Pertussis antibodies and vaccination coverage among healthcare professionals in Brazil is inadequate: A cross-sectional serological study.

Introduction: Worldwide, tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination coverage of healthcare professionals (HCPs) is below 40%, but this data is not available for Brazil. We hypothesize that a high number of HCPs are not immune to pertussis in Brazil. Main objective was to determine the seroprevalence of anti-pertussis toxin (anti-PT IgG) among HCPs.

Factors Associated with Behavioral Disorders in Children with Congenital Zika Syndrome and Their Families-A Cross-Sectional Study.

The Zika virus was responsible for an outbreak between 2015 and 2016 in Brazil: an alarming public health problem of international relevance. The Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS) is often associated with manifestations that are responsible for cognitive and motor development delays and behavioral disorders. Thus, we aimed to characterize the clinical-epidemiological and familial context of those children and to identify factors associated with the risk of behavioral disorders using the Survey of Well-Being of Young Children questionnaire (SWYC).

Cell activation, PD-1 expression and in vitro cytokine production in patients with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: Juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE) is known to be more severe and with a higher frequency of renal and central nervous system impairment when compared to systemic lupus erythematosus in adults. The study of immunological characteristics of jSLE patients might help to envisage better treatment strategies to reduce the burden of the disease.

Objective: To characterize peripheral lymphocytes, assessing activation markers, and PD-1 expression on T cells; to evaluate in vitro cytokine expression upon stimulation in jSLE patients and age-matched controls.

Rubella antibodies in vertically and horizontally HIV-infected young adults vaccinated early in life and response to a booster dose in those with seronegative results.

Background: Very limited data are available on the persistence of rubella antibodies in vertically HIV-infected individuals who were vaccinated early in life.

Methods: Prospective, cohort study on 4 groups of patients: 96 vertically HIV-1-infected individuals (v-HIV), 69 horizontally HIV-1-infected individuals (h-HIV), 93 healthy controls previously vaccinated for rubella (vac-CON) and 20 healthy controls with history of rubella disease (dis-CON). A blood sample was collected and rubella antibodies were analyzed by ELISA.

SCID and Other Inborn Errors of Immunity with Low TRECs - the Brazilian Experience.

Severe combined immunodeficiency, SCID, is a pediatric emergency that represents the most critical group of inborn errors of immunity (IEI). Affected infants present with early onset life-threatening infections due to absent or non-functional T cells. Without early diagnosis and curative treatment, most die in early infancy.

Heterologous versus homologous COVID-19 booster vaccination in previous recipients of two doses of CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine in Brazil (RHH-001): a phase 4, non-inferiority, single blind, randomised study.

Introduction: The inactivated whole-virion SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (CoronaVac, Sinovac) has been widely used in a two-dose schedule. We assessed whether a third dose of the homologous or a different vaccine could boost immune responses.

Methods: RHH-001 is a phase 4, participant masked, two centre, safety and immunogenicity study of Brazilian adults (18 years and older) in São Paulo or Salvador who had received two doses of CoronaVac 6 months previously.

Performance of 4 methods for screening of latent tuberculosis infection in patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis under TNFα inhibitors: a 24-month prospective study.

Background: The reactivation rate of tuberculosis in patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis (CIA) on TNFα inhibitors (TNFi) and baseline negative screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is higher than in the general population.

Aim: To compare the performance of tuberculin skin test (TST), TST-Booster, ELISPOT (T-SPOT.TB) and QuantiFERON-TB Gold in tube (QFT-IT) to detect LTBI in patients with CIA on TNFi.

Assessment of liver disease by non-invasive methods in perinatally infected Brazilian adolescents and young adults living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Introduction: Effective and long-term combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) has decreased morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected individuals. Despite treatment advances, HIV-infected children continue to develop noninfectious conditions, including liver fibrosis.

Methods: Cross-sectional study designed to identify liver fibrosis in HIV-infected adolescents and young adults, in an outpatients clinic of Pediatric Infectious Diseases Division at Escola Paulista de Medicina/Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), diagnosed by noninvasive methods (liver elastography-FibroScan®, APRI and FIB4).

Tdap booster to adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis on and off anti-TNF agents is safe and immunogenic.

Introduction: The response to vaccines in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients on and off anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents remains highly discussed. There are no published studies on the immune response following a Tdap booster dose in JIA patients so far.

Objective: To evaluate the immune response and safety after a Tdap booster in JIA patients and in healthy adolescents.

Invasive pneumococcal disease in children with cancer: Incidence density, risk factors and isolated serotypes.

Background: Pediatric oncology patients (POP) have a high risk of infections due to impaired immunity. Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is an important cause of severe infection in these patients and it is associated with high mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence and risk factors associated with IPD at a Pediatric Oncology Center in Brazil.

Candida spp bloodstream infections in a Latin American Pediatric Oncology Reference Center: Epidemiology and associated factors.

Background: Invasive fungal disease is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in immunosuppressed children. The recognition of patients at risk for candidaemia is paramount to a better prognosis.

Objectives: To characterize Candida spp bloodstream infections (BSI) in a reference centre for paediatric oncology and to describe the most prevalent risk factors associated with candida infections.

Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics of Herpes Zoster in Patients With HIV/AIDS and Those With Juvenile Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Background: HIV infection and juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE) are risk factors for the development of herpes zoster (HZ) and its complications. Both diseases share similar immunologic aspects, such as immunodeficiency and immune activation. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate and compare the frequency and characteristics of HZ episodes in pediatric patients with HIV infection and jSLE.

Opportunistic infections in pediatrics: when to suspect and how to approach.

Objectives: To describe the characteristics of opportunistic infections in pediatrics regarding their clinical aspects, as well as the diagnostic strategy and treatment.

Source Of Data: Non-systematic review of literature studies in the PubMed database.

Synthesis Of Data: Opportunistic infections caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria, fungi, Herpesvirae, and infections affecting individuals using immunobiological agents are analyzed.

Prolonged Antiretroviral Therapy in Adolescents With Vertical HIV Infection Leads to Different Cytokine Profiles Depending on Viremia Persistence.

Background: We investigated immune activation, exhaustion markers and cytokine expression upon stimulation in adolescents with vertical HIV infection.

Methods: Thirty adolescents receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) for vertical HIV infection, including 12 with detectable viral load (HIV/DET), 18 with undetectable viral load (HIV/UND) and 30 control adolescents without HIV infection (CONTROL), were evaluated for immune activation and programmed cell death protein-1 expression by flow cytometry, and 21 cytokines by Luminex Multiple Analyte Profiling technology after in vitro peripheral blood phytohemagglutinin stimulation.

Results: Lower CD4 T cells and higher T cell activation and exhaustion markers were noted on CD4 T and on CD8 T cells and memory subsets from HIV/DET group, who also produced lower in vitro IFN-gamma, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17A, IL-5 and IL-6 than HIV/UND group.

Immune response to a Tdap booster in vertically HIV-infected adolescents.

Background: Pertussis cases have increased worldwide and knowledge on immune response and cytokine profile after Tdap vaccine in immunodeficient adolescents is scarce.

Objective: To evaluate the immune response after Tdap in HIV-infected (HIV) and in healthy adolescents (CONTROL).

Methodology: Thirty HIV adolescents with CD4 cell counts >200 and 30 CONTROLs were immunized with Tdap, after a prior whole-cell DTP vaccine primary scheme.

Low Rates of Poliovirus Antibodies in Primary Immunodeficiency Patients on Regular Intravenous Immunoglobulin Treatment.

Purpose: Poliovirus has been nearly eliminated as part of a world-wide effort to immunize and contain circulating wild-type polio. Nevertheless, poliovirus has been detected in water supplies and represents a threat to patients with humoral immunodeficiencies where infection can be fatal. To define the risk, we analyzed antibodies to poliovirus 1, 2, and 3 in serum samples collected over a year from patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID) on regular intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) replacement.

Safe administration of rotavirus vaccine in a cohort of infants exposed to immunosuppressive drugs during gestation.

In utero exposure to immunosuppressive drugs might be a contraindication to rotavirus vaccine, but that may vary according to the immunosuppressive regimen. We evaluated 24 infants born to kidney transplanted mothers exposed to 3 immunosuppressants during pregnancy (prednisone, azathioprine, and tacrolimus or cyclosporine) and 31 control infants not exposed to these medications. No differences in adverse events were detected after rotavirus vaccination at 2 and 4 months.

Adherence and immune response to revaccination following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at a pediatric onco-hematology reference center.

Background: Revaccination after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is necessary to compensate for the loss of immunological memory. The aims of this study were to evaluate the adherence to revaccination schedule and the humoral immune response to different vaccine antigens in HSCT pediatric and young adult patients.

Methods: Patients submitted to HSCT for over 3 years were recruited.

Hypogammaglobulinemia in children: a warning sign to look deeply?

This study investigated phenotypic and functional characteristics of lymphocytes in children with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) and unclassified hypogammaglobulinemia (UH), as well as B-cell subsets in non-consanguineous parents. Blood samples of 30 children, CVID (n = 9), UH (n = 9), healthy donors HD (n = 12), and 19 adults (parents and controls) were labeled by a combination of surface markers to identify CD4, CD8 T-cell and B-cell subpopulations. T-cell cytokine production in children was analyzed in vitro after stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and tetanus toxoid.

Serum anti-phenolic glycolipid-1 IgA correlates to IgM isotype in leprosy patients: a possible candidate for seroepidemiological surveys?

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare serum anti-phenolic glycolipid-1 IgA, IgG, and IgM levels in leprosy patients and controls.

Method: Analysis of anti-PGL-1 IgA, IgG, or IgM in serum samples from multibacillary (MB, n=32) and paucibacillary (PB, n=22) leprosy patients, and in non-endemic controls (n=17), using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: A strong correlation between serum IgM and IgA isotypes was found (r=.

PROTECTIVE LEVELS OF VARICELLA-ZOSTER ANTIBODY DID NOT EFFECTIVELY PREVENT CHICKENPOX IN AN X-LINKED AGAMMAGLOBULINEMIA PATIENT.

We describe the case of an eight-year-old boy with X-linked agammaglobulinemia who developed mild varicella despite regular intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy. He maintained protective antibody levels against varicella and the previous batches of IVIG that he received had adequate varicella-specific IgG levels. The case illustrates that IVIG may not prevent VZV infection.