RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) release in response to platelet-activating factor (PAF) induction in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers. METHODS: Subjects were grouped into three subgroups. The mean age was 37 +/- 10 years. Group A (n = 15), group B (n = 10) and group C (n = 9) subjects were HBV serology-negative, had natural immunity after recovery from an acute HBV infection, and were chronic HBV carriers, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with group A, PBMCs from naturally immune subjects and chronic HBV carriers produced significantly higher amounts of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in response to PAF. In chronic HBV carriers, TNF-alpha (1,633.3 +/- 793.7) and IL-6 (2,533.3 +/- 466.3) production was statistically lower than TNF-alpha (2,630.0 +/- 727.3) and IL-6 (3,870.0 +/- 728.4) obtained from naturally immune subjects to HBV. CONCLUSION: Differences of TNF-alpha levels between chronic HBV carriers and naturally immune subjects suggest that TNF-alpha may be a critical mediator of HBV clearance.
Assuntos
Hepatite B Crônica/imunologia , Hepatite B Crônica/metabolismo , Interleucina-6/biossíntese , Leucócitos Mononucleares/metabolismo , Fator de Ativação de Plaquetas/fisiologia , Fator de Necrose Tumoral alfa/biossíntese , Adulto , Portador Sadio/imunologia , Portador Sadio/metabolismo , Técnicas de Cultura de Células , Feminino , Humanos , Imunidade Inata/fisiologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
The diagnostic value of the dipstick assay was evaluated by comparison with Rose Bengal (RB), serum aglutination tests (SAT) and 2 mercaptoethanol test (2-ME) on consecutive serum samples submitted because of suspicion of brucellosis. Serum samples of 232 patients with suspected brucellosis that were submitted for laboratory confirmation were included in the study. Twelve out of 232 serum samples were detected as positive with the dipstick assay. All of these 12 patients had positive RB and SAT results. In 16 RB positive samples dipstick test was negative. Fifteen of these samples had insignificant (titer<1/160) or borderline (titer 1/160) SAT results and the clinical symptoms of these patients were consistent with chronic brucellosis rather than acute or recent-onset brucellosis. Dipstick assay is an easy-to-perform assay that can be used for the diagnosis of acute brucellosis especially in rural areas where brucellosis is widespread and in settings where well-equipped laboratories are not available.