Perfil clínico e epidemiológico e prevalência da coinfecção tuberculose/HIV em uma regional de saúde no Maranhão

OBJETIVO: Descrever o perfil clínico e epidemiológico e a prevalência da coinfecção tuberculose/HIV na Unidade Regional de Saúde do Tocantins, que envolve 14 municípios no estado do Maranhão. MÉTODOS: Estudo epidemiológico descritivo baseado em dados secundários das fichas individuais de tuberculose do Sistema Nacional de Informação de Agravos de Notificação. Foram incluídos todos os casos notificados de coinfecção tuberculose/HIV, por município de residência, no período entre janeiro de 2001 e dezembro de 2010. RESULTADOS: Foram notificados 1.746 casos de tuberculose no distrito. Dos pacientes testados para HIV, 100 eram coinfectados. equivalendo a uma prevalência de 39%. Dos coinfectados, 79% eram do sexo masculino, 42% eram de cor parda, 64% tinham idade entre 20 e 40 anos, 31% tinham até quatro anos de estudo, e 88% residiam em Imperatriz. A forma clínica predominante foi a pulmonar (87%), e 73% eram casos novos. Dos coinfectados, 27% apresentaram resultados positivos na baciloscopia de escarro e 89% tinham imagem sugestiva de tuberculose na radiografia do tórax. A cultura de escarro foi realizada em apenas 7% dos casos. CONCLUSÕES: Evidenciou-se que a situação clínica e epidemiológica da coinfecção tuberculose/HIV ainda é um grande problema de saúde pública no sudoeste do Maranhão e impõe uma maior articulação entre os programas de controle de tuberculose e de doenças sexualmente transmissíveis/AIDS. Além disso, são necessários o compromisso e o envolvimento político dos gestores e profissionais de saúde no planejamento de ações e serviços de saúde.

Infective endocarditis with left to right intracardiac fistula due to Streptococcus anginosus - a rare complication caused by an even rarer bacterium

Although infective endocarditis (IE) has been described in reports dating from the Renaissance, the diagnosis still challenges and the outcome often surprises. In the course of time, diagnostic criteria have been updated and validated to reduce misdiagnosis. Some risk factors and epidemiology have shown dynamic changes since degenerative valvular disease became more predominant in developed countries, and the mean age of the affected population increased. Despite streptococci have been being well known as etiologic agents, some groups, although rare, have been increasingly reported (e.g., Streptococcus milleri.) Intracardiac complications of IE are common and have a worse prognosis, frequently requiring surgical treatment. We report a case of a middle-aged diabetic man who presented with prolonged fever, weight loss, and ultimately severe dyspnea. IE was diagnosed based on a new valvular regurgitation murmur, a positive blood culture for Streptococcus anginosus, an echocardiographic finding of an aortic valve vegetation, fever, and pulmonary thromboembolism. Despite an appropriate antibiotic regimen, the patient died. Autopsy findings showed vegetation attached to a bicuspid aortic valve with an associated septal abscess and left ventricle and aortic root fistula connecting with the pulmonary artery. A large thrombus was adherent to the pulmonary artery trunk and a pulmonary septic thromboemboli were also identified.

Formaldehyde inhalation reduces respiratory mechanics in a rat model with allergic lung inflammation by altering the nitric oxide/cyclooxygenase-derived products relationship

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness is a hallmark of asthma and many factors modulate bronchoconstriction episodes. A potential correlation of formaldehyde (FA) inhalation and asthma has been observed; however, the exact role of FA remains controversial. We investigated the effects of FA inhalation on Ovalbumin (OVA) sensitisation using a parameter of respiratory mechanics. The involvement of nitric oxide (NO) and cyclooxygenase-derived products were also evaluated. The rats were submitted, or not, to FA inhalation (1%, 90 min/day, 3 days) and were OVA-sensitised and challenged 14 days later. Our data showed that previous FA exposure in allergic rats reduced bronchial responsiveness, respiratory resistance (Rrs) and elastance (Ers) to methacholine. FA exposure in allergic rats also increased the iNOS gene expression and reduced COX-1. L-NAME treatment exacerbated the bronchial hyporesponsiveness and did not modify the Ers and Rrs, while Indomethacin partially reversed all of the parameters studied. The L-NAME and Indomethacin treatments reduced leukotriene B4 levels while they increased thromboxane B2 and prostaglandin E2. In conclusion, FA exposure prior to OVA sensitisation reduces the respiratory mechanics and the interaction of NO and PGE2 may be representing a compensatory mechanism in order to protect the lung from bronchoconstriction effects.