Antiparasitic antibodies occur with similar frequency in patients with clinically established multiple sclerosis with or without oligoclonal bands in the cerebrospinal fluid.

Unlabelled: The "hygiene hypothesis" postulates an inverse relationship between the prevalence of parasitic infections and the frequency of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective: It was to study whether antibodies against parasites could be demonstrated more frequently in blood serum from MS patients with oligoclonal bands (OCB) than from MS patients without OCB.

Methods: We studied serum samples from 164 patients who had previously been analyzed to investigate OCB.

Seroepidemiological study of human cysticercosis with blood samples collected on filter paper, in Lages, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, 2004-2005.

Introduction: Human serofrequency of antibodies against Taenia solium antigens was determined and risk factors for cysticercosis transmission were identified.

Methods: Individuals (n=878) from periurban and rural locations of Lages, SC, were interviewed to gather demographic, sanitary and health information. Interviews and blood sample collections by finger prick on Whatman filter paper were performed from August 2004 to May 2005.

Neurocysticercosis: relationship between Taenia antigen levels in CSF and MRI.

Objective: To determine the relationship between Taenia antigen (TA) detection in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in patients with definite diagnosis of neurocysticercosis (NC).

Method: Sixty-three patients with definite diagnosis of NC were submitted to a MRI of the brain, and to a CSF examination, with a meticulous search for TA by ELISA.

Results: TA detection was positive in 36 patients (57.

New malaria vaccine candidates based on the Plasmodium vivax Merozoite Surface Protein-1 and the TLR-5 agonist Salmonella Typhimurium FliC flagellin.

The present study evaluated the immunogenicity of new malaria vaccine formulations based on the 19kDa C-terminal fragment of Plasmodium vivax Merozoite Surface Protein-1 (MSP1(19)) and the Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium flagellin (FliC), a Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) agonist. FliC was used as an adjuvant either admixed or genetically linked to the P. vivax MSP1(19) and administered to C57BL/6 mice via parenteral (s.

Comparative evaluation of different immunoassays for the detection of Taenia solium cysticercosis in swine with low parasite burden.

Seven swine were experimentally infected with Taenia solium eggs and blood samples from each animal were periodically collected. At the end of the experiment (t140) the animals did not show clinical aspects of cysticercosis or parasites in tongue inspection. All animals were slaughtered and cut into thin slices in searching for cysts.

Immunologically relevant strain polymorphism in the Amastigote Surface Protein 2 of Trypanosoma cruzi.

Several evidences suggest that the Amastigote Surface Protein-2 (ASP-2) of Trypanosoma cruzi is an important target for immunity during infection. Based on this, we considered it important to evaluate its strain polymorphism. Initially, we observed the presence of conserved cross-reactive epitopes in amastigotes of all parasite strains tested.

Recombinant expression of Taenia solium TS14 antigen and its utilization for immunodiagnosis of neurocysticercosis.

In order to evaluate the potential use of TS14 antigen in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for immunodiagnosis of neurocysticercosis (NC), its open reading frame (ORF) was amplified by RT-PCR from mRNA isolated from Taenia solium cysticerci. The ORF was subcloned into the expression vector pET-28a, and was used to transform Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) cells to produce TS14 antigen. The His-tagged expressed protein was purified on a nickel affinity column.

Taeniosis-cysticercosis complex in individuals of a peasants' settlement (Teodoro Sampaio, Pontal of Paranapanema, SP, Brazil).

In order to evaluate the taeniosis-cysticercosis complex in a population of a peasants' settlement, located at Teodoro Sampaio, state of São Paulo, Brazil (longitude 52 degrees 36'12 ", latitude 22 degrees 17'12 ") a series of laboratory markers were determined. After signing an informed consent, participants answered a standardized questionnaire. To determine anti-Taenia solium cysticercus antibodies, the samples were tested by enzyme linked immunoabsorbent assay using 18-and 14-kDa antigen proteins from vesicular fluid of Taenia crassiceps (VF-Tcra).

Cysticercosis immunodiagnosis using 18- and 14-kilodalton proteins from Taenia crassiceps cysticercus antigens obtained by immunoaffinity chromatography.

Monoclonal antibodies (MAb) against Taenia crassiceps and Taenia solium cysticerci were produced and showed cross-reactivity with a 14-kDa protein from T. solium and with 18- and 14-kDa proteins from T. crassiceps.

Serological, epidemiological and molecular aspects of hepatitis C virus infection in a population from Londrina, PR, Brazil, 2001-2002.

Serological, epidemiological and molecular aspects of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were evaluated in 183 subjects from Londrina, Paraná, Brazil, and adjacent areas. Serum samples which tested anti-HCV positive by microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA) obtained from eight patients with chronic hepatitis C, 48 blood donors, and 127 patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were submitted to another enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) and to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). About 78.

Taenia antigens detection in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurocysticercosis and its relationship with clinical activity of the disease.

Objective: (1) To determine the concentration of Taenia antigens in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with neurocysticercosis (NC); (2) to establish its relationship with clinical activity of the disease and with classical variables of CSF.

Method: A CSF examination was performed in one sample from 36 patients with definitive diagnosis of NC, including: quantitative and cytomorphological study, biochemical tests, immunological reactions for cysticercosis and Taenia antigens. The antibodies for antigens detection were obtained from the larval form of Taenia crassiceps, ORF strain.

Cellular immune response of patients with neurocysticercosis (inflammatory and non-inflammatory phases).

The cellular immune response in neurocysticercosis (NC) was studied in 22 patients, 11 (50%) of them in the inflammatory phase of the disease, by means of immunophenotyping of cells in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood (PB), lymphoproliferation assay with Taenia solium total saline extract (Tso) and Taenia crassiceps vesicular fluid (Tcra) as stimuli, and by determining the cytokine production profile in the cell culture supernatant. A higher mean percentage of CD19+ and CD56+ cells was observed in the CSF samples from inflammatory (16.8 and 11.

Use of Taenia crassiceps cysticercus antigen preparations for detection of antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients with neurocysticercosis (Taenia solium).

Antigen extracts obtained from the vesicular fluid of Taenia crassiceps cysticerci and from fractions purified by affinity chromatography with the lectin concanavalin A and the glycoprotein antigen separated by electrophoresis were used for the detection of Taenia solium anticysticercus antibodies. The sensitivity and specificity obtained for all antigens were 100% in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with good reproducibility. Using immunoblotting of the three antigens, low-molecular-mass peptides (18 and 14 kDa) were characterized only in cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients with neurocysticercosis.