Caracterização e correlação do fenômeno pró-zona com títulos de sororeatividade do VDRL e reação de imuno- fluorescência indireta em soros de pacientes com sífilis

AZEVEDO, Luciana Karla Araújo de, et al. Caracterização e correlação do fenômeno pró-zona com títulos de sororeatividade do VDRL e reação de imuno-fluorescência indireta em soros de pacientes com sífilis. Revista Brasileira de Análises Clínicas, Rio de Janeiro, v. 38, n. 2, p. 183-187, 2006.

Caracterização e correlação do fenômeno pró-zona com títulos de sororeatividade do VDRL e reação de imuno- fluorescência indireta em soros de pacientes com sífilis

AZEVEDO, Luciana Karla Araújo de, et al. Caracterização e correlação do fenômeno pró-zona com títulos de sororeatividade do VDRL e reação de imuno-fluorescência indireta em soros de pacientes com sífilis. Revista Brasileira de Análises Clínicas, Rio de Janeiro, v. 38, n. 2, p. 183-187, 2006.

A pessoa idosa com doença crônica não transmissível atendida em serviços de média complexidade na cidade de Natal/RN

The demographic and epidemiological transition process caused by a declining in birth rates and in mortality, also changes occurred in morbidity and mortality is represented by the increasing of the aging population and the raising of chronic diseases. These diseases are characterized by multiple etiologies, risk factors, long latency period, a prolonged evolution, non-infectious origin and it has association with functional impairment and disability. Thus, elderly with chronic non-communicable disease has priority because they belong to a vulnerable group to get affection of comorbidities in aging, with increased demand and spending on health services. This study is aimed to analyse the understanding of elderly people with chronic non comunicable disease in the medium complexity service as a contribution to the improvement of health care in the city of Natal / RN. This is a descriptive and exploratory study with a quantitative approach, carried out at the Specialized Center for Elderly Health Care and at the Pescadores Hospital. The population was composed of 4,180 persons with a sample of 124 elderly aged above 60 years, attended in these medium complexity services. The instrument, a structured form, adapted from a questionnaire for monitoring risk and protective factors for chronic disease of the Ministry of Health. To collect data was was used the interview form containing demographic data, habits, health status and health care services. The results were processed using the Statistical Package for Social Science, version 18.0, analyzed by simple statistics. It was found that most seniors were female, predominantly between 70 and 74 years old, married, with a brown skin tone and Catholic religion, more than half had incomplete basic education, family income between one to two minimum wages and living with their families. Regarding the interviewers lifestyle, 94.4%, of them ate chicken and 97.6%, fruits, it was observed a reduction in smoking, alcoholism habits and physical activity according to the increasing age, 58.1 and 18.5% had insomnia18,5 % used sleeping pills. The elderly (51.6%) reported using services in times of sickness, seeking primary care at first (30.6%), 52% did not receive referral and was looking for free demand (38.7%). The most reported morbidity was hypertension, followed by musculoskeletal disorders. Regarding the difficulties in seeking health services, the delay in treatment and the waiting line were the most cited by the elderly. Almost all of them reported no activities to promote health in these services and those who received individual counseling on chronic diseases. Almost always, the health professionals who care of them, were mostly doctors followed by nurses. Based on the results presented, it is considered that the health services of medium complexity must undergone a more continuous dialogue with other attention level and focus on actions of health promotion and prevention. It is also recommended the necessity for qualified professionals to delivery health care to elderly and the implementation of protocols by a multidisciplinary health team, intending to provide better and continous care for the elderly with chronic diseases. The healthcare professionals who served them, were mostly physicians, followed by nurses. Through the results presented, it is considered that the medium complexity healthcare services need to perform a more continuous dialogue with the other levels of attention focusing attention to the health promotion and prevention actions. It is also recommended the necessity for qualified professionals to delivery healthcare for the elderly, in addition, a protocol implementation for the multidisciplinary health care team, to provide better care, and also the care continuity to elderly with chronic diseases

Doença, ativismo biossocial e cidadania terapêutica: a emergência da mobilização de pessoas com HTLV no Brasil

O artigo aborda a emergência da mobilização social e política de pessoas infectadas pelo HTLV, na década de 2000. Com fortes vínculos com o ativismo de HIV/Aids, pessoas com HTLV e seus grupos e organizações engendraram práticas sociais, discursos e identidades que contribuem para se pensar em termos teóricos e históricos sobre a questão das biossocialidades e da cidadania terapêutica

Consanguinidade e efeito fundador da mutação G377S da doença de Gaucher em população de Tabuleiro do Norte – Ceará – Brasil

Gaucher’s disease (GD) is caused by a β-glucocerebrosidase deficiency, leading to the accumulation of glucocerebroside in the reticuloendothelial system. The prevalence of GD in Tabuleiro do Norte (TN) (1:4000) is the highest in Brazil. The purpose of this study was to present evidence of consanguinity and founder effect for the G377S mutation (c.1246G>A) among GD patients in TN based on enzyme, molecular and genealogical studies. Between March 2009 and December 2010, 131 subjects at risk for GD (GC in dried blood ≤2.19 nmol/h/ml) and 5 confirmed GD patients from the same community were submitted for molecular analysis to characterize the genetic profile of the population. Based on the enzymatic and molecular analysis, the subjects were classified into three categories: affected (n=5), carrier (n=20) and non-carrier (n=111). All carriers were (G377S/wt). Affected subjects were homozygous (G377S/G377S). The identification of a single mutation in carriers and homozygotes from different generations, the history of the community and the genealogy study suggest that the high prevalence of GD in this population may be due to a combination of consanguinity and founder effect for the G377S mutation

Estrutura da população de Coleodactylus natalensis Freire, 1999 (Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae) no Parque Estadual Dunas de Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

Coleodactylus natalensis Freire, 1999, an endemic species of Atlantic Forest fragments around the Natal municipality, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, has as type locality the Parque Estadual Dunas de Natal (05º48 S to 05º53 S and 35º09 W to 35º12 W), one of the largest restinga (herb and shrub association on sand dunes along the Brazilian coastline) associate fragment, surrounded by urban zone, placed on setentrional Atlantic Forest limits. We made estimates on populational density, spatial distribution, habitat and microhabitat preferences and feeding ecological aspects like sazonal and sexual variations on diet, prey electivities and niche breadth. We randomly sampled ninety-six 50m2 quadrants in each of the four habitats identified in the study area. Were collected 49 specimens and their stomach contents were analyzed; prey items found were correlated with leaf-litter invertebrates from habitat samples. We found a 98,5 ± 75,5 individuals/ha density, in grouped distribution pattern on densest habitats and random distribution on others habitats. This species lives mostly on leaf-litter in forest habitats, in higher humidity points, with lower temperatures, deeper leaf litter and lower sea level elevations than the randomly chosen points in the study area. Isopoda and Aranae were the most important prey categories in numeric, frequency and volumetric terms. Niche breadth has an intermediate value and was variable in sexual and in habitat terms. There was no correlation between morfometric measures and prey size on diet. The C. natalensis population studied seems to be diet opportunist, although selects larger prey items. The Parque Estadual das Dunas do Natal has several indications of anthropic pressure from the surrounding urban area that may affects the local C. natalensis population. Thus, the fragility of this species calls for urgent conservation efforts

Atividade antiplasmódica e toxicológica de plantas medicinais usadas popularmente no Brasil : uma abordagem etnobotânica

Malaria is a disease of global distribution, recognized by governments around the world as a serious public health problem, affecting more than 109 countries and territories and endangering more than 3.3 billion people. The economic costs of this disease are also relevant: the African continent itself has malaria-related costs of about $ 12 billion annually. Nowadays, in addition to chloroquine, Plasmodium falciparum is resistant to many drugs used in the treatment of malaria, such as amodiaquine, mefloquine, quinine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine; resistance of Plasmodium vivax to treatments, although less studied, is also reported. Nature, in general, is responsible for the production of most known organic substances, and the plant kingdom is responsible for the most of the chemical diversity known and reported in the literature. Most medicinal plants commercialized in Brazil, however, are of exotic origin, which makes the search for endemic medicinal plants, besides a patent necessity, a fascinating subject of academic research and development. This study aimed to: (i) verify the antimalarial activity of ethanolic and hydroalcoholic extracts of Boerhavia paniculata Rich. And acetonic extract of Clethra scabra Pers. in Swiss albino mice infected by Plasmodium berghei NK65, (ii) observe possible combined effects between the course of infection by P. berghei NK65 and administration of these extracts in Swiss albino mice, and (iii) conduct a preliminary study of the acute toxicity of these extracts in Swiss albino mice. All extracts notable pharmacological activities - with parasite infections inhibitions ranging from 22% to 54%.These characteristics suggest that the activities are relevant, although comparatively lower than the activity displayed by the positive control group (always above 90%). The general framework of survival analysis demonstrates an overall reduction in survival times for all groups. Necroscopy has not pointed no change in color, shape, size and/or consistency in the evaluated organs - the only exception was the livers of rats submitted to treatment to hydroalcoholic extracts: these organs have been presented in a slightly congestive aspect with mass increasing roughly 28% higher than the other two groups and a p-value of 0.0365. The 250 mg/Kg ethanolic group has been pointed out by the Dunn s post test, as the only class with simultaneous inequalities (p<0.05) between positive and negative control groups. The extracts, notably ethanol extract, have, in fact, a vestigial antimalarial activity, although well below from the ones perceived to chloroquine-treated groups; nevertheless, the survival times of the animals fed with the extracts do not rise by presence of such therapy. Both the toxicopharmacological studies of the synergism between the clinical course of malaria and administration of extracts and the isolated evaluation of toxicity allow us to affirm the absence of toxicity of the extracts at the level of CNS and ANS, as well as their non-influence on food and water consumption patterns, until dosages of 500 mg/Kg. Necroscopic analysis leads us to deduct a possible hepatotoxic effect of hydroalcoholic extract at dosages of 500 mg/Kg, and an innocuous tissue activity of the ethanol extract, in the same dosage. We propose a continuation of the studies of these extracts, with protocol modifications capable of addressing more clearly and objectively their pharmacological and toxicological aspects

Mortalidade da população em idade ativa (PIA) por doença cardiovascular e câncer nas capitais e nas regiões metropolitanas brasileiras: associação com indicadores socioeconômicos

Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Norte

Estado nutricional antropométrico, perfil lipídico e consumo alimentar como fatores de risco para doença cardiovascular em adolescentes

The dyslipidemia and excess weight in adolescents, when combined, suggest a progression of risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Besides these, the dietary habits and lifestyle have also been considered unsuitable impacting the development of chronic diseases. The study objectives were: (1) estimate the prevalence of lipid profile and correlate with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist / height ratio (WHR) in adolescents, considering the maturation sexual, (2) know the sources of variance in the diet and the number of days needed to estimate the usual diet of adolescents and (3) describe the dietary patterns and lifestyle of adolescents, family history of CVD and age correlates them with the patterns of risk for CVD, adjusted for sexual maturation. A cross-sectional study was performed with 432 adolescents, aged 10-19 years from public schools of the Natal city, Brazil. The dyslipidemias were evaluated considering the lipid profile, the index of I Castelli (TC / HDL) and II (LDL / HDL) and non-HDL cholesterol. Anthropometric indicators were BMI, WC and WHR. The intake of energy, nutrients including fiber, fatty acids and cholesterol was estimated from two 24-hour recalls (24HR). The variables of lipid profile, anthropometric and clinical data were used in the models of Pearson correlation and linear regression, considering the sexual maturation. The variance ratio of the diet was calculated from the component-person variance, determined by analysis of variance (ANOVA). The definition of the number of days to estimate the usual intake of each nutrient was obtained by taking the hypothetical correlation (r) ≥ 0.9, between nutrient intake and the true observed. We used the principal component analysis as a method of extracting factors that 129 accounted for the dependent variables and known cardiovascular risk obtained from the lipid profile, the index for Castelli I and II, non-HDL cholesterol, BMI, and WC the WHR. Dietary patterns and lifestyle were obtained from the independent variables, based on nutrients consumed and physical activity weekly. In the study of principal component analysis (PCA) was investigated associations between the patterns of cardiovascular risk factors in dietary patterns and lifestyle, age and positive family history of CVD, through bivariate and multiple logistic regression adjusted for sexual maturation. The low HDL-C dyslipidemia was most prevalent (50.5%) for adolescents. Significant correlations were observed between hypercholesterolemia and positive family history of CVD (r = 0.19, p <0.01) and hypertriglyceridemia with BMI (r = 0.30, p <0.01), with the CC (r = 0.32, p <0.01) and WHR (r = 0.33, p <0.01). The linear model constructed with sexual maturation, age and BMI explained about 1 to 10.4% of the variation in the lipid profile. The sources of variance between individuals were greater for all nutrients in both sexes. The reasons for variances were  1 for all nutrients were higher in females. The results suggest that to assess the diet of adolescents with greater precision, 2 days would be enough to R24h consumption of energy, carbohydrates, fiber, saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. In contrast, 3 days would be recommended for protein, lipid, polyunsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol. Two cardiovascular risk factors as have been extracted in the ACP, referring to the dependent variables: the standard lipid profile (HDL-C and non-HDL cholesterol) and "standard anthropometric index (BMI, WC, WHR) with a power explaining 75% of the variance of the original data. The factors are representative of two independent variables led to dietary patterns, "pattern 130 western diet" and "pattern protein diet", and one on the lifestyle, "pattern energy balance". Together, these patterns provide an explanation power of 67%. Made adjustment for sexual maturation in males remained significant variables: the associations between puberty and be pattern anthropometric indicator (OR = 3.32, CI 1.34 to 8.17%), and between family history of CVD and the pattern lipid profile (OR = 2.62, CI 1.20 to 5.72%). In females adolescents, associations were identified between age after the first stage of puberty with anthropometric pattern (OR = 3.59, CI 1.58 to 8.17%) and lipid profile (OR = 0.33, CI 0.15 to 0.75%). Conclusions: The low HDL-C was the most prevalent dyslipidemia independent of sex and nutritional status of adolescents. Hypercholesterolemia was influenced by family history of CVD and sexual maturation, in turn, hypertriglyceridemia was closely associated with anthropometric indicators. The variance between the diets was greater for all nutrients. This fact reflected in a variance ratio less than 1 and consequently in a lower number of days requerid to estimate the usual diet of adolescents considering gender. The two dietary patterns were extracted and the pattern considered unhealthy lifestyle as healthy. The associations were found between the patterns of CVD risk with age and family history of CVD in the studied adolescents

Risco de doença cardiovascular em mulheres com história de distúrbio hipertensivo da gravidez

OBJECTIVE: Preeclampsia is a disease that can lead to a high maternal and infant morbidity. Worldwide, the incidence of this disease is highly variable and there is no data on this disorder in the Brazilian population. This study aimed at determining incidence and risk factors in the hypertensive disorders during pregnancy in a neighborhood of Natal, in addition to observing the evolution of these disorders one year and five years after delivery. METHODS: Prospective cohort study to assess the outcome of pregnancies of 242 women who became pregnant between 2004-2007 in the neighborhood of Bom Pastor in the city of Natal, state of RN, Brazil. Five years after delivery, there was an active search of thirty-nine (39) women who became pregnant and had a hypertensive disorder during pregnancy and/or pré-eclâmpsia, out of the total of 242 participants in the initial study. We administered a structured questionnaire to obtain basic information about the current clinical situation of patients and occurrences of subsequent pregnancy and presence of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. We also searched for information on the use of hypotensive drugs and contraceptives. The following characteristics were checked and recorded: a) current weight, b) blood pressure c) body mass index - BMI, and we collected biological samples (blood and urine) for measurement of biochemical parameters and evaluation of microalbuminúria. Finally, we monitored the ambulatory blood pressure (ABP), which uses the method of automatic measurement of heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and an average of the two for the period of 24 hours. RESULTS: Out of 218 women who completed the study, the incidence of hypertensive disorders was of 16.9% (37 out of 218), while the incidence of preeclampsia was 13.8% (30 of 218). Women with preeclampsia had a BMI (body mass index) averaged of 25.3 (± 4.8) while this ratio in normotensive women was of 23.5 (± 3.7), p = 0.02. The risk of preeclampsia rises with age (OR 1084 p = 0.0034) and with a family history of hypertension (OR 2.6 p = 0.01). The follow-up one year after delivery revealed that 50% of women with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy remained hypertensive. High BMI was also observed after 5 years of delivery. CONCLUSIONS: an elevated BMI, age above 35 years and excessive weight gain during pregnancy were associated with hypertension in the long term in patients with prior preeclampsia. History of preeclampsia increases the risk of chronic hypertension

Soroepidemiologia da infecção pelo Trypanosoma cruzi na zona rural do semiárido do estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Rastreamento populacional para Doença de Gaucher em Tabuleiro do Norte-CE

Background. Gaucher Disease (GD) is a hereditary lysosomal storage disorder characterized by the accumulation of glucosylceramide, mainly in the cells of the reticuloendothelial system, due to a deficiency of the enzyme acid β-glucosidase (GBA). Diagnosis is usually based on measurement of GBA activity in peripheral leukocytes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of screening for GBA and chitotriosidase activity using Dried Blood Spots on Filter Paper (DBS-FP) to identify individuals at high risk for GD in high-risk populations such as that of Tabuleiro do Norte, a small town in Northeastern Brazil. Methods. Between June 1, 2007 and May 31, 2008, 740 consented residents and descendants of traditional families from Tabuleiro do Norte were submitted to screening with DBS-FP. Subjects with GBA activity <2.19 nmol/h/mL were referred to analysis of GBA and chitotriosidase activity in peripheral leukocytes and in plasma, respectively. Subjects at highest risk for GD (GBA activity in peripheral leukocytes <5.6 nmol/h/mg protein) were submitted to molecular analysis to confirm diagnosis. Results. Screening with DBS-FP identified 135 subjects (18.2%) with GBA activity <2.19 nmol/h/mL, 131 of whom remained in the study. In 10 of these (7.6%), GBA activity in leukocytes was 2.6 5.5 nmol/h/mg protein. Subsequent molecular analysis confirmed 6 cases of heterozygosity and 4 normals for GD. Conclusion. DBS-FP assay was shown to be an effective initial GD screening strategy for high-prevalence populations in developing regions. Diagnosis could not be established from GBA activity in leukocytes alone, but required confirmation with molecular analysis

Envelhecer entre pássaros e anjos: um estudo etnográfico sobre o processo saúde doença do idoso no contexto familiar

Study, a descriptive-like one, is guided by ethnographic principles which have analyzed the elderly within the familiar context in his/her process of health and aging, in the neighborhood called Felipe Camarão, located in the western administrative region of Natal, RN, a Northeastern city of Brazil. The participants are elders aging 61 to 84 years old, living in this referring neighborhood, whose majority is constituted of migrants from the rural region of the state of the RN, retired, including widows, widowers and married couples, with low school-educational degree. For the information gathering it was utilized a semi-structured interview, the participant observation and the field diary, being put into effect, in majority, in the houses and in the Family Health Unit, in a period between March and October of 2006. For the results discussion it was utilized an analysis of thematic content and the program ALCESTE (In Portuguese, Análise Léxica por Contexto de um Conjunto de Segmentos de Texto or Lexical Analysis by Context of a Set of Text Segments), which through have emerged two corpus: the corpus I, Family and the elderly, and corpus II, The elderly and the aging within society. The analysis of the results has permitted to conclude that the family, also used by the public policies as a strategy of their practices in health, it is a necessary base support for the elderly citizen in his/her process of aging and of health. The elders familiar contexts have allowed this study to identify the existence of minimal social conditions of life, of new rearrangements of the current families by means of the plurigenerational acquaintanceship and the active presence of the elderly woman as a maintainer of this family; also by means of conflicted relationships among one another but in a bearable level of acquaintanceship. Different conceptions about the aging and the elderly generate disagreement and divergency however the family support and help for the solving of these problems and the attention to health are proceeding from the family components. However, it is noticed that loneliness is something present in these elder s everyday lives. About the attention to health, in a basic level of it, it was noticed that there are still a lot of gaps, mainly concerning promotional and preventing actions, deserving a higher sensitization and effort by the local health institutions

Avaliação do impacto do treinamento de clínica em hanseníase e sua contribuição para o aumento da detecção da doença no Estado do Rio Grande do Norte

Hansen´s disease is considered a serious public health problem. In 2006, the Ministry of Health reported that worldwide, Brazil ranked 2nd in the number of cases of the disease, surpassed only by India. The North region is the geographical area in Brazil that presents the most cases. In the state of Rio Grande do Norte, the disease is considered to be eliminated because its prevalence has been identified as 1 per 10.000 inhabitants, criteria established by the State Elimination Letter of 2005. Training programs have been offered by the Coordination for the Control of Hansen´s Disease Program of Rio Grande do Norte, PCH-RN since 1997, with the support of the English governmental agency Leprosy Relief Association, LRA, with no evaluation having been conducted. The objective of this study was to evaluate the training programs in clinical diagnosis of Hansen´s disease and their contribution to the detection of the disease in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. The study was conducted in seven municipalities that are known as Regional Public Health Units (URSAPs): São José de Mipibu URSAP I, Mossoró URSAP II, João Câmara URSAP III, Caicó URSAP IV, Santa Cruz URSAP V, Pau dos Ferros URSAP VI and Natal, capital city of the State, in the Metropolitan Region. Physicians and nurses of the Family Health Program PSF were interviewed as to their perceptions of the implementation of the training program in clinica diagnosis of Hansen´s Disease conducted by the PCH-RN. They evaluated their own practice and the training program. These professionals presented a positive evaluation of the program and gave suggestions for future courses. The results of this study suggest the need for permanent education. Data of the disease obtained from the official records of the Secretariat of Health and from the interviews indicate that health education is the means to control Hansen´s disease effectively

Tuberculose: conhecimentos, representações sociais e experiências da doença na visão do portador

Tuberculosis is considered one of the most ancient human diseases, cases were registered 3900 years before Christ, and it is currently regarded as a serious public health problem in the world due to several factors such as income mismanagement, precarious standard of life and some sort of prejudice comprised by the word tuberculosis. Taking this into consideration, it was developed a descriptive and exploratory study aiming at analyzing the social representations of tuberculosis made by its patient from the Unidades de Saúde da Família (Family Health Units a public health program) in Campina Grande City PB, in relation to the decentralization of the policies that administrate the disease. It was interviewed 34 tuberculosis patient that were being treated from 2007 to 2008. The age group of the interviewees varied from 10 to 60 years old, but most of them were between 36 and 60 years old (58,8%, n=20), some were young adult and adult (21 35 years old), with 11 (32,3%) respondents, and, less frequent, children and teenagers (11 20 years old), with 03 (8,8%) participants. Data was collected through semi-structured interview. The questions that guided the research were elaborated based on the operational recommendations of DOTS strategy; that is: access to laboratory examinations; medication guarantee; directly observed treatment. Besides that, the experiences of the patient were considered in their relation with the family and the different social groups. The analysis of the discursive material was submitted to the Analyse Lexicale par Context d un Ensemble de Segments de Texte software - ALCESTE 4.7. Data interpretation showed five categories for the social representations of the tuberculosis patient that participated in DOTS strategy: 1) the accessibility of the health assistance service; 2) the patient perspective of the disease; 3) the change in the operation of the productive life; 4) the signals and symptoms of the tuberculosis disease; 5) the rearrangement and mechanisms used to face the disease. The Central Nucleus reveals that tuberculosis is a transmissible disease that can be prevented by people through educational practices, health promotion, active search for symptomatic respiratory and control of the carriers communication; these mechanisms should be incorporated to the routine of all participants of the family health groups. The Intermediate Elements, based on quotidian life, as well as the individual experiences of the tuberculosis patient, reveals prejudiced attitude and beliefs that lead to isolation and restriction of interpersonal relationship. Peripheral Elements were constituted by themes that showed the patient feelings of indignation because of the social barriers they had to face in the Family Health Units during the treatment. These elements demonstrate a negative perspective of the representation concerning the accessibility, i.e. inadequate structure of the health service; long distance to the Health Centre, this factormakes it difficult for the patient to continue the treatment; scheduling delay; and limited service regarding other requests (doctor, dentist etc). One expects to contribute for the construction of a new perspective of the health question between the different agents who make the assistencial institutions and formation of professionals, either in central or local scope