Biomarkers in asthma and allergic rhinitis

International audienceA biological marker (biomarker) is a physical sign or laboratory measurement that can serve as an indicator of biological or pathophysiological processes or as a response to a therapeutic intervention. An applicable biomarker possesses the characteristics of clinical relevance (sensitivity and specificity for the disease) and is responsive to treatment effects, in combination with simplicity, reliability and repeatability of the sampling technique. Presently, there are several biomarkers for asthma and allergic rhinitis that can be obtained by non-invasive or semi-invasive airway sampling methods meeting at least some of these criteria

BacHBerry: BACterial Hosts for production of Bioactive phenolics from bERRY fruits

BACterial Hosts for production of Bioactive phenolics from bERRY fruits (BacHBerry) was a 3-year project funded by the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) of the European Union that ran between November 2013 and October 2016. The overall aim of the project was to establish a sustainable and economically-feasible strategy for the production of novel high-value phenolic compounds isolated from berry fruits using bacterial platforms. The project aimed at covering all stages of the discovery and pre-commercialization process, including berry collection, screening and characterization of their bioactive components, identification and functional characterization of the corresponding biosynthetic pathways, and construction of Gram-positive bacterial cell factories producing phenolic compounds. Further activities included optimization of polyphenol extraction methods from bacterial cultures, scale-up of production by fermentation up to pilot scale, as well as societal and economic analyses of the processes. This review article summarizes some of the key findings obtained throughout the duration of the project

Spotted fever in Brazil: A seroepidemiological study and description of clinical cases in an endemic area in the state of Sao Paulo

During 1985-1995, illnesses clinically and epidemiologically compatible with Brazilian spotted fever were identified in 17 patients in the county of Pedreira, in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Spotted-fever group rickettsial infection was confirmed by serology and/or immunostaining of tissues in 10 of these patients. Immunostaining confirmed infection in a 37-year-old pregnant patient, although rickettsial antigens were not demonstrable in the tissues of the fetus. A serosurvey was conducted in four localities in the county to determine the prevalence of subclinical or asymptomatic infections with spotted fever group rickettsiae. Five hundred and twenty-five blood samples were tested by an indirect immunofluorescence assay for antibodies reactive with Rickettsia rickettsii. Twenty-two (4.2%) of these samples demonstrated titers greater than or equal to 1:64. The results indicate that Brazilian spotted fever is endemic within this region of Brazil.o TEXTO COMPLETO DESTE ARTIGO, ESTARÁ DISPONÍVEL À PARTIR DE AGOSTO DE 2015.65432933

Epidemiological aspects of the Brazilian spotted fever: seasonal activity of ticks collected in an endemic area in São Paulo, Brazil

Ticks were collected from vegetation and animals at monthly intervals during one year (1993-1994) in an endemic area of Brazilian spotted fever in the County of Pedreira, State of São Paulo. Six species of ticks were identified Amblyomma cajennense, Amblyomma cooperi, Amblyomma triste, Anocentor nitens, Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Boophilus microplus. Only the first species was sufficiently numerous to permit a quantitative study with seasonal activity, although the distribution and source of capture of other species were observed and are reported. This information is correlated with the epidemiology of tick-borne rickettsiosis.<br>Carrapatos de vegetação e de animais foram coletados mensalmente durante o período de um ano (1993-1994) em uma área endêmica de febre maculosa brasileira no município de Pedreira, São Paulo. Seis espécies de carrapatos foram identificadas Amblyomma cajennense, Amblyomma cooperi, Amblyomma triste, Anocentor nitens, Rhipicephalus sanguineus e Boophilus microplus. Somente a primeira espécie foi suficientemente abundante para permitir um estudo quantitativo com atividade sazonal, embora a distribuição e fonte de captura de outras espécies fossem observadas e aqui relatadas. Estas informações são correlacionadas com a epidemiologia da rickettsiose transmitida por carrapato

Sono, trabalho e estudo: duração do sono em estudantes trabalhadores e não trabalhadores Sleep, work, and study: sleep duration in working and non-working students

Este estudo objetivou investigar a duração do sono e fatores associados em escolares trabalhadores e não trabalhadores. Foram coletadas informações sobre o padrão do ciclo vigília/sono de 863 adolescentes de 10 a 19 anos em escolas de São Paulo, Brasil. Análises ajustadas foram aplicadas para comparação da duração do sono entre trabalhadores e não trabalhadores. O porcentual de adolescentes trabalhadores foi de 18,4% e 52% dos jovens que trabalhavam apresentaram oito ou menos horas de sono. A prevalência de baixa duração do sono foi maior nos trabalhadores dos sexos masculino (p = 0,017) e feminino (p < 0,001). Os estudantes trabalhadores apresentaram menor duração do sono mesmo com ajuste pela classe socioeconômica (p < 0,001). Apesar de existirem mais trabalhadores no turno da noite, no modelo ajustado pelo sexo e nível socioeconômico, os estudantes trabalhadores do turno da tarde apresentaram maior prevalência de baixa duração do sono (RP = 2,53; IC95%: 1,68-4,12).<br>The aim of this study was to investigate the duration of sleep and associated factors in working and non-working students. Data were analyzed on the sleep-wake cycle in 863 teenage students in São Paulo, Brazil. Adjusted analyses were performed to compare sleep duration in working and non-working students. 18.4% of the group worked, and 52% of the working students slept eight hours or less per night. Prevalence of short sleep duration was higher in working students of both sexes (males, p = 0.017; females, p < 0.001). Working students showed short sleep duration in the analysis adjusted for socioeconomic status, but short sleep was more frequent in older adolescents (p = 0.004) and in lower (p = 0.001) and middle (p = 0.011) socioeconomic classes. Although more working students were in night school, in the model adjusted for gender and socioeconomic status, working students in afternoon courses showed higher prevalence of short sleep duration (PR = 2.53; 95%CI: 1.68-4.12)

Efeitos do trabalho sobre a saúde de adolescentes Effects of work on the health of adolescents

O estudo analisa conseqüências do trabalho para as condições de vida, saúde e desenvolvimento psicossocial de adolescentes. Participaram do estudo 354 estudantes de 14 a 18 anos, do ensino médio, período noturno. A análise das representações foi realizada a partir da coleta de evocações livres. Os dados sobre sono foram obtidos por meio de questionários, sobre auto-percepções acerca das condições de vida e trabalho, sintomas de saúde e doenças. A análise de dados foi realizada com o software EVOC 2000 e SPSS. Constataram-se diferenças significativas na duração média de sono entre os adolescentes: os trabalhadores relataram menores médias de duração de sono. Entre os trabalhadores, referiram dormir menos os que sentem sono no trabalho e nas aulas, têm maiores exigências psicológicas no trabalho, ganham acima de 1 salário mínimo mensal, jornadas acima de 6 horas diárias ou acima de 20 horas semanais, trabalham em local barulhento e com presença de gases e vapores. As representações do trabalho entre os jovens apontam contradição entre o seu reconhecimento como valor moral positivo para o desenvolvimento psicossocial e a construção da identidade, e as conseqüências negativas decorrentes da exposição a cargas físicas e psicológicas precocemente.<br>This study evaluated life and work conditions and their impact on the health and psychological development of adolescents. A number of 354 high school students, 14 to 18 years old, studying during evening period took part in this study. Data were collected using free evocation technique and questionnaires. Data on sleep during the weekdays were obtained using questionnaires, filled out by students regarding life and work conditions, health symptoms and illness. Data were analyzed with software EVOC 2000 for the social representations, and T-Student, ANOVA, Mann-Whitney e Kruskal-Wallis tests were employed for analyze health and sleep conditions. Differences were found among worker students who reported shorter mean sleep durations and: males, feeling sleepy at work and classes, referring to tougher psychological demands at work, working as salesperson, earning more than 1 minimum monthly wage, working more than 6 hours per day or 20 hours per week, working in noisy environment or polluted with gases and vapors. The representation of work among teen workers point a contradiction between recognizing work as a moral positive value to psychosocial development and identity construction, and the negative consequences due to precocious exposure to physical and psychological workloads