Influence of TNF-α blockers on the oral prevalence of opportunistic microorganisms in ankylosing spondylitis patients

Objectives: To compare the oral prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Candida spp., staphylococci, enterobacteriaceae, and pseudomonas spp.from ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients receiving conventional and anti-TNF-α therapy. Methods: The study included 70 AS patients, diagnosed according to the modified New York criteria (1984). The volunteers were divided into 2 groups: a biological group (AS BioG) (n=35) (on anti-TNF-α therapy) and a conventional group (AS ConvG) (n=35). The control group (ContG) (n=70) was made up of healthy individuals matched for age, gender, and oral conditions. After clinical examination, oral rinse samples were collected and plated in specific culture media. The number of colony-forming units per milliliter (cfu/ml) was obtained, and isolates were identified using the API system. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed according to the NCCLS guidelines. Prevalence and counts of microorganisms were statistically compared between the 3 groups, using the Mann-Whitney and Chi-square tests. Significance level was set at 5%. Results: In both the AS BioG and the AS ConvG, staphylococci counts were higher than that in the ContG (p<0.0001). Candida albicans and staphylococcus epidermidis were the most commonly found species in all the groups. Serratia marcescens and klebsiella oxytoca were more prevalent in the AS BioG and the AS ConvG, respectively. Two Candida isolates (2.8%) from the AS BioG and 5 (10.8%) from the AS ConvG were resistant to amphotericin B and 5-fluorocytosine. A low percentage of staphylococci isolates was resistant to amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, and doxycycline. Conclusion: Higher counts of staphylococci were observed in both AS groups, regardless of the current therapy, age, sex, and oral conditions. Anti-TNF-α therapy could not be correlated with increased counts of microorganisms. © Copyright CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY 2012.

Bothrops leucurus venom induces nephrotoxicity in the isolated perfused kidney and cultured renal tubular epithelia

Bites from snake (Bothrops genus) cause local tissue damage and systemic complications, which include alterations such as hemostatic system and acute renal failure (ARF). Recent studies suggest that ARF pathogenesis in snakebite envenomation is multifactorial and involves hemodynamic disturbances, immunologic reactions and direct nephrotoxicity. The aim of the work was to investigate the effects of the Bothrops leucurus venom (BlV) in the renal perfusion system and in cultured renal tubular cells of the type MDCK (Madin-Darby Canine kidney). BlV (10 μg/mL) reduced the perfusion pressure at 90 and 120 min. The renal vascular resistance (RVR) decreased at 120 min of perfusion. The effect on urinary flow (UF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) started 30 min after BlV infusion, was transient and returned to normal at 120 min of perfusion. It was also observed a decrease on percentual tubular transport of sodium (%TNa+) at 120 min and of chloride (%TCl-) at 60 and 90 min. The treatment with BlV caused decrease in cell viability to the lowest concentration tested with an IC50 of 1.25 μg/mL. Flow cytometry with annexin V and propidium iodide showed that cell death occurred predominantly by necrosis. However, a cell death process may involve apoptosis in lower concentrations. BlV treatment (1.25 μg/mL) led to significant depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential and, indeed, we found an increase in the expression of cell death genes in the lower concentrations tested. The venom also evoked an increase in the cytosolic Ca2+ in a concentration dependent manner, indicating that Ca2+ may participate in the venom of B. leucurus effect. The characterization of the effects in the isolated kidney and renal tubular cells gives strong evidences that the acute renal failure induced by this venom is a result of the direct nephrotoxicity which may involve the cell death mechanism. © 2012.

Immunomodulatory effects of low dose chemotherapy and perspectives of its combination with immunotherapy

Given that cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide, many efforts have been directed toward discovering new treatments and approaches to cure or control this group of diseases. Chemotherapy is the main treatment for cancer; however, a conventional schedule based on maximum tolerated dose (MTD) shows several side effects and frequently allows the development of drug resistance. On the other side, low dose chemotherapy involves antiangiogenic and immunomodulatory processes that help host to fight against tumor cells, with lower grade of side effects. In this review, we present evidence that metronomic chemotherapy, based on the frequent administration of low or intermediate doses of chemotherapeutics, can be better than or as efficient as MTD. Finally, we present some data indicating that noncytotoxic concentrations of antineoplastic agents are able to both up-regulate the immune system and increase the susceptibility of tumor cells to cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Taken together, data from the literature provides us with sufficient evidence that low concentrations of selected chemotherapeutic agents, rather than conventional high doses, should be evaluated in combination with immunotherapy. Copyright © 2012 UICC.

Atividade mutagênica e ativadora da resposta imune celular induzidas por Byrsonima crassa Niedenzu e Byrsonima intermedia A.Juss. (Malpighiaceae)

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

Aplicabilidade da alga cianofícea Spirulina maxima como ingrediente em petfood: avaliação de ação antioxidante e imunológica em cães

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

Pesquisa do antígeno eritrocitário canino 1.1 em plaquetas de cão

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Hemograma, proteinograma e enzima gama-glutamil transferase de cães neonatos, do 3º ao 45º dia de vida, sob a ação da idade e da suplementação com luteína

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ

Perfil nutricional e imunológico de índividuos queimados atendidos no Hospital Estadual Bauru no momento da internação

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Efeito de um inibidor de leucotrienos no processo inflamatório decorrente da infecção por Paracoccidioides brasiliensis em camundongos geneticamnte selecionados

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Sobre a implantação de boas práticas de distribuição de produtos médicos de acordo com a RDC nº 59 de 27 de junho de 2000 - ANVISA e NBR ISO 9001:2000

Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas - FCFAR

Avaliação do estado nutricional, ingestão de antioxidante e extensão da lesão intestinal em pacientes portadores de colte ulcerativa

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

Determinação do período de absorção de imunoglobulinas pela mucosa intestinal de cabritos: influência do tempo decorrido entre o nascimento e a ingestão de colostro nos parâmetros bioquímicos, hemogasométricos e imunológicos de caprinos recém-nascidos

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

Modulação da resposta imune por antígenos da parede celular de Sporothrix schenckii em modelo murino de esporotricose

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Alterações de parâmetros fisológicos e imunológicos em matrizes de frangos de corte vacinadas ou não contra a bronquite infecciosa das galinhas submetidas a diferentes períodos de jejum pós-eclosão

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

Avaliação in vitro da citotoxicidade de monômeros, plastificante e produtos de degradação liberados a partir de resinas para reembasamento imediato

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)