Achados patológicos e imuno-histoquímicos em bovinos com doença granulomatosa sistêmica pelo consumo de Vicia villosa (Leg. Papilionoideae) no Rio Grande do Sul / Pathological and immunohistochemical findings in cattle affected by systemic granulomatous disease by consumption Vicia villosa (Leg. Papilionoideae) in Rio Grande do Sul

A doença granulomatosa sistêmica associada ao consumo de Vicia villosa (Leg. Papilionoideae) foi diagnosticada em 5 bovinos no período de 2005 a 2008. Os bovinos apresentavam alopecia, lesões crostosas na pele, prurido, febre, queda da produção leiteira, anorexia e emagrecimento. O curso clínico médio da doença foi de 2 semanas. Dos bovinos analisados três morreram e dois foram eutanasiados. As lesões macroscópicas de alopecia e crostas na pele eram localizadas principalmente na face e pescoço. Observava-se nódulos multifocais a coalescentes branco-acinzentados que infiltravam vários órgãos especialmente em linfonodos, rins e coração. As lesões microscópicas consistiam na infiltração de linfócitos, macrófagos, células epitelioides, células gigantes multinucleadas, eosinófilos e plasmócitos. Linfonodos, rins, adrenal, baço e fígado de todos os bovinos apresentaram infiltrado granulomatoso, porém de intensidade variável. Nos testes imuno-histoquímicos dos órgãos com infiltrado inflamatório, as principais células visualizadas foram os linfócitos T, seguidos de macrófagos/células epitelioides/células gigantes multi-nucleadas e os linfócitos B foram raramente detectados nos locais de inflamação granulomatosa. O número reduzido de células marcadas por Ki-67 nas lesões granulomatosas, tende a indicar que a proliferação celular não foi responsável pela hipercelularidade das lesões e que o recrutamento de macrófagos e linfócitos para o local da inflamação provavelmente tenha sido o responsável pelo acúmulo de células no infiltrado inflamatório.

The systemic granulomatous disease associated with consumption of Vicia villosa (Leg. Papilionoideae family) has been diagnosed in 5 cattle from 2005 to 2008. Affected cattle showed alopecia, crusted lesions on the skin, had itching, fever, decreased milk yield, anorexia and wasting. Average clinical course was 2 weeks. Three cattle died and two were euthanized in extremis. The main gross changes are alopecic and crusts in the skin, mainly on the face and neck. There also were multifocal to coalescent whitish nodules that infiltrated several organs, but especially lymph nodes, kidneys and hearth. Microscopic changes consisted of infiltration with lymphocytes, macrophages, epithelioid cells, giant multinucleated cells, eosinophils, and plasmocytes. Lymph nodes, kidneys, adrenal gland, spleen and liver from affected cattle showed varying degrees of granulomatous infiltration. Immunohistochemical procedures on samples from affected organs revealed that T-lymphocytes and macrophages/epithelioid cells/giant multinucleated cells were the main components of the inflammatory infiltrates, B-lymphocytes were only rarely seen within. The reduced numbers of cells marked by Ki-67 in the granulomatous lesions would indicate that cell proliferation was not responsible for the hypercellularity in the lesions and that rather the recruitment of macrophages and lymphocytes to the site inflammation probably accounted for the building up of the local cellular inflammatory infiltrate.

Applying weight gain in Pomacea lineata (Spix 1824) (Mollusca: Prosobranchia) as a measure of herbicide toxicity

Pomacea lineata, um molusco amplamente distribuído e considerado como peste em plantações de arroz no Oriente, pode ser considerado como um valioso recurso para monitorar a qualidade da água no Nordeste do Brasil. Neste trabalho, apresentamos dados que demonstram que o incremento de peso em moluscos neonatos é uma medida consistente que responde eficientemente ao estresse imposto por concentrações tóxicas subletais dos herbicidas Paraquat e Round-up. Os resultados de crescimento para avaliar a toxicidade crônica foram obtidos em experimentos de quatro e quatro, oito, doze e dezesseis dias para Paraquat e Round-up, respectivamente. A maior concentração de efeito não observado (NOEC) e a menor concentração de efeito observado (LOEC) para Paraquat, após 96 horas, foram respectivamente de 0,12 e 0,25 mg/L. Para o Round-up, os valores de NOEC e LOEC estimados foram respectivamente de 0,25 e 0,5 mg/L. Todas as concentrações de Round-up testadas após 192 horas de exposição provocaram diminuições nas taxas de crescimento, sendo significativamente diferentes do controle. Conseqüentemente não pode ser estimado o valor de NOEC. O valor de LOEC foi menor do que 0,12 mg/L. Além disso, não houve nenhuma mortalidade durante o teste. Por conseguinte, nenhum NOEC pôde ser derivado e o LOEC era < 0,12 mg/L. Para as mais baixas concentrações de Paraquat testadas (0,005 mg/L), houve um aumento do crescimento que foi significativamente maior que o controle, sugerindo a ocorrência de um efeito hormético.

Prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus infection among women in Jeju Island, Republic of Korea.

Hepatitis B and C virus infection prevalence was investigated in the Island of Jeju (formerly Cheju), the Republic of Korea, by means of a small-scale sero-epidemiological survey in 2000. Adult women in the city of Jeju (the provincial capital) and two fishing-farming villages A and B were invited to offer venous blood samples for immunological examination for infection markers of two virus and serum biochemistry for liver function. In practice, 66 married women (33, 16 and 17 women from the city, Village A and Village B, respectively) volunteered. Sera were separated on site and were assayed for HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc, and anti-HCV positivities and liver function markers including AST, ALT and gamma-GTP. The serum assay showed that the prevalence of HbsAg+ or anti-HCV+ cases was low (5 and 2%, respectively), whereas that of anti-HBs+ and anti-HBc+ cases were high (71 and 62%) so that the over-all HBV positivity was 82%. There were essentially no urban-rural difference or age-dependent changes in the positivity. Comparison with the prevalence reported in literature shows that prevalence of HBsAg+ and anti-HCV+ is in general agreement with the values reported for the populations in general, but HBV+ prevalence might be somewhat higher than the levels reported for the general populations.

Hepatitis B and C virus infection among adult women in Jilin Province, China: an urban-rural comparison in prevalence of infection markers.

Twin seroepidemiological surveys on prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV, respectively) infection were conducted on 100 adult women in total, 50 each in the provincial capital of Changchun and in a farming village in the vicinity in Jilin Province, northeast China. Positivity to three markers on HBV (ie HBsAg+, anti-HBs+, and anti-HBc+) was examined by RIA methods, and to one on HCV (anti-HCV+) by EIA. The results were evaluated in combination with two foregoing studies in Shandong and Shaanxi Provinces, and with special reference to possible urban-rural differences in prevalence. The prevalence of HBsAg+ cases was rather low (ie 9% when two groups were combined), but that of anti-HBs+ and anti-HBc+ cases was high, being 50% and 45%, respectively. Thus, the rate of HBV+ cases was 62%. The rate for HCV+ cases was 3%. The comparison of the prevalence between the city group and the village group showed that the rates for anti-HBs+ and HBV+ were significantly or marginally higher in the former group than in the latter, respectively. The HCV+ prevalence rate for the city group (4%) also tended to be higher than the corresponding rates for the village group (2%), although the difference was statistically insignificant. When evaluated together with the observation in Shandong and Shaanxi Provinces, it appears possible to generalize that the HBV infection prevalence is not higher and probably lower in rural areas than in urban areas, and that such may also be the case for the HCV infection prevalence.

Avaliaçäo de atividade inflamatória na osteomielite crônica: contribuiçäo da cintilografia com anticorpos policlonais / Evaluation of inflammatory activity in chronic osteomyelitis: contribution of scintigraphy with polyclonal antibodies

OBJETIVO: O diagnóstico de osteomielite crônica em atividade ou sobreposta a outras patologias é difícil, pois estas situações mascaram os achados radiológicos de infecção. A especificidade da cintilografia do esqueleto ou com gálio-67 também é reduzida pela influência da remodelação óssea na captação destes radiofármacos. Anticorpos policlonais marcados com tecnécio-99m (Tc-99m-IgG) apresentam captação independente do metabolismo ósseo, sendo um dos radiofármacos em investigação para avaliação mais específica de infecção. CASUÍSTICA E MÉTODO: Neste estudo comparou-se a cintilografia com Tc-99m-IgG, cintilografia óssea trifásica e cintilografia com gálio-67 no diagnóstico da osteomielite crônica em atividade em 23 segmentos ósseos; correlacionando-as com dados clínico-laboratoriais e radiológicos. RESULTADOS: Oito dos 23 segmentos foram classificados como infectados, 11 não infectados e quatro inconclusivos. A sensibilidade e especificidade encontradas para cintilografia óssea, com gálio-67 e com Tc-99m-IgG foram, respectivamente, 88 e 36 por cento, 75 e 73 por cento, 88 e 82 por cento. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados sugerem que a Tc-99m-IgG possa ser utilizada no diagnóstico da osteomielite crônica em atividade.

Prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus infection among working women in Bangkok.

A small-scale seroepidemiological survey on hepatitis B and C virus infection was conducted in the vicinity of Bangkok, Thailand, in 1998. Adult women working in a health sciences institution were invited to participate in the study, and 52 subjects (19 to 57 years of age) volunteered to offer peripheral blood. They were non-smoking and non-habitually drinking, and about two thirds of the subjects were married. The sera from the blood samples were assayed for HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc, and anti-HCV positivities. The serum assay showed that none of the subjects was positive to HBsAg or anti-HCV, but a half of the subjects (50%) were either positive to anti-HBs, to anti-HBc or to the both, thus having experienced HBV infection in the past. The prevalence of the positivities was significantly higher among those at 35-57 years of age than those younger than 35 years. Comparison of the present findings with the results reported in literature suggested that the risk of HBV infection should have been higher than that of HCV infection, that the observed positivity of HBV infection was probably lower than ever reported, and that anti-HCV positivity should be the lowest.

Prevalence of hepatitis B and C infection markers among adult women in urban and rural areas in Shaanxi Province, China.

In an attempt to investigate possible urban-rural difference in prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV, respectively) infection in continental China, triplet surveys on HBV and HCV infection markers (ie, HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc, and anti-HCV) and serum enzyme levels (AST, ALT and gamma-GTP) were conducted in 1997 on groups of apparently healthy adult women (49 to 50 subjects per group); one group (the City group) was in Xian, the provincial capital of Shaanxi Province, and two others (the Village A group and the Village B group) were in farming villages in the Province some 200 and 25 km away from Xian, respectively. Comparison among the three groups showed that there was no urban-rural difference in prevalence of HBV and HCV infection positive (HBV+ and HCV+) cases and that the overall prevalence of HBV+ and HCV+ cases was 70% and 3%, respectively. HBsAg+ prevalence was however higher in the villages (8% when the two villages were combined) than in the city (2%). HBV infection was not associated in general with apparent increase in emission enzyme levels in the serum, whereas HCV infection might be associated with an increase in ALT, AST and gamma-GTP. The present observation in combination with other previously published results suggests that urban-rural difference will not be remarkable in HBV and HCV infection prevalence in Continental China and that the public health problem is more serious with HBV infection and quite less so with HCV infection.

Hepatitis B and C virus infection prevalence among women in Manila, the Philippines.

A seroepidemiological survey of HBsAg, HBeAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc, anti-HBe and anti-HCV positivities was conducted in 1997 in Manila, The Philippines. Adult women (21 to 59 years of age) were invited to donate peripheral blood for the study, and 50 people volunteered. They were nonsmokers, nonhabitual drinkers, and mostly married; none of them was a professional blood donor. The serum assay showed that all subjects were negative for HBsAg and HBeAg. Overall, a half (50%) of the study subjects were positive for any one of the HBV infection markers (i.e. HBV+). The older group (25 women at 36-59 years of age) showed significantly higher prevalence than the younger group (25 women at 21-35 years of age) of positivity to all three HBV antibody markers and therefore HBV positivity also. None of the study subjects was positive for anti-HCV. Comparison of the present findings with the results reported in the literature for the 1980s suggests that the risk of HBV infection and most probably that of HCV infection also has decreased in this 10-year period in the Philippines.

Urban-rural comparison of HBV and HCV infection prevalence among adult women in Shandong Province, China.

In order to make urban-rural comparison of the prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV, respectively) infection in China, a twin survey was conducted in 1996 on two groups (50 subjects each) of 21-55 year-old, apparently healthy women for infection markers and serum enzyme levels; one group (the urban group) was in Jinan, the provincial capital of Shandong Province, and the other (the rural group) was in a farming village in Zhangqiu area some 30 km away from Jinan City. Comparison between the two groups showed that there was no significant (p > 0.10) difference in the prevalence of HBsAg+, anti-HBs+, anti-HBc+ and the cases positive to any of three HBV infection markers (i.e. HBV+). No age-dependent difference was detected within or between the groups. Thus the overall positivity rate was 8% for HBsAg+, 47% for anti-HBs+, 48% for anti-HBc+, and 64% for HBV+. No anti-HCV+ case was found either in the urban group or in the rural group. Liver function remained normal in all cases studied. The results together with perusal of published data suggest the urban-rural difference will not be remarkable, if present, in HBV and HCV infection in the regions studied, and possibly in China as a whole.

Purification of Gnathostoma spinigerum larval antigens by monoclonal antibody affinity chromatography.

An immunoaffinity column was prepared by coupling a partially purified Gnathostoma spinigerum-specific IgG1, MAb SK-6C4 (5 mg/ml) to CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B. Ten milliliters of approximately 0.3 mg/ml of crude soluble G. spinigerum larval antigens (GsAL3) were loaded onto the affinity column at a flow rate of about 5 ml/hour. Elution of the bound antigens was accomplished using 50 mM diethylamine-HCI containing 0.15 M NaCL, pH 11.5. The average amount of eluted antigens obtained by one passage of crude GsAL3 (1-4 mg) through 4 to 8 ml of column matrix was 143 micrograms (range, 67 - 414 micrograms). The minimal amount of purified GsAL3 detectable by ELISA using MAb SK - 6C4 (100 micrograms/ml) was 50 ng/ml. The SK - 6C4 affinity-purified GsAL3 was found to be relatively pure and immunologically specific as determined by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting, respectively.

Immunohistochemical localization of Gnathostoma spinigerum larval antigens by monoclonal antibodies: I. Light microscopy.

Immunohistochemical localization of antigens in advanced third-stage larvae of Gnathostoma spinigerum (GsAL3) was studied by indirect enzyme immunostaining using 7 G. spinigerum specific monoclonal antibodies, FS-3D11, SS-5H5, SK-6C4, SK-4E1, SK-7G6, SD-8D4 and SA-9B5. All these MAb belong to the IgG1 subclass and only FS-3D11 and SS-5H5 recognize carbohydrate determinants. Each MAb exhibited a different reaction pattern and staining intensity in sectioned GsAL3. FS-3D11 bound primarily to the intestinal brush border whereas SS-5H5 reacted with various tissues of the parasite including intestinal epithelium and brush border, lateral cords, muscle, pseudocoel, and cuticle. SK-6C4 predominantly stained muscle, however, SK-4E1 and SK-7G6 exhibited a lack of labeling. SD-8D4 bound to the cuticle and the lateral cords whereas SA-9B5 reacted primarily with the pseudocoel. These results suggest that antigens sharing common epitopes are present in various structures of the larvae with the intestine being the most antigenic site. The present data also suggest that certain GsAL3 antigens recognized by the MAb obtained in this study are sensitive to formalin fixation and/or paraffin embedding since for 2 out of the 7 MAb staining was negative.

Feocromocitoma intratorácico: relato de caso / Intrathoracic pheochromocytoma: a case report

Os autores apresentam um caso de feocromocitoma intratorácico demonstrado e localizado através da cintilografia com MIBG-131, e sua correlaçäo com a radiografia convencional e tomografia computadorizada

Variaciones normales de la tiroxina libre serica (T4L). / Normal changes of free serum thyroxine (LT4)

Determinado el valor de la T4L serica en el diagnostico tiroideo, se necesario establecer las modificaciones de los niveles de esta hormonal en distintas condiciones fisiologicas, en especial, las producidas por la edad. Se estudiaron 225 sujetos de ambos sexos, eutiroideos, cuyas edades oscilaban entre 6 y 75 anos, en los que se determino, T4, T3, T4L por RIA. Para todo el grupo el valor de la T4L fue 1,41 ng/ 100 ml +/- 0.08 (e.s.). Se observo un descenso de las cifras de T4L, al aumentar la edad de los pacientes desde niveles de 1.57 ng/100 ml +/- 0.03 para el grupo de 6 a 20 anos de edad hasta 1.14ng/ 100 +/- 0.08 para el grupo de mas de 60 anos. Este descenso fue menos acentuado que el registrado para T3 pero mayor que el observado para T4. Se discuten las implicaciones de esta observaciones y se asocia la discrepancia entre las variaciones de T4 y T4L a las modificaciones de las proteinas transportadoras con el incremento de edad