Fasciolosis epidemiology and prospects for its control at Cape Verde Islands

Comunicação oralLymnaea species and their infection by Fasciola gigantica were investigated at Santiago, St. Antão, S. Nicolau, Sal and Fogo Islands. The study of the fluctuations of Lymnaea natalensis populations and the prevalence of F. gigantica in the snail was performed between October/November 1994 and March/April 1999. At Santiago Island, Lymnaea natalensis was found in 20 habitats and F. gigantica infected snails were detected in 14. Uninfected L. auricularia were identified in 6 habitats at Sto. Antão. On 4097 freshwater snails studied, 1383 (33,76%) were collected on October/November and 2714 (64,24%) on March/April. The snail density and the prevalence of Fasciola gigantica infection were irregular and tended to be higher during March/April in almost all of the habitats. The prevalence of Fasciola gigantica in cattle was 39,17% out of 120 cattle slaughtered at Praia abattoir. F. gigantica eggs output were registered on faeces from cattle (17,82%) and donkeys (14,29%) collected at the snails habitats. The association of the intra-mollusc and cattle infections was difficult to establish. However, a decrease on the prevalence of intra-mollusc infection was observed, followed by a reduction on the cattle infection in the following year. This pattern seems to be more evident after the 1995 heavy rain period. The animals at risk, as well as the freshwater snail and Fasciola habitats, related to the increasing diagnosis of fascioliasis in man, show that this disease is still a serious problem in animal production and in human health. Nevertheless, the improvement of irrigation systems by reducing available water at the habitats for the snail/trematode development, seems to be an effective control measure for their decrease.Work supported by funding from Instituto da Cooperação Portuguesa, Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, Lisbon, Portugal and Direcção Geral de Agricultura Silvicultura e Pecuária, Cape Verde

Budd-Chiari syndrome in a 25-year-old woman with Behçet's disease: a case report and review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The risk that patients with Behçet's disease will develop thrombotic complications has been previously described. Although it is distributed worldwide, Behçet's disease is rare in the Americas and Europe. Even though the pathogenic mechanisms of vascular complications of Budd-Chiari syndrome in patients with Behçet's disease are unknown, severe vascular complications of Budd-Chiari syndrome associated with Behçet's disease seem to affect mainly young men.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report a case of Budd-Chiari syndrome, a severe vascular complication that developed in a 25-year-old Afro-Brazilian woman with Behçet's disease.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Severe vascular complications of Budd-Chiari syndrome in patients with Behçet's disease are much more common in young adult male patients; we present a rare case of Budd-Chiari syndrome in a young Afro-Brazilian woman with Behçet's disease.</p

Epidemiologia e controlo da fasciolose em Cabo Verde: estudos entre 1994 e 1999

Entre 1994 e 1999, reconheceu-se a presença de Lymnaea natalensis em 20 biótopos e de Fasciola gigantica em 14 focos de infecção na Ilha de Santiago e de sete biótopos de L. auricularia em Sto. Antão (Cabo Verde). De um modo geral, o estudo das flutuações das populações de L. natalensis e da prevalência de F. gigantica nos moluscos, em dois períodos (Outubro/Novembro e Março/Abril de cada ano de estudo), revelou que a densidade dos moluscos e a prevalência foi superior em Março/Abril. A prevalência de Fasciola gigantica foi de 39,17% nos 120 bovinos abatidos no matadouro, sendo mais elevada em plena época seca (52,38%), valor superior ao registado pelas entidades oficiais (20,17%). A associação da prevalência da infecção intra-molusco e dos bovinos foi difícil de estabelecer, embora se tenha observado que, após a ocorrência de um período de intensa precipitação, em 1995, a prevalência diminuiu no ano seguinte. Os animais em risco, o número de biótopos do molusco e de Fasciola, associado ao diagnóstico crescente da fasciolose no Homem, revelararam que esta helmintose continua a ser um sério problema em produção animal, assim como em saúde pública. A utilização de um moluscicida (experiência de campo) e de um fasciolicida (desparasitação do efectivo em risco) não foi conclusiva, devido à dificuldade no acompanhamento dos hospedeiros após aquelas aplicações. No entanto, os custos elevados e os impactes negativos no ecossistema particularmente provocados pelo uso dos moluscicida sugerem a sua não preconização no controlo em biótopos onde as colecções de água são escassas e sobre-utilizadas pela população. O melhoramento das condições de recolha e armazenamento de água e dos sistemas de irrigação (canalizações em PVC e levadas cobertas) revelaram ser a melhor medida de controlo no decréscimo do número de biótopos dos moluscos e de Fasciola, em oposição ao verificado em outros países africanos, provavelmente devido à pequena extensão dos cursos de água em Santiago. The epidemiological studies are the base for the implementation of control measures. The presence of Lymnaea natalensis was found in 20 habitats and F. gigantica infected snails were detected on 14, at Santiago Island. The study of the fluctuations of L. natalensis populations and the prevalence of Fasciola gigantica in the snail, between October/November 1994 and March/April 1999, revealed that snail density and prevalence were higher in March/April. On 4097 freshwater snails studied, 1383 (33,76%) were collected on October/November and 2714 (64,24%) on March/April. The snail density, the shell width and the prevalence of Fasciola gigantica infection were higher during March/April at the natural habitats. The prevalence of F. gigantica was 39,17% out of 120 cattle slaughtered at Praia abattoir. The association of the intra-mollusc and cattle prevalence was difficult to establish, although we could observe that after a period of heavy rain in 1995, the prevalence of F. gigantica decreased in the following year. The high cost of the products and the negative effects on the ecossystems, the moluscicides and fasciolicides applied to Santiago habitats, did not allow to made concret conclusions. The animals at risk, the snail and Fasciola habitats, linked to the diagnosis of fascioliasis in man, show that this disease is still a serious problem in animal production as well as in human health. However, the improvement of irrigation systems showed to be the best control measure to decrease on snail and Fasciola habitats numbers, the opposite usually occurs in other African countries

Combined sustained release of BMP2 and MMP10 accelerates bone formation and mineralization of calvaria critical size defect in mice

The effect of dual delivery of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase 10 (MMP10) on bone regeneration was investigated in a murine model of calvarial critical-size defect, hypothesizing that it would result in an enhanced bone formation. Critical-size calvarial defects (4 mm diameter) were created in mice and PLGA microspheres preloaded with either BMP-2, MMP10 or a microsphere combination of both were transplanted into defect sites at different doses. Empty microspheres were used as the negative control. Encapsulation efficiency was assessed and in vivo release kinetics of BMP-2 and MMP10 were examined over 14 days. Histological analyses were used to analyze bone formation after four and eight weeks. Combination with MMP10 (30 ng) significantly enhanced BMP-2 (600 ng)-mediated osteogenesis, as confirmed by the increase in percentage of bone fill (p < .05) at four weeks. Moreover, it also increased mineral apposition rate (p < .05), measured by double labeling with tetracycline and calceine. MMP10 accelerates bone repair by enhancing BMP-2- promoted bone healing and improving the mineralization rate. In conclusion combination of MMP10 and BMP-2 may become a promising strategy for repair and regeneration of bone defects

Methylene blue reduces progression of burn and increases skin survival in an experimental rat model

Following burn, increased nitric oxide (NO) combine with superoxide anion forming peroxynitrite. Methylene blue (MB) has NO blocking and antioxidant effects. Male Wistar rats (250 g) were burned bilaterally in dorsum with a comb metal plate heated inside boiling water and applied during 30 s, creating four rectangular 10 × 20 mm full-thickness burned areas separated by three 5 × 20 mm unburned interspaces (stasis zone). 30 rats were randomized into three groups (n = 10): treated groups received one dose of intraperitoneal (IP) MB injections (2 mg/kg), one or six hours after injury, and control group received saline. Seven days after injury, wounds were visually analyzed for interspaces necrosis; full-thickness sections were evaluated with Masson staining; tissue fragments were processed for nitrite/nitrate (NOx) and malondialdehyde (MDA) dosages. Photographic analysis: interspaces progression to necrosis were higher in control (64.8%) than in one (44.7%) and six (13.3%) hours MB groups (P = 0.0060). Histopathology showed lower necrosis percentage in one (34.85%) and six (41.62%) hours MB groups than control (77.03%) (P = 0.0034) and higher normal skin percentage in one (25.33%) and six (26.85%) hours MB groups than control (8.32%) (P = 0.0037). Re-epithelialization skin areas were higher in both MB groups (39.94% for one and 31.89% for six hours) than control (14.63%) (P = 0.0210). Interspace’s NOx increased in both MB groups (P = 0.0130) with no difference in burned areas. No MDA difference was observed. IP MB injection one or six hours after injury reduced necrosis progression in stasis area in the rat comb burn model suggesting an antioxidant effect reducing oxidative stress4381702170