Genetic diversity, transmission dynamics and drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Angola

The authors wish to thank the laboratory, clinical, and nursing staff of HDP, whose high quality of service and cooperation have made this study possible. Financial support was provided by the Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) Portugal [PTDC/SAU-EPI/122400/2010], part of the EDCTP2 program supported by the European Union. JP was supported by a post doc fellowship from project [PTDC/SAU-EPI/122400/2010] and by fellowship [SFRH/BPD/95406/2013] from FCT. JP is thankful to the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases for a Research Grant, and would like to acknowledge the Study Group for Mycobacterial Infections. DM was supported by FCT fellowship [SFRH/BPD/100688/2014] and DM, IC MV are thankful to [GHTM UID/Multi/04413/20139] from FCT. CS was supported by FCT [SFRH/BD/73579/2010].Tuberculosis (TB) poses a serious public health problem in Angola. No surveillance data on drug resistance is available and nothing is known regarding the genetic diversity and population structure of circulating Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. Here, we have genotyped and evaluated drug susceptibility of 89 Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates from Luanda. Thirty-three different spoligotype profiles corresponding to 24 different Shared International Types (SIT) and 9 orphan profiles were detected. SIT 20 (LAM1) was the most prevalent (n = 16, 18.2%) followed by SIT 42 (LAM9; n = 15, 17.1%). Overall, the M. tuberculosis population structure in this sample was dominated by LAM (64.8%) and T (33.0%) strains. Twenty-four-loci MIRU-VNTR analysis revealed that a total of 13 isolates were grouped in 5 distinct clusters. Drug susceptibility data showed that 22 (24.7%) of the 89 clinical isolates were resistant to one or more antibacillary drugs of which 4 (4.5%) were multidrug resistant. In conclusion, this study demonstrates a high predominance of LAM strains circulating in the Luanda setting and the presence of recent transmission events. The rate and the emergence dynamics of drug resistant TB found in this sample are significant and highlight the need of further studies specifically focused on MDR-TB transmission.publishersversionpublishe

Clonal expansion across the seas as seen through CPLP-TB database: A joint effort in cataloguing Mycobacterium tuberculosis genetic diversity in Portuguese-speaking countries

This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY/4.0/).Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major health problem within the Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries (CPLP). Despite the marked variation in TB incidence across its member-states and continued human migratory flux between countries, a considerable gap in the knowledge on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis population structure and strain circulation between the countries still exists. To address this, we have assembled and analysed the largest CPLP M. tuberculosis molecular and drug susceptibility dataset, comprised by a total of 1447 clinical isolates, including 423 multidrug-resistant isolates, from five CPLP countries. The data herein presented reinforces Latin American and Mediterranean (LAM) strains as the hallmark of M. tuberculosis populational structure in the CPLP coupled with country-specific differential prevalence of minor clades. Moreover, using high-resolution typing by 24-loci MIRU-VNTR, six cross-border genetic clusters were detected, thus supporting recent clonal expansion across the Lusophone space. To make this data available to the scientific community and public health authorities we developed CPLP-TB (available at http://cplp-tb.ff.ulisboa.pt), an online database coupled with web-based tools for exploratory data analysis. As a public health tool, it is expected to contribute to improved knowledge on the M. tuberculosis population structure and strain circulation within the CPLP, thus supporting the risk assessment of strain-specific trends.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Determination of heavy metals (Pb and Cd) in guava pulps (psidium guajava) obtained in the city of Cartagena

 El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar los niveles de acumulación de metales pesados como el cadmio (Cd) y el plomo (Pb) derivados de actividades antropogénicas, como los humos metálicos de la soldadura y el tráfico de vehículos, en la pulpa de guayaba (Psidium guajava) en la ciudad de Cartagena. -Bolívar. Las muestras se dividieron en tres (3) grupos según la proximidad de las fuentes de contaminación. En el grupo 1, menos de 100 m de industrias metalúrgicas, las concentraciones de Cd en el rango de 0.0400 ± 0.33 mg / Kg y 0.0483 ± 0.15 mg / Kg, mientras que los valores de Pb oscilaron entre 0.036 ± 0.22 mg / kg y 0.060 ± 0.01 mg / kg . Para el grupo 2, se tomaron muestras en 3 lugares donde no se identificó claramente ninguna fuente de contaminación, lo que resultó en concentraciones de Cd 0.0215 ± 0.05 mg / Kg y 0.0260 ± 0.10 mg / Kg, mientras que para el Pb solo se encontró en una de las muestras cuyo valor fue 0.035 ± 0.15 mg / Kg. Finalmente, para el grupo 3, se tomaron muestras en 2 ubicaciones ubicadas a menos de 100 m de avenidas de alto tráfico, resultando en valores muy similares para Cd (0.0220 ± 0.13 mg / Kg y 0.0311 ± 0. 22 mg / Kg), mientras que para Pb el los valores fueron muy precisos (0.032 ± 0.35 mg / Kg y 0.029 ± 0.20 mg / Kg). Estas mediciones muestran cómo, en sitios cercanos a las actividades humanas, las concentraciones de estos metales pesados están en niveles más altos, lo que representa un peligro para su consumo debido a la bioacumulación en diferentes tejidos humanos.Palabras clave: metales pesados, humo metálico, contaminación, tráfico vehicular

A successful strategy for the recovering of active P21, an insoluble recombinant protein of Trypanosoma cruzi

Structural studies of proteins normally require large quantities of pure material that can only be obtained through heterologous expression systems and recombinant technique. in these procedures, large amounts of expressed protein are often found in the insoluble fraction, making protein purification from the soluble fraction inefficient, laborious, and costly. Usually, protein refolding is avoided due to a lack of experimental assays that can validate correct folding and that can compare the conformational population to that of the soluble fraction. Herein, we propose a validation method using simple and rapid 1D H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra that can efficiently compare protein samples, including individual information of the environment of each proton in the structure.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)INBEQMeDIUniv Fed Uberlandia, Inst Ciencias Biomed, BR-38400 Uberlandia, MG, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Inst Fis Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, Vila Mariana, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Minas Gerais, Inst Ciencias Biol, Dept Biol Geral, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, Vila Mariana, SP, BrazilFAPESP: 2010/51867-6FAPESP: 2012/21153-7FAPEMIG: APQ-00621-11FAPEMIG: APQ-00305-12CAPES: 23038.005295/2011-40Web of Scienc

O mártir, o humanista, o pedagogo: a contemporaneidade de Rui Barbosa e a educação nas comemorações do centenário de seu nascimento (1949)¹

Este artigo busca analisar as intervenções de três intelectuais brasileiros - Clemente Mariani, Lourenço Filho e Fernando Azevedo - na celebração do centenário de Rui Barbosa em 1949. Mais especificamente, analisa como eles abordam a questão da educação na obra de Rui Barbosa. O texto estabelece uma relação entre as celebrações do centenário e a publicação das Obras Completas de Rui Barbosa, atividade esta cujo investimento inicial data do final da década de 1930 e que logrou publicar o primeiro tomo das obras em 1942. Ambos os movimentos - a publicação das Obras Completas e a celebração do centenário - fazem parte de um mesmo investimento de demonstrar, a um só tempo, a atuação marcante do jurista, político e intelectual baiano na defesa das mais nobres causas, dentre elas a da educação, e a sua contemporaneidade na discussão dos grandes desafios que marcam o país naquele momento

Tuberculosis across the seas: CPLP-TB - a joint effort in cataloguing mycobacterium tuberculosis genetic diversity in the lusophone space

The Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries (CPLP) comprises nine countries across four continents, accounting for 7.2% of the world’s land area, and where tuberculosis (TB) is still a cause of public health concern. A marked variation in TB incidence (23 to 551 cases per 100 000 habitants) can be observed across the different member-states and, despite of this, a considerable gap in the knowledge on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis population structure and country-level geospatial distribution still exists. To address this we have gathered a comprehensive set of molecular and phenotypic drug susceptibility data on approximately 1150 different clinical isolates, from different partners, across 5 distinct portuguesespeaking countries. This initial dataset comprises molecular genotypic data obtained by either 12, 15 or 24-loci Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Unit – Variable Number of Tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) and/or Spoligotyping. The complete dataset therefore includes M. tuberculosis clinical isolates from Portugal (n≈370), Angola (n≈80), Guinea-Bissau (n≈13), Mozambique (n≈14) and Brazil (n≈680). To make this data available to the scientific community and public health authorities we have developed CPLP-TB, an online database coupled with webbased tools that enable exploratory data analysis. This new tool specifically directed at CPLP countries include advanced data analysis capability together with graphical visualization tools (e.g. dendrogram and choropleth mapping). As a public health tool, it is expected to contribute for a deeper knowledge on the combined population structure and strain circulation between countries, thus enabling the assessment of strain specific trends in a broader macroepidemiological context. Furthermore, this new tool provides a new framework for interlaboratory cooperation on TB molecular epidemiology.N/

Clonal expansion across the seas as seen through CPLP-TB database: A joint effort in cataloguing Mycobacterium tuberculosis genetic diversity in Portuguese-speaking countries.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major health problem within the Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries (CPLP). Despite the marked variation in TB incidence across its member-states and continued human migratory flux between countries, a considerable gap in the knowledge on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis population structure and strain circulation between the countries still exists. To address this, we have assembled and analysed the largest CPLP M. tuberculosis molecular and drug susceptibility dataset, comprised by a total of 1447 clinical isolates, including 423 multidrug-resistant isolates, from five CPLP countries. The data herein presented reinforces Latin American and Mediterranean (LAM) strains as the hallmark of M. tuberculosis populational structure in the CPLP coupled with country-specific differential prevalence of minor clades. Moreover, using high-resolution typing by 24-loci MIRU-VNTR, six cross-border genetic clusters were detected, thus supporting recent clonal expansion across the Lusophone space. To make this data available to the scientific community and public health authorities we developed CPLP-TB (available at http://cplp-tb.ff.ulisboa.pt), an online database coupled with web-based tools for exploratory data analysis. As a public health tool, it is expected to contribute to improved knowledge on the M. tuberculosis population structure and strain circulation within the CPLP, thus supporting the risk assessment of strain-specific trends

uma nova ferramenta de vigilância transnacional da tuberculose no espaço lusófono

A Tuberculose (TB) permanece um grave problema de saúde pública na Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (CPLP). Apesar da ampla variância da incidência da TB nos seus estados-membro e de um fluxo migratório contínuo entre os países que integram este grupo, existe uma enorme lacuna no que diz respeito ao conhecimento da estrutura populacional conjunta do Mycobacterium tuberculosis e circulação de estirpes entre estes países. Para fazer face a esta necessidade, foi agregado e analisado o maior conjunto de dados respeitante à diversidade genotípica e resistência fenotípica na CPLP que compreende um total de 1447 isolados clínicos, incluindo 423 isolados multirresistentes de cinco países da CPLP. Por forma a tornar estes dados disponíveis para a comunidade científica e autoridades de saúde pública, foi desenvolvida a CPLP-TB (disponível em http://cplp-tb.ff.ulisboa.pt), uma base de dados disponível online e provida de aplicativos para análise exploratória do conteúdo. Como ferramenta de saúde pública, espera-se que venha a contribuir para um conhecimento mais aprofundado da estrutura populacional do M. tuberculosis e circulação de estirpes na CPLP de forma a apoiar a avaliação de risco e tendências específicas para diversos clones. Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major health problem within the Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries (CPLP). Despite the marked variation in TB incidence across its member-states and continued human migratory flux between countries, a considerable gap in the knowledge on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis population structure and strain circulation between the countries still exists. To address this, we have assembled and analyzed the largest CPLP M . tuberculosis molecular and drug susceptibility dataset, comprised by a total of 1447 clinical isolates, including 423 multidrug-resistant isolates, from five CPLP countries. To make this data available to the scientific community and public health authorities we developed CPLP-TB (available at http://cplp-tb.ff.ulisboa.pt), an online database coupled with web-based tools for exploratory data analysis. As a public health tool, it is expected to contribute to improved knowledge on the M. tuberculosis population structure and strain circulation within the CPLP, thus supporting the risk assessment of strain-specific trends.publishersversionpublishe

A Recombinant Protein Based on Trypanosoma cruzi P21 Enhances Phagocytosis

Background: P21 is a secreted protein expressed in all developmental stages of Trypanosoma cruzi. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the recombinant protein based on P21 (P21-His(6)) on inflammatory macrophages during phagocytosis. Findings: Our results showed that P21-His(6) acts as a phagocytosis inducer by binding to CXCR4 chemokine receptor and activating actin polymerization in a way dependent on the PI3-kinase signaling pathway. Conclusions: Thus, our results shed light on the notion that native P21 is a component related to T. cruzi evasion from the immune response and that CXCR4 may be involved in phagocytosis. P21-His(6) represents an important experimental control tool to study phagocytosis signaling pathways of different intracellular parasites and particles.Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais [APQ-00621-11]Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas GeraisFundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao PauloFundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao PauloCoordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior [23038005295/2011-40]Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel SuperiorConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnologicoConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologic