Perfil epidemiológico da filariose linfática em crianças residentes em áreas endêmicas / Epidemiological pattern of limphatic filariasis in children living in endemic areas

Objetivo: a filariose linfática ainda representa um grave problema de saúde pública na cidade do Recife. Apesar de inquéritos anteriores terem registrado uma freqüência relativamente elevada de microfilaremia na populaçäo pediátrica, desconhecia-se a prevalência de doença filarial, assim como o padräo microfilarêmico atual nesse grupo. Este trabalho descreve o perfil epidemiológico da filariose em crianças e adolescentes residentes em áreas de alta endemicidade do Recife. Métodos: O estudo de prevalência de microfilaremia foi feito através de um censo realizado no período de dezembro de 1990 a julho de 1991. A pesquisa de microfilária em gota espessa (45µl) foi efetuada em 1.464 crianças com idade entre 5 e 14 anos, das quais 967 foram submetidas a exame clínico...

The use of dacron plates for DOT enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DOT-ELISA)

Dacron (polyethylenetherephthalate) is proposed as a matrix for dot-ELISA procedures, as an alternative to nitrocellulose. Plates of dacron were partially hydrazinolyzed and hydrazide groups introduced were converted to azide groups. The derivative dacron-antigen was covalently linked on to the plates through these azide groups. The derivative dacron-antigen was exaustively washed according to CROOK and antigen was still fixed onto the plates. Protein F1A purified from Yersinia pestis was used as a model. Triration of sera from immunized and non immunized rabbits against this protein was carried out by employing the dot-ELISA method. No significant difference was observed using dacron-antigen and nitrocellulose-antigen preparations. Howwvwe, both procedures showed to have a significant better performance in comparasion with the passive hemagglutination method. The specificity and reproductibility of the dot-ELISA assay using both preparations showed a similar behaviour. Nitrocellulose preparation was stable at 4 graus Centígrados, 28 graus centígrados and -20 graus centígrados for 90 days, whereas the dacron-antigen derivative was stable only when stored at 4 graus centígrados. Dacron-antigen derivative could be re-used when the spot developing was proceeded using 4-chloro-1-naphtol as substrate