Izolacija i ispitivanje vibrio spp. I aeromonas spp. prouzrokovača bolesti riba i njihovih specifičnih bakteriofaga iz vodene sredine Gruzije

Infekcije povezane sa Vibrio spp. i Aeromonas spp. koje se javljaju kod riba iz morske i slatkovodne sredine se navode širom sveta. Bolest, kada izbije, može izazvati znatan mortalitet u ribnjacima. Cilj ovih ispitivanja je bila izolacija i identifikacija Vibrio spp. i Aeromonas spp. izazivača bolesti riba iz gruzijske obalske zone Crnog mora i slatkovodnih akumulacija, kao i njihovog diverziteta i kvantitativnog učešća. Sezonski monitoring je izvođen u morskim (2006 - 2009) i slatkovodnim akumulacijama-Lisi jezeru, Tbilisi moru i Kumisi jezeru (2006 - 2010). 223 izolata Aeromonas spp. i 858 izolata Vibrio spp. je ispitano. Ukupno 8 vrsta Aeromonas i 14 vrsta Vibrio pronađeno je u vodenoj sredini Gruzije. V. parahaemolyticus, V. natriegens, V. pelagius preovlađuju u morskoj vodi. Veći deo V. mimicus, V. vulnificus, V. alginolyticus, V. cholerae, V. nigripulchritudo, V. nereis, V. campbellii, A. media, A. veronii, A. eucrenopila, A. sobria, A. schuberti, A. salmonicida su nađene u slatkovodnim akumulacijama. V. orientalis, V. metchnikovii, V. splendidus, V. marinus, A. hydrophila, A. caviae se mogu naći u i morskim i u slatkovodnim akumulacijama. Sojevi su podeljeni u grupe po sličnosti zasnovanoj na njihovim zahtevima za salinitetom. Drugi cilj ovih ispitivanja je bilo izolovanje soja specifičnih bakteriofaga iz uzoraka vode. Dobijeno je 49 primarnih fag izolata, većina iz slatkovodnih rezervoara. Litični spektar bakteriofaga je ispitivan koristeći izabrani set sojeva domaćina. U rezultatima kloniranja 9 primarnih mešavina faga dobijeno je 13 klona bakteriofaga aktivnih za A. sobria, A. caviae, A. salmonicida, A. eucrenophila

Early Clinical Manifestations Associated with Death from Visceral Leishmaniasis

The visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a disease potentially fatal if not diagnosed and treated opportunely. This article presents the results of the study on the manifestations identified at the time of the clinical suspicion of the VL cases. This study was conducted in Belo Horizonte, the capital of the State of Minas Gerais, located in southeastern Brazil. This study is both timely and substantive because the Belo Horizonte is an area of transmission of VL, with one of the highest VL-death proportions of Brazil. The patients with higher risk of death had at least one of the following characteristics: ≥60 years, weakness, HIV co-infection, bleeding, jaundice and other associated infections. During the period 2002–2009, 8% to 22% of the patients with VL progressed to death in Belo Horizonte, whilst the proportion in the country was much lower and varied between 5% and 9%. This study has identified vulnerable patients who are at higher risk of death from VL and who would benefit from early predictive evaluation of the prognostic. Hence, the knowledge regarding the factors associated with death may contribute for clinical management and for reduction of deaths from VL

Chlamydial Pre-Infection Protects From Subsequent Herpes Simplex Virus-2 Challenge in a Murine Vaginal Super-Infection Model

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Chlamydia trachomatis and Herpes Simplex Virus-2 (HSV-2) genital tract co-infections have been reported in humans and studied in vitro but the clinical consequences are unknown. Limited epidemiologic evidence suggests that these co-infections could be more severe than single infections of either pathogen, but the host-pathogen interactions during co-infection remain uncharacterized. To determine whether disease progression and/or pathogen shedding differs between singly-infected and super-infected animals, we developed an in vivo super-infection model in which female BALB/c mice were vaginally infected with Chlamydia muridarum (Cm) followed later by HSV-2. Pre-infection with Chlamydia 3 or 9 days prior to HSV-2 super-infection conferred significant protection from HSV-2-induced neurologic disease and significantly reduced viral recovery compared to HSV-2 singlyinfected controls. Neither protection from mortality nor reduced viral recovery were observed when mice were i) super-infected with HSV-2 on day 27 post Cm; ii) infected with UV-irradiated Cm and super-infected with HSV-2; or iii) azithromycin-treated prior to HSV-2 super-infection. Therefore, protection from HSV-2-induced disease requires active infection with viable chlamydiae and is not observed after chlamydial shedding ceases, either naturally or due to antibiotic treatment. Thus, Chlamydia-induced protection is transient and requires the continued presence of chlamydiae or their components. These data demonstrate that chlamydial pre-infection can alter progression of subsequent HSV-2 infection, with implications for HSV-2 transmission from co-infected humans

Generational differences in current sexual behavior among Georgian reproductive-aged women

Tinatin Abzianidze,1 Maia Butsashvili,1 Maia Kajaia,1 Jack A DeHovitz,2 George Kamkamidze11Health Research Union (HRU), Tbilisi, Georgia; 2Department of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USABackground: Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was a pronounced change in the availability of modern contraceptive methods and an accompanying shift in the knowledge and attitudes of Georgian women related to sexual behaviors. This study describes differences in sexual behaviors, condom use and family planning practices among several generations of reproductive-aged Georgian women.Methods: Study participants were recruited from three large cities in Georgia. Women >25 years were recruited from the Cervical Cancer Screening National Program by consecutive sampling; those <25 years were recruited from universities using random sampling. Data collection included self-administered, anonymous surveys. Bivariate analyses were conducted and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% confidence intervals were computed. Results: Among the 350 participants, independent predictors of age at first sexual intercourse were age (aPR 0.27; 95% CI 0.12–0.57), level of education (aPR 0.23; 95% CI: 0.11–0.44), marital status (aPR 2.8;95% CI:1.3–6.0) and religion (aPR 4.01; 95% CI:1.17–13.68). Younger women were more likely to have a premarital sexual relationship compared to older women (RR=0.85; 95% CI: 0.80–0.89); older women were also significantly more likely to use family planning methods with a current partner (RR=2.15; 95% CI: 1.48–3.13). Similarly, advanced education was associated with family planning (RR=1.66; CI: 1.13–2.45).Conclusions: This study describes clear generational differences in current sexual behavior among Georgian women of reproductive age and these differences, especially in age at first sexual intercourse, premarital sexual relationship and use of contraceptive methods, are influenced by age, level of education, marital status and religion. This information is vital to designing contextually appropriate strategies to prevent sexually transmitted infections.Keywords: Georgia, generation, sexual behavior, sexual partners contraception, reproductive age, wome

Risk Factors for Visceral Leishmaniasis Relapse in Immunocompetent Patients following Treatment with 20 mg/kg Liposomal Amphotericin B (Ambisome) in Bihar, India

A proportion of all immunocompetent patients treated for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are known to relapse; however, the risk factors for relapse are not well understood. With the support of the Rajendra Memorial Research Institute (RMRI), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) implemented a program in Bihar, India, using intravenous liposomal amphotericin B (Ambisome) as a first-line treatment for VL. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for VL relapse by examining the characteristics of immunocompetent patients who relapsed following this regimen

The relationships of sex hormone‐binding globulin, total testosterone, androstenedione and free testosterone with metabolic and reproductive features of polycystic ovary syndrome

OBJECTIVE: A recent Mendelian randomization study has suggested a causal role for sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG), total testosterone and free testosterone in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The aim of this study was to assess the relationships of SHBG, androstenedione, total and free testosterone with the individual metabolic and reproductive features of PCOS. DESIGN: Cross‐sectional data in PCOS patients (n=96) prospectively collected in a secondary/tertiary clinic for menstrual cycle disorders. METHODS: Multivariable regression analyses were conducted to study the associations between SHBG, androstenedione, total and free testosterone with metabolic (BMI, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance [HOMA2‐IR]) and reproductive features (menstrual cycle length, antral follicle count, anti‐Müllerian hormone, luteinizing hormone, follicle‐stimulating hormone and Ferriman‐Gallwey score) of PCOS. RESULTS: Serum SHBG and free testosterone, but not total testosterone or androstenedione, were significantly associated with BMI, waist circumference, serum triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and HOMA2‐IR. The strength of the associations with serum lipids was reduced after adjustment for BMI, but not for HOMA2‐IR. Total testosterone was significantly associated with antral follicle count. SHBG, total testosterone and androstenedione were significantly associated with serum AMH. Only the strength of the association for SHBG was reduced after adjustment for BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Serum SHBG is associated with primarily metabolic features, whereas total testosterone and androstenedione are associated with reproductive features of PCOS. These results suggest a differential underlying pathophysiology for the metabolic and reproductive features of PCOS