Poly I:C elicits broader and stronger humoral and cellular responses to a circumsporozoite protein malaria vaccine than Alhydrogel in mice.

Malaria remains a global health challenge, necessitating the development of effective vaccines. The RTS,S vaccination prevents (Pf) malaria but is ineffective against (Pv) disease. Herein, we evaluated the murine immunogenicity of a recombinant PvCSP incorporating prevalent polymorphisms, adjuvanted with Alhydrogel or Poly I:C.

An study on the inhibition and ultrastructural alterations of biofilm by zinc oxide nanowires in a PMMA matrix.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was (i) to investigate whether nanocomposite poly(methyl-methacrylate)-zinc oxide nanowires (PMMA-ZnO-NWs) have antibiofilm activity; (ii) to evaluate the interaction between components of the nanocomposites based on PMMA-ZnO-NWs by Raman spectroscopy; and (iii) to assess ultrastructural alterations.

Design: Sixty-eight rectangles (17 PMMA (control) and 51 PMMA-ZnO-NWs (250, 500, 1000 ppm ZnO nanowires) were fabricated. ATCC 10231 and a clinical strain were tested.

São Paulo School of Advanced Sciences on Vaccines: an overview.

Two years ago, we held an exciting event entitled the São Paulo School of Advanced Sciences on Vaccines (SPSASV). Sixty-eight Ph.D.

Protective Malaria Vaccine in Mice Based on the Circumsporozoite Protein Fused with the Mumps Nucleocapsid Protein.

is the most common species of human malaria parasite found outside Africa, with high endemicity in Asia, Central and South America, and Oceania. Although causes the majority of deaths, can lead to severe malaria and result in significant morbidity and mortality. The development of a protective vaccine will be a major step toward malaria elimination.

Antibiotic resistance in bacterial isolates from freshwater samples in Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica.

Anthropic activity in Antarctica has been increasing considerably in recent years, which could have an important impact on the local microbiota affecting multiple features, including the bacterial resistome. As such, our study focused on determining the antibiotic-resistance patterns and antibiotic-resistance genes of bacteria recovered from freshwater samples collected in areas of Antarctica under different degrees of human influence. Aerobic heterotrophic bacteria were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing and PCR.

Occurrence of Transferable Integrons and and Genes Among Sulfonamide-and/or Trimethoprim-Resistant Bacteria Isolated From Chilean Salmonid Farms.

Salmon farming industry in Chile currently uses a significant quantity of antimicrobials to control bacterial pathologies. The main aims of this study were to investigate the presence of transferable sulfonamide- and trimethoprim-resistance genes, and , and their association with integrons among bacteria associated to Chilean salmon farming. For this purpose, 91 Gram-negative strains resistant to sulfisoxazole and/or trimethoprim recovered from various sources of seven Chilean salmonid farms and mainly identified as belonging to the genus (81.

Introduction of NDM-1 and OXA-370 from Brazil into Chile in strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from a single patient.

Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae have rapidly disseminated worldwide and can colonize patients in healthcare centers. As in Chile the first isolations of NDM-1 and OXA-370 carbapenemases were related with a patient arriving from Brazil, the genetic relatedness of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains producers of these enzymes and isolated in both countries was assessed. PFGE analyses revealed that the isolates were clonally related, illustrating how travel contributes to the spread of multidrug-resistant microorganisms.

To B or Not to B: Understanding B Cell Responses in the Development of Malaria Infection.

Malaria is a widespread disease caused mainly by the (Pf) and (Pv) protozoan parasites. Depending on the parasite responsible for the infection, high morbidity and mortality can be triggered. To escape the host immune responses, parasites disturb the functionality of B cell subsets among other cell types.

[Molecular basis of methicillin-resistance in Staphylococcus aureus].

Staphylococcus aureus isolates resistant to several antimicrobials have been gradually emerged since the beginning of the antibiotic era. Consequently, the first isolation of methicillin-resistant S. aureus occurred in 1960, which was described a few years later in Chile.

Genetic Platforms of in Carbapenemase-Producing Strains of Isolated in Chile.

To elucidate whether the genetic platforms of contribute to the phenotypes of multi-drug-resistance (MDR) in the first carbapenemase-producing strains isolated in Chile. Twenty-two carbapenemase-producing strains isolated from different Chilean patients and hospitals were studied. Their genetic relatedness was assessed by PFGE and MLST.

Pulmonary atelectasis in newborns with clinically treatable diseases who are on mechanical ventilation: clinical and radiological aspects.

Objective: To analyze the radiological aspects of pulmonary atelectasis in newborns on mechanical ventilation and treated in an intensive care unit, associating the characteristics of atelectasis with the positioning of the head and endotracheal tube seen on the chest X-ray, as well as with the clinical variables.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of 60 newborns treated between 1985 and 2015. Data were collected from medical records and radiology reports.

[KPC: Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase, main carbapenemase in Enterobacteriaceae].

The dissemination of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae is currently considered a serious clinical problem due to the failure in the treatment of infections produced by them. Among the carbapenemases, the enzyme KPC has spread worldwide and has been identified in the main enterobacterial species related with healthcareassociated infections, although Klebsiella pneumoniae is the predominant specie. The blaKPC gene is transported, mainly by the transposon Tn4401, detected in various enterobacterial species of different sequence types (ST) and geographical origin.

The efflux pump inhibitor phenylalanine-arginine β-naphthylamide (PAβN) increases resistance to carbapenems in Chilean clinical isolates of KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Objectives: KPC-producing strains present a wide range of carbapenem minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). This variation may be due to differential expression of bla and porin genes, efflux pump activity and the production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases and/or AmpC β-lactamases. The aim of this study was to determine the role of efflux pumps inhibited by phenylalanine-arginine β-naphthylamide (PAβN) in resistance to carbapenems in Chilean clinical isolates of bla-harbouring Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Proteomic and functional analysis identifies galectin-1 as a novel regulatory component of the cytotoxic granule machinery.

Secretory granules released by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are powerful weapons against intracellular microbes and tumor cells. Despite significant progress, there is still limited information on the molecular mechanisms implicated in target-driven degranulation, effector cell survival and composition and structure of the lytic granules. Here, using a proteomic approach we identified a panel of putative cytotoxic granule proteins, including some already known granule constituents and novel proteins that contribute to regulate the CTL lytic machinery.

[The colistin MIC determination in Acinetobacter baumannii, Should it be reviewed?].

Currently, there is a controversy in how to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of colistin against Acinetobacter baumannii. We compared three methods, concluding that the addition of Tween-80 (0.002%) to Müller-Hinton broth in the microdilution method could improve MIC determination and it could reduce false resistance.

Inhibition on cholinesterase and tyrosinase by alkaloids and phenolics from Aristotelia chilensis leaves.

It is reported in this study the effect of isolates from leaves of Aristotelia chilensis as inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and tyrosinase enzymes. The aim of the paper was to evaluate the activity of A. chilensis towards different enzymes.

[Copper activity against multiresistant Gram-positive cocci isolated in Chilean hospitals].

Background: Nosocomial infections caused by multiresistant Gram-positive cocci are a serious problem for public health systems worldwide. The use of copper surfaces in hospital environments has proven to be an effective alternative for the control of various microorganisms, including multiresistant nosocomial pathogens.

Aim: To determine the association between antibiotic multiresistance and higher levels of copper tolerance in Gram-positive cocci isolated from Chilean hospitals, which might confer a selective advantage in environments with copper.

The chilean superfruit black-berry Aristotelia chilensis (Elaeocarpaceae), Maqui as mediator in inflammation-associated disorders.

The effects of phytochemicals occurred in fractions and extracts of fruits of "Maqui-berry" (Aristotelia chilensis), on the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible-nitric oxide synthases (iNOS) and the production of proinflammatory mediators were investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated murine macrophage RAW-264 cells, as well as their antioxidant activities. The MeOH extract (A), acetone/methanol extract (B), fractions F3, F4, subfractions (SF4-SF6, SF7, SF8-SF10, SF11-SF15, SF16-SF20), quercetin, gallic acid, luteolin, myricetin, mixtures M1, M2 and M3 exhibited potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The results indicated that anthocyanins, flavonoids and its mixtures suppressed the LPS induced production of nitric oxide (NO), through the down-regulation of iNOS and COX-2 protein expressions and showed a potent antioxidant activity against SOD, ABTS, TBARS, ORAC, FRAP and DCFH.

Differential expression of Low density lipoprotein Receptor-related Protein 1 (LRP-1) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in prostate gland: From normal to malignant lesions.

Background: Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are relevant modulators of inflammation, tumor microenvironment, cancer invasion and metastasis. They can be regulated by the Low density lipoprotein Receptor-related Protein 1 (LRP-1), a receptor reported to mediate the clearance of lipoproteins, extracellular matrix (ECM) macromolecules and proteinases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of LRP-1, MMP-2 and MMP-9 across various grades of prostatic diseases as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), BPH plus prostatitis (BPH+P), high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) and prostate cancer (PCa).

Molecular typing and genetic environment of the blaKPC gene in Chilean isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

The aim of this work was to determine the genetic environment and transferability of blaKPC as well as the pulsotypes of KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated from clinical samples in Chilean hospitals. Seventeen strains, principally isolated in Santiago (the capital of Chile) during the years 2012 and 2013, were included. The genetic environment of blaKPC was elucidated by PCR mapping and sequencing.

[Colistin in the post-antibiotic era].

One of the most important features of the post-antibiotic era in the late 20th century is the resurgence of colistin for the treatment of extensively drug resistant gram-negative bacteria (XDR). Colistin is a narrow spectrum anti-biotic, active against microorganisms with clinical significance such as Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Nowadays its toxicity is lower, partly explained by better pharmaceuticals and management of the critically ill patients.

[Isolation of Staphylococcus aureus hetero-resistant to vancomycin (hVISA) in the Regional Hospital of Concepción, Chile].

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is widely distributed in hospital environments, causing serious infections, mainly the bloodstream, surgical site infection and pneumonia. Vancomycin (VAN) is the antibiotic of choice for treating severe MRSA infections; however, nowadays worldwide resistant strains (VRSA), with intermediate susceptibility (VISA) and decreased susceptibility or hetero-resistance to VAN (hVISA) have been reported, related to treatment failure and increased mortality. This report describes the first confirmed isolation of MRSA with hVISA phenotype in a public hospital in Chile.

In vitro activity of terpenes against Candida albicans and ultrastructural alterations.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vitro activity of terpene blends combined with tissue conditioner against Candida albicans and the effect on its morphology and sub-micro structure.

Study Design: The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of terpenes, obtained from a by-product of kraft pulping, was determined using broth microdilution against C. albicans strains, and the activity of terpenes combined with Coe-Comfort tissue conditioner was assessed.