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Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2019 Feb 7;114:e180432. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Carlos Chagas, Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Curitiba, PR, Brasil.

Background: The Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemics that affected South America in 2016 raised several research questions and prompted an increase in studies in the field. The transient and low viraemia observed in the course of ZIKV infection is a challenge for viral isolation from patient serum, which leads to many laboratories around the world sharing viral strains for their studies. C6/36 cells derived from Aedes albopictus larvae are commonly used for arbovirus isolation from clinical samples and for the preparation of viral stocks. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2019 Feb 11;114:e180420. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Micobactérias, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Background: Rifamycins are a group of antibiotics mainly used in the treatment of tuberculosis (TB), however they interact with antiretroviral therapy (ART). Rifabutin allows more regimens options for concomitant imunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment compared to rifampicin.

Objective: Compare the outcomes of TB-HIV co-infected patients who used rifampicin or rifabutin. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2019 Feb 4;114:e180425. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Background And Objective: Brazil is responsible for a large number of Plasmodium vivax cases in America. Given the emergence of P. vivax parasites resistant to chloroquine and the effectiveness of antifolates in vivax malaria treatment together with a correlation between mutations in P. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2019 Feb 4;114:e180405. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Faculdade de Farmácia, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.

Background: Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is an infectious disease that is a significant cause of death among infants aged under 1 year and the elderly in Brazil. Serodiagnosis is a mainstay of VL elimination programs; however, it has significant limitations due to low accuracy.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate three recombinant Leishmania infantum proteins (rFc, rC9, and rA2) selected from previous proteomics and genomics analyses to develop enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunochromatographic tests (ICT) for the serodiagnosis of human VL (HVL) and canine VL (CVL). Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2019 Jan 31;114:e180452. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Universidade de Brasília, Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Brasília, DF, Brasil.

Background: Studies aimed at validating canine visceral leishmaniasis diagnostic tests present heterogeneous results regarding test accuracy, partly due to divergences in reference standards used and different infection evolution periods in animals.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the rapid test-dual path platform (TR-DPP) (Biomanguinhos®), EIE-Leishmaniose-Visceral-Canina-Biomanguinhos (EIE-LVC) (Biomanguinhos®), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) rK39 (in-house), and the direct agglutination test (DAT-Canis) against a reference standard comprising parasitological and molecular techniques.

Methods: A phase II/III validation study was carried out in sample sera from 123 predominantly asymptomatic dogs living in an area endemic for visceral leishmaniasis. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2019 Jan 31;114:e180391. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Gestão da Inovação em Doenças Negligenciadas, Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Background: Cryptococcosis is one of the most devastating fungal infections in humans. Despite the disease's clinical importance, current therapy is based on limited antifungals that are either toxic, inefficient, unavailable worldwide, or that quickly lead to resistance.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to provide insight into the future of cryptococcosis treatment by describing the patent scenario in this field. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2019 Jan 31;114:e180350. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Background: The prompt diagnosis of plasmodial species for effective treatment prevents worsening of individual health and avoids transmission maintenance or even malaria reintroduction in areas where Plasmodium does not exist. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) allows for the detection of parasites below the threshold of microscopic examination.

Objective: Our aim was to develop a real-time PCR test to reduce diagnostic errors and increase efficacy. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2019 Jan 17;114:e180332. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Instituto Evandro Chagas, Seção de Arbovirologia e Febres Hemorrágicas, Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.

Background: Serological evidence of West Nile virus (WNV) infection has been reported in different regions of Brazil from equine and human hosts but the virus had never been isolated in the country.

Objectives: We sought to identify the viral etiology of equine encephalitis in Espírito Santo state.

Methods: We performed viral culture in C6/36 cells, molecular detection of WNV genome, histopathology and immunohistochemistry from horse cerebral tissue. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2019 Jan 14;114:e180347. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

Universidade de Brasília, Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Brasília, DF, Brasil.

Background: Schistosomiasis mansoni is a poverty-related parasitic infection that has a variety of clinical manifestations. We consider the disability and deaths caused by schistosomiasis unacceptable for a tool-ready disease. Its condition in Brazil warrants an analysis that will enable better understanding of the local health losses and contribute to the complex decision-making process. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2019 Jan 7;114:e180348. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Genética Molecular de Microrganismos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Background: Shared traits between prokaryotes and eukaryotes are helpful in the understanding of the tree of life evolution. In bacteria and eukaryotes, it has been shown a particular organisation of tRNA genes as clusters, but this trait has not been explored in the archaea domain.

Objective: Explore the occurrence of tRNA gene clusters in archaea. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2019 Jan 7;114:e180251. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, Laboratório de Evolução Molecular e Bioinformática, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

Background: Dengue virus type 4 (DENV-4) was first reported in Brazil in 1982 and since then no more cases were detected again in Brazil until 2010, when the virus was reintroduced. Over the following years, the virus spread to several Brazilian states and resulted in about 1,400,000 dengue cases, in 2013. The largest number of cases were documented in the Southeast macro-region. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Dec 17;114:e180456. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

Universidade Federal Fluminense, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Niterói, RJ, Brasil.

BACKGROUND Epigenetic modifications in host cells, like p16 ink4a methylation, have been considered as putative complementary mechanisms for cancer development. Because only a small proportion of infected women develop cervical cancer, other factors might be involved in carcinogenesis, either independently or in association with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infections, including epigenetic factors. OBJECTIVES We hypothesised that p16 ink4a methylation might have a role in cancer development driven by HPV16, mainly in the presence of intact E1/E2 genes. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Dec 17;114:e180448. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Anthropogenic environmental changes arising from settlement and agriculture include deforestation and replacement of natural vegetation by crops providing opportunities for pathogen spillover from animals to humans. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of rodent-borne virus infections in seven rural settlements from Midwestern Brazil. Of the 466 individuals tested 12 (2. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Dec 10;113(12):e180392. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Medicina Interna, Divisão de Doenças Infecciosas, Laboratório Alerta, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

OBJECTIVES The emergence of 16S rRNA methyltranferases (16 RMTAses) has jeopardised the clinical use of aminoglycosides. RmtB is one of the most frequently reported in Gram-negatives worldwide. In this study, we aimed to estimate the frequency of 16S RMTAses encoding genes in Enterobacteriaceae isolated in a three-month period from a tertiary Brazilian hospital. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Dec 10;113(12):e180274. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Instituto Lauro de Souza Lima, Bauru, SP, Brasil.

BACKGROUND Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, and compromises the skin and peripheral nerves. This disease has been classified as multibacillary (MB) or paucibacillary (PB) depending on the host immune response. Genetic epidemiology studies in leprosy have shown the influence of human genetic components on the disease outcomes. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Dec 10;114:e180450. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro/Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

BACKGROUND Amazon, the largest tropical forest of the world, has suffered from dengue outbreaks since 1998. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients, from Amazonas state, suspected of central nervous system (CNS) viral infection was studied using molecular and immunological methods. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the importance of CSF investigation in patients with acute dengue virus (DENV) infection of CNS. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 12 10;114:e180438. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Madrid, Spain.

Leishmania braziliensis is the etiological agent of American mucosal leishmaniasis, one of the most severe clinical forms of leishmaniasis. Here, we report the assembly of the L. braziliensis (M2904) genome into 35 continuous chromosomes. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Dec 6;113(12):e180323. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Universidad de Carabobo, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Centro Nacional de Referencia de Flebotomos y otros Vectores, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Dr Francisco J Triana-Alonso, Maracay, Venezuela.

BACKGROUND The transmission routes for American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) are in flux, so studies examining its transmission in humans, mammalian hosts, and sand fly vectors are urgently needed. OBJECTIVES The aim of this work was understand the epidemiological cycles of Leishmania spp., which causes ACL in the Andean Region of Venezuela, by identifying the Leishmania and the sand fly species involved in human and dog infections. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Dec 6;113(12):e180279. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto René Rachou, Laboratório de Malária Experimental e Humana, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.

BACKGROUND The main strategy to control human malaria still relies on specific drug treatment, limited now by Plasmodium falciparum-resistant parasites, including that against artemisinin derivatives. Despite the large number of active compounds described in the literature, few of them reached full development against human malaria. Drug repositioning is a fast and less expensive strategy for antimalarial drug discovery, because these compounds are already approved for human use. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Nov 14;113(12):e180377. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto René Rachou, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.

Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) is a redox enzyme of the trypanothione pathway that converts hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into water molecules. In the present study, the APX gene was overexpressed in Leishmania braziliensis to investigate its contribution to the trivalent antimony (SbIII)-resistance phenotype. Western blot results demonstrated that APX-overexpressing parasites had higher APX protein levels in comparison with the wild-type line (LbWTS). Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Dec 3;113(12):e180380. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

University at Albany, State University of New York, School of Public Health, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Albany, NY, USA.

BACKGROUND Nyssorhynchus dunhami, a member of the Nuneztovari Complex, has been collected in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru and described as zoophilic. Although to date Ny. dunhami has not been documented to be naturally infected by Plasmodium, it is frequently misidentified as other Oswaldoi subgroup species that are local or regional malaria vectors. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Dec 3;113(12):e180328. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Virologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

BACKGROUND Human herpesvirus 2 (HHV-2) have DNA genome with a limited genetic variability and have been classified into two clades. OBJECTIVES To identify and characterise six HHV-2 isolates derived from Brazilian women. METHODS HHV-2 isolates were performed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of 2250 pb of the glycoprotein B (gB) coding regions. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Sep 3;113(10):e180278. Epub 2018 Sep 3.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Bio-Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

We discuss the complex eco-social factors involved in the puzzle of the unexpected rapid viral spread in the ongoing Brazilian yellow fever (YF) outbreak, which has increased the reurbanisation risk of a disease without urban cases in Brazil since 1942. Indeed, this rapid spatial viral dissemination to the Southeast and South regions, now circulating in the Atlantic Forest fragments close to peri-urban areas of the main Brazilian megalopolises (São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) has led to an exponential increase in the number of yellow fever cases. In less than 18 months, 1,833 confirmed cases and 578 deaths were recorded most of them reported in the Southeast region (99,9%). Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Oct 29;113(11):e180305. Epub 2018 Oct 29.

US Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Applied Nutrition and Safety Assessment, Laurel, MD, USA.

BACKGROUND Human trichinellosis is a foodborne parasitic zoonotic disease caused by ingestion of raw or undercooked meat infected with nematode larvae of the genus Trichinella. In the USA, sporadic cases and outbreaks caused by the consumption of wild game meat infected with Trichinella have been reported. The current methods for diagnosis such as serology and microscopy are not specific, may result in false negative results, and cannot differentiate encapsulated Trichinella larvae to species level. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 11 1;113(11):e180260. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Medicina Social, Departamento de Epidemiologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

BACKGROUND Visceral leishmaniasis is a major public health challenge in South America, and dogs are its main urban reservoir. OBJECTIVE Validation of the canine Dual-path Platform immunoassay for canine visceral leishmaniasis (DPP® CVL) for a sample set composed of 1446 dogs from different Brazilian endemic areas. METHODS A well-defined reference standard by means of parasitological culture, immunohistochemistry, and histopathology was used. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Oct 29;113(11):e170538. Epub 2018 Oct 29.

Instituto Evandro Chagas, Seção de Arbovirologia e Febres Hemorrágicas, Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.

This study showed that laboratory markers of recent infection by dengue, Zika or chikungunya arboviruses were detected in the biological samples of approximately one-third of patients with encephalitis, myelitis, encephalomyelitis or Guillain-Barré syndrome, in a surveillance programme in Piauí state, Brazil, between 2015-2016. Fever and myalgia had been associated with these cases. Since in non-tropical countries most infections or parainfectious diseases associated with the nervous system are attributed to herpesviruses, enteroviruses, and Campylobacter jejuni, the present findings indicate that in tropical countries, arboviruses may now play a more important role and reinforce the need for their surveillance and systematic investigation in the tropics. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Oct 18;113(11):e180320. Epub 2018 Oct 18.

Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Rede Nordeste de Biotecnologia, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.

BACKGROUND The first dengue cases in Brazil with laboratory confirmation occurred in the northern region of the country, with the isolation of two serotypes, dengue virus 1 (DENV-1) and DENV-4. In Ceará, the introduction of DENV-4 was reported during a DENV-1 epidemic in 2011, with only two isolations. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to characterise the first DENV-4 epidemic in the state of Ceará, Brazil. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Oct 18;113(11):e180301. Epub 2018 Oct 18.

Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Veterinary Faculty, Animal Health Department, Madrid, Spain.

A pivotal strategy to decrease the risk of visceral leishmaniasis in humans is to control the infection and disease progression in dogs, the domestic reservoir of Leishmania infantum (L. chagasi). Immunotherapy is a viable approach to treat sick dogs because cell-mediated immunity is the principal defense mechanism against L. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Oct 18;113(11):e180271. Epub 2018 Oct 18.

Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Ouro Preto, MG, Brasil.

BACKGROUND The infection led by Trypanosoma cruzi persists in mammalian tissues causing an inflammatory imbalance. Carvedilol (Cv), a non-selective beta blocker drug indicated to treat heart failure and antihypertensive has shown to promote antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties which might improve the inflammation induced by T. cruzi. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Oct 11;113(11):e180267. Epub 2018 Oct 11.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Genômica Funcional e Bioinformática, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

The Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine comprises a family of genetically different strains derived by the loss of genomic regions (RDs) and other mutations. In BCG Moreau, loss of RD16 inactivates rv3405c * , encoding a transcriptional repressor that negatively regulates the expression of Rv3406, an alkyl sulfatase. To evaluate the impact of this loss on the BCG and host cell viability and the cytokine profile, THP-1 cells were infected with BCG Moreau (harbouring the empty vector) and a complemented strain carrying a functional copy of rv3405c. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Oct 8;113(10):e180311. Epub 2018 Oct 8.

Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Laboratório de Estudos Avançados de Microrganismos Emergentes e Resistentes, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Background: Scedosporium apiospermum is a ubiquitous, emerging and multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen with still rather unknown virulence mechanisms.

Objectives/methods: The cellular basis of the in vitro interaction between fungi and host cells/tissues is the determinant factor for the development of a successful in vivo infection. Herein, we evaluated the interaction of S. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Aug 27;113(10):e180160. Epub 2018 Aug 27.

University of Vermont, Department of Biology, Burlington, VT, United States of America.

Background: Chagas disease is highly prevalent in Latin America, and vector control is the most effective control strategy to date. We have previously shown that liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is a valuable tool for identifying triatomine vector blood meals.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine blood meal detection ability as a function of method [polymerase chain reaction (PCR) vs. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 17;113(10):e180340. Epub 2018 Sep 17.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Laboratório de Micologia, Setor de Imunodiagnóstico, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Histoplasmosis is a systemic mycosis infection caused by Histoplasma capsulatum, a heterothallic ascomycete. The sexual reproduction of this fungus is regulated by the mating type (MAT1) locus that contains MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 idiomorphs, which were identified by uniplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This study aimed to optimise single-step multiplex PCR for the accurate detection of the distinct mating types of H. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Aug 27;113(10):e180192. Epub 2018 Aug 27.

Shu-Zen Junior College of Medicine and Management, Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.

Raoultella planticola is an emerging zoonotic pathogen that is associated with rare but life-threatening cases of bacteremia, biliary tract infections, and urinary tract infections. Moreover, increasing antimicrobial resistance in the organism poses a potential threat to public health. In spite of its importance as a human pathogen, the genome of R. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 08 27;113(9):e140228ER. Epub 2018 Aug 27.

[This corrects the article doi: 10.1590/0074-0276140228]. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Aug 23;113(10):e180290. Epub 2018 Aug 23.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Insetos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Background: Zika has emerged as a new public health threat after the explosive epidemic in Brazil in 2015. It is an arbovirus transmitted mainly by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The knowledge of physiological, behavioural and biological features in virus-infected vectors may help the understanding of arbovirus transmission dynamics and elucidate their influence in vector capacity. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Aug 20;113(10):e180224. Epub 2018 Aug 20.

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Clínica Médica, Curso de Pós-Graduação em Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.

Background: Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels have been shown to be lower in patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy (ChC) than in patients with non-dilated chagasic cardiomyopathy. However, its prognostic value was not established in patients with ChC.

Methods: Forty-nine patients with ChC (50 ± 7 years, New York Heart Association "NYHA" I-III); were evaluated by echocardiography, exercise testing, and blood analysis. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 13;113(10):e180174. Epub 2018 Aug 13.

Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Farnesyl diphosphate synthase/geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS/GGPPS) is a key enzyme in the synthesis of isoprenic chains. Risedronate, a bisphosphonate containing nitrogen (N-BP), is a potent inhibitor of blood stage Plasmodium. Here, we show that P. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 9;113(9):e180073ER. Epub 2018 Aug 9.

[This corrects the article doi: 10.1590/0074-02760180073]. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Jul 26;113(9):e180212. Epub 2018 Jul 26.

Iran University of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, Tehran, Iran.

Biofilm formation is the preferred mode of growth lifestyle for many microorganisms, including bacterial and fungal human pathogens. Biofilm is a strong and dynamic structure that confers a broad range of advantages to its members, such as adhesion/cohesion capabilities, mechanical properties, nutritional sources, metabolite exchange platform, cellular communication, protection and resistance to drugs (e.g. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Jul 26;113(9):e180184. Epub 2018 Jul 26.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Dermatologia Infecciosa, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Background: Cutaneous tuberculosis (CTB) is a rare extrapulmonary form of tuberculosis (TB). Despite the increase in the number of cases of TB and HIV, few cases of CTB have been reported.

Objective: To describe CTB cases among patients with HIV infection from a cohort with tuberculosis. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Jul 26;113(9):e180162. Epub 2018 Jul 26.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto René Rachou, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.

Eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is a conserved protein with an essential role in translation elongation. Using one and two-dimensional western blotting, we showed that the eIF5A protein level was 2-fold lower in benznidazole (BZ)-resistant (BZR and 17LER) Trypanosoma cruzi populations than in their respective susceptible counterparts (BZS and 17WTS). To confirm the role of eIF5A in BZ resistance, we transfected BZS and 17WTS with the wild-type eIF5A or mutant eIF5A-S2A (in which serine 2 was replaced by alanine). Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Jul 19;113(9):e180131. Epub 2018 Jul 19.

Instituto Nacional de Salud, Grupo de Entomología, Bogotá, Colombia.

Introduction: Behavioural effects of insecticides on endophagic phlebotomine sand fly vectors of Leishmania are poorly understood mainly because of the lack of an experimental hut (EH) in which to study them.

Objective: To build an EH to evaluate the effects of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) on Lutzomyia longiflocosa.

Methods: The study had two phases: (1) Laboratory experiments using tunnel tests to select the traps for the EH; and (2) EH construction and evaluation of the effects of deltamethrin and lambda-cyhalothrin LLINs on L. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Jul 23;113(9):e170522. Epub 2018 Jul 23.

Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Setor de Pós-Graduação, Pesquisa e Inovação, Santo André, SP, Brasil.

The Malaria Frontier Hypothesis (MFH) is the current model for predicting malaria emergence in the Brazilian Amazon. It has two important dimensions, 'settlement time' and 'malaria incidence', and its prediction are: malaria incidence peaks five years after the initiation of human settlement and declines towards zero after an estimated 10 years. Although MFH is currently accepted, it has been challenged recently. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Jul 23;113(8):e180082. Epub 2018 Jul 23.

Sanofi Pasteur, Lyon, France.

Dengue remains an unmet public health burden. We determined risk factors for dengue in-hospital mortality in Brazil. Of 326,380 hospitalised dengue cases in 9-45-year-old individuals, there were 971 deaths. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Jul 16;113(9):e180171. Epub 2018 Jul 16.

Hospital de Niños Dr Ricardo Gutiérrez, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones en Patologías Pediátricas, Servicio de Parasitología-Chagas, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Background: The anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective properties of curcumin (Cur), a natural polyphenolic flavonoid isolated from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa, are increasingly considered to have beneficial effects on the progression of Chagas heart disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of oral therapy with Cur on T. cruzi-mediated cardiovasculopathy in acutely infected mice and analyse the in vitro response of parasite-infected human microvascular endothelial cells treated with this phytochemical. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Jul 10;113(9):e180073. Epub 2018 Jul 10.

Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Ciencias, Laboratorio de Investigaciones Básicas en Bioquímica, Bogotá, Colombia.

The biochemical pathways involved in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) biosynthesis converge at the enzymatic step catalysed by nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase (NMNAT, EC: 2.7.7. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Jul 10;113(9):e180051. Epub 2018 Jul 10.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Pesquisas Médicas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Corynebacterium striatum has been cited with increased frequency as pathogen of nosocomial infections. In this study, we report the draft genome of a C. striatum isolated from a patient with bloodstream infection in a hospital of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Jun 25;113(9):e180085. Epub 2018 Jun 25.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular Aplicada a Micobactérias, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Mycobacterium kansasii is an opportunistic pathogen and one of the most commonly encountered species in individuals with lung disease. We here report the complete genome sequence of 12 clinical isolates of M. kansasii from patients with pulmonary disease in Brazil. Read More

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018 Jun 25;113(8):e180120. Epub 2018 Jun 25.

Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Góes, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Background: Melanin production has been associated with virulence in various pathogenic fungi, including Fonsecaea pedrosoi, the major etiological agent for chromoblastomycosis, a subcutaneous fungal disease that occurs in South America.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of acid-basic extracted F. pedrosoi melanin particles and fungal cell ghosts obtained by Novozym 234 treatment on their ability to activate the human complement system. Read More