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Detection of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), a frequent cause of treatment failure, takes 2 or more weeks to identify by culture. Rifampicin (RIF) resistance is a hallmark of MDR-TB, and detection of mutations in the rpoB gene of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using molecular beacon probes with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is a novel approach that takes

The main objective of this study is to describe the presence of infections in patients with pulmonary haemorrhage and systemic lupus erythematosus. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and pulmonary haemorrhage were thoroughly evaluated in the first 48 hours with imaging plus bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar fluid analysis. If needed, videoassisted thoracoscopy and lung biopsy were performed too. In all, search for bacterial, mycobacterial and fungal infections proceeded. Appropriate blood, bronchoalveolar fluid and tissue cultures were taken. Patients were treated with antibiotics and corticosteroids in case of infection. Otherwise, they received initial intravenous methylprednsiolone pulses for 3 days as standard therapy for pulmonary haemorrhage in systemic lupus erythematosus. Additional treatment with immunosuppressives was further decided by the treating physicians. Fourteen events in 13 patients were evaluated. In eight events (57%), an infection was demonstrated. Aetiological agents included Pseudomonas sp. and Aspergillus fumigatus. Four patients died, three of them because of the pulmonary infection and one because of cerebral haemorrhage secondary to severe systemic hypertension, 48 hours after methylprednisolone treatment. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and pulmonary haemorrhage have a high prevalence of infections. The influence of pulmonary haemorrhage in the setting of systemic lupus erythematosus needs further study to establish adequate treatment and to reduce the high mortality of this complication.

Material and Methods: 600 subjects were studied, chosen at random, between 1 and 55 years old, 300 asthmatic and the rest apparently healthy., Results: Of 300 asthmatic patients, the average concentration of eosinophils in peripheral blood was of 615.93/mm3 (p = 0.000004, R = 2.13), the asthmatic patients with levels of eosinophils over a 400/mm3 presented: more severe asthma per month and made use of hospital services more often, (p = 0.00001, R = 3.56). In 195 patients were detected eosinophils in nasal mucus with an average concentration of 10.54% (p = 0.04, R = 0.70)., Conclusions: The incidence and prevalence of asthma seem favored by the lact of predictive sensors. In the study, the blood and nasal eosinophils, in high levels were identified in subjects at high risk, consequently its use is proposed to diagnose and follow up, with the goal of applying measures in the balanced phase of the health-illness chain.