Human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) DNA proviral load quantification and immunological markets among healthy carries HTLV-1- associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP/HAM) patients.

Na cidade de São Paulo, cerca de 50 mil pessoas são portadoras do HTLV-1. O HTLV-1 é o agente causador da paraparesia espástica tropical/mielopatia associada com o HTLV-1 (TSP/HAM) e os mecanismos desta patogênese são obscuros. A TSP/HAM é considerada uma doença imuno-mediada e algumas citocinas, podem estar associadas, com a desmielinização da membrana de mielina da coluna espinhal, provavelmente, estimuladas pela presença de antígenos virais. A PCR em tempo real é uma técnica utilizada para a detecção de citocinas e apresenta maior sensibilidade na expressão de mRNA e carga proviral do HTLV-1. Objetivos: Detecção de citocinas pelas técnicas sorológicas e de biologia molecular (PCR em tempo real) que auxiliaram no aconselhamento e avaliação de pacientes infectados pelo HTLV-1, além de uma avaliação da carga proviral dos pacientes com infecção pelo HTLV-1. Casuística: Grupo I: indivíduos soronegativos para HCV, HIV-1 e HTLV-1 (Controle); Grupo II: pacientes HTLV-1 assintomáticos; Grupo III: pacientes com TSP/HAM. Observamos que o INF-g apresenta-se alterado na infecção HTLV-1, sendo um dos fatores mais importantes da evolução para TSP/HAM, ambos os ensaios apresentaram o mesmo resultado. A carga proviral pode ser um marcador de progressão para a TSP/HAM. A interação complexa existente entre o HTLV-1 e as células responsáveis pela liberação de citocinas e b-quimiocinas pró-inflamatórias, assim como elementos de ativação celular, resultam na ativação imunológica. Isto, lentamente, pode levar ao processo inflamatório crônico que atua diretamente no micro ambiente neuronal e/ou membrana de mielina da coluna espinhal, em alguns portadores de HTLV-1. Com a persistente ativação do sistema imunológico, este processo provocará destruição das células gliais e dos neurônios, dando início ao processo de desmielinização.In São Paulo, about 50 thousand people are HTLV-1 carriers. HTLV-1 is the agent that causes tropical spastic paraparesis and HTLV-1 associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM) despite the mechanisms of this disease are still unclear. TSP/HAM is considered an immune mediated illness and some cytokines might be involved with axonal damage and demyelination, most pronounced in the midthoracic spinal cord, probably stimulated by the presence of viral antigens. Real Time PCR is a used technique to cytokine detection and shows higher sensitivity on mRNA expression and HTLV-1 proviral load. Objectives: cytokine detection through molecular biology (Real time PCR) and serologic techniques that helped on advising and assessment of HTLV-1 infected patients and also on their proviral load. Casuistic: Group I: seronegative individuals for HCV, HIV-1 and HTLV-1 (control); Group II: asymptomatic HTLV-1 infected patients; Group III: TSP/HAM patients. We\'ve been observed that g-interferon presents changing on the HTLV-1 infection, being one of the most important factors to TSP/HAM progression, both essays showed the same results. The proviral load may be an important marker for TSP/HAM development

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Brazilian subtype B variant showed an increasing avidity of the anti-V3 antibodies over time compared to the subtype B US/European strain in São Paulo, Brazil

The Brazilian variant of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype B, (serotype B"-GWGR), has a tryptophan replacing the proline in position 328 the HIV-1 envelope. A longer median time period from infection to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) for serotype B (B"-GWGR) infected subjects compared to the B-GPGR US/European strain was reported. In a cohort study, in São Paulo city, 10 B"-GWGR patients had a statistically significant increased avidity of the anti-V3 antibodies, from 79% ± 33% to 85% ± 75%, versus from 48% ± 59% to 32% ± 17% for the 10 B-GPGR subjects (p = 0.02). The T CD4+ cells showed a mean increase of + 0.45 cells/month for the B-GPGR subjects and for B"-GWGR the slope was + 1.24 cells/month (p = 0.06), for 62 and 55 months of follow up, respectively. RNA plasma viral load decreased from 3.98 ± 1.75 to 2.16 ± 1.54 log10 in the B"-GWGR group while B-GPGR patients showed one log10 reduction in viral load from 4.09 ± 0.38 to 3.17 ± 1.47 log10 over time (p = 0.23), with a decreasing slope of 0.0042 ± log10,/month and 0.0080 ± log10/month, for B-GPGR and B"-GWGR patients, respectively (p = 0.53). Neither group presented any AIDS defining events during the study, according to Center for Diseases Control criteria. Although the sample size is small, these results may indicate that differences in the pathogenicity of the 2 HIV-1 B serotypes which co-circulate in Brazil may be correlated to the avidity of anti-V3 antibodies

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Brazilian subtype B variant showed an increasing avidity of the anti-V3 antibodies over time compared to the subtype B US/European strain in São Paulo, Brazil

The Brazilian variant of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype B, (serotype B"-GWGR), has a tryptophan replacing the proline in position 328 the HIV-1 envelope. A longer median time period from infection to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) for serotype B (B"-GWGR) infected subjects compared to the B-GPGR US/European strain was reported. In a cohort study, in São Paulo city, 10 B"-GWGR patients had a statistically significant increased avidity of the anti-V3 antibodies, from 79% ± 33% to 85% ± 75%, versus from 48% ± 59% to 32% ± 17% for the 10 B-GPGR subjects (p = 0.02). The T CD4+ cells showed a mean increase of + 0.45 cells/month for the B-GPGR subjects and for B"-GWGR the slope was + 1.24 cells/month (p = 0.06), for 62 and 55 months of follow up, respectively. RNA plasma viral load decreased from 3.98 ± 1.75 to 2.16 ± 1.54 log10 in the B"-GWGR group while B-GPGR patients showed one log10 reduction in viral load from 4.09 ± 0.38 to 3.17 ± 1.47 log10 over time (p = 0.23), with a decreasing slope of 0.0042 ± log10,/month and 0.0080 ± log10/month, for B-GPGR and B"-GWGR patients, respectively (p = 0.53). Neither group presented any AIDS defining events during the study, according to Center for Diseases Control criteria. Although the sample size is small, these results may indicate that differences in the pathogenicity of the 2 HIV-1 B serotypes which co-circulate in Brazil may be correlated to the avidity of anti-V3 antibodies

Effect of carbon nanotubes on the biodegradability of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) nanocomposites

In this work, the effect of carbon nanotubes (CNT) on the biodegradability of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) nanocomposites with 1 and 2% (w/w) of CNT has been evaluated by biodegradation assays in aqueous medium containing microorganisms extracted from garden soil. After biodegradation process, samples of PHBV and PHBV/CNT were compared regarding magnitude of degradation by visual macroscopic analysis, by measurement of percentage of weight loss and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The samples were further characterized regarding roughness and hydrophilicity by contact angle measurement. The final residue resultant from biodegradation of PHBV/CNT was analyzed in a FEI Inspect F50 field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) in order to verify the presence of CNT. Our results indicated that CNT did not compromise the biodegradability of PHBV matrix although the biodegradation rate has decreased with the increase of CNT content as shown by the weight loss measurements. SEM analysis of PHBV/CNT nanocomposites after biodegradation process showed increased amount of CNT exposed at the matrix surface suggesting the possibility of CNT recovering after the biodegradation13640CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal e Nível SuperiorCNPQ - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e TecnológicoFAPESP – Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa Do Estado De São Paulo476131/2013‐82013/27064‐92013/27064‐

Presence of tropical spastic paraparesis/human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1-associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM)-like among HIV-1-infected patients

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and human T-cell lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and -2) are retroviruses that share similar routes of transmission and some individuals may have a dual infection. These co-infected subjects may be at increased risk for tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM)-like. To study the prevalence of tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM) among coinfected HIV-1/HTLV-1 subjects. Since July 1997, our group has been following a cohort to study the interaction of HTLV with HIV and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV), as well as HTLV-1-only infected asymptomatic carriers or those already presenting with TSP/HAM. During these 9 years, 296 HTLV-1-infected individuals were identified from a total of 538 patients who were referred to our clinic at the Institute of Infectious Diseases ""Emilio Ribas,"" in Sao Paulo, Brazil. All subjects were evaluated by two neurologists, blinded to the HTLV status. TSP/HAM diagnosis was based on Kagoshima diagnostic criteria. Results: A total of 38 HIV-1/HTLV-1 co-infected subjects were identified in this cohort: Twenty-six had already been diagnosed with AIDS and 12 remained asymptomatic. Six of 38 co-infected subjects (18%) were diagnosed as having TSP/HAM and also AIDS, and for 5 of them TSP/HAM was their first illness. One additional incident case was diagnosed after 2 years of follow-up. No modifications on HIV-1 viral load was seen. In contrast, the co-infected with TSP/HAM-like group showed higher HTLV-1 proviral load (505 +/- 380 vs. 97 +/- 149 copies/10(4) PBMC, P= 0.012) than asymptomatic co-infected subjects, respectively. The incidence of myelopathy among HIV-1/HTLV-1 co-infected subjects is probably higher than among patients infected only with HTLV-1, and related to a higher HTLV-1 proviral load. Thus, HTLV-1/2 screening should be done for all HIV-1-infected patients in areas where HTLV-1 infection is endemic

Presence of tropical spastic paraparesis/human T‐cell lymphotropic virus type 1‐associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM)‐like among HIV‐1‐infected patients

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) and human T‐cell lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV‐1 and ‐2) are retroviruses that share similar routes of transmission and some individuals may have a dual infection. These co‐infected subjects may be at increased risk for tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV‐1‐associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM)‐like. To study the prevalence of tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV‐1‐associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM) among co‐infected HIV‐1/HTLV‐1 subjects. Since July 1997, our group has been following a cohort to study the interaction of HTLV with HIV and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV), as well as HTLV‐1‐only infected asymptomatic carriers or those already presenting with TSP/HAM. During these 9 years, 296 HTLV‐1‐infected individuals were identified from a total of 538 patients who were referred to our clinic at the Institute of Infectious Diseases “Emílio Ribas,” in São Paulo, Brazil. All subjects were evaluated by two neurologists, blinded to the HTLV status. TSP/HAM diagnosis was based on Kagoshima diagnostic criteria. Results: A total of 38 HIV‐1/HTLV‐1 co‐infected subjects were identified in this cohort: Twenty‐six had already been diagnosed with AIDS and 12 remained asymptomatic. Six of 38 co‐infected subjects (18%) were diagnosed as having TSP/HAM and also AIDS, and for 5 of them TSP/HAM was their first illness. One additional incident case was diagnosed after 2 years of follow‐up. No modifications on HIV‐1 viral load was seen. In contrast, the co‐infected with TSP/HAM‐like group showed higher HTLV‐1 proviral load (505 ± 380 vs. 97 ± 149 copies/104 PBMC, P = 0.012) than asymptomatic co‐infected subjects, respectively. The incidence of myelopathy among HIV‐1/HTLV‐1 co‐infected subjects is probably higher than among patients infected only with HTLV‐1, and related to a higher HTLV‐1 proviral load. Thus, HTLV‐1/2 screening should be done for all HIV‐1‐infected patients in areas where HTLV‐1 infection is endemic80339239

Detection of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 in plasma samples

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is-an RNA virus responsible for diseases such as HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). Cell-to-cell contact and Tax-induced clonal expansion of infected cells are the main modes of virus replication, making virus detection during the viremic stage difficult. Consequently, the proviral load is the current virologic marker for disease monitoring, but the mechanisms of progression have not been established yet. Thus, this study investigated the presence of virus in plasma from asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers and from HAM/TSP patients. Real-time PCR was performed on DNA from 150 plasma samples; 12(8%) had detectable DNA amplification, including 6(4%) asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers and 14(26%) HAM/TSP patients (p < 0.005). Of the 33 samples submitted for nested PCR, six (18%, p = 0.02) were positive for HTLV-1 RNA in the plasma. Additionally, 26 plasma samples were treated with DNAse enzyme to eliminate any DNA contamination before RNA extraction. Two of them (8%) showed amplification for HTLV-1 (p = 0.5). Therefore, this study described for the first time the detection of free HTLV-1 RNA in plasma from HTLV-1-infected subjects, regardless of their clinical status. Thus, HTLV-1 viral replication does occur in plasma, and other transmission pathways for HTLV-1 should be investigated further. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.FAPESPFAPESP [99/11188-1, 2008/56427-4

Low DNA HTLV-2 proviral load among women in Sao Paulo city

Background: HTLV-2 infections are almost always asymptomatic, and diseases associated with the infection are rarely reported. Little information is available on the relationship between HTLV-2 proviral load and gender or expression of disease, especially among patients with HlV-1 co-infection. Methods: We studied 77 HTLV-2-infected subjects followed in our clinic for the last 9 years; 53 (69%) of them were co-infected with HIV-1. HTLV-2 DNA proviral load (PVL) was measured by real time PCR, a test with a sensitivity of 10 in 10(4) PBMCs. Results: Six of 53 HTLV-2/HIV-1 cases had a myelopathy (all of them had undetectable PVL of HTLV-2). Only 3 of 35 women (2 out of 3 co-infected with HIV) had a detectable PVL, whereas 10 of 42 men had a detectable PVL. Regardless of their HIV status women had significantly lower PVL than men (10 vs. 43 CopieS/10(4) PBMCs, p < 0.05). Conclusions: We noticed the occurrence of myelopathy in HTLV-2/HIV-1 co-infected patients, with undetectable HTLV-2 viral load. There was a sex difference in viral load for HTLV-2, what may be the result in mode of transmission or acquisition of the virus. (c) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data