Avaliação da expressão de interleucina 1 beta (IL-1 beta) e antagonista do receptor de interleucina 1 (IL-1Ra) em pacientes com hanseníase / Evaluation of the expression of interleukin 1 beta(IL-1 beta) and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) in leprosy patients

A hanseníase é uma doença infectocontagiosa espectral que acompanha-se por uma série de eventos imunológicos desencadeados pela resposta do hospedeiro frente ao agente etiológico, o Mycobacterium leprae. Evidências sugerem que a indução e manutenção da resposta imune/inflamatória na hanseníase estão vinculadas a interações de múltiplas células e fatores solúveis, particularmente através da ação de citocinas. Nesse estudo, foram mensurados níveis de IL-1β e IL-1Ra de 37 casos novos de hanseníase acompanhados ao longo do tratamento e 30 controles sadios pelo teste ELISA. A coleta de sangue periférico foi realizada em quatro tempos para os casos de hanseníase (pré-tratamento com PQT, 2ª dose, 6ª dose e pós-PQT) e em único momento para os controles. Na comparação dos níveis das moléculas de casos no pré-PQT e controles, houve diferença estatisticamente significativa somente para IL-1β. Nossos resultados sugerem a participação dessa citocina no processo imune/inflamatório.

Leprosy is an infectious and contagious spectral disease accompanied by a series of immunological events triggered by the host's response to the etiologic agent, Mycobacterium leprae. Evidence suggests that the induction and maintenance of the immune/inflammatory response in leprosy are linked to multiple cell interactions and soluble factors, mainly through the action of cytokines. The ELISA test was used to measure the levels of IL-1β and IL-1Ra in 37 new leprosy patients followed-up during treatment and 30 healthy controls. Peripheral blood was collected four times during the treatment of leprosy patients (MDT pretreatment, 2nd dose, 6th dose and post-MDT), and only once from the controls. The comparison of molecular levels in pre-MDT patients and controls showed a statistically significant difference for IL-1β. The results suggest the participation of this cytokine in the genesis of the immune/inflammatory process.

Clinical versus ultrasound examination in the evaluation of hepatosplenic schistosomiasis mansoni in endemic areas

The best way to appraise the size of abdominal organs remains undefined. Herein we compare the size of liver and spleen in hepatosplenic schistosomiasis using clinical and ultrasound (US) examination, and the size of the organs measured by US with their visualization below the costal margin ("palpable by US"). For this study, 411 individuals from an endemic area for schistosomiasis mansoni in Brazil have been selected. We found that palpable spleens and left liver lobes are larger than non palpable ones. Also, 23 percent of normal spleens measured by US were palpable on clinical examination, and 22 percent of spleens increased in size on US were non palpable. A total of 21 percent of normal spleens were "palpable by US". We also found 54 percent of normal sized right liver lobes palpable on clinical examination, whilst 54 percent of the increased livers, measured by US, were non palpable. About 76 percent of normal right liver lobes were "palpable by US". We conclude that the association of clinical, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations, in the near future, should give the investigators the necessary tools to perform a more accurate clinical diagnosis of hepatosplenic schistosomiasis mansoni.