Frequency and distribution of neglected tropical diseases in Mozambique: a systematic review.

Background: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect more than one billion people living in vulnerable conditions. In spite of initiatives recently contributing to fill NTDs gaps on national and local prevalence and distribution, more epidemiological data are still needed for effective control and elimination interventions.

Main Text: Mozambique is considered one of the countries with highest NTDs burden although available data is scarce.

Improvement in the determination of HIV-1 tropism using the V3 gene sequence and a combination of bioinformatic tools.

Assessment of HIV tropism using bioinformatic tools based on V3 sequences correlates poorly with results provided by phenotypic tropism assays, particularly for recognizing X4 viruses. This may represent an obstacle for the use of CCR5 antagonists. An algorithm combining several bioinformatic tools might improve the correlation with phenotypic tropism results.

[Description of immunogens of Chlamydia pneumoniae recognized by serum of individuals with peripheral artery disease].

Background And Objective: The relationship between antibodies to C. pneumoniae and presence of the bacteria was studied in individuals with peripheral arterial disease.

Patients And Method: An observational analytical, case-control study was performed in 118 patients (68 cases, 50 controls) to investigate immunoglobulin (Ig) G and A against C.

[Relationship between the peripheral arterial occlusive disease and the infection by Chlamydophila pneumoniae].

Background And Objective: The relationship between peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) and Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection was studied by analyzing clinical samples from 95 patients with PAOD (cases) and 100 controls.

Patients And Method: The following investigations were conducted: IgG and IgA against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and against purified C. pneumoniae-specific antigens from elementary bodies (EB) with ELISA; anti-EB IgG, with MIF; C.

Genomic, serologic, and clinical case-control study of Chlamydia pneumoniae and peripheral artery occlusive disease.

Objectives: Chlamydia pneumoniae has been related to atherosclerotic disease in both seroepidemiologic and genomic studies. We performed a case-control study to determine seropositivity and DNA detection in arteries of patients with peripheral artery occlusive disease and of healthy subjects.

Methods: The study included 64 patients with peripheral artery occlusive disease, and 50 control subjects who underwent varicose vein surgery, matched to the patient group for age, sex, and tobacco use.

Detection of IgA and low-avidity IgG antibodies for the diagnosis of recent active toxoplasmosis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical value of testing IgA and the avidity of IgG (by two commercial systems) for the detection of recent active toxoplasmosis (RAT), and to study the IgG avidity during the course of infection. METHODS: The IgA was tested by a capture ELISA (Pasteur, France) and the avidity of IgG was determined by two modified commercial indirect ELISA methods (Sorin, Italy; Behringwerke, Germany) in 12 patients who were not immunosuppressed (group I) and 57 healthy subjects with a past infection by Toxoplasma gondii (group II). RESULTS: IgA was present in 75% of patients from group I and 21% of subjects from group II.