Valéria Soraya de Farias Sales

Glucan and Glutamine Reduce Bacterial Translocation in Rats Subjected to Intestinal Ischemia–Reperfusion

Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) may induce bacterial translocation (BT). Glutamine (GLN)-enriched nutrition decreases BT. However, little is known about the effect of glucan (GL) in BT. This study investigated the combined effect of GL/GLN on BT, intestinal damage, and portal blood cytokines in animals under I/R. Four groups of 10 rats each were subjected to 60 min of intestinal ischemia and 120 min of reperfusion. The control group (group 1) received only rat food/water, group 2 received glutamine via gavage, group 3 received subcutaneuos soluble (1, 3)-d-glucan, and group 4 received GL + GLN. A sham group (group 5) served as a normal control. Bacterial cultures of ileum, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), liver and lung biopsies, histological changes of ileum, and serum cytokines variables were examined after I/R. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Newman–Keuls test. Results showed that GLN, GL, and GL/GLN significantly reduced BT to MLN, liver, and lung. BT was more attenuated after GL treatment than GLN (P <. 05). Rats treated with both GL and GLN exhibited lower bacterial colony counts than the ones treated only with GLN or GL. Severe mucosal damage on histological findings was shown in group 1, but these findings were significantly ameliorated (P <. 05) in groups 3 and 4. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 levels in portal serum were significantly reduced and IL-10 was increased by GL and GLN treatment. In conclusion, the use of GL was more effective than GLN in reducing BT, intestinal damage, and cytokine levels after I/R. Additionally, the combination of GL and GLN improved results.

Effects of Purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae (1→3)-β-Glucan on Venous Ulcer Healing

Water-insoluble glucan was isolated from the baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The yeast cells were treated with alkali and the residue then with acid. Chemical and NMR (1D and 2D) analyses showed that a linear (1→3)-β-glucan was purified that was not contaminated with other carbohydrates, proteins or phenolic compounds. The effects of the glucan on wound healing were assessed in human venous ulcers by histopathological analysis after 30 days of topical treatment. (1→3)-β-glucan enhanced ulcer healing and increased epithelial hyperplasia, as well as increased inflammatory cells, angiogenesis and fibroblast proliferation. In one patient who had an ulcer that would not heal for over 15 years, glucan treatment caused a 67.8% decrease in the area of the ulcer. This is the first study to investigate the effects of (1→3)-β-glucan on venous ulcer healing in humans; our findings suggest that this glucan is a potential natural biological response modifier in wound healing.

Effects of zinc on cell-mediated immunity in chronic hemodialysis patients

Thirteen healthy subjects and 20 hemodialysis patients were studied to observe the delayed hypersensitivity skin tests (DHSTs) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulating lymphocyte blastogenesis. Significant differences were observed between the groups. Controls had a higher proportion of positive skin reaction than hemodialysis patients in relation to Escherichia coli (p<0.01) and tuberculin (PPD) (p<0.05). Regarding lymphocyte blastogenesis stimulated by phytohemagglutinin (PHA), cell proliferation was more accentuated in controls than hemodialysis patients (p<0.05). On the other hand, serum zinc was elevated in controls (78±8 µg/dL) in comparison to hemodialysis patients (71±33 µg/dL) (p<0.05). Of the 20 hemodialysis patients, 8 patients were maintained on long-term hemodialysis before and after zinc therapy, with the aim of studying DHST and PHA-stimulating lymphocyte blastogenesis. There was a significant improvement of DHST response to E. coli antigen after 100 d of zinc treatment (p<0.01), and with the discontinuation of therapy, the DHST responses decreased back to the initial values (p<0.05). Zinc administration also increased the lymphocyte proliferation induced by PHA from 31386±3974 to 42480±5242 cpm (mean±SD) (p<0.05). These results indicated that zinc therapy improved in vivo and in vitro DHST and lymphocyte function of hemodialysis patients and that its discontinuation suppressed all of the benefits observed.

Analysis of HFE Genes C282Y, H63D, and S65D in Patients With Hyperferritinemia From Northeastern Brazil

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a genetic disease caused by the high absorption and deposition of iron in several organs. This accumulation results in several clinical complications such as cirrhosis, arthritis, cardiopathies, diabetes, sexual disorders, and skin darkening. The H63D and C282Y mutations are well defined in the HH etiology. The objective of this article is identification of the H63D and C282Y mutations in the HFE protein gene and the frequency assessment of these mutations in patients with persistent increase of serum ferritin in patients from Natal City from state of Rio Grande do Norte, located in northeastern Brazil.

Measuring eosinophiluria, urinary eosinophil cationic protein and urinary interleukin-5 in patients with Lupus Nephritis

BackgroundUrine is increasingly becoming an attractive biological fluid in clinical practice due to being an easily obtained, non-invasive sampling method, containing proteins and peptides. The aim of this study was to investigate eosinophiluria, urinary eosinophil cationic protein (uECP) and urinary IL-5 (uIL-5) in patients with Lupus Nephritis.MethodsSeventy-four patients with SLE—20 with clinical and laboratory evidence of lupus nephritis (LN group) and 54 without evidence of renal involvement (non-LN group)—were analyzed regarding eosinophiluria, uECP and uIL-5. Eosinophiluria was observed by Hansels stain, ECP by fluoroenzymeimmunoassay and uIL-5 by quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay. Both uECP and urinary IL-5 (uIL-5) were corrected by urinary creatinine. Eosinophiluria and uECP were compared with glomerular erythrocyturia, protein/creatinine ratio (Pr/Cr ratio), serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA), serum levels of complement (C3 and C4), uIL-5/Cr ratio, and SLE disease activity index.ResultsPatients of the LN group had higher eosinophiluria, uECP, uECP/Cr ratio levels, and uIL-5 than patients of the non-LN group (p<0.001 for all). These variables showed a statistically significant correlation with glomerular erythrocyturia, casts, Pr/Cr ratio, serum creatinine, eGFR, anti-dsDNA, uIL-5/Cr, and SLE disease activity index (all p<0.05).ConclusionThese results provide evidence of increased urinary eosinophils, ECP and IL-5 in patients with SLE and LN; uECP/Cr ratio showed better correlation with markers of renal function and SLE disease activity.

Proteção pela glucana em modelo experimental de sepse

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the insoluble (1 ® 3) b -glucan action, a polysaccharide isolated from the inner cell wall of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as nonspecific immunostimulant agent in mice underwent experimental model of sepsis. METHODS: Seventy three Swiss mices received different doses of glucan by intraperitoneal (i.p.) administrations. Difuse sepsis was induced by the cecal puncture and ligation. RESULTS: The glucan-treated group showed a significant increase in the leukocyte number at the peritoneal fluid, and decrease in the bacterial colony-forming units. It was observed an increase in the survival rate at the insoluble glucan-treated group, when compared to controls. CONCLUSION: The insoluble glucan, when used in mices with peritoneal sepsis, enhances survival, induces protection against bacterial colonization of peritoneal fluid and increasing in leukocite migration.

Detection of CD5 in B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative diseases by flow cytometry: a strong expression in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

PURPOSE CD5 is a T cell marker, aberrantly express in B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Other chronic B cell malignancies including hairy cell leukemia (HCL) and B cell prolymphocytic leukemia (B-PLL) are CD5 negative or express this antigen in a weak way. In this study, CD5 expression was investigated in leukemic cells from 42 patients with chronic B cell lymphoproliferative disease. METHODS We studied the CD5 expression in leukemic cells from 42 patients with chronic B-cell malignancies by flow cytometry. Demographic features such as age, sex and clinical date were also analyzed. RESULTS There were 22 males and 20 females. The immunophenotyping showed that 35 cases were B-CLL, 3 B-PLL and HCL and one patient was MCL. CD5 expression was present in all B-CLL and MCL. Low expression of CD5 was observed in one patient with B-PLL and negative in all cases of HCL. CONCLUSION Our date demonstrated that CD5 expression can help distinguish among B-CLL from HCL and B-PLL, but is similar expressed in MCL.

Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome according to different criteria in the male population during the Blue November Campaign in Natal, RN, Northeastern Brazil

Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is an aggregation of risk factors associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and all-cause mortality. Information on MetS prevalence is scarce in the northeast region, Brazil. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of MetS according to different diagnostic criteria in a community sample of men during the November Blue Campaign living in the metropolitan area of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Methods This is a cross-sectional study on 500 men aged 40 years or older invited by the Blue November Campaign of 2015, an awareness program aimed at the prevention of male diseases. The evaluation included blood pressure, anthropometric measurements (weight, height, and waist circumference), fasting blood glucose, and blood lipid profile. The diagnosis of MetS was made according to the criteria of International Diabetes Federation (IDF)/American Heart Association (AHA)/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), IDF, and National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATPIII). Results The prevalence was high by considering the following three criteria: IDF/AHA/NHLBI (66.8%), IDF (60.0%), and NCEP-ATPIII (46.4%). Concordance between diagnostic criteria measured by the kappa statistic (k) was excellent between IDF/AHA/NHLBI and IDF (k=0.85, P<0.0001) and moderate between IDF/AHA/NHLBI and NCEP-ATPIII (k=0.59) and IDF and NCEP-ATPIII (k=0.54). Conclusion Prevalence of MetS in the male population was high using the three diagnostic criteria. IDF/AHA/NHLBI and IDF criteria have a high level of agreement, but NCEP-ATPIII criteria identify a lower number of MetS cases.

Serum total IgE, ascaris lumbricoides specific IgE and eosinophils in parasites-infected children in a tropical area

Results The results showed a prevalence of 89% (182) for intestinal parasites. A. lumbricoides was detected in 140 (68%) children. The levels of total and specific IgE and eosinophils presented values above those of standard reference (median 480 KU/L and 0,74 KUA/L and 8%, respectively). Total IgE, A. lumbricoides specific IgE and eosinophils were significantly higher in the A. lumbricoides positive children as compared to A. lumbricoides negative ones (p = 0.02, <0.01 and 0.03).

Humoral immune response in children's patients with recurrent infections

Methods Venous blood samples were collected from 64 children in Pediatric Hospital Professor Heriberto Ferreira Bezerra (HOSPED) Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brazil. The laboratory investigation included measurement of serum IgG, IgM and IgA levels by imunoturbidimetry and the B lymphocyte quantification by flow cytometry with monoclonal antiCD19 for the cases that presented decreased of the serum immunoglobulins.