No description available.

No description available.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / A artrite reumatÃide à uma doenÃa auto-imune crÃnica e inflamatÃria que evolui com graus de destruiÃÃo articular e alteraÃÃes extra-articulares podendo levar a incapacidade funcional. AlÃm da avaliaÃÃo clÃnica o diagnÃstico baseia-se na determinaÃÃo do fator reumatÃide (FR) sendo que este à tambÃm positivo em indivÃduos saudÃveis como tambÃm em outras doenÃas auto-imunes e infecciosas. Os anticorpos antipeptÃdeos citrulinados cÃclicos (anti-CCP) tem sido usados no diagnÃstico da artrite reumatÃide sendo superiores ao fator reumatÃide (FR) no diagnÃstico da artrite reumatÃide (AR) recente. O estudo teve como objetivo demonstrar a presenÃa de anticorpos anticitrulina em pacientes com o diagnÃstico de artrite reumatÃide comparando com parÃmetros clÃnicos, laboratoriais e com a avaliaÃÃo da qualidade de vida desses pacientes. Para avaliar a qualidade de vida foi aplicado o questionÃrio âHealth Assessment Questionnaire.â Foi realizado um teste por imunoturbidimetria, para a detecÃÃo de FR (Roche, Indianopolis, EUA) e ELISA para o anti-CCP (Inova , San Diego, EUA) em 69 pacientes apresentando, ao menos, 4 dos critÃrios do ColÃgio Americano de Reumatologia para a classificaÃÃo de AR e em 20 controles saudÃveis. A anÃlise estatÃstica utilizou o teste exato de Fisher e teste de Spearmann com significÃncia alcanÃada com P<0.05. Os pacientes com AR tinham entre 18-75 (mÃdia = 43.9 anos), 66 (95.7%) eram mulheres, os controles com idades variando entre 20-60 anos. O inÃcio da AR variou de 4 a 384 meses (mÃdia = 74.0 e mediana = 48.0). FR foi positivo em 48 (69.6%) pacientes e 1 (0,5%) controle. O anti-CCP foi positivo em 36 (52.2%) pacientes e em 2 (10%) controles. Foi observada uma correlaÃÃo significante dos testes FR e anti-CCP com P< 0.0001 e este estudo sugere que o anti-CCP nÃo foi superior ao FR no diagnÃstico da AR estabelecida / Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory, chronic and auto-immune disease that develops in degrees of articular destruction and extra-articular changes being able to lead to functional disability. Besides clinical assessment the diagnosis is based on the determination of the rheumatoid factor being this one also positive in healthy people as well as in other infectious and auto-immune diseases. Anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies have been used in diagnosis of rheumaoid arthritis (RA) and seen to be superior to rheumatoid factor (RF) in early onset RA diagnosis. The target of the study is to demonstrate the presence of anticitrulline antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis diagnostic comparing with laboratory, clinical parameters and with the assessment of the quality of life of these patients. The âHealth Assessment Questionnaireâ has been used to assess the quality of life. We performed an immunoturbidimetry test for detection of RF (Roche,Indianopolis, USA) and an ELISA for anti-CCP antibodies (Inova, San Diego, USA) in 69 patients presenting, at least, 4 of the American College of Rheumatology criteria for classification of RA and in 20 healthy controls. For statistical analysis we used thr Fisher exact test and the Spearmann test Significance was reached wuth P<0.05. RA patients were aged between 18-75 years (mean = 43.9 years), 66 (95.7%) of then were female, controls age ranged between 20-60 years.The period of RA onset varied from 4 to 384 months (mean = 74.0 and median = 48.0). RF was positive in 48 (69.6%) patients and in 1 (0,5%) control. The anti-CCP was positive in 36 (52.2%) patients and in 2 (10%) controls. A significant correlation of RF and anti-CCP tests was observed with P< 0,0001 and this study suggests that anti-CCP was not superior to RF in diagnosis of established RA

Das murine Norovirus ist ein neu entdecktes Mitglied der Familie Caliciviridae. Bislang wurden vier Virusstämme beschrieben und charakterisiert (MNV1-4). In dieser Arbeit wurde erstmals die Prävalenz von MNV bei Labormäusen in Deutschland untersucht. Daraufhin wurden die neu detektierten Virusstämme anhand ihrer morphologischen, phylogenetischen und pathogenen Eigenschaften charakterisiert. In 55% der untersuchten 82 Kotproben wurde mittels real-time PCR die Ausscheidung von MNV nachgewiesen. Morphologische Untersuchungen bestätigten das Vorhandensein intakter Viruspartikel in den Proben, die auch genetisch als MNVs charakterisiert wurden. Phylogenetisch wurden die Viren in vier genetische Cluster eingruppiert, die sich sowohl untereinander als auch von den Stämmen MNV1-4 deutlich unterscheiden. Die Relevanz der Subklassifizierung von MNV wurde durch unterschiedliche Wachstumskinetiken und IFN-beta-Sensitivitäten divergenter Stämme funktional bekräftigt. Zudem konnten, basierend auf Sequenzdaten aus zwei subgenomischen Bereichen, rekombinante Virusstämme identifiziert werden. Durch Kokultivierung von MNV-Isolaten wurde homologe Rekombination von Noroviren erstmals in vitro simuliert. Beobachtungen von natürlich und experimentell infizierten Mäusen zeigten, dass der Stamm MNV-M21 in den Tieren eine persistierende Infektion induziert. Serologische Untersuchungen verdeutlichten, dass die Persistenz unabhängig von einer intakten und protektiven Immunantwort stattfand. Bestimmungen der ORF2-Sequenzen zu unterschiedlichen Zeitpunkten der Infektion gaben Hinweise auf Antigendrift der hypervariablen P2-Domäne. Innerhalb dieser Domäne ist eine zwischen murinen und humanen Noroviren konservierte Proteinsequenz lokalisiert. Die antigenen Eigenschaften dieses Peptids wurden genauer untersucht. Generierte Antiseren zeigten Kreuzreaktivitäten gegenüber verschiedenen Norovirus-Kapsidproteinen. Zudem waren Peptidantikörper in der Lage eine MNV-Infektion in vitro zu neutralisieren. / The murine norovirus is a newly discovered member of the familiy Caliciviridae. So far, four strains have been described and characterised (MNV1-4). This is the first study on the prevalence of MNV among laboratory mice in Germany. Thereupon the detected new strains have been characterised considering morphologic, phylogenetic and pathogenic properties. Using real-time PCR, shedding of MNV has been found in 55% of 82 investigated faeces samples. Morphologic investigations confirmed the presence of intact virus particles within the samples, which genetically also have been characterised as MNVs. Phylogenetically these viruses have been grouped into four genetic clusters, which could be distinguished from each other and from strains MNV1-4. Relevance of MNV subtyping has been functionally corroborated through different growth kinetics and Interferon-beta sensitivities of divergent strains. Based on subtyping in two different subgenomic regions, recombinant strains have been identified. By cocultivation of MNV isolates, homologous recombination of noroviruses in vitro has been simulated for the first time. Studies of naturally and experimentally infected mice showed that strain MNV-M21 induce a persistent infection. Serological testings confirmed that the persistence occured independently of an intact and protective immune response. Determination of ORF2 sequences at different time points of infection indicated antigenic drift of the hypervariable P2 domain. A protein sequence stretch, which is conserved between murine and human noroviruses, is located within this domain. The antigenic features of this stretch have been investigated. Generated antisera against this peptide were crossreactive with different norovirus capsid proteins and were able to neutralize MNV infection in vitro.