Analytical and clinical performance of molecular assay used by the Brazilian public laboratory network to detect and discriminate Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya viruses in blood

ABSTRACT In response to the Zika epidemics in Brazil, the ZDC molecular assay (Bio-Manguinhos) was developed and registered at the Brazilian Regulatory Agency of Health Surveillance - ANVISA. The circulation of Zika (ZIKV) Dengue (DENV) and Chikungunya (CHIKV) viruses and their clinical similarities are challenges to correctly diagnose these viruses. The simultaneous detection of ZIKV, DENV and CHIKV is an important tool for diagnosis and surveillance. Here, we present the analytical and clinical performance evaluation of ZDC molecular assay (Bio-Manguinhos) at the public health laboratories three years after its registration at ANVISA. The clinical performance demonstrates the ZDC molecular assay (Bio-Manguinhos) has 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity to detect and discriminate ZIKV, CHIKV, and DENV from clinical plasma samples. The ZDC molecular assay (Bio-Manguinhos) results were highly reproducible and no cross-reactivity was seen during testing with a panel of other infectious agents. In conclusion, the ZDC molecular assay (Bio-Manguinhos) is an accurate and reliable tool to monitor Zika, dengue and chikungunya infections in countries like Brazil with simultaneous circulation of the three viruses.

Clathriamide, an hexapeptide isolated from the marine sponge Clathria (Clathria) nicoleae

ABSTRACT Chemical investigation of the aqueous fraction of the ethanol extract from the Brazilian endemic marine sponge Clathria (Clathria) nicoleae Vieira de Barros, Santos & Pinheiro, 2013, Microcionidae, sampled from a 55 m deep rhodolith bed at the Amazon River mouth, led to the isolation of a new hexapeptide, clathriamide (1). HP-20 resin was used to capture compound 1 from the aqueous fraction, which was purified by additional chromatographic steps. The absolute configuration of the amino acids of 1 was determined by advanced Marfey's analysis using 5-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl-Nα-L-tryptophanamide. The amino acid derivatives analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometry using a C8 column enabled a good chromatographic resolution of L-Ile and L-allo-Ile, previously unfeasible using C18 column.

The potential of compounds isolated from Xylaria spp. as antifungal agents against anthracnose

ABSTRACT Anthracnose is a crop disease usually caused by fungi in the genus Colletotrichum or Gloeosporium. These are considered one of the main pathogens, causing significant economic losses, such as in peppers and guarana. The current forms of control include the use of resistant cultivars, sanitary pruning and fungicides. However, even with the use of some methods of controlling these cultures, the crops are not free of anthracnose. Additionally, excessive application of fungicides increases the resistance of pathogens to agrochemicals and cause harm to human health and the environment. In order to find natural antifungal agents against guarana anthracnose, endophytic fungi were isolated from Amazon guarana. The compounds piliformic acid and cytochalasin D were isolated by chromatographic techniques from two Xylaria spp., guided by assays with Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. The isolated compounds were identified by spectrometric techniques, as NMR and mass spectrometry. This is the first report that piliformic acid and cytochalasin D have antifungal activity against C. gloeosporioides with MIC 2.92 and 2.46 µmol mL-1 respectively. Captan and difenoconazole were included as positive controls (MIC 16.63 and 0.02 µmol mL-1, respectively). Thus, Xylaria species presented a biotechnological potential and production of different active compounds which might be promising against anthracnose disease.

One-step real-time PCR assay for detection and quantification of RNA HCV to monitor patients under treatment in Brazil

ABSTRACT The Brazilian Public Health Service provides freely αPEG-IFN to treat patients infected with HCV. The primary goal of HCV therapy is the long-term elimination of HCV from the blood to reduce the risk of HCV associated complications and death. Patient viremia affects the treatment duration and response, thus influencing clinical decisions. We developed a high-throughput method to perform the quantification of RNA hepatitis C virus (HCV) virus load in plasma samples to monitor patients under treatment. The method is based on a duplex detection, in a one-step real-time RT-PCR assay and it has been validated according to the rules established by the official Brazilian regulatory agency (ANVISA). This new method was compared to a commercial kit (Cobas/Taqman HCV Test v2.0 - Roche), showing virus load results with significant correlation between them (p= 0,012) using commercial and clinical panels. In addition, 611 samples from patients treated with peguilated alfa-interferon (αPEG-IFN) from different regions of Brazil were analyzed. Our one-step real-time RT-PCR assay demonstrated good performance in viral load measurement and in treatment course monitoring, with acceptable sensitivity and specificity values.

Atribuição dos deslocamentos químicos dos átomos de ¹H e 13C do acetato de acantoaustralida / 1H and 13C NMR assignments of acanthoaustralide-1-O-Acetate

Do extrato hidroetanólico das partes aéreas de Acanthospermum australe (Asteraceae) foram identificados uma lactona diterpênica, o acetato de acantoaustralida (1) e dois flavonoides: quercetina (2) e crisosplenol D (3). As estruturas foram identificadas através de técnicas espectroscópicas de RMN de ¹H e 13C, gHSQC, gHMBC, TOCSY, gNOESY, EM e pela comparação com dados da literatura.

From the hydroethanolic extract of the aerial parts of Acanthospermum australe (Asteraceae) a diterpene lactone, acanthoaustralide-1-O-Acetate (1) and two flavonoids: quercetin (2) and chrysosplenol D (3) were identified. The structures were determined though the use of spectroscopic techniques such as NMR (¹H, 13C{¹H}, gHSQC, gHMBC, TOCSY, gNOESY), MS and compared with the literature data.

Antibody isotype responses in Balb/c mice immunized with the cytoplasmic repetitive antigen and flagellar repetitive antigen of Trypanosoma cruzi

In the present report we analyzed the levels of IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b and IgG3 isotypes from Balb/c mice immunized with cytoplasmic repetitive antigen (CRA), and flagelar repetitive antigen (FRA) of Trypanosoma cruzi. The immunization was done by subcutaneous route three times (20 days apart) and the analysis was performed 14 days after each treatment. CRA-immunized mice produced high levels of all IgG isotypes, mainly IgG3 and IgG1. FRA-immunization elicited only high levels of IgG1

Serodiagnosis of chronic Chagas infection by using EIE-Recombinant-Chagas-Biomanguinhos kit

A kit based on an enzyme immunoassay, EIE-Recombinant-Chagas-Biomanguinhos, developed by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, was evaluated for the serodiagnosis of chronic Chagas disease. Evaluation was performed with 368 serum samples collected from individuals living in an endemic area for Chagas disease: 131 patients in the chronic phase with confirmed clinical, epidemiological, and serological diagnosis (indirect immunofluorescence, indirect hemagglutination or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and 237 nonchagasic seronegative individuals were considered negative control. The EIE-Recombinant-Chagas-Biomanguinhos kit showed high sensitivity, 100 percent (CI 95 percent: 96.4-100 percent) and high specificity, 100 percent (CI 95 percent: 98-100 percent). The data obtained were in full agreement with clinical and conventional serology data. In addition, no cross-reaction was observed with sera from patients with cutaneous (n=14) and visceral (n=3) leishmaniasis. However, when these sera were tested by conventional serological assays for Chagas disease, cross-reactions were detected in 14.3 percent and 33.3 percent of the patients with cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis, respectively. No cross-reactions were observed when sera from nonchagasic seronegative patients bearing other infectious disease (syphilis, n=8; HTLV, n=8; HCV, n=7 and HBV, n=12) were tested. In addition, sera of patients with inconclusive results for Chagas disease by conventional serology showed results in agreement with clinical evaluation, when tested by the kit. These results are relevant and indicate that the refered kit provides a safe immunodiagnosis of Chagas disease and could be used in blood bank screening