[Human rabies encephalitis by a vampire bat bite in an urban area of Colombia].

Human rabies encephalitis by a vampire bat bite in an urban area of Colombia A case of rabies encephalitis is presented in a teenaged male, which developed four months after a bat bite in the urban area of Floridablanca, Santander Province, Colombia. The complex clinical manifestations prevented the confirmation of an antemortem diagnosis, principally because of the lengthy incubation period and the absence of other similar urban cases. Despite application of several therapies, including the Milwaukee protocol, the patient died 19 days after hospital admission.

[Polymorphisms of IL-10 gene promoter and rheumatoid arthritis in a Colombian population].

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease driven by TH1 CD4+ cells. Interleukin-10 is present in higher concentrations in serum and synovial fluid from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and has a marked anti-inflammatory activity. Furthermore, it is capable of stimulating B cells and increasing autoantibody production.

Polymorphisms in the IL4 and IL4RA genes in Colombian patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is considered a Th1-driven disease. Interleukin 4 (IL-4) binds to its receptor, promoting Th2 differentiation and limiting Th1 responses, but its role in the pathogenesis of RA is conflicting. We analyzed 2 polymorphisms of the IL4 gene and 4 polymorphisms of the IL4RA gene in patients with RA and in a control population, as well as rheumatoid factor (RF) seropositivity, titers of RF, and history of replacement joint surgery among patients with RA.