Arterial hypertension in childhood

OBJECTIVE: to critically review recent medical literature, focusing on practical features that are relevant for diagnosis and outpatient treatment of pediatric hypertension. SOURCES OF DATA: classic articles and systematic review of recent literature through electronic search of Medline and Lilacs databases over the last 10 years, using the key words arterial hypertension, newborns, infants, preschool, children and adolescents. Those articles containing relevant information were selected. SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS: arterial hypertension and obesity are public health problems all over the world. Essential arterial hypertension in adults begins in childhood and can also be secondary to several diseases. Pediatricians must measure the arterial pressure of the patients in a proper manner. When arterial hypertension is detected, it must be investigated in order to be adequately treated. The investigation depends on the age and the rising degree of the arterial pressure, taking into consideration the cause of hypertension, as well as its effects on target organs. CONCLUSIONS: the early recognition of an abnormal arterial pressure followed by adequate investigation and treatment are required to reduce the cardiovascular and renal morbidity/mortality.OBJETIVOS: realizar uma revisão crítica da literatura atual, enfocando aspectos práticos e relevantes para o diagnóstico e tratamento ambulatorial da criança com hipertensão arterial. FONTE DE DADOS: artigos clássicos e revisão sistemática da literatura atual através de busca eletrônica nos bancos de dados Medline e Lilacs, nos últimos 10 anos, utilizando-se as palavras-chave hipertensão arterial, recém-nascido, lactente, pré-escolar, criança e adolescente, selecionando-se aqueles que trouxeram informações relevantes. SÍNTESE DOS DADOS: a hipertensão arterial e a obesidade são um problema de saúde pública em todo o mundo. A hipertensão arterial essencial do adulto inicia-se na infância, e, além disso, pode ser secundária a várias doenças. O pediatra tem por obrigação medir adequadamente a pressão arterial de seus pacientes. Quando descoberta, a hipertensão arterial deve ser investigada para ser adequadamente tratada. A investigação depende da idade e do grau de elevação da pressão arterial, devendo preocupar-se não somente com a causa da hipertensão, mas também com os seus efeitos em órgãos alvo. CONCLUSÕES: o reconhecimento precoce da pressão arterial anormal e a intervenção (investigação e tratamento) adequada são necessários para diminuir a morbidade/mortalidade cardiovascular e renal futura.UNIFESPUniversidade Federal de Goiás Departamento de Pediatria e Puericultura e da Liga de Hipertensão ArterialUNIFESP Departamento de PediatriaUNIFESP Departamento de Pediatria Setor de Nefrologia da Disciplina de Especialidades PediátricasUNIFESP, Depto. de PediatriaUNIFESP, Depto. de Pediatria Setor de Nefrologia da Disciplina de Especialidades PediátricasSciEL

Valorisation of olive pomace by solid-state fermentation with Aspergillus species for lipase production

Pollution by olive mill wastes is a crucial problem in Mediterranean area and their proper management and utilization is demanded. Olive pomace offers excellent properties to produce enzymes by solid-state fermentation (SSF) using filamentous fungi. Particularly for lipase production, since it has residual content of olive oil. The aim of this work was to optimize the production of lipase by Aspergillus ibericus MUM 03.49, Aspergillus niger MUM 03.58 and Aspergillus tubingensis MUM 06.152, under SSF of olive pomace. A Taguchi L-9 orthogonal array based on 4 factors at 3 levels (ratio between olive pomace and wheat bran (OP:WB), NaNO3, Czapek nutrients and time) was implemented. SSF was carried out in Erlenmeyer flasks of 500 mL and lipase activity was measured using p-nitrophenyl butyrate as substrate. Results showed for all fungi that the factor with most significant effect on lipase production was the mixture OP:WB, concluding that the presence of wheat bran on substrate favored lipase production. NaNO3 concentration and time presented some effect and presence of Czapek nutrients did not added significant advantages on lipase production. A. ibericus was the best lipase producer, being a promising microorganism for lipase production. Under optimized conditions it produced 20.78 U/gds of lipase

Cell secretome based approaches in Parkinson's disease regenerative medicine

The available therapeutic strategies for Parkinson's disease (PD) rely only on the amelioration of the symptomatology of the disease, lacking neuroprotection or neuroregeneration capacities. Therefore, the development of disease modifying strategies is extremely important for the management of PD in the long term. Areas covered: In this review, the authors provide an overview of the current therapeutic approaches for PD and the emerging use of stem cell transplantation as an alternative. Particularly, the use of the secretome from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as well as some methodologies used for the modulation of their paracrine signaling, will be discussed. Indeed, there is a growing body of literature highlighting the use of paracrine factors and vesicles secreted from different cell populations, for this purpose. Expert opinion: Secretome from MSCs has shown its potential as a therapy for PD. Nevertheless, in the coming years, research should focus in several key aspects to enable the translation of this strategy from the bench to the bedside.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT): Ciência 2007 Program and IF Development Grant [IF/00111/2013] to AJ Salgado, PhD scholarships attributed to C.R. Marques [PD/BDE/127833/2016], A. Marote [PDE/BDE/113598/2015] and B. Mendes-Pinheiro [SFRH/BD/120124/2016] and Post-Doctoral Fellowship to F.G. Teixeira [SFRH/BPD/118408/2016]. This article has been developed under the scope of the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000023, supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). This work has been funded by FEDER funds, through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme (COMPETE), and by National funds, through FCT, under the scope of the project [POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007038]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Hospitalizações por condições cardiovasculares sensíveis à atenção primária em municípios goianos

OBJETIVO: Analisar taxas de hospitalização por condições cardiovasculares sensíveis à atenção primária. MÉTODOS: Estudo ecológico com 237 municípios do Estado de Goiás, de 2000 a 2008, utilizando dados do Sistema de Informação Hospitalar e Sistema de Informação da Atenção Básica. As taxas de hospitalização foram calculadas pela proporção entre o número de hospitalizações por condições cardiovasculares e a população acima de 40 anos. Foram avaliadas em triênios: A (2000-2002), B (2003-2005) e C (2006-2008), segundo sexo, faixa etária, porte populacional, pertencimento à região metropolitana, macrorregião de saúde, distância da capital, Índice de Condições de Vida e Saúde e cobertura de Estratégia Saúde da Família. A cobertura populacional potencial da Saúde da Família foi calculada conforme diretrizes do Ministério da Saúde. A variabilidade das taxas foi avaliada segundo teste t e ANOVA. RESULTADOS: Ocorreram 253.254 internações (17,2% do total) por condições cardiovasculares sensíveis à atenção primária. As taxas de hospitalização diminuíram entre os triênios: A (213,5, dp = 104,6), B (199,7, dp = 96,3) e C (150,2, dp = 76,1), com diferença entre os períodos A-C e B-C (p < 0,001). Porte populacional municipal não influenciou o comportamento das taxas. Municípios próximos à capital e aqueles da região metropolitana apresentaram maiores taxas (p < 0,001). Em todos os percentis do Índice de Condições de Vida e Saúde, houve redução das taxas (p < 0,001), exceto no percentil 1. Redução foi também observada em todas as macrorregiões, exceto na região nordeste do estado. A redução das taxas ocorreu independentemente da cobertura da Saúde da Família. CONCLUSÕES: As taxas de hospitalização por condições cardiovasculares sensíveis à atenção primária diminuíram nesses municípios, independentemente da cobertura da Saúde da Família.OBJECTIVE: To analyze rates of hospitalization due to primary care-sensitive cardiovascular conditions. METHODS: This ecological study on 237 municipalities in the state of Goiás, Central-West Brazil, between 2000 and 2008, used data from the Hospital Information System and the Primary Care Information System. The hospitalization rates were calculated as the ratio between the number of hospitalizations due to cardiovascular conditions and the population over the age of 40 years. The data were evaluated over the three-year periods A (2000-2002), B (2003-2005) and C (2006-2008), according to sex, age group, population size, whether the individual belonged to the metropolitan region, healthcare macroregion, distance from the state capital, living conditions index and coverage within the Family Health Strategy. The potential population coverage of the Family Health Strategy was calculated in accordance with Ministry of Health guidelines. The variability of the rates was evaluated using the t test and ANOVA. RESULTS: A total of 253,254 hospitalizations (17.2%) occurred due to primary care-sensitive cardiovascular conditions. The hospitalization rates diminished between the three-year periods: A (213.5, SD = 104.6), B (199.7, SD = 96.3) and C (150.2, SD = 76.1), with differences from A to C and from B to C (p < 0.001). Municipal population size did not influence the behavior of the rates. Municipalities near the state capital and those in the metropolitan area presented higher rates (p < 0.001). At all percentiles of the Life and Health Conditions Index, there were decreases in the rates (p < 0.001), except at percentile 1. Decreases were also observed in all the macroregions except for the northeastern region of the state. The reduction in rates was independent of the Family Health Strategy coverage. CONCLUSION: The rates of hospitalization due to primary care-sensitive cardiovascular conditions decreased in these municipalities, independent of the Family Health Strategy coverage.OBJETIVO: Analizar tasas de hospitalización por condiciones cardiovasculares sensibles de atención primaria. MÉTODOS: Estudio ecológico con 237 municipios del estado de Goias (centro-oeste de Brasil) de 2000 a 2008, utilizando datos del Sistema de Información Hospitalario y Sistema de Información de Atención Básica. Las tasas de hospitalización fueron calculadas por la proporción entre el número de hospitalizaciones por condiciones cardiovasculares y la población con más de 40 años. Las tasas fueron evaluadas en trienios: A (2000-2002), B (2003-2005) y C (2006-2008), según sexo, grupo etáreo, porte poblacional, pertenencia a la región metropolitana, macro región de salud, distancia a la capital, índice de Condiciones de Vida y Salud y cobertura de Estrategia Salud de la Familia. La cobertura poblacional potencial de la Salud de la Familia fue calculada conforme a las directrices del Ministerio de la Salud. La variabilidad de las tasas fue evaluada según la prueba de t y ANOVA. RESULTADOS: Ocurrieron 253.254 internaciones (17,2% del total) por condiciones cardiovasculares sensibles de la atención primaria. Las tasas de hospitalización disminuyeron entre los trienios: A (213,5, de=104,6); B (199,7, de=96,3) y C (150,2, de=76,1), con diferencia entre los períodos A-C y B-C (

Primeiro relato de ototoxicidade pelo antimoniato de meglumina

Introdução: Antimoniais pentavalentes são os fármacos de primeira escolha no tratamento da leishmaniose tegumentar. Dados de ototoxicidade relacionados a tais fármacos são escassos na literatura, o que nos levou a desenvolver um estudo de funções cócleo-vestibulares. Relato de caso: Relatamos caso de paciente masculino de 78 anos com leishmaniose tegumentar, que apresentou aumento significativo dos limiares auditivos com zumbido e tontura rotatória grave durante o tratamento com antimoniato de meglumina. Os sintomas pioraram até duas semanas após a interrupção do tratamento. Conclusão: Tontura e zumbido já tinham sido associados ao antimoniato de meglumina. Entretanto, este é o primeiro caso bem documentado de toxicidade cócleo-vestibular relacionado ao antimoniato de meglumina.Introduction: Pentavalent antimonials are the first drug of choice in the treatment of tegumentary leishmaniasis. Data on ototoxicity related with such drugs is scarcely available in literature, leading us to develop a study on cochleovestibular functions. Case Report: A case of a tegumentary leishmaniasis patient, a 78-year-old man who presented a substantial increase in auditory threshold with tinnitus and severe rotatory dizziness during the treatment with meglumine antimoniate, is reported. These symptoms worsened in two weeks after treatment was interrupted. Conclusion: Dizziness and tinnitus had already been related to meglumine antimoniate. However, this is the first well documented case of cochlear-vestibular toxicity related to meglumine antimoniate

TERT promoter mutations are a major indicator of poor outcome in differentiated thyroid carcinomas

Context: Telomerase promoter mutations (TERT) were recently described in follicular cell-derived thyroid carcinomas (FCDTC) and seem to be more prevalent in aggressive cancers. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the frequency of TERT promoter mutations in thyroid lesions and to investigate the prognostic significance of such mutations in a large cohort of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTCs). Design: This was a retrospective observational study. Setting and Patients: We studied 647 tumors and tumor-like lesions. A total of 469 patients with FCDTC treated and followed in five university hospitals were included. Mean follow-up (±SD) was 7.8 ± 5.8 years. Main Outcome Measures: Predictive value of TERT promoter mutations for distant metastasization, disease persistence at the end of follow-up, and disease-specific mortality. Results: TERT promoter mutations were found in 7.5% of papillary carcinomas (PTCs), 17.1% of follicular carcinomas, 29.0% of poorly differentiated carcinomas, and 33.3% of anaplastic thyroid carcinomas. Patients with TERT-mutated tumors were older (P < .001) and had larger tumors (P = .002). In DTCs, TERT promoter mutations were significantly associated with distant metastases (P < .001) and higher stage (P < .001). Patients with DTC harboring TERT promoter mutations were submitted to more radioiodine treatments (P = .009) with higher cumulative dose (P = .004) and to more treatment modalities (P = .001). At the end of follow-up, patients with TERT-mutated DTCs were more prone to have persistent disease (P = .001). TERT promoter mutations were significantly associated with disease-specific mortality [in the whole FCDTC (P < .001)] in DTCs (P < .001), PTCs (P = .001), and follicular carcinomas (P < .001). After adjusting for age at diagnosis and gender, the hazard ratio was 10.35 (95% confidence interval 2.01–53.24; P = .005) in DTC and 23.81 (95% confidence interval 1.36–415.76; P = .03) in PTCs. Conclusions: TERT promoter mutations are an indicator of clinically aggressive tumors, being correlated with worse outcome and disease-specific mortality in DTC. TERT promoter mutations have an independent prognostic value in DTC and, notably, in PTC.We acknowledge GENZYME for funding our work through a research project. This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology through PhD Grant SFRH/BD/81940/2011 (to J.V.); PhD Grant SFRH/BD/87887/2012 (to C.T.); PhD Grant SFRH/BD/79135/2011 (to A.A.); and the Scientific Investigation Project PIC/IC/83037/2007. Further funding was obtained from the project “Microenvironment, Metabolism and Cancer,” partially supported by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2-O Novo Norte), under the Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional, and through the European Regional Development Fund. The work of J.M.C.-T. was supported by Grant PI12/00749-FEDER from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Madrid, Spain). The Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP) is an associate laboratory of the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology, and Higher Education, which is partially supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology

Beekeeping in Brazil: A Bibliographic Review

Brazil presents favorable conditions for beekeeping, having a suitable climate; native flowering plants with great potential for the production of honey, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly; and bees adapted to our conditions, tolerant to the main apicultural diseases and highly productive. Through the meliponiculture, the conservation of mainly native forest areas is allowed; therefore, they are the best environments for the creation of native bees and production of by-products of the beehive with quality. The stingless bees are very sensitive to any disturbance due to anthropogenic action. A systematic bibliographical review was carried out in different electronic databases, through descriptors referring to beekeeping in Brazil. The identification of articles and their inclusion occurred between January 2018 and April 2018. The bibliographic research was conducted in the following electronic databases: (1) Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), (2) Public Library of Science (PLOS) Biology, and (3) ScienceDirect. In order to help in the process of standardization of bee products and traceability of the production chain, it was possible to draw a profile of the main bioactive substances of the beehive products of Brazil. It was also possible to relate the benefits of an adequate management of beekeeping and meliponiculture in Brazil