Abstract This study determined the prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni / coli and its relation with nutritional status in children from Northeastern Brazil. This was a case-control study design. Stool ...samples were evaluated for hipO ( C. jejuni ), ask ( C. coli ), and cdtABC ( C. jejuni 's cytolethal distending toxin) genes. The nutritional status from these children was assessed by anthropometric measures and z-scores. C. jejuni and C. coli were detected in 9.6% (8/83) and 6.0% (5/83) in the diarrhea group and in 7.2% (6/83) and 1.2% (1/83) of the nondiarrhea group, respectively. Children with positive molecular detection of C. jejuni showed significantly lower z-scores than children without C. jejuni . The cdtABC operon was found in 57% of hipO+ samples. C. jejuni / coli prevalence was similar in diarrhea and nondiarrhea groups. There was a significant association of C. jejuni infection with lower nutritional status.
Electroacupuncture (EA) and cannabinoids have been reported to have anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects in animal models of arthritis. Male Wistar rats were injected with saline or zymosan ...(2 mg) into the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). EA (10 Hz, 30 min) was performed 2 h after or 1 h before zymosan administration. AM251 or AM630 (3 mg/kg, i.p.)were administered before EA treatment. Mechanical hypernociception was accessed after zymosan administration. Rats were sacrificed 6 h after zymosan administration and the joint was removed for histopathological analysis. The gene expression of CB
1
and CB
2
receptors was assessed after sacrifice of the TMJ arthritic animals. EA inhibited zymosan-induced hypernociception (p < 0.05). AM251 reversed significantly the antinociceptive effect of EA, suggesting that the CB
1
receptor is involved in this effect. AM630 reversed the anti-inflammatory effect of EA. CB
1
and CB
2
receptor gene expression was upregulated 6 h after zymosan-induced arthritis in the EA-treated group. We observed downregulation of CB
2
receptor gene expression in the EA group at the 24th hour compared with the 6th hour. Higher CB
1
receptor gene expression was also found compared with the 6th hour. EA produced antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects, and these effects appeared to be mediated through CB
1
and CB
2
receptor activation.
Mycobacterium leprae bacilli are mainly transmitted by the dissemination of nasal aerosols from multibacillary (MB) patients to susceptible individuals through inhalation. The upper respiratory tract ...represents the main entry and exit routes of M. leprae. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in detecting M. leprae in nasal secretion (NS) and skin biopsy (SB) samples from MB and paucibacillary (PB) cases. Fifty-four NS samples were obtained from leprosy patients at the Dona Libânia National Reference Centre for Sanitary Dermatology in Ceará, Brazil. Among them, 19 MB cases provided both NS and SB samples. Bacilloscopy index assays were conducted and qPCR amplification was performed using specific primers for M. leprae 16S rRNA gene, generating a 124-bp fragment. Primer specificity was verified by determining the amplicon melting temperature (T
= 79.5 °C) and detection limit of qPCR was 20 fg of M. leprae DNA. Results were positive for 89.7 and 73.3% of NS samples from MB and PB cases, respectively. SB samples from MB patients were 100% positive. The number of bacilli detected in NS samples were 1.39 × 10
-8.02 × 10
, and in SB samples from MB patients were 1.87 × 10
-1.50 × 10
. Therefore, qPCR assays using SYBR Green targeting M. leprae 16S rRNA region can be employed in detecting M. leprae in nasal swabs from leprosy patients, validating this method for epidemiological studies aiming to identify healthy carriers among household contacts or within populations of an endemic area.
Human visceral leishmaniasis, one of the most important zoonoses, is caused by the protozoa
Leishmania chagasi (syn.
L. infantum) and is present as a fatal disease common in South America and Europe ...where dogs and wild canids are the main reservoirs. A vaccine against visceral leishmaniasis would be an important tool in the control of this disease in dogs. Although the current strategies for vaccination against leishmaniasis are based on the use of recombinant antigens, killed vaccines are still attractive in terms of stability of their biochemical composition and antigenicity, cost, and safety. Here we evaluate the immunogenicity of a whole parasite vaccine as a promising candidate against canine leishmaniasis, demonstrated by cellular reactivity, changes in the cellular profile of the peripheral blood and by the differential production of immunoglobulins. Our results showed that immunization elicited mainly a strong cellular reactivity and increase in T-lymphocytes, particularly the subpopulation CD8
+ that would be related to the control of tissue parasitism. In addition, a higher production of anti-
Leishmania total IgG, characterized by mixed isotypes profile (IgG1 and IgG2), was demonstrated.
Enteroaggregative
E
scherichia coli
(EAEC) is a common cause of infectious diarrhea, especially in children living in poor‐resource countries. In this article, we present a SYBR Green‐based real‐time ...polymerase chain reaction (
qPCR
) method for quantitative detection of EAEC in DNA directly extracted from human stool samples. To test the proposed
qPCR
system, we examined specificity, sensitivity, repeatability, and also the degree of
DNA
extraction efficiency using
EAEC
strain 042 spiked into
EAEC
‐free stool sample. The specificity of this assay was proved using six strains of EAEC, seven strains of other
E
. coli
types, and one strain of
S
higella
. The detection limit of
qPCR
was 67 CFU/reaction. In naturally infected stool samples, we found
EAEC
in quantities varying from 6.7 × 10
5
to 2 × 10
9
CFU/g of feces. We could not detect any reduction after stool
DNA
extraction for the amounts of 10
7
and 10
6
CFU/mL of spiked
EAEC
. This
qPCR
assay is simple, rapid, reproducible, sensitive, specific, and allows rapid
EAEC
quantification to be used in a variety of further
EAEC
studies. This new quantitative method provides a relatively simple means to quantify
EAEC
, which will likely be key to understanding the pathophysiology and impact of
EAEC
infection.
Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is a common cause of infectious diarrhea, especially in children living in poor‐resource countries. In this article, we present a SYBR Green‐based real‐time ...polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method for quantitative detection of EAEC in DNA directly extracted from human stool samples. To test the proposed qPCR system, we examined specificity, sensitivity, repeatability, and also the degree of DNA extraction efficiency using EAEC strain 042 spiked into EAEC‐free stool sample. The specificity of this assay was proved using six strains of EAEC, seven strains of other E. coli types, and one strain of Shigella. The detection limit of qPCR was 67 CFU/reaction. In naturally infected stool samples, we found EAEC in quantities varying from 6.7 × 105 to 2 × 109 CFU/g of feces. We could not detect any reduction after stool DNA extraction for the amounts of 107 and 106 CFU/mL of spiked EAEC. This qPCR assay is simple, rapid, reproducible, sensitive, specific, and allows rapid EAEC quantification to be used in a variety of further EAEC studies. This new quantitative method provides a relatively simple means to quantify EAEC, which will likely be key to understanding the pathophysiology and impact of EAEC infection.
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