Design of a Multi-Epitope Vaccine against through Immunoinformatics Approaches.

Histoplasmosis is a widespread systemic disease caused by , prevalent in the Americas. Despite its significant morbidity and mortality rates, no vaccines are currently available. Previously, five vaccine targets and specific epitopes for were identified.

Fatal Case of Fungemia by in a Pediatric Patient Diagnosed in a Teaching Hospital from Brazil.

In recent decades, emerging fungal infections have changed the clinical mycology scenario as a consequence of the advances in medical diagnostics and therapeutic procedures, long hospitalization times, and the growing number of individuals with debilitating chronic diseases and impaired immune systems. This report presents a 19 months old Brazilian female patient who developed a severe fungal sepsis by an uncommon yeast. She was admitted at the intensive care unit with severe pneumonia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and weight-for-age z score of less than -2.

Synergic effect of simvastatin in combination with amphotericin B against environmental strains of Cryptococcus neoformans from northeastern Brazil: a prospective experimental study.

Background: Statins are used as cholesterol-lowering drugs and may also have direct antimicrobial effects.

Objective: To evaluate synergic interactions between simvastatin and both amphotericin B and fluconazole, against environmental strains of Cryptococcus neoformans isolated from captive birds' droppings.

Designand Setting: Experimental study conducted at Federal University of Piauí, Parnaíba, in collaboration with Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil.

Increased serum gastrin in patients with different clinical forms of Chagas disease coinfected with Helicobacter pylori.

Trypanosoma cruzi and Helicobacter pylori (HP) are pathogens that cause chronic diseases and have been associated with hypergastrinemia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fasting gastrin levels in patients with different clinical forms of Chagas disease (CD), coinfected or not by HP. The enrolled individuals were outpatients attending at the university hospital.

Genotypic analysis of clinical and environmental Cryptococcus neoformans isolates from Brazil reveals the presence of VNB isolates and a correlation with biological factors.

Cryptococcal infections are mainly caused by members of the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex (molecular types VNI, VNII, VNB, VNIV and the AD hybrid VNIII). PCR of the mating type loci and MLST typing using the ISHAM-MLST consensus scheme were used to evaluate the genetic relationship of 102 (63 clinical and 39 environmental) C. neoformans isolates from Uberaba, Brazil and to correlate the obtained genotypes with clinical, antifungal susceptibility and virulence factor data.

Modulation of Galectin-3 and Galectin 9 in gastric mucosa of patients with chronic gastritis and positive Helicobacter pylori infection.

Objectives: Galectins are mediators that play an important role in the inflammatory response and in this study we analyzed the expression of Galectins (Gal) -1, -3 and -9 in biopsies of the gastric antrum of patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms.

Methodology: 44 patients with upper digestive tract symptoms were evaluated, and underwent Upper Digestive Endoscopy examination. Sections of the gastric antrum were fixed in buffered formaldehyde at 4% in order to perform the anatomopathological examination and immunohistochemical analysis for Galectins-1, -3 and -9 expression.

Histological and endoscopic features of the stomachs of patients with Chagas disease in the era of Helicobacter pylori.

Introduction: Most studies that have evaluated the stomachs of patients with Chagas disease were performed before the discovery of Helicobacter pylori and used no control groups. This study compared the gastric features of chagasic and non-chagasic patients and assessed whether gastritis could be associated with Chagas disease.

Methods: Gastric biopsy samples were taken from patients who underwent endoscopy for histological analysis according to the Updated Sydney System.

Phylogenetic analysis of phenotypically characterized Cryptococcus laurentii isolates reveals high frequency of cryptic species.

Background: Although Cryptococcus laurentii has been considered saprophytic and its taxonomy is still being described, several cases of human infections have already reported. This study aimed to evaluate molecular aspects of C. laurentii isolates from Brazil, Botswana, Canada, and the United States.

Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in chagasic and nonchagasic patients from the same geographical region of Brazil.

Introduction: In this study, we evaluated the seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among chagasic and non-chagasic subjects as well as among the subgroups of chagasic patients with the indeterminate, cardiac, digestive, and cardiodigestive clinical forms.

Methods: The evaluated subjects were from the Triângulo Mineiro region, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Chagasic patients showed positive reactions to the conventional serological tests used and were classified according to the clinical form of their disease.