Jonas de Melo Borges

Detection of Mycobacterium bovis in artisanal cheese in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil

Objective/background: The present study was aimed at detecting Mycobacterium bovis in artisanal cheese using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Methods: One hundred seven cheese samples (250 g) were purchased in 107 commercial establishments including neighborhood grocery stores, bakeries, and open-air markets from 19 municipalities of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Ten grams of each cheese sample were macerated with sterile saline solution in a sterile bag and DNA was extracted from 20 mg of the macerated material using the Wizard SV Genomic DNA Purification System. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction amplified a fragment corresponding to the region of difference 4 of M. bovis. Results: Of the 107 samples analyzed, three (2.8%) were positive for M. bovis and their identities were confirmed by sequencing. This is perhaps the first report of the presence of M. bovis in artisanal cheese in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Conclusion: The results of the present study highlight the need for improving sanitary measures during the production of artisanal cheese to prevent zoonotic tuberculosis in humans, resulting from the consumption of food contaminated with M. bovis.

Occurrence of serological reactions for serogroup Sejroe (CTG and Prajtino) in female buffalo in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil

The objective of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies in female buffalo in the state of Pernambuco. A total of 123 female buffalo blood samples were collected from five properties distributed in the state of Pernambuco. The microscopic agglutination test was used to study anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies. The occurrence of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies was 28.5% (35/123; CI 20.7–37.3%) and on different properties, the occurrence ranged from 28.6% to 80.0%, with 100% of the properties showing animals with positive results. The serovars of the serogroup Sejroe with a higher incidence were Hardjoprajtino (CTG strain, 49.1%) and Hardjo (Prajtino genotype, 43.2%), followed by serogroup Grippotyphosa with the Grippotyphosa serovar (3.9%), serogroup Pomona with the Pomona serovar (1.9%), and the Icterohaemorrhagiae serovar Copenhageni (1.9%). This was the first record of the occurrence of anti-Lepstospira spp. antibodies in female buffalo in the state of Pernambuco. Control measures are necessary to prevent health and economic losses, given that the agent involved affects animal reproduction, triggering drops in conception rates or even clinical cases of abortion.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with Tritrichomonas foetus infection in cattle in the state of Paraíba, Brazil

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Tritrichomonas foetus infection and to evaluate risk factors associated with this infection among cattle in the state of Paraiba in northeastern Brazil. Samples of cervicovaginal mucus from 290 females and smegma from 59 males [beef, 31; mixed aptitude (beef and dairy), 10; and dairy, 18] from 31 farms were collected. Modified Diamond’s medium and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used for the laboratory diagnosis of T. foetus infection. Univariate analysis and logistic regression were performed to test for potential risk factors in addition to prevalence mapping. No sample was positive for T. foetus in culture, and the prevalence of T. foetus infection using PCR was 3.7% (13/349) [confidence interval (CI) 95%, 2.1%–6.4%]. In total, 19.3% (6/31) of the farms had at least one animal positive for T. foetus. The contact of females with males from other farms [Odds ratio, 5.9; 95% CI, 1.5–22.4; p = 0.009] was identified as a risk factor for T. foetus infection. This study demonstrates that T. foetus infection is prevalent among dairy cows in the state of Paraiba, Brazil. Sexual resting, removal of positive females, and avoiding contact of females with males from other farms are recommended to reduce the risk of infection.

FRI0428 The Weaker Sex: Characterization of Gender Disparities in A Nationwide Lupus Registry (REUMA.PT LES): Table 1.

Background Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by female predominance with male to female ratio around 1:10. Differences regarding clinical manifestations, disease activity, damage and mortality between men and women with SLE have been reported. Overall it is recognized that gender may affect SLE phenotype, but results concerning disease severity and prognosis are still a matter of debate. Objectives Characterization of Portuguese SLE male patients, focusing demographic, clinical, and laboratorial features. Methods All SLE patients from the Portuguese Lupus Register, Reuma.pt/LES were included. Demographic, clinical and therapeutic data were analyzed upon records from the last visit. Student t-tests, chi-square tests and Fishers exact tests were used to compare male and female patients. Analyses were further adjusted to age and disease duration. Results Of the 1510 SLE patients registered in Reuma.pt/LES, 122 (8%) are men. Male patients had later onset (39.4±20.6y vs 35.6±14.1y; p=0.005) and shorter disease duration (10.7±7.6y vs 14.1±9.0 y; p=0.0001). Mean current age, racial distribution and education level was similar in the two groups. Serositis, renal involvement and hemolytic anemia were more prevalent in men while, photosensitivity, alopecia, oral ulcers and arthritis were more commonly found in women (Table 1). Thyroid disease was more frequent in women (11.4 vs 2.3%). Cardiovascular risk factors had a similar distribution between these groups. Accumulated damage assessed by the SLICC damage index (SDI) and disease activity, assessed by SLEDAI-2K at last visit were similar in the two groups, with adjustment to age and disease duration. Antimalarial drugs and steroids were used more frequently in women. Table 1. Characteristics of SLE in male and female patients Men (n=122) Women (n=1389) P Photosensitivity 36 (32.4) 620 (49.9) <0.001* Alopecia 7 (6.7) 310 (26.8) <0.001* Oral ulcers 20 (17.7) 395 (31.9) 0.008* Arthritis 65 (57.0) 906 (72.5) <0.001* Serositis 36 (32.1) 236 (18.9) 0.001* Renal Involvement 49 (44.1) 344 (28.1) <0.001* Neurologic disorder 6 (5.4) 59 (4.8) 0.448 Hemolytic anemia 18 (16.4) 122 (9.8) 0.031* Anti-dsDNA positivity 96 (84.96) 929 (74.7) 0.020 Anti-SSA positivity 15 (27.8) 688 (39.1) 0.064 SLEDAI-2K 2.3±3.0 2.6±3.1 0.650 SLICC 0.82±1.3 0.71±1.22 0.126 * Statistically significant differences, adjusted to age and disease duration. Conclusions Male patients with SLE are older at disease onset and present a distinct phenotype with less cutaneous, mucous membranes and articular manifestations. However, disease outcome evaluated by the SDI is comparable in men and women, which is in line with observations from other European cohorts. The acknowledgement of the effect of gender on disease manifestations may help physicians in the timely introduction of an appropriate care. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.4615