EXPRESSION IN ESCHERICHIA-COLI OF A DOMINANT IMMUNOGEN OF TRYPANOSOMA-CRUZI RECOGNIZED BY HUMAN CHAGASIC SERA

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Abrolhos Bank Reef Health Evaluated by Means of Water Quality, Microbial Diversity, Benthic Cover, and Fish Biomass Data

The health of the coral reefs of the Abrolhos Bank (southwestern Atlantic) was characterized with a holistic approach using measurements of four ecosystem components: (i) inorganic and organic nutrient concentrations, [1] fish biomass, [1] macroalgal and coral cover and (iv) microbial community composition and abundance. The possible benefits of protection from fishing were particularly evaluated by comparing sites with varying levels of protection. Two reefs within the well-enforced no-take area of the National Marine Park of Abrolhos (Parcel dos Abrolhos and California) were compared with two unprotected coastal reefs (Sebastião Gomes and Pedra de Leste) and one legally protected but poorly enforced coastal reef (the “paper park” of Timbebas Reef). The fish biomass was lower and the fleshy macroalgal cover was higher in the unprotected reefs compared with the protected areas. The unprotected and protected reefs had similar seawater chemistry. Lower vibrio CFU counts were observed in the fully protected area of California Reef. Metagenome analysis showed that the unprotected reefs had a higher abundance of archaeal and viral sequences and more bacterial pathogens, while the protected reefs had a higher abundance of genes related to photosynthesis. Similar to other reef systems in the world, there was evidence that reductions in the biomass of herbivorous fishes and the consequent increase in macroalgal cover in the Abrolhos Bank may be affecting microbial diversity and abundance. Through the integration of different types of ecological data, the present study showed that protection from fishing may lead to greater reef health. The data presented herein suggest that protected coral reefs have higher microbial diversity, with the most degraded reef (Sebastião Gomes) showing a marked reduction in microbial species richness. It is concluded that ecological conditions in unprotected reefs may promote the growth and rapid evolution of opportunistic microbial pathogens

Anterior chamber depth during hemodialysis

Carolina Pelegrini Barbosa Gracitelli,1 Francisco Rosa Stefanini,1 Fernando Penha,1 Miguel Ângelo Góes,2 Sérgio Antonio Draibe,2 Maria Eugênia Canziani,2 Augusto Paranhos Junior1 1Ophthalmology Department, 2Division of Nephrology, Federal University of São Paulo – UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil Background: Exacerbation of chronic glaucoma or acute glaucoma is occasionally observed in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) because of anterior chamber depth changes during this therapy. Purpose: To evaluate anterior chamber depth and axial length in patients during HD sessions. Methods: A total of 67 eyes of 35 patients were prospectively enrolled. Axial length and anterior chamber depth were measured using ultrasonic biometry, and these measures were evaluated at three different times during HD sessions. Body weight and blood pressure pre- and post-HD were also measured. Results: There was no difference in the axial length between the three measurements (P = 0.241). We observed a significantly decreased anterior chamber depth (P = 0.002) during HD sessions. Conclusion: Our results support the idea that there is a change in anterior chamber depth in HD sessions. Keywords: anterior chamber, hemodialysis, axial length, acute angle-closure glaucom

The potential neuroprotective effects of weekly treatment with glatiramer acetate in diabetic patients after panretinal photocoagulation

Somaia Mitne1,2, Sergio Henrique Teixeira1, Michal Schwartz3, Michael Belkin4, Michel Eid Farah1, Nilva S Bueno de Moraes1, Luciana da Cruz Nóia1, Ângela Tavares Paes2, Cláudio Luiz Lottenberg2, Augusto Paranhos Júnior1,21Department of Ophthalmology, Federal University of São Paulo, 2Instituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein, HIAE, São Paulo, Brazil; 3Department of Neurobiology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 4Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, Tel-Aviv University, Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer, IsraelPurpose: Evaluation of the neuroprotective effect of weekly glatiramer acetate (GA) on retinal structure and function in diabetic patients who underwent panretinal photocoagulation (PRP).Patients and methods: Patients with severe nonproliferative or early proliferative diabetic retinopathy and no previous laser treatment were randomly divided into two groups: (1) those who received four GA treatments and (2) those who received placebo treatment. The subcutaneous injections were administered 1 week prior to laser and weekly in the subsequent three sessions of PRP in both groups. All patients underwent a full ophthalmic examination (best-corrected logMAR visual acuity, slit lamp examination, applanation tonometry, fundus biomicroscopy and indirect fundus examination); functional examination (standard automated perimetry, electroretinography and frequency-doubling technology C-20 visual field) and anatomic examination (color photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Heidelberg retinal tomography). The examinations were performed before the photocoagulation and repeated 1,3,6, and 12 months after treatment (in a double-masked manner). To compare the two groups, generalized estimating equation models were performed to account for the dependence between eyes of the same patient.Results: Thirteen patients (23 eyes) were included in the study group and 13 patients (24 eyes) were included in the control group. OCT showed a statistically significant difference in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in the inferior peripapillary region and average thickness with thinner measurements in the control group at 1-year post-PRP. Functional analysis demonstrated a difference between groups, but it did not reach statistical significance.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that weekly GA treatment has a potential neuroprotective effect on the RNFL following photocoagulation for diabetic retinopathy.Keywords: diabetic retinopathy, panretinal photocoagulation, glatiramer acetate, neuroprotection &nbsp

TRYPANOSOMA-CRUZI - CLONING AND EXPRESSION OF AN ANTIGEN RECOGNIZED BY ACUTE AND CHRONIC HUMAN CHAGASIC SERA

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