Human and climatic change impact modelling on the habitat suitability for the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti) – Case study: The proposed Mount Cameroon National Park

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies

Histopathology of cutaneous and mucosal lesions in human paracoccidioidomycosis

Biopsies from cutaneous and mucosal lesions from 40 patients with active paracoccidioidomycosis, were studied histopathologically. All cases exhibited chronic granulomatous inflammation and 38 also presented suppuration; this picture corresponded to the mixed mycotic granuloma (MMG). Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia and the transepidermic (or epithelial) elimination of the parasite, were observed in all cases. In paracoccidioidomycosis elimination takes place through formation of progressive edema, accompained by exocytosis. The edema gives rise to spongiosis, microvesicles and microabscesses which not only contain the fungus but also, various cellular elements. Cells in charge of the phagocytic process were essentialy Langhans giant cells; PMN's, epithelioid and foreign body giant cells were poor phagocytes. An additional finding was the presence of fibrosis in most biopsies.

Cell mediated immune response in human antirabies revaccination

The occurrence of secondary cell mediated immune response (CMI) in human antirabies immunization was studied. The Puenzalida & Palácios vaccine was used because it is routinely used in Brazil. CMI was evaluated by lymphoblastic transformation indices obtained in whole blood culture in the presence of rabies and control (nervous tissue) antigens. Eleven volunteers submitted to revaccination constituted the group under study, while three other volunteers submitted primo vaccination were utilized as control group. A clear secondary CMI to rabies antigen was detected in all the revaccinated volunteers who showed earlier and more intense response than the control group. Response to the control antigen, however, present in all the components of the first group was not detectable in two out of the three primovaccinated and very low in the third one.

Póst-Human: corpos e identidades, os novos objectos do

Pensar o ordenamento do território – ideias, planos, estratégias, Lisboa, UNL-FCSH-IPHI, (110,117).

Human disease in ribeira valley, brazil caused by caraparu, a group c arbovirus - Report of a case

The clinical and laboratory data of a disease in a resident of Ribeira Valley, São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil, caused by an agent close or identical to Caraparu, a Group C arbovirus, was described. Although there is evidence of an intensive circulation of several arboviruses in the area, no diagnosis of human disease by these agents has been made, except the encephalitis cases caused by Rocio virus during an epidemic in 1975-1977. An antigenic difference between Caraparu strains isolated in São Paulo and in Pará States and a close antigenic relationship between Caraparu strain from São Paulo and Bruconha virus were suggested by the serological tests.

Lectins for the detection of IgM antibodies to T. gondii in the diagnosis of acute toxoplasmosis by immunofluorescence test

Lectins were labeled with fluorescein and tried as conjugates in the immunofluorescence (IP) test for the detection of IgM antibodies to T. gondii, in the diagnosis of acute toxoplasmosis. This approach was an attempt to find alternative reagents for anti-human IgM fluorescent conjugates (AHIgMFC), which contain quite frequently anaibcdies to toxoplasma, as contaminants, due to natural T. gondii infections among animals used for imunization. Lentil (Lens culinaris) lectin fluorescence conjugates (LcFC) provided most satisfactory results. The evaluation of LcFC carried out in a total of 179 sera from patients with acute and chronic toxoplasmosis, with non-related infections or healthy subjects, gave high values of relative efficiency, co-positivity and co-negativity indices, respectively 0.989, 0.969 and 1.000, in reference to the conventional AHIgMFC. Moreover, three batches of LcFC successively prepared gave reproducible test results. The advantage of LcFC as an alternative reagent for the serodiagnosis of acute toxoplasmosis is supported by practical aspects of its preparation.

Passive haemagglutination test for human neurocysticercosis immunodiagnosis: I. Standardization and evaluation of the passive haemagglutination test for the detection of anti-Cysticercus cellulosae antibodies

A passive haemagglutination test (PHA) for human neurocysticercosis was standardized and evaluated for the detection of specific antibodies to Cysticercus cellulosae in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). For the assay, formaldehyde-treated group O Rh-human red cells coated with the cysticerci crude total saline extract (TS) antigen were employed. A total of 115 CSF samples from patients with neurocysticercosis was analysed, of these 94 presented reactivity, corresponding to 81.7% sensitivity, in which confidence limit of 95% probability (CL95%) ranged from 74.5% to 88.9%. Eighty-nine CSF samples derived from individuals of control group presented as nonreactive in 94.4% (CL95% from 89.6% to 99.2%). The positive and negative predictive values were 1.4% and 99.9%, respectively, considering the mean rate of that this assay provide a rapid, highly reproducible, and moderately sensitive mean of detecting specific antibodies in CSF samples.

Passive haemagglutination test for human neurocysticercosis immunodiagnosis: II - Comparison of two standardized procedures for the passive haemagglutination reagent in the detection of anti-Cysticercus cellulosae antibodies in cerebrospinal fluids

A comparison of two different standardized reagent procedures for the passive haemagglutination test (PHA) in the detection of specific antibody to Cysticercus cellulosae in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was carried out. The formaldehyde-treated group O Rh-human red blood cells (HuRBC) and glutaraldehyde-treated sheep red blood cells (SRBC) were the supplies for the reagents preparation and, in the tests, they were designated as PHA-1 and PHA-2, respectively. For both reagents the cells were coated with the cysticerci total saline extract (TS) antigen. PHA-1 and PHA-2 were assessed in a total of 204 CSF from patients with neurocysticercosis, from non-related infections and from healthy individuals. The positivity and specificity indices obtained were respectively 81.7% and 94.4% for PHA-1 and for PHA-2, 88.7% and 96.6%. Since no significant differences were observed between the results provided by two reagents, at level of significance of 0.05, either processes of cell sensitization can alternatively be used according to the own laboratory convenience.

Growth curves of Leishmania braziliensis braziliensis Promastigotes and surface antigen expression before and after adaptation to Schneider's drosophila medium as assessed by anti-Leishmania human sera

Leishmania braziliensis braziliensis(MHOM/BR/75/M2903) was grown in Schneider's Drosophila medium. In one set of experiments promastigotes were already adapted to the medium by means of serial passages whereas in the second cells were grown in a biphasic medium and transfered to the liquid. Growth was more abundant for culture medium adapted cells; degenerate cells in small numbers as well as dead ones were present from day 5 for promastigotes adapted to liquid medium and from day 3 for newly adapted cells. Synthesis of surface antigens differed according to length of cell culture as assessed by the titer of five mucocutaneous leishmaniasis sera on subsequent days. Five days of culture for cells already adapted to the culture medium and 3 days for newly adapted ones were judged to be the best for the preparation of immunofluorescence antigens.

Occupational and domiciliary contact with dogs as factors of risk to human infection with Toxocara larvae

The contact with dogs at home or place of work has been investigated as factors of risk in the occurrence of the visceral larva migrans syndrome caused by Toxocara, in man. Through the E.L.I.S.A. (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) technique, the presence of antibodies to Toxocara was searched in the sera of 79 women who have been raising or had raised dogs at home in the last two years and 123 men, who were municipal public employees in charge of the capture and keeping of stray dogs. The control groups were constituted by 205 sera from women who denied domiciliary contact with dogs, at least in the last two years, and 139 sera from men whose occupation did not urge them to contact with dogs. A significant more elevated frequency of antibodies to Toxocara was observed among women with domiciliary contact with dogs; nevertheless, there was not a significant difference in the positive rates in the case of men with occupational contact with dogs.

Immunopathology of human schistosomiasis mansoni: I. Immunomodulatory influences on T cell function

Cell mediated immune response was studied in patients with recent and chronic Schistosoma mansoni infection. Precultured peripheral mononuclear cells showed significantly higher responses to S. mansoni adult worm antigen (SAWA) when compared to fresh cell preparations. The addition of each patient serum to the precultured cells reactions to SAWA or recall antigens demonstrated a strong inhibitory serum action, which was also noted on allogeneic cells derived from healthy subjects. The CD4 subset was the main responding cell to SAWA being this reactivity highly suppressed by the presence of the monocyte macrophage accessory cells. We stressed the simultaneous inhibitory action of humoral and cellular factors on the specific cell response to S. mansoni.

Immunopathology of human schistosomiasis mansoni: II. NK activity and stimulation by specific antigen

Sixteen S. mansoni infected and untreated patients (5 with recent infection and 11 with chronic disease) were evaluated for their in vitro natural killer (NK) activity against the NK sensitive target K562 cell line. NK levels in 9 out of 11 patients (82%) with chronic disease were significantly lower (mean = 15 ± 6%),compared with patients recently infected (mean = 41 ± 9% p < 0.001) and with the control group (mean = 38 ± 13% p < 0.001). However, both patients and controls NK activity was stimulated by soluble adult worm antigens (SAWA), indicating that NK function even in the chronic stage of the infection is able to respond to the parasite antigens. These results suggest the possibility of NK cell participation as effector mechanism against S. mansoni.

Isolation of human fungi from soil and identification of two endemic areas of Cryptococcus neoformans and Coccidioides immitis

The present study was carried out in two different areas of Province of Cordoba, Argentina, where there was a suspicious of endemic mycosis. The previous data were the presence of a clinical case of pulmonary cryptococcosis in one area (Alta Gracia) and the previous findings of a high incidence of coccidioidin and cryptococcin reactors in the population of the second one (Villa Dolores). In both areas soil samples for fungi were studied and Cryptococcus neoformans was found in 2/25 samples from Alta Gracia. In Villa Dolores Coccidioides immitis was isolated in 2/40 samples, and C. neoformans in 1/40 samples. Delayed hypersensitivity test with cryptococcin was determined in the population from Alta Gracia and it was found to be 5.3%. Positive cutaneous tests with coccidioidin (33.8%) and cryptococcin (31.9%) in Villa Dolores were obtained. With these findings two endemic areas of systemic mycoses in Cordoba, Argentina were delimited.

Reduced schedule of human anti rabies immunization with Fuenzalida & Palacios vaccine

The present study evaluates the humoral and cellular immune responses in 35 volunteers submited to short antirabies vaccination schedules with the Fuenzalida & Palacios vaccine based on the administration of doses on non consecutive days. The volunteers were divided into two groups. The first group received a total number of five doses given on days 0, 4, 7, 20 and 35. The other group received four doses, the first one being a double dose given on day 0 and than three other single doses on days 7, 20 and 35. The evaluation of humoral immune response was carried out by serum neutralization (SN) and indirect immunofluorescense (IIF) tests, while the cellular immune response was evaluated by lymphoblastic transformation assay (LTA) and skin test (ST). According to our results these reduced schedules elicited early and effective humoral and cellulafimmune responses to rabies antigen suggesting that new reduced schedules should be extensively studied in order to give the proper bases to the proposition of changes in the current long-term schedule.