Natural vertical cotransmission of Dengue virus and Chikungunya virus from Aedes aegypti in Brumado, Bahia, Brazil

ABSTRACT Background: Arthropod-borne viruses have recently emerged and are pathogens of various human diseases, including dengue, zika, and chikungunya viruses. Methods: We collectedAedes aegyptilarvae (N = 20) from Brumado, Bahia, Brazil, and treated and individually preserved the specimens. We analyzed the samples for dengue, zika, and chikungunya viruses using molecular biology methods. Results: We found that 25% (N = 5) and 15% (N = 3) were positive exclusively for dengue and chikungunya viruses, respectively; 15% (N = 3) were coinfected with both. Conclusions: This is the first report of dengue and chikungunya virus coinfection in A. aegypti larvae.

COVID-19 gastrointestinal manifestations: a systematic review

Abstract INTRODUCTION: The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has greatly challenged public health worldwide. A growing number of studies have reported gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. We performed a systematic review of GI symptoms associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as well as of the serum levels of biomarkers related to liver function and lesion in SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals. METHODS: We surveyed relevant articles published in English, Spanish, and Portuguese up to July, 2020 in the PubMed, MEDLINE, SciELO, LILACS, and BVS databases. Moreover, we surveyed potentially important articles in journals such as the NEJM, JAMA, BMJ, Gut, and AJG. RESULTS: This systematic review included 43 studies, including 18,246 patients. Diarrhea was the most common GI symptom, affecting 11.5% of the patients, followed by nausea and vomiting (6.3%) and abdominal pain (2.3%). With regard to clinical severity, 17.5% of the patients were classified as severely ill, whereas 9.8% of them were considered to have a non-severe disease. Some studies showed increased aspartate transaminase and alanine aminotransferase levels in a portion of the 209 analyzed patients and two studies. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that digestive symptoms are common in COVID-19 patients. In addition, alterations in cytolysis biomarkers could also be observed in a lesser proportion, calling attention to the possibility of hepatic involvement in SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals.

The presence of Helicobacter pylori in the liver depends on the Th1, Th17 and Treg cytokine profile of the patient

The hypothesis that Helicobactermight be a risk factor for human liver diseases has arisen after the detection of Helicobacter DNA in hepatic tissue of patients with hepatobiliary diseases. Nevertheless, no explanation that justifies the presence of the bacterium in the human liver has been proposed. We evaluated the presence of Helicobacterin the liver of patients with hepatic diseases of different aetiologies. We prospectively evaluated 147 patients (106 with primary hepatic diseases and 41 with hepatic metastatic tumours) and 20 liver donors as controls. Helicobacter species were investigated in the liver by culture and specific 16S rDNA nested-polymerase chain reaction followed by sequencing. Serum and hepatic levels of representative cytokines of T regulatory cell, T helper (Th)1 and Th17 cell lineages were determined using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The data were evaluated using logistic models. Detection of Helicobacter pylori DNA in the liver was independently associated with hepatitis B virus/hepatitis C virus, pancreatic carcinoma and a cytokine pattern characterised by high interleukin (IL)-10, low/absent interferon-γ and decreased IL-17A concentrations (p < 10-3). The bacterial DNA was never detected in the liver of patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and autoimmune hepatitis that are associated with Th1/Th17 polarisation. H. pylori may be observed in the liver of patients with certain hepatic and pancreatic diseases, but this might depend on the patient cytokine profile.