Evaluation of the Histoplasma capsulatum 100-kilodalton antigen dot blot for the rapid diagnosis of progressive histoplasmosis in HIV/AIDS patients.

Among people living with HIV (PLHIV), progressive disseminated histoplasmosis (PDH) represents an important cause of mortality. Since antigen detection allows a rapid diagnosis and the instauration of a specific treatment this study aimed to evaluate the analytical performance of the Hcp100 dot blot, an in-house assay that detects the Histoplasma capsulatum 100-kilodalton antigen in urine and compare it with 2 commercially available assays the Histoplasma Urine Antigen Lateral Flow Assay (MVD-LFA) (MiraVista® Diagnostics) and the Clarus Histoplasma Galactomannan EIA (Clarus HGM) (IMMY). Urine specimens from 23 PLHIV with PDH, 13 patients with other infectious diseases, and 20 healthy individuals were tested.

Evidence of anti-Hcp100 antibodies in COVID-19 critically ill patients with detectable anti-histoplasmin antibodies in a highly endemic area for histoplasmosis.

Patients with severe COVID-19 are at increased risk for invasive fungal infections, which are underestimated. Histoplasmosis reactivation in endemic areas should not be overlooked in this population. In a previous study, seroconversion to anti-histoplasmin antibodies by ELISA was detected in 6/39 (15.

Role of recombinant Histoplasma capsulatum 100-kilodalton antigen in the diagnosis of histoplasmosis among HIV/AIDS patients: Antigenuria and antibodies detection.

Background: Diagnosing progressive disseminated histoplasmosis (PDH) is still challenging in many countries where this disease is highly endemic. Definitive diagnosis is established by culture and/or by cytology/histopathology but both procedures have limited sensitivity and cultures are time-consuming. Antibodies detection by immunodiffusion has a low sensitivity in immunocompromised individuals.

Exploring fungal diversity in Antarctic wildlife: isolation and molecular identification of culturable fungi from penguins and pinnipeds.

Aims: To survey the diversity of fungal species that may be cultured from Antarctic penguins and pinnipeds, and to test the susceptibility to triazole drugs of any medically important s spp. isolates.

Methods: During an expedition to Argentinean Antarctic research stations at Potter Peninsula (South Shetland Islands) and Primavera Cape (Antarctic Peninsula) in February 2019, samples (n = 212) were collected from fur seals (), elephant seals (), leopard seals (), Weddell seals () and crabeater seals () and gentoo penguins ().

Identification and characterization of sirtuin enzymes in cestodes and evaluation of sirtuin inhibitors as new cestocidal molecules.

Anti-parasitic treatment of neglected tropical diseases caused by cestodes such as echinococcosis and cysticercosis relies on a small number of approved anthelmintic drugs. Furthermore, the treatment is usually prolonged and often partially effective and not well tolerated by some patients. Therefore, the identification of novel drug targets and their associated compounds is critical.

Detection of anti-Histoplasma capsulatum antibodies and seroconversion patterns in critically ill patients with COVID-19: An underdiagnosed fungal entity complicating COVID-19?

Unlabelled: The patients with severe COVID-19 are at increased risk for invasive fungal infections, such as invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and candidiasis, which increase morbidity and mortality. However, clinicians should also consider the possibility of reactivating latent Histoplasma capsulatum in patients with severe COVID-19 living within areas of endemicity who have worsening respiratory function or sepsis, even if they do not have classical risk factors for histoplasmosis (e.g.

The potential for histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors as cestocidal drugs.

Background: Echinococcosis and cysticercosis are neglected tropical diseases caused by cestode parasites (family Taeniidae). Not only there is a small number of approved anthelmintics for the treatment of these cestodiases, but also some of them are not highly effective against larval stages, such that identifying novel drug targets and their associated compounds is critical. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes are validated drug targets in cancers and other diseases, and have been gaining relevance for developing new potential anti-parasitic treatments in the last years.

: A Review of an Emerging South American Fungal Pathogen, Its Related Disease, Presentation and Spread in Argentina.

Sporotrichosis, caused by and related species, is the most frequent implantation mycosis in Latin America. In Argentina, over the last 8 years, there have been 0.16 new cases per month of feline sporotrichosis in 2011, increasing to 0.

Diagnosis of histoplasmosis: current status and perspectives.

Histoplasmosis is a worldwide-distributed systemic mycosis caused by the dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. Its clinical manifestations range from subclinical or mild respiratory illness to progressive disseminated histoplasmosis (PDH), a life-threatening disease, whose accurate diagnosis is still challenging and limited in many countries, where this disease is highly endemic. In this regard, Histoplasma antigen testing is now included in the WHO Essential Diagnostics List.

Histoplasma capsulatum 100-kilodalton antigen: recombinant production, characterization, and evaluation of its possible application in the diagnosis of histoplasmosis.

The goal of the present work was to develop a novel reagent with potential for histoplasmosis diagnosis. For this purpose, the genetic sequence of the 100 kDa protein of Histoplasma capsulatum (Hcp100) was cloned and expressed as a secretory protein in Pichia pastoris. After optimizing the culture conditions and purifying by immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography, the highest yield of Hcp100 reached approximately 1.

Sporotrichosis caused by Sporothrix brasiliensis in Argentina: Case report, molecular identification and in vitro susceptibility pattern to antifungal drugs.

Unlabelled: Sporotrichosis is considered a neglected disease of humans and animals in many regions of the world and is the most frequent implantation mycosis in Latin America.

Objectives: To illustrate the zoonotic importance of the disease, describing a case involving a veterinarian and an infant that acquired the disease from a domestic cat and to describe, genotype and characterize these new isolates.

Methods: Direct examination of tissue samples from the two patients and feline lesions revealed the presence of Sporothrix yeast-like organisms.

Conserved Glu-47 and Lys-50 residues are critical for UDP--acetylglucosamine/UMP antiport activity of the mouse Golgi-associated transporter Slc35a3.

Nucleotide sugar transporters (NSTs) regulate the flux of activated sugars from the cytosol into the lumen of the Golgi apparatus where glycosyltransferases use them for the modification of proteins, lipids, and proteoglycans. It has been well-established that NSTs are antiporters that exchange nucleotide sugars with the respective nucleoside monophosphate. Nevertheless, information about the molecular basis of ligand recognition and transport is scarce.

Asymmetric Friedel-Crafts alkylation of indoles with methyl (E)-2-oxo-4-aryl-3-butenoates catalyzed by Sc(OTf)3/pybox.

The asymmetric Friedel-Crafts reaction between a series of substituted indoles 2 a-l and methyl (E)-2-oxo-4-aryl-3-butenoates 3 a-c has been efficiently catalyzed by the scandium(III) triflate complex of (4'S,5'S)-2,6-bis[4'-(triisopropylsilyl)oxymethyl-5'-phenyl-1',3'-oxazolin-2'-yl]pyridine (pybox; 1). Substituted 4-(indol-3-yl)-2-oxo-4-arylbutyric acid methyl esters 4 a-n were usually formed in excellent yields and the enantioselectivity was up to 99 % ee, irrespective of the electronic character of the substituent and its location on the indole ring, albeit with the exclusion of position 2. The adducts could be obtained as stable enol tautomers and the equilibrium with the keto structure is discussed.

Peri- and enantioselectivity of thermal, scandium-, and [pybox/scandium]-catalyzed Diels-Alder and hetero-Diels-Alder reactions of methyl (E)-2-oxo-4-aryl-butenoates with cyclopentadiene.

The cycloaddition between methyl (E)-2-oxo-4-aryl-3-butenoates (2 a-d) and cyclopentadiene, in addition to the expected normal Diels-Alder (DA) adducts endo-3 a-d and exo-4 a-d, gives the less expected endo-5 a-d products of the [4+2] hetero-Diels-Alder (HDA) reaction in which the alpha-ketoester behaves as a heterodiene. If a comparison is made between the thermal and the scandium(III) triflate-catalyzed conditions, the periselectivity changes and whereas under thermal conditions the main products are those from the DA reaction (3 a-d), in the presence of Sc(OTf)3 (OTf=triflate), the HDA products 5 a-d become largely predominant. The reactions are enantioselectively catalyzed by the scandium(III) triflate complex of (4'S,5'S)-2,6-bis[4'-(triisopropylsilyl)oxymethyl-5'-phenyl-1',3'-oxazolin-2'-yl]pyridine (1) and both the DA and the HDA products are obtained with excellent enantiomeric excess, up to >99% ee.