IHMT

Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical

Home / Archives for de Sousa B

de Sousa B

Portugal and Angola: similarities and differences in Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence and risk factors among pregnant women

In this study we determined the presence of IgM/IgG antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in sera of 155 and 300 pregnant women from Lisbon (Portugal) and Luanda (Angola), respectively, and evaluated the potential risk factors associated with this infection.
Ler mais

Prevalence of pfmdr1 alleles associated with artemether-lumefantrine tolerance/resistance in Maputo before and after the implementation of artemisinin-based combination therapy

Mozambique implemented artemisinin-based combinations therapy (ACT) using artemether-lumefantrine (AL) as the first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria in 2009. AL remains highly efficacious, but widespread use may soon facilitate emergence of artemisinin tolerance/resistance. The prevalence of pfmdr1 different alleles in Maputo and Mozambique is not known, either after or before the introduction of ACT. Pfmdr1 molecular markers related to Plasmodium falciparum susceptibility were analysed before and after transition to ACT.
Ler mais

Genetic diversity and signatures of selection of drug resistance in Plasmodium populations from both human and mosquito hosts in continental Equatorial Guinea

In Plasmodium, the high level of genetic diversity and the interactions established by co-infecting parasite populations within the same host may be a source of selection on pathogen virulence and drug resistance. As different patterns have already been described in humans and mosquitoes, parasite diversity and population structure should be studied in both hosts to properly assess their effects on infection and transmission dynamics. This study aimed to characterize the circulating populations of Plasmodium spp and Plasmodium falciparum from a combined set of human blood and mosquito samples gathered in mainland Equatorial Guinea. Further, the origin and evolution of anti-malarial resistance in this area, where malaria remains a major public health problem were traced.
Ler mais

Non-classic metallointercalators with dipyridophenazine: DNA interaction studies and leishmanicidal activity

[Cu(II)(dppz)2(AcOO)]+ and [Zn(II)(dppz)2]2+ bind DNA by intercalation and covalent binding modes. A loss of a dppz unit, which occurs only when DNA is present, justifies such dual binding mode.
Ler mais

Multicentre study highlighting clinical relevance of new high-throughput methodologies in molecular epidemiology of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia

Pneumocystis jirovecii causes severe interstitial pneumonia (PcP) in immunosuppressed patients. This multicentre study assessed the distribution frequencies of epidemiologically relevant genetic markers of P. jirovecii in different geographic populations from Portugal, the USA, Spain, Cuba and Mozambique, and the relationship between the molecular data and the geographical and clinical information, based on a multifactorial approach.
Ler mais

Men’s health in Europe.

Background: In 2011 the European Commission launched the report ‘The State of Men’s Health in Europe’ covering the health of 290 million men across 34 European countries. This is the first official statement on the health of men in Europe.
Ler mais

Cell phenotypic change due to Cryptosporidium parvum infection in immunocompetent mice

Cryptosporidium parvum is an intracellular parasite causing enteritis which can become life-threatening in immunocompromised host. Immunoregulatory T cells play a central role in the regulatory network of the host. Here, we proposed to characterize the populations of immune cells during infection and reinfection with C. parvum. Four-week-old BALB/C mice were inoculated with oocysts of C. parvum at days 0 and 22.
Ler mais