Distribuição da fauna triatomínica e infecção natural pelo Trypanosoma cruzi em diferentes municípios do semiárido do Rio Grande do Norte

The triatomine fauna distribution and the natural infection by Trypanosoma cruzi was evaluated aiming the comprehension of the transmission dynamics of this parasite in the countryside of the State of Rio Grande do Norte. Additionally, the research for Trypanosoma rangeli was also investigated. The captures of triatomines were performed at sylvatic, peridomicile and domicile environments at different municipalities of the central and western mesoregions of this state. The insects were identified and examined by direct method, xenoculture and PCR to detect T. cruzi. The detection of T. rangeli was performed by direct examination of the hemolymph and multiplex PCR of 151 positive specimens for T. cruzi. Of 824 captured insects, the species were distributed in Triatoma brasiliensis (66.4%), Triatoma pseudomaculata (18.2%), Panstrongylus lutzi (12.7%) and Rhodnius nasutus (2.7%), and T. brasiliensis was found in most of the evaluated municipalities. The species were captured at nymph and adult stages, except P. lutzi, exclusively in adult stage. In the sylvatic environment were captured T. brasiliensis (57%), P. lutzi (28%) and T. pseudomaculata (15%) species. At the peridomicile environment were identified T. brasiliensis (74%), T. pseudomaculata (21%) and R. nasutus (5.0%), while in the intradomicile was found only T. brasiliensis. The infection rate of triatomines by T. cruzi was 30.4%, P. lutzi showed highest rate (78%), followed by T. brasiliensis (24.4%), T. pseudomaculata (22.6%) and R. nasutus (4.5%). Infected triatomines indexes at silvatic, peridomicile and domicile environments were of 41.8%, 20.1% and 50.0%, respectively. T. rangeli was only detected by multiplex PCR in 2.6% (4/151) of examined insects, of these 4.4% (3/67) were T. brasiliensis and 1.5% (1/63) P. lutzi species. The data showed that the positivity of P. lutzi allied to its ability to invade domicile attracted by light, suggests a likely participation of this insect between epidemiological transmission cycles of T. cruzi. T. brasiliensis was the only specie present in all environments, what reinforces its importance related to the capacity for adapting to the domestic environment, potential as a vector, and maintenance of sylvatic and domestic transmissions cycles in the semiarid, indicating the necessity of continuous epidemiological surveillance. The presence of T. rangeli in T. brasiliensis and P. lutzi was first recorded in rural zone of this State, broadening the area of occurrence of this protozoan in northeastern Brazil.

Variabilidade genética de Leishmania spp. circulantes entre seres humanos e cães e infecção de flebotomíneos em áreas endêmicas para as leishmanioses no Rio Grande do Norte

Leishmania infantum is the main etiologic agent of visceral leishmaniasis in the New World. The pattern of distribution of leishmaniasis has changed substantially and has presented an emerging profile within the periphery of the Large Urban Centers. Leishmania infection can compromise skin, mucosa and viscera. Only 10% of the individuals infected develop the disease and 90% of human infection is asymptomatic. The main factors involved in the development of the disease are the host immune response, the vector’s species and the parasite’s genetic content. The sequencing of Leishmania isolated seeks to increase the understanding of the symptoms of individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of circulating Leishmania strains among humans, and symptomatic and asymptomatic, and dogs from endemic areas of Rio Grande do Norte State and analyze sandflies from endemic areas for cutaneous and visceral disease. The genetic variability was evaluated by the use of markers hsp70 , ITS1 and a whole genome sequencing was also carried out. The amplified hsp70 and ITS1 of samples were analyzed and assembled using a Phred / Phrap package. The dendograms were constructed using the same methodology, but adding 500 bootstraps, followed by inferences on the relationships between Leishmania variants. The sequences of the 20 Brazilian isolates were mapped to the reference genome L. infantum JPCM5, using the Bowtie2 program and the identification of 36 contigs. The information of the valid SNPs were used in the PCA. SNPs were visualized by Geneious 7.1 and IGV. The genome annotations were transferred to their respective chromosomes and displayed on Geneious. The matching sequences of all chromosomes were aligned using Mauve. The phylogenetic trees were calculated according to maximum likelihood and JTT models. Sandflies were analyzed by PCR for the identification of Leishmania infection, a blood meal source and GAPDH sand fly. As a result, hsp70 and ITS1 were not capable of identifying genetic variability among human isolates from symptomatic and asymptomatic, and dogs. The complete sequencing of the 20 Brazilian isolates revealed a strong similarity between the circulating Leishmania strains in Rio Grande do Norte. The isolates collected in the city of Natal from humans and canines remained grouped in all analyzes, suggesting that there is genotypic and geographic proximity among the isolates. The isolated samples in the 1990s had a higher genotypic diversity when compared to freshly isolated samples. All isolates presented 36 chromosomes with variable ploidy among them, no correlation was found between the number of amastina genes copies, gp63, A2 and SSG with such clinic forms. In general, we did not find correlation between symptomatic and asymptomatic clinical forms and the gene content of the Brazilian isolates of Leishmania. 34,28% of the sandflies collected in the upper west region were L. longipalpis and the main sources of blood meal were humans, dogs and chickens.

Variabilidade genética de Leishmania spp. circulantes entre seres humanos e cães e infecção de flebotomíneos em áreas endêmicas para as leishmanioses no Rio Grande do Norte

Leishmania infantum is the main etiologic agent of visceral leishmaniasis in the New World. The pattern of distribution of leishmaniasis has changed substantially and has presented an emerging profile within the periphery of the Large Urban Centers. Leishmania infection can compromise skin, mucosa and viscera. Only 10% of the individuals infected develop the disease and 90% of human infection is asymptomatic. The main factors involved in the development of the disease are the host immune response, the vector’s species and the parasite’s genetic content. The sequencing of Leishmania isolated seeks to increase the understanding of the symptoms of individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of circulating Leishmania strains among humans, and symptomatic and asymptomatic, and dogs from endemic areas of Rio Grande do Norte State and analyze sandflies from endemic areas for cutaneous and visceral disease. The genetic variability was evaluated by the use of markers hsp70 , ITS1 and a whole genome sequencing was also carried out. The amplified hsp70 and ITS1 of samples were analyzed and assembled using a Phred / Phrap package. The dendograms were constructed using the same methodology, but adding 500 bootstraps, followed by inferences on the relationships between Leishmania variants. The sequences of the 20 Brazilian isolates were mapped to the reference genome L. infantum JPCM5, using the Bowtie2 program and the identification of 36 contigs. The information of the valid SNPs were used in the PCA. SNPs were visualized by Geneious 7.1 and IGV. The genome annotations were transferred to their respective chromosomes and displayed on Geneious. The matching sequences of all chromosomes were aligned using Mauve. The phylogenetic trees were calculated according to maximum likelihood and JTT models. Sandflies were analyzed by PCR for the identification of Leishmania infection, a blood meal source and GAPDH sand fly. As a result, hsp70 and ITS1 were not capable of identifying genetic variability among human isolates from symptomatic and asymptomatic, and dogs. The complete sequencing of the 20 Brazilian isolates revealed a strong similarity between the circulating Leishmania strains in Rio Grande do Norte. The isolates collected in the city of Natal from humans and canines remained grouped in all analyzes, suggesting that there is genotypic and geographic proximity among the isolates. The isolated samples in the 1990s had a higher genotypic diversity when compared to freshly isolated samples. All isolates presented 36 chromosomes with variable ploidy among them, no correlation was found between the number of amastina genes copies, gp63, A2 and SSG with such clinic forms. In general, we did not find correlation between symptomatic and asymptomatic clinical forms and the gene content of the Brazilian isolates of Leishmania. 34,28% of the sandflies collected in the upper west region were L. longipalpis and the main sources of blood meal were humans, dogs and chickens.

Resposta de ovinos naturalmente infectados por nematoides gastrintestinais em pastos de capim-massai

The aim of this study was to evaluate the crossbred sheep Santa Ines response to natural infections by gastrointestinal nematodes in Panicum maximum cv. pastures Massai at different times of grazing. For this it was used 36 crossbred sheep Santa Inês, divided into four groups and randomly distributed in massai-grass pickets naturally infected by gastrointestinal nematodes. In the period from October 2013 to May 2014, the animals were weekly monitored for hematology tests (packed cell volume) and parasitological (egg counts per gram of feces and fecal culture) in order to monitor the level of infection of sheep and they were assessed for weight, body condition score and staining ocular mucosa by FAMACHA© method. Furthermore infective larvae was recovery from pasture in times of pre-and post-grazing pasture. At 35 kg body weight, the animals were slaughtered and necropsied to collect the contents of the abomasum and small and large intestines to recover the adult parasites, carrying out the count and identification. The animals on pasture with a height of 40 cm pre-grazing obtained low nematode eggs in feces (1608 eggs / g) and 33 cm those in pre-grazing the highest average (2,539 eggs / g). The animals in different groups showed mean values of packed cell volume less than 23% (P> 0.05). Regarding to FAMACHA, the animals belonging to the groups 40 and 50 cm pre-grazing remained over 50% of individuals between FAMACHA 1 and 2 , and those to 33 and 45 cm pre-grazing showed mostly between FAMACHA 3, 4 and 5 (69.06% and 58.93%, respectively). In the culture of larvae in feces and recovery of pasture larvae before and after grazing the following genera were found, in order of prevalence: Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Oesophagostomum and Strongyloides. The pasture with 33 cm of pre-grazing provided the highest number of larvae recovered both in the pre and post-grazing (1,081 and 715 L3 / 100 g of green matter, respectively). Among the different groups, the sheep had an average weight of between 23 and 26 kg and variation between the body 1 and 3 scores with scores greater frequency of 1.5 to 2.It can be observed that the animals kept at different times of grazing got different answers on the parasite load. Animals kept in 40 cm pre-grazing expressed a satisfactory answer than the other groups (33, 45 and 50 cm), best supporting the action of endoparasites. Moreover, this same height, was recovered fewer infective larvae on pasture in pre and post-grazing.

Mecanismos protetores induzidos pelo tratamento prévio com antígeno solúvel de taquizoítas (STAg) no intestino delgado de camundongos BALB/c e C57BL/6 infectados oralmente por Toxoplasma gondii

T. gondii can infect the gut mucosa by direct invasion of epithelial cells in the small intestine and these cells may respond directly to infection promoting a local immune response. C57BL/6 mice orally infected with a high parasitic load of T.gondii are highly susceptible, presenting a lethal ileitis. Recently, it was demonstrated that pretreatment with STAg protects C57BL/6 mice against intestinal pathology in oral T. gondii infection. To investigate the mechanisms induced by STAg in the small intestine in oral T.gondii infection, BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice were treated with STAg 48 hours before oral infection with 30 ME-49 cysts and sacrificed at 8 days of infection. Previous treatment with STAg were able of decrease parasitism and pathology in peripheral organs of BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice and induced a increase in amounts of goblet cells, IgA positive cells, Paneth cells and expression of cryptidin in the small intestine of both lineages of mice, moreover BALB/c mice presented higher amount of these cells comparing with C57BL/6 mice. The results suggests that STAg is able of promoting protective mechanisms in both lineages of mice, although these protection is more evidenced in BALB/c mice, and these mechanisms could be in part mediated by increase in goblet, Paneth and local secretion of IgA in the small intestine of mice orally infected with T.gondii.

Análise do perfil imunológico e citohistológico durante a transmissão vertical de Trypanosoma cruzi em diferentes estágios da infecção experimental

Trypanosma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease. This trypanosomiasis has become a global public health problem due to migration of Latin Americans to non-endemic countries. In Latin America with the succesful implementation of control domiciliated vector infestation and blood transfusion, the importance of congenital transmission has recently increased. Considering the tight regulation of immune system during gestation, we aimed to investigate the changes in the immune system caused by T.cruzi infection in the gestation outcome. T cruzi G and Y strain were used to infect female BALB/c mice before or after mating with non-infected male mice. The presence of vaginal plug was used as indicative of mating. Females were euthanized 8 days after confirmation of vaginal plug. We used three female control groups, only infected, only infected and non-infected and non-pregnant females. Two groups were infected before mating and other two were infected 4 days after confirmation of vaginal plug. The uterus and spleen were collected to immunochemistry, qPCR, immunofluorescence and cytokine analysis. Our results showed that despite the MMP’s identification being similarly among groups, T.cruzi higher virulent strain can impaire gestation outcome prior mating; the infection also increased cytokines like IFN-γ, IL-1β and IL-4; and leucocytes in uterine environment was altered, responding locally to systemic changes caused by T.cruzi infection. In conclusion this work suggests that T.cruzi infection can impaire gestation outcome and local response to sistemic infection was able to control the infection allowing pregnancy development in some conditions.

Enrofloxacina e toltrazuril reduzem a infecção por Toxoplasma gondii em células trofoblásticas humanas e em explantes de vilos placentários humanos de terceiro trimestre

The classical treatment for congenital toxoplasmosis is based on combination of sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine plus folinic acid. Due to teratogenic effects and bone marrow suppression caused by pyrimethamine, the establishment of new therapeutic targets is indispensable to minimize the undesirable effects and improve the control of the infection. Previous studies demonstrated that enrofloxacin and toltrazuril were able to control the infection triggered by Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii. Therefore, the aim of this present study was evaluate the efficacy of enrofloxacin and toltrazuril in the control of T. gondii proliferation in human trophoblast cells (BeWo lineage) and in human villous explants from third trimester. BeWo cells and villous were treated with several concentrations of enrofloxacin, toltrazuril, sulfadiazine, pyrimethamine or association (sulfadiazine + pyrimethamine) in other to verify their viability by MTT or LDH assay, respectively. Next, BeWo cells were infected with T. gondii RH (2F1 clone) or ME49 strain, whereas villous were infected only with RH strain (2F1 clone), after, both cells and villous were treated or not with the same antibiotics and analyzed to T. gondii intracellular proliferation by beta-galactosidase assay (for RH strain) or blue toluidine staining (for ME49 strain). ELISA was performed in the supernatant to evaluate the cytokine profile. Enrofloxacin and toltrazuril did not change strongly the viability in cells and villous. Furthermore, the drugs decreased the parasite intracellular proliferation regardless T. gondii strain in BeWo cells and villous explants when compared to untreated and infected conditions. In BeWo cells infected by RH, enrofloxacin induced high levels of IL-6 low levels of MIF, while both cytokines were upregulated by enrofloxacin and toltrazuril in BeWo cells infected by ME49 strain. Additionally, in villous explantes, enrofloxacin induced high MIF production. Thus, enrofloxacin and toltrazuril were able to control the parasitism in BeWo cells and villous explants, and probably it occurs by modulation of immune response in these cells or tissues and direct action on parasite, but future experiments are necessary to verify this hypothesis.

Visão dos profissionais de saúde frente à possibilidade de infecção de HIV/Aids em idosos

The HIV/Aids epidemic is today, in Brazil, a phenomenon of great magnitude and extent. The disease progresses over a physically weakened, and with more complex approach, portion of the population: the elderly. This study has the objective to know the vision of health professionals facing the possibility of HIV/Aids in the elderly. It is a cross-sectional observational study conducted in the city of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, from November 2013 to December 2015, with the participants Doctors, Dental Surgeons and nurses stationed in the Municipal Network of Primary Care, with a sample of 220. Using factor analysis, factors unrelated to the training of health professionals and others directly related; only the latter showed differences between the professions. The investigation of the professional view on the possibility of infection of HIV/Aids in the elderly should be crafted specifically for each type of professional, meeting the specific difficulties of training each degree course. It is crucial the need to update each professional in the health care field in order to be able to make an early diagnosis aimed at protecting the elderly patient's integrity affected by HIV/Aids.

Infecção hospitalar em pacientes cirúrgicos de hospital universitário

Analisar fatores intercorrentes e a incidência da infecção em pacientes operados no Hospital Universitário da UFRN. Métodos: Foram estudados, através de protocolo previamente estabelecido, 3.120 pacientes internados que se submeteram a procedimentos cirúrgicos no período de janeiro de 1999 a outubro de 2002. Resultados: O índice de infecção hospitalar foi de 5,9%, e a topografia de maior incidência foi a ferida operatória (3,7%). Infecção respiratória ocorreu em 1,2%, urinária em 0,6% e bacteremia em 0,1%. O índice de infecção comunitária foi de 9,2%, predominando infecção urinária (5%) e respiratória (2,1%). Quanto ao grau de contaminação das feridas operatórias, as feridas limpas (1479) apresentaram infecção em 2,9%, as feridas limpascontaminadas (1277) em 6,0% dos casos, as feridas contaminadas (270) em 15,1%, e as ferida infectadas (94) resultaram em infecção em 30,75% dos casos. Conclusão: Concluiu-se que a incidência de infecção cirúrgica foi compatível com os índices na literatura mundial. A partir desses dados, ratifica-se a importância de medidas de controle de infecção hospitalar de forma sistemática, como vem sendo realizado no hospital onde o estudo foi realizado

Avaliação do padrão de resposta de imunoglobulinas em diferentes linhagens de camundongos frente à infecção por T.cruzi

Dissertação (Mestrado)

Infecção hospitalar em pacientes cirúrgicos de hospital universitário

Objetivo: Analisar fatores intercorrentes e a incidência da infecção em pacientes operados no Hospital Universitário da UFRN. Métodos: Foram estudados, através de protocolo previamente estabelecido, 3.120 pacientes internados que se submeteram a procedimentos cirúrgicos no período de janeiro de 1999 a outubro de 2002. Resultados: O índice de infecção hospitalar foi de 5,9%, e a topografia de maior incidência foi a ferida operatória (3,7%). Infecção respiratória ocorreu em 1,2%, urinária em 0,6% e bacteremia em 0,1%. O índice de infecção comunitária foi de 9,2%, predominando infecção urinária (5%) e respiratória (2,1%). Quanto ao grau de contaminação das feridas operatórias, as feridas limpas (1479) apresentaram infecção em 2,9%, as feridas limpascontaminadas (1277) em 6,0% dos casos, as feridas contaminadas (270) em 15,1%, e as ferida infectadas (94) resultaram em infecção em 30,75% dos casos. Conclusão: Concluiu-se que a incidência de infecção cirúrgica foi compatível com os índices na literatura mundial. A partir desses dados, ratifica-se a importância de medidas de controle de infecção hospitalar de forma sistemática, como vem sendo realizado no hospital onde o estudo foi realizado

Infecção pelo vírus zika na gestação e microcefalia em recém-nascidos: revisão integrativa de literatura

v. 18, n. 1, jan./mar. 2016.

Grupo Totem: a infecção pela performance e a encenação performática

The issue of creating productions of hybrid matrices has demanded, for more than three decades, the attention of several theater theorists (COHEN: 1995; LEHMANN: 2007). The study of philosophers (DELEUZE & GUATTARI: 1995) has contributed for new concepts of the scene. These artistic practices, depending on the context, have been generating, more and more, new ways of staging. I will discuss the contamination caused by Antonin Artaud in contemporary theater, and the theater s infection by the performance, based on the thought of Barbara Browning (1995), from its capacity to penetrate and invade territories, and installs a new system. I affirm that the Totem Group (Recife PE) was contaminated by the performance and analyze two performative plays of the group, their points of convergence and separation. The first one is Ita, the search for the origin, the animal devir; the second is Caosmopolita, the body as a reflex of urbanity

Infecção hospitalar em pacientes cirúrgicos de hospital universitário

Analisar fatores intercorrentes e a incidência da infecção em pacientes operados no Hospital Universitário da UFRN. Métodos: Foram estudados, através de protocolo previamente estabelecido, 3.120 pacientes internados que se submeteram a procedimentos cirúrgicos no período de janeiro de 1999 a outubro de 2002. Resultados: O índice de infecção hospitalar foi de 5,9%, e a topografia de maior incidência foi a ferida operatória (3,7%). Infecção respiratória ocorreu em 1,2%, urinária em 0,6% e bacteremia em 0,1%. O índice de infecção comunitária foi de 9,2%, predominando infecção urinária (5%) e respiratória (2,1%). Quanto ao grau de contaminação das feridas operatórias, as feridas limpas (1479) apresentaram infecção em 2,9%, as feridas limpascontaminadas (1277) em 6,0% dos casos, as feridas contaminadas (270) em 15,1%, e as ferida infectadas (94) resultaram em infecção em 30,75% dos casos. Conclusão: Concluiu-se que a incidência de infecção cirúrgica foi compatível com os índices na literatura mundial. A partir desses dados, ratifica-se a importância de medidas de controle de infecção hospitalar de forma sistemática, como vem sendo realizado no hospital onde o estudo foi realizado