Distribution of Diagnostic Glycoproteins in the Different Developmental Stages of the Parasite.

is a helminth parasite that causes 2 diseases in humans: cysticercosis and taeniasis. The establishment of metacestodes in the central nervous system causes neurocysticercosis, while development of the adult tapeworm in the small intestine causes taeniasis. Serological diagnosis of neurocysticercosis is performed by Western blot with an enriched fraction of glycoproteins that has been extensively used for clinical diagnosis and epidemiological surveys.

From stillness to motion: 80 years after the first description of Taenia solium oncosphere hatching.

Background: Human neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a considered public health problem in many underdeveloped and developing countries. Because of the enormous increase in international tourism and migration, NCC nowadays is also found in some developed countries. Our group was the first to demonstrate that tapeworm carriers in the household are the main risk factor for acquiring cysticercosis in humans and pigs, since the disease results from the ingestion of microscopic tapeworm eggs.

Recombinant encapsulated cells overexpressing alpha-L-iduronidase correct enzyme deficiency in human mucopolysaccharidosis type I cells.

Mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS I) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease due to deficient α-L-iduronidase (IDUA) activity. It results in the accumulation of the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) heparan and dermatan sulfate and leads to several clinical manifestations. Available treatments are limited in their efficacy to treat some aspects of the disease.

Differential expression of calreticulin in developmental stages of Taenia solium.

Taenia solium, a cestode that causes neurocysticercosis and taeniasis in humans, has a complex life cycle. The adult tapeworm develops in the intestine of human beings and is also responsible for neurocysticercosis, which is caused by the metacestode or cysticercus that develops in the brain. Recently, we have cloned the coding region for T.

Molecular demonstration of SLC4A1 gene deletion in two Mexican patients with Southeast Asian ovalocytosis.

We describe the finding of two Mexican patients with a specific 27-bp deletion in the solute carrier family 4 gene (SLC4A1delta27) (also known as the band 3 gene found on chromosome 17q21-q22), characteristic of Southeast Asian ovalocytosis (SAO). The patients were asymptomatic, and the initial diagnosis was made by microscopic observation of the presence of typical stomatocytic ovalocytes. The gene deletion was confirmed by PCR and DNA sequencing.

[Ultrastructural study of placentas from HIV seropositive women].

Eleven placentas from seropositive women for HIV, were analyzed. In three cases the material came from first trimester abortions and the other eight from term pregnancies. In five cases retroviruses were identified, similar to HIV in the placental tissue.

[Infectivity of the entomopathogenic fungus Verticillium lecanii in mice and guinea pigs].

The resistance of plague insects to chemical insecticides as well as the importance of a healthy environment demands an alternative for agricultural plagues. Among others, biological control seems an alternate strategy with fungal entomopathogens playing a relevant role. The hyphomycete Verticillium lecanii is a natural bioregulator of aphids, scales and white-flies that attack different agricultural plantations.

Adenosine triphosphatase-positive Langerhans-like cells in the epidermis of the chicken (Gallus gallus).

In mammalian epidermis a population of ATPase-positive dendritic cells, identified as Langerhans cells, has been found. Such cells are bone marrow-derived and participate in the immunological functions of the skin. We demonstrate the existence of ATPase-positive dendritic cells in separated epidermal sheets of chicken skin, by means of light and electron microscopy.

Langerhans-like cells in amphibian epidermis.

Langerhans cells have been described in epidermis and other stratified epithelia of mammals. In other vertebrates equivalent cells have not been found. Amphibians show skin graft rejection, so it is possible that these animals have epidermal cells homologous to Langerhans cells.

Giant cytoplasmic granules in Langerhans cells of Chediak-Higashi syndrome.

Giant membrane-bound cytoplasmic granules were found in the epidermal Langerhans cells of a patient with the Chediak-Higashi syndrome. These cells also contained normal-appearing Birbeck granules. The giant granules had a granular or sometimes globular internal structure; they are believed to derive from fusion of lysosomes or some portion of Birbeck granules.

Use of absorbable sutures in canine carotid arteries.

To study the functional and microstructural characteristics of polydioxanone sutures in vascular surgery, we created 48 vascular anastomoses in the right and left common carotid arteries of 24 mongrel dogs. In each animal, polydioxanone sutures were used in 1 carotid artery, and polypropylene sutures were used in the contralateral carotid artery. Twelve groups of 2 animals each were then formed.

Mitosis and polykaryon formation of Entamoeba histolytica in axenic cultures.

Axenic cultures of E. histolytica were established in Coplin jars containing glass slides. The cultures were harvested after 72 hours, fixed and stained with Giemsa and acridine orange.

Osler-Weber-Rendu disease in an infant.

A 23-month-old girl with Osler-Weber-Rendu (OWR) disease manifested by hemoptysis died of massive pulmonary hemorrhage. Autopsy showed predominant respiratory tract involvement, but telangiectatic vessels were also present in other sites. Skin lesions were absent.

Lymphoid papillary hyperplasia of the palatine tonsils.

A rare case of papillary hyperplasia of the palatine tonsils is reported in a 9-year-old girl who presented with pharyngeal obstruction. The obstruction was due to the bilateral enlargement of the palatine tonsils with a papillary surface configuration so atypical that a diagnosis of malignant neoplasm was clinically considered. Histopathological study showed a peculiar form of lymphoid hyperplasia.