Development and evaluation of an indirect ELISA using a multiepitope antigen for the diagnosis of intestinal schistosomiasis

The laboratory diagnosis of intestinal schistosomiasis, carried out by detecting parasite eggs in feces, has low sensitivity when applied to individuals with low parasitic load. Serological tests can be more sensitive for the diagnosis of the disease. Therefore, the objective of this work was to develop and evaluate an ELISA-based immunoenzymatic assay, using a Schistosoma mansoni multiepitope antigen (ELISA IgG anti-SmME). For this, the amino acid sequences of S. mansoni cathepsin B and asparaginyl endopeptidase were submitted to the prediction of B cell epitopes and, together with peptide sequences obtained from earlier works, were used in the construction of a minigene. The multiepitope protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and the performance of the ELISA IgG anti-SmME for schistosomiasis was evaluated using serum samples from 107 individuals either egg positive or negative. In addition, 11 samples from individuals with other helminth infections were included. The ELISA IgG anti-SmME showed a sensitivity of 81.1% and a specificity of 46.1%. Further analysis revealed a 77.2% sensitivity in diagnosis of individuals with egg counts of ≤12 epg (eggs per gram feces) and 87.5% for individuals with 13–99 epg. It is worth mentioning that, to our knowledge, this was the first study using a multiepitope recombinant antigen in an ELISA for diagnosis of intestinal schistosomiasis, which demonstrated promising results in the diagnosis of individuals with low parasitic loads

Autocoleta de swab nasofaríngeo e teste molecular em pool testing como estratégias para detecção de coronavírus da síndrome respiratória aguda grave 2 (SARS-CoV-2): viabilidade em estudantes de medicina da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 2021

Objective: To show the feasibility of using combined nasopharyngeal swab auto-collection and pool testing to detect SARS-CoV-2 in epidemiological surveys. Methods: The study involved a sample of 154 students from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, who performed the self-collection of the nasopharyngeal swab in individual booths without supervision. Molecular testing was performed using the pool testing technique. Results: Obtaining samples lasted about 5 minutes each. Analysis 6 was performed to detect endogenous RNA in 40 samples, and the results indicated that no failures resulted from self-collection. None of the pools detected the presence of viral RNA. The cost of performing the molecular test (RT-PCR) by pool testing with samples obtained by self-collection was about 10 times lower than with the usual methods. Conclusion: The investigated strategies showed to be economically feasible and valid for the research of SARS-CoV-2 in epidemiological surveys.Objetivo: Demostrar la viabilidad de utilizar el uso combinado de la autocollección de swabs nasofaríngeos y pool testing para la detección del SARS-CoV2 en encuestas epidemiológicas. Métodos: El estudio involucró a una muestra de 154 estudiantes de la Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, quienes realizaron la autocolección del hisopo nasofaríngeo en cabinas individuales sin supervision. La prueba molecular se realizó utilizando la técnica de prueba de grupo. Resultados: La obtención de muestras duró unos 5 minutos por persona. Se realizó un análisis para detectar RNA endógeno en 40 muestras y los resultados indicaron que no hubo fallas derivadas de la autocolección. Ninguno de los grupos detectó la presencia de RNA viral. El costo de realizar una prueba molecular (RT-PCR) por pool con muestras obtenidas por auto-recolección fue aproximadamente 10 veces menor que con los métodos habituales. Conclusión: Las estrategias investigadas demonstraram ser económicamente viables y válidas para la investigación del SARS-CoV-2 en encuestas epidemiológicas.Objetivo: Demonstrar a viabilidade da utilização combinada da autocoleta de swab nasofaríngeo e pool testing para detecção do SARS-CoV-2 em inquéritos epidemiológicos. Métodos: O estudo envolveu amostra de 154 estudantes da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, que realizaram a autocoleta do swab nasofaríngeo em cabines individuais e sem supervisão. O teste molecular foi realizado utilizando-se a técnica de pool testing. Resultados: A obtenção de amostras durou cerca de 5 minutos por pessoa. Realizou-se análise para detecção de RNA endógeno em 40 amostras e os resultados indicaram que não houve falhas decorrentes da autocoleta. Nenhum dos pools detectou presença de RNA viral. O custo da realização do teste molecular (RT-PCR) por pool testing com amostras obtidas por autocoleta foi cerca de dez vezes menor do que nos métodos habituais. Conclusão: As estratégias investigadas mostraram-se economicamente viáveis e válidas para a pesquisa de SARS-CoV-2 em inquéritos epidemiológicos

Traumatismo orofacial e a qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal: uma revisão sistemática

A região orofacial é uma das regiões corporais que mais são acometidas com danos traumáticos, em especial na dentição e nos tecidos moles adjacentes. A análise dos diferentes aspectos da saúde bucal relatadas pelo paciente faz parte da pesquisa sobre qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal (QVRSB), que ajuda a melhorar a prestação de tratamento odontológico. Esta revisão sistemática objetiva analisar os impactos do trauma orofacial sobre a qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal (QVRSB). Foi realizada busca nos bancos de dados PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Google Scholar e Scielo e com base na ferramenta PRISMA e na aplicação dos critérios de inclusão e exclusão foram selecionados 5 artigos para análise e discussão. Infere-se que a QVRSB dos pacientes é impactada pelas lesões traumáticas orofaciais, tendo relação diretamente proporcional, maior impacto imediatamente após o diagnóstico e de acordo com a gravidade do trauma. A maioria dos estudos limita-se a crianças e adolescentes, contudo, o traumatismo orofacial ocorre em qualquer idade. O questionário “condensed oral health impact profile – 14 (OHIP-14)” e suas adaptações são ferramentas importantes para os estudos sobre a QVRSB. Por fim, os estudos que relacionam a QVRSB e o trauma orofacial são importantes para retirar ensinamentos para a prática clínica dos atendimentos odontológicos

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Development and evaluation of an indirect ELISA using multiepitope antigen for intestinal schistosomiasis diagnosis

This study was financed by the Programa de Apoio à Pesquisa Estratégica em Saúde (PAPES VII/FIOCRUZ). E. Oliveira was supported by CNPq-Brazil (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico; Proc. 313471/2019-3)Federal University of Minas Gerais. Institute of Biological Sciences. Department of Parasitology. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil / Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. René Rachou Institute. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. René Rachou Institute. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.Federal University of Minas Gerais. Institute of Biological Sciences. Department of Parasitology. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde e Ambiente. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. René Rachou Institute. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.Federal University of Minas Gerais. Institute of Biological Sciences. Department of Parasitology. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.The laboratory diagnosis of intestinal schistosomiasis, carried out by detecting parasite eggs in feces, has low sensitivity when applied to individuals with low parasitic load. Serological tests can be more sensitive for the diagnosis of the disease. Therefore, the objective of this work was to develop and evaluate an ELISA-based immunoenzymatic assay, using a Schistosoma mansoni multiepitope antigen (ELISA IgG anti-SmME). For this, the amino acid sequences of S. mansoni cathepsin B and asparaginyl endopeptidase were submitted to the prediction of B cell epitopes and, together with peptide sequences obtained from earlier works, were used in the construction of a minigene. The multiepitope protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and the performance of the ELISA IgG anti-SmME for schistosomiasis was evaluated using serum samples from 107 individuals either egg positive or negative. In addition, 11 samples from individuals with other helminth infections were included. The ELISA IgG anti-SmME showed a sensitivity of 81.1% and a specificity of 46.1%. Further analysis revealed a 77.2% sensitivity in diagnosis of individuals with egg counts of ≤12 epg (eggs per gram feces) and 87.5% for individuals with 13–99 epg. It is worth mentioning that, to our knowledge, this was the first study using a multiepitope recombinant antigen in an ELISA for diagnosis of intestinal schistosomiasis, which demonstrated promising results in the diagnosis of individuals with low parasitic loads