The presence of heart-M protein cross-reactive T-cell clones in rheumatic heart lesions suggests their direct involvement in the pathogenesis of this disease. The dissection of protective and pathogenic epitopes of streptococcal M protein is an important step in allowing the development of a safe anti-streptococcal synthetic vaccine.

Tartrazine is one of the most widely used artificial foods, drugs and cosmetic dyes. It is a nitrous derivative and is known to cause allergic reactions such as asthma and urticaria, as well as having been the focus of studies on mutagenesis and carcinogenesis due to its transformation into aromatic amine sulfanilic acid after being metabolized by the gastrointestinal microflora. 45 male Wistar rats were assigned to a control group (A) or a treatment one (B). The treatment group received 7.5 mg.kg -1.day -1 of tartrazine daily in drinking water offered ad libitum for ten months from weaning to the age of twelve months. There was a significant increase in the number of lymphocytes and eosinophils of the gastric antrum mucosa. No carcinogenetic changes in any gastric area were observed during the study. As tartrazine belongs to the azo class, it is still a possible food carcinogen. Other studies with different doses and schedules, observing their effects associated to other carcinogens should be carried out if their safe use is to be recommended.Keywords: tartrazine, food dye, gastric mucosa, rats. Uso prolongado do corante alimentar tartrazina (FD&C yellow Nº 5)e seus efeitos em mucosa gástrica de ratos Wistar ResumoO corante artificial tartrazina é um dos mais usados em todo o mundo para corar alimentos, medicamentos e cosmé-ticos. É um derivado nitroso, sabidamente causador de reações alérgicas como asma e urticária, e tem sido alvo de estudos de mutagênese e carcinogênese por produzir a amina aromática ácido sulfanílico após ser metabolizado pela microflora gastrintestinal. Foram estudados 45 ratos Wistar, machos, divididos em grupo controle (A) e tratado (B). O grupo tratado recebeu o corante diariamente em água de beber ad libitum, na dose de 7,5 mg.kg -1.dia -1 por dez meses, do desmame aos doze meses de idade. Houve aumento significante do número de linfócitos e eosinófilos na mucosa do antro gástrico. Não foram observadas alterações carcinogênicas em nenhuma das regiões gástricas com a dose e o tempo utilizados. O corante tartrazina permanece entre os possíveis carcinógenos alimentares por ser da classe azo, devendo ter prosseguimento seus estudos; variando-se a dose e o tempo de administração e verificando-se seus efeitos quando associado a outros carcinógenos, para seu uso continuar sendo recomendado com segurança.Palavras-chave: tartrazina, corante alimentar, mucosa gástrica, ratos.

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Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a sequel of post-streptococcal throat infection. Molecular mimicry between streptococcal and heart components has been proposed as the triggering factor of the disease, and CD4(+) T cells have been found predominantly at pathological sites in the heart of RHD patients. These infiltrating T cells are able to recognize streptococcal M protein peptides, involving mainly 1-25, 81-103 and 163-177 N-terminal amino acids residues. In the present work we focused on the TCR beta chain family (TCR BV) usage and the degree of clonality assessed by beta chain complementarity-determining region (CDR)-3 length analysis. We have shown that in chronic RHD patients, TCR BV usage in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) paired with heart-infiltrating T cell lines (HIL) is not suggestive of a superantigen effect. Oligoclonal T cell expansions were more frequently observed in HIL than in PBMC. Some major BV expansions were shared between the mitral valve (Miv) and left atrium (LA) T cell lines, but an in-depth analysis of BJ segments usage in these shared expansions as well as nucleotide sequencing of the CDR3 regions suggested that different antigenic peptides could be predominantly recognized in the Miv and the myocardium. Since different antigenic proteins probably are constitutively represented in myocardium and valvular tissue, these findings could suggest a differential epitope recognition at the two lesional heart sites after a common initial bacterial challenge.

BACKGROUND: The vegetal biomembrane has been used to treat cutaneous ulcers. OBJECTIVES: To assess the role of the vegetal biomembrane on the chronic venous ulcers treatment compared to treatment with collagenase cream. METHODS: Fourteen patients were selected to be treated with vegetal biomembrane and 7 with Fibrase ® (CON-TROL), followed clinically and photographically by the Wound Healing Index by ImageJ during 120 days and biopsied on the 1 st and 30 th days for histological examination. RESULTS: The vegetal biomembrane was better in promoting healing of the ulcers, especially on the inflammatory phase, confirmed by abundant exudation and wound debridement than the CONTROL group, on the 30 th day. There was a greater tendency to angiogenesis followed by re-epithelialization with highest wound healing index on the 90 th and 120 th days. CONCLUSION: A combined analysis of clinical and histopathological findings suggests that the vegetal biomembrane acted as a factor inducing wound healing, especially on the inflammatory phase, confirmed by abundant exudation of the lesions promoting the transformation of the microenvironment of the chronic venous ulcers, and also stimulating angiogenesis and subsequent re-epithelialization. Keywords: Biological dressings; Latex; Leg ulcer; Wound healing Resumo: FUNDAMENTOS: A biomembrana vegetal tem sido usada para tratamento de úlceras cutâneas. OBJETIVOS: Avaliar a ação da biomembrana vegetal no tratamento de úlceras venosas crônicas, comparando-a ao tratamento à base de colagenase. MÉTODOS: Foram selecionados 14 pacientes tratados com biomembrana vegetal e sete com Fibrase ® (grupo controle), acompanhados clínico-fotograficamente pelo índice de cicatrização das úlceras (ICU) por 120 dias, por meio do software ImageJ, e biopsiados no primeiro e 30º dias para estudo histopatológico. RESULTADOS: A biomembrana vegetal foi superior em relação ao controle na cicatrização das úlceras no 30º dia, especialmente na fase inflamatória, confirmada pela exsudação abundante e pelo desbridamento. Houve tendên-cia superior à angiogênese seguida de reepitelização com maiores ICUs no 90º e 120º dias. CONCLUSÃO: A análise conjunta dos achados clínicos e histopatológicos sugere que a biomembrana vegetal atuou como um fator indutor da cicatrização, especialmente na fase inflamatória, confirmada pela exsudação abundante das lesões, promovendo a transformação do microambiente das úlceras venosas crônicas e estimulando a angiogênese e a posterior reepitelização.