Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum serological status of different canine populations from Uberlândia, Minas Gerais

Este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar a ocorrência de anticorpos contra Toxoplasma gondii e Neospora caninum em cães da cidade de Uberlândia, MG. As taxas de reatividade sorológica dos animais frente a esses parasitos foram comparadas em relação à sua origem e condições de vida. Um total de 369 amostras de soro canino foi obtido de três grupos de cães: (A) 213 pacientes do Hospital Veterinário da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, (B) 62 pacientes de clínicas veterinárias particulares da cidade e (C) 94 cães errantes da cidade. As amostras foram analisadas para a presença de anticorpos contra os parasitos por meio de ELISA. Os resultados mostraram soropositividades de 30,3 por cento para T. gondii, 9,2 por cento para N. caninum e 5,7 por cento para ambos os parasitos. O grupo de cães errantes apresentou maior taxa de prevalência de anticorpos para os dois parasitos estudados. Pode-se concluir que as taxas de soropositividades para T. gondii e N. caninum nas populações caninas estudadas parecem ser fortemente influenciadas por suas origens e condições de vida.

Immune response to respiratory syncytial virus in young Brazilian children

We have evaluated the cellular and humoral immune response to primary respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in young infants. Serum specimens from 65 patients <=12 months of age (39 males and 26 females, 28 cases <3 months and 37 cases > or = 3 months; median 3 ± 3.9 months) were tested for anti-RSV IgG and IgG subclass antibodies by EIA. Flow cytometry was used to characterize cell surface markers expressed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 29 RSV-infected children. There was a low rate of seroconversion in children <3 months of age, whose acute-phase PBMC were mostly T lymphocytes (63.0 ± 9.0 percent). In contrast, a higher rate of seroconversion was observed in children >3 months of age, with predominance of B lymphocytes (71.0 ± 17.7 percent). Stimulation of PBMC with RSV (2 x 10(5) TCID50) for 48 h did not induce a detectable increase in intracellular cytokines and only a few showed a detectable increase in RSV-specific secreted cytokines. These data suggest that age is an important factor affecting the infants' ability to develop an immune response to RSV

Myosin V and iNOS expression is enhanced in J774 murine macrophages treated with IFN-gamma

Actin-based motor protein requirements and nitric oxide (NO) production are important features of macrophage activity during phagocytosis or microbicidal processes. Different classes of myosins contribute directly or indirectly to phagocytosis by providing mechanical force for phagosome closure or organelle movement. Recent data have shown the presence of myosins IC, II, V and IXb in phagosomes of bone marrow-derived murine macrophages. In our investigation we demonstrated the presence of different classes of myosins in J774 macrophages. We also analyzed the effect of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), with or without calcium ionophore or cytochalasin B, on myosins as well as on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and NO production. Myosins IC, II, Va, VI and IXb were identified in J774 macrophages. There was an increase of myosin V expression in IFN-gamma-treated cells. iNOS expression was increased by IFN-gamma treatment, while calcium ionophore and cytochalasin B had a negative influence on both myosin and iNOS expression, which was decreased. The increases in NO synthesis were reflected by increased iNOS expression. Macrophages activated by IFN-gamma released significant amounts of NO when compared to control groups. In contrast, NO production by calcium ionophore- and cytochalasin B-treated cells was similar to that of control cells. These results suggest that IFN-gamma is involved in macrophage activation by stimulating protein production to permit both phagocytosis and microbicidal activity

Changes in the behavioral and immunological parameters of the mollusk Biomphalaria tenagophila induced by disruption of the circadian cycle as a consequence of continuous illumination

In the present investigation we studied some behavioral and immunological parameters of adult gastropod mollusk, Biomphalaria tenagophila, which have been reproducing for several generations under laboratory conditions. One group of gastropods was kept on a 14-h light/10-h dark cycle, corresponding to a regular circadian cycle, and another group was exposed to continuous light for 48 h. Animals were studied along (behavioral groups) or immediately after (immunological groups) 48 h of regular circadian cycle or continuous light conditions. Stopping/floating, dragging and sliding were the behavioral aspects considered (N = 20 for regular cycle; N = 20 for continuous illumination) and number of hemocytes/µl hemolymph was the immunological parameter studied (N = 15 for regular cycle, N = 14 for continuous illumination). Animals under continuous illumination were more active (sliding = 33 episodes, dragging = 48 episodes) and displayed a lower number of hemocytes (78.0 + or - 24.27/µl) when compared with mollusks kept on a regular circadian cycle (sliding = 18 episodes, dragging = 27 episodes; hemocytes = 157.6 + or - 53.27/µl). The data are discussed in terms of neural circuits and neuroimmunological relations with the possible stressful effect of continuous illumination.

Anticorpos IgA específicos no soro e humor aquoso de pacientes com uveíte de provável etiologia toxoplásmica / Specific IgA antibodies in serum and aqueous humor samples from patients with uveits of probable toxoplasmic etiology

Com o objetivo de se verificar as respostas imune sérica e intra-ocular relativa aos anticorpos IgA específicos na uveíte de provável etiologia toxoplasmática, assim como a associaçäo desse anticorpo com os anticorpos IgG e IgM específicos, foram comparadas amostras de soro e humor aquoso de 24 pacientes portadores de uveíte de provável etiologia toxoplasmática e de 12 pacientes com catarata, através da reaçäo imunoenzimática (ELISA). No soro de pacientes com uveíte de provável etiologia toxoplasmática, foram detectadas 3,2% de amostras positivas para o anticorpo IgG. No humor aquoso de pacientes com uveíte, foram detectados anticorpos IgA, IgG e IgM específicos em 60% e 0% das amostras respectivamente. Nos pacientes com catarata näo foram detectadas amostras de humor aquoso positivas para o anticorpo IgA específico, no grupo de pacientes com uveíte, e apenas 4,2% de positividade nas respectivas amostras de soro, sugerem que houve produçäo intra-ocular deste anticorpo, e reforça a hipótese desta uveíte ser uma infecçäo crônica, provavelmente congênita

A doença de Chagas em motoristas de táxi na cidade de Uberlândia / Chagas' disease in taxi drivers in the city of Uberlandia

A prevalencia de sorologia positiva para a doenca de Chagas foi pesquisada em 152 motoristas de taxi de Uberlandia (MG). Houve 21 individuos (13,8%) com diagnostico sorologico de infeccao pelo Trypanosoma cruzi. Destes, 16 casos foram avaliados clinicamente, pelo eletrocardiograma (ECG) convencional e pelo estudo radiologico do torax. Todos eram assintomaticos 9 tinham arritmias cardiacas "benignas" pelo ECG (2 dos quais, com area cardiaca aumentada), 7 mostraram ECG e radiografias do torax normais. Ressalta-se a alta prevalencia da tripanosomiase na amostra. Discute-se a conduta medico-trabalhista a assumir diante dos casos positivos e a necessidade da inclusao de exames laboratoriais para diagnostico da doenca de Chagas, na rotina para a obtencao de carteira de motorista (pelo menos para profissionais) nas areas endemicas

Prevalencia de infeccao chagasica em necropsias no Triangulo Mineiro. / Prevalence of Chagas' infection in necropsies in the Triangulo Mineiro

Analisou-se a prevalencia da infeccao chagasica em 2690 necropsias realizadas no Triangulo Mineiro. Os resultados indicaram que 38,84% dos necropsiados eram chagasicos e que nao houve declinio da infeccao nos ultimos anos. Discutiu-se tais resultados, comparando-os com os de outros Autores que analisaram a questao

Placentite chagasica. Apresentacao de um caso com estudo a microscopia optica e eletronica. / Chagas placentitis. Report of a case wiht optic and electronic microscopy study

Novo caso de placentite chagasica no Triangulo Mineiro, observou-se, a microscopia optica, o parasitismo de miocitos das paredes vasculares, fato nao descrito anteriormente na literatura. O estudo a microspia eletronica revelou. (1) abundantes amastigotas do Trypanosoma Cruzi em celulas de Hofbauer; ( 2 ) proliferaco fibroblastica e colagena na parede de pequenas arterias e arteriolas, ocluindo-lhes, por vezes, o lume; ( 3 ) parasitas em celulas musculares degeneradas e fibroblastos da parede vascular. Este e o primeiro relato de placentite chagasica humana com analise ultra-estrutural

Antigeno heterologo no diagnostico imunologico da wuchereriose: extrato de Setaria equina utilizado na reacao imunoenzimatica - ELISA. / Heterologous antigen in the immunological diagnosis of wucheriasis: Setaria equina extract used in the immunoenzymatic reaction - ELISA

quina extract used in the immunoenzymatic