Trypanosoma cruzi loop-mediated isothermal amplification (Trypanosoma cruzi Loopamp) kit for detection of congenital, acute and Chagas disease reactivation.

A Trypanosoma cruzi Loopamp kit was recently developed as a ready-to-use diagnostic method requiring minimal laboratory facilities. We evaluated its diagnostic accuracy for detection of acute Chagas disease (CD) in different epidemiological and clinical scenarios. In this retrospective study, a convenience series of clinical samples (venous blood treated with EDTA or different stabilizer agents, heel-prick blood in filter paper or cerebrospinal fluid samples (CSF)) from 30 infants born to seropositive mothers (13 with congenital CD and 17 noninfected), four recipients of organs from CD donors, six orally-infected cases after consumption of contaminated guava juice and six CD patients coinfected with HIV at risk of CD reactivation (N = 46 patients, 46 blood samples and 1 CSF sample) were tested by T. cruzi Loopamp kit (Tc LAMP) and standardized quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). T. cruzi Loopamp accuracy was estimated using the case definition in the different groups as a reference. Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ) was applied to measure the agreement between Tc LAMP (index test) and qPCR (reference test). Sensitivity and specificity of T. cruzi Loopamp kit in blood samples from the pooled clinical groups was 93% (95% CI: 77-99) and 100% (95% CI: 80-100) respectively. The agreement between Tc LAMP and qPCR was almost perfect (κ = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.62-1.00). The T. cruzi Loopamp kit was sensitive and specific for detection of T. cruzi infection. It was carried out from DNA extracted from peripheral blood samples (via frozen EDTA blood, guanidine hydrochloride-EDTA blood, DNAgard blood and dried blood spots), as well as in CSF specimens infected with TcI or TcII/V/VI parasite populations. The T. cruzi Loopamp kit appears potentially useful for rapid detection of T. cruzi infection in congenital, acute and CD reactivation due to HIV infection.

Prevalencia de Chlamydia trachomatis en mujeres embarazadas del Hospital Nacional "Prof. Alejandro Posadas" / OCCURRENCE OF CHLAMYDIA T. IN PREGNANT WOMEN AT THE NATIONAL HOSPITAL " A. POSADAS"

Objetivo: Detectar la prevalencia de Chlamydia t. en mujeres embarazadas del Hospital Prof. A. Posadas. Materiales y método. Diseño: Se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo y prospectivo, en el servicio de Obstetricia del Hospital Nacional Prof. Dr. A. Posadas en Argentina, en el área de Patología Tracto Genital Inferior durante el período comprendido entre Octubre 2015 a Enero del año 2016. A todas las mujeres embarazadas que concurrieron a realizarse el Papanicolaou y colposcopía, se les extrajo muestras del contenido vaginal y endocervical. Las muestras endocervicales fueron analizadas por Técnica Real Time por PCR. Criterios de Inclusión: Todas las mujeres embarazadas que llegan al consultorio de Área Patología Tracto Genital Inferior por 1ra vez a realizarse un Papanicolaou. Resultados: El total de mujeres embarazadas estudiadas en ese periodo fue de 270, de las cuales el 12,22 % (33) fueron positivas para la banda de amplificación compatible con ADN de Chlamydia t. De las positivas el 73 % de las embarazadas (24) eran menores de 25 años. De las 270 mujeres embarazadas estudiadas el 57,40 % fueron menores de 25 años (155). Esto coincide con la casuística internacional que sugiere la búsqueda de Chlamydia t. en todas las mujeres menores de 25 años. Además, de las 33 (12%) que fueron positivas para Chlamydia t., 22 (67%) de ellas fueron asintomáticas. Conclusiones: Se sugiere el screening rutinario de Chlamydia t. por PCR a todas las mujeres embarazadas menores de 25 años, para evitar las graves complicaciones neonatales como así también las complicaciones puerperales frecuentes por esta infección.

The order Chlamydiales contains only a single genus, Chlamydia, and three species C. psittaci, C trachomatis, and C pneumonia. All three are obligate, intracellular parasites with a relatively complex life cycle. C trachomatis is capable of infecting transitional and columnar epithelial cells of the conjunctiva, respiratory tract, and urogenital tract. Untreated infection may resolve spontaneously or progress to a low-grade persistent infection. In either case, it usually can produce serious sequelae moreover if it is reactivated or a reinfection occurs. Objective: the aim of the present report was to detect the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in pregnant women in the "A. Posadas" Hospital. Design: an observational descriptive and prospective survey was performed, at the Obstetric Service of the National tal "A. Posadas" from Argentina, in the Area of Lower Genital Tract Pathology, during the period between October 2015 through January 2016. To all the pregnant women assisted to perform a Papanicolaou test and colposcopy, samples of the vaginal and endocervical content were obtained, . The endocervical samples were analyzed by Real Time Technique. Results: The total of the pregnant women studied in that period were 270, of whom 12,22% (33) were positive with the AND of Chlamydia t. From the positive patients 73 % of the pregnants (24) were younger than 25 years. Out of the 270 pregnant women studied, 57,40% were younger than 25 years (155). These data coincide with the international casuistics that suggests a searching for Chlamydia t. in all women younger than 25 years. Besides, of the 33 (12%) that were positives for Chlamydia t. , 22 (67%) were asymptomatic. Conclusions: It is suggested the rutinary screening for Chlamysia t. in all the pregnant women younger than 25 years, to avoid the severe neonatal complications and also the puerperal complications frecquent in this infection.

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of Aspergillus lentulus and Aspergillus fumigatus isolates in a patient with probable invasive aspergillosis.

Characteristic morphological and phylogenetic analyses demonstrated the presence of Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus lentulus as the aetiological agents in a case of probable invasive aspergillosis (IA). This is believed to be the first report of an A. lentulus strain isolated from a patient with probable IA in Argentina.