IgG Subclass Analysis in Patients with Chagas Disease 4 Years After Benznidazole Treatment.

Background: In humans, Trypanosoma cruzi infection is controlled by a complex immune response. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is important for opsonizing blood trypomastigotes, activating the classic complement pathway, and reducing parasitemia. The trypanocidal activity of benznidazole is recognized, but its effects on the prevention and progression of Chagas disease is not well understood OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the levels of total IgG and cross-specific IgG subclasses in patients with chronic Chagas disease of different clinical forms before and after 4 years of benznidazole treatment.

T-Cell Immunophenotyping and Cytokine Production Analysis in Patients with Chagas Disease 4 Years after Benznidazole Treatment.

The major problem with Chagas disease is evolution of the chronic indeterminate form to a progressive cardiac disease. Treatment diminishes parasitemia but not clinical progression, and the immunological features involved are unclear. Here, we studied the clinical course and the immune response in patients with chronic-phase Chagas disease at 48 months after benznidazole treatment.

Identification of bat trypanosomes from Minas Gerais state, Brazil, based on 18S rDNA and Cathepsin-L-like targets.

Several bat species can be infected by trypanosomes, but there is not much information about which of these parasites infect bats from Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaíba, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, a formerly endemic region for Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. The aim of this study was to describe, characterize, and identify the presence of trypanosomes in bats. The captured bats (448) belong to four families and to 19 different species.

Leishmania infection in bats from a non-endemic region of Leishmaniasis in Brazil.

Leishmaniasis is a complex of zoonotic diseases caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania, which can develop in domestic as well as wild animals and humans throughout the world. Currently, this disease is spreading in rural and urban areas of non-endemic regions in Brazil. Recently, bats have gained epidemiological significance in leishmaniasis due to its close relationship with human settlements.

Amiodarone and itraconazole improve the activity of pentavalent antimonial in the treatment of experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Leishmaniasis affect millions of people, causing morbidity and mortality, especially in developing tropical and subtropical countries. Unfortunately, the possibilities of treatment for these infections are still quite limited and most of the available drugs present serious side effects. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the therapeutic role of amiodarone and itraconazole in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis.

[Thymic lesions: A 4 years-review].

Introduction: The difficulty in differentiating invasive from non-invasive thymic tumours solely by histological features, leads to the decision of resecting suspected lesions except in the presence of: (a) diffuse metastasis; or (b) typical imaging findings of thymic hyperplasia or after recovering from some recent stress. Therefore, the role of radiology is of the utmost importance in the initial evaluation and staging of thymic mediastinal masses.

Methods: The objective of this study was to elaborate a retrospective analysis of the cases of thymic lesions that underwent surgery at the Cardiothoracic Department of Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho (CHVNG/E), from January 2013 to December 2016, illustrating their main radiologic findings with computed tomography (CT) images.

The Driving of Immune Response by Th1 Adjuvants in Immunization of Mice with Trypanosoma cruzi marinkellei Elicits a Controversial Infection Control.

In previous studies, we have demonstrated that inoculation with a Trypanosoma cruzi marinkellei (avirulent RM1 strain) was able to reduce parasitemia in mice challenged with T. cruzi, although it was not able to prevent histopathological lesions. Th1 response stimulation by immunization is necessary for T.

Immunomodulation by Trypanosoma cruzi: toward understanding the association of dendritic cells with infecting TcI and TcII populations.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are major immune components, and depending on how these cells are modulated, the protective host immune response changes drastically. Trypanosoma cruzi is a parasite with high genetic variability and modulates DCs by interfering with their capacity for antigen recognition, migration, and maturation. Despite recent efforts, the association between DCs and T.

Comparative study of topical green and red propolis in the repair of wounds induced in rats.

Objective: To evaluate the healing action of green and red propolis, correlating it with the content of flavonoids.

Methods: We performed quantification of total flavonoids of green and red propolis ethanol extracts for subsequent incorporation in ointment base to 20%. We used 20 Wistar rats divided into four groups: 0.