Trabalho de Gyselle saiu em Epub ahead of print

Hormone levels are associated with clinical markers and cytokine levels in hu‐ man localized cutaneous leishmaniasis

Gyselle Chrystina Baccan, Fabiano Oliveira, Adenilma Duranes Sousa, Natali Alexandrino Cerqueira, Jackson Mauricio Lopes Costa, Manoel Barral-Netto, Aldina Barral

Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

3 September 2010 1 December 2010 15 December 2010

Please cite this article as: Baccan, G.C., Oliveira, F., Sousa, A.D., Cerqueira, N.A., Costa, J.M.L., Barral-Netto, M., Barral, A., Hormone levels are associated with clinical markers and cytokine levels in human localized cutaneous leishmaniasis, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity (2010), 

doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2010.12.009 (aqui)

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a serious health problem in several parts of the world, and localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) is the most frequent presentation of the tegumentary form of this disease cluster. Clinical presentations of leishmaniasis are influenced by both parasite and host factors, with emphasis on the host immune response. Alterations in plasma hormone levels have been described in many infections, and changes in hormone levels could be related to an imbalanced cytokine profile. In the present work, we evaluated a group of patients with LCL to determine changes in plasma hormone levels (cortisol, DHEA-S, estradiol, prolactin and testosterone) and their association with clinical markers of disease (lesion size, dose used to reach cure and time to cure) and with cytokines produced by PBMC stimulated by SLA (IFN-γ, IL-10 and TNF-α). Individuals with LCL exhibited lower plasma levels of DHEA-S, prolactin and testosterone compared with sex-matched controls, whereas levels of cortisol and estradiol were similar between patients and controls. Plasma levels of cortisol, estradiol or prolactin positively correlated with at least one clinical parameter. Cortisol and prolactin levels exhibited a negative correlation with levels of IFN-γ, whereas no correlation was observed with IL-10 or TNF-α levels. A decrease in DHEA-S levels was observed in male LCL patients when compared to male healthy controls. No other differences between the sexes were observed. Our results indicate a role for neuroendocrine regulation that restricts Th1 responses in human LCL. It is possible that, although impairing parasite killing, such neuroimmunomodulation may contribute to limiting tissue damage.

Publicação do LIMI - no Natal

O artigo de Ricardo Khouri sobre DETC saiu no dia 22/12/2010 (aparece no Relatório 2010) como aceito.

Citation: Khouri R, Novais F, Santana G, de Oliveira CI, Vannier dos Santos MA, et al. (2010) DETC Induces Leishmania Parasite Killing in Human In Vitro and Murine In Vivo Models: A Promising Therapeutic Alternative in Leishmaniasis. PLoS ONE 5(12): e14394. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0014394 (veja no site da PLoS One aqui)

Abstract

Background: Chemotherapy remains the primary tool for treatment and control of human leishmaniasis. However, currently available drugs present serious problems regarding side-effects, variable efficacy, and cost. Affordable and less toxic drugs are urgently needed for leishmaniasis.

Methodology/Principal Findings: We demonstrate, by microscopy and viability assays, that superoxide dismutase inhibitor diethyldithiocarbamate (DETC) dose-dependently induces parasite killing (p,0.001) and is able to ‘‘sterilize’’ Leishmania amazonensis infection at 2 mM in human macrophages in vitro. We also show that DETC-induced superoxide production (p,0.001) and parasite destruction (p,0.05) were reverted by the addition of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine, indicating that DETC-induced killing occurs through oxidative damage. Furthermore, ultrastructural analysis by electron microscopy demonstrates a rapid and highly selective destruction of amastigotes in the phagosome upon DETC treatment, without any apparent damage to the host cell, including its mitochondria. In addition, DETC significantly induced parasite killing in Leishmania promastigotes in axenic culture. In murine macrophages infected with Leishmania braziliensis, DETC significantly induced in vitro superoxide production (p = 0.0049) and parasite killing (p = 0.0043). In vivo treatment with DETC in BALB/C mice infected with Leishmania braziliensis caused a significant decrease in lesion size (p,0.0001), paralleled by a 100-fold decrease (p = 0.0087) in parasite burden.

Conclusions/Significance: Due to its strong leishmanicidal effect in human macrophages in vitro, its in vivo effectiveness in a murine model, and its previously demonstrated in vivo safety profile in HIV treatment, DETC treatment might be considered as a valuable therapeutic option in human leishmaniasis, including HIV/Leishmania co-infection.


Veja o artigo completo.

Concursos na Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia - UFBA

Transcrevo trecho de mensagem do Prof. José Tavares-Neto, Diretor da Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia (FMB) - Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA):

"Já disponível em www.concursos.ufba.br o Edital n. 6/2010 ("link": Docentes), para os concursos das 37 vagas da FMB-UFBA, também disponível nessa página, mas em outro sítio, a Resolução FMB-UFBA n. 3/2010, com as normas complementares desse concurso e o formulário barema. FAVOR DIVULGAR."

Recesso no blog

A partir de hoje estaremos em recesso.
Pretendemos retornar após o Dia de Reis (um pouco menos ou pouco mais, quem sabe?).

Defesa de Mestrado de Elisabete Lopes Conceição

Título: Estudo do polimorfismo dos genes das citocinas IFN-γ, TNF, IL-10, IL-1β e dos receptores tipo Toll 2 e 4 em voluntários sadios revacinados com BCG

Elisabete defendeu ontem sua dissertação na Pós-graduação em Imunologia (PPgIM) do Instituto de Ciências da Saúde – UFBa, tendo como banca examinadora a Dra. Martha Maria de Oliveira do Centro de Pesquisas em Tuberculose da Faculdade de Medicina – Hospital universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, UFRJ, a Dra. Deni se Lemaire, do PPgIM e Universidade Estadual da Bahia, além de sua orientadora, a Dra. Theolis Costa Barbosa Bessa. 

Em seu trabalho, a aluna mostra a caracterização genotípica de indivíduos revacinados com BCG, procurando verificar se os polimorfismos estudados em genes de citocinas e receptores do tipo Toll podem explicar a variabilidade da produção de IFN-γ antes e após a revacinação de voluntários saudáveis e sem infecção tuberculosa latente.