The study of pollution effects in the marine environment has become important in recent decades, and the exposure to simultaneous pollutants has become especially relevant. Indeed, the study of key organisms, such as ecosystem engineers, can show a broader view of the effects of pollutants. In this context, we evaluate in situ the effects of a short (7-day) pollution pulse of combined solutions of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (Cu + PAHs, Cd + PAHs, Cu + Cd, and Cu + Cd + PAHs) on the development and morphological features of Macrocystis pyrifera sporophytes over a period of 90 days. Additionally, we determined the effects on the community structure associated with this kelp. This study evidenced a smaller number of blades and a decreased size of blades and holdfasts, as well as the death of individuals exposed to a secondary mix of metals (Cu + Cd) and a tertiary mix of pollutants (Cu + Cd + PAHs). Regarding the effects on the accompanying fauna, low richness and diversity were registered. M. pyrifera grazers, according to the mixture of pollutants, were either absent or diminished. These results show that the pulse of contamination in the early stages of M. pyrifera negatively affects its development and morphometry, as well as its role as an ecosystem engineer, due to a negative alteration in the species composition.

Background: Pediatric dengue and sepsis share clinical and pathophysiologic aspects. Multiple inflammatory and regulatory cytokines, decoy receptors and vascular permeability factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of both diseases. The differential pattern and dynamic of these soluble factors, and the relationship with clinical severity between pediatric dengue and sepsis could offer new diagnosis and therapeutic strategies. Methods: We evaluated the concentration levels of 11 soluble factors with proinflammatory, regulatory and vascular permeability involvement, in plasma from children with dengue or sepsis, both clinically ranging from mild to severe, in the early, late and convalescence phases of the disease. Results: During early acute infection, children with sepsis exhibited specific higher concentration levels of IL-6, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and its soluble decoy receptor II (sVEGFR2) and lower concentration levels of IL-10 and the soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (sTNFR2), in comparison with children with severe dengue. In addition, the circulating amounts of soluble ST2, and VEGF/sVEGFR2 were widely associated with clinical and laboratory indicators of dengue severity, whereas secondary dengue virus infections were characterized by an enhanced cytokine response, relative to primary infections. In severe forms of dengue, or sepsis, the kinetics and the cytokines response during the late and convalescence phases of the disease also differentiate. Conclusions: Dengue virus infection and septic processes in children are characterized by cytokine responses of a specific magnitude, pattern and kinetics, which are implicated in the pathophysiology and clinical outcome of these diseases.

Dengue transmission is sustained in Colombia with increasing prevalence mainly in children. This work aimed to describe a case series of children diagnosed with dengue presenting neurological disease in Huila Province of Colombia. Eleven pediatric febrile patients confirmed for dengue disease and presenting neurological signs were studied in the University Hospital of Neiva, Huila Province. Clinical and laboratory findings, CSF cytochemical analysis, neurology images, and serology and molecular studies were performed. Viral RNA was detected in all patients’ sera by RT-PCR. Nine out of 11 were primary infections. Tonic-clonic seizures (73%), consciousness alterations (27%), irritability (27%), and ataxia (18%) were the most frequent neurological signs. None of the patients had plasma leakage, hypovolemic shock, or liver disease, confirming the encephalitis diagnosis. Diagnostic images did not show abnormal findings, but neither bacterial nor fungal infections were detected in CSF analysis. All patients survived without sequelae except for one patient that presented ataxia for months. In conclusion, we described a group of children with neurological signs during severe dengue disease as the main finding, indicating the importance to including dengue as a differential diagnosis in neurological patients from endemic areas.

Introducción: El dengue es la infección transmitida por vectores más importante del mundo. Existe evidencia de aumento progresivo de las manifestaciones atípicas de la enfermedad, incluyendo compromiso neurológico. Objetivos: Determinar la asociación de infección por virus dengue (VD) en una cohorte de pacientes hospitalizados con manifestaciones neurológicas entre del 1 Marzo de 2011 a 31 de Octubre de 2012. Materiales y métodos. Estudio de cohorte, descriptivo, prospectivo, de manifestaciones neurológicas del dengue, tanto primarias como secundarias en menores de 15 años atendidos en el servicio de Pediatría del Hospital Universitario de Neiva. Se midieron IgM e IgG específicas contra VD en suero y líquido cefalorraquídeo, y se realizó tipificación virológica. Resultados: De 31 niños ingresados al estudio con síntomas neurológicos 38.7% (12pacientes) fueron positivos para VD, 83,3% con dengue primario y 16,6% secundarios. El 58,3% correspondió a menores de 1 año, no se observaron diferencias en la distribución por género. En las manifestaciones neurológicas las convulsiones febriles fueron el hallazgo predominante, seguidas de encefalitis. El agente causal encontrado principalmente es DEN 1. Los hallazgos imagenológicos no son específicos de la afectación que ocasiona el VD a nivel del SNC. Conclusiones: En áreas endémicas se debe descartar infección por VD en pacientes con fiebre y manifestaciones neurológicas. El pronóstico de los pacientes es favorable, la afectación es autolimitada y la recuperación completa sin dejar secuelas.