Aseptic meningitis in a large MMR vaccine campaign (590,609 people) in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, 1998

The aseptic meningitis after Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine (MMR) is a well recognized complication, and different incidences have been observed in several studies. We retrospectively analyzed forty cases of aseptic meningitis, during a large public immunization campaign (1998) in Curitiba, Southern Brazil (590,609 people), admitted in our Service. The vaccine utilized was Leningrad-3-Zagreb mumps strain, Edmonston-Zagreb measles strain, and RA 27#3 rubella strain. In all county, a total number of 87 cases were reported, resulting in a incidence of 1.7 cases per 10,000 given doses . The mean age was 23.7 ± 12.8 years. The female:male ratio was 1.35:1. Severe headache with meningismus (92.5%), fever (87.5%), nausea/vomiting (82.5%) were the most common clinical findings. Three cases (7.5%) developed mild mumps. All patients underwent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tap with the following findings: mononuclear pleocytosis from 100 to 500 cells/mm³ in 17 cases (42.5%; 257.5 ± 260.6 cells/mm³); increased protein 28 cases (67.5%; 92.1 ± 76.9 mg/dL); glucose was normal in all cases (56.8 ± 11.2 mg/dL) except in 4 (10%) cases, which presented less than 44 mg/dL. All serological tests (latex to bacterial meningitis, Cryptococcus, cysticercosis, VDRL) and bacteriological cultures were negative. Virus identification were also negative in 8 samples. None of the patients had neurological deficits or related symptoms after one year of onset. We believe the benefit of vaccination clearly outweights the incidence of benign vaccine-associated meningitis.

Detection of enteroviruses in cases of neurological disorders in the State of Pará, Brazil

Eighty-one cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples mainly from cases of aseptic meningitis and motor deficiency syndrome were sent to the Virology Section of Evandro Chagas Institute, Belém Pará, in the period of January 1995 to January 1996 in order to isolate viruses. All samples were inoculated onto HEp-2 cell culture and newborn mice, with negative results. The probability of isolating viruses by these methods is reduced because of the low concentration of viral particles in these specimens. In order to obtain more information about the etiology of these cases, a group of 23 samples were selected to be tested by a more sensitive technique than the virus isolation - the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Specific primers directed to conserved regions in the enterovirus genome were used, considering that this group of viruses is frequently associated with these neurological disorder. The age of the patients ranged from 1 to 55 years and nearly all of them lived in Belém, State of Pará, North of Brazil. Of 15 samples analyzed by RT PCR nine (60%) were positive; of these, 6 (66.6%) had motor deficiency and 3 (33.3%) developed aseptic meningitis. These results show that it is important to investigate enterovirus as cause of these syndromes.

A molecularly imprinted sensor for sensitive detection of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) oxidative stress biomarker

6th Graduate Student Symposium on Molecular Imprinting

A biomimetic sensor for monitoring oxidative stress biomarker in point-of-care

1st ASPIC International Congress

Sarcosine oxidase composite screen-printed electrode for sarcosine determination in biological samples

XIX Meeting of the Portuguese Electrochemical Society - XVI Iberic Meeting of Electrochemistry

Novel biosensing device for point-of-care applications with plastic antibodies grown on Au-Screen Printed Electrodes

A gold screen printed electrode (Au-SPE) was modified by merging Molecular Imprinting and Self-Assembly Monolayer techniques for fast screening cardiac biomarkers in point-of-care (POC). For this purpose, Myoglobin (Myo) was selected as target analyte and its plastic antibody imprinted over a glutaraldehyde (Glu)/cysteamine (Cys) layer on the gold-surface. The imprinting effect was produced by growing a reticulated polymer of acrylamide (AAM) and N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (NNMBA) around the Myo template, covalently attached to the biosensing surface. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies were carried out in all chemical modification steps to confirm the surface changes in the Au-SPE. The analytical features of the resulting biosensor were studied by different electrochemical techniques, including EIS, square wave voltammetry (SWV) and potentiometry. The limits of detection ranged from 0.13 to 8 μg/mL. Only potentiometry assays showed limits of detection including the cut-off Myo levels. Quantitative information was also produced for Myo concentrations ≥0.2 μg/mL. The linear response of the biosensing device showed an anionic slope of ~70 mV per decade molar concentration up to 0.3 μg/mL. The interference of coexisting species was tested and good selectivity was observed. The biosensor was successfully applied to biological fluids.