Expansion of the Distribution of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae): New Records in Northern Argentina and Their Implications From an Epidemiological Perspective.

Since the last yellow fever (YF) outbreak was detected in Argentina in 2009, vector surveillance and studies of arbovirus infections are carried out intermittently specifically in areas where nonhuman primates of the Alouatta genus are present. We report in these areas of Corrientes province the detection of Haemagogus leucocelaenus (Dyar and Shannon) (Diptera: Culicidae) and Sabethes albiprivus (Theobald) (Diptera: Culicidae), both species involved in the forest YF cycle, and also the presence of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) in new areas in Argentina, which represents the southernmost citation for this species in South America. Aedes albopictus, a mosquito species native to Asia, was reported for the first time in Argentina in 1998, in Misiones province. Since then, no other report has indicated the extension of the distribution of this mosquito. This report shows the importance of performing continual entomological and arboviruses surveillance and highlights the impact that could result from the expansion of Ae. albopictus across Argentina.

The differential short- and long-term effects of HIV-1 latency-reversing agents on T cell function.

Despite the extraordinary success of HIV-1 antiretroviral therapy in prolonging life, infected individuals face lifelong therapy because of a reservoir of latently-infected cells that harbor replication competent virus. Recently, compounds have been identified that can reverse HIV-1 latency in vivo. These latency- reversing agents (LRAs) could make latently-infected cells vulnerable to clearance by immune cells, including cytolytic CD8+ T cells. We investigated the effects of two leading LRA classes on CD8+ T cell phenotype and function: the histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) and protein kinase C modulators (PKCms). We observed that relative to HDACis, the PKCms induced much stronger T cell activation coupled with non-specific cytokine production and T cell proliferation. When examining antigen-specific CD8+ T cell function, all the LRAs except the HDACi Vorinostat reduced, but did not abolish, one or more measurements of CD8+ T cell function. Importantly, the extent and timing of these effects differed between LRAs. Panobinostat had detrimental effects within 10 hours of drug treatment, whereas the effects of the other LRAs were observed between 48 hours and 5 days. These observations suggest that scheduling of LRA and CD8+ T cell immunotherapy regimens may be critical for optimal clearance of the HIV-1 reservoir.

Administration of vorinostat disrupts HIV-1 latency in patients on antiretroviral therapy.

Despite antiretroviral therapy, proviral latency of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) remains a principal obstacle to curing the infection. Inducing the expression of latent genomes within resting CD4(+) T cells is the primary strategy to clear this reservoir. Although histone deacetylase inhibitors such as suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (also known as vorinostat, VOR) can disrupt HIV-1 latency in vitro, the utility of this approach has never been directly proven in a translational clinical study of HIV-infected patients. Here we isolated the circulating resting CD4(+) T cells of patients in whom viraemia was fully suppressed by antiretroviral therapy, and directly studied the effect of VOR on this latent reservoir. In each of eight patients, a single dose of VOR increased both biomarkers of cellular acetylation, and simultaneously induced an increase in HIV RNA expression in resting CD4(+) cells (mean increase, 4.8-fold). This demonstrates that a molecular mechanism known to enforce HIV latency can be therapeutically targeted in humans, provides proof-of-concept for histone deacetylase inhibitors as a therapeutic class, and defines a precise approach to test novel strategies to attack and eradicate latent HIV infection directly.

[Contamination by helminths in public places of the province of Chubut, Argentina]. / Contaminación por helmintos en espacios públicos de la provincia de Chubut, Argentina.

Canine-borne helminthiases constitute a worldwide problem. Some of these parasites can originate serious pathologies in humans. Given the potential existence of these zoonoses in Argentina, horizontal surveys on contamination degree evaluated as faeces per hectare and on parasite prevalence in faeces were carried out in six localities of the Province of Chubut. The behaviour of people visiting public places was also analyzed qualitatively. All of the survey sites were contaminated with faeces and with some parasitic forms. Contamination degrees ranged from 32 to 147 faeces/ha. Toxocara sp. (17.4%), Strongyloides sp. (5.1%), and Ancylostoma. sp (5.6%) were the main genera among other parasites detected. As a whole, the analysis revealed that contamination degree, prevalence and human behaviour in relation to the exposure to the parasite would be the main factors to be taken into account in formulating control measures. Transmission risk patterns in Chubut were not homogeneous; therefore, studies and control strategies should be devised and implemented at the local scale.

Psychotherapists' sexual relationships with their patients.

Sexual contact between psychotherapists and their patients is currently one of the leading causes of malpractice claims against psychotherapists. Some courts have recognized the devastating emotional harm that patients suffer as a result of psychotherapist-patient sex and have expanded the remedies available to these patients; a few state legislatures have enacted statutes that impose civil or criminal penalties on psychotherapists who engage in sexual activity with their patients.