Perfil de citoquina relacionado con la edad en la infección no complicada de malaria

Objective: Malaria infection is severe in children who are believed to be more at risk because of their relative poor immunity against the disease. Some cytokine levels (IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-10) of children, adolescents, and adults were assessed in this study. Methods: Cytokine levels were assayed by using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Malaria diagnosis and blood parameters were carried out by using standard parasitological and haematological techniques. Results: The mean cytokine levels were significantly elevated in children, adolescent, and adult subjects when compared to their respective healthy controls (p<0.05). Also, mean IFN-γ and IL-2 levels were significantly higher in children than in adults (IFN-γ: 57.31±77.79 pg/ml vs. 20.37± 2.95 pg/ml, and IL-2: 108.75±63.53 pg/ml vs. 66.09±45.34 pg/ml) (p<0.05) and adolescents (IFN-γ: 20.37± 2.95 pg/ml and IL-2: 66.09±45.34 pg/ml) respectively. Furthermore, mean IL-10 level was significantly lower in children (7.39±15.08 pg/ml) than mean level in adults (22.73±13.89 pg/ml). The mean haematological parameters revealed significant increase in total white blood cell, CD4, and CD8 count and significant decrease in the hematocrit of children in relation to adolescent and adult subjects (p<0.05). However, mean monocyte count was significantly higher in subjects than in their respective healthy controls (p<0.05). Conclusion: Findings in this study revealed better Th1 driven immune response in children than in adolescents and adults. Objetivo: La infección por malaria es grave en los niños debido a su relativa baja inmunidad contra la enfermedad. Se evaluaron en este estudio algunos niveles de citoquinas (IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4 e IL-10) en niños, adolescentes y adultos. Métodos: Se analizaron los niveles de citocinas mediante ensayo inmunoabsorbente ligado a enzimas (ELISA). El diagnóstico de malaria y sanguíneas se llevó a cabo utilizando las técnicas parasitológicas y hematológicas. Resultados: Los niveles de citoquinas eran significativamente elevados en los niños, adolescentes y adultos en comparación con sus respectivos controles sanos (p<0.05). Además, la media de IFN-γ y los niveles de IL-2 fueron significativamente mayores en niños que en adultos (IFN-γ: 57.31 ± 77.79 pg/ml vs. 20.37 ± 2.95 pg/ml e IL-2: 108.75 ± 63.53 pg/ml vs. 66.09 ± 45.34 pg/ml) (p<0,05) y adolescentes (IFN-γ: 20.37 ± 2.95 pg/ml e IL-2: 66.09 ± 45.34 pg/ml). Por otra parte, la media de IL-10 fue significativamente menor en los niños (7.39 ± 15.08 pg/ml) que en nivel medio en los adultos (22.73 ± 13.89 pg/ml). La media de los parámetros hematológicos reveló un aumento significativo en la celda total de color blanco, CD4, CD8 y disminución significativa en el hematocrito de los niños en relación con los adolescentes y los adultos (p<0.05). No obstante, el número promedio de monocitos fue significativamente mayor en los sujetos que en sus respectivos controles sanos (p<0.05). Conclusión: Los hallazgos en este estudio revelaron una mejor respuesta inmune Th1 en niños que en adolescentes y adultos

Age and Sex Distribution of Intestinal Parasitic Infection Among HIV Infected Subjects in Abeokuta, Nigeria

Intestinal parasitic infection has been a major source of disease in tropical countries especially among HIV patients. The distribution of intestinal parasite among two hundred and fifteen (215) subjects with mean age of 32 years, comprising of 35 HIV-seropositive and 180 HIV seronegative patients was carried out using microscopic method to examine their stool specimens for presence of trophozoites, ova, cysts, larvae and oocysts of intestinal parasites. Overall parasitic infection rate was 28.4%. Infection rate among HIV seropositve subjects (42.9%) was statistically higher than that among HIV seronegative subjects (25.6%) (P<0.05). Although helminths infection rate (31.4%) was higher than that of protozoa (20%) among HIV-seropositive subject, the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the parasitic infection between HIV-seropositive males and females and among the various age groups (P>0.05). Adequate treatment, proper health education and good hygiene will help in reducing intestinal parasitic infectio

Candida albicans in Urinary Tract or in Seminal Sac

A case of urinary tract infection due to Candida albicans and responding to fluconazole is presente

Candida albicans in Urinary Tract or in Seminal Sac

A case of urinary tract infection due to Candida albicans and responding to fluconazole is presente

Evolution and spread of Plasmodium falciparum mutations associated with resistance to sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine in central Africa: a cross-sectional study

International audienceBackgroundEfficacy of sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine, the malaria chemoprophylaxis used in pregnant women, and in children when combined with amodiaquine, is threatened by the accumulation of mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum dihydropteroate synthase (pfdhps) and dihydrofolate reductase (pfdhfr) genes. Data on the prevalence of resistant alleles in central Africa and the new pfdhps I431V mutation, particularly associated with other mutations to form the pfdhps vagKgs allele, are scarce. We explored the frequency and geographical distribution of pfdhps and pfdhfr mutations in central Africa in 2014–18, and assessed the evolutionary origin of the vagKgs allele.MethodsSamples were collected at 18 health-care centres in seven countries (Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Nigeria, and Republic of the Congo) from patients who showed possible symptoms of malaria between March 1, 2014, and Oct 31, 2018. Samples that were positive for P falciparum were transported to a laboratory in Toulouse, France, and genotyped. The frequency of pfdhfr and pfdhps mutations was studied in 1749 samples. Microsatellites in pfdhps flanking regions and whole-genome analysis compared with parasite genomes from the data-sharing network MalariaGEN were performed on samples carrying the vagKgs allele.FindingsMapping of the prevalence of single nucleotide polymorphisms and corresponding alleles of pfdhfr and pfdhps showed a substantial spread of alleles associated with sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine resistance in central Africa during the 2014–18 period, especially an increase going west to east in pfdhps alleles carrying the K540E and A581G mutations. A high prevalence of the pfdhps I431V mutation was observed in Cameroon (exceeding 50% in the northern region) and Nigeria. Genomic analysis showed a recent African emergence and a clonal expansion of the most frequent pfdhps vagKgs allele.InterpretationReduced sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine efficacy due to increased resistance is a worrying situation, especially because the malaria transmission level is high in central Africa. Although the resistance phenotype remains to be confirmed, the emergence and spread of the vagKgs allele in west and central Africa could challenge the use of sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine