High Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1b Infection in a Small Town of Argentina. Phylogenetic and Bayesian Coalescent Analysis

Previous studies in Argentina have documented a general prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection close to 2%. In addition, a high prevalence of HCV has been recently reported in different Argentinean small rural communities. In this work, we performed a study aimed at analyzing the origins and diversification patterns of an HCV outbreak in Wheelwright, a small rural town located in Santa Fe province (Argentina)

Reassessment of genotype 1 hepatitis c virus subtype misclassification by LiPA 2.0: implications for direct-acting antiviral treatment

The accuracy of LiPA 2.0 for hepatitis C virus 1 (HCV-1) subtype classification was analyzed. LiPA 2.0 genotype results from 101 HCV-1-infected patients were compared to genotype findings determined by direct core sequencing. Eleven (11%) samples were misclassified. Given the influence of the HCV-1-subtype in the anti-HCV therapy response, an alternative classification method is warranted.Fil: Guelfo, Javier R.. Hospital Universitario de Valme. Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología; EspañaFil: Macias, Juan. Hospital Universitario de Valme. Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología; EspañaFil: Neukam, Karin. Hospital Universitario de Valme. Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología; EspañaFil: Di Lello, Federico Alejandro. Hospital Universitario de Valme. Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología; España. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Mira José Antonio. Hospital Universitario de Valme. Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología; EspañaFil: Merchante, Nicolás. Hospital Universitario de Valme. Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología; EspañaFil: Mancebo, María. Hospital Universitario de Valme. Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología; EspañaFil: Nuñez Torres, Rocío. Hospital Universitario de Valme. Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología; EspañaFil: Pineda, Juan A.. Hospital Universitario de Valme. Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología; EspañaFil: Real. Luis M.. Hospital Universitario de Valme. Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología; Españ

Gestión de la investigación en la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (1949-2010)

La Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, desde su origen, consideró a la investigación como una de sus funciones básicas. En tal sentido este libro surge como una propuesta para sistematizar, preservar y difundir información institucional, relacionada a la gestión del área específica. La Secretaría de Ciencia, Técnica y Posgrado de esta Casa de Estudios, a fines de 2009, invitó a participar de la iniciativa a quienes fueron responsables de esta tarea y a investigadores interesados en la historia de la institución, los que aportaron información y el valor de su experiencia. En el desarrollo de la obra se puede verificar claramente la evolución de estructuras y la definición de políticas científicas desarrolladas en la UNCuyo, ligadas a momentos históricos, políticas nacionales, locales e institucionales. Del relato de cada autor se observa que: planificación, mecanismos y estrategias de promoción de la investigación manifiestan una continuidad de esfuerzos cuyo objeto es incentivar la producción del conocimiento y su transferencia a las aulas y al medio. De la compiladora de la obra: Patricia Pons, Licenciada en Ciencias De la Educación de la Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina Santa María de los Buenos Aires; se encuentra en la etapa de finalización de sus estudios de Maestría en Gestión de la Ciencia, la Técnica y la Innovación de la Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento; Directora General de Ciencia y Técnica de la Secretaría de Ciencia Técnica y Posgrado de la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo

Nutritional Characterization and Phenolic Profiling of Moringa oleifera Leaves Grown in Chad, Sahrawi Refugee Camps, and Haiti

Moringa oleifera is a plant that grows in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Its leaves are rich of nutrients and bioactive compounds. However, several differences are reported in the literature. In this article we performed a nutritional characterization and a phenolic profiling of M. oleifera leaves grown in Chad, Sahrawi refugee camps, and Haiti. In addition, we investigated the presence of salicylic and ferulic acids, two phenolic acids with pharmacological activity, whose presence in M. oleifera leaves has been scarcely investigated so far. Several differences were observed among the samples. Nevertheless, the leaves were rich in protein, minerals, and \u3b2-carotene. Quercetin and kaempferol glycosides were the main phenolic compounds identified in the methanolic extracts. Finally, salicylic and ferulic acids were found in a concentration range of 0.14-0.33 and 6.61-9.69 mg/100 g, respectively. In conclusion, we observed some differences in terms of nutrients and phenolic compounds in M. oleifera leaves grown in different countries. Nevertheless, these leaves are a good and economical source of nutrients for tropical and sub-tropical countries. Furthermore, M. oleifera leaves are a source of flavonoids and phenolic acids, among which salicylic and ferulic acids, and therefore they could be used as nutraceutical and functional ingredients

Structural insight into the TFIIE–TFIIH interaction: TFIIE and p53 share the binding region on TFIIH

RNA polymerase II and general transcription factors (GTFs) assemble on a promoter to form a transcription preinitiation complex (PIC). Among the GTFs, TFIIE recruits TFIIH to complete the PIC formation and regulates enzymatic activities of TFIIH. However, the mode of binding between TFIIE and TFIIH is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate the specific binding of the C-terminal acidic domain (AC-D) of the human TFIIEα subunit to the pleckstrin homology domain (PH-D) of the human TFIIH p62 subunit and describe the solution structures of the free and PH-D-bound forms of AC-D. Although the flexible N-terminal acidic tail from AC-D wraps around PH-D, the core domain of AC-D also interacts with PH-D. AC-D employs an entirely novel binding mode, which differs from the amphipathic helix method used by many transcriptional activators. So the binding surface between PH-D and AC-D is much broader than the specific binding surface between PH-D and the p53 acidic fragments. From our in vitro studies, we demonstrate that this interaction could be a switch to replace p53 with TFIIE on TFIIH in transcription

Una rica colección de bacterias marinas antárticas (Caleta Potter, islas Shetlands del Sur) revela diversos filotipos endémicos y previamente no descritos

La riqueza bacteriana de la Antártida marítima ha sido pobremente descripta hasta la actualidad. En este trabajo se estudió la filogenia de un grupo de colecciones bacterianas planctónicas obtenidas de agua de mar de tres localizaciones cercanas a la base científica argentina antártica Jubany (actualmente Carlini). Sesenta secuencias clonadas del ARN 16S fueron agrupadas filogenéticamente en las clases Alfaproteobacteria  (30/60 clones), Gammaproteobacteria (19/60 clones), Betaproteobacteria (2/60) y Cytophaga?Flavobacteriia?Bacteroides [CFB (3 / 60)]. Por otro lado, seis de las sesenta secuencias (6/60) no pudieron ser clasificadas en ningún grupo conocido. Tanto las Alfaproteobacteria como las Gammaproteobacteria mostraron secuencias no descriptas con anterioridad y eventualmente endémicas. También es remarcable la ausencia de Cyanobacteria en esta biblioteca. En conclusión, estamos publicando aquí una rica colección de secuencias bacterianas de origen marino compuesta por una mayoría de secuencias ampliamente divergentes entre sí y también distantes de aquellas más intimamente relacionadas dentro de las depositadas hasta el presente en los bancos de datos.Fil: Landone Vescovo, Ignacio A.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Golemba, Marcelo Darío. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Di Lello, Federico Alejandro. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Culasso, Andrés Carlos Alberto. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Levin, Gustavo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Microbiología Industrial y Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Ruberto, Lucas Adolfo Mauro. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Interno y Culto. Dirección Nacional del Antártico. Instituto Antártico Argentino; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Microbiología Industrial y Biotecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Mac Cormack, Walter P.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Microbiología Industrial y Biotecnología; Argentina. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Interno y Culto. Dirección Nacional del Antártico. Instituto Antártico Argentino; ArgentinaFil: López, José L.. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Microbiología. Cátedra de Virología; Argentin

Assessment of the humoral response to the homologous Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V) or heterologous Sputnik V/mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in dialysis patients

Background and Aim Dialysis patients are a high-risk population and have a reduced immune response to vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. The aim of this study was to assess the humoral response to homologous Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V) and heterologous Sputnik V/mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccination in dialysis patients. The vaccination scheme depended on dose availability and the prioritization of risk populations as established by the Argentine Ministry of Health. Methods Previous COVID-19 infection was determined in symptomatic patients. Binding IgG antibodies against the spike (S) receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 (anti-S-RBD) concentration was assessed between 3 and 16 weeks after the boost dose. Anti-S-RBD antibodies were quantified using the Abbott Diagnostics SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) on an Architect i2000 SR and an Alinity I analyzer (Abbott Diagnostics, Abbott Park, Illinois, USA). To standardize the results to WHO binding antibody units (BAU), a correction factor for Abbott arbitrary units (AU) was applied where 1 BAU/mL equals 0.142 AU, as previously established by Abbott with the WHO international standard NIBSC 20–136. Following the manufacturer’s recommendations, samples were considered reactive for anti-S-RBD when titers were above 50 AU/mL (7.2 BAU/mL). An 80% protective effect (PROT-80) against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection was assumed when anti-S-RBD titers were 506 BAU/ml or higher. Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score was classified as mild = 1–2, moderate = 3–4, and severe ≥ 5. Side effects were evaluated until day 7 by patients´ self-reported questionnaire. Results One hundred seven participants were enrolled [n = 84 homologous (SpV/SpV), nn 23 heterologous (SpV/Mod)]. Median (IQR) age was 64 (50–75) years old and 79 (73.8%) were male. Additionally, 19 (22.6%) of the SpV/SpV and 4 (17.4%) of the SpV/Mod group had a prior confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (p = 0.589). In the overall population, 103 patients reached seroconversion (96.3%). Anti-S-RBD IgG median titers (IQR) were higher in the heterologous [1222 (288–5680) BAU/mL] than in the homologous scheme [447 (100–1551) BAU/mL], p = 0.022. In a linear model adjusted for age, gender, days from first vaccination to boost dose and days from the boost dose to the anti-S-RBD IgG determination, previous SARS-COV-2 infection (B: 2062.2; CI95: 1231.8–2892.6; p < 0.001), and SpV/Mod vaccination scheme (B: 1294.6; CI95: 435.58–2147.6; p = 0.003) were independently associated with anti-S-RBD levels. Finally, a higher frequency of adverse effects was associated with the heterologous scheme, although they were well tolerated by all individuals. Conclusions The present study provides evidence that the homologous SpV/SpV and heterologous SpV/Mod schemes showed good efficacy and safety in patients on chronic dialysis. These results could be useful for designing future vaccination strategies, especially aimed at this risk group.FAD is a member of the National Research Council (CONICET) Research Career Program. K.N. is the recipient of a Miguel Servet contract by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant number CPII18/00033). We would like to thank Mrs. Silvina Heisecke, from CEMIC‐CONICET, for the copyediting of the manuscriptPeer reviewe

Humoral response to the Sputnik V and Sputnik V/Moderna in dialysis

Introduction: The humoral response to vaccines is the most used tool to evaluate the protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Dialysis patients are a high-risk population and have a reduced immune response to vaccination. Objective: To assess the humoral response to homologous Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V) and heterologous Sputnik V/mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccination in dialysis patients. Methods: SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike IgG (RBD) concentration was estimated 3-16 weeks after complete vaccination. Reactogenicity was evaluated until day 7 by patients self-reported side events. Results: 107 participants were enrolled [n=84 homologous (SpV/SpV), n=23 heterologous (SpV/Mod)]. Median (IQR) age was 64 (50-75) years old and 79 (73.8%) were male. Additionally, 19 (22.6%) of the SpV/SpV and 4 (17.4%) of the SpV/Mod group had a prior confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (p=0.589). In the overall population, 103 patients reached seroconversion (96.3%). Anti-S-RBD IgG median titers (IQR) were higher in the heterologous [1222 (288-5680) BAU/mL] than in the homologous scheme [447 (100-1551) BAU/mL], p=0.022. In a linear model adjusted for age and gender, previous SARS-COV-2 infection (B: 1944.3; CI95: 1136.2-2753.4; p<0.001), and SpV/Mod vaccination scheme (B: 1241.5; CI95: 420.39-2062.6; p=0.003) were independently associated with anti-S-RBD levels. Finally, a higher frequency of adverse effects was associated with the heterologous scheme, although they were well tolerated by all individuals. Conclusion: The present study provides evidence that the homologous SpV/SpV and heterologous SpV/Mod schemes showed good efficacy and safety under dialysis conditions. These results could be useful for future vaccination strategies, especially aimed at this risk group.FAD is a member of the National Research Council (CONICET) Research Career Program. K.N. is the recipient of a Miguel Servet contract by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant number CPII18/00033). We would like to thank Mrs. Silvina Heisecke, from CEMIC‐CONICET, for the copyediting of the manuscriptN

Heterologous gam-COVID-vac (sputnik V)/mRNA-1273 (moderna) vaccination induces a stronger humoral response than homologous sputnik V in a real-world data analysis

Objectives To compare the homologous prime-boost vaccination scheme of Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V (SpV)) to its heterologous combination with mRNA-1273 (Moderna (Mod)) vaccine. Methods SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike (S)-receptor binding domain (RBD) IgG concentration was assessed three to seven weeks after complete vaccination. Reactogenicity was evaluated by declared side events and medical assistance required until day 7 post boost. Results Of 190 participants enrolled, 105 received homologous SpV/SpV and the remaining heterologous SpV/Mod vaccination scheme, respectively. Median (interquartile range (IQR)) age was 54 (37–63) years, 132 out of 190 (69.5%) were female, and 46 out of 190 (24.2%) individuals had a prior confirmed COVID-19. Anti-S-RBD IgG median (IQR) titers were significantly higher for SpV/Mod (2511 (1476–3992) binding antibody units (BAU)/mL) than for SpV/SpV (582 (209–1609) BAU/mL; p < 0.001] vaccination scheme. In a linear model adjusted for age, gender, time to the serological assay, and time between doses, SpV/Mod (4.154 (6.585–615.554); p < 0.001] and prior COVID (3.732 (8.641–202.010); p < 0.001) were independently associated with higher anti-S-RBD IgG values. A higher frequency of mild and moderate adverse effects was associated with the heterologous scheme (20 of 85 (23.5%) vs. 13 of 105 (12.4%); p = 0.043 and 27 of 85 (31.8%) vs. 14 of 105 (13.3%); p = 0.002), respectively, although it was well tolerated by all individuals and no medical assistance was required. Discussion The heterologous SpV/Mod combination against SARS-CoV-2 is well tolerated and significantly increases humoral immune response as compared to the homologous SpV/SpV immunization.Matías J. Pereson, Patricia Baré, María Noel Badano and Federico A. Di Lello are members of the National Research Council (CONICET) Research Career Program. Karin Neukam is the recipient of a Miguel Servet contract by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant number CPII18/00033).Peer reviewe