Distribución de patrones PRA en aislamientos clínicos del complejo Mycobacterium avium procedentes de España y Suramérica.

Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infections are the most frequent systemic infections associated with advanced AIDS. DNA probes for accurate identification of mycobacteria are available but are very expensive in many Latin American settings. Consequently, most Latin American diagnostic laboratories employ inaccurate and outdated tests for mycobacteria identification. Therefore, PCR restriction analysis (PRA) of the hsp65 gene was evaluated for the identification of 163 MAC human isolates originated from Spain and South America. The predominant PRA type in each country was: M. avium type I in Argentina (23/42, 55%) and Brazil (48/72, 67%), M. avium type II in Spain (18/26, 69%) and M. avium type III in Colombia (10/23, 43%). The Colombia frequency is noteworthy, since the PRA type III was quite infrequent in the other three countries. Furthermore, its presence has not been reported outside the Americas. The advantages and disadvantages of PRA in diagnostic mycobacteriology are discussed.La infección por el complejo Mycobacterium avium (MAC) es la infección sistémica más frecuente en la fase terminal del SIDA. Las sondas de ADN disponibles en el mercado para la identificación de micobacterias son muy precisas pero extremadamente costosas. Por eso, la mayoría de los laboratorios clínicos de Latinoamérica aún tipifican micobacterias mediante pruebas fenotípicas que son lentas, laboriosas y poco precisas. En este trabajo se aplicó el análisis del polimorfismo de los fragmentos de restricción del gen hsp65 (PRA) a la identificación de MAC en 163 aislamientos clínicos procedentes de España y Suramérica. El genotipo PRA predominante en cada país fue: M. avium tipo I en Argentina (23/42, 55%) y Brasil (48/72, 67%), M. avium tipo II en España (18/26, 69%) y M. avium tipo III en Colombia (10/23, 43%). Este último genotipo, que aún no fue descrito fuera del continente americano, resultó muy infrecuente en los otros tres países del estudio. Se discuten ventajas e inconvenientes de la aplicación del PRA al diagnóstico micobacteriológico

Analysis of the 13C Natural Abundance of CO2 Gas from Sparkling Drinks by Gas Chromatographe/Combustion/Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry

See attached.JRC.I.5-Physical and chemical exposure

Analysis of 13C Natural Abundance of CO2 Gas From Sparkling Drinks by Gas Chromatography/Combustion/Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry.

Abstract not availableJRC.I-Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (Ispra

Identification of new psychoactive substances (NPS) by Raman spectroscopy

There is an increasing need of developing methods for fast recognition and identification of new psychoactive substances (NPS). The chemical identification of these new substances produced with the intention of mimicking the effects of controlled drugs is a challenge for forensic and Customs laboratories. In this study, we aim to test the potential of Raman spectroscopy for the identification and classification of seized Customs samples into three NPS families. The performance of two excitation wavelength lasers (785 and 1064 nm) in a benchtop Raman instrument was compared in a set of seized samples that included cathinone, fentanyl, and synthetic cannabinoid derivatives or analogues. The 1064 nm wavelength laser had significant advantages for identifying NPS samples overcoming the intense fluorescence induced when using 785 nm lasers in some substances. Principal component analysis was employed to create a model that successfully discriminates the three NPS families. In order to provide Customs officers with a fast and nondestructive in‐field testing method, the same approach used with the benchtop Raman spectrometer was applied using three handheld Raman instruments. The developed identification and classification model allows the discrimination of fentanyl, cathinone, and synthetic cannabinoid analogues or derivatives providing an efficient tool for the rapid identification of three NPS families. The approach presented in this study can facilitate rapid decision‐making that could be of high relevance especially in the frame of the fentanyl crisis.JRC.F.4-Fraud Detection and Preventio

Method for the Determination of the 13-C/12-C Isotope Ratio of Ethanol in Wines by Isotopic Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS).

Abstract not availableJRC.I-Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (Ispra

Hospital transmission of multidrug-resistant mycobacterium tuberculosis in Rosario, Argentina

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis has emerged over the last two years at Carrasco Hospital, located in Rosario city. Nosocomial transmission among 7 AIDS patients admitted into the same ward between June and December/94 was supported by temporal clustering of cases, matching drug susceptibility, and identical IS6110 fingerprints. Among 8 non-HIV chronic cases without evidence of reciprocal contact outside the hospital, two additional clusters of 2 and 4 cases, respectively, were identified. The latter was found to be generated by a strain genetically related to the one that infected AIDS patients. It is hypothesized that an ancestor strain, common to both, might have been brought into the hospital long before the outbreak was first suspected

Hospital transmission of multidrug-resistant mycobacterium tuberculosis in Rosario, Argentina

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis has emerged over the last two years at Carrasco Hospital, located in Rosario city. Nosocomial transmission among 7 AIDS patients admitted into the same ward between June and December/94 was supported by temporal clustering of cases, matching drug susceptibility, and identical IS6110 fingerprints. Among 8 non-HIV chronic cases without evidence of reciprocal contact outside the hospital, two additional clusters of 2 and 4 cases, respectively, were identified. The latter was found to be generated by a strain genetically related to the one that infected AIDS patients. It is hypothesized that an ancestor strain, common to both, might have been brought into the hospital long before the outbreak was first suspected

Genotypic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires is an overpopulated port city historically inhabited by people of European descent. Together with its broader metropolitan area, the city exhibits medium tuberculosis rates, and receives migrants, mainly from tuberculosis highly endemic areas of Argentina and neighboring countries. This work was aimed to gain insight into the Mycobacterium tuberculosis population structure in two suburban districts of Buenos Aires which are illustrative of the overall situation of tuberculosis in Argentina. The Lineage 4 Euro-American accounted for >99% of the 816 isolates analyzed (one per patient). Frequencies of spoligotype families were T 35.9%, LAM 33.2%, Haarlem 19.5%, S 3.2%, X 1.5%, Ural 0.7%, BOV 0.2%, Beijing 0.2%, and Cameroon 0.2%. Unknown signatures accounted for 5.3% isolates. Of 55 spoligotypes not matching any extant shared international type (SIT) in SITVIT database, 22 fitted into 15 newly-issued SITs. Certain autochthonous South American genotypes were found to be actively evolving. LAM3, which is wild type for RDrio, was the predominant LAM subfamily in both districts and the RDrio signature was rare among autochthonous, newly created, SITs and orphan patterns. Two genotypes that are rarely observed in neighboring countries ̶ SIT2/H2 and SIT159/T1 Tuscany ̶ were conspicuously represented in Argentina. The infrequent Beijing patterns belonged to Peruvian patients. We conclude that the genotype diversity observed reflects the influence of the Hispanic colonization and more recent immigration waves from Mediterranean and neighboring countries. Unlike in Brazil, the RDrio type does not play a major role in the tuberculosis epidemic in Buenos Aires.Fil: Monteserin, Johana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Dirección Nacional de Institutos de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; ArgentinaFil: Paul, Roxana Elizabeth. Dirección Nacional de Institutos de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; ArgentinaFil: Gravina, Elida. Hospital Interzonal General de Agudos “Dr. Diego Paroissien”; ArgentinaFil: Reniero, Ana. Hospital Central de San Isidro; ArgentinaFil: Hernandez, Teresa. Centro de Zooantroponosis de la Matanza; ArgentinaFil: Mazzeo, Eduardo. Dirección Nacional de Institutos de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; ArgentinaFil: Togneri, Ana Maria. Hospital Interzonal de Agudos Evita; ArgentinaFil: Simboli, Norberto. Dirección Nacional de Institutos de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; ArgentinaFil: López, Beatriz. Dirección Nacional de Institutos de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; ArgentinaFil: Couvin, David. Institut Pasteur de Guadeloupe; FranciaFil: Rastogi, Nalin. Institut Pasteur de Guadeloupe; FranciaFil: Ritacco, Gloria Viviana. Dirección Nacional de Institutos de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentin