Trypanosoma cruzi infects humans when infected triatomine vector excreta contaminate breaks in skin or mucosal surfaces. T. cruzi insect-derived metacyclic trypomastigotes (IMT) invade through gastric mucosa after oral challenges without any visible inflammatory changes, while cutaneous and conjunctival infections result in obvious local physical signs. In this study we compared the infectivity...

We tested the hypothesis that endotoxemia and fasting are associated with increased gut apoptotic activity, gut permeability, and inflammation in a distant organ. Fed or fasted CD-1 mice were studied 6 h after intraperitoneal injection of either saline (sham) or endotoxin (4 mg/kg of 0111:B4 Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide). We found that endotoxin increased gut caspase-3 and -6 activity by...

AIM The aim of this article is to review the anatomy of middle ear compartments and folds and to demonstrate through anatomical evidence their presence at birth. Additionally, their role in the obstructions of middle ear ventilatory pathway is highlighted. METHODS Ninety-eight adult temporal bones, with no history of auricular disease and fifteen newborn temporal bones were studied by micro d...

The bacterial second messenger cdiGMP exhibits promising activity as a mucosal adjuvant. Abstract The development of mucosal adjuvants is still a critical need in vaccinology. In the present work we show that bis-(3′,5′)-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (cdiGMP), a second messenger that modulates cell surface properties of several microorganisms , exerts potent activity as mucosal adjuvan...

To generate vaccines that protect mucosal surfaces, a better understanding of the cells required in vivo for activation of the adaptive immune response following mucosal immunization is required. CD11c(high) conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) have been shown to be necessary for activation of naive CD8(+) T cells in vivo, but the role of cDCs in CD4(+) T cell activation is still unclear, especi...

Many pathogens infiltrate the body and initiate infection via mucosal surfaces. Hence, eliciting cellular immune responses at mucosal portals of entry is of great interest for vaccine development against mucosal pathogens. We describe a pulmonary vaccination strategy combining Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists with antigen-carrying lipid nanocapsules [interbilayer-crosslinked multilamellar vesi...

Vaccines intended to prevent mucosal transmission of HIV should be able to induce multiple immune effectors in the host including Abs and cell-mediated immune responses at mucosal sites. The aim of this study was to characterize and to enhance the immunogenicity of a recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) expressing HIV-1 Env IIIB Ag (MVAenv) inoculated in BALB/c mice by mucosal route...

Transanal Haemorrhoidal Dearterialization (THD) has been increasingly used as an alternative technique to conventional surgery for the treatment of haemorrhoidal disease (HD) [1]. The association of mucopexy to the simple dearterialization makes THD suitable for fourth-degree HD, when the prolapsing component plays a major role in symptoms development [2]. Performing THD, as originally describe...

OBJECTIVE We aimed to assess the vocal-fold vibration of patients with moderate-to-severe Reinke's edema using high-speed digital imaging (HSDI) and videostroboscopy and to confirm HSDI usefulness in examining the vocal folds with Reinke's edema. METHODS We examined the vocal folds of seven patients (six severe and one moderate; six females and one male; aged 55-74 years; mean 64.7 years) wit...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS To describe the method of inserting a wedge-shaped adjustable balloon implant (wABI) via a minithyrotomy for medialization thyroplasty and evaluate its effect on a range of phonatory parameters using the excised larynx bench apparatus. STUDY DESIGN Repeated measures with each larynx serving as its own control. METHODS A prototype wABI was deployed in six excised canine...