Evaluation of the therapeutic response of hepatitis C in coinfected patients (HIV/HCV): a study of cases from a hospital for chronic liver diseases in the Eastern Brazilian Amazon

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic response of hepatitis C in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1). METHODS: A retrospective study of 20 patients coinfected with HIV-1/HCV who were treated in the outpatient liver clinic at the Sacred House of Mercy Foundation Hospital of Pará (Fundação Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará - FSCMPA) from April 2004 to June 2009. Patients were treated with 180µg PEG interferon-α2a in combination with ribavirin (1,000 to 1,250mg/day) for 48 weeks. The end point was the sustained virological response (SVR) rate (HCV RNA negative 24 weeks after completing treatment). RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 40±9.5 years, of which 89% (n=17) were male, and the HCV genotypes were genotype 1 (55%, n=11/20), genotype 2 (10%, n=2/20) and genotype 3 (35%, n=7/20). The mean CD4+ lymphocyte count was 507.8, and the liver fibrosis stages were (METAVIR) F1 (25%), F2 (55%), F3 (10%) and F4 (10%). The early virological response (EVR) was 60%, the end-of-treatment virological response (EOTVR) was 45% and the SVR was 45%. CONCLUSIONS: The median HCV viral load was high, and in 85% of cases in which highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was used, none of the patients with F3-F4 fibrosis responded to treatment. Of the twenty patients treated, 45% achieved SVR and 45% achieved EOTVR. Studies that include cases from a wider region are needed to better evaluate these findings.

Treatment of low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia comparing biweekly eight-day Methotrexate with folinic acid versus bolus-dose Actinomycin-D, among Brazilian women

PURPOSE: To compare two single-agent chemotherapy (ChT) regimens evaluating, in first-line treatment, response and side effects and, in final single-agent treatment, the outcomes, among Brazilian patients with low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN), according to International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2002. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of two concurrent cohorts with 194 low-risk GTN patients: from 1992 to 2012, as first-line treatment, 115 patients received 4 intramuscular doses of methotrexate alternated with 4 oral doses of folinic acid (MTX/FA) repetead every 14 days and, since 1996, 79 patients received an endovenous bolus-dose of actinomycin D (Act-D), biweekly. At GTN diagnosis, patient opinion was taken into consideration when defining the initial single-agent ChT regimen, and when there was resistance or toxicity to one regimen, the other drug was used preferentially. This study was approved by the Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre Ethical Committee. RESULTS: Both groups were clinically similar (p>0.05). In first-line treatments, frequency of complete response was similar (75.7% with MTX/FA and 67.1% with bolus Act-D); the number of ChT courses -median 3 (range: 1-10) with MTX/FA and 2 (range: 1-6) with bolus Act-D - and the time to remission -median 9 weeks (range: 2-16) with MTX/FA and 10 weeks (range: 2-16) with bolus Act-D) - were not different between the groups. In both groups, first-line side effects frequency were high but intensity was low; stomatitis was higher with MTX/FA (p<0.01) and nausea and vomit with Act-D (p<0.01). Final single-agent ChT responses were high in both groups (94.8% with MTX/FA and 83.5% with bolus Act-D; p<0.01) and 13% higher in the group initially treated with MTX/FA. Rates of hysterectomy and of GTN recurrence were low and similar. No patient died due to GTN. CONCLUSION: The two regimens had similar first-line ChT response. Final single-agent response rates were high and similar in both groups but the final single-agent remission rate was higher in the MTX/FA group.

Repercussões vasculares do uso de CDL em pacientes hemodialíticos: análise ecográfica dos sítios de inserção

Introdução: A doença renal crônica é uma doença cuja prevalência tem aumentado no Brasil. A hemodiálise é sua principal modalidade terapêutica e tem, como via de acesso preferencial, a confecção de fístula arteriovenosa. Apesar disso, muitos pacientes necessitam do uso de cateteres duplo-lúmen, seja como acesso temporário ou permanente. Complicações vasculares relacionadas a este procedimento podem ocorrer, sendo o melhor método de avaliação não invasiva a análise ecográfica. Objetivo: Analisar as complicações pelo uso do cateter duplo-lúmen em pacientes com doença renal crônica, em hemodiálise, no Hospital Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Ponta Grossa, PR, por meio do eco-Doppler. Métodos: Estudo observacional, analítico, tipo caso-controle, com obtenção dos dados por TASY®, questionário, exame físico direcionado e exame de imagem (eco-Doppler). Resultados: Nenhuma das variáveis analisadas se mostrou significativa isoladamente como preditora de repercussão vascular no eco-Doppler, que detectou alterações em 31,25% dos casos. O exame físico se mostrou de péssima acurácia em relação ao eco-Doppler na detecção das complicações (K = -0,123). Conclusão: Concluímos que as repercussões vasculares do uso de CDL são frequentes (31,25%), manifestando-se na forma de oclusões com/sem recanalização e estenoses. Sendo assim, é necessária uma análise prévia do sítio de inserção com o eco-Doppler, a fim de se evitar procedimentos desnecessários e com possíveis complicações.

La forma i el color : descripci?? gr??fico-pl??stica de formes. Adquisici?? de conductes anal??tiques. 'La forma y el color : descripci??n gr??fico-pl??stica de formas. Adquisici??n de conductas anal??ticas'

Cr??dito para el ??rea de Ense??anza Visual y Pl??stica. Tiene por objetivo que el alumnado aprenda a situarse delante de cualquier obra gr??fico-pl??stica de tal manera que vaya comprendiendo la totalidad del mensaje, tanto del contenido como del continente. Se trabajan, b??sicamente, los elementos visuales despu??s de reforzar, a partir de la observaci??n, los elementos conceptuales que, en su conjunto, constituyen los elementos gen??ricos de todo el lenguaje visual. La diversidad de actividades de aprendizaje propuestas en la programaci??n del cr??dito est??n orientadas hacia la obtenci??n, por parte del alumnado, de la comprensi??n y aplicaci??n de los elementos configuradores de formas y necesarios para su representaci??n.

Bondat i literatura : el Machado de Xirau, a "Por una senda clara"

Resumen basado en el de la publicaci??n