Antigens of Coccidioides posadasii as an important tool for the immunodiagnosis of coccidioidomycosis.

Serologic diagnosis has been presented as a safe alternative for coccidioidomycosis. However, commercial kits based on coccidioidal antibodies available in the USA are considered too expensive for laboratories outside that country. In this study, we describe the preparation of antigens for detection of human coccidioidal antibodies by the immunodiffusion test (ID) and enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Antigens were tested against serum samples from patients with coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis and paracoccidioidomycosis, as well as healthy individuals. The highest reactivity in the ID tests was seen in the F0-90 antigen. In the EIAs, the best results were obtained with the F60-90 antigen. None of the serum samples from healthy individuals were recognized by any of the antigen extracts tested by ID or EIA. In conclusion, the F0-90 and F60-90 antigens have the potential to be commercially employed in presumptive diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis by ID or EIA, respectively. The tests could improve serological diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis in South America.

[Histoplasmosis in the northeast of Brazil. Report of three cases]. / Histoplasmose no Nordeste do Brasil. Relato de três casos.

Histoplasmosis is an endemic mycosis in specific areas of the U.S. and Latin America, caused by dimorphic geophilic fungus H. capsulatum. The description of cases in Brazil's northeast, considering that this region isn't an endemic area, indicates the existence of small outbreaks in several regions. Precise reasons for this pattern of distribution are still unknown. Activities related to the removal of soil in these places are associated with exposure to H. capsulatum. The objective of this work is to describe three isolated cases of histoplasmosis which occurred in Brazil's northeast region in individuals exposed to different activities (demolition of houses, wells diggers and exposure to bats).

Epidemiological study of patients with connective tissue diseases in Brazil.

To study the prevalence of connective tissue disorders and identify the epidemiological profile of the population from the northern and northeastern regions of Brazil. All patients admitted to the general medical ward at Getulio Vargas Hospital were screened through history and physical examination for the existence of known, suspected or possible connective tissue disorder. A total of 120 patients were enrolled in the study - 61 (50.8%) with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 41 (34.2%) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 16 (13.3%) with systemic sclerosis (SS), one (0.8%) with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) and one (0.8%) with polymyositis (PM). Women accounted for (104) 86.7% of the participants and (83) 70.9% were non-Caucasians. The mean age was 36.8 years. Alopecia was the most frequent symptom (55/46.6%), followed by other cutaneous lesions (50/42.4%), dyspnea (47/39.8%) and chest pain (39/33.0%). The most frequent rheumatologic disorder encountered in our hospital-based study population was systemic lupus erythematosus, which is contrary to findings of the majority of studies performed in this country.