title: Presence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) in Brazilian patients with inflammatory bowel diseases and in controls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) has attracted the interest of researchers because of similarities between paratuberculosis and Crohn's disease (CD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of MAP through cultures, histology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on intestinal biopsies from Brazilian CD patients. Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed on positive samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analytical cross-sectional study with control group at two federal universities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fresh samples were collected from 25 patients; five with CD, eight with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 12 controls with non-inflammatory bowel disease (nIBD). Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples from 143 patients were also collected: 44 CD, 49 UC and 56 nIBD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the fresh samples was positive for MAP. Five FFPE samples (one CD, two UC and two nIBD) and three fresh samples (one in each group) were positive through IS900-PCR. qRT-PCR was performed on these eight samples. Among the FFPE samples, there were 192.12 copies/μl in the CD group, 72.28 copies/μl in UC and 81.43 copies/μl in nIBD. Among the fresh samples, there were 432.99 copies/μl, 167.92 copies/μl and 249.73 copies/μl in the CD, UC and nIBD groups, respectively. The highest bacterial load was in the CD group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study does not provide evidence for a role of MAP in the etiology of CD, although MAP DNA was detected in all three patient groups. This is the first report of MAP presence in human intestinal biopsies in Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Department, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Isabel Azevedo
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Department, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: David Germano Gonçalves
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Department, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pricila Aparecida Grasse
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Pietralonga
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Department, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Carolina Silva
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Department, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Isis Freitas Espechit
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Department, Instituto Federal do Norte de Minas, Salinas, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriel Domingos
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Department, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabrício Luciani
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Department, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Paulo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lize Maciel Pinheiro
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria de Lourdes Abreu
authors.initials: Mde L
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Department, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Abelardo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silva Júnior
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Department, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Aparecida Scatamburlo
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Moreira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000382:microbiology*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000382:microbiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016927:Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult