Staphylococcus aureus (SA) remains a major cause of nosocomial and community-acquired infections worldwide. Nasal carriage of this bacterium among hospital personnel constitutes an important source for nosocomial infections. A cross-sectional study enrolling the whole medical student population (n=387) of the School of Medicine at the Universidad de Cartagena, Colombia, was conducted to evaluate the carriage rates of both methicillin sensitive- and methicillin resistant-SA, the frequency of Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes in the isolates, and risk factors associated with carriage in this selected population. After signing an informed consent, participants completed a survey related to possible risk factors for colonization, and nasal swabs were collected from anterior nares. Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from carriers were subjected to DNA extraction and PCR assays to determine the presence of MecA and Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes. Typing of the staphylococcal chromosomal cassette was performed for methicillin resistant strains. Molecular analysis was performed for only one strain per carrier. Prevalence of carriage for methicillin sensitive- and methicillin resistant-SA was 25% and 1.6% respectively. Most of the methicillin resistant isolates carried the staphylococcal chromosomal cassette type IV and the genes for Panton-Valentine leukocidin. To determine carrier types among medical students, each participant was subjected to four additional swabs, each taken two weeks apart. 9.8% persistent carriers, 53.1% intermittent carriers, and 37.1% non-carriers of SA were found. There was no association between risk factors analyzed and carriage of the bacterium. The study was conducted from April to September 2009 and found a persistent carriage of methicillin resistant-SA strains bearing the genes for Panton-Valentine leukocidin among medical students, evidencing the potential contribution of this portion of healthcare personnel either to the spread or introduction of these strains into the healthcare environment.
Prostate cancer (PCa) remains the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in men and although effective treatment is possible for early stages, advanced PCa is largely incurable. PSA, the only relevant marker for this disease, has a low predictive value leading to unnecessary biopsies and associated complications. Thus, identification of better biomarkers able to accurately and reliably diagnose PCa at early stages is an important goal in prostate cancer research. Currently a number of potential biomarkers are being investigated as predictors of PCa diagnosis. Using quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) we have analyzed in the PCa cell lines PWR-1E, LNCaP and PC3 the expression of a set of potential biomarkers previously identified by us in a microarray gene expression study. So far, we have found in these cell lines several differentially expressed genes, some of which encode extracellular matrix proteoglycans, cell adhesion molecules, genes related to motility, growth factor receptors, and tumor suppressor genes. We are in the process of evaluating these differentially expressed genes in cDNA panels of PCa at different disease stages and in prostate needle biopsy specimens taken from patients at diagnosis before any treatment have been established. The next step will be the validation, at the protein level in serum samples from a cohort of patients, of those genes showing an association to prostate cancer disease stages. A prospective clinical study will be necessary to confirm the clinical relevance of validated genes. Project code: 110745921483. Supported by Colciencias Grant # RC No. 462-2008 awarded to Niradiz Reyes. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2011;4(10 Suppl):A24.
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