Curcumina y curcuminoides: química, estudios estructurales y propiedades biológicas / Curcumin and curcuminoids: chemistry, structural studies and biological properties

Esta revisión versa sobre la curcumina, una molécula fascinante, cuyas propiedades medicinales cubren campos como cáncer y Alzheimer. Se describen sus propiedades químicas y fisicoquímicas así como las de algunos de sus derivados (los curcuminoides y hemicurcuminoides), en particular aquellos que contienen un heterociclo. Las propiedades biológicas y farmacológicas más relevantes serán también mencionadas. Para concluir, se presenta brevemente nuestra contribución a este campo

This review concerns curcumin, a fascinating molecule that has a wide use in medicine for diseases as significant as cancer and Alzheimer. The chemical and physicochemical properties of curcumin and some of its derivatives (curcuminoids and hemicurcuminoids) will be described, in particular curcuminoids bearing a heterocycle. The most relevant biological and pharmacological properties will also be reported. At the end, our contribution to this subject is briefly presented

[Laryngeal neurofibroma. A case report and literature review]. / Neurofibroma laríngeo. Presentación de un caso y revisión bibliográfica.

Neurofibroma is a rare pathology on the larynx. We distinguish two types of neurofibromas: plexiform and not plexiform in which the difference is at the cytoarchitectural level. The plexiform type is usually associated to the Von Recklinhausen disease, also know as neurofibromatosis type 1. They usually affect the supraglottic structure, and more frequently they are described in aritenoids, ariepiglottic folds, and posterior commissure. We present a case located at the glottic level of plexiform type, with a postsurgical follow-up of five years. We make a revision of the aethiopathogenesis, evolution and prognostic of these pathology in the bibliography.

Multicenter evaluation of the COBAS AMPLICOR HCV assay, an integrated PCR system for rapid detection of hepatitis C virus RNA in the diagnostic laboratory.

The benefits shown by the recent introduction of PCR for the in vitro diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has prompted the development of standardized, ready-to-use assays that can be implemented in routine clinical laboratories. We have evaluated the clinical performance of COBAS AMPLICOR HCV (COBAS), the first instrument system that allows the automation of HCV RNA amplification and detection, to determine its performance in the routine laboratory setting. More than 2,000 specimens collected at five centers were analyzed in parallel by the COBAS and the manual AMPLICOR HCV (AMPLICOR) tests, and the results were compared with the results for biochemical and serological markers of HCV. In this study the two PCR systems showed the same accuracy, with a concordance rate of 99.8%. As expected, the correlation between serology and PCR was not absolute because the presence of anti-HCV antibodies may be associated with a latent or past infection. On the other hand, if the presence of confirmed anti-HCV antibodies and elevated alanine aminotransferase levels are taken as the "gold standard," indicating an active, ongoing infection, the COBAS and AMPLICOR tests show high and comparable sensitivities (100%) and specificities (98%), with positive and negative predictive values of 100 and 97%, respectively. During the study no false-positive reactions were detected. The use of an internal control allowed the identification of inhibitory substances that prevented amplification for 0.3 and 0.4% of samples tested by the COBAS and AMPLICOR tests, respectively. Compared to the manual system, the COBAS system allowed a significant reduction of hands-on time and could improve the overall laboratory work flow. In conclusion, these results support the use of the COBAS and AMPLICOR tests for the molecular diagnosis of active HCV infections.

LCx: a diagnostic alternative for the early detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.

This study aims to evaluate the performance of a new diagnostic method (LCx Tuberculosis Assay, Abbott Laboratories) based on Ligase Chain Reaction (LCR) technology, for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in respiratory and non-respiratory specimens and compare it with standard microbiological data and the clinical diagnosis of tuberculosis. Nine hundred specimens were collected from patients with a high suspicion of tuberculosis (740 respiratory samples and 160 non-respiratory specimens). The study was divided into two separate groups: samples washed and distilled water (207 samples) and unwashed samples that were directly resuspended in phosphate buffer (693 samples). The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of samples washed with distilled water after decontamination with SDS-NaOH were: 54%, 100%, 100%, and 94%, respectively. If these results were divided according to origin of specimens, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values in respiratory and non-respiratory samples were 54.5%, 100%, 100%, 94% and 50 100%, 100%, 93%, respectively. In contrast, for the non-washed samples, values were 85%, 95%, 80% and 98%, respectively. Respiratory and non-respiratory samples gave values of 84%, 96%, 77%, and 97.5% versus 89%, 99%, 94%, and 98%. The LCx M. tuberculosis assay is a novel, semi-automated assay and a rapid and highly specific technique for screening all forms of tuberculosis, including non-respiratory forms.

Impact of the human immunodeficiency virus epidemic on detection of Mycobacterium isolates in a general hospital.

The number of human samples processed in our mycobacteriology laboratory ranged from 148 per 1,000 admissions in 1988 to 263 per 1,000 admissions in 1995 (5.2% were positive). The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive population contributed 33.3% of all samples, 43.3% of all isolates, and 36% of all new patients. Given that the ratios of the total number of samples to the number of Mycobacterium-positive samples were 18.3:1 in HIV-positive patients and 28:1 in HIV-negative patients, efforts to reduce the laboratory workload should begin with the HIV-negative population.

[Ambulatory myringoplasty]. / Miringoplastia ambulatoria.

Description of a technique for ambulant Myringoplasty applicable to repair tympanic perforations no greater than a drum quadrant, by means of lyophilized dura mater and perichondrium. The results in 61 cases, two years after surgery, were gratifying both otoscopically and audiologically, and accordingly the AA, vindicate this alternative option for endaural myringoplasty.

[Extramedullary plasmacytoma and hypercalcemia]. / Plasmocitoma extramedular e hipercalcemia.

Extramedullary plasmocytoma (EMP) is an infrequent entity characterized by the proliferation of malignant plasma cells which are generally found on the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract. A case of EMP located in the right maxillary sinus is referred. Peculiarities of the same were resistance to radiotherapy with local relapse and severe hyperkalemia. Despite deliberate searching, disease dissemination could not be demonstrated.