BALB/c Mice Infected with Antimony Treatment Refractory Isolate of Leishmania braziliensis Present Severe Lesions due to IL-4 Production

Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease that affects more than 12 million people worldwide. In Brazil, the cutaneous disease is more prevalent with about 28,000 new cases reported each year, and L. braziliensis is the main causative agent. The interesting data about the infection with this parasite is the wide variety of clinical manifestations that ranges from single ulcerated lesions to mucocutaneous and disseminated disease. However, experimental models to study the infection with this parasite are difficult to develop due to high resistance of most mouse strains to the infection, and the mechanisms underlying the distinct manifestations remain poorly understood. Here, the authors use a mouse experimental model of infection with different L. braziliensis isolates, known to induce diseases with distinct severity in the human hosts, to elucidate immune mechanisms that may be involved in the different manifestations. They showed that distinct parasite isolates may modulate host response, and increased IL-4 production and Arg I expression was related to more severe disease, resulting in longer length of disease with larger lesions and reduced parasite clearance. These findings may be useful in the identification of immunological targets to control L. braziliensis infection and potential clinical markers of disease progression

Escolas Técnicas do SUS (ETSUS) no Brasil: regulação da integração ensino serviço e sustentabilidade administrativa

O objetivo deste artigo foi discutir a sustentabilidade administrativa das Escolas Técnicas do SUS (ETSUS) a partir do princípio da integração ensino serviço, que traz uma nova dimensão do trabalho na saúde ainda não regulada pela administração pública brasileira. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, por meio de um estudo de caso. A pesquisa foi realizada por meio de questionário semiestruturado junto aos gestores das ETSUS, abordando aspectos institucionais, administrativos e de gestão do trabalho. O universo amostral foi de 6 ETSUS pertencentes à Rede de Escolas Técnicas do SUS (RET-SUS). As ETSUS apresentaram gestão e planejamento centralizados e execução descentralizada de sua atividade fim, em sua maioria sem autonomia administrativa e altamente dependente de financiamento do governo federal. Segundo os gestores das escolas, a falta de regulação da atividade docente por servidor público fragiliza a gestão das ETSUS. Estas instituições apresentam problemas de gestão relacionados à integração ensino serviço, que precisa ser regulamentada para conferir sustentabilidade às escolas e evitar contradições com a legislação brasileira.The scope of this study was to discuss the administrative sustainability of Brazil's Vocational Health Schools (ETSUS) based on the principle of teaching and service integration, which brings a new dimension to healthcare work as yet unregulated by Brazilian public administration. It was a qualitative study using case study methodology. The research involved a semi-structured questionnaire given to ETSUS managers addressing institutional, administrative, and work management aspects. The sample was composed of 6 ETSUS that belong to the Network of Vocational Health Schools (RET-SUS). The ETSUS showed centralized planning and management, and decentralized implementation of their core activities. The majority did not have administrative autonomy and relied heavily on funding from the federal government. According to ETSUS managers, the lack of regulation of teaching activities by civil servants weakens the management of ETSUS. The ETSUS have managerial problems related to teaching-service integration, which has to be regulated in order to guarantee the sustainability of these schools and avoid conflicts with Brazilian legislation