Histopathology and changes in the expression of metallothioneins, heat shock proteins and inducible nitric oxide synthase in Prochilodus costatus from a neotropical river contaminated by heavy metals.

The most recent dam rupture in Brazil released tons of mining tailings into the upper course of the Paraopeba River, affecting this river in an unprecedented way. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of heavy metals on Prochilodus costatus, an important commercial species in Brazil, four years after the dam colapse. To this end, biomarkers of heavy metals, oxidative stress, and environmental stress were analyzed, and histological analyses of target organs were performed.

Lifestyle, meal times, and sleep patterns changes in higher education professors during COVID-19: Association with non-communicable chronic diseases.

Background: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions had to swiftly adapt and transition to remote teaching in order to maintain academic activities. However, these changes presented a number of challenges for professors, which could have negative effects on their health.

Objective: To analyze the association between changes in dietary and sleep habits, physical activity level, and sedentary behavior with the development of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among Brazilian higher education professors during the pandemic period.

Seroprevalence of Zika in Brazil stratified by age and geographic distribution.

Congenital Zika is a devastating consequence of maternal Zika virus infections. Estimates of age-dependent seroprevalence profiles are central to our understanding of the force of Zika virus infections. We set out to calculate the age-dependent seroprevalence of Zika virus infections in Brazil.

SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test Based on a New Anti-Nucleocapsid Protein Monoclonal Antibody: Development and Real-Time Validation.

SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests have become an important tool for pandemic control. Among the alternatives for COVID-19 diagnosis, antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDT) are very convenient and widely used. However, as SARS-CoV-2 variants may continuously emerge, the replacement of tests and reagents may be required to maintain the sensitivity of Ag-RDTs.

Preterm births prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil: results from the national database.

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted the health systems between and within countries, and in the course of the pandemic sexual and reproductive health services were the most disrupted. Findings from high-income settings have reported significant changes in preterm birth prevalence during the pandemic period. To understand the possible effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on preterm birth numbers at the Brazilian national level.

Ergonomic interventions for work in a sitting position: an integrative review.

The sitting position is one of the most common positions in the workplace and one that can contribute to overloading the musculoskeletal system. Ergonomics can play a significant role in ensuring an appropriate relationship between people and their work and in achieving better conditions for workers' health. The objective of this study was to consult the available evidence on the results of different ergonomic interventions for the musculoskeletal systems of workers who perform their jobs in a sitting position.

Rehabilitation and release of confiscated songbirds into the wild: A pilot study.

Songbirds are currently the most prevalent animals in illegal trafficking in Brazil and other countries, so they are often confiscated, and this poses legal, ethical, and conservation challenges. Returning them to nature requires complex and expensive management, a topic that is sparingly addressed in the literature. Here, we described the processes and costs associated with an attempt to rehabilitate and release confiscated songbirds into the wild.

Ultrastructural changes induced by açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart) in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.

Açaí ( Mart) is an Amazon plant with many biological properties. Previous report of this group evidenced autophagy induction after treatment with açaí seed extract in MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines by acridine orange assay. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ultrastructural changes induced by açaí seed extract in MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines.

DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF AN ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOASSAY KIT FOR DIAGNOSIS AND SURVEILLANCE OF COVID-19.

There is a massive demand to identify alternative methods to detect new cases of COVID-19 as well as to investigate the epidemiology of the disease. In many countries, importation of commercial kits poses a significant impact on their testing capacity and increases the costs for the public health system. We have developed an ELISA to detect IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 using a recombinant viral nucleocapsid (rN) protein expressed in .

Development and validation of an enzyme-linked immunoassay kit for diagnosis and surveillance of COVID-19.

There is a massive demand to identify alternative methods to detect new cases of COVID-19 as well as to investigate the epidemiology of the disease. In many countries, importation of commercial kits poses a significant impact on their testing capacity and increases the costs for the public health system. We have developed an ELISA to detect IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 using a recombinant viral nucleocapsid (rN) protein expressed in .

Validation of Serological Methods for COVID-19 and Retrospective Screening of Health Employees and Visitors to the São Paulo University Hospital, Brazil.

Reliable serological tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among infected or vaccinated individuals are important for epidemiological and clinical studies. Low-cost approaches easily adaptable to high throughput screenings, such as Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA) or electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA), can be readily validated using different SARS-CoV-2 antigens. A total of 1,119 serum samples collected between March and July of 2020 from health employees and visitors to the University Hospital at the University of São Paulo were screened with the Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay (Elecsys) (Roche Diagnostics) and three in-house ELISAs that are based on different antigens: the Nucleoprotein (N-ELISA), the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD-ELISA), and a portion of the S1 protein (ΔS1-ELISA).

Identification of Variants Responsible for Monogenic Forms of Diabetes in Brazil.

Monogenic forms of diabetes mellitus may affect a significant number of patients of this disease, and it is an important molecular cause to be investigated. However, studies of the genetic causes of monogenic diabetes, especially in populations with mixed ethnic backgrounds, such as the one in Brazil, are scarce. The aim of this study was to screen several genes associated with monogenic diabetes in fifty-seven Brazilian patients with recurrence of the disease in their families and thirty-four relatives.

Surrogate test performance for SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) for convalescent plasma (CCP): How useful could they be?

Background: COVID-19 high-titer CCP selection is a concern, because neutralizing antibody (nAb) testing requires sophisticated labs and methods. Surrogate tests are an alternative for measuring nAb levels in plasma bags, including those that are pathogen-reduced.

Study Design/methods: We studied a panel consisting of 191 samples from convalescent donors tested by nAb (CPE-VNT), obtained from 180 CCP donations (collection: March 20-January 21) and 11 negative controls, with a total of 80 and 111 serum and plasma samples (71 amotosalen/UV treated), with nAb titers ranging from negative to 10,240.

High SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in persons experiencing homelessness and shelter workers from a day-shelter in São Paulo, Brazil.

Brazil presents one of the highest COVID-19 death tolls in the world. The initial SARS-CoV-2 epicenter was São Paulo city. As of 2019, the homeless population of São Paulo city was estimated at 24,344 individuals, the largest national homeless population.

NS1-based ELISA test efficiently detects dengue infections without cross-reactivity with Zika virus.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to achieve greater specificity of dengue virus (DENV) serological tests based on a recombinant antigen derived from non-structural protein 1 (ΔNS1) with regard to cross-reactive Zika virus (ZIKV) anti-NS1 antibody responses. This is of relevance in endemic regions for the serological discrimination of both DENV and ZIKV, such as Brazil and other tropical countries.

Methods: The ΔNS1 proteins were obtained as recombinant antigens and were evaluated as solid-phase-bound antigens in the ELISA test to detect anti-NS1 IgG antibodies.

Human Leukocyte Antigens class II (HLA II) gene profile from an admixed population of patients with type 1 diabetes with severe diabetic retinopathy: a nested case-control study in Brazil.

Background: Although the well-established role of the HLA genes on the predisposition of type 1 diabetes (T1D), its contribution to the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy is still unclear, especially in admixed populations. We aimed to study the relationship between HLA alleles and severe diabetic retinopathy in a highly admixed population of T1D patients.

Methods: This was a nested case-control study based on a cross-sectional, nationwide survey conducted in Brazil.

Social determinants associated with Zika virus infection in pregnant women.

Unlabelled: This study aims to describe the sociodemographic determinants associated with exposure to Zika Virus (ZIKV) in pregnant women during the 2015-2016 epidemic in Salvador, Brazil.

Methods: We recruited women who gave birth between October 2015 and January 2016 to a cross-sectional study at a referral maternity hospital in Salvador, Brazil. We collected information on their demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical characteristics, and evaluated their ZIKV exposure using a plaque reduction neutralization test.

PDX1-MODY: A rare missense mutation as a cause of monogenic diabetes.

Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young type 4 is a rare form of diabetes mellitus, caused by mutations in the PDX1 gene. However, only a few mutations in this gene have been associated as a cause of monogenic diabetes up to date. It makes difficult to create a clinical manifestation profile of this disease and, consequently, to improve the therapeutic management for these patients.

In Nasal Mucosal Secretions, Distinct IFN and IgA Responses Are Found in Severe and Mild SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Likely as in other viral respiratory diseases, SARS-CoV-2 elicit a local immune response, which includes production and releasing of both cytokines and secretory immunoglobulin (SIgA). Therefore, in this study, we investigated the levels of specific-SIgA for SARS-CoV-2 and cytokines in the airways mucosa 37 patients who were suspected of COVID-19. According to the RT-PCR results, the patients were separated into three groups: negative for COVID-19 and other viruses (NEGS, = 5); negative for COVID-19 but positive for the presence of other viruses (OTHERS, = 5); and the positive for COVID-19 (COVID-19, = 27).

Anti-A and SARS-CoV-2: an intriguing association.

Background: Blood groups and anti-A isohemagglutinin may be involved in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively studied 268 COVID-19 convalescent plasma donors and 162 COVID-19 inpatients (total 430 subjects, confirmed by RT-PCR) and 2,212 healthy volunteer first-time blood donors as a control group. These were further divided into two groups: those with anti-A (blood types O and B) and those without it (types A and AB).

A longitudinal study of convalescent plasma (CCP) donors and correlation of ABO group, initial neutralizing antibodies (nAb), and body mass index (BMI) with nAb and anti-nucleocapsid (NP) SARS-CoV-2 antibody kinetics: Proposals for better quality of CCP collections.

Introduction: Little is known about the neutralizing (nAb) and binding antibody kinetics in COVID-19 convalescent plasma donors, especially during the first 100 days after disease onset.

Materials And Methods: A cohort of previously RT-PCR positive (detected by nasopharyngeal swab during the acute phase), male convalescent patients, all with mild symptoms, were enrolled in serial blood sample collection for a longitudinal nAb titers and anti-nucleocapsid (NP) antibodies (IgM, IgG and IgA) evaluation. NAbs were detected by a cytopathic effect-based virus neutralization test (CPE-based VNT), carried out with SARS-CoV-2 (GenBank: MT350282).

High prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among symptomatic healthcare workers in a large university tertiary hospital in São Paulo, Brazil.

Background: Brazil became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America since May 2020, reporting the highest number of cases and deaths in the region. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, experiencing a significant burden from COVID-19. Identifying and understanding the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with infection are of paramount importance to inform screening strategies and infection control practices in this scenario.

SARS-CoV-2 isolation from the first reported patients in Brazil and establishment of a coordinated task network.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was confirmed in Brazil in February 2020, the first cases were followed by an increase in the number of cases throughout the country, resulting in an important public health crisis that requires fast and coordinated responses.

Objectives: The objective of this work is to describe the isolation and propagation properties of SARS-CoV-2 isolates from the first confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Brazil.

Methods: After diagnosis in patients that returned from Italy to the São Paulo city in late February by RT-PCR, SARS-CoV-2 isolates were obtained in cell cultures and characterised by full genome sequencing, electron microscopy and in vitro replication properties.

Screening for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in convalescent plasma in Brazil: Preliminary lessons from a voluntary convalescent donor program.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent plasma (CCP) collection began in two Brazilian hospitals for treatment of severe/critical patients.

Methods And Materials: Mild/moderate COVID-19 convalescents were selected as CCP donors after reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and absence of symptoms for ≥14 days plus (a) age (18-60 years), body weight greater than 55 kg; (b) immunohematological studies; (c) no infectious markers of hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, human T-lymphotropic virus-1/2, Chagas and syphilis infection; (d) no HLA antibodies (multiparous); (e) second RT-PCR (nasopharyngeal swab and/or blood) negativity; (f) virus neutralization test (cytopathic effect-based virus neutralization test neutralizing antibody) and anti-nucleocapsid protein SARS-CoV-2 IgM, IgG, and IgA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Results: Among 271 donors (41 females, 230 males), 250 presented with neutralizing antibodies.