The immune cross-reactivity between Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan that causes Chagas' disease, and Phytomonas serpens, a trypanosomatid that infects tomatoes, was studied. Sera from patients with Chagas' disease presented a strong reactivity with P. serpens antigens by conventional serological assays such as indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) and direct agglutination test (DAT), confirmed after cross-absorption experiments. The results show that this protozoan is highly immunogenic and that rabbit and mouse hyperimmune serum raised against T. cruzi or P. serpens was able to recognize both T. cruzi and P. serpens antigens in immunofluorescence and agglutination assays. The antigenic cross-reactivity between T. cruzi and P. serpens was also demonstrated in vivo. BALB/c mice immunized by the intraperitoneal or oral route with P. serpens and later challenged with a lethal inoculum of T. cruzi blood forms showed a significant decrease in parasitemia and increase in survival compared to controls. A practical implication of these findings is that the ingestion by humans or animals of living plant trypanosomatids present in naturally infected edible fruits could potentially prime the immune response to T. cruzi antigens and interfere with the development of T. cruzi infection.

Purpose: This study evaluated the rate of microbial contamination of toothbrushes used by students and established a protocol for the spraying of 0.12% chlorhexidine to decrease the bacterial presence on the bristles of the brushes.Methods: We performed cultures on selective and nonselective media from toothbrushes used by Dentistry students from State University of West Paraná (Unioeste/PR) to identify and quantify the number of total and specific microorganisms. For the chlorhexidine test, a crossover and double-blind study was conducted, with a random selection of volunteers. Each experimental phase consisted of fourteen days of brushing and an interval of seven days between treatments. For the test, thirty volunteers, divided into three groups of 10, using new toothbrushes, sprayed with either water or 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate at different intervals (once or three times daily) after brushing. For statistical analysis, we used main effects ANOVA, and a P-value<0.05 was considered significant.Results: There was microbial growth on 91% of the used toothbrushes, with 81.3% showing growth of Streptococcus. In 56.3% of the brushes, Staphylococcus and Enterobacteriaceae developed. The use of the chlorhexidine spray only three times per day was significantly more effective than water.Conclusion: Even in a group that knows the ideal conditions for the storage of toothbrushes, much microbial contamination still exists on the toothbrushes. A lower bacterial load can be obtained from the simple and inexpensive act of spraying chlorhexidine on the toothbrush after every brushing of the day.Key words: Contamination; antisepsis; chlorhexidine ResumoObjetivo: Este trabalho verificou o índice de contaminação microbiológica de escovas dentais em uso por universitários e estabeleceu um protocolo para o borrifamento de clorexidina 0,12% para diminuir a presença bacteriana nas cerdas das escovas.Métodos: Foram realizadas culturas em meios seletivos e não seletivos de escovas dentais em uso por acadêmicos do curso de Odontologia da Unioeste/PR para identificar e quantificar microrganismos totais e específicos. Para o teste com a clorexidina, foi realizado um estudo cruzado, duplo-cego com seleção aleatória dos voluntários em que cada fase experimental consistia de quatorze dias de escovação e sete dias de intervalo entre os tratamentos. Para o teste, trinta voluntários, divididos em três grupos de 10, utilizando escovas dentais novas, realizavam o borrifamento de água ou gluconato de clorexidina 0,12% com periodicidades diferentes (uma vez ou três vezes ao dia) seguidos à escovação. Para análise estatística foi utilizado uma ANOVA de efeitos principais e P<0,05 foi considerado significativo.Resultados: Houve crescimento microbiano em 91% das escovas em uso, com 81,3% de crescimento de Streptococcus. Em 56,3% das escovas houve desenvolvimento de Staphylococcus e de enterobactérias. Quanto à eficácia da clorexidina somente utilizando três borrifamentos diários obteve diferença significativa em relação ao grupo que util...

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One characteristic of autoimmune diseases (ADs) is the production of autoantibodies for extractable nuclear autoantigens, which may aid in the discrimination of the different types of autoimmune diseases and is related to different antinuclear antibody (ANA) patterns. The present study verified the profile of patient samples tested for extractable nuclear antigens (ENA) antibodies in a public hospital and correlated the ENA results with ANA patterns and patient diagnoses. The study reviewed data in the medical records of patients who underwent anti-ENA tests at a public hospital in the West of the State of Paraná from February 2011 to January 2017. Patients were classified according to age, ethnicity, gender, anti-ENA test results, ANA results, and the presence or absence of AD. Thirty-six (20.9%) samples of the 172 anti-ENA tests were positive, seven (4.1%) samples were undetermined, and 129 (75%) exhibited negative results. The ANA reagent was found in 84.3% of the anti-ENA-positive samples. The anti-SSA/Ro autoantibody exhibited the highest frequency in the group, 41.7% (15/36). The most common pattern was nuclear fine speckled, which was found in 24.3% of the samples. The association results indicated a significant relationship between ANA titer and diagnosis in the anti-ENA- and ANA-positive patients. The anti-ENA-negative patients were diagnosed with an AD in 35% (45/129) of the cases, and 75% (27/36) of the anti-ENA-positive patients were diagnosed with an AD. Systemic lupus erythematosus and scleroderma were the most common pathologies in the antigen-positive patients. The anti-ENA test is a good marker to aid in the complex clinical diagnosis of patients with autoimmune diseases.

Introduction: Brazilian epidemiological studies on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are scarce, and currently available data originate almost entirely from international literature. Objectives: To determine the incidence and some clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with SLE in the municipality of Cascavel, state of Paraná, Brazil. Patients and Methods: Data were collected from August 2007 to July 2008 in all health services of Cascavel providing health care in rheumatology: a university-affi liated hospital, a public outpatient clinic, and three private clinics. Results: The study identifi ed 14 patients diagnosed with SLE, which resulted in an estimated incidence of 4.8 cases/100,000 inhabitants/ year. All patients were female, and the mean age was 41.5 years. The highest incidence of disease occurred between 30 and 39 years of age, and 92.8% of patients met at least four of the 11 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for diagnosis of SLE. The drug treatment of patients was also assessed and proved to be in accordance with the Brazilian Consensus for Treatment of SLE. Conclusion: The incidence obtained in the municipality of Cascavel is close to those reported in international studies.