Especies de Candida en pacientes VIH/SIDA con candidiasis orofaringea / Candida species in HIV/AIDS patients with oropharygeal candidiasis

La infección por Candida a nivel orofaríngeo, es la infección oportunista más frecuente en pacientes VIH/SIDA,al menos un episodio de candidiasis desarrollan estos pacientes en el curso de la evolución de su enfermedad. La determinación de especies de Candida, permite orientar de manera adecuada el tratamiento. El objetivo de la presente investigación fue identificar las especies de Candida aisladas en 60 pacientes VIH/SIDA con candidiasis orofaríngea, asistentes al Centro de Atención Integral - Enfermedades de Transmisión sexual y SIDA. (CAI/ETS/SIDA) en el período Junio-Diciembre 2006. Se les tomó muestra de raspado lingual y se cultivó en Agar Sabouraud-Cloranfenicol para el aislamiento primario. La identificación de las especies de Candida, se realizó por medio de la producción de: tubos germinativos, clamidosporas en Agar - Maiz Tween 80 según la técnica de Dalmau y el sistema Api 20CAUX bioMérieux. Se observó en estos pacientes predominio del sexo masculino (48) 80%, con edades comprendidas entre 20 y 60 años Se aislaron en orden de frecuencia C. albicans 66,6 % (40), C. tropicalis 13,33 % (8), C. glabrata 11,6 % (7), C. parapsilosis 6,66 % (4), C. krusei, 66% (1). Se recomienda la identificación de especies de Candida como prueba de rutina en pacientes VIH/SIDA

Oral candidiasis has been recognized as the most common opportunistic infection in HIV/AIDS patients. These patients present at least one episode of oral candidiasis in the development of the disease. The isolation of Candida species has let to apply the correct treatment to these patients. The purpose of the investigation was to identify the species of isolated Candida in 60 HIV/AIDS patients with oropharyngeal candidiasis that assist to the Center of Integral Attention of Sexual Transmission Diseases and AIDS from June to December 2006. The samples were taken from the mucosal surface of the tongue and laid in Sabouraud-Cloramphenicol agar for the first isolation; the identification of Candida species were done by forming germ tubes, Terminal Chlamydospore formation on corn meal agar with Tween-80 following the Dalmau technique and the Api 20CAUX bioMerieux. Most of the patients were males (48) 80% and age ranging 20 to 60 years old. The most frequent yeast specie found was : C, albicans 66,6 % (40) , C. tropicalis 13,33 % (8) , C. glabrata 11,6 % (7) ,C. parapsilosis 6,66 % (4) , C. krusei 1,66% (1). It is recommended the isolation of the species as a rutin test in the HIV/AIDS patients

Metabolic syndrome in HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in Latin America

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of and the associated factors for metabolic syndrome (MS) among Latin American HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) using baseline data from the RAPID II study. METHODS: A longitudinal study to evaluate the metabolic profile, cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and associated treatment practices to reduce this risk has been conducted in seven Latin American countries (the RAPID II study). Adult HIV patients with at least six months of RT were enrolled. MS was defined following ATP-III criteria. Demographic and anthropometric data, serum biochemical and clinical parameters were compared in patients with and without MS using bivariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: A total of 4,010 patients were enrolled, 2,963 (74 percent) were males. Mean age (SD) was 41.9 (10.0) years. The prevalence of MS was 20.2 percent. Females had higher prevalence of MS than males (22.7 percent vs. 19.4 percent, p = 0.02). MS was driven by high triglycerides, low HDL-cholesterol and high blood pressure (HBP). Patients with MS had higher 10year CVD risk: 22.2 percent vs. 7.4 percent, p < 0.001. Age (OR: 1.05 per year), female gender (OR: 1.29), family history of CVD (OR: 1.28), CD4 cell count (OR: 1.09 per 100 cell increase), and protease inhibitor based-ART (OR: 1.33) correlated with MS in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of MS in this setting was similar to that reported from developed countries. MS was driven by high triglycerides, low-HDL and HBP, and it was associated with higher risk of CVD. Traditional risk factors, female gender, immune reconstitution, and protease inhibitor based-ART correlated with MS.

Specific leaf mass, fresh: dry weight ratio, sugar and protein contnts in species of Lamiaceae from different light enviroments

Samples from eleven species of Lamiaceae were collected from different light environments in Venezuela for laboratory analysis.The studied species were: Plectranthus scutellarioides (Ps), Scutellaria purpurascens (Sp), Hyptis pectinata (Hp), H. sinuata (Hs), Leonorus japonicus (Lj), Plecthranthus amboinicus (Pa) Ocimum basilicum (Ocb), O.campechianum (Occ) Origanum majorana (Orm), Rosmarinus officinali ,(Ro) and Salvia officinalis (So). Protein and soluble sugar contents per unit of area were measured, Specific Leaf Mass (SLM)and fresh: dry weight (FW/DW) ratios were calculated. The higher values for soluble sugars contents were present in sun species: Lj, Pa, Ocb, Occ, Or. m, Ro and So; the lower values were obtained in low light species: Ps, Sp, Hp, Hs. The values of protein content do not show any clear trend or difference between sun and shade environments. The lowest values for the fresh weight: dry weight ratio are observed in sun species with the exception of Lj and Pa, while the highest value is observed in Pa, a succulent plant. The higher values of specific leaf mass (SLM)(Kg DMm-2) are observed in sun plants. The two way ANOVA revealed that there were significant differences among species and between sun and low light environments for sugar content and FW: DW ratio, while SLM was significant for environments but no significant for species, and not significant for protein for both species and environments. The soluble sugar content, FW: DW ratio and SLM values obtained in this work, show a clear separation between sun and shade plants. The sugar content and FW:DW ratio are distinctive within the species,and the light environment affected sugar content, FW:DW ratio and SLM. These species may be shade-tolerant and able to survive in sunny environments. Perhaps these species originated in shaded environments and have been adapting to sunny habitats

En once especies de la familia Lamiaceae: Plecthranthus scutellarioides R. Br. (Ps); S cutellaria purpurascens Sw.(Sp); Hyptis pectinata (L.) Poit.(Hp); Hyptis sinuata Kunth (Hs); Ocimum basilicum L.(Ocb); Ocimum campechianum Miller.(Occ); Origanum majorana L.(Orm); Rosmarinus officinalis L.(Ro); Salvia officinalis L.(So) and Plecthranthus amboinicus (Lour) Spreng.(Pa) and Leonorus japonicus Hout., (Lj), provenientes de diferentes ambientes de exposición a la luz solar, fueron medidos los contenidos de proteínas y azúcares, expresados por unidad de área y fueron calculados la masa específica foliar (MEF)y la relación peso fresco: peso seco (PF:PS). Los mayores valores en el contenido de azúcar fueron observados en plantas que crecieron a exposición directa de luz solar: Lj, Pa, Ocb, Occ, Or. m, Ro and So; mientras que los menores valores se presentaron en aquellas plantas provenientes de ambientes más frecuentemente sombreados e interrumpidos por rayos de sol: Ps, Sp, Hp, Hs. Los valores en el contenido de proteínas no muestran diferencias. Los menores valores de PF:DW fueron observados en las plantas expuestas a radiación solar directa, con la excepción de L. japonicus y P. amboinicus ,esta última es suculenta. Los mayores valores de MEF se presentaron en plantas de sol. El análisis de varianza de dos vías reveló que había diferencias significativas entre especies y ambientes para el contenido de azúcares y la relación PF: PS, mientras que para MEF, la diferencia fue significativa solo entre ambientes; en el caso del contenido de proteínas las diferencias no fueron significativas para especies y ambientes. El contenido de azúcares, la relación PF: PS y la MEF muestran una clara separación entre las especies de sol y las de sombra. Parece que en las especies de Lamiaceae estudiadas, el contenido de azúcares, y la relación PF: PS son distintivos entre las especies mismas y la radiación solar afecta el contenido de azúcares, la relación PF: PS y la MEF. Podría suponerse que estas especies sean tolerantes a la sombra y capaces a su vez, de vivir en ambientes soleados, más aún, de acuerdo a estos resultados y a otros relativos a estas mismas especies, pudiera interpretarse que tienen su origen en ambientes sombreados y que han ido ocupando y adaptándose a ambientes soleados, basándose en la plasticidad fisiológica inducida por las variaciones ambientales de luz