Avaliação de marcadores sorológicos treponêmicos e não-treponêmicos em doadores inaptos para sífilis atendidos em um hemocentro brasileiro

RESUMOIntrodução: A sífilis é uma doença infecciosa sistêmica de evolução crônica, causada pela bactéria Treponema pallidum, que pode ser transmitida por transfusões de sangue. A avaliação dos marcadores sorológicos na triagem para sífilis em doadores de sangue é fundamental para confirmar se o sangue doado pode estar contaminado com T. pallidum ou se há descarte por reações inespecíficas.  O objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever os resultados obtidos em testes sorológicos não-treponêmicos e treponêmicos e o perfil sociodemográfico dos doadores de sangue em um hemocentro brasileiro. Métodos: A população foi composta por doadores de sangue atendidos em todas as unidades do Hemopa, que atenderam aos critérios do estudo. Houve análise dos resultados obtidos através do VDRL e ELISA e informações socioeconômicas sobre a população: sexo, idade, escolaridade e estado civil, obtidos a partir do registro de doadores. Resultados: Durante o período do estudo, houve 103.187 doações de sangue. Um total de 883 doadores foram considerados inaptos para sífilis no teste de triagem (0,86%) e 271 pessoas (30,69%) compareceram ao hemocentro para realização de testes confirmatórios: 50,6% homens; 49,4% mulheres; idade média de 34 anos. Mais da metade declarou ter ensino médio completo e a maioria (75,6%) relatou ser solteiro. Mais de 50% dos doadores apresentaram titulação menor que 1/16; 91,5% também apresentou reatividade em ELISA. 15 pessoas (5,5%) apresentaram outro resultado reagente além da sífilis. Conclusão: Houve mais de 90% de resultados concordantes entre teste treponêmico e não-treponêmico em nossa triagem laboratorial. Esses resultados podem auxiliar instituições na estratégia de triagem para sífilis em doadores de sangue.Palavras-chave: Sífilis; doadores de sangue; seleção do doador; testes laboratoriais; segurança do sangue; hemoterapi

Frequência de CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS, CHLAMYDIA PNEUMONIAE E TREPONEMA PALLIDUM em portadores do vírus da imunodeficiência humana 1 (HIV-1), no estado do Pará Frequency of CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS, CHLAMYDIA PNEUMONIAE and TREPONEMA PALLIDUM among virus carr

Introdução: A Chlamydia trachomatis e o Treponema pallidum compartilham com o HIV-1 a via sexual como forma de transmissão. Devido ao comprometimento imunológico dos portadores de HIV, a Chlamydia. pneumoniae pode apresentar um papel potencial em infecções respiratórias. Objetivo: Este trabalho objetivou a descrição da soroprevalência destes três agentes em portadores de HIV-1 do Estado do Pará, Brasil. Metodologia: Foram coletadas 430 amostras de portadores de HIV na Unidade de Referência (URE-DIPE) em Belém Pará, que foram submetidas a um ELISA para detecção de anticorpo IgG e IgM anti-Chlamydia e, dentre os positivos, uma amostragem aleatória foi escolhida e submetida à microimunofluorescência para detecção de anticorpos para as espécies. Resultados: Anticorpos anti-T. pallidum foram detectados por RPR e ELISA. A prevalência geral de anticorpos anti-Chlamydia foi 64,2% (51,6% para IgG e 4% para IgM). Houve 100% de prevalência de C. trachomatis (tanto para IgG como IgM), e para C. pneumoniae 73,5% de  IgG e 70,5% de IgM. A prevalência geral de anticorpos contra o T. pallidum foi de 34,9%, sendo que 7,3% apresentaram resultado laboratorial indicativo de sífilis. As variáveis que apresentaram associação com a infecção por Chlamydia e T. pallidum foram: o sexo masculino, mais de um parceiro por semana, sexo anal, homossexualismo/bissexualismo e o uso de droga não-endovenosa. Conclusão: Faz-se necessário tanto a conscientização como o Monitoramento da população, para impedir a transmissão destes agentes e para a melhoria da qualidade de vida dos indivíduos portadores de HIV

FREQUÊNCIA DE CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS, CHLAMYDIA PNEUMONIAE E TREPONEMA PALLIDUM EM PORTADORES DO VÍRUS DA IMUNODEFICIÊNCIA HUMANA 1 (HIV-1), NO ESTADO DO PARÁ

Objective: The present study intended the description of the serum prevalence of those three agents among 430 HIV-1 infected persons residing in the State of Para, Brazil, attended at the State Reference Unit (URE-DIPE). Methods: Using an enzyme immuno assay plasma samples were tested for the detection of IgM and IgG antibodies to Chlamydia and those, which elicited positive results, were randomly selected for serotyping through a microimmunofluorescence assay. Results: Antibodies to T. pallidum were detected using a flocculation reaction (RPR) and an enzyme immunoassay. The general prevalence to Chlamydia was 64.2% (51.6% IgG reactivity and 4% to IgM). Serotyping showed 100% reactivity to C. trachomatis (for both IgG and IgM), a high prevalence to C. pneumoniae (73.5% IgG and 70.5% to IgM). Prevalence of antibodies to T. pallidum was 34.9% and those 7.3% showed laboratory evidence of syphilis. Infection with both pathogens were associated to several characteristics, which included higher prevalence among males, high number of sexual partners, anal sexual relations, homosexual/bisexual habits and use of non injecting drugs. Conclusions: It is necessary not only the individual attention for prevention, but also the continuous monitoring to block transmission and the improvement of the well-being of HIV-1 infected person

Occurrences of Ornithocoris toledoi (Cimicidae) on a free-range chicken farm in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract Ornithocoris toledoi is a hematophagous insect that parasites birds, particularly, galliformes. Although the occurrence of this arthropod is relatively low in Brazil, this is an important ectoparasite associated with backyarding poultry. The objective of this study was to report the occurrence of O. toledoi in a free-range chicken farm in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, including aspects of its taxonomic identification, biology and epidemiology

Prevalence, incidence and residual risk of transfusion-transmitted HBV infection before and after the implementation of HBV-NAT in northern Brazil.

BACKGROUND:Nucleic acid testing (NAT) for virus detection during blood screening has helped to prevent transfusion-transmitted infections worldwide. In northern Brazil, NAT was implemented in 2012 for HIV and HCV and more recently, in January 2015, the screening for HBV was included and currently used concomitant with serological tests (HBsAg and anti-HBc). This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and the incidence of HBV infection among voluntary blood donors at ten regional blood centers of HEMOPA Foundation in Pará state and to compare the residual risk of transfusion-transmitted HBV infection before and after the Brazilian HBV-NAT implementation. METHODS:The prevalence (restricted to first time donors- FT) and seroconversion rate (restricted to repeat donors- RP) of HBV were calculated based on rates of confirmed positive samples. Residual risk was based on the incidence and window period (WP) model described by Schreiber and coauthors. Logistic and Poisson regression were used in the statistical analysis by SPSS v20.0. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS:HBV prevalence in the periods before and after the implementation of HBV-NAT were 247 and 251 per 100,000 donations, respectively. Seroconversion rates were 114 and 122 per 100,000 donations in the two periods, respectively. The residual risk (RR) for HBV decreased significantly in the posterior period to the HBV-NAT implementation, when compared to RR before implementation, with a reduction of 1:144,92 to 1:294,11 donations (p <0,001). CONCLUSIONS:The RR to HBV decreased after the implementation of HBV-NAT, increasing significantly the transfusional security in the North region of Brazil at HEMOPA Foundation

Prevalence of Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika Viruses in Blood Donors in the State of Pará, Northern Brazil: 2018–2020

Arboviruses have been reported over the years as constant threats to blood transfusion recipients, given the high occurrence of asymptomatic cases and the fact that the presence of viremia precedes the onset of symptoms, making it possible that infected blood from donors act as a source of dissemination. This work aims to identify the prevalence of dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV) and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection in blood donors during epidemic and non-epidemic periods; classify the donor as symptomatic or asymptomatic; and verify the need to include DENV, CHIKV and ZIKV in the nucleic acid test (NAT) platform in northern Brazil. We investigated 36,133 thousand donations in two years of collection in Northern Brazil. One donor was positive for DENV and one for CHIKV (0.002% prevalence). As the prevalence for arboviruses was low in this study, it would not justify the individual screening of samples from donors in a blood bank. Thus, DENV- and CHIKV-positive samples were simulated in different amounts of sample pools, and both were safely detected by molecular biology even in a pool of 14 samples, which would meet the need to include these three viruses in the routine of blood centers in endemic countries such as Brazil

Occurrences of Ornithocoris toledoi (Cimicidae) on a free-range chicken farm in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

<div><p>Abstract Ornithocoris toledoi is a hematophagous insect that parasites birds, particularly, galliformes. Although the occurrence of this arthropod is relatively low in Brazil, this is an important ectoparasite associated with backyarding poultry. The objective of this study was to report the occurrence of O. toledoi in a free-range chicken farm in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, including aspects of its taxonomic identification, biology and epidemiology.</p></div

Mannose-binding lectin 2 (Mbl2) gene polymorphisms are related to protein plasma levels, but not to heart disease and infection by Chlamydia

The presence of the single nucleotide polymorphisms in exon 1 of the mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2) gene was evaluated in a sample of 159 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery (71 patients undergoing valve replacement surgery and 300 control subjects) to investigate a possible association between polymorphisms and heart disease with Chlamydia infection. The identification of the alleles B and D was performed using real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and of the allele C was accomplished through PCR assays followed by digestion with the restriction enzyme. The comparative analysis of allelic and genotypic frequencies between the three groups did not reveal any significant difference, even when related to previous Chlamydia infection. Variations in the MBL plasma levels were influenced by the presence of polymorphisms, being significantly higher in the group of cardiac patients, but without representing a risk for the disease. The results showed that despite MBL2 gene polymorphisms being associated with the protein plasma levels, the polymorphisms were not enough to predict the development of heart disease, regardless of infection with both species of Chlamydia