Detection and Molecular Identification of Eight Candida Species in Clinical Samples by Simplex PCR.

Systemic candidiasis is a frequent opportunistic mycosis that can be life-threatening. Its main etiological agent is Candida albicans; however, the isolation of non-albicans Candida species has been increasing. Some of these species exhibit greater resistance to antifungals, so the rapid and specific identification of yeasts is crucial for a timely diagnosis and optimal treatment of patients. Multiple molecular assays have been developed, based mainly on polymerase chain reaction (PCR), showing high specificity and sensitivity to detect and identify Candida spp. Nevertheless, its application in diagnosis has been limited due to specialized infrastructure or methodological complexity. The objective of this study was to develop a PCR assay that detects and identifies some of the most common pathogenic Candida species and evaluate their diagnostic utility in blood samples and bronchial lavage. A pair of oligonucleotides was designed, CandF and CandR, based on sequence analysis of the 18S-ITS1-5.8S-ITS2-28S region of the rDNA of Candida spp., deposited in GenBank. The designed oligonucleotides identified C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei/Pichia kudriazevii, C. guilliermondii/Meyerozyma guilliermondii, C. lusitaniae/Clavispora lusitaniae, and C. dubliniensis using simplex PCR based on the amplicon size, showing a detection limit of 10 pg/µL of DNA or 103 yeasts/mL. Based on cultures as the gold standard, it was determined that the sensitivity (73.9%), specificity (96.3%), and the positive (94.4%) and negative (81.2%) predictive values of the PCR assay with the designed oligonucleotides justify their reliable use in diagnosis.

Does the Fetus Limit Antibiotic Treatment in Pregnant Patients with COVID-19?

During pregnancy, there is a state of immune tolerance that predisposes them to viral infection, causing maternal-fetal vulnerability to the adverse effects of COVID-19. Bacterial coinfections significantly increase the mortality rate for COVID-19. However, it is known that all drugs, including antibiotics, will enter the fetal circulation in a variable degree despite the role of the placenta as a protective barrier and can cause teratogenesis or other malformations depending on the timing of exposure to the drug. Also, it is important to consider the impact of the indiscriminate use of antibiotics during pregnancy can alter both the maternal and fetal-neonatal microbiota, generating future repercussions in both. In the present study, the literature for treating bacterial coinfections in pregnant women with COVID-19 is reviewed. In turn, we present the findings in 50 pregnant women hospitalized diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 without previous treatment with antibiotics; moreover, a bacteriological culture of sample types was performed. Seven pregnant women had coinfection with Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus agalactiae, Escherichia coli ESBL +, biotype 1 and 2, Acinetobacter jahnsonii, Enterococcus faecium, and Clostridium difficile. When performing the antibiogram, resistance to multiple drugs was found, such as macrolides, aminoglycosides, sulfa, dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors, beta-lactams, etc. The purpose of this study was to generate more scientific evidence on the better use of antibiotics in these patients. Because of this, it is important to perform an antibiogram to prevent abuse of empirical antibiotic treatment with antibiotics in pregnant women diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2.

Candida glabrata Antifungal Resistance and Virulence Factors, a Perfect Pathogenic Combination.

In recent years, a progressive increase in the incidence of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) caused by Candida glabrata has been observed. The objective of this literature review was to study the epidemiology, drug resistance, and virulence factors associated with the C. glabrata complex. For this purpose, a systematic review (January 2001-February 2021) was conducted on the PubMed, Scielo, and Cochrane search engines with the following terms: "C. glabrata complex (C. glabrata sensu stricto, C. nivariensis, C. bracarensis)" associated with "pathogenicity" or "epidemiology" or "antibiotics resistance" or "virulence factors" with language restrictions of English and Spanish. One hundred and ninety-nine articles were found during the search. Various mechanisms of drug resistance to azoles, polyenes, and echinocandins were found for the C. glabrata complex, depending on the geographical region. Among the mechanisms found are the overexpression of drug transporters, gene mutations that alter thermotolerance, the generation of hypervirulence due to increased adhesion factors, and modifications in vital enzymes that produce cell wall proteins that prevent the activity of drugs designed for its inhibition. In addition, it was observed that the C. glabrata complex has virulence factors such as the production of proteases, phospholipases, and hemolysins, and the formation of biofilms that allows the complex to evade the host immune response and generate fungal resistance. Because of this, the C. glabrata complex possesses a perfect pathogenetic combination for the invasion of the immunocompromised host.

Calcarea Carbonica Ostrearum para la obesidad en adolescentes mexicanos / Calcarea Carbonica Ostrearum for mexican adolescent obesity

Antecedentes: la obesidad es un problema de salud pública en México que va en aumento en niños y adolescentes, incrementando el riesgo de enfermedades cardiovasculares y metabólicas a temprana edad. Tradicionalmente, en la práctica clínica homeopática, Calcarea carbonica ostrearum se ha utilizado para la obesidad; sin embargo, no existen estudios de calidad metodológica donde se demuestre sueficacia. El objetivo del estudio fue demostrar la eficacia de Calcarea carbonica ostrearum vs placebo para disminuir la obesidad en adolescentes. Material y métodos: se realizó un ensayo clínico controlado, aleatorizado, doble ciego, de 15 semanas de duración en el Hospital General de México (Ciudad de México) de febrero a agosto de 2010, en el que se incluyó a 25 pacientes adolescentesobesos de entre 14 y 18 años de edad. Se les administró Calcarea carbonica ostrearum 30CH, o placebo, junto con cambios en la dieta y ejercicio. Las variables medidas fueron: peso, índice de masa corporal, perímetro abdominal y porcentaje de grasa corporal. Resultados: se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre Calcarea carbonica ostrearum 30CH y placebo en el porcentaje de grasa corporal (Calcarea carbonica ostrearum 2.9±1.1 vs placebo 1.3±1.5; diferencia=1.63, p<0.05). En las demás variables (peso, índice de masa corporal y perímetro abdominal) no se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre grupos después de 15 semanas de tratamiento. Conclusión: Calcarea carbonica ostrearum 30CH puede ser efectiva para reducir el porcentaje de grasa corporal en adolescentes obesos. Es necesario que se realicen ensayos clínicos controlados con tamaños de muestra más grandes para corroborar estos resultados. (AU)

Background: obesity is a health problem in Mexico. The prevalence of juvenile and child obesity is raising and is strongly related to cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors. Traditionally, in daily homeopathic practice, Calcarea carbonica ostrearum is prescribed for obesity. Nevertheless there is a lack of well-designed studies to prove its efficacy. The objetive of this study was to investigate the efficacy of Calcarea carbonica ostrearum 30CH vs placebo for reducing obesity in adolescents. Methods/design: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled two-arm trial with a 15 weeks follow-up study was conducted in the Hospital General de Mexico in Mexico City. Twenty-five adolescents between 14 and 18 years were included. The outcomes were: weight, body mass index, abdominal circumference and percentage of body fat. Results: percentage of body fat was the only outcome with statistically significant difference between Calcarea carbonica ostrearum 30CH and placebo (Calcarea carbonica ostrearum 2.9±1.1 vs placebo 1.3±1.5, difference=1.63, p<0.05). Neither weight, nor body mass index, nor abdominal circumference were different from placebo after 15 weeks of treatment. Conclusion: Calcarea carbonica ostrearum 30CH could be effective for reducing the percentage of body fat in obese adolescents. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these results. (AU)

Voice parameters and videonasolaryngoscopy in children with vocal nodules: a longitudinal study, before and after voice therapy.

BACKGROUND: Vocal Nodules (VN) are a functional voice disorder associated with voice misuse and abuse in children. There are few reports addressing vocal parameters in children with VN, especially after a period of vocal rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to describe measurements of vocal parameters including Fundamental Frequency (FF), Shimmer (S), and Jitter (J), videonasolaryngoscopy examination and clinical perceptual assessment, before and after voice therapy in children with VN. Voice therapy was provided using visual support through Speech-Viewer software. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients with VN were studied. An acoustical analysis of voice was performed and compared with data from subjects from a control group matched by age and gender. Also, clinical perceptual assessment of voice and videonasolaryngoscopy were performed to all patients with VN. After a period of voice therapy, provided with visual support using Speech Viewer-III (SV-III-IBM) software, new acoustical analyses, perceptual assessments and videonasolaryngoscopies were performed. RESULTS: Before the onset of voice therapy, there was a significant difference (p<0.05) in mean FF, S and J, between the patients with VN and subjects from the control group. After the voice therapy period, a significant improvement (p<0.05) was found in all acoustic voice parameters. Moreover, perceptual voice analysis demonstrated improvement in all cases. Finally, videonasolaryngoscopy demonstrated that vocal nodules were no longer discernible on the vocal folds in any of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: SV-III software seems to be a safe and reliable method for providing voice therapy in children with VN. Acoustic voice parameters, perceptual data and videonasolaryngoscopy were significantly improved after the speech therapy period was completed.