Background We aimed to evaluate the Neisseria meningitidis C conjugated vaccine (MCC) seroconversion and adverse events (AE) in HIV-infected and uninfected children and adolescents in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods HIV-infected or uninfected subjects, 2–18 years old, with CD4+ T-lymphocyte cell (CD4) percentage >15%, without active infection or antibiotic use, were enrolled. All patients were evaluated before and 1–2 months after immunization for seroconversion (defined as ≥4-fold titer increase in human serum bactericidal activity), and for AEs at 20 minutes, 3 and 7 days after immunization. Factors associated with seroconversion among HIV-infected group were studied. Results 204 subjects were enrolled: 154 HIV-infected and 50 HIV-uninfected. Median age was 12 years and 53% were female. Among the HIV-infected group, 82 (53%) had a history of at least one C clinical category Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention event, and 134 (87%) were using combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). The median nadir CD4 percentage was 13% (0%–47%). 76(37.3%) experienced mild AEs. Seroconversion occurred in 46/154 (30%) of the HIV-infected group, and in 38/50 (76%) of the uninfected group (p<0.01). Factors associated with seroconversion in the HIV-infected group were: Never had a C clinical category event (OR=2.1, 95%CI=1.0–4.4); undetectable viral load at immunization (OR=2.4, 95%CI=1.1–5.2), and higher CD4 nadir/100 cells (OR=1.1, 95%CI=1.0–1.2). Conclusion MCC vaccine should be administered to HIV-infected children and adolescents after maximum immunologic and virologic benefit has been achieved with cART. Our data suggest that a single dose of MCC vaccine is insufficient for HIV-infected individuals 2–18 years of age.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most frequent life threatening autosomal recessive disease in white subjects. The primary cause of morbidity and mortality in children with CF is chronic pulmonary infection, mainly caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The purpose of this study was to assess the value of the measurement of antibodies to P. aeruginosa in diagnosing lung infection by the bacteria in CF patients. We assessed P. aeruginosa antibody titers in CF patients from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using cell lysate antigens as well as recombinant PcrV, a Type III Secretion System protein. Sputum (more than 70% of the specimens) or oropharyngeal swabs were obtained whenever patients were regularly followed for their pulmonary disease. Blood samples were obtained with an average interval of 6 months for a period of 2 years. The ELISA cut-offs were assigned as the positive 95% confidence interval of the mean antibody levels from non-fibrocystic controls. Our data showed that most CF patients (81%) of whom were not chronically infected by P. aeruginosa (Groups I and II), had their first serology positive for rPcrV. Cell-lysate ELISA was able to detect P. aeruginosa antibodies before positive culture in the first serum sample of 44% of the patients from Groups I and II. When serum reactivity to rPcrV and cell lysate were combined, 94% of CF patients from Groups I and II (n = 16) had the first serology positive for P. aeruginosa over a mean time of 20 months before the first isolation of P. aeruginosa. In conclusion, longitudinal P. aeruginosa serology should become part of respiratory care follow-up, in conjunction with other lung parameter functions.

Our findings suggest that higher CD4 T-cell activation leads to poor vaccine response in children living with HIV, which may be associated with a TReg/TInd disequilibrium.

Vaccination against disease aims at the induction of long-lasting cellular and humoral immune responses. Few studies have addressed the mechanisms by which meningococcal vaccines generate and sustain immunological memory. The goal of this study was to investigate the development of long-term humoral and cellular memory to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (MenB) in health subjects after immunisation with the Cuban outer membrane protein (OMP) vaccine (VA-MENGOC-BC). The results showed that three doses of vaccine were necessary to induce a detectable memory B-cell response (mean of 0.46%) which became undetectable 6 months later. After boosting, only 2 of 5 individuals responded with an increase in memory B-cell frequencies (values of 0.15% and 0.34%). Bactericidal and opsonic antibody levels were higher after primary immunisation (log(2) mean and median of 4.7 and 1212, respectively) when compared with post-booster response (log(2) mean of 2.6 and median of 285, respectively). Together, these data suggest a failure of vaccine to induce long-term memory B-cell and serological memory in adults. However, we observed a significant and functional memory T-cell response specially after boosting, with a predominance of activated (CD69(+)) central memory T-cell (CD4(+)CD45(-)CCR7(+)) response. Therefore, this study suggests that vaccination with the MenB vaccine induced the generation and activation of memory T-cells but failed to maintain the memory B-cell population at a stable size and/or function.

A hanseníase permanece, ainda hoje, com consideráveis níveis de registros no Brasil, capaz de causar efeitos psicossociais permanentes e até mesmo incapacidades físicas. Objetivos: Analisar o perfil clínico-epidemiológico dos casos diagnosticados com Hanseníase no SINAN, relacionando-o com variáveis clínicas, geográficas e evolução da incidência da doença nos últimos 10 anos. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo epidemiológico observacional e retrospectivo, em que os dados foram extraídos do SINAN. Resultados: Foram encontrados 867.687 casos de pacientes diagnosticados com hanseníase, de 2011 a 2020, com 2020 registrando cerca de 67% de redução de casos em relação ao ano anterior. Dentre os pacientes, os maiores registros foram entre homens, pardos, de baixa escolaridade, entre 30 e 49 anos, da forma multibacilar e dimorfa, sendo que os maiores índices permaneceram nas Regiões Norte e Nordeste. Conclusão: A diminuição de registros do último ano pode ter sido por conta de maiores efetividades nos serviços de saúde ou por conta da pandemia de COVID-19, ainda assim, por conta da persistência do perfil epidemiológico relacionado ao baixo desenvolvimento social, evidencia-se a necessidade de melhorias da qualidade de vida da população com o objetivo de interromper o ciclo de transmissão da doença.