Is Periodontal and Peri- Implant Disease Associated with Fixed Partial Denture Use? A 25-year Prospective Case Series.

INTRODUCTION: The association of the periodontium with the fixed prosthesis is the basis of prosthetic rehabilitation. This prospective case series aimed to evaluate periodontal health through the relation between periodontal/peri-implant disease progression and the use of fixed partial dentures (FPDs). METHODS: Probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival index (GI), and plaque index (PI) on either teeth or implants were evaluated at up to 25-year follow-up and compared with the baseline. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier test (p⟨0.05). RESULTS: The prospective evaluation showed that the patients maintained adequate periodontal health. Failure (severe periodontal stages) occurred in 12.5% of patients. The survival rate for 107 teeth/implants was 80.48%. The comparisons for clinical parameters revealed no statistically significant difference (p⟩ 0.05). At T1, the measurements for anterior and posterior regions, respectively, were PD =2.7mm and 3.1mm; CAL= 3.3mm and 3.6mm; GI=0.5 (both regions); and PI=0.79 and 0.62. Periodontal/peri-implant disease progression did not relate to the use of prostheses. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with more frequent follow-up appointments and lower GI and PI showed periodontal health for longer periods. Patients with different oral hygiene levels present different periodontal disease progression. Periodic hygiene control and motivation are vital factors for extensive oral rehabilitation success.

Ultrasound protocol in odontogenic infections: a new proposal.

BACKGROUND: Point-of-care-ultrasound can be applied to preview a difficult airway, detect the presence of fluid collection, and soft-tissue edema, and guide the drainage location, although is rarely used. The purpose of this study is to validate a protocol for the assessment of these clinical features on patients with severe odontogenic infections. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a single-group prospective cohort study (n=20) including patients with the diagnosis of deep-neck propagation of odontogenic infection. A transcervical linear high-frequency probe transducer (13-6 MHz) was used to scan the structures of the upper airway and the infectious collections. The drainage was guided by ultrasound and the patients were daily evaluated, according to the protocol. The data were extracted and the airway volume, midline deviation, and other important data such as length of hospital stay, dysphagia, voice alteration, raised floor of the mouth, dyspnea, and neck swelling were registered. RESULTS: The ultrasound examination was correlated with multiple clinical findings, such as dyslalia (p=0,069), dysphagia (p=0,028), dyspnea (p=0,001), among others. This protocol has an advantage as it can be used at bedside evaluation, allowing the assessment of severe and unstable patients, and predicting the increase of the hospitalization time (p=0,019). CONCLUSIONS: This protocol is reliable for the assessment of the upper airway, even in an emergency, predicting not only the severity of the clinical features but aids in the determination of the length of the hospitalization time.

Double blind randomized clinical trial comparing minimally- invasive envelope flap and conventional envelope flap on impacted lower third molar surgery.

BACKGROUND: The latest trend in surgery is to look for minimally invasive procedures, with fewer complications and a shorter recovery time. This study aims to compare the minimally- invasive envelope flap, with smaller incision and fewer dissection and the conventional envelope flap, with a 20mm incision, on impacted mandibular third molar surgery, focusing on the hypothesis that there were no differences in postoperative outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A double-blind randomized clinical trial was designed to compare both incisions, focused on determining the approach with minor postoperative side-effects and minor impact on quality-of-life. A total of 60 patients were enrolled for the study if their presented impacted mandibular third molar and was 18-years-old or more. Both groups were evaluated from time elapsed on the surgery, maximum mouth opening, swelling and quality of life assessment. RESULTS: The flap choice influenced facial swelling (p=0,03), pain on the first three days (p=0,037), interference with oral hygiene (p=0,019) and discomfort on speech (p=0,07). Chewing, swallowing, trismus, pain after seven days, postoperative complications and other quality-of-life arrangements were no different between groups. CONCLUSIONS: The minimally- invasive envelope flap could lead to a less painful experience for the patient, with fewer impact on the oral hygiene and speech discomfort.

Dengue infection in mice inoculated by the intracerebral route: neuropathological effects and identification of target cells for virus replication.

Dengue is an important arboviral infection, causing a broad range symptom that varies from life-threatening mild illness to severe clinical manifestations. Recent studies reported the impairment of the central nervous system (CNS) after dengue infection, a characteristic previously considered as atypical and underreported. However, little is known about the neuropathology associated to dengue. Since animal models are important tools for helping to understand the dengue pathogenesis, including neurological damages, the aim of this work was to investigate the effects of intracerebral inoculation of a neuroadapted dengue serotype 2 virus (DENV2) in immunocompetent BALB/c mice, mimicking some aspects of the viral encephalitis. Mice presented neurological morbidity after the 7th day post infection. At the same time, histopathological analysis revealed that DENV2 led to damages in the CNS, such as hemorrhage, reactive gliosis, hyperplastic and hypertrophied microglia, astrocyte proliferation, Purkinje neurons retraction and cellular infiltration around vessels in the pia mater and in neuropil. Viral tropism and replication were detected in resident cells of the brain and cerebellum, such as neurons, astrocyte, microglia and oligodendrocytes. Results suggest that this classical mice model might be useful for analyzing the neurotropic effect of DENV with similarities to what occurs in human.

Evaluation of an educational activity in the oral health of students.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of educational activity in the school environment based on prescriptive and subjective oral health indicators. METHODS: Cross-sectional, comparative study involving students between 9 and 12 years of age, from schools that have educational activities and those that do not, designated schools A and B. The oral health indicators used were the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) and the Community Periodontal Index (CPITN). Knowledge and attitudes with regard to oral health were evaluated using a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 289 schoolchildren took part, 50.5% from school A and 49.5% from school B, in the town of Montes Claros, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. In school A, the schoolchildren's OHI-S was satisfactory for 9.6%, normal for 78.8% and deficient for 11.6%, while in school B, the respective percentages were 3.5%, 17.5% and 79% (chi-squared, P < 0.001). The students in school A showed better CPITN results, namely lack of bleeding for 61.6%, the presence of bleeding for 29.5% and presence of tartar for 8.9%, while in school B, the respective results were 25.2%, 45.5% and 29.4% (chi-squared, P < 0.001). Students in school A achieved more correct answers in questions that evaluated knowledge of oral health. The account of daily use of dental floss in school A was 21.7% and in B, 3.6% (chi-squared, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: It is believed that educational activity in the school environment had a positive effect on oral health conditions, the consolidation of knowledge and incorporation of oral hygiene habits.

Maternal obesity programs mitochondrial and lipid metabolism gene expression in infant umbilical vein endothelial cells.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Maternal obesity increases risk for childhood obesity, but molecular mechanisms are not well understood. We hypothesized that primary umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) from infants of overweight and obese mothers would harbor transcriptional patterns reflecting offspring obesity risk. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In this observational cohort study, we recruited 13 lean (pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) <25.0 kg m-2) and 24 overweight-obese ('ov-ob', BMI⩾25.0 kg m-2) women. We isolated primary HUVEC, and analyzed both gene expression (Primeview, Affymetrix) and cord blood levels of hormones and adipokines. RESULTS: A total of 142 transcripts were differentially expressed in HUVEC from infants of overweight-obese mothers (false discovery rate, FDR<0.05). Pathway analysis revealed that genes involved in mitochondrial and lipid metabolism were negatively correlated with maternal BMI (FDR<0.05). To test whether these transcriptomic patterns were associated with distinct nutrient exposures in the setting of maternal obesity, we analyzed the cord blood lipidome and noted significant increases in the levels of total free fatty acids (lean: 95.5±37.1 µg ml-1, ov-ob: 124.1±46.0 µg ml-1, P=0.049), palmitate (lean: 34.5±12.7 µg ml-1, ov-ob: 46.3±18.4 µg ml-1, P=0.03) and stearate (lean: 20.8±8.2 µg ml-1, ov-ob: 29.7±17.2 µg ml-1, P=0.04), in infants of overweight-obese mothers. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal exposure to maternal obesity alters HUVEC expression of genes involved in mitochondrial and lipid metabolism, potentially reflecting developmentally programmed differences in oxidative and lipid metabolism.

Peripheral effects induced in BALB/c mice infected with DENV by the intracerebral route.

The lack of an immunocompetent animal model for dengue mimicking the disease in humans is a limitation for advances in this field. Inoculation by intracerebral route of neuroadapted dengue strains in mice is normally lethal and provides a straightforward readout parameter for vaccine testing. However, systemic effects of infection and the immune response elicited in this model remain poorly described. In the present work, BALB/c mice infected by the intracerebral route with neuroadapted DENV2 exhibited several evidences of systemic involvement. DENV-inoculated mice presented virus infective particles in the brain followed by viremia, especially in late stages of infection. Infection induced cellular and humoral responses, with presence of activated T cells in spleen and blood, lymphocyte infiltration and tissue damages in brain and liver, and an increase in serum levels of some pro-inflammatory cytokines. Data highlighted an interplay between the central nervous system commitment and peripheral effects under this experimental condition.

Eficiência técnica da produção de tilápias em Ilha Solteira, SP: uma análise não paramétrica / echnical efficiency of tilapia production in Ilha Solteira, SP: a nonparametric analysis

Este estudo objetivou analisar o desempenho de unidades de produção de tilápias em sistemas de produção de piscicultura em tanques-redes no reservatório de Ilha Solteira, SP. Avaliou-se o grau de eficiência produtiva e o diferencial de cada insumo para chegar à eficiência dos sistemas produtivos em tanques-redes. Metodologicamente, foi aplicada a técnica de Análise Envoltória de Dados para retornos constantes de escala, com orientação input. As variáveis consideradas foram investimentos, custo operacional efetivo, remuneração de investimento (inputs) e produção (output). Os resultados mostraram que 25% das propriedades foram muito eficientes, com investimentos médios de R$241.000,00, custos operacionais de R$86.000,00 e produção correspondente a 23 toneladas/mês. Os resultados sinalizam para recomendação de que a unidade de produção (DMU) com menor desempenho reduza o uso dos inputs em 53% para tornar-se eficiente. Recomenda-se aos piscicultores maior atenção às ações que não contribuem para a otimização da infraestrutura disponível, em especial aos investimentos, considerado o fator responsável pelo maior grau de ineficiência nas DMU analisadas...(AU)

The objective of this study was to analyze the performance of tilapia production units using tank networks for fish production in the Ilha Solteira reservoir, SP. The degree of productive efficiency and the differential of each raw material to achieve efficiency of the production systems in tank networks were evaluated. Methodologically, input-oriented data envelopment analysis (DEA) under constant returns to scale was applied. The variables analyzed were investments, effective operational costs, investment compensation (inputs), and production (output). The results showed that 25% of the units were very efficient, with average investments of R$241,000.00, operational costs of R$86,000.00, and production corresponding to 23 tons/month. The results point to the recommendation that the production unit (DMU) with low performance reduces the use of inputs by 53% to become efficient. Fish farmers should pay more attention to actions that do not contribute to the optimization of available infrastructure, especially investments, the factor responsible for the greater degree of inefficiency in the DMU analyzed...(AU)

Eficiência técnica da produção de tilápias em Ilha Solteira, SP: uma análise não paramétrica / echnical efficiency of tilapia production in Ilha Solteira, SP: a nonparametric analysis

Este estudo objetivou analisar o desempenho de unidades de produção de tilápias em sistemas de produção de piscicultura em tanques-redes no reservatório de Ilha Solteira, SP. Avaliou-se o grau de eficiência produtiva e o diferencial de cada insumo para chegar à eficiência dos sistemas produtivos em tanques-redes. Metodologicamente, foi aplicada a técnica de Análise Envoltória de Dados para retornos constantes de escala, com orientação input. As variáveis consideradas foram investimentos, custo operacional efetivo, remuneração de investimento (inputs) e produção (output). Os resultados mostraram que 25% das propriedades foram muito eficientes, com investimentos médios de R$241.000,00, custos operacionais de R$86.000,00 e produção correspondente a 23 toneladas/mês. Os resultados sinalizam para recomendação de que a unidade de produção (DMU) com menor desempenho reduza o uso dos inputs em 53% para tornar-se eficiente. Recomenda-se aos piscicultores maior atenção às ações que não contribuem para a otimização da infraestrutura disponível, em especial aos investimentos, considerado o fator responsável pelo maior grau de ineficiência nas DMU analisadas...

The objective of this study was to analyze the performance of tilapia production units using tank networks for fish production in the Ilha Solteira reservoir, SP. The degree of productive efficiency and the differential of each raw material to achieve efficiency of the production systems in tank networks were evaluated. Methodologically, input-oriented data envelopment analysis (DEA) under constant returns to scale was applied. The variables analyzed were investments, effective operational costs, investment compensation (inputs), and production (output). The results showed that 25% of the units were very efficient, with average investments of R$241,000.00, operational costs of R$86,000.00, and production corresponding to 23 tons/month. The results point to the recommendation that the production unit (DMU) with low performance reduces the use of inputs by 53% to become efficient. Fish farmers should pay more attention to actions that do not contribute to the optimization of available infrastructure, especially investments, the factor responsible for the greater degree of inefficiency in the DMU analyzed...

Plantas medicinais como opção terapêutica em comunidade de Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brasil / Medicinal plants as a therapeutic option in the community Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Este trabalho objetivou identificar a importância de plantas medicinais como primeira linha de ação para enfermidades em população residente no território da Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) de Montes Claros/MG, Brasil. A pesquisa foi transversal e descritiva, realizada em 2010, sendo a coleta de dados obtida por questionário semi-estruturado. O cálculo amostral do cenário do estudo embasou-se no número de famílias da ESF. O tratamento estatístico considerou o nível de significância p<0,05. Para cada família (N=253) foi entrevistada uma pessoa. Dos entrevistados, 75,5 % utilizam plantas medicinais; sem associação com renda, cor de pele, escolaridade e sexo (p>0,05). Quase a metade dos entrevistados (45,1 %) informou que utiliza mais de uma planta por vez. No caso de doença, após consulta e prescrição médica, uma parcela importante dos usuários de plantas (48,7 %) usa apenas o medicamento alopático. Concluiu-se que a utilização de plantas medicinais como recurso terapêutico independe de escolaridade e renda familiar, sugerindo incorporação cultural da prática integrativa na comunidade nortemineira estudada.

This study aimed to identify the importance of medicinal plants as a first line of action when treating diseases in populations residing in the territory of the Family Health Strategy (FHS) in Montes Claros,/state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.tThis is a cross-sectional descriptive research. Data collection took place by means of a semi-structured questionnaire in 2010. The sample size calculation was based on the number of families in the FHS study setting. For statistical analysis, the significance level considered was p <0.05. One personofrom each family (253) was interviewed. Of the respondents, regardless of income, skin color, education and sex, 75.5 % stated they use medicinal plants (p> 0.05). Almost half of respondents (45.1 %) reported the use of more than one plant at a time. In the event of illness, 42.3 % reported to use medicinal plants and visit the doctor. In case of illness, after consultation and prescription, a significant portion of the plant users (48.7 %) uses only allopathic medicine.sWe concluded that the use of medicinal plants as a therapeutic resource is independent of education and income, which suggestg cultural incorporation of the integrative practice in the community studied.

Vitrification of the inner perivitelline layer of chicken eggs for use in the sperm-egg interaction assay.

The sperm-egg interaction assay is a good predictor of the fertilizing potential of rooster semen; the ability of chicken sperm to interact with the egg can be assessed by counting the number of holes in the inner perivitelline layer (IPVL) of a freshly laid egg. Although isolated IPVL can be stored for up to 24h, preservation of IPVL for prolonged intervals in liquid nitrogen would facilitate the sperm-egg interaction assay. The objective of this study was to adapt the technique of vitrifying swine oocytes for use with the IPVL. Our hypothesis was that vitrification would not alter the ability of the membrane to bind sperm; therefore, there would be no difference between vitrified and fresh IVPL in the number of hydrolysis holes made by sperm. Our hypothesis was supported; there were no differences in the mean+/-SEM number of holes made by the same sample of sperm in vitrified and in fresh membranes (146.0+/-17.7 holes/mm(2) IPVL and 159.5+/-17.7 holes/mm(2) IPVL, respectively, P>0.05; n=123 IVPLs tested). Furthermore, 80% of frozen-thawed membranes were recovered intact. Because vitrification did not significantly change the ability of membranes to bind sperm, vitrified membranes can be safely used for the sperm-egg interaction assay. Vitrified IVPL would ensure availability for sperm evaluation and facilitate wide distribution of IPVL, enabling assays to be conducted even in the absence of facilities or expertise to prepare membranes.

DNA vaccines against dengue virus based on the ns1 gene: the influence of different signal sequences on the protein expression and its correlation to the immune response elicited in mice.

We analyzed four DNA vaccines based on DENV-2 NS1: pcENS1, encoding the C-terminal from E protein plus the NS1 region; pcENS1ANC, similar to pcENS1 plus the N-terminal sequence from NS2a (ANC); pcTPANS1, coding the t-PA signal sequence fused to NS1; and pcTPANS1ANC, similar to pcTPANS1 plus the ANC sequence. The NS1 was detected in lysates and culture supernatants from pcTPANS1-, pcENS1- and pcENS1ANC-transfected cells and not in cells with pcTPANS1ANC. Only the pcENS1ANC leads the expression of NS1 in plasma membrane, confirming the importance of ANC sequence for targeting NS1 to cell surface. High levels of antibodies recognizing conformational epitopes of NS1 were induced in mice immunized with pcTPANS1 and pcENS1, while only few pcENS1ANC-inoculated animals presented detectable anti-NS1 IgG. Protection against DENV-2 was verified in pcTPANS1- and pcENS1-immunized mice, although the plasmid pcTPANS1 induced slight higher protective immunity. These plasmids seem to activate distinct patterns of the immune system.

Occurrence of toxin-producing cyanobacteria blooms in a Brazilian semiarid reservoir.

We report the occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms and the presence of cyanotoxins in water samples from the Armando Ribeiro Gonçalves reservoir (06 degrees 08 S and 37 degrees 07 W), located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil. The cyanobacterial species were identified and quantified during the rainy and dry seasons in the year 2000. Cyanotoxins such as microcystins, saxitoxins and cylindrospermopsins were analyzed and quantified using HPLC and ELISA methods. The mixed toxic blooms of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, Microcystis spp (M. panniformis, M. protocystis, M. novacekii) and Aphanizomenon spp (Aphanizomenon gracile, A. cf. manguinii, A. cf. issastschenkoi) were persistent and represented 90-100% of the total phytoplankton species. Toxic cyanobacterial blooms from the Armando Ribeiro Gonçalves reservoir were analyzed and found to have three phases in relation to the annual cycle. During the rainy season, an intense toxic bloom of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii was recorded along with saxitoxins (3.14 microg.L(-1)). During the transition period, between the rainy and dry seasons, different species of Microscytis occurred and microcystin as high as 8.8 microg.L(-1) was recorded. In the dry season, co-dominance of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, Microcystis spp and Aphanizomenon spp occurred and the concentrations of saxitoxin remained very low. Our results indicate the presence of microcystins (8.8 microg.L(-1)) and saxitoxins (3.14 microg.L(-1)) into the crude water, with increasing concentrations from the second fortnight of April to late May 2000. The occurrence of toxic blooms in this reservoir points to a permanent risk of cyanotoxins in supply waters, indicating the need for the implementation of bloom control measures to improve the water quality. Exposure of the local population to cyanotoxins through their potential accumulation in fish muscle must also be considered.

Occurrence of toxin-producing cyanobacteria blooms in a Brazilian semiarid reservoir

Nós relatamos a ocorrência de florescimentos de cianobactérias e a presença de cianotoxinas em amostras de água do reservatório Armando Ribeiro Gonçalves (06º 08Æ S; 37º 07Æ W) situado no Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, na região semi-árida do Brasil. Cianobactérias foram identificadas e quantificadas nos períodos seco e chuvoso do ano 2000. Cianotoxinas tais como, microcistinas, saxitoxinas e cilindrospermopsinas foram quantificadas por HPLC e ELISA. Florescimentos tóxicos mistos de Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, Microcystis spp (M. panniformis, M. protocystis, M. novacekii) e Aphanizomenon ssp (Aphanizomenon gracile, A. cf. manguinii, A. cf. issastschenkoi) foram persistentes e representaram 90-100% da comunidade fitoplanctônica ao longo do período estudado. No período de chuvas, florescimentos tóxicos de Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii coincidiram com maiores valores de saxitoxinas (3,14 µg.L-1). Entre o período de chuva e estiagem, ocorreram florescimentos tóxicos de Microcytis spp, excedendo o valor mínimo aceitável para consumo humano (8,8 µg.L-1). Na estiagem, baixas concentrações de saxitoxinas foram detectadas em florescimentos menos intensos com co-dominância de Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, Microcystis spp e Aphanizomenon spp. Nossos resultados revelaram a presença de microcistinas (8,8 µg.L-1) e saxitoxinas (3,14 µg.L-1) na água bruta, a partir da segunda quinzena de abril até o final de maio de 2000. A ocorrência de blooms tóxicos de cianobactérias no reservatório em estudo aponta um risco permanente de cianotoxinas em águas de abastecimento e indica a necessidade da implementação de medidas de controle das florações, visando à melhoria da qualidade da água. A exposição das populações locais às cianotoxinas, pela sua potencial acumulação em musculatura de peixes, também deve ser considerada.

DNA vaccine against the non-structural 1 protein (NS1) of dengue 2 virus.

Dengue is one of the most important mosquito-borne viral disease causing dengue fever and/or dengue shock syndrome/haemorrhagic fever. In some reports, the non-structural protein 1 (NS1) has been identified as a promising antigen for the development of vaccines against dengue virus (DENV). Apparently, it can elicit a protective antibody response with complement-fixing activities. In order to investigate the potential of a DNA vaccine based on the NS1 protein against DENV, we used the plasmid pcTPANS1, which contains the secretory signal sequence derived from human tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) fused to the full length of the DENV-2 NS1 gene. All Balb/c mice intramuscularly inoculated with the pcTPANS1 presented high levels of NS1-specifc antibodies. Vaccinated animals were challenged with intracerebral DENV-2 virus inoculations and a 100% survival was observed. In general, results demonstrate that the pcTPANS1 plasmid is able to induce protection in mice, and then may be used as a vaccination approach against DENV in further assays.

Liver injury and viremia in mice infected with dengue-2 virus.

The goal of this study was to test the feasibility of BALB/c mice as an experimental model in the study of dengue disease. BALB/c mice were intraperitoneal infected with DENV-2 obtained from a human patient. Histopathological analysis of infected animals revealed liver injury with viral antigens detection. In initial stages, the most prominent lesions were vacuolization and diffuse steatosis in hepatocytes. Serum levels of ALT and AST increased progressively, reaching the highest values 7 days p.i. and decreasing at the 14th day. Since levels of circulating virus were very low, viremia was analyzed in C6/36 cells. Virus presence was detected by ultrastructural analysis, confirmed by RT-PCR assays. Period of viremia was analyzed by flow cytometry with cells incubated with mouse-infected sera collected in different days, revealing peak virus levels at the 7th day p.i. All such data correlate to the development of the disease described in humans.

Human leukocyte antigen allelic groups and haplotypes in a brazilian sample of volunteer donors for bone marrow transplant in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.

Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) is a lifesaving procedure for several diseases. Histocompatibility between host and donor is crucial for the success of this therapy. Since human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes are the most polymorphic in humans, a foreknowledge of their frequencies and a vast register of volunteer donors are important for patients who need an unrelated donor. This research evaluated data from 3500 HLA-typed donors using PCR-SSP (One Lambda ABDRX kits, low/medium resolution). The allele and haplotype frequencies were calculated from the donor HLA typings. Among the total sample we observed that the allelic groups HLA-A*02, -B*35, and -DRB1*11 had frequencies of 0.228, 0.112, and 0.125, respectively. The haplotype HLA-A*01-B*08-DRB1*03 was the most frequent (0.024). We also compared our results with another study conducted in a Northeastern Brazilian population. The identification of the most common allelic groups and haplotypes is of great interest, not only to know the HLA composition of the population but also to search for the best HLA match for a transplant. However, the search for the perfect match depends on the eventual registration of every specific donor in the national registers for bone marrow donation.

Circulating human antibodies against dengue NS1 protein: potential of recombinant D2V-NS1 proteins in diagnostic tests.

The dengue virus (DV) causes one of the most important arthropod-borne human viral diseases throughout the tropical and subtropical countries. However, the morbidity and mortality of DV infections could be reduced with an early hospitalization care and a rapid risk identification of developing the dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF). The nonstructural glycoprotein 1 (NS1) has been pointed as a reagent for immune-assay diagnostic test optimization. To evaluate this potential, recombinant DV2-NS1 proteins (rNS1) were produced from Escherichia coli (NS1EC) and insect cells (NS1IC) expression. The tests were performed by analysis of a human serum panel reacted against different rNS1 forms. The results demonstrated high correspondence between the DV positive sera and the assay results using native or refolded forms of either NS1IC or NS1EC. Also, the IgG and IgM anti-rNS1 level profiles showed distinct distribution, depending on protein form and disease status. However, the IgM anti-rNS1 reactions did not show sensibility to detect the DV in primary infections. The data obtained from the paired serum samples reactivity comparison suggested a heterogeneous human immune response and absence of correspondence between the IgG and IgM profile levels. Moreover, a patient with negative reference test could be detected by specific IgG anti-rNS1 assays presented here. Therefore, these results sustain the usefulness of dengue nonstructural proteins, in particular the NS1, in diagnostic tests as a complementary reagent.

Histopathological aspects of Dengue-2 virus infected mice tissues and complementary virus isolation.

The difficulty in studying dengue virus (DENV) infection in humans and in developing a virus vaccine is the absence of a suitable animal model which develops the full spectra of the Dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) and Dengue shock syndrome (DSS). Despite the fact that viruses have been found in various animal tissues, we isolated DENV from tissues of adult BALB/c mice, inoculated with DENV serotype 2 (DENV-2) obtained from human serum. Viruses were ultrastructurally identified and immunolocalized by immunofluorescence techniques in C6/36 mosquito cell cultures, inoculated with tissues (liver, lung, kidney and cerebellum) macerate supernatant from mice, 48 h post-infection (p.i.). These organs, collected at the same stage of infection, were examined histologically. The histopathological analysis revealed focal alterations in all tissues examined. Liver contained focal ballooned hepatocytes, but without modifying the average diameter of the majority of hepatocytes. Sinusoidal lumen was significantly diminished at this stage but portal and centrolobular veins became congested. Lungs exhibited hemorrhagic foci in the alveolar space, vascular congestion and focal alveolitis. Cerebellar tissue showed rare foci of neuronal compactation (Purkinje cells) and perivascular oedema. In kidneys it was observed an increase in glomerular volume with augmented endocapillary and mesangial cellularity, with reactivity to anti-IgM in all glomeruli of infected mice. In conclusion, DENV-2 was found in all tissues examined early in the evolution of infection. Presence of viruses in tissues has mainly led to hemodynamic alterations with generalized vascular congestion and increased permeability, and mast cell recruitment in lungs. The latter could participate in the vascular modifications in tissues.

Microcystins (cyanobacteria hepatotoxins) bioaccumulation in fish and crustaceans from Sepetiba Bay (Brasil, RJ).

Blooms of cyanobacteria in water bodies cause serious environmental problems and the occurrence of toxic strains are also related with the human health. Aquatic animals could bioaccumulate microcystins (cyanobacteria hepatotoxins) and so, beyond water, the ingestion of contaminated food represents a human health risk. Recently, WHO recommended a maximum concentration of microcystins (MCYSTs) in drinking water and established the tolerable daily intake (TDI) for consumption of cyanobacteria products contends MCYSTs (0.04 microg(-1) kg(-1) day(-1)). Sepetiba Bay is located in the municipal districts of Rio de Janeiro, Mangaratiba and Itaguai; being an important place of fishing activity. Due to the industrial development in the area, this bay is submitted to different environmental impacts, increasing the organic and industrial pollution. A strain of the nanoplanktonic cyanobacteria Synechocystis aquatilis f. aquatilis that produce MCYSTs was already isolated. In this study, we verified MCYSTs presence in muscle tissue of fish and crustaceans, which were harvested monthly in Sepetiba Bay during 11 months, in order to evaluate the potential risk of their ingestion. MCYSTs were analyzed by immunoassay techniques using the ELISA Microcystin Plate Kit (ENVIROLOGIX INC) and the concentration were expressed as microcystin-LR equivalent. The analyses of seston samples, water, muscle tissues showed the presence of this cyanotoxin in all samples and it was verified that 19% of the animals' samples were above the limit recommended by WHO for human consumption. The maximum value found was of 103.3 microg kg(-1) (TDI 0.52 microg kg(-1) day(-1)) and the minimum, was 0.25 microg kg(-1) in crabs muscle tissue (TDI of 0.001 microg kg(-1) day(-1)). Such data demonstrate that, although in low concentrations, there is already a contamination of fish and crustaceans from Sepetiba Bay. We highlight that the recommended limit refers to healthy adult.