Two types of Epstein Barr virus (EBV1/EBV2) have been shown to infect humans. Although their genomes are similar, the regions containing the EBNA genes differ. This study aimed to characterize the ...EBV genotypes of infectious mononucleosis (IM) cases in the metropolitan region of Belém, Brazil, from 2005 to 2016. A total of 8295 suspected cases with symptoms/signs of IM were investigated by infectious disease physicians at Evandro Chagas Institute, Health Care Service, from January 2005 to December 2016. Out of the total, 1645 (19.8%) samples had positive results for EBV by enzyme immunoassay and 251 (15.3%) were submitted to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, using the EBNA3C region, in order to determine the type of EBV. Biochemical testing involving aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyl transferase were also performed. EBV type was identified by PCR in 30.3% (76/251) of individuals; of those, 71.1% (54/76) were classified as EBV1, 17.1% (13/76) as EBV2, and 11.8% (9/76) as EBV1 + EBV2. The main symptoms/signs observed with EBV1 infection were cervical lymphadenopathy (64.8%, 35/54), fever (63%, 34/54), headache (20.4%, 11/54), arthralgia (20.4%, 11/54), and exanthema (18.5%, 10/54). EBV2 infection was detected in all but two age groups, with an average age of 24 years. The most common signs/symptoms of EBV2 were fever (76.9%, 10/13), average duration of 18 days, and lymphadenopathy (69.2%, 9/13). In contrast, EBV1 + EBV2 coinfections were more frequent in those aged five years or less (20.0%, 2/10). The symptoms of EBV1 + EBV2 coinfection included fever (66.7%, 6/9), and cervical lymphadenopathy and headache (33.3%, 3/9) each. The mean values of hepatic enzymes according to type of EBV was significantly different (p < 0.05) in those EBV1 infected over 14 years of age. Thus, this pioneering study, using molecular methods, identified the EBV genotypes in 30.3% of the samples, with circulation of EBV1, EBV2, and EBV1 + EBV2 co-infection in cases of infectious mononucleosis in the northern region of Brazil.
To investigate evidence for the treatment of childhood colic by supplementing Lactobacillus reuteri in infants breastfed with breast milk.
The study was conducted according to the PRISMA protocol. ...The databases used for acquiring data were PubMed and Web of Science, applying MeSH terms and free terms. Meta-analysis was conducted using Stata ™ 12.0. The risk of bias was evaluated by the Review Manager (RevMan) 5.3 tool, and the strength of evidence was assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE).
Ten clinical trials were included in the review. The administration of L. reuteri (DSM 17938 or ATCC55730) was tested in infants (n = 248) versus the control/placebo group (n = 229). Eight articles were included in the meta-analysis. There was a significant response in reducing crying time (minutes/day) and treatment effectiveness (reduction ≥ 50% in average daily crying time) in the first week (p = 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). These results were similar in the second, third weeks (p < 0.001 for both outcomes) and fourth weeks (p<0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). The risk of bias was low for the majority of the studies. Confidence in evidence was considered very low for crying time and low for effectiveness treatment.
The evidence shows that the administration of Lactobacillus reuteri to babies fed with breast milk reduces the crying time in babies diagnosed with colic. But our confidence in the effect estimate is limited.
•There was a reduction in gastrointestinal symptoms in breastfed babies by mothers who received probiotics.•The use of L. reuteri for the treatment of infantile colic is effective and promising and does not cause adverse effects.•The use of Lactobacillus reuteri in infants who are breastfed significantly reduces the crying time in infants with colic.
A single-step anodic fabrication of TiO2 nanotubes (TNT) without a surface layer of nanograss was attained in electrolytes containing diethylenetriamine-pentaaceticacid (DTPA) as chelating agent. The ...role of DTPA concentration and anodization voltage on the final TNT morphology was studied. We discuss chemical aspects of the DTPA effect over the surface of TNTs as well as the physical properties of TNT samples prepared under several anodization conditions. We demonstrate that the DTPA concentration has a significant effect on the final surface morphology of TNTs, leading to a surface free of nanograss. Furthermore, we propose a mechanism that explains this phenomenon.
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•Positive correlation between FEC and the total number of worms.•Positive correlation between FEC and the total number Haemonchus placei.•Positive correlation between FEC and the total number ...Cooperia punctate.•Prevalence of C. punctata increase in the animals treated with ML.
Gastrointestinal nematodes negatively impact the health and productivity of livestock. Macrocyclic lactones (MLs) are the most common class of chemicals used in helminth control programs, however, their intense use is accelerating the development of parasite resistance. For cattle, little is known regarding the relationship between fecal egg counts (FECs) and the helminth population inside the animal's gastrointestinal tract and so this study evaluated the correlation between FEC and worm burden in cattle treated or not with MLs (ivermectin 200 μg/kg, ivermectin 630 μg/kg, abamectin 200 μg/kg, doramectin 700 μg/kg and moxidectin 200 μg/kg). Animals were necropsied to determine if there were any modifications to the proportions of worm species due to chemical treatment. FECs of ML-treated and untreated animals showed significant (p ≤ 0.05 and R2 ≥0.70) positive linear correlations and substantial or perfect strength-of-agreement (LCCC ≥ 0.61) with total worms present, all of which were Haemonchus placei and Cooperia punctata. However, this correlation and strength-of-agreement did not occur when the efficacy of MLs was ≥80 % against these helminths. Among the active MLs tested, moxidectin had the weakest relationship between FEC and worm burden, except for H. placei. Analysis of the helminthological fauna found an increase of H. placei (35.6 % = 95 % CI 35.4–35.6) and a consequent decrease of C. punctata (52.5 % = 95 % CI 52.3–52.6) in untreated animals, when compared to studies carried out over 20–40 years ago, but this proportion was reversed for ML-treated animals (C. punctata 64.5 % = 95 % CI 64.4–64.8; H. placei 30.8 % = 95 % CI 30.6–30.8). It is possible that MLs mitigate this effect in the field and that C. punctata remained prevalent in cattle in different regions of Brazil.
Throughout the centuries, the world's outstanding scientists and research groups have gathered their efforts to characterise the initiation and progression of malignant neoplasms. The temporal ...dissection of tumourigenesis provided by phylogenetic studies is one of the milestones in understanding cancer; however, some black boxes are still unsolved. Currently, there is no consensus regarding the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the leading cancer of the head and neck region. Oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) may precede oral cancer and, occasionally, be clinically evident as white, red or mixed mucosal lesions, called oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD). In a stepwise view of oral carcinogenesis, OED and OPMD have been considered harbingers of oral cancer. Nevertheless, the malignant transformation of OPMD is a rare event. Most of these disorders remain benign and can even regress, making it challenging to formulate evolutionary hypotheses for OSCC initiation. Deciphering OED evolution is vital to highlight the potential drivers of oral carcinogenesis and molecular targets for OSCC preventative and therapeutic strategies. This narrative review synthesises the main concepts of evolutionary theories and discusses which of them better explains OED development and malignant transformation.
Fibrous dysplasia is a non‐neoplastic developmental process that affects the craniofacial bones, characterized by painless enlargement as a result of bone substitution by abnormal fibrous tissue. ...Postzygotic somatic activating mutations in the GNAS1 gene cause fibrous dysplasia and have been extensively investigated, as well as being helpful in the differential diagnosis of the disease. Fibrous dysplasia may involve one (monostotic) or multiple bones (polyostotic), sporadically or in association with McCune‐Albright syndrome, Jeffe‐Lichenstein syndrome, or Mazabreud syndrome. This review summarizes the current knowledge on fibrous dysplasia, emphasizing the value of integrating the understanding of its molecular pathogenesis with the clinical, radiological, and histopathological features. In addition, we address important aspects related to the differential diagnosis and patient management.
Background
Fibrous dysplasia (FD) and cemento‐ossifying fibroma (COF) are the most common gnathic fibro‐osseous lesions. These diseases exhibit remarkable overlap of several clinicopathological ...aspects, and differential diagnosis depends on the combination of histopathological, radiographic, and clinical aspects. Their molecular landscape remains poorly characterized, and herein, we assessed their proteomic and phosphoproteomic profiles.
Methods
The quantitative differences in protein profile of FD and COF were assessed by proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses of formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissue samples. Pathway enrichment analyses with differentially regulated proteins were performed.
Results
FD and COF exhibited differential regulation of pathways related to extracellular matrix organization, cell adhesion, and platelet and erythrocytes activities. Additionally, these lesions demonstrated distinct abundance of proteins involved in osteoblastic differentiation and tumorigenesis and differential abundance of phosphorylation of Ser61 of Yes‐associated protein 1 (YAP1).
Conclusions
In summary, despite the morphological similarity between these diseases, our results demonstrated that COF and DF present numerous quantitative differences in their proteomic profiles. These findings suggest that these fibro‐osseous lesions trigger distinct molecular mechanisms during their pathogenesis. Moreover, some proteins identified in our analysis could serve as potential biomarkers for differential diagnosis of these diseases after further validation.
Sexual transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in sheep Lopes, Welber Daniel Zanetti; Rodriguez, Joana D’Ark; Souza, Fernando A. ...
Veterinary parasitology,
07/2013, Volume:
195, Issue:
1-2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Male sheep of reproductive age were distributed into three groups: GI, a sheep inoculated (oral) with 2.0×105 oocysts of the P strain of Toxoplasma gondii; GII, a sheep infected (subcutaneous) with ...1.0×106 tachyzoites of the RH strain of T. gondii; and GIII, a sheep kept as a control (not infected). After the inoculation of the males, 12 breeding ewes, which were not pregnant and which were serologically negative for reproductive diseases (particularly toxoplasmosis), were distributed into three groups, synchronized, and subsequently exposed to natural mating with previously inoculated males. The distribution was as follows: five ewes that underwent natural mating with the GI male, five ewes that were exposed to natural mating with the GII male, and two ewes that were mated with the non-infected male (control). Serum samples of all the ewes were collected on days −30, −14, −7, −1, and 0 (days before natural mating) and on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 14, and weekly until birth; the presence of serum antibodies against T. gondii was assessed by IFAT. Using a bioassay and PCR, T. gondii was isolated from the semen of the infected reproducing sheep before mating. Following natural mating, 5 of the 12 females displayed antibodies specific for T. gondii; of these animals, two of the ewes underwent natural mating with the male inoculated with oocysts (GI) and three with the male infected with tachyzoites (GII). One of the females that displayed antibodies specific to this coccidian and that underwent natural mating with the GII sheep had a macerated fetus on the 70th day following coverage. Using a bioassay after the birth, it was possible to isolate T. gondii from samples of the “pool” of tissues from the five females that seroconverted after natural mating and from their respective lambs. Using PCR, the DNA of T. gondii was isolated from the “pool” of tissues from one and two females exposed to natural mating with the reproductive males infected with the oocysts and tachyzoites, respectively. Using this technique, it was also possible to diagnose the presence of the parasite in the “pool” of tissues from the lambs of one female that underwent natural mating with the male sheep infected with oocysts. These results demonstrated the sexual transmission of T. gondii in the sheep species with consequent vertical transmission to their lambs.
The Leishmania infantum (synonym, Leishmania chagasi) causes life‐threatening infection, namely canine leishmaniosis (CanL), which is a chronic zoonosis prevalent in various countries and spread by ...the bite of the infected Lutzomyia female sandfly in South America. The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of a polymer matrix collar containing made up of 10% imidacloprid and 4.5% flumethrin for the prevention of canine leishmaniosis from the hyperendemic region falling under Araçatuba municipality (Brazil). The research included a total of 146 dogs chosen from 75 households. Test were initiated via physical examination; weighing and biological sample collection (blood, popliteal lymph node and conjunctival swab) of these dogs were done in March 2018 (Day 0; GA, control = 69, GB, treated = 77) to initiate laboratory tests. Post‐inclusion, the animals were monitored on the 120th, 240th, 360th and 480th days, respectively. The usage of collars continued between 0 and 480 days before being substituted in second (D240) and fourth (D480) follow‐up visits. On the whole, 25 dogs in GA (36.2%) and three in GB (3.9%) were found positive for L. infantum infection in a minimum of one diagnostic test used in the research. Therefore, the average collar effectiveness for protection from L. infantum infection was 89.2% (p < .01). In the last follow‐up, the average incidence density rate for GA was 30.7%, whereas for GB, it was 2.9%. The imidacloprid/flumethrin collars evaluated in the research were found to be safe and extremely efficient for the prevention of L. infantum infection through Lutzomyia species among the large population of dogs in highly prone endemic regions. This is a dependable and efficient technique aimed at reducing the occurrence and propagation of this illness among the population of canines, which would eventually reduce the human‐health‐related hazards. In Brazil, Lutzomyia spp. is a leading vector of the infection; thus, the collar can be used to limit infection in dogs and humans.
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