Exposición a antirretrovirales y toxicidad mitocondrial en una cohorte de niños no infectados hijos de madres VIH positivas / In-utero Antiretroviral exposure and mitochondrial toxicity in a cohort of uninfected infants born to HIV-1-infected women

Introducción: En el presente trabajo, pretendemos definir el porcentaje de lactantes, hijos de madre VIH−+, pertenecientes a la cohorte prospectiva madrileña Fundación para la Investigación y la Prevención del SIDA en España y expuestos a tratamiento antirretroviral intraútero y perinatal, que presentan hiperlactacidemia u otros marcadores de posible daño mitocondrial, como hipertransaminasemia, o hiperamilasemia, durante los 3 primeros meses de vida, así como establecer una correlación entre los fármacos usados y el porcentaje de lactantes con dichos efectos adversos. Métodos: Se realizó el análisis de las analíticas disponibles de 623 niños no infectados nacidos en el periodo 2000–2005, fijándose los límites para hiperlactacidemia, hipertransaminasemia e hiperamilasemia de las tablas de toxicidad pediátrica para ensayos relativos al VIH (tablas ACTG), de manera global y para cada fármaco usado durante la gestación. Resultados: Los porcentajes de niños con hiperlactacidemia a los 0,5, 1,5 y 3 meses fueron del 48, 51,4 y 43%, de entre los lactantes con analítica disponible el porcentaje de niños con elevación de GOT a los 0,5, 1,5 y 3 meses fue del 13,2, 10,4 y de 17,2%. Respectivamente, la proporción de lactantes con elevación de GPT fue del 3,3, 3,4 y 5%. No se encontró hiperamilasemia en ningún niño en el análisis de los 15 días de vida. La proporción de niños con hiperamilasemia a las 6 semanas y a los 3 meses fue de 0,6 y 2,6%. No hubo diferencias significativas al realizar la comparación de los porcentajes de hiperlactacidemia, hipertransaminasemia o hiperamilasemia según el fármaco usado intraútero. Conclusiones: Hemos encontrado un alto porcentaje de lactantes expuestos a tratamiento antirretroviral intraútero con hiperlactacidemia, acorde con los resultados de otras series, sin que se haya comunicado morbimortalidad asociada a este fenómeno y no hemos podido asociar mayor prevalencia de hiperlactacidemia, hipertransaminasemia o hiperamilasemia a ninguno de los fármacos usados en la gestación (AU)

Introduction: In this study, we attempt to find out the percentage of uninfected infants born to HIV-infected women and exposed in-utero and perinatally to Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) that show high lactate levels, or any other mitochondrial damage markers (such as hypertransaminasaemia or hyperamylasaemia), during the first three months of age. We shall also establish whether certain drugs used in-utero are associated with higher lactate, transaminase or amylase levels. Methods: We analysed the available data from 623 uninfected infants born in the Spanish FIPSE cohort that were born in the period 2000–2005. The normal values for lactate, transaminases and amylase were set according to AIDS Clinical Groups Trials toxicity tables for infants. Results: The percentages of children with high lactate levels at 0.5; 1.5 and 3 months of age were 48%, 51.4% and 43% among those infants with available data. Respectively, the percentages of children with high AST values were 13.2; 10.4 and 17.2%. The values for high ALT were 3.3%; 3.4% and 5%. The percentages for hyperamylasaemia were 0%; 0.6% and 2.6%. We found no significant difference among the drugs used in utero for the four analysed biochemical markers along the first three months of age. Conclusions: We have found a high proportion of hyperlactataemia among infants exposed in-utero to ART, as shown in other cohorts of similar characteristics. No morbidity or mortality was communicated to the cohort analysis group. No ART drug among those used in-utero was statistically associated with a higher proportion of high lactate levels in these infants (AU)

Análisis socioeconómico y demográfico de la prevalencia en niños infectados por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana por transmisión vertical en la Comunidad de Madrid / A socio-economic and demographic analysis of the prevalence of paediatric HIV due to vertical transmission in the Community of Madrid

España sigue siendo uno de los países con tasas más altas deincidencia del virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH)/sidaen Europa occidental. La Comunidad de Madrid es la zona másafectada por la infección, con un total de 17.667 casos de sidahasta diciembre de 2008, lo que representa el 23,9% de loscasos registrados en toda España. En dicha comunidad se identificaroncomo áreas básicas de transmisión los distritos delsur y del norte-este, especialmente Usera, Puente de Vallecas,San Blas y Hortaleza, con una mayor prevalencia en el númerode casos de transmisión vertical. También se observó un cambiorespecto al flujo migratorio en los diferentes distritos de laciudad, coincidiendo los distritos con mayor censo de inmigrantescon un registro superior de las tasas de prevalencia de lainfección por el VIH por transmisión vertical. La prevalencia decasos de VIH por transmisión vertical se correlacionó significativamentecon el porcentaje de los inmigrantes (p= –0,544; p=0,011), personas sin estudios (p= 0,487; p= 0,025), mujeres desempleadas(p= 0,477; p= 0,029) y población con una renta percápita baja (p= –0,508; p= 0,019). Por otra parte, cabe pensarque estas zonas sur y norte-este, a su vez, pueden ser franjasimportantes para la propagación de otras enfermedades infecciosas,por lo que la presente memoria podría contribuir aldesarrollo de estrategias efectivas para la educación sobre elVIH, en cuanto a la prevención de situaciones de riesgo(AU)

Spain continues to be one of the countries with the highest HIV/AIDS incidence rates in Western Europe. The Community of Madrid is the area most affected by the infection, with a total of 17,667 cases of AIDS until December 2008, accounting for 23.9% of the cases recorded on a nation level. The south and north-eastern districts of the aforementioned Community, and especially Usera, Puente de Vallecas, San Blas and Hortaleza, were identified as basic transmission areas with a higher prevalence of cases of vertical transmission. A change was also observed with regard to the migration flow in the different districts of the city, with the districts with the highest numbers of immigrants coinciding with those with the highest recorded prevalence rates of cases of vertically transmitted HIV. The prevalence of cases of vertically transmitted HIV was significantly correlated with the percentage of migrants (p= –0.544; p=0.011), people without degrees (p= 0.487; p= 0.025), un employed women (p= 0.477; p= 0.029) and populations with a low per capitain come (p= –0.508; p= 0.019). Moreover, this leads to the thought that these south and north-eastern districts may also be important areas for the spread of other infectious diseases and, therefore, this report may contribute to the development of effective strategies for HIV education as regards the prevention of risk situations (AU)

[Studies on the possible application of molecular methods in diagnosing carriers and in similarity analysis of group B streptococci (Streptococcus agalactiae)]. / Ocena mozliwosci zastosowania metod molekularnych do diagnostyki nosicielstwa oraz analizy podobienstwa izolatów Streptococcus agalactiae.

The most popular method of GBS identification in Poland currently is by culturing on enriched agar and verifying the Lancefield Group using special latex agglutination kits. However, the classical methods are time-consuming and their sensitivity is insufficient therefore it is becoming more common to try and apply molecular methods which are characterized by high sensitivity and rapid results. Moreover, molecular methods give us the possibility to carry out epidemiological investigations and gene detection, for instance for antibiotic resistance. It was confirmed that PCR and FISH procedures may be effective in rapid detection of GBS. Thanks to RAPD methods we showed that newborns born to colonized mothers were colonized by GBS strains which originated from the mother, irrespective of the way and the course of labour. Additionally, we detected GBS colonization in children who were born to mothers who were not colonized by GBS. These children were probably colonized with strains coming from hospital environment. More studies are needed to elucidate the route of transmission and the role of colonization of the medical staff. Using multiplex PCR we showed the presence of ermA, ermB and ermC genes in phenotypically confirmed MLS, GBS strains.

Congenital Trypanosoma cruzi infection in a non-endemic area.

In May 2004, after launching a screening programme to detect Trypanosoma cruzi infection in the Latin American population, a case of congenital infection in a 2-year-old boy was discovered in Barcelona. Few cases of congenital transmission have been described in non-endemic areas and little is known about the epidemiological and clinical features of congenital Chagas disease in this context. The increase in Latin American immigrants in Europe and the USA requires greater epidemiological surveillance and appropriate diagnostic techniques for managing T. cruzi infections.

Infección Perinatal, por Trichomonas vaginalis / Perinatal infection, by Trichomonas vaginalis

Se presenta el caso de una RN de 20 días con diagnóstico presuntivo de sepsis, en la que se destacó infección vaginal y urinaria por Trichomonas vaginales resultante de transmisión vertical

The relationship between prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV and stakeholder decision making in Uganda: implications for health policy.

OBJECTIVES: To explore a selection of stakeholders' use of evidence and other reasons in the relative ranking of the prevention of mother to child HIV transmission with nevirapine in a setting of extreme resource scarcity. DESIGN: Group interviews using nominal group technique with provision of evidence. SETTING: One rural and one urban district in Uganda. PARTICIPANTS: People living with HIV/AIDS, people from the general population, planners, health workers and people with hypertension. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: relative ranking of prevention of vertical HIV transmission with nevirapine compared to nine other interventions for different conditions and evaluation of participants' use of evidence in the ranking. RESULTS: In the overall final ranking, prevention of vertical HIV transmission with nevirapine was ranked as number five compared to the other eight conditions. Treatment for childhood diseases and highly active anti retroviral treatment (HAART) for HIV/AIDS were ranked higher. Group specific ranking followed the same pattern, although the people living with HIV-group ranked HAART consistently as number one. CONCLUSIONS: Stakeholders seem to rank prevention of vertical HIV transmission lower than treatment for malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea. Policies considering prevention of vertical transmission of HIV should consider its implications. This study shows that stakeholders are open to considering evidence in assessing the relative priority of different interventions competing for scarce resources. More research is needed to develop methods that can involve representative stakeholders, including the public, in good and legitimate decisions on priorities.

Infección por el virus de la hepatitis C y embarazo / Hepatitis C virus infection and pregnancy

Objetivo: Revisar la epidemiología de la transmisión del virus de la hepatitis C (HCV), haciendo énfasis en los riesgos y conductas durante la gestación.Fuentes: Literatura médica desde el año 1988 hasta junio de 1999 a través del MEDLINE.Método de selección de los estudios: Series de casos que evaluaron la transmisión vertical del HCV.Resultados: La transmisión vertical de la infección se evalúa en relación con la infección concomitante del virus de inmunodeficiencia humana (HIV). El riesgo de transmisión perinatal de HCV es del 15,4 por 100 (IC95 por 100 11,1-20,8) en infectadas además con el HIV y de 2,6 por ciento (IC95 por 100 1,3-4,8) en no infectadas. La transmisión a través de la lactancia se ha demostrado en casos de enfermedad activa.Conclusión: Durante la gestación el HCV se puede transmitir de madre a feto principalmente durante el trabajo de parto y el riesgo de transmisión vertical depende de la carga viral, del estado de la enfermedad y de la coinfección por el HIV. El cuidado obstétrico de las pacientes infectadas pretende evitar las intervenciones que supongan intercambio sanguíneo materno fetal. La vía final de evacuación del feto no está lo suficientemente estudiada. La lactancia debe evitarse en pacientes sintomáticas o con viremia alta (AU)