In vitro effects of lapachol and ß-lapachone against Leishmania amazonensis.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease that affects millions of people worldwide, and special attention should be given to treatment because the available drugs have limitations, which can lead to low therapeutic adherence and parasitic resistance. This study evaluated the activity of the bioactive naphthoquinones, lapachol and ß-lapachone, against Leishmania amazonensis. The cell alterations were evaluated in vitro on promastigote and amastigote forms. The lethal dose (LD50) at 24, 48, and 72 h on the promastigote's forms using lapachol was 75.60, 72.82, and 58.85 µg/mL and for ß-lapachone was 0.65, 1.24, and 0.71 µg/mL, respectively. The naphthoquinones significantly inhibited the survival rate of L. amazonensis amastigotes at 83.11, 57.59, and 34.95% for lapachol (82.28, 41.14, and 20.57 µg/mL), and 78.49, 83.25, and 80.22% for ß-lapachone (3.26, 1.63, and 0.815 µg/mL). The compounds on the promastigote's forms led to the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, induced changes in the integrity of the membrane, caused damage to cells suggestive of the apoptotic process, and showed inhibition of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 production. The results showed that these naphthoquinones are promising candidates for research on new drugs with anti-Leishmania activity derived from natural products.

Integrated surveillance of human respiratory viruses in addition to SARS-CoV-2 in a public testing facility in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 prevention measures impact the circulation of other respiratory viruses. Surveillance in the network of general practitioners is hampered by widespread testing for SARS-CoV-2 in public testing facilities. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate integrated community surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses and describe epidemiological trends. STUDY DESIGN: Respiratory surveillance was set up within an existing SARS-CoV-2 public testing facility. Community-dwelling (a)symptomatic persons provided consent for completion of a questionnaire and additional testing on residual material from swabs taken for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR (Allplex Seegene). Daily, a random subset was tested for sixteen respiratory viruses by multiplex realtime PCRs (Seegene). RESULTS: Between October 6th (week 40) 2021 and April 22nd (week 16) 2022, 3,969 subjects were tested. The weekly median age ranged from 23 to 39 years. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms ranged from 98.5% (week 40) to 27.4% (week 1). The prevalence of detection of any respiratory virus (including SARS-CoV-2), ranged from 19.6% in week 49 to 75.3% in week 14. SARS-CoV-2 prevalence ranged from 2.2% (week 40) to 63.3% (week 14). Overall, SARS-CoV-2 was detected most frequently (27.3%), followed by rhinoviruses (14.6%, range 3.5-47.8%) and seasonal coronaviruses (3.7%, range 0-10.4%, mostly 229E and OC43). Influenzavirus was detected in 3.0% of participants from week 6 onwards. CONCLUSIONS: Integrated respiratory viral surveillance within public testing facilities is feasible and informative. Prevalences may be affected by changes in SARS-CoV-2 prevention and testing policies. Population characteristics help to interpret trends over time. Integrated surveillance may inform policymakers and hospitals for adequate response measures during respiratory seasons.

In vitro effects of lapachol and β-lapachone against Leishmania amazonensis

Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease that affects millions of people worldwide, and special attention should be given to treatment because the available drugs have limitations, which can lead to low therapeutic adherence and parasitic resistance. This study evaluated the activity of the bioactive naphthoquinones, lapachol and β-lapachone, against Leishmania amazonensis. The cell alterations were evaluated in vitro on promastigote and amastigote forms. The lethal dose (LD50) at 24, 48, and 72 h on the promastigote's forms using lapachol was 75.60, 72.82, and 58.85 μg/mL and for β-lapachone was 0.65, 1.24, and 0.71 μg/mL, respectively. The naphthoquinones significantly inhibited the survival rate of L. amazonensis amastigotes at 83.11, 57.59, and 34.95% for lapachol (82.28, 41.14, and 20.57 µg/mL), and 78.49, 83.25, and 80.22% for β-lapachone (3.26, 1.63, and 0.815 µg/mL). The compounds on the promastigote's forms led to the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, induced changes in the integrity of the membrane, caused damage to cells suggestive of the apoptotic process, and showed inhibition of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 production. The results showed that these naphthoquinones are promising candidates for research on new drugs with anti-Leishmania activity derived from natural products.

Comparison of obstetrical interventions in women with vaginal and cesarean section delivered: cross-sectional study in a reference tertiary center in the Northeast of Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of obstetrical interventions and maternal and perinatal outcomes between vaginal and cesarean delivery routes in pregnant women at normal risk. Type of article: Original article. Desing: Cross-sectional study with 421 participants admitted for spontaneous or induced labor with full-term singleton gestations and fetuses weighing between 2,500 and 4,499 g. SETTING: Maternal Fetal-Medicine Service, Assis Chateaubriand Maternity, Federal University of Ceará (UFC), Fortaleza-CE, Brazil. METHODS: The instrument of data collection was divided into socio-demographic, clinical, and obstetric characteristics; data of labor and delivery; maternal morbidity; maternal outcome and perinatal outcomes. Pearsons chi-square test and Fishers exact test were used to verify associations between the groups. RESULTS: The mean age was 22.8 ± 6.0 (vaginal) and 22.9 ± 4.9 (cesarean section). Overall, 44.5% of vaginal deliveries and 85.5% of cesarean sections were monitored electronically (p < 0.001). Immediate skin-to-skin contact (84.1%) and first-hour breastfeeding (80.4%) were more frequent in vaginal deliveries compared with cesarean deliveries (27% vs. 61.0%, p < 0.001). The prevalence of puerperal infections was 1.2% (vaginal) and 5.0% (cesarean section) with a p value of 0.02; 40% of cesarean-delivered newborns and 9.7% of vaginally-delivered newborns were referred to the neonatal intensive care unit (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The cesarean section was associated with a lower frequency of useful practices, a higher frequency of harmful practices, worse neonatal outcomes, and a higher rate of postpartum infections.

Evaluation of the genetic architecture and the potential of genomics-assisted breeding of quality traits in two large panels of durum wheat.

KEY MESSAGE: New QTL for important quality traits in durum were identified, but for most QTL their effect varies depending on the investigated germplasm. Most of the global durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) production is used for human consumption via pasta and to a lower extent couscous and bulgur. Therefore, durum wheat varieties have to fulfill high demands regarding quality traits. In this study, we evaluated the quality traits protein content, sedimentation volume, falling number, vitreousity and thousand kernel weight in a Central European (CP) and a Southern and Western European panel (SP) with 183 and 159 durum lines, respectively, and investigated their genetic architecture by genome-wide association mapping. Except for protein content, we identified QTL explaining a large proportion of the genotypic variance for different traits. However, most of them were identified only in one panel. Nevertheless, for sedimentation volume a genomic region on chromosome 1B appeared important in both durum panels and a BLAST search against the emmer and bread wheat reference genomes points toward the candidate gene Glu-B3. This was further supported by the protein subunit banding pattern via SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis. For vitreousity, genomic regions on chromosome 7A explained a larger proportion of the genotypic variance in both panels, whereas one QTL, possibly related to the Pinb-2 locus, also slightly influenced the protein content. Within each panel, high prediction abilities for genomic selection were obtained, which, however, dropped considerably when predicting across both panels. Nevertheless, the across-panel prediction ability was still larger than 0.4 for protein content and sedimentation volume, underlining the potential for genomics-aided durum breeding, if laboratory and logistical facilities are available.

Isolation, culture, and characterization of chicken lung-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Using lung tissues separated from 12-day-old chicken embryos, we attempted to obtain a novel population of stem cells, namely, chicken lung-derived mesenchymal stem cells (LMSCs), which exhibit spindle-like morphology. The results of colony-forming assay and population doubling assay demonstrated that LMSCs had enormous colony-forming, self-renewal, and proliferative potential. When appropriately induced, LMSCs could differentiate into osteoblasts, adypocytes, chondrocytes, and neurons; in other words, LMSCs had cross-embryonic layer differentiation potential under corresponding induction conditions. Aside from colony-forming, self-renewal, and multilineage differentiation capabilities, LMSCs were characterized by specific cell phenotypes. The results of immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry demonstrated that LMSCs consistently expressed OCT-4 - a specific gene marker expressed in pluripotent stem cells - and markers associated with MSCs such as CD29, CD73, CD90, and CD105. However, LMSCs lacked hematopoietic cell surface molecules such as CD34 and CD45. Primary LMSCs could be subcultured to passage 24 at most in vitro and karyotype analysis demonstrated that LMSCs possessed genomic stability. These unique characteristics were consistent with the characteristics of MSCs, which had been isolated from other tissues. This provides a foundation for LMSCs as a promising avenue for cellular transplantation therapy, regenerative medicine, and tissue engineering.

En utilisant du tissu pulmonaire disséqué d'embryons de poulets âgés de 12 jours, nous avons tenté d'obtenir une nouvelle population de cellules souches, nommément, des cellules souches mésenchymateuses dérivées de poumon de poulet (CSMPs), qui montrent une morphologie apparentée à de cellules fusiformes.Les résultats des tests de formation de colonies et de doublement de la population ont démontré que les CSMPs avaient un potentiel énorme de formation de colonies, d'auto-régénération, et de prolifération. Lorsqu'induites de manière appropriée, les CSMPs pouvaient se différencier en ostéoblastes, en adipocytes, en chondrocytes, et en neurones; en d'autres termes, en fonction des conditions d'induction correspondantes, les CSMPs avaient un potentiel de différenciation croisé entre les couches embryonnaires. Outre la formation de colonies, l'auto-régénération, et les capacités de différenciation multi-lignées, les CSMPs étaient caractérisées par des phénotypes cellulaires spécifiques. Les résultats d'analyses par immunohistochimie et cytométrie de flux ont démontré que les CSMPs exprimaient de manière constante OCT-4 ­ un marqueur de gène spécifique exprimé dans les cellules souches pluripotentes ­ et des marqueurs associés avec des cellules souches mésenchymateuses (CSMs) tels que CD29, CD73, CD90, et CD105. Toutefois, les CSMPs n'avaient pas de molécules de surface des cellules hématopoïétiques telles que CD34 et CD45. Les CSMPs primaires pouvaient être sous-cultivées in vitro au moins jusqu'au passage 24 et l'analyse du caryotype a démontré que les CSMPs possédaient une stabilité génétique.Ces caractéristiques uniques étaient en lien avec les caractéristiques de CSMs isolées d'autres tissus. Ceci fourni une base pour considérer les CSMPs comme une avenue prometteuse pour la thérapie par transplantation cellulaire, la médecine régénérative, et l'ingénierie tissulaire.(Traduit par Docteur Serge Messier).

Simultaneous improvement of grain yield and protein content in durum wheat by different phenotypic indices and genomic selection.

KEY MESSAGE: Simultaneous improvement of protein content and grain yield by index selection is possible but its efficiency largely depends on the weighting of the single traits. The genetic architecture of these indices is similar to that of the primary traits. Grain yield and protein content are of major importance in durum wheat breeding, but their negative correlation has hampered their simultaneous improvement. To account for this in wheat breeding, the grain protein deviation (GPD) and the protein yield were proposed as targets for selection. The aim of this work was to investigate the potential of different indices to simultaneously improve grain yield and protein content in durum wheat and to evaluate their genetic architecture towards genomics-assisted breeding. To this end, we investigated two different durum wheat panels comprising 159 and 189 genotypes, which were tested in multiple field locations across Europe and genotyped by a genotyping-by-sequencing approach. The phenotypic analyses revealed significant genetic variances for all traits and heritabilities of the phenotypic indices that were in a similar range as those of grain yield and protein content. The GPD showed a high and positive correlation with protein content, whereas protein yield was highly and positively correlated with grain yield. Thus, selecting for a high GPD would mainly increase the protein content whereas a selection based on protein yield would mainly improve grain yield, but a combination of both indices allows to balance this selection. The genome-wide association mapping revealed a complex genetic architecture for all traits with most QTL having small effects and being detected only in one germplasm set, thus limiting the potential of marker-assisted selection for trait improvement. By contrast, genome-wide prediction appeared promising but its performance strongly depends on the relatedness between training and prediction sets.

Implementation of an acute surgical admission ward.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of an acute surgical admission ward on admission and discharge processes. METHODS: This prospective cohort study was conducted in a university tertiary referral centre. All acute surgical patients were clustered in the acute surgical unit (ASU) in February and March 2012, and discharged or transferred to specialized departments within 48 h. The primary outcome was length of hospital stay (LOS). Secondary outcomes were impact on emergency department waiting times, discharge home within 48 h, incorrect ward admissions, readmissions and mortality. Outcomes of the study group were compared with those of a historical reference group admitted during the same interval the year before. RESULTS: Some 249 patients were admitted to the ASU during the study interval. The reference group consisted of 211 patients. The total LOS decreased significantly from a median of 4·0 to 2·0 days (P = 0·004). The percentage of patients who were discharged within 48 h increased from 30·3 to 43·4 per cent (P = 0·004). The rate of incorrect ward admission decreased from 9·5 to 0 per cent. Emergency department waiting time, readmission rate and 30-day mortality did not change. CONCLUSION: Introduction of an acute surgical unit-shortened length of hospital stay without comprising readmission and mortality rates.

Detection of Toxoplasma gondii in two southern Wooly spider monkeys (Brachyteles arachnoides-Geoffroy, 1806) from the Rio de Janeiro primate center, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Toxoplasmosis led to the death of two Brachyteles arachnoides, an endangered atelid. METHODS: The diagnosis was established by necropsy, histopathological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural changes. RESULTS: The analysis confirms the presence of Toxoplasma gondii. CONCLUSIONS: This report contributes to the development of protocols for health surveillance on maintenance and conservation of southern muriquis.

Bridging the gap between marker-assisted and genomic selection of heading time and plant height in hybrid wheat.

Based on data from field trials with a large collection of 135 elite winter wheat inbred lines and 1604 F1 hybrids derived from them, we compared the accuracy of prediction of marker-assisted selection and current genomic selection approaches for the model traits heading time and plant height in a cross-validation approach. For heading time, the high accuracy seen with marker-assisted selection severely dropped with genomic selection approaches RR-BLUP (ridge regression best linear unbiased prediction) and BayesCπ, whereas for plant height, accuracy was low with marker-assisted selection as well as RR-BLUP and BayesCπ. Differences in the linkage disequilibrium structure of the functional and single-nucleotide polymorphism markers relevant for the two traits were identified in a simulation study as a likely explanation for the different trends in accuracies of prediction. A new genomic selection approach, weighted best linear unbiased prediction (W-BLUP), designed to treat the effects of known functional markers more appropriately, proved to increase the accuracy of prediction for both traits and thus closes the gap between marker-assisted and genomic selection.

[Cluster outbreak of MRSA in the community; recognition and approach]. / Clusteruitbraak MRSA buiten het ziekenhuis; herkennen en aanpakken.

BACKGROUND: Community-acquired infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) mainly affects healthy young people, without health-care related risk factors for MRSA. Patients often present with skin and soft-tissue infections. CASE DESCRIPTION: An 18-year-old woman presented at the casualty department with recurrent purulent skin infections. She proved to be MRSA-positive. Within 6 months, 2 people around her also developed an MRSA infection. Culture showed CA-MRSA, with an identical strain (spa type: t008). Additional screening within her immediate circle identified 4 carriers, 2 of whom had corresponding skin infections. CONCLUSION: Cluster outbreaks of CA-MRSA require a coordinated approach from both the treating physician and the public health services. The choice of additional investigation among the circle of contacts was the determining factor in breaking the cycle of transmission and reinfection within this cluster.

Relatedness severely impacts accuracy of marker-assisted selection for disease resistance in hybrid wheat.

The accuracy of genomic selection depends on the relatedness between the members of the set in which marker effects are estimated based on evaluation data and the types for which performance is predicted. Here, we investigate the impact of relatedness on the performance of marker-assisted selection for fungal disease resistance in hybrid wheat. A large and diverse mapping population of 1739 elite European winter wheat inbred lines and hybrids was evaluated for powdery mildew, leaf rust and stripe rust resistance in multi-location field trials and fingerprinted with 9 k and 90 k SNP arrays. Comparison of the accuracies of prediction achieved with data sets from the two marker arrays revealed a crucial role for a sufficiently high marker density in genome-wide association mapping. Cross-validation studies using test sets with varying degrees of relationship to the corresponding estimation sets revealed that close relatedness leads to a substantial increase in the proportion of total genotypic variance explained by the identified QTL and consequently to an overoptimistic judgment of the precision of marker-assisted selection.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) pneumonia in a southern muriqui (Brachyteles arachnoides).

BACKGROUND: An adult male Brachyteles arachanoides, kept in captivity since 1990, was found dead without apparent clinical evidence. METHODS: Necropsy report, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and ultrastructural examination were conducted. RESULTS: Pulmonary syncytial cells were positive for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and ultrastructural examination revealed viral particles inside macrophages compatible with the Paramyxoviridae family. CONCLUSIONS: Muriquis are susceptible to RSV pneumonia followed by respiratory distress syndrome and death.

Rhinovirus detection using different PCR-based strategies

Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) are the major cause of the common cold. HRVs were recently reclassified into the Enterovirus genus (HEV) in the Picornaviridae family. HRVs and other members of the HEV genus share many common features, including sense RNA genomes and partial nucleotide sequence identity. The aim of this study was to evaluate different HRV detection strategies. Samples from adults with acute respiratory infection (n = 291) who were treated in Sao Paulo Hospital (2001-2003) were tested using three assays. The first assay detected picornaviruses by RT-PCR and hybridization, the second detected rhinoviruses using RT-PCR/sequencing, and the third differentiated HRV from HEV using duplex semi-nested-RT-PCR. Analysis of the results obtained from the first two strategies revealed 83% concordance. Discordant samples were then evaluated by the third protocol, and 82% were negative. The picornavirus detection protocol was more sensitive but less specific than the rhinovirus detection protocols. The semi-nested protocol utilized in the present study was less sensitive and was not useful in differentiating HRV from HEV. Sequencing assays examining different genes would address the best strategy of confirming rhinovirus and enterovirus infections.

Solitary IgM phase II response has a limited predictive value in the diagnosis of acute Q fever.

We investigated the positive predictive value (PPV) of a solitary positive immunoglobulin M (IgM) phase II response for the serodiagnosis of acute Q fever detected with either an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) or an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Initial and follow-up sera from patients suspected of acute Q fever were included if initially only IgM phase II tested positive with IFA in 2008 (n=92), or ELISA in 2009 (n=85). A seroconversion for Q fever was defined as an initial sample being IgG phase II negative but positive in the follow-up sample. The PPV of an initial isolated IgM phase II result detected by IFA or ELISA was 65% and 51%, respectively, and therefore appeared not to adequately predict acute Q fever. For this reason it cannot be used as a diagnostic criterion nor should it be included in public health notification without confirmation with other markers or a follow-up serum sample.

Rhinovirus detection using different PCR-based strategies.

Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) are the major cause of the common cold. HRVs were recently reclassified into the Enterovirus genus (HEV) in the Picornaviridae family. HRVs and other members of the HEV genus share many common features, including sense RNA genomes and partial nucleotide sequence identity. The aim of this study was to evaluate different HRV detection strategies. Samples from adults with acute respiratory infection (n = 291) who were treated in Sao Paulo Hospital (2001-2003) were tested using three assays. The first assay detected picornaviruses by RT-PCR and hybridization, the second detected rhinoviruses using RT-PCR/sequencing, and the third differentiated HRV from HEV using duplex semi-nested-RT-PCR. Analysis of the results obtained from the first two strategies revealed 83% concordance. Discordant samples were then evaluated by the third protocol, and 82% were negative. The picornavirus detection protocol was more sensitive but less specific than the rhinovirus detection protocols. The semi-nested protocol utilized in the present study was less sensitive and was not useful in differentiating HRV from HEV. Sequencing assays examining different genes would address the best strategy of confirming rhinovirus and enterovirus infections.

Association mapping for quality traits in soft winter wheat.

Improvement of end-use quality in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) depends on a thorough understanding of the genetic basis of important quality traits. The main goal of our study was to investigate the genetic basis of 1,000-kernel weight, protein content, sedimentation volume, test weight, and starch concentration using an association mapping approach. We fingerprinted 207 diverse European elite soft winter wheat lines with 115 SSR markers and evaluated the genotypes in multi-environment trials. The principal coordinate analysis revealed absence of a clear population but presence of a family structure. Therefore, we used linear mixed models and marker-based kinship matrices to correct for family structure. In genome-wide scans, we detected main effect QTL for all five traits. In contrast, epistatic QTL were only observed for sedimentation volume and test weight explaining a small proportion of the genotypic variation. Consequently, our findings suggested that integrating epistasis in marker-assisted breeding will not lead to substantially increased selection gain for quality traits in soft winter wheat.

Prevalence of serological markers of hepatitis B virus in pregnant women from Paraná State, Brazil.

The prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Brazil increases from South to North but moderate to elevated prevalence has been detected in the Southwest of Paraná State. The prevalence of serological markers of HBV was evaluated in 3188 pregnant women from different counties in Paraná State and relevant epidemiological features were described. The prevalence of HBV markers in pregnant women for the state as a whole was 18.5% (95% CI = 17.2-19.9), ranging from 7.2% in Curitiba to 38.5% in Francisco Beltrão. The endemicity of HBV marker prevalence in pregnant women was intermediate in Cascavel, Foz do Iguaçu, and Francisco Beltrão, and low in Curitiba, Londrina, Maringá, and Paranaguá. Multiple logistic regression showed that HBV marker prevalence increased with age, was higher among black women, among women of Italian and German descent, and among women who had family members in neighboring Rio Grande do Sul State. Univariate analysis showed that HBV marker prevalence was also higher among women with no education or only primary education, with a lower family income and whose families originated from the South Region of Brazil. Pregnant women not having positive HBV markers (anti-HBc, HBsAg or anti-HBs detected by ELISA) corresponded to 73.7% of the population studied, implying that HBV vaccination needs to be reinforced in Paraná State. The highest prevalence was found in three counties that received the largest number of families from Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, where most immigrants were of German or Italian ascendance. This finding probably indicates that immigrants that came to this area brought HBV infection to Southwestern Paraná State.

Risk factors for poor immune response to influenza vaccination in elderly people

Influenza vaccination of elderly people is efficacious and cost effective for the prevention of influenza and its complications. Some studies have pointed out low immunogenicity in this group. Health status has been poorly investigated as a risk factor that may influence the immune response to influenza vaccine. We established an immunization response study of a highly-matched elderly population in a nursing home. One-hundred-twenty subjects of Ashkenazian origin had their vaccine-induced antibody response assessed. Good response was obtained in 30.8 percent (37/120), and 31.7 percent (38/120) did not react. A lack of good response was found to be associated with dementia (P=0.016) in a multivariate analysis. In addition to dementia, malnutrition was frequently observed among poor responders, suggesting that these factors should be considered in vaccination studies. Chemoprophylaxis in addition to vaccination for elderly presenting dementia should be considered, particularly for those people living nursing homes.

Prevalence of serological markers of hepatitis B virus in pregnant women from Paraná State, Brazil

The prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Brazil increases from South to North but moderate to elevated prevalence has been detected in the Southwest of Paraná State. The prevalence of serological markers of HBV was evaluated in 3188 pregnant women from different counties in Paraná State and relevant epidemiological features were described. The prevalence of HBV markers in pregnant women for the state as a whole was 18.5 percent (95 percent CI = 17.2-19.9), ranging from 7.2 percent in Curitiba to 38.5 percent in Francisco Beltrão. The endemicity of HBV marker prevalence in pregnant women was intermediate in Cascavel, Foz do Iguaçu, and Francisco Beltrão, and low in Curitiba, Londrina, Maringá, and Paranaguá. Multiple logistic regression showed that HBV marker prevalence increased with age, was higher among black women, among women of Italian and German descent, and among women who had family members in neighboring Rio Grande do Sul State. Univariate analysis showed that HBV marker prevalence was also higher among women with no education or only primary education, with a lower family income and whose families originated from the South Region of Brazil. Pregnant women not having positive HBV markers (anti-HBc, HBsAg or anti-HBs detected by ELISA) corresponded to 73.7 percent of the population studied, implying that HBV vaccination needs to be reinforced in Paraná State. The highest prevalence was found in three counties that received the largest number of families from Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, where most immigrants were of German or Italian ascendance. This finding probably indicates that immigrants that came to this area brought HBV infection to Southwestern Paraná State.