Prison staff's mental health in a prison unit in the western region of São Paulo State and its relationship with latent tuberculosis and the production of IL-22

• Grant number: 19/15559-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2019
• End date: October 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Eliana Peresi Lordelo
• Grantee: Fernando Nunes Gavioli Boni
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde (FCSA). Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE). Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Prison staff are at increased risk for latent tuberculosis (TB), given the degree of exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), which depending on associated factors and the individual's overall immune status, such as IL-22 levels (cytokine with immunoprotective and/or immunomodulatory role), may follow the course of active TB. Diagnostic evolutions led to the development of tests based on the analysis of CD4+ T and CD8+ T cell responses exposed to MTB antigens by the quantification of released IFN-³ (IGRA), thus obtaining results with a greater degree of efficiency in relation to PPD. At the national level, few studies aimed to analyze the influence of mental health status (depression, anxiety and stress) on IL-22 levels and their influence on the course of latent TB infection in prison staff, so we want to better understand the complex correlation existing between psychoemotional condition and TB immunity in the population in question. The aim of the project is to evaluate the mental health of the prison staff in the West of São Paulo and its relationship with latent tuberculosis and IL-22 production. In order to do so, we will study servers linked to a prison in the Oeste Paulista (n = 160) that will be submitted to peripheral blood collection for QFT evaluation and IL-22 dosage and will respond to a structured questionnaire to assess the psychoemotional status (depression, anxiety and stress). The statistical relationships between the variables will be calculated using chi-square test and Mann-Whitney test, with statistical significance for p <0.05. (AU)