Mycoplasma Contamination of Cell Cultures: Vesicular Traffic in Bacteria and Control over Infectious Agents.

Cell cultures are subject to contamination either with cells of other cultures or with microorganisms, including fungi, viruses, and bacteria. Mycoplasma contamination of cell cultures is of particular importance. Since cell cultures are used for the production of vaccines and physiologically active compounds, designing a system for controlling contaminants becomes topical for fundamental science and biotechnological production. The discovery of extracellular membrane vesicles in mycoplasmas makes it necessary to take into consideration the bacterial vesicular traffic in systems designed for controlling infectious agents. The extracellular vesicles of bacteria mediate the traffic of proteins and genes, participate in cell-to-cell interactions, as well as in the pathogenesis and development of resistance to antibiotics. The present review discusses the features of mycoplasmas, their extracellular vesicles, and the interaction between contaminants and eukaryotic cells. Furthermore, it provides an analysis of the problems associated with modern methods of diagnosis and eradication of mycoplasma contamination from cell cultures and prospects for their solution.

Intestinal candidiasis. A clinical report and comments about this opportunistic pathology.

UNLABELLED: An eight-years-old girl, who presented with recurrent upper respiratory tract infections, was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Afterward she presented with intestinal candidiasis. The isolated species was identified as Candida albicans by differential tests. Treatment given was with 500,000 IU of oral nystatin every 8 hours for 10 days and intestinal normal microbiota restoratives. Evolution has been satisfactory, although concomitantly type A hepatitis developed. Rest and a soft diet were recommended. The child is now perfectly healthy with normal liver function tests. CONCLUSION: Prolonged treatments with broad-spectrum antibiotics destroyed the indigenous intestinal microbiota, which provoked intestinal C. Albicans proliferation and adversely affected the immunological system of the patient, thus facilitating the establishment of a viral infection.

[Frequency of Gardnerella vaginalis vaginosis and its association with other pathogens causing genital infections in the female]. / Frecuencia de vaginosis producida por Gardnerella vaginalis y su asociación con otros patógenos causantes de infección genital en la mujer.

In order to determine the presence of unspecific vaginosis and their causes, 700 vaginal smears were obtained from patients assisting to the Clinical Laboratory of the Familiar Medicine Unit No. 28 "Gabriel Mancera" of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, during 6 months. The patients age was from 18 to 55 years old. To establish the infectious etiology of these pathologies the vaginal smears were observed freshly and stained by Gram's method. Specific test for differentiate Gardnerella vaginalis and Candida albicans were also performed. From 700 vaginal smears, 160 were positive to Candida albicans (22.86%); 150 to Gardnerella vaginalis (21.43%); and 14 to Trichomonas vaginalis (2%). The most frequent association were Candida albicans with Gardnerella vaginalis in 14 women, who 12 had a reduced number of pregnancy, and 7 had only one pregnancy (58.3%). The age groups most affected were between 18 and 35 years old, corresponding to the reproductive stage of the woman. Gardnerella vaginalis predominated in the 30-35 years old group.

Zoonosis por helmintos en mamíferos de morelia, Michoacán, República Mexicana / Helminthes in rats and other mammiferous

Mediante captura y examen de pequeños mamíferos de la Ciudad de Morelia, Michoaan, República Mexicana, se encontraron parasitados por diversos helmintos, céstodos y nemátodos, así como por protozoos de los que también afectan al hombre. Los principales mamíferos capturados fueron Rattus norvegicus y Rattus rattus, encontrándose parasitados principalmente por Trichinella spiralis 60 por ciento, Hymenolepis diminuta 45 por ciento, e Hymenolepis nana 1.3 por ciento. Se señala la importancia que tienen este tipo de estudios, para determinar los mamíferos que funcionan como reservorios de zoonosis y fuente de infección para el hombre en la Ciudad de Morelia, Michoacán, República Mexicana y de otras localidades del país

[The mycetisms and their relevancy in medicine.]. / Los micetismos y su relevancia en medicina.

Poisonous mushrooms play an important role in public health, since the poisonings caused by their toxins have very high morbidity-mortality rates. No real data are available on this problem because diagnosis is often difficult. This work points out the important role of poisonous mushrooms. An analysis is included of the clinical features of the most important mycetisms, the mushrooms that produce them and the toxins that cause this pathology. A guide to aid clinical doctors in the diagnosis and treatment of mycetisms and recomendations to prevent these poisonings are provided.

[Toxoplasmosis and threatened abortion]. / Toxoplasmosis y aborto en evolución.

To know the situation of the toxoplasmosis in Comitán Chiapas, we made a serological indirect inmunofluorecent antibody test (IFA) to the population of this city and to fifty women with abortion in evolution. The results show us that around five percent of the population in general have positive title of antitoxoplasma gondii antibiodies, and 18% in the women with abortion evolution case. The statistics concluded that seropositive for this parasitic disease is real higher between cases of abortion than population in general (P < 0.006), as well as it is significantly higher in abortion cases than women of the general population of Comitán Chiapas (P < 0.01).

[Frequency of intraepithelial neoplasia of the cervix and risk factors in women in Mexico City]. / Frecuencia de neoplasia intraepitelial del cérvix y factores de riesgo en mujeres de la ciudad de México.

Cervical intraepithelial neoplasies (CIN), are very frequent in women with active sexual life who present risk factors. In this paper 220 exfoliative cytology reports from the National Cancer Register of the Direction of Epidemiology, Health Secretory, taken to women from eight Political Delegations in Mexico City, were revised. 134 cases presented CIN. 70.2% were grade III, corresponded to the age group between 26 and 35 years old; more than three pregnancies (47.76%) and more than three births (46.80%). Viral genital infections were related with CIN grades II and III. There are another risk factors that have been poorly analyzed in the national existent literature, therefore, it is necessary to effect further studies to determine the development of CIN in women with active sexual life.

[New sites with Triatominae infected by Trypanosoma cruzi in the Mexican Republic]. / Nuevas localidades con triatominos infectados por Trypanosoma cruzi en la República mexicana.

We report 29 new localities with Triatominae in the Republic of México; these Triatominae belong to 8 different species. Infection by Trypanosoma cruzi in the majority of these localities with high rates of positivity was found. Biological observations concerning the collected Triatominae are given. The necessity of continued work in relation to geographical distribution, ecology, frequency of infection by T. cruzy, and the role played by Triatominae of the Republic of México in the transmission of the infection to the man is stressed.

Microsporidiosis: estado actual de una nueva parasitosis / Microsporidiosis: current status of a new parasitosis

Los protozoos del orden Microsporida se han considerado como causantes de diversas patologías en pacientes con inmunodeficiencias severas. Aparentemente se trasmiten al humano por fecalismo, pero también se ha considerado la vía respiratoria. Los más afectados son adultos jóvenes del sexo masculino infectados con virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana. Entre los géneros más importantes se encuentran: Enterocytozoon, Encephalitozoom, Septata, Nosema y Pleistophora. Aún existen discrepancias en cuanto a la biología del parásito y poco se conoce acerca de su comportamiento dentro del humano. Se concluye que con el Advenimiento del SIDA, se están presentando múltiples nosologías por oportunistas que anteriormente no se consideraban como infecciones humanas. Este trabajo es una revisión de lo publicado de 1959 a 1995, relativo a aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos, diagnósticos y terapéuticos

[Microsporidiosis: current state of a new parasitosis]. / Microsporidiosis: estado actual de una nueva parasitosis.

Protozoa of the order Microsporida have become regarded as causes of several pathologies in patients with severe immunodeficiencies. Apparently they are transmitted to the human through fecalism, but also the respiratory route has been considered. People most affected are young males infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. The most important genera are: Enterocytozoon, Encephalitozoon, Septata, Nosema and Pleistophora. There are discrepancies about the biology of these parasites and little is known of their behavior in the human host. It is concluded that with the advent of AIDS, many nosological entities by opportunistic organisms, that were not previously considered as human infections are appearing. This work is a review of the literature published from 1959 to 1995, related to epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects.

[Intestinal helminthiasis in the Mexican Republic]. / Las helmintiasis intestinales en la República Mexicana.

Very few uncertain and not trustworthy reports about the frequency of intestinal helminthiases found in humans have been made in México. However, with the few trustful studies carried out from 1981 to 1992, it is possible in México to verify that ascariasis, trichuriasis, hookworm infection and hymenolepiasis are present with significant percentages of infected people 11.2%, 1.7%, 0.15% and 1.8%, respectively. With the information obtained from the researches analyzed in this article, one can conclude that human infections by intestinal helminths in México, at the present time are almost as frequent as in past decades. Without any doubt, this occurs because still remain the factors that contribute to the persistence and spreading of the intestinal helminths, such as fecalism, poor hygienic and alimentary habits within deficient environmental sanitary conditions.

[Frequency of intestinal protozoosis in the Mexican Republic]. / Frecuencia de las protozoosis intestinales en la República Mexicana.

The reports about the frequency of intestinal protozooses found in humans who live in different localities of the Mexican Republic, are in general uncertain and not trustworthy, possibly because very few and poor epidemiological surveys have been undertaken in the country. However, with the few trustful studies carried out (1981 to 1991), it is possible in Mexico, to verify that amibiasis, giardiasis and criptosporidiosis are present with significant percentages of infection: 30.6, 22.3 and 39.3% respectively. With the summary of the researches analyzed in this article, one can conclude that human infections by intestinal protozoa in the Mexican Republic, at the present time, are almost as frequent as in past decades. This occurs because still remain the factors that contribute to the persistence and spreading of intestinal parasites, such as fecalism, poor hygienic and alimentary habits, within a deficient environmental sanitation.

[Frequency of vaginal trichomoniasis and candidiasis and its relation to the clinical profile]. / Frecuencia de tricomoniasis y candidiasis vaginal y su relación con el cuadro clínico.

Eight hundred samples of vaginal swabs were taken from women with active sexual life attending the Cervicouterine Cancer Opportune Detection Service at the Familial Medicine Unit No. 18 of the National Institute of Social Security, to study the incidence and prevalence of vaginal trichomoniasis, the presence of yeasts of the genus Candida and their relationships with clinical features of vulvovaginitis. Identification of parasites was made by means of direct examination with light microscope; 14.39 per cent of candida vulvovaginitis against 3.13 per cent of trichomoniasis was found; in only five cases the two parasites were associated. Leukorrhea and vaginal pruritus were the major symptoms found and the most affected anatomical regions were vaginal walls in trichomoniasis and cervix in candidiasis. Although vaginal trichomoniasis is a worldwide distributed parasitosis, its frequency is very variable, not so vaginal candidiasis, which is more frequent.