ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Evidence indicates that infection with Ascaris lumbricoides may promote development of allergy and asthma. OBJECTIVE: To study the role of tropomyosin, a pan-allergen in invertebrates, in IgE responses to A lumbricoides. METHODS: Recombinant A lumbricoides and Periplaneta americana tropomyosins were expressed in Pichia pastoris. Levels of IgE to tropomyosins from A lumbricoides and P americana were determined by chimeric ELISA in sera from 119 children living in a parasite-endemic area and 112 patients with cockroach allergy from the allergy clinics. Presence of tropomyosin in A lumbricoides larvae at L3 stage was evaluated by immunofluorescence using mAb 1A6, directed against mite tropomyosin. Molecular modeling of P americana and A lumbricoides tropomyosins was performed by using the MODELLER program. RESULTS: A lumbricoides tropomyosin showed 69% to 98% sequence identity to tropomyosins from other invertebrates. The predicted structure of A lumbricoides tropomyosin was similar to that of P americana tropomyosin and showed the characteristic coiled-coil structure. Strong correlation was found for IgE antibodies to tropomyosins from A lumbricoides and P americana in sera from children living in a parasite-endemic area and from patients with cockroach allergy. Larvae of A lumbricoides reacted strongly with mAb 1A6. CONCLUSION: Tropomyosin induces IgE responses in A lumbricoides-infected children and in patients allergic to cockroach.
Subject(s)
Ascaris lumbricoides/immunology , Immunoglobulin E/metabolism , Periplaneta/immunology , Tropomyosin/immunology , Tropomyosin/metabolism , Adolescent , Adult , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , Ascaris lumbricoides/chemistry , Asthma/immunology , Asthma/metabolism , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross Reactions , Humans , Hypersensitivity/immunology , Hypersensitivity/metabolism , Immunoglobulin E/biosynthesis , Middle Aged , Molecular Sequence Data , Periplaneta/chemistry , Tropomyosin/chemistryABSTRACT
The present study was conducted to better understand the immure response to Toxocara canis pneumonia in mice with preweaning nutritional deprivation. Breast-fed Swiss mice, undernourished due to large litter size (up to 15 pups) and paired controls with only 5-8 pups were used. At 21 days old, both groups were infected with T. canis larvae. Liver retinol, retinyl palmitate, and inflammatory infiltrate in lungs were compared in both groups. Significantly lower levels of retinol and retinyl palmitate in liver tissue confirmed the hypovitaminosis A (P < 0.0001 for both comparisons) in the nutritionally deprived animals. Histological analysis showed similar eosinophilic infiltration in both groups at day 3 but was significantly more severe in undernourished mice at day 20 post-infection (P = 0.01). The present findings indicate that preweaning undernourishment is associated with a more severe inflammation in response to T. canis pneumonia. It suggests that vitamin A deficiency that persists after nutritional rehabilitation, may contribute to the severity of T. canis infection. The authors suggest that nutritional status should be carefully investigated in patients with more severe clinical findings.
Subject(s)
Lung Diseases, Parasitic/etiology , Malnutrition/complications , Pneumonia/parasitology , Toxocara canis/immunology , Toxocariasis/etiology , Vitamin A/analogs & derivatives , Animals , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Diterpenes , Liver/chemistry , Lung/parasitology , Lung/pathology , Lung Diseases, Parasitic/immunology , Lung Diseases, Parasitic/pathology , Mice , Pneumonia/immunology , Pneumonia/pathology , Retinyl Esters , Toxocariasis/immunology , Toxocariasis/pathology , Vitamin A/analysisABSTRACT
Um caso raro de meningite recorrente devido a meningocele sacral anterior e agenesia das vértebras sacras é descrito. Herança autossômica dominante para malformaçao medular caudal é demonstrada e, possíveis fatores ambientais (ligados ao cromo), sao discutidos.
