Trends in tuberculosis and inequality-adjusted Human Development Index in Brazil, 2018-2022.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health concern, causing 1.5 million deaths annually. We conducted an ecological analysis to examine TB prevalence in Brazil from 2018 to 2022, focusing on its relationship with the Human Development Index (HDI) and its inequality-adjusted version HDI (IHDI).

Understanding hypergammaglobulinemia in experimental or natural visceral leishmaniasis.

Nonspecific hypergammaglobulinemia (HGG) occurs in symptomatic human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by L. L. infantum.

Toxoplasma gondii in CD36 -/- mice shows lethal infection and poor immunization with probable macrophage immune defects.

Experimental toxoplasmosis is an excellent model for adaptive immune response. Gamma-irradiated tachyzoites or soluble tachyzoite antigen extracts (STag) induce protection against experimental toxoplasmosis in mice. Scavenger receptors recognize irradiated proteins, promote their entry into cells, and lead to antigen presentation.

Scavenger receptors mediate increased uptake of irradiated extracts by J774 macrophages.

Purpose: Protein extracts developed increased immunogenicity without the aid of adjuvants after gamma irradiation. Gamma irradiation of snake venom increased antivenin production by detoxification and enhanced immunity, probably due preferential uptake of irradiated venoms by macrophage scavenger receptors. We studied this uptake of irradiated soluble extract (STag) by the J774 macrophage cell line similar to antigen presenting cells.

Toxoplasma gondii isolated from a Brazilian patient with rare pulmonary toxoplasmosis has a novel genotype and is closely related to Amazonian isolates.

Pulmonary toxoplasmosis is rare in immunocompetent patients. Herein, a Toxoplasma gondii strain isolated in Brazil from an immunocompetent patient who had severe pulmonary involvement was biologically and molecularly characterized for the first time. The TgHumIMTBr1 isolate was bioassayed in mice showing a virulent phenotype.

Radiation effects on antigens: different immune responses of irradiated intact tachyzoites or soluble antigens in experimental mice models.

Purpose: Protein irradiation causes aggregation, chain breakage, and oxidation, enhancing its uptake by antigen-presenting cells. To evaluate if irradiated proteins participate on the protection, we studied the immune response induced in mice immunized with irradiated soluble extracts of tachyzoites (STag) or irradiated intact RH tachyzoites (RH). Soluble extracts of tachyzoites (STag) were irradiated at different dose by Cobalt-60 source.

High levels of serum glycans monovalent IgG immune complexes detected by dissociative ELISA in experimental visceral leishmaniasis.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is epidemic in Brazil with an increasing incidence of human cases and canine reservoirs, with host hypergammaglobulinemia. Conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) based on several parasitic antigens is the main method for diagnosis and indication of treatment. Dissociative ELISA (dELISA) uses acidic treatment to free immunoglobulin G (IgG) from immune complexes, and its use revealed a significant positive fraction of suspected cases with negative serology.

Secondary Prophylaxis with Liposomal Amphotericin B in a Patient with Mucosal Leishmaniasis Undergoing Immunobiological Therapy for Active Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Immunosuppressive treatments for rheumatic diseases present special problems in areas endemic for chronic infectious diseases because of the possibility of reactivation. Leishmaniasis is a significant neglected tropical disease caused by different species of protozoan parasites within the genus . Amastigotes live as intracellular parasites in a variety of mammalian cells, most notably within phagocytes such as macrophages, and residual parasites can persist even after treatment and healing of the lesions.

Pharmacokinetics of neutron-irradiated meglumine antimoniate in -infected BALB/c mice.

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan spp. Pentavalent antimonial agents have been used as an effective therapy, despite their side effects and resistant cases. Their pharmacokinetics remain largely unexplored.

Behavioral evaluation of BALB/c (Mus musculus) mice infected with genetically distinct strains of Toxoplasma gondii.

In relation to behavioral changes in rodents infected with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), it is believed that the genotype of the infecting strain can have some influence. In this sense, the present work has sought to evaluate the effect of chronic infection by genetically distinct cystogenic strains of T.

Gamma irradiation of Toxoplasma gondii protein extract improve immune response and protection in mice models.

Gamma radiation induces protein changes that enhance immunogenicity for venoms, used in antivenin production. Coccidian parasites exposed to gamma radiation elicit immune response with protection in mice and man, but without studies on the effect of gamma radiation in soluble acellular extracts or isolated proteins. Toxoplasmosis is a highly prevalent coccidian disease with only one vaccine for veterinary use but with remaining tissue cysts.

Immunity in the spleen and blood of mice immunized with irradiated Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites.

Toxoplasma gondii infection induces a strong and long-lasting immune response that is able to prevent most reinfections but allows tissue cysts. Irradiated, sterilized T. gondii tachyzoites are an interesting vaccine, and they induce immunity that is similar to infection, but without cysts.

Dermal dendrocytes FXIIIa+ are essential antigen-presenting cells in indeterminate leprosy.

Indeterminate leprosy (IL) is the early phase of Hansen disease and reword (APCs). Langerhans cells and dermal dendrocytes FXIIIa positive (DDFXIIIa) are the major APCs in the skin and can be identified by the expression of CD1a and FXIIIa, respectively, by immunohistochemical techniques. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCs) are another type of dermal dendrocytes with a questionable antigen-presenting function and can be highlighted by anti-CD123 expression.

Thymol and eugenol derivatives as potential antileishmanial agents.

In Northeastern Brazil visceral leishmaniasis is endemic with lethal cases among humans and dogs. Treatment is toxic and 5-10% of humans die despite treatment. The aim of this work was to survey natural active compounds to find new molecules with high activity and low toxicity against Leishmania infantum chagasi.

Immunopathogenesis of dengue hemorrhagic fever: contribution to the study of human liver lesions.

Dengue infection is an important tropical disease worldwide. The host immune response has been studied in order to better understand lesion mechanisms. It was performed an immunohistochemical study in 14 specimens of liver from patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) to characterize cytokines and some factors present in liver lesions and their possible role in the pathogenesis of hepatic injury.

A simple immune complex dissociation ELISA for leishmaniasis: standardization of the assay in experimental models and preliminary results in canine and human samples.

Visceral leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi, is a chronic parasitic disease of humans and dogs. Confirmation of the protozoal agent in bone marrow, lymph node or spleen aspirate is diagnostic, while specific-IgG serology is used mainly for epidemiology despite the general presence of high levels of serum immunoglobulin. Anecdotal reports of false-negative serology in active disease cases are known and are ascribed to the formation of immune complexes.

Diagnostic utility of immunohistochemistry in distinguishing trichoepithelioma and basal cell carcinoma: evaluation using tissue microarray samples.

Trichoepithelioma is a benign neoplasm that shares both clinical and histological features with basal cell carcinoma. It is important to distinguish these neoplasms because they require different clinical behavior and therapeutic planning. Many studies have addressed the use of immunohistochemistry to improve the differential diagnosis of these tumors.

Leishmanicidal activity in vitro of Musa paradisiaca L. and Spondias mombin L. fractions.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a zoonotic disease characterized by infection of mononuclear phagocytes by Leishmania chagasi. The primary vector is Lutzomyia longipalpis and the dog is the main domestic reservoir. The control and current treatment of dogs using synthetic drugs have not shown effectiveness in reducing the incidence of disease in man.

Humoral responses and immune protection in mice immunized with irradiated T. gondii tachyzoites and challenged with three genetically distinct strains of T. gondii.

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that infects a variety of mammals and birds. T. gondii also causes human toxoplasmosis; although toxoplasmosis is generally a benign disease, ocular, congenital or reactivated disease is associated with high numbers of disabled people.

Quality control of Toxoplasma gondii in meat packages: standardization of an ELISA test and its use for detection in rabbit meat cuts.

Toxoplasma gondii causes severe disease both to man and livestock and its detection in meat after slaughtering requires PCR or biological tests. Meat packages contain retained exudate that could be used for serology due to its blood content. Similar studies reported false negative assays in those tests.