Effect of thymosin alpha-1 on subpopulations of Th1, Th2, Th17, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) in vitro

Thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) has been shown to have beneficial effects on numerous immune system parameters, but little is known about the effects of Tα1 on patients with gastric carcinoma. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Tα1 on subpopulations of Th1, Th2, Th17, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) in vitro, and to evaluate its efficacy as an immunoregulatory factor in patients with gastric carcinoma. We compared the effect of Tα1 on the frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, especially the CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from gastric carcinoma patients (N = 35) and healthy donors (N = 22). We also analyzed the changes in the proliferation of PBMCs in response to treatment with Tα1, and examined the production of Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines by PBMCs and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. The treatment of PBMCs from gastric cancer patients, with Tα1 (50 µg/mL) alone increased the percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ (suppressive antitumor-specific Tregs) from 1.68 ± 0.697 to 2.19 ± 0.795% (P < 0.05). Our results indicate that Tα1 increases the percentage of Tregs and IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 in vitro.

Influência dos sistemas de pastagem e confinamento na contaminação microbiana de carcaças bovinas

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a contaminação microbiana do couro e da superfície de carcaças bovinas, provenientes de bovinos em diferentes sistemas de engorda: extensiva em pastagem e intensiva em confinamento. Foram utilizados 40 bovinos sadios, da raça nelore, sendo metade proveniente de pastagem e a outra metade de confinamento, que foram abatidos em matadouro-frigorífico sob Serviço de Inspeção Federal, localizado no Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. A coleta das amostras realizou-se pela técnica de esfregaço de superfície nas carcaças utilizando-se de suabe. As contagens médias (log10 UFC/cm²) de aeróbios mesófilos e anaeróbios facultativos, coliformes totais e E. coli foram: antes da esfola, 3,72, 1,27 e 0,86; após a esfola, 1,89, 0,40 e 0,40, e após a lavagem, 2,19, 0,55 e 0,42, respectivamente, para os bovinos de pastagem; antes da esfola, 3,31, 0,65 e 0,64; após a esfola, 1,78, 0,40 e 0,40, e após a lavagem, 1,82, 0,41 e 0,40 para os bovinos de confinamento. Evidenciou-se, pela análise microbiológica, que as amostras provenientes de bovinos em pastagem apresentaram contagens médias superiores, e no caso do couro, essas diferenças foram estatisticamente significativas. Essa constatação foi confirmada pela observação visual de que os animais de confinamento apresentavam o couro "mais limpo" no momento do abate.

Impact of social vulnerability on the outcomes of predialysis chronic kidney disease patients in an interdisciplinary center

Introduction: Numerous studies examined the associations between socio-demographic, economic and individual factors and chronic kidney disease (CKD) outcomes and observed that the associations were complex and multifactorial. Socioeconomic factors can be evaluated by a model of social vulnerability (SV). Objective: To analyze the impact of SV on the outcomes of predialysis patients. Methods: Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected from a cohort of patients with predialysis stage 3 to 5 who were treated by an interdisciplinary team (January 2002 and December 2009) in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Factor, cluster and discriminant analysis were performed in sequence to identify the most important variables and develop a model of SV that allowed for classification of the patients as vulnerable or non-vulnerable. Cox regression was performed to examine the impact of SV on the outcomes of mortality and need for renal replacement therapy (RRT). Results: Of the 209 patients examined, 29.4% were classified as vulnerable. No significance difference was found between the vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups regarding either mortality (log rank: 0.23) or need for RRT (log rank: 0.17). In the Cox regression model, the hazard ratios (HRs) for the unadjusted and adjusted impact of SV on mortality were found to be 1.87 (confidence interval [CI]: 0.64-5.41) and 1.47 (CI: 0.35-6.0), respectively, and the unadjusted and adjusted impact of need for RRT to be 1.85 (CI: 0.71-4.8) and 2.19 (CI: 0.50-9.6), respectively. Conclusion: These findings indicate that SV did not influence the outcomes of patients with predialysis CKD treated in an interdisciplinary center.