Prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis infections among adolescent men who have sex with men and transgender women in Salvador, Northeast Brazil.

Adolescent men who have sex with men (AMSM) and transgender women (ATGW) enrolled as part of the PrEP1519 study between April 2019 and February 2021 in Salvador were tested for Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections.We performed real-time polymerase chain reaction using oropharyngeal, anal, and urethral swabs; assessed factors associated with NG and CT infections using multivariable Poisson regression analysis with robust variance; and estimated the prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). In total, 246 participants were included in the analyses (median age: 18.8; IQR: 18.2-19.4 years). The overall oropharyngeal, anal, and urethral prevalence rates of NG were 17.9%, 9.4%, 7.6%, and 1.9%, respectively. For CT, the overall, oropharyngeal, anal, and urethral prevalence rates were 5.9%, 1.2%, 2.4%, and 1.9%, respectively. A low level of education, clinical suspicion of STI (and coinfection with Mycoplasma hominis were associated with NG infection. The prevalence of NG and CT, especially extragenital infections, was high in AMSM and ATGW. These findings highlight the need for testing samples from multiple anatomical sites among adolescents at a higher risk of STI acquisition, implementation of school-based strategies, provision of sexual health education, and reduction in barriers to care.

Ovariectomy Modifies TH2, and TH17 Balance in BALB/C Allergic Mice.

Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the airways affecting over 300 million people worldwide. As in the autoimmune diseases, it is well described that women are the most affected by asthma. The higher number of women presenting this pathology suggests the involvement of female sex hormones in the construction of the allergic immune response. Female Balb / c mice were used for the experiments. Thirty-eight animals were separated into four groups: OVX-Ova; Sham-Ova; OVX-Sal; Sham-Sal. Then animals underwent acute allergic induction protocol by Ovalbulmin (OVA). Ovariectomized animals showed greater number of leukocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and elevated white blood cells recruitment to the lung environment observed by histological analysis. There was a significant increase of eosinophils and mast cells in inflammatory sites at pulmonary tissue. The relative uterine and body weight were lower in ovariectomized animals and higher in Sham mice, respectively. Moreover, the lack of the sex hormones induced an increase in interleukin (IL)-4 and titers of immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) antibodies. However, increased production of IL-17A was only observed in Sham animals. Altogether, data this study suggest that ovariectomy induces the formation of a stronger Th2 response in allergic animal. However, the immune processes involved in the allergic response in females currently remain unclear.

Distinct strains of Staphylococcus aureus lead to different inflammatory response patterns in a murine model of intradermal infection / Diferentes cepas de Staphylococcus aureus levam a diferentes padrões de resposta inflamatória em um modelo murino de infecção intradérmica

Staphylococcus aureus infection may lead to the development of soft tissue damage. It has been evaluated in other researches using different animal models. In addition, the inflammatory response developed by the host organism facing an infection by this pathogen has been analyzed and neutrophils have been linked to the immune response developed. In this study, we aimed to compare the inflammatory response developed by the host induced by an intradermal infection with a methicillin-resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or a methicillin-susceptible strain of Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Mice euthanasia occurred in the following times: 6, 24, 48 and 96 hours of infection; the cell number and the cytokine release were evaluated. Our results showed that infections by different strains of Staphylococcus aureus lead to different immune response degrees. Although MRSA infection induces higher neutrophil recruitment to the infection site and higher inflammatory response in the draining lymph node, the increased production of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-1ß in the lymph node 6 hours after the infection was observed only in MSSA infected animals. Considering the data, MSSA may have mechanisms to prevent neutrophil recruitment to the infection site.

Infecções causadas por Staphylococcus aureus podem causar o desenvolvimento de lesões no tecido frouxo. Isto tem sido avaliado em estudos que avaliam a resposta imune em diferentes modelos animais. Além disso, a resposta inflamatória desenvolvida pelo hospedeiro frente à infecção por este patógeno tem sido analisada e neutrófilos têm sido associados com a resposta imune desenvolvida. Neste estudo, nosso objetivo foi comparar a resposta inflamatória desenvolvida pelo organismo hospedeiro induzida por uma infecção intradérmica com uma cepa de Staphylococcus aureus resistente à meticilina (MRSA) ou uma cepa Staphylococcus aureus susceptível à meticilina (MSSA). A eutanásia dos camundongos ocorreu nos seguintes tempos: 6, 24, 48 e 96 horas de infecção; o número de células e a quantidade de citocinas foram avaliados. Nossos resultados mostraram que infecções por diferentes cepas de Staphylococcus aureus causam resposta imunológica com diferentes intensidades. Enquanto infecções por MRSA induzem maior recrutamento de neutrófilos para o sítio de infecção e maior resposta inflamatória no linfonodo, o aumento na produção de TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6 e IL-1ß no linfonodo 6 horas após a infecção foi observado somente nos animais infectados com MSSA. Considerando as análises, MSSA pode possuir mecanismos para prevenir o recrutamento de neutrófilos para o sítio de infecção.

Prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium and Mycoplasma hominis in urogenital tract of Brazilian women.

BACKGROUND: The role of Mycoplasma hominis and M. genitalium in urogenital tract infections remains unknown. Furthermore these mollicutes present a complex relationship with the host immune response. The role of inflammatory cytokines in infections also makes them good candidates to investigate bacterial vaginosis and mycoplasma genital infections. Therefore, the aim of this study was to detect the above-mentioned mollicutes by quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) methodologies in vaginal swabs and dosage of cytokines. METHODS: Vaginal swabs and peripheral blood were collected from 302 women, including healthy individuals. The molecular findings were correlated with some individual behavioral variables, clinical and demographic characteristics, presence of other important microorganisms in vaginal swabs, and levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-6. RESULTS: M. hominis and M. genitalium were detected in 31.8% and 28.1% of samples, respectively. The qPCR results were associated with clinical signs and symptoms of the infections studied. The frequency of Trichomonas vaginalis, Gardnerella vaginalis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis was 3.0%, 21.5%, 42.4%, and 1.7% respectively. Increased levels of IL-1ß were associated with the presence of M. hominis and signs and/or symptoms of the genital infection of women studied. CONCLUSION: IL-1ß production was associated with the detection of M. hominis by qPCR. The sexual behavior of women studied was associated with the detection of mycoplasma and other agents of genital infections.

Avaliação das condições habitacionais e de saúde da comunidade quilombola Boqueirão, Bahia, Brasil / Evaluation of housing and health conditions of Boqueirão afro descendant community, state of Bahia, Brazil

A comunidade quilombola Boqueirão situada no município de Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brasil é formada por cerca de 500 indivíduos, e possui um único açude, com livre acesso de animais, utilizado para lavagem de roupa e coleta de água para utilização doméstica. O abastecimento de água é precário, assim como não há saneamento básico, visto que não existe água encanada e esgotamento sanitário, o que resulta no despejo de dejetos no açude e solos, comprometendo a qualidade da água consumida. Esses fatores associados ao acesso restrito da população aos serviços de saúde tornam esses indivíduos vulneráveis a doenças como infecções parasitárias. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar o levantamento das condições de habitação e saúde dos moradores do quilombo Boqueirão. A amostra foi composta por 467 indivíduos, que responderam a um questionário baseado em suas condições de moradia e saúde. Destes, 404 foram submetidos ao exame parasitológico de fezes para o diagnóstico de infecções parasitárias. A população é formada predominantemente por jovens ou adultos, lavradores, e a maioria das casas não possui água encanada e sanitário. A maioria da população utiliza exclusivamente o Sistema Único de Saúde, sendo a hipertensão arterial a doença pré-existente mais relatada. Em relação às parasitoses intestinais, as protozooses foram mais prevalentes que as helmintíases. A precariedade das moradias, do abastecimento de água e das condições de saneamento básico reflete o perfil sócioeconômico da população e a deficiência nas políticas públicas voltadas para a comunidade, justificando os dados encontrados referentes à prevalência de doenças crônicas e parasitárias.

The Boqueirão is an afro descendant community located in Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil formed by about 500 individuals. This community has an only dam, where animals have free access, used frequently for washing clothes and water collection for domestic use. The water supply is precarious, as well as the basic sanitation, since it does not exist canalized water and sanitary exhaustion. It results in the ousting of dejections in the dam and ground, compromising the quality of the consumed water. These factors associated to limited access of the population health services become these individuals vulnerable to parasitic infections. The aim of this work is register the habitation and health conditions of the Boqueirão community. The sample was composed by 467 individuals that answered a questionnaire about their housing and health conditions. Of these, 404 had been submitted to fecal exam for the diagnosis of parasitic diseases. The population is formed predominantly by young or adult, agricultural worker, and most of houses have not canalized water and bathroom. Most of population uses only the public system of health and the high blood pressure was the most reported preexisting disease. In relation to the intestinal parasitisms, the protozoan infections were more prevalent than helminthic infections. The precarious conditions of habitation, water supply and basic sanitation reflect the social and economic population profiles and the inefficiency of health public politics for the community that explains the data found regarding the prevalence of chronic and parasitic diseases.