RESUMO
Knowledge of the role of Tregs in the immunopathogenesis of the different clinical outcomes within the leprosy spectrum remains limited due to the lack of studies directly assessing their suppression capacity. We thus tested a protocol to expand Tregs from the peripheral blood of patients across the leprosy spectrum and analyzed their suppressive capacity in autologous TCD4+ responses. Results of these pilot assays show that Tregs can be expanded and exert suppressive capacity, but also that their rate of expansion and suppressive capacity are influenced by the patient's clinical classification, suggesting that they possibly retain some in vivo characteristics.
Assuntos
Hanseníase/imunologia , Linfócitos T Reguladores/imunologia , Proliferação de Células , Humanos , Tolerância Imunológica , Hanseníase/sangue , Hanseníase/classificação , Mycobacterium lepraemurium , Projetos PilotoRESUMO
This study examined the effects of age and walking experience on infants' ability to step over an obstacle. We videotaped 30 infants with one (mean [ M] age = 12.6 months), three ( M age = 14.7 months), and six months ( M age = 17.7 months) of walking experience walking on a pathway with and without an obstacle. We found a shorter stride and slower velocity for infants with one month of walking experience and for the walking condition with an obstacle than for other experience groups or for walking without an obstacle. Across all groups, the horizontal distance between an infant's foot and the obstacle was larger for the trailing leg than for the leading leg. The vertical distance for both legs was similar among 1-month walkers, increased for 3-month walkers, and was similar for the trailing leg of the 6-month walker group. The percentage of the interlimb coordination relative phase for the leading limb was smaller for 3- and 6-month walker groups. In conclusion, age and walking experience contribute to improving coupling between sensory information and motor action and to organization for stepping over an obstacle in infants.