Trypanosoma cruzi infection in the wild Chagas disease vector, Mepraia spinolai: Parasitic load, discrete typing units, and blood meal sources.

Background: Mepraia spinolai, a wild vector of Trypanosoma cruzi in Chile, is an abundant triatomine species that is frequently infected by the parasite that causes Chagas disease. The aim of this study was to determine if the parasitic load of T. cruzi in M.

Etanercept in the treatment and retreatment of psoriasis in daily clinical practice.

Etanercept is a tumor necrosis factor alfa (TNFalpha) antagonist whose efficacy and safety in the treatment of psoriasis have been proven in many clinical trials. Nevertheless, few studies evaluate the efficacy and safety of this therapy in patients after discontinuation and readministration. Our study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of etanercept in daily clinical practice for the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

Reconstruction of the lower lip: Bernard technique and its variants.

Introduction: Surgical treatment of epidermoid carcinoma of the lower lip occasionally involves resection of a large part of this anatomic area. Several techniques are available for its repair, including Bernard's technique. Since its first description in 1853, this technique has incorporated several small modifications, which we discuss.

Prolonged treatment with rituximab in patients with refractory pemphigus vulgaris.

Objectives: Recent reports have documented swift responses in refractory pemphigus vulgaris to rituximab, a monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody. Nevertheless, no standard protocol has yet been established for the administration of rituximab in patients with pemphigus vulgaris. We report the results of prolonged treatment with rituximab therapy in two patients with refractory pemphigus vulgaris.