Candidíase vulvovaginal: sintomatologia, fatores de risco e colonização anal concomitante

Post-menarche patients with clinical signs of vulvovaginitis were analyzed in this study, whose aims were the following: identify the frequency of C. albicans and non C. albicans species and negative results, correlate the vaginal culture for yeast with risk factors and symptomatology; compare positive and negative results for yeast in the vaginal and anal cultures; compare the positive results for C. albicans with other results found in the vaginal and anal cultures; and compare concomitant positivity for C. albicans and non C. albicans in the vaginal and anal cultures. Sample selection occurred between May, 2003 and May, 2005, and included 99 patients from Natal, Brazil. The laboratory methods used consisted of CHROMagar Candida culture medium, thermotolerance test at 42-45°C and hypertonic NaCL, in addition to the classic methods of carbohydrate assimilation and fermentation. We used absolute numbers, percentages, means of central tendency, chi-squared test (χ2) with Yates correction, Fisher s exact test and odds ratio for statistical analysis. The most frequent species was C. albicans in 69% of the cases. The positivity for Candida spp showed an association with the use of tight-fitting intimate clothing and/or synthetics, allergic diseases and the occurrence of itching, leukorrhea and erythema. Anal colonization increased the likelihood of vaginal contamination by 2.8 and 4.9 times, respectively, for Candida spp and C. albicans. When compared to the other species, C. albicans-positive anal colonization increased by 3.7 times the likelihood of vaginal positivity. These data suggest likely vaginal contamination originating in the anus

Análise das mutações C282Y e H63D no gene da proteína HFE em pacientes com hiperferritinemia

Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HH) is a genetic disease caused by high iron absorption and deposition in several organs. This accumulation results in clinical disturbances such as cirrhosis, arthritis, cardiopathies, diabetes, sexual disorders and skin darkening. The H63D and C282Y mutations are well defined in the hemochromatosis etiology. The aim of this paper was that of identifying the H63D and C282Y genetical mutations in the hemochromatosis gene and the frequency assessment of these mutations in the HFE protein gene in patients with hyperferritin which are sent to the DNA Center laboratory in Natal, state of Rio Grande do Norte. This paper also evaluates the HH H63D and C282Y gene mutations genotype correlation with the serum ferritin concentration, glucose, alanine aminotransferasis, aspartato aminotransferasis, gama glutamil transferasis and with the clinical complications and also the interrelation with life habits including alcoholism and iron overload. The biochemical dosages and molecule analyses are done respectively by the enzymatic method and PCR with enzymatic restriction. Out of the 183 patients investigated, 51,4% showed no mutation and 48,6% showed some type of mutation: 5,0% were C282Y heterozygous mutation; 1,1%, C282Y homozygous mutation; 31%, H63D heterozygous mutation; 8,7%, H63D homozygous mutation; and 3,3%, heterozygous for the mutation in both genes. As to gender, we observed a greater percentage of cases with molecular alteration in men in relation to women in the two evaluated mutations. The individuals with negative results showed clinical and lab signs which indicate hemochromatosis that other genes could be involved in the iron metabolism. Due to the high prevalence of hemochromatosis and taking into account that hemochromatosis is considered a public health matter, its gravity being preventable and the loss treatment toxicity, the early genetic diagnosis is indicated, especially in patients with high ferritin, and this way it avoids serious clinical manifestations and increases patients' life expectation. Our findings show the importance of doing such genetic studies in individuals suspected of hereditary hemochromatosis due to the high incidence of such a hereditary disease in our region

Projeto Prevenir: uma pesquisa acerca das mudanças no perfil das infecções por DST/AIDS, com a perspectiva de detectar pontos vulneráveis da prevenção

Rio Grande do Norte is among the Brazilian States where the tourism and sexual violence increasingly grow in the country, occupying 4th place in 2004. Associated to this fact, it comes the problematic one of the contamination of the women by Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD). Studies in Brazil have presented a considerable increase of the STDs, caused through lack of suitable protection in the sexual relationships. Due to the biological and psychosocial vulnerability, besides failures or inconsistencies in the condom use associated to the raised taxes of sexual activity with different partners, the STDs constitute the main risk of health. Many difficulties are found by the confrontation of this problem. In this context, this project had as aim to evaluate the vulnerability of this population of sexually active women in Natal-RN Ponta Negra neighbourhood to the infections by STDs, such as, Candida sp., Vaginoses Bacterial, Trichomonas Vaginalis and Chlamydia sp., arisen with the explosion of the sex market, showing a current statistical panorama. It was possible to detect vulnerable points in prevention through patient anamnesis, where the study it showed: high number of partners (8,3% with more than five), low age of first relationship and not the use of condoms (31,8% sometimes use and 45,8% had not used in the first relationship). Already consolidated by the preventive cytopathologic examination, these data were strengthened by high incidence of causing agents of STDs (58,6%). In this way, it is clear that the sexuality must to be thought on the context of the deep economic and socio-cultural transformations in which pass societies, and mainly the ones concerning to the sexuality exercise and to the sex market. With the profile change of the infections, new demands are placed in relation to the risk factors. Therefore, it can be concluded that the prevention vulnerable points detected as more important had been the deficiency in self-perception and wareness of the risk existence among the studied women

Diagnóstico molecular da talassemia ALFA em indivíduos com microcitose e/ou hipocromia

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Caracterização molecular e laboratorial da talassemia beta e da interação hemoglobina s/talassemia beta

Beta thalassemia arises as a consequence of the reduction (β+, β++, βsilent) or absence (β0) of beta globin chain synthesis and results from a number of mechanisms that lead to genetic defects. The inheritance of beta thalassemia is characterized by the existence of heterozygous individuals, compound heterozygotes, homozygotes and those with coinheritance of beta thalassemia allele and other thalassemias and/or hemoglobin variants. The aim of this study was to perform molecular and laboratory characterization of beta thalassemia in heterozygous and homozygous individuals and in those with coinheritance of S beta thalassemia. A total of 48 individuals were included (35 heterozygotes, 4 homozygotes and 9 S beta thalessemia carriers) referred to the Integrated Laboratory of Clinical Analyses of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) and the Hematology Ambulatory Facility of the Dalton Barbosa Cunha Hemocenter (Hemonorte Natal, Brazil). Peripheral blood samples form each patient underwent the following laboratory examinations: erythrogram, hemoglobin electrophoresis at alkaline pH, measurements of Hb A2, Fetal Hb and serum ferritin. DNA was extracted using the illustra blood genomicPrep Mini Spin Kit and molecular characterization was performed by the PCR/RFLP technique, which involves digestion with specific restriction enzymes for IVS-1 nt 1 (G®A), IVS-1 nt 6 (T®C) and codon 39 (CAG®TAG) mutations. Of the 35 heterozygotes, 37.1% showed IVS-1 nt 6 mutation, 42.9% IVS-1 nt 1 and 20% were carriers of other mutations not identified by the technique used. The four homozygous patients presented with the IVS-1 nt 6 mutation, while 66.7% of the individuals with S beta thalassemia had the IVS-1 nt 1 mutation. Codon 39 was not detected in any of the patients investigated. Of the thallasemic alleles found, 40.4% were IVS- 1 nt 1, 40.4% IVS-1 nt 6 and 19.2% were not identified. Laboratory data showed that the heterozygotes exhibited microcytosis and hypochromia, evidenced by MCV ranging from 57 to 75fL and MCH from 15.9 to 23.6 pg. Hemoglobin A2 varied between 3.7 and 7.2%. The homogygotes also showed reduced MCV and MCH and elevated HbA2.. Comparison of laboratory data between heterozygous individuals with IVS-1 nt 1 and IVS-1 nt 6 mutations showed that heterozygotes for the IVS1-1 mutation had significantly lower mean MCV and MCH (p = 0.023 and 0.007, respectively) and significantly higher hemoglobin A2 (p < 0.001) when compared to heterozygotes for the IVS-1 nt 6 mutation. PCR/RFLP was useful in identifying the presence or absence of IVS-1 nt 6, IVS-1 nt 1 and codon 39 mutations in most of the patients investigated here. This is the first study conducted in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil aimed at identifying beta thalassemia mutations and represents an important contribution to the knowledge regarding the molecular profile of beta thalassemia in our country

Farmacêuticos e suas atividades em farmácias comunitárias: uma análise de perfil

The aim of this study was to establish the profile of the pharmacist technician responsible for community pharmacies in the city of Natal/RN, featuring personal elements, perceived their role and place of pharmaceutical care, levels of job satisfaction, type and quality of services provided in human and structural framework. To that end, we made an exploratory cross-sectional study applying a questionnaire containing open and closed questions, which was applied to pharmaceutical technicians responsible for community pharmacies in Natal/RN, from September 2010 to September 2011. The sample was established by calculating the simple random sample, with a confidence level of 95% and a significance level of 0.05. To evaluate the satisfaction level of the activities performed by pharmacists in community pharmacies was used Simple Satisfaction Scale (Likert, 1935). To assess the attitudes and perceptions of pharmacists in relation to aspects of pharmaceutical care, we used the Model Attitude toward the object (Fishbein, Ajzen, 1975). The answers were converted into data were analyzed statistically using Epi Info 3.5.2 The results showed that the strengths and weaknesses in relation to the profile of the pharmacist and their activities in community pharmacies in Natal/RN are not different in other cities in the country . The most important aspects were: 51% (n = 90) of the establishments visited, the pharmacist was absent; 46% (n = 80) did not have postgraduate and of those who are or have completed 33% (n = 51) are in the area of Clinical Analysis; 56% (n = 98) 08h for day work and 64% (n = 111) claim that this load influence its performance; 83% (n = 146) receive as salary, the floor pharmacist regarding the state of Rio Grande do Norte; 44% (n = 76) are unhappy about the salary, which is the main difficulty cited; 78% (n = 136) say they are always sought by users and the receptivity of these considered good (52%, n = 91). The activities of higher satisfaction are those related to pharmaceutical care and lower the administrative. As regards attitudes and perceptions, the score was more negative to the question 'if the pharmacist feels working as a team with the doctor', in which 59% (n = 103) responded 'never'. 49% (n = 86) reported being "able" to take questions from users and 39% (n = 68) are 'dissatisfied' with respect to the structure of the practice of pharmacy to pharmaceutical care. Action is needed on the obstacles to the exercise of the pharmacist in the solution and minimize the negative and positive stimulus to

Avaliação da presença de osteopatia decorremte do diabetes tipo 1 em criança e adolecentes do Rio Grande do Norte

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and osteoposes are chronic diseases with great socioeconomic consequences, mainly due to the late complications and consequent disabilities. The potential effects of DM on bone metabolism remain a very conroversial issue, and disagreement exists with regard to the clinical implications of diabetic osteopenia and the mechanism of its ocurrence. The issue is further complicated by the contribuicion of the especific factors, such as duration of disease an dthe degree of metabolic control. The objective of this study is to identify the osteopathy in children and adolescents with DM 1 assisted in the hospital of pediatrics, UFRN, through biochemical markers of bone and mineral metabolism and the extent of bone mineral density. The study was composed by 74 diabetics type 1 patients (DM1) of both gender and aged 6 to 20 yars. Normoglicêmic group was composed by 97 healthy subjects of both genders, which showed the same age range of DM1, in addition to same socioeconomic class. These individuals qere students from the networks of public education in the city of Natal-RN, randomly invited to paticipate in our study. Both groups DM1 and NG were divided intofour subgroups, according to the classification of tanner , T1, T2, T3, T4 for achieving a benchmark. Diabetic individuals showed up with a poor glycemic control. the group DN1 T4 showed an incresead value for total protein, albumin, urea and microalbumiuria are predictors of grumelura injury in DM1 patients . The total alkaline phosphatase activitywas kept on high levels for both groups because they are in a stature development age. For osteocalcin there were decreased levels for groups Dm1 T1, T2, and T3 when compared to their NG (s), suggesting that this decrease could be associated with reduction in the number and/or differentiation os osteoblasts thereby contributing to reducing bone formation. There were no changes in the activity of TRAP. The serum concentrations of total and ionized calcium, phosphorus and magnesium were included within the RV. It was observed that the BMD (Z- SCORE ) has always been within the RV for both groups, despite to DM1 T4. Taking all together, our results support the hypothesis that children and adolescents with type 1 DM present the risk in the long run to suffer a reduction in the bone mass, associated to poor glicemic control and disease duration. It could limit the bone growth and increase the probality of development of osteopenia, as well as other complications surch as retinopathy and renal failure

Avaliação do estado nutricional relativo ao selênio e da expressão gênica de selenoproteínas em pacientes com aterosclerose tratados com estatinas

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the use of rosuvastatin in patients with atherosclerosis, in relation to blood parameters of selenium and selenoproteins, and also observe possible changes in gene expression of selenoproteins in these patients. The sample consisted of 27 adult and elderly patients with a clinical diagnosis of coronary artery disease undergoing angioplasty, treated at Natal Hospital Center hospital, Natal, RN. Patients were treated with rosuvastatin 10 mg/day during four months. Anthropometric variables such as body mass index (BMI) and Waist circumference (WC) were measured before and after treatment, as well as lipid profile, blood glucose and liver enzymes (AST and ALT). The diet of the patients was also analyzed using 24-hour diet recall. We analyzed the concentrations of selenium in plasma and erythrocytes, and also the activity of Glutathione Peroxidase and gene expression by Real Time PCR of selenoproteins GPx1, SelP1 and SelN1. Patients had mean age of 61.0 ± 9.4 years, 59.3% were men and 40.7% were women. After four months of treatment there was significant reduction of CA and, according to BMI, most were overweight. The intake of macronutrients, cholesterol, polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated and saturated was adequate, but the energy and fiber intake was below the recommendations. Regarding the selenium intake was observed a high prevalence of inadequacy. As expected, after treatment with rosuvastatin, a significant reduction in total cholesterol, LDL and glucose, which was not observed for HDL. Selenium concentrations in plasma and erythrocytes showed no changes, keeping within the established cutoffs. We observed a significant increase in GPx enzyme activity and mRNA expression of GPX1 and SEPN1, but not for gene SEPP1. Thus, it was found that treatment with rosuvastatin did not reduce the expression of selenoproteins. More studies are needed to clarify the effects of rosuvastatin on gene expression of selenoproteins in patients with atherosclerosis

O domínio da leitura e da escrita : por que não eu?

The study and research field of Education is wide and rich, mainly when it goes towards the empirical area of social reality. This research focuses on young and adult subjects who cannot read or write, although they had had access to and attended schools in Natal/RN. The locus of the research are the Municipal Schools that develop the Youth and Adults Education program EJA, having representatives from the North, South, East and West zones of the city, in a total of 6 municipal schools. It analyzes these subjects' replies to the questions: "Why are there young and adults who attended school but still cannot read or write?", What are the exclusion situations they face by not being able to read or write?". From a dialectic view on the subject, the research's strategy for data collection is the semi-structured interview to collect the replies given by the interviewees; replies that are separated by analysis categories presented charts of ideas. The research's results are analyzed and lead us to the conclusion that the affective, organic, cognitive, social, political and pedagogical factors are mentioned by the subjects as reasons why they can not dominate the reading or writing skills. The youth and adults interviewed are not happy with their school failure; the reading and writing learning is something that eases their social inclusion into a society that privileges such abilities, and that with it they could avoid the social exclusion they faced at school, in the work place, at home, in church, at health centers, on the street, at their children's school and in public assistance institutions

Museu vivo : uma análise do Museu Câmara Cascudo

This work was developed from the research field in the Museu Câmara Cascudo (MCC) and the theoretical research in Museum Studies, enlarging the idea of museum while ambience of culture. We believe that the MCC, located in the city of Natal RN, is a relevant sociocultural institution because it is a university museum, because it was created two years after the foundation of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, and because it develops researches and studies about man on his physical and cultural aspects. Thus, this work is made up by a reflection on the transient and mobile aspect of culture living culture to understand the role of the museum in contemporary society. The MCC analysis, including its history, its functioning, its main activities, and its expositions, illustrates one part of our investigation. The other part is composed by theoretical consideration made from the reading of authors such as Bauman, Lévi-Strauss, Morin, Kristeva, Foucault, Le Goff, among others

Religião e cultura local: estudo de dois grupos espíritas potiguares

The subject of this research is the spiritual religious field, connected with the local cultural perspectives. Its basis is the analysis of two spiritual groups settled in Natal/RN: The Spiritual Group Evangelho no Lar and the Spiritual Center Garimpeiros da Luz . These two groups represent a point of convergence of several sectors of this religion, either through its insertion in the local sphere or in contact to nationally influent leaders, like the mediums Francisco Cândido Xavier and Divaldo Pereira Franco. Then, it aims to reach the potiguar singularities in their spiritualism approaches, looking for an analyses to possible connections between local values and themes from the spiritualism largely developed in Brazil. So, its objective is to act in the scope of influence, references, representations and adaptive practices in a local context, and they signalize special practices . The approaches until now developed refer only to the living of a Brazilian spiritualism, perfectly developed in contact with the catholic substrate, but there s still a gap about the local observation, with its peculiarities, which its research aims to disclosure. The option for a qualitative approach, in perfect relationship with the nature of the questions which were made was considered as an appropriate way to guide the study. To reach this, it will be made an ethnography of the studied groups, not only in the use of open interviews with its members but also in the contact and observation of its religious behavior, for example: meeting for studies of the doctrine, mediunic meetings, public lectures, helping the public in general. As results of this research we can point to the delimitation of local cultural references, which are undeniable, in relation to the identification of RN personalities who are considered coordinators or active spirits in the work performed by the groups. Thus, Auta de Souza, poetess and woman of great religiosity, Augusto Severo de Albuquerque Maranhão, martyr of the aeronautics, Father João Maria, object of popular devotion and Abdias Antônio de Oliveira, ex president of the Spiritual Federation of RN, present themselves as spiritual beings who lead the adaptability to the local context. In such a context, we have to point out the work of mediums, who, having a specific charisma, interacted with the groups in the establishment of these cultural bridges already made in their own contexts (national level), through the work equally possible to be locally reproduced. This and other facts, point out to perspectives of cultural circularity , including referring to a greater linking to sub layers in a true zone that converges and has circulation between an erudite spiritualism with another one, turned to the incorporation of local and popular elements

Atenção ao usuário em um centro de referência HIV/Aids: perspectiva de profissionais e usuários

We study the health care focused on care in an intercessor and dialogical relationship with the User, which involves the construction of therapeutic projects essential to the quality of the treatment of the user in health services, and it is necessary individual and collective actions. It is intended to acknowledge and analyze the perception of social subjects, users and professionals on the treatment given to a user of a Specialized Outpatient Service (Serviço Ambulatorial Especializado SAE) in STD/HIV/AIDS state reference in Natal, RN. The study is structured in a transdisciplinary vision of science and knowledge, theoretical and methodological principles that give meaning to the expression of the institutional features of care and health care reconnecting them to the social context. As a research strategy we seek the expressions of 56 subjects of social research, which agreed to participate in the sample, from a symbolic map of the attention, coupled with the techniques of observation and semi-structured interview. For the analysis of the results, five categories of analysis were established: the meaning of the service, care perception, process of communication and interaction, treatment perception and organization and evaluation of the service. It is argued that the attention and care are developed in a technical health care assistance to the disease, focusing on attention based on treatment, on diagnostic and drug therapy of antiretroviral drugs, reflecting the traditional biomedical paradigm of attention to the disease. This is also the mode of organization of practical actions in daily SAE: the therapy proves to be fragmented in several specialties, vertical and feeds the same model, generating tension and overload for professionals; showing impersonal care focused on structured and informative technology, unrelated to an interactive dialogic. From the speech of the subjects, the SAE is understood as the place of confrontation with the disease, but also enables greater elaboration of the illness by meeting their peers. Living with HIV and AIDS is living with concern, apprehension and fear, but mainly with the stigma, prejudice and exclusion, which require that the disease is kept in secret. There is a movement of forces and power, expressed in the knowledge-power of those who dominate the technical and administrative capabilities, devices that concentrate the maintenance of the medicalization of care, rapid consultations and with little attention, making it difficult to interact with and listen to, combined with structural failures, organizational and inadequate management of the service. We conclude that there are dimensions that are not considered in the internal dynamics of the care service multiple forms, characterized by care conflicting models, marked by individual interventions related to the disease. The subject is not considered together with his speech as technical discourse is imposed and care production based on material technology is observed

Família e TV: mais que dominação e subordinação.

This work analises the social relationship between Television and the Family though the resignification of individuals about Television messages and the speeches that they make about Family. Firstly, the objective is to understand if the principles, values and beliefs constructed and communicated (repassed) inside the Family filter the messages from the Mass Media. Secondly, if there still exists a family culture able to forge identity against so many cultural exchanges. Thirdly, what the function of this identity in the production of senses is. In session 1 and 2, a general approach about the dissemination of Mass Media in Society and the pertinence of the work is presented. Session 3 is about the method used: a qualitative research, with thirteen families from Natal-RN, situated in the Middle Class. The theorical base is considered in the fourth session where the reference to the evolution of the Family is made, with enphasis on the Middle Class and some theories that analyze the pheomenom of the Mass Media , specially in the second half of twentieth century. In session 5 and 6, the research data is presented and analyzed. Finally, in the last session, as a conclusion it can be said that the value of the Family as emotional support is reforced by the speeches and practices that interfere in the signification procces, singular aspects, as well as the social repertoire constructed per si and by institutions (including the family) moreover, mediative message is assimilated by the receiver and becomes understood inside the learned speeches during the receiver‟s history of life, although these messsages are also components in the construction of these repertoire.

Feiras livres : cidades de um só dia, aprendizados para a vida inteira

La tesis problematiza constelaciones creativas de saberes marcados por múltiples subjetividades en un espacio singular de las ciudades: la feria libre. Lugar de cambios financieros, pero también afectivos, simbólicos y míticos, ese espacio se mantiene al lado de los lugares comerciales asépticos y climatizados como son los supermercados e hipermercados de los espacios urbanos y de las metrópolis. Las ferias, por su carácter itinerante y sus personajes nómades modernos, son capaces de suscitar múltiples observaciones, divagaciones, afecciones y construcción de conocimientos. En la feria libre del barrio de Alecrim en la ciudad de Natal-RN/Brasil, principal contexto de referencia de esta investigación, en medio de tantos estímulos movilizadores de los órganos de los sentidos, salta a los ojos el elevado contingente de niños y adolescentes ejerciendo las múltiples actividades laborales. En Brasil el trabajo infantil es encajado en prohibiciones prescritas por leyes que recubren singularidades. Sin la pretensión de negar la importancia de tales convenciones y reglas, las reflexiones aquí puestas ultrapasan las amarras homogeneizantes del discurso oficial instituido de prohibición, problematizando a partir de la feria la idea de una caótica y pulsante aula al aire libre en la cual se construyen saberes más próximos de una lógica del sensible (Claude Lévi-Strauss). La feria es un laboratorio de construcción de conocimientos pertinentes (Edgar Morin), aquellos que religan fenómeno y contexto sin oponer manipulación y tiempo real de aplicabilidad de los saberes construidos. En esa escuela sin paredes, puertas, ventanas, cuadros negros o programas, los saberes de la tradición (Conceição Almeida) son probados y compartidos por niños y adolescentes que viven constantemente con un tipo de cambio de bienes y palabras en permanente construcción. En los puestos de la feria y para más allá de ellos encontramos sujetos híbridos (Bruno Latour) que se estructuran por medio de mecanismos creativos capaces de hacerlos navegar en las incertidumbres caóticas de sus vidas. Los aprendizajes de la feria fueron o son la pulsión de reinvención de esos sujetos aparentemente encarcelados en el conformismo como fatalidad última, portadores de historias embarazadas de simbologías tristes y felices que exponen la cara de un humano en permanente combustión, construcción e incertidumbre

Extensão universitária e formação cidadã: a UFRN e a UFBA em ação

Se parte de la comprensión de Universidad como un campo científico que permite elecciones, conflictos y luchas internas y externas, en sus dimensiones históricas y temporales, proponiéndose comprenderla en su naturaleza institucional. Históricamente, la universidad viene respondiendo a demandas de la sociedad, configurándose en momentos de crisis de institucionalidad, de hegemonía y de legitimidad. Tales crisis profundizase en el contexto de la globalización hegemónica, pero, al lado de esta, emergen experiencias en el campo de la globalización alternativa. De ello adviene los siguientes desafíos: considerados en este trabajo como cuestiones a contestar: ¿cómo la Universidad pública brasileña podrá actuar en una perspectiva de formación ciudadana, interagiendo con la sociedad en la cual está inserida? ¿Cómo poderemos vislumbrar caminos alternativos para la universidad enfrentar desafíos y para conquistar a su legitimidad? Se discute la extensión universitaria como una de las alternativas para que tales universidades enfrenten sus crisis y desafíos, a la medida en que posibilita el diálogo con la sociedad en su entorno, promoviendo la formación ciudadana. Se tiene como objetivo comprender e interpretar la extensión universitaria en su práctica efectiva en las comunidades en las que las experiencias fueron desarrolladas, analizándose dos prácticas de extensión universitaria en la Universidad Federal del Rio Grande do Norte y en la Universidad Federal de Bahia, a través de la interpretación de la participación de profesores, alumnos y comunidad en dos programas: Saúde e Cidadania (SACI/UFRN), y Atividade Curricular em Comunidade (ACC/UFBA), en el período de 2001 a 2005. Se busca en el diálogo con los participantes envueltos, conocer las experiencias y como estas contribuyen para la compresión de universidad con sus funciones direccionadas para la formación ciudadana. Como procedimientos metodológicos, se hace un análisis de la documentación de las experiencias, complementadas por entrevistas sémi-estructuradas, envolviendo 51 sujetos en los dos programas, para aprehender a la historia y comprender la participación de los alumnos, profesores e integrantes de las comunidades, en Natal/RN y Salvador/BA. Para presentación de las voces de los participantes, se cría diálogos temáticos, mapeando expresiones que surgieron en el habla de los Pro- Rectores de Extensión y Pro-Rector de Graduación, alumnos, profesores y participantes de las comunidades envueltas, identificándolas en movimientos creativos y llenos de significados, entre ellas: vivencia y acción; interacción y diálogo; identidad y práctica solidaria; generosidad y responsabilidad; ciudadanía y condición humana; saber contextual y crítico. Estas prácticas y sentimientos traducen bien la participación de los sujetos envueltos, dialogando sobre la compresión de Universidad y extensión universitaria direccionada para la formación ciudadana. Se concluye que estas experiencias contribuyen para pensar una Universidad actuante, dialogando con los intereses de la comunidad, sin perder su autonomía, formando profesionales responsables, solidarios y ciudadanos, actuando en la construcción de un conocimiento que pueda contribuir en la superación de la crisis de legitimidad desarrollando experiencias inseridas en la globalización alternativa, contra-hegemónica, ya que contemplan acciones para la superación de las desigualdades sociales, en la lucha por la emancipación social de los sujetos participantes