Background and Aims: Diarrhoea has a significant health impact and requires accurate diagnostic approaches, despite the limitations of many existing methods. This review examines various molecular techniques aimed at facilitating the rapid diagnosis of diarrhoeal diseases caused by bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens. Methods: A comprehensive systematic literature review was conducted using six prestigious databases, including WOS, Scopus, Science Direct, Embase, PubMed and LILACS Plus. This rigorous approach allowed the synthesis of reviews on molecular diagnostic techniques for infectious diarrhoeal diseases. Results: This research began with a careful systematic literature review of 2,760 scientific papers published in the last ten years (2014-2024), culminating in the inclusion of 18 studies following rigorous screening and eligibility criteria. In particular, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), isolation of genomic DNA from stool samples and the Luminex xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Assay emerged as the predominant molecular methods. These techniques demonstrated remarkable consistency in sensitivity, specificity and rapid diagnostic capability, particularly in the context of acute infectious diarrhoeal diseases. They also demonstrated the ability to simultaneously detect and identify multiple pathogens, including bacteria, viruses and parasites. Conclusions: The use of multiplex real-time PCR assays has not only improved the detection rates of enteropathogens, but has also revealed previously unrecognised gaps in the diagnosis of infectious diarrhoea. Our study highlights the importance of using molecular methods for comprehensive diagnosis in terms of sensitivity, specificity and rapid diagnostic capability. This will provide healthcare professionals with timely and accurate diagnostic data, enabling more effective treatment strategies for this public health problem.

Introducción: Las parasitosis intestinales y la anemia son un problema de salud pública mundial. Estos parásitos tienen tropismo hacia el intestino delgado, afectan la absorción de micronutrientes durante la eritropoyesis, produciendo la aparición de un síndrome anémico por un recuento bajo de glóbulos rojos y déficit de hemoglobina. Objetivo: Establecer la asociación de la infección por parásitos intestinales y síndrome anémico en niños en edad escolar. Materiales y métodos: Búsqueda sistemática de literatura publicada entre 2010-2021 sobre asociación entre infección por parásitos intestinales y síndrome anémico en escolares. Resultados: Se identificó 1151 publicaciones, al aplicar los criterios de inclusión y exclusión, se redujeron a 33, encontrándose 9 agentes asociados a anemia, siendo A. lumbricoides (27,27%), A. duodenalis y T. trichiura los helmintos más prevalentes, y G. duodenalis (6,06%) el protozoario más común. El 39,39% de los estudios incluyó ambos agentes. África (21), Asia (6), Sudamérica (5) y Centroamérica (1) tienen la mayoría de publicaciones. Se observa asociación significativa entre infección parasitaria y la anemia IC=95%. Conclusión: La evidencia demuestra alta prevalencia de anemias carenciales de tipo ferropénica y megaloblástica, con asociación significativa entre un mayor porcentaje de infecciones por helmintos y síndrome anémico, en comparación con infecciones por protozoos.

Background: Urinary tract infections represent a significant healthcare burden, particularly among vulnerable patients with chronic comorbidities. In this case report, we describe a UTI caused by Kluyvera ascorbata exhibiting an AmpC resistance pattern in an 85-year-old male with stage IV chronic kidney disease and a history of ESBL-positive infection. Methods: A comprehensive diagnostic workup was performed, including clinical evaluation, laboratory tests (urinalysis, complete blood count, renal function tests), and microbiological cultures with antibiogram analysis using the MicroScan WalkAway (Beckman Coulter, Brea, United States) and VITEK2 Compact systems (bioMérieux, Marcy L’Étoile or Craponne, France). Results: The initial urine culture revealed a Gram-negative bacillus and subsequent identification confirmed K. ascorbata, which demonstrated resistance to ampicillin and cefazolin while remaining susceptible to meropenem. The patient received intravenous meropenem therapy for 10 days, resulting in clinical improvement and a subsequent negative urine culture. Conclusions: This case reports a complicated urinary tract infection caused by K. ascorbata with an AmpC resistance pattern, highlighting the importance of considering this infrequently reported pathogen and its resistance profile in vulnerable patients. Its multidrug-resistant profile underscores the necessity for vigilant antimicrobial stewardship and further research to develop standardized treatment protocols for managing infections caused by this organism.

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a very rare type of B-cell cancer characterized by the presence of hairy cells in peripheral blood and bone marrow. It mainly affects adult males with a median age of 50 years. Hairy cells are positive for tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and express surface markers CD11c, CD20, CD22, CD25, and CD103. The identification of the BRAF V600E mutation in 2016 has provided a notable diagnostic tool, found in almost 80% of all HCL patients. Currently, the possibility of a multiparametric approach to diagnosis is opening up. Clinical case: A 78-year-old man presents symptoms of marked asthenia, adynamia, hyporexia, and unquantified weight loss, as well as a feeling of gastric fullness. Physical examination reveals a globular, distended abdomen and a palpable splenomegaly of 6 cm, without adenopathies or hepatomegaly. Controlled hypertensive history. He works in agricultural tasks and is frequently in contact with insecticides and pesticides. Conclusion: HCL commonly presents with pancytopenia, splenomegaly, and monocytopenia, characterized by the presence of medium-sized lymphoid cells with broad cytoplasm and cytoplasmic projections that give a hairy appearance in peripheral blood. Diagnosis is established through clinical symptoms, bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, flow cytometry, and other complementary tests.words: Leukemia, Hairy Cell, Flow Cytometry, Bone Marrow, Cell Cycle, Epigenomics.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of mean platelet volume (MPV) for cardiovascular risk stratification in settings with limited resources. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive systematic review in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines (PROSPERO registration number: CRD420251156089). From January 2019 to December 2024, we searched five databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO and LILACS) for observational studies linking MPV to cardiovascular outcomes. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the STROBE criteria, and the certainty of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. Results: Thirteen studies involving 3,085 participants were included. Of these, 12 (92.3%) reported statistically significant associations between elevated mean platelet volume (MPV) and an increased risk of acute myocardial infarction, stroke, and thromboembolism. MPV values in patients experiencing acute events (8.4–10.7 fL) were consistently higher than in the control group. Derived indices, particularly the MPV-to-lymphocyte ratio, demonstrated superior predictive utility compared to MPV alone. However, critical limitations included substantial heterogeneity in the cut-off point (7.45–12 fL), pre-analytical variability and the complete absence of Latin American populations. The overall certainty of the evidence was classified as VERY LOW. Conclusion: Although there is a consistent predictive signal across worldwide cohorts, its current application in clinical practice is prohibited by the VERY LOW certainty of evidence, which is caused by high pre-analytical heterogeneity and a total lack of Latin American data. These results show that MPV should be prioritized for standardized validation studies rather than being used right away in clinical settings.