Pulmonary nocardiosis report of the first two Brazilian cases

Summary The first two Brazilian cases of human pulmonary nocardiosis are reported. Diagnosis was established on material obtained by direct lung puncture. A review of selected aspects on pulmonary nocardiosis in Latin American countries is presented.     

Hemoglobin E: Distribution and population dynamics

Hemoglobin E, an anomaly of the -chain of human hemoglobin, is widely distributed in Southeast Asia and adjacent areas. In some populations of Southeast Asia the frequency of the gene responsible for the production of HbE reaches values near 0.3. In view of the probable disadvantage of the HbE homozygote and the certain disadvantage of the double heterozygote for the HbE and -thalassemia genes an advantage of the heterozygote has to be postulated in order to explain the high gene frequencies. There is some evidence for and against malaria protection being the factor conveying heterozygote advantage. Data concerning genotype fitnesses in the triallelic system involving HbA, HbE and -thalassemia are scanty. Crude fitness data based on clinical observations and equilibrium calculations indicate that the system is unstable. Dynamic models of the three genes suggest that the HbE gene is replacing the -thalassemia gene in most Southeast Asian populations. The distribution of HbE and that of the austroasiatic group of languages are similar. This and several other aspects of the geographic and ethnic distribution of HbE are discussed in the last section of this review.     

Hemoglobin E disorder: Newborn screening program

Hemoglobin E (Hb E) disorder is an important kind of hemoglobinopathy. It can be seen around the world with the highest prevalence in Southeast Asia. The screening for this disorder becomes the public health policies in many countries. The screening can be performed in several population groups. The newborn screening program for Hb E disorder is an important issue in pediatric genetics. In this brief review, the author discusses on important laboratory tests for screening for Hb E disorder in newborn.     

Hemoglobin New York in Chinese subjects in Taiwan

Hemoglobin K Kaohsiung has been found, during our population survey in Taiwan, in nine unrelated Chinese subjects with provincial origins from several parts of Mainland China and Taiwan. It also was seen in four relatives of the nine subjects. Present chemical structure studies indicate that it has the same structural anomaly as that previously reported in a variant found in members of a Cantonese Chinese family in New York. That variant, called Hemoglobin New York, has the structural change, β113 Valine→Glutamic acid. Preliminary evaluation suggests that this hemoglobin is one of the most common variants in Chinese population groups although it frequently may be undetected by the usual electrophoretic screening procedures. All of the subjects detected thus far were heterozygotes with nearly equal amounts of Hemoglobin A_o and K Kaohsiung. Hemoglobin K Kaohsiung exhibits slightly reduced heat stability compared with that of Hemoglobin A_o; however, its presence in the heterozygote apparently causes no more than mild anemia.     

Noma in Saguinus oedipus: a report of 2 cases

2 cases of noma in cotton topped marmosets (Saguinus oedipus) are reported. The condition did not respond to antibiotic therapy, but was successfully treated in one animal by local application of ethacridine lactate.     

Hemoglobin E in Europeans: further evidence for multiple origins of the beta E-globin gene

We have determined haplotypes for the known restriction site polymorphisms in the beta-globin gene cluster in two families of European ancestry containing individuals who are heterozygous for hemoglobin E. In both families, the beta E mutation is associated with a haplotype not previously found among the haplotypes of beta E chromosomes in Southeast Asia. Moreover, in one family, the mutation is present in a beta-gene framework not found in beta E chromosomes of Southeast Asia. These data provide further evidence of multiple independent origins of the beta E mutation in human populations.     

Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG at the first epidemic peak in French Guiana,July 2020

BackgroundWhile Latin America has been heavily affected by the pandemic, only a few seroprevalence studies have been conducted there during the first epidemic wave in the first half of 2020.Methodology/Principal findingsA cross-sectional survey was performed between 15 July 2020 and 23 July 2020 among individuals who visited 4 medical laboratories or 5 health centers for routine screening or clinical management, with the exception of symptomatic suggestive cases of covid-19.Samples were screened for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG directed against domain S1 of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein using the anti-SARS-CoV-2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) from Euroimmun.Conclusions/SignificanceThe overall seroprevalence was 15.4% [9.3%-24.4%] among 480 participants, ranging from 4.0% to 25.5% across the different municipalities. The seroprevalence did not differ according to gender (p = 0.19) or age (p = 0.51). Among SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals, we found that 24.6% [11.5%-45.2%] reported symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Our findings revealed high levels of infection across the territory but a low number of resulting deaths, which can be explained by French Guiana’s young population structure.     

The cervical relaxant properties of prostaglandin E2 in non pregnant subjects

To determine the cervical relaxant properties and side effects of intravaginal administration of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in nonpregnant patients, 5 subjects in midluteal phase were given 20 mg of PGE2 by intravaginal suppository. In 4 patients, no change was found in the diameter of the internal cervical os 12 hours after treatment; the other patient showed an increase of 1 mm. 4 of 5 experienced prolonged nausea, 3 experienced severe vomiting, 2 had diarrhea, all 5 suffered chills, 3 had tachycardia, 4 had fevers, 4 had abdominal cramping, and 1 suffered hypotension. These side effects were severe and their potential seriousness makes this drug inappropriate for use in nonpregnant patients via this route of administration.     

Laboratory diagnosis of the first cases of HIV-2 infection in Canada.

Until recently the geographic distribution of infection due to human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) had excluded North America. We report the first two cases of such infection in Canada. Both people came from endemic areas of western Africa and were asymptomatic. The results of a commercial enzyme immunoassay specific for HIV-1 antibody were positive in both cases, but those of the Western blot technique were indeterminate. The Western blot technique specific for HIV-2 antibody and the indirect fluorescent antibody test were used to verify the presence of HIV-2 antibody.     

西藏拉萨地区藏族儿童血红蛋白类型和一例血红蛋白E的化学结构分析

本文报道480例西藏拉萨地区藏族儿童的血红蛋白类型,除发现一例慢速β链Hb变异体之外,其余均无异常。对该异常者Hb的化学结构进行分析,确证为HbE[β~(26(B8))Glu→Lys]。此为我国藏族人群中首次发现。     

Cytology of desmoplastic medulloblastoma in imprint smears: a report of 2 cases

BACKGROUND: Desmoplastic medulloblastoma is a rare subtype of medulloblastoma with astroglial differentiation. The cytomorphologic features in intraoperative imprint smears from 2 cases of desmoplastic medulloblastoma are described. CASE REPORTS: A 22-year-old man and 27-year-old woman with a cerebellar tumor underwent craniotomy and tumor resection. The imprint cytologic smears contained cellular zones and nodular hypocellular areas containing astroglial and oligodendrogliallike elements. The cytology was misinterpreted as glial tumors, while the final histologic diagnosis in both cases were desmoplastic medulloblastoma. CONCLUSION: Desmoplastic medulloblastoma shows distinctive cytology in intraoperative smears. However, the occurrence of this rare type in adults and the presence of astroglial elements in imprint smears may cause a cytologic misinterpretation as gliomas.