Importancia biológica de los telómeros / Biological importance of telomeres

Se exponen los hallazgos históricos y la importancia biológica de los telómeros en la vida celular y en los aspectos genéticos del ADN humano. (AU)

The discovery and the biological importance of the telomeres are exposed. (AU)

Una plaga citadina peligrosa: los murciélagos / A dangerous urban pest: bats

Los murciélagos son mamíferos vertebrados presentes en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, estimándose una población de 4 animales por habitante. Son portadores de varias enfermedades importantes y además empeoran las condiciones respiratorias de enfermos crónicos. En el campo cumplen una interesante función, ya que se alimentan de insectos perjudiciales para las siembras. El guano puede ser útil en el abono de la tierra debido al aporte de carbono y nitrógeno. En las ciudades su presencia tiene consecuencias diferentes. Se encuentran en los taparrollos de las habitaciones, así como también en todas las oquedades de muros, árboles, grietas, etc. Se exponen aquí los peligros y los cuidados que deben tenerse en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires ante la invasión de estos quirópteros. (AU)

Bats are vertebrate mammals present in the City of Buenos Aires, with an estimated population of 4 animals per inhabitant. They are carriers of several important diseases and also worsen the respiratory conditions of the chronically ill. In rural areas they fulfill an interesting function, since they feed on insects harmful to crops. Guano can be useful in soil fertilization due to its contribution of carbon and nitrogen. In cities their presence has different consequences. They are found in the roll covers of the rooms as well as in all the hollows of walls, trees, cracks, etc. The dangers and precautions to be taken in the city of Buenos Aires in the face of the invasion of these chiroptera are described here. (AU)

Cucarachas y vinchucas en patología general y respiratoria / Cockroaches abd vinchucas in general and respiratory pathology

Se exponen los datos sobre la antigenicidad de las proteasas de la cucaracha Periplaneta americana y de la vinchuca Triatoma infestans en seres humanos residentes en la CABA y Gran Buenos Aires, así como en las provincias del Norte y Noreste del país. La antigenicidad cruzada entre ambas las convierte en 2 insectos de gran importancia en el ecosistema, y sus restos momificados de estadios adultos y ninfales de trascendencia para diversas patologías infecciosas y respiratorias...

Data concerning the cross-reactivity between the serinproteases of the cockroach Periplaneta Americana and the reduviid Triatoma infestans are exposed. Humans living in Buenos Aires as well as those living in the north of the country inhale mummified particles containing the powerful antigens of both insects and develop chronic respiratory illnesses...

Murciélagos y ácaros en la alergia respiratoria / Bats and house-dust mites in respiratory allergy

Se valoró la posibilidad de que estos mamíferos ingirieron ácaros del hábitat (dermatophagoides pteronyssinus), y que sus antígenos formaran parte de las heces del murciélago (murcielaquina), y resultaren indirectamente alergénicos para los pacientes atópicos que habían revelado hipersensibilidad a dichas heces...

The possibility that house-dust mite antigens coming from dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were hidden in bat feces was studied in those atopic patients suffering rhinitis and asthma that revealed hypersensibility to bat feces...

Utilidad de los péptidos 33 y 38 de Lolium perenne en la inmunoterapia de la rinitis polínica / Utility of the peptides 33 and 38 of Lolium perenne in immunotherapy of hayfever

Se aislaron y caracterizaron péptidos del polen de la gramínea Lolium perenne por métodos fisicoquímicos, se estudiaron sus propiedades bioquímicas e inmunológicas, tanto en el conejo como en humanos atópicos que sufrían de rinoconjuntivitis estacional producida por dicho polen, y se presentan los hallazgos inmunoserológicos luego de 3 años de inmunoterapia específica con los péptidos 33 y 38 obtenidos, que resultaron ser los más significativos en la composición fisicoquímica del polen.

Peptides isolated from the Lolium perenne pollen were submitted to several chemical and immunological procedures to establish their antigenicity. Immunotherapy with peptides 33 and 38 showed high potency to develop specific IgG blocking antibodies which correlated with statistical clinical improvement.

Utilidad del VIC en la valoración de la funcionalidad de los linfocitos T / Usefulness of delayed-type hypersensitively skin tests, for the valoration of the functionality of the T-Lymphocytes

Data concerning the usefulness of delayed-type hypersensitivity skin tests with recall antigens are exposed. This easy technique has enormous value in the follow-up of the LT dependent immune competence frequently involved in several chronic diseses. We studied 464 patients with ages between 22 and 79 years old. Those 210 healthy controls revealed at least 4,24 ± 1,15 positive skin tests with 1409 ± 287 LTCD4+ cells meanwhile 135 HIV patients showed 2,02 ± 0,80 positive tests with 392 ± 83 LTCD4+ cells and 99 older subjects revealed 2,38 ± 1,15 with 720 ±154 LTCD4+ cells. Statistical differences between the groups were recorded.

Efecto de las hormonas tímicas sobre la síntesis de IL-4 / Effect of thymic hormones over the synthesis of IL-4

A thymic hormone baptized as thymostimulin coming from children aged between 5-10 years who died after car accidents was obtained by Sephadex G-50 column fractionation. This polypeptide was incubated with atopic and non-atopic human lymphocytes. The level of IL-4 in the supernatant was measured by ELISA. The atopic lymphocytes stimulated by the thymostimulin produced a great quantity of IL-4 (p>0.000001) in comparison with those coming from non-atopic patients. Thus, we postulate that thymic hormones should not be used in the treatment of allergic conditions with high levels of IL-4. The function of this polypeptide was compared with that of bovine timomodulin, which showed lower level of IL-4 (p>_ 0.001).

Patogenia e inmunoterapia en la sinusitis alérgica fúngica (SAF) / Pathogeny and immunotherapy of allergic fungal sinusitis

Allergic fungal sinusitis is an atopic condition close related to fungus allergens that initiate a chronic inflammation dependent of the IgE system and LTCD4-TH2 cells whose cytokines and chemokines induced the clinical symptoms. Specific immunotherapy is recommended to avoid the recurrences and to improve the benefits of the surgical procedures of the affected sinuses. We suggest that Bipolaris sp Drechslera sp extracts must be included in the skin testing of the atopic patients suffering rhinosinusal symptoms as well as those who reveal intense response to fungal allergens in general.