Situação vacinal infantil e características individuais e familiares do interior de São Paulo

The aim of this study was to describe and analyze individual and family characteristics of children and those of health services, as well as their relationship with the immunization status for different kinds of vaccines and doses. Three sources of information were used: records from the Municipal Health Information System, immunization charts, and interviews using closed-ended questions. The families interviewed still had one or two growing children; caretakers were usually young unemployed mothers with easy access to health services. Around 30% of them were not instructed on the vaccine being given, its reactions or when to return for the next shot. The greatest levels of tardiness occurred with the vaccines against measles (6.3%) and Haemophilus influenzae B (4.2%). It was possible to observe that tardiness or absence of vaccinations seem to have a stronger relationship with service characteristics than with population characteristics.

Immunization of Balb/c mice with modified auto-antigens for induction of autoimmune sialoadenitis

Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease characterized by sialoadenitis and elevated titers of autoantibodies. To assess whether it is possible to induce inflammatory changes in salivary gland tissues, a series of immunizations in Balb/c mice have been undertaken, using salivary gland extract, modified or not, added to several adjuvants. Mice's humoral immune response to salivary gland antigens was monitored by ELISA. Inflammatory cells infiltrating gland tissue were seen 3 months after immunization with salivary gland extract modified with pepsin (AgGp) and metaperiodate (AgGMp). Although pathological progression was not observed, the histopathological picture was similar to the initial phase of Sjögren's syndrome. In addition, a monoclonal antibody reactive with 3 gland polypeptides and anhydrase carbonic II was rescued among B cells from immunized mice. Thus, immunizations with modified autoantigens were able to initiate pathological damage to glandular tissue and stimulate the proliferation of auto-reactive B cells.

Avaliação da capacidade imunoestimulante e da estabilidade de um probiótico empregado em rações de cães

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Association between breast-feeding practices and sucking habits: A cross-sectional study of children in their first year of life

In addition to providing nutrition and immunological protection, breast-feeding has positive effects on the development of the infant's oral cavity. The aim of the present study is to assess breast-feeding patterns and to analyze the influence of breast-feeding practices and maternal sociodemographic variables on the prevalence of non-nutritive sucking habits in a sample of Brazilian infants. This cross-sectional study was carried out in Southern Brazil. A random sample of 100 mothers of infants up to 12 months of age was interviewed during the National Vaccination Campaign Day. The prevalence and median duration of breast-feeding were assessed. Breast-feeding practice, the exposure factor, was categorized as exclusive breast-feeding, predominant breast-feeding, complementary breast-feeding, or weaning. Maternal sociodemographic variables included age, race, marital status, educational level, profession, and family income. The outcome investigated was the prevalence of sucking habits (pacifier use and thumb sucking). We used two-sample tests, the chi-square test and Fisher exact test0 for statistical analyses of the data. The study revealed that 75% of infants were being breast-fed. Pacifier use and thumb sucking were common in 55%. Bottle-feeding was prevalent in 74% of infants. Breast-feeding was negatively correlated with pacifier use and thumb sucking (OR = 0.11; 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.4). Bottle-feeding was strongly associated with weaning (p = 0.0003). Among the sociodemographic variables, only marital status showed a statistical association with sucking habits (p = 0.04). These findings suggest that breast-feeding can prevent the occurrence of sucking habits. Although we could not evaluate causality assessment, malocclusion prevention seems to be yet one more reason for promoting breast-feeding practices.

Newcastle disease virus vaccine strains: Immunogenicity is not influenced by ICPI

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A Bayesian approach to estimate the accuracy of in-house ELISA assay to measure rabies antibodies from compulsory vaccinated dogs and cattle

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Dietary restriction abrogates antibody production induced by a DNA vaccine encoding the mycobacterial 65 kDa heat shock protein

Background: Protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) is the most common type of malnutrition. PCM leads to immunodeficiency and consequent increased susceptibility to infectious agents. In addition, responses to prophylactic vaccines depend on nutritional status. This study aims to evaluate the ability of undernourished mice to mount an immune response to a genetic vaccine (pVAXhsp65) against tuberculosis, containing the gene coding for the heat shock protein 65 from mycobacteria. Methods: Young adult female BALB/c mice were fed ad libitum or with 80% of the amount of food consumed by a normal diet group. We initially characterized a mice model of dietary restriction by determining body and spleen weights, hematological parameters and histopathological changes in lymphoid organs. The ability of splenic cells to produce IFN-gamma and IL-4 upon in vitro stimulation with LPS or S. aureus and the serum titer of specific IgG1 and IgG2a anti-hsp65 antibodies after intramuscular immunization with pVAXhsp65 was then tested. Results: Dietary restriction significantly decreased body and spleen weights and also the total lymphocyte count in blood. This restriction also determined a striking atrophy in lymphoid organs as spleen, thymus and lymphoid tissue associated with the small intestine. Specific antibodies were not detected in mice submitted to dietary restriction whereas the well nourished animals produced significant levels of both, IgG1 and IgG2a anti-hsp65. Conclusion: 20% restriction in food intake deeply compromised humoral immunity induced by a genetic vaccine, alerting, therefore, for the relevance of the nutritional condition in vaccination programs based on these kinds of constructs. © 2009 Ishikawa et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

DNA vaccine containing the mycobacterial hsp65 gene prevented insulitis in MLD-STZ diabetes

Background: Our group previously demonstrated that a DNA plasmid encoding the mycobacterial 65-kDa heat shock protein (DNA-HSP65) displayed prophylactic and therapeutic effect in a mice model for tuberculosis. This protection was attributed to induction of a strong cellular immunity against HSP65. As specific immunity to HSP60 family has been detected in arthritis, multiple sclerosis and diabetes, the vaccination procedure with DNA-HSP65 could induce a cross-reactive immune response that could trigger or worsen these autoimmune diseases. Methods: In this investigation was evaluated the effect of a previous vaccination with DNA-HSP65 on diabetes development induced by Streptozotocin (STZ). C57BL/6 mice received three vaccine doses or the corresponding empty vector and were then injected with multiple low doses of STZ. Results: DNA-HSP65 vaccination protected mice from STZ induced insulitis and this was associated with higher production of IL-10 in spleen and also in the islets. This protective effect was also concomitant with the appearance of a regulatory cell population in the spleen and a decreased infiltration of the islets by T CD8+ lymphocytes. The vector (DNAv) also determined immunomodulation but its protective effect against insulitis was very discrete. Conclusion: The data presented in this study encourages a further investigation in the regulatory potential of the DNA-HSP65 construct. Our findings have important implications for the development of new immune therapy strategies to combat autoimmune diseases. © 2009 Santos et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Safety and efficacy of a Salmonella Gallinarum ΔcobSΔcbiA strain with potential to prevent chicken infections by Salmonella Gallinarum and Salmonella Enteritidis

New vaccine design techniques have allowed the development of effective vaccine strains against Salmonella infections in which the risks of reversion to the wild type and virulence is null. The mutant strain Salmonella Gallinarum ΔcobSΔcbiA was previously shown to be avirulent in chickens. In this study, this strain was tested as a vaccine against Salmonella Gallinarum (SG) and S. Enteritidis (SE) infections, and its protection levels, safety and possible risks of reversion to virulence after vaccination of layers were evaluated. Birds were vaccinated at five days of age or at five and 25 days of age. At 45 days of age, brown and white layers were challenged with SG and SE wild strains, respectively. Two assays to test the possibility of reversion to virulence were performed. Five successive bacterial passages in brown layers were carried out in the first assay. In the second assay, brown layers received a ten-fold concentrated inoculum of the SGΔcobSΔcbiA strain and were evaluated for clinical signs and mortality. In both experiments, no birds that received the inoculation of the attenuated strain died. Additionally, the use of the mutant strain as a vaccine provided good protection levels against both challenge strains.

Inoculation of salivary gland extracts obtained from female of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) (Acari, Ixodidae) with 2, 4, and 6 days of feeding in rabbit: I - Histopathology of the feeding lesion

This study analyzed the histopathology of rabbit skin, previously immunized with SGE2, SGE4, and SGE6 gland extracts prepared from salivary glands of Rhipicephalus sanguineus female with 2, 4, and 6 days of feeding, at the region of the R. sanguineus female feeding lesion 2, 4, and 6 days after tick attachment. In this work, infestation-naïve New Zealand White rabbits were inoculated either with the extracts (test group (TG)) or with phosphate buffer and complete Freund's adjuvant mixture (control group 2 (CG2)). Each extract-inoculated- (TG and CG2) and non-inoculated (CG1) rabbit was subsequently infested with R. sanguineus. Skin biopsies were collected from the rabbit at the tick feeding lesion at 2, 4, and 6 days of feeding. Results revealed that rabbit immunization with gland extracts induced acquisition of resistance against this species. It should be stated that the SGE4 extract was the most effective in developing an immune-inflammatory response against ectoparasites, being this process characterized by the presence of an early and intense inflammatory cell infiltrate. On the other hand, SGE6 extract caused a later appearance of resistance with less infiltrate occurrence and intense edema at the feeding lesion site. As to the inflammatory process deriving from SGE2 extract inoculation, it was the less intense. It was concluded that immunization with different extracts from R. sanguineus female salivary glands did not change microscope features of the inflammatory process, although an earlier or more intense and later response, which was also dependent on the inoculate extract, was noticed. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Investigation of the state of virus carrier of newcastle disease in budgerigars (melopsittacus undulatus)

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

Influenza among the elderly in the Americas: A consensus statement

Influenza exacts a heavy burden on the elderly, a segment of the population that is estimated to experience rapid growth in the near future. In the past decade most developed and several developing countries have recommended influenza vaccination for those > 65 years of age. The World Health Organization (WHO) set a goal of 75% influenza vaccination coverage among the elderly by 2010, but it was not achieved. In 2011, the Technical Advisory Group at the Pan American Health Organization, Regional Office of WHO for the Americas, reiterated the influenza vaccine recommendation for older adults. Relatively little information has been compiled on the immunological aspect of aging or on reducing its impact, information particularly relevant for clinicians and gerontologist with firsthand experience confronting its effects. To fill this data gap, in 2012 the Americas Health Foundation (Washington, D.C., United States) and the nonprofit, Fighting Infectious Diseases in Emerging Countries (Miami, Florida, United States), convened a panel of Latin American clinicians and gerontologists with expertise in influenza to discuss key issues and develop a consensus statement. The major recommendations were to improve influenza surveillance throughout Latin America so that its impact can be quantified; and to conduct laboratory confirmation of influenza for all patients who have flu-like symptoms and are frail, immunosuppressed, have comorbidities, are respiratory compromised, or have been admitted to a hospital. The panel also noted that: since evidence for antivirals in the elderly is unclear, their use should be handled on a case-by-case basis; despite decreased immunological response, influenza vaccination in older adults is still crucial; indirect immunization strategies should be encouraged; and traditional infection control measures are essential in long-term care facilities.

Serological study of vaccinia virus reservoirs in areas with and without official reports of outbreaks in cattle and humans in São Paulo, Brazil

Vaccinia virus (VACV), the etiological agent of an exanthematic disease, has been associated with several bovine outbreaks in Brazil since the end of the global vaccination campaign against smallpox. It was previously believed that the vaccine virus used for the WHO global campaign had adapted to an unknown wild reservoir and was sporadically re-emerging in outbreaks in cattle and milkers. At present, it is known that Brazilian VACV is phylogenetically different from the vaccinia virus vaccinal strain, but its origin remains unknown. This study assessed the seroprevalence of orthopoxviruses in domestic and wild animals and farmers from 47 farms in three cities in the southwest region of the state of São Paulo with or without official reports of outbreaks in cattle or humans. Our data indicate a low seroprevalence of antibodies in wild animals and raise interesting questions about the real potential of wild rodents and marsupials as VACV reservoirs, suggesting other routes through which VACV can be spread. © 2013 The Author(s).

Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to different doses of attenuated vaccine against avian infectious bronchitis virus

The antibody and cellular immune responses against infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) were evaluated at mucosal sites of chickens after immunization with various doses of an attenuated vaccine at 1 day of age. The correlation of these immune responses with protection of tracheal tissues was evaluated after experimental infection of these birds. Significantly reduced tracheal pathologic effects, measured according to ciliostasis and histology lesions, and reduced viral load were observed only in the full-dose vaccinated group at 5 days post-infection (dpi), while incomplete protection was observed for the subdose vaccinated groups. Moreover, birds of vaccinated groups, especially with full dose, developed higher levels of lachrymal IBV-specific IgG and IgA and increased the expression of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) genes, such as gamma interferon (IFNγ), CD8+ T cell marker, and granzyme homolog A more rapidly. In addition, these humoral and cellular immune responses evaluated at mucosal sites correlated significantly with tracheal protection against homologous IBV challenge in a vaccine dose-dependent manner. The results indicate that IgG, IgA and CD8+ T cell responses developed at mucosal sites after IBV vaccination of day-old chicks, could be taken as good correlates of protection against this virus. © 2013, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.