ABSTRACT
Owing to its unique host cell-dependent development cycle, Chlamydia pneumoniae occupies an intracellular niche that enables the bacterium to survive and to multiply, secluded from both the extracellular and the cytoplasmic environments. Within its separate chlamydial inclusion, it is able to genetically switch between a replicative and a persisting non-replicative state, linking the pathogen to acute as well as chronic diseases. Although its role in acute respiratory infection has been established, a potential link between chronic vascular infection with C. pneumoniae and the development of atherosclerosis remains enigmatic, in particular because chronic chlamydial infection cannot be eradicated by antibiotics. C. pneumoniae has developed numerous mechanisms to establish an adequate growth milieu involving the type III secretion-mediated release of chlamydial effector proteins that interact with cellular structures and reprogram host cell regulatory pathways. This brief overview of these pathomechanisms focuses on chronic vascular infection.
Subject(s)
Chlamydophila Infections , Chlamydophila pneumoniae/pathogenicity , Apoptosis , Atherosclerosis/microbiology , Cell Proliferation , Chlamydophila Infections/metabolism , Chlamydophila Infections/microbiology , Chronic Disease , Humans , Inflammation , MAP Kinase Signaling SystemABSTRACT
With several multivariate statistical methods a classification of dioxin data has been tried. As a main result one significant source of dioxin in the river Elbe, in the harbour of Hamburg as well as in soils of the flooding areas of the river Elbe could be identified: the dioxin contaminated region Bitterfeld. Our statistical results indicate that the dioxin contamination in the Bitterfeld region was caused partly by metallurgy processes and not only by chemical production.
Subject(s)
Benzofurans/analysis , Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins/analogs & derivatives , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis , Chemical Industry , Environmental Monitoring , Geologic Sediments/chemistry , Germany , Metallurgy , Multivariate Analysis , Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins/analysis , Soil Pollutants/metabolismABSTRACT
Este trabajo se propone llamar la atención sobre el abrupto abuso epidémico de sulfato de cocaína (pasta base) en el Norte de Chile y revisar la temática en cuestión a la luz de la bibliografía y experiencia acumuladas por nuestro equipo estos últimos años. Se sitúa el inicio de la epidemia en 1983, avanzando con prontitud desde Arica hacia el Sur de la Región. Se revisan estadísticas del sector Salud. Se caracteriza a esta droga como una de las formas peligrosas de consumo de la cocaína en nuestro medio, ya sea por bajo costo y amplia difusión social como por la rápida adicción a la que induce. Se hace un recuento de sus propiedades farmacológicas sobre las que no siempre existe pleno acuerdo. Se describen etapas y efectos clínicos a los que induce, y se señalan algunos métodos de tratamiento. En los comentarios finales se retoma la visión epidemiológica, y se ofrecen puntos de vista respecto al manejo de la epidemia
