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Resumen La combinación de la actividad metabólica de cepas bacterianas potencializa la actividad antimicrobiana contra microorganismos patógenos, en comparación con la actividad que pueden presentar las cepas microbianas en forma individual. La formulación mixta de bacterias acido lácticas ha sido estudiada para la producción de preparados probióticos con actividad antimicrobiana contra patógenos. Listeria monocytogenes es considerado un microorganismo patógeno para el hombre y animales, causando principalmente, la enfermedad conocida como listeriosis. Se evaluó la actividad antimicrobiana de una formulación mixta de Lactobacillus brevis y Weisella cibaria frente a Listeria monocytogenes. L. brevis y W. cibaria se reprodujeron por fermentaciones en discontinuo durante 48 horas. Se midió la cinética de la actividad antimicrobiana contra L. monocytogenes en los siguientes tiempos de fermentación, 0, 1, 2, 6, 12, 24 y 48 horas. En cada tiempo, la actividad antimicrobiana de la mezcla de cepas se comparó con la actividad antimicrobiana de las cepas en forma individual. La actividad antimicrobiana se midió mediante el diámetro de Feret, utilizando un software de evaluación de imágenes. Se encontró que la actividad antimicrobiana de la mezcla de cepas contra L. monocytogenes fue estable desde la segunda hora de fermentación hasta las 48 horas. A partir de 18 horas de fermentación la mezcla de cepas presentó actividad antimicrobiana superior, comparada con las cepas individuales. Los resultados indican que la formulación mixta de L. brevis y W. cibaria podría ser una opción biotecnológica para el desarrollo de antimicrobianos naturales para el control y prevención de L. monocytogenes.
Abstract The combination of the metabolic activity of bacterial strains potentiates the antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms, in comparison with the activity that the microbial strains can present individually. The mixed formulation of lactic acid bacteria has been studied to the production of probiotic preparations with antimicrobial activity against pathogens. Listeria monocytogenes is considered a pathogenic microorganism for man and animals, causing the disease known as listeriosis. The antimicrobial activity of a mixed formulation of Lactobacillus brevis and Weisella cibaria was evaluated against Listeria monocytogenes. L. brevis and W. cibaria were reproduced by discontinuous fermentations for 48 hours. The kinetics of antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes were measured at the next fermentation times, 0, 1, 2, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours. At each time, the antimicrobial activity of the mixed formulation was compared with the antimicrobial activity of the strains individually. The antimicrobial activity was measured by Feret's diameter, using image evaluation software. It was found that the antimicrobial activity of the mixed formulation against L. monocytogenes was stable from the second hour of fermentation to 48 hours of fermentation. After 18 hours of fermentation the mixed formulation presented superior antimicrobial activity, compared to the individual strains. The results indicate that the mixed formulation of L. brevis and W. cibaria could be a biotechnological option for the development of natural antimicrobials for the control and prevention of L. monocytogenes.
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BACKGROUND: Pemphigoid gestationis (PG), also called herpes gestationis, is a rare autoimmune disease of pregnancy or puerperium (estimated 1 out of 50,000 pregnancies among Caucasians). A previous series has demonstrated an association of PG with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR3 or HLA-DR4 haplotypes. While these haplotypes are most commonly found in individuals of European ancestry, they have also been found in African-American patients affected with PG. PG has rarely been reported in other ethnic groups, and the HLA association in non-Europeans has not been examined. METHODS: We have characterized eight patients of Mexican ancestry who have PG by clinical, histologic, and immunofluorescence criteria. Class I and class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens were studied by standard microlymphocytotoxicity assays. Class II MHC antigens were further studied by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of HLA-DRB1, DQA, and DQB genes and allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization. For comparison purposes, we used results obtained from a group of 100 ethnically matched healthy individuals. RESULTS: We found that all eight patients had the HLA-DR3/DR4 phenotype; all HLA-DR3 haplotypes were HLA-DRB1*0301, DQA1*0501, and DQB1*0201, whereas half of the HLA-DR4 haplotypes were from the DRB1*0401 subtype and the other half were DRB1 *0407. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that, in Mexicans, the genetic susceptibility for the development of PG is strongly influenced by the genetic admixture of Caucasian origin, and the role of class II MHC antigens in the pathophysiology of this disease is confirmed.
Assuntos
Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Classe II/genética , Penfigoide Gestacional/etnologia , Penfigoide Gestacional/genética , Adolescente , Adulto , Feminino , Técnica Direta de Fluorescência para Anticorpo , Frequência do Gene , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Idade Gestacional , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Classe I/genética , Teste de Histocompatibilidade , Humanos , México/etnologia , Penfigoide Gestacional/patologia , Fenótipo , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Gravidez , Pele/patologiaRESUMO
Skin care of the neonate is a very important issue, especially if the infant is either premature or is in critical condition. Guidelines for skin care put special emphasis on the skin barrier properties, transcutaneous absorption, and transepidermal water losses of the skin. The main objective of this article is to give general skin care guidelines for full-term newborn and premature infants, whether in the delivery room, the intensive care unit, or at home. These guidelines are directed to medical staff and nurses with a brief summary for parents.
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Recém-Nascido/fisiologia , Enfermagem Neonatal/métodos , Higiene da Pele/métodos , Fenômenos Fisiológicos da Pele , Humanos , Guias de Prática Clínica como AssuntoRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To improve understanding of the causes of morbidity and mortality among critically ill children in the countries studied. DESIGN: Survey of hospital records between 1992 and 1994. SETTING: Six pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) (four ICUs in Mexico City and two ICUs in Ecuador). PATIENTS: Consecutive patients (n = 1,061) admitted to the units studied. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The mortality rate for low-risk patients (pediatric Risk of Mortality [PRISM] score of < or = 10, n = 701) was more than four times the rate predicted by the PRISM score (8.1% vs. 1.8%, p < .001), with an additional 11.3% of this group incurring major morbidity. The mortality rate for moderate-risk patients (PRISM scores of 11 to 20, n = 232) was more than twice predicted (28% vs. 12%, p < .001). For low-risk patients, death was significantly associated with tracheal intubation, central venous cannulation, pneumonia, age of < 2 months, use of more than two antibiotics, and nonsurgical diagnosis (after controlling for PRISM score). Central venous cannulation and tracheal intubation in the lower-risk groups were performed more commonly in units in Mexico than in one comparison unit in the United States (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: For six pediatric ICUs in Mexico and Ecuador, mortality was significantly higher than predicted among lower-risk patients. Tracheal intubation, central catheters, pneumonia, sepsis, and nonsurgical status were associated with poor outcome for low-risk groups. We speculate that reducing the use of invasive central catheters and endotracheal intubation for lower-risk patients, coupled with improved infection control, could lower mortality rates in the population studied.
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Estado Terminal/terapia , Mortalidade Hospitalar , Unidades de Terapia Intensiva Pediátrica/normas , Avaliação de Resultados em Cuidados de Saúde , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Pré-Escolar , Cuidados Críticos , Estado Terminal/mortalidade , Equador , Humanos , Lactente , México , Razão de Chances , Valor Preditivo dos Testes , Estudos Prospectivos , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
Seventy-two patients from one month to 15 years of age that according with the Modificated criterion of multiple organ failure (MCMOF) had two or more organ failures were studied. They were divided into two groups: Group I consisted of 55 patients that survived and group II of 17 patients that died. In both groups, the MCMOF was determinated upon admission and discharge, as well as the maximum obtained during the evolution. The comparison of both groups, with respect to the number of organic failures presented and the points of MCMOF showed highly significant differences with p less than 0.001, found in group I: 1.27 +/- 0.96 organ failures and a value of 4.84 +/- 2.92 of the MCMOF and in the group II: 3.84 +/- 1.59 organ failures and 25.68 +/- 7.57 points of the MCMOF respectively. The comparison between the number of organic failures at admission and discharge showed significant differences in both groups, having the tendency to decrease in group I from 1.87 +/- 1.01 to 0.56 +/- 0.60 and in the group II to increase from 3.41 +/- 1.46 to 4.35 +/- 1.45. The same phenomenon was observed for the values of the MCMOF with a qualification of 7.72 +/- 5.36 to 1.87 +/- 1.82 in a group I and from 18.94 +/- 10.31 to 33.38 +/- 8.27 in group II. Spearman correlation coeficient between the number of organic failures and values of the MCMOF showed and r = 0.99 and equivalent p less than 0.001, highly significant.