Incidence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in asynptomatic non-promiscuous women and in bearers of acate inflammatory pelvic disease

Levando-se em conta a importância epidemiológica da Chlamydia trachomatis e Neisseria gonorrhoeae e das possíveis complicações provenientes destes patógenos, os autores investigaram 186 mulheres que visitaram o Serviço de Orientação e Planejamento Familiar e a Emergência do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, no período de fevereiro de 1987 a fevereiro de 1988. As pacientes foram divididas em dois grupos: o primeiro era composto por mulheres assintomáticas não promíscuas e o segundo por pacientes com doença inflamatória pélvica aguda. Foi coletado material do canal endocervical para cultura de gonococo e para pesquisa de clamídia. O grupo de mulheres assintomáticas mostrou a incidência de 4% para Chlamydia trachomatis e 2% para Neisseria gonorrhoeae, já o grupo de pacientes com doença inflamatória pélvica aguda apresentou clamídia em 27,94% das amostras e gonococo em 21,32%. Os autores concluíram que Chlamydia trachomatis e Neisseria gonorrhoeae podem ser isoladas de mulheres assintomáticas não promíscuas e estão associadas significativamente com doença inflamatória pélvica aguda.Considering the epidemiologic importance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis and because of the complications that are likely to derive from them, the authors investigated 186 women who sought the Family Planning Service and emergency room of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre between February/1987 and February/1988. The patients were classified in asymptomatic non-promiscuous of bearers of acute inflammatory pelvic disease. Samples were collected from the endocervical canal for a culture of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and for research on Chlamydia trachomatis. The group of asymptomatic non-promiscuous women presented Chlamydia trachomatis in 4% of the cases and Neiserria gonorrhoeae in 2%. In the bearers of acute inflammatory pelvic disease, the incidence of Chlamydia trachomatis was 27,94% and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, 21,32%. The authors concluded that Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae can be isolated in asymptomatic non-promiscuous women, and they are significantly associated with inflammatory pelvic disease

A recombinant fragment of human surfactant protein D lacking the short collagen-like stalk fails to correct morphological alterations in lungs of SP-D deficient mice

Emphysema-like pathology is a characteristic feature of surfactant protein D (SP-D) knock-out mice. Treatment with a recombinant fragment of human SP-D consisting of a short collagen-like stalk (but not the entire collagen-like domain of native SP-D), neck, and carbohydrate recognizing domain (CRD) inhibits development of emphysema-like pathology in SP-D deficient mice. On the other hand, it has been shown that the entire collagen-like domain is necessary for preventing SP-D knock-out mice from pulmonary emphysema development. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to elucidate the role of the short collagen-like stalk for the function of the recombinant fragment of human SP-D. We treated SP-D knock-out mice with a fragment of human SP-D lacking the short collagen-like stalk and compared the effects on lung morphology with results from untreated wild-type and SP-D knock-out mice and from SP-D knock-out mice treated with a recombinant fragment of human SP-D including the short collagen-like stalk. The fragment of SP-D lacking the short collagen-like stalk failed to correct pulmonary emphysematous alterations demonstrating the importance of the short collagen-like stalk for the biological activity of the recombinant fragment of human SP-