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Submitted by Maria Creuza Silva (mariakreuza@yahoo.com.br) on 2014-01-21T19:34:00Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Guilherme Ribeiro artigo 2. 2013.pdf: 443031 bytes, checksum: dc7eb85a412ebaeae7d6d200b4683e1e (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-01-21T19:34:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Guilherme Ribeiro artigo 2. 2013.pdf: 443031 bytes, checksum: dc7eb85a412ebaeae7d6d200b4683e1e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-09 The role of the immune response in influencing leptospirosis clinical outcomes is not yet well understood. We hypothesized that acute-phase serum cytokine responses may play a role in disease progression, risk for death, and severe pulmonary hemorrhage syndrome (SPHS). Methodology/Principal Findings:We performed a case-control study design to compare cytokine profiles in patients with mild and severe forms of leptospirosis. Among patients hospitalized with severe disease, we compared those with fatal and nonfatal outcomes. During active outpatient and hospital-based surveillance we prospectively enrolled 172 patients, 23 with mild disease (outpatient) and 149 with severe leptospirosis (hospitalized). Circulating concentrations of pro- and antiinflammatory cytokines at the time of patient presentation were measured using a multiplex bead array assay. Concentrations of IL-1b, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17A, and TNF-a were significantly higher (P,0.05) in severe disease compared to mild disease. Among severe patients, levels of IL-6 (P,0.001), IL-8 (P = 0.0049) and IL-10 (P,0.001), were higher in fatal compared to non-fatal cases. High levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were independently associated (P,0.05) with case fatality after adjustment for age and days of symptoms. IL-6 levels were higher (P = 0.0519) among fatal cases who developed SPHS than among who did not. Conclusion/Significance: This study shows that severe cases of leptospirosis are differentiated from mild disease by a ‘‘cytokine storm’’ process, and that IL-6 and IL-10 may play an immunopathogenic role in the development of lifethreatening outcomes in human leptospirosis. San Francisco

Texto completo: acesso restrito. p.1221-1227 Submitted by Suelen Reis (suziy.ellen@gmail.com) on 2013-07-10T13:19:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ejhg201098a.pdf: 456193 bytes, checksum: a35329e4daaa7af5ef15b23b878c4c1e (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2013-07-10T13:19:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ejhg201098a.pdf: 456193 bytes, checksum: a35329e4daaa7af5ef15b23b878c4c1e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 To identify genes associated with the clinical presentation of dengue, 50 cases of probable or possible dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), 236 dengue fever (DF), and 236 asymptomatic infections were genotyped for 593 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 56 genes across the type 1 interferon (IFN) response pathway as well as other important candidate genes. By single locus analysis comparing DHF with DF, 11 of the 51 markers with P

Many parasite populations are difficult to sample because they are not uniformly distributed between several host species and are often not easily collected from the living host, thereby limiting sample size and possibly distorting the representation of the population. For the parasite Schistosoma mansoni, we investigated the use of eggs, in aggregate, from the stools of infected individuals as a simple and representative sample. Previously, we demonstrated that microsatellite allele frequencies can be accurately estimated from pooled DNA of cloned S. mansoni adults. Here, we show that genotyping of parasite populations from reproductively isolated laboratory strains can be used to identify these specific populations based on characteristic patterns of allele frequencies, as observed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and automated sequencer analysis of fluorescently labeled PCR products. Microsatellites used to genotype aggregates of eggs collected from stools of infected individuals produced results consistent with the geographic distribution of the samples. Preferential amplification of smaller alleles, and stutter PCR products, had negligible effect on measurement of genetic differentiation. Direct analysis of total stool eggs can be an important approach to questions of population genetics for this parasite by increasing the sample size to thousands per infected individual and by reducing bias.

Acesso restrito: Texto completo. p. 469-475 Submitted by JURANDI DE SOUZA SILVA (jssufba@hotmail.com) on 2012-05-16T18:10:04Z No. of bitstreams: 1 __www.springerlink.com_c...k2464146086630h7_fulltext.pdf: 174093 bytes, checksum: f7383fe55843dc019ca73a11241bc925 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2012-05-16T18:10:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 __www.springerlink.com_c...k2464146086630h7_fulltext.pdf: 174093 bytes, checksum: f7383fe55843dc019ca73a11241bc925 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 Biomarkers of clinical response to rituximab (RTX) therapy and early predictors of outcome are still under investigation. We report a Xow cytometric immunophenotyping analysis from peripheral blood leukocyte subpopulations of two patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) associated thrombocytopenia and one patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), before and after 6 weeks of treatment with RTX. Our results show a reduced population of CD19+ expressing cells (B cells) after RTX treatment in all three patients. Increased frequency of peripheral regulatory CD4+CD25high T cell subset and the CD3¡CD16¡CD56bright NK cell subset after RTX therapy were also observed in all patients, the latter being more pronounced in the SLE patient with sustained clinical response. In addition, an increased population of NKT cell subsets was observed in the patients with clinical response. This is the Wrst evaluation of NK and NKT cells as biomarkers of clinical response after rituximab therapy in rheumatic diseases.

p. 881-889 Submitted by Suelen Reis (suziy.ellen@gmail.com) on 2013-10-02T13:01:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 10.1645-GE-1895.1.pdf: 2097152 bytes, checksum: b46e88480fc85a2466e6e980a06407cd (MD5) Approved for entry into archive by Rodrigo Meirelles (rodrigomei@ufba.br) on 2013-10-30T18:02:25Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 10.1645-GE-1895.1.pdf: 2097152 bytes, checksum: b46e88480fc85a2466e6e980a06407cd (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2013-10-30T18:02:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 10.1645-GE-1895.1.pdf: 2097152 bytes, checksum: b46e88480fc85a2466e6e980a06407cd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 Many parasite populations are difficult to sample because they are not uniformly distributed between several host species and are often not easily collected from the living host, thereby limiting sample size and possibly distorting the representation of the population. For the parasite Schistosoma mansoni, we investigated the use of eggs, in aggregate, from the stools of infected individuals as a simple and representative sample. Previously, we demonstrated that microsatellite allele frequencies can be accurately estimated from pooled DNA of cloned S. mansoni adults. Here, we show that genotyping of parasite populations from reproductively isolated laboratory strains can be used to identify these specific populations based on characteristic patterns of allele frequencies, as observed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and automated sequencer analysis of fluorescently labeled PCR products. Microsatellites used to genotype aggregates of eggs collected from stools of infected individuals produced results consistent with the geographic distribution of the samples. Preferential amplification of smaller alleles, and stutter PCR products, had negligible effect on measurement of genetic differentiation. Direct analysis of total stool eggs can be an important approach to questions of population genetics for this parasite by increasing the sample size to thousands per infected individual and by reducing bias.

p.762-765 Submitted by Rigaud Andréa (andrearigaud16@yahoo.com.br) on 2011-08-05T01:08:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 per%20int2008.4[1].pdf: 115239 bytes, checksum: 910b1e8af0e8f506e9776e1c78ae926b (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2011-08-05T01:08:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 per%20int2008.4[1].pdf: 115239 bytes, checksum: 910b1e8af0e8f506e9776e1c78ae926b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-02-13 To test whether African ancestry is protective for severe dengue, we genotyped 49 hospitalized cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever(DHF)as well as 293 neighborhood cases of dengue fevre and 294 asymptomatic controls in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.Ancestry-informative markers and 282 unlinked SNPs not associated with the clinical presentation of dengue were used to estimate ancestry. After controlling for income,both self-defined Afro-Brazilian ethnicity and African ancestry were protective for DHF (P=0.02, OR=0.28 and P=0.02,OR=0.13,respectively).Income or an index of income indicators, however,was also independently associated with the diagnosis of DHF.

Acesso restrito: Texto completo. p. 131-134 Submitted by JURANDI DE SOUZA SILVA (jssufba@hotmail.com) on 2012-05-30T19:19:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 __ac.els-cdn.com_S000170...7bb4dfe6e14d3a9853337b8cc9cc3.pdf: 172748 bytes, checksum: ab4ca1ec888e59e6a73c9acb648d2701 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2012-05-30T19:19:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 __ac.els-cdn.com_S000170...7bb4dfe6e14d3a9853337b8cc9cc3.pdf: 172748 bytes, checksum: ab4ca1ec888e59e6a73c9acb648d2701 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 We previously reported the association of the major histocompatibility complex class II HLA-DQB1*0201 allele with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis. The aim of this studywas to evaluate the cytokine responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and the serum levels of immunoglobulin isotypes. The study population was selected from a schistosomiasis endemic area. No significant differences in cytokine profileswere detected in PBMCs stimulated with Schistosoma mansoni soluble egg antigen (SEA), regardless of the subjects DQB1*0201 genotype or infection status. However, previously infected DQB1*0201 positive individuals had significantly lower levels of IgG4 compared to DQB1*0201 negative individuals (P < 0.05).

Plaquetopenia é uma complicação não raramente vista no contexto do lúpus eritematoso sistêmico (LES). O seu tratamento inclui o uso de corticosteróide, imunossupressores, imunoglobulina humana e, eventualmente, esplenectomia. Descreve-se um caso de LES com plaquetopenia persistente a despeito do uso de prednisona e azatioprina, que respondeu satisfatoriamente ao uso de rituximabe (RTX). O estudo de citometria de fluxo mostrou depleção dos linfócitos B do sangue periférico, assim como uma queda das moléculas de co-estimulação após o uso da medicação. Não foi observado efeito colateral relacionado à infusão da substância. Dessa forma, o RTX parece estar indicado para casos selecionados de LES com plaquetopenia de difícil controle. Thrombocytopenia is not a rare complication in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Its treatment includes the use of corticosteroids, immunosuppressive drugs, intravenous immunoglobulin and, eventually, splenectomy. We describe a SLE patient with persistent thrombocytopenia despite of the use of prednisone and azathioprine that improved after infusion of rituximab (RTX). Flow cytometry analysis revealed depletion of B cells from the peripheral blood as well as a decrease in costimulatory molecules after the administration of the medication. Side effects related to the infusion were not observed. It suggests that RTX may be indicated in selected cases of SLE with thrombocytopenia of difficult control.

Texto completo: acesso restrito. p.904–909 Submitted by Edileide Reis (leyde-landy@hotmail.com) on 2013-07-03T13:07:27Z No. of bitstreams: 1 904.full.pdf: 154860 bytes, checksum: 1e2203ed6ee5fecc46e3ad50b5fe23be (MD5) Approved for entry into archive by Flávia Ferreira(flaviaccf@yahoo.com.br) on 2013-07-09T13:51:16Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 904.full.pdf: 154860 bytes, checksum: 1e2203ed6ee5fecc46e3ad50b5fe23be (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2013-07-09T13:51:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 904.full.pdf: 154860 bytes, checksum: 1e2203ed6ee5fecc46e3ad50b5fe23be (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 Most Schistosoma mansoni infections are egg-negative after a single dose of oxamniquine. A cohort of 661 infected children was treated at 6-month intervals and assessed for nutritional and parasitological status. Initial biochemical and immunologic markers were measured in a subset of 84 children. All were treated at the start of therapy and at 6 months. Immunoglobulins only served as markers for active infection. No markers were predictive of cure or reinfection, except initial infection intensity and serum low-density lipoprotein. Ten percent were persistently infected and had no change in infection intensity at any time-point. Several factors suggest that this group was biologically different. In addition to failing to reduce their worm burden, they had significantly higher initial intensity of infection (100 versus 65 eggs/g, P = 0.001) and significantly lower initial serum low-density lipoprotein (72 versus 104 mg/dL, P = 0.045). The biologic plausibility of this observation is discussed.

RESTRITO Submitted by Santiago Fabio (fabio.ssantiago@hotmail.com) on 2012-07-04T14:04:32Z No. of bitstreams: 1 789.pdf: 96249 bytes, checksum: ac92983daf6497c18de41cf11f60bf61 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2012-07-04T14:04:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 789.pdf: 96249 bytes, checksum: ac92983daf6497c18de41cf11f60bf61 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 Leptospirosis is a globally distributed zoonosis of major public health importance and is associated with severe disease manifestations such as acute renal failure and pulmonary haemorrhage syndrome. However, the extent to which the pathogenesis of leptospirosis mimics sepsis caused by Gram-negative bacteria remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum levels of nitric oxide (NO) in patients diagnosed with severe leptospirosis. Sera from 35 confirmed cases of severe leptospirosis and 13 healthy subjects were analysed. Patients with severe leptospirosis had significantly higher NO levels compared to healthy individuals (30.82 ± 10.90 μM versus 3.86 ± 1.34 μM, P < 0.001), indicating that this immune mediator plays a role in the underlying systemic inflammatory response.