Cryptococcosis is a sub-acute or chronic mycosis caused by opportunistic yeasts of the Cryptococcus genus, mainly by the C. neoformans and C.gattii species complex. This disease tends to position itself as one of the first opportunistic conditions associated with AIDS, with a high morbidity in these patients, who frequently develop meningoencephalitis. To date, there are techniques that allow the identification of the eight molecular types associated with these species complex, but there is little information about their circulation in Venezuela. The purpose of this work was to perform the molecular characterization of the C. neoformans and C.gattii species complex by PCR-RFLP. A total of 80 strains were used, 65 of the C. neoformans complex (CNC) and 15 of the C. gattii complex (CGC), following the protocol described by Escandon et al., carrying out the amplification of the URA5 gene and subsequent digestion with the Sau96I and HhaI restriction enzymes, that generated band patterns that allowed the identification of different molecular types. The most prevalent molecular type was VNI with 68.75% (n=55), similar to that reported worldwide;secondly, VGII molecular type with con 15% (n=12), which corresponds to that reported for Latin America, followed by VNII with 11.25% (n=9), VGIII with 2.5% (n=2), VNIII with 1.25% (n=1) and VGI with 1.25% (n=1)). Ninety-two point three percent of CCN (n=60) and 66.7% (n=10) of GCC isolates were from patients with HIV/AIDS. This study provided important epidemiological information on circulating molecular types and allowed to deepen the knowledge of this opportunistic mycosis in Venezuela.

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Bromfenac is the best tolerated and is more effective than diclofenac and nepafenac in reducing CME after phacoemulsification.

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is one of the most frequentopportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients. The objective of thisstudy was to know the P. jirovecii epidemiology in Venezuelan patients with HumanImmunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and suspected pneumonia, through passivesurveillance at a national reference laboratory during six years. Laboratory recordsof patients with HIV infection, who were hospitalized with acute lower respiratorytract infection (ALRTI), and presumptive clinical diagnosis of PCP, were reviewedbetween January 2007 and December 2012, at the Mycology Department of theInstituto Nacional de Higiene Rafael Rangel. Several respiratory specimens werereceived and the direct immunofluorescence assay (DIF) and nested polymerasechain reaction (nPCR) diagnostic techniques were used. One hundred and sixty-onerespiratory samples were processed and P. jirovecii was detected in 76 samples byDIF and in 20 by nPCR. PCP’s frequency in Venezuelan patients with HIV is high andit has been sustained throughout time. Colonization by P. jirovecii has uncertainclinical significance, but this study provides evidence that the state of advancedimmunosuppression increases the probability of colonization. DIF and nPCR arevery useful techniques for PCP diagnosis, but are of limited access in many hospitalcenters, especially in developing countries. We recommend the use of DIF with spontaneoussputum specimens as the first diagnostic line for PCP in patients with HIVinfection. The results obtained by nPCR should be interpreted with caution, takinginto account the patient’s clinical symptoms.