RESUMO

Secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is involved in many biological process including liver fibrogenesis, but its role in acute liver damage is unknown. To examine the role of SPARC in acute liver injury, we used SPARC knock-out (SPARC(-/-)) mice. Two models of acute liver damage were used: concanavalin A (Con A) and the agonistic anti-CD95 antibody Jo2. SPARC expression levels were analyzed in liver samples from patients with acute-on-chronic alcoholic hepatitis (AH). SPARC expression is increased on acute-on-chronic AH patients. Knockdown of SPARC decreased hepatic damage in the two models of liver injury. SPARC(-/-) mice showed a marked reduction in Con A-induced necroinflammation. Infiltration by CD4+ T cells, expression of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 and apoptosis were attenuated in SPARC(-/-) mice. Sinusoidal endothelial cell monolayer was preserved and was less activated in Con A-treated SPARC(-/-) mice. SPARC knockdown reduced Con A-induced autophagy of cultured human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1). Hepatic transcriptome analysis revealed several gene networks that may have a role in the attenuated liver damaged found in Con A-treated SPARC(-/-) mice. SPARC has a significant role in the development of Con A-induced severe liver injury. These results suggest that SPARC could represent a therapeutic target in acute liver injury.

Assuntos

RESUMO

INTRODUCTION: Patient Safety is a major public health problem worldwide and is responsibility of all those involved in health care. Establishing a Safety Culture has proved to be a factor that favors the integration of work teams, communication and construction of clear procedures in various organizations. Promote a culture of safety depends on several factors, such as organization, work unit and staff. Objective assessment of these factors will help to identify areas for improvement and establish strategic lines of action. OBJECTIVE: [corrected] To adapt, validate and calibrate the questionnaire Culture of Quality in Health Services (CQHS) in Mexican population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross with a stratified representative sample of 522 health workers. The questionnaire was translated and adapted from Singer's. Content was validated by experts, internal consistency, confirmatory factorial validity and item calibration with Samejima's Graded Response Model. RESULTS: Convergent and divergent construct validity was confirmed from the CQHS, item calibration showed that the questionnaire is able to discriminate between patients and represent different levels of the hypothesized dimensions with greater accuracy and lower standard error. CONCLUSIONS: The CQHS is a valid and reliable instrument to assess patient safety culture in hospitals in Mexico.

Assuntos

Assuntos

RESUMO

Los autores presentan una extensa revisión sobre el género Rhodococcus, grupo de microorganismos pertenecientes a la familia de actinomicetales. Se revisan aspectos relativos a la microbiología, taxonomía, citoquímica, patología, clínica y terapéutica de las afecciones que, como agentes patógenos producen, estos microorganismos, en especial en su papel de agentes productores de infecciones nosocomiales y oportunísticas. Así mismo se revisan aspectos relativos a la importancia de estos microorganismos en el medio ambiente y como agentes útiles en la biorremediación ambiental

Assuntos

RESUMO

Parkinson's disease, a major neurodegenerative disorder in humans whose etiology is unknown, may be associated with some environmental factors. Nocardia otitidiscaviarum (GAM-5) isolated from a patient with an actinomycetoma produced signs similar to Parkinson's disease following iv injection into NMRI mice. NMRI mice were infected intravenously with a non-lethal dose of 5 x 10(6) colony forming units of N. otitidiscaviarum (GAM-5). Fourteen days after bacterial infection, most of the 60 mice injected exhibited parkinsonian features characterized by vertical head tremor, akinesia/bradykinesia, flexed posture and postural instability. There was a peak of nocardial growth in the brain during the first 24 h followed by a decrease, so that by 14 days nocardiae could no longer be cultured. At 24 h after infection, Gram staining showed nocardiae in neurons in the substantia nigra and occasionally in the brain parenchyma in the frontal and parietal cortex. At 21 days post-infection, tyrosine hydroxylase immunolabeling showed a 58% reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase in the substantia nigra, and a 35% reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase in the ventral tegmental region. Dopamine levels were reduced from 110 +/- 32.5 to 58 +/- 16.5 ng/mg protein (47.2% reduction) in brain from infected mice exhibiting impaired movements, whereas serotonin levels were unchanged (191 +/- 44 protein in control and 175 +/- 39 ng/mg protein in injected mice). At later times, intraneuronal inclusion bodies were observed in the substantia nigra. Our observations emphasize the need for further studies of the potential association between Parkinson's disease or parkinsonism-like disease and exposure to various nocardial species.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Parkinson's disease, a major neurodegenerative disorder in humans whose etiology is unknown, may be associated with some environmental factors. Nocardia otitidiscaviarum (GAM-5) isolated from a patient with an actinomycetoma produced signs similar to Parkinson's disease following iv injection into NMRI mice. NMRI mice were infected intravenously with a non-lethal dose of 5 x 10(6) colony forming units of N. otitidiscaviarum (GAM-5). Fourteen days after bacterial infection, most of the 60 mice injected exhibited parkinsonian features characterized by vertical head tremor, akinesia/bradykinesia, flexed posture and postural instability. There was a peak of nocardial growth in the brain during the first 24 h followed by a decrease, so that by 14 days nocardiae could no longer be cultured. At 24 h after infection, Gram staining showed nocardiae in neurons in the substantia nigra and occasionally in the brain parenchyma in the frontal and parietal cortex. At 21 days post-infection, tyrosine hydroxylase immunolabeling showed a 58 percent reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase in the substantia nigra, and a 35 percent reduction of tyrosine hydroxylase in the ventral tegmental region. Dopamine levels were reduced from 110 ± 32.5 to 58 ± 16.5 ng/mg protein (47.2 percent reduction) in brain from infected mice exhibiting impaired movements, whereas serotonin levels were unchanged (191 ± 44 protein in control and 175 ± 39 ng/mg protein in injected mice). At later times, intraneuronal inclusion bodies were observed in the substantia nigra. Our observations emphasize the need for further studies of the potential association between Parkinson's disease or parkinsonism-like disease and exposure to various nocardial species.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Los autores presentan una revisión de los aspectos microbiológicos, clínicos y terapéuticos de las infecciones causadas por el Rhodococcus equi en los humanos. En el presente trabajo se discuten y analizan aspectos históricos referentes a R. equi, antes clasificado como Corynebacterium equi. Así mismo, se describen aspectos referentes a la clínica y la epidemiología de las infecciones causadas en los humanos por R. equi. Son presentados aspectos relativos al diagnóstico microbiológico, citoquímico, histológico y de identificación de R. equi por técnicas moleculares (PCR). El trabajo concluye con una actualización sobre los esquemas terapéuticos de uso para el tratamiento de las infecciones producidas en los humanos por e R. equi. Los autores hacen una alerta sobre el aumento de la incidencia de las infecciones en humanos por R. equi, de manera particular en pacientes infectados por el Virus de la Inmunodeficiencia Humana (VIH) y en pacientes inmunosuprimidos sometidos a transplantes de órganos (riñón, corazón u otros)

Assuntos

RESUMO

Se estudiaron 20 muestras de suelo recogidas en San Juan de Lagunillas, estado Mérida (Venezuela). Se utilizó el medio agar tripticasa soya suplementado con tetraciclina (5µ/ml) y cicloheximida (100µg/ml) para el aislamiento de los microorganismos presentes en las muestras de suelo. Se aislaron 13 (65 por ciento) cepas las cuales se identificaron como Nocardias. Luego estas cepas se sometieron a pruebas de identificación microbiológica por medio de estudios fisiológicos y citoquímicos. Del total de las cepas de Nocardia aisladas se observó la siguiente proporción: el 10 por ciento de las cepas se identificó como Nocardia asteroides, otro 10 por ciento como Nocardia sp, y el 45 por ciento restantes se identificó como Nocardia brasiliensis. En el medio de aislamiento selectivo se utilizó tetraciclina incorporado al mismo lo que permitió un mayor aislamiento de cepas de Nocardia brasiliensis y en un menor grado de Nocardia asteroides

Assuntos

RESUMO

Los autores presentaron los resultados obtenidos del estudio de 43 muestras recogidas en 25 lugares de cinco estados de Venezuela. Las muestras fueron cultivadas para aislamiento de nocardia sp. usando la técnica del "paraffin bait". Las muestras de suelo fueron recolectadas en el estado Lara (19 muestras), estado Mérida (13 muestras), estado Amazonas (7 muestras), estado Falcón (3 muestras) y estado Apure (1 muestra). De las muestras estudiadas, el 46,51 por ciento se identificaron como nocardia asteroides y el el 16,28 por ciento como nocardias sp. En las muestras de suelo estudiadas del estado Lara se encontró el mayor número de aislados de nocardia asteroides (95 por ciento); esto es un indicador de que este estado podría ser considerado como uno de los reservarios naturales de N. asteroides. Estos datos se compaginan con la alta morbilidad del actinomicetoma, entre los cuales figura como segundo agente etiológico del mismo N. asteroides

Assuntos

Assuntos