Using mobile technology to conduct epidemiological investigations

INTRODUCTION : The aim of this study was to report the experience of an epidemiological field survey for which data were collected and analyzed using tablets. METHODS : The devices used Epi Info 7 (Android version), which has been modeled a database with variables of the traditional form. RESULTS : Twenty-one households were randomly selected in the study area; 75 residents were registered and completed household interviews with socioeconomic and environmental risk variables. CONCLUSIONS : This new technology is a valuable tool for collecting and analyzing data from the field, with advantageous benefits to epidemiological surveys.

Análise espacial da prevalência de toxoplasmose em gestantes de Aracaju, Sergipe, Brasil

OBJETIVO:Analisar a distribuição espacial da prevalência de anticorpos antitoxoplasma em gestantes residentes em uma cidade do Nordeste do Brasil, e correlacionar a prevalência de anticorpos antitoxoplasma com a faixa etária materna e o local de residência.MÉTODOS:Estudo ecológico, descritivo e analítico, desenvolvido no período de 01 janeiro a 31 de dezembro de 2012. As informações foram obtidas retrospectivamente de um banco de dados, e processadas com o pacote estatístico Epi info (Epi 7, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, EUA) e também em planilha do pacote Microsoft Office Excel, versão 2010. Para avaliar a associação entre a prevalência de anticorpos para a toxoplasmose e a faixa etária, foi aplicado o teste do X2. A análise espacial da prevalência dessa infecção foi realizada com o programa TerraView, versão 4.2.2, utilizando o estimador de intensidade Kernel, que permite estimar a quantidade de eventos em mapa para identificar áreas de maior concentração de casos no município.RESULTADOS:A soroprevalência encontrada para IgG foi de 68,5% (IC95% 67,2-69,8) e IgM de 0,36% (IC95% 0,23-0,6). Foi encontrado incremento da prevalência de IgG associado ao aumento da idade nos bairros mais antigos da capital. Entre as mulheres mais jovens, a maior prevalência foi nos bairros de periferia. Quanto ao anticorpo IgM, a concentração espacial foi mais elevada em bairros da periferia e não ocorreu associação significativa entre a soroprevalência e a idade.CONCLUSÃO:O geoprocessamento permitiu identificar as áreas de maior prevalência, assim como a faixa etária com maior suscetibilidade, servindo como instrumento de avaliação e implementação de medidas preventivas apropriadas para esse município e outras regiões do Brasil.

DNA methylation changes associated with risk factors in tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract

Cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) are common forms of malignancy associated with tobacco and alcohol exposures, although human papillomavirus and nutritional deficiency are also important risk factors. While somatically acquired DNA methylation changes have been associated with UADT cancers, what triggers these events and precise epigenetic targets are poorly understood. In this study, we applied quantitative profiling of DNA methylation states in a panel of cancer-associated genes to a case-control study of UADT cancers. Our analyses revealed a high frequency of aberrant hypermethylation of several genes, including MYOD1, CHRNA3 and MTHFR in UADT tumors, whereas CDKN2A was moderately hypermethylated. Among differentially methylated genes, we identified a new gene (the nicotinic acetycholine receptor gene) as target of aberrant hypermethylation in UADT cancers, suggesting that epigenetic deregulation of nicotinic acetycholine receptors in non-neuronal tissues may promote the development of UADT cancers. Importantly, we found that sex and age is strongly associated with the methylation states, whereas tobacco smoking and alcohol intake may also influence the methylation levels in specific genes. This study identifies aberrant DNA methylation patterns in UADT cancers and suggests a potential mechanism by which environmental factors may deregulate key cellular genes involved in tumor suppression and contribute to UADT cancers.

Cortical bone loss at the tibia in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis is associated with incident non-vertebral fractures: Results of a randomized controlled ancillary study of HORIZON

BACKGROUND In postmenopausal women, yearly intravenous zoledronate (ZOL) compared to placebo (PLB) significantly increased bone mineral density (BMD) at lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and total hip (TH) and decreased fracture risk. The effects of ZOL on BMD at the tibial epiphysis (T-EPI) and diaphysis (T-DIA) are unknown. METHODS A randomized controlled ancillary study of the HORIZON trial was conducted at the Department of Osteoporosis of the University Hospital of Berne, Switzerland. Women with ≥1 follow-up DXA measurement who had received ≥1 dose of either ZOL (n=55) or PLB (n=55) were included. BMD was measured at LS, FN, TH, T-EPI, and T-DIA at baseline, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. Morphometric vertebral fractures were assessed. Incident clinical fractures were recorded as adverse events. RESULTS Baseline characteristics were comparable with those in HORIZON and between groups. After 36 months, BMD was significantly higher in women treated with ZOL vs. PLB at LS, FN, TH, and T-EPI (+7.6%, +3.7%, +5.6%, and +5.5%, respectively, p<0.01 for all) but not T-DIA (+1.1%). The number of patients with ≥1 incident non-vertebral or morphometric fracture did not differ between groups (9 ZOL/11 PLB). Mean changes in BMD did not differ between groups with and without incident fracture, except that women with an incident non-vertebral fracture had significantly higher bone loss at predominantly cortical T-DIA (p=0.005). CONCLUSION ZOL was significantly superior to PLB at T-EPI but not at T-DIA. Women with an incident non-vertebral fracture experienced bone loss at T-DIA.

Assessment oxidative stress biomarkers –neuroprostanes and dihomo-isoprostanes- in elite triathletes urine after two weeks of moderate altitude training

This randomized and controlled trial investigated whether the increase in elite training at different altitudes altered the oxidative stress biomarkers of the nervous system. This is the first study to investigate four F4-neuroprostanes and four F2-dihomo-isoprostanes quantified in 24-hour urine. The quantification was carried out by Ultra High Pressure Liquid Chromatography-triple Quadrupole-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS). Sixteen elite triathletes agreed to participate in the project. They were randomized in two groups, a group submitted to Altitude Training (n=8) and a group submitted to Sea Level Training (n=8), with a Control group of non-athletes (n=8). After experimental period, the Altitude Training group triathletes gave significant data: 17-epi-17-F2t-dihomo-IsoP (from 5.2 ± 1.4 µg/mL 24 h-1 to 6.6 ± 0.6 µg/mL 24 h-1), ent-7(RS)-7-F2t-dihomo-IsoP (from 6.6 ± 1.7 µg/mL 24 h-1 to 8.6 ± 0.9 µg /mL 24 h-1), and ent-7-epi-7-F2t-dihomo-IsoP (from 8.4 ± 2.2 µg/mL 24 h-1 to 11.3 ± 1.8 µg/mL 24 h-1) increased, while, of the neuronal degeneration-related compounds, only 10-epi-10-F4t-NeuroP (8.4 ± 1.7 µg/mL 24 h-1) and 10-F4t-NeuroP (5.2 ± 2.9 µg/mL 24 h-1) were detected in this group. For the control group and sea level training groups, no significant changes had occurred at the end of the 2-weeks experimental period. Therefore, and as the main conclusion, the training at moderate altitude increased the F4-NeuroPs- and F2-dihomo-isoPs-related oxidative damage of the central nervous system (CNS) compared to similar training at sea level.

EPI Update, October 7 2005

Weekly newsletter for Center For Acute Disease Epidemiology of Iowa Department of Public Health.

EPI Update, October 7 2005

Weekly newsletter for Center For Acute Disease Epidemiology of Iowa Department of Public Health.

EPI Update, April 7, 2006

Weekly newsletter for Center For Acute Disease Epidemiology of Iowa Department of Public Health.

EPI Update, July 7, 2006

Weekly newsletter for Center For Acute Disease Epidemiology of Iowa Department of Public Health.

EPI Update, September 7, 2007

Weekly newsletter for Center For Acute Disease Epidemiology of Iowa Department of Public Health.

EPI Update, December 7, 2007

Weekly newsletter for Center For Acute Disease Epidemiology of Iowa Department of Public Health.

EPI Update, March 7, 2008

Weekly newsletter for Center For Acute Disease Epidemiology of Iowa Department of Public Health.

EPI Update, November 7, 2008

Weekly newsletter for Center For Acute Disease Epidemiology of Iowa Department of Public Health.

EPI Update, August 7, 2009

Weekly newsletter for Center For Acute Disease Epidemiology of Iowa Department of Public Health.

EPI Update, May 7, 2010

Weekly newsletter for Center For Acute Disease Epidemiology of Iowa Department of Public Health.