Dengue is an acute febrile disease caused by the mosquito-borne dengue virus (DENV) that according to clinical manifestations can be classified as asymptomatic, mild or severe dengue. Severe dengue cases have been associated with an unbalanced immune response characterised by an over secretion of inflammatory cytokines. In the present study we measured type I interferon (IFN-I) transcript and circulating levels in primary and secondary DENV infected patients. We observed that dengue fever (DF) and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) patients express IFN-I differently. While DF and DHF patients express interferon-α similarly (52,71 ± 7,40 and 49,05 ± 7,70, respectively), IFN- β were associated with primary DHF patients. On the other hand, secondary DHF patients were not able to secrete large amounts of IFN- β which in turn may have influenced the high-level of viraemia. Our results suggest that, in patients from our cohort, infection by DENV serotype 3 elicits an innate response characterised by higher levels of IFN- β in the DHF patients with primary infection, which could contribute to control infection evidenced by the low-level of viraemia in these patients. The present findings may contribute to shed light in the role of innate immune response in dengue pathogenesis.

Objetivo Comparar a contagem total e diferencial de leucócitos de adolescentes obesos e eutróficos, e verificar suas possíveis relações com a aptidão cardiorrespiratória e indicadores de adiposidade.odos Estudo transversal realizado com 139 adolescentes (107 obesos e 32 eutróficos), com idades entre 13 e 18 anos. A aptidão cardiorrespiratória foi determinada por análise direta de gases durante um teste incremental em esteira rolante. As contagens de leucócitos totais e subconjuntos foram estimadas por citometria de fluxo. A composição corporal foi avaliada pelo método de dupla energia de raios X. O teste t para amostras independentes foi utilizado para comparação entre os grupos. A relação entre leucócitos, aptidão cardiorrespiratória e indicadores de adiposidade foi verificada por meio dos testes de correlação de Pearson e regressão linear múltipla (ajustado para idade e índice de massa corporal).Resultados Os adolescentes obesos apresentaram leucócitos (8,12±2,36u/L x 103; p=0,001), neutrófilos (4,33±1,86u/L x 103; p=0,002) e monócitos (0,70±0,22u/L x 103; p=0,002) mais elevados em comparação com os níveis dos eutróficos. Após os ajustes necessários, a aptidão cardiorrespiratória foi negativamente associada com leucócitos, neutrófilos e monócitos em meninos.Conclusão Adolescentes obesos apresentaram maior contagem de leucócitos totais e subpopulações, quando comparados aos eutróficos. Observou-se também uma fraca relação positiva entre adiposidade e leucócitos totais, monócitos e neutrófilos, e em meninos, uma relação negativa entre aptidão cardiorrespiratória e leucócitos totais, monócitos e neutrófilos.

Objective To compare the total and differential leukocyte count in obese and normal-weight adolescents, and to verify their possible relations with cardiorespiratory fitness and adiposity indicators.Methods A cross-sectional study conducted with 139 adolescents (107 obese and 32 normal weight) aged between 13 and 18 years. Cardiorespiratory fitness was determined by direct gas analysis during an incremental treadmill test. Total leukocytes and subsets were estimated by flow cytometry. Body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Thet-test for independent samples was used for comparison between groups. The relation between leukocytes, cardiorespiratory fitness and adiposity indicators was verified by Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression (adjusted for age and body mass index) tests.Results Obese adolescents had higher leukocyte (8.12±2.36u/L x 103; p=0.001), neutrophil (4.33±1.86u/L x 103; p=0.002), and monocyte (0.70±0.22u/L x 103; p=0.002) counts compared to the levels of normal weight subjects. After the necessary adjustments, cardiorespiratory fitness had a negative association with leukocytes, neutrophils, and monocytes in boys.Conclusion Obese adolescents had higher total and differential leucocyte count when compared to normal weight individuals. We also observed a weak positive association between adiposity and total leukocyte, monocyte, and neutrophil counts, and in boys, a negative association between cardiorespiratory fitness and total count of leukocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils.

A produção de biofertilizantes é um processo prático e econômico que reduz o consumo de energia e a sua aplicação visa aumentar o fósforo (P) disponível no solo. Biofertilizantes fosfatados (B5, B10, B15, B20) produzidos em laboratório usando fosfato natural (FN) e enxofre em diferentes concentrações (5; 10; 15 e 20%), inoculado com Acidithiobacillus (S*) e enxofre (20%) sem Acidithiobacillus (S), com incubação por 30, 45 e 60 dias, foi utilizado em um experimento em vasos com solo da Zona da Mata de Pernambuco (Argissolo Amarelo), com baixo nível de P disponível, cultivado com jacatupé (Pachyrhizus erosus), por dois períodos consecutivos. Os tratamentos fosfatados foram: fosfato natural (FN); biofertilizantes (B5, B10, B15, B20), com Acidithiobacillus (FN+S*) e B20, sem Acidithiobacillus (FN+S); superfosfato triplo (ST); e um controle sem fósforo (P0). As plantas foram inoculadas com a mistura das estirpes de rizóbio NFB 747 e 748, e sem inoculação. Nos ensaios em laboratório analisou-se o pH e o P extraído dos biofertilizantes, em cada período de incubação, e nos experimentos em vasos com solo determinou-se a biomassa seca, o N e o P total acumulado da parte aérea, o pH e o P extraído do solo. O P disponível foi mais elevado para os biofertilizantes com Acidithiobacillus (FN+S*) e para o superfosfato triplo. A fertilização fosfatada, condicionou resposta positiva dos biofertilizantes (FN+S*) e do superfosfato triplo. Os rizóbios nativos foram tão eficientes quanto os do inoculante. Após os dois cultivos o P disponível foi maior com os biofertilizantes B15 e B20 com Acidithiobacillus.

The production of mineral fertilizers is a expensive process, since it requires high energy consumption, and cannot be produced by small farmers. Laboratory assays were conducted to produce P-biofertilizers from natural phosphate (B5, B10, B15, B20), applying sulphur at different rates (5; 10; 15 and 20%) inoculated with Acidithiobacillus (S*) and testing increasing periods of incubation. A greenhouse experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of the biofertilizers in a soil with low available P (Typic Fragiudult) from the "Zona da Mata" of Pernambuco State, grown with yam bean (Pachyrhizus erosus) in two consecutive harvests. The treatments were: Natural Phosphate (NP); biofertilizers produced in laboratory (B5, B10, B15, B20) with sulphur and Acidithiobacillus (NP+S*); natural phosphate with sulphur (20%) without Acidithiobacillus (NP+S); triple super phosphate (TSP) and a control without phosphorus. Plants were inoculated with a mixture of rhizobia strains (NFB 747 and NFB 748) or did not receive rhizobia inoculation. In bioassays pH and available P in the biofertilizers were analyzed. In the greenhouse experiment shoot dry matter, total N and total P in shoots, soil pH and available P were determined. Higher rates of available P were obtained in biofertilizers with sulphur and Acidithiobacillus (NP+S*) and in triple super phosphate (TSP), and biofertilizers with sulphur and Acidithiobacillus (FN+S*) and triple super phosphate (TSP) increased plant parameters. Native rhizobia were as effective as the strains applied in inoculation. After the two harvests soil presented lower pH values and higher rates of available P when the biofertilizers B15 and B20 with sulphur and Acidithiobacillus were applied.