The concentration of test inhibitor required for 50% reduction in

The concentration of test inhibitor required for 50% reduction in the measured isozyme activity (IC50) was estimated using GrapPad Prism® software. Samples for in vitro biotransformation selleck inhibitor were obtained following incubation

of DNDI-VL-2098 (10 μM) with microsomes in presence of cofactors, and with hepatocytes for up to 120 min as described for metabolic stability. Samples for in vivo biotransformation were oral PK blood samples at 4, 6 and 8 h post dose from mouse (50 mg/kg), rat (500 mg/kg) and dog (50 mg/kg). All samples were precipitated with acetonitrile, vortex-mixed and centrifuged (1700g, 10 min) and the supernatants were analyzed for Phase I and Phase II metabolites. All in vivo and in vitro samples were analyzed

for DNDI-VL-2098 Ferroptosis inhibitor and internal standard (DNDI-VL-2075, a structural analog) content using a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC, Shimadzu Prominence, Japan) tandem mass spectrometric (API4000, Applied Biosystems, USA) method. Positive-ion electron spray ionization mode was used and MRM transitions of 360.20/175.00 for DNDI-VL-2098 and 370.20/241.20 for DNDI-VL-2075 (5 μg/mL) were monitored. An isocratic HPLC method with a 4 min run time was employed for analysis. The mobile phase comprised 5 mM ammonium formate and acetonitrile 20:80 (v/v) with 0.05% formic acid and the flow rate was 0.6 mL/min. Separation was achieved using Kromasil® C8 column (4.6 × 50 mm, 5 μ, Chromatographie Service, USA) maintained at 40 °C employing an injection volume of 10 μL for in vivo samples and 5 μL for in vitro samples. In preliminary studies, DNDI-VL-2098 showed some instability in plasma from different species. Acidification of blood samples from dosed animals with Phosphatidylinositol diacylglycerol-lyase an equal volume of 0.1 M HCl resolved the issue, as bench-top stability of greater than 5 h was achieved; therefore all concentrations were determined in blood. Blood samples were extracted using liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) with methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). A 50 μL aliquot of

blood, internal standard (20 μL) and potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer (100 mM, 50 μL) and 1.25 mL of MTBE were vortex mixed and then centrifuged at 2500g for 5 min. A 1 mL aliquot of supernatant was evaporated under flow of nitrogen gas at 50 °C until dryness, and the residue was reconstituted with 200 μL of mobile phase before analysis. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 5 ng/mL and the assay was linear over a 1000-fold concentration range. All samples were processed along with calibration curve and quality control samples. An acceptance criterion of ±15% was used for all calibration curve (CC), and quality control (QC) standards except for LLOQ sample where ±20% was the acceptance criteria. Samples were processed by protein precipitation with acetonitrile for all assays except the blood to plasma concentration ratio assay where LLE using MTBE was employed.

The LOD and LOQ values were found to be 12 5 and 32 5 μg/mL for g

The LOD and LOQ values were found to be 12.5 and 32.5 μg/mL for garcinol and 10.0 and 30.0 μg/mL for isogarcinol. The results of the robustness of the method showed that the minor changes in operating conditions did not result in huge difference in resolution and suitability

of the separation parameters. Based on the robustness studies, in all Neratinib studied conditions, the tailing factor of garcinol and isogarcinol was less than 2. The recovery of was within the acceptable range and no significant change was observed when the critical parameters were modified. Quantitation in another liquid chromatography demonstrated that although the retention time was slightly different, quantification of the compound was performed satisfactorily which again confirmed that the method was robust. We developed and validated a simple and efficient reversed-phase HPLC

method for analysis of garcinol and isogarcinol in Garcinia indica. Although the developed method presented in this study is based on the garcinol and isogarcinol could be determined simultaneously. In addition, in the present study, an internal standard was used to provide higher accuracy and precision. Of several substances tested, di-n-butyl phthlate was chosen as the most appropriate internal standard. This substance is stable and does not interfere with the excipients present in matrix of samples and composition of the diluent. Indeed, in the developed method, di-n-butyl phthlate was adequately separated from garcinol and isogarcinol. Moreover, its elution time was shorter, which resulted in a Erastin research buy short run time of less than 15 min. The described HPLC method was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of garcinol and isogarcinol in G. indica. To the best of our knowledge, there is no published method for the simultaneous measurement of these compounds

in the literature using internal standard. The proposed method is simple, accurate, precise, specific and linear Isotretinoin over the analysis ranges and was able to simultaneous determination of garcinol and isogarcinol with internal standard in a short analytical run time Hence the method can easily and conveniently applied for routine analysis in quality control laboratories and research institutes. All authors have none to declare. The authors are thankful to Dr. Ravi Datar, R&D Manager, FMC India R&D Center, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, for providing facilities to carry out this work. “
“For therapeutic purposes, a drug substance with well-known chemical structure is used for developing more efficient drugs. The basic idea to prepare more analogues compounds that related drug candidates with efficient technologies. Organic molecules owe their biological activity to a variety of structural features. Sometimes a set of activities is associated with the structural backbone of a molecule.

paeoniifolius All authors have none to declare The authors are

paeoniifolius. All authors have none to declare. The authors are really thankful to Dr. Kalyan Kumar Sen, Principal, Gupta College of Technological Sciences, Asansol and Prof. Debesh Chandra Majumdar, Chairman, Trinity Trust for their unlimited support throughout the work. Authors are also greatfull to all the faculty members of Gupta College of Technological Sciences, Asansol for their constant support and encouragement to complete this work. “
“Persicaria acuminata is an evergreen shrub and belongs to Polygonaceae family. The plant is found in wet and shady places, particularly

near the bank of canals and ditches all over the country. It has been used as a traditional medicinal plant to relieve pain from ancient time by the villagers. It is used for headaches, PKC signaling as painkiller in fish bone injury and thorn injury, foot–skin reaction due to cold etc. 1 The genus Persicaria possesses

significant analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant and diuretic properties. 2, 3 and 4 It is evident from the existing knowledge Epigenetics inhibitor that the genus Persicaria is rich in biologically active compounds. However no pharmacological research work has been performed on P. acuminata yet. Therefore, the present study was planned to investigate the antinociceptive activity of P. acuminata and to establish the scientific basis of the traditional use in painful conditions. The plant P. acuminata was collected from the village Chaksadi of Sirajganj either district, Bangladesh during the month of November

2012 when the plant was fully flowered. The plant was identified by the experts of Bangladesh National Herbarium, Mirpur, Dhaka (accession no. 31105) and a voucher specimen was deposited at the Pharmacy Discipline, Khulna University. The shed dried leaves and stems were ground separately by commercial grinder (Hammer mill) into fine powder and about 150 g of each powered materials were macerated with 80% ethanol for seven days with occasional shaking and stirring. The whole mixtures then underwent a coarse filtration by a piece of clean and white cotton material. These were filtered through Whatman filter paper. The filtrates were evaporated under ceiling fan and in a water bath until dried. It rendered two gummy concentrates (15.55 g from leaf and 10.35 g from stem) of greenish black colour. Swiss albino mice of both sexes (weighing 20–25 g) were obtained from the Animal Research Branch of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease and Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B). The animals were kept seven days at animal house (Pharmacy Discipline, Khulna University) for adaptation under standard laboratory conditions (relative humidity 55–65%, room temperature 21.0 ± 2.0 °C and 12 h light/dark cycle) and fed with standard diets and free access to tap water. In chemical group tests, 10% (w/v) solution of extract in ethanol was taken.

This approach respected the labels assigned to the children by th

This approach respected the labels assigned to the children by their providers, which are likely the criteria also driving vaccine utilization. For example, a large number of children who were dispensed ICS were nevertheless classified by the study (and apparently by their providers) as having wheezing but not asthma. The use of child-days in the denominators to derive the frequency of vaccination takes into consideration the potential for children to change characteristics during the vaccination season and the changing insurance coverage for individual children over time; the alternative approach

of using number of children in the denominator would require the assumption of equal LGK-974 manufacturer duration of follow-up throughout the vaccination season, which is unlikely to be true. In conclusion, over 2 seasons in a large, commercially insured population, vaccination with LAIV

was rare among children <24 months of age or children aged 24–59 months with asthma or who were immunocompromised; Anti-diabetic Compound Library vaccination with LAIV in children aged 24–59 months with wheezing occurred at a rate similar to that of the general population. Among those few children in these cohorts who received LAIV despite recommendations to avoid use, there were no safety signals identified; however, the number of vaccinated children were insufficient to detect rare events. We would like to thank Holli Hamilton, MD, MPH, a former MedImmune employee, and Matthew D. Rousculp, PhD, MPH, for their contributions to the study design and initiation. We also thank John E. Fincke, PhD, and Gerard P. Johnson, PhD, of Complete Healthcare Communications, Inc. (Chadds Ford, PA, USA) for editorial assistance in manuscript preparation, funded by MedImmune, LLC. “
“It is estimated that 50% of lyophilized vaccines are discarded annually [1], and temperature instability is an appreciable only contributing factor in this wastage.

The majority of vaccines, particularly live attenuated viral (LAV) vaccines against measles and polio [2] and [3], require careful temperature regulation from the point of manufacture through administration to preserve their stability and therefore efficacy [4] and [5], i.e. the cold chain. Although this challenge is largely solved in developed markets, in much of the developing world, where ambient temperatures can exceed 40 °C, the cold-chain infrastructure is incomplete or unreliable. Failures in the cold chain have contributed to local outbreaks and the resurgence of disease in the developing world [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13] and [14]. The development of thermostable vaccines would dramatically improve access to effective vaccines to the global populations most in need and represents a major step to realizing the full benefit of vaccines in preventing infectious diseases and saving lives worldwide [15], [16], [17] and [18].

Incidence rates were highest in the A(H1N1)pdm09 year (April 2009

Incidence rates were highest in the A(H1N1)pdm09 year (April 2009 to March 2010) (Table 2, Fig. 2). Adjusted incidence rates were generally in a similar range to the unadjusted rates with the exception of those rates estimated using adjustment factor 3 – in most

years this estimate was higher than the other estimates, whereas in the A(H1N1)pdm09 year it was lower (Fig. 2). The median hospital stay BI 6727 solubility dmso for a CMS diagnosis of influenza was 2 days (interquartile range 1.3) in both 6M and 18Y groups (Appendix 10). This was less than for those children coded as having lower respiratory infections (bronchitis,

chest infection, bronchiolitis and pneumonia). Eleven of 549 recorded deaths had a CMS diagnosis of influenza, but in only two children was this recorded as the primary diagnosis and none of these were in the 6M group (Appendix 11). Children with influenza were more this website likely to be discharged home without follow-up. This pattern was similar to those children with other respiratory-associated diagnoses but overall children were more commonly discharged with follow-up. The median length of stay for the laboratory confirmed influenza admissions at PWH were also 2 days (interquartile range 1.3 days) for most of the study years and for most of the influenza types (Appendix 12). However by categorising length of stay into three groups (<2 days, 2 days, unless >2 days), there were significant differences between the different influenza types with more children admitted with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 having stays of less than 2 days and more children with influenza B having longer stays (Table 3). In the

recent recommendations issued by the World Health Organization for seasonal influenza vaccines [6], pregnant women were listed as the highest priority with the view that maternal immunisation will offer protection for children below 6 months of age since there are currently no vaccines licensed for this age group. Our study aimed to assess the disease burden of influenza-associated hospitalisation for young infants below 6 months of age in Hong Kong. Our results indicated that the unadjusted incidence rates per 100,000 person-years based on any CMS diagnosis of influenza hospitalisation (CMS flu) for all admissions to HA hospitals in Hong Kong were 627 in the below 2 months age group and peaked at 1762 in the 2 months to below 6 months age group.

The developed nanoparticles could be exploiting as a sustained re

The developed nanoparticles could be exploiting as a sustained release formulation in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus by increasing bioavailability and half-life of repaglinide. All authors have none to declare. Authors gratefully acknowledge the support of Department of Science and Technology, Nanomission (SR/NM/NS-101/2008), New Delhi for providing financial assistance. We also thankful to Wockhardt Research Centre, Aurangabad for providing Repaglinide as gift sample. “
“In biological systems, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) form naturally during many metabolic processes. Cells have developed several protective mechanisms

to prevent ROS formation or detoxify ROS. These protective mechanisms include antioxidative enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) BMS-907351 nmr and non-enzymatic antioxidants that repair oxidative cellular

damage. A disturbance in the balance between ROS production on one check details hand and ROS removal and repair of damaged complex molecules on the other results in oxidative stress.1 and 2 Environmental pollutant chemicals, drugs and food contaminants add to the oxidative stress making exogenous need for antioxidants.3 Antioxidants are molecules that slow or prevent the oxidation of other molecules by scavenging free radicals that play a major role in the pathogenesis of many of age related diseases.3 Synthetic antioxidants can be incorporated as also supplements but such an approach is never free from side effects. Natural sources of antioxidants

are safe and acceptable. Antioxidants in foods have recently emerged as biomolecules of utmost interest to human health. Dietary antioxidants inactivate ROS, reduce oxidative damage, lead to improved immune functions and reduced risk of infectious diseases. Increasing intake of dietary antioxidants may help maintain an adequate antioxidant status and therefore, the normal physiological functions of living system.4 and 5 Mentha a genus of aromatic perennial herbs belonging to the family Lamiaceae, distributed mostly in temperate and sub-temperate regions of the world and find their use in Ayurveda for treatment of number of ailments. 6 Most of the commercially important mints are hybrids or amphiploids. Mentha spicata, and Mentha longifolia are amongst the most important aromatic cultivated worldwide as a source for essential oil and other bioactive compound, The antioxidant, cytotoxic, and anti-inflammatory activities of M. spicata have also been reported in a number of studies. 6 Today, the Labiate family is considered as one of the most important sources for extraction of compounds with antioxidant activity. 7 and 8 The medicinal value of herbal plants may change with the agro-climatic conditions. In the present study, an attempt has been made to evaluate antioxidant potential of two Mentha species namely M. longifolia and M.

Two live, attenuated, orally administered rotavirus vaccines, a m

Two live, attenuated, orally administered rotavirus vaccines, a monovalent vaccine (RV1; Rotarix™ (GSK Biologicals, Rixensart, Belgium)) based on a human rotavirus strain and a pentavalent bovine-human reassortant vaccine (RV5; RotaTeq® (Merck and Co., Inc., PA)), are licensed and available for use. These vaccines are currently used in the routine childhood immunization schedules in many middle and high income countries in Europe, the Americas, Australia, and South Africa. Several low income GAVI-eligible countries in Africa and Asia have expressed interest in applying for rotavirus vaccine Autophagy phosphorylation during the next round

of funding. Because a previous rotavirus vaccine was associated with intussusception and was withdrawn from use in the United States in 1999 [2] and [3], this adverse event has been carefully monitored with current vaccines–initially by large safety and efficacy studies and now by post-marketing surveillance. Although neither RV1 nor RV5 were associated with intussusception during clinical trials of ∼60,000–70,000 infants each which

were designed to assess a risk similar to that seen previously [4] and [5], post-marketing surveillance of current rotavirus vaccine has indicated a possibility of a small increased risk of intussusception shortly after the first dose of rotavirus vaccination in some populations, but not in others [6], [7] and [8]. The documented benefits of rotavirus vaccination against rotavirus-related disease are substantial and far exceed the observed risks Dabrafenib datasheet [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14] and [15]. WHO reaffirmed its recommendation

for global use of rotavirus vaccines after reviewing the evidence and assessing the risk-benefit of the vaccines SPTLC1 in routine use [16]. Nevertheless, this observation of possible intussusception risk warrants further consideration, especially in countries that may not have strong post-marketing surveillance capacity for a rare adverse event. Due to concerns regarding a potential age-dependent risk of intussusception with a previous rotavirus vaccine, strict age at administration guidelines were implemented for the new vaccines [17]. Current recommendations from the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) and the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) specify that the first dose be administered by 15 weeks of age with the full series to be completed by 32 weeks of age [17]. Expanding or removing the age at administration guidelines would increase vaccine coverage in developing countries where children often present late for their routine childhood vaccinations. However, the increase in coverage should be weighed against the increased risk of intussusception and consider the benefits versus risks of vaccination [18]. In March 2011, a group of technical experts and public health officials met to review the emerging data on intussusception related to current rotavirus vaccines, establish what gaps in knowledge exist, and identify what future research is needed.

Efficacy against incident HPV-16/18 associated CIN2+ was 89 8% (9

Efficacy against incident HPV-16/18 associated CIN2+ was 89.8% (95% CI = 39.5–99.5; rate reduction = 3.4/1000 women) using our a priori algorithm for HPV type attribution and 88.7% (95% CI = 31.3–99.5; rate reduction = 3.0/1000

women) using the alternative (exploratory) definition that considers viral persistence when making HPV type attribution. A total of 11 HPV-16/18 associated CIN2+ events were observed using our a priori definition; 10 were CIN2 and one was a CIN3. The single HPV-16/18 CIN2+ event in the HPV arm occurred in a participant who at entry had antibodies against both HPV-16 and HPV-18, and evidence (by DNA test) of infection with a non-oncogenic HPV type (HPV-66), and who was

positive (by DNA test) for 3-MA ic50 HPV-16 and -45 11 months after enrollment and diagnosed with CIN3 15 months after enrollment. Efficacy estimates against CIN2+ associated with non-HPV-16/18 oncogenic HPV types were 59.9% (a priori definition) and 78.7% (exploratory definition). The breakdown of HPV types detected by arm is summarized in Fig. 2a (a Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Library priori definition) and b (exploratory definition). Efficacy estimates irrespective of HPV type were 61.4% (95% CI = 29.5–79.8; rate reduction = 8.4/1000 women; N = 37 in control arm and 14 in HPV arm) by our a priori and 75.3% (95% CI = 48.1–89.3; rate reduction = 9.2/1000 women; N = 33 in control arm and 8 in HPV arm) by our exploratory definition of incident outcomes. Results for individual oncogenic HPV types are summarized in Supplemental Tables 2a and 2b. Supplementary Table 2a.   Vaccine efficacy against CIN2+ outcomes (by individual HPV types; a priori definition) – ATP cohort for efficacy – Costa Rica HPV-16/18 vaccine however trial (CVT). Efficacy against incident HPV-16/18 infections during the study was 79.5% (95% CI = 74.0–84.0; rate reduction = 115/1000 women) (Table 2). Efficacy in this group of young adults was lowest in the first year of follow-up (57.1%; 95% CI = 33.2–73.0) and higher in subsequent years (82.6% in year 4+; 95% CI = 73.0–89.2).

Safety findings are summarized in Table 3. Rates of solicited local and general AEs were comparable in the two arms in the hour following vaccination. The rate of local solicited AEs within 3–6 days following any vaccination was higher among those in the HPV arm (53.7% for all; 1.8% for grade 3 AEs) compared to the control arm (19.9% for all; 0.0% for grade 3 AEs). Unsolicited AEs reported in the month following any vaccination were comparable between arms. The proportion of participants with SAEs, SAEs possibly related to vaccination, medically significant conditions, new-onset chronic diseases, autoimmune AEs, neurological AEs, and deaths were comparable between arms. All but 12 SAEs possibly related to vaccination were pregnancy related [18].

An Independent Ethics Committee approval of the protocol was obta

An Independent Ethics Committee approval of the protocol was obtained before enrolment; and written, informed consent was obtained from each subject or, if applicable (subjects NU7441 price under 18 years of age), the subject’s parents or legal guardians. Study site monitoring was performed by Quintiles (Bogota,

Colombia). Healthy persons 11–18 years of age who were appropriately vaccinated against diphtheria (D), T, and pertussis (P) (i.e., had received five doses of paediatric DTP/DTaP before their seventh birthday; if the fourth dose was administered on or after their fourth birthday, the fifth dose was not required) with no prior history of sexual activity and no intention selleck products of becoming sexually active during the study period, were eligible for inclusion in the study. Subjects were excluded if they had ever received meningococcal or HPV vaccine; had been vaccinated with any licensed vaccines within 1 month of enrolment; had received any investigational agents or vaccines in the 3 months before enrolment; had any serious acute, chronic, or progressive disease; or had a known or suspected impairment/alteration of immune function. A total of 1620 subjects were randomized 1:1:1 to three groups stratified by gender and age (11–14 years of age and 15–18 years of age) to receive: • Group 1 (n = 540)

MenACWY-CRM concomitantly with Tdap (Boostrix™, GlaxoSmithKline, Rixensart, Belgium) and HPV (Gardasil™, Merck & Co., NJ, USA), followed by HPV at 2 and 6 months (MenACWY-CRM + Tdap + HPV). All subjects received a single dose (0.5 ml) of each vaccine, administered intramuscularly in the right deltoid area (MenACWY-CRM), the left deltoid area (Tdap), and the upper anterolateral

area of the thigh (HPV). Each subject was observed Cell press for 30 min post-vaccination for local or systemic reactions, or anaphylaxis. Oral temperature was recorded, and the subject, or the parents or legal guardians, where applicable, were given diary cards to record any local (pain, erythema, and induration) or systemic (chills, nausea, malaise, myalgia, arthralgia, headache, and rash) reactions that occurred between Day 1 and Day 7. Any adverse events (AEs) requiring medical attention were recorded for 1 month post-vaccination, and any medically significant and serious AEs (SAEs) were recorded for 6 months post-vaccination. Blood samples (20 ml) were obtained at the first visit, before vaccination, and 1 month post-vaccination with MenACWY-CRM and/or Tdap, and 1 month following the final dose of HPV. Immunogenicity of the MenACWY-CRM vaccine was evaluated by serum bactericidal assay using human complement (hSBA) to Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, W-135, and Y.

The sera were heat-inactivated by incubation at 56 °C

The sera were heat-inactivated by incubation at 56 °C Doxorubicin for 30 min to destroy the activity of serum complement. Bacteria were then washed once with PBS, resuspended in 90 μl of gelatin Veronal buffer (Sigma), and incubated in the presence of 10% fresh-frozen normal mouse serum (from BALB/c mice) at 37 °C for 30 min. After another wash with PBS, the samples were incubated with 100 μl of FITC-conjugated goat antiserum to mouse complement C3 (MP Biomedicals) at a dilution of 1:500 on ice for 30 min in the dark. Finally, the bacteria were washed two more times with PBS, resuspended in 1% formaldehyde, and stored at 4 °C in the dark until analysis with a FACSCanto (BD Biosciences). S. pneumoniae strains

( Table 1) were grown in THY to a concentration of 108 CFU/ml (optical density of 0.4–0.5) and harvested by centrifugation at 2000 × g for 3 min. The pellets were washed once with PBS, resuspended in the opsono buffer [26], and aliquots containing 2.5 × 106 CFU were incubated with heat-inactivated anti-PspA 94/01 or 245/00 pooled sera at a final dilution

of 1:8 and 1:16 at 37 °C for 30 min. Sera from mice immunized with Alum were used as control. After another wash with PBS, the samples were incubated with 10% normal mouse sera (NMS) diluted in opsono buffer at 37 °C for 30 min. The samples were then washed once with PBS and incubated with 4 × 105 peritoneal cells (see Section 2.8) diluted in opsono buffer, at 37 °C for 30 min with shaking (220 rpm). The reaction was stopped by incubation on ice for 1 min. Ten fold dilutions of the samples were performed and 10 μl aliquots of each dilution were plated on blood agar plates. The plates NLG919 order were incubated at a 37 °C, 5% CO2 and the pneumococcal CFU recovered counted after 18 h. The slides were prepared by cytospin and stained with Instant-Prov (Newprov, Brazil). others Statistical analysis of the final pneumococcal counts in each group was performed by one-way ANOVA

with a Tukey’s Multiple Comparison Test. BALB/c mice were injected i.p. with 10 μg of Concanavalin A from Canavalia ensiformis (ConA, Sigma), sacrificed 48 h after treatment and their peritoneal cavities washed with 5 ml of ice-cold PBS. The peritoneal cells were adjusted to 4 × 106/ml in opsono buffer [27]. The N-terminal regions of 10 family 1 PspAs (5 clade 1 and 5 clade 2) from Brazilian pneumococcal strains (Table 1) were expressed in fusion with a His-tag in competent E. coli strains and purified through Ni2+ affinity chromatography. The SDS-PAGE of the purified recombinant proteins shows that the molecular mass varied from ∼45 to 70 kDa ( Fig. 1). All fragments included portions of the proline-rich region, and PspAs 245/00, P1031, 325/95, P339 and 94/01 also comprised the non-proline block. Polyclonal sera from BALB/c mice immunized with two or three doses of recombinant PspAs were examined by ELISA and showed similar antibody titers (data not show).