Assegurament de la qualitat a la unitat de laboratoris docents de la Facultat de Farmàcia: contribució a la millora de la docència pràctica

Podeu consultar la Vuitena trobada de professorat de Ciències de la Salut completa a: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/66524Un dels objectius de la Unitat de Laboratoris Docents (ULD) de la Facultat de Farmàcia de la Universitat de Barcelona és millorar les competències dels futurs graduats de la facultat mitjançant la formació addicional que es deriva de la implantació del sistema de gestió de la qualitat en els laboratoris docents. Aquesta formació transversal que es posa a l’abast dels estudiants pretén millorar els coneixements en qualitat, seguretat, salut i medi ambient mitjançant la gestió integrada dels laboratoris de pràctiques. Aquest sistema de gestió ha donat lloc al reconeixement per part de la European Foundation for Quality Management amb el segell “Compromís cap a l’excel•lència europea 200+” a l’any 2013. Dins d’aquest sistema i amb la finalitat d’assegurar i millorar contínuament la qualitat total a la ULD i contribuir així a la millora de la docència pràctica, es recullen i s’analitzen indicadors de percepció i de funcionament. Així, la informació que s’obté prové de diferents vessants: la percepció dels estudiants, professors i coordinadors de pràctiques i la informació provinent dels indicadors interns de la ULD. Totes aquestes dades estan interrelacionades i aporten informació complementària de manera que el resultat final esdevé més objectiu. Per exemple, els resultats de l’enquesta dels estudiants dels darrers 4 cursos acadèmics posen de manifest una mancança pel que fa a determinats coneixements sobre la segregació de residus que, tot i les diferents iniciatives per part de la ULD, encara no s’ha pogut solucionar. Aquesta mancança, a més, s’ha pogut confirmar amb el control que la ULD fa dels contenidors de residus dels laboratoris i coincideix amb la percepció dels coordinadors i dels professors. L’anàlisi dels indicadors, dona lloc a propostes de millora que sovint es poden posar en marxa en el marc d’un projecte d’innovació docent. Aquest ha estat el cas del projecte mediambiental que s’ha endegat recentment (2014PID-UB/049) i que té com a objectiu la millora del coneixement dels estudiants i dels professors del sistema de gestió de residus de la UB

Estàs preparat per treballar en un laboratori?

Projecte: 2016PID-UB/002Els estudiants del Grau de Farmàcia inicien la docència pràctica en l’assignatura Iniciació al Treball de Laboratori. Els objectius d’aprenentatge d’aquesta assignatura són dotar als estudiants de coneixements sobre sistemes de qualitat integral als laboratoris químics i biològics i de gestió de residus, entre d’altres. Enguany s’ha posat a disposició de l’estudiant tota aquesta informació al Campus Virtual (CV-UB) per a que la puguin treballar de manera autònoma abans d’accedir per primer cop al laboratori. Els coneixements adquirits s’han avaluat mitjançant un qüestionari en línia, amb intents il·limitats. A més, el primer dia al laboratori s’ha realitzat un qüestionari i una enquesta d’opinió. En general, els estudiants (n=334) responen correctament les preguntes plantejades, exceptuant les corresponents a l’eliminació de residus. Pel que fa a l’opinió respecte als continguts del CV: han trobat útil la informació (3,3/4, sent 4 el major grau d’acord), creuen necessari adquirir aquests coneixements abans d’entrar al laboratori (3,7/4) i creuen haver assolit els continguts sobre qualitat (2,9/4), seguretat i prevenció de riscos (3/4), actuació davant d’emergències i primers auxilis (2,6/4) i eliminació de residus (2,6/4). Així doncs, aquesta experiència ha resultat útil per fer arribar als estudiants els coneixements imprescindibles per a treballar al laboratori.2016PID-UB/00

Evidence of meaningful levels of Trypanosoma cruzi in platelet concentrates from seropositive blood.

BACKGROUND: According to the reported cases of transfusion-acquired Trypanosoma cruzi infection, the risk of T. cruzi transfusion transmission appears to be higher with platelet (PLT) products than with other blood components. The aim of this study was to investigate by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) the parasitic load detected in leukoreduced plasma and PLT concentrates collected by apheresis from seropositive T. cruzi blood donors and compare them with peripheral whole blood (WB). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: During 2011 to 2013, a prospective study was carried out in a group of blood donors originating from Chagas-endemic areas but who are now living on the island of Majorca, Spain. Leukoreduced plasma and PLT concentrates were collected by apheresis from seropositive blood donors with detectable parasitemias in peripheral WB. RESULTS: Seropositivity was found in 23 of 1201 donors studied (1.9%), and T. cruzi DNA with less than 1 parasite equivalent/mL was detected in peripheral WB in 60.86% (14 of 23) of these. The study in blood components obtained by apheresis from these donors showed that T. cruzi DNA with a mean ± SD parasitic load of 5.33 ± 6.12 parasite equivalents/mL was detected in 100% of the PLT concentrate samples. Parasite DNA was undetectable in the extract taken from plasma collected from donors with a positive qPCR in peripheral WB. CONCLUSION: The higher parasitic load found in PLT concentrates compared to plasma and peripheral WB would explain the higher transfusion transmission risk of Chagas disease associated with PLT transfusions described in the reported cases of transfusion-acquired T. cruzi infection

First epidemiological survey of Leishmania infantum in the domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) in a canine leishmaniosis endemic area using serology and PCR

Leishmaniosis, a vector‑borne disease caused by Leishmania infantum, is one of the most important parasitic zoonoses in Europe. The transmission cycle of leishmaniosis is maintained by both domestic and wild animals. However, few data are available on the role of wild mammals in transmitting the parasite in the European Mediterranean basin. As feline leishmaniosis, diagnosis of the infection in ferrets can be a challenge, the use of different serological and molecular methods combined is a recommended approach. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of infection of L. infantum in apparently healthy domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) in an endemic region of Spain (Community of Valencia), using serological and molecular methods and to evaluate the results comparing the different techniques

A cross‑sectional study of Leishmania infantum infection in stray cats in the city of Zaragoza (Spain) using serology and PCR

Background: Feline leishmaniosis is a vector-borne parasitic disease caused by Leishmania spp. Leishmania infection in dogs is prevalent in the Mediterranean basin, but in other animals, such as cats, it could also play a role in the epidemiology of the disease. Information on the geographical distribution and epidemiological features of L. infantum infection in cats is scarce, particularly in urban stray cats living in regions where canine leishmaniosis is endemic. As diagnosis can be challenging, combining different serological and molecular methods is a useful approach. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of infection of L. infantum in apparently healthy stray cats in an endemic region of Spain (Zaragoza city) using serological and molecular methods, and to compare the results of the different techniques. Methods: The prevalence of Leishmania infection was studied in stray cats captured in urban and peri-urban areas of Zaragoza. Blood was collected from each animal for serology and molecular analysis. Three serological methods, namely the immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot (WB), were used to detect L. infantum antibodies and a real-time PCR (qPCR) assay was used to detect L. infantum DNA. The results were analyzed by Fisher's exact test and Cohen's kappa statistic (κ) to assess the level of agreement between the diagnostic techniques. Results: Serological analysis of blood samples from 180 stray cats revealed 2.2% (4/179) Leishmania infection positivity by IFAT, 2.8% (5/179) by ELISA and 14.5% (26/179) by WB. Leishmania DNA was detected by qPCR in 5.6% (10/179) of the cats. Sixteen cats (8.9%) tested positive by only one serological technique and four tested positive by all three serological methods used. The overall rate of infected cats (calculated as the number of cats seropositive and/or qPCR positive) was 15.6%, and only two cats tested positive by all the diagnostic methods. A significant association was found between male cats and a positive qPCR result. Comparison of the techniques revealed a fair agreement in seropositivity between blood qPCR and IFAT (κ = 0.26), blood qPCR and ELISA (κ = 0.24), WB and ELISA (κ = 0.37) and WB and IFAT (κ = 0.40). The highest agreement between seropositive results was between IFAT and ELISA (κ = 0.89), and the lowest was between blood qPCR and WB (κ = 0.19). The prevalence of the feline leukemia virus antigen was 4.49% (8/178 cats) and that of the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) antibody was 6.74% (12/178), while co-infection with both retroviruses was observed in one female cat (1/178). Leishmania ELISA and IFAT seropositivity were statistically associated with FIV status by the chi-square test. Conclusions: The results obtained in this study, using serological tests and qPCR, indicate the existence of L. infantum asymptomatic infection in apparently healthy stray cats in the city of Zaragoza, an endemic area in Spain

Leishmaniosis caused by Leishmania infantum in ferrets: Update review

Leishmaniosis in domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) is a disease caused by Leishmania infantum, a parasite transmitted through the bite of an infected female phlebotomine sand fly. Among vertebrates, the dog is the primary domestic reservoir of the parasite; however, other domestic animals can be implicated such as cats. The first description of a clinical case of leishmaniosis in domestic ferrets was reported recently. As a result, new knowledge has been published including empirically based treatment protocols, confirmatory techniques to detect the presence of the parasite infection and seasonal variation in the antibodies against Leishmania in apparently healthy domestic ferrets. The most common clinical signs observed are enlargement of peripheral lymph nodes and skin lesions such as papular and/or ulcerative dermatitis. Additionally, the most frequent laboratory alterations seen are hyperproteinaemia with hyperglobulinaemia and biochemical analytes alterations depending on the affected tissue. Two different therapeutic protocols have been described to treat domestic ferrets with leishmaniosis: meglumine antimoniate plus allopurinol protocol or miltefosine plus allopurinol protocol. These treatment protocols seemed to be able to control the Leishmania infection, although the presence of xanthinuria could be detected. The susceptibility of domestic ferrets to Leishmania infantum, the clinical picture, treatment of infected animals and prevention are poorly understood, due to the scarcity of recent description in the literature. Different proposed diagnostic algorithms have been included for domestic ferrets with suspected leishmaniosis, clinically healthy domestic ferrets and animals as blood donors. In this sense, the present review provides updated data on scientific knowledge of leishmaniosis in ferrets

First epidemiological survey of Leishmania infantum in the domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) in a canine leishmaniosis endemic area using serology and PCR

Leishmaniosis, a vector-borne disease caused by Leishmania infantum, is one of the most important parasitic zoonoses in Europe. The transmission cycle of leishmaniosis is maintained by both domestic and wild animals. However, few data are available on the role of wild mammals in transmitting the parasite in the European Mediterranean basin. As feline leishmaniosis, diagnosis of the infection in ferrets can be a challenge, the use of different serological and molecular methods combined is a recommended approach. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of infection of L. infantum in apparently healthy domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) in an endemic region of Spain (Community of Valencia), using serological and molecular methods and to evaluate the results comparing the different techniques

Aprenentatge transversal dels estudiants dels graus de Nutrició Humana i Dietètica i Ciència i Tecnologia dels Aliments a la Unitat de Laboratoris Docents del Campus de l'Alimentació de la Facultat de Farmàcia de la Universitat de Barcelona

Els estudiants del Grau de CTA i de NHD realitzen la docència pràctica a la ULD, unitat gestionada segons el model EFQM. Per tal de conèixer el seu grau d'aprenentatge en relació a la gestió de la qualitat total, s'ha alimentat una enquesta en iniciar i finalitzar les primeres pràctiques que els estudiants realitzen en aquests ensenyaments. Els resultats posen de manifest una millora en la seva formació pel que fa a aspectes de gestió de la qualitat, seguretat, gestió de residus i sostenibilitat

Treatment and follow-up of a domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) with clinical leishmaniosis caused by Leishmania infantum

Leishmania infantum infection including treatment and follow up in domestic animals other than dogs and cats has not been described at this moment. This article describes the anti-Leishmania treatment and follow-up of a ferret (Mustela putorius furo) with leishmaniosis. A combined therapeutic protocol established for the patient, not yet approved for ferrets, was a combination of meglumine antimoniate plus allopurinol. A follow-up was established monthly during the first year in order to monitor the health condition of the patient. Six months after commencing allopurinol therapy, xanthine crystalluria was observed in urine sediment with no other urine alterations detected by urine analysis. The ferret worsened progressively with diarrhoea and weight loss after cohabiting with another ferret diagnosed with cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporidium parvum was isolated in faecal samples from the patient detected by three different methods including Ziehl-Neelsen staining, a qualitative test to detection of C. parvum antigens and finally a specific molecular analysis to characterize the species. To the best of the authors´ knowledge, this is the first report providing information about anti-Leishmania protocol therapy used and follow-up in a domestic ferret with clinical leishmaniosis. Veterinarians practicing in endemic areas should be aware of this infection in ferrets at risk and their susceptibility especially when immunosuppressive conditions are present

Detection and Quantification of Viable and Nonviable Trypanosoma cruzi Parasites by a Propidium Monoazide Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay.

Molecular techniques based on real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) allow the detection and quantification of DNA but are unable to distinguish between signals from dead or live cells. Because of the lack of simple techniques to differentiate between viable and nonviable cells, the aim of this study was to optimize and evaluate a straightforward test based on propidium monoazide (PMA) dye action combined with a qPCR assay (PMA-qPCR) for the selective quantification of viable/nonviable epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi PMA has the ability to penetrate the plasma membrane of dead cells and covalently cross-link to the DNA during exposure to bright visible light, thereby inhibiting PCR amplification. Different concentrations of PMA (50-200 μM) and epimastigotes of the Maracay strain of T. cruzi (1 × 105-10 parasites/mL) were assayed; viable and nonviable parasites were tested and quantified by qPCR with a TaqMan probe specific for T. cruzi In the PMA-qPCR assay optimized at 100 μM PMA, a significant qPCR signal reduction was observed in the nonviable versus viable epimastigotes treated with PMA, with a mean signal reduction of 2.5 logarithm units and a percentage of signal reduction > 98%, in all concentrations of parasites assayed. This signal reduction was also observed when PMA-qPCR was applied to a mixture of live/dead parasites, which allowed the detection of live cells, except when the concentration of live parasites was low (10 parasites/mL). The PMA-qPCR developed allows differentiation between viable and nonviable epimastigotes of T. cruzi and could thus be a potential method of parasite viability assessment and quantification