ROSELY DOS SANTOS MALAFRONTE
Projetos de Pesquisa
Unidades Organizacionais
SCPROTOZ-83, Instituto de Medicina Tropical
LIM/49 - Laboratório de Protozoologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina - Líder
LIM/49 - Laboratório de Protozoologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina - Líder
15 resultados
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- Clustering symptoms of non-severe malaria in semi-immune Amazonian patients(2015) MARTINS, Antonio C.; ARAUJO, Felipe M.; BRAGA, Cassio B.; GUIMARAES, Maria G. S.; NOGUEIRA, Rudi; ARRUDA, Rayanne A.; FERNANDES, Licia N.; CORREA, Livia R.; MALAFRONTE, Rosely dos S.; CRUZ, Oswaldo G.; CODECO, Claudia T.; SILVA-NUNES, Monica daMalaria is a disease that generates a broad spectrum of clinical features. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical spectrum of malaria in semi-immune populations. Patients were recruited in Mancio Lima, a city situated in the Brazilian Amazon region. The study included 171 malaria cases, which were diagnosed via the use of a thick blood smear and confirmed by molecular methods. A questionnaire addressing 19 common symptoms was administered to all patients. Multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were performed to identify clusters of symptoms, and logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the occurrence of symptoms. The cluster analysis revealed five groups of symptoms: the first cluster, which included algic- and fever-related symptoms, occurred in up to 95.3% of the cases. The second cluster, which comprised gastric symptoms (nausea, abdominal pain, inappetence, and bitter mouth), occurred in frequencies that ranged between 35.1% and 42.7%, and at least one of these symptoms was observed in 71.9% of the subjects. All respiratory symptoms were clustered and occurred in 42.7% of the malaria cases, and diarrhea occurred in 9.9% of the cases. Symptoms constituting the fifth cluster were vomiting and pallor, with a 14.6% and 11.7% of prevalence, respectively. A higher parasitemia count (more than 300 parasites/mm(3)) was associated with the presence of fever, vomiting, dizziness, and weakness (P < 0.05). Arthralgia and myalgia were associated with patients over the age of 14 years (P < 0.001). Having experienced at least eight malaria episodes prior to the study was associated with a decreased risk of chills and fever and an increased risk of sore throat (P < 0.05). None of the symptoms showed an association with gender or with species of Plasmodium. The clinical spectrum of malaria in semi-immune individuals can have a broad range of symptoms, the frequency and intensity of which are associated with age, past exposure to malaria, and parasitemia. Understanding the full spectrum of nonsevere malaria is important in endemic areas to guide both passive and active case detection, for the diagnosis of malaria in travelers returning to non-endemic areas, and for the development of vaccines aimed to decrease symptom severity.
article 25 Citação(ões) na Scopus Intragenomic variation in the second internal transcribed spacer of the ribosomal DNA of species of the genera Culex and Lutzia (Diptera: Culicidae)(2011) VESGUEIRO, Fabiana Tavares; DEMARI-SILVA, Bruna; MALAFRONTE, Rosely dos Santos; SALLUM, Maria Anice Mureb; MARRELLI, Mauro ToledoCulex is the largest genus of Culicini and includes vectors of several arboviruses and filarial worms. Many species of Culex are morphologically similar, which makes their identification difficult, particularly when using female specimens. To aid evolutionary studies and species distinction, molecular techniques are often used. Sequences of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) from 16 species of the genus Culex and one of Lutzia were used to assess their genomic variability and to verify their applicability in the phylogenetic analysis of the group. The distance matrix (uncorrected p-distance) that was obtained revealed intragenomic and intraspecific variation. Because of the intragenomic variability, we selected ITS2 copies for use in distance analyses based on their secondary structures. Neighbour-joining topology was obtained with an uncorrected p-distance. Despite the heterogeneity observed, individuals of the same species were grouped together and correlated with the current, morphology-based classification, thereby showing that ITS2 is an appropriate marker to be used in the taxonomy of Culex.- Merozoite surface protein-1 genetic diversity in Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium brasilianum from Brazil(2015) GUIMARAES, Lilian O.; WUNDERLICH, Gerhard; ALVES, Joao M. P.; BUENO, Marina G.; ROEHE, Fabio; CATAO-DIAS, Jose L.; NEVES, Amanda; MALAFRONTE, Rosely S.; CURADO, Izilda; DOMINGUES, Wilson; KIRCHGATTER, KarinBackground: The merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1) gene encodes the major surface antigen of invasive forms of the Plasmodium erythrocytic stages and is considered a candidate vaccine antigen against malaria. Due to its polymorphisms, MSP1 is also useful for strain discrimination and consists of a good genetic marker. Sequence diversity in MSP1 has been analyzed in field isolates of three human parasites: P. falciparum, P. vivax, and P. ovale. However, the extent of variation in another human parasite, P. malariae, remains unknown. This parasite shows widespread, uneven distribution in tropical and subtropical regions throughout South America, Asia, and Africa. Interestingly, it is genetically indistinguishable from P. brasilianum, a parasite known to infect New World monkeys in Central and South America. Methods: Specific fragments (1 to 5) covering 60 % of the MSP1 gene (mainly the putatively polymorphic regions), were amplified by PCR in isolates of P. malariae and P. brasilianum from different geographic origin and hosts. Sequencing of the PCR-amplified products or cloned PCR fragments was performed and the sequences were used to construct a phylogenetic tree by the maximum likelihood method. Data were computed to give insights into the evolutionary and phylogenetic relationships of these parasites. Results: Except for fragment 4, sequences from all other fragments consisted of unpublished sequences. The most polymorphic gene region was fragment 2, and in samples where this region lacks polymorphism, all other regions are also identical. The low variability of the P. malariae msp1 sequences of these isolates and the identification of the same haplotype in those collected many years apart at different locations is compatible with a low transmission rate. We also found greater diversity among P. brasilianum isolates compared with P. malariae ones. Lastly, the sequences were segregated according to their geographic origins and hosts, showing a strong genetic and geographic structure. Conclusions: Our data show that there is a low level of sequence diversity and a possible absence of allelic dimorphism of MSP1 in these parasites as opposed to other Plasmodium species. P. brasilianum strains apparently show greater divergence in comparison to P. malariae, thus P. malariae could derive from P. brasilianum, as it has been proposed.
- Anopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE) IN PERIDOMICILIARY AREA DURING ASYMPTOMATIC MALARIA TRANSMISSION IN THE ATLANTIC FOREST: MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF BLOOD-MEAL SOURCES INDICATES HUMANS AS PRIMARY INTERMEDIATE HOSTS(2014) KIRCHGATTER, Karin; TUBAKI, Rosa Maria; MALAFRONTE, Rosely dos Santos; ALVES, Isabel Cristina; LIMA, Giselle Fernandes Maciel de Castro; GUIMARAES, Lilian de Oliveira; ZAMPAULO, Robson de Almeida; WUNDERLICH, GerhardAnopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii has been implicated as the primary vector of human and simian malarias out of the Brazilian Amazon and specifically in the Atlantic Forest regions. The presence of asymptomatic human cases, parasite-positive wild monkeys and the similarity between the parasites infecting them support the discussion whether these infections can be considered as a zoonosis. Although many aspects of the biology of An. cruzii have already been addressed, studies conducted during outbreaks of malaria transmission, aiming at the analysis of blood feeding and infectivity, are missing in the Atlantic Forest. This study was conducted in the location of Palestina, Juquitiba, where annually the majority of autochthonous human cases are notified in the Atlantic Forest of the state of Sao Paulo. Peridomiciliary sites were selected for collection of mosquitoes in a perimeter of up to 100 m around the residences of human malaria cases. The mosquitoes were analyzed with the purpose of molecular identification of blood-meal sources and to examine the prevalence of Plasmodium. A total of 13,441 females of An. (Ker.) cruzii were collected. The minimum infection rate was calculated at 0.03% and 0.01%, respectively, for P. vivax and P. malariae and only human blood was detected in the blood-fed mosquitoes analyzed. This data reinforce the hypothesis that asymptomatic human carriers are the main source of anopheline infection in the peridomiciliary area, making the probability of zoonotic transmission less likely to happen.
- Assessment of asymptomatic Plasmodium spp. infection by detection of parasite DNA in residents of an extra-Amazonian region of Brazil(2018) ALENCAR, Filomena E. C. de; MALAFRONTE, Rosely dos Santos; CERUTTI JUNIOR, Crispim; FERNANDES, Licia Natal; BUERY, Julyana Cerqueira; FUX, Blima; REZENDE, Helder Ricas; DUARTE, Ana Maria Ribeiro de Castro; MEDEIROS-SOUSA, Antonio Ralph; MIRANDA, Angelica EspinosaBackground: The hypotheses put forward to explain the malaria transmission cycle in extra-Amazonian Brazil, an area of very low malaria incidence, are based on either a zoonotic scenario involving simian malaria, or a scenario in which asymptomatic carriers play an important role. Objectives: To determine the incidence of asymptomatic infection by detecting Plasmodium spp. DNA and its role in residual malaria transmission in a non-Amazonian region of Brazil. Methods: Upon the report of the first malaria case in 2010 in the Atlantic Forest region of the state of Espirito Santo, inhabitants within a 2 km radius were invited to participate in a follow-up study. After providing signed informed consent forms, inhabitants filled out a questionnaire and gave blood samples for PCR, and thick and thin smears. Followup visits were performed every 3 months over a 21 month period, when new samples were collected and information was updated. Results: Ninety-two individuals were initially included for follow-up. At the first collection, all of them were clearly asymptomatic. One individual was positive for Plasmodium vivax, one for Plasmodium malariae and one for both P. vivax and P. malariae, corresponding to a prevalence of 3.4% (2.3% for each species). During follow-up, four new PCR-positive cases (two for each species) were recorded, corresponding to an incidence of 2.5 infections per 100 personyears or 1.25 infections per 100 person-years for each species. A mathematical transmission model was applied, using a low frequency of human carriers and the vector density in the region, and calculated based on previous studies in the same locality whose results were subjected to a linear regression. This analysis suggests that the transmission chain is unlikely to be based solely on human carriers, regardless of whether they are symptomatic or not. Conclusion: The low incidence of cases and the low frequency of asymptomatic malaria carriers investigated make it unlikely that the transmission chain in the region is based solely on human hosts, as cases are isolated one from another by hundreds of kilometers and frequently by long periods of time, reinforcing instead the hypothesis of zoonotic transmission.
- Mitochondrial genome of Plasmodium vivax/simium detected in an endemic region for malaria in the Atlantic Forest of Espirito Santo state, Brazil: do mosquitoes, simians and humans harbour the same parasite?(2017) BUERY, Julyana Cerqueira; RODRIGUES, Priscila Thihara; NATAL, Licia; SALLA, Lais Camoese; LOSS, Ana Carolina; VICENTE, Creuza Rachel; REZENDE, Helder Ricas; DUARTE, Ana Maria Ribeiro de Castro; FUX, Blima; MALAFRONTE, Rosely dos Santos; FALQUETO, Aloisio; CERUTTI JR., CrispimBackground: The transmission of malaria in the extra-Amazonian regions of Brazil, although interrupted in the 1960s, has persisted to the present time in some areas of dense Atlantic Forest, with reports of cases characterized by particular transmission cycles and clinical presentations. Bromeliad-malaria, as it is named, is particularly frequent in the state of Espirito Santo, with Plasmodium vivax being the parasite commonly recognized as the aetiologic agent of human infections. With regard to the spatial and temporal distances between cases reported in this region, the transmission cycle does not fit the traditional malaria cycle. The existence of a zoonosis, with infected simians participating in the epidemiology, is therefore hypothesized. In the present study, transmission of bromeliad-malaria in Espirito Santo is investigated, based on the complete mitochondrial genome of DNA extracted from isolates of Plasmodium species, which had infected humans, a simian from the genus Allouata, and Anopheles mosquitoes. Plasmodium vivax/simium was identified in the samples by both nested PCR and real-time PCR. After amplification, the mitochondrial genome was completely sequenced and compared with a haplotype network which included all sequences of P. vivax/simium mitochondrial genomes sampled from humans and simians from all regions in Brazil. Results: The haplotype network indicates that humans and simians from the Atlantic Forest become infected by the same haplotype, but some isolates from humans are not identical to the simian isolate. In addition, the plasmodial DNA extracted from mosquitoes revealed sequences different from those obtained from simians, but similar to two isolates from humans. Conclusions: These findings strengthen support for the hypothesis that in the Atlantic Forest, and especially in the state with the highest frequency of bromeliad-malaria in Brazil, parasites with similar molecular backgrounds are shared by humans and simians. The recognized identity between P. vivax and P. simium at the species level, the sharing of haplotypes, and the participation of the same vector in transmitting the infection to both host species indicate interspecies transference of the parasites. However, the intensity, frequency and direction of this transfer remain to be clarified.
- Phylogeny of Anopheles (Kerteszia) (Diptera: Culicidae) Using Mitochondrial Genes(2020) KIRCHGATTER, Karin; GUIMARAES, Lilian de Oliveira; TRUJILLANO, Henrry Hugo Yanez; ARIAS, Fernando Rafael; CACERES, Abraham German; DUARTE, Ana Maria Ribeiro de Castro; MALAFRONTE, Rosely dos Santos; TUBAKI, Rosa Maria; SALLUM, Maria Anice MurebIdentification of mosquito species is necessary for determining the entomological components of malaria transmission, but it can be difficult in morphologically similar species. DNA sequences are largely used as an additional tool for species recognition, including those that belong to species complexes. Kerteszia mosquitoes are vectors of human and simian malaria in the Neotropical Region, but there are few DNA sequences of Kerteszia species in public databases. In order to provide relevant information about diversity and improve knowledge in taxonomy of Kerteszia species in Peru, we sequenced part of the mitochondrial genome, including the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) barcode region. Phylogenetic analyses structured all species of mosquitoes collected in Peru into a single clade, separate from the Brazilian species. The Peruvian clade was composed of two lineages, encompassing sequences from Anopheles (Kerteszia) boliviensis and Anopheles (Kerteszia) pholidotus. An. pholidotus sequences were recorded for the first time in Peru, whereas An. boliviensis sequences were for the first time published in the GenBank database. Sequences generated from specimens morphologically identified as Anopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii clustered into three separate clades according to the collection localities of Serra do Mar, Serra da Mantiqueira, and Serra da Cantareira, confirming An. cruzii as a species complex, composed of at least three putative species.
- Unexpected detection of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum DNA in asymptomatic blood donors: fact or artifact?(2014) MENDRONE JR., Alfredo; CERUTTI JR., Crispim; LEVI, Jose Eduardo; BOULOS, Marcos; SANCHEZ, Maria Carmen Arroyo; MALAFRONTE, Rosely dos Santos; SANTI, Silvia Maria Di; ODONE JR., VicenteA study searching for Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum DNA among blood donors from the non-endemic area in Brazil reported a rate of 7.41%. This number is at least three times higher than what has been observed in blood donors from the Amazon, an endemic area concentrating >99% of all malaria cases in Brazil. Moreover, the majority of the donors were supposedly infected by P. falciparum, a rare finding both in men and anophelines from the Atlantic forest. These findings shall be taken with caution since they disagree with several publications in the literature and possibly overestimate the actual risk of malaria transmission by blood transfusion in Sao Paulo city.
- Human migration and the spread of malaria parasites to the New World(2018) RODRIGUES, Priscila T.; VALDIVIA, Hugo O.; OLIVEIRA, Thais C. de; ALVES, Joao Marcelo P.; DUARTE, Ana Maria R. C.; CERUTTI-JUNIOR, Crispim; BUERY, Julyana C.; BRITO, Cristiana F. A.; SOUZA JR., Julio Cesar de; HIRANO, Zelinda M. B.; BUENO, Marina G.; CATAO-DIAS, Jose Luiz; MALAFRONTE, Rosely S.; LADEIA-ANDRADE, Simone; MITA, Toshihiro; SANTAMARIA, Ana Maria; CALZADA, Jose E.; TANTULAR, Indah S.; KAWAMOTO, Fumihiko; RAIJMAKERS, Leonie R. J.; MUELLER, Ivo; PACHECO, M. Andreina; ESCALANTE, Ananias A.; FELGER, Ingrid; FERREIRA, Marcelo U.We examined the mitogenomes of a large global collection of human malaria parasites to explore how and when Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax entered the Americas. We found evidence of a significant contribution of African and South Asian lineages to present-day New World malaria parasites with additional P. vivax lineages appearing to originate from Melanesia that were putatively carried by the Australasian peoples who contributed genes to Native Americans. Importantly, mitochondrial lineages of the P. vivax-like species P. simium are shared by platyrrhine monkeys and humans in the Atlantic Forest ecosystem, but not across the Amazon, which most likely resulted from one or a few recent human-to-monkey transfers. While enslaved Africans were likely the main carriers of P. falciparum mitochondrial lineages into the Americas after the conquest, additional parasites carried by Australasian peoples in pre-Columbian times may have contributed to the extensive diversity of extant local populations of P. vivax.
- Epidemiology of Disappearing Plasmodium vivax Malaria: A Case Study in Rural Amazonia(2014) BARBOSA, Susana; GOZZE, Amanda B.; LIMA, Nathalia F.; BATISTA, Camilla L.; BASTOS, Melissa da Silva; NICOLETE, Vanessa C.; FONTOURA, Pablo S.; GONCALVES, Raquel M.; VIANA, Susana Ariane S.; MENEZES, Maria Jose; SCOPEL, Kezia Katiani G.; CAVASINI, Carlos E.; MALAFRONTE, Rosely dos Santos; SILVA-NUNES, Monica da; VINETZ, Joseph M.; CASTRO, Marcia C.; FERREIRA, Marcelo U.Background: New frontier settlements across the Amazon Basin pose a major challenge for malaria elimination in Brazil. Here we describe the epidemiology of malaria during the early phases of occupation of farming settlements in Remansinho area, Brazilian Amazonia. We examine the relative contribution of low-density and asymptomatic parasitemias to the overall Plasmodium vivax burden over a period of declining transmission and discuss potential hurdles for malaria elimination in Remansinho and similar settings. Methods: Eight community-wide cross-sectional surveys, involving 584 subjects, were carried out in Remansinho over 3 years and complemented by active and passive surveillance of febrile illnesses between the surveys. We used quantitative PCR to detect low-density asexual parasitemias and gametocytemias missed by conventional microscopy. Mixed-effects multiple logistic regression models were used to characterize independent risk factors for P. vivax infection and disease. Principal Findings/Conclusions: P. vivax prevalence decreased from 23.8% (March-April 2010) to 3.0% (April-May 2013), with no P. falciparum infections diagnosed after March-April 2011. Although migrants from malaria-free areas were at increased risk of malaria, their odds of having P. vivax infection and disease decreased by 2-3% with each year of residence in Amazonia. Several findings indicate that low-density and asymptomatic P. vivax parasitemias may complicate residual malaria elimination in Remansinho: (a) the proportion of subpatent infections (i. e. missed by microscopy) increased from 43.8% to 73.1% as P. vivax transmission declined; (b) most (56.6%) P. vivax infections were asymptomatic and 32.8% of them were both subpatent and asymptomatic; (c) asymptomatic parasite carriers accounted for 54.4% of the total P. vivax biomass in the host population; (d) over 90% subpatent and asymptomatic P. vivax had PCR-detectable gametocytemias; and (e) few (17.0%) asymptomatic and subpatent P. vivax infections that were left untreated progressed to clinical disease over 6 weeks of follow-up and became detectable by routine malaria surveillance.