Ocorrência de Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae biótipo 1 em pulmões de suínos com pleuropneumonia no Norte de Portugal / Occurrence of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae biotype 1 in swine with pleuropneumonia in the North of Portugal

The isolation and identification of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae in swine lungs with pleuropneumonia in the North of Portugal were reported. A total of 127 swine lungs with and without lesions were examined. The system of lesions classification was based on a semi-quantitative method. Diagnosis was made by isolation and identification of the etiological agent in typical lesions. The occurrence of observed lesions was 75.6 percent and the occurrence of isolation of A. pleuropneumoniae was 19.7 percent. In 25 out of 96 (26.0 percent) lung samples with lesions of pleuropneumonia, A. pleuropneumoniae was isolated.

Consideraciones sobre su etiología y diiagnóstico: pleuroneumonía en la infancia / Considerations on its etiology and diiagnóstico: pleuropneumonia in childhood

Se estudian 52 niños menores de 12 años que estuvieron internados en nuestro servicio con diagnóstico de neumonía complicada durante el bienio 87-89. El grupo etario más afectado fue el de los lactantes, y el 94 por ciento de la serie fue menor de 6 años. Hubo un discreto pedrominio del sexo femenino (27). Las manifestaciones clínicas fueron fiebre, disnea y tos. La evolución promedio previo al ingreso fue de 5,8 días. En 26 casos, la neumonía fue derecha, en 23 izquierda y en 3 bilateral. Se practicó torococentesis en 49 niños y en 46 se extrajo líquido pleural, que se clasificó como exudativo en 14, fibrinopurolento en 22 y organizado en 10. Se logró el diagnóstico bacteriológico en 40 pacientes (77 por ciento) mediante cultivo de líquido pleural, hemocultivo o coaglutinación del líquido pleural. Los gérmenes aislados fueron 23 S.pneumoniae, 12 Haemophilus, 2 Staphilococcus aureus, 2 Streptococcus Grupo B y 1 Escherichia coli. No hubo cultivos mixtos ni resultados contradictorios entre los diferentes métodos diagnósticos.

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae: virulence and gene cloning

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is the causal agent of porcine contagious pleuropneumonia(PCP). The infection produces important economic losses in porciculture due to its high morbidity and mortality. Survivors are asymptomatic carriers infectious to other pig and have low alimentary conversion. The causative agent possesses several virulence factor: adhesion fimbriae, lipopolysaccharide of the outer membrane, capsule, and cytolysins. In addition, our group has reported secretion proteases of a wide pH range of activity. These proteases degrade different substrates such as porcine gelatin, hemoglobin and IgA, and bovine or human hemoglobin. To control PCP dissemination, farmers require serodiagnostic tests which detect carriers and discriminate between vaccinated and infected animal. Bacterines used as immunogens are serotype specific and do not prevent the infection. Genes have been cloned that codify a cohemolysin, cytolysins, and an iron-binding protein. We have cloned A. pleuropneumoniae genes using the expression plasmids pUC19 and Bluescript, in Escherichia coli Q358 and DH5alpha; the screening for antigen production was made in four gropus of pigs (vaccinated, experimentally infected, naturally infected, and from alaughterhouses); two E. coli clones expressed polypeptides recognized by sera from all the groups

Congenital afibrinogenemia in Hasan Sadikin Hospital.

A case of a 24-year-old male with congenital afibrinogenemia has been discussed. The diagnosis was made based upon history, physical examination, umbilical cord bleeding, bleeding history and similar cases were found being the patient's grandfather and brother. Laboratory tests supported the diagnosis with a prolonged bleeding time, prothrombin time (PT), undetected partial thromboplastin time (PTT), flat line on thromboelastogram, and undetected fibrinogen (less than 78 mg/dl), with substitution test which showed fibrinogen deficiency.

Complicaciones toracicas del absceso hepático amibiano / Thoracic complications of hepatic amebic abscess

Se hace un análisis de 113 pacientes portadores del absceso hepático amibiano que ingresaron en el Hospital General del Oeste de los Magallanes de Catia, Caracas, en el lapso de 12 años, de los cuales, 27 (23.8%) presentaron complicaciones torácicas diversas, variando ésta desde la menos grave, el derrame pleural simple, a la de peor pronóstico, como fue la lisis pulmonar y el piopericardio. Se hace una descripción del grupo etario y sexo mayormente afectado, localización topográfica, sintomatología y tratamiento efectuado. La mortalidad en los pacientes que presentaron complicación torácica, constituyó el 7.24%