YELLOW FEVER PREVENTION STRATEGIES AWARENESS AMONG HIV-INFECTED PATIENTS IN SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL

Introduction: Vaccination is the main preventive strategy against Yellow Fever (YF), which is a public health concern in Brazil. However, HIV-infected patients might have insufficient knowledge regarding YF, YF prevention, and vaccines in general. Methods: In this questionnaire-based study, data from 158 HIV-infected individuals were addressed in three distinct outpatient clinics in São Paulo. Information was collected on demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as patients' knowledge of vaccines, YF and YF preventive strategies. In addition, individual YF vaccine recommendations and vaccine status were investigated. Results: Although most participants adequately ascertain the vaccine as the main prevention strategy against YF, few participants were aware of the severity and lack of specific treatment for YF. Discrepancy in YF vaccine (patients who should have taken the vaccine, but did not) was observed in 18.8% of participants. Conclusion: YF is an important and preventable public health concern, and these results demonstrate that more information is necessary for the HIV-infected population.

Associação entre megaesôfago e carcinoma de esôfago

Analisa-se, em material de necropsias, a ocorrência de carcinoma esofágico em não-chagásicos e em chagásicos com e sem megaesôfago. Observou-se um aumento altamente significativo da freqüência do carcinoma de esôfago associado ao megaesôfago, em relação aos controles e aos chagásicos sem megaesôfago. A associação entre carcinoma esofágico e infecção chagásica não foi estatisticamente significativa.

Establishment of HTLV-I-infected cell lines from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of Brazilian patients

To investigate epidemiological and pathogenetic features of HTLV-I infection, a cohort of carriers has been followed at the USP Teaching Hospital since 1991. This study describes the establishment of cell lines from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of infected subjects. Ex vivo PBMC were cultured with those from a seronegative donor and morphologic evidence of cell transformation was obtained after 90 days with detection of multinucleated cells exhibiting cerebriform nuclei. Integration of HTLV-I proviral DNA and expression of viral antigens was demonstrated in culture by PCR and immunofluorescence. Cell lines were maintained for 240 days, gradually weaned from exogenous IL-2. Immunophenotyping of cell lines on flow cytometry yielded evidence of cell activation. Establishment of HTLV-I-infected cell lines from ex vivo PBMC is feasible and may be useful for studies on lymphocyte phenotypic changes and on mechanisms of HTLV-induced cell proliferation. Moreover they may be used with diagnostic purposes in immunofluorescence tests.

Risk factors for atherosclerosis in an elderly out patient population in the City of São Paulo

OBJECTIVE: To analyze in out clinic elderly patients of both sexes for the prevalence of risk factors for atherosclerosis and study their association with the complications of atherosclerosis. METHODS: Five hundred and sixteen outpatients, 152 men and 364 women, 60 years or older, were studied. The prevalences of hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking and obesity were determined in both sexes and compared using the chi-square test. The association between these factors and the presence of atherosclerotic complications was analyzed by logistic regression. RESULTS: The comparative analysis of the factors in both sexes showed that hypertension, total cholesterol > or = 240mg/dL, LDL-cholesterol > or = 160mg/dL, and body mass index >27.5 were more frequent among women, but HDL-cholesterol <35mg/dL and cigarette smoking were more frequent among men, and no difference occurred between sexes in relation to the frequency of triglycerides > or = 250mg/dL and diabetes mellitus. After adjustment of the variables in the regression model, we observed that in the total of elderly patients, risk factors for complications of atherosclerosis were: triglycerides > or = 250mg/dL, hypertension, and male sex. Among men, the risk factors were: LDL-cholesterol > or = 160mg/dL, diabetes mellitus, HDL-cholesterol <35mg/dL and hypertension. Among women, the risk factors were: tryglicerides > or = 250mg/dL and hypertension. CONCLUSION: The results showed that, in the elderly, the risk factors for atherosclerosis persist, but with different behaviors between men and women. The study suggests that the relative importance of the risk factors can change with the aging process.

Implante de marcapasso definitivo em gestante portadora de valvopatia mitral reumática

Descrevemos um caso raro de implante de marcapasso definitivo em gestante, portadora de valvopatia mitral reumática, previamente submetida à valvoplastia percutânea por cateter-balão. A paciente apresentava bloqueio atrioventricular de grau avançado, de causa não-reversível, sintomático e manifesto no 3º trimestre da gestação.

The metazoan parasites of Stellifer minor (Tschudi, 1844): an ecological approach

A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the parasite fauna of the sciaenid Stellifer minor (Tschudi) from Chorrillos, Peru, was made. Some characteristics of the infectious processes, in terms of intensity and prevalence of infection, as a function of host sex and size, are given. Moreover, comments on the characteristics of the parasite fauna, related with host role in the marine food webs are included. The parasite fauna of Stellifer minor taken of Chorrillos, Peru, include the monogeneans Pedocotyle annakohni, Pedocotyle bravoi, Rhamnocercus sp. and Cynoscionicola sp., the digenean Helicometra fasciata, the adult acantocephalan Rhadinorhynchus sp. and the larval Corynosoma sp., the nematode Procamallanus sp., the copepods Caligus quadratus, Clavellotis dilatata and Bomolochus peruensis and one unidentified isopod of the family Cymothoidae. A distinctive characteristic of the parasite fauna (Metazoa) of S. minor is the almost absence of larval forms.

Chagas disease, adipose tissue and the metabolic syndrome

Trypanosoma cruzi infection of the adipose tissue of mice triggers the local expression of inflammatory mediators and a reduction in the expression of the adipokine adiponectin. T. cruzi can be detected in adipose tissue by PCR 300 days post-infection. Infection of cultured adipocytes results in increased expression of cytokines and chemokines and a reduction in the expression of adiponectin and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ³, both of which are negative regulators of inflammation. Infection also results in the upregulation of cyclin D1, the Notch pathway, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase and a reduction in the expression of caveolin-1. Thus, T. cruzi infection of cultured adipocytes leads to an upregulation of the inflammatory process. Since adiponectin null mice have a cardiomyopathic phenotype, it is possible that the reduction in adiponectin contributes to the pathogenesis of chagasic cardiomyopathy. Adipose tissue may serve as a reservoir for T. cruzi from which parasites can become reactivated during periods of immunosuppression. T. cruzi infection of mice often results in hypoglycemia. In contrast, hyperglycemia as observed in diabetes results in increased parasitemia and mortality. Adipose tissue is an important target tissue of T. cruzi and the infection of this tissue is associated with a profound impact on systemic metabolism, increasing the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Novos táxons de Hemilophini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae) sem carenas nos élitros da Região Neotropical

Novos registros e novas espécies de Hemilophini (Cerambycidae) coletados por pulverização de inseticida nas copas das árvores no Equador: Olivensa megacephala (Bates, 1866); Icupima laevipennis (Gahan, 1892); Hemilomecopterus alienus Galileo & Martins, 2004; Acapiata gen. nov., espécie-tipo A. dilatata sp. nov.; Acaiu gen. nov., espécie-tipo A. spinosus sp. nov.; Okamira gen. nov., espécie-tipo O. pulchra sp. nov. Duas espécies novas de Erana Bates, 1866 também são descritas: E. costaricensis sp. nov. da Costa Rica (Heredia) e E. flaviventris sp. nov. de Honduras (Yoro).

El Jaciment ibèric del Castellot de la Roca Roja (Benifallet, Baix Ebre) : guia arqueològica

El poblat ibèric del Castellot de la Roca Roja és un petit assentament fortificat, amb una superfície d’uns 900 m2, situat sobre un turó rocallós a la riba esquerra de l’Ebre. Ocupa l’extrem d’un abrupte esperó allargassat, i és totalment inaccessible pels vessants sud i nord, de manera que només s’hi pot arribar per l’extrem nord-est, on es va construir una muralla que fa de barrera. Té una ocupació entre finals del segle VI aC i el segle II-I aC, si bé la major part de les restes visibles se situen entre el segle V i finals del III aC. Correspon a un model d’assentament fortificat molt característic i ben documentat a les terres de l’Ebre en època ibèrica, i destaca per l’excepcional bon estat de conservació de les restes arquitectòniques, en especial l’estructura defensiva. S’hi han realitzat excavacions des del 1998. Actualment el jaciment està museïtzat i és visitable. El llibre, escrit en to divulgatiu, consisteix en una explicació del jaciment. Presenta el resultat de les intervencions realitzades i facilita al públic la comprensió de les restes i del seu context.

Educació: frontera permeable? Una mirada des de dins i des de fora

De nou un full en blanc, la perspectiva de paper és ben llarga, l'ordinador no ens hi posa fronteres i esper que les idees em flueixin i puga descriure allò que ha estat, i està sent la nostra vida en i per a l'educació. Quina paraula amb més significats! Si en diem educació ens podem referir àmpliament a l'experiència mútua que s'esdevé quan optem per "donar classes" que es diu col·loquialment, donar classes! En una època en que ningú dóna res...

Educació: frontera permeable? Una mirada des de dins i des de fora

De nou un full en blanc, la perspectiva de paper és ben llarga, l'ordinador no ens hi posa fronteres i esper que les idees em flueixin i puga descriure allò que ha estat, i està sent la nostra vida en i per a l'educació. Quina paraula amb més significats! Si en diem educació ens podem referir àmpliament a l'experiència mútua que s'esdevé quan optem per "donar classes" que es diu col·loquialment, donar classes! En una època en que ningú dóna res...

Educació: frontera permeable? Una mirada des de dins i des de fora

De nou un full en blanc, la perspectiva de paper és ben llarga, l'ordinador no ens hi posa fronteres i esper que les idees em flueixin i puga descriure allò que ha estat, i està sent la nostra vida en i per a l'educació. Quina paraula amb més significats! Si en diem educació ens podem referir àmpliament a l'experiència mútua que s'esdevé quan optem per "donar classes" que es diu col·loquialment, donar classes! En una època en que ningú dóna res...