Anatomical investigations of Piper amalago (jaborandi-manso) for the quality control

Abstract Piper amalago L., Piperaceae, popularly known as jaborandi-manso, is a shrub that spans a height of 2–7 m. It can be found in the regions of Southern America downward up to the south of Brazil. Traditionally it is used to treat digestive problems, heart problems, and burns. This study aims to conduct an anatomical investigation and analysis of the leaves and stems of P. amalago through electron scanning and optical micro techniques. The analysis showed that P. amalago has a hypostomatic leaf, with a subepidermal layer on its surface. There are grandular trichomes that resemble sacs, conic non-glandular trichomes, dorsiventral mesophyll, and a plano-convex midrib having a single vascular bundle in the center. The petiole is short with irregularly shaped and adaxially grooved. The stem is circular in shape and contains two circles of vascular bundles and a sclerenchymatic sheath in the perimedular region. These anatomical features of the Piper amalago's leaves and stems make it easy to pick it out among other species of the Piper genus. This is helpful when conducting quality control process.

A comparison of molecular markers to detect Lutzomyia longipalpis naturally infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum

The aim of the present study was to detect natural infection by Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum in Lutzomyia longipalpis captured in Barcarena, state of Pará, Brazil, through the use of three primer sets. With this approach, it is unnecessary to previously dissect the sandfly specimens. DNA of 280 Lu. longipalpis female specimens were extracted from the whole insects. PCR primers for kinetoplast minicircle DNA (kDNA), the mini-exon gene and the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU-rRNA) gene of Leishmania were used, generating fragments of 400 bp, 780 bp and 603 bp, respectively. Infection by the parasite was found with the kDNA primer in 8.6% of the cases, with the mini-exon gene primer in 7.1% of the cases and with the SSU-rRNA gene primer in 5.3% of the cases. These data show the importance of polymerase chain reaction as a tool for investigating the molecular epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis by estimating the risk of disease transmission in endemic areas, with the kDNA primer representing the most reliable marker for the parasite.

Leprosy and hepatitis B coinfection in southern Brazil

To investigate the association of leprosy with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, as yet unknown for South Brazil, we assessed hepatitis B virus coinfection in 199 South Brazilian leprosy patients (119 lepromatous, 15 tuberculoid, 30 borderline, 12 undetermined and 23 unspecified) and in 681 matched blood donors by screening for the hepatitis B virus markers HBSAg and anti-HBc, using ELISA. Positive samples were retested and anti-HBc+ only samples were tested for the hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs). There was a strong association between leprosy and hepatitis B virus infection (OR = 9.8, 95% CI = 6.4–14.7; p = 0.004·E−30), as well as an association between HBV infection and lepromatous leprosy, compared to other forms (OR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.2–4.8; p = 0.017). We also found that confinement due to leprosy was associated with hepatitis B virus infection (OR = 3.9, 95% CI = 2.1–7.4; p = 0.015·E−3). Leprosy patients are susceptible to develop hepatitis B virus infection, especially lepromatous. Institutionalized patients, who probably present a stronger Th2 response, have higher risk of being exposed to hepatitis B virus. This clearly emphasizes the need for special care to leprosy patients in preventing hepatitis B virus coinfection in South Brazil.

Variabilidade genética dos componentes C3 e BF do sistema complemento em lúpus eritematoso sistêmico / Genetic variability of complement components C3 and BF in systemic lupus erythematosus

Objetivos - Analisar a variabilidade genética dos componentes C3 e BF do sistema complemento em pacientes brasileiros portadores de lúpus eritematoso sistêmico (LES) e as possíveis associações entre suas formas alotípicas e determinadas manifestações clínicas e laboratoriais da doença. Pacientes e métodos - O estudo foi realizado em 95 pacientes portadores de LES (88 mulheres e 7 homens, com variação etária de 14 a 57 anos, média de 30,18 anos), segundo os critérios de classificação do Colégio Americano de Reumatologia, e em 89 controles sadios. Os alótipos de C3 e de BF foram detectados no soro dos pacientes e controles através de eletroforese de alta voltagem em gel agarose, seguido de imunofixação com anticorpo específico. Resultados - Os alótipos de C3 e BF observados no presente estudo foram: C3S, C3F, C3SF, C3SS05 e BFS, BFF, BFSSF, BFSF1, BFSF075, BFSS07, BFF1. Os resultados obtidos demonstrarem aumento do alótipo BFF nos pacientes, quando comparados com os controles normais (p= 0,055; RR = 2,87); para os demais alótipos, não houve diferença signifiante quanto à sua distribuição. Menor frequência do alótipo BFS foi observada nos pacientes que apresentaram manifestações neurológicas, em relação aos que não as tiveram (p=0,059); RR = 0,28). Também nos pacientes que apresentaram serosites, observou-se frequência diminuída dos alótipos C3S e BFS, quando comparados com os que naõ apresentaram esta manifestação durante o curso da doença (p=0,036 para C3 e p=0,021 para BF; RR = 0,38 para ambos). Conclusões - A frequência diminuída de BFS nos pacientes com manifestações neurológicas e de C3S e BFS nos que apresentaram serosites no curso da doença sugere associação negativa e possível papel protetor desses alótipos no desenvolvimento dessas manifestações clínicas no LES. Os achados aqui descritos sugerem que a variabilidade genetica das proteínas C3 e BF do sistema complemento pode estar relacionada com o mecanismo etiopatogênico e com a expressão clínica do LES em pacientes brasileiros