Immature stages of the moth Lobeza dentilinea (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae), with redescription of the species based on male and female morphology

Egg and pupa of Lobeza dentilinea Schaus, 1901 are described and illustrated for the first time. Eggs are smooth, dome-shaped, and greenish at oviposition. Last instar larvae have an aposematic coloration and the chaetotaxy is very similar to other notodontines, except for the number of lateral setae: L. dentilinea has three instead of four lateral setae on abdominal segments A3-A6. Pupae are light brown and typical of the family, with the last abdominal segments broadly round. Evidence from the adult morphology supporting the placement of the genus in Notodontinae includes proboscis smaller than the length of the head, epiphysis with more than half the length of tibia, tarsal claws simple, and labial palpi short. Male and female are confidently associated, and a redescription of the species is presented based on both sexes. Larvae of L. dentilinea are here recorded feeding on a Melastomataceae.

Association of dental enamel lead levels with risk factors for environmental exposure

OBJECTIVE: To analyze household risk factors associated with high lead levels in surface dental enamel. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 160 Brazilian adolescents aged 14-18 years living in poor neighborhoods in the city of Bauru, southeastern Brazil, from August to December 2008. Body lead concentrations were assessed in surface dental enamel acid-etch microbiopsies. Dental enamel lead levels were measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and phosphorus levels were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The parents answered a questionnaire about their children's potential early (05 years old) exposure to well-known lead sources. Logistic regression was used to identify associations between dental enamel lead levels and each environmental risk factor studied. Social and familial covariables were included in the models. RESULTS: The results suggest that the adolescents studied were exposed to lead sources during their first years of life. Risk factors associated with high dental enamel lead levels were living in or close to a contaminated area (OR = 4.49; 95% CI: 1.69;11.97); and member of the household worked in the manufacturing of paints, paint pigments, ceramics or batteries (OR = 3.43; 95% CI: 1.31;9.00). Home-based use of lead-glazed ceramics, low-quality pirated toys, anticorrosive paint on gates and/or sale of used car batteries (OR = 1.31; 95% CI: 0.56;3.03) and smoking (OR = 1.66; 95% CI: 0.52;5.28) were not found to be associated with high dental enamel lead levels. CONCLUSIONS: Surface dental enamel can be used as a marker of past environmental exposure to lead and lead concentrations detected are associated to well-known sources of lead contamination.

Determinantes do consumo de frutas e hortaliças em adolescentes por regressão quantílica

OBJETIVO: Analisar o consumo de frutas, legumes e verduras (FLV) de adolescentes e identificar fatores associados. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal de base populacional com amostra representativa de 812 adolescentes de ambos os sexos de São Paulo, SP, em 2003. O consumo alimentar foi medido pelo recordatório alimentar de 24 horas. O consumo de FLV foi descrito em percentis e para investigar a associação entre a ingestão de FLV e variáveis explanatórias; foram utilizados modelos de regressão quantílica. RESULTADOS: Dos adolescentes entrevistados, 6,4% consumiram a recomendação mínima de 400 g/dia de FLV e 22% não consumiram nenhum tipo de FLV. Nos modelos de regressão quantílica, ajustados pelo consumo energético, faixa etária e sexo, a renda domiciliar per capita e a escolaridade do chefe de família associaram-se positivamente ao consumo de FLV, enquanto o hábito de fumar associou-se negativamente. Renda associou-se significativamente aos menores percentis de ingestão (p20 ao p55); tabagismo aos percentis intermediários (p45 ao p75) e escolaridade do chefe de família aos percentis finais de consumo de FLV (p70 ao p95). CONCLUSÕES: O consumo de FLV por adolescentes paulistanos mostrou-se abaixo das recomendações do Ministério da Saúde e é influenciado pela renda domiciliar per capita, pela escolaridade do chefe de família e pelo hábito de fumar.

Eqüidade e provisão de serviços públicos odontológicos no estado do Paraná

OBJETIVO: Analisar a associação entre indicadores socioeconômicos, de provisão de serviços públicos odontológicos e de alocação de recursos financeiros em saúde, e identificar se o sentido das associações ocorre em favor da eqüidade vertical. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado um estudo transversal de abordagem ecológica, com dados do Ministério da Saúde referentes a 399 municípios do estado do Paraná, no período de 1998 a 2005. A condição socioeconômica foi aferida por meio do Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano dos municípios, além de indicadores de renda, educação e saneamento básico, os quais foram obtidos nas bases de dados do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. Os dados foram submetidos a testes estatísticos não-paramétricos: coeficiente de correlação de Spearman, Friedman e Mann-Whitney. RESULTADOS: Houve tendência redistributiva dos recursos federais transferidos aos municípios para o custeio da atenção básica, intensificada a partir do lançamento da Estratégia Saúde da Família. Observou-se expansão das ações de saúde bucal no período analisado, bem como tendência pró-eqüidade na oferta e utilização dos serviços odontológicos em atenção básica. CONCLUSÕES: Houve tendência redistributiva, ou pró-eqüidade, na provisão de serviços odontológicos no estado do Paraná, com maior provisão per capita de recursos ou serviços para municípios com piores indicadores socioeconômicos. Esta tendência se mostrou compatível com as diretrizes programáticas recentes do Ministério da Saúde.

Association Between Physical Activity in Parks and Perceived Environment: A Study With Adolescents

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between adolescents' physical activity practice and their perception about the environment of urban parks. Methods: A school-based representative sample (n = 1,718; boys = 40.4%) of teenagers of Curitiba, Southern region of Brazil. A questionnaire was employed to identify perceived parks environmental features as well as physical activity practice in the parks (PAP), habitual physical activity (HPA) and demographics. The relationship between PAP and parks environments was analyzed through multivariate logistic regression controlling for age and socioeconomic status, HPA and parks distance. Results: After controlling for confounders PAP was associated with lack of space to be physically active, activities to choose from and equipments for both boys and girls, (odds ratio (OR)-ranging from 1.5 to 1.8). Among boys, having people of same age (OR = 1.5) and accessibility (OR = 2.0) showed association with PAP only in crude analysis. However, among girls, to be bulled or teased (OR = 1.4) and accessibility (OR = 1.7) were associated with PAP after confounding control. Conclusions: The results showed that specific attributes in parks may be considered and offered to increase the likelihood of physical activity practice among adolescents in such locations.

Phylogenetic relationships in Solanaceae and related species based on cpDNA sequence from plastid trnE-trnT region

Intergenic spacers of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) are very useful in phylogenetic and population genetic studies of plant species, to study their potential integration in phylogenetic analysis. The non-coding trnE-trnT intergenic spacer of cpDNA was analyzed to assess the nucleotide sequence polymorphism of 16 Solanaceae species and to estimate its ability to contribute to the resolution of phylogenetic studies of this group. Multiple alignments of DNA sequences of trnE-trnT intergenic spacer made the identification of nucleotide variability in this region possible and the phylogeny was estimated by maximum parsimony and rooted with Convolvulaceae Ipomoea batalas, the most closely related family. Besides, this intergenic spacer was tested for the phylogenetic ability to differentiate taxonomic levels. For this purpose, species from four other families were analyzed and compared with Solanaceae species. Results confirmed polymorphism in the trnE-trnT region at different taxonomic levels.

Endophytic and pathogenic isolates of the cacao fungal pathogen Moniliophthora perniciosa (Tricholomataceae) are indistinguishable based on genetic and physiological analysis

We evaluated the genetic and physiological variability of Moniliophthora perniciosa obtained from healthy and diseased branches of cacao (Theobroma cacao) plants. The diversity of the isolates was evaluated by RAPD technique and by studies of virulence and exoenzyme production. The genetic variability of endophytic and pathogenic M. perniciosa was evaluated in association with pathogenicity assays. RAPD analysis showed eight genetic groups, which were not related to plant disease status (healthy versus diseased branches). Isolates from cacao were included in three groups, excluding isolates from other host plants. Pathogenicity and enzyme analysis showed that the virulence of the isolates is not related to exoenzyme production. This is the first evidence that M. perniciosa colonizes healthy parenchymatic tissues, showing that endophytic behavior may occur in this species.

Origins of the Xylella fastidiosa Prophage-Like Regions and Their Impact in Genome Differentiation

Xylella fastidiosa is a Gram negative plant pathogen causing many economically important diseases, and analyses of completely sequenced X. fastidiosa genome strains allowed the identification of many prophage-like elements and possibly phage remnants, accounting for up to 15% of the genome composition. To better evaluate the recent evolution of the X. fastidiosa chromosome backbone among distinct pathovars, the number and location of prophage-like regions on two finished genomes (9a5c and Temecula1), and in two candidate molecules (Ann1 and Dixon) were assessed. Based on comparative best bidirectional hit analyses, the majority (51%) of the predicted genes in the X. fastidiosa prophage-like regions are related to structural phage genes belonging to the Siphoviridae family. Electron micrograph reveals the existence of putative viral particles with similar morphology to lambda phages in the bacterial cell in planta. Moreover, analysis of microarray data indicates that 9a5c strain cultivated under stress conditions presents enhanced expression of phage anti-repressor genes, suggesting switches from lysogenic to lytic cycle of phages under stress-induced situations. Furthermore, virulence-associated proteins and toxins are found within these prophage-like elements, thus suggesting an important role in host adaptation. Finally, clustering analyses of phage integrase genes based on multiple alignment patterns reveal they group in five lineages, all possessing a tyrosine recombinase catalytic domain, and phylogenetically close to other integrases found in phages that are genetic mosaics and able to perform generalized and specialized transduction. Integration sites and tRNA association is also evidenced. In summary, we present comparative and experimental evidence supporting the association and contribution of phage activity on the differentiation of Xylella genomes.

Phenotypic variation among four family members with congenital hypothyroidism caused by two distinct thyroglobulin gene mutations

Background: Thyroglobulin (Tg) is a large glycoprotein that is intimately involved in the biosynthesis of thyroxine and triiodothyronine. At least 38 mutations have been described in the Tg gene that are associated with varying degrees of hypothyroidism. We studied the Tg gene in four related subjects with congenital hypothyroidism. Summary: We found a novel compound heterozygous constellation (IVS30 + 1G>T/A2215D) in a brother and sister and one previously described related mutation (IVS30+1G>T) in their two sibling second degree cousins. The brother with the IVS30 + 1G>T/A2215D mutation and the two siblings with the IVS30+1G>T mutation had fetal or neonatal goiter and all had hypothyroidism. Conclusions: This study further confirms the association of the IVS30+1G>T mutation of the Tg gene with hypothyroidism. Computer analysis predicts that the A2215D mutation, first reported here, should cause structural instability of Tg but when present as a compound heterozygous mutation with IVS30+G>T/A its effect is unclear but is likely to be influenced by iodine intake.

TCF7L2 variant genotypes and type 2 diabetes risk in Brazil: significant association, but not a significant tool for risk stratification in the general population

Background: Genetic polymorphisms of the TCF7L2 gene are strongly associated with large increments in type 2 diabetes risk in different populations worldwide. In this study, we aimed to confirm the effect of the TCF7L2 polymorphism rs7903146 on diabetes risk in a Brazilian population and to assess the use of this genetic marker in improving diabetes risk prediction in the general population. Methods: We genotyped the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) rs7903146 of the TCF7L2 gene in 560 patients with known coronary disease enrolled in the MASS II (Medicine, Angioplasty, or Surgery Study) Trial and in 1,449 residents of Vitoria, in Southeast Brazil. The associations of this gene variant to diabetes risk and metabolic characteristics in these two different populations were analyzed. To access the potential benefit of using this marker for diabetes risk prediction in the general population we analyzed the impact of this genetic variant on a validated diabetes risk prediction tool based on clinical characteristics developed for the Brazilian general population. Results: SNP rs7903146 of the TCF7L2 gene was significantly associated with type 2 diabetes in the MASS-II population (OR = 1.57 per T allele, p = 0.0032), confirming, in the Brazilian population, previous reports of the literature. Addition of this polymorphism to an established clinical risk prediction score did not increased model accuracy (both area under ROC curve equal to 0.776). Conclusion: TCF7L2 rs7903146 T allele is associated with a 1.57 increased risk for type 2 diabetes in a Brazilian cohort of patients with known coronary heart disease. However, the inclusion of this polymorphism in a risk prediction tool developed for the general population resulted in no improvement of performance. This is the first study, to our knowledge, that has confirmed this recent association in a South American population and adds to the great consistency of this finding in studies around the world. Finally, confirming the biological association of a genetic marker does not guarantee improvement on already established screening tools based solely on demographic variables.

An empirical evaluation of imputation accuracy for association statistics reveals increased type-I error rates in genome-wide associations

Background: Genome wide association studies (GWAS) are becoming the approach of choice to identify genetic determinants of complex phenotypes and common diseases. The astonishing amount of generated data and the use of distinct genotyping platforms with variable genomic coverage are still analytical challenges. Imputation algorithms combine directly genotyped markers information with haplotypic structure for the population of interest for the inference of a badly genotyped or missing marker and are considered a near zero cost approach to allow the comparison and combination of data generated in different studies. Several reports stated that imputed markers have an overall acceptable accuracy but no published report has performed a pair wise comparison of imputed and empiric association statistics of a complete set of GWAS markers. Results: In this report we identified a total of 73 imputed markers that yielded a nominally statistically significant association at P < 10(-5) for type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and compared them with results obtained based on empirical allelic frequencies. Interestingly, despite their overall high correlation, association statistics based on imputed frequencies were discordant in 35 of the 73 (47%) associated markers, considerably inflating the type I error rate of imputed markers. We comprehensively tested several quality thresholds, the haplotypic structure underlying imputed markers and the use of flanking markers as predictors of inaccurate association statistics derived from imputed markers. Conclusions: Our results suggest that association statistics from imputed markers showing specific MAF (Minor Allele Frequencies) range, located in weak linkage disequilibrium blocks or strongly deviating from local patterns of association are prone to have inflated false positive association signals. The present study highlights the potential of imputation procedures and proposes simple procedures for selecting the best imputed markers for follow-up genotyping studies.

Development of Hepatitis C Virus Genotyping by Real-Time PCR Based on the NS5B Region

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotyping is the most significant predictor of the response to antiviral therapy. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a novel real-time PCR method for HCV genotyping based on the NS5B region. Methodology/Principal Findings: Two triplex reaction sets were designed, one to detect genotypes 1a, 1b and 3a; and another to detect genotypes 2a, 2b, and 2c. This approach had an overall sensitivity of 97.0%, detecting 295 of the 304 tested samples. All samples genotyped by real-time PCR had the same type that was assigned using LiPA version 1 (Line in Probe Assay). Although LiPA v. 1 was not able to subtype 68 of the 295 samples (23.0%) and rendered different subtype results from those assigned by real-time PCR for 12/295 samples (4.0%), NS5B sequencing and real-time PCR results agreed in all 146 tested cases. Analytical sensitivity of the real-time PCR assay was determined by end-point dilution of the 5000 IU/ml member of the OptiQuant HCV RNA panel. The lower limit of detection was estimated to be 125 IU/ml for genotype 3a, 250 IU/ml for genotypes 1b and 2b, and 500 IU/ml for genotype 1a. Conclusions/Significance: The total time required for performing this assay was two hours, compared to four hours required for LiPA v. 1 after PCR-amplification. Furthermore, the estimated reaction cost was nine times lower than that of available commercial methods in Brazil. Thus, we have developed an efficient, feasible, and affordable method for HCV genotype identification.

Relatedness and HLA-DRB1 typing may discriminate the magnitude of the genetic susceptibility to tuberculosis using a household contact model

Background Tuberculosis clusters in families may be due to increased household exposure, shared genetic factors, or both. Household contact studies are useful to control exposure because socioeconomic and environmental conditions are similar to all subjects, allowing the evaluation of the contribution of relatedness to disease development. Methods In this study, the familial aggregation of tuberculosis using relatedness and a specific inherited marker (HLA-DRB1) was evaluated. Fifty families, which had at least two cases of tuberculosis diagnosed within the past 5 years, were selected from a cohort of tuberculosis carried out in Recife, Brazil. The first case diagnosed was considered to be a primary case. The secondary attack rate of tuberculosis in household contacts was estimated according to the degree of relatedness. The relative risk of having tuberculosis based on the degree of relatedness household and the population attributable fraction to relatedness were also estimated. HLA-DRB1 typing and attributable etiologic/preventive fractions were calculated among sick and healthy household contacts. Results Compared to unrelated contacts, the relative risk for tuberculosis adjusted for age was 1.38 (95% CI 0.86 to 2.21). Relatedness contributed 23% to the development of tuberculosis at the population levels. The HLA-DRB1*04 allele group (OR = 2.44; p =0.0324; etiologic fraction =0.15) was overrepresented and the DRB1*15 allele group (OR=0.48; p=0.0488; protective fraction=0.19) was underrepresented among household contacts exhibiting tuberculosis. The presence of DRB1 shared alleles between primary cases and their contacts was a risk factor for tuberculosis (p=0.0281). Conclusion This household contact model together with the utilisation of two genetic variables permitted the evaluation of genetic factors contributing towards tuberculosis development.

Osler-Weber-Rendu Syndrome - Dental Implications

Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome (OWRS) is a rare hereditary, autosomal dominant disease characterized by a local angiodysplasia. Its clinical characteristics are vascular hamartomas of the skin and oral mucosa, arteriovenous malformations in the lungs, liver, kidney and brain, and episodes of epistaxis. The oral lesions, which become apparent through hemorrhagic telangiectasia, may be the first sign of the disease. This is a case report of a 74-year-old woman whose diagnosis of OWRS was established by her dentist based on the presence of telangiectasia in the skin and oral mucosa, reports of frequent nosebleeds of unknown etiology and a family history of telangiectasia. Amputation of a lower limb and comorbidities, such as cardiopathy, nephropathy and rheumatic disorders, completed the profile. OWRS causes major vascular changes that can be diagnosed initially by a dentist. In this article, we describe the skills and knowledge that dentists need to monitor patients with OWRS properly.

A Genome-Wide Association Study of Upper Aerodigestive Tract Cancers Conducted within the INHANCE Consortium

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been successful in identifying common genetic variation involved in susceptibility to etiologically complex disease. We conducted a GWAS to identify common genetic variation involved in susceptibility to upper aero-digestive tract (UADT) cancers. Genome-wide genotyping was carried out using the Illumina HumanHap300 beadchips in 2,091 UADT cancer cases and 3,513 controls from two large European multi-centre UADT cancer studies, as well as 4,821 generic controls. The 19 top-ranked variants were investigated further in an additional 6,514 UADT cancer cases and 7,892 controls of European descent from an additional 13 UADT cancer studies participating in the INHANCE consortium. Five common variants presented evidence for significant association in the combined analysis (p <= 5 x 10(-7)). Two novel variants were identified, a 4q21 variant (rs1494961, p = 1 x 10(-8)) located near DNA repair related genes HEL308 and FAM175A (or Abraxas) and a 12q24 variant (rs4767364, p = 2 x 10(-8)) located in an extended linkage disequilibrium region that contains multiple genes including the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) gene. Three remaining variants are located in the ADH gene cluster and were identified previously in a candidate gene study involving some of these samples. The association between these three variants and UADT cancers was independently replicated in 5,092 UADT cancer cases and 6,794 controls non-overlapping samples presented here (rs1573496-ADH7, p = 5 x 10(-8); rs1229984-ADH1B, p = 7 x 10(-9); and rs698-ADH1C, p = 0.02). These results implicate two variants at 4q21 and 12q24 and further highlight three ADH variants in UADT cancer susceptibility.