran sensibilidad y especificidad, haciendo factible su utilización en manipuladores de alimentos.
Subject(s)
Salmonella Food Poisoning/epidemiology , Molecular Diagnostic Techniques , Food Handling , Polymerase Chain Reaction , SalmonellaABSTRACT
Uno de los avances de la enología moderna es el reconocimiento de la importancia de la levadura como un agente imprescindible para la adecuada obtención de vino. El proceso de fermentación es dinámico y existe un recambio de especies de levaduras desde el principio al final de la fermentación. Sin embargo, una de ellas, Brettanomyces, puede contaminar los caldos, alterando las cualidades aromáticas y de sabor del vino, provocando en algunos casos la pérdida del producto vinificado.Además de una importante pérdida económica, cifras extraoficiales indican que hasta un 5 por ciento de la producción nacional se pierde cada año producto de este hongo; el monto en pérdidas, sólo en vino embotellado, podría llegar a los US$30.000.000. La reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR, Polimerase chain reaction) puede ser utilizada para detectar diminutas cantidades de ADN de un microorganismo. Esta técnica permite detectar este contaminante en no más de 24 horas, presenta una alta sensibilidad, necesitándose una cantidad ínfima de microorganismos en la muestra (1-100) levaduras por mL. El diagnóstico oportuno de la contaminación de los vinos por esta levadura permitiría adoptar medidas que controlen la proliferación de este contaminante, reduciendo las pérdidas del producto.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Industry , Yeasts/isolation & purification , Yeasts/genetics , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Wine/microbiology , ChileABSTRACT
The venoms of Latrodectus sp. have been reported to induce contraction probably mediated by adrenergic and cholinergic transmitters. We have demonstrated that the venom of Chilean Latrodectus mactans contains neurotoxins that induce a contraction partially independent of transmitters release. Transmembrane mobility of Na+ and Ca2+ ions and more specifically, the increase of cytoplasmic calcium concentration are responsible for tonic contraction in smooth muscle. Calcium may enter the cell by several ways, such as the voltage-dependent Ca2+ L-type channels and the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger. This study aimed to examine the participation of this exchanger in the tonic contraction of smooth muscle in vas deferent of rat induced by the venom of the Chilean spider L. mactans. Blockers of Na+ channels (amiloride) and Ca2+ L-type channels (nifedipine), and a stimulator of the exchanger (modified Tyrode, Na+ 80 mM) were used. Simultaneously, variations of the cytoplasmic concentration of Ca2+ were registered by microfluorimetry (Fura-2 indicator) in the presence of nifedipine. In presence of amiloride, dose-dependent inhibition of venom-induced contraction was observed, suggesting the participation of voltage-dependent Ca2+ L-type channels. The contraction was only partially inhibited by nifedipine and the Ca2+ cytoplasmic concentration increased, as assessed by the microfluorimetric registration. Finally, the venom-induced contraction increased in the presence of modified Tyrode, probably due to the action of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger. Taken together, our results support the idea that the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger is active and may be, at least in part, responsible for the contraction induced by the venom of Chilean L. mactans.