Cross-protection between experimental anti-leptospirosis bacterins

We investigated the existence of cross-protection between two anti-leptospirosis monovalent experimental bacterins produced with two strains of Leptospira serogroup Pomona: Fromm strain of serovar Kennewicky, isolated from pigs in the United States, and strain GR6 of serovar Pomona isolated from pigs in Brazil. Both were added of aluminum hydroxide as an adjuvant. Experimental bacterins were tested with the hamster potency test in order to assess protection provided against the disease and against the establishment of kidney infection. Controls were polyvalent commercial vaccine produced with Leptospira strains isolated outside Brazil, which included a representative of Pomona serovar, or Sorensen solution added of aluminum hydroxide adjuvant. The challenge was performed with cross-strains of serogroup Pomona tested in accordance with international standards established for the potency test. After 21 days of the challenge, survivors were killed to evaluate the condition of Leptospira renal carrier. Experimental bacterins protected hamsters against homologous and heterologous strains, demonstrating the existence of cross-protection. The commercial vaccine protected the hamsters challenged with both strains, but there was a high proportion of animals diagnosed as renal carriers when the challenge was performed with strain GR6, isolated from pigs in Brazil.

Efficacy of low-level laser therapy and aluminum hydroxide in patients with chemotherapy and radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis

This study evaluated the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and aluminum hydroxide (AH) in the prevention of oral mucositis (OM). A prospective, comparative and non-randomized study was conducted with 25 patients with head and neck cancer subjected to radiotherapy (RT) or radiochemotherapy (RCT). Twelve patients received LLLT (830 nm, 15 mW, 12 J/cm²) daily from the 1st day until the end of RT before each sessions during 5 consecutive days, and the other 13 patients received AH 310 mg/5 mL, 4 times/day, also throughout the duration of RT, including weekends. OM was measured using an oral toxicity scale (OTS) and pain was measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS). EORTC questionnaires were administered to the evaluate impact of OM on quality of life. The LLLT group showed lower mean OTS and VAS scores during the course of RT. A significant difference was observed in pain evaluation in the 13th RT session (p=0.036). In both groups, no interruption of RT was needed. The prophylactic use of both treatments proposed in this study seems to reduce the incidence of severe OM lesions. However, the LLLT was more effective in delaying the appearance of severe OM.

Este estudo avaliou a eficácia da terapia do laser de baixa potência (LBP) e hidróxido de alumínio (HA) na prevenção da mucosite oral (MO). Um estudo prospectivo, comparativo e não-aleatorizado foi conduzido com 25 pacientes com câncer de cabeça e pescoço submetidos a radioterapia (RT) ou radioquimioterapia (RT/QT). Doze pacientes receberam LBP (830 nm, 15 mW, 12 J/cm²) diariamente desde o primeiro dia até o final da RT antes de cada sessão durante 5 dias consecutivos, e os outros 13 pacientes receberam HA 310 mg/5 mL, 4 vezes ao dia, também por toda a duração da RT, incluindo finais de semana. MO foi mensurada usando uma escala de toxicidade oral (ETO) e dor foi mensurada usando a escala visual analógica (EVA). Questionários da EORTC foram administrados para a avaliação do impacto da MO na qualidade de vida. O grupo LBP mostrou menores médias dos escores da ETO e EVA durante o curso da RT. Uma diferença significante foi observada na avaliação da dor na 13ª sessão de RT (p=0,036). Em ambos os grupos, nenhuma interrupção da RT foi necessária. O uso profilático de ambos os tratamentos propostos neste estudo parece reduzir a incidência de lesões severas de MO. No entanto, o LBP foi mais efetivo no atraso do aparecimento da MO severa.

Vaccination with a Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-16/18 AS04-Adjuvanted Cervical Cancer Vaccine in Korean Girls Aged 10-14 Years

The human papillomavirus (HPV)-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted cervical cancer vaccine has been demonstrated to be highly efficacious and immunogenic with a favorable safety profile. This study assessed the immunogenicity and safety of the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine in healthy Korean girls aged 10-14 yr. This multi-center, observer-blind trial randomly assigned 321 healthy girls to receive three doses (0, 1, 6-month schedule) of HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine or hepatitis A vaccine. Immunogenicity against vaccine antigens was assessed one month post-Dose 3. Solicited and unsolicited adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs (SAEs) were recorded. In the according-to-protocol analysis, all initially seronegative subjects vaccinated with the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine had seroconverted at Month 7, with a peak geometric mean titer (GMT) that was 600-fold higher than the natural infection titer of 29.8 EU/mL for HPV-16 and a peak GMT that was 400-fold higher than the natural infection titer of 22.6 EU/mL for HPV-18. The vaccine was well tolerated with no increase in reactogenicity with subsequent doses and no reports of vaccine-related SAEs. In conclusion, the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine is shown to be highly immunogenic and generally well-tolerated in Korean girls aged 10-14 yr.

Aluminum hydroxide associated to Schistosoma mansoni 22.6 kDa protein abrogates partial protection against experimental infection but not alter interleukin-10 production

The need to develop a vaccine against schistosomiasis led several researches and our group to investigate proteins from Schistosoma mansoni as vaccine candidates. Sm22.6 is a protein from S. mansoni that shows high identity with Sj22.6 and Sh22.6 (79 and 91 percent, respectively). These proteins are associated with high levels of IgE and protection to reinfection. Previously, we have shown that Sm22.6 induced a partial protection of 34.5 percent when used together with Freund's adjuvant and produced a Th0 type of immune response with interferon-g and interleukin-4. In this work, mice were immunized with Sm22.6 alone or with aluminum hydroxide adjuvant and high levels of IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a were measured. Unfortunately, no protection was detected. Since IL-10 is a modulating cytokine in schistosomiasis, we also observed a high level of this molecule in splenocytes of vaccinated mice. In conclusion, we did not observe the adjuvant effect of aluminum hydroxide associated with rSm22.6 in protective immunity.

Refluxo gastroesofágico: comparaçäo entre os achados laríngeos e digestivos / Gastroesophageal reflux: correlation between laryngeal and digestive finding

O refluxo gastroesofágico é uma condiçäo comumente vista na prática diária do médico e pode manifestar vários sintomas encontrados no quotidiano do otorrinolaringologista. Neste trabalho os autores procuram correlacionar as mudanças que ocorrem na laringe e no aparelho gastrointestinal através da análise de sintomas, laringoscopia direta, endoscopia digestiva e exame anatomopatológico de 27 casos de refluxo gastroesofágico com manifestaçöes otorrinolaringológicas

Estudio comparativo del chacco, tiquill-tiquill e hidroxido de aluminio en lesiones de la mucosa gástrica inducidas por estres en ratas albinas

El presente trabajo de investigación, demuestra el efecto del chacco y del Tiquill-Tiquill, sobre las lesiones de la mucosa gástrica, inducidas por estrés por inmovilización más inmersión en agua a 23 grados centígrados, en ratas albinas; y compara estos tratamientos con el Hidróxido de Alumino. Se realizó en el bioterio y laboratorio de fisiología de la facultad de Medicina de la UNSA en los meses de abril a julio de 1996. Se utilizaron 48 ratas albinas; se pudo apreciar que el chacco y el Tiquill-Tiquill disminuyeron significativamente (p<0.001) las lesiones de la mucosa gástrica inducidas por estrés por inmovilización más inmersión en agua a 23 grados centigrados; siendo similar este efecto al comparar estos tratamientos con el Hidróxido de Aluminio.

Evaluación de tratamientos en la prevención de las lesiones agudas gástricas en el stress, en ratas / Evaluation of the treatments in the prevention of acute gastric lesions in stress, in rats

Se estudiaron en grupos de ratas Wistar, en stress por inmovilización más inmersión en agua a 18C, las groseras lesiones agudas gástricas sangrantes y su prevención con drogas citoprotectoras gástricas como: sucralfato, HOAI y Mg, magaldrato, hidrotalcita y misoprostol; asimismo, drogas antisecretoras gástricas como misoprostol (dosis antisecretora), somatostatina (octeotride), ranitidina, omeprazol y lanzoprazol. En otra experiencia, se estudió la secreción gástrica ácida en ratas con ligadura de píloro, donde fueron tratadas con las mismas drogas y dosis que en la experiencia anterior. Se comprobó que el modelo de stress 6 hs. dió una zona lesional gástrica de un 80 por ciento; el sucralfato, como droga citoprotectora, dio una protección parcial de la mucosa gástrica; en cambio, los bloqueantes de la bomba de protones, omeprazol y lanzoprazol dieron una zona gástrica cercana al 0 por ciento y por ende, postulamos su uso en terapia intensiva en la profilaxis de las lesiones agudas gástricas sangrantes en el stress.

Distúrbios do cálcio e do fósforo induzidos pelo uso prolongada de hidróxido de alumínio / Disorders of calcium and phosphorus induced by prolonged use of aluminum hydroxide

O hidróxido de aluminio, um dos fármacos mais utilizados na terapêutica antiácida, forma na luz intestinal, fosfatos de alumínio inabsorvíveis. O presente trabalho avalia a variaçäo das concentraçöes plasmáticas e urinárias de cálcio e fósforo em ratos adultos e velhos quando comparados com ratos controle, apresentaram uma diminuiçäo da fosfatúaria e um aumento da calciúria estatisticamente significantes, sem no entanto provocar variaçöes significantes na fosfatemia ou na calcemia