Publications by authors named "Silvia Repetto"

Background: Strongyloides stercoralis is a soil-transmitted intestinal nematode with a complex life cycle that primarily affects humans, non-human primates, dogs, and occasionally cats. This study presents, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of S. stercoralis infection and its genotyping in a domestic dog from Argentina.

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Vibrio vulnificus is one of the most virulent Vibrio species known. It is a bacterium with universal distribution. The first case registered in Uruguay occurred in 2001 and, since then, several infections have occurred per year.

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  • Chagas disease, a lifelong infection caused by protozoa, leads to chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) in 20-30% of infected individuals, with links to pro-inflammatory responses and IL-10 levels.
  • A case control study in Buenos Aires involved 122 individuals, analyzing genetic variants of IL-10 (specifically three polymorphisms) to determine their relationship with CCC.
  • The results showed a significant association between specific IL-10 genotypes (-819 TT and -592 AA) and an increased likelihood of developing CCC, indicating a potential genetic risk factor.
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Hookworm infection is endemic in many countries throughout the world; however, the information about the prevalence of each species, Necatoramericanus and Ancylostomaduodenale, is inaccurate in many South American countries. We aimed to determine the prevalence of human hookworm species by combining the results of both microscopy and PCR among endemic populations in Argentina, represented by natives and immigrants. A total of 140 serial fecal specimens were obtained from natives in the province of Misiones and an immigrant community living in the province of Buenos Aires.

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  • The study investigated the genetic variability of Strongyloides stercoralis based on a specific region of the cox1 gene from Latin-American samples, focusing on clinical outcomes following treatment with ivermectin.
  • A total of 41 patients were evaluated, revealing 10 genetic haplotypes organized into two clusters; the presence of haplotypes from cluster 1 significantly increased the risk of disease reactivation post-treatment, while cluster 2 showed a substantially lower reactivation probability.
  • This research is the first to analyze S. stercoralis genetic diversity in a clinical setting, highlighting the potential to enhance follow-up strategies by considering genetic information during diagnosis.
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  • A new coprological LAMP method called Copro-LAMPAc was developed to detect a zoonotic nematode affecting humans and animals, focusing on DNA extraction and primer design.
  • This method demonstrated an impressive analytical sensitivity of 100 fg and a specificity of 100% when tested against DNA from hosts and other pathogens.
  • When evaluated with canine fecal samples, Copro-LAMPAc proved to be more sensitive than traditional optical microscopy, positioning it as a promising tool for epidemiological studies in areas where the nematode is endemic.
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  • Toxocariasis is a disease primarily caused by Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati, making accurate diagnosis in dogs and cats crucial for controlling its spread.
  • A new, cost-effective LAMP assay has been developed to simultaneously detect these parasites through analysis of specific mitochondrial DNA, with tests showing high sensitivity and specificity.
  • This assay can be performed in basic labs and significantly reduces costs by about 80%, enabling better identification and management of toxocariasis in areas where it is common.
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This review addresses relevant aspects of Chagas disease in the solid organ transplantation setting. This trypanosomiasis was geographically restricted to America, but migration has turned Chagas disease into a global public health concern. Parasite persistence in chronically infected individuals entails the potential of transmission with organ donation and the potential for reactivation under immunosuppression.

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  • Strongyloides stercoralis is a parasite affecting 30-100 million people globally, typically treated with ivermectin, but long-term efficacy studies are lacking.
  • A study in Buenos Aires followed 21 patients over several years to assess treatment response using various detection methods for the parasite and its DNA.
  • Results revealed that larvae reappeared in many patients within 30 days of treatment, with persistent DNA detection in stool samples, indicating ivermectin may not completely eradicate the infection and suggesting it should be viewed as a chronic condition.
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and Human T-Lymphotropic Virus 1 (HTLV-1) share some endemic regions such as Japan, Jamaica, and South America and are mostly diagnosed elsewhere in immigrants from endemic areas. This co-infection has not been documented in Argentina although both pathogens are endemic in the Northwest. We present a case of and HTLV-1 co-infection with an initial presentation due to gastrointestinal symptoms which presented neither eosinophilia nor the presence of larvae in stool samples in a non-endemic area for these infections.

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Host responses against metazoan parasites or an array of environmental substances elicit type 2 immunity. Despite its protective function, type 2 immunity also drives allergic diseases. The mechanisms that regulate the magnitude of the type 2 response remain largely unknown.

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Underdiagnosis of chronic infection with the nematode Strongyloides stercoralis may lead to severe disease in the immunosuppressed. Thus, we have set-up a specific and highly sensitive molecular diagnosis in stool samples. Here, we compared the accuracy of our polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method with that of conventional diagnostic methods for chronic infection.

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Human behavior plays a key role in the dynamics of dengue transmission. However, research on the relationship between human movement and dengue transmission within endemic countries is limited. From January 2008 to December 2011, the authors of this study conducted a retrospective analysis of imported dengue infections in Bogotá, Colombia.

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Strongyloides stercoralis chronic infections are usually asymptomatic and underestimated. We used direct fresh stool examination, Ritchie's method, and agar plate culture for diagnosis in patients with eosinophilia and previous residence in endemic areas. The frequency of strongyloidosis detected among these patients was high: 21 of 42 were positive.

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Caveolae are plasmamembrane regions which take part in the regulation of intracellular trafficking and signaling of tyrosine kinase receptors. Insulin and IGF-I receptors and their intracellular substrates localize in caveolae. Also eNOS is targeted to caveolae and caveolin-1, the major caveolar protein, acts as a regulator of eNOS activity.

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Insulin stimulates caveolin-1 and eNOS phosphorylation. The sulfonylurea glimepiride mimics several insulin actions by mechanisms that are poorly understood. Glimepiride induces caveolin-1 phosphorylation and activates PI3K and Akt in rat adipocytes.

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To better elucidate the pathogenesis of lymphocyte recruitment of memory CD4(+) T cells in inflammatory myopathies, we studied the expression of CCR5 and CCR7 on CD4 memory T cells in muscle tissue from 11 patients with juvenile dermatomyositis, six adult patients with polymyositis, two patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and two patients with spinal muscular atrophy. A prevalent infiltration of CCR5(+) effector CD4 T memory cells is observed in inflammatory myopathies. Moreover, we found a strong expression of CCR7 in perifascicular atrophic and in degenerating/regenerating muscle fibers in juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) but not in fibers from adult polymyositis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

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Caveolae are hot spots in IGF-I signalling as suggested by the facts that IGF-I receptors localize in caveolae, directly interact with and tyrosine phosphorylate caveolin 1, the major caveolar protein. Also a number of IGF-IR substrates reside in caveolae, supporting a role of these organelles in the regulation of IGF-I action. Recently, we have demonstrated that IGF-I could specifically regulate Shc phosphorylation in caveolae.

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Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive lethal muscle disease that affects young boys. Dystrophin, absent in DMD and reduced in the milder form Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD), binds to several membrane-associated proteins known as dystrophin-associated proteins (DAPs). Once this critical structural link is disrupted, muscle fibers become more vulnerable to mechanical and osmotic stress.

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