Jorge Enrique Pérez

Flea-borne rickettsioses in the north of caldas province, Colombia

Rickettsia typhi and R. felis are the etiological agents of murine typhus and flea-borne spotted fever, respectively. Both are emerging acute febrile zoonotic diseases for which fleas are vectors; they also have similar clinical characteristics and global distribution. In 2005, we identified the circulation of murine typhus in 6 towns within the mountainous coffee-growing area north of Caldas, Colombia. We now report the specific seroprevalence against R. typhi and R. felis, and associated risk factors in 7 towns of this province. The combined seroprevalence against the 2 flea-borne rickettsioses is the highest yet reported in the literature: 71.7% (17.8% for R. felis, 25.2% for R. typhi, and 28.7% for both). We also report a prospective analysis of 26 patients with a febrile illness compatible with rickettsioses, including murine typhus; 9 of these patients had a rickettsiosis. This supports our sero-epidemiological results and highlights the diagnostic complexity of febrile syndromes in this region.

Autologous leukocyte-reduced platelet-rich plasma therapy for Achilles tendinopathy induced by collagenase in a rabbit model

Leukocyte-reduced platelet-rich plasma (LR-PRP) is a therapy for tendinopathy of the Achilles tendon (TAT); however, there is scarce information regarding LR-PRP effects in rabbit models of TAT. We compared, at 4 and 12 weeks (w), the LR-PRP and placebo (PBS) effects on ultrasonography, histology and relative gene expression of collagen types I (COL1A1) and III (COL3A1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in 24 rabbits with TAT induced by collagenase. The rabbits (treated with both treatments) were euthanatised after either 4 or 12 w. A healthy group (HG (n = 6)) was included. At 4 and 12 w, the LR-PRP group had a no statistically different histology score to the HG. At w 4, the COL1A1 expression was significantly higher in the LR-PRP group when compared to HG, and the expression of COL3A1from both LR-PRP and PBS-treated tendons was significantly higher when compared to the HG. At w 12, the expression of COL3A1 remained significantly higher in the PBS group in comparison to the LR-PRP group and the HG. At w 4, the LR-PRP group presented a significantly higher expression of VEGF when compared to the PBS group and the HG. In conclusion, LR-PRP treatment showed regenerative properties in rabbits with TAT.

Efecto de los extractos de Phenax rugosus, Tabebuia chrysantha, Althernantera illiamsii y Solanum dolichosepalum sobre el leucograma y la producción de anticuerpos en ratas

Se describen los efectos que los extractos hidroalcoholicos de Phenax rugosus (nombre vulgar: esparietaria), Tabebuia chrysantha (canahuate), Althernantera williamsii (sanguinaria) y Solanum dolichosepalum (frutillo) tienen sobre el leucograma y la produccion de anticuerpos en ratas. El estudio se efectuo en ratas inmunizadas con una suspension de globulos rojos de carnero al 20%. Se realizaron recuentos leucocitarios (neutrofilos, linfocitos, monocitos y eosinofilos) y medicion de los titulos de anticuerpos anti-globulos rojos de carnero para valorar la respuesta humoral. El tratamiento por 10 dias, administrando los extractos por via oral a dosis de 1 g/kg de peso, produjo cambios diversos -segun la especie vegetal en los valores del leucograma y en la produccion de anticuerpos, en comparacion con el grupo control. Los extractos hidroalcoholicos de Phenax rugosus produjeron aumentos estadisticamente significativos en el recuento total de leucocitos y en los linfocitos, monocitos y eosinofilos (p<0.05); no se presentaron cambios significativos en la produccion de anticuerpos en comparacion con el grupo control. Hubo una disminucion significativa (p<0.03) en los valores del hematocrito. La Tabebuia chrysantha produjo un incremento estadisticamente significativo (p<0.03) en los anticuerpos, pero no hubo cambios significativos en los otros valores. La Althernantera williamsii produjo cambios estadisticamente significativos en la disminucion del hematocrito (p< 0.03), sin cambios significativos en los otros valores. El Solanum dolichosepalum mostro un incremento significativo (p< 0.03) en el recuento leucocitario, en los linfocitos y los monocitos, pero no hubo ningun cambio con significancia estadistica en los otros parametros.

Características clínicas, epidemiológicas y microbiológicas de la onicomicosis en un laboratorio de referencia, Manizales (Caldas), 2009

Objetivo. Establecer las caracteristicas clinicas, epidemiologicas y microbiologicas de la onicomicosis en pacientes mayores de 16 anos de Manizales. Metodo. Se llevo a cabo un estudio descriptivo y prospectivo de 232 pacientes con diagnostico clinico de onicomicosis, remitidos de los diferentes centros de atencion de Manizales en el ano 2009. Se recolectaron las muestras y se hizo examen directo en KOH al 20 % y en dimetil-sulfoxido al 36%, cultivo en agar Sabouraud y agar Sabouraud con antibioticos, en todos los casos. Se identificaron los 146 aislamientos obtenidos con metodos especificos para dermatofitos, levaduras y mohos. Resultados. La presentacion mas frecuente fue la forma distal de la enfermedad, la cual se asocio con mayor frecuencia a calzado oclusivo y predominio del sexo femenino; el numero de casos de lesiones ungulares indicativas de onicomicosis fue menor en mayores de 70 anos de edad; losagentes mas frecuentemente aislados fueron Trichophyton rubrum (26,7 %), Fusarium spp. (14,4 %), T. mentagrophytes (11 %), Candida tropicalis (11 %), Candida krusei (6 %) y Geotrichum candidum (6 %).

Proinflammatory and Anabolic Gene Expression Effects of Platelet-Rich Gel Supernatants on Equine Synovial Membrane Explants Challenged with Lipopolysaccharide

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) preparations are used in horses with osteoarthritis (OA). However, some controversies remain regarding the ideal concentration of platelets and leukocytes to produce an adequate anti-inflammatory and anabolic response in the synovial membrane. The aims of this study were to study the influence of leukoconcentrated platelet-rich gel (Lc-PRG) and leukoreduced platelet-rich gel (Lr-PRG) supernatants on the quantitative expression of some proinflammatory and anabolic genes in equine synovial membrane explants (SMEs) challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). SMEs from six horses were cultured over 96 h. Then, SMEs were harvested for RNA extraction and quantitative gene expression analysis by RT-qPCR for nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB), matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13), a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 4 (ADAMTS-4), collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1), collagen type II alpha 1 (COL2A1), and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP). The 25% and 50% Lc-PRG supernatants led to downregulation of NFκB, MMP-13, ADAMTS-4, COL1A1, COL2A1, and COMP in SMEs. Lr-PRG supernatants (particularly at the 50% concentration) induced downregulation of NFκB, MMP-13, ADAMTS-4, and COL1A1 and upregulation of COL2A1 and COMP. Lr-PRG supernatants should be used for the treatment of inflammatory arthropathies in horses because they have anti-inflammatory and anabolic effects in the synovial membrane.