Analysis of the coverage capacity of the StreptInCor candidate vaccine against Streptococcus pyogenes

Streptococcus pyogenes is responsible for infections as pharyngitis, sepsis, necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. The M protein is the major bacterial antigen and consists of both polymorphic N-terminal portion and a conserved region. In the present study, we analyzed the in vitro ability of StreptInCor a C-terminal candidate vaccine against S. pyogenes to induce antibodies to neutralize/opsonize the most common S. pyogenes strains in Sao Paulo by examining the recognition by sera from StreptInCor immunized mice. We also evaluated the presence of cross-reactive antibodies against human heart valve tissue. Anti-StreptInCor antibodies were able to neutralize/opsonize at least 5 strains, showing that immunization with StreptInCor is effective against several S. pyogenes strains and can prevent infection and subsequent sequelae without causing autoimmune reactions

Why Were Scud Casualties So Low?

Patriot missiles were returned to the Gulf last week. But they were not the reason for the unexpectedly low casualty rate when Saddam attacked Israel with Scud missiles in 1991. Iraq fired more than 80 modified Scud missiles at Israel and Saudi Arabia during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. These attacks caused 31 deaths, numerous injuries, and substantial property damage. With the exception of the Scud that hit a barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and killed 28 U.S. soldiers, however, the number of deaths and serious injuries caused by each Scud appear to be much lower than one would have expected based on the results of previous ballistic missile attacks. The relatively low casualty rate has been cited by several analysts as evidence of the success of the Patriot missile defense system. Others have argued that the same casualty data suggests that the Patriot may not have been very successful

A heart-specific CD4+ T-cell line obtained from a chronic chagasic mouse induces carditis in heart-immunized mice and rejection of normal heart transplants in the absence of Trypanosoma cruzi.

Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2012-10-02T20:59:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Ribeiro-Dos_Santos R A heart specific CD4+ T-cell....pdf: 365996 bytes, checksum: 63005200e720e052c9d7923012979eca (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2012-10-02T20:59:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ribeiro-Dos_Santos R A heart specific CD4+ T-cell....pdf: 365996 bytes, checksum: 63005200e720e052c9d7923012979eca (MD5) Previous issue date: 2001Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas. Departamento de Imunologia. São Paulo, SP, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Farmanguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Farmanguinhos. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilTo study the role of autoreactive T cells in the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy in Chagas' disease, we generated a cell line by repeated in vitro antigenic stimulation of purified splenic CD4+ T lymphocytes from a chronically Trypanosoma cruzi-infected mouse. Cells from this line were confirmed to be CD4+ CD8- and proliferated upon stimulation with soluble heart antigens from different animal species, as well as with T. cruzi antigen, in the presence of syngeneic feeder cells. In vitro antigen stimulation of the cell line produced a Th1 cytokine profile, with high levels of IFNgamma and IL-2 and absence of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10. The cell line also terminated the beating of fetal heart clusters in vitro when cocultured with irradiated syngeneic normal spleen cells. In situ injection of the cell line into well established heart transplants also induced the cessation of heart beating. Finally, adoptive transfer of the cell line to heart-immunized or T. cruzi-infected BALB/c nude mice caused intense heart inflammation