From 2003 to date there has been a rising number of reports from developed countries on cases of lymphogranuloma venereum with anorectal localization in HIV-infected men who have sex with men. This localization differs from the classical inguinal abscesses which are typical of the disease in the tropics. The objective of this work is to document the presence of anorectal lymphogranuloma venereum in Buenos Aires and to describe its varied clinical manifestations. In the context of a systematic survey of rectal chlamydial infection, in just one trimester, eight cases of lymphogranuloma venereum caused by Chlamydia trachomatis biovar LGV were identified in HIV-infected men who have sex with men. The most frequent anorectal manifestations were pus, tenesmus, rectal urgency, and mucous or haemopurulent discharge. The proctitis was mostly mild or moderate and, in some cases, it was accompanied by perianal lesions. Given the great polymorphism and unspecificity of the clinical manifestations of the disease, we warn on the presence of this form of rectal lymphogranuloma venereum in our setting. If Chlamydia trachomatis is detected, it should be genotyped, not only for the correct diagnosis and treatment but also for epidemiological surveillance. Where genotyping is not available, the disease must be considered as caused by the LGV biovar and treated accordingly.

Desde 2003, en los países desarrollados han aumentado las comunicaciones sobre casos de linfogranuloma venéreo con cuadros clínicos diferentes de la forma inguinal clásica. Las presentaciones anorrectales, hasta hace poco atípicas, predominan en hombres infectados por HIV que tienen sexo con hombres. El objetivo de este trabajo es informar sobre la presencia de esta infección en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires y describir sus variadas manifestaciones clínicas. En el contexto de una pesquisa sistemática de la infección rectal por clamidias, en apenas un trimestre fueron identificados ocho casos de linfogranuloma venéreo por Chlamydia trachomatis biovar LGV en hombres HIV positivos que tienen sexo con hombres. Las manifestaciones anorrectales más frecuentes fueron pujo, tenesmo, urgencia evacuatoria y secreción mucosa o hemopurulenta. En su mayoría presentaban proctitis leve o moderada, acompañada en algunos casos de lesiones perianales. Dados el polimorfismo y la inespecificidad de las manifestaciones clínicas del linfogranuloma venéreo rectal, se advierte sobre la circulación de esta infección en nuestro medio. En caso de detectar Chlamydia trachomatis, es importante genotipificarla para el correcto diagnóstico y tratamiento de la enfermedad y también para su vigilancia epidemiológica. Si la genotipificación no es posible, se debe considerar el caso como producido por el biovar LGV y aplicar el tratamiento correspondiente.

BACKGROUND The Trypanosoma cruzi infection endemic in Latin America has now spread to several countries across four continents; this endemic involves triatomine vector-free protists. We hypothesised that the sexual transmission of T. cruzi contributes to the ongoing spread of Chagas disease. OBJECTIVES A short-term longitudinal study was conducted to evaluate this hypothesis. METHODS The study population comprised 109 subjects from four families, among whom 21 had been diagnosed with acute Chagas disease by direct parasitological analysis. Blood mononuclear cells and serum samples were obtained from each study subject once per year for three consecutive years. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescence serological examinations were used to detect specific T. cruzi antibodies. Polymerase chain reaction of T. cruzi DNA revealed 188-nucleotide bands, which hybridised to a specific radiolabelled probe and were confirmed by cloning and sequencing. RESULTS Three independent assessments at different time points revealed T. cruzi nuclear DNA footprints in 76% (83/109) of the study population with active infection. In contrast, the ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence assays detected the T. cruzi antibody in 28.4% (31/109) of the study samples. Moreover, the semen from 82.6% (19/23) of subjects people revealed harboured the 188- bp base pair T. cruzi footprint. Interestingly, the ejaculates of nuclear DNA-positive Chagas patient transmitted the T. cruzi upon peritoneal injection or infusion in the vagina of mice, and amastigotes were detected in the skeletal muscle, myocardium, vas deferens, and uterine tube. MAIN CONCLUSIONS T. cruzi infections can be transmitted from females or males to naïve mates through intercourse, and progeny showed discrepancies between the ratios of nuclear DNA footprints and specific antibody that can be explained by the tolerance attained during early embryo growth. Additional studies are needed to develop drugs to eradicate the infections. Additionally, the importance of a vigorous education, information, and communication program to prevent sexually transmitted Chagas disease in humans cannot be underemphasised.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the aerobic microbiota of the rumen fluid from Holstein cows and heifers fed different tropical forage in the north of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A total of 30 samples of rumen fluid from cows fed with sorghum silage were collected: 32 from cows fed Brachiaria brizantha, 12 from heifers that received sorghum silage and 11 from calves fed sugar cane foliage. The culture was carried out using the agar Sabouraud medium and the solid C medium, containing microcrystalline cellulose. The isolated mycelial fungi were identified by microculture technique and yeasts by micromorphological and physical-chemical analysis. Specific identification for yeasts was confirmed by ribosomal DNA sequence analysis. The presence of fungal colonies was confirmed on the Sabouraud medium for 100% of the samples. No significant differences were observed comparing the concentrations of mycelia fungi in the rumen fluid from cows fed different forages and for the two categories evaluated, fed sorghum silage. Yeast populations in the rumen fluid from heifers fed sugarcane were higher compared with those receiving sorghum silage. The yeast Pichia kudriavzevii (Candida krusei) was the most frequent and among the mycelial fungi, the genus Aspergillus was the most frequently observed, corresponding to 56% of the samples. Future studies should elucidate the variations in the populations of these microorganisms considering the carbohydrate sources in the tropical forages and the animal categories. The ecological or pathogenic role of these microorganisms should also be considered, aiming at improved productivity and health of cattle.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo investigar a prevalencia de anomalias dentarias em um grupo de individuos com diferentes tipos de fissuras que procuraram o servico de referencia em ortodontia no atendimento de fissurados da Paraiba, nordeste do Brasil. O estudo foi do tipo transversal e observacional. Para tanto, foi realizado por dois examinadores previamente treinados (kappa= 0,89) o exame clinico em 76 pacientes portadores de fissuras pos e transforame incisivo unilateral ou bilateral, de ambos os sexos e de 4 a 32 anos, e analise das radiografias periapicais e panoramicas do arquivo dos prontuarios desses pacientes. Apenas os dentes anteriores superiores foram avaliados. Os dados foram submetidos a estatistica descritiva e ao teste estatistico qui-quadrado, sendo significativo ao nivel de 5%. Dentre os individuos examinados, o genero masculino (57,9%) e a fissura transforame incisivo unilateral esquerda (40,8%) foram os mais prevalentes. A maioria dos examinados (73,68%) apresentou pelo menos uma anomalia dentaria, sendo a agenesia (31,6%), seguida pela presenca de dentes conoides (28,9%) as alteracoes mais frequentes. Os dentes mais afetados foram os incisivos laterais e houve diferenca estatistica significativa (p<0,00001) entre a presenca de defeito do lado fissurado e do contralateral. Portanto, maior atencao deve ser dispensada ao diagnostico e tratamento odontologico dos pacientes fissurados, sugerindo-se a associacao do exame clinico e radiografico a um planejamento criterioso e a implementacao de servicos especializados na tentativa de detectar e tratar de forma precoce e correta estes pacientes.

The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of dental anomalies in a group of individuals with different types of clefts attending the reference service in orthodontics for the care of patients with clefts in Paraiba state, northeastern Brazil. This was a cross-sectional, observational study. Two previously trained examiners (kappa = 0.89) performed the clinical examination of 76 patients with post and incisive transforamen unilateral or bilateral clefts, of both sexes, aged 4 to 32 years, and the analysis of periapical and panoramic radiographs from archived records of these patients. Only the upper front teeth were evaluated. Data were processed by descriptive statistics and subjected to statistical Chi-square test considered significant at 5%. Among the patients evaluated, males (57.9%) and left unilateral transforamen clefts (40.8%) were prevalent. Of the total 76 patients examined, 56 (73.68%) had at least one dental anomaly, the most frequent being agenesis (31.6%) and conical teeth (28.9%). The presence of anomalies differed significantly between the cleft and the contralateral sides (p<0.00001). The diagnosis and treatment of patients with clefts should therefore receive more attention. It is suggested that clinical and radiographic examination be performed together with careful planning and implementation of specialist services in an effort to provide early and adequate detection and treatment.

Este estudo constitui o primeiro registro de taxas de parasitismo da associação entre moscas ectoparasitas da família Streblidae e morcegos da família Phyllostomidae para o Maranhão. As coletas foram realizadas em área de bosque peridomiciliar e de borda de mangue do povoado do Quebra Pote, no sul da Ilha de São Luís. Foram coletadas 201 moscas pertencentes a 15 espécies de oito gêneros [Aspidoptera falcata Wenzel, A. phyllostomatis (Perty), Mastoptera minuta (Costa Lima), Megistopoda aranea (Coquillett), M.proxima (Séguy), Speiseria ambigua Kessel, Stizostrebla longirotris Jobling, Strebla guajiro (García & Casal), S. hertigi Wenzel, Trichobioides perspicillatus (Pessôa & Galvão), Trichobius costalimai Guimarães, T. dugesii Townsend, T. dugesioides phyllostomus Guerrero, T. joblingi Wenzel e T. longipes (Rudow)] infestando 50 filostomídeos de nove espécies [Artibeus lituratus (Olfers), A. obscurus Schinz, Carollia perspicillata (L.), Glossophaga soricina Pallas, Lophostoma carrikeri J A Allen, Micronycteris minuta Gervais, Phyllostomus discolor Wagner, P. hastatus Pallas e Sturnira lilium (E Geoffroy)]. As espécies mais frequentes foram: M. minuta (28,9%), T. joblingi (24,4%), M. aranea (12,9%) e A. phyllostomatis (5,5%). As espécies de ectoparasitos mais prevalentes foram M. minuta, T. costalimai, T. longipes, A. falcata e S. longirostris, por encontrar-se infestando, pelo menos, 50% dos indivíduos de uma espécie hospedeira. Carollia perspicillata e P. discolor apresentaram a maior riqueza de ectoparasitas, sendo cada uma, infestada por quatro espécies de moscas, apresentando taxa de infestação de 46% e 100%, respectivamente.

This study reports the first records of the parasitism rates of the association among ectoparasitic flies of the family Streblidae found in phyllostomid bats in the state of Maranhão. Specimens were collected in patches of secondary forest and borders of mangrove in the village of Quebra Pote, located in the south portion of the island of São Luís. A total of 201 flies of 15 species and eight genera [Aspidoptera falcata Wenzel, A. phyllostomatis (Perty), Mastoptera minuta Costa Lima, Megistopoda aranea (Coquillett), M. proxima (Séguy), Speiseria ambigua Kessel, Stizostrebla longirotris Jobling, Strebla guajiro (García & Casal), S. hertigi Wenzel, Trichobioides perspicillatus (Pessôa & Galvão), Trichobius costalimai Guimarães, T. dugesii Townsend, T. dugesioides phyllostomus Guerrero, T. joblingi Wenzel and T. longipes (Rudow)] were collected from 50 individuals of nine species of phyllostomid bats [Artibeus lituratus (Olfers), A. obscurus Schinz, Carollia perspicillata L., Glossophaga soricina Pallas, Lophostoma carrikeri J A Allen, Micronycteris minuta Gervais, Phyllostomus discolor Wagner, P.hastatus Pallas and Sturnira lilium E Geoffroy)]. Mastoptera minuta, T. costalimai, T. longipes, A. falcata and S. longirostris, were the most frequently found ectoparasites, present in at least 50% of the infected bats. Two species of bats, C. perspicillata e P. discolor, showed the highest richness of ectoparasites, with four species of flies each, and an infection rate of 46% and 100%, respectively.

Os autores relatam dois casos de glomerulonefrite difusa aguda pós-infecciosa com evolução clinicomorfológica incomum. As biópsias renais mostraram alterações características de glomerulonefrite difusa aguda associada à extensa necrose fibrinóide e infiltrado inflamatório leucocitário na parede de arteríolas e artérias interlobulares. Foram também observadas crescentes. Ambos os pacientes cursaram com insuficiência renal aguda severa, sendo que um dos pacientes recuperou a função renal e outro evoluiu para insuficiência renal crônica e óbito.

The authors report two cases of postinfectious acute diffuse glomerulonephritis with uncommon followup. The kidney biopsies showed characteristic features of postinfectious acute glomerulonephritis with extensive fibrinoid necrosis and polymorphonuclear inflammatory infiltrate in the walls of arterioles and interlobular arteries. Celular crescents were also seen. The patients follow with severe acute renal failure; one patient improved the renal function and one progressed to chronic renal failure and died.