Biomedical subjects
S J Oliveira
Publications and source records attributed to S J Oliveira.
Enhanced production of specific IgG4, IgE, IgA and TGF-beta in sera from patients with the juvenile form of paracoccidioidomycosis.
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) occurs in two distinct forms, the acute or juvenile form (JF), and the chronic or adult form (AF). To clarify the basis of this dichotomy, specific IgG subclasses, IgA and IgE anti-gp43 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, in patients with different forms of PCM. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta were also quantified. We show here that JF patients have significantly higher titers of IgE antibodies against gp43, an immunodominant antigen specific for Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, than do patients with the unifocal adult form (UF-AF, isolated lesions). Patients with the multifocal adult form (MF-AF, lesions in more than one organ) also produced elevated levels of anti-P. brasiliensis IgE. Furthermore, specific IgE levels were correlated with IgG4, IgA and eosinophilia. Patients with JF showed eosinophilia and increased levels of TGF-beta, a switching factor for IgA. These results indicate a T helper (Th)-2 pattern of cytokine expression in both the JF and the MF-AF of PCM. On the other hand, patients with UF-AF had a significantly lower production of specific IgE, IgG4 and IgA than was seen in the other patient groups.
Endemic regions of paracoccidioidomycosis in Brazil: a clinical and epidemiologic study of 584 cases in the southeast region.
This paper describes the clinical-seroepidemiologic characteristics of patients with paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) who visited the University Hospital at the State University of Campinas (Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil). The study group consisted of 584 individuals (492 males and 92 females) with ages ranging from 5 to 87 years. The highest incidence of the disease occurred between the ages of 41 and 50 years for men and between 11 and 40 years for women. Rural activities were the principal occupation of 46% of the patients. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathologic examination and demonstration of fungus in scrapings, secretions, or in the sputum. Serologic test results for PCM were positive in 80% of the 584 patients studied. The significant number of patients, including 33 children less than 14 years old, indicates the presence of the fungus in the area and that this region is an important endemic area for PCM.
Sudden and unexpected death in clinically 'silent' Chagas' disease. A hypothesis.
BACKGROUND: Chagas' heart disease presents an interesting model of cardiac autonomic nerve dysfunction associated with morphologic lesions. A lack of quantitative evaluation of the latter suggested this study in which hearts from 34 subjects who were serum-positive for Chagas' disease but had no clinical evidence of it and who died suddenly and unexpectedly, out-of-hospital, were examined. METHODS AND RESULTS: By systematic myocardial sampling the histologic area was measured to establish: (a) the number of focal lymphocytic infiltrates x 100 mm2 and average number of lymphocytes per focus; (b) number of foci of, and myocells with, coagulative myocytolysis (contraction band necrosis) x 100 mm2; and (c) the percentage of substitutive myocardial fibrosis. In all cases findings were: (a) intermyocellular lymphocytic infiltrates (6 +/- 6 foci x 100 mm2); (b) coagulative myocytolysis (3 +/- 5 foci and 26 +/- 56 myocells x 100 mm2). CONCLUSIONS: In all 34 subjects quantitative analysis showed extensive lymphocytic infiltrates and myocardial damage typical of catecholamine cardiotoxicity. These two acute or active histological changes may explain their sudden demise produced by focal denervation with regional asynergy and consequent compensatory adrenergic stimulus with myotoxicity and malignant arrhythmia.
[Prevalence of anti-HIV antibodies in patients in hemodialysis].
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