Violência autoinfligida por intoxicação exógena em um serviço de urgência e emergência

RESUMO Objetivo Analisar as violências autoinfligidas por intoxicação exógena notificadas em um serviço de saúde. Métodos Estudo epidemiológico, retrospectivo e analítico realizado em um serviço de urgência e emergência do município de Teresina, Piauí. Procedeu-se nos meses de janeiro e fevereiro de 2015, mediante análise de todos os casos de violência autoinfligida por intoxicação exógena notificados no Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação, no período de 2009 a 2014. O teste qui-quadrado de Pearson foi utilizado na análise. Resultados Foram notificadas 277 vítimas de violência autoinfligida por intoxicação exógena, sendo que 10,5% morreram por suicídio. Houve associação entre o óbito e as variáveis idade, escolaridade, zona de ocorrência e tipo de exposição, assim como entre o tipo de exposição e a quantidade de agentes utilizados. Conclusão Os resultados fornecem subsídios para a definição de estratégias de prevenção considerando os grupos vulneráveis e a complexidade dos fatores associados à violência autoinfligida

Review of the missed opportunities for the prevention of vertical transmission of HIV in Brazil

OBJECTIVE: The present literature review aims to highlight gaps in the treatment of preventative motherto-child HIV transmission and the risk factors in Brazil. METHODS: Among the 425 articles identified in SciELO and PubMed searches, 59 articles published between 1994 and 2016 were selected for reading and data extraction, and 33 articles were included in the present review. RESULTS: The rates of vertical HIV transmission described in the studies varied widely, from 1.8% to 27.8%, with a significant reduction over the years. However, recent rates were also found to be variable in different regions of Brazil, and despite the significant reduction in mother-to-child transmission, many gaps remain in prevention services. A failure to attend prenatal care is the main factor associated with the increased risk of vertical transmission of HIV, hindering early maternal diagnosis and the completion of preventative measures during the prenatal period and, often, the peripartum and postnatal periods. A small number of studies discussed the sociodemographic factors, including a low level of education for pregnant women and the inadequacies of health services, such as difficulties scheduling appointments and undertrained staff, associated with vertical transmission. As such, the current challenge is to better define the sociodemographic and infrastructural factors that increase the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV to provide the necessary investments to promote an earlier inclusion of these populations in prevention services. CONCLUSIONS: This review may serve as a guide for future programs to focus efforts on the prevention of vertical HIV transmission

MIF Participates in Toxoplasma gondii-Induced Pathology Following Oral Infection

BACKGROUND: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is essential for controlling parasite burden and survival in a model of systemic Toxoplasma gondii infection. Peroral T. gondii infection induces small intestine necrosis and death in susceptible hosts, and in many aspects resembles inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Considering the critical role of MIF in the pathogenesis of IBD, we hypothesized that MIF participates in the inflammatory response induced by oral infection with T. gondii. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Mif deficient (Mif(-/-)) and wild-type mice in the C57Bl/6 background were orally infected with T. gondii strain ME49. Mif(-/-) mice had reduced lethality, ileal inflammation and tissue damage despite of an increased intestinal parasite load compared to wt mice. Lack of MIF caused a reduction of TNF-α, IL-12, IFN-γ and IL-23 and an increased expression of IL-22 in ileal mucosa. Moreover, suppressed pro-inflammatory responses at the ileal mucosa observed in Mif(-/-) mice was not due to upregulation of IL-4, IL-10 or TGF-β. MIF also affected the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) but not MMP-2 in the intestine of infected mice. Signs of systemic inflammation including the increased concentrations of inflammatory cytokines in the plasma and liver damage were less pronounced in Mif(-/-) mice compared to wild-type mice. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: In conclusion, our data suggested that in susceptible hosts MIF controls T. gondii infection with the cost of increasing local and systemic inflammation, tissue damage and death

Abnormal NK cell lymphocytosis detected after splenectomy: association with repeated infections, relapsing neutropenia, and persistent polyclonal B-cell proliferation

Abnormal NK cell lymphocytosis detected after splenectomy: association with repeated infections, relapsing neutropenia, and persistent polyclonal B-cell proliferation. Granjo E, Lima M, Fraga M, Santos F, Magalhães C, Queirós ML, Moreira I, Rocha S, Silva AS, Rebelo I, Quintanilha A, Ribeiro ML, Candeias J, Orfão A. Department of Hematology, Hospital S. João, Porto, Portugal. [email protected] Abstract We report the case of a boy with hereditary spherocytosis who presented with mild microcytic hypochromic anemia and recurrent leg ulcers that had been present since childhood. Chronic natural killer (NK) cell and B-cell lymphocytosis was detected 1 year after therapeutic splenectomy during investigation of recurrent episodes of neutropenia and persistent lymphocytosis. NK cells proved to be abnormal at immunophenotyping studies, and B-cells were polyclonal and displayed a normal immunophenotype. Genotypic analysis of T-cell receptor (TCR)-beta and TCR-gamma genes showed a germ-line pattern. The clinical course of this patient was characterized by multiple pulmonary infections and amygdalitis. We discuss the potential roles of persistent immune stimulation due to chronic hemolysis and severe leg ulcers and of splenectomy in the origin of NK cell lymphocytosis and the relationship between NK cells and recurrent infections, relapsing neutropenia, and polyclonal B-cell response

Genotoxic potential generated by biomass burning in the Brazilian Legal Amazon by Tradescantia micronucleus bioassay: a toxicity assessment study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Brazilian Amazon has suffered impacts from non-sustainable economic development, especially owing to the expansion of agricultural commodities into forest areas. The Tangará da Serra region, located in the southern of the Legal Amazon, is characterized by non-mechanized sugar cane production. In addition, it lies on the dispersion path of the pollution plume generated by biomass burning. The aim of this study was to assess the genotoxic potential of the atmosphere in the Tangará da Serra region, using <it>Tradescantia pallida </it>as <it>in situ </it>bioindicator.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was conducted during the dry and rainy seasons, where the plants were exposed to two types of exposure, active and passive.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results showed that in all the sampling seasons, irrespective of exposure type, there was an increase in micronucleus frequency, compared to control and that it was statistically significant in the dry season. A strong and significant relationship was also observed between the increase in micronucleus incidence and the rise in fine particulate matter, and hospital morbidity from respiratory diseases in children.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Based on the results, we demonstrated that pollutants generated by biomass burning in the Brazilian Amazon can induce genetic damage in test plants that was more prominent during dry season, and correlated with the level of particulates and elevated respiratory morbidity.</p

Bird-spiders (Arachnida, Mygalomorphae) as perceived by the inhabitants of the village of Pedra Branca, Bahia State, Brazil

This paper deals with the conceptions, knowledge and attitudes of the inhabitants of the county of Pedra Branca, Bahia State, on mygalomorph spiders locally known as 'caranguejeiras' (bird-spiders). It is launched here a new filed within ethnozoology: ethnoarachnology, which is defined as the transdisciplinary study of the relationships between human beings and bird-spiders. Data were collected from February to June 2005 by means of open-ended interviews carried out with 30 individuals, which ages ranged from 13 to 86 years old. It was recorded some traditional knowledge regarding the following items: taxonomy, biology, habitat, ecology, seasonality, and behavior. Results show that bird-spiders are classified as "insects". The most commented aspect of the interaction between bird-spiders and inhabitants of Pedra Branca is related to their dangerousness, since they said these spiders are very venomous and can cause health problems. In general, the traditional zoological knowledge of Pedra Branca's inhabitants concerning these spiders is coherent with the academic knowledge