[Allergic rhinitis in asthmatic patients].

Background: Allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma are airways chronic inflammatory processes, with a correlation of 28-78%.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and classification of allergic rhinitis on asthmatic patients, according to the workshop Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA), and to assess the total serum concentrations of IgE and the presence of nasal and blood eosinophilia.

Material And Method: A study was done with asthmatic patients ages 7 to 14, attending the Pediatric Service at the Hospital General del Sur Dr.

Increased expression of cytokines, soluble cytokine receptors, soluble apoptosis ligand and apoptosis in dengue.

Several studies have been performed to determine biomarkers that define the risk factors to developing severe forms of dengue. In this study, the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1, IL-17, soluble interleukin-1 receptor like 1 protein (sST2), soluble TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (sTRAIL), IL-12 and soluble receptors for TNF (sTNF-RI and sTNF-RII) were determined by ELISA in dengue patients and monocyte/macrophage cultures. Dengue was classified as dengue without warning symptoms (DNWS), with warning symptoms (DWWS) and severe dengue (SD).

[Science, reason for the existence of the University].

More than a century after the foundation of the illustrious University of Zulia, research is still the subject of unfair treatment; the importance of science in university life is discussed over and over again, with authorities feeling proud of the quantity and quality of researchers, but such pride is divorced from the support received by research centers, departments and institutes. However, science transcends all obstacles; research must be the ultimate goal of our University, so that it continues to be the University.

[Viral etiology of acute respiratory infections].

Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are pathologies that affect the respiratory tract from the proximal pharynx to the lungs, with an evolution of less than 15 days. They constitute the most frequent cause of morbimortality in the world. With the purpose of identifying the viral agents associated to this type of infections in patients of Zulia State, Venezuela, between February 2005 and July 2006, a total of 102 samples of the respiratory tract (oropharyngeal swab, nasopharyngeal swab, nasopharyngeal washing, spit and bronchoalveolar lavage) were studied.

[Presence of urban rabies in Zulia State, Venezuela. Years 1996-2006].

Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease and in Zulia State, it constitutes a public health problem of a high social impact, due to the report of cases in human beings. In this study, the presence of urban rabies was determined in Zulia's State and its distribution was identified according to municipalities and affected species during 1996-2006. In the scope of a descriptive study, a documented revision of Zulia's State Zoonosis Regional Coordination registries for the period in study was carried out.

[Indication for haemoderivatives in dengue].

Management of patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) requires especial care. It is based on physiological replacement therapy and fluid control. The use of blood products has its own criteria, especially during the disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in the hemorrhagic phase.

[Hantavirus in Zulia state?].

During the last years, there has been a worldwide rise in the number of infectious diseases caused by newly discovered agents, in some cases and in others, by variants known as emergent or reemergent pathogens. The analysis of the nucleotide sequences of four RNA-positive hantaviruses (S. altoni) suggests that the Caño Delgadito virus is widely distributed in the Venezuelan plains.

[Economic impact of dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever in the State of Zulia, Venezuela, 1997-2003].

Objectives: To determine the direct and indirect costs of medical care provided to cases of dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS) between 1997 and 2003 in Zulia State, Venezuela.

Methods: The total number of patients with dengue and DHF/DSS was obtained from records belonging to the Regional Epidemiology Office of the state of Zulia and from reports of cases that were confirmed in the Virology Section of Dr. Americo Negrette's Clinical Research Institute, Zulia University, Maracaibo, Venezuela, between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2003.

In vitro, melatonin treatment decreases nitric oxide levels in murine splenocytes cultured with the venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus.

The purpose of this work was to determine the effect of melatonin on the nitric oxide levels in murine splenocytes cultured with the Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus. After incubation, nitric oxide levels were measured by the diazotization assay. Those cultures with the Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus increased nitric oxide levels.

[Hepatic alterations in patients with dengue].

Clinical features of Dengue are very variable due to multiple alterations induced by the virus in the organism. Increased levels of transaminases similar to those produced by the Hepatitis virus have been reported in patients with Dengue from hiperendemic zones in Asia. The objectives of this study were to determine alterations in the liver tests in patients with Dengue and to relate them to the disease, clinically and serologically.

[Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Lesson and challenges].

After four months of silence before a new incursion of severe acute respiratory syndrome virus (SARS), world wide investigators specially from Asia had have to face a coronavirus capable of great spreading and inducing high morbidity. The source and the capacity of this virus to associate with other opportunist microorganisms to induce progression of the disease, remain unclear. The comparison of the genomic sequence of different strains has generated discrepancies as for if the SARS epidemic arose as an unique outbreak or it was produced for more than one genotype.

[Immunity to flavivirus in Amerindian population of the Sierra de Perijá, Zulia state, Venezuela].

Little information is available about Flavivirus infection in amerindian populations in western Venezuela. On this account the activity and seroprevalence of these viruses were determined and the hypothesis concerning the existence of a sylvatic cycle, conditioning the infection transmission of these viruses in indigenous populations, was studied. For this, blood samples from Yukpas (n=144) and Barí (n=110) communities were collected, 35 (Yukpas=25 and Barí=10) of which were processed for viral isolation followed by RT-PCR.

Melatonin increases interleukin-1beta and decreases tumor necrosis factor alpha in the brain of mice infected with the Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus.

The effect of melatonin (MLT) on the brain levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) in Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) virus infection was determined. Brain homogenates from mice inoculated with 10 LD50 of VEE virus, untreated or treated with 500 microg MLT/kg body weight were assayed by ELISA to measure the levels of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta. MLT was injected daily starting 3 days before and continuing to 7 days after virus inoculation.

[Effect of melatonin on lymphocyte proliferation and production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) in mice splenocytes].

The influence of Melatonin (MLT) on the modulation of the immune system has been described. In previous studies an increment of cell proliferation and an increase or a decrease of cytokines have been reported. Other workers have found inhibitory effects or no effect in the immune functions.