Identificación morfológica y molecular de Cysticercus fasciolaris aislado de un roedor (Rattus norvegicus) de la provincia de Buenos Aires (Argentina).

En un estudio exploratorio de roedores de la especie Rattus norvegicus de la provincia de Buenos Aires, se observó que ciertos metacestodos de tenias se encontraban enquis- tados en el hígado del hospedador. Nuestro objetivo fue identificar esta forma larval, basándonos en estudios morfológicos y moleculares. Para la caracterización molecular del parásito, se amplificó y secuenció el ADN ribosomal (28S) y mitocondrial (COI). Sobre la base de los datos tanto morfológicos como moleculares, y utilizando herramientas bio- informáticas, el metacestodo se identificó como Cysticercus fasciolaris. La forma adulta (Taenia taeniaeformis) comúnmente infecta hospedadores mamíferos félidos y cánidos. Esta es la primera vez que se caracteriza molecularmente este helminto, aislado de roe- dores de la provincia de Buenos Aires.Fil: Martinez, Mara Leila. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Inv. Agropecuarias. Centro de Invest.de Cs.veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Patobiologia; Argentina;Fil: Dominguez, Mariana Gabriela. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Inv. Agropecuarias. Centro de Invest.de Cs.veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Patobiologia; Argentina;Fil: Morici, Gabriel E.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Inv. Agropecuarias. Centro de Invest.de Cs.veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Patobiologia; Argentina;Fil: Cavia, Regino. Consejo Nacional de Invest. Científ.y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Bs. As; Argentina; Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Cs.exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecologia, Genetica y Evolución; Argentina;Fil: Montes de Oca, Daniela Paula. INSTITUTO DE ECOLOGIA, GENETICA Y EVOLUCION DE BS. AS; ecologia;Fil: Lovera, Rosario. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Cs.exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecologia, Genetica y Evolución; Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Invest. Científ.y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Bs. As; Argentina;Fil: Schapiro, Javier Hernan. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Inv. Agropecuarias. Centro de Invest.de Cs.veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Patobiologia; Argentina;Fil: Caracostantogolo, Jorge Luis. Consejo Nacional de Invest.cientif.y Tecnicas. Ultraestructura, Microanalisis y Espectroscopia; Arggentina

Validation and field evaluation of a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for diagnosis of Babesia bovis infections in Argentina

Infections by Babesia bovis limit cattle production and cause important economic losses in tropical and subtropical areas around the world. Monitoring of calf sera can be used to detect unprotected cattle herds and to decide on strategic control measures, as well as for epidemiological studies. Merozoite surface antigen 2c (MSA-2c) is an immunodominant surface protein expressed in B. bovis merozoites and sporozoites and contains B-cell epitopes that are conserved among geographic isolates. A monoclonal antibody against recombinant MSA-2c (rMSA-2c) was previously shown to inhibit the binding of anti-B. bovis antibodies to a parasite B-cell epitope in a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) format. In the work at hand, the parameters of this cELISA were reevaluated and adjusted when necessary, and a cutoff value was determined by receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of a total of 357 bovine sera of known reactivity, as assessed by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFAT). The established rMSA-2c cELISA demonstrated a specificity of 98% and a sensitivity of 96.2%. An additional set of 303 field bovine sera from regions where ticks are endemic and tick-free regions of Argentina was tested by both rMSA-2c cELISA and IFAT, and the results were shown to be in very good agreement (kappa index, 0.8325). The performance shown by rMSA-2c cELISA in the detection of B. bovis-specific antibodies and its suitability for standardization and large-scale production, as well as the possibility of its application in most veterinary diagnostic laboratories, make the assay a powerful tool for the surveillance of herd immunity as a strategic measure for the control of bovine babesiosis.Fil: Dominguez, Mariana Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Patobiología; ArgentinaFil: Echaide, Ignacio Eduardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela; ArgentinaFil: Torioni de Echaide, Susana Marta. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela; ArgentinaFil: Wilkowsky, Silvina Elizabeth. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Zabal, Osvaldo Alfredo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Mosqueda, Juan J.. Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro.; MéxicoFil: Schnittger, Leonhard. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Patobiología; ArgentinaFil: Jacobsen, Monica Ofelia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Patobiología; Argentin

Cognitive sequealae of COVID-19 is not predicted by SARS-CoV-2 variants

Background: The long term sequelae of COVID-19 in older adults are only beginning to be clarified, and its predictors and underlying molecular mechanisms may shed light on the relationship between viral infections and Alzheimer\u27s disease and related dementia. Method: A prospective cohort of 874 older adult Amerindians from Argentina with COVID-19 illness confirmed by PCR of nasal swabs as well as controls, was established during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We obtained data on the severity of the acute illness, as well as extensive neuropsychiatric and cognitive assessments, neurological exams (including quantitative hyposmia/anosmia), plasma for biomarkers and preliminary brain MRI images using the ADNI-3 protoco (n=300)l,and whole genome sequencing (n=300). Isolates from SARS-CoV-2 were obtained by the provincial Direction of Epidemiology and sequenced by the national Ministry of Health. Variants of interest/concern were allocated to each case on the basis of the prevalent community isolate at the time of confirmed positive PCR. A deep learning strategy was used to identify predictive factors of cognitive and clinical outcomes. Result: Four distinctive cognitive profiles were identified. Greater cognitive impairment was associated with older age (p = E-9), worse acute COVID-19 illness (p=0.008), unvaccinated status (p = E-7), and severity of anosmia (p = E-5). SARS-CoV-2 variant was associated with severity of acute illness ((p = E-6) but notably not with cognitive impairment. Preliminary analysis of genomic and brain imaging data will be presented. Conclusion: Our data strongly suggest that all SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest up to the omicron wave seem equally likely to result in cognitive impairment in older adults, modulated by the severity of the acute illness

A 500-year tale of co-evolution, adaptation, and virulence: Helicobacter pylori in the Americas

Helicobacter pylori is a common component of the human stomach microbiota, possibly dating back to the speciation of Homo sapiens. A history of pathogen evolution in allopatry has led to the development of genetically distinct H. pylori subpopulations, associated with different human populations, and more recent admixture among H. pylori subpopulations can provide information about human migrations. However, little is known about the degree to which some H. pylori genes are conserved in the face of admixture, potentially indicating host adaptation, or how virulence genes spread among different populations. We analyzed H. pylori genomes from 14 countries in the Americas, strains from the Iberian Peninsula, and public genomes from Europe, Africa, and Asia, to investigate how admixture varies across different regions and gene families. Whole-genome analyses of 723 H. pylori strains from around the world showed evidence of frequent admixture in the American strains with a complex mosaic of contributions from H. pylori populations originating in the Americas as well as other continents. Despite the complex admixture, distinctive genomic fingerprints were identified for each region, revealing novel American H. pylori subpopulations. A pan-genome Fst analysis showed that variation in virulence genes had the strongest fixation in America, compared with non-American populations, and that much of the variation constituted non-synonymous substitutions in functional domains. Network analyses suggest that these virulence genes have followed unique evolutionary paths in the American populations, spreading into different genetic backgrounds, potentially contributing to the high risk of gastric cancer in the region.Fil: Muñoz Ramirez, Zilia Y.. INSTITUTO POLITÉCNICO NACIONAL (IPN);Fil: Pascoe, Ben. University of Bath; Reino UnidoFil: Mendez Tenorio, Alfonso. INSTITUTO POLITÉCNICO NACIONAL (IPN);Fil: Mourkas, Evangelos. University of Bath; Reino UnidoFil: Sandoval Motta, Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología; MéxicoFil: Perez Perez, Guillermo. New York University Langone Medical Center; Estados UnidosFil: Morgan, Douglas R.. University of Alabama at Birmingahm; Estados UnidosFil: Dominguez, Ricardo Leonel. Western Honduras Gastric Cancer Prevention Initiative Hospital de Occidente Santa Rosa de Copan; HondurasFil: Ortiz Princz, Diana. No especifíca;Fil: Cavazza, Maria Eugenia. No especifíca;Fil: Rocha, Gifone. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Queiroz, Dulcienne. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Catalano, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica; ArgentinaFil: Zerbetto de Palma, Gerardo Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Goldman, Cinthia Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Venegas, Alejandro. Universidad Diego Portales; ChileFil: Alarcon, Teresa. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; EspañaFil: Oleastro, Monica. Universidade Nova de Lisboa; PortugalFil: Vale, Filipa F.. Universidade Nova de Lisboa; PortugalFil: Goodman, Karen J.. University of Alberta; CanadáFil: Torres, Roberto C.. Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social; MéxicoFil: Berthenet, Elvire. Swansea University Medical School; Reino UnidoFil: Hitchings, Matthew D.. Swansea University Medical School; Reino UnidoFil: Blaser, Martin J.. Rutgers University; Estados UnidosFil: Sheppard, Samuel K.. University of Bath; Reino UnidoFil: Thorell, Kaisa. University of Gothenburg; SueciaFil: Torres, Javier. Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social; Méxic

Dynamics and determinants of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing on symptomatic individuals attending healthcare centers during 2020 in Bahia, Brazil

RT-PCR testing data provides opportunities to explore regional and individual determinants of test positivity and surveillance infrastructure. Using Generalized Additive Models, we explored 222,515 tests of a random sample of individuals with COVID-19 compatible symptoms in the Brazilian state of Bahia during 2020. We found that age and male gender were the most significant determinants of test positivity. There was evidence of an unequal impact among socio-demographic strata, with higher positivity among those living in areas with low education levels during the first epidemic wave, followed by those living in areas with higher education levels in the second wave. Our estimated probability of testing positive after symptom onset corroborates previous reports that the probability decreases with time, more than halving by about two weeks and converging to zero by three weeks. Test positivity rates generally followed state-level reported cases, and while a single laboratory performed ~90% of tests covering ~99% of the state's area, test turn-around time generally remained below four days. This testing effort is a testimony to the Bahian surveillance capacity during public health emergencies, as previously witnessed during the recent Zika and Yellow Fever outbreaks

A communal catalogue reveals Earth’s multiscale microbial diversity

Our growing awareness of the microbial world’s importance and diversity contrasts starkly with our limited understanding of its fundamental structure. Despite recent advances in DNA sequencing, a lack of standardized protocols and common analytical frameworks impedes comparisons among studies, hindering the development of global inferences about microbial life on Earth. Here we present a meta-analysis of microbial community samples collected by hundreds of researchers for the Earth Microbiome Project. Coordinated protocols and new analytical methods, particularly the use of exact sequences instead of clustered operational taxonomic units, enable bacterial and archaeal ribosomal RNA gene sequences to be followed across multiple studies and allow us to explore patterns of diversity at an unprecedented scale. The result is both a reference database giving global context to DNA sequence data and a framework for incorporating data from future studies, fostering increasingly complete characterization of Earth’s microbial diversity

A communal catalogue reveals Earth's multiscale microbial diversity

Our growing awareness of the microbial world's importance and diversity contrasts starkly with our limited understanding of its fundamental structure. Despite recent advances in DNA sequencing, a lack of standardized protocols and common analytical frameworks impedes comparisons among studies, hindering the development of global inferences about microbial life on Earth. Here we present a meta-analysis of microbial community samples collected by hundreds of researchers for the Earth Microbiome Project. Coordinated protocols and new analytical methods, particularly the use of exact sequences instead of clustered operational taxonomic units, enable bacterial and archaeal ribosomal RNA gene sequences to be followed across multiple studies and allow us to explore patterns of diversity at an unprecedented scale. The result is both a reference database giving global context to DNA sequence data and a framework for incorporating data from future studies, fostering increasingly complete characterization of Earth's microbial diversity.Peer reviewe

Cabbage and fermented vegetables : From death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19

Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage have been associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-CoV-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT(1)R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance as well as lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID-19. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block in particular the AT(1)R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. Three examples are: kimchi in Korea, westernized foods, and the slum paradox. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof-of-concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2-associated antioxidant effects, helpful in mitigating COVID-19 severity.Peer reviewe

Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19 : time for research to develop adaptation strategies

There are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPAR gamma:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NF kappa B: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2 alpha:Elongation initiation factor 2 alpha). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT(1)R axis (AT(1)R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity