A major mosquito-borne viral disease outbreak caused by Zika virus (ZIKV) occurred in Bahia, Brazil, in 2015, largely due to transmission by the mosquito, Aedes aegypti (L.). Detecting ZIKV in field samples of Ae. aegypti has proven problematic in some locations, suggesting other mosquito species might be contributing to the spread of ZIKV. In this study, several (five) adult Aedes albopictus (Skuse) mosquitoes that emerged from a 2015 field collection of eggs from Camaçari, Bahia, Brazil, were positive for ZIKV RNA; however, attempts to isolate live virus were not successful. Results from this study suggest that field-collected Ae. albopictus eggs may contain ZIKV RNA that require further tests for infectious ZIKV. There is a need to investigate the role of Ae. albopictus in the ZIKV infection process in Brazil and to study the potential presence of vertical and sexual transmission of ZIKV in this species.

Background Natural killer (NK) cells are part of the innate immune system and provide surveillance against viruses and cancers. The ability of NK cells to kill virus-infected cells depends on the balance between the effects of inhibitory and activating NK cell receptors. This study aimed to investigate the phenotypic profile and the functional capacity of NK cells in the context of HTLV-1 infection. Methods This cross-sectional study sequentially recruited HTLV-1 infected individuals with HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and asymptomatic HTLV-1 (AS) from the Integrated and Multidisciplinary HTLV Center in Salvador, Brazil. Blood samples from healthy blood donors served as controls. NK cell surface receptors (NKG2D, KIR2DL2/KIR2DL3, NKp30, NKG2A, NKp46, TIM-3 and PD-1), intracellular cytolytic (Granzyme B, perforin) and functional markers (CD107a for degranulation, IFN-γ) were assayed by flow cytometry in the presence or absence of standard K562 target cells. In addition, cytotoxicity assays were performed in the presence or absence of anti-NKp30. Results The frequency of NKp30 + NK cells was significantly decreased in HAM/TSP patients [58%, Interquartile Range (IQR) 30–61] compared to controls (73%, IQR 54–79, p = 0.04). The production of cytolytic (perforin, granzyme B) and functional markers (CD107a and IFN-γ) was higher in unstimulated NK cells from HAM/TSP and AS patients compared to controls. By contrast, stimulation with K562 target cells did not alter the frequency of CD107a + NK cells in HAM/TSP subjects compared to the other groups. Blockage of the NKp30 receptor was shown to decrease cytotoxic activity (CD107a) and IFN-γ expression only in asymptomatic HTLV-1-infected individuals. Conclusions NK cells from individuals with a diagnosis of HAM/TSP present decreased expression of the activating receptor NKp30, in addition to elevated degranulation activity that remained unaffected after blocking the NKp30 receptor.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that has emerged as a global concern because of its impact on human health. ZIKV infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly and other severe brain defects in the developing fetus and there have been reports of the occurrence of Guillain-Barré syndrome in areas affected by ZIKV. NK cells are activated during acute viral infections and their activity contributes to a first line of defense because of their ability to rapidly recognize and kill virus-infected cells. To provide insight into NK cell function during ZIKV infection, we have profiled, using mass cytometry, the NK cell receptor-ligand repertoire in a cohort of acute ZIKV-infected female patients. Freshly isolated NK cells from these patients contained distinct, activated, and terminally differentiated, subsets expressing higher levels of CD57, NKG2C, and KIR3DL1 as compared with those from healthy donors. Moreover, KIR3DL1+ NK cells from these patients produced high levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α, in the absence of direct cytotoxicity, in response to in vitro stimulation with autologous, ZIKV-infected, monocyte-derived dendritic cells. In ZIKV-infected patients, overproduction of IFN-γ correlated with STAT-5 activation (r = 0.6643; p = 0.0085) and was mediated following the recognition of MHC class 1–related chain A and chain B molecules expressed by ZIKV-infected monocyte-derived dendritic cells, in synergy with IL-12 production by the latter cells. Together, these findings suggest that NK cells contribute to the generation of an efficacious adaptive anti-ZIKV immune response that could potentially affect the outcome of the disease and/or the development of persistent symptoms.

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INTRODUCTION: The Biomedicine course of the Bahian School of Medicine and Public Health (EBMSP) was authorized by the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) on December 26, 2002 and recognized on January 23, 2007, the entire operation is the 4,158 hours of total course workload divided by 8 semesters. Undergraduate thesis (UT) is required for degree placement. AIM: To evaluate the thematic profiles of the undergraduate thesis carried out by students of the Biomedicine course of the EBMSP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: UTs from 2006 to 2018 were evaluated through the abstracts of the TCCs and then classified according to the type of study (revision or experimental), style (article or monograph), in relation to the graduation matters, in relation to areas of CAPES and in relation to the areas of biomedicine. The data tabulation was performed by Excel and graphs were done in Graphpad prism. A greater number of reviews and monographs were found. RESULTS: The most frequent discipline of the Biomedicine course  was microbiology with 55 papers (14.21%), followed by Parasitology with 35 (9.04%) and Immunology with 33 (8.53%). For the major área of the CAPES, Biological Sciences was the most frequent and the area most frequently occupation area was also microbiology. In addition, the number of retrieved TCCs was representative, most of them in literature review format and monograph style. CONCLUSION: It is noticed that the adequate storage of the works is of extreme importance for several analyzes, such as updates in the curriculum, perceptions of the disciplines in relation to the labor market and research areas.

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