Diminished CD4+/CD25+T cell and increased IFN-gamma levels occur in dogs vaccinated with Leishmune (R) in an endemic area for visceral leishmaniasis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Caracterização da resposta imune celular pela expressão imunoistoquímica de CD4, CD8, CD28, CD152, CD56 e FOXP3 em carcinoma mamário de fêmeas caninas

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Expressão imunohistoquímica de moléculas HLA não clássicas (HLA-G E HLA-E) e receptores CD4, CD28 em lesões de mucosa oral, associada a infecção pelo papilomavírus humano (HPV)

Pós-graduação em Biociências e Biotecnologia Aplicadas à Farmácia - FCFAR

Exogenous Administration of 15d-PGJ(2)-Loaded Nanocapsules Inhibits Bone Resorption in a Mouse Periodontitis Model

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis evolution was not modified by multiple infections with Strongyloides venezuelensis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Prevention of experimental diabetes by Uncaria tomentosa extract: Th2 polarization, regulatory T cell preservation or both?

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.) DC (Rubiaceae) is a species native to the Amazon rainforest and surrounding tropical areas that is endowed with immunomodulatory properties and widely used around the world. In this study we investigated the immunomodulatory potential of Uncaria tomentosa (UT) aqueous-ethanol extract on the progression of immune-mediated diabetes.Materials and methods: C57BL/6 male mice were injected with MLDS (40 mg/kg) and orally treated with UT at 10-400 mg/kg during 21 days. Control groups received MLDS alone or the respective dilution vehicle. Pancreatic mononuclear infiltrate and beta-cell insulin content were analyzed by HE and immunohistochemical staining, respectively, and measured by digital morphometry. Lymphocyte immunophenotyping and cytokine production were determined by flow cytometry analysis.Results: Treating the animals with 50-400 mg/kg of UT caused a significant reduction in the glycemic levels, as well as in the incidence of diabetes. The morphometric analysis of insulitis revealed a clear protective effect. Animals treated with UT at 400 mg/kg presented a higher number of intact islets and a significant inhibition of destructive insulitis. Furthermore, a significant protection against the loss of insulin-secreting presented beta-cells was achieved, as observed by a careful immunohistochemical evaluation. The phenotypic analysis indicated that the groups treated with higher doses (100-400 mg/kg) presented CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell values similar to those observed in healthy animals. These same higher doses also increased the number of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T-cells. Moreover, the extract modulated the production of Th1 and Th2, with increased levels of IL-4 and IL-5.Conclusions: The extract was effective to prevent the progression of immune-mediated diabetes by distinct pathways. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alergia à proteína do leite de vaca (APLV): uma perspectiva imunológica

Pós-graduação em Biociências e Biotecnologia Aplicadas à Farmácia - FCFAR

Efeito da infecção com Strongyloides venezuelensis no desenvolvimento da encefalite autoimune (EUA)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Efeito de cepas toxigênicas de Staphylococcus aureus no desenvolvimento de encefalite autoimune experimental

Pós-graduação em Biologia Geral e Aplicada - IBB

Downmodulation of peripheral MUG-specific immunity by pVAXhspe65 treatment during EAE does not reach the CNS

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Comparison of Two Methodologies for CD4+T Lymphocytes Relative Counting on Immune Monitoring of Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Considering that counting the percentage of CD4 T lymphocytes can add prognostic information regarding patients infected with HIV, the aim of this study was to evaluate the percentage values of CD4+ T lymphocytes from 81 patients determined by flow cytometry and estimated by flow cytometry in conjunction with a hematology counter. Means were compared through the Student's t-test. Pearson's correlation was determined, and the agreement between results was tested by Bland-Altman. The level of significance was P < 0.05. It was found a significantly higher mean difference between the relative values of CD4+ T lymphocytes to the hematologic counter (P < 0.05), for all strata studied. Positive and significant correlations (P < 0.01) were found between the strata CD4 < 200 cells/mL (r = 0.93), between 200 and 500 cells/mL (r = 0.65), and >500 cells/mL (r = 0.81). The limits of agreement were 1.0 +/- 3.8% for the stratum of CD4 < 200 cells/mL, approximately 2.2 +/- 13.5% for the stratum of CD4 between 200 and 500 cells/mL, and approximately 6.2 +/- 20.4% for the stratum > 500 cells/mL. The differences in the percentages of CD4+ T lymphocytes obtained by different methodologies could lead to conflict when used in clinical decisions related to the treatment and care of people infected with HIV.

Leukotriene B(4) is essential for selective eosinophil recruitment following allergen challenge of CD4(+) cells in a model of chronic eosinophilic inflammation

Subcutaneous heat-coagulated egg white implants (EWI) induce chronic, intense local eosinophilia in mice, followed by asthma-like responses to airway ovalbumin challenge. Our goal was to define the mechanisms of selective eosinophil accumulation in the EWI model. EWI carriers were challenged i.p. with ovalbumin and the contributions of cellular immunity and inflammatory mediators to the resulting leukocyte accumulation were defined through cell transfer and pharmacological inhibition protocols. Eosinophil recruitment required Major Histocompatibility Complex Class It expression, and was abolished by the leukotriene B4 (LTB4) receptor antagonist CP 105.696, the 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor BWA4C and the 5-lipoxygenase activating protein inhibitor MK886. Eosinophil recruitment in EWI carriers followed transfer of: a) CD4(+) (but not CD4(-)) cells, harvested from EWI donors and restimulated ex vivo; b) their cell-free supernatants, containing LTB4. Restimulation in the presence of MK886 was ineffective. CC chemokine receptor ligand (CCL)5 and CCL2 were induced by ovalbumin challenge in vivo. mRNA for CCL17 and CCL11 was induced in ovalbumin-restimulated CD4(+) cells ex vivo. MK886 blocked induction of CCL17 Pretreatment of EWI carriers with MK886 eliminated the effectiveness of exogenously administered CCL11, CCL2 and CCL5. In conclusion, chemokine-producing, ovalburnin-restimulated CD4(+) cells initiate eosinophil recruitment which is strictly dependent on LTB4 production. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Frequency of Candida spp. in the Oral Cavity of Brazilian HIV-Positive Patients and Correlation with CD4 Cell Counts and Viral Load

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Staphylococcus spp., Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae oral isolates from Brazilian HIV-positive patients. Correlation with CD4 cell counts and viral load

The aim was to evaluate the presence of Staphylococcus spp., Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae in the oral cavities of HIV-positive patients. Forty-five individuals diagnosed as HIV-positive by ELISA and Western-blot, and under anti-retroviral therapy for at least 1 year, were included in the study. The control group constituted 45 systemically healthy individuals matched to the HIV patients to gender, age and oral conditions. Oral rinses were collected and isolates were identified by API system. Counts of microorganisms from HIV and control groups were compared statistically by a Mann-Whitney test (alpha = 5%). The percentages of individuals positive for staphylococci were similar between the groups (p = 0.764), whereas for Gram-negative rods, a higher percentage was observed amongst HIV-positive (p = 0.001).There was no difference in Staphylococcus counts between HIV and control groups (p = 0.1008). Counts were lower in the oral cavities of patients with low viral load (p = 0.021), and no difference was observed in relation to CD4 counts (p = 0.929). Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently isolated species in HIV group, and Staphylococcus epidermidis was the prevalent species in the control group. Significantly higher numbers of enteric bacteria and pseudomonas were detected in the oral cavities of the HIV group than in the control (p = 0.0001). Enterobacter cloacae was the most frequently isolated species in both groups. Counts of enteric bacteria and pseudomonas were significantly lower in patients with low CD4 counts (p = 0.011); however, there was no difference relating to viral load. It may be concluded that HIV group showed greater species diversity and a higher prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae/Pseudomonadaceae. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immune modulation induced by tuberculosis DNA vaccine protects non-obese diabetic mice from diabetes progression

We have described previously the prophylactic and therapeutic effect of a DNA vaccine encoding the Mycobacterium leprae 65 kDa heat shock protein (DNA-HSP65) in experimental murine tuberculosis. However, the high homology of this protein to the corresponding mammalian 60 kDa heat shock protein (Hsp60), together with the CpG motifs in the plasmid vector, could trigger or exacerbate the development of autoimmune diseases. The non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse develops insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) spontaneously as a consequence of an autoimmune process that leads to destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. IDDM is characterized by increased T helper 1 (Th1) cell responses toward several autoantigens, including Hsp60, glutamic acid decarboxylase and insulin. In the present study, we evaluated the potential of DNA-HSP65 injection to modulate diabetes in NOD mice. Our results show that DNA-HSP65 or DNA empty vector had no diabetogenic effect and actually protected NOD mice against the development of severe diabetes. However, this effect was more pronounced in DNA-HSP65-injected mice. The protective effect of DNA-HSP65 injection was associated with a clear shift in the cellular infiltration pattern in the pancreas. This change included reduction of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells infiltration, appearance of CD25(+) cells influx and an increased staining for interleukin (IL)-10 in the islets. These results show that DNA-HSP65 can protect NOD mice against diabetes and can therefore be considered in the development of new immunotherapeutic strategies.