RESUMO
An epidemiological survey of Trypanosoma cruzi infection was carried out in Bodocó, located in the western part of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil. Two hundred and forty-one individuals were parasitologically and immunologically screened. Although hemoculture did not reveal the presence of parasites in the blood, the sera of 5 individuals were scored as positive by the indirect fluorescence antibody test and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Seropositivity in individuals above and below the age of 40 was 14.8 and 0.5%, respectively. These results indicate that recent infections with T. cruzi are rare in this area. However, since a T. cruzi-infected triatomid (Triatoma brasiliensis) was captured in a school classroom, this area must be considered endemic. When triatomid feces containing parasites were inoculated into a jird (mongolian gerbil), parasitemia appeared 10 days later. Immunohistochemical staining, using monoclonal antibody specific for T. cruzi, labeled organisms in jird tissues. These observations demonstrate that the jird is a suitable host for experimental T. cruzi infections and that monoclonal antibody is effective for detection of the parasite in host tissues.
Assuntos
Doença de Chagas/epidemiologia , Adulto , Animais , Anticorpos Antiprotozoários/sangue , Brasil/epidemiologia , Doença de Chagas/imunologia , Doença de Chagas/parasitologia , Criança , Humanos , Insetos Vetores/parasitologia , Panstrongylus/parasitologia , Vigilância da População , Triatoma/parasitologia , Trypanosoma cruzi/imunologia , Trypanosoma cruzi/isolamento & purificaçãoRESUMO
The pathogenicity of 47 strains of Entamoeba histolytica isolated in Pernambuco, Brazil, was examined using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by restriction-endonuclease digestion. Electrophoretic patterns of PCR products digested with HinfI revealed that all strains were nonpathogenic. The results were entirely in accord with phenotypic properties such as isoenzyme patterns and the failure to bind a pathogenic-isolate-specific monoclonal antibody. When the sensitivity of PCR was examined, amplified products could be detected from template DNA equivalent to five trophozoites. These observations indicate that PCR amplification of genomic DNA and subsequent restriction-enzyme digestion is a useful strategy for obtaining a sensitive and accurate diagnosis. The present study also demonstrates that nonpathogenic strains of E. histolytica predominate in northeastern Brazil.
Assuntos
DNA de Protozoário/análise , Entamoeba histolytica/patogenicidade , Entamebíase/parasitologia , Animais , Sequência de Bases , Brasil , Desoxirribonucleases de Sítio Específico do Tipo II , Entamoeba histolytica/classificação , Entamoeba histolytica/enzimologia , Entamoeba histolytica/genética , Humanos , Isoenzimas/análise , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , Mapeamento por Restrição , Sensibilidade e EspecificidadeRESUMO
A prevalencia da infeccao pelo Trypanosoma cruzi foi pesquisada em Oitis, uma pequena comunidade do Estado do Piaui. Duzentos e sessenta e cinco individuos foram investigados pelos seguintes metodos: pesquisa direta, hemocultura, imunofluorescencia indireta (IFA), teste imunoabsorvente ligado a enzima (ELISA), e ELISA de competicao (C-ELISA) com a utilizacao do anticorpo monoclonal TCF87 contra um antigeno do T.cruzi com 25kd. A IFA foi positiva em 14,3 por cento dos individuos, ELISA em 14,7 por cento e C-ELISA em 13,2 por cento. Este ultimo teste mostrou-se aplicavel no diagnostico sorologico da Doenca de Chagas.
Assuntos
Recém-Nascido , Pré-Escolar , Criança , Adulto , Lactente , Adolescente , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Humanos , Animais , Doença de Chagas/epidemiologia , Brasil/epidemiologia , Doença de Chagas/diagnóstico , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática , Imunofluorescência , PrevalênciaRESUMO
A survey of the prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection was carried out in Oitis, a small community in the State of Piaui, Brazil. Two hundred and sixty five individuals were screened by microscopic examination, hemoculture, indirect immunofluorescence (IFA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (C-ELISA) using the monoclonal antibody TCF87 against to a 25kd T. cruzi antigen. Seropositivity was 14.3% by the IFA test, 14.7% by ELISA, and 13.2% by C-ELISA. The C-ELISA using the TCF87 monoclonal antibody seems to be applicable in serodiagnosis of Chagas' disease.
Assuntos
Doença de Chagas/epidemiologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Animais , Brasil/epidemiologia , Doença de Chagas/diagnóstico , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática , Feminino , Imunofluorescência , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , PrevalênciaRESUMO
Two species of glycoproteins from Leishmania braziliensis promastigotes of apparent molecular weights of 53,000 (glycoprotein 53) and 47,000 (glycoprotein 47) were localized. Four lectins with different sugar specificities bound to the blotting sheet to which the electrophoretically separated materials were transferred. Concanavalin A and Ricinus communis agglutinin bound to the band of glycoprotein 53 and the lectin from Dolichos biflorus bound to the band of glycoprotein 47. Wheat germ agglutinin bound to the bands of both glycoproteins. Histochemical examinations using fluorescence labeled lectins demonstrated that the glycoproteins 53 and 47 were located on the cell surface and in the cytoplasm of promastigotes, respectively. The results are consistent with the result of agglutination test.