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It has been hypothesized that anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID) to neural antigens induced prior to central nervous system injury can inhibit self-reactivity and lessen secondary degeneration. This work evaluated the effect of ACAID induced to three neural tissue-derived extracts (whole extract, cytosolic extract, CE; or organelle-membrane extract) prior to optic nerve injury on retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival. The results show that only ACAID to the CE increased RGC survival at 7 and14 days post-injury (dpi). This effect was achieved by retinal polarization towards an anti-inflammatory profile, driven by regulatory T cells and M2-type macrophages at 7 dpi.
Assuntos
Câmara Anterior/imunologia , Autoantígenos/imunologia , Privilégio Imunológico/imunologia , Traumatismos do Nervo Óptico/imunologia , Retina/imunologia , Animais , Autoimunidade , Citosol/imunologia , Feminino , Hipersensibilidade Tardia/imunologia , Macrófagos/imunologia , Compressão Nervosa , Fatores de Crescimento Neural/biossíntese , Fatores de Crescimento Neural/genética , Ratos , Ratos Wistar , Células Ganglionares da Retina/imunologia , Linfócitos T Reguladores/imunologiaRESUMO
A recrystallized form of enrofloxacin as dehydrate-HCl (enro-C) was assessed for bacteriological and clinical cure efficacies in Holstein-Friesian cows affected of nonsevere clinical mastitis. Treatments were enro-Csusp (n = 81), treated with a pharmaceutical suspension of enro-C/quarter; group enro-Cpd (n = 80) treated as above, but using enro-C powder suspended in water; group CF (n = 65), treated with ceftiofur HCl/quarter; and group enroR (n = 66), treated with standard enrofloxacin solution (5 mg/kg, intramuscular). Cows had a mean milk production of 31 L/day and were 2-3 lactational periods old. Treatments were administered every 24 hr for 3 days. Groups treated with enro-C exhibited statistically significant (p > .05) better clinical cure as compared to groups treated with CF or enroR (95.06%, 96.25%, 67.79%, and 57.55%, for enro-Csusp , enro-Cpd , CF, and enroR , respectively). In contrast, probability of bacteriological cure was not statistically different among treatments. Yet, the outstanding clinical and bacteriological cure rates obtained for enro-C for nonsevere cases of mastitis is superior to previously reported data for parenteral enrofloxacin and other antibacterial-intramammary treatments. Impact of using enro-C on the rate and pattern of bacterial resistance, somatic cell counts and milk electric conductivity, must be studied. Also, the use of enro-C for complicated cases of mastitis should be studied and milk withdrawal times must be accurately established.
Assuntos
Antibacterianos/uso terapêutico , Cefalosporinas/uso terapêutico , Fluoroquinolonas/uso terapêutico , Mastite Bovina/tratamento farmacológico , Animais , Antibacterianos/administração & dosagem , Bovinos , Cefalosporinas/administração & dosagem , Esquema de Medicação/veterinária , Enrofloxacina , Feminino , Fluoroquinolonas/administração & dosagem , Infusões Parenterais/veterinária , Injeções/veterinária , Glândulas Mamárias Animais , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
The purpose of this study was to develop a method for identifying newly diagnosed tuberculosis (TB) patients at risk for TB adverse events in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Surveillance data between 2006 and 2013 (8431 subjects) was used to develop risk scores based on predictive modelling. The final models revealed that TB patients failing their treatment regimen were more likely to have at most a primary school education, multi-drug resistance (MDR)-TB, and few to moderate bacilli on acid-fast bacilli smear. TB patients who died were more likely to be older males with MDR-TB, HIV, malnutrition, and reporting excessive alcohol use. Modified risk scores were developed with strong predictability for treatment failure and death (c-statistic 0·65 and 0·70, respectively), and moderate predictability for drug resistance (c-statistic 0·57). Among TB patients with diabetes, risk scores showed moderate predictability for death (c-statistic 0·68). Our findings suggest that in the clinical setting, the use of our risk scores for TB treatment failure or death will help identify these individuals for tailored management to prevent these adverse events. In contrast, the available variables in the TB surveillance dataset are not robust predictors of drug resistance, indicating the need for prompt testing at time of diagnosis.
Assuntos
Antituberculosos/farmacologia , Antituberculosos/uso terapêutico , Farmacorresistência Bacteriana Múltipla , Mycobacterium/efeitos dos fármacos , Saúde Pública/métodos , Tuberculose/tratamento farmacológico , Adulto , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , México/epidemiologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Falha de Tratamento , Tuberculose/microbiologia , Tuberculose/mortalidade , Tuberculose Resistente a Múltiplos Medicamentos/tratamento farmacológico , Tuberculose Resistente a Múltiplos Medicamentos/microbiologia , Tuberculose Resistente a Múltiplos Medicamentos/mortalidade , Adulto JovemRESUMO
The present work explores the use of image digitalization of western blot (WB) aiming to extract more information about the humoral immune response of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected individuals, and to analyze obtained data in a multivariate manner. The digitalization and analysis of WB images was performed on 115 sera. Images were analyzed either qualitatively: dendogram and principal component analysis (PCA) or quantitatively: PCA of the total bands, taking either the antigens, which belong to the virus, or only those which do not. Results show the feasibility of mechanical diagnosis of a large number of WB images. The dendogram and the qualitative PCA satisfactorily separated white images, images with less than four bands, and images with more complex patterns. Quantitative analysis, which keeps more information, separated the images of negative, undetermined and positive diagnosis quite precisely. It was also found that the positive images with complex patterns of antigen recognition correlate better with asymptomatic individuals. Image analysis also revealed various other bands in WB which do not seem to correspond to viral proteins and could represent autoantigens or crossed antigens between HIV and humans which may cause autoimmunity. Digital analysis of WB images is thus demonstrated to be of great usefulness in the diagnosis and of potential great interest in following the evolution and exploring the pathogenesis of AIDS.
Assuntos
Sorodiagnóstico da AIDS/métodos , Western Blotting , HumanosRESUMO
Vasectomy service providers at the Clínica del Hombre (Men's Clinic) in Bogotá, Colombia, construct their representations concerning male sterilization on the basis of biomedical discourse, their interaction with clinic users, and their own life experiences. During provision of such services, the counselors are the health professionals who have the closest contact with these clients of the clinic. Counselors are in charge of exploring their motivations in requesting the service, in addition to providing information allowing them to take a calm, sound decision. They also directly filter demand based on their experience, knowledge, and skills, in permanent negotiation between institutional criteria (number of children and gap between them, client's age, steadiness of couple's relationship, and conviction concerning the decision), and their perception and assessment of the client. An analysis of the counselors' representations of decision-making as pertaining to vasectomy indicates that it is a relatively simple and harmless procedure as well as a liberating option in terms of family planning.
RESUMO
Fifty-eight of 89 serum samples (65.17%) from HIV-1-infected individuals at various disease stages contain antibodies that react with a platelet peptide located in the cytoplasmic domain of integrin beta3, glycoprotein GPIIIa (aa749-761; sequence DRKEFAKFEEERA). Rabbit polyclonal antibodies raised against the synthetic platelet peptide also react with the structurally homologous HIV-1 gp41-derived peptide (EKNEQELLELDKW(A)) and bind to a Western blot band with molecular weight corresponding to HIV-1 gp41. These findings point to molecular mimicry between HIV-1 and a human membrane protein found in platelets and other cells that could be of pathologic consequence.
Assuntos
Antígenos CD/genética , Proteína gp41 do Envelope de HIV/genética , Glicoproteínas da Membrana de Plaquetas/genética , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Anticorpos Anti-Helmínticos/imunologia , Antígenos CD/química , Antígenos CD/imunologia , Antígenos de Helmintos/química , Antígenos de Helmintos/imunologia , Western Blotting , Cisticercose/imunologia , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática , Epitopos/química , Epitopos/genética , Epitopos/imunologia , Anticorpos Anti-HIV/sangue , Anticorpos Anti-HIV/imunologia , Proteína gp41 do Envelope de HIV/química , Proteína gp41 do Envelope de HIV/imunologia , Infecções por HIV/sangue , Infecções por HIV/imunologia , Soropositividade para HIV/imunologia , HIV-1/química , HIV-1/genética , HIV-1/imunologia , Proteínas de Helminto/imunologia , Humanos , Soros Imunes/imunologia , Integrina beta3 , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Oligopeptídeos/síntese química , Oligopeptídeos/imunologia , Peptídeos/química , Peptídeos/imunologia , Contagem de Plaquetas , Glicoproteínas da Membrana de Plaquetas/química , Glicoproteínas da Membrana de Plaquetas/imunologia , Coelhos , Homologia de Sequência de Aminoácidos , Testes SorológicosRESUMO
The reactivities of 1,172 serum samples obtained from asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-positive and HIV-1-negative individuals residing in Mexico to a synthetic disulfide-looped peptide from the HIV-1 gp41 (amino acids 602 to 616 [IWGCSGKLICTTAVP] were examined by an enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) procedure. Antibodies to the synthetic peptide were detected in 261 of 268 serum samples from HIV-positive individuals (sensitivity, 97.4%). The peptide also reacted with 12 of 904 serum samples from control HIV-negative individuals (specificity, 98.7%). Western blots (immunoblots) of four of the seven serum samples that produced false-negative results in the ELISA showed that three of them reacted weakly with gp41 and strongly with gp120, p55, and/or p24. Potential diagnostic difficulties raised by the reported C1q binding capacity of this peptide were also evaluated: few and weak false-positive results were found among sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (1 of 31) and neurocysticercosis (2 of 111). In fact, strong reactivity with the peptide spotted an undetected HIV infection underlying clinical neurocysticercosis.
Assuntos
Anticorpos Anti-HIV/imunologia , Proteína gp41 do Envelope de HIV/imunologia , HIV-1/imunologia , Proteínas Recombinantes/imunologia , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Humanos , México/epidemiologia , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Valor Preditivo dos TestesRESUMO
The screening of a cDNA library of Taenia crassiceps revealed a clone designated KETc7 that induced high levels of protection against murine cysticercosis in previous experiments. The molecular structure of the deduced 100-amino acid sequence of the corresponding proline-rich polypeptide was studied to detect potentially immunologically active epitopes. Several candidate epitopes were identified, three of which were synthesized by solid-phase peptide synthesis and used as antigens in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of specific antibodies in a selected panel of sera from mice infected with Taenia crassiceps and pigs infected with Taenia solium, as well as in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of human patients with neurocysticercosis. The three peptides detected antibodies in serum from all infected mice. Seven of nine sera from patients with neurocysticercosis reacted strongly with peptide GK-3, and four of them with peptides GK-1 and GK-2. A lower reactivity was observed in sera from experimentally infected pigs. Peptide GK-3 reacted also with 45 out of 77 cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) from patients with confirmed neurocysticercosis and with 14 out of 68 CSF from control patients with other neurological disorders. This is the first report on synthetic peptides that are prominent in the humoral response of murine, porcine and human cysticercosis. Their identification implies finer molecular tools in the exploration of this form of host-parasite relationship, as well as hints to their application in immunodiagnosis and in vaccine design.
Assuntos
Antígenos de Helmintos/química , Cisticercose/imunologia , Proteínas de Helminto/imunologia , Taenia/imunologia , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Anticorpos Anti-Helmínticos/imunologia , Humanos , Camundongos , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Peptídeos/química , Peptídeos/imunologia , SuínosRESUMO
This work is a review of the philosophical analysis surrounding the concept of "humanism" and what it means to be a human being, in relationship to daily life, education and medicine. The authors establish a direct relationship between humanism and bioethics as they relate to the new trends acquired through the development of institutional medicine and the increasing application of technological innovations in the health field. Both of these conditions tend to depersonalize the practice of medicine, and transform an ill person into a clinical file. Reflections are made about current topics, such as the knowledge and manipulation of human genome, assisted reproduction, abortion, survival of premature infants, organ transplants, technological innovation, euthanasia and disthanasia. Concepts and ideas are reviewed in relation to medical institutions and the sick, the physician and the community, and the physician and the government.
Assuntos
Humanismo , Filosofia Médica , Governo , Relações Hospital-Paciente , Humanos , Defesa do Paciente , Relações Médico-Paciente , Responsabilidade SocialRESUMO
A 48 years old male is reported. He presented with lower limb progressive and severe polyneuropathy, hypertrichosis, endocrinological alterations (hypothyroidism and hypogonadism) and organomegaly (hepatosplenomegaly and lymphadenopathies). This syndrome was associated with an osteosclerosis myeloma. The patient died two months after admission