Synthesizing the connections between environmental disturbances and zoonotic spillover.

Zoonotic spillover is a phenomenon characterized by the transfer of pathogens between different animal species. Most human emerging infectious diseases originate from non-human animals, and human-related environmental disturbances are the driving forces of the emergence of new human pathogens. Synthesizing the sequence of basic events involved in the emergence of new human pathogens is important for guiding the understanding, identification, and description of key aspects of human activities that can be changed to prevent new outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics.

2848 G/A Gene Polymorphism in HCV+, HIV+, and HCV+/HIV+ Individuals.

Host genetic factors play a major role with respect to susceptibility to infections. Many polymorphisms of the Toll-like receptors (TLRs), members of the innate immune response, are directly associated with the clinical outcomes following infection. The 2848 G/A variant (rs352140) of the gene is associated with increased TLR9 expression.

Control and prevention of infectious diseases from a One Health perspective.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caught the attention of the global community and rekindled the debate about our ability to prevent and manage outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics. Many alternatives are suggested to address these urgent issues. Some of them are quite interesting, but with little practical application in the short or medium term.

The CD133 Stem/Progenitor-Like Cell Subset Is Increased in Human Milk and Peripheral Blood of HIV-Positive Women.

Human milk is a significant source of different CD133 and/or CD34 stem/progenitor-like cell subsets in healthy women but their cell distribution and percentages in this compartment of HIV-positive women have not been explored. To date, a decrease of CD34 hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell frequencies in peripheral blood and bone marrow of HIV-positive patients has been reported. Herein, human milk and peripheral blood samples were collected between day 2-15 post-partum from HIV-positive and HIV-negative women, and cells were stained with stem cell markers and analyzed by flow cytometry.

Increased IL-8 levels in HIV-infected individuals who initiated ART with CD4 T cell counts <350 cells/mm - A potential hallmark of chronic inflammation.

The identification of inflammatory markers in HIV+ individuals on ART is fundamental since chronic ART-controlled HIV infection is linked to an increased inflammatory state. In this context, we assessed plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-8, and IL-12p70) of HIV+ individuals who initiated ART after immunosuppression (CD4 T cell counts <350 cells/mm). HIV+ individuals were stratified according to two extreme phenotypes: Slow Progressors (SPs; individuals with at least 8 years of infection before ART initiation) and Rapid Progressors (RPs; individuals who needed to initiate ART within 1-4 years after infection).

Beyond diversity loss and climate change: Impacts of Amazon deforestation on infectious diseases and public health.

Amazonian biodiversity is increasingly threatened due to the weakening of policies for combating deforestation, especially in Brazil. Loss of animal and plant species, many not yet known to science, is just one among many negative consequences of Amazon deforestation. Deforestation affects indigenous communities, riverside as well as urban populations, and even planetary health.

Large Stem/Progenitor-Like Cell Subsets can Also be Identified in the CD45 and CD45 Populations in Early Human Milk.

Background: Stem/progenitor cells have been identified in human milk. However, characterization and percentages of cell subsets in human milk using hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell markers according to the differential expression of CD45, i.e.

CCR5Δ32 in HCV infection, HCV/HIV co-infection, and HCV-related diseases.

Although a potential involvement of the CCR5Δ32 variant has already been suggested in relation to susceptibility to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, data from the literature is still quite controversial. Thus, our study evaluated the influence of the CCR5Δ32 allele variant in HCV infection, HCV/HIV co-infection, and HCV-related diseases in individuals from southern Brazil. A total of 1352 individuals were included in this study, divided into the following groups: Control (n = 274); HCV+ (n = 674); HIV+ (n = 300); HCV+/HIV+ (n = 104).

High CXCL10/IP-10 levels are a hallmark in the clinical evolution of the HIV infection.

The aim of this study was to investigate the modulation of plasma CXCL10, CCL20, CCL22, CCL2, CCL17 and CCL24 levels in HIV-positive patients grouped according to extreme phenotypes of progression to AIDS, and at different stages of HIV infection. HIV-positive individuals with extreme phenotypes of AIDS progression (n=58) at different clinical stages (chronic individuals, both pre-HAART and under-HAART) and HIV-negative controls (n=20) were evaluated. Additionally, HIV-positive individuals that initiated HAART with >350CD4T-cells/mm were compared with those who initiated treatment with <350CD4T-cells/mm.

Immunogenetic studies of the hepatitis C virus infection in an era of pan-genotype antiviral therapies - Effective treatment is coming.

What are the factors that influence human hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, hepatitis status establishment, and disease progression? Firstly, one has to consider the genetic background of the host and HCV genotypes. The immunogenetic host profile will reflect how each infected individual deals with infection. Secondly, there are environmental factors that drive susceptibility or resistance to certain viral strains.

Novel genetic associations and gene-gene interactions of chemokine receptor and chemokine genetic polymorphisms in HIV/AIDS.

Objective: To investigate the influence of candidate polymorphisms on chemokine receptor/ligand genes on HIV infection and AIDS progression (HIV/AIDS).

Design: Fifteen polymorphisms of the CCR3, CCR4, CCR5, CCR6, CCR8, CXCR3, CXCR6, CCL20, CCL22 and CXCL10 genes were analysed in 206 HIV-positive patients classified as rapid progressors (n = 40), or nonrapid progressors (n = 166), and in 294 HIV-seronegative patients.

Methods: The polymorphisms were genotyped using minisequencing.

Endosomal toll-like receptor gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to HIV and HCV co-infection - Differential influence in individuals with distinct ethnic background.

The genetic background of human populations can influence the susceptibility and outcome of infection diseases. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have been previously associated with susceptibility to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, disease progression and hepatitis C, virus (HCV) co-infection in different populations, although mostly in Europeans. In this study, we investigated the genetic role of endosomal TLRs on susceptibility to HIV infection and HCV co-infection through the analysis of TLR7 rs179008, TLR8 rs3764880, TLR9 rs5743836 and TLR9 rs352140 polymorphisms in 789 Brazilian individuals (374 HIV+ and 415 HIV-), taking into account their ethnic background.

Rapid and Slow Progressors Show Increased IL-6 and IL-10 Levels in the Pre-AIDS Stage of HIV Infection.

Cytokines are intrinsically related to disease progression in HIV infection. We evaluated the plasma levels of Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines in extreme progressors, including slow (SPs) and rapid (RPs) progressors, who were thus classified based on clinical and laboratory follow-up covering a period of time before the initiation of HAART, ranging from 93-136.5 months for SPs and 7.

New Insights about Treg and Th17 Cells in HIV Infection and Disease Progression.

Treg and Th17 cell subsets are characterized by the expression of specific transcriptional factors and chemokine receptor as well as by secretion of specific cytokine and chemokines. These subsets are important to the differentiation, expansion, homing capacity, and recruitment of several different immune cell populations to the site of infection. Whereas Treg cells maintain self-tolerance and control the activation and expansion of autoreactive CD4(+) T effector cells through an anti-inflammatory response, Th17 cells, in an exacerbated unregulated proinflammatory response, can promote autoimmunity.