Lower numbers of natural killer T cells in HIV-1 and Mycobacterium leprae co-infected patients

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a heterogeneous population of lymphocytes that recognize antigens presented by CD1d and have attracted attention because of their potential role linking innate and adaptive immune responses. Peripheral NKT cells display a memory-activated phenotype and can rapidly secrete large amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines upon antigenic activation. In this study, we evaluated NKT cells in the context of patients co-infected with HIV-1 and Mycobacterium leprae. The volunteers were enrolled into four groups: 22 healthy controls, 23 HIV-1-infected patients, 20 patients with leprosy and 17 patients with leprosy and HIV-1-infection. Flow cytometry and ELISPOT assays were performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We demonstrated that patients co-infected with HIV-1 and M.leprae have significantly lower NKT cell frequencies [median 0.022%, interquartile range (IQR): 0.0070.051] in the peripheral blood when compared with healthy subjects (median 0.077%, IQR: 0.0320.405, P < 0.01) or HIV-1 mono-infected patients (median 0.072%, IQR: 0.0300.160, P < 0.05). Also, more NKT cells from co-infected patients secreted interferon-? after stimulation with DimerX, when compared with leprosy mono-infected patients (P = 0.05). These results suggest that NKT cells are decreased in frequency in HIV-1 and M.leprae co-infected patients compared with HIV-1 mono-infected patients alone, but are at a more activated state. Innate immunity in human subjects is strongly influenced by their spectrum of chronic infections, and in HIV-1-infected subjects, a concurrent mycobacterial infection probably hyper-activates and lowers circulating NKT cell numbers.National Institutes of Health [R01-AI52731, AI060379]Fogarty International Center [D43 TW00003]Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo [04/15856-9/Kallas, 2010/05845-0/Kallas]Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq)Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology [484230/2011-5]New York Community Trus

Investigação e controle de epidemia de escabiose: uma experiência educativa em aldeia indígena

Este trabalho refere-se ao controle de uma epidemia de escabiose em aldeia da tribo Panará, localizada no Xingu, Estado do Mato Grosso, Brasil. Descreve as dificuldades encontradas, decorrentes das diferenças culturais entre os investigadores e a população, o processo de conscientização do problema e a participação de toda comunidade no controle da epidemia de escabiose. Relata estratégias de cunho educativo utilizadas e as dificuldades encontradas para conseguir a adesão da comunidade às ações terapêuticas, essenciais ao controle e eliminação da epidemia. Essas estratégias, alicerçadas no ideário da educação em saúde e de respeito aos conhecimentos, valores e necessidades do grupo, previam a participação da comunidade como elemento essencial à consecução dos objetivos dos profissionais de saúde. Elas determinaram o redirecionamento do plano de ação inicial que, por meio de ações conjuntas dos profissionais de saúde, lideranças locais e população alvo, permitiu investigar e controlar a situação inicialmente encontrada.This work reports on an epidemic of scabies in a village of the tribe Panará, located in Xingu, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The educational strategies utilized and the difficulties found to obtain the adhesion of the comunity for the therapeutics actions, essentials to the control of the epidemic are discussed. These strategies, based on an conceptual framework for education in health rooted on the respect for the knowledge, values and necessities of the group, considered the participation of the comunity an essential element for the the adjustment of the initial plan. The actions and combined decisions of health profissionals, local leaderships and target population, made possible the investigation and the control of the epidemic

Investigation and control of scabies epidemics: an educative experience in an indigene village

This work reports on an epidemic of scabies in a village of the tribe Panará, located in Xingu, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The educational strategies utilized and the difficulties found to obtain the adhesion of the comunity for the therapeutics actions, essentials to the control of the epidemic are discussed. These strategies, based on an conceptual framework for education in health rooted on the respect for the knowledge, values and necessities of the group, considered the participation of the comunity an essential element for the the adjustment of the initial plan. The actions and combined decisions of health profissionals, local leaderships and target population, made possible the investigation and the control of the epidemic.Este trabalho refere-se ao controle de uma epidemia de escabiose em aldeia da tribo Panará, localizada no Xingu, Estado do Mato Grosso, Brasil. Descreve as dificuldades encontradas, decorrentes das diferenças culturais entre os investigadores e a população, o processo de conscientização do problema e a participação de toda comunidade no controle da epidemia de escabiose. Relata estratégias de cunho educativo utilizadas e as dificuldades encontradas para conseguir a adesão da comunidade às ações terapêuticas, essenciais ao controle e eliminação da epidemia. Essas estratégias, alicerçadas no ideário da educação em saúde e de respeito aos conhecimentos, valores e necessidades do grupo, previam a participação da comunidade como elemento essencial à consecução dos objetivos dos profissionais de saúde. Elas determinaram o redirecionamento do plano de ação inicial que, por meio de ações conjuntas dos profissionais de saúde, lideranças locais e população alvo, permitiu investigar e controlar a situação inicialmente encontrada.FUNAI Departamento de SaúdeUNIFESP Projeto Xingu da Unidade de Saúde e Meio AmbienteUSP Faculdade de Saúde Pública Departamento de Prática de Saúde PúblicaUNIFESP, Projeto Xingu da Unidade de Saúde e Meio AmbienteSciEL

New Players in the Same Old Game: Disturbance of Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells in HIV-1 and <i>Mycobacterium leprae</i> Co-infected Patients

<div><p>Abstract</p><p>Leprosy control is achieved through a fine-tuning of T_H1 and T_H2 immune response pattern balance. Given the increasing epidemiological overlay of HIV and <i>M</i>. <i>leprae</i> infections, immune response in co-infected patients consists in an important contemporary issue. Here we describe for the first time the innate lymphoid cells compartment in peripheral blood of leprosy and HIV/<i>M</i>. <i>leprae</i> co-infected patients, and show that co-infection increases group 2 innate lymphoid whilst decreasing group 1 innate lymphoid cells frequencies and function.</p></div