Acute retinal necrosis in primary herpes simplex virus type I infection.

Here we report the case of an immunocompetent 8-year-old child who developed acute retinal necrosis concomitant with a primary herpes simplex virus type I infection. Ocular inflammation changed along with the development of a specific antibody titer in the serum. This evidence suggests that the immune response of the host can significantly modulate the clinical aspect of the ocular infection.

An antibody-based ELISA for quantification of Ani s 1, a major allergen from Anisakis simplex.

Anisakis simplex is a nematode parasite that can infect humans who have eaten raw or undercooked seafood. Larvae invading the gastrointestinal mucosa excrete/secrete proteins that are implicated in the pathogenesis of anisakiasis and can induce IgE-mediated symptoms. Since Ani s 1 is a potent secreted allergen with important clinical relevance, its measurement could assess the quality of allergenic products used in diagnosis/immunotherapy of Anisakis allergy and track the presence of A. simplex parasites in fish foodstuffs. An antibody-based ELISA for quantification of Ani s 1 has been developed based on monoclonal antibody 4F2 as capture antibody and biotin-labelled polyclonal antibodies against Ani s 1 as detection reagent. The dose-response standard curves, obtained with natural and recombinant antigens, ranged from 4 to 2000 ng/ml and were identical and parallel to that of the A. simplex extract. The linear portion of the dose-response curve with nAni s 1 was between 15 and 250 ng/ml with inter-assay and intra-assays coefficients of variation less than 20% and 10%, respectively. The assay was specific since there was no cross-reaction with other extracts (except Ascaris extracts) and was highly sensitive (detection limit of 1·8 ng/ml), being able to detect Ani s 1 in fish extracts from codfish and monkfish.

Vertebrates Limb Geometry in the Simplex space

A novel metric comparison of the appendicular skeleton (fore and hind limb) ofdifferent vertebrates using the Compositional Data Analysis (CDA) methodologicalapproach it’s presented.355 specimens belonging in various taxa of Dinosauria (Sauropodomorpha, Theropoda,Ornithischia and Aves) and Mammalia (Prothotheria, Metatheria and Eutheria) wereanalyzed with CDA.A special focus has been put on Sauropodomorpha dinosaurs and the Aitchinsondistance has been used as a measure of disparity in limb elements proportions to infersome aspects of functional morphology

Distributions on the simplex

The simplex, the sample space of compositional data, can be structured as a real Euclidean space. This fact allows to work with the coefficients with respect to an orthonormal basis. Over these coefficients we apply standard real analysis, inparticular, we define two different laws of probability trought the density function and we study their main properties

Sensitization to Anisakis simplex species in the population of northern Morocco.

OBJECTIVE To investigate sensitization to third-stage Anisakis simplex larvae in a randomly selected population in northern Morocco. METHODS We studied sera obtained from clinical analysis laboratories in Tangier and Tetuouan and from fishermen at Tangier port. The age of the study population ranged from 6 to 83 years. ImmunoCAP and immunoblotting techniques were used to determine total and specific immunoglobulin (Ig) E values and the chi2 and Fisher exact tests were applied to analyze relationships between study variables. RESULTS A seroprevalence of 5.1% was found, with a higher percentage of positive sera in the 31-to-43-year age group. Sensitization was not significantly associated with the origin, sex, occupation, or age of the individuals studied. In sera positive by InmunoCAP, immunoblotting studies detected numerous bands of between 7 kDa and >209 kDa, with a predominance of bands in the approximately 20-kDa to 24-kDa range. CONCLUSIONS Although no cases of human anisakiasis have been reported in Morocco to date, part of a randomly selected population in Northern Morocco shows sensitization to A simplex proteins.

Sobolev orthogonal polynomials on a simplex

Vegeu el resum a l'inici del document de l'arxiu adjunt

Three cases of neonatal herpes simplex virus infection presenting as fulminant hepatitis.

We report three cases of neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection presenting as fulminant hepatitis. None of the patients had clear risk factors for HSV infection and they all died. Antiviral treatment for HSV is currently available but must be administered early in the course of the disease before irreversible liver tissue damage is present. Since the diagnosis may be difficult to establish, we wish to draw the attention of clinicians to the presentation of neonatal HSV infection and suggest that in such cases viral cultures, including culture of liver tissue, should be obtained early and antiviral treatment administered while awaiting the culture results.

Automaattisen nukleiinihappoeristyslaitteen ja reaaliaikaisen PCR-menetelmän soveltuvuus herpes simplex -virusten keskushermostoinfektiodiagnostiikkaan

Keskushermosto- ja neonataali-infektiot ovat herpes simplex -virusten aiheuttamista taudeista vakavimpia. Niihin on olemassa lääkitys, joka on tehokkain, kun se aloitetaan aivan sairauden alkuvaiheessa. Näiden infektioiden diagnostiikassa PCR-menetelmä on herkin. Tämä menetelmä on kuitenkin työläs ja aikaa vievä, joten uudet nopeammat menetelmät ovat tervetulleita. Opinnäytetyö tehtiin HUSLABin virologian osastolle. Työssä testattiin QIAGENIN artus®HSV-1/2 LC PCR-reagenssipakkausta, joka on tehty käytettäväksi Roche diagnosticsin reaaliaikaisella PCR-laitteella LightCyclerillä. Lisäksi työssä testattiin automaattista bioMérieuxin NucliSens easyMAG- nukleiinihappoeristyslaitetta. Referenssinä käytettiin HUSLABin virologian osastolla testaushetkellä käytössä olevia menetelmiä. Reaaliaikaisen PCR-menetelmän herkkyyttä testattiin positiivisilla HSV-1 ja HSV-2 kontrollilaimennussarjoilla. Menetelmän oikeellisuutta testattiin määrittämällä laaduntarkkailu- ja potilasnäytteitä, jotka olivat likvoria. Tuloksia verrattiin QCMD:n antamiin ja perinteisellä ”in house”- PCR-menetelmällä saatuihin referenssituloksiin. Spesifisyyttä testattiin muiden ihmisten herpesvirusten positiivisilla kontrolleilla. Automaattisen nukleiinihappoeristysmenetelmän toimivuutta testattiin HSV-positiivisilla ja -negatiivisilla likvornäytteillä, jotka oli aikaisemmin eristetty fenoli-kloroformiuutolla. Tulokset QIAGENIN artus®HSV-1/2 LC PCR-reagenssipakkauksesta olivat hyviä. Kont-rollilaimennussarjan määrityksessä reaaliaikainen PCR-menetelmä osoittautui perinteistä ”in house”- PCR-menetelmää herkemmäksi. Potilasnäytteiden määrityksessä tulokset olivat yhtenevät. EasyMAG- nukleiinihappoeristysmenetelmällä eristettyjen potilasnäytteiden määrityksistä saadut tulokset olivat myös hyviä. Kun tuloksia verrattiin fenoli-kloroformiuutolla saatuihin tuloksiin, olivat tulokset yhtä näytettä lukuun ottamatta yhtenevät. Molemmat testattavat menetelmät ovat nopeita ja virhelähteiden mahdollisuus on vähäisempi kuin perinteisessä ”in house”-PCR menetelmässä ja fenoli-kloroformiuutolla nukleiinihappoa eristettäessä. Tutkimusten tulokset osoittivat molempien menetelmien soveltuvan hyvin HSV:n eristykseen ja määritykseen likvornäytteistä.

Experimental design on the simplex

Optimum experimental designs depend on the design criterion, the model andthe design region. The talk will consider the design of experiments for regressionmodels in which there is a single response with the explanatory variables lying ina simplex. One example is experiments on various compositions of glass such asthose considered by Martin, Bursnall, and Stillman (2001).Because of the highly symmetric nature of the simplex, the class of models thatare of interest, typically Scheff´e polynomials (Scheff´e 1958) are rather differentfrom those of standard regression analysis. The optimum designs are also ratherdifferent, inheriting a high degree of symmetry from the models.In the talk I will hope to discuss a variety of modes for such experiments. ThenI will discuss constrained mixture experiments, when not all the simplex is availablefor experimentation. Other important aspects include mixture experimentswith extra non-mixture factors and the blocking of mixture experiments.Much of the material is in Chapter 16 of Atkinson, Donev, and Tobias (2007).If time and my research allows, I would hope to finish with a few comments ondesign when the responses, rather than the explanatory variables, lie in a simplex.ReferencesAtkinson, A. C., A. N. Donev, and R. D. Tobias (2007). Optimum ExperimentalDesigns, with SAS. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Martin, R. J., M. C. Bursnall, and E. C. Stillman (2001). Further results onoptimal and efficient designs for constrained mixture experiments. In A. C.Atkinson, B. Bogacka, and A. Zhigljavsky (Eds.), Optimal Design 2000,pp. 225–239. Dordrecht: Kluwer.Scheff´e, H. (1958). Experiments with mixtures. Journal of the Royal StatisticalSociety, Ser. B 20, 344–360.1

Density and distribution of nests of Mycetophylax simplex (Emery) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in areas with mobile dunes on the northern coast of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Studies on lower attines are scarce, especially on nesting and foraging ecology and behavior. This study aimed to contribute to the knowledge of an Attini in dunes ecosystems through the description of density and spatial distribution of Mycetophylax simplex (Emery, 1887) nests in a strip of mobile dunes in the Praia Grande beach, Torres, northern coast of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The density and spatial distribution of nests were estimated in four plots of 2,500 m² each, in which were found 20, 209, 284 and 324 nests, with average densities of 0.01 nests/m², 0.09, 0.11 and 0.13 nests/m², respectively. The nests were found near to the vegetation and showed clumped distribution. The density and distribution pattern of the nests seem to be related to the availability of nesting places and foraging resources.

Use of long-term suppressive acyclovir after hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation: impact on herpes simplex virus (HSV) disease and drug-resistant HSV disease.

The effect that long-term use of suppressive acyclovir (ACV) has on both overall herpes simplex virus (HSV) disease and ACV-resistant HSV disease was examined in 3 consecutive cohorts of hematopoietic stem-cell transplant (HCT) recipients (n=2049); cohort 1 received ACV for 30 days after HCT, cohort 2 received it for 1 year after HCT, and cohort 3 received it for an extended period (i.e., >1 year) if the patient's immunosuppression continued after 1 year. The 2-year probability of HSV disease was 31.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 28.0%-35%) in cohort 1, 3.9% (95% CI, 2.7%-5.2%) in cohort 2, and 0% in cohort 3 (P<.001). ACV-resistant HSV disease developed in 10 patients in cohort 1 (2-year probability, 1.3% [95% CI, 0.8%-2.7%]), in 2 patients in cohort 2 (2-year probability, 0.2% [95% CI, 0%-0.8%]; P=.006), and in 0 patients in cohort 3 (cohort 2 vs. cohort 3, P=.3). Long-term use of suppressive prophylactic ACV appears to prevent the emergence of drug-resistant HSV disease in HCT.

Polymorphisms in TLR2 are associated with increased viral shedding and lesional rate in patients with genital herpes simplex virus Type 2 infection.

Clinical and virologic manifestations of genital herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection vary widely. We examined frequencies of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 2, 3, 4, and 9 in a prospective cohort of 128 HSV-2-infected persons whose viral shedding and lesion frequency was measured by daily sampling from genital secretions. Two TLR2 haplotypes (2 and 4) were associated with increased lesional (P=.008 and P=.03) and shedding (P=.02 and P=.001) rates. An SNP in haplotype 2 (-15607A/G) was also associated with shedding (P=.01) and lesional (P=.008) rates. Polymorphisms in TLR2 may be in part responsible for differences in the severity of HSV-2 infection.

Recommandations suisses pour le traitement de l'herpès génital et de l'herpès du nouveau-né [Swiss recommendations for the management of gential herpers and herpes simplex virus infection of the neonate]

Genital herpes is being recognised as a medical problem of increasing importance. Diagnosis and management are complex. The present recommendations have been established by a multidisciplinary panel of specialists and endorsed by all Swiss medical societies involved in the medical care of such patients. The aim is to improve the care of affected patients, to reduce horizontal and vertical transmission and to diminish the psychosocial burden.

Unusual association of diseases/symptoms: Encephalitis with herpes simplex-2 in the cerebrospinal fluid and anti-RI (ANNA-2) antibodies: an infectious or a paraneoplastic syndrome?

We report on a 70-year-old woman with partial complex status epilepticus who was initially diagnosed with herpes simplex-2 (HSV-2) encephalitis, based on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lymphocytic pleocytosis and HSV-2 DNA detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the CSF, but without improvement on intravenous acyclovir. Anti-Ri antibodies were positive and computed tomography (CT) investigations revealed a small cell carcinoma at biopsy suggesting paraneoplastic encephalitis. The outcome was unfavourable and the autopsy showed typical features of paraneoplastic encephalitis but no evidence of viral inclusions. This case report is interesting because: (1) it is the first report of an autopsy proven paraneoplastic widespread encephalitis with anti-Ri antibodies; (2) despite a positive HSV-2 PCR in the CSF, there was no sign of herpetic infections of the nervous system; and (3) it illustrates the fact that if paraneoplastic antibodies are usually good markers of the underlying tumour, they are not always predictive of neurological deficits.

Lesiones por virus Herpes simplex y estomatitis aftosa recidivante. Estudio epidemiológico en una muestra elegida al azar

De entre las lesiones observadas en la cavidad bucal, las producidas por el virus Herpes simplex (VHS) y las originadas en la estomatitis aftosa recidivante (EAR) representan una parte importante de las lesiones que el odontólogo o estomatólogo encuentra cotidianamente. Aunque cada uno de estos dos procesos posee una etiopatogenia y unas características diferentes, en algunas ocasiones su diagnóstico puede llegar a ser controvertido y difícil, debido a su similar apariencia clínica, planteándose entonces problemas de diagnóstico diferencial. El objetivo de este trabajo es realizar un estudio epidemiológico sobre ambas entidades en un grupo de 100 personas elegidas al azar. Mediante un cuestionario anamnético se identifican los pacientes con historia positiva para cualquiera de los dos tipos de lesiones y se recogen datos respecto a las características clínicas de las lesiones en los pacientes de la muestra, con el fin de definir las características diferenciales entre ambas alteraciones.