Arnaldo Mangeaud

Overweight and seminal quality: a study of 794 patients

OBJECTIVES To evaluate sperm quality, levels of markers of epididymal and accessory gland function, and T in semen from men grouped according to their body mass index (BMI). DESIGN Blind prospective study. SETTING Andrology and reproduction laboratory in Cordoba, Argentina (2006-2007). PATIENT(S) Seven hundred ninety-four men. INTERVENTION(S) None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) In semen samples, sperm quality (volume, density, motility, morphology, viability, hypoosmotic swell test, and nuclear maturity) and levels of neutral alpha-glucosidase, fructose, citric acid and T. RESULT(S) Multivariate analysis showed a negative association between BMI and motility, rapid motility and neutral alpha-glucosidase levels, and a positive association between BMI and seminal fructose levels. No associations were found among BMI and sperm concentration, the other parameters evaluated, or seminal T levels. CONCLUSION(S) Results found in our study support a deleterious effect of obesity on seminal quality, probably by alterations in the function of the epididymis (i.e., in epididymal maturation).

Silent dissemination of HTLV-1 in an endemic area of Argentina. Epidemiological and molecular evidence of intrafamilial transmission

Background Molecular and epidemiological studies of transmission routes and risk factors for infection by HTLV-1 are extremely important in order to implement control measures, especially because of the high prevalence of HTLV-1 in several regions of the world. San Salvador de Jujuy, Northwest Argentina, is a highly endemic area for HTLV-1 and foci of tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-1-associated myelopathy. Objective To gain further insight into the role of intrafamilial transmission of HTLV-1 in a highly endemic region in Argentina. Method Cross-sectional study in Northwest Argentina. Epidemiological data and blood samples were collected from 28 HTLV-1 infected subjects (index cases) and 92 close relatives/cohabitants. HTLV-1 infection was diagnosed by detection of antibodies and proviral DNA. The LTR region was sequenced and analyzed for genetic distances (VESPA software), in addition to determination and identification of polymorphisms to define HTLV-1 family signatures. Results Fifty seven of the 120 subjects enrolled had antibodies against HTLV-1 and were typified as HTLV-1 by PCR. The prevalence rate of HTLV-1 infection in family members of infected index cases was 31.52% (29/92). The infection was significantly associated with gender, age and prolonged lactation. Identity of LTR sequences and presence of polymorphisms revealed high prevalence of mother-to-child and interspousal transmission of HTLV-1 among these families. Conclusion There is an ongoing and silent transmission of HTLV-1 through vertical and sexual routes within family clusters in Northwest Argentina. This evidence highlights that HTLV-1 infection should be considered as a matter of public health in Argentina, in order to introduce preventive measures as prenatal screening and breastfeeding control.

Development and validation of a real-time PCR assay for a novel HTLV-1 tax sequence detection and proviral load quantitation

A quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay using SYBR Green dye was established in order to detect and quantify the proviral DNA of HTLV-1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Primers were designed, and the assay was standardized to amplify a novel, conserved HTLV-1 tax region. Proviral load was normalized to the amount of cellular DNA by quantitation of the human albumin gene. Firstly, the qPCR was assessed determining the specificity, sensitivity, dynamic range and intra- and inter-assay reproducibility of the technique. The limit of detection as determined by PROBIT analysis using dilutions of the standard was 2.97 copies. The assay had an excellent dynamic range from 10⁵ to 10¹ copies per reaction and good intra- and inter-assay reproducibility, CVs less than 2%. Secondly, the performance of the qPCR was tested on 40 HTLV-1 seropositive individuals. Proviral load for HTLV-1 carriers ranged from 2.2×10² to more than 8.3×10⁴ copies/10⁶ PBMCs. The high sensitivity and wide dynamic range allowed the determination of a broad range of HTLV-1 proviral loads in infected individuals. This assay is a valuable alternative diagnostic tool when current available serological assays are insufficient. In addition, it will facilitate the study of the relationship between proviral load and pathogenesis.

Caracterización de la infección por Bordetella pertussis, Bordetella spp. y coqueluche en la provincia de Córdoba, Argentina

INTRODUCTION Whooping cough is a re-emerging infection in the world and Latin America. OBJECTIVE It was considered relevant to investigate the clinical and epidemiological profile of Bordetella spp. and Bordetella pertussis infection in Cordoba province, Argentina; evaluating, at the same time, the co-infection with virus producing respiratory infections that may be confused with whooping cough. MATERIAL AND METHODS All whooping cough suspected cases were studied by Polimerase Chain Reaction, amplifying the repeated insertion sequence (IS) 481 and the promoter gene encoding pertussis toxin, between 2011 and 2013. The data were obtained from the clinical and epidemiological records. RESULTS From 2,588 whooping cough suspected cases, 11.59% was infected by Bordetella spp. and 9.16% was confirmed as Bordetella pertussis infection. The rate of infection was 7.22 and 1.84 per 100,000 for 2011 and 2012, respectively. The infection presented a seasonal tendency and it was mainly found on the group of children between 13 and 24 months old. The co-infection with virus producing respiratory infections, were uncommon. Paroxysmal cough, cyanosis and/or vomiting were predictors of the infection for Bordetella pertussis. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS To deal with the re-emergence of whooping cough is important the knowledge of the regional epidemiological situation. This paper shows the situation of these infections in the regional clinical and epidemiological context, and makes the information available for health decision-making.

Relationship between the lung function and anthropometric measures and indexes in adolescents from Córdoba, Argentina

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the degrees of association between the Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) with four anthropometric variables: height, sitting height, surface, and body volume, and two somatometrics indexes: Body Mass Index (BMI) and Cormic index, and to confront the values of FVC obtained with the predicted ones by the method of Polgar.

Dinámicas institucionales en situaciones de cambio: entre el cuestionamiento y las improntas de mitos fundacionales

Innovations in educational institutions are of great complexity, considering they impact their very constituent elements. This work analyzes institutional dynamics in situations of curricular innovation, embodied in intersubjectivities of different professor groups, through the grading of final exams of the students. In this sense, different types of statistical analyses of student grades represent an axis for the analysis that accounts for the questioning of changeand of imprints of foundational myths. The value of a correlation of meanings reflected in different types of analyses of the grades given by professors to students can indicate what each individual considers as valid and false and may represent an interesting thread to expand the way of looking at unconscious social mandates. In order to understand the complexity of institutions it is important to reveal their history and reflect on the way in which practices and social interweavings of times past have turned into enabling and restricting structures of the present.

Informe breveSensibilidad del equipo Cobas AmpliScreen™ HIV-1 Test, v1.5, para la detección de HIV-1Sensitivity of the COBAS AmpliScreen™ HIV-1 Test v1.5 for HIV-1 detection

The introduction of nucleic acid amplification techniques (NAT) in blood banks was intended to reduce the residual risk of transfusion-transmitted infections. Co-circulation of a great diversity of HIV-1 variants in Argentina portrays the need to assess the sensitivity of serological and molecular assays available for their detection. In this study, we evaluated the sensitivity of the COBAS AmpliScreen™ HIV-1 Test, version 1.5 (Roche) for the detection of HIV-1 RNA in plasma samples of infected individuals from Argentina. The results of this study reveal that this technique has high sensitivity for the detection of HIV-1 RNA under assay conditions: using mini-pool testing, pools ≥ 50 RNA copies per ml achieved ≥ 92 % sensitivity, whereas in the standard procedure, samples ≥ 207 RNA copies/ml achieved 100 % sensitivity. Moreover, the COBAS AmpliScreen™ HIV-1 Test, version 1.5 (Roche) is suitable for detecting prevailing HIV-1 variants.Resumen Las tecnicas de amplificacion de acidos nucleicos (NAT) se incorporaron en los bancos de sangre para reducir el riesgo residual de transmision de infecciones por via transfusional. La cocirculacion de distintas variantes del HIV-1 en Argentina indica la necesidad de evaluar la sensibilidad de los ensayos serologicos y moleculares disponibles para su deteccion. En este trabajo se evaluo la sensibilidad del equipo COBAS AmpliScreen™ HIV-1 Test, version 1.5 (Roche), para detectar ARN viral en plasmas de individuos infectados con HIV-1 de Argentina. Los resultados demuestran que esta tecnica tiene una alta sensibilidad para detectar ARN de HIV-1 en las condiciones ensayadas: para ensayo de mini-pooles (pooles ≥ 50 copias de ARN/ml), la sensibilidad fue ≥ 92 %, y para procedimiento estandar (plasmas ≥ 207 copias de ARN/ml), la sensibilidad fue 100 %. Ademas, la tecnica COBAS AmpliScreen™ HIV-1 Test, version 1.5 (Roche), es adecuada para la deteccion de las variantes de HIV-1 prevalentes.

Sensibilidad del equipo Cobas AmpliScreen™ HIV-1 Test, v1.5, para la detección de HIV-1

The introduction of nucleic acid amplification techniques (NAT) in blood banks was intended to reduce the residual risk of transfusion-transmitted infections. Co-circulation of a great diversity of HIV-1 variants in Argentina portrays the need to assess the sensitivity of serological and molecular assays available for their detection. In this study, we evaluated the sensitivity of the COBAS AmpliScreen™ HIV-1 Test, version 1.5 (Roche) for the detection of HIV-1 RNA in plasma samples of infected individuals from Argentina. The results of this study reveal that this technique has high sensitivity for the detection of HIV-1 RNA under assay conditions: using mini-pool testing, pools ≥ 50 RNA copies per ml achieved ≥ 92 % sensitivity, whereas in the standard procedure, samples ≥ 207 RNA copies/ml achieved 100 % sensitivity. Moreover, the COBAS AmpliScreen™ HIV-1 Test, version 1.5 (Roche) is suitable for detecting prevailing HIV-1 variants.Resumen Las tecnicas de amplificacion de acidos nucleicos (NAT) se incorporaron en los bancos de sangre para reducir el riesgo residual de transmision de infecciones por via transfusional. La cocirculacion de distintas variantes del HIV-1 en Argentina indica la necesidad de evaluar la sensibilidad de los ensayos serologicos y moleculares disponibles para su deteccion. En este trabajo se evaluo la sensibilidad del equipo COBAS AmpliScreen™ HIV-1 Test, version 1.5 (Roche), para detectar ARN viral en plasmas de individuos infectados con HIV-1 de Argentina. Los resultados demuestran que esta tecnica tiene una alta sensibilidad para detectar ARN de HIV-1 en las condiciones ensayadas: para ensayo de mini-pooles (pooles ≥ 50 copias de ARN/ml), la sensibilidad fue ≥ 92 %, y para procedimiento estandar (plasmas ≥ 207 copias de ARN/ml), la sensibilidad fue 100 %. Ademas, la tecnica COBAS AmpliScreen™ HIV-1 Test, version 1.5 (Roche), es adecuada para la deteccion de las variantes de HIV-1 prevalentes.