Misiones Province in northeastern Argentina is considered to be a region with a high prevalence o... more Misiones Province in northeastern Argentina is considered to be a region with a high prevalence of HPV infection and a high mortality rate due to cervical cancer. The reasons for this epidemiological trend are not completely understood. To gain insight into this problem, we explored the relationship between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) ancestry, HPV infection, and development of cervical lesions/cancer in women from the city of Posadas in Misiones Province. Two hundred and sixty-one women, including 92 cases of patients diagnosed with cervical lesions and 169 controls, were analyzed. mtDNA ancestry was assessed through HVS1 sequencing, while the detection and typing of HPV infection was conducted through nested multiplex PCR analysis. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted with the resulting data to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) adjusted by socio-demographic variables. The study participants showed 68.6% Amerindian, 26.1% European and 5.3% African mtDNA ancestry, respectively....
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem worldwide. The aims of this st... more Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem worldwide. The aims of this study were to describe the molecular epidemiology of HBV in the Province of Misiones, Argentina and estimate the phylodynamic of the main groups in a Bayesian coalescent framework. To this end, partial or complete genome sequences were obtained from 52 blood donor candidates. The phylogenetic analysis based on partial sequences of S/P region showed a predominance of genotype D (65.4%), followed by genotype F (30.8%) and genotype A as a minority (3.8%). At subgenotype level, the circulation of subgenotypes D3 (42.3%), D2 (13.5%), F1b (11.5%) and F4 (9.6%) was mainly identified. The Bayesian coalescent analysis of 29 complete genome sequences for the main groups revealed that the subgenotypes D2 and D3 had several introductions to the region, with ancestors dating back from 1921 to 1969 and diversification events until the late '70s. The genotype F in Misiones has a more recent history; subgenotype F4 isolates were intermixed with sequences from Argentina and neighboring countries and only one significant cluster dated back in 1994 was observed. Subgenotype F1b isolates exhibited low genetic distance and formed a closely related monophyletic cluster, suggesting a very recent introduction. In conclusion, the phylogenetic and coalescent analyses showed that the European genotype D has a higher circulation, a longer history of diversification and may be responsible for the largest proportion of chronic HBV infections in the Province of Misiones. Genotype F, especially subgenotype F1b, had a more recent introduction and its diversification in the last 20years might be related to its involvement in new transmission events.
The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of HPV infection and cervical lesions... more The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of HPV infection and cervical lesions present in women who attended a health center in a low-resource area of the city of Posadas, Misiones, Argentina. Cervical cell samples (n = 163) were processed for Papanicolaou cytology and HPV-PCR tests. Socio-cultural risk factors were estimated using the odds ratio (OR, CI 95 %). Cervical lesions were detected in 14.7 % of women. The general prevalence of HPV infection was of 38 %. The most common types among the total population were HPV-16 (9.8 %) and HPV-33 (9.3 %). HPV-16 was detected in association with 29.2 % and 6.5 % of women with and without cervical lesions, respectively, the OR being 5.3 (1.8-15.8). Risk factors for HPV-16 infection were a smoking habit and a history of previous sexually-transmitted diseases. These data are important for the implementation of prevention programs, including an appropriate introduction of vaccination and the baseline for virological surveil...
Most molecular protocols for Dengue virus detection described so far are time consuming and cumbe... more Most molecular protocols for Dengue virus detection described so far are time consuming and cumbersome with mosquito samples. In order to count with a sensitive and specific molecular detection system for monitoring possible Dengue outbreaks and circulating viral serotypes in field-caught Aedes aegypti populations from Northeastern Argentina, a RT-PCR and RFLP assay was developed. The original RT-PCR assay proposed by Sudiro et al. for human serum was optimized for mosquito samples. Modifications were done at the RNA extraction-purification and at the thermal profile steps. The generic 230 bp amplicon was validated by RFLP assay and cycle sequencing. Results showed that, due to the generic characteristic of the primers used, certain mosquito genome regions could be co-amplified, making confirmation of the Dengue specific amplicon by RFLP assay a required step. Under these conditions, the proposed method can be employed as a Dengue viral generic screening procedure in Aedes aegypti m...
Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) plays a central role in the development of cervical cancer. ... more Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) plays a central role in the development of cervical cancer. Worldwide studies indicate the existence of HPV16 variants that show different geographic distributions and oncogenic potential. Our goal was to describe the genetic variation of HPV16 isolates identified in urban women with different grades of cervical lesions living in northeastern Argentina. We analyzed 116 HPV16-positive cervical samples (16 NLIM, 62 L-SIL, 16 H-SIL and 22 cervical cancer) from patients attending health centers in Misiones (Argentina) during 2006-13. HPV16 isolates were genetically characterized through PCR amplification and direct sequencing of 364 bp within the long control region, and the resulting sequences classified into variants based on phylogenetic analysis (lineages A, B, C and D). A potential association between HPV16 variants and lesion grade was evaluated through an odds ratio (OR) test. A temporal framework for the origin of HPV16 variants was assessed through coalescence analysis (BEAST v 1.7.5). Phylogenetic analysis of HPV16 sequences showed that 92.1% of the samples clustered with lineage A, and 6.9% to lineage D. HPV16 variants from lineage D were more frequently associated with high-grade lesions and cancer (HSIL+) than lineage A variants at an OR of 13.8 (1.6-117.0). The time to most common recent ancestor (tMCRA) of all variants was 119,103 years before present (HPD 95%=48,486-197,239), a date consistent with the time frame for modern human evolution. Our results suggest that HPV16 variants from lineage D may represent an additional risk factor for the development of cervical cancer in women living in northeastern Argentina. This study provides new information about viral isolates present in Argentina that will contribute to the monitoring of HPV16 infection in the vaccine era.
Texas Heart Institute journal / from the Texas Heart Institute of St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, 2005
We have recently described the Novel Left Ventricular Assist Systems (Novel LVAS) I and II, which... more We have recently described the Novel Left Ventricular Assist Systems (Novel LVAS) I and II, which avoid cannulation of cardiac chambers and synchronize pumping with the patient's electrocardiogram. We now describe the drive system in more detail. The drive unit is an air-driven pulsatile system. The driver's parameters can be programmed. This electro-pneumatic unit contains 3 modules. A remarkable feature of the driver system is that it contains 2 pneumatic units that alternate in their function every 15 minutes. This prevents overheating and component fatigue or failure, and it enables the use of smaller units. If one of the units fails, an alarm will warn of the problem, and the other will continue indefinitely. This LVAS is synchronized with the patient's ECG, which enables it to eject the stroke volume during diastole and in this way to act as a chronic counterpulsator. We have designed the Novel LVAS to operate at a low-frequency rate. This fact, together with the e...
During an eleven-year period (1959-1970) 27 patients were operated upon for acute dissecting aneu... more During an eleven-year period (1959-1970) 27 patients were operated upon for acute dissecting aneurysm of the ascending aorta. There were 4 hospital and 4 late deaths. Nineteen patients are well and active one month to seven years after operation. In 21 of the patients the ascending aorta was replaced with a graft; 6 had the aortic valve excised and replaced with a prosthesis; in 5 patients the leaflets were resuspended but left in situ; and in 16 patients the valve was competent and was not disturbed. We recommend early operation for acute dissecting aneurysm of the ascending aorta.
Warp-knitted velour fabrics of Dacron, nylon, polypropylene, and Rayon have been backed with Sila... more Warp-knitted velour fabrics of Dacron, nylon, polypropylene, and Rayon have been backed with Silastic to form a laminate. Prior to heat curing, the composite can be molded into many shapes and has been successfully used to line the luminal side of blood pumps and vascular grafts. Prosthetic heart valves are being covered with velour in an attempt to promote a more compatible surface. Velour suture rings are being evaluated as a more efficient anchor for prosthetic heart valves. Silastic tubes with velour bonded to the outer wall have been used to inhibit infection and sinus tract formation where percutaneous lead wires and conduits are necessary. As a flat sheet, the Silastic-velour laminate has been used experimentally as an artificial skin, but the most noteworthy experimental results have been obtained in rats using a double layer of nylon velour, separated by an impermeable layer of poly(vinyl fluoride). Future application will include attempts to anchor artificial limbs via a velour interface and made functional by tendinous attachment.
Misiones Province in northeastern Argentina is considered to be a region with a high prevalence o... more Misiones Province in northeastern Argentina is considered to be a region with a high prevalence of HPV infection and a high mortality rate due to cervical cancer. The reasons for this epidemiological trend are not completely understood. To gain insight into this problem, we explored the relationship between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) ancestry, HPV infection, and development of cervical lesions/cancer in women from the city of Posadas in Misiones Province. Two hundred and sixty-one women, including 92 cases of patients diagnosed with cervical lesions and 169 controls, were analyzed. mtDNA ancestry was assessed through HVS1 sequencing, while the detection and typing of HPV infection was conducted through nested multiplex PCR analysis. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted with the resulting data to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) adjusted by socio-demographic variables. The study participants showed 68.6% Amerindian, 26.1% European and 5.3% African mtDNA ancestry, respectively....
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem worldwide. The aims of this st... more Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem worldwide. The aims of this study were to describe the molecular epidemiology of HBV in the Province of Misiones, Argentina and estimate the phylodynamic of the main groups in a Bayesian coalescent framework. To this end, partial or complete genome sequences were obtained from 52 blood donor candidates. The phylogenetic analysis based on partial sequences of S/P region showed a predominance of genotype D (65.4%), followed by genotype F (30.8%) and genotype A as a minority (3.8%). At subgenotype level, the circulation of subgenotypes D3 (42.3%), D2 (13.5%), F1b (11.5%) and F4 (9.6%) was mainly identified. The Bayesian coalescent analysis of 29 complete genome sequences for the main groups revealed that the subgenotypes D2 and D3 had several introductions to the region, with ancestors dating back from 1921 to 1969 and diversification events until the late '70s. The genotype F in Misiones has a more recent history; subgenotype F4 isolates were intermixed with sequences from Argentina and neighboring countries and only one significant cluster dated back in 1994 was observed. Subgenotype F1b isolates exhibited low genetic distance and formed a closely related monophyletic cluster, suggesting a very recent introduction. In conclusion, the phylogenetic and coalescent analyses showed that the European genotype D has a higher circulation, a longer history of diversification and may be responsible for the largest proportion of chronic HBV infections in the Province of Misiones. Genotype F, especially subgenotype F1b, had a more recent introduction and its diversification in the last 20years might be related to its involvement in new transmission events.
The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of HPV infection and cervical lesions... more The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of HPV infection and cervical lesions present in women who attended a health center in a low-resource area of the city of Posadas, Misiones, Argentina. Cervical cell samples (n = 163) were processed for Papanicolaou cytology and HPV-PCR tests. Socio-cultural risk factors were estimated using the odds ratio (OR, CI 95 %). Cervical lesions were detected in 14.7 % of women. The general prevalence of HPV infection was of 38 %. The most common types among the total population were HPV-16 (9.8 %) and HPV-33 (9.3 %). HPV-16 was detected in association with 29.2 % and 6.5 % of women with and without cervical lesions, respectively, the OR being 5.3 (1.8-15.8). Risk factors for HPV-16 infection were a smoking habit and a history of previous sexually-transmitted diseases. These data are important for the implementation of prevention programs, including an appropriate introduction of vaccination and the baseline for virological surveil...
Most molecular protocols for Dengue virus detection described so far are time consuming and cumbe... more Most molecular protocols for Dengue virus detection described so far are time consuming and cumbersome with mosquito samples. In order to count with a sensitive and specific molecular detection system for monitoring possible Dengue outbreaks and circulating viral serotypes in field-caught Aedes aegypti populations from Northeastern Argentina, a RT-PCR and RFLP assay was developed. The original RT-PCR assay proposed by Sudiro et al. for human serum was optimized for mosquito samples. Modifications were done at the RNA extraction-purification and at the thermal profile steps. The generic 230 bp amplicon was validated by RFLP assay and cycle sequencing. Results showed that, due to the generic characteristic of the primers used, certain mosquito genome regions could be co-amplified, making confirmation of the Dengue specific amplicon by RFLP assay a required step. Under these conditions, the proposed method can be employed as a Dengue viral generic screening procedure in Aedes aegypti m...
Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) plays a central role in the development of cervical cancer. ... more Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) plays a central role in the development of cervical cancer. Worldwide studies indicate the existence of HPV16 variants that show different geographic distributions and oncogenic potential. Our goal was to describe the genetic variation of HPV16 isolates identified in urban women with different grades of cervical lesions living in northeastern Argentina. We analyzed 116 HPV16-positive cervical samples (16 NLIM, 62 L-SIL, 16 H-SIL and 22 cervical cancer) from patients attending health centers in Misiones (Argentina) during 2006-13. HPV16 isolates were genetically characterized through PCR amplification and direct sequencing of 364 bp within the long control region, and the resulting sequences classified into variants based on phylogenetic analysis (lineages A, B, C and D). A potential association between HPV16 variants and lesion grade was evaluated through an odds ratio (OR) test. A temporal framework for the origin of HPV16 variants was assessed through coalescence analysis (BEAST v 1.7.5). Phylogenetic analysis of HPV16 sequences showed that 92.1% of the samples clustered with lineage A, and 6.9% to lineage D. HPV16 variants from lineage D were more frequently associated with high-grade lesions and cancer (HSIL+) than lineage A variants at an OR of 13.8 (1.6-117.0). The time to most common recent ancestor (tMCRA) of all variants was 119,103 years before present (HPD 95%=48,486-197,239), a date consistent with the time frame for modern human evolution. Our results suggest that HPV16 variants from lineage D may represent an additional risk factor for the development of cervical cancer in women living in northeastern Argentina. This study provides new information about viral isolates present in Argentina that will contribute to the monitoring of HPV16 infection in the vaccine era.
Texas Heart Institute journal / from the Texas Heart Institute of St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, 2005
We have recently described the Novel Left Ventricular Assist Systems (Novel LVAS) I and II, which... more We have recently described the Novel Left Ventricular Assist Systems (Novel LVAS) I and II, which avoid cannulation of cardiac chambers and synchronize pumping with the patient's electrocardiogram. We now describe the drive system in more detail. The drive unit is an air-driven pulsatile system. The driver's parameters can be programmed. This electro-pneumatic unit contains 3 modules. A remarkable feature of the driver system is that it contains 2 pneumatic units that alternate in their function every 15 minutes. This prevents overheating and component fatigue or failure, and it enables the use of smaller units. If one of the units fails, an alarm will warn of the problem, and the other will continue indefinitely. This LVAS is synchronized with the patient's ECG, which enables it to eject the stroke volume during diastole and in this way to act as a chronic counterpulsator. We have designed the Novel LVAS to operate at a low-frequency rate. This fact, together with the e...
During an eleven-year period (1959-1970) 27 patients were operated upon for acute dissecting aneu... more During an eleven-year period (1959-1970) 27 patients were operated upon for acute dissecting aneurysm of the ascending aorta. There were 4 hospital and 4 late deaths. Nineteen patients are well and active one month to seven years after operation. In 21 of the patients the ascending aorta was replaced with a graft; 6 had the aortic valve excised and replaced with a prosthesis; in 5 patients the leaflets were resuspended but left in situ; and in 16 patients the valve was competent and was not disturbed. We recommend early operation for acute dissecting aneurysm of the ascending aorta.
Warp-knitted velour fabrics of Dacron, nylon, polypropylene, and Rayon have been backed with Sila... more Warp-knitted velour fabrics of Dacron, nylon, polypropylene, and Rayon have been backed with Silastic to form a laminate. Prior to heat curing, the composite can be molded into many shapes and has been successfully used to line the luminal side of blood pumps and vascular grafts. Prosthetic heart valves are being covered with velour in an attempt to promote a more compatible surface. Velour suture rings are being evaluated as a more efficient anchor for prosthetic heart valves. Silastic tubes with velour bonded to the outer wall have been used to inhibit infection and sinus tract formation where percutaneous lead wires and conduits are necessary. As a flat sheet, the Silastic-velour laminate has been used experimentally as an artificial skin, but the most noteworthy experimental results have been obtained in rats using a double layer of nylon velour, separated by an impermeable layer of poly(vinyl fluoride). Future application will include attempts to anchor artificial limbs via a velour interface and made functional by tendinous attachment.
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Papers by Domingo Liotta