Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2003. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Univ., 2003. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Linköpings universitet, 2007. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Univ., 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 1997. / "August 1997." Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 82-96). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 82-96). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oklahoma. / Bibliography: leaves 115-153.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 2006 / Typescript (photocopy)

The sex hormone testosterone supports male reproduction. However, testosterone is hypothesized to suppress immune activity, resulting in a tradeoff between energetic investment in reproductive effort and immune function. The Immunocompetence Handicap Hypothesis (ICHH) therefore argues that testosterone-linked masculine traits honestly signal health status to prospective mates, as only uninfected males should be able to maintain high testosterone levels. Still, this proposed tradeoff remains poorly tested among human men, especially among natural fertility populations experiencing high infectious disease burdens. This dissertation therefore tested the ICHH among indigenous Shuar men of Amazonian Ecuador. Specifically, this project examined testosterone variation patterns and assessed how male investment in reproductive effort is associated with reproductive success and immune function. The first study tested testosterone level variation among Shuar men in relation to body composition, age, and style of life factors. This study demonstrated that age and BMI interactions shape testosterone levels in complex ways, such that the relationship between body composition and testosterone profile varies throughout the life course. The second study investigated whether individual reproductive success was significantly influenced by masculine trait development and parasite load. These results failed to support the hypotheses that masculine traits increased reproductive success or honestly signaled lack of parasitic disease. Instead, a significant positive association was observed between a composite score of masculine traits and Ascaris lumbricoides infection load; suggesting that male investment in reproductive effort may increase parasitic infection risk. The final study assessed whether testosterone levels were negatively associated with four measures of immune function (parasite load, C-Reactive Protein [CRP], Immunoglobulin-G [IgG], and Immunoglobulin-E [IgE]). Testosterone levels were inversely associated with CRP levels and a positive relationship between testosterone levels and Trichuris trichiura infection load was documented, suggesting increased investment in reproductive effort may suppress some aspects of immune function and increase parasite burden. Overall, these studies fail to support the ICHH, but do indicate a context-dependent tradeoff between energetic investment in male reproductive effort and some aspects of immune function; thereby demonstrating complex interactions between physical characteristics, physiological processes, and immune activity in human men. This dissertation includes unpublished, co-authored material.

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2018-11-26T13:02:51Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Douglas Oliveira Andrade - 2015.pdf: 6446684 bytes, checksum: a1e954faf14aff161dbc0af5f7db0cbb (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2018-11-26T13:38:57Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Douglas Oliveira Andrade - 2015.pdf: 6446684 bytes, checksum: a1e954faf14aff161dbc0af5f7db0cbb (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-26T13:38:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Douglas Oliveira Andrade - 2015.pdf: 6446684 bytes, checksum: a1e954faf14aff161dbc0af5f7db0cbb (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-09-18 / Leishmaniasis are a group of endemic diseases in 98 countries, with an estimated incidence up to 1.6 million cases per year (0.7-1.2 million of cutaneous leishmaniasis and 0.2 to 0.4 million visceral leishmaniasis). The criteria for the cure of american tegumentary leishmaniasis adopted nowadays is the complete healing of the lesion. IgG3 subclass anti-leishmania antibodies decrease faster than the total IgG antibodies in cured patients. This study was aimed to identify differences in the recognition pattern of L. (V.) braziliensis protein by total IgG or IgG3 antibodies obtained from cutaneous leishmaniasis infected patients’ serum before and after treatment. Sera of 15 patients infected with L. braziliensis attended at the Tropical Diseases Hospital Anuar Auadi were tested by ELISA against crude extracts of L. braziliensis. When all patients were analyzed, it was observed that anti-leishmania IgG3 absorbance levels measured by ELISA were similar to the controls levels at 6 month. The absorbance levels of total antibodies in control and infected patients reached similarity only at 12/18 months. After split patients into group A: healing of the lesion before one month and B: healing of the lesion after one month, it was observed that absorbance levels in ELISA for IgG3 in group A was similar to the controls levels at the time of diagnosis. It was also observed, by Western Blotting, that the IgG3 reactivity of IgG3 to 49 kDa protein waspresent mainly for group B patients. The 28 kDa protein showed IgG3 reactivity mainly in group B the healing os lesions and the 14 kDa protein showed IgG3 reactivity in some controls our data suggest that the use of 49 kDa protein in ELISA may be useful for diagnosis and following up of patients and the 14kDa protein may be important in false-positive results. / As leishmanioses constituem um grupo de doenças endêmicas em 98 países, com uma incidência estimada de até 1,6 milhões de casos por ano (0,7-1,2 milhão de leishmaniose tegumentar e 0,2 a0,4 milhão de leishmaniose visceral). O critério de cura da leishmaniose tegumentar americana adotado hoje é a cura completa da lesão. Anticorpos anti-Leishmania da subclasse IgG3 decaem mais rapidamente que os anticorpos IgG totais em pacientes curados. O presente trabalho tem objetivo de identificar diferenças no reconhecimento de proteínas de L. (V.) braziliensis por anticorpos IgG totais ou IgG3 obtidos de soro de pacientes com leishmaniose tegumentar americana antes e após o tratamento. Soros de 15 pacientes infectados com L. braziliensis atendidos no Hospital de Doenças Tropicais Anuar Auad foram testados por ELISA contra extratos brutos de L. braziliensis. Quando analisados todos os pacientes, foi possível observar que as absorbâncias no ELISA para a subclasse IgG3 anti-Leishmania ficou semelhante aos controles com 6 meses, o que só aconteceu para anticorpos totais com 12/18 meses. Com a separação dos pacientes em A: pacientes com cura clínica antes de um mês e grupo B: pacientes com cura clínica após um mês, observou-se que as absorbâncias no ELISA para IgG3 no grupo A era semelhante à dos controles no momento do diagnóstico. Identificamos, pelo Western Blotting, que a reatividade à proteína de 49 kDa pela IgG3 de pacientes era presente principalmente no grupo B. A proteína de 28 kDa reagiu com IgG3 de pacientes do grupo B antes da cura clínica e a proteína de 14 kDa reagiu com IgG3 de três soros controles. Nossos dados sugerem que a proteína de 49 kDa pode ser usada em ELISA para o diagnóstico e acompanhamento dos pacientes portadores de LTA e que a proteína de 14kDa pode ser responsável por reações falso positivas.