[Peculiarities of meningoencephalitis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in America]. / Peculiaridades de la meningoencefalitis por Angiostrongylus cantonensis en América.

INTRODUCTION: 25 years ago was first reported in Cuba and in the western hemisphere an emergent disease: eosinophilic meningoencephalitis due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis larvae. AIM: To collect in a summary form the accumulated experience and the findings of the study of this parasitosis during the period in the Western hemisphere. DEVELOPMENT AND CONCLUSIONS: There have been collected the first evidences, the parasitological and malacological findings, the experimental and molecular studies on immunology and neuroimmunology, the clinic-pathological findings in children and adults with the particularities of this diseases in our environment with special emphasis in the never-before scientific findings reported. It has been documented the testimony, the main findings among the malacological studies, the role of the immunoglobulin E and the mechanism involved in the central nervous system, the intrathecal synthesis patterns of immunoglobulins and the clinical elements in children and adults.

Peculiaridades de la meningoencefalitis por Angiostrongylus cantonensis en América / Peculiarities of meningoencephalitis caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in America

Introducción. Hace 25 años se informó por primera vez en Cuba y en el hemisferio occidental de la aparición deuna enfermedad emergente: la meningoencefalitis eosinofílica producida por larvas del helminto Angiostrongylus cantonensis.Objetivo. Recopilar de forma resumida la experiencia acumulada y los aportes al estudio de esta zoonosis realizados a lo largo de estos años en el hemisferio occidental. Desarrollo y conclusiones. Se recogen las evidencias iniciales, los aportes a la parasitología y la malacología, los estudios experimentales y moleculares en la esfera de la inmunología y la neuroinmunología, los hallazgos clinicopatológicos en niños y adultos enfermos con las particularidades de la enfermedad en nuestro medio, con especial acento en los aportes científicos nunca antes comunicados. Se documentan el testimonio, los principalesaportes y hallazgos, entre los cuales se encuentran los estudios malacológicos, el papel de la inmunoglobulina E y los mecanismos involucrados en el sistema nervioso central, los patrones de síntesis intratecal de inmnoglobulinas y los elementos clínicos que brinda en niños y adultos(AU)

Introduction. 25 years ago was first reported in Cuba and in the western hemisphere an emergent disease: eosinophilic meningoencephalitis due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis larvae. Aim. To collect in a summary form the accumulated experience and the findings of the study of this parasitosis during the period in the Western hemisphere. Development and conclusions. There have been collected the first evidences, the parasitological and malacological findings, the experimental and molecular studies on immunology and neuroimmunology, the clinic pathological findings in children and adults with theparticularities of this diseases in our environment with special emphasis in the never-before scientific findings reported. It has been documented the testimony, the main findings among the malacological studies, the role of the immunoglobulin E and the mechanism involved in the central nervous system, the intrathecal synthesis patterns of immunoglobulins and the clinicalelements in children and adults(AU)

Peculiaridades de la meningoencefalitis por Angiostrongylus cantonensis en América / Peculiarities of meningoencephalitis caused by I Angiostrongylus cantonensis I in America

25 years ago was first reported in Cuba and in the western hemisphere an emergent disease: eosinophilic meningoencephalitis due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis larvae, Aim, To collect in a summary form the accumulated experience and the findings of the study of this parasitosis during the period in the Western hemisphere, Development and conclusions, There have been collected the first evidences, the parasitological and malacological findings, the experimental and molecular studies on immunology and neuroimmunology, the clinic-pathological findings in children and adults with the particularities of this diseases in our environment with special emphasis in the never-before scientific findings reported; It has been documented the testimony, the main findings among the malacological studies, the role of the immunoglobulin E and the mechanism involved in the central nervous system, the intrathecal synthesis patterns of immunoglobulins and the clinical elements in children and adults(AU)

Peculiaridades de la meningoencefalitis por Angiostrongylus cantonensis en América / Peculiarities of meningoencephalitis caused by angiostrongylus cantonensis in America

Hace 25 años se informó por primera vez en Cuba y en el hemisferio occidental de la aparición de una enfermedad emergente: la meningoencefalitis eosinofílica producida por larvas del helminto Angiostrongylus cantonensis.Objetivo. Recopilar de forma resumida la experiencia acumulada y los aportes al estudio de esta zoonosis realizados a lo largo de estos años en el hemisferio occidental. Desarrollo y conclusiones. Se recogen las evidencias iniciales, los aportes a la parasitología y la malacología, los estudios experimentales y moleculares en la esfera de la inmunología y la neuroinmunología, los hallazgos clinicopatológicos en niños y adultos enfermos con las particularidades de la enfermedad en nuestro medio, con especial acento en los aportes científicos nunca antes comunicados. Se documentan el testimonio, los principalesaportes y hallazgos, entre los cuales se encuentran los estudios malacológicos, el papel de la inmunoglobulina E y los mecanismos involucrados en el sistema nervioso central, los patrones de síntesis intratecal de inmnoglobulinas y los elementos clínicosque brinda en niños y adultos

25 years ago was first reported in Cuba and in the western hemisphere an emergent disease: eosinophilicmeningoencephalitis due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis larvae. Aim. To collect in a summary form the accumulatedexperience and the findings of the study of this parasitosis during the period in the Western hemisphere. Development and conclusions. There have been collected the first evidences, the parasitological and malacological findings, the experimentaland molecular studies on immunology and neuroimmunology, the clinic-pathological findings in children and adults with the particularities of this diseases in our environment with special emphasis in the never-before scientific findings reported. It hasbeen documented the testimony, the main findings among the malacological studies, the role of the immunoglobulin E and the mechanism involved in the central nervous system, the intrathecal synthesis patterns of immunoglobulins and the clinicalelements in children and adults

[Obtention of monoclonal antibodies against human secretory IgA]. / Obtención de anticuerpos monoclonales contra IgA secretora humana.

In order to determine the IgA levels in secretions, the authors engaged themselves to obtain monoclonal antibodies against this immunoglobulin and to show their possible utilization in the development of quantitation methods. 6 monoclonal antibodies were obtained: one against the secretory component (SC) and five against the heavy-chain (HC) of IgA. IgA purified from human colostrum was used as immunogen (HC). The immunoglobulin isotypes (IgG2a and IgG1) were determined in 2 monoclonal antibodies, one against SC and the other against HC. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was performed in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate and b-mercapto-ethanol. Immunotransference was also carried out to determine their specificity. Secretory IgA was detected in saliva specimens. The anti-SC monoclonal antibody obtained in-the laboratory of the "Pedro Kourí" Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK) was compared with a commercial one (Sigma Chemical Co.), and a similar behaviour was observed. The monoclonal antibody against SC (IPK) was used to detect IgA specific to LPS ogawa in persons vaccinated with an attenuated strain of Vibrio cholerae. Marked differences were found between the levels before and after immunization. The anti-HC monoclonal antibody was utilized to make an ELISA-like simulated system. The detection limit was 9.89 ng/mL.

Biodistribution of the Cuban anti-meningococcal vaccine, VA-MENGOC-BC, in Balb/c mice.

VA-MENGOC-BC is the Cuban vaccine against Neisseria meningitidis BC. Its iodination and biodistribution measurement in Balb/c mice were the main goals of this study. The Chloramine-T method was effective for radiolabelling the proteoliposome, the main vaccine structure. The biodistribution demonstrated that the thyroid (50.4%), muscle (21.5%) and regional lymph nodes (20.5%) were the most radioactive organs and the kinetic of radioactivity was correlated with the primary (muscle, highest values in the first 3 days and lymph nodes, in the first 7 days) and secondary (muscle and lymph nodes, highest values in the first day) response. Early occurrence of slight radioactivity in the spleen was also observed. This was the first time that the iodination and biodistribution of this vaccine was carried out. The present study corroborated that the time selected in previous trials to obtain the lymph nodes and spleen cell, after a first (7 days) and second (3 days) dose, was actually the optimal for in vitro studies.

[Relationship among total serum IgE, human giardiasis, and actual allergic signs]. / Relación entre la IgE sérica total, la giardiasis humana y los signos alérgicos actuales.

The frequent association of human giardiasis with skin damages made the authors measure IgE serum levels by an ultramicroanalytical system in patients with clinical giardiasis, confirmed parasitologically. Possible stimulation of the total serum IgE response is studied, as well as its association with present allergic signs and the relationship with the cure of patients having giardiasis.

[Evaluation of the humoral response in patients infected with Trypanosoma rhodesiense in Mozambique]. / Evaluación de la respuesta humoral en pacientes infectados con Trypanosoma rhodesiense en Mozambique.

Indirect immunofluorescence and simple immunodiffusion for trypanosomiasis were normalized. A high percent of patients were found to be positive, both by simple immunodiffusion and indirect immunofluorescence. The use of these techniques is recommended in epidemiological studies.

[In vivo resistance to strains of Trypanosoma rhodesiense, Mozambique, 1985]. / Resistencia in vivo de estirpes de Trypanosoma rhodesiense, Mozambique, 1985.

We report the existence of high resistance to Melarsoprol and low resistance to Suramin in 11 Trypanosoma rhodesiense species. They were isolated from humans in the Tete province, Mozambique, and kept in mice at the Maputo National Health Institute. The preliminary results obtained with Suramin administered intracranially, are also reported.

Infestacion por Angiostrongylus cantonensis en las provincias habaneras. / Infestation by Angiostrongylus cantonensis in Havana provinces

Dado el hallazgo en Cuba y por primera vez en America del Angiostrongylus cantonensis nos propusimos determinar la presencia de este parasito en las provincias habaneras.Se colectaron 2.720 moluscos y 20 ratas.Se obtuvieron 16 especies de moluscos de los cuales, 10 fueron positivos. En el 90% de las ratas capturadas se encontraron adultos de A. cantonensis. En el 100% y 89,5% de los municipios de C. Habana y Habana, respectivamente, se hallaron moluscos con larvas de segundo y tercer estadio o ambos inclusive. Se reporta una nueva subespecie de moluscos positivos. (Bradybaena similaris honkonensis) y una nueva especie de rata (Rattus rattus)

Infestacion mortal de hamsteres (Mesocrisetos auteatus) por Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Chen, 1935). / Mortal infestation of hamsters (Mesocrisetos aureatus) by Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Chen, 1935)

Se infestaron experimentalmente 12 hamsteres con 6 y 10 larvas infestivas de Angiostrongylus cantonesis. Se observo un promedio de sobrevivencia inferior a 30,3 dias, y que los parasitos alcanzaron los pulmones antes que en su hospedero habitual. En ningun caso se encontraron larvas en las heces