Sorotipos, "mating type" e ploidia de amostras de C. neoformans isoladas de pacientes no Brasil

Serotype, mating type and ploidy of 84 strains of Cryptococcus neoformans isolated from 61 AIDS and 23 non-AIDS patients admitted in a tertiary teaching hospital in São Paulo, Brazil were examined. Among 61 strains isolated from AIDS patients, 60 strains were var. grubii (serotype A). Only one strain was var. gattii (serotype B). No var. neoformans (serotype D) was found. Among 23 strains isolated from non-AIDS patients, 15 were var. grubii (serotype A) and the remaining 8 were var. gattii, all of which were serotype B. Seventy-three of the 75 serotype A strains were the heterothallic alpha type (MATalpha) and the remaining 2 were untypable (asexual). Most of the MATalpha strains (69/73) were haploid and the remaining 4 strains were diploid. Similarly, both of the 2 asexual strains among the 75 serotype A strains were haploid. There were no alpha-mating type (MATalpha) strains among the 84 isolates. All of the 8 var. gattii strains were serotype B and haploid. Among a total of 84 strains tested, neither serotype AD nor serotype D were found. Neither triploid nor tetraploid were found. These results suggest that the serological, sexual and ploidy characteristics in C. neoformans strains isolated from AIDS patients in São Paulo were rather simple, whereas strains isolated from non-AIDS patients presented serotype A and B with predominance of serotype A.Foram estudados os sorotipos, "mating type" e ploidia de 84 amostras de C. neoformans isoladas de 61 pacientes com AIDS e 23 não-AIDS em São Paulo. Das amostras isoladas de pacientes com AIDS, 60 foram identificadas como var. grubii (sorotipo A) e 1 como var. gattii (sorotipo B). Não houve isolamento do sorotipo D. Entre as amostras isoladas, de pacientes não-AIDS, 15 foram de var. grubii (sorotipo A) e as 8 restantes de var. gattii, todos do sorotipo B. Setenta e três dos 75 sorotipos A foram identificadas como cepas heterotálicas do fenótipo alfa (MATalfa) e as 2 remanescentes não-tipáveis (assexuada), eram haplóides. A maioria das cepas MATalfa (69/73) era haplóide sendo 4 diplóide. Não houve o isolamento de fenótipo a (MATa) entre as 84 cepas analisadas. Todas as 11 amostras de var. gattii eram do sorotipo B e haplóides. Não foram observados os sorotipos AD e C, nem células triplóides ou tetraplóides entre as 84 amostras estudadas. Os resultados sugerem, que as características sorológicas, sexuais e de ploidia de C. neoformans, isoladas de pacientes com AIDS em São Paulo, são particularmente simples, a maioria do sorotipo A, enquanto que nos pacientes não-AIDS foram observados tanto os sorotipos A quanto o B

A computational method for the identification of dengue, zika and chikungunya virus species and genotypes

In recent years, an increasing number of outbreaks of Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika viruses have been reported in Asia and the Americas. Monitoring virus genotype diversity is crucial to understand the emergence and spread of outbreaks, both aspects that are vital to develop effective prevention and treatment strategies. Hence, we developed an efficient method to classify virus sequences with respect to their species and sub-species (i.e. serotype and/or genotype). This tool provides an easy-to-use software implementation of this new method and was validated on a large dataset assessing the classification performance with respect to whole-genome sequences and partial-genome sequences.publishersversionpublishe

Performance of serological tests available in Brazil for the diagnosis of human visceral leishmaniasis.

BackgroundVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the most severe form of leishmaniasis and is potentially fatal if not diagnosed and treated. Accurate and timely diagnosis is considered one of the pillars needed for the reduction in disease-related lethality. Brazil is currently one of the three eco-epidemiological hotspots for this disease. Several serological tests are commercially available in this country for VL diagnosis, although information on the performance of these tests is fragmented and insufficient. The aim of this study was to directly compare the performance of six commercial kits: three enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), two immunofluorescence antibody tests (IFATs), one immunochromatographic test (ICT), besides one ICT, currently not commercially available in Brazil and one in-house direct agglutination test (DAT-LPC), not yet marketed.Methodology/principal findingsA panel of 236 stored samples from patients with clinically suspected VL, including 77 HIV-infected patients, was tested. IT-LEISH and DAT-LPC showed the highest accuracy rate among the non-HIV-infected patients, 96.2% [CI95%: 92.8-99.7%] and 95.6% [CI95%: 91.9-99.3%], respectively. For the ELISA tests evaluated, the maximum accuracy was 91.2%, and in the inter HIV-status group analysis, no significant differences were observed. For both IFATs evaluated, the maximum accuracy was 84.3%, and a lower accuracy rate was observed among the HIV-infected patients (p = 0.039) than among the non-HIV-infected patients. The DAT-LPC was the most accurate test in the HIV-infected patients (p≤0.115). In general, no significant difference in accuracy was observed among the VL-suspected patients stratified by age.Conclusions/significanceIn summary, the differences in the performance of the tests available for VL in Brazil confirm the need for local studies before defining the diagnostic strategy

Journal of Clinical Virology

Acesso restrito: Texto completo. p. 288-290Background Infective dermatitis associated with HTLV-1 (IDH) is a severe childhood form of eczema that may progress to adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). Objectivo In this study, the presence of clinical and laboratory parameters suggestive of ATL was evaluated in a cohort of 30 patients with IDH.Study design Over a period of 33 months, the patients were submitted to three-monthly clinical evaluations, routine laboratory exams, full blood count and blood smears, and to six-monthly blood sampling for HTLV-1 proviral load determination. HTLV-1 proviral load was quantified using real-time TaqMan PCR assay. Results Abnormal cells (Ably) were found in the peripheral blood smears of nine patients (30%), flower cells being detected in five of these cases (16.6%). The presence of Ably and flower cells was not associated with a higher proviral load in those patients. Conclusions This is the first report on the presence of flower cells in HTLV-1-infected children and adolescents. Furthermore, these cells have not previously been reported in IDH patients. The cases with flower cells probably represent precursory ATL cases, these patients being at a greater risk of developing ATL

High HTLV-1 proviral load, a marker for HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis, is also detected in patients with infective dermatitis associated with HTLV-1

Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2012-12-07T21:31:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Primo, J et al High HTLV-1 proviral....pdf: 205691 bytes, checksum: 0ac849f5c55d22ee52eb1e0537361d3d (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2012-12-07T21:31:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Primo, J et al High HTLV-1 proviral....pdf: 205691 bytes, checksum: 0ac849f5c55d22ee52eb1e0537361d3d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009Departamento de Medicina Interna. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Hospitalar Universitário Prof. Edgard Santos. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Hospitalar Universitário Prof. Edgard Santos. Salvador, BA, BrasilDepartamento de Medicina Interna. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Hospitalar Universitário Prof. Edgard Santos. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Hospitalar Universitário Prof. Edgard Santos. Salvador, BA, BrasilSalvador (BA, Brazil) is an endemic area for human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). The overall prevalence of HTLV-1 infection in the general population has been estimated to be 1.76%. HTLV-1 carriers may develop a variety of diseases such as adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and infective dermatitis associated with HTLV-1 (IDH). IDH is a chronic and severe form of childhood exudative and infective dermatitis involving mainly the scalp, neck and ears. It has recently been observed that 30% of patients with IDH develop juvenile HAM/TSP. The replication of HTLV-1 has been reported to be greater in adult HAM/TSP patients than in asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers. In the current study, the proviral load of 28 children and adolescents with IDH not associated with HAM/TSP was determined and the results were compared to those obtained in 28 HTLV-1 adult carriers and 28 adult patients with HAM/TSP. The proviral load in IDH patients was similar to that of patients with HAM/TSP and much higher than that found in HTLV-1 carriers. The high levels of proviral load in IDH patients were not associated with age, duration of illness, duration of breast-feeding, or activity status of the skin disease. Since proviral load is associated with neurological disability, these data support the view that IDH patients are at high risk of developing HAM/TSP

Discordant congenital Zika virus infection in dizygotic twins: a case report

Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2018-09-28T13:10:08Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Almeida B Discordant congenital Zika virus infection....pdf: 91050 bytes, checksum: 317cd326a2baceea301e7f926ea3e4b0 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2018-09-28T13:31:01Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Almeida B Discordant congenital Zika virus infection....pdf: 91050 bytes, checksum: 317cd326a2baceea301e7f926ea3e4b0 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-28T13:31:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Almeida B Discordant congenital Zika virus infection....pdf: 91050 bytes, checksum: 317cd326a2baceea301e7f926ea3e4b0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Salvador, BA BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Farmácia. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilBackground: Discordant clinical outcomes in congenital infectious disorders have been described, such as in Cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis and HIV infection, most of then in dizygotic twin pregnancies. In Brazil, since 2015, more than 2800 cases of congenital Zika infection (CZI) were confirmed. To date, three cases of discordant CZI infection in twins were reported, one case in monozygotic pregnancy and two cases in dizygotic twin pregnancies. Methods & Materials: Here, we describe a case report with the clinical presentation of discordant twin siblings, one with microcephal

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Texto completo: acesso restrito. p. 294-298Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples from patients suspected of having neuroschistosomiasis (NS) were evaluated by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Monoclonal antibodies of various immunoglobulin isotypes (IgM, IgA, IgE, total IgG, IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4) were used to detect antibodies against Schistosoma mansoni soluble egg antigen (SEA) and soluble worm adult preparation (SWAP). Of the 83 CSF samples tested, 55% were reactive toSEA (26% were reactive only toSEA and 29% tobo th SEA and SWAP), 34% were reactive toSWAP (5% only to SWAP and 29% to both SEA and SWAP), and 40% were not reactive with any antigen. Cases that tested positive for SWAP in CSF and negative in serum were not found. Samples with high specific IgG antibody titers were selected for immunoglobulin isotype profiling. In the CSF samples, the antibodies against SEA and SWAP were mainly IgM, IgG1, and IgG4, although other immunoglobulins were also detected. Interestingly, nine patients had high levels of IgG1 only in the CSF. These results suggest that there is local synthesis of IgG1, and that this isotype could be an important immunologic marker in the diagnosis of NS