[Monitoring of cytomegalovirus infection in patients with kidney transplantation: the first experience in Cuba]. / Monitoreo de la infección por citomegalovirus en pacientes con trasplante renal: primera experiencia en Cuba.

Kidney transplantation is at present the most efficient therapeutic tool to treat end-stage chronic kidney failure. Graft rejection and infections are the most important barriers to the success of transplantation, whereas cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been the most reported causal agent of morbidity in this type of patients. The evolution of a group of 12 patients who underwent kidney transplantation at the Nephrology Institute was studied during 16 weeks aimed at monitoring the infection caused by CMV. 58.4% of these patients were positive and 28% showed clinical evidences of the disease. Most of the infected patients were observed between the 4th and the 12th week after transplantation. CMV infection was confirmed in 70% of the individuals undergoing a high immunosuppression. 50% of the total of patients developed graft rejection episodes some time during the evolution and 83.3% were diagnosed CMV infection.

[Assessment of an ELISA for the detection of antibodies against HIV-1 protein p24]. / Evaluación de un ELISA para la detección de anticuerpos contra la proteína p24 del VIH-1.

DAVIH AC p24 kit for detecting anti p24 antibodies of HIV-1, worked out by the National Laboratory of Reference of AIDS (Labor-1, Cuba) is assessed and results are compared to those of the Western Blot technique (DAVIH-Blot, Labor-1, Cuba). 191 samples from HIV positive patients at various stages of the disease were analyzed. 96% sensitivity; 100% specificity and 96.3% coincidence were found in both techniques. The anti p-24 ELISA-DAVIH system is a good alternative for the follow-up of HIV positive patients.

[New evidence of the antigenic relation between the viruses of epidemic neuropathy and the human nervous system. A study of the immune cellular response in patients with epidemic neuropathy and controls. A review of the topic]. / Nuevas evidencias de la relación antigénica entre los virus de la neuropatía epidémica y el sistema nervioso humano. Estudio de la respuesta inmune celular en pacientes con neuropatía epidémica y controles. Revisión del tema.

A series of experiments was made at the Virology Department of the "Pedro Kourí" Institute of Tropical Medicine aimed at obtaining new evidences on the possible antigenic relations existing between the viruses isolated from patients with epidemic neuropathy and the structures of the human nervous system. According to the results it may be finally inferred that the persistence and/or autoimmunity may be considered as mechanisms through which the studied viruses participate in the etiopathogenesis of the epidemic neuropathy in Cuba. For future experiments it is very important to identify the possible viral epitopes involved in the molecular mimicry that are responsible for the probable autoimmune mechanisms or for the viral persistence.

[Monoclonal antibodies which recognize herpes simplex virus and their possible diagnostic application]. / Anticuerpos monoclonales (AcM) que reconocen el virus herpes simple (HSV) y su posible aplicación al diagnóstico.

It is reported the obtention of monoclonal antibodies, which are capable of recognizing HSV-1 and HSV-2 viruses, by the conventional technology of cellular fusion. The monoclonal antibodies of highest positivity according to the indirect immunofluorescence technique were partially characterized. It was determined the neutralizing capacity of 2 of them (278-F7 and 70-G10), which were used to identify isolations of clinical specimens by indirect immunofluorescence. These monoclonal antibodies recognized HSV-1 up to a dilution of 1:2 560.

[Anomalous response of antibodies in rash-causing viral infections]. / Respuesta anómala de anticuerpos de infecciones virales productoras de rash.

20 pairs of sera from the National System of Seroepidemiological Surveillance of the triple viral vaccine received in the laboratory with febrile rash diagnosis were studied. By using the hemagglutination inhibition test, it was observed an abnormal answer of antibodies to both rubella and measles through a falling of the antibody titre in one or both diseases, or in one of them with seroconversion to the other one. With the aim of defining the existence of a possible polyclonal activation already described in literature, it was decided to study the antibody response to family Herpesviridae (HSV, EBV, CMV, VZV). 80% of answer to these viruses were found. The results are submitted and discussed.

[Inhibition of the multiplication of a Coxsackie A9 strain isolated from a patient with epidemic neuropathy by the interferons alfa and gamma]. / Inhibición de la multiplicación de la cepa de Coxsackie A9 aislada de un paciente con neuropatía epidémica frente a los interferones alfa y gamma.

We present the results of the in vitro action of alpha and gamma interferons and of Intacglobin and Igegam against the 47/93/IPK (Coxsackie A9) strain isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with epidemic neuropathy. The in vitro studies showed that the two interferons inhibited the replication of this agent; they also showed the presence of antibodies to it in the Intacglobin and Igegam. The results attained demonstrated that the use of these compounds could be effective for the treatment of this entity.

[Serologic marker as indicator of no circulation of poliovirus in Cuba]. / Marcador serológico como indicador de no circulación de poliovirus en Cuba.

The surveillance of the circulation of the wild poliovirus is an essential element for the eradication of poliomyelitis. The Pan-American Health Organization emphasises on the etiological study of acute flaccid paralysis in order to achieve this aim. The characteristics of our program against this entity allowed to use the presence of antibodies in a sample obtained in February from the infant population born on July during the previous year as criteria to know the circulation of wild poliovirus. In 727 infants studies in the country (5% of the total number of births during July), 99.1% showed no antibodies with a titre equal or greater than 1:10. Low titres found in 7 infants were considered as a remnant from maternal transmission. Results obtained represent a strong evidence of the fact that there is no environmental circulation of poliovirus during the period which had the greatest incidence of the disease.