Melatonin decreases brain apoptosis, oxidative stress, and CD200 expression and increased survival rate in mice infected by Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus.

Background: Pro-inflammatory and oxidative events during brain Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus infection could lead to apoptosis and induce anti-inflammatory responses (increased expression of CD200). The aim of this study was to determine the effect of melatonin on brain apoptosis, oxidative stress, and CD200 molecule in mice and neuroblastoma cultures infected by Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus.

Methods: Mice were infected with 10 median lethal doses (LD50) of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, treated with melatonin (500 µg/kg bw; three days before infection and during all experimental time) and sacrificed on days 1, 3, and 5 postinfection.

Increased expression of cytokines, soluble cytokine receptors, soluble apoptosis ligand and apoptosis in dengue.

Several studies have been performed to determine biomarkers that define the risk factors to developing severe forms of dengue. In this study, the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1, IL-17, soluble interleukin-1 receptor like 1 protein (sST2), soluble TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (sTRAIL), IL-12 and soluble receptors for TNF (sTNF-RI and sTNF-RII) were determined by ELISA in dengue patients and monocyte/macrophage cultures. Dengue was classified as dengue without warning symptoms (DNWS), with warning symptoms (DWWS) and severe dengue (SD).

[Association of HLA class I and leukemia in mestizo patients of the state of Zulia, Venezuela].

The Human Leukocyte Allele (HLA) Class I (A, B, C) and Acute Lymphoid Leukemia and Myeloid Leukemia association, was determined by polymerase chain reaction--sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP) in 60 patients and 30 healthy controls. The results were reported as allelic frequencies and haplotype. The Chi-square corrected, Fisher's Test, Relative risk and etiologic fraction were calculated.

HLA-B27 subtypes determination in patients with ankylosing spondylitis from Zulia, Venezuela.

To perform an investigation regarding the distribution of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 subtypes in the Zulian population with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 48 unrelated Mestizos, HLA-B27 positive by serology, were studied using the polymerase chain reaction-specific sequence oligonucleotides probe (PCR-SSOP) and specific sequence primers (SSP) to analyze the polymorphism in exons 2 and 3 of the HLA-B27 gene. Only two of eight HLA-B27 subtypes studied (B*2701-B*2708) were found. The distribution of these alleles in the population of patients was: B*2705, 68.

[Immune response and anergy. Study in tuberculosis patients from the Universitary Hospital, Maracaibo, Venezuela ].

With the aim of evaluate the anergy in Mycobacterium tuberculosis individuals infected we study 57 patients and 15 healthy controls, both sex and with different age, which to practice Sputum Bacteriology culture (BK) and the la reaction intradermic with PDD. The test of tuberculine on skin was achieve inoculate 0.1 ml de PPD intradérmic vía, the results were obtained at 72 h.