Schistosoma mansoni: avaliação comparativa de diferentes vias de infecção experimental

Experiments were carried out with Sw albino mice and it was concluded that the percutaneous route via abdominal skin was significatively more efficient than tail immersion method and subcutaneous infection; the subcutaneous injection was significatively more efficient than the percutaneous infection through the tail; this latter and the intraperitoneal injection, resulted in similar infections, but were significatively less efficient than the others. Significative difference was also observed in the comparison between the subcutaneous route and percutaneous infection through ear pinna. The influence of the site of skin infection by percutaneous route was also discussed.Foram realizados experimentos com camundongos SW albinos, para se estabelecer a comparação entre diferentes vias de infecção por cercárias do S. mansoni: inoculação subcutânea, infecção percutânea em três áreas distintas e injeção intraperitoneal. Os animais foram infectados simultaneamente com cercárias de um mesmo lote. A avaliação da infecção foi realizada 45 dias após, por perfusão do sistema porta hepático e mesentérico e contagem dos vermes recuperados. Com base nos resultados obtidos podemos dizer que a infecção percutânea na região abdominal se mostrou a mais eficiente, seguida pela infecção subcutânea. Com relação às infecções intraperitoneal e percutânea pela cauda, concluímos que são semelhantes entre si porém diferem muito, das duas primeiras. Mais um grupo experimental foi incluído neste trabalho, seguindo-se a mesma metodologia utilizada nos grupos anteriores. O objetivo das experiências complementares foi a avaliação comparativa da eficiência da via percutânea no pavilhão da orelha em relação a via subcutânea. A influência do sítio da pele, utilizado na infecção pela via percutânea, foi também discutida

Antibodies Against Glycolipids Enhance Antifungal Activity of Macrophages and Reduce Fungal Burden After Infection with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

Paracoccidioidomycosis is a fungal disease endemic in Latin America. Polyclonal antibodies to acidic glycosphingolipids (GSLs) from Paracoccidioides brasiliensis opsonized yeast forms in vitro increasing phagocytosis and reduced the fungal burden of infected animals. Antibodies to GSL were active in both prophylactic and therapeutic protocols using a murine intratracheal infection model. Pathological examination of the lungs of animals treated with antibodies to GSL showed well-organized granulomas and minimally damaged parenchyma compared to the untreated control. Murine peritoneal macrophages activated by IFN-gamma and incubated with antibodies against acidic GSLs more effectively phagocytosed and killed P brasiliensis yeast cells as well as produced more nitric oxide compared to controls. The present work discloses a novel target of protective antibodies against P brasiliensis adding to other well-studied mediators of the immune response to this fungus.CapesFAPESPUniv Sao Paulo, Dept Microbiol, Inst Biomed Sci, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Lab Med Mycol IMTSP LIM53, Sao Paulo, BrazilAlbert Einstein Coll Med, Dept Med, New York, NY USAAlbert Einstein Coll Med, Dept Microbiol & Immunol, New York, NY USAUniv Fed Fluminense, Niteroi, RJ, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Microbiol Immunol & Parasitol, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Microbiol Immunol & Parasitol, Sao Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 2011/17267-4FAPESP: 2013/18655-3Web of Scienc

O perfil de um grupo de pessoas hipertensas de acordo com conhecimento e gravidade da doença

We interviewed 205 hypertensives to characterize social demographic data, life style, history and awareness of hypertension. Most patients were female (72%), white (63%), over 40 years old (78%), married (60%), and had low level of education (68%). Their family income was lower than US$ 3000 a year (41%). In terms of weight, 75% were classified as overweight, 76% were non smoker, and 89% did not do any regular physical activity. The profile of the hypertensives who were unaware of the disease was: male, 20-40 years old, widow, not white, and non-obese. The profile of the hypertensives who had high level of hypertension (diastólic>; 110 mm Hg) was older than 60 years old, not married, overweight, low level of education, low income, with more than 5 years of hypertension, and previously treated.Foram entrevistados 205 hipertensos em tratamento ambulatorial para avaliar o papel do perfil bio-social no conhecimento e grau de gravidade da doença. As características da população foram: 72% mulheres, 63% brancos, 78% com mais de 40 anos, 60% casados, 68% com baixa escolaridade, 41% com renda de 1 a 3 salários, 75% com peso elevado, 76% não fumantes, 89% sem atividade física regular, e das mulheres 48% já tinham usado hormônios anticoncepcionais. A análise evidenciou que a ausência de conhecimento se associou com sexo masculino, idade entre 20 e 40 anos, viúvo, não branco e peso normal. Pressão arterial mais elevada (diastólica>; 110 mm Hg) se associou com mais de 60 anos, não casado, acima do peso, baixa escolaridade, baixa renda, com mais de 5 anos de hipertensão e já ter feito tratamento anterior

Peptides of the Constant Region of Antibodies Display Fungicidal Activity

Synthetic peptides with sequences identical to fragments of the constant region of different classes (IgG, IgM, IgA) of antibodies (Fc-peptides) exerted a fungicidal activity in vitro against pathogenic yeasts, such as Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Malassezia furfur, including caspofungin and triazole resistant strains. Alanine-substituted derivatives of fungicidal Fc-peptides, tested to evaluate the critical role of each residue, displayed unaltered, increased or decreased candidacidal activity in vitro. An Fc-peptide, included in all human IgGs, displayed a therapeutic effect against experimental mucosal and systemic candidiasis in mouse models. It is intriguing to hypothesize that some Fc-peptides may influence the antifungal immune response and constitute the basis for devising new antifungal agents

Patients' Costs and Cost-Effectiveness of Tuberculosis Treatment in DOTS and Non-DOTS Facilities in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Costs of tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment may represent a significant burden for the poor and for the health system in resource-poor countries.The aim of this study was to analyze patients' costs of tuberculosis care and to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of the directly observed treatment (DOT) strategy per completed treatment in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.We interviewed 218 adult patients with bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis. Information on direct (out-of-pocket expenses) and indirect (hours lost) costs, loss in income and costs with extra help were gathered through a questionnaire. Healthcare system additional costs due to supervision of pill-intake were calculated considering staff salaries. Effectiveness was measured by treatment completion rate. The ICER of DOT compared to self-administered therapy (SAT) was calculated.DOT increased costs during the treatment phase, while SAT increased costs in the pre-diagnostic phase, for both the patient and the health system. Treatment completion rates were 71% in SAT facilities and 79% in DOT facilities. Costs per completed treatment were US$194 for patients and U$ 189 for the health system in SAT facilities, compared to US$336 and US$ 726 in DOT facilities. The ICER was US$ 6,616 per completed DOT treatment compared to SAT.Costs incurred by TB patients are high in Rio de Janeiro, especially for those under DOT. The DOT strategy doubles patients' costs and increases by fourfold the health system costs per completed treatment. The additional costs for DOT may be one of the contributing factors to the completion rates below the targeted 85% recommended by WHO

Clinical and Urodynamic results of the Argus T® sling in moderate and severe male stress urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy – a 5 year prospective study.

ABSTRACT Purpose: Sling as a therapeutic option for male stress urinary incontinence (SUI) has been reviewed in the last two decades, as it is a relatively simpliest surgery compared to artificial urinary sphincter and has the ability to modulate urethral compression. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy, rate of complications, quality of life and the effects on bladder emptying of the Argus T® compressive and ajustable sling in moderate and severe male SUI treatment. Materials and Methods: Men eligible for stress urinary incontinence treatment after radical prostatectomy were recruited and prospectively evaluated, from March 2010 to November 2016. It was selected outpatient men with moderate and severe SUI, after 12 months of radical prostatectomy, who have failed conservative treatment. All patients had a complete clinical and urodynamic pre and post treatment evaluation, by means of clinical history, physical examination, urine culture, 1-hour pad test and ICIq-SF questionnaire. The UDS was performed after 12, 18 and 24 months postoperatively. Results: Thirty-seven men underwent sling surgery, 19 patients (51.4%) with moderate and 18 (48.6%) with severe SUI. The minimum follow-up time was 5 years. Overall, we had a success rate of 56.7% at 60 months follow-up. After surgery, we did not observe significant changes in the urodynamic parameters evaluated during the follow-up. No patient had urodynamic bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) after sling implantation. Readjustment of the Argus T® sling was performed in 16 (41%) of the patients and 51% of the patients reported some adverse event. Conclusion: We demonstrate a long-term efficacy and safety of Sling Argus T® as an alternative to moderate and severe male SUI treatment. Furthermore, in our study bulbar urethra compression does not lead to bladder outlet obstruction

Biological Stoichiometry in Human Cancer

A growing tumor in the body can be considered a complex ecological and evolutionary system. A new eco-evolutionary hypothesis (the "Growth Rate Hypothesis", GRH) proposes that tumors have elevated phosphorus (P) demands due to increased allocation to P-rich nucleic acids, especially ribosomal RNA, to meet the protein synthesis demands of accelerated proliferation.We determined the elemental (C, N, P) and nucleic acid contents of paired malignant and normal tissues from colon, lung, liver, or kidney for 121 patients. Consistent with the GRH, lung and colon tumors were significantly higher (by approximately two-fold) in P content (fraction of dry weight) and RNA content and lower in nitrogen (N):P ratio than paired normal tissue, and P in RNA contributed a significantly larger fraction of total biomass P in malignant relative to normal tissues. Furthermore, patient-specific differences for %P between malignant and normal tissues were positively correlated with such differences for %RNA, both for the overall data and within three of the four organ sites. However, significant differences in %P and %RNA between malignant and normal tissues were not seen in liver and kidney and, overall, RNA contributed only approximately 11% of total tissue P content.Data for lung and colon tumors provide support for the GRH in human cancer. The two-fold amplification of P content in colon and lung tumors may set the stage for potential P-limitation of their proliferation, as such differences often do for rapidly growing biota in ecosystems. However, data for kidney and liver do not support the GRH. To account for these conflicting observations, we suggest that local environments in some organs select for neoplastic cells bearing mutations increasing cell division rate ("r-selected," as in colon and lung) while conditions elsewhere may select for reduced mortality rate ("K-selected," as in liver and kidney)

Properties of a new poly-ether-glycol copolymer.

Triblock copolymers are made of monomer segments, being the central part usually hydrophobic and the outer parts hydrophilic. By varying sizes, molecular weights and monomer types of the segments one obtains different final molecules, with different physico-chemical properties, which are directly related to the performance of the final product. Looking for new products to be used, among other possibilities, in biological applications, a new polymer (Figure 1) was synthesized by the Dow Chemical and studied by Size Exclusion Chromatography, Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectrometry, Small-angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) and its cloud point was determined by measuring light transmittance. The studies showed low molecular polydispersivety, but different polarities in the macromolecules fractions. Due to the low solubility of Diol in water, a mixture of water/butyl diglycol was used as solvent. An extensive analysis by SAXS was performed for concentrations from 50 wt% to 80 wt% of Diol in solution. Small concentrations showed very low signal to noise ratio, making it impossible to be analysed. The scattering intensity including the form factor of polydisperse non-homogeneous spheres, and the structure factor of interacting hard spheres was fitted to the curves. As the polymer concentration is high, the fitting of form factors of direct and reverse micelles were compared. The results for direct micelles were better up to 80 wt%, whereas at 90 wt% and 95 wt% the curves were better fitted by reverse micelles. It might seem odd that direct micelles are present up to such high concentrations, but it might have been caused by the presence of butyl diglycol, which increases the solubility of Diol in water. The inner and outer radius of the micelles, electron density distribution, and interaction radius of the micelles were obtained. The polydispersivety increases with Diol concentration. Besides, the interaction radius increases with solvent concentration, even when reversed micelles are present. In the last case, accompanied by an increase of inner radius (water content), as there are fewer Diol molecules to involve the water nuclei, which become larger, further apart, and in less number

Conhecimentos sobre prevenção da SIDA entre profissionais e acadêmicos da área de saúde

Este estudo exploratório foi realizado pelas alunas e alunos da Disciplina de Enfermagem nas Doenças Transmissíveis. Foram analisadas as respostas de 52 questionários distribuídos entre acadêmicos de enfermagem, de medicina, médicos, dentistas, enfermeiros e auxiliares de enfermagem que assistem pacientes com SIDA e enfermeiros que não assistem pacientes com SIDA. Estes questionários versaram sobre medidas de prevenção da transmissão sexual, normal de biossegurança, testes diagnósticos, direitos do paciente e do trabalhador e alterações no atendimento aos portadores desta patologia.This work is a exploratory research based on the analysis of the answers to the questionaires of 52 students and health care professionals knowledge about AIDS sexual prevention, biossecurity, diagnosis tests, patients and workers rights and the modifications of nursing and medica/ care to this kind of diseaseTrata se de un estudio exploratório acerca del conocimiento de la prevención de la SIDA, normas de seguridad biológica, pruebas diagnósticas, derechos de /os enfermos y trabajadores con SIDA y de esa mfermedad. Fueron analizados las respuestas de 52 cuestionários de estudientes de enfermería, nédicos, odontólogos, enfermeras y ajudantes de enfermería