Detection of virulence-associated genes in pathogenic and commensal avian Escherichia coli isolates

Poultry colibacillosis due to Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is responsible for several extra-intestinal pathological conditions, leading to serious economic damage in poultry production. The most commonly associated pathologies are airsacculitis, colisepticemia, and cellulitis in broiler chickens, and salpingitis and peritonitis in broiler breeders. In this work a total of 66 strains isolated from dead broiler breeders affected with colibacillosis and 61 strains from healthy broilers were studied. Strains from broiler breeders were typified with serogroups O2, O18, and O78, which are mainly associated with disease. The serogroup O78 was the most prevalent (58%). All the strains were checked for the presence of 11 virulence genes: 1) arginine succinyltransferase A (astA); ii) E. coli hemeutilization protein A (chuA); iii) colicin V A/B (cvaA/B); iv) fimbriae mannose-binding type 1 (fimC); v) ferric yersiniabactin uptake A (fyuA); vi) iron-repressible high-molecular-weight proteins 2 (irp2); vii) increased serum survival (iss); viii) iron-uptake systems of E. coli D (iucD); ix) pielonefritis associated to pili C (papC); x) temperature sensitive haemaglutinin (tsh), and xi) vacuolating autotransporter toxin (vat), by Multiplex-PCR. The results showed that all genes are present in both commensal and pathogenic E. coli strains. The iron uptake-related genes and the serum survival gene were more prevalent among APEC. The adhesin genes, except tsh, and the toxin genes, except astA, were also more prevalent among APEC isolates. Except for astA and tsh, APEC strains harbored the majority of the virulence-associated genes studied and fimC was the most prevalent gene, detected in 96.97 and 88.52% of APEC and AFEC strains, respectively. Possession of more than one iron transport system seems to play an important role on APEC survival.

Avaliação de parâmetros respiratórios por espirometria em trabalhadores da panificação da Cidade de Portimão

Desde os tempos da Roma Antiga que se associam problemas respiratórios a trabalhadores da panificação, em parte, provocados pela inalação de substâncias de alto peso molecular como farinhas. A espirometria é uma forma simples de estudar a ventilação pulmonar na qual se obtêm informações acerca de uma possível obstrução, restrição ou situação mista. Pretendeu-se avaliar a Capacidade Vital Forçada, o Volume Expiratório Máximo no Primeiro Segundo e a respectiva razão entre eles, recorrendo à espirometria em trabalhadores da panificação da cidade de Portimão, que aceitaram participar voluntariamente no estudo. A amostra final contemplou 48 trabalhadores. Através da análise dos resultados ficou patente que os trabalhadores com mais de 1O anos de serviço sofrem alterações na função respiratória estatisticamente significativa em relação aos valores de referência (p<0,05). Pode-se, por isso, afirmar que na cidade de Portimão, existe uma relação directa, numa perspectiva a longo prazo, entre a exposição à farinha e a obstrução respiratória. ABSTRACT; Since Rome Ancient times there has been an association between respiratory problems and bakery employees, in part because of the inhalation of substances of high molecular weight such as flours. Spirometry is a simple way to study pulmonary ventilation, through which one can obtain information about a possible obstruction, restriction or mixed situation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the Forced Vital Capacity, Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second and the ratio between them, using spirometry with volunteering bakery workers in the city of Portimão. The final sample compromised 48 workers. lt was evident that individuals working more than 1O years have statistically significant changes in respiratory function (p<0,05), when compared with reference values leading to the conclusion that in the city of Portimão, there is a direct relationship, in a long-term perspective, between exposure to flour and respiratory obstruction.

Distal limb osteoarthritis in the horse

The aim of this thesis was to study two objective methods of osteoarthritis (OA) diagnosis in horses and use them on the assessment of new intra-articular treatments. The studied methods were a new inertial-sensor based system of lameness detection and cartilage biomarkers in serum. It was found that distal limb flexion is significantly correlated to the presence of metacarpo-phalangeal OA in hind limbs and that inertial-sensors are sensitive in detecting asymmetry in these cases. A positive and significant correlation was observed between Coll2-1 concentration in serum and the presence of joint disease in males and young horses. Fib3-2 measurement has good potential to be used since it is not influenced by sex or age. Using an experimental model of OA, adipose stem cells pre-activated with interferon-gamma decreased joint inflammation and radiographic lesions. In clinical cases, a single injection of high-concentrated and high-molecular weight hyaluronic-acid decreased joint inflammation and biomarkers’ concentration; OSTEOARTRITE DO MEMBRO DISTAL NO CAVALO Resumo: A finalidade desta tese foi estudar dois métodos de diagnóstico objetivo de osteoartrite (OA) em equinos e aplicá-los na avaliação de novas terapias intra-articulares. Utilizou-se um sistema de sensores de movimento e foi avaliada a concentração de biomarcadores de cartilagem no soro. Concluiu-se que a flexão distal positiva está correlacionada com OA na articulação metacarpofalângica nos membros posteriores e que os sensores são sensíveis na detecção de assimetria nestes casos. Existe uma correlação positiva e significativa entre as concentrações de Coll2-1 e a presença de doença articular, sobretudo em machos e jovens. A dosagem de Fib3-2 tem utilidade por não ser influenciada pelo sexo nem idade. Num modelo experimental da doença, a terapia à base de células estaminais reduziu a inflamação articular e as lesões radiográficas. Em casos clínicos, o tratamento com ácido-hialurónico de alta concentração e peso molecular provoca uma diminuição da inflamação articular e dos biomarcadores no soro.