Serum IgG Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Antibody Concentrations Do Not Correlate Nested PCR Results in Blood Donors.

Background:Toxoplasma gondii infects millions of individuals worldwide. This protozoan is food and water-borne transmitted but blood transfusion and organ transplantation constitute alternative forms for transmission. However, the influence of IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies in molecular analysis carried out in peripheral blood still remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the serum IgG anti-T. gondii antibody concentrations correlate Nested PCR results in blood donors. Methods: 750 blood donors were enrolled. IgM and IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies were assessed by ELISA (DiaSorin, Italy). Nested PCR was performed with primers JW62/JW63 (288 bp) and B22/B23 (115 bp) of the T. gondii B1 gene. The mean values of IgG concentration were compared for PCR positive and PCR Negative blood donors using the t-test or Mann-Whitney according to the normal distribution (p-value ≤ 0.05). Results: 361 (48.1%) blood donors presented positive serology as follow: IgM+/IgG-: 5 (0.6%); IgM+/IgG+: 21 (2.8%); IgM-/IgG+: 335 (44.7%) and 389 (51.9%), negative serology. From 353 blood donors with positive serology tested, the Nested PCR was positive in 38 (10.8%) and negative in 315 (89.2%). There were no differences statistically significant between the mean values of serum IgG anti-T. gondii antibody concentrations and the Nested PCR results. Conclusions: In conclusion, our data show that variations in the serum IgG anti-T. gondii antibody concentrations do not correlate T. gondii parasitemia detected by Nested PCR in chronically infected healthy blood donors.

Anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in patients with beta-hemoglobinopathies: the first report in the Americas.

BACKGROUND: In Brazil, there have been no previous studies of Toxoplasma gondii infection in sickle cell anemia patients and carriers of severe forms of beta-thalassemia. This study evaluated T. gondii infection in patients with beta-hemoglobinopathies. METHODS: A total of 158 samples, 77 (48.7%) men and 81 (51.3%) women, were evaluated. Three groups were formed: G1 (85 patients with sickle cell disease); G2 (11 patients with homozygous beta-thalassemia; G3 (62 patients with heterozygous beta-thalassemia). ELISA was employed to identify anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG antibodies, and molecular analysis was performed to determine beta-hemoglobin mutations. Fisher's exact test was used to compare frequencies of anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG antibodies in respect to gender and age. RESULTS: Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in 43.5% of individuals in G1, 18.1% in G2 and 50% in G3. All samples from G1 and G2 were seronegative for anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies, but 3.2% from G3 were seropositive. Considering anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies, no statistical significant differences were found between these groups nor in seroprevalence between genders within each group. Despite this, comparisons of the mean ages between G1, G2 and G3 were statistically significant (G2 vs. G1: p value = 0.0001; G3 vs. G1: p-value <0.0001; G3 vs. G2: p-value = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: A comparison by age of patients with sickle cell anemia showed a trend of lower risk of infection among younger individuals. Therefore, this study demonstrates that T. gondii infection occurs in patients with beta-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia in Brazil as seen by the presence of anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG antibodies.

Potential utility of melatonin as an antioxidant therapy in the management of sickle cell anemia.

This study aimed to assess antioxidant effects of melatonin treatment compared to N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and to their combination in a sickle cell suspension. Sickle erythrocytes were suspended in phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.4, composing external control group. They were also suspended and incubated at 37°C either in the absence (experimental control group) or in the presence of NAC, melatonin and their combination at concentrations of 100 pm, 100 nm and 100 µm for 1 hr (treatment groups). The melatonin influences were evaluated by spectrophotometric [hemolysis degree, catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities] and chromatographic methods [glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels]. Incubation period was able to cause a rise about 64% on hemolysis degree as well as practically doubled the lipid peroxidation levels (P < 0.01). However, almost all antioxidants tested treatments neutralized this incubation effect observed in MDA levels. Among the antioxidant biomarkers evaluated, we observed a modulating effect of combined treatment on GPx and SOD activities (P < 0.01), which showed ~25% decrease in their activities. In addition, we found an antioxidant dose-dependent effect for melatonin on lipid peroxidation (r = -0.29; P = 0.03) and for combined antioxidant treatments also on MDA levels (r = -0.37; P = 0.01) and on SOD activity (r = -0.54; P < 0.01). Hence, these findings contribute with important insight that melatonin individually or in combination with NAC may be useful for sickle cell anemia management.

Estudo cromossômico no sangue periférico de pacientes com diferentes tipos de leucemia do Hospital de Base, São José do Rio Preto - SP / Chromosomal study of peripheral blood in patients with different types of leukemia from Hospital de Base, São José do Rio Preto - SP

A análise das alterações cromossômicas em leucemias tem uma aplicação direta no diagnóstico, prognóstico e tratamento dos pacientes. Além disso, permite o entendimento dos processos biológicos envolvidos na carcinogênese. Este trabalho apresenta os resultados do estudo cariotípico de 51 casos de diferentes tipos de leucemias. Os cromossomos foram obtidos através de cultura de células de sangue periférico, realizadas por 24 ou 48 horas, sem estimulação mitogênica. Em 74 por cento dos pacientes foram observadas anomalias cromossômicas clonais como translocações, deleções, monossomias e trissomias. Muitas alterações foram compatíveis com outras previamente descritas e outras não, como a translocação envolvendo os cromossomos 9 e 22, que origina o cromossomo Philadelphia e uma translocação complexa envolvendo os cromossomos 4, 7 e 11. Os resultados reforçam a importância da análise cromossômica em leucemia e seus benefícios para o paciente.

The analysis of chromosomal changes inleukemia has had a direct involvement in thediagnosis, prognosis and treatment of patients.Furthermore, it has allowed the understandingof biological processes involved in carcinogenesis.This work presents the results of a kariotypic studyof 51 cases of different types of leukemia. Thechromosomes were obtained through a 24 or 48hour culture of cells of the peripheral blood withno mitogenic stimulation. In 74,5% of patientsclonal chromosomic abnormalities were observedsuch as translocations, deletions, monosomiesand trisomies. Many of the alterations weresimilar to results previously published andothers were not such as the translocationinvolving the chromosomes 9 and 22, whichleads to the Philadelphia chromosome and thecomplex translocation involving thechromosomes 4, 7 and 11. The resultsemphasized the importance of chromosomalanalysis in leukemia, its benefits to the patientand to the knowledge of the biologicalmechanisms involved in this pathology.

Hipercoagulabilidade e tromboses / Thrombosis and hypercoagulability

Trombofilia é definida como uma tendência aumentada a trombose podendo ser congênita ou adquirida. Os eventos trombóticos em pacientes com trombofilia congênita tedem a ocorrer em idade jovem, sendo freqüentemente reincidente e ocorrer em locais incomuns. Os defeitos hereditários mais freqüentes säo: deficiência da antitrombina III, deficiência da proteína S e C e fator V Leiden. Defeitos mais raros incluem alteraçöes como as do cofator II da heparina, deficiência do ativador do plasminogênio tecidual, e disfibrinogenemia. Dentre os adquiridos mais freqüentes estäo os anticorpos antifosfolipídios (anticoagulante de lúpico e anticorpos anticardiolipina). Outros fatores de risco de grande importância para trombose incluem a cirurgia, trauma, imobilidade, gravidez, puerpério, uso de anticoncepcional. O risco trombótico é aumentado em pacientes com defeitos combinados.

Linfoma de tecido linfático associado a mucosa MALT, primário de fígado, com infiltraçäo de vesícula biliar e medula óssea / Mucosa associated lymphatic tissue lymphoma, MALT, primarily from the liver, with infiltration of gall bladder and bone marrow

Linfomas hepáticos primários do fígado säo raros. Linfomas indolentes de expressäo B do tipo tecido linfático associado a mucosa säo ainda mais raros e inusitados, estando descritos na literatura somente quatro casos. Os autores apresentam neste relato um caso de paciente do sexo feminino, com 73 anos de idade com queixas dolorosas e sintomatologia de comprometimento biliar. O diagnóstico de linfoma do tecido linfático associado a mucosa (MALT) foi realizado acidentalmente pelo encontro de anormalidades hepáticas no momento do ato cirúrgico. O aspecto hepático era micronodular com a presença de lesäo ulcerada, que biopsiadas revelaram o diagnóstico. O estadiamento da moléstia comprovou infiltraçäo da medula óssea pelo linfoma, dado este infrequente, e a endoscopia digestiva alta foi normal, näo revelando comprometimento deste aparelho, dado comum e mais freqüente deste tipo de linfoma.