Strategies by which some pathogenic trichomonads integrate diverse signals in the decision-marking process

The interaction between each one of Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus with their hosts is a complex process in which components associated to the cell surfaces of both parasites and host epithelial cells, and also to soluble components found in vaginal/urethral secretions, are involved. Either cytoadhesion or the cytotoxicity exerted by parasites to host cells can be dictated by virulence factors such as adhesins, cysteine proteinases, laminin-binding proteins, integrins, integrin-like molecules, a cell detachment factor, a pore-forming protein, and glycosidases among others. How trichomonads manipulate informations from the extracellular medium, transduce such informations, and respond to them by stimulating the activities of some surface molecules and/or releasing enzymes are the aspects concerning trichomonal virulence which are here briefly reviewed and discussed.

Pesquisa de Ureaplasma urealyticum pregnant women and the correlation with the presence of Trichomonas sp / Research of Ureaplasma urealyticum pregnant women and the correlation with the presence of Trichomonas sp

Foram feitas pesquisas de Ureaplasma urealyticum em material cervical e de Trichomonas sp no conteúdo vaginal de 74 gestantes. A existência ou näo de relaçäo entre a presença simultânea de Ureaplasma urealyticum e Trichomonas sp foi analisada, uma vez que os dados fornecidos pela literatura internacional säo bastante controvertidos. Trichomonas sp estava presente em 21,5% das amostras positivas para Urealyticum e em 13% das amostras em que a ausência do micoplasma foi constatada. Estatisticamente essas diferenças näo foram significantes impossibilitando inferir qualquer correlaçäo entre os dois achados