Salivary cortisol to assess the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axisin healthy children under 3 years old

OBJECTIVE: To establish reference concentration intervals for salivary cortisol in healthy children, in the morning and in the afternoon, investigating factors that interfere with the concentration measured and the possibility that circadian rhythms are present. METHODS: A controlled observational study was carried out with 91 children aged 45 days to 36 months, selected at random and living in Santo André, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Inclusion criteria were: healthy, well-nourished, free from fever and corticoid use, subdivided by age group (five subsets) at 6-month intervals. Saliva was collected during home visits in the morning and afternoon. Cortisol was radioimmunoassayed with cortisol 3-oxime-bovine albumin antiserum. RESULTS: The five subsets exhibited higher cortisol concentration during the morning than in the afternoon (p < 0.001), and this difference passed 30% from 1 year of age onwards. Mean concentrations, in nmol/L, were 557.86 (morning) and 346.36 (afternoon). A negative linear correlation was observed between morning concentrations and hours' sleep and frequency of meals (p < 0.05), and in the afternoon with anthropometric measurements (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Reference values for normal salivary cortisol in healthy children were established. At 45 days it was possible to observe circadian rhythms, which reached maturity at 12 months of life. Sleep and food deprivation increased morning cortisol levels.OBJETIVO: Estabelecer intervalos de concentrações referenciais de cortisol salivar em crianças saudáveis, nos períodos matutino e vespertino, verificando os fatores de interferência nessa dosagem e a possibilidade de presença de ritmo circadiano. MÉTODOS: Pesquisa observacional controlada, incluindo aleatoriamente 91 crianças com idade de 45 dias a 36 meses, residentes em comunidade de Santo André (SP). Critérios de inclusão: nutridas, saudáveis, sem febre ou uso de corticóide, subdivididas em faixas etárias (cinco subgrupos) com intervalo de 6 meses. Houve coleta de saliva domiciliar nos períodos manhã e tarde para dosagem de cortisol, sob radioimunoensaio com anticortisol 3-oxima-albumina bovina. RESULTADOS: Os cinco subgrupos apresentaram dosagens matutinas superiores às vespertinas (p < 0,001), com diferença superior a 30% a partir de 1 ano de idade. Valor médio em nmol/L foi de 557,86 (manhã) e 346,36 (tarde). Observou-se correlação linear negativa na dosagem matutina para horas de repouso e freqüência de dieta (p < 0,05); na vespertina, para medidas antropométricas (p < 0,05). CONCLUSÕES Foram estabelecidos valores de referência de normalidade de cortisol salivar em crianças saudáveis, e aos 45 dias foi possível observar ritmo circadiano, que atingiu maturidade aos 12 meses de vida. Privações de sono e dieta elevaram valores de cortisol matutino.Universidade Estadual PaulistaFaculdade de Medicina do ABCUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de MedicinaUNESP Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu Departamento de PediatriaUNIFESP, EPMSciEL

Were equatorial regions less affected by the 2009 influenza pandemic? The Brazilian experience

Although it is in the Tropics where nearly half of the world population lives and infectious disease burden is highest, little is known about the impact of influenza pandemics in this area. We investigated the mortality impact of the 2009 influenza pandemic relative to mortality rates from various outcomes in pre-pandemic years throughout a wide range of latitudes encompassing the entire tropical, and part of the subtropical, zone of the Southern Hemisphere (+5°N to −35°S) by focusing on a country with relatively uniform health care, disease surveillance, immunization and mitigation policies: Brazil. To this end, we analyzed laboratory-confirmed deaths and vital statistics mortality beyond pre-pandemic levels for each Brazilian state. Pneumonia, influenza and respiratory mortality were significantly higher during the pandemic, affecting predominantly adults aged 25 to 65 years. Overall, there were 2,273 and 2,787 additional P&I- and respiratory deaths during the pandemic, corresponding to a 5.2% and 2.7% increase, respectively, over average pre-pandemic annual mortality. However, there was a marked spatial structure in mortality that was independent of socio-demographic indicators and inversely related with income: mortality was progressively lower towards equatorial regions, where low or no difference from pre-pandemic mortality levels was identified. Additionally, the onset of pandemic-associated mortality was progressively delayed in equatorial states. Unexpectedly, there was no additional mortality from circulatory causes. Comparing disease burden reliably across regions is critical in those areas marked by competing health priorities and limited resources. Our results suggest, however, that tropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere may have been disproportionally less affected by the pandemic, and that climate may have played a key role in this regard. These findings have a direct bearing on global estimates of pandemic burden and the assessment of the role of immunological, socioeconomic and environmental drivers of the transmissibility and severity of this pandemic

Effectiveness of Insecticide Spraying and Culling of Dogs on the Incidence of Leishmania infantum Infection in Humans: A Cluster Randomized Trial in Teresina, Brazil

Background: To evaluate the effect of insecticide spraying for vector control and elimination of infected dogs on the incidence of human infection with L. infantum, a randomized community intervention trial was carried out in the city of Teresina, Brazil. Methods/Principal Findings Within each of ten localities in the city, four blocks were selected and randomized to 4 interventions: 1) spraying houses and animal pens with insecticide; 2) eliminating infected dogs; 3) combination of spraying and eliminating dogs, and 4) nothing. The main outcome is the incidence of infection assessed by the conversion of the Montenegro skin test (MST) after 18 months of follow-up in residents aged ≥1 year with no previous history of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Reactions were measured at 48–72 h, induration of ≥5 mm considered positive. Interventions were executed after the baseline interview and repeated 6 and 12 months later. The effects of each type of intervention scheme on the incidence of infection were assessed by calculating relative risks and 95% confidence intervals using Poisson population-averaged regression models with robust variance. Among the 1105 participants, 408 (37%) were MST positive at baseline. Of the 697 negatives, only 423 (61%) were reexamined at the end of the follow-up; 151 (36%) of them converted to a positive MST. Only dog culling had some statistically significant effect on reducing the incidence of infection, with estimates of effectiveness varying between 27% and 52%, depending on the type of analysis performed. Conclusions/Significance: In light of the continuous spread of VL in Brazil despite the large scale deployment of insecticide spraying and dog culling, the relatively low to moderate effectiveness of dog culling and the non-significant effect of insecticide spraying on the incidence of human infection, we conclude that there is an urgent need for revision of the Brazilian VL control program

Expression of tumor suppressors miR-195 and let-7a as potential biomarkers of invasive breast cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. Some miRNAs, including let-7a and miR-195, have been described as tumor suppressors. However, the roles of these microRNAs in breast cancer progression remain controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate miR-195 and let-7a expression as potential biomarkers of invasive breast cancer.The authors acknowledge the Avon Institute for sponsoring this study. The authors would like to thank the Barretos Cancer Hospital's Research Support Nucleus for patient identification, sample selection, and biostatistics support, as well as Barretos Cancer Hospital's Tumor Bank for sample provision and RNA extraction.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Expression of tumor suppressors miR-195 and let-7a as potential biomarkers of invasive breast cancer

OBJECTIVE: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. Some miRNAs, including let-7a and miR-195, have been described as tumor suppressors. However, the roles of these microRNAs in breast cancer progression remain controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate miR-195 and let-7a expression as potential biomarkers of invasive breast cancer. METHODS: In the present study, 200 individuals were separated into three groups: (i) 72 women constituting the control group who were selected according to rigorous and well-established criteria; (ii) 56 patients with benign breast tumors; and (iii) 72 patients with malignant breast cancers of different clinical stages. The miR-195 and let-7a expression levels in serum were evaluated by real-time PCR. The results were assessed alone and in combination, and the analysis included an estimation of sensitivity and specificity in ROC curves. RESULTS: Compared with the benign and control groups, both microRNAs were downregulated in the malignant breast cancer patient group. Compared with the malignant group, the combination of both biomarkers in the control and benign groups showed good sensitivity and specificity in the serum with AUCs of 0.75 and 0.72, respectively. The biomarker combination for the control group versus the malignant group exhibited a better sensitivity and specificity than for the benign group versus the malignant group. CONCLUSION: These findings support the evidence that the analysis of miR-195 and let-7a can be used as a noninvasive biomarker for breast cancer detection

Hanseniase neural primaria: revisao sistematica

The authors proposed a systematic review on the current concepts of primary neural leprosy by consulting the following online databases: MEDLINE, Lilacs/SciELO, and Embase. Selected studies were classified based on the degree of recommendation and levels of scientific evidence according to the “Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine”. The following aspects were reviewed: cutaneous clinical and laboratorial investigations, i.e. skin clinical exam, smears, and biopsy, and Mitsuda's reaction; neurological investigation (anamnesis, electromyography and nerve biopsy); serological investigation and molecular testing, i.e. serological testing for the detection of the phenolic glycolipid 1 (PGL-I) and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR); and treatment (classification criteria for the definition of specific treatment, steroid treatment, and cure criteria).Os autores propuseram-se a realizar uma revisão sistemática em conceitos atuais sobre a hanseníase neural primária, consultando as seguintes bases bibliográficas on-line: MEDLINE, Lilacs/SciELO e Embase. Os estudos selecionados foram classificados conforme o grau de recomendação e o nível de evidência científica de acordo com o “Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine”. Os seguintes temas foram revisados: investigações clínica e laboratorial cutâneas, ou seja, exame, esfregaço e biópsia de pele e reação de Mitsuda; investigação neurológica (anamnese, eletroneuromiografia e biópsia de nervo); investigação sorológica e testes moleculares, ou seja, testes sorológicos para detecção de um glicolipídio fenólico e reação de cadeia de polimerase (PCR) e tratamento (critérios de classificação para definição de tratamento específico, tratamento com esteroides e critérios de cura).Secretaria de Estado de Saude Instituto Lauro de Souza LimaUniversidade de São Paulo (USP) School of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto Department of NeurosciencesUSP Department of Neurology and NeurosurgeryFundacao Oswaldo CruzUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Department of DermatologySecretaria de Estado de Saude Instituto de SaudeConselho Federal de Medicina Associacao Medica Brasileira Projeto DiretrizesUNIFESP, Department of DermatologySciEL

X-ray absorption spectroscopy study on La0.6Sr0.4CoO3 and La0.6Sr0.4Co1¡yFeyO3 nanotubes and nanorods for IT-SOFC cathodes.

In the last years, extensive research has been devoted to develop novel materials\ud and structures with high electrochemical performance for intermediate-temperatures\ud solid-oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs) electrodes. In recent works, we have investigated the structural and electrochemical properties of La0:6Sr0:4CoO3 (LSCO) and\ud La0:6Sr0:4Co1¡yFeyO3 (LSCFO) nanostructured cathodes, finding that they exhibit\ud excellent electrocatalytic properties for the oxygen reduction reaction [1,2]. These materials were prepared by a pore-wetting technique using polycarbonate porous membranes as templates. Two average pore sizes were used: 200 nm and 800 nm. Our scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) study showed that the lower pore size yielded nanorods, while nanotubes were obtained with the bigger pore size. All the samples\ud were calcined at 1000oC in order to produce materials with the desired perovskite-type\ud crystal structure.\ud In this work, we analyze the oxidation states of Co and Fe and the local atomic order\ud of LSCO and LSCFO nanotubes and nanowires for various compositions. For this pur-\ud pose we performed XANES and EXAFS studies on both Co and Fe K edges. These\ud measurements were carried out at the D08B-XAFS2 beamline of the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS). XANES spectroscopy showed that Co and Fe only\ud change slightly their oxidation state upon Fe addition. Surprisingly, XANES results\ud indicated that the content of oxygen vacancies is low, even though it is well-known that\ud these materials are mixed ionic-electronic conductors. EXAFS results were consistent\ud with those expected according to the rhombohedral crystal structure determined in\ud previous X-ray powder dffraction investigations.\ud [1] M.G. Bellino et al, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129 (2007) 3066\ud [2] J.G. Sacanell et al., J. Power Sources 195 (2010) 1786CNPqCAPE

MicroRNA Hsa-miR-134 is a circulating biomarker for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Epilepsy is misdiagnosed in up to 25% of patients, leading to serious and long-lasting consequences. Recently, circulating microRNAs have emerged as potential biomarkers in a number of clinical scenarios. The purpose of this study was to identify and to validate circulating microRNAs that could be used as biomarkers in the diagnosis of epilepsy. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure plasma levels of three candidate microRNAs in two phases of study: an initial discovery phase with 14 patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), 13 with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) and 16 controls; and a validation cohort constituted of an independent cohort of 65 patients with MTLE and 83 controls. We found hsa-miR-134 downregulated in patients with MTLE (p = 0.018) but not in patients with FCD, when compared to controls. Furthermore, hsa-miR-134 expression could be used to discriminate MTLE patients with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.75. To further assess the robustness of hsa-miR-134 as a biomarker for MTLE, we studied an independent cohort of 65 patients with MTLE, 27 of whom MTLE patients were responsive to pharmacotherapy, and 38 patients were pharmacoresistant and 83 controls. We confirmed that hsa-miR-134 was significantly downregulated in the plasma of patients with MTLE when compared with controls (p < 0.001). In addition, hsa-miR-134 identified patients with MTLE regardless of their response to pharmacotherapy or the presence of MRI signs of hippocampal sclerosis. We revealed that decreased expression of hsa-miR-134 could be a potential non-invasive biomarker to support the diagnosis of patients with MTLE.Epilepsy is misdiagnosed in up to 25% of patients, leading to serious and long-lasting consequences. Recently, circulating microRNAs have emerged as potential biomarkers in a number of clinical scenarios. The purpose of this study was to identify and to v124FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)2013/07559-3; 2013/00099-7sem informaçãosem informaçã

Chemical Composition and Evaluation of Antitumoral Activity of Leaf and Root Essential Oils of Conyza canadensis (Asteraceae)

The leaf and root oils of Conyza canadensis were studied for chemical composition and antitumor activity. The results showed that there is great variation in the composition of the oils obtained from different parts. The main components in the leaf oil were limonene, caryophyllene oxide and espatulenol. In the root oil the major component was the acetylenic ester lachnophyllum methyl ester. It was observed that according to the collection time (6 and 16 hours), significant variations in the content of the main components of this essential oil of leaves can occur. Limonene, spatulenol and caryophyllene oxide presented a distribution of 61% / 5.4% / 12.5% ​​and 38% / 10.7% / 22.3% in oils obtained from plants collected at 6 and 16 hours, respectively. The antitumor activity of the oils showed that leaf oil had a greater potential for inhibition, and this oil was distinguished by the activity against neoplastic cell lines K562 (leukemia) and NCI-ADR / RES (ovary with multidrug resistance phenotype ) with TGI values ​​of 16.8 and 19.0 mg.mL-1, respectively. Comparing the leaf oils and their tumor cell inhibition potentials, it was noted that this activity is higher in the oil with higher contents of monoterpene limonene. DOI:&nbsp;http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v11i5.137

Evaluation of the effects of Quercetin and Kaempherol on the surface of MT-2 cells visualized by atomic force microscopy

AbstractThis study investigated the anti-viral effects of the polyphenolic compounds Quercetin and Kaempherol on the release of HTLV-1 from the surface of MT-2 cells. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to scan the surface of the MT-2 cells. MT-2 cells were fixed with 100% methanol on round glass lamina or cleaved mica and dried under UV light and laminar flow. The images were captured on a Multimode equipment monitored by a NanoScope IIId controller from Veeco Instruments Inc operated in tapping mode and equipped with phase-imaging hardware. The images demonstrated viral budding structures 131±57nm in size, indicating profuse viral budding. Interestingly, cell-free viruses and budding structures visualized on the surface of cells were less common when MT-2 was incubated with Quercetin, and no particles were seen on the surface of cells incubated with Kaempherol. In summary, these data indicate that HTLV-1 is budding constantly from the MT-2 cell surface and that polyphenolic compounds were able to reduce this viral release. Biological samples were analyzed with crude cell preparations just after cultivation in the presence of Quercetin and Kaempherol, showing that the AFM technique is a rapid and powerful tool for analysis of antiviral activity of new biological compounds