São Paulo School of Advanced Sciences on Vaccines: an overview

Two years ago, we held an exciting event entitled the São Paulo School of Advanced Sciences on Vaccines (SPSASV). Sixty-eight Ph.D. students, postdoctoral fellows and independent researchers from 37 different countries met at the Mendes Plaza Hotel located in the city of Santos, SP - Brazil to discuss the challenges and the new frontiers of vaccinology. The SPSASV provided a critical and comprehensive view of vaccine research from basics to the current state-of-the-art techniques performed worldwide. For 10 days, we discussed all the aspects of vaccine development in 36 lectures, 53 oral presentations and 2 poster sessions. At the end of the course, participants were further encouraged to present a model of a grant proposal related to vaccine development against individual pathogens. Among the targeted pathogens were viruses (Chikungunya, HIV, RSV, and Influenza), bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Streptococcus pyogenes), parasites (Plasmodium falciparum or Plasmodium vivax), and the worm Strongyloides stercoralis. This report highlights some of the knowledge shared at the SPSASV.(AU)

50 años dedicados al desarrollo de la Inmunología / 50 years dedicated to the development of Immunology

En el presente trabajo, dedicado a los 50 años de trabajo del Instituto de Hematología e Inmunología, se describe el desarrollo de la especialidad de Inmunología, sus principales alcances y logros científicos en las líneas de desarrollo fundamentales como: la introducción de técnicas de avanzada, el estudio inmunológico de hemopatías y el diagnóstico de las inmunodeficiencias primarias y secundarias. Dentro de estos se destacan la introducción de la citometría de flujo que permitió resultados relevantes en inmunología básica, en su aplicación al estudio de hemopatías como la anemia drepanocítica y el perfeccionamiento del diagnóstico inmunológico de las leucemias agudas del país. También, la caracterización de células madre procedentes de la médula ósea, utilizadas en la terapia celular regenerativa, y el estudio inmunológico del enfermo con insuficiencia renal crónica en espera de trasplante renal en Cuba(AU)

The present work, devoted to the 50 years of work of the Institute of Hematology and Immunology, describes the development of the Immunology specialty, its main achievements and scientific results on the fundamentals development lines, such as the introduction of advanced techniques, the immunological study of hemopathies and the diagnosis of primary and secondary immunodeficiencies. Among these, we highlight the introduction of flow cytometry that allowed relevant results in basic immunology, in its application to the study of hemopathies such as sickle cell anemia and the improvement of the immunological diagnosis of acute leukemias in the country. Also, the characterization of stem cells from the bone marrow used in regenerative cell therapy and the immunological study of the patient with chronic renal failure pending renal transplantation in Cuba(AU)

The performance of serological tests for Leishmania infantum infection screening in dogs depends on the prevalence of the disease

ABSTRACT Dogs are considered the main reservoir of Leishmania infantum. This protozoan causes visceral leishmaniasis (VL), an uncontrolled urban zoonosis in Brazil. Serological tests and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on peripheral blood were performed to identify infected dogs in scenarios of higher and lower prevalence of the disease (Teresina and Vitória). One-hundred infected and 57 non-infected animals from Teresina and 100 non-infected animals from Vitória were studied. Animal selection was not dependent on previous serology. The sensitivity (Teresina) and specificity (Teresina and Vitória) were as follows: indirect antibody fluorescence (IFAT) cut-off of 1:40 (IFAT 1:40): 96%, 18%, and 76%; IFAT 1:80: 90%, 33%, and 93%; direct agglutination test (DAT): 96%, 33%, and 98%; fast agglutination screening test (FAST): 93%, 68%, and 100%; immunochromatographic assay with a recombinant rK39 antigen (rK39): 88%, 74%, and 98%; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA): 91%, 79%, and 98%; rapid dual-path platform test (TR DPP®): 98%, 60%, and 98%; and blood PCR: 29%, 93%, and 97%, respectively. In the high transmission area, none of the tests adequately discriminated L. infantum-infected from non-infected dogs. However, in the high transmission city, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of FAST, DAT, ICrK39, ELISA and TR DPP® was high.

Pruebas hormonales e inmunológicas para la evaluación de la función tiroidea / Hormonal and immunological tests for evaluating the thyroidal function

En la década de los años 80, con el desarrollo alcanzado en la tecnología de producción de anticuerpos monoclonales y en la concepción de un diseño de ensayo no competitivo tipo sandwich o de "2 sitios", comenzó el auge de los métodos inmunométricos (IMAs) en sus diferentes tipos en dependencia de la señal y reacción que la desencadena. Inicialmente fueron desarrollados los métodos inmunorradiométricos (IRMAs) de naturaleza isotópica y casi simultáneamente con estos los IMAs de naturaleza no isotópica. Entre estos últimos se encuentran los ensayos inmunoenzimométricos (IEMAs), los inmunofluorimétricos (IFMAs), los inmunoluminométricos (ILMAs) en sus subtipos de inmunoquimioluminiscentes (ICMAs), inmunobioluminiscentes (IBMAs) e inmuoelectroquimioluminiscentes (IECMAs). Los IMAs de naturaleza no isotópica han permitido el incremento de la automatización. Los IRMAs y IEMAs son considerados métodos de 2da. generación, y los IFMAs, ICMAs, IBMAs e IECMAs son de tercera generación(AU)

Serology of human candidiasis in Egypt

A total of one hundred and fifty-two strains of different Candida species was obtained from five hundred and ten human aces of candidiasis. The isolates could be identified as 67 Candida albicans, 20 C. Krusei, 18 C. tropicalis, 10 C. utilis, 9 C. pseudotropicalis, 8 C. parapsilosis, 6 C. lipolytic; 5 each of C. guilliermondii and C. stellatoidea and 4 C. tenusi. Experimental infection in mice showed that C. albicans and C. Krusei were most pathogenic than other species. The study of immune response after experimental injection in rabbits with the most pathogenic strains of each Candida species by agglutination, double diffusion, passive hemagglutination and ELISA was carried out. All the techniques were done using the whole cell antigen and extracts with ether, petroleum ether, chloroform and ethanol. Cross antigenic reaction was demonstrated between the six Candida species. Using the agglutination, precipitation and hemagglutination techniques were able to detect specific antibodies in eight out of seventy-five patients serum samples. The number of serologically positive cases was higher [22.6%] by using the ELISA method

Identification of undifferentiated tonsillar tumours, an immunological approach

Tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma of undifferentiated nature is difficult or sometimes impossible to distinguish from malignant lymphoma with the conventional methods. Twenty Six patients with undifferentiated tumours were chosen for this study. Using immunoperoxidase technique with anticytokeratin and T [200] [common leucocyte antigen] as antibodies, it was possible to reach the exact nature of these tumours. Our results gave 80% squamous cell carcinoma while the remaining 20% were proved to be malignant lymphoma. We believe this method is simple and accurate to identify these tumors

IgA type of multiple myeloma

Although multiple myeloma is not a rare disease, the diagnosis of the IgA variety may be difficult, because it appears less frequently than the IgG type. Two rather atypical cases of IgA type multiple myeloma are discussed

Desarrollo de una técnica serológica para el diagnostico temprano de lesión hepática / Development of a serological technique for the early diagnosis of hepatic lesion

Existen antecedentes en la literatura los cuales describen la obtención y purificación de antígenos hepato-específicos, así como su demostración en la circulación, sin embargo éstos antígenos no se han empleado como un método específico de diagnóstico en caso de lesiones hepáticas. En el presente trabajo obtuvimos antígenos hepáticos de los cuales demostramos su especialidad mediante el uso de técnicas inmunológicas, posteriormente animales de laboratório foram sometidos a técnicas de intoxicación para la obtención de daño hepático experimental el cual fue demostrado mediante estudios histopatológicos del hígado. Al mismo tiempo se demuestra la presencia de antígenos hepato-específicos en la circulación mediante diversas técnicas inmunológicas, demostrando que las técnicas de fijación de complemento e Inmunoelectroforesis bidimensional detectan la presencia de éstos antígenos en la circulación desde etapas tempranas del inicio de la lesión

Iridociclite näo granulomatosa bilateral em um caso de leptospirose / Non- granulumatous bilateral acute iridocidytis in a young patient with leptospirosis

Ilustra-se um caso de iridociclite aguda näo granulomatosa bilateral em um paciente jovem com suspeita clínica e laboratorial de Leptospirose. É uma doença em ascençäo, porém pouco comentada em nosso meio oftalmológico