Absence of experimental cross-protection induced by a Trypanosoma cruzi-like strain isolated from bats

This study evaluated the possibility of inoculation and reinoculation with a trypanosomatid isolated from bats that is morphologically, biologically and molecularly similar to Trypanosoma cruzi, to protect against infection by virulent strains. Non-isogenic mice were divided into 24 groups that received from zero to three inoculations of Trypanosoma cruzi-like strain RM1, in the presence or absence of Freund's adjuvant, and were challenged with the VIC or JG strains of Trypanosoma cruzi. Parasitemia and survival were monitored and animals were sacrificed for histopathological analysis. Animals immunized with Trypanosoma cruzi-like strain RM1 presented decreased parasitemia, independently of the number of inoculations or the presence of adjuvant. In spite of this reduction, these animals did not present any protection against histopathological lesions. Severe eosinophilic infiltrate was observed and was correlated with the number of inoculations of Trypanosoma cruzi-like strain RM1. These findings suggest that prior inoculation with this strain did not protect against infection but, rather, aggravated the tissue inflammatory process.

Urinary incontinence related to perineal muscle strength in the first trimester of pregnancy: cross-sectional study

Objective To analyze pelvic floor muscle strength (PFMS), urinary continence and quality of life related to urinary incontinence (UI) of women in the first trimester of pregnancy. Method Cross-sectional study with a sample of 500 women who started prenatal care in a complementary healthcare facility in Guarulhos, state of São Paulo, from 2012 and 2013. Pelvic floor muscle strength was evaluated through perineometry. The pregnant women who presented UI answered the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF). Results It was found that maternal age (OR=1.06; CI95% 1.02-1.11) and prior UI (OR=15.12; 95%CI 8.19-27.92) are the variables that, in tandem, best explain the occurrence of UI at the beginning of pregnancy. The mean score on the ICIQ-SF was 8.2 (SD=3.9), considered a moderate impact on quality of life. Conclusion Older pregnant women with prior UI are more likely to have UI in the first trimester of pregnancy.


The sign of the Cross of Andreas in the iris and Diabetes Mellitus: a longitudinal study

OBJECTIVETo compare the development of diabetes mellitus in subjects with and without the sign of the Cross of Andreas in the iris over a period of four years.METHODA prospective, descriptive study of quantitative approach. This cohort study had 91 patients without the disease, with and without the signal. The monitoring was conducted by means of the records in medical charts.RESULTSAt the end of the research, 28.2% of the group with the sign of the Cross of Andreas was diagnosed with diabetes and 56.5% had two or more episodes of impaired glucose tolerance. In the group without the sign, 4.4% was diagnosed with the disease and 24.5% had two or more episodes of glucose intolerance. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups regarding the development of the disease and glucose intolerance.CONCLUSIONThe group with the Cross of Andreas developed more glucose intolerance and diabetes than the group without the sign.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Quality of Life Index Spinal Cord Injury - Version III

OBJECTIVE To translate and culturally adapt to Portuguese the Ferrans and Powers Quality of Life Index Spinal Cord Injury - Version III and characterize the sample in relation to sociodemographic and clinical aspects. METHOD A methodological study with view to cross-cultural adaptation, following the particular steps of this method: initial translation, translation synthesis, back-translation (translation back to the original language), review by a committee of judges and pretest of the final version. The pretest was carried out with 30 patients with spinal cord injury. RESULTS An index of 74 items divided into two parts (satisfaction/importance) was obtained. The criteria of semantic equivalence were evaluated as very adequate translation, higher than 87%, and vocabulary and were grammar higher than 86%. Idiomatic equivalence was higher than 74%, experimental greater than 78% and conceptual was greater than 70%. CONCLUSION After cross-cultural adaptation, the instrument proved semantic, idiomatic, experimental and conceptual adequacy, in addition to helping the evaluation of the quality of life of people with spinal cord injury.

Contemporary issues in the government and administration of Latin American megacities

This paper is the first to systematically analyze and compare the structures of city governance and administration for seven major cities in Latin America, four of which are megacities (population of over 10 million), and three others are large national capitals. U.S. and U. K. models of city administration are reviewed as baseline models against which differences in Latin American may be explored. Structures of Government in Latin America show several important features and trends: 1) the lack of metropolitan (cross jurisdictional) authority; 2) the existence of strong mayors and weak councils"; 3) high levels of partisanship; 4) overlapping rather than interlocking bureaucracies; 5) pressures towards the privatization of city services, but continuing tension over the desirability of public versus private control; 6) greater fiscal responsibility and autonomy; and 7), a continuing marginalization of public participation in megacity governance.In spite of these features, many cities throughout the region (regardless of whether they are megacity size or national capitals), are actively intensifying their efforts to develop more effective, accountable and democratic governance structures.

Effects of breastfeeding and sucking habits on malocclusion in a birth cohort study

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of malocclusion and to examine the effects of breastfeeding and non-nutritive sucking habits on dentition in six-year-old children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out nested into a birth cohort conducted in Pelotas, Southern Brazil, in 1999. A sample of 359 children was dentally examined and their mothers interviewed. Anterior open bite and posterior cross bite were recorded using the Foster & Hamilton criteria. Information regarding breastfeeding and non-nutritive sucking habits was collected at birth, in the first, third, sixth and 12th months of life, and at six years of age. Control variables included maternal schooling and child's birthweight, cephalic perimeter, and sex. Data were analyzed by Poisson regression. RESULTS: Prevalence of anterior open bite was 46.2%, and that of posterior cross bite was 18.2%. Non-nutritive sucking habits between 12 months and four years of age and digital sucking at age six years were the main risk factors for anterior open bite. Breastfeeding for less than nine months and regular use of pacifier between age 12 months and four years were risk factors for posterior cross bite. Interaction between duration of breastfeeding and the use of pacifier was identified for posterior cross bite. CONCLUSIONS: Given that breastfeeding is a protective factor for other diseases of infancy, our findings indicate that the common risks approach is the most appropriate for the prevention of posterior cross bite in primary or initial mixed dentition.

Evaluating the use of in-store measures in retail food stores and restaurants in Brazil

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE To assess inter-rater reliability, test-retest reliability, and construct validity of retail food store, open-air food market, and restaurant observation tools adapted to the Brazilian urban context.METHODS This study is part of a cross-sectional observation survey conducted in 13 districts across the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2010-2011. Food store and restaurant observational tools were developed based on previously available tools, and then tested it. They included measures on the availability, variety, quality, pricing, and promotion of fruits and vegetables and ultra-processed foods. We used Kappa statistics and intra-class correlation coefficients to assess inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities in samples of 142 restaurants, 97 retail food stores (including open-air food markets), and of 62 restaurants and 45 retail food stores (including open-air food markets), respectively. Construct validity as the tool’s abilities to discriminate based on store types and different income contexts were assessed in the entire sample: 305 retail food stores, 8 fruits and vegetable markets, and 472 restaurants.RESULTS Inter-rater and test-retest reliability were generally high, with most Kappa values greater than 0.70 (range 0.49-1.00). Both tools discriminated between store types and neighborhoods with different median income. Fruits and vegetables were more likely to be found in middle to higher-income neighborhoods, while soda, fruit-flavored drink mixes, cookies, and chips were cheaper and more likely to be found in lower-income neighborhoods.CONCLUSIONS The measures were reliable and able to reveal significant differences across store types and different contexts. Although some items may require revision, results suggest that the tools may be used to reliably measure the food stores and restaurant food environment in urban settings of middle-income countries. Such studies can help .inform health promotion interventions and policies in these contexts.

Monoclonal antibody to serotype 17 of Neisseria meningitidis and their prevalence in Brazilian States

Neisseria meningitidis are gram-negative diplococci responsible for cases of meningococcal disease all over the world. The epidemic potential of N. meningitidis serogroup B and C is clearly a function of their serotype antigens more than of their capsular polysaccharides. Until recently, hiperimmune sera were used to detect typing antigens on the bacteria. The advent of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) offered the opportunity to eliminate many of the cross-reactions and have improved the accuracy and reproducibility of meningococcal serotyping. We have produced a MAb to the outer membrane protein of the already existent serotype 17 that have been detected by the use of hiperimmune rabbit sera. The prevalence of this serotype epitope is low in the Brazilian strains. By using the MAb 17 we could not decrease the percentage of nontypeable serogroup C strains. However, there were a decreasing in nontypeable strains to 13% into serogroup B strains and to 25% into the other serogroups.

Gamma 60Co DL50/30 of Biomphalaria glabrata (Say, 1818)

The variation of resistance to 60Co gamma-rays of Biomphalaria glabrata was studied. A population of 480 mollusks was observed during 30 days - distributed in 8 groups of snails isolated and 8 groups of snails in colonies - after exposure (30 snails per group per dose) to increasing doses of gamma radiation. Doses of 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 160, 320 and 640 Gy from a Gamma-cell 60Co irradiator, were applied to the test groups and two groups control (non-irradiated) of snails - isolated and colony - were kept apart. After have been exposed, the snails were drew back to the aquaria where they were maintained before. The survival was estimated on a daily score of the alive animals in each group-dose, starting after the irradiation exposure day. As a result, the survival self-fertilization forms (DL50/30 = 218.2 Gy) was found greater than in cross-fecundation forms. These data point to a low radio-resistance on the cross-fertilization forms - the sexual reproductive form - which is most found in nature. The lower radio-resistance of the cross-fertilization forms suggests the presence of some sex-linked hormonal factor related to this phenomenon.

Tegumentary leishmaniasis in Northern Argentina: distribution of infection and disease, in three municipalities of Salta, 1990-1992

This work describes the epidemiological pattern of tegumentary leishmaniasis in an area north of Salta, Argentina. The prevalence and incidence were estimated by means of a cross-sectional study and two follow-up studies during two consecutive years. The Montenegro Skin Test (MST) was administered to 7336 subjects at baseline. The prevalence and incidence between 1990 and 1992 of infection (MST reactive) was 38‰ persons and 4.5‰ persons/year respectively. The prevalence and incidence of tegumentary leishmaniasis (presence of clinical signs) was 1.8‰ and 0.8‰ persons/year, respectively. A physical examination performed on 264 patients with MST reactive during three years revealed that 130 cases (49.2%) had some evident sign of infection (scar and/or lesion), with a clinical presentation compatible with leishmaniasis. Our study demonstrated that after the epidemic outbreak of 1985 the transmission in the study area returned to endemic levels in 1992, and also demonstrated the presence of the asymptomatic infection in the area.

Chagas' disease: selective affinity and cytotoxicity of Trypanosoma cruzi-immune lymphocytes to parasympathetic ganglion cells

The megaesophagus and megacolon endemic in South America are related , to Chagas' disease. These mega conditions are found in patients with chronic Chagas's infection, when the parasite is not demonstrable in the lesions. These are characterized by depopulation of parasympathetic ganglion cells, dilation and hypertrophy of the viscera. In the experiments described here we deminstrate a selective affinity and adherence of Trypanosoma cruzi-immune lymphocytes to myenteric, parasympathetic ganglion cells, leading to neuronolysis. None of these features are observed when non-immune lymphocytes from control rabbits are used, or when the immune lymphocytes are allowed to react with CNS neurons. This demonstration is an indication of the high degree of specificity of the destruction of parasympathetic neurons in Chagas' disease. We postulate that the T. cruzi-immune lymphocyte rejection of parasympathetic neurons, but not of CNS neurons, might be related to recognition of a cross-reacting antigenic determinant secreted only by the target neurons. In favor of this interpretation is the observation of lymphocytic infiltrates and parasympathetic ganglion cell destruction in chronic Chagas' infection in the absence of encephalitis.

Ultrastructure of Giardia duodenalis trophozoites group from hamster: some relevant aspects

Throphozoites of Giardia duodenalis group obtained from fragments or scratched of hamster's mucosa were examined by transission electron microscopy. The fine structure of the trophozoites are presented and comapred with those described for other animals. Some of the trophozoites present the cytoplasm full of glycogen, rough endoplasmic reticulum-like structures and homogeneous inclusions not enclosed by membranes, recognized as lipid drops, which had not been observed in Giardia from other animals. The adhesive disk is composed of a layer of microtubules, from which fibrous ribbons extend into the cytoplasm; these ribbons are linked by layer of crossbridge filaments that shows an intermediary dense band, described for the first time in this paper. The authors regard this band as the result of the cross-bridge filaments slinding in the medium region between adjacent fibrous ribbons, and suggest a contractile activity for them. The role of the adhesive disk on the trophozoite mechanism of attachment to host mucosa is also discussed.

Basic biochemical investigations as rationale for the design of original antimalarial drugs. An example of phospholipid metabolism

The future of antimalarial chemotherapy is particulary alarming in view of the spread of parasite cross-resistances to drugs that are not even structurally related. Only the availability of new pharmacological models will make it possible to select molecules with novel mechanisms of action, thus delaving resistance and allowing the development of new chemotherapeutic strategies. We reached this objective in mice. Our approach is hunged on fundamental and applied research begun in 1980 to investigate to phospholipid (PL) metabolism of intraerythrocytic Plasmodium. This metabolism is abundant, specific and indispensable for the production of Plasmodium membranes. Any drug to interfere with this metabolism blocks parasitic development. The most effective interference yet found involves blockage of the choline transporter, which supplies Plasmodium with choline for the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine, its major PL, this is a limiting step in the pathway. The drug sensitivity thereshold is much lower for the parasite, which is more dependent on this metabolism than host cells. The compounds show in vitro activity against P. falciparum at 1 to 10 nM. They show a very low toxicity against a lymphblastoid cell line, demonstrating a total abscence of correlation between growth inhibition of parasites and lymphoblastoid cells. They show antimalarial activity in vivo, in the P. berghei or P. chabaudi/mouse system, at doses 20-to 100-fold lower than their in acute toxicity limit. The bioavailability of a radiolabeled form of the product seemed to be advantageous (slow blood clearance and no significant concentration in tissues). Lastly, the compounds are inexpensive to produce. They are stable and water-soluble.

Genetic complementation analysis of two independently isolated hycanthone-resistant strains of Schistosoma mansoni

The objective of this study is to determine whether various hycanthone resistant strains of schistosomes which have been independently isolated are all affected in the same gene. A strain obtained from a Brazilian patient was compared with a strain of Puerto Rican origin selected in the laboratory. If the mutation conferring resistance involved two different genes, one would expect that the progeny of a cross between the two strains would show complementation, i.e. it would be sensitive to the drug. We have performed such a cross and obtained F1 hybrid worms wich were essentially all resistant, thus suggesting that the mutation conferring resistance in the two strains involves the same gene.

Analysis of membrane protein genes in a Brazilian isolate of Anaplasma marginale

The sequencing of the complete genome of Anaplasma marginale has enabled the identification of several genes that encode membrane proteins, thereby increasing the chances of identifying candidate immunogens. Little is known regarding the genetic variability of genes that encode membrane proteins in A. marginale isolates. The aim of the present study was to determine the degree of conservation of the predicted amino acid sequences of OMP1, OMP4, OMP5, OMP7, OMP8, OMP10, OMP14, OMP15, SODb, OPAG1, OPAG3, VirB3, VirB9-1, PepA, EF-Tu and AM854 proteins in a Brazilian isolate of A. marginale compared to other isolates. Hence, primers were used to amplify these genes: omp1, omp4, omp5, omp7, omp8, omp10, omp14, omp15, sodb, opag1, opag3, virb3, VirB9-1, pepA, ef-tu and am854. After polimerase chain reaction amplification, the products were cloned and sequenced using the Sanger method and the predicted amino acid sequence were multi-aligned using the CLUSTALW and MEGA 4 programs, comparing the predicted sequences between the Brazilian, Saint Maries, Florida and A. marginale centrale isolates. With the exception of outer membrane protein (OMP) 7, all proteins exhibited 92-100% homology to the other A. marginale isolates. However, only OMP1, OMP5, EF-Tu, VirB3, SODb and VirB9-1 were selected as potential immunogens capable of promoting cross-protection between isolates due to the high degree of homology (over 72%) also found with A. (centrale) marginale.