EpHLA software: a timesaving and accurate tool for improving identification of acceptable mismatches for clinical purposes.

UNLABELLED: The HLAMatchmaker algorithm, which allows the identification of "safe" acceptable mismatches (AMMs) for recipients of solid organ and cell allografts, is rarely used in part due to the difficulty in using it in the current Excel format. The automation of this algorithm may universalize its use to benefit the allocation of allografts. Recently, we have developed a new software called EpHLA, which is the first computer program automating the use of the HLAMatchmaker algorithm. Herein, we present the experimental validation of the EpHLA program by showing the time efficiency and the quality of operation. The same results, obtained by a single antigen bead assay with sera from 10 sensitized patients waiting for kidney transplants, were analyzed either by conventional HLAMatchmaker or by automated EpHLA method. Users testing these two methods were asked to record: (i) time required for completion of the analysis (in minutes); (ii) number of eplets obtained for class I and class II HLA molecules; (iii) categorization of eplets as reactive or non-reactive based on the MFI cutoff value; and (iv) determination of AMMs based on eplets' reactivities. We showed that although both methods had similar accuracy, the automated EpHLA method was over 8 times faster in comparison to the conventional HLAMatchmaker method. In particular the EpHLA software was faster and more reliable but equally accurate as the conventional method to define AMMs for allografts. CONCLUSION: The EpHLA software is an accurate and quick method for the identification of AMMs and thus it may be a very useful tool in the decision-making process of organ allocation for highly sensitized patients as well as in many other applications.

ESTUDO PRELIMINAR DA INFLUÊNCIA DA UMIDADE DO SOLO SOBRE A REPRODUÇÃO DE PONTOSCOLEX CORETHRURUS (Glossoscolecidae, Oligochaeta)

SUMMARY In this preliminar work, the influence of soil humidity in the reproduction of Pontoscolex corethrurus (Glossoscolecidae, Oligochaeta) was investigated. During five months (August to December) the experiment was conducted in a green house in Manaus City. The production of cocoons wasn't affect by the variation in the soil humidity, but this factor affected the hatch of the cocoons. This was greater in the pots that contained a greater humidity.

Resumo Neste estudo preliminar tenta-se verificar se o fator ambiental umidade do solo atua como fator limitante na reprodução de Pontoscolex corethrurus (Glo-soscolecidae, Oligochaeta). Durante cinco meses o experimento ficou montado em casa de vegetação na cidade de Manaus. Verificou-se que a umidade do solo exerceu influência não na produção de casulos mas na eclosão dos mesmos, sendo maior a eclosão onde o teor de umidade era maior. Porém os resultados obtidos não nos permitem afirmar que esta baixa umidade registrada seja um fator limitante em si.