Effect of piplartine and cinnamides on Leishmania amazonensis, Plasmodium falciparum and on peritoneal cells of Swiss mice.

Context: Plants of the Piperaceae family produce piplartine that was used to synthesize the cinnamides.

Objective: To assess the effects of piplartine (1) and cinnamides (2-5) against the protozoa responsible for malaria and leishmaniasis, and peritoneal cells of Swiss mice.

Materials And Methods: Cultures of Leishmania amazonensis, Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes, and peritoneal cells were incubated, in triplicate, with different concentrations of the compounds (0 to 256 μg/mL).

Enhanced activation of eosinophils in peripheral blood and implications for eosinophilic esophagitis diagnosis.

Background And Aim: Eosinophils are markers of the eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) disease, and this work aimed to assess whether activation of eosinophils could be a noninvasive test to contribute for EoE diagnosis.

Methods: The activation state of peripheral blood eosinophils in EoE patients and control subjects was assessed based on the morphological aspects of the eosinophil after adherence to slide. Cyclooxygenase-2 and 5-lipoxygenase expressions were evaluated by means of immunofluorescence microscopy to verify if and which eicosanoid pathway is triggered in eosinophils in blood in EoE.

Enhanced neutrophil phagocytic capacity in rheumatoid arthritis related to the autoantibodies rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides.

Background: There is no consensus on the mechanisms by which anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) influence the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The current study verified if the presence of RF or anti-CCP is associated with phagocytic capacity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by phagocytes in RA patients to better clarify the role played by these antibodies in pathogenesis of the disease.

Methods: A cohort of 30 RA patients followed from early stages of the disease were characterized by positivity for RF or anti-CCP, disease activity score (DAS-28), health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), use of synthetic or biologic therapy, lifestyle, comorbidities and radiographic erosions.