Optimization of lung tissue pre-treatment by bead homogenization for subsequent culturomics.

The discovery that the lung harbors a diverse microbiome, as revealed by next-generation sequencing, has significantly altered our understanding of respiratory health and disease. Despite the association between the lung microbiota and disease, the nature of their relationship remains poorly understood, and culture isolation of these microorganisms could help to determine their role in lung physiology. Current procedures for processing samples from the lower respiratory tract have been shown to affect the viability of microorganisms, so it is crucial to develop new methods to improve their survival.

Overnutrition as a risk factor for more serious respiratory viral infections in children: A retrospective study in hospitalized patients.

Background: The prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically in children worldwide. Obesity has been recognized as a risk factor for more serious viral respiratory infections, mainly in adults.

Objective: To study the relationship between overnutrition (obesity and overweight) and clinical severity in children hospitalized with acute respiratory infections of viral origin.

Overnutrition, Nasopharyngeal Pathogenic Bacteria and Proinflammatory Cytokines in Infants with Viral Lower Respiratory Tract Infections.

Background: Little is known about the interaction between the nasopharyngeal bacterial profile and the nutritional status in children. In this study, our main goal was to evaluate the associations between overnutrition and the presence of four potentially pathogenic bacteria in the nasopharynx of infants with viral lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). In addition, we determined whether changes in the nasopharyngeal bacterial profile were associated with mucosal and serum proinflammatory cytokines and with clinical disease severity.

Sulfated Polysaccharide Extracted from the Green Algae : Physicochemical Characterization and Antioxidant, Anticoagulant and Antitumor Activity.

Codium bernabei is a green alga that grows on Chilean coasts. The composition of its structural polysaccharides is still unknown. Hence, the aim of this work is to isolate and characterize the hot water extracted polysaccharide fractions.

Smartphone screen testing, a novel pre-diagnostic method to identify SARS-CoV-2 infectious individuals.

The COVID-19 pandemic will likely take years to control globally, and constant epidemic surveillance will be required to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2, especially considering the emergence of new variants that could hamper the effect of vaccination efforts. We developed a simple and robust - () - method to detect SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals by RT-PCR testing of smartphone screen swab samples. We show that 81.

Performance of Saliva Samples for COVID-19 Diagnosis by Using the Allplex 2019-nCoV Assay Kit.

Although the nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) is the reference sampling method for the detection of SARS-Cov-2, it is not always possible to collect NPS in some patients. Saliva represents an interesting sampling method because it is less invasive and more convenient in patients with nasal or pharyngeal lesions. To compare the RT-qPCR test performances of saliva samples with nasal mid-turbinate swab (NMTS) and NPS samples in a cohort of ambulatory patients suspected of having COVID-19.

Chilean crab (Aegla cholchol) as a new source of chitin and chitosan with antifungal properties against Candida spp.

In the present work, the chemical composition of the Chilean freshwater crab Aegla cholchol exoskeleton was studied for the first time. α-Chitin was isolated from three main body parts (pincers, legs, carapace), and its content ranged from 9.0-10.

Use of Human Fallopian Tube Organ in Culture (FTOC) and Primary Fallopian Tube Epithelial Cells (FTEC) to Study the Biology of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infection.

Epithelial cells represent one of the most important physical barriers to many bacterial pathogens. In the case of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the epithelial cell response is critical because they are the main target of the tissue damage triggered by the pathogen, particularly when the organism reaches the Fallopian tube (FT). Although the irreversible damage triggered by N.

A prospective, multi-center study of Candida bloodstream infections in Chile.

Background: Active surveillance is necessary for improving the management and outcome of patients with candidemia. The aim of this study was to describe epidemiologic and clinical features of candidemia in children and adults in tertiary level hospitals in Chile.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, multicenter, laboratory-based survey study of candidemia in 26 tertiary care hospitals in Chile, from January 2013 to October 2017.

Microbiological characterisation of the colonisation by Candida sp in patients with orthodontic fixed appliances and evaluation of host responses in saliva.

Objectives: We investigated the colonisation by Candida spp in patients using orthodontic fixed appliances by characterising the isolated Candida strains and by evaluating the host oral mucosa response through the measure of human β-defensins 3 (HBD-3) expression and Interleukin-1ß/IL-10.

Methods: Ninety patients were enrolled after signing an informed consent. Prevalence, susceptibility to fluconazole, genotyping and oral fungal burden of Candida sp.

Protective effect of inactivated blastoconidia in keratinocytes and human reconstituted epithelium against C. albicans infection.

Candida albicans is commensal yeast that colonizes skin and mucosa; however, it can become an opportunist pathogen by changing from blastoconidia (commensal form) into hypha (pathogenic form). Each form activates a different cytokines response in epithelial cells. Little is known about the commensal role of C.

Differential Antifungal Activity of Human and Cryptococcal Melanins with Structural Discrepancies.

Melanin is a pigment found in all biological kingdoms, and plays a key role in protection against ultraviolet radiation, oxidizing agents, and ionizing radiation damage. Melanin exerts an antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, and parasites. We demonstrated an antifungal activity of synthetic and human melanin against sp.

Modified Profile of Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 and 9 Production by Human Fallopian Tube Epithelial Cells After Infection In Vitro With Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Epithelial shedding and scarring of fallopian tube mucosa are the main consequences of sexually transmitted Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection and probably involve an imbalance of host extracellular matrix components and their regulators such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). In the current study, primary human fallopian tube epithelial cells were infected with N. gonorrhoeae, and MMP patterns were examined.

Genotyping and Persistence of Candida albicans from Pregnant Women with Vulvovaginal Candidiasis.

Objective: To study Candida albicans genotypes using RAPD and their susceptibility to fluconazole in healthy pregnant women and in vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) patients after topical treatment with clotrimazole.

Methods: Vaginal swabs were collected at t = 0 and t = 1 (1 month later) in pregnant women (control group, n = 33), and before (t = 0), at 1 month (t = 1) and at 2 months (t = 2) after clotrimazole treatment in pregnant women with VVC.

Results: Candida albicans was isolated in 30% of healthy pregnant women and 80% of patients with VVC.

The NarE protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae catalyzes ADP-ribosylation of several ADP-ribose acceptors despite an N-terminal deletion.

The ADP-ribosylating enzymes are encoded in many pathogenic bacteria in order to affect essential functions of the host. In this study, we show that Neisseria gonorrhoeae possess a locus that corresponds to the ADP-ribosyltransferase NarE, a previously characterized enzyme in N. meningitidis The 291 bp coding sequence of gonococcal narE shares 100% identity with part of the coding sequence of the meningococcal narE gene due to a frameshift previously described, thus leading to a 49-amino-acid deletion at the N-terminus of gonococcal NarE protein.

Neurological Adverse Effects of Antipsychotics in Children and Adolescents.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate demographic, clinical, and treatment factors that may impact on neurological adverse effects in naive and quasi-naive children and adolescents treated with antipsychotics.

Methods: This was a 1-year, multicenter, observational study of a naive and quasi-naive pediatric population receiving antipsychotic treatment. Two subanalyses were run using the subsample of subjects taking the 3 most used antipsychotics and the subsample of antipsychotic-naive subjects.

[Characterization of azole resistance mechanisms in Chilean clinical isolates of Candida albicans].

Introduction: The commensal yeast Candida albicans, can cause superficial or systemic candidiasis in susceptible hosts. In Chile, azole antifungals are the most widely used drugs in the treatment of candidiasis. In a previous study performed at our center, 2.

Antipsychotic use in children and adolescents: a 1-year follow-up study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the initial treatment with antipsychotics (APs) and its changes during the first year of treatment in patients visited in specialized child and adolescent psychiatry departments.

Methods: Participants were 265 patients, aged 4 to 17 years, who attended consecutively at 4 different centers and were naive of AP or quasi-naive (less than 30 days since the beginning of AP treatment). Type of AP, dosage, and concomitant medication were registered at baseline, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after beginning the treatment with AP.

Chitosan microparticles loaded with yeast-derived PCV2 virus-like particles elicit antigen-specific cellular immune response in mice after oral administration.

Background: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2)-associated diseases are a major problem for the swine industry worldwide. In addition to improved management and husbandry practices, the availability of several anti-PCV2 vaccines provides an efficient immunological option for reducing the impact of these diseases. Most anti-PCV2 vaccines are marketed as injectable formulations.