Nuevo esquema de vacuna antimeningocóccica en niños / New meningococcal vaccine schedule in children

La enfermedad invasiva por meningococo trae aparejada una alta morbimortalidad. Se presenta habitualmente en forma de casos aislados o brotes epidémicos y afecta en la Argentina a 200 a 300 casos por año, principalmente en niños menores de cinco años de edad. Actualmente en nuestro país se encuentran disponibles dos vacunas que cubren los serotipos A, C, Y, W del meningococo (Menactra® y Menveo®). A partir de Marzo de 2015, el Ministerio de Salud de la Nación Argentina incorporó la vacunación universal contra meningococo, estableciendo un esquema con una dosis a los tres y cinco meses y un refuerzo a los 15 meses de vida; y una dosis única para los adolescentes, a los 11 años de edad. (AU)

Invasive meningococcal disease results in high morbidity and mortality. It usually occurs in the form of isolated cases of epidemic outbreaks and affects 200 to 300 cases per year in Argentina, especially in children under five years of age. Vaccines covering meningococcal serotypes A, C, Y, W (Menactra® and Menveo®) are currently available in our country. Since March 2015, the Argentine's Ministry of Health incorporated the universal vaccination against meningococcus, establishing a scheme with two doses at three and five months and a booster at 15 months of life; and a single dose for adolescents, at 11 years of age. (AU)

Characterization of the Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis laminin-binding/histone-like protein (Lbp/Hlp) which reacts with sera from patients with Crohn's disease.

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) causes a chronic enteric disease in ruminants, called paratuberculosis or Johne's disease. The current model proposes that after ingestion by the host, Map crosses the intestinal barrier via internalization by the M cells. Experimental observations suggest, however, that Map may also transcytose the intestinal wall via the enterocytes, but the mechanisms involved in this process remain poorly understood. Cytoadherence assays performed on epithelial cells with Map revealed that the addition of laminin to the cell culture increases adhesion. A Map protein was isolated by heparin-Sepharose chromatography and identified as a laminin-binding protein like. The gene encoding this protein named Lbp/Hlp was identified in the Map genome sequence at locus MAP3024 (annotated Hup B). The deduced Map Lbp/Hlp amino acid sequence reveals 80% identity with that reported for other mycobacteria. The C-terminal domain involved in adhesion is mainly composed of arginine and lysine residues modified by methylation. In vitro tests demonstrated that recombinant Lbp/Hlp binds laminin, heparin, collagen and epithelial cells. Interestingly, we found that this adhesin corresponds to the antigen described as the target of pANCA and serum antibodies of patients with Crohn's disease.