Myelopathy and adult T-cell leukemia associated with HTLV-1 in a young patient with hearing loss as the initial manifestation of disease

A young male developed hearing loss, vertigo, headache and facial palsy. Neurological examination did not show any abnormalities. Two years later, cervical lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly and atypical lymphocytes in peripheral blood revealed leukemia. At the same time, acquired ichthyosis was observed. Subsequently, neurological abnormalities revealed myelopathy associated with HTLV-1, due to vertical transmission.

Weight loss and morphometric study of intestinal mucosa in rats after massive intestinal resection: influence of a glutamine-enriched diet

Short-bowel syndrome is responsible for significant metabolic alterations that compromise nutritional status. Glutamine is considered an essential nutrient for enterocytes, so beneficial effects from supplementation of the diet with glutamine are hypothesized. PURPOSE: In this study, the effect of a diet enriched with glutamine was evaluated in rats undergoing extensive small bowel resection, with analysis of postoperative weight loss and intestinal morphometrics of villi height, crypt depth, and thickness of the duodenal and remnant jejunal mucosa. METHODS: Three groups of male Wistar rats were established receiving the following diets: with glutamine, without glutamine, and the standard diet of laboratory ration. All animals underwent an extensive small bowel resection, including the ileocecal valve, leaving a remnant jejunum of only 25 cm from the pylorus that was anastomosed lateral-laterally to the ascendant colon. The animals were weighed at the beginning and end of the experiment (20th postoperative day). Then they were killed and the remnant intestine was removed. Fragments of duodenal and jejunal mucosa were collected from the remnant intestine and submitted to histopathologic exam. The morphometric study of the intestinal mucosa was accomplished using a digital system (KS 300) connected to an optic microscope. Morphometrics included villi height, crypt depth, and the total thickness of intestinal mucosa. RESULTS: The weight loss comparison among the 3 groups showed no significant loss difference. The morphometric studies showed significantly taller duodenal villi in the glutamine group in comparison to the without glutamine group, but not different from the standard diet group. The measurements obtained comparing the 3 groups for villi height, crypt depth, and thickness of the remnant jejunum mucosa were greater in the glutamine-enriched diet group than for the without-glutamine diet group, though not significantly different from with standard-diet group. CONCLUSIONS: In rats with experimentally produced short-bowel syndrome, glutamine-enrichment of an isonitrogenous test diet was associated with an improved adaptation response by the intestinal mucosa but not reduced weight loss. However, the adaptation response in the group receiving the glutamine-enriched diet was not improved over that for the group fed regular chow.

Doença periodontal como potencial fator de risco para síndromes coronarianas agudas

OBJETIVO: Detectar a existência de associação entre doença periodontal ativa (DP) e ocorrência de síndromes coronarianas agudas (SCA). MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 361 pacientes (57,3% do sexo masculino), com idades variando de 27 a 89 (média±DP=60,5±12,2 anos) internados na Unidade de Tratamento Intensivo de um Hospital de Ensino com quadro clínico e complementar de SCA. Todos foram submetidos a exame periodontal completo, no próprio ambiente da UTI, sendo que 325 (90,0%) realizaram cinecoronariografia para confirmação diagnóstica e/ou programação de conduta terapêutica. O exame periodontal consistiu na avaliação de todos os dentes presentes na cavidade oral e dos seguintes parâmetros: profundidade clínica de sondagem, nível de inserção clinica, índice de placa e índice gengival. RESULTADOS: Dos 325 pacientes, 91 (28,0%) apresentavam artérias coronarianas isentas de obstrução ou com obstruções discretas (<= 50% de perda de diâmetro), havendo obstruções importantes nos 72,0% restantes. O teste exato de Fisher mostrou valor de P de 0,0245 e ODDS Ratio de 2,571 (IC 95% 1,192 a 5,547), ou seja, documentou-se cerca de 2,5 vezes mais possibilidade de presença de DP ativa no grupo com SCA e coronariopatia obstrutiva significante. CONCLUSÃO: Constatou-se associação significante entre presença de doença periodontal ativa e doença coronariana obstrutiva de grau importante em pacientes com síndrome coronariana aguda, reforçando a importância de prevenção e tratamento adequado da doença periodontal, que deve ser considerada como fator de risco potencial na etiologia e na instabilização da placa aterosclerótica.

Associação entre doença periodontal e síndrome coronariana aguda

OBJETIVO: Analisar a relação entre a DP e SCA e verificar a associação entre a DP e periodontite em pacientes com SCA. MÉTODOS: Foram incluídos 58 pacientes com diagnóstico de SCA e 57 controles, sem história de doença arterial coronariana (DAC). Variáveis: hipertensão arterial, diabete, dislipidemia, obesidade, história de DAC, tabagismo e polimorfismo genético do gene da interleucina-1beta. RESULTADOS: Fizeram parte do estudo 115 indivíduos. No grupo SCA, 58 pacientes foram avaliados, sendo 32 (55,2%) do sexo masculino e 26 (44,8%) do sexo feminino. No grupo controle, 57 indivíduos, sendo 32 (56,1%) do sexo masculino e 25 (43,9%) do sexo feminino. Verificou-se DP em 26 (44,8%) pacientes com SCA e em 15 (26,6%) pacientes do grupo controle (beta2 = 4,43, p = 0,04). Análise pela regressão logística, para a associação entre DP e SCA, demonstrou RC de 1,8 (IC 95%: 1,0-5,0); p = 0,24. A associação de periodontite com SCA apresentou RC: 4,5 (IC 95%: 1,3-15,6); p = 0,019. CONCLUSÃO: Não observamos associação independente entre a DP e SCA. Houve associação independente entre periodontite e SCA.

Doença periodontal em portadoras de valvopatia durante a gravidez: estudo clínico e microbiológico

FUNDAMENTO: A doença periodontal representa risco à gestante portadora de valvopatia reumática, seja para contrair endocardite infecciosa, seja por propiciar complicações obstétricas. OBJETIVO: Estudar a frequência da doença periodontal em portadoras de valvopatia reumática durante a gravidez. MÉTODOS: Foram estudadas 140 gestantes, comparáveis quanto a idade e o nível socioeconômico, divididas em: 70 portadoras de doença valvar reumática e 70 mulheres saudáveis. Todas se submeteram a: 1) avaliação clínica odontológica que incluiu a análise dos seguintes parâmetros: 1.1) profundidade à sondagem, 1.2) distância da linha esmalte-cemento à margem gengival, 1.3) nível clínico de inserção, 1.4) índice de sangramento, 1.5) índice de placa bacteriana, e, 1.6) comprometimento de furca; e, 2) exame microbiológico nas amostras de saliva e do cone que considerou o controle positivo para as cepas das bactérias Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsithia e Aggregobacter actinomycetemcomitans. RESULTADOS: A lesão valvar mitral foi prevalente (65 casos = 92,8%) dentre as gestantes cardiopatas. A comparação entre os grupos mostrou não haver diferenças entre idade e a paridade, e embora tenham sido verificadas diferenças entre as medidas da distância da linha esmalte-cemento à margem gengival (p = 0,01) e o índice de placa (p=0,04), a frequência da doença periodontal identificada em 20 (14,3%) gestantes, não foi diferente entre os grupos (p = 0,147). O exame microbiológico mostrou uma proporção maior da bactéria P. gingivalis na saliva de gestantes saudáveis (p = 0,004). CONCLUSÃO: O estudo clínico e microbiológico periodontal durante a gravidez demonstrou igual frequência da doença periodontal em portadoras de valvopatia reumática quando comparada às mulheres saudáveis.

Lifetime Prevalence of Transient Loss of Consciousness in an Urban Russian Population

Abstract Background: Most international studies on epidemiology of transient loss of consciousness (TLC) were performed many years ago. There are no data about the lifetime prevalence of TLC in Russia. Objective: To identify the lifetime prevalence and presumed mechanisms of TLC in an urban Russian population. Methods: 1796 individuals (540 males [30.1%] and 1256 females [69.9%]) aged 20 to 69 years (mean age 45.8 ± 11.9 years) were randomly selected and interviewed within the framework of multicentre randomised observational trial. Results: The overall prevalence of TLC in the studied population was 23.3% (418/1796), with the highest proportion (28%) seen in 40-49 year age group. TLC was significantly more common in women than in men (27.5% vs 13.5%). The mean age of patients at the time of the first event was 16 (11; 23) years, with 333 (85%) individuals experiencing the first episode of TLC under 30 years. The average time after the first episode of TLC was 27 (12; 47) years. The following mechanisms of TLC were determined using the questionnaire: neurally-mediated syncope (56.5%), arrhythmogenic onset of syncope (6.0%), nonsyncopal origin of TLC (1.4%), single episode during lifetime (2.1%). Reasons for TLC remained unidentified in 34% cases. 27 persons (6.5%) reported a family history of sudden death, mainly patients with presumably arrhythmogenic origin (24%). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the overall prevalence of TLC in individuals aged 20-69 years is high. The most common cause of TLC is neurally-mediated syncope. These data about the epidemiology can help to develop cost-effective management approaches to TLC.

Weight loss and survival of Biomphalaria Glabrata deprived of water

Immature and mature Biomphalaria glabrata are kept out of water at relative humidities varying from 0 to 100%. When snails are submitted to a saturated atmosphere, they show a slow weight loss and survival may be long. If relative humidity (RH) decreases, weight loss becomes important and survival is short. A reduced RH (0 to 65%) produces similar effects. During desiccation, fasting has no noticeable effect; survival depends essentially on weight loss.

Nasal secretions of Neisseria lactamica carriers have an inhibitory effect on Neisseria meningitidis attachment to human oroepithelial cells

Nasal secretions of volunteers colonized by N. lactamica impaired the attachment of N. lactamica and of meningococci of groups A and B to oroepithelial cells. Bacterial adherence was found to be mediated by nonpiliated adhesins with antigen(s) which probably are shared by the strains tested. Although a strong attachment-inhibiting activity arises in their nasal secretions, volunteers remained colonized by N. lactamica. This evidence suggest that the eradication of Neisseria carriage is a multifactorial event.

Endocytosis-inducer adhesins produced by enteropathogenic serogroups of Escherichia coli participate on bacterial attachment to infant enterocytes

Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) infection of Hep-2 cells preoceeds through bacterial attachment to cell surface and internalization of adhered bacteria. EPEC attachment is a prerequisite for cell infection and is mediated by adhesins that recognize carbohydrate-containing receptors on cell membrane. Such endocytosis-inducer adhesins (EIA) also promote EPEC binding to infant enterocytes, suggesting that EIA may have an important role on EPEC gastroenteritis.

A chromosome 9 deletion in Plasmodium falciparum results in loss of cytoadherence

Many lines of Plasmodium falciparum undrgo a deletion of the right end of chromosome 9 during in vitro culture accompanied by loss of cytoadherence and gametocytogenesis. Selection of cytoadherent cells from a mixed population co-selects for those with an undeleted chromosome 9 and selected cells produce gametocytes. The deletion also results in loss of expression of PfEMP1, the putative cytoadherence ligand, suggesting PfEMP1 or a regulatory gene controlling PfEMP1 expression and gametocytogenesis may be encoded in this region. We have isolated several markers for the deleted region and are currently using a YAC-P. falciparum library to investigate this region of the genome in detail.

Role of protease-activated receptor-2 in inflammation, and its possible implications as a putative mediator of periodontitis

Proteinase-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) belongs to a novel subfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors with seven-transmembrane domains. This receptor is widely distributed throughout the body and seems to be importantly involved in inflammatory processes. PAR2 can be activated by serine proteases such as trypsin, mast cell tryptase, and bacterial proteases, such as gingipain produced by Porphyromonas gingivalis. This review describes the current stage of knowledge of the possible mechanisms that link PAR2 activation with periodontal disease, and proposes future therapeutic strategies to modulate the host response in the treatment of periodontitis.

Oseltamivir-resistant influenza A(H1N1)pdm2009 strains found in Brazil are endowed with permissive mutations, which compensate the loss of fitness imposed by antiviral resistance

The 2009 pandemic influenza A virus outbreak led to the systematic use of the neuraminidase (NA) inhibitor oseltamivir (OST). Consequently, OST-resistant strains, carrying the mutation H275Y, emerged in the years after the pandemics, with a prevalence of 1-2%. Currently, OST-resistant strains have been found in community settings, in untreated individuals. To spread in community settings, H275Y mutants must contain additional mutations, collectively called permissive mutations. We display the permissive mutations in NA of OST-resistant A(H1N1)pdm09 virus found in Brazilian community settings. The NAs from 2013 are phylogenetically distinct from those of 2012, indicating a tendency of positive selection of NAs with better fitness. Some previously predicted permissive mutations, such as V241I and N369K, found in different countries, were also detected in Brazil. Importantly, the change D344N, also predicted to compensate loss of fitness imposed by H275Y mutation, was found in Brazil, but not in other countries in 2013. Our results reinforce the notion that OST-resistant A(H1N1)pdm09 strains with compensatory mutations may arise in an independent fashion, with samples being identified in different states of Brazil and in different countries. Systematic circulation of these viral strains may jeopardise the use of the first line of anti-influenza drugs in the future.

Factors associated with loss of handgrip strength in long-lived elderly

Objective To investigate the prevalence of reduced grip strength and associated factors in long-lived elderly, who are users of primary health care. Method Cross-sectional quantitative study, data were collected during the period of January to December of 2013, by applying tests and questionnaires. The convenience sampling was comprised of 157 seniors. Results The findings indicate that the reduction in grip strength presents a moderate prevalence (25.5%), predominantly among females (19.1%), in the age group of 80-89 years (18.5%) and in those with lower educational levels (15.9%). The association between reduced grip strength and the variables of age and body mass index showed a statistical significance. Conclusion Investigations about the handgrip strength are essential for identifying clinical conditions of Brazilian long-lived elderly, and contribute to the development of plans towards the management of frailty.