Staphylococcus aureus triggers a protective inflammatory response against secondary Cryptococcus gattii infection in a murine model.

Prior infections can provide protection or enhance susceptibility to a subsequent infection through microorganism's interaction or host immunomodulation. Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and Cryptococcus gattii (CG) cause lungs infection, but it is unclear how they interact in vivo. This study aimed to study the effects of the primary SA lung infection on secondary cryptococcosis caused by CG in a murine model. The mice's survival, fungal burden, behavior, immune cells, cytokines, and chemokines were quantified to evaluate murine cryptococcosis under the influence of a previous SA infection. Further, fungal-bacterial in vitro interaction was studied in a culture medium and a phagocytosis assay. The primary infection with SA protects animals from the subsequent CG infection by reducing lethality, improving behavior, and impairing the fungal proliferation within the host. This phenotype was associated with the proinflammatory antifungal host response elicited by the bacteria in the early stage of cryptococcosis. There was no direct inhibition of CG by SA, although the phagocytic activity of macrophages was reduced. Identifying mechanisms involved in this protection may lead to new approaches for preventing and treating cryptococcosis.

Creches são ambientes saudáveis quando se trata de saúde bucal? / Are day care centers healthy environments, when it comes to oral health? / ¿Son saludables los jardines de infancia en lo que respecta a la salud bucal?

Creches são consideradas ambientes saudáveis, pois, para além de cumprir uma missão de educação, exercem influência em cuidados básicos de saúde, responsabilizando-se pela integridade física e emocional da criança, bem como orientando hábitos de higiene, alimentação e socialização interpessoal. Neste contexto, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar ambientes de creches, compreendendo melhor os fatores de risco presentes e os padrões de comportamento ensinados, assim como sua associação com cárie dentária, traumatismo dentário e presença de biofilme. Trata-se de estudo transversal com utilização da Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale Revised (ITERS-R), escala de avaliação de ambientes, conduzido em dois municípios do interior do estado do Rio de Janeiro, em creches públicas e particulares. Para avaliação das lesões de cárie, seguiu-se o critério do Sistema Internacional de Detecção e Avaliação de Cárie (ICDAS ­ International Caries Detection and Assessment System); para a presença de biofilme, o critério de Alaluusua e Malmivirta; e o critério descrito por O'Brien para lesões traumáticas. A associação entre ambiente e desfechos foi verificada através da comparação de médias para as variáveis numéricas, via teste t de Student e, para variáveis categóricas binárias, empregou-se a regressão logística. Foi verificada uma baixa qualidade dos ambientes das creches em relação à saúde bucal, ficando os escores médios de ambiente no valor mais baixo da escala (entre 1,2 e 1,4), e houve associação estatisticamente significante entre ambientes e cárie (RC: 0,51; IC: 0,29-0,88) e com biofilme (RC: 0,27; IC: 0,17-0,42). Conclui-se que existe uma inadequação do ambiente das creches que não contribui para a construção de conhecimentos relativos à educação para saúde bucal, que se associa com desfechos de saúde bucal. Pode-se, assim, considerar creches como ambientes não saudáveis em relação à saúde bucal.

Child Day Care Centers are considered healthy environments since, beyond the educational role, they still influence basic health care, taking responsibility for the physical and emotional integrity of the child, as well as guiding hygiene habits, feeding habits, and interpersonal socialization. Objectives: In this context, this study aimed to evaluate daycare environments, better understanding the health determinants present and the behavior patterns taught, as well as their association with dental caries, dental trauma, and the presence of biofilm. This is a cross-sectional study using the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale Revised (ITERS-R) for assessing environments, carried out in two municipalities in the interior of the state of Rio de Janeiro, in public and private day care centers. To evaluate caries lesions, the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) criterion was followed; for the presence of biofilm, the Alaluusua and Malmivirta criteria; and for traumatic injuries, the criterion described by O'Brien. The association between environment and outcomes was verified by comparing means for numerical variables, via Student's t-test and, for binary categorical variables, logistic regression was used. A low quality of day care centers regarding oral health was verified, with the average environment scores at the lowest value of the scale (between 1.2 and 1.4), and there was a statistically significant association between environments and caries (RC: 0.51; CI: 0.29-0.88) and with biofilm (RC: 0.27; CI: 0.17-0.42). In conclusion, there is an inadequacy of the day care environment that does not contribute to the construction of knowledge related to oral health education, which is associated with oral health outcomes. Therefore, day cares can be considered unhealthy environments regarding oral health.

Los jardines de infancia se consideran un ambiente saludable porque, además de cumplir una misión educativa, influyen en los cuidados básicos de la salud, se responsabilizan de la integridad física y emocional del niño, y orientan los hábitos de higiene, alimentación y socialización interpersonal. Por tanto, este estudio tuvo por objetivo evaluar ambientes de jardines de infancia para comprender mejor los factores de riesgo presentes y padrones de comportamiento enseñados, así como su asociación con la caries dental, traumatismo dental y presencia de biopelícula. Este es un estudio transversal con utilización de escala Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale Revised (ITERS-R), la evaluación de ambientes en guarderías públicas y particulares en dos municipios del estado de Río de Janeiro. Para la evaluación de las lesiones de caries, se siguieron los criterios del International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS); para una presencia de biopelícula se utilizó el criterio de Alaluusua y Malmivirta, y el descrito por O'Brien para lesiones traumáticas. La asociación entre el ambiente y los resultados se observó por medio de la comparación de medias para las variables numéricas, mediante la prueba t de Student, y para las variables categóricas binarias, se utilizó la Regresión Logística. Se constató una baja calidad de los ambientes con relación a la salud bucal, con puntajes promedio de ambiente en el valor más bajo de la escala (entre 1,2 y 1,4) y hubo asociación estadísticamente significativa entre ambientes y caries (OR: 0,51; IC: 0,29-0,88) y con biopelícula (OR 0,27; IC: 0,17-0,42). Se concluye que las guarderías son inadecuadas, porque no contribuyen a la construcción de conocimientos relacionados con la educación en salud bucal y esto se asocia a resultados de salud oral. Se puede, de esa forma, considerarlos ambientes no saludables relacionados a la salud bucal.

Pathogenesis of Brucella ovis in pregnant mice and protection induced by the candidate vaccine strain B. Ovis ΔabcBA.

Ovine brucellosis caused by Brucella ovis is a major cause of reproductive failure in sheep. This study aimed to evaluate transplacental infection and pathogenicity of B.ovis wild type strain ATCC 25,840 (WT B.ovis) and the candidate vaccine strain B.ovis ΔabcBA in pregnant mice. A total of 40 BALB/c mice were equally divided into 4 groups: (i) non immunized and uninfected control mice (3/10 mice became pregnant); (ii) non immunized and challenged with WT B.ovis (5/10 pregnant); (iii) inoculated only with B.ovis ΔabcBA (6/10 pregnant); (iv) immunized with B.ovis ΔabcBA and challenged with WT B.ovis (5/10 pregnant). Female mice bred, and five days after visualization of the vaginal plug, they were inoculated intraperitoneally (ip) with 100 µL of sterile PBS, 100 µL of 1 × 106 CFU of B.ovis ΔabcBA, or 100 µL of 1 × 106 CFU of B.ovis WT, according to each group. At the 17th day of gestation, samples of spleen, liver, uterus, placenta, fetus and mammary gland were obtained for bacteriology, histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Non immunized mice challenged with B.ovis WT developed necrotizing placentitis as well as microgranulomas in the liver and spleen. These findings support the notion that B.ovis infection in pregnant mice induces lesions that are similar to those caused by B.abortus in the same animal model. B.ovis ΔabcBA was not recovered from any of the sampled organs, and it did not cause any gross or microscopic lesions, indicating that it is a safe and attenuated strain in this experimental model. In addition, B.ovis ΔabcBA was induced protective immunity as demonstrated by decreased numbers of B.ovis WT in the liver, uterus and fetuses of immunized mice after the challenge with B.ovis WT.

Histopathologic and immunophenotypic profile of a spontaneous mammary carcinoma in a male Humboldt's white-fronted capuchin (Cebus albifrons).

A 20-year-old male captive Humboldt's white-fronted capuchin (Cebus albifrons) that died accidentally had a small non-ulcerative mammary nodule diagnosed as a mammary carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that neoplastic cells were positive for pan-cytokeratin and cytokeratin-7. Approximately 20% of neoplastic cells were positive for Ki-67. Neoplastic cells expressed estrogen and progesterone receptors.

Pioglitazone as an adjuvant of amphotericin B for the treatment of cryptococcosis.

Approximately 180,000 people worldwide die from cryptococcosis each year, probably due to the ineffectiveness and toxicity of drugs currently available to treat the disease. Amphotericin B (AMB) is effective for killing the fungus, but has serious adverse effects linked to excessive production of reactive oxygen species which compromise renal function. Pioglitazone (PIO) is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ agonist widely repositioned as an adjuvant of various drugs that have toxic effects due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. This study evaluated PIO in combination with AMB for the treatment of cryptococcosis. PIO was found to reduce serum creatinine and glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase levels in mice treated with PIO+AMB. In vitro, PIO was able to control harmful oxidative bursts induced by AMB without compromising the antifungal effect. In vivo, PIO+AMB increased the survival rate compared with AMB alone, and improved the morbidity of the animals. PIO+AMB was more efficient than AMB alone for inhibiting fungal transmigration from the lungs to the brain, and killing yeasts that reached the central nervous system, avoiding the establishment of meningoencephalitis. In a phagocytosis assay, PIO did not influence the engulfment and fungicidal activity of macrophages induced by AMB, but reduced the oxidative bursts after the reduction of fungal burden, pointing to control of the pathogen without leading to excessive stress which can be damaging to the host. In conclusion, PIO+AMB was found to ameliorate cryptococcosis in a murine model, indicating that it is a promising therapeutic adjuvant for combating and controlling this fungal infection.

Tissue distribution and cell tropism of Brucella canis in naturally infected canine foetuses and neonates.

Brucella canis infection is an underdiagnosed zoonotic disease. Knowledge about perinatal brucellosis in dogs is extremely limited, although foetuses and neonates are under risk of infection due to vertical transmission. In this study, immunohistochemistry was used to determine tissue distribution and cell tropism of B. canis in canine foetuses and neonates. Diagnosis of B. canis in tissues of naturally infected pups was based on PCR and sequencing of amplicons, bacterial isolation, and immunohistochemistry, whose specificity was confirmed by laser capture microdissection. PCR positivity among 200 puppies was 21%, and nine isolates of B. canis were obtained. Tissues from 13 PCR-positive puppies (4 stillborn and 9 neonates) presented widespread immunolabeling. Stomach, intestines, kidney, nervous system, and umbilicus were positive in all animals tested. Other frequently infected organs included the liver (92%), lungs (85%), lymph nodes (69%), and spleen (62%). Immunolabeled coccobacilli occurred mostly in macrophages, but they were also observed in erythrocytes, epithelial cells of gastrointestinal mucosa, renal tubules, epidermis, adipocytes, choroid plexus, ependyma, neuroblasts, blood vessels endothelium, muscle cells, and in the intestinal lumen. These results largely expand our knowledge about perinatal brucellosis in the dog, clearly demonstrating a pantropic distribution of B. canis in naturally infected foetuses and neonates.