Developing a fast, inexpensive, and specific test that reflects the mutations present in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates according to geographic region is the main challenge for drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) control. The objective of this study was to develop a molecular platform to make a rapid diagnosis of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant TB based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mutations present in therpoB, katG, inhA,ahpC, and gyrA genes from Colombian M. tuberculosis isolates. The amplification and sequencing of each target gene was performed. Capture oligonucleotides, which were tested before being used with isolates to assess the performance, were designed for wild type and mutated codons, and the platform was standardised based on the reverse hybridisation principle. This method was tested on DNA samples extracted from clinical isolates from 160 Colombian patients who were previously phenotypically and genotypically characterised as having susceptible or MDR M. tuberculosis. For our method, the kappa index of the sequencing results was 0,966, 0,825, 0,766, 0,740, and 0,625 forrpoB, katG, inhA,ahpC, and gyrA, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity were ranked between 90-100% compared with those of phenotypic drug susceptibility testing. Our assay helps to pave the way for implementation locally and for specifically adapted methods that can simultaneously detect drug resistance mutations to first and second-line drugs within a few hours.

Arch Argent Pediatr 2015;113(4):e215-e218 / e215Presentación de casos clínicos RESUMEN La pancreatitis aguda (PA) es una enfermedad inflamatoria del páncreas caracterizada por dolor abdominal y niveles elevados de enzimas pancreáticas. Representa la enfermedad pancreática más común de niños y adultos. Para el diagnóstico, se requieren 2 de los siguientes 3 criterios: dolor abdominal característico de PA, valores séricos de amilasa y/o lipasa 3 veces mayores que el límite superior normal y hallazgos característicos en las imágenes. Múltiples etiologías se han asociado: traumatismos, enfermedades metabólicas e infecciones (mixovirus, VIH, parotiditis, coxsackie, hepatitis B, A, citomegalovirus, varicela, herpes simple). Existen solo 3 casos reportados de PA asociados al virus de la influenza H1N1, solo uno en un niño y de características no complicadas. Palabras clave: pancreatitis, pancreatitis aguda necrotizante, subtipo H1N1 del virus de la influenza A, infección, virus.ABSTRACT Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease of the pancreas, characterized by abdominal pain and high level of pancreatic enzymes. Pancreatitis is the most common disease of pancreas in children and adults. For the diagnosis we need 2 of 3 characteristics: abdominal pain characteristic of acute pancreatitis, amylase and/or lipase 3 times higher than the normal upper limit and characteristic findings in images. The etiologies are multiple: trauma, metabolic disease and infections: mixovirus, HIV, measles, coxsackie, hepatitis B, C, cytomegalovirus, varicella, herpes simplex. Three cases of PA associated with H1N1 Influenza virus were reported, only one in a child with uncomplicated features.

<p>La epidemia por el virus Ébola en África occidental (2014) ha suscitado una serie de interrogantes éticos en torno a las medidas de salud pública para su contención, el uso de medicamentos experimentales y el desarrollo de vacunas contra esta enfermedad. El presente trabajo explora algunas de estas preguntas desde la perspectiva de la ética en investigación biomédica. La epidemia por el virus Ébola es un modelo de estudio adecuado para abordar esfuerzos multilaterales en investigación, así como para analizar aspectos antropológicos en salud pública y determinantes sociales, económicos y políticos en salud a nivel global.</p>