Avaliação da farmacoterapia empregada em residentes de uma Instituição de Longa Permanência para Idosos / Evaluation of pharmacotherapy used in residents of a Long Stay Institution for the Elderly / Evaluación de la farmacoterapia empleada por el residente de una Institución de Larga Permanencia para la Tercera Edad

O fenômeno das interações medicamentosas constitui na atualidade um dos temas mais importantes relacionados ao consumo de medicamentos. O uso concomitante de fármacos principalmente entre os idosos é o principal fator envolvido em reações de interferência mútua de ações farmacológicas e toxicológicas, podendo resultar em inúmeros efeitos indesejáveis e até mesmo potencialmente perigosos. O presente estudo tem por objetivo analisar prescrições de residentes em uma Instituição de Longa Permanência para Idosos. Foi realizado um estudo descritivo, transversal, por meio de uma abordagem quanti-qualitativa, sendo que as informações foram coletadas por meio do cartão de medicação que continha a relação dos medicamentos utilizados por cada paciente. Dessa forma, foi realizada uma avaliação farmacoterapêutica dos medicamentos prescritos, descrevendo-se as interações prevalentes, possíveis reações adversas e os fármacos inadequadamente indicados para essa população. Os dados obtidos após a realização do presente estudo podem ser considerados preocupantes, já que 91% das prescrições apresentavam pelo menos uma interação medicamentosa. Transformar essa prática de erros consecutivos acerca das prescrições é uma tarefa difícil, mas não impossível, que exige empenho e capacitação por parte dos profissionais envolvidos na promoção da saúde e na prevenção de agravos.

The phenomenon of drug interactions is today one of the most important issues related to the consumption of drugs. Concomitant use of drugs especially among the elderly is the main factor involved in mutual interference reactions of pharmacological and toxicological actions and may result in numerous side effects and even potentially dangerous. This study aims to analyze prescriptions for residents in a long term care facility for seniors, using as methodology the pharmacotherapeutic evaluation of prescription drugs, describing the prevalent interactions, possible adverse reactions and improperly prescribed drugs for this population. The data obtained after the completion of this study can be considered worrying, since 91% of prescriptions had at least one drug interaction. Transform the practice of consecutive errors about the requirements is a difficult task, but not impossible, that requires commitment and training for professionals involved in health promotion and disease prevention.

El fenómeno de las interacciones entre medicamentos es hoy uno de los temas más importantes relacionados con el consumo de drogas. El uso concomitante de fármacos especialmente entre los ancianos es el factor principal implicado en las reacciones de interferencia mutua de las acciones farmacológicas y toxicológicas y puede dar lugar a numerosos efectos secundarios e incluso potencialmente peligrosos. Este estudio tiene como objetivo analizar las recetas de los residentes en un centro de cuidados a largo plazo para las personas mayores, utilizando como metodología la evaluación farmacoterapéutica de los medicamentos recetados, que describe las interacciones prevalentes, las posibles reacciones adversas y los medicamentos prescritos inadecuadamente para esta población. Los datos obtenidos tras la realización de este estudio se puede considerar preocupante, ya que el 91% de las prescripciones tenía al menos una interacción medicamentosa. Transformar la práctica de errores consecutivos acerca de las prescripciones es una tarea difícil, pero no imposible, que requiere del compromiso y la capacitación de los profesionales involucrados en la promoción de salud y prevención de enfermedades.

The FML-vaccine (Leishmune) against canine visceral leishmaniasis: a transmission blocking vaccine.

Transmission blocking vaccines are one of the control strategies for vector-transmitted protozoan diseases. Antibodies raised in the vaccinated host prevent the development of the parasite in the insect vector, interrupting the epidemiological cycle. The FML antigen of Leishmania donovani in combination with saponin (FML-vaccine and Leishmune) induced 92-97% of protections against zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis. We assayed the ability of FML to inhibit Leishmania donovani and Leishmania chagasi procyclic promastigote-binding to dissected Lutzomyia longipalpis midguts. We found a dose-dependent inhibition, more pronounced on L. donovani (80%) than on L. chagasi promastigotes (p<0.001). On the other hand, the Fab-IgG serum fraction of Leishmune vaccinated dogs (IgG2 predominant), also inhibited parasite binding in a dose-response (p<0.0001) with an equally potent effect against L. donovani or L. chagasi (p = 0.061). The transmission blocking properties of the Leishmune vaccine was also assessed by an in vivo membrane assay, with sand flies fed with 1.5 x 10(7) amastigotes, human blood and, vaccinated or normal control dog sera. Significantly higher values were found in rate of infection (p<0.025) and intensity of infection (number of parasites/insect) (p<0.05) of control sand flies, making a very reduced infection index (20.7%) in the vaccine group. Our results disclosed that the Leishmune vaccine is a TBV, and that the dog antibodies present in sera, even 12 months after vaccination, lead to a significant effective protection of 79.3%.

Cross-protective efficacy of a prophylactic Leishmania donovani DNA vaccine against visceral and cutaneous murine leishmaniasis.

The fucose-mannose ligand (FML) complex of Leishmania donovani is a promising vaccine candidate against murine and canine visceral leishmaniasis, and its main component is a 36-kDa nucleoside hydrolase (NH36). In this study, we tested the immune response and protection induced by the purified FML, the recombinant NH36 (rNH36), and NH36 DNA vaccines against the agents of visceral (L. chagasi) and cutaneous (L. mexicana) leishmaniasis in BALB/c mice. Mice developed weak humoral response to the vaccines alone, except for those immunized with FML. However, all three vaccine groups presented elevated immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgG1, and IgG2a levels after infection with L. chagasi, whereas no differences were observed between vaccine and control groups after infection with L. mexicana. A strong intradermal reaction to L. donovani and L. mexicana antigens was observed in mice immunized with rNH36 or FML, whereas mice immunized with NH36 DNA only reacted against L. donovani antigens. Experimental infection of immunized mice demonstrated that FML and rNH36 induced significant protection against L. chagasi infection with reductions in parasite loads of 79%. FML also conferred partial protection against L. mexicana infection. The best protection was observed in mice immunized with the VR1012-NH36 DNA vaccine, which induced an 88% reduction in L. chagasi parasite load and a 65% reduction in L. mexicana lesion size. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis indicated the DNA vaccine induced a two- to fivefold increase in gamma interferon-producing CD4(+) T cells, indicating a Th1-type immune response. Our results showed that the NH36 DNA vaccine induced a strong immunoprotection against visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis, suggesting that this DNA vaccine represents a very good candidate for use against several Leishmania species.

Effective immunotherapy against canine visceral leishmaniasis with the FML-vaccine.

The potential effect of the fucose mannose ligand (FML)-vaccine on immunotherapy of canine visceral leishmaniasis was assayed on five mongrel dogs experimentally infected with Leishmania donovani and on 21 Leishmania chagasi naturally infected dogs when seropositive to FML but completely asymptomatic. The clinical signs of the experimentally infected, symptomatic dogs only disappeared after the complete vaccination. Protection was obtained in 3/5 animals that remained asymptomatic, IDR positive and parasite free, 1 year after infection. Furthermore, the asymptomatic, FML-vaccine treated dogs showed stable anti-FML IgG1 levels, increasing IgG2 levels and 79-95% of positive DTH response, during the whole experiment. Twenty-two months after complete vaccination, no obits due to visceral leishmaniasis were recorded and 90% of these dogs were still asymptomatic, healthy and parasite free. On the other hand, 37% (17/46 dogs) kala-azar obits were recorded in a control group that received no treatment during the same period, and that was FML-seropositive and asymtpomatic at the beginning of the assay. Our results indicate that the FML-vaccine was effective in the immunotherapy against visceral leishmaniasis of asymptomatic infected dogs. Normal proportions of CD4 and CD21 lymphocytes were detected in PBMC by FACS analysis, in dogs submitted to immunotherapy, suggesting their non-infectious condition. All animals showed as well significantly increased percents of CD8 lymphocytes as expected for Quillaja saponin (QuilA) vaccine treatments.

IgG1/IgG2 antibody dichotomy in sera of vaccinated or naturally infected dogs with visceral leishmaniosis.

Canine antibody IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 anti-FML responses were investigated in dogs vaccinated with the fucose-mannose ligand (FML)-vaccine of Leishmania donovani and in dogs with naturally acquired visceral leishmaniosis. While similar levels of total IgG antibodies were seen in the seropositive naturally infected dogs and in vaccinees, significant differences between the groups were found regarding their IgG1/IgG2 anti-FML antibody composition (P<0.005). Higher IgG1 absorbencies were seen in infected dogs, while the IgG2 subtype was predominant in pre-immune sera, and in vaccinated animals, both after the first and the third dose (P<0.005). The average ratio between IgG1/IgG2 was then 1.124 for infected animals and 0.733 for FML-vaccinees. Also, a significant increase in IgG2 antibodies was observed from the first to the third vaccine injection (P<0.005). In the infected dogs, a high correlation between their IgG absorbance (Abs) values and the number of symptoms (P=0.017) was disclosed. Thus, the analysis of IgG subclasses disclosed a dichotomous response to visceral leishmaniosis: IgG1 associated to natural infection and IgG2 associated to a humoral response subsequent to the FML-vaccine treatment. An IgG1/IgG2>or=1 would characterize the sera of visceral leishmaniasis infected animals evoluting towards the overt disease while ratios