A Clinical, Epidemological, Laboratorial, Histological And Ultrasonographical Evaluation Of Anti-hcv Eia-2 Positive Blood Donors.

Between 1992 and 1997, 790 blood donors with anti-HCV EIA-2 strongly reagent (relationship between the sample optical density/cut-off > 3) detected at the blood bank serological screening, were evaluated in ambulatory environment. They were all negative for Chagas disease, syphilis, hepatitis B (HBsAg) and AIDS. Blood samples were collected at the first ambulatorial evaluation, for hemogram, biochemical tests and new serological tests for HCV (anti-HCV EIA-2). In blood samples of 226 repeatedly reagent anti-HCV EIA-2 blood donors, supplementary immunoblot test for HCV (RIBA-2) was used. In 209 donors, the presence of HCV-RNA was investigated by the PCR test. The abdominal ultrasonography was realized in 366 donors. In 269 patients liver biopsy was performed for the histopathological study. The follow-up of blood donors showed that 95.6% were repeatedly EIA-2 reagent, 94% were symptomless and denied any hepatitis history, with only 2% mentioning previous jaundice. In 47% of this population at least one risk factor has been detected for the HCV transmission, the use of intravenous drugs being the main one (27.8%). Blood transfusion was the second factor for HCV transmission (27.2%). Hepatomegaly was detected in 54% of the cases. Splenomegaly and signs of portal hypertension have seldom been found in the physical examination, indicating a low degree of hepatic compromising in HCV. Abdominal ultrasound showed alterations in 65% of the subjects, being the steatosis the most frequent (50%). In 83. 5% of the donors submitted to the liver biopsy, the histopathological exam showed the presence of chronic hepatitis, usually classified as active (89%) with mild or moderate grade in most of the cases (99.5%). The histopathological exam of the liver was normal in 1.5% of blood donors. The RIBA-2 test and the HCV-RNA investigation by PCR were positive in respectively 91.6 and 75% of the anti-HCV EIA-2 reagent donors. The HCV-RNA research was positive in 82% of the RIBA-2 positive subjects, in 37.5% of the indeterminate RIBA-2 donors and in 9% of the negative RIBA-2 donors. Chronic hepatitis has also been observed in 50% of the histopathological exams of the anti-HCV EIA-2 reagent donors which were indeterminate RIBA-2. Among 18 blood donors with minimal changes histopathological exam 11 (61%) were HCV-RNA positive. Our blood donors anti-HCV reagent generally had clinical, laboratorial and histopathological features observed in patients with chronic HCV hepatitis and a high proportion could be identified in interviews and medical evaluation realized in blood blanks. Generally, these HCV infected donors are identified and discharged only by the serological tests results.42147-5

Transient elastography and APRI score: looking at false positives and false negatives. Diagnostic performance and association to fibrosis staging in chronic hepatitis C

Although long regarded as the gold standard for liver fibrosis staging in chronic hepatitis C (CHC), liver biopsy (LB) implies both the risk of an invasive procedure and significant variability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance for transient elastography (TE) and aspartate aminotransferase to platelet index (APRI) used alone and in combination compared to liver biopsy and to analyze false positive/negative results. Patients with CHC, and no previous clinical diagnosis of cirrhosis were enrolled to undergo liver biopsy, TE and APRI. A total of 182 adult patients with a median age of 55 years and median body mass index of 26.71 kg/m2 were analyzed. On LB, 56% of patients had significant levels of fibrosis (METAVIR F≥2) and 28% had advanced fibrosis (F3/F4). The strongest performance for both tests was observed for exclusion of advanced fibrosis with good negative predictive values (89 and 86%, respectively). Low necroinflammatory activity on LB was associated with false negative TE. False positives were associated with NASH and smaller LB fragments. Correlation between APRI and Fibroscan for F≥2 was 100% and 84% for F≥3 and remained high in both false negative and false positive instances, correctly identifying F<2 in 71% of cases and F<3 in 78% (and potentially foregoing up to 84% of LB). We concluded that low individual performance indicators could be attributable to limitations of LB. Poorer differentiation of lower levels of fibrosis is a known issue for LB and remains so for noninvasive tests. Good predictability is possible, however, for advanced fibrosis4991

Seroprevalence of leptospirosis in reproductive-age bovine females in the state of Bahia, Northeastern Brazil

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi determinar a soroprevalência da leptospirose em fêmeas bovinas em idade reprodutiva no Estado da Bahia. A amostragem foi delineada para a determinação da prevalência de propriedades positivas (focos) e de animais soropositivos para a leptospirose. O Estado foi dividido em quatro regiões ou estratos amostrais, nos quais foramexaminadas 10.823 fêmeas bovinas com idade ≥24 meses distribuídas em 1.414 propriedades. A reação de Soroaglutinação Microscópica (SAM), empregando 23 sorovares de Leptospira spp. como antígenos, foi utilizada como teste diagnóstico. O rebanho foi considerado foco quando apresentou pelo menos um animal soropositivo. As prevalências de foco e de animais soropositivos no Estado foram de 77,93% [IC 95% = 75,73% – 79.99%] e 45,42% [IC 95% = 42,00% – 48,88%], respectivamente.O sorovar mais frequente foi o Hardjo (Hardjoprajitno), em 34,49% [IC 95% = 31,93% – 37,14%] daspropriedades positivas e 14,95% [IC 95% = 12,59% - 17,67%] de animais soropositivos de diferentes regiõesThe aim of this work was to determine the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in reproductive-age bovine females in Bahia State, Northeastern Brazil. The sampling was delineated for the determination of the prevalence of seropositive animals as well as herds positive for bovine leptospiroses (foci). The state was divided into 4 regions or sampling strata in which 10,823 bovine females aged ≥24 months allocated in 1,414 herds were sampled. The microscopic agglutination test (MAT), using 23 Leptospira spp. serovars as antigens, was employed as a diagnostic test. The herd was considered positive if at least one animal was seropositive. The prevalences of positive herds and seropositive animals in the state were 77.93% [75.73%–79.99%] and 45.42% [42.00%–48.88%], respectively. Serovar Hardjo (Hardjoprajitno) was the most frequent, with 34.49% [31.93%–37.14%] of positive herds and 14.95% [12.59%–17.67%] of seropositive animals in the different region

Hepatitis B virus: molecular genotypes and HBeAg serological status among HBV-infected patients in the southeast of Brazil

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Knowledge of HBV genotype is very important for clinical treatment. Studies have suggested possible pathogenic and therapeutic differences among HBV genotypes. The aim of this study was to determine HBV subtypes and genotypes in HBV-infected patients in our region (southeast Brazil) and to correlate results with clinical and histopathological data.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>One hundred and thirty-nine HBsAg-positive patients were included in the study. All patients were anti-HCV and anti-HIV negative (64% male; mean age 42 ± 14.5 years; range 7-80 years; 84% Caucasian) and were followed up at the University Hospital. A method for genotyping and subtyping HBV by partial HBsAg gene sequencing with primers common to all known genotypes was used. The viral load was measured by Amplicor Monitor assay (Roche).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>HBV genotype A was the most prevalent (55%), while genotypes C, D and F were found in 3%, 38% and 4% of HBV-infected patients, respectively. Among the patients infected by genotype A, 18.3% (14/76) were African descendents and, among the patients infected by genotype D, 11.3% (6/53) were also African descendents. In the four patients infected with genotype C, 2 were Asian descendents and 2 were Caucasians. All (7) genotype F infected patients were Caucasians. Seventy percent of our HBsAg-positive patients were HBeAg negative (62% genotypes A; 26.2% D; 7.1% C and 4.7%F). The viral load of HBV-DNA was about 5 times higher in HBeAg-positive than in HBeAg-negative patients. About 40% of these patients had alanine aminotransferase of up to 1.5 times the normal level. The mean stage of fibrosis in genotype A patients (2.8) was significantly higher than the mean stage of fibrosis in genotype D patients (2.0) (P = 0.0179).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The genotypes encountered in our HBV-infected patients were apparently a consequence of the types of immigration that occurred in our region, where European and African descendents predominate. The HBeAg-negative status predominated, possibly due to the length of time of infection. The viral load in HBeAg-positive patients was higher than in HBeAg-negative individuals. The fibrosis grade in genotype A-infected patients was more advanced than genotype D-infected patients.</p

On the nature of the FBS blue stellar objects and the completeness of the Bright Quasar Survey. II

In Paper I (Mickaelian et al. 1999), we compared the surface density of QSOs in the Bright Quasar Survey (BQS) and in the First Byurakan Survey (FBS) and concluded that the completeness of the BQS is of the order of 70% rather than 30-50% as suggested by several authors. A number of new observations recently became available, allowing a re-evaluation of this completeness. We now obtain a surface density of QSOs brighter than B = 16.16 in a subarea of the FBS covering ~2250 deg^2, equal to 0.012 deg^-2 (26 QSOs), implying a completeness of 53+/-10%.Comment: LaTeX 2e, 11 pages, 3 tables and 3 figures (included in text). To appear in Astrophysics. Uses a modified aaspp4.sty (my_aaspp4.sty), included in packag

Evaluation of the Expression and Protective Potential of Leptospiral Sphingomyelinases

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease of global distribution, which affects both animals and humans. Pathogenic leptospires, the bacteria that cause this disease, require iron for their growth, and these spirochetes probably use their hemolysins, such as the sphingomyelinases, as a way to obtain this important nutrient from host red blood cells during infection. We expressed and purified the leptospiral sphingomyelinases Sph1, Sph2, Sph4, and SphH in a heterologous system. However, the recombinant proteins were not able to lyse sheep erythrocytes, despite having regular secondary structures. Transcripts for all sphingomyelinases tested were detected by RT-PCR analyses, but only Sph2 and SphH native proteins could be detected in Western blot assays using Leptospira whole extracts as well as in renal tubules of infected hamsters. Moreover, antibodies present in the serum of a human patient with laboratory-confirmed leptospirosis recognized Sph2, indicating that this sphingomyelinase is expressed and exposed to the immune system during infection in humans. However, in an animal challenge model, none of the sphingomyelinases tested conferred protection against leptospirosis.Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecula

Leptospiral TlyC is an extracellular matrix-binding protein and does not present hemolysin activity

The role of TlyA, TlyB and TlyC proteins in the biology of Leptospira is still uncertain. Although these proteins have been considered as putative hemolysins, we demonstrate that leptospiral recombinant TlyB and TlyC do not possess hemolytic activity. However, further experiments showed that TlyC is a surface-exposed protein that seems to bind to laminin, collagen IV and fibronectin. The expression of both proteins was detected both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings suggest that TlyB and TlyC are not directly involved in hemolysis, and that TlyC may contribute to Leptospira binding to extracellular matrix (ECM) during host infection.Facultad de Ciencias ExactasInstituto de Biotecnologia y Biologia Molecula

Aspergillus fumigatus Acetate Utilization Impacts Virulence Traits and Pathogenicity

This is the final version. Available on open access from the American Society for Microbiology via the DOI in this recordData availability: The RNA-seq data set can be accessed at NCBI’s Short Read Archive under the Bioproject identifier (ID) PRJNA668271.Aspergillus fumigatus is a major opportunistic fungal pathogen of immunocompromised and immunocompetent hosts. To successfully establish an infection, A. fumigatus needs to use host carbon sources, such as acetate, present in the body fluids and peripheral tissues. However, utilization of acetate as a carbon source by fungi in the context of infection has not been investigated. This work shows that acetate is metabolized via different pathways in A. fumigatus and that acetate utilization is under the regulatory control of a transcription factor (TF), FacB. A. fumigatus acetate utilization is subject to carbon catabolite repression (CCR), although this is only partially dependent on the TF and main regulator of CCR CreA. The available extracellular carbon source, in this case glucose and acetate, significantly affected A. fumigatus virulence traits such as secondary metabolite secretion and cell wall composition, with the latter having consequences for resistance to oxidative stress, antifungal drugs, and human neutrophil-mediated killing. Furthermore, deletion of facB significantly impaired the in vivo virulence of A. fumigatus in both insect and mammalian models of invasive aspergillosis. This is the first report on acetate utilization in A. fumigatus, and this work further highlights the importance of available host-specific carbon sources in shaping fungal virulence traits and subsequent disease outcome, and a potential target for the development of antifungal strategies

Adoção de sistemas de integração lavoura-pecuária-floresta (ILPF) em São Paulo.

Este estudo objetivou caracterizar a adoção dos sistemas de integração no Estado de São Paulo e identificar demandas. Uma amostra de 175 propriedades rurais, sendo 66 adotantes de sistemas de Integração Lavoura-Pecuária (ILP), 24 adotantes de sistemas de Integração PecuáriaFloresta (IPF) e 85 não adotantes de sistemas integrados, compôs a base de dados analisados por meio de estatística descritiva e teste qui-quadrado (x2) de Pearson. Os resultados indicam que os adotantes de sistemas ILP possuem maior experiência com atividades agrícolas, participação mais frequente em cooperativas agrícolas, palestras e dias de campo, bem como recebem mais orientação técnica. O acesso ao crédito rural e o uso mais frequente de mecanismos para gestão do risco climático e econômico estão associados ao componente agrícola do ILP. O fator escala de produção explica propriedades rurais mais extensas e estrutura mais robusta de máquinas agrícolas. A adoção dos sistemas IPF encontra-se em fase experimental nas propriedades rurais. Esses adotantes contam com outra fonte de renda, o que os confere maior flexibilidade para testar o sistema, em sua maioria, implantado de forma escalonada na área de pastagem e com recursos próprios. Predominam propriedades rurais menores, com relevo mais ondulado, solos arenosos, rebanhos menores e concentrados nas fases de cria/recria, além de maior diversificação da produção.bitstream/item/214315/1/AdocaoSistemasIntegracao.pd