Objective: This study aims to analyze saliva composition in crack users using vibrational spectroscopy.
Material And Methods: A total of 90 participants were meticulously selected and divided into three groups, each comprising 30 individuals. All participants met the criterion of having no observable clinical changes in the oral mucosa.
Saliva has emerged as a promising diagnostic fluid for viral infections, enabling the direct analysis of viral genetic material and the detection of infection markers such as proteins, metabolites, microRNAs, and immunoglobulins. This comprehensive review aimed to explore the use of saliva as a diagnostic tool for viral infections, emphasizing its advantages and limitations. Saliva stands out due to its simplicity and safety in collection, along with the convenience of self-collection without the need for healthcare supervision, while potentially being comparable to urine and blood in terms of effectiveness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Torquetenovirus (TTV) is a small DNA virus constituting the human virome. High levels of TTV-DNA have been shown to be associated with immunosuppression and inflammatory chronic disorders.
Aim: To assess the possible association between the salivary viral load of TTV-DNA in patients hospitalised due to COVID-19 and disease severity.
Stillbirth is a fundamental component of childhood mortality, but its causes are still insufficiently understood. This study aims to explore stillbirth risk factors by using a multidisciplinary approach to stimulate public policies and protocols to prevent stillbirth, improve maternal care and support bereaved families. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In this case-control study with stillbirths and live births in 14 public hospitals in São Paulo, mothers are interviewed at hospitals after delivery, and hospital records and prenatal care registries are reviewed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: The objective of this study was to identify the presence of human herpesvirus (HHV) in the plasma and saliva of hepatic-cirrhosis patients and correlate it with clinical data and laboratory tests. This is a pilot, observational, and cross-sectional study.
Methods And Results: Specimens of plasma and saliva from 72 cirrhotic individuals were analyzed by means of polymerase chain reaction.
Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc
September 2024
Discriminate the severity level of COVID-19 disease is still a challenge. Here we investigate the capability of micro-infrared absorption spectroscopy (micro-FTIR) to probe COVID-19 severity level and predict hyperinflammation, correlating the assigned vibrational data to relevant biomolecules related to the immune system. Saliva of 184 patients was analysed by ELISA assay (Hepcidin) and micro-FTIR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn 18-year-old man was referred for a diagnosis of extensive oral lesions. During the interview, he reported a medical history of ganglionic tuberculosis, type 2 herpes infection, and significant weight loss due to dysphagia. Intraoral exam revealed multiple painful and ulcerated lesions covered by pseudomembrane.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo
June 2022
This prospective cohort study aims to analyze the surveillance of COVID-19 at a single hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) center in Brazil, in 29 patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT and 57 healthcare workers (nurses and dentists), through viral shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva and plasma and seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG. In addition, we report two cases with prolonged persistent detection of SARS-CoV-2 without seroconversion. The sample collection was performed seven times for patients and five times for healthcare workers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenomic surveillance has been applied since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to track the spread of the virus, leading to the characterization of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants, including variants of concern (VOC). Although sequencing is the standard method, a rapid molecular test for screening and surveillance of VOC is considered for detection. Furthermore, using alternative saliva as specimen collection facilitates the implementation of a less invasive, self-collected sample.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: COVID-19 is a disease affecting various human organs and systems, in which the virus seeks to interact with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors. These receptors are present in the oral cavity, but the direct relationship between such an interaction and possible oral manifestations of COVID-19 is still unclear.
Aim: The present study evaluated oral manifestations in a cohort of COVID-19 patients during the period of hospitalisation.
It has been reported that patients diagnosed with COVID-19 become critically ill primarily around the time of activation of the adaptive immune response. However the role of antibodies in the worsening of disease is not obvious. Higher titers of anti-spike immunoglobulin IgG1 associated with low fucosylation of the antibody Fc tail have been associated to excessive inflammatory response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The SARS-CoV-2 infections are still imposing a great public health challenge despite the recent developments in vaccines and therapy. Searching for diagnostic and prognostic methods that are fast, low-cost and accurate are essential for disease control and patient recovery. The MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry technique is rapid, low cost and accurate when compared to other MS methods, thus its use is already reported in the literature for various applications, including microorganism identification, diagnosis and prognosis of diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Several reports have proposed that the viral load of torque teno virus (TTV) in plasma is a biomarker of immune function in solid organ transplantation (SOT) and in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Additionally, for the latter one, TTV-DNA quantification in saliva has also been suggested.
Aim: to investigate the correlation between the TTV viral load and immune function in paired saliva and plasma samples in patients on kidney transplantation.
Host population size, density, immune status, age structure, and contact rates are critical elements of virus epidemiology. Slum populations stand out from other settings and may present differences in the epidemiology of acute viral infections. We collected nasopharyngeal specimens from 282 children aged ≤5 years with acute respiratory tract infection (ARI) during 2005 to 2006 in one of the largest Brazilian slums.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: We previously showed that close relatives of human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) exist in African bats. The small sample and limited genomic characterizations have prevented further analyses so far. Here, we tested 2,087 fecal specimens from 11 bat species sampled in Ghana for HCoV-229E-related viruses by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Peste des petits ruminanats (PPR) is an economically important viral disease affecting goats and sheep. Four genetically distinct lineages of peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) have been identified. In Gabon, the virus has not so far been detected.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe investigated the clinical impact of human coronaviruses (HCoV) OC43, 229E, HKU1 and NL63 in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) during routine and exacerbation visits. A total of 408 nasopharyngeal aspirate samples were obtained from 103 patients over a 1-year period. Samples positive for HCoV were submitted for nucleotide sequencing to determine the species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBats host noteworthy viral pathogens, including coronaviruses, astroviruses, and adenoviruses. Knowledge on the ecology of reservoir-borne viruses is critical for preventive approaches against zoonotic epidemics. We studied a maternity colony of Myotis myotis bats in the attic of a private house in a suburban neighborhood in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, during 2008, 2009, and 2010.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo investigate a possible role for human rhinovirus C in respiratory exacerbations of children with cystic fibrosis, we conducted microbiologic testing on respiratory specimens from 103 such patients in São Paulo, Brazil, during 2006-2007. A significant association was found between the presence of human rhinovirus C and respiratory exacerbations.
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