32 results match your criteria: "National Institute of Science and Technology in Tropical Diseases[Affiliation]"

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how environmental and climate factors affect the spread of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil's Doce River basin, aiming to enhance future surveillance and control efforts.
  • It utilizes ecological niche modeling, analyzing 855 VL cases from 2001-2018 to predict current and future disease distributions based on various climatic and environmental variables.
  • Key findings indicate that human activities and climate change could increase VL suitable areas by 7% by 2041 and 12% by 2080, emphasizing the need for improved vector control initiatives in the region.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical disease endemic in Brazil. Morbidity and disabilities caused by CL lesions require an analysis of a Global Burden of Disease (GBD), which would help discern the impact on the Brazilian population. Herein, we assess the burden of CL and its spatial and temporal patterns in Brazil between 2001 and 2021.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A Mini-Review of Diagnostic Methods for the Antigen and Antibody Detection of Rocky Mountain and Brazilian Spotted Fever.

Biomedicines

July 2024

Programas de Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia (PPGBIOTEC) e Multicêntrico em Bioquimica e Biologia Molecular (PMBqBM), Disciplina Biotecnologia & Inovações, Universidade Federal de São João Del-Rei, Divinópolis 35501-296, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Article Synopsis
  • - Rocky Mountain or Brazilian spotted fever is a serious yet often overlooked disease predominantly found in specific areas of North and South America, highlighting the need for quick detection to improve patient outcomes.
  • - The review assessed various methods for detecting antibodies and antigens associated with the disease, revealing a total of 403 initial studies, but only 17 met the criteria for inclusion.
  • - The Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) was the most commonly used method, though it showed low specificity, and while techniques like ELISA and immunohistochemistry were noted, they also had limitations, underscoring the urgent need for better diagnostic methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Recent studies suggest that the association of antigens in microparticles increases the anti- vaccine immunogenicity. This study aims to investigate the in situ effect of the adjuvant performance consisting of chitosan-coated poly(,-lactic) acid submicrometric particles (SMP) and analyze the inflammatory profile and toxicity. Two formulations were selected, SMP, containing poly(,-lactide) (PLA) 1% / and chitosan 1% /; and SMP, containing PLA 5% / and chitosan 5% /.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Protection and Pathology in Infection.

Pathogens

April 2022

Laboratório de Pesquisas Clínicas (LAPEC), Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, FIOCRUZ, Salvador 40296710, Brazil.

killing is mediated by IFN-γ-activated macrophages, but IFN-γ production and macrophage activation are insufficient to control infection. In American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL), pathology results from an exaggerated inflammatory response. This report presents an overview of our contributions regarding ATL pathogenesis, highlighting future directions to improve the management of infection.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

[Not Available].

Ann Clin Transl Neurol

April 2022

Immunology Service, Professor Edgard Santos University Hospital, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador.

Objective: In the diagnosis of HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM), while magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is essential to exclude other diseases, its power is limited regarding HAM diagnosis, as only 30% of affected patients present with spinal cord atrophy. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) may enable the detection of damage in the white matter microstructure. Here, we quantitatively assess spinal cord damage using DTI and evaluate conventional MRI parameters of the spinal cord in HTLV-1-infected individuals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nearly a century after rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) was eradicated from the developed world, the disease remains endemic in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with grim health and socioeconomic impacts. The neglect of RHD which persisted for a semi-centennial was further driven by competing infectious diseases, particularly the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic. However, over the last two-decades, slowly at first but with building momentum, there has been a resurgence of interest in RF/RHD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Data on how SARS-CoV-2 enters and spreads in a population are essential for guiding public policies.

Objective: This study seeks to understand the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in small Brazilian towns during the early phase of the epidemic and to identify core groups that can serve as the initial source of infection as well as factors associated with a higher risk of COVID-19.

Methods: Two population-based seroprevalence studies, one household survey, and a case-control study were conducted in two small towns in southeastern Brazil between May and June 2020.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Childhood obesity is a global and increasing health issue. Inflammation and dysregulated adipose tissue secretion are common findings in obesity and have been related to poor metabolic function. Given that DNA methylation impacts gene expression and is responsive to environmental changes, we aimed, in addition to characterize the patients in anthropometric and biochemical terms, to determine the expression of cytokines and adipokines, assess the methylation on regulatory regions of the genes that code for these molecules, and investigate the association of the expression and gene methylation with anthropometric and biochemical parameters in childhood obesity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Inflammation associated with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is influenced by gene polymorphisms and inflammatory cytokines. There are currently no immunologic and genetic markers to discriminate latent versus clinical patients, critical to predict disease evolution. Employing machine-learning, we searched for predictors that could discriminate latent versus clinical RHD, and eventually identify latent patients that may progress to clinical disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Our goal was to identify genetic risk factors for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania braziliensis.

Methods: Genotyping 2066 CL cases and 2046 controls using Illumina HumanCoreExomeBeadChips provided data for 4 498 586 imputed single-nucleotide variants (SNVs). A genome-wide association study (GWAS) using linear mixed models took account of genetic diversity/ethnicity/admixture.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A high proviral load (PVL) is recognized as a risk factor for human T cell leukemia virus-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), but there is a lack of prospective studies evaluating whether or not HTLV-1 carriers with high PVL are at risk of developing HAM/TSP or other HTLV-1-related diseases. Here, we compare the incidence of clinical manifestations and the cytokine levels in 30 HTLV-1 carriers with high (> 50,000 copies/10 PBMC) and an equal number of subjects with low proviral load. Participants were followed for 3 to 16 years (median of 11 years).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Identifying genetic risk factors for parasitic infections such as the leishmaniases could provide important leads for improved therapies and vaccines. Until recently most genetic studies of human leishmaniasis were underpowered and/or not replicated. Here, we focus on recent genome-wide association studies of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Population-level proportions of individuals that fall at different points in the spectrum [of disease severity], from asymptomatic infection to severe disease, are often difficult to observe, but estimating these quantities can provide information about the nature and severity of the disease in a particular population. Logistic and multinomial regression techniques are often applied to infectious disease modeling of large populations and are suited to identifying variables associated with a particular disease or disease state. However, they are less appropriate for estimating infection state prevalence over time because they do not naturally accommodate known disease dynamics like duration of time an individual is infectious, heterogeneity in the risk of acquiring infection, and patterns of seasonality.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aims: The polymorphism observed in Leishmania braziliensis is associated with different clinical forms of leishmaniasis. Neutrophils (PMNs) participate in the pathogenesis of leishmania infection, and here, we evaluate neutrophil function after infection with isolates of L. braziliensis from cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) or disseminated leishmaniasis (DL) patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Local and systemic production of proinflammatory chemokines in the pathogenesis of HAM/TSP.

Cell Immunol

December 2018

Immunology Service, University Hospital Complex Professor Edgard Santos (ComHUPES), Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Department of Biological Sciences, State University of Feira de Santana (UEFS), Bahia, Brazil. Electronic address:

Background: HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is related with high proviral load, high proinflammatory cytokine levels, and passage of infected cell from the blood to the central nervous system. We aimed to evaluate the participation of chemokines and adhesion molecules in HAM/TSP pathogenesis.

Methods: CXCL9, CXCL10, sICAM-1, and sVCAM-1 were determined by ELISA in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of HTLV-1 infected individuals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Role of Co-Stimulatory Molecules in Chagas Disease.

Cells

November 2018

Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 31270-901, Brazil.

Chagas disease, caused by , is a potentially life-threatening tropical disease endemic to Latin American countries that affects approximately 8 million people. In the chronic phase of the disease, individuals are classified as belonging to the indeterminate clinical form or to the cardiac and/or digestive forms when clinical symptoms are apparent. The relationship between monocytes and lymphocytes may be an important point to help clarify the complexity that surrounds the clinical symptoms of the chronic phase of Chagas disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mucosal Leishmaniasis (ML) is a difficult to treat and severe form of Leishmaniasis. In general, more than 40% of subjects with ML have therapeutic failure upon the use of pentavalent antimony (Sb) at 20mg/kg/day during 30 days. Additionally, Sb is a toxic drug that requires parenteral administration, and many patients will need several courses to be cured.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Risk Factors for Erectile Dysfunction in Men With HTLV-1.

J Sex Med

October 2017

Immunology Service, University Hospital Professor Edgard Santos, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Department of Medicine and Diagnostic Support, Federal University of Bahia School of Medicine, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fiocruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology in Tropical Diseases, CNPq/MCT, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Electronic address:

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) occurs in more than 50% of patients with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection. In the general population, atherosclerosis is the main risk factor related to ED.

Aim: To compare the contribution of neurologic disorders from HTLV-1 with that of atherosclerosis as risk factors for ED in men with HTLV-1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of two teaching strategies, both guided by the concept of dialogicity, on adolescents' knowledge about schistosomiasis and adherence to diagnostic fecal testing.

Methods: Two teaching strategies related to schistosomiasis were developed, an educational video and group conversation, which were tested in two groups of students aged 10-15 years old. Before and after the intervention, a questionnaire was applied to assess participants' knowledge about schistosomiasis and, after the intervention, two fecal samples were requested from each participant.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Author Reply.

Urology

March 2016

Immunology Service, Complexo Hospitalar Professor Edgard Santos, Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, Fiocruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology in Tropical Diseases (INCT-DT), MCT/CNPq, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia School of Medicine, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The -308 bp TNF gene polymorphism influences tumor necrosis factor expression in leprosy patients in Bahia State, Brazil.

Infect Genet Evol

April 2016

National Institute of Science and Technology in Tropical Diseases, Brazil and Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil; Program of Post-graduation in Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil. Electronic address:

Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a debilitating chronic granulomatous disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, with high incidence and prevalence in Brazil. The -308 bp G/A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP rs1800629) in the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) gene promoter is a proposed risk factor for leprosy. In Brazil, Northern India, Egypt and Nepal, the common G allele was associated with leprosy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Effects of Physiotherapy in the Treatment of Neurogenic Bladder in Patients Infected With Human T-Lymphotropic Virus 1.

Urology

March 2016

Immunology Service, Complexo Hospitalar Professor Edgard Santos, Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Gonçalo Moniz Research Center, Fiocruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology in Tropical Diseases (INCT-DT), MCT/CNPq, Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia School of Medicine, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • The study assessed the effectiveness of physiotherapy for urinary issues in patients with lower urinary tract dysfunction linked to human T-lymphotropic virus 1.
  • 21 patients participated in the trial, showcasing significant improvements in urinary symptoms and perineal muscle strength, as well as better urodynamic parameters post-treatment.
  • Overall, physiotherapy proved to be an effective intervention, enhancing quality of life for patients suffering from neurogenic bladder conditions related to the virus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Determination of the neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) level can be used to detect acute kidney injury (AKI) earlier than determination of the serum creatinine (SCr) level in settings such as cardiac surgery, contrast nephropathy, and intensive care units. We hypothesized that urine NGAL (UrNGAL) would be an early biomarker of drug nephrotoxicity. To test this, we studied hemodynamically stable patients treated with amphotericin B (AmB).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Previous studies have demonstrated a role for wound healing genes in resolution of cutaneous lesions caused by Leishmania spp. in both mice and humans, including the gene FLI1 encoding Friend leukemia virus integration 1. Reduction of Fli1 expression in mice has been shown to result in up-regulation of collagen type I alpha 1 (Col1a1) and alpha 2 (Col1a2) genes and, conversely, in down-regulation of the matrix metalloproteinase 1 (Mmp1) gene, suggesting that Fli1 suppression is involved in activation of the profibrotic gene program.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF