Imported loiasis: Diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

Loiasis is a vector-borne parasitic disease that has long been neglected due to its benign nature and its geographical distribution, which is restricted to the forest regions of Central and West Africa. However, it is now recognized as a significant public health concern in endemic areas, where chronically infected patients face organ damage and an increased risk of mortality. Loiasis presents several challenges, from diagnosis to treatment, as inappropriate therapies can lead to severe and at times fatal side effects.

Comparison of clinical metagenomics with 16S rDNA Sanger sequencing for the bacteriological diagnosis of culture-negative samples.

Background: Currently, diagnosis of bacterial infections is based on culture, possibly followed by the amplification and sequencing (Sanger method) of the 16S rDNA - encoding gene when cultures are negative. Clinical metagenomics (CMg), i.e.

Stress and telomere length in leukocytes: Investigating the role of GABRA6 gene polymorphism and cortisol.

Telomere length (TL) is considered a biomarker of aging, and short TL in leukocytes is related to age and stress-related health problems. Cumulative lifetime stress exposure has also been associated with shorter TL and age-related health problems, but the mechanisms are not well understood. We tested in 108 individuals whether shorter TL in leukocytes is observed in individuals with the GABRA6 TT genotype, which has been associated with dysregulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity (the main biological stress system) compared to the CC genotype.