High disease activity: an independent factor for reduced immunogenicity of the pandemic influenza a vaccine in patients with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: Recent findings demonstrated a reduced immunogenicity of the influenza A H1N1/2009 vaccine in juvenile rheumatic diseases. However, a point of concern is whether the vaccine could induce disease flares. The aim of this study was to assess the disease safety of and the possible influence of disease parameters and therapy on nonadjuvant influenza A H1N1 vaccine response of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.

Immunogenicity of influenza H1N1 vaccination in mixed connective tissue disease: effect of disease and therapy.

Objective: To assess the potential acute effects regarding the immunogenicity and safety of non-adjuvanted influenza A H1N1/2009 vaccine in patients with mixed connective tissue disease and healthy controls.

Methods: Sixty-nine mixed connective tissue disease patients that were confirmed by Kasukawa's classification criteria and 69 age- and gender-matched controls participated in the study; the participants were vaccinated with the non-adjuvanted influenza A/California/7/2009 (H1N1) virus-like strain. The percentages of seroprotection, seroconversion, geometric mean titer and factor increase in the geometric mean titer were calculated.

Shift in the timing of respiratory syncytial virus circulation in a subtropical megalopolis: implications for immunoprophylaxis.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of severe respiratory infections worldwide, and an important cause of childhood bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and mortality. Although prevention of RSV infection by immunoprophylaxis with palivizumab has proved effective, a precise understanding of the timing of RSV outbreaks is necessary to ensure that infants are protected when RSV is circulating. In this study a consistent shift in the seasonal patterns of RSV circulation in southeast Brazil (São Paulo) is reported based on the analysis of 15 years of viral surveillance.

TNF blockers show distinct patterns of immune response to the pandemic influenza A H1N1 vaccine in inflammatory arthritis patients.

Objective: To evaluate the immunogenicity of the anti-influenza A H1N1/2009 vaccine in RA and spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients receiving distinct classes of anti-TNF agents compared with patients receiving DMARDs and healthy controls.

Methods: One hundred and twenty patients (RA, n = 41; AS, n = 57; PsA, n = 22) on anti-TNF agents (monoclonal, n = 94; soluble receptor, n = 26) were compared with 116 inflammatory arthritis patients under DMARDs and 117 healthy controls. Seroprotection, seroconversion (SC), geometric mean titre, factor increase in geometric mean titre and adverse events were evaluated 21 days after vaccination.

Influenza A/H1N1 vaccination of patients with SLE: can antimalarial drugs restore diminished response under immunosuppressive therapy?

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of pandemic 2009 influenza A (H1N1) in SLE under different therapeutic regimens.

Methods: A total of 555 SLE patients and 170 healthy controls were vaccinated with a single dose of a non-adjuvanted preparation. According to current therapy, patients were initially classified as SLE No Therapy (n = 75) and SLE with Therapy (n = 480).

The dilemma of influenza vaccine recommendations when applied to the tropics: the Brazilian case examined under alternative scenarios.

Since 1999 the World Health Organization issues annually an additional influenza vaccine composition recommendation. This initiative aimed to extend to the Southern Hemisphere (SH) the benefits-previously enjoyed only by the Northern Hemisphere (NH)--of a vaccine recommendation issued as close as possible to the moment just before the onset of the influenza epidemic season. A short time between the issue of the recommendation and vaccine delivery is needed to maximize the chances of correct matching between putative circulating strains and one of the three strains present in the vaccine composition.

[Adenovirus conjunctivitis diagnosis using RPS Adenodetector].

Purpose: To evaluate the RPS Adenodetector, a rapid immunochromatographic test, in the diagnosis of patients with clinical overt adenoviral conjunctivitis.

Methods: Consecutive case series. Patients underwent conjunctiva scraping for RPS Adenodetector test and culture to identify adenovirus.

Incidence of respiratory viruses in preterm infants submitted to mechanical ventilation.

The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of infection by respiratory viruses in preterm infants submitted to mechanical ventilation, and to evaluate the clinical, laboratory and radiological patterns of viral infections among hospitalized infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with any kind of acute respiratory failure. Seventy-eight preterm infants were studied from November 2000 to September 2002. The newborns were classified into two groups: with viral infection (Group I) and without viral infection (Group II).

Occurrence of influenza B/Hong Kong-like strains in Brazil, during 2002.

Through the influenza virus surveillance from January to October 2002, influenza B/Hong Kong-like strains circulating in the Southeast and Centre East regions of Brazil have been demonstrated. This strain is a variant from B/Victoria/02/88 whose since 1991 and until recently have been isolated relatively infrequently and have been limited to South-Eastern Asia. A total of 510 respiratory secretions were collected from patients 0 to 60 years of age, with acute respiratory illness, living in the Southeast and Centre East regions of Brazil, of which 86 (17.