ABSTRACT Immune exhaustion and senescence are scarcely studied in HIV-pediatric patients. We studied the circulatory CD8 T cells activation/exhaustion and senescent phenotype of children and adolescents vertically infected with HIV or uninfected controls based on the expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA-DR), CD38, T cell immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM) domain (TIGIT), programmed death 1 (PD-1) and CD57 by flow cytometry, during approximately one year. Eleven HIV-infected (HI) and nine HIV-uninfected (HU) children/adolescents who received two doses or one dose of meningococcal C conjugate vaccine (MenC), respectively, were involved in this study. Blood samples were collected before the immunization (T0), 1–2 months after the first dose (T1), and 1–2 months after the second dose (T2), which was administered approximately one year after the first one. HI patients not receiving combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) showed a higher frequency of CD8 T cells TIGIT+, PD-1+ or CD57+, as well as a higher frequency of CD8 T cells co-expressing CD38/HLA-DR/TIGIT or CD38/HLA-DR/PD-1 when compared to HI treated or HU individuals, at all times that they were assessed. CD8 T cells co-expressing CD38/DR/TIGIT were inversely correlated with the CD4/CD8 ratio but positively associated with viral load. The co-expression of CD38/DR/TIGIT or CD38/DR/PD-1 on CD8 T cells was also inversely associated with the CD4 T cells expressing co-stimulatory molecules CD127/CD28. The results showed a higher expression of exhaustion/senescence markers on CD8 T cells of untreated HI children/adolescents and its correlations with viral load.

RESUMO Objetivo: O presente estudo teve como objetivo descrever as formas clínicas e o tempo de diagnóstico de novos casos de tuberculose e analisar estatisticamente as formas isoladas e combinadas da doença em crianças e adolescentes atendidos em um hospital universitário do Rio de Janeiro durante o primeiro ano da pandemia de COVID-19 no Brasil. Métodos: Este estudo transversal utilizou dados retrospectivos de crianças (0-9 anos) e adolescentes (10-18 anos) com tuberculose pulmonar (TBP), extrapulmonar (TBEP) e combinada (TBP + TBEP) acompanhados no ambulatório de janeiro de 2019 a março de 2021. Os dados categóricos foram analisados por estatística descritiva e expressos em frequência e proporções. As variáveis categóricas foram comparadas pelo teste Qui-quadrado e as variáveis numéricas pelo teste T de Student. Resultados: Foram incluídos 51 casos, sendo 63% (32/51) pacientes no ano da pandemia (grupo A) e 37% (19/51) pacientes atendidos em anos anteriores (grupo B). No grupo A, 19% (6/32) dos pacientes apresentavam TBP, 59% (16/32) TBEP e 31% (10/32) TBP+TBEP. No grupo B, 42% (8/19) dos pacientes apresentavam TBP, 42% (8/19) TBEP e 16% (3/19) TBP+TBEP. Conclusão: Nosso estudo evidenciou mais casos de tuberculose no primeiro ano da pandemia do que no mesmo período do ano anterior, com maior variação de locais acometidos pela doença, incluindo formas mais raras e mais graves.

ABSTRACT Objective: The present study aimed to describe the clinical forms and the time taken to diagnose new tuberculosis cases and to statistically analyze the isolated and combined forms of the disease in children and adolescents treated at a university hospital in Rio de Janeiro during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that used retrospective data on children (0-9 years old) and adolescents (10-18 years old) with pulmonary (PTB), extrapulmonary (EPTB), and combined tuberculosis (PTB + EPTB) followed up at the outpatient clinic from January 2019 to March 2021. Categorical data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and expressed as frequency and proportions. Categorical variables were compared using the Chi-square test, and numerical variables using Student’s T-test. Results: A total of 51 cases were included, 63% (32/51) of which comprised patients in the year of the pandemic (group A), while 37% (19/51) were patients attended in previous years (group B). In group A, 19% (6/32) of the patients presented PTB, 59% (16/32) had EPTB, and 31% (10/32) had PTB+EPTB. In group B, 42% (8/19) of the patients presented PTB, 42% (8/19) had EPTB, and 16% (3/19) had PTB+EPTB. Conclusion: Our study revealed more tuberculosis cases in the first year of the pandemic than in the same period of the previous year, with greater variation of sites affected by the disease, including rarer and more severe forms.

ABSTRACT Background: Perinatally HIV-infected children are surviving into adulthood, and getting pregnant. There is a scarcity of information on health and pregnancy outcomes in these women. Aim: To evaluate characteristics related to HIV disease and pregnancy outcomes in perinatally infected women, and to compare these women with a group of youth with behaviorally acquired HIV-infection, at a reference hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods: A cohort study. Epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory data were compared between perinatally (PHIV) and behaviorally HIV-infected (BHIV) pregnant youth with the primary aim to study pregnancy outcomes in the PHIV group and compare with outcomes to BHIV group. Results: Thirty-two pregnancies occurred in PHIV group, and 595 in BHIV group. A total of seven (22%) PHIV women and 64 (11%) BHIV women had a premature delivery (p = 0.04), however, when adjusting for younger age at pregnancy, and antiretroviral therapy initiation in 1st trimester of pregnancy (OR = 18.66, 95%CI = 5.52–63.14), the difference was no longer significant. No cases of mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT) were observed in the PHIV group while there was a 2% MTCT rate in BHIV group. Conclusion: Pregnancy among PHIV was as safe as among BHIV. The differences between those groups were probably related to treatment and prolonged care in the first group.

ABSTRACT The herein presented assay provided a bacteriological and molecular characterization of 100 samples of L. monocytogenes isolated from human (43) and food (57) sources, from several regions of Brazil, and collected between 1975 and 2013. Antigenic characterization defined 49% of serotype 4b samples, followed by 28% of serotype 1/2b, 14% of serotype 1/2c, 8% of serotype 1/2a, and 1% of serotype 3b. Both type of samples from human and food origin express the same serotype distribution. Multiplex PCR analysis showed 13 strains of type 4b with the amplification profile 4b-VI (Variant I). Virulence genes hly, inlA, inlB, inlC, inlJ, actA, plcA, and prfA were detected in all samples, highlighting a deletion of 105pb on the actA gene in 23% of serotype 4b samples. Macrorestriction profile with ApaI at PFGE showed 55 pulsotypes, with the occurrence of the same pulsotype in hospitalized patients in São Paulo in 1992 and 1997, and two other highly related pulsotypes in patients hospitalized in Rio de Janeiro in 2008. Recognized pulsotypes in listeriosis cases have also been detected in food. Thus, the prevalence of a serotype and the persistence of certain pulsotypes herald future problems.

Background: Neonatal infection is a serious public health problem. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of the antenatal care on the risk of early-onset neonatal healthcare associated infection in two Brazilian maternities.Methods: Cohort study - Newborns admitted at two public neonatal intensive care units from 2008 to 2009 were included in the study. Data on antenatal and perinatal variables were collected from maternal prenatal cards and medical charts. Newborns were actively surveyed for early-onset neonatal healthcare associated infection, defined as a neonatal infection diagnosed within 48 h after birth. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess variables independently associated with early-onset neonatal healthcare associated infection.Results: 561 neonate-mother pairs were included in the study. Early-onset neonatal health-care associated infection was diagnosed in 283 neonates (51%), an incidence rate of 43.5/1000 live births. Neonates whose mothers had less then six antenatal visits were under risk significantly higher for early-onset neonatal healthcare associated infection (OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.11-2.57), after adjusting for birth weight, membranes ruptured for >18 h, maternal complications during delivery, maternal infection at admission, and hospital where patients received care.Conclusions: The risk of neonatal early-onset neonatal healthcare associated infection was significantly associated with insufficient number of antenatal care visits. Further studies assessing the quality of antenatal care and targeting its improvement are warranted.

A análise fenotípica de 255 amostras do gênero Listeria isoladas de material clínico humano, tanto de indivíduos doentes (220-86,3%), como de aparentemente normais (35-13,7%) de várias regiões do país e colecionadas no período de 1969 a 2000, permitiu caracterizar a distribuição de sorovares de Listeria monocytogenes. Nas faixas etárias de 0 a 10 e de 41 a 60 anos, predominaram os isolamentos de líquido cefalorraquidiano sobre os de sangue, incluindo dos transplantados renais. Somente dos hemocultivos foi possível detectar os sete sorovares de Listeria monocytogenes. No cômputo geral, o sorovar 4b foi o mais incidente (154-60,3%) secundado por ¹/2 a (74-29%) nos três decênios considerados, além de ocorrerem em quase todas as regiões do país. Os dados deste estudo evidenciaram a circulação de L. monocytogenes na espécie humana, provocando quadros graves de meningite e septicemia, bem como, revelando a figura do portador assintomático, razão pela qual são recomendadas novas investigações bacteriológicas, subsidiadas por análises clínico-patológicas e epidemiológicas.

Using phenotype techniques, characterization was realized of species and serovars of 255 strains of Listeria isolated from human material: 220-86.3% were from patients with possible invasive disease, while 35-13.7% were from colonized healthy individuals. The strains were collected in several regions of Brazil from 1969-2000. In individuals aged 0-10 or 41-60 years old Listeria monocytogenes was isolated more often in cerebral spinal fluid than in blood cultures, including samples from renal transplant recipients. All Listeria monocytogenes serovars were detected in blood culture strains. The predominant serovars characterized were 4b (154-60.3%) and ¹/2 a (74-29%). In this study, Listeria monocytogenes causing invasive diseases, such as meningitis or septicemia, or colonizing individuals, were identified. Consequently further studies focusing on clinical and pathological as well as epidemiological issues, including risk factors associated with foodborne transmission should be pursued.

No período de abril a dezembro de 1985, foram observados cinco casos de listeriose em transplantados renais num mesmo hospital de São Paulo, SP. Os pacientes eram adultos (média de 40,6 anos) tendo como queixa básica a febre. Laboratorialmente, em todos foram reconhecidos Listeria monocytogenes, caracterizada por dois sorovares 1/2a e 4b e três lisotipos distintos. As amostras do sorovar 4b apresentaram o mesmo antibiotipo: resistentes à cefoxitina, clindamicina, oxacilina e penicilina.

Five cases of Listeria monocytogenes bacteriemia were observed from April to December 1985, among renal transplant recipients from the same hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. The patients were adults (mean age: 40.6 years), and the basic complain was fever, with no report of meningeal syndrome. Laboratory tests revealed the presence of two serovars, 1/2a and 4b, which were classified into three lysotypes. The four strains of serovar 4b showed the same antibiotype, with resistance to cefoxitin, clindamycin, oxacillin and penicillin.