ABSTRACT
Introducción: Pneumocystis jiroveci es uno de los más frecuentes patógenos oportunistas que afectan a los pacientes con el síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida. Objetivo: detectar P. jiroveci en tejidos embebidos en parafina mediante la reacción en cadena de la polimerasa. Métodos: se emplearon 6 bloques de parafina procedentes de 3 fallecidos por sida y neumonía por P. jiroveci. Se realizaron coloraciones de rutina y especiales de anatomía patológica, así como la técnica de la reacción en cadena de la polimerasa para el diagnóstico del microorganismo. Resultados: con la técnica de la reacción en cadena de la polimerasa se identificó este agente infeccioso en los bloques de parafina estudiados. Se logró detectar P. jiroveci hasta una dilución de 1:100 del material genético extraído de cada bloque. Conclusiones: contar con métodos moleculares que permitan identificar P. jiroveci en tejido parafinado abre el camino para la determinación de los genotipos involucrados en la pandemia sida cubana y permitirá determinar si la cepa infectante, en los casos que resulten fatales, presenta resistencia a los fármacos empleados.
Background: Pneumocystis jiroveci is one of the most frequent opportunistic pathogens affecting the patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Objective: to detect P. jiroveci in paraffin-embedded tissues by means of the polymerase chain reaction. Methods: six paraffin blocks from 3 dead persons who died from AIDS and P. jiroveci pneumonia. Routine and special staining of the pathological anatomy together with the PCR for diagnosis were performed. Results: the PCR identified this infective agent in the studied paraffin blocks. It was possible to detect P. jiroveci up to 1:100 dilution of the genetic material extracted from each block. Conclusions: the availability of molecular methods to identify P. jiroveci in paraffined tissue opens up the road to determination of genotypes involved in the Cuban AIDS pandemics and will allow ascertaining whether the infective strain, in fatal cases, is resistant to the drugs that are being used.
Subject(s)
Death , HIV , Paraffin , Pneumocystis carinii/cytology , Polymerase Chain Reaction/methodsABSTRACT
Basic aspects of cell biology of Pneumocystis carinii are reviewed with major emphasis on its life cycle and the structural organization of the trophozoites and cyst forms. Initially considered as a protozoan it is now established that Pneumocystis belongs to the Fungi Kingdom. Its life cycle includes two basic forms: (a) trophozoites, which are haploid cells that divide by binary fission and may conjugate with each other forming an early procyst and (b) cysts where division takes place through a meiotic process with the formation of eight nuclei followed by cytoplasmic delimitation and formation of intracystic bodies which are subsequently released and transformed into trophozoites. Basic aspects of the structure of the two developmental stages of P. carinii are reviewed.