Schistosoma Tegument Proteins in Vaccine and Diagnosis Development: An Update

The development of a vaccine against schistosomiasis and also the availability of a more sensitive diagnosis test are important tools to help chemotherapy in controlling disease transmission. Bioinformatics tools, together with the access to parasite genome, published recently, should help generate new knowledge on parasite biology and search for new vaccines or therapeutic targets and antigens to be used in the disease diagnosis. Parasite surface proteins, especially those expressed in schistosomula tegument, represent interesting targets to be used in vaccine formulations and in the diagnosis of early infections, since the tegument represents the interface between host and parasite and its molecules are responsible for essential functions to parasite survival. In this paper we will present the advances in the development of vaccines and diagnosis tests achieved with the use of the information from schistosome genome focused on parasite tegument as a source for antigens

Editorial: Pre-Conference Research Topic: 16th International Symposium on Schistosomiasis

Traditionally, every two years, the International Symposium on Schistosomiasis, organized by Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, takes place in Brazil. The Symposium brings together scientists from all over the world working on different aspects of schistosomiasis. As this disease affects approximately 240 million people worldwide (1), it is crucial to appraise recent advances in schistosome biology, parasite interactions with hosts, and review progress in the development and evaluation of new tools for disease diagnosis, treatment, and control. The 16th edition of the Symposium (http://www.vppcb.fiocruz.br/16symposium-schisto/_en) was scheduled to take place in August 2020 but was postponed to November 2022, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The published papers in this Research Topic sustain our global engagement and aim to keep the research momentum on schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease, thriving. Our infographic highlights our international engagement across 23 countries with a total of 177 authors (Figure 1). Of note, whilst intestinal schistosomiasis (Schistosoma mansoni) occurs in South America and still poses a significant public health challenge in parts of Brazil, it also occurs in Africa, alongside urogenital schistosomiasis (Schistosoma haematobium). In Asia, however, intestinal schistosomiasis is caused by a different schistosome species (Schistosoma japonicum), and the appreciation of this is essential to ensure that global research and control efforts are appropriate and complementary

Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem

Profile of patients with brain tumors and the role of nursing care Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, vol. 69, núm. 1, enero-febrero, 2016, pp. 150-155 Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem Brasília, Brasil ABSTRACT Objective: to describe the profi le of 200 patients with central nervous system tumors (CNST), and the role of the nursing care. Method: prospective, quantitative and descriptive analysis of medical records of 200 patients with TSNC. Results: a total of 61% of our patients had benign CNST and 39% had malignant tumors. The extent of patient dependence, according to the Karnofsky Performance Status scale, was signifi cantly greater for patients with malignant CNST (p < .05), indicating that these patients needed more support with their activities of daily living. Conclusion: patients with CNST need specialized care, with specifi c guidance regarding their disease and aspects of daily living after treatment. Thus, the nurse can function as a key element for the effectiveness of care provided to patients and family members with the aim of enhancing the quality of life of all those affected, directly or indirectly, by the disease. Key words: Brain Neoplasms; Nurse's Role; Nursing Care; Karnofsky Performance Status; Oncology Nursing RESUMO Objetivo: descrever o perfi l de 200 pacientes com tumores no sistema nervoso central (TSNC) e o papel do cuidado em enfermagem. Método: análise prospectiva, quantitativa e descritiva de prontuários de 200 pacientes com TSNC. Resultados: 61% dos pacientes possuíam TSNC benignos e 39% tumores malignos. O grau de dependência do paciente de acordo com a Escala de Karnofsky foi signifi cativamente maior para pacientes com tumores malignos (P <0,05), indicando que estes precisam de maior esforço e, consequentemente, apoio em suas atividades diárias. Conclusão: Pacientes com TSNC necessitam de cuidados especializados, com orientações específi cas a respeito de sua doença e aos aspectos da sua vida diária após o tratamento. Assim, o enfermeiro pode ser um elemento-chave para a efi cácia dos cuidados prestados aos pacientes e familiares com o objetivo de melhorar a qualidade de vida de todas as pessoas afetadas, direta ou indiretamente, pela doença. Descritores: Neoplasias Encefálicas; Papel do Profi ssional de Enfermagem; Cuidados de Enfermagem; Avaliação de Estado de Karnofsky; Enfermagem Oncológica. RESUMEN Objetivo: describir el perfi l de los 200 pacientes con tumores del sistema nervioso central (TSNC) y el papel de la enfermería. Método: análisis prospectivo, cuantitativo y descriptivo de los registros médicos de 200 pacientes con TSNC. Resultados: 61% de los pacientes tenían TSNC benignos y 39% tumores malignos. El grado de la dependencia de los pacientes según la Escala de Karnofsky fue signifi cativamente mayor en los pacientes con tumores malignos (P <0,05), lo que indica que estos pacientes necesitan más apoyo en las actividades diarias. Conclusión: los pacientes con tumores cerebrales requieren atención especializada, con directrices específi cas sobre su enfermedad y aspectos de la vida diaria después del tratamiento. Por l

A Strong Humoral Immune Response Induced by a Vaccine Formulation Containing rSm29 Adsorbed to Alum Is Associated With Protection Against Schistosoma mansoni Reinfection in Mice

The helminth Schistosoma mansoni is one of main causes of human schistosomiasis, a health and economic concern in some of the world's poorest countries. Current treatment regimens can lead to serious side effects and are not suitable for breastfeeding mothers. As such, efforts have been undertaken to develop a vaccine to prevent infection. Of these, Sm29 is a promising candidate that has been associated with resistance to infection/reinfection in humans and mice. Its ability to induce resistance to reinfection has also been recently demonstrated using a vaccine formulation containing Freund's adjuvant. However, Freund's adjuvant is unsuitable for use in human vaccines. We therefore evaluated the ability of Sm29 to induce protection against S. mansoni reinfection when formulated with either alum or MPLA as an adjuvant, both approved for human use. Our data demonstrate that, in contrast to Sm29 with MPLA, Sm29 with alum reduced parasite burden after reinfection compared to a control. We next investigated whether the immune response was involved in creating the differences between the protective (Sm29Alum) and non-protective (Sm29MPLA) vaccine formulations. We observed that both formulations induced a similar mixed-profile immune response, however, the Sm29 with alum formulation raised the levels of antibodies against Sm29. This suggests that there is an association between a reduction in worm burden and parasite-specific antibodies. In summary, our data show that Sm29 with an alum adjuvant can successfully protect against S. mansoni reinfection in mice, indicating a potentially effective vaccine formulation that could be applied in humans

The Schistosoma mansoni cyclophilin A epitope 107-121 induces a protective immune response against schistosomiasis

Great efforts have been made to identify promising antigens and vaccine formulations against schistosomiasis. Among the previously described Schistosoma vaccine candidates, cyclophilins comprise an interesting antigen that could be used for vaccine formulations. Cyclophilin A is the target for the cyclosporine A, a drug with schistosomicide activity, and its orthologue from Schistosoma japonicum induces a protective immune response in mice. Although Schistosoma mansoni cyclophilin A also represents a promising target for anti-schistosome vaccines, its potential to induce protection has not been evaluated. In this study, we characterized the cyclophilin A (SmCyp), initially described as Smp17.7, analyzed its allergenic potential using in vitro functional assays, and evaluated its ability to induce protection in mice when administered as an antigen using different vaccine formulations and strategies. Results indicated that SmCyp could be successfully expressed by mammalian cells and bacteria. The recombinant protein did not promote IgE-reporter system activation in vitro, demonstrating its probable safety for use in vaccine formulations. T and B-cell epitopes were predicted in the SmCyp sequence, with two of them located within the active isomerase site. The most immunogenic antigen, SmCyp (107–121), was then used for immunization protocols. Immunization with the SmCyp gene or protein failed to reduce parasite burden but induced an immune response that modulated the granuloma area. In contrast, immunization with the synthetic peptide SmCyp (107–121) significantly reduced worm burden (48–50%) in comparison to control group, but did not regulate liver pathology. Moreover, the protection observed in mice immunized with the synthetic peptide was associated with the significant production of antibodies against the SmCyp (107–121) epitope. Therefore, in this study, we identified an epitope within the SmCyp sequence that induces a protective immune response against the parasite, thus representing a promising antigen that could be used for vaccine formulation against schistosomiasis

Identification of immunodominant epitopes of Schistosoma mansoni vaccine candidate antigens using human T cells

Paramyosin and Sm14 are two of the six antigens selected by the World Health Organization as candidates to compose a subunit vaccine against schistosomiasis. Both antigens are recognized by individuals naturally resistant to Schistosoma mansoni infection and induced protective immunity in the murine model. Three Sm14 epitopes and eleven paramyosin epitopes were selected by their ability to bind to different HLA-DR molecules using the TEPITOPE computer program, and these peptides were synthetically produced. The cellular recognition of Sm14 and paramyosin epitopes by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of individuals living in endemic area for schistosomiasis was tested by T cell proliferation assay. Among all Sm14 and paramyosin epitopes studied, Sm14-3 was preferentially recognized by individuals naturally resistant to S. mansoni infection while Para-5 was preferentially recognized by individuals resistant to reinfection. These two peptides represent promising antigens to be used in an experimental vaccine against schistosomiasis, since their preferential recognition by resistant individuals suggest their involvement in the induction of protective immunity

Influenza virus type/subtype and different infection profiles by age group during 2017/2018 season

DDI-INSA em colaboração com a Rede Portuguesa de Laboratórios para o Diagnóstico da GripeBackground: Influenza has a major impact in hospitalization during each influenza season. We analysed the influenza type/subtype distribution by age group and medical care wards (ambulatory, hospital, intensive care unit). Material and Methods: During 2017/2018 season, 14 hospitals from Portugal mainland and Atlantic Island (Azores and Madeira) reported to the National Influenza Centre 13747 cases of respiratory infection, all tested for influenza type and/or subtype. Epidemiological data: age, sample collection, hospital dwelling service and patient outcome were reported. Results: From the 13747 reported cases, 3717(27%) were influenza positive of which 2033 (55%) were influenza B, 722 (19%) A unsubtyped, 505 (14%) AH3, 442 (12%) AH1pdm09 and 15(0,1%) mixed infections. Influenza A was detected in 71% (204/208) of toddlers(<5 years) although in the remaining age groups influenza B was detected in more than 50% of the confirmed flu cases. Influenza B was the predominant virus in hospitalized and ICU influenza cases between 5-14 years (69% and 75%, respectively) and played a major role in elderly (65+ years) hospitalized and ICU cases(57% and 67%, respectively). AH1pdm09 virus was detected in 30% of the influenza confirmed ICU patients, 2.1 times more than in hospitalized cases in other wards and 3.3 times more than influenza AH1pdm09 cases in ambulatory care. Influenza mixed infection were detected sporadically,mainly in hospitalized and ICU patients. From 2080 known outcomes, 40(1.9%) patients deceased, influenza was confirmed in 11(28%) of these cases. Conclusions: Cocirculation of different influenza virus type/subtype may indicate different infection profiles by age groups and should guide influenza preventive/treatment measures.N/

Epidemiology of Superficial Fungal Infections in Portugal: 3-year review (2014-2016)

Introdução: As infeções fúngicas superficiais são as dermatoses infeciosas mais frequentes e a sua incidência continua a aumentar. Os dermatófitos são os principais agentes causais apresentando, contudo, uma distribuição geográfica variável. Material e Métodos: O presente estudo teve como objetivo a caracterização epidemiológica das infeções fúngicas superficiais diagnosticadas nos Serviços/Unidades de Dermatologia pertencentes ao Serviço Nacional de Saúde Português entre janeiro de 2014 e dezembro 2016 através da análise retrospetiva dos resultados das culturas realizadas durante esse período. Resultados: Foram estudados 2375 isolamentos, pertencentes a 2319 doentes. O dermatófito mais frequentemente isolado foi o Trichophyton rubrum (53,6%), tendo sido o principal agente causal da tinha da pele glabra (52,4%) e das onicomicoses (51,1%). Relativamente às tinhas do couro cabeludo, globalmente o Microsporum audouinii foi o agente mais prevalente (42,6%), seguido do Trichophyton soudanense (22,1%). Enquanto na área metropolitana de Lisboa estes dermatófitos foram os principais agentes de tinha do couro cabeludo, nas regiões Norte e Centro o agente mais frequente foi o Microsporum canis (58,5%). Os fungos leveduriformes foram os principais responsáveis pelas onicomicoses das mãos (76,7%). Conclusão: Os resultados deste estudo estão globalmente concordantes com a literatura científica. O Trichophyton rubrum apresenta-se como o dermatófito mais frequentemente isolado em cultura. Na tinha do couro cabeludo, na área metropolitana de Lisboa, as espécies antropofílicas de importação assumem particular destaque.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio