Liver transplantation for type IV glycogen storage disease

TYPE IV glycogen storage disease is a rare autosomal recessive disorder (also called Andersen's disease1 or amylopectinosis) in which the activity of branching enzyme alpha-1, 4-glucan: alpha-1, 4-glucan 6-glucosyltransferase is deficient in the liver as well as in cultured skin fibroblasts and other tissues.2,3 This branching enzyme is responsible for creating branch points in the normal glycogen molecule. In the relative or absolute absence of this enzyme, an insoluble and irritating form of glycogen, an amylopectin-like polysaccharide that resembles plant starch, accumulates in the cells. The amylopectin-like form is less soluble than normal glycogen, with longer outer and inner chains. © 1991, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved

Intestinal transplantation in children under FK 506 immunosuppression

Intestinal transplantation, solitary (n = 3) or in combination with the liver (n = 7), was performed in 10 pediatric patients with intestinal failure. The liver was only replaced if there was liver failure and portal hypertension. Immunosuppression was based on FK 506. Two patients died, one of graft-versus-host disease and one of lymphoproliferative disease. One patient was still in the intensive care unit 1 month posttransplantation due to perioperative complications. The function of the intestinal grafts in the remaining patients is normal. All nutrition and medications including immunosuppression are being administered enterally. This series indicates that small bowel transplantation, alone or in combination with the liver, is feasible in pediatric patients. © 1993

Prevalencia de parásitos gastrointestinales en équidos del municipio de Coromoro (Santander, Colombia)

Introdução: o cultivo tradicional da cana-de-açúcar é uma das principais atividades econômicas no estado de Santander. Seu processo agroindustrial demanda um elevado número de equinos (cavalar, asinino ou muar) para seu transporte ao trapiche e posterior transformação em rapadura. Assim como em outros modelos produtivos, esses animais acabam sendo afetados pelo parasitismo gastrointestinal. A diversidade de condições ambientais, tecnológicas e socioeconômicas recomenda identificar esses parasitas e avaliar sua presença para propor ações de prevenção e controle com melhor informação. Devido à sua população equina e à sua importância, escolheu-se o município de Coromoro (Santander) para o qual não se encontraram relatórios nem estudos prévios. Materiais e métodos: em 10 regiões desse município, tomaram-se amostras de matéria fecal de 100 equídeos de diferentes idades. As amostras foram analisadas mediante a técnica de McMaster no laboratório da Clínica Veterinária Grandes e Pequenos Animais, e os resultados foram analisados com a estatística descritiva, utilizando o Microsoft Office Excel® 2010. Resultados: constatou-se que 23% dos animais tinham poliparasitismo com diferentes espécies, sendo o Oxyuris mais frequente em animais jovens, enquanto não se determinou sua presença em animais adultos. Trichostrongylus foi constatado com mais frequência tanto em jovens quanto em adultos, com 59% das amostras processadas. Outros parasitas encontrados foram Strongylus em 16% e Trichonema em 2% dos animais. Conclusões: encontraram-se parasitas em 71% dos espécimes, o que indica o carácter endêmico do parasitismo, circunstância que permite supor diversos graus de afetação da saúde e, em consequência, da capacidade produtiva dos animais. Faz-se necessário realizar estudos para avaliar o impacto econômico do parasitismo a fim de desenhar estratégias racionais de prevenção e controle na área estudada.Introducción: el cultivo tradicional de la caña panelera es una de las principales actividades económicas en el departamento de Santander. Su proceso agroindustrial demanda un elevado número de equinos (caballares, asnales y mulares) para su transporte al trapiche y posterior transformación en panela. Al igual que en otros modelos productivos, estos animales resultan afectados por el parasitismo gastrointestinal. La diversidad de condiciones ambientales, tecnológicas y socioeconómicas recomienda identificar estos parásitos y valorar su presencia para proponer acciones de prevención y control con mejor información. Dada su población equina y su importancia, se escogió el municipio de Coromoro (Santander) para el cual no se encontraron reportes ni estudios previos. Materiales y métodos: en 10 veredas de este municipio, se tomaron muestras de materia fecal de 100 équidos de diferentes edades. Las muestras se analizaron mediante la técnica de McMaster en el laboratorio de la Clínica Veterinaria Grandes y Pequeños Animales, y los resultados fueron analizados mediante estadística descriptiva, utilizando Microsoft Office Excel® 2010. Resultados: se encontró que el 23% de los animales tenía poliparasitismo con diferentes especies, siendo el Oxyuris más frecuente en animales jóvenes, en tanto que no se determinó su presencia en animales adultos. Trichostrongylus se encontró con mayor frecuencia, tanto en jóvenes como en adultos, reportándose en el 59% de las muestras procesadas. Otros parásitos encontrados fueron Strongylus en el 16% y Trichonema en el 2% de los animales. Conclusiones: se encontraron parásitos en el 71% de los especímenes, indicando el carácter endémico del parasitismo, circunstancia que permite suponer diversos grados de afectación de la salud y, consecuentemente, de la capacidad productiva de los animales. Se hace necesario adelantar estudios para evaluar el impacto económico del parasitismo a fin de diseñar estrategias racionales de prevención y control en el área estudiada

High levels of anti-tuberculin (IgG) antibodies correlate with the blocking of T-cell proliferation in individuals with high exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis

SummaryObjectivesTo determine the effect of anti-tuberculin antibodies in the T-cell proliferation in response to tuberculin and Candida antigens in individuals with different levels of tuberculosis (TB) risk.MethodsSixteen high-risk TB individuals, 30 with an intermediate TB risk (group A), and 45 with a low TB risk (group B), as well as 49 control individuals, were studied. Tuberculin skin test (TST) results were analyzed and serum levels of antibodies (IgG and IgM) against purified protein derivative (PPD) were measured by ELISA. Tuberculin and Candida antigens were used to stimulate T-cell proliferation in the presence of human AB serum or autologous serum.ResultsHigh levels of anti-tuberculin IgG antibodies were found to be significantly associated with the blocking of T-cell proliferation responses in cultures stimulated with tuberculin but not with Candida antigens in the presence of autologous serum. This phenomenon was particularly frequent in high-risk individuals with high levels of anti-tuberculin IgG antibodies in the autologous serum when compared to the other risk groups, which exhibited lower levels of anti-tuberculin antibodies.ConclusionsAlthough cellular immunity plays a central role in the protection against TB, humoral immunity is critical in the control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in high-risk individuals with latent TB infection

Herramientas para acelerar la implementación de los planes de acción climática en América Latina y el Caribe

La Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) y el Pacto Global de Alcaldes por el Clima y la Energía (GCoM) han acordado realizar un proyecto piloto durante 2021 para el estudio de los planes de acción climática de tres ciudades de América Latina y el Caribe Firmantes del Pacto. Este proyecto piloto representa el primer paso de un enfoque a más largo plazo. cuyo objetivo es establecer un procedimiento de análisis del impacto de los planes de acción climática de las ciudades latinoamericanas. Aunque cada vez más ciudades cuentan con este tipo de planes. el principal desafío continúa siendo pasar a la acción. por lo que el proyecto se centra en la creación de herramientas destinadas a analizar los planes actuales. a Fin de contar con metodologías que permitan brindar lineamientos más precisos para la implementación de las medidas o acciones priorizadas de mitigación y adaptación

Genetic diversity of HLA system in four populations from Baja California, Mexico: Mexicali, La Paz, Tijuana and rural Baja California

We studied HLA class I (HLA-A, -B) and class II (HLA-DRB1, -DQB1) alleles by PCR-SSP based typing in 250 Mexicans from the states of Baja California Norte and Baja California Sur living in Mexicali (N = 100), La Paz (N = 75), Tijuana (N = 25) and rural communities (N = 50) to obtain information regarding allelic and haplotypic frequencies. The most frequent haplotypes for the Baja California region include nine Native American and five European haplotypes. Admixture estimates revealed that the main genetic components are European (50.45 ± 1.84% by ML; 42.03% of European haplotypes) and Native American (43.72 ± 2.36% by ML; 40.24% of Native American haplotypes), while the African genetic component was less apparent (5.83 ± 0.98% by ML; 9.36% of African haplotypes)

Genomic research, publics and experts in Latin America: Nation, race and body

The articles in this issue highlight contributions that studies of Latin America can make to wider debates about the effects of genomic science on public ideas about race and nation. We argue that current ideas about the power of genomics to transfigure and transform existing ways of thinking about human diversity are often overstated. If a range of social contexts are examined, the effects are uneven. Our data show that genomic knowledge can unsettle and reinforce ideas of nation and race; it can be both banal and highly politicized. In this introduction, we outline concepts of genetic knowledge in society; theories of genetics, nation and race; approaches to public understandings of science; and the Latin American contexts of transnational ideas of nation and race