NMO-DBr: the Brazilian Neuromyelitis Optica Database System / NMO-DBr: o banco de dados brasileiro em neuromielite óptica

OBJECTIVE: To present the Brazilian Neuromyelitis Optica Database System (NMO-DBr), a database system which collects, stores, retrieves, and analyzes information from patients with NMO and NMO-related disorders. METHOD: NMO-DBr uses Flux, a LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems) for data management. We used information from medical records of patients with NMO spectrum disorders, and NMO variants, the latter defined by the presence of neurological symptoms associated with typical lesions on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or aquaporin-4 antibody seropositivity. RESULTS: NMO-DBr contains data related to patient's identification, symptoms, associated conditions, index events, recurrences, family history, visual and spinal cord evaluation, disability, cerebrospinal fluid and blood tests, MRI, optic coherence tomography, diagnosis and treatment. It guarantees confidentiality, performs cross-checking and statistical analysis. CONCLUSION: NMO-DBr is a tool which guides professionals to take the history, record and analyze information making medical practice more consistent and improving research in the area.

OBJETIVO: Apresentar o Brazilian Neuromyelitis Optica Database System (NMO-DBr), um sistema de banco de dados que coleta, arquiva, recupera e analisa informações de pacientes com neuromielite óptica (NMO) e doenças relacionadas. MÉTODO: NMO-DBr usa o sistema Flux, um LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems) para gerenciamento de informações. As informações foram colhidas dos prontuários de pacientes com espectro de NMO e variantes de NMO, estas últimas definidas por quadro neurológico associado a lesões encefálicas típicas à imagem pela ressonância magnética (IRM) ou à soropositividade do anticorpo anti-aquaporina-4. RESULTADOS: NMO-DBr contém dados relativos a identificação, sintomas, condições associadas, eventos índices, recorrências, história familiar, avaliação visual e da medula, incapacidade, exames do líquor e de sangue, IRM, tomografia de coerência óptica (OCT), diagnóstico e tratamento. O sistema assegura confidencialidade, cruza dados e faz análises estatísticas. CONCLUSÃO: NMO-DBr é uma ferramenta que possibilita a prática médica mais consistente e promove a pesquisa na área.

Production of full-length cDNA sequences by sequencing and analysis of expressed sequence tags from Schistosoma mansoni

The number of sequences generated by genome projects has increased exponentially, but gene characterization has not followed at the same rate. Sequencing and analysis of full-length cDNAs is an important step in gene characterization that has been used nowadays by several research groups. In this work, we have selected Schistosoma mansoni clones for full-length sequencing, using an algorithm that investigates the presence of the initial methionine in the parasite sequence based on the positions of alignment start between two sequences. BLAST searches to produce such alignments have been performed using parasite expressed sequence tags produced by Minas Gerais Genome Network against sequences from the database Eukaryotic Cluster of Orthologous Groups (KOG). This procedure has allowed the selection of clones representing 398 proteins which have not been deposited as S. mansoni complete CDS in any public database. Dedicated sequencing of 96 of such clones with reads from both 5' and 3' ends has been performed. These reads have been assembled using PHRAP, resulting in the production of 33 full-length sequences that represent novel S. mansoni proteins. These results shall contribute to construct a more complete view of the biology of this important parasite.

Clustering of Schistosoma mansoni mRNA sequences and analysis of the most transcribed genes: implications in metabolism and biology of different developmental stages

The study of the Schistosoma mansoni genome, one of the etiologic agents of human schistosomiasis, is essential for a better understanding of the biology and development of this parasite. In order to get an overview of all S. mansoni catalogued gene sequences, we performed a clustering analysis of the parasite mRNA sequences available in public databases. This was made using softwares PHRAP and CAP3. The consensus sequences, generated after the alignment of cluster constituent sequences, allowed the identification by database homology searches of the most expressed genes in the worm. We analyzed these genes and looked for a correlation between their high expression and parasite metabolism and biology. We observed that the majority of these genes is related to the maintenance of basic cell functions, encoding genes whose products are related to the cytoskeleton, intracellular transport and energy metabolism. Evidences are presented here that genes for aerobic energy metabolism are expressed in all the developmental stages analyzed. Some of the most expressed genes could not be identified by homology searches and may have some specific functions in the parasite