This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of different concentrations of essential oils combined with calcium hydroxide against . Thirteen experimental groups were formed: NC (negative control); PC (positive control); GC (growth control); SC (sterilization control); RO (); ROH (calcium hydroxide + RO); ZO (); ZOH (calcium hydroxide + ZO); AB (); ABH (calcium hydroxide + AB); CO (); COH (calcium hydroxide + CO); DWH (calcium hydroxide and distilled water). After reconstitution of the strain, microdilution testing was performed to define the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvid Based Complement Alternat Med
October 2018
The present study demonstrates the antifungal potential of chemically characterized essential oil (EO) of Blume on spp. biofilm and establishes its mode of action, effect on fungal growth kinetics, and cytotoxicity to human cells. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) values varied from 62.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA 26-year-old postpartum female presented with symptoms characteristic of dengue fever on the 16th day of puerperium. On the third day of the illness, the patient presented a clinical picture consistent with shock. Tests determined primary infection with dengue virus serotype 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRev Soc Bras Med Trop
July 2017
Here, we present four patients with confirmed Chikungunya virus infection showing atypical neurologic manifestations and death. This case series includes patients ranging in age from five to 92 years, with or without comorbidities. This report is important, as very few cases in the literature reporting death due to atypical Chikungunya virus infection are available.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The present study demonstrated the antifungal potential of the chemically characterized essential oil (EO) of Laurus nobilis L. (bay laurel) against Candida spp. biofilm adhesion and formation, and further established its mode of action on C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
August 2017
Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of strength training on oxidative stress and the correlation of the same with forearm vasodilatation and mean blood pressure of hypertensive elderly women, at rest (basal) and during a static handgrip exercise. Insufficiently active hypertensive elderly women (N = 25; mean age = 66.1 years) were randomized into a 10 week strength training group (n = 13) or control (n = 12) group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInterleukin-10 overproduction has been associated with worse prognosis in human cutaneous leishmaniasis, while IFN-γ-dependent responses are associated with parasite killing and host protection. Innovative strategies are needed to overcome therapeutic failure observed in endemic areas. The use of monoclonal antibody-based immunotherapy targeting IL-10 cytokine was evaluated here.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health problem and is the second biggest cause of death by infectious disease worldwide. Here, we investigate in vitro the Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cytokines and transcriptional factors produced after Mycobacterium-specific antigen stimulation in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis, clinically cured pulmonary tuberculosis, and healthy donors with a positive tuberculin skin test (TST+). Together, our data indicate that clinical cure after treatment increases the percentages of Mycobacterium-specific Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells compared with those found in active-TB and TST+ healthy donors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvid Based Complement Alternat Med
April 2015
In view of the limitations of antifungal agents used in the treatment of oral candidiasis and the wide variety of natural products that have been studied as treatment of this disease, this systematic literature review proposed to evaluate whether scientific evidence attesting to the efficacy of natural products in the treatment of this disease exists. A systematic search in PubMed, MEDLINE, SciELO, Lilacs, and Cochrane Library databases was accomplished using the associations among the keywords Candida albicans, phytotherapy, biological products, denture stomatitis, and oral candidiasis in both English and Portuguese. Four independent observers evaluated the methodological quality of the resulting articles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChitosan is a polysaccharide composed of randomly distributed chains of β-(1-4) D-glucosamine and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. This compound is obtained by partial or total deacetylation of chitin in acidic solution. The chitosan-based hemostatic agents have been gaining much attention in the management of bleeding.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Trop Med
January 2015
Background. During dengue virus (DV) infection, monocytes produce tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and nitric oxide (NO) which might be critical to immunopathogenesis. Since intensity of DV replication may determine clinical outcomes, it is important to know the effects of viral nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) on innate immune parameters of infected patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChagas disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Besides the host-related factors, such as immune response and genetic background, the parasite, strain, and occurrences of reinfection episodes, may influence disease outcome. Our results demonstrate that both the primary infection and the reinfection with the Colombiana strain are connected with lower survival rate of the mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnatomopathologic studies have failed to define the fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS) as a cause of fetal death. Here, liver fragments of perinatal autopsies were collected at a university hospital from 1990 to 2009 and classified according to the cause of death, perinatal stress, and gestational age (GA) of the fetus. IL-6, TNF-α, and C-reactive protein (CRP) expression were immunostained, respectively, with primary antibody.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPodocytopathies (minimal change disease (MCD) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)) together with membranous nephropathy are the main causes of nephrotic syndrome. Some changes on the expression of nephrin, podocin, TGF-β, and slit diaphragm components as well as transcription factors and transmembrane proteins have been demonstrated in podocytopathies. Considering the pathogenesis of proteinuria, some elucidations have been directed towards the involvement of epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKidneys are one of the most frequently transplanted human organs. Immunosuppressive agents may prevent or reverse most acute rejection episodes; however, the graft may still succumb to chronic rejection. The immunological response involved in the chronic rejection process depends on both innate and adaptive immune response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of changes to the autonomic nervous system in mice during the acute phase of Chagas disease, which is an infection caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. The following types of mice were inoculated with T. cruzi (CHG): wild-type (WT) and vesicular acetylcholine transporter knockdown (KDVAChT) C57BL/6j mice; wild-type non-treated (NT) FVB mice; FVB mice treated with pyridostigmine bromide (PYR) or salbutamol (SALB); and β(2)-adrenergic receptor knockout (KOβ2) FVB mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuman pathogens have evolved to infect vertebrate hosts other than human beings without causing symptoms of the disease, thus permitting them to complete their life cycle and to develop into infectious forms. The identification and management of infected animals are alternatives to control dissemination of the disease and to prevent human illness. In the current study, the potential use of staphylococcal A or streptococcal G proteins was evaluated with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for seroepidemiological studies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHIV coinfection modifies the clinical course of leishmaniasis by promoting a Th2 pattern of cytokine production. However, little information is available regarding the lymphocytic response in untreated coinfected patients. This work presents the immunophenotyping of Leishmania-stimulated T cells from a treatment-naÏve HIV+ patient with ML.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To assess clinical and laboratory parameters and serum cytokine levels in 55 neonates who developed early-onset sepsis.
Methods: Clinical parameters associated with early-onset neonatal sepsis were assessed. White blood cell differential and serum C-reactive protein and glucose levels were measured upon diagnosis of sepsis and 48 hours later.
Here we present a modified protocol for dematophyte diagnosis, utilizing a simple centrifugation step to significantly decrease false-negative results of the original KOH direct microscopy-based technique. Although culture constitutes the gold-standard diagnosis, the time spent for results is a limit. Fast and low-cost techniques are important for infection screening in underdeveloped countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn leishmaniasis, Th1-related cytokines production seems to be crucial for host control of parasite burden and clinical cure. Visceral and diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis are characterized by negative skin test for parasite antigens and failure to produce Th1 cytokines, whereas tegumentary leishmaniasis is characterized by positive skin test and the ability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to produce Th1 cytokines. In this study, specific antibody plasma levels and cytokine production in PBMC culture supernatants were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay in patients with active or cured cutaneous leishmanial lesions and in subjects without disease history living in the same endemic area.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChagas disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and the heart is the organ most affected. Nitric oxide has notable anti-Trypanosoma action, but with little evidence regarding its role in the mechanism for tissue injury. The objective of this study was to analyze the contribution of nitric oxide towards the development of inflammation and cardiac fibrosis during the acute phase of experimental infection by Y and Colombian strains of Trypanosoma cruzi.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStaphylococcal scalded-skin syndrome (SSSS) is an exfoliative dermatitis resultant from the infection with exfoliative-toxin-producing (ET) Staphylococcus aureus. This syndrome usually occurs in children, while adult cases are generally linked to renal-deficiency or immunossupresion. A case of a 74 year old woman presenting SSSS after hospital admission due to cardiovascular disorders is presented and discussed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn populations exposed to Leishmania braziliensis, certain subjects develop skin ulcers, whereas others are naturally protected against cutaneous leishmaniasis. We have evaluated which cytokines are most crucial in the development of skin lesions. We found that active lesions occur in subjects with polarized Th2 or mixed Th1/Th2 responses, both associated with elevated IL-10 production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF