This case reports an immunocompetent 29-year-old woman with suspected pneumonia, suggestive of fungal infection. Immunoblotting analysis reactivity againstHistoplasma capsulatum and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis were observed. Nested-PCR in blood employing species-specific primers was positive for H. capsulatum andCryptococcus neoformans. The evaluation of paucisymptomatic patients with positive results for H. capsulatum and C. neoformans could be relevant for the prevention as well as the possible evaluation of the reactivated quiescent foci. In conclusion, the associated methodology may have contributed to the monitoring endogenous reactivation of these diseases.

As micoses superficiais são prevalentes em todo o mundo, geralmente ocasionadas por dermatófitos e restritas à camada córnea. A resposta imunológica do hospedeiro às infecções dos fungos dermatófitos depende basicamente das defesas do hospedeiro a metabólitos do fungo, da virulência da cepa ou da espécie infectante e da localização anatômica da infecção. Serão revistos alguns dos fatores da defesa imunológica do hospedeiro que influenciam na eficácia da resposta imune. Em especial, a participação dos receptores de padrão de reconhecimento (PRRs), tais como os receptores toll-like ou os da família lectina (DC-SIGN e dectin-2), que participam da resposta imune inata, conferindo-lhe especificidade e definindo o padrão da resposta imune como um todo. O predomínio celular ou humoral da resposta imune definirá o quadro clínico e o prognóstico da infecção, levando à cura ou cronicidade

Superficial mycoses are prevalent worldwide. They are often caused by dermatophytes and restricted to the stratum corneum. The host's immune response against infections caused by dermatophytes basically depends on the host's defense against metabolites of the fungi, virulence of the infecting strain or species and anatomical site of the infection. We will review some of the factors of the host's immune defense that influence the efficacy of the immune response. We will particularly review the role of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), such as toll-like receptors or lectin receptors (DCSIGN and Dectin 2), which participate in the innate immune response, bringing specificity to the immune response and setting its pattern. The predominance of a cellular or humoral immune response determines the clinical manifestations and the prognosis of the infection, leading to healing or chronicity

Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated fungal organism that can cause disease in apparently immunocompetent, as well as immunocompromised, hosts. Since 1930, successive subculture has been used to preserve C. neoformans isolates in our Fungus Collection. In the 1970s, some of these Fungus Collection samples were selected to be subjected to a different methods of maintenance - that of lyophilized. Our objective was to analyze C. neoformans isolates in order to make a comparative evaluation between these two methods of preservation. The overall aim of this study was to qualify the preservation technique used in our mycology laboratory since the technique used might affect the survival, stability and purity of the primary isolates in culture. The samples were analyzed using classical mycology methods and using the randomly amplified polymorphic DNA technique In the analysis of phenotypes and genotypes, the typical characteristics of C. neoformans were found to differ in relation to the different methods of preservation employed. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the importance of selecting the appropriate method of preservation for fungus collections. This selection can affect the survival and purity of the cultures, and preserve the stability of their physiological, biochemical, and genetic characteristics.

A apolipoproteina B (apoB) tem um importante papel na regulação na homeostasia celular, do colesterol e na patogênese da aterosclerose. Esta proteína age como ligante para o reconhecimento e catabolismo lipoproteínas de baixa densidade (LBD) através do receptor de LDL. Estudos anteriores mostraram que a expressão do gene da apolipoproteína B (APOB) em células hepáticas é regulada pela interação de fatores ligados ao elemento enhancer no intron 2, e em 3 elementos denominados de III, IV e V localizados nas regiões -86 a -62, -72 a -53 e -53 a -33 , respectivamente, do promotor do gene da APOB. Neste trabalho, nós sugerimos que o fator de transcrição C/EBPalfa ligado a região -53 a -33 da APOB interage com o complexo HNF-4 e C/EBPalfa localizado dentro da região -86 a -53 do APO B e contribui para aumentar a transcrição do gene APOB.

Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) plays a major role in the regulation of cellular cholesterol homeostasis and pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. This protein acts as a ligand for the cellular recognition and catabolism of low density lipoprotein (LDL) by the LDL receptor. Previous studies have shown that the expression of apoB in hepatic cells is regulated by the interaction of factors binding to enhancer elements in intron 2 and three elements designated III, IV and V. These elements lie within regions respectively -86 to -62, -72 to -53 and -53 to -33 from the ApoB promoter. In this study, we have suggested that transcription factor C/EBPalpha, which binds to the -53 to -33 region of the apoB, interacts with the HNF-4 synergistic complex and C/EBPalpha factors within -86 to -53 and may contribute to increase transcription of the ApoB gene.

Nosso propósito foi comparar o polimorfismo genético de seis amostras de P. brasiliensis (113, 339, BAT, T1F1, T3B6, T5LN1), com quatro amostras de P. cerebriformis (735, 741, 750, 361) do laboratório de micologia do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, utilizando a técnica de Amplificação Aleatória do Polimorfismo de DNA (RAPD). O perfil de bandas do RAPD diferenciou claramente os isolados de P. brasiliensis de P. cerebriformis. Entretanto, ocorreu uma variação significativa no padrão de bandas das amostras de P. cerebriformis. O sequenciamento do gene ribossomal 28S revelou seqüências de nucleotídeos bastante conservadas entre os isolados de P. cerebriformis, fornecendo subsídio para o agrupamento taxonômico destas amostras, diferenciando estas de P. brasiliensis e mostrando que de fato são espécies distintas. A seqüência de DNA sugere que P. cerebriformis pertence ao gênero Aspergillus.

Our purpose was to compare the genetic polymorphism of six samples of P. brasiliensis (113, 339, BAT, T1F1, T3B6, T5LN1), with four samples of P. cerebriformis (735, 741, 750, 361) from the Mycological Laboratory of the Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Analysis (RAPD). RAPD profiles clearly segregated P. brasiliensis and P. cerebriformis isolates. However, the variation on band patterns among P. cerebriformis isolates was high. Sequencing of the 28S rDNA gene showed nucleotide conservancy among P. cerebriformis isolates, providing basis for taxonomical grouping, and disclosing high divergence to P. brasiliensis supporting that they are in fact two distinct species. Moreover, DNA sequence suggests that P. cerebriformis belongs in fact to the Aspergillus genus.