COVID-19-Associated Histoplasmosis in an AIDS Patient

Mycopathologia - Most reports associating fungal infections with COVID-19 have been cases of invasive aspergillosis. Here, we report a case of severe histoplasmosis and COVID-19 infections in an...     

Emerging role for Ureaplasma parvum serovar 3: Active infection in women with silent high-risk human papillomavirus and in women with idiopathic infertility

Recently, there are controversial opinions on the presence of Mycoplasmas/Ureaplasmas as colonizers or pathogens, and on the use of a targeted therapy. This study aimed to characterize Mycoplasmas/Ureaplasmas infections in reproductive age women, including the acquisition of sexually transmitted (ST) pathogens and poor birth outcomes. A total of 646 healthy Italian women fulfilled the inclusion criteria including 521 infertile women, 65 pregnant women, and 60 fertile women with identified risk factors and symptomatic for vaginitis/cervicitis. Multiplex and quantitative molecular techniques and direct automatic DNA sequencing were performed to assess the genome structure of Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma species and ST infected pathogens. Ureaplasma parvum serovar 3 represented the predominant colonizer of the urogenital tract of this series and the unique species significantly associated with ST pathogens coinfection (p < 0.01). U. parvum load >10⁴ bacteria/ml, suggestive of active infection, has been measured only in asymptomatic high-risk human papillomavirus infected women (24.3%) and in 40% of women with idiopathic infertility. To note, 16% of the follicular fluid from these idiopathic women resulted infected with U. parvum. In conclusion, the present study focused the attention on U. parvum serovar 3 as emerging microorganism in sexually active women that may have the benefit of targeted therapy.     

Inhibition of vesicular stomatitis virus replication by prostaglandin A1 in Aedes albopictus cells

Cyclopentenone prostaglandins (PGs) exhibit antiviral activity against RNA and DNA viruses in mammalian cell lines, and this effect has been associated with the induction of a heat shock protein (hsp70). We investigated the effect of prostaglandin A1 (PGA1) on the replication of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) in Aedes albopictus (mosquito) cells. PGA1 was found to inhibit VSV replication dose dependently. Virus yield was reduced to 50% (3 microg PGA1/ml) and to 95% with 8 microg PGA1/ml. Even with the dramatic reduction of virus production observed in cells treated with PGA1, VSV-specific protein synthesis was unaltered. Treatment of cells with PGA1 (5 microg/ml) stimulated the synthesis of a polypeptide identified as a heat-shock protein (hsp) by immunoblot analysis. PGA1 induced hsp70 synthesis in uninfected cells. However, in VSV-infected cells the induction of hsp70 by PGA1 was reduced. This is the first report of antiviral effects of PGs affecting the replication of VSV in a mosquito cell line.     

Hepatic zonation of carbon and nitrogen fluxes derived from glutamine and ammonia transformations

Background  

Glutaminase predominates in periportal hepatocytes and it has been proposed that it determines the glutamine-derived nitrogen flow through the urea cycle. Glutamine-derived urea production should, thus, be considerably faster in periportal hepatocytes. This postulate, based on indirect observations, has not yet been unequivocally demonstrated, making a direct investigation of ureogenesis from glutamine highly desirable.     

Liver parenchyma heterogeneity in the response to extracellular NAD+

The perfused rat liver responds intensely to NAD+ infusion (20-100 microM). Increases in portal perfusion pressure and glycogenolysis and transient inhibition of oxygen consumption are some of the effects that were observed. The aim of the present work was to investigate the distribution of the response to extracellular NAD+ along the hepatic acinus. The bivascularly perfused rat liver was used. Various combinations of perfusion directions (antegrade and retrograde) and infusion routes (portal vein, hepatic vein and hepatic artery) were used in order to supply NAD+ to different regions of the liver parenchyma, also taking advantage of the fact that its extracellular transformation generates steep concentration gradients. Oxygen uptake was stimulated by NAD+ in retrograde perfusion (irrespective of the infusion route) and transiently inhibited in antegrade perfusion. This indicates that the signal causing oxygen uptake inhibition is generated in the periportal area. The signal responsible for oxygen uptake stimulation is homogenously distributed. Stimulation of glucose release was more intense when NAD+ was infused into the portal vein or into the hepatic artery, indicating that stimulation of glycogenolysis predominates in the periportal area. The increases in perfusion pressure were more pronounced when the periportal area was supplied with NAD+ suggesting that the vasoconstrictive elements responding to NAD+ predominate in this region. The response to extracellular NAD+ is thus unequally distributed in the liver. As a paracrine agent, NAD+ is likely to be released locally. It can be concluded that its effects will be different depending on the area where it is released.     

The fusogenic state of mayaro virus induced by low pH and by hydrostatic pressure

Mayaro virus is an enveloped virus that belongs to the Alphavirus genus. To gain insight into the mechanism involved in Mayaro virus membrane fusion, we used hydrostatic pressure and low pH to isolate a fusion-active state of Mayaro glycoproteins. In response to pressure, E1 glycoprotein undergoes structural changes resulting in the formation of a stable conformation. This state was characterized and correlated to that induced by low pH as measured by intrinsic fluorescence, 4,4′-dianilino-1,1′-binaphthyl-5,5′-disulfonic acid, dipotassium salt fluorescence, fluorescence resonance energy transfer, electron microscopy, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In parallel, we used a neutralization assay to show that Mayaro virus in the fusogenic state retained most of the original immunogenic properties and could elicit high titers of neutralizing antibodies.     

Development of microsatellite markers for Anadenanthera colubrina (Leguminosae), a neotropical tree species

? Premise of the study: We developed and characterized nuclear microsatellite markers for Anadenanthera colubrina, a tropical tree species widely distributed in South America. ? Methods and Results: Leaf samples of mature A. colubrina trees, popularly called "angico," were collected from an area that is greatly impacted by agricultural practices in the region of Ribeir?o Preto in S?o Paulo State in southeastern Brazil. Twenty simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were developed, 14 of which had polymorphic loci. A total of 96 alleles were detected with an average of 6.86 alleles per polymorphic locus. The expected heterozygosity, calculated at polymorphic loci, ranged from 0.18 to 0.83. Finally, we demonstrated that 18 loci were cross-amplified in A. peregrina. ? Conclusions: A total of 14 polymorphic markers suggest a high potential for genetic diversity, gene flow, and mating system analyses in A. colubrina.     

Clinical and cytokine profile evaluation in Northeast Brazilian psoriasis plaque-type patients

Objective and Design

Psoriasis is a common, enigmatic, and recurrent disease. The precise etiology and pathogenesis of psoriasis are still unclear. Psoriasis has been treated as an inflammatory disorder related to an underlying Th1/Th17-dominated immune response. Interleukins are involved in the development of psoriasis lesions through Th-17-associated inflammation. Th1 and Th17 cytokines are found in skin lesions and in the peripheral blood of psoriasis patients.We sought to analyze serum levels of IL-1-β, IL-8, IL-9, IL-27, IL-29, IL-35, IFN-γ, TNF and TGF-β in patients with psoriasis and healthy control volunteers.

Material

Blood samples were collected from fifty-three patients with psoriasis and thirty-five healthy controls.

Methods

Serum cytokines concentrations were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Serum IL-8, IL-9, IL-27, IL-29 and TNF levels were statistically significant in psoriasis patients. Detectable serum IL-9 levels were found in 47 patients of the 53 in the psoriasis group.

Conclusions

Interleukins-8, 27, 29 and TNF levels measured in the serum of psoriasis patients were slightly elevated as compared to healthy controls in a weakly significant way. On the other hand, there were highly significant differences in IL-9 levels between the two groups.