Commercial characteristics of coffee seedlings produced with different sources of phosphorus and plant growth-promoting bacteria.

Considered the economic engine of many countries, the coffee culture represents an important component of the agricultural chain in Brazil. The growing values of commercialization, planting areas, and crop productivity require the acquisition of quality seedlings, which must receive adequate nutritional support through efficient fertilizers. Slow and controlled-release fertilizers, such as organominerals, gain prominence when it comes to increasing efficiency in the use of phosphorus, as well as plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) with phosphate solubilizing characteristics. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different sources of mineral and organomineral fertilizers, inoculated and non-inoculated with PGPB on the quality parameters of coffee seedlings. In general, the P sources used in the experiment positively interfered with the development of coffee seedlings. This proves that there is a need for nutritional supplementation for the good development of the seedlings. Among the sources used, the organomineral in granulated form showed better performance in coffee seedlings' growth and physiological parameters, proving to be a viable alternative to commonly used fertilizers. The addition of PGPB showed a significant advantage for seedling quality variables.

Complete sequence of a new bipartite begomovirus infecting Sida sp. in Northeastern Brazil.

In Brazil, non-cultivated plants, especially weeds, are infected with a diversity of begomoviruses and often show striking golden mosaic symptoms. In the present study, leaves showing these symptoms were collected from Sida sp. plants in Guadalupe, Piaui State, Northeastern Brazil, in 2015 and 2016. PCR tests with degenerate primers revealed the presence of begomovirus DNA-A and DNA-B components. Restriction enzyme digestion of rolling circle-amplified DNA revealed fragments totaling ~5.2 kb, indicating infection by a bipartite begomovirus. The DNA-A and DNA-B components have a genome organization typical of New World (NW) bipartite begomoviruses and a common region of 220 nucleotides (nt) with 96% identity, indicating these are cognate components. Comparisons performed with the DNA-A sequence revealed the highest nt sequence identity (84%) with that of sida angular mosaic virus (SiAMV), whereas those performed with the DNA-B sequence revealed highest identity (77%) with that of sida chlorotic vein virus (SiCVV). In phylogenetic analyses, the DNA-A sequence was placed in a strongly supported clade with SiAMV and SiCVV from Piaui, whereas the DNA-B sequence was placed in a clade with SiCVV and corchorus mottle virus. Based on the current ICTV criteria for the demarcation of begomovirus species (<91% nt sequence identity for the DNA-A component), this is a member of a new species for which the name "Sida yellow golden mosaic virus" is proposed.

Effect of Thermocycling on Biaxial Flexural Strength of CAD/CAM, Bulk Fill, and Conventional Resin Composite Materials.

New resin-based restorative materials have been developed, such as computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and bulk-fill composites, as an alternative to traditional layering techniques. This study evaluated the biaxial flexural strength (BFS) before and after thermocycling of five different resin composites: one hybrid resin/ceramic CAD/CAM indirect material, Lava Ultimate CAD-CAM Restorative (LU, 3M Oral Care); a conventional composite, Filtek Z350 XT (Z350, 3M Oral Care); two bulk-fill composites, Tetric N-Ceram Bulk Fill (TBF, Ivoclar Vivadent) and Filtek Bulk Fill (FBF, 3M Oral Care); and one bulk-fill flow resin composite, Filtek Bulk Fill Flow (FBFF, 3M Oral Care). Three hundred disc-shaped specimens (6.5 mm in diameter and 0.5 mm thick) were fabricated and divided into five groups (n=30 for each composite and condition). The BFS test was performed in a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min immediately (i, 24 hours) and after thermocycling (a, 500 thermal cycles of 5°C to 55°C with a 30-second dwell time). The Weibull modulus (m) and characteristic stress (η) were calculated, and a contour plot was used (m vs η) to detect differences between groups (95% two-sided confidence intervals). Significantly higher characteristic stress was observed for LUi (286.6 MPa) and Z350i (248.8 MPa) compared to the bulk-fill groups (FBFi=187.9 MPa, FBFFi=175.9 MPa, TBFi=149.9 MPa), with no differences between LUi and Z350i. Thermocycling significantly decreased the characteristic stress of all groups with the highest values observed for LUa (186.7 MPa) and Z350a (188.9 MPa) and the lowest for FBFFa (90.3 MPa). Intermediate values were observed for FBFa (151.6 MPa) and TBFa (122.8 MPa). The Weibull modulus decreased only for FBFa compared to FBFi. Composition and thermocycling significantly influenced the biaxial flexural strength of resin composite materials.

Genetic diversity among 16 genotypes of Coffea arabica in the Brazilian cerrado.

For the selection of coffee plants that have favorable characteristics, it is necessary to evaluate variables related to production. Knowledge of the genetic divergence of arabica coffee is of extreme importance, as this knowledge can be associated with plant breeding programs in order to combine genetic divergence with good productive performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic divergence among 16 genotypes of Coffea arabica with the purpose of identifying the most dissimilar genotypes for the establishment of breeding programs and adaptation to the Brazilian cerrado. The genetic divergence was evaluated using multivariate procedures, the analysis of the average grouping unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) and main components in 2013 and 2014. Eight characters were evaluated in an experiment conducted in Morrinhos, Goiás. The presence of genetic divergence among the 16 C. arabica genotypes under cerrado conditions was recorded. The formation of UPGMA groups for the evaluated characteristics was pertinent due to the number of genotypes. The first three major components accounted for 81.77% of the total variance. The genotype H-419-3-4-4-13(C-241) of low size was the most divergent, followed by Catucaí 2 SL and Catiguá MG2, according to the main components.

Seasonal variability of the essential oil of Hesperozygis ringens (Benth.) Epling.

This study was developed to evaluate the effect of seasonality on the yield and chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) of Hesperozygis ringens (Benth.) Epling, a native species from the Brazilian Pampa. Leaves were collected from four specimens of a single population in each of the four seasons for a year and were extracted in triplicate by hydro-distillation for 2 hours. The yield of EO (% w/w) was calculated on fresh weight basis (FWB), and the 16 oil samples were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used as statistical tools to evaluate differences in chemical composition. The highest yields were obtained in autumn, spring and summer (2.32-4.38%), while the lowest yields were detected in winter, ranging from 1.15 to 1.91%. Oxygenated monoterpenoids were the predominant class of chemical constituents in the EO obtained in all seasons, showing the highest contents in autumn and summer, and pulegone was identified as a major compound, whose contents varied between 54.13 and 81.17%. The EO samples were divided into three chemical groups by HCA and PCA and were assigned to the same group, except for the three samples gathered in winter. The results showed a seasonal influence on the yield and chemical composition of the EO.

Seasonal variability of the essential oil of Hesperozygis ringens (Benth.) Epling. / Variabilidade sazonal do óleo essencial de Hesperozygis ringens (Benth.) Epling.

Abstract This study was developed to evaluate the effect of seasonality on the yield and chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) of Hesperozygis ringens (Benth.) Epling, a native species from the Brazilian Pampa. Leaves were collected from four specimens of a single population in each of the four seasons for a year and were extracted in triplicate by hydro-distillation for 2 hours. The yield of EO (% w/w) was calculated on fresh weight basis (FWB), and the 16 oil samples were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used as statistical tools to evaluate differences in chemical composition. The highest yields were obtained in autumn, spring and summer (2.32-4.38%), while the lowest yields were detected in winter, ranging from 1.15 to 1.91%. Oxygenated monoterpenoids were the predominant class of chemical constituents in the EO obtained in all seasons, showing the highest contents in autumn and summer, and pulegone was identified as a major compound, whose contents varied between 54.13 and 81.17%. The EO samples were divided into three chemical groups by HCA and PCA and were assigned to the same group, except for the three samples gathered in winter. The results showed a seasonal influence on the yield and chemical composition of the EO.

Resumo Este estudo foi desenvolvido a fim de avaliar o efeito da sazonalidade no rendimento e composição química do óleo essencial (OE) de Hesperozygis ringens (Benth.) Epling., uma espécie nativa do Pampa brasileiro. Folhas foram coletadas de quatro indivíduos de uma mesma população, em cada uma das quatro estações de um ano, e foram extraídas em triplicada por hidrodestilação durante 2 horas. O rendimento do OE (% m/m) foi calculado considerando a base fresca (BF) e as 16 amostras de óleo foram analisadas por cromatografia gasosa acoplada à espectrometria de massas (CG-EM) e cromatografia gasosa com detector de ionização de chamas (CG-DIC). Análise Hierárquica de Cluster (AHC) e Análise de Componentes Principais (ACP) foram utilizadas como ferramentas estatísticas para avaliar as diferenças na composição química. Os maiores rendimentos foram obtidos no outono, primavera e verão (2,32-4,38%), enquanto que os menores foram detectados no inverno, variando de 1,15 até 1,91%. Os monoterpenoides oxigenados foram a classe predominante dos constituintes do OE obtido em todas as estações, apresentando os maiores teores no outono e no verão, e a pulegona foi identificada como o constituinte majoritário, cujos teores variaram entre 54,13 e 81,17%. As amostras de OE foram divididas em três grupos químicos por AHC e ACP e foram classificadas no mesmo grupo, com exceção de três amostras coletadas no inverno. Os resultados demonstraram influência sazonal no rendimento e na composição química dos OE.

Immunolocalization of Aquaporins 1 and 9 in the Ram Efferent Ducts and Epididymis.

Aquaporins (AQPs) are essential membrane protein channels for the transport of water across membranes. Fluid movement in the epididymis is important for modulation of the luminal environment, in which sperm mature and reside. This study was designed to understand the morphology and localization of AQPs in ram efferent ducts (ED) and epididymis. For this purpose, the epididymis of seven animals were removed for histologic and immunohistochemical analyses. AQP1 immunoreactivity was observed in the apex of the ED, and AQP9 was found adjacent to the nuclei of the epithelial cells of the ED. The epithelial lining of ram epididymis is pseudostratified columnar and presents principal, basal, apical and narrow cells. In the initial segment (IS), a moderate reaction for AQP1 was observed in the apical cytoplasm of epithelial cells. An intense reactivity for AQP1 was noted over the microvilli of principal cells and in spermatozoa in the caput. In the corpus and cauda, AQP1 was noted only over the endothelial cells of vascular channels located in intertubular spaces. A weak-to-moderate reaction for AQP9 was observed in the nuclei of epithelial cells in the IS, caput and corpus of the epididymis. In the cauda, an intense reaction to AQP9 was observed in the epithelial border. In the IS, caput and corpus, the reactivity for AQP9 differed from those observed in domestic animals. The cauda showed a pattern similar to that previously described. These results indicate that AQPs 1 and 9 have reversed locations and roles in rams, suggesting activity variations related with fluid and solute absorption throughout the epididymis.

Evaluation of pretransplant influenza vaccination in hematopoietic SCT: a randomized prospective study.

Pretransplant influenza vaccination of the donor or allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) candidate was evaluated in a randomized study. One hundred and twenty-two HSCT recipients and their donors were assigned to three randomization groups: no pretransplant vaccination (n=38), donor pretransplant vaccination (n=44) or recipient pretransplant vaccination (n=40). Specific IgG was assessed by both hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) and, in 57 patients, by an indirect influenza-specific ELISA at specified times after HSCT. Vaccinated donors had seroprotective HI titers for Ags H1 and H3 (P<0.001) compared with the other groups at the time of donation. The titers against H1 (P=0.028) and H3 (P<0.001) were highest in the pretransplant recipient vaccination group until day 180 after transplantation. A significant difference was found in the specific Ig levels against pandemic H1N1 at 6 months after SCT (P=0.02). The mean IgG levels against pandemic H1N1 and generic H1N1 and H3N2 were highest in the pretransplant recipient vaccination group. We conclude that pretransplant recipient vaccination improved the influenza-specific seroprotection rates.

Disease resistance of pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus (Holmberg, 1887) fed with ß-glucan.

Effects of ß-glucan on innate immune responses and survival were studied in pacu experimentally infected with Aeromonas hydrophila. Fish fed diets containing 0, 0.1% and 1% ß-glucan were injected with A. hydrophila. ß-glucan enhanced fish survival in both treated groups (26.7% and 21.2% of the control, respectively). Leukocyte respiratory burst and alternative complement pathway activities were elevated after bacterial challenge regardless the ß-glucan concentration. Lysozyme activity was higher after infection and showed a gradual increase as ß-glucan concentration increased. A significant elevation in WBC count was observed either after bacterial challenge or by influence of ß-glucan separately. The same response was observed in the number of thrombocytes, lymphocytes, eosinophils, LG-PAS positive cell and monocytes. It can be concluded that feeding pacu with ß-glucan can increase protection against A. hydrophila, due to changes in non-specific immune responses.

Galectin-3 is essential for reactive oxygen species production by peritoneal neutrophils from mice infected with a virulent strain of Toxoplasma gondii.

Toxoplasma gondii stimulates a potent pro-inflammatory response and neutrophils are involved in early infection. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is an endogenous modulator of inflammatory processes and anti-infective agents, but its interaction with neutrophils in T. gondii infection is still unclear. Here, we evaluated the role of Gal-3 in peritoneal inflammation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by neutrophils and survival, after in vivo T. gondii infection with virulent RH strain, using Gal-3 deficient and wild type mice. Animals were inoculated with thioglycollate or tachyzoites, and peritoneal cells were harvested for analysis of the influx of leukocytes. Neutrophils were isolated from peritoneal exudates from infected mice and stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) to evaluate ROS production by luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay. Our results showed that: (1) Gal-3 upregulates peritoneal inflammation, with enhanced recruitment of neutrophils and lymphocytes after thioglycollate stimulation, but does not influence the enhanced neutrophil influx after early T. gondii infection; (2) Gal-3 upregulates ROS generation by inflammatory peritoneal neutrophils from infected mice, but downregulates its production in non-infected mice and (3) Gal-3 does not influence the survival of mice after infection with the virulent T. gondii strain. In conclusion, Gal-3 is essential for ROS generation by neutrophils in the initial acute phase of T. gondii infection and this phenomenon may constitute an attempt to control parasite growth during in vivo infection with the T. gondii virulent strain.

Antibody response to the non-adjuvanted and adjuvanted influenza A H1N1/09 monovalent vaccines in renal transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: The 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus spread rapidly throughout Brazil. Non-adjuvanted and the adjuvanted influenza A H1N1/09 monovalent vaccine were recommended as a single dose to persons at risk including renal transplant recipients (RTR). We analyzed the safety and the immune response of 2 influenza A H1N1/09 monovalent vaccines in RTR, and identified factors influencing the immune response. METHODS: A total of 78 RTR received a single dose of either influenza A H1N1 2009 monovalent AS03-adjuvanted vaccine or a non-adjuvanted vaccine, and 58 healthy controls received a single dose of non-adjuvanted vaccine. Antibody responses to influenza A H1N1 were measured by hemagglutination inhibition assay and were compared between groups on the day of vaccination and 21-30 days thereafter, using geometric mean titer (GMT), and seroprotection (SP) and seroconversion (SC) rates. RESULTS: Among RTR, after adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted H1N1 vaccination, the SP rate increased from 16.7% to 61.7% (P < 0.001) and to 50% (P < 0.001), and SC rates were 61.7% and 50%, respectively. For healthy controls, SP rate increased from 25.8% to 89.7% (P < 0.001), and SC rate was 87.9% after vaccination. Pre-vaccination GMT for the adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted RTR vaccine groups and healthy controls was 9.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.3-13.1), 8.9 (95% CI 5.4-14.7), and 12.5 (95% CI8.7-18.2), and significantly increased to 49.8 (95% CI 31.3-79.4, P < 0.001), 43.2 (95% CI 16.3-114.4, P < 0.001), and 323.8 (95% CI 213.9-490.2, P < 0.001), respectively. Deceased-donor type transplant significantly reduced SP (odds ratio [OR] = 4.62, 95% CI 1.36-15.69, P = 0.014) and SC (OR = 6.29, 95% CI 1.89-20.98, P = 0.003) rates, and younger age positively affected SP (OR = 0.11; 95% CI 0.03-0.04, P = 0.001). Adverse events were mild, and renal function showed no change post vaccination. CONCLUSION: RTR vaccinated with either an adjuvanted or non-adjuvanted monovalent influenza vaccine presented poor response compared with healthy controls. Post-vaccination adverse events were mild, and no rejection episode or renal dysfunction was observed.

Measurements and modeling of reactive nitrogen deposition in southeast Brazil.

Increased reactive nitrogen (Nr) deposition due to expansion of agro-industry was investigated considering emission sources, atmospheric transport and chemical reactions. Measurements of the main inorganic nitrogen species (NO2, NH3, HNO3, and aerosol nitrate and ammonium) were made over a period of one year at six sites distributed across an area of ∼130,000 km2 in southeast Brazil. Oxidized species were estimated to account for ∼90% of dry deposited Nr, due to the region's large emissions of nitrogen oxides from biomass burning and road transport. NO2-N was important closer to urban areas, however overall HNO3-N represented the largest component of dry deposited Nr. A simple mathematical modeling procedure was developed to enable estimates of total Nr dry deposition to be made from knowledge of NO2 concentrations. The technique, whose accuracy here ranged from <1% to 29%, provides a useful new tool for the mapping of reactive nitrogen deposition.

Impact of cytomegalovirus infection in lung transplant patients under universal prophylaxis: single-center experience in Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, a common complication in lung transplant (LT) patients, is associated with worse outcomes. Therefore, prophylaxis and surveillance with preemptive treatment is recommended. OBJECTIVES: Describe the epidemiology and impact on mortality of CMV infection in LT patients receiving CMV prophylaxis. METHODS: Single-center retrospective cohort of LT recipients from August 2003 to March 2008. We excluded patients with survival or follow-up shorter than 30 days. We reviewed medical charts and all CMV pp65 antigen results. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients met the inclusion criteria and 19 (40%) developed a CMV event: eight CMV infections, seven CMV syndromes, and 15 CMV diseases. The mean number of CMV events for each patient was 1.68 +/- 0.88. Twelve patients developed CMV events during prophylaxis (5/12 had CMV serology D+/R-). Forty-six of the 47 patients had at least one episode of acute rejection (mean 2.23 +/- 1.1). Median follow-up was 22 months (range = 3-50). There were seven deaths. Upon univariate analysis, CMV events were related to greater mortality (P = .04), especially if the patient experienced more than two events (P = .013) and if the first event occurred during the first 3 months after LT (P = .003). Nevertheless, a marginally significant relationship between CMV event during the first 3 months after LT and mortality was observed in the multivariate analysis (hazards ratio: 7.46; 95% confidence interval: 0.98-56.63; P = .052). Patients with CMV events more than 3 months post-LT showed the same survival as those who remained CMV-free. CONCLUSION: Prophylaxis and preemptive treatment are safe and effective; however, the patients who develop CMV events during prophylaxis experience a worse prognosis.

Leukocytes respiratory burst and lysozyme level in pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus Holmberg, 1887).

Innate immune responses are useful to determine the health status of fish and to evaluate the effect of immunomodulatory substances in fish farming. Leukocytes respiratory burst was measured in pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) using chemiluminescence assay and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction assay. The nitroblue tetrazolium reduction seemed more adequate than chemiluminescence assay for leukocytes oxidative burst determination, since it was difficult to isolate the blood leucocytes for chemiluminescence assay. Plasma and serum lysozyme were measured using a turbidimetric assay. The heating of serum and plasma samples (56 masculineC for 30 minutes) for complement system inactivation darkened the plasma samples and interfered in the results. The lysozyme activity in serum was higher than in plasma, suggesting that serum samples are more appropriate for the analysis. This study established protocols that can be useful tools in the study of immune mechanisms of the tropical fish pacu.

Phagocytosis, oxidative burst, and produced reactive species are affected by iron deficiency anemia and anemia of chronic diseases in elderly.

Iron and oxidative stress have a regulatory interplay. During the oxidative burst, phagocytic cells produce free radicals such as hypochlorous acid (HOCl). Nevertheless, scarce studies evaluated the effect of either iron deficiency anemia (IDA) or anemia of chronic disease (ACD) on phagocyte function in the elderly. The aim of the present study was to determine the oxidative burst, phagocytosis, and nitric oxide (*NO) and HOCl, reactive species produced by monocytes and neutrophils in elderly with ACD or IDA. Soluble transferrin receptor, serum ferritin, and soluble transferrin receptor/log ferritin (TfR-F) index determined the iron status. The study was constituted of 39 patients aged over 60 (28 women and 11 men) recruited from the Brazilian Public Health System. Oxidative burst fluorescence intensity per neutrophil in IDA group and HOCl generation in both ACD and IDA groups were found to be lower (p < 0.05). The percentages of neutrophils and monocytes expressing phagocytosis in ACD group were found to be higher (p < 0.05). There was an overproduction of *NO from monocytes, whereas the fundamental generation of HOCl appeared to be lower. Phagocytosis, oxidative burst, and *NO and HOCl production are involved in iron metabolism regulation in elderly patients with ACD and IDA.

Loss of hepatitis A virus antibodies after bone marrow transplantation.

Reimmunization guidelines have recommended the inactivated HAV vaccine for hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients living in or traveling to areas where hepatitis A is endemic. As a shift from high to medium hepatitis A endemicity has been observed in several countries in Latin America, we conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis A pre-bone marrow transplant (BMT) and the loss of specific antibodies in consecutive stored serum samples from 77 BMT recipients followed up from 82 to 1530 days. The prevalence of HAV antibodies was 92.2% before BMT. As vaccine was not available in Brazil when the samples were taken, it was assumed that this prevalence reflects natural infection. Survival analysis showed that the probability of becoming seronegative was 4.5% (+/-2.6%), 7.9% (+/-3.4%), 10.1% (+/-4.0%), 23.4% (+/-9.6%) at 1, 2, 3 and 4 years after transplant, respectively. The loss of HAV antibodies was significantly associated with longer follow-up (P=0.0015), younger age (P=0.049) and acute graft-versus-host disease (P=0.035). As most reimmunization protocols start around day +365, in developing countries with similar HAV endemicity, BMT recipients should have serological screening before HAV vaccination and the inactivated vaccine should be advised to those seronegative.

CR1 on erythrocytes of Brazilian systemic lupus erythematosus patients: the influence of disease activity on expression and ability of this receptor to bind immune complexes opsonized with complement from normal human serum.

Hypocomplementaemia and low expression of CR1 on erythrocytes (E) of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are associated with defective clearance of circulating immune complexes (IC) and so they may have pathogenic significance. Here, we investigated whether the reduced CR1/E in SLE patients per se might affect the binding of IC to CR1/E. First, we analysed the expression of CR1 on E of active (n=30) and inactive (n=34) SLE patients using a FITC-conjugated mouse anti-CR1 monoclonal antibody E11 and flow cytometry. Both groups of patients had a significantly reduced CR1/E expression compared with healthy controls (n=40). It was also observed that the number of E bearing CR1 was reduced in both groups of SLE patients studied. Second, we determined the functional activity of CR1/E by measuring the binding to E of FITC-bovine serum albumin (BSA)/rabbit anti-BSA complexes, formed at equivalence, which were opsonized with complement from normal human serum (NHS). On the other hand, we did not find differences between the patient and control groups in the ability of E to bind IC/NHS. There was also a positive correlation between the CR1/E expression and the number of E bearing CR1 in control and inactive SLE groups, which was not observed in the group of active SLE patients. Considering the involvement of low levels of complement and CR1/E expression on complex processing, in this in vitro model the results show that an effective coating of the complexes with complement is sufficient to bind them preferentially to CR1 over normal levels of receptor expression.

The benefit of influenza vaccination after bone marrow transplantation.

Influenza vaccine is recommended yearly for recipients after the sixth month of BMT. Although a higher risk of complications of influenza is expected to occur in BMT patients, no study has addressed the clinical efficacy of influenza vaccination in this setting. Focusing on the clinical benefits of influenza vaccination, we evaluated the risk factors for influenza infection in a cohort of 177 BMT recipients followed up for 1 year. Influenza was diagnosed in 39 patients. Multivariate analyses showed that seasonal exposure and more aggressive conditioning regimens were independently associated with increased risk for influenza. Influenza vaccination and steroid use showed a protective role. Of the 43 patients who had received BMT longer than 6 months, 19 were vaccinated (compliance rate = 44.2%) and vaccine efficacy was 80%. We conclude that influenza vaccination plays an important role in protecting BMT recipients against influenza and all efforts should be made to ensure good compliance with vaccination.