Infections with Trichuris trichiura and other trichurid nematodes have been reported to display protective effects against atopy, allergic and autoimmune diseases. The aims of the present study were to investigate the immunomodulatory properties of T. trichiura adult worm extract (TtE) and its fractions (TtEFs) on the production of cytokines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells and to identify their proteinaceous components. Fourteen TtEFs were obtained by ion exchange chromatography and tested for effects on cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The molecular constituents of the six most active fractions were evaluated using nano-LC/mass spectrometry. The homology between T. trichiura and the related nematode Trichinella spiralis was used to identify 12 proteins in TtEFs. Among those identified, fructose biphosphate aldolase, a homologue of macrophage migration inhibitory factor and heat-shock protein 70 may contribute to the immunomodulatory effects of TtEFs. The identification of such proteins could lead to the development of novel drugs for the therapy of allergic and other inflammatory diseases.

Toxocara canis, Toxocara cati, are roundworms that live in the intestines of dogs and cats, respectively, and are predominantly agents of human toxocariasis. Studies have suggested that Toxocara spp. seroprevalence increases levels of total and aeroallergen-specific IgE (sIgE), asthma prevalence and asthma morbidity. Nevertheless, other work reported a negative association between Toxocara spp. seropositivity with skin hypersensititity and a positive association with sIgE. The objective of the present study was to evaluate risk factors for acquiring Toxocara spp. infection and to investigate possible significant association between its seroprevalence with atopy and asthma. Students from elementary schools, residents in a small town and its surroundings of Northeast Brazil, underwent blood sampling to measure levels of anti-Toxocara spp. IgG, peripheral blood eosinophils, and specific IgE to aeroallergens. We used univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses to assess possible risk factors for Toxocara spp. seropositivity and its association with atopy, wheeze/asthma with asthma phenotypes, in a sample of 791 elementary school children aged 6-13 years. Toxocara spp. seroprevalence reached 63.6%; 49.9% had sIgE; 7.2% and 3.3% had atopic wheeze/asthma and non-atopic wheeze/asthma respectively. Risk factors associated with Toxocara spp. seropositivity were: contact with dogs (adj. OR 2.33; 95% CI=1.70-3.19) and cats (adj. OR 3.09; 95% CI=2.10-4.55), and male sex (adj. OR 2.21; 95% CI=1.62-3.02). The presence of anti-Toxocara IgG was statistically associated with blood eosinophils >4% and >10% (adj. OR 1.84; 95% CI=1.33-2.55 and adj. OR 2.07; 95% CI=1.45-2.97, respectively), and atopy (adj. OR 2.00; 95% CI=1.49-2.68), but it was not associated with wheeze/asthma. Concluding, the results obtained in this study showing the association of Toxocara spp. seroprevalence with sIgE may suggest a possible immunological cross-reactivity between IgE epitopes from Toxocara spp. and aeroallergens.

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Objective: To review the literature on the use of urinary cotinine as a biological marker of cigarette smoke exposure. Methods: Narrative review of original and review articles on the topic of interest, published in Portuguese or English by June 2018, and selected in the following online databases: PubMed and Virtual Health Library (VHL). Results: Urinary cotinine is usually the recommended biomarker to estimate exposure to cigarette smoke, and can be used alone or, preferably, in association with questionnaires. Different analytical techniques can be used to quantify urinary cotinine and are differently performed because of urine sample interfering factors. Conclusion: The precise classification of smoking status is essential. It is advisable to use objective measurements regarding smoking habits since self-reported smoking may not always represent the true smoking status of the individual, particularly in groups that are more vulnerable to omitting the information of questionnaries, in addition, it has possible biases of memory. The accurate assessment of smoking is crucial to improve clinical management and counseling for different diseases as well as the establishment of preventive strategies. So, the use of urinary cotinine as a biomarker of cigarette smoke exposure seems to be a suitable assay to distinguish non-smokers from passive and active smokers.

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These results indicate that these fungal extracts could be used as adjuvants in personalized therapeutic vaccines in a fair proportion of individuals. In addition, they justify the carrying out of investigations aimed at identifying molecules in these extracts that might exclusively induce Treg and/or Th1 immune responses.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a percepção dos produtores rurais do Assentamento Paulo Fonteles quanto ao acesso às políticas públicas de desenvolvimento socioeconômico por meio de um estudo de caso, utilizando o índice de vulnerabilidade social através da metodologia SEA. A área de estudo é o Assentamento Paulo Fonteles que se localiza na cidade de Belém-PA, no distrito de Mosqueiro, com acesso pela estrada da Baía do Sol, bairro Sucurijuquara. Os dados foram coletados no ano de 2019, através de uma abordagem mista, com levantamentos quantitativos e qualitativos de fatores básicos que podem ter reflexos de intervenções governamentais, onde para cada fator avaliado foi estipulada uma pontuação que varia de 01 a 05, de muito baixo a muito alto, comparando os dois períodos de análise (2006 e 2019). Foi obtido o índice de vulnerabilidade social que varia de 0 a 1, onde quanto mais próximo de 1 a avaliação será melhor. Observou-se que houve taxa de crescimento de 97,3 % em relação ao índice de vulnerabilidade social de 2006 para 2019. Os atributos que contribuíram para esse aumento foram idade, grau de escolaridade, acesso a moradia, destino do lixo e esgoto e acesso a água potável. Já o índice de acesso às políticas governamentais continuou com o mesmo valor de 1, muito baixo, demonstrando a deficiência do poder público nas áreas de assentamentos rurais. Desse modo, a análise realizada comprova que ocorreram melhorias socioeconômicas para os produtores, mostrando a eficácia do índice de vulnerabilidade social na avaliação.