A single strain of Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) grown in two different media evokes distinct humoral immune responses in mice

Two attenuated bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) preparations derived from the same Moreau strain, Copenhagen but grown in Sauton medium containing starch and bacto-peptone (onco BCG, O-BCG), or asparagine (intradermal BCG, ID-BCG), exhibited indistinguishable DNA sequences and bacterial morphology. The number of viable bacilli recovered from spleen, liver and lungs was approximately the same in mice inoculated with the vaccines and was similarly reduced (over 90%) in mice previously immunized with either BCG vaccine. The humoral immune response evoked by the vaccines was, however, distinct. Spleen cell proliferation accompanying the growth of bacilli in tissue was significantly higher in mice inoculated with O-BCG. These cells proliferated in vitro upon challenge with the corresponding BCG extract. Previous cell treatment with mAb anti-CD4 T cells abolished this effect. Anti-BCG antibodies, as assayed either in serum by ELISA or by determining the number of antibody-producing spleen cells by the spot-ELISA method, were significantly higher in mice inoculated with ID-BCG. Anti-BCG antibodies were detected in all immunoglobulin classes, but they were more prevalent in IgG with the following distribution among its isotypes: IgG1>(IgG2a = IgG2b)>IgG3. When some well-characterized Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens were used as substitutes for BCG extracts in ELISA, although antibodies against the 65-kDa and 96-kDa proteins were detected significantly, antibodies against the 71-kDa, 38-kDa proteins and lipoarabinomannan were only barely detected or even absent. These results indicate that BCG bacilli cultured in Sauton-asparagine medium permitted the multiplication of bacilli, tending to induce a stronger humoral immune response as compared with bacilli grown in Sauton-starch/bacto-peptone-enriched medium

Épocas de irrigação e parcelamento de adubação sobre a produtividade do cafeeiro, em quatro safras Irrigation timing and split application of fertilizer on productivity of the coffee plant in 4 harvests

Desenvolveu-se o presente trabalho, objetivando-se avaliar o efeito de diferentes épocas de irrigação e de parcelamentos de adubação na produtividade do cafeeiro em quatro safras consecutivas. Realizou-se um experimento em faixas, em que, nas parcelas foram avaliados diferentes parcelamentos de adubação: parcela 1 recebeu 12 aplicações de fertilizantes, de forma manual; parcelas 2, 3 e 4 receberam, respectivamente, 12, 24 e 36 aplicações de fertilizantes via água de irrigação. Nas faixas (subparcelas) foram avaliadas três épocas de irrigação, de 1/6 a 30/9 (subparcela A), de 15/7 a 30/9 (subparcela B), de 1/9 a 30/9 (subparcela C) e um tratamento testemunha sem irrigação (subparcela D), com 3 repetições, em blocos. Os resultados de produtividade total de café foram submetidos à análise de variância, e, quando pertinente, ao teste de comparação de médias, detectando-se efeito significativo do fator época de irrigação e safras, e, a única interação significativa foi entre safras e épocas de irrigação, indicando que a irrigação não elimina o comportamento bienal de produtividade do cafeeiro. As melhores médias de produtividade (3852,2 e 3527,1 kg ha-1) resultaram das irrigações de 1/6 a 30/9 e de 15/7 a 30/9, respectivamente.<br>The present work aimed to evaluate the effect of different periods of irrigation during and different fertilizer applications on productivity of coffee plant in 4 consecutive harvests. An experiment was accomplished in strips, in which the split fertilizer applications were tested: plot 1 received 12 applications of fertilizers in a manual way, plots 2, 3 and 4 received, respectively, 12, 24 and 36 applications of fertilizers through irrigation water. In the strips 3 irrigation periods were tested, 1/6 to 30/9, 15/7 to 30/9, 1/9 to 30/9 and a control treatment without irrigation, with 3 repetitions (blocks). The results of total coffee productivity expressed in kg ha-1, were submitted to the variance analysis and to mean comparison test, when it was necessary. The variance analysis detected significant effect for irrigation times and in harvests. The only significant interaction was between harvest and irrigation times, showing that the irrigation does not eliminate the biennial cycle of coffee plant productivity. The irrigation from 1/6 to 30/9, and from 15/7 to 30/9 provided better mean productivity of 3,852.2 and 3,527.1 kg ha-1, respectively

Brazilian Workshop Model To Train Investigators In Chronic Graft-versus-host Disease Clinical Trials According To The 2005-2006 National Institutes Of Health Recommendations

Background: The lack of standardization of clinical diagnostic criteria, classification and severity scores of chronic graft-versus-host disease led the National Institutes of Health to propose consensus criteria for the purpose of clinical trials. Method: Here we describe a one-day workshop model conducted by the Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease Brazil-Seattle Consortium Study Group to train investigators interested in participating in multicenter clinical trials in Brazil. Workshop participants included eight transplant physicians, one dermatologist, two dentists, three physical therapists and one psychologist from five institutions. Workshop participants evaluated nine patients with varying degrees of severity of mucocutaneous lesions and other manifestations of the disease followed by a training session to review and discuss the issues encountered with the evaluation and scoring of patients and in the methods used to evaluate grip strength and the 2-minute walk test. Results: Most participants had difficulties in rating the percentage of each type of mucocutaneous lesion and thought 20 minutes was insufficient to evaluate and record the scores of each patient using the National Institutes of Health criteria and other cutaneous assessments. Several specific areas of difficulties encountered by the evaluators were: 1) determining the percentage of erythema in movable and non-movable sclerosis, 2) whether to score all cutaneous findings in a particular area or just the dominant lesion; 3) clarification of the definition of poikiloderma in chronic graft-versus-host disease; 4) discrepant interpretation of the mouth score and 5) clarification on the methodology used for the evaluation of grip strength and the 2-minute walk tests. Conclusions: Results of this workshop support the need to train investigators participating in clinical trials on chronic graft-versus-host disease.335358366Cutler, C., Antin, J.H., Chronic graft-versus-host disease (2006) Curr Opin Oncol, 18 (2), pp. 126-131Lee, S.J., Vogelsang, G., Flowers, M.E., Chronic graft-versus-host disease (2003) Biol Blood Marrow Transplant, 9 (4), pp. 215-233. , Comment in: Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2003;9(8):540Filipovich, A.H., Weisdorf, D., Pavletic, S., Socie, G., Wingard, J.R., Lee, S.J., National Institutes of Health consensus development project on criteria for clinical trials in chronic graft-versus-host disease: I. Diagnosis and staging working group report (2005) Biol Blood Marrow Transplant, 11 (12), pp. 945-956Pavletic, S.Z., Martin, P., Lee, S.J., Mitchell, S., Jacobsohn, D., Cowen, E.W., Turner, M.L., Vogelsang, G.B., Measuring therapeutic response in chronic graft-versus-host disease: National Institutes of Health consensus development project on criteria for clinical trials in chronic graftversus-host disease: IV (2006) Biol Blood Marrow Transplant, 12 (3), pp. 252-266. , Response Criteria Working GroupMartin, P.J., Weisdorf, D., Przepiorka, D., Hirschfeld, S., Farrell, A., Rizzo, J.D., Foley, R., Lee, S.J., National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Project on Criteria for Clinical Trials in Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease: VI. Design of Clinical Trials Working Group report (2006) Biol Blood Marrow Transplant, 12 (5), pp. 491-505. , Design of Clinical Trials Working GroupBouzas, L.F., Silva, M.M., Tavares, R.C., Moreira, M.C., Correa, M.E., Funke, V.A., Diretrizes para o diagnóstico, classificação, profilaxia e tratamento da doença enxerto contra hospedeiro crônica (2010) Hemoter Rev Bras Hematol, 32 (SUPPL. 1), pp. 22-39Vigorito, A.C., Miranda, E.C.M., Bouzas, L.F., Moreira, R.C., Silva, M.M., Tavares, R.C.B.S., Feasibility of NIH consensus criteria for chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD): Establishing a Successful Efforts in Brazil-Seattle collaborative multicenter consortium (2010) 2010 BMT Tandem Meetings, 16, pp. S47. , In:, Orlando, Florida. Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation. New York: ElsevierVigorito, A.C., Miranda, E.C., Bouzas, L.F., Moreira, R.C., Silva, M.M., Tavares, R.C., Feasibility of NIH consensus criteria for chronic graftversus-host disease (GVHD): Establishing a Successful Efforts in Brazil-Seattle collaborative multicenter consortium (2010) 2010 BMT Tandem Meetings, 16, pp. S47. , In:, Orlando, Florida. Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation. New York: ElsevierAlborghetti, M.R., Corrêa, M.E., Adam, R.L., Metze, K., Coracin, F.L., de Souza, C.A., Late effects of chronic graft-vs.-host disease in minor salivary glands (2005) J Oral Pathol Med., 34 (8), pp. 486-493Hymes, S.R., Turner, M.L., Champlin, R.E., Couriel, D.R., Cutaneous manifestations of chronic graft-versus-host disease (2006) Biol Blood Marrow Transplant, 12 (11), pp. 1101-1113Rationale and Design of the Chronic GVHD Cohort Study: Improving Outcomes Assessment in Chronic GVHD (2011) Biol Blood Marrow Transplant, 17 (8), pp. 1114-1120. , The Chronic GVHD ConsortiumGreinix, H.T., Pohlreich, D., Maalouf, J., Soukup, P., Supper, V., Kalhs, P., A Single-Center Pilot Validation Study of a New Chronic GVHD Skin Scoring System (2007) Biol Blood Marrow Transplant, 13 (6), pp. 715-723Arai, S., Jagasia, M., Storer, B., Chai, X., Pidala, J., Cutler, C., Global and organ-specific chronic graft-versus-host disease severity according to the 2005 NIH Consensus Criteria Blood, , In press online in, doi:10.1182/blood-2011-03-344390Inamoto, Y., Chai, X., Kurland, B.F., On behalf of the Chronic GVHD Consortium: Validation of Measurement Scales in Ocular Graft-versus-host Disease (2011) Ophthalmology, , in pressMitchell, S.A., Jacobsohn, D., Powers, K.E., A Multicenter Pilot Evaluation of the National Institutes of Health Chronic Graftversus-Host Disease (cGVHD) Therapeutic Response Measures Feasibility, Interrater Reliability, and Minimum Detectable Change Biol Blood Marrow Transplant, , In press: doi:10.1016/ j.bbmt.2011.04.002Vogelsang, G.B., Wolff, D., Altomonte, V., Farmer, E., Morison, W.L., Corio, R., Treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease with ultraviolet irradiation and psoralen (PUVA) (1996) Bone Marrow Transplant, 17 (6), pp. 1061-1067Volc-Platzer, B., Hönigsmann, H., Hinterberger, W., Wolff, K., Photochemotherapy Improves chronic cutaneous graft-versushost disease (1990) J Am Acad Dermatol., 23 (2 PART. 1), pp. 220-22