In Brief: Congenital ZIKV infection promotes alarming effects on male offspring's reproductive biology. This study showed the presence of the ZIKV antigen in the testis parenchyma, decreased testosterone levels, and sperm abnormalities in male offspring born to infected mothers.
Abstract: Infection with ZIKV during pregnancy is associated with fetal developmental problems.
Zika virus (ZIKV) causes human testicular inflammation and alterations in sperm parameters and causes testicular damage in mouse models. The involvement of individual immune cells in testicular damage is not fully understood. We detected virus in the testes of the interferon (IFN) α/β receptor A129 mice three weeks post-infection and found elevated chemokines in the testes, suggesting chronic inflammation and long-term infection play a role in testicular damage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Nitazoxanide exerts antiviral activity and and anti-inflammatory effects, but its impact on patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia is uncertain.
Methods: A multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 19 hospitals in Brazil. Hospitalized adult patients requiring supplemental oxygen, with COVID-19 symptoms and a chest computed tomography scan suggestive of viral pneumonia or positive RT-PCR test for COVID-19 were enrolled.
Arch Virol
November 2019
The DC-SIGN glycoprotein is responsible for the initial adhesion of dengue virus (DENV) to immune cells by the carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). There are thirteen soluble and membrane-bound DC-SIGN isoforms, but the role of soluble isoforms in the DENV internalization process is not known. Five isoforms with an altered or absent CRD were identified, and three different soluble isoforms were used to confirm the interactions with mannose residues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrop Med Int Health
January 2015
Objective: To entomologically monitor Aedes spp. and correlate the presence of these vectors with the recent epidemic of dengue in Divinopolis, Minas Gerais State, Brazil.
Methods: Ovitraps were installed at 44 points in the city, covering six urban areas, from May 2011 to May 2012.