Adelaide José Vaz

Standardization of dot-ELISA for the serological diagnosis of toxocariasis and comparision of the assay with ELISA

The dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dot-ELISA) was standardized using somatic (S) and excretory-secretory (ES) antigens of Toxocara-canis for the detection of specific antibodies in 22 serum samples from children aged 1 to 15 years, with clinical signs of toxocariasis. Fourteen serum samples from apparently normal individuals and 28 sera from patients with other pathologies were used as controls. All samples were used before and after absorption with Ascaris suum extract. When the results were evaluated in comparison with ELISA, the two tests were found to have similar sensitivity, but dot-ELISA was found to be more specific in the presence of two antigens studied. Dot-ELISA proved to be effective for the diagnosis of human toxocariasis, presenting advantages in terms of yield, stability, time and ease of execution and low cost.

Immunodiagnosis of human leptospirosis using saliva

When the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of specific immunoglobulin M class antibodies was applied to paired saliva and serum samples from 40 patients with leptospirosis, positivity was 87.5% and 100%, respectively. No positive result was obtained with any saliva or serum sample from 60 individuals used as controls. These results suggest the alternative use of saliva for diagnosis and for epidemiological studies of human leptospirosis.

Estudo comparativo de testes sorológicos no diagnóstico imunológico da neurocisticercose

Estudamos comparativamente quatro tecnicas imunologicas para o diagnostico da neurocisticercose (NC) utilizando liquido cefalorraquiano (LCR) como especime clinico: as reacoes de fixacao de complemento (RFC), hemaglutinacao passiva (RHA), imunofluorescencia indireta (RIF) e teste imunoenzimatico ELISA Foram ensaiadas 125 amostras de LCR de pacientes com NC comprovada e 94 amostras de LCR do grupo controle (60 de pacientes com quadros clinicos neurologicos diversos e 34 de pacientes supostamente normais). Os indices de sensibilidade e especificidade obtidos para os testes foram, respectivamente, de 48,0% e 90,4% para a RFC; 88,8% e 96,8% para a RHA; 87,2 e 98,9% para a RIF e 97,6% e 98,9% para o teste ELISA. A diferenca significativa (p < 0,05) observada entre os testes permite concluir que o melhor teste para o diagnostico de NC foi o teste ELISA seguido das reacoes de HA e IF.

Positivity enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) rates for cysticercosis in the cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) and in the patients serum with epilepsy

Fifty patients with epilepsy seen in three Londrina Neurological Services, in Parana, were studied. The positivity prevalence of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for cysticercosis in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and in the serum of these patients was 34.0% and 20.0%, respectively. There was statisticaly significant difference when these two rates were compared with the reaction positivity in the CSF and the serum in the control group, formed by individuals without neurological diseases. There was no association between the type of seisure (generalized or partial) and the positivity index of ELISA for cysticercosis in the CSF. A greater number of patients with positive ELISA for cysticercosis in the rural area dwellers was found, in relation with the urban area dwellers. From the obtained results in our study we came to the following conclusions: 1. The high positivity ELISA rates for cysticercosis in the CSF and in the patients serum with epilepsy indicate that neurocysticercosis is an important seisure cause in Londrina, PR. 2. The positivity prevalence of ELISA for cysticercosis in CSF was greater in epileptic patients from the rural area than the ones from the urban area. 3. There was no association between the type seisure (generalized or partial) and the ELISA cysticercosis positivity rate in the CSF. 4. The high positivity prevalence of ELISA in the CSF and in the epileptic patients serum in Londrina indicates the priority of performing epidemiologic inquiry to establish the real cysticercosis prevalence in the city. ELISA may be used with this finality due to its high sensibility, its low cost and its simple performance.

Infecções por helmintos e protozoários intestinais em gestantes de primeira consulta atendidas em centros de saúde da rede estadual no subdistrito do Butantã, município de São Paulo

481 pregnant women attented at first consultation from a Sao Paulo city suburb-subdistrict of Butantan- Sao Paulo State, Brazil, from April to October of 1988, were investigated regarding the prevalence of verminosis. The mean age was 24,5 years (range 14-46), the average family income was 0.97 PCMW (per capita minimum wage) and the average number of members of the family was 4 (1 to 15). The verminosis prevalence was 45,1% among the women. The most frequent parasites were: Ascaris lumbricoides (19,0%), ancilostomideos (16,7%) and Trichuris trichiura (15,9%), The verminosis prevalence was significantly higher among the pregnant women (p < 0.05) who belonged to the families with income below 0.5 PCMW and greater than 4 members.

Imunodiagnóstico da leptospirose humana através do teste ELISA-IgM, empregando-se diferentes preparações antigênicas a partir de sorotipos prevalentes de Leptospira interrogans

Realizou-se estudo comparativo de diferentes sorotipos de Leptospira interrogans utilizados na preparacao de antigenos empregados no teste ELISA, para a deteccao de anticorpos da classe IgM, em amostras de soro na fase precoce e tardia da leptospirose humana. Foram utilizados dez sorotipos, escolhidos entre os que apresentaram maior reatividade na soroaglutinacao microscopica (SAM), na cidade de Sao Paulo. Os cinco sorotipos que apresentaram melhores resultados individualmente no teste ELISA-IgM (canicola, hebdomadis, icterohaemorrhagiae, cynopteri e brasiliensis), foram tambem estudados em mistura antigenica. Os antigenos nao tratados apresentaram maior reatividade do que os antigenos tratados com Triton X - 100 (4%) a temperatura de 50oC, durante 4 horas. O teste ELISA-IgM empregando os sorotipos nao tratados, isoladamente, e em mistura antigenica, mostrou-se altamente sensivel, podendo ser empregado como teste de triagem para o diagnostico precoce da leptospirose humana. Outra aplicacao do teste e permitir a deteccao do inicio de situacoes epidemicas ou de surtos, possibilitando acionar medidas de vigilância epidemiologica.

Prevalência de anemia em gestantes de primeira consulta em centros de saúde de área metropolitana, Brasil

Three hundred and sixty-three pregnant women enrolled in the Pregnancy Medical Care Program of S. Paulo Health Department from the district of Butantan, S. Paulo city, Brazil, were studied at the first routine consultation. At the time they were examined they were not given any medicine containing iron, folic acid or vitamin B12. Their average age was 25 and 65.9% belonged to families with a monthly per capita income below US

Sorologia positiva para sífilis, toxoplasmose e doença de Chagas em gestantes de primeira consulta em centros de saúde de área metropolitana, Brasil

50.00. Only 3.1% had a per capita income above U

Teste imunoenzimático (ELISA) para detecção de anticorpos circulantes da classe IgM na leptospirose humana

150.00. The prevalence of anemia was 12.4%. The hemoglobin concentration (grams/dl) in the first trimester was significantly higher than in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. The prevalence of anemia in the first trimesters (3.6%) was significantly smaller than that found in the second (20.9%) and third semesters (32.1%). Those women who had had more than three gestations presented a higher prevalence of anemia than those with less than three, and the prevalence of anemia was higher in the group whose families had a monthly per capita income below US