Objective: To evaluate the frequency of infection caused by the Oropouche virus (OROV) in 496 patients with acute febrile disease (AFI), whose samples were obtained for the analysis of endemic arboviruses in a previous investigation carried out in 2016. Results: OROV was detected in 26.4% (131/496) of serum samples from patients with AFI. Co-infections with Dengue virus (7.3%), Zika virus (1.8%) and Chikungunya (0.2%) were observed. The most common clinical symptoms reported among the patients with OROV infections were headache 85.5% (112/131), myalgia 80.9% (106/131), arthralgia 72.5% (95/131) and loss of appetite 67.9% (89/131). Headache and myalgia were predominant in all age groups. Both OROV infections and co-infections were more frequent in May, June and July corresponding to the dry season of the region.
Background At the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus denominated SARS-CoV-2 rapidly spread through the world causing the pandemic coronavirus disease known as COVID-19. The difference in the inflammatory response against SARS-CoV-2 infection among people living at different altitudes is a variable not yet studied. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in two Peruvian cities at different altitudes for comparison: Lima and Huaraz. Five important proinflammatory cytokines were measured including: IL-6, IL-2, IL-10, IFN-γ and TNF-α using ELISA assays. Results A total of 35 COVID-19 patients and 10 healthy subjects were recruited from each study site. The mean levels of IL-6 (p < 0.03) and TNF-α (p < 0.01) were significantly different among the study groups. In the case of IL-6, patients from Lima had a mean level of 16.2 pg/ml (healthy) and 48.3 pg/ml (COVID-19), meanwhile, patients from Huaraz had levels of 67.3 pg/ml (healthy) and 97.9 pg/ml (COVID-19). Regarding TNF-α, patients from Lima had a mean level of 25.9 pg/ml (healthy) and 61.6 pg/ml (COVID-19), meanwhile, patients from Huaraz had levels of 89.0 pg/ml (healthy) and 120.6 pg/ml (COVID-19). The levels of IL-2, IL-10 and IFN-γ were not significantly different in the study groups. Conclusion Patients with COVID-19 residing at high-altitude tend to have higher levels of inflammatory cytokines compared to patients living at sea level, particularly IL-6 and TNF-α. A better understanding of the inflammatory response in different populations can contribute to the implementation of therapeutic and preventive approaches. Further studies evaluating more patients, a greater variety of cytokines and their clinical impact are required.
Introduction In the last years the rapid expansion of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains have become a major health problem. Efflux pumps are a group of transport proteins that contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the efflux pump inhibitor carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) on the antimicrobial action of imipenem and cefepime on clinical strains of A. baumannii. Materials and methods A total of 49 non-duplicate clinical samples were collected during January through December of 2018 from patients hospitalized in the Hospital Regional Docente de Cajamarca. Of the 49 samples obtained, the confirmatory identification of A. baumannii was performed on 47 samples by molecular methods. The amplification of the blaOXA-51-like gene was carried out by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was calculated using the microdilution method in culture broth. The susceptibility to both antibiotics (cefepime and imipenem) was evaluated in the presence and absence of the inhibitor carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). Results A total of 47 strains of A. baumannii were isolated: 97.87% (46/47) were resistant to Imipenem, 2.13% (1/47) of them were classified as intermediate and none of these strains were susceptible. On the other hand, 51.06% (24/47) of isolates were resistant to cefepime; 19.15% (9/47) intermediate and 29.79% (14/47) susceptible. We considered a significant difference in antibiotic susceptibility if the MIC changed at least 4 dilutions, after the addition of the inhibitor. In the case of CCCP in addition to imipenem, 2.1% (1/47) had a significant change of 4 or more reductions in MIC, 59.6% (28/47) achieved a change equal or less than 3 dilutions and 17.0% (8/47) did not have any change. In the case of CCCP with cefepime the percentage of strains with the significant change of MIC was 8.5% (4/47). On the other hand, 53.2% (24/47) presented a reduction equal or less than 3 dilutions and 12.8% (6/47) did not show changes. Conclusion In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the use of CCCP may improve the antibiotic effect of imipenem and cefepime on clinical strains of A. baumannii. The relevance of this study is that it provides evidence that this efflux pump inhibitor may be an alternative treatment against multidrug-resistant A. baumannii.
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