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Barnacle Allergy: Allergen Characterization and Cross-Reactivity with Mites

Background: Barnacles are a type of seafood with worldwide distribution and abundant along the shores of temperate seas. They are particularly appreciated and regularly consumed in Portugal as well as in Spain, France and South America, but barnacle allergy is a rare condition of which there is only one reference in the indexed literature. The molecular allergens and possible cross-reactivity phenomena implicated (namely with mites) have not been established. Objective: To demonstrate the IgE-mediated allergy to barnacle and to identify the proteins implicated as well as possible cross-reactivity phenomena with mites. Methods: We report the clinical and laboratory data of five patients with documented IgE-mediated allergy to barnacle. The diagnosis was based on a suggestive clinical history combined with positive skin prick tests (SPT) to barnacle – prick to prick method. Two barnacle extracts were prepared (raw and cooked barnacle) and sodium dodecylsulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and IgE-immunoblotting were performed. An immunoblotting inhibition assay with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus was also done in order to evaluate cross-reactivity. Results: All patients had mite-related asthma and the allergic rhinoconjunctivitis; they all experienced mucocutaneous symptoms. All of them had positive SPT to barnacle, and the immunoblotting showed several allergenic fractions with a wide molecular weight range (19 – 94 kDa). The D. pteronyssinus extract inhibited several IgE-binding protein fractions in the barnacle extract. Conclusions: We describe five patients with IgE-mediated barnacle allergy. We also describe a group of IgEbinding+ proteins between 30 and 75 kDa as the allergenic fractions of this type of Crustacea. Cross-reactivity with D. pteronyssinus was demonstrated in two cases.

Upper Arm Measurements of Healthy Neonates Comparing Ultrasonography and Anthropometric Methods

Objective: To compare measurements of the upper arm cross-sectional areas (total arm area,arm muscle area, and arm fat area of healthy neonates) as calculated using anthropometry with the values obtained by ultrasonography. Materials and methods: This study was performed on 60 consecutively born healthy neonates: gestational age (mean6SD) 39.661.2 weeks, birth weight 3287.16307.7 g, 27 males (45%) and 33 females (55%). Mid-arm circumference and tricipital skinfold thickness measurements were taken on the left upper mid-arm according to the conventional anthropometric method to calculate total arm area, arm muscle area and arm fat area. The ultrasound evaluation was performed at the same arm location using a Toshiba sonolayer SSA-250AÒ, which allows the calculation of the total arm area, arm muscle area and arm fat area by the number of pixels enclosed in the plotted areas. Statistical analysis: whenever appropriate, parametric and non-parametric tests were used in order to compare measurements of paired samples and of groups of samples. Results: No significant differences between males and females were found in any evaluated measurements, estimated either by anthropometry or by ultrasound. Also the median of total arm area did not differ significantly with either method (P50.337). Although there is evidence of concordance of the total arm area measurements (r50.68, 95% CI: 0.55–0.77) the two methods of measurement differed for arm muscle area and arm fat area. The estimated median of measurements by ultrasound for arm muscle area were significantly lower than those estimated by the anthropometric method, which differed by as much as 111% (P,0.001). The estimated median ultrasound measurement of the arm fat was higher than the anthropometric arm fat area by as much as 31% (P,0.001). Conclusion: Compared with ultrasound measurements using skinfold measurements and mid-arm circumference without further correction may lead to overestimation of the cross-sectional area of muscle and underestimation of the cross-sectional fat area. The correlation between the two methods could be interpreted as an indication for further search of correction factors in the equations.

Ensino de contabilidade geral nas instituições de ensino superior

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentado ao Instituto de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Contabilidade e Finanças, sob orientação da Professora Doutora Alcina Augusta de Sena Portugal Dias

Um Caso de Esófago Negro em Doente Alcoólico

A necrose esofágica aguda é uma entidade raramente descrita na literatura, caracterizada endoscopicamente por uma coloração negra da mucosa do esófago. Tem sido associada à ingestão de cáusticos, à hipersensibilidade a fármacos, a infecções locais da mucosa e, mais frequentemente, a fenómenos da isquémia por instabilidade hemodinâmica. Recentemente, foram detectados alguns casos em doentes com ingestão alcoólica aguda e crónica e suas complicações, admitindo-se uma relação entre as duas entidades. Os autores descrevem um caso de esófago negro num doente internado por intoxicação alcoólica aguda, hematemeses, choque hipovolémico e pneumonia de aspiração. Atribui-se uma etiopatogénese multifactorial, que inclui a lesão directa e indirecta do álcool sobre a mucosa esofágica, assim como fenómenos de isquémia secundários ao choque hipovolémico e à pneumonia.

New approach for vitamin E extraction in rainbow trout flesh: Application in fish fed commercial and red seaweed-supplemented diets

A vitamin E extraction method for rainbow trout flesh was optimized, validated, and applied in fish fed commercial and Gracilaria vermiculophylla-supplemented diets. Five extraction methods were compared. Vitamers were analyzed by HPLC/DAD/fluorescence. A solid-liquid extraction with n-hexane, which showed the best performance, was optimized and validated. Among the eight vitamers, only α- and γ-tocopherol were detected in muscle samples. The final method showed good linearity (>0.999), intra- (<3.1%) and inter-day precision (<2.6%), and recoveries (>96%). Detection and quantification limits were 39.9 and 121.0 ng/g of muscle, for α-tocopherol, and 111.4 ng/g and 337.6 ng/g, for γ-tocopherol, respectively. Compared to the control group, the dietary inclusion of 5% G. vermiculophylla resulted in a slight reduction of lipids in muscle and, consequently, of α- and γ-tocopherol. Nevertheless, vitamin E profile in lipids was maintained. In general, the results may be explained by the lower vitamin E level in seaweed-containing diet. Practical Applications: Based on the validation results and the low solvent consumption, the developed method can be used to analyze vitamin E in rainbow trout. The results of this work are also a valuable information source for fish feed industries and aquaculture producers, which can focus on improving seaweed inclusion in feeds as a source of vitamin E in fish muscle and, therefore, take full advantage of all bioactive components with an important role in fish health and flesh quality.

A Rat Model of Diabetic Wound Infection for the Evaluation of Topical Antimicrobial Therapies

Diabetes mellitus is an epidemic multisystemic chronic disease that frequently is complicated by complex wound infections. Innovative topical antimicrobial therapy agents are potentially useful for multimodal treatment of these infections. However, an appropriately standardized in vivo model is currently not available to facilitate the screening of these emerging products and their effect on wound healing. To develop such a model, we analyzed, tested, and modified published models of wound healing. We optimized various aspects of the model, including animal species, diabetes induction method, hair removal technique, splint and dressing methods, the control of unintentional bacterial infection, sampling methods for the evaluation of bacterial burden, and aspects of the microscopic and macroscopic assessment of wound healing, all while taking into consideration animal welfare and the '3Rs' principle. We thus developed a new wound infection model in rats that is optimized for testing topical antimicrobial therapy agents. This model accurately reproduces the pathophysiology of infected diabetic wound healing and includes the current standard treatment (that is, debridement). The numerous benefits of this model include the ready availability of necessary materials, simple techniques, high reproducibility, and practicality for experiments with large sample sizes. Furthermore, given its similarities to infected-wound healing and treatment in humans, our new model can serve as a valid alternative for applied research.

Botulism in Brazil, 2000-2008: epidemiology, clinical findings and laboratorial diagnosis

Botulism is a rare and potentially lethal illness caused by Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin. We describe the findings of a laboratorial investigation of 117 suspected cases of botulism reported to the surveillance system in Brazil from January 2000 to October 2008. Data on the number and type of samples analyzed, type of toxins identified, reporting of the number of botulism cases and transmission sources are discussed. A total of 193 clinical samples and 81 food samples were analyzed for detection and identification of the botulism neurotoxin. Among the clinical samples, 22 (11.4%) presented the toxin (nine type A, five type AB and eight with an unidentified type); in food samples, eight (9.9%) were positive for the toxin (five type A, one type AB and two with an unidentified type). Of the 38 cases of suspected botulism in Brazil, 27 were confirmed by a mouse bioassay. Laboratorial botulism diagnosis is an important procedure to elucidate cases, especially food-borne botulism, to confirm clinical diagnosis and to identify toxins in food, helping sanitary control measures.

Evaluation of Helicobacter pylory colonization by serologic test (IgG) and dyspepsia in volunteers from the countryside of Monte Negro, in the Brazilian western Amazon region

The present study intended to analyze the seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori, IgG, and its relation to dyspepsia in a population from the western Amazon region. During the "Projeto Bandeira Científica", a University of São Paulo Medical School program, in Monte Negro's rural areas, state of Rondônia, 266 blood samples were collected from volunteers. The material was tested for IgG antibodies anti-Helicobacter pylori by ELISA method and the participants were also interviewed on dyspepsia, hygiene and social aspects. Participants aged between five and 81 years old (34 years on average), 149 (56%) were female and 117 (44%) male. We found 210 (78.9%) positive, 50 (18.8%) negative and six (2.3%) undetermined samples. Dyspeptic complaints were found in 226 cases (85.2%). There was no statistical association between dyspepsia and positive serology for H. pylori. We concluded that the seroprevalence in all age categories is similar to results found in other studies conducted in developing countries, including those from Brazil. On the other hand, the seroprevalence found in Monte Negro was higher than that reported in developed countries. As expected, there was a progressive increase in the positivity for H. pylori in older age groups.