RESUMO
Burkholderia cepacia complex infections remain life-threatening to cystic fibrosis patients, and due to the limited eradication efficiency of current treatments, novel antimicrobial therapies are urgently needed. Surface proteins are among the best targets to develop new therapeutic strategies since they are exposed to the host's immune system. A surface-shaving approach was performed using Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315 to quantitatively compare the relative abundance of surface-exposed proteins (SEPs) expressed by the bacterium when grown under aerobic and microaerophilic conditions. After trypsin incubation of live bacteria and identification of resulting peptides by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, a total of 461 proteins with ≥2 unique peptides were identified. Bioinformatics analyses revealed a total of 53 proteins predicted as localized at the outer membrane (OM) or extracellularly (E). Additionally, 37 proteins were predicted as moonlight proteins with OM or E secondary localization. B-cell linear epitope bioinformatics analysis of the proteins predicted to be OM and E-localized revealed 71 SEP moieties with predicted immunogenic epitopes. The protegenicity higher scores of proteins BCAM2761, BCAS0104, BCAL0151, and BCAL0849 point out these proteins as the best antigens for vaccine development. Additionally, 10 of the OM proteins also presented a high probability of playing important roles in adhesion to host cells, making them potential targets for passive immunotherapeutic approaches. The immunoreactivity of three of the OM proteins identified was experimentally demonstrated using serum samples from cystic fibrosis patients, validating our strategy for identifying immunoreactive moieties from surface-exposed proteins of potential interest for future immunotherapies development.
RESUMO
O envelhecimento da população é um fenómeno crescente em Portugal. Portugal trata-se de um país que se move a dois tempos, pese embora se assista a uma mudança na consciência social acerca do idoso. A criação deste projeto de intervenção social tem como finalidade avaliar a satisfação com a vida, a felicidade subjetiva e a solidão em idosos institucionalizados e não institucionalizados, inseridos em contexto urbano e rural, através da aplicação "in loco" de um programa de Envelhecimento Ativo. Para tal desenhou-se um estudo quasi-experimental recorrendo à metodologia quantitativa. Começou-se por aplicar o Mini Mental State (Folstein); Escala de Satisfação com a Vida, Escala de Felicidade Subjetiva, Escala de Solidão Social e Emocional (SELSA-S). Desenhou-se, posteriormente, um programa de intervenção, com a realização de 16 sessões ao longo de quatro meses. Finalmente, fez-se uma nova aplicação das respetivas escalas comparando os resultados com os obtidos na fase de diagnóstico. A amostra estudada é constituída por 20 elementos, sendo que 9 estão inseridos na Comunidade e 11 numa Estrutura Residencial (ER). A idade dos residentes na comunidade varia entre 61 e 85 anos, sendo a média 74,22 anos e a faixa etária predominante neste grupo é 70 a 79 anos. A idade dos residentes na ER varia entre 76 e 93 anos, registando-se uma idade média de 83,73 anos e a faixa etária predominante é dos 80 a 89 anos. Finalmente, pode-se dizer que os resultados empíricos obtidos permitem evidenciar que houve diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os níveis pré e pós intervenções: Mini Mental State (pré: 25,70 ± 3,35; pós: 26,75 ± 2,57, p = 0,038), na Escala Felicidade Subjetiva (pré: 12,05 ± 3.27; pós: 17,95 ± 4,11, p <0,001). Embora tenha havido um aumento da média na Escala de Satisfação com a Vida após a intervenção, a diferença entre as médias não se revelou estatisticamente significativa (pré: 17,45 ± 3,72; pós: 19,00 ± 3,67, p = 0,128). Na Escada de Solidão Social e Emocional registou-se uma ligeira diminuição do valor médio entre as duas avaliações mas sem significado estatístico (pré: 48,70 ± 11,66; pós: 48,15±18,89, p=0,808). Os dados permitem concluir sobre a importância da implementação de programas de envelhecimento ativo entre os idosos.
The aging of the population is a growing phenomenon in Portugal. Portugal is a country that moves itself at two times, although we can assist to a changing social conscious about the elderly. The development of this social intervention project aims to assess the satisfaction with life, the subjective happiness and loneliness in institutionalized and non-institutionalized elderly in urban and rural contexts, through the application of an Active Aging Program. To do so, a quasi-experimental study was design using a quantitative methodology. We began by applying the Mini Mental State (Flostein); Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS); Subjective Happiness Scale and Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale (SELSA-S). Later an intervention program was drawn, by the application of 16 sessions along four months. At the end of the program another assessment was made by the application of the same scales and results were compared with the ones of the diagnostic phase. The sample was constituted by 20 elements, 9 of them from the community and 11 from a nursing home (NH). The ages of the community elements vary between 61 and 85 years old with an average of 74,22 years and the most prevalent group of ages is 70-79 years. The age of the ones living in the NH varies between 76 and 93 years old with an average of 83,73 years and the most prevalent group of ages is between 80 and 89 years. Finally we can say that results allow us to highlight that there were statistically significant differences between the pre and post interventions results in Mini Mental State (pre: 25,70 ± 3,35; post: 26,75 ± 2,57, p = 0,038) and Subjective Happiness Scale (pre: 12.05 ± 3.27; post: 17,95 ± 4,11, p <0,001). Although there was an increase in the average of Satisfaction with Life Scale after the intervention the difference between averages is not statistically significant (pre: 17,45 ± 3,72; post: 19,00 ± 3,67, p = 0,128). In Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale, it was observed a slight decrease in the average between the two assessments but it is not statistically significant (pre: 48,70 ± 11,66; post: 48,15±18,89, p= 0,808). Data allow us to conclude on the importance of the implementation of Active Aging programs.