Minor psychiatric disorders among Brazilian ragpickers: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Ragpickers are informal workers who collect recyclable materials to earn a small wage. Their life and working conditions are extremely difficult. We examined minor psychiatric disorders (MPD) among a cohort of ragpickers in Pelotas, a city in southern Brazil. METHODS: Ragpickers were matched by sex, age, and years of schooling with a sample of non-ragpickers from the same poor neighborhoods. The cross-sectional study gathered data by interview on 990 individuals in 2004. MPD were assessed using a standard self-reporting questionnaire, the SRQ-20. RESULTS: The prevalence of MPD among ragpickers was 44.7%, higher than reported by neighborhood controls (33.6%; p < 0.001). MPD were more common among females, those of lower economic level, smokers and alcoholics. Among occupational characteristics, MPD prevalence was associated with frequent static postures, low job satisfaction and recent work accidents. CONCLUSION: Ragpickers more frequently report MPD than other poor workers living in the same neighborhoods, with many of the same life conditions. Improving the work lives of these precarious workers should address not only the physical hazards of their jobs but their mental and emotional health as well

TP53 mutation profile of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas of patients from Southeastern Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Esophageal cancer (EC) is among the 10 most common and fatal malignacies in the world, presenting a marked geographic variation in incidence rates between and within different countries. The TP53 tumor suppressor gene is highly mutated in esophageal tumors and its mutation pattern can offer clues to the etiopathology of the tumor. As Brazil presents one of the highest incidence areas in the West, a deeper knowledge of the molecular mechanisms related to EC development in the Brazilian population is needed. We analyzed the mutation profile of 110 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) of patients from Southeastern Brazil (Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo) and collected data regarding alcohol intake and tobacco smoking. We detected 41 mutations in tumor samples from 38 patients. There was no association between mutation frequency and tobacco smoking or alcohol drinking. The most frequently mutated codons were 179, 214, 220 and 248. Codons 179. 220 and 248 are hot-spots for ESCC, but codon 214 presents only 0.7% of the mutations registered in the IARC database. The mutation profile revealed a high percentage of mutations at A:T base pairs (34.1%) followed by deletions (17.1%). We concluded that the mutation profile detected in this study is different from that of patients from Southern Brazil but very similar to that previously seen in French patients, being characterized by a high frequency of mutations at A:T base pairs, which may be associated with acetalclehyde, the metabolic product of ethanol. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.69611015Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Ministerio da SaudeConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq